The Educational project is a strategic tool through which Chelsea Elementary (CES) can define and communicate to the educational community the policy orientations, the action priorities, and the expected results to ensure the educational success for all students. It reflects the characteristics and needs of the students who attend CES and the expectations expressed in the community in terms of education. Resulting from a consensus, the Educational Project is prepared and implemented through the collaborative efforts of various stakeholders concerned with the institution: students, parents, teachers and other staff members as well as the community and school board representatives.
Preparation of the Educational Project
Collaborative management is based on team work. Concertation means putting fruitful collaboration into action concretely and striving for consensus. The following groups have contributed to the creation of this project document:
- School Administration
- Teaching staff
- Governing Board- parent representative
- Anti-Bullying and Violence Prevention committee – parent representative
- Community representatives
The Educational Project is a product of the community, so the governing board encourages the participation of students, parents, teachers, other school staff and representatives of the community and the school board.
School Context
Mission
Chelsea Elementary School is committed first and foremost to the students. We strive to develop each child as a well-rounded person. We aim to:
- Provide an atmosphere of acceptance and high expectation.
- Maximize every student’s academic achievement.
- Foster each child’s physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
- Encourage collaboration between home, school and community.
- Develop a safe, positive, prosperous, and engaging learning environment.
Motto
Respect for All, by All
Vision
Chelsea Elementary School is committed to a balanced literacy approach across the curriculum. Our vision is to develop a strong sense of student participation and appreciation for healthy lifestyles.
Values
Our community and staff value social and global awareness, critical thinking, mutual respect, and creativity. The key feature of our shared values is the strength of parent support of CES, our students and our teaching team. Our key values are:
- Respect for all, by all.
- Appreciate and use French as a second language.
- Practice critical awareness of the media.
- Know and understand information and communication technologies.
- Protect and appreciate our natural world.
- Adopt a healthy lifestyle.
- Demonstrate leadership.
School History
Originally built in 1953, CES consisted of 14 classrooms, a multi-purpose room (stage, gym, cafeteria), and a single room for office space. Additions were completed in 1990 consisting of a much larger gym, 2 Kindergarten classrooms, a library, and an administrative section consisting of three separate office spaces. Portables were added to handle a population that grew to 450 students; however, the population declined from 450 to 260 between 1990 and 2007. The portables became a day care site but were closed to regular activity in 2008 by CES’s Governing Board. They are now used for WQSB storage and are scheduled to be removed.
Community
Chelsea Elementary School is situated in the village of Chelsea, Quebec, part of the National Capital Region. Chelsea municipality has a population of approximately 7, 000 residents. According to the 2016 StatsCan Census, 20% of residents speak only English, 8% French only, and the majority speak both French and English (71%). This attests to the importance of Chelsea Elementary’ s provision of an English and French enriched program. The majority of working individuals are employed in the following sectors: community and government services, business, finance, administration, sales and services.
Gatineau Park, a natural space managed by the National Capital Commission, is located in this municipality. The residents of Chelsea appreciate the natural spaces provided by the park, the Gatineau River, and other areas within the community. The Chelsea population is committed to active lifestyles and there are many community organizations which support recreation and the protection of the natural environment. The natural environment and active orientation within the community is an asset to the school. Chelsea Elementary has active parent involvement and support for outdoor excursions and provides students with space to explore.
Currently the municipality of Chelsea is experiencing development in areas near the school. Several plots of land that were previously farmed or undeveloped are being used for residential development. A projected 800 new homes will be built in Chelsea within the next 5 years. This new expansion is increasing student population at the school.
Elementary Schools in the municipality include: Chelsea Elementary school (WQSB), Ecole du Grand Boise (CSPO), Ecole Montessori des 4 Vallee (private). Chelsea Elementary is the only English education elementary school. Numerous private preschools are operated in the area including the Garderie Montessori du 4 Vallee and Chelsea Forest School.
Parents at Chelsea Elementary school are actively engaged in their child’s education and within the school and community. Parents are committed to high academic results, place an emphasis on social and moral development and expect that their children will learn in an inclusive, healthy, and respectful atmosphere. Parent interest in the overall function of the school is quite high though unmeasured: interest is manifested in parent involvement in the school’s Governing Board, Home and School Association, and volunteerism in the school. Parents of CES often speak of having a sense of ownership with deep interest in seeing their values reflected in the school’s programming.
