| Boxwood Public School | |
| Address | |
| 30 Boxwood Crescent Markham, Ontario, L3S 3P7, Canada |
|
| Information | |
| School number | 056405 |
| School board | York Region District School Board |
| Religious affiliation | Secular |
| Superintendent | Gayle Brodklebank-Vincent, 905-940-7800 |
| Area trustee | Juanita Nathan, 905-201-6747 |
| Principal | Greig Black, 905-294-5563 |
| Vice principal | Catherine Arnold |
| School type | Elementary School |
| Grades | JK-8 |
| Mascot | Bronco |
| Team name | Boxwood Broncos |
| Colours | Golden and Blue |
| Founded | September 2000 |
| Enrolment | About 463 (September 2011[1]) |
| Homepage | http://www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/page.cfm?id=S00000099&sc=427 |
Boxwood Public School is a JK-8 elementary school located in the Town of Markham, Ontario, Canada. It is under the York Region District School Board. The school is named after Boxwood Crescent, the street on which the school is located.
Boxwood Public School was opened on September 5, 2000. However, its official opening date was April 5, 2001. It celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2010.
It has 17 regular classrooms, three kindergarten classrooms, three student support centres, a self-contained special education classroom. In the centre of the school building, there is a well equipped library and double gym with stage. There are currently three portables containing four portable classrooms at the back of the school. These two portables were installed in the summer of 2009 replacing the old ones. A third was installed during the summer of 2010.[2] The school also has a childcare centre, which is owned and operated by Family Day.[3][4]
Upon graduation from Boxwood PS, most of the grade 8 students will normally go to Markham District High School to study grade 9. It is because Boxwood is one of MDHS's feeder schools.[5]
South of Highway 407, West of Rouge River, North of the railroad track just south of 14th Avenue, East of Markham Road. [1]
Boxwood PS is located in a quiet suburban subdivision. There is no any retail activity. Most buildings are single-family detached homes. The school is sandwiched between two golf courses. To its southeast, about 600 metres, is the Remington Parkview Golf Course.[6] To its north, about 500 metres away, is the Markham Green Golf Course.[7] Less than two kilometres away, the Cedar Brae Golf and Country[8] is at the south. About two kilometres away at its northwest are the Milne Dam Conservation Park[9] and the Rouge Park.[10] Boxwood is surrounded by green belt. Because of the Highway 407 to its north, the power corridor to its southwest, the Rouge River to its east, the neighbourhood where Boxwood locates is basically cut-off from other subdivisions.
According to Statistics Canada 2006 census data, in municipal election Ward 7 where Boxwood PS is located, 86% of its total population were visible minorities. Out of the total population, 46% were South Asians. 23% were Chinese. Out of the total population, 68% of their mother tongues were neither English language nor French. The rest were English language.[11][12]
The population in this area is well educated, 46% of the total population aged 15 and over had post-secondary education.[11][12]
"To work with all members of our school community to maximize learning for our students."[4]
The Boxwood PS administrators and teaching staffs use the Boxwood Touchstone “as an overarching guide” to direct and support their decisions and actions for improvement.[13] The Boxwood Touchstone says, “At Boxwood, we are active participants in our own learning and we persevere to reach our goals. We recognize our own success and the successes of those around us. We are responsible for what we say and how we act. We treat others the way we want to be treated. We celebrate the diversity of our community. At Boxwood, every voice is heard.”[14]
Boxwood began to offer a gifted program in September 2006[15] to students classified as Exceptional/Gifted by the grade 3 psychological screening.[16] The other new gifted school in the eastern portion of the York Region District School Board is John McCrae Public School.[16] The reason for the expansion of the gifted program to Boxwood Public School was that the need for gifted instruction kept growing in York Region. The original gifted program offered by Roy H. Crosby Public School and William Berczy Public School could no longer satisfy the demand.[17][18]
In September 2006, Boxwood only offered grade 4 gifted program. It is now expanded to grade 5, 6, 7 and grade 8. As of September 2009, there are six gifted classes with about 150 gifted students, roughly about 30 percent of the school population.
Since the demand for gifted instruction remains strong, York Region District School Board announced in January 2010 that the elementary gifted program was once again expanded. From September 2010, a new grade 4 gifted program will be commenced at Parkland Public School. A grade will be added each year until full implementation of the gifted program in 2014.
Students who are considered to be Exceptional/Gifted from Aldergrove Public School, Armadale Public School, Highgate Public School, Milliken Mills Public School, Parkland Public School,[19] Randall Public School,[20] and Wilclay Public School[21] will no longer go to the gifted program at Boxwood PS. They will instead go to Parkland PS.
This new program is in addition to the program at Boxwood. It is not replacing Boxwood's gifted program. Students that are currently attending Boxwood PS gifted program will remain at Boxwood.
Upon graduation at grade 8, Boxwood gifted students usually go to Markham District High School or Markville Secondary School to continue their secondary school gifted program, depending on the student's home location. They can also choose to return to their original home school.[22]
Percentage of all students at levels 3 and 4.
