Our School
Castor Valley is a French Immersion Centre that opened on December 1, 1986. This immersion centre was made possible through former school trustee Norman Fenn, who donated the thirteen acres of land on Regional Road 6 of the former Osgoode Township. Embodied in the Castor Valley mission statement are the values of community and family. With the best interests of our children as our primary focus, teachers and parents work together in all aspects of school life. We are dedicated to making our school a place where students achieve in an atmosphere that is comfortable, focuses on the development of their character and offers lots of opportunity for developing all aspects of each student as a person. Our school is a vibrant place that offers much for every student, each and every day.
Our Students
We are the Early French Immersion Centre for the villages of Metcalfe, Greely and for some areas of rural Osgoode. Upon completion of grade 8, our students attend Osgoode Township High School for French Immersion and for English, Lisgar High School for the gifted program, Colonel By for the International Baccalaureate Program and Canterbury High School for the Performing Arts.
Our Staff
We have staff with a wide-range of educational backgrounds, expertise and interests who work co-operatively to provide a challenging and stimulating French Immersion Program. Teachers are assisted by a committed team of Educational Assistants, Office Administrator, Office Assistant, Library Technician, Chief Custodian, Evening Custodial Staff, Vice-Principal and Principal.
Our Community
Parents have established a very active School Council whose primary goals are to foster open communication among all stakeholders in the education system and to enhance the learning environment for our students in order to improve student achievement. School Council maintains its own website and produces a monthly electronic newsletter. Participation in School Council gives parents an opportunity to keep abreast of current issues and to provide input to teaching and school administrative staff, the Board and the Ministry of Education. School Council is an active member of OCASC (Ottawa Carleton Assembly of School Councils) and an associate member of Canadian Parents for French. Many parent volunteers enhance the spirit of community through school-wide programs, events and fundraising. We work to foster connections within our community through local media, inviting community volunteers to participate in school programs, events and fundraising and by raising awareness among our students, staff and parents of needs, issues and events in our community.
Mission Statement
"Success for every student in a caring, sharing and partnering community."
Facilities and Resources
Castor Valley is a French Immersion School in a rural setting. This wooden building, reminiscent of a barn, is designed to fit well into the farming community. The inside is filled with natural light from wide windows strategically placed in roofs and walls. Our 10 portables face our outdoor learning area and playgrounds. Included in our school are specialized rooms for music, computers, sciences, a double gymnasium and a beautiful library. We are proud to use SMART boards, ELMO projectors, and mobile devices to deliver our lessons in an engaging way.
Programs and Services
Academic Programs
- Early French Immersion: kindergarten to grade 8
- Kindergarten: delivered in English 50% ; French 50%
- Grades 1 – 80% French instruction
- Grades 2 to 6 - 60 % French and 40% English
- Grade 7 and 8 - 50% both official languages.
It is important to emphasize that the French Immersion Program is designed for children who speak English at home. It is not necessary for parents to speak French themselves.
Classroom Organization
Castor Valley ES offers junior kindergarten to grade 8 Early French Immersion.
Special Education and ESL Programs
Our Learning Support Teacher (LST) and our Learning Resource Teacher (LRT) collaborate with administrators, teachers, parents and students to ensure that all learning needs are identified and met. Student programs currently in place to support our students include; the Early Literacy Program for our kinder students, a volunteer-led booster support for our hesitant primary readers, daily Intermediate extra help sessions, an OCDSB Student Success Initiative, Intermediate Guidance Initiative, an Early Intervention Social Skills program (grade 8), and Counsellor from the Rideauwood Addiction and Substance Abuse Centre.