Financial Assistance
A reminder that we are here to assist any families who may need financial assistance with planner, field trips of other costs related to school. If you require some assistance please contact the office.
Nutrition Break
Please make sure to pack spoons or forks, as needed, in your child’s lunchbox, as the school does not generally supply these for students.
Supervision Safety Concern
The school provides supervision from 9:05-9:20 a.m. every morning. Please make sure that you are able to stay with your child until that supervision begins, should you choose to arrive prior to that time. INCLEMENT WEATHER: Parents should drop their child off at the gym doors at the rear school, beginning at 9:05 a.m., and supervision will be offered in the gym. Kindergarten students should be dropped at their regular drop-off doors at 9:05 a.m., and supervision will take place in Kindergarten rooms.
Child Drop-Off Reminder
Parents are to say good-bye to their child/ren outside the school doors, in order to ensure safety in the school. However, if your child is late, you should accompany them to the office, through the front doors, to sign them in.
School Song
Listen to our new Fly High – Elgin St School Song!
Food Reminders
New Food and Beverage Standards. At Elgin St., we are encouraging parents to read the synopsis, and help support the standards when planning to send food to school for special celebrations, such as birthday parties. We do want to celebrate with your child, but are inviting you to think of special non-food treats such as sparkly pencils or stickers if you want to send something for classmates. NS_fact_sheet_ENG_final
Allergen Reminders
Our school is a fragrant sensitive environment. Please refrain from wearing any perfumed products in the school.
Please be careful when sending in your child’s lunch to ensure that any product that contains peanuts or could contain nut products stay at home.
Parent Resources
No Dogs on Property
We love our 4 legged friends! However we are asking you to be considerate of the safety of children at school and request that you please leave your dogs at home when coming to school, or stop at the edge of the property if you have chosen to walk your dog. We have had a number of issues with dogs this year, and they have created some unsafe situations. “No Dogs on Property” signs are posted and will be reinforced by staff and the administration of the school.
Boomerang Lunches
Please see the Parent Resources Page for information on why we boomerang lunches at Elgin Street P.S.
Elgin St. YMCA Child Care
Did you know that the YMCA has a child care in our school? They are part of our Elgin St. school community. YMCA runs programs for children who are between two and a half and 12 years of age, using space in the Child Care and the school before and after school. They have preschool spaces, kindergarten all day every other day care and before and after school care for children four to 12. They are open between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm. You can contact them by phone at 519-624-1303.
Do you qualify for busing?
Visit https://bpweb.stswr.ca/StudentLogin.aspx
To login you will have to enter the following information:
- Ontario Education Number (from report card)
- Student’s birthdate (day, month, year)
- Street Number (street # from student’s home address)
- School (select school from the drop down)
If you have any questions please feel free to contact Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region at 519-650-4934
Our History
Our school was officially opened on November 7, 1995. Elgin Street Public School was the recipient of the CEFPI award as a Project of Distinction for its creative and functional design. Although Elgin Street Public School has the same name as the street upon which it is found, the name was derived from a suggestion through a student contest. We take pride in the name Elgin as it also represents the tradition of exploration and inquiry demonstrated by Lord Elgin during the 19th Century.
The school is located a short distance from Highway 24, commonly known as Hespeler Road, and is conveniently located close to support services, off-campus opportunities, and convenient public transportation.
Our school services a working and middle class community known for the dedication, hard work, and volunteerism, demonstrated by the parents of our children. We pride ourselves as being Elgin Street Eagles who R.I.S.E. We are known for our Respect, Integrity, Sharing and Empathy. This Character Development is something we focus on everyday at school.
Our Students
Elgin Street Public School is an urban junior kindergarten to grade 6 school. We generally have an average of 410 students. Elgin Street Public School is a wonderful reflection of our multicultural Canadian society. We are proud of the cultural diversity within our school as it helps us to truly work together to become good citizens of the world, demonstrating respect for others. When our students complete grade 6 they go to either Avenue Road PS or Clemens Mill PS, depending on their program. We are a French Immersion magnet school for the Cambridge area. French Immersion (half day full French program, half day full English program) is offered at the Grade 1 to 6 levels.
Our Staff
Our well-trained and highly-qualified and caring staff, supported by the Board, delivers quality programs and effective services with the guidelines and resources provided by the province. Our staff members have won honours such as the Barrday Teacher of Excellence Award, the W.T. Townshend Award for Teacher of the year in the Waterloo Region District School Board, the ETFO Distinguished Teacher Award, and the Educational Assistant of the Year Award.
Parents and Community
Elgin Street Public School has a wonderfully active School Council that meets monthly, usually on the second Wednesday evening of the month. In addition to being an advisory group to the Principal, Council organizes fundraising initiatives and community events. Our students and the community have benefited from Council involvement and our school grounds reflect the affectionate care the parents provide to keep our yards green and beautiful. We continue to work together to plan and raise funds to help benefit the children here, as well as support the needs of children globally.
Academic Programs
Literacy and Numeracy are an important focus of everything we do at Elgin Street Public School. In both the primary and junior divisions the daily learning agenda, with teacher and parent support, helps to promote the important partnership of parents and teachers together. Teachers have enthusiastically adopted