| Subject | Grade | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 6 | 78 | 75 | 80 | 72 | 77 | 92 | 90 |
| Reading | 6 | 78 | 83 | 80 | 74 | 87 | 94 | 93 |
| Writing | 6 | 72 | 73 | 80 | 81 | 87 | 94 | 95 |
| Mathematics | 3 | 75 | 72 | 74 | 72 | 80 | 77 | 78 |
| Reading | 3 | 57 | 63 | 72 | 72 | 76 | 69 | 68 |
| Writing | 3 | 56 | 69 | 76 | 90 | 83 | 79 | 81 |
There are four Spirit Houses in Boxwood Public School. They have the names of different breeds of horses – Pinto, Palomino, Mustang, and Ranger. These names were adopted in November 2009.[26] All students and staff are assigned to a Spirit House. Collectively, members of each Spirit House will earn recognition for their respective Spirit House when they participate in different kinds of school activities. Spirit Houses also provide a structure to easily and quickly divide students into groups for special events and house league activities.[26]
The annual Student Council election is held in October. Students from grade 6 to grade 8 are eligible to vote and get elected. Before the vote, student voters will hear the candidates’ speeches about their respective election platform. After the speeches, students return to their classrooms to vote. Available positions include: president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, publicity, sports & clubs, and one representative from each class. Members of student council help organize school dances, fundraisers, spirit days, and popcorn days. This year the president is Johnny Anagnostopoulos. His brother Teddy Anagnostopoulos was also president in 2009 - 2010. [26] [27][28]
There are 30 laptop computers in Boxwood, including 15 new ones purchased in 2010. These laptops are supported by wireless network in the school. Moreover, the school has upgraded over seventy older computers in the school.[29]
Boxwood’s library has a good collection of books, including an expanded graphic novel and book series collection. Many books are in both languages, like English/Tamil, English/Urdu, English/Arabic, English/Chinese.[26]
Every month at Boxwood, selected students from each class are recognized at two Character Matters assemblies, one for kindergarten and junior division, another for intermediate division. At the assemblies, awards would be presented to students who exhibited the character trait of that month and nominated by their homeroom teachers. Character traits of each month are:[30][31]
| Month | Character Trait |
|---|---|
| January | Fairness[32] |
| February | Initiative[33] |
| March | Perseverance[34] |
| April | Courage[29] |
| May | Integrity |
| June | Optimism |
| September | Respect[22] |
| October | Responsibility[22][35] |
| November | Honesty[36] |
| December | Empathy[37][38] |
These Character Matters Assemblies and the promotion of related character traits are parts of the Character Education [2] emphasized by the York Region District School Board.
A commemorative plaque named "The Golden Dustpan" is given to the cleanest classes(One for kindergarten and junior division, another for intermediate division) of that month at the end of both character matters assemblies. The school's staff determines the winning classes based on how well they keep their classroom, the hallway their lockers are located in and the outside fields.
Boxwood was recognized as a “Healthy School” by the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Healthy Schools Recognition Program for three reasons:[39]
About 300 Boxwood students take school bus to school every day. There are six bus routes in the morning as well as in the afternoon. The school bus services are provided by the school board at no costs to the students.[4][41]
Boxwood encourages students to take actions, not only to protect, but also to enhance the environment. This is their pledge to do good for the environment:[32]
I promise to do my share in keeping our Earth a clean, healthy and livable world. I will do my best not to waste, but to conserve; Not to throw away, but to recycle; not to pollute, but to treat our planet with kindness and respect.
There are many co-curricular activities at Boxwood provided voluntarily the teachers. These activities include:
There are all kinds of interesting Spirit Days throughout the school year. Its purpose is to promote the school spirit and the coherence of the Spirit House. Each person, student or staff, who participates adds a point to their Spirit House.[44] Some Spirit Days include:
| Spirit Day | What is the fun? |
|---|---|
| Pajama Jam! | Students can go to the school in their pajamas, bring a stuffed toy, or wear their cozy slippers.[44] |
| Crazy Hair Day[45] | Everyone comes out with all their crazy hair styles! |
| Tie Day[36] | Put on tie, ties, or anything looks like necktie, to school. |
| Multiples Day | Students and staff members dressed up similar to a friend or peer and looked like fabulous multiples! |
| Career Day | Students dress up like a police, farmer, a pop singer or any career which they would like to be when they are older! |
| Opposite Day | Students put their clothes bakwards, speak the opposite or walk backwards. |
Boxwood Broncos is the monthly newsletter of the school. The newsletter is distributed to all students to bring home for their families. It is also available on-line at the school’s website.[46] The newsletter usually starts with the Principal's Message on the front page. It contains many useful information, like School Council News, Student Council News, the Honour Rolls of the Character Matters Awards, Intermediate Division News, Primary Division News, Dates to Remember, Special Announcement, and many interesting news that tell the readers what’s going on in the school. What’s special is that most of the articles are written by students and teachers. Starting March 2011, Newsletters were no longer printed and distributed, and rather posted only on the website, to try to help the environmental. Hard copies continue to be available for pickup at the main office for parents without access to a computer.
Whole School
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009
February 2010
Primary Division
January 2010
March 2010
Junior Division
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009
January 2010
February 2010
Intermediate Division
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009
January 2010
March 2010
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Founder • Government • History • Mayor • Previous Mayors • York Region (portal) • Markham municipal election, 2010 • Markham Ward 3 By-election, 2009 • Markham municipal election, 2006
Angus Glen • Armadale • Berczy Village • Box Grove • Buttonville • Cachet • Cashel • Cedar Grove • Cornell • Dickson Hill • Downtown Markham • Gormley • Greensborough • Legacy • Locust Hill • Old Markham Village • Markham Centre • Milliken • Mongolia • Quantztown • Unionville • Thornhill • Underwood • Vinegar Hill • Wismer Common
Elementary: All Saints • Armadale • Ashton Meadows • Boxwood Public School • Castlemore • Central Park • Boxwood • San Lorenzo Ruiz • William Berczy
Secondary: Brother André • McGivney • Markham District • Markville • Middlefield • Milliken Mills • St. Augustine • St. Robert • Thornhill • Thornlea • Trudeau • Unionville
Post Secondary: Seneca College: Buttonville Airport Campus, Markham Campus
Athletics: Markham Waxers • Sports
Recreation: Angus Glen Golf Club • Cedar Brae Golf & Country Club • Parks
Shopping: Markville Mall • Pacific Mall • Market Village