The School
Students
Total # students for 2018-2019 was 296:
- 153 of female students (51.7%)
- 143 of male students (48.3%)
- 8 students in the Chelsea Center (2.7%)
- 32 students in Kindergarten (10.8%)
- 39 at risk students (13.2%)
- 24 handicapped students (8.1%)
- Socio economic ranking: 2/10
- 65 students with an Individual Education Plan (22.0%)
Classrooms
In 2018-2019, the students are divided in 14 homerooms:
- Kindergarten: 2 groups
- Grade 1: 1 group
- Grade 1⁄2: 1 group
- Grade 2: 1 groups
- Grade 3: 2 groups
- Grade 4: 2 groups
- Grade 5: 2 groups
- Grade 6: 2 groups
- Chelsea Center
The 2019-2020 groupings are yet to be determined.
Staff
In 2018-2019, the staffing consists of:
- 14 homeroom teachers
- 5 French as a Second Language teachers
- 1 resource teacher
- 1 special education technician
- 8 attendants to the handicapped
The Center
Chelsea Elementary School Centre services eight students from the Gatineau region of the WQSB. These students come with a variety of learning challenges and physical needs which require the specialized support and programming. Their profiles include a range of developmental and learning difficulties and students within the Centre follow the CASP curriculum: Competency Based Approach to Social Participation. Chelsea Elementary is committed to making school a safe and stimulating learning environment that ensures students with special needs experience the maximum amount of integration opportunities. The Centre is an asset to the school and enriches the experience of the students and staff and fosters understanding of individual differences.
The school also offers a before and after school daycare, known as Fun Club. The Fun Club staffing consists of:
- 1 full time daycare technician
- 8 part time daycare educators
- 2 occasional daycare educators
The school also hires:
- 1 full time principal
- 1 full time secretary
- 2 full time caretakers (1 during the day and 1 during the evenings)
Note: On a total of 36 staff members, 5 are males.
The 2019-2020 staff composition is not completed at the time of this report (January 2018).
Demographic Analysis
- Chelsea Elementary School has a MEESR socio-economic index of 2. This means that the majority of families have a mother with a high-school education (at minimum) and that the majority of parents are employed.
- The student population has remained stable over the past recent years:
- There are 296 students enrolled for 2018-2019
- There were 279 students enrolled for 2017-2018
- There were 291 students enrolled for 2016-2017
- There were 294 students enrolled in 2015-2016
- There were 282 students enrolled in 2014-2015
- There were 288 students enrolled in 2013-2014
- There were 277 students enrolled in 2012-2013.
- It is important to note that many Anglophone parents choose to educate their children in a French school, which could lead to a possible impact on enrollment in the future.
- Out of 296 students, 13.2% are identified “at risk”. This means that they were “at risk” of failing two or all three of the core subjects: ELA, FSL, and Math in 2018-2019.
- In2017-2018,8.9wereidentifiedas“at-risk”
- In 2016-2017, 12.5% were identified as “at-risk”.
- In 2015-2016, 20.4 % were identified as “at-risk”.
Challenges & Strengths
| Chelsea Elementary Orientations | Strengths | Challenges |
| Health, Well-being and Safety | – Emergency preparedness – School Climate that supports inclusion, acceptance, celebration of diversity – ABVP plan emphasising access to adult support, preventative strategies, clear expectations/consequences, effective follow up and tracking of incidents – Peer leadership opportunities, staff mentorship program – Mindfulness practices/physical activity incorporated into daily activities – Extra-curricularactivities – Snack program/food programs – Handicapped accessible building – Increased use of Internet monitoring situation | – Current Mission/Vision/Values needs updating to relevance of SEL (social, emotional, learning) and inclusive orientation – Supporting high demand of students with social –emotional/socio-economic needs – Creating awareness/respect for cultural diversity with limited in-school diversity – Feeling of safety during transportation to and from school – Supervision in large yard and changing needs throughout year (ex. winter vs. spring) – Consistent use of Internet monitoring system – Signage and lights in staff parking lot – Emergency preparedness plan in case of tornado – High temperature cooling plan (no AC) – CPI training all staff |
| Student Achievement | – Student achievement data is consistently high (above WQSB averages) in all core subjects (ELA, FSL, MATH) – High proportion of students who move into French Enriched program at Hadley Junior High – French enriched program across the cycles – Strong science program – Support and engagement of parent population – Connection of learning to relevant contexts, building global and environmental awareness | – Maintaining achievement with influx of students from out of province or French school board – Providing and maintaining access to up-to-date technology – Mission, vision and values need to reflect current student needs – More support for students with extreme or violent behaviours – Limited/inadequate resource support available |
| Professional Development | – Highly engaged/professional staff – School board training opportunities –liaison with subject consultants – Staff participation in creation of yearly Professional Development Plan – Staff access to funds to support training | – Demands of workload and access to replacement staff – Limitations of funds for PD – Availability of school board based PD |
Full Education Project
You can download and read Chelsea’s full Education Project document here >