Castlemore Public School

The property where Castlemore Public School now stands was formerly called "Rosemount Farm" for almost a century. From 1914 to 1950, the farm was under the ownership of Fred and Emma Bagg, and it gained renown as one of the finest dairy farms in Markham Township. The woodland area, initially cultivated by Fred Bagg using seedlings, lies to the north and west of the school and holds significant importance as part of the surrounding school parklands. Before adopting its present name, the school was initially referred to as "Berczy North," paying tribute to William Berczy (originally Johann Albrecht Ulrich Moll), who arrived alongside sixty other families in 1794.

The school's motto resonates as "Voices of Today, Voices for Tomorrow."

Representing the school is the Tiger, serving as the mascot.

‍

Established in May 2002, Castlemore Public School is situated in the northern region of Markham Township, in close proximity to the junction of Kennedy Rd. and Major Mackenzie Dr. At its inception, in 2002, the school grounds accommodated six portable classrooms. Subsequently, an expansion comprising eight rooms (including two kindergarten classrooms and six regular classrooms) was constructed during the spring of 2004, effectively replacing the portable units.

The school boasts a range of amenities, notably an elevator that ensures "All Abilities" accessibility, restroom and shower facilities, a well-equipped library/resource center, a dedicated room for instrumental music, an art room, a science laboratory, a stage for dramatic performances, four computer mini-labs, multiple classrooms, a gymnasium complete with a partitioning curtain, specialized classrooms for special education and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs, a staff room, administrative offices, a health room, and an outdoor soccer field.

‍

Grades 1 to 3 curriculum emphasizes foundational knowledge and skills for language development.

• Focus areas include oral language, prior knowledge, concepts about print, phonemic awareness, letter-sound relationships, vocabulary, thinking skills, and metacognition.
• Language learning heavily relies on listening, speaking, reading, and interacting with media texts.
• Culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds of students inform instructional differentiation.
• Students learn appropriate listening, speaking behaviors, and strategies for comprehension and communication.
• Oral language bridges to reading, writing, viewing, and representing skills.
• Strands (oral communication, reading, writing, media literacy) are taught explicitly, modeling skills relevant to each.
• Teaching progresses from shared practice to independent demonstration of skills.
• Texts that scaffold learning are pivotal, should be engaging, relevant, and anti-discriminatory.

Grades 4 to 6 curriculum focuses on utilizing language skills for critical analysis and effective communication in a diverse multimedia environment.

• Building upon primary school foundational knowledge, junior students engage with varied texts.
• Differentiation accommodates varying knowledge, skills, and experiences.
• Students interpret texts beyond literal meaning, analyzing author's intent and exploring perspectives.
• Emphasis on fairness, equity, social justice, and multi-perspective understanding.
• Analyzing structure of different text forms, creating diverse oral, print, and media texts.
• Skills from one strand are used to support learning in others, promoting cross-curricular transfer.
• Real, purposeful talk integrates language skills throughout the curriculum.
• Explicit teaching, modeling, shared, guided, and independent practice.
• Instructional texts match individual language development levels.
• Junior students explore complex topics and genres through culturally diverse texts.
• Text challenge varies based on individual experiences.
• Modelled, shared, guided experiences enhance complex communication skills.
• Wide range of text forms inform language use for different purposes and audiences.

Grades 7-8 curriculum consolidates language knowledge for independent communication and learning.

• Prior primary and junior skills support complex tasks in varied subjects.
• Differentiated instruction accommodates varying skills and needs.
• Curriculum engages students with meaningful tasks and diverse texts.
• Focus on personal identity, community issues, critical analysis, and media influence.
• Emphasis on using language for cross-curricular learning and societal participation.
• Real talk integrated throughout curriculum, explicit teaching, and modeling.
• Goal is to enhance independence in language use and proficiency.
• Varied texts essential for skill development across all strands.
• Reading materials should be diverse and relevant to personal experiences.
• Texts vary in complexity, requiring different strategies for comprehension.
• Access to texts reflecting personal experiences and addressing societal issues.
• Wide range of relevant texts, oral, print, and media, provided for exploration.
• Intermediate students use language skills to explore ideas, express opinions, and take positions.
• Knowledge of text forms applied across different learning contexts.
• Modelled, shared, guided experiences continue, focusing on independent use of forms, structures, and conventions.
• Students apply skills to communicate effectively for diverse purposes and audiences.

‍

Please refer to this link to see support programs by YRDSB

https://www2.yrdsb.ca/community/community-supports

‍