Tam O’Shanter Junior Public School is located just northeast of the intersection of Sheppard Ave. and Birchmount Rd., and beside the Tam O’Shanter Golf Course. The immediate area is comprised of rental and condominium high-rise apartment buildings and townhouses. The school opened over 40 years ago and includes seven portables and serves about 380 students representing almost 30 different language groups. Approximately two-thirds of the students speak English as a second language.
School Goals
Tam O'Shanter promotes the development of a strong foundation for our students in all areas of the curriculum. School goals this year are:
- to improve student achievement scores in reading at all grade levels
- to improve student achievement scores in mathematics, especially problem solving, at all grade levels, and specifically at the Primary level
- to increase parent and community involvement by engaging parents in the education of their children through School Council membership and a variety of Parent Workshops
Interesting Feature
Tam as The Heart of the Community
Tam O’Shanter is in use seven days a week by outside groups that permit the school (e.g. After School Programs, SEPT Parent Workshops, and the ACSA CAYSPER program. International Language classes are available at Tam on Saturdays. Support for good student nutrition is accomplished through a Mid-morning meal program.
More Information about Tam O'Shanter Junior Public School
Community Culture and Caring
Tam O'Shanter promotes the development of a strong partnership with parents and the community. All members of the community contribute to our goal of building an inclusive culture at Tam that is safe, respectful, orderly and provides a purposeful learning environment where everyone is engaged and demonstrating personal and social responsibility.
Settlement and Educational Partnership in Toronto
Settlement and Educational Partnership in Toronto(SEPT), has a partnership with the Toronto District School Board to assist immigrants and refugees in settling into Canada. Tam O'Shanter has a SEPT office that has staff available to meet with newcomer parents three days of the week. Services are provided for Urdu, Hindi and Mandarin speaking newcomers.
Grade 5 Intergenerational Program
The Intergenerational Program is a collaboration between Tam O’Shanter Jr. P.S., and Shepherd Lodge. This program builds on and enhances the Grade 5and 6 student’s self-esteem and learning skills. (Delayed start due to Labour negotiations)
Student Life - Where You Belong
As a school, we have been working to follow the framework of Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to build our student leaders. The Habits are: Be Proactive Begin with the End in Mind Put First Things, First Think Win-Win Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood Synergize During this process students continue to learn personal leadership and 21st century life skills, such as goal setting, time management, team work, problem solving, respecting diversity and life balance. Through various events and activities we will be developing our student leaders to use these habits that are evident in good leaders.
What Sets Us Apart
Starting in September of 2011, Tam students began collecting milk bags to support a program which turns the milk bag into a sleeping mat for children in Haiti.
Parent and Community Engagement
Students from Stephen Leacock C.I. volunteer to help our teachers and students in our classrooms. Our students look forward to the visits from Reading Buddies once a week and Coop students who work at Tam O'Shanter on a daily basis. Thank you for your support and dedication. Parent volunteers have been making quite a difference at Tam O'Shanter. Whether it's listening to beginning readers, accompanying classes on field trips or assisting with Scientists in the School, parent volunteers continue to make a significant contribution to the lives of students at Tam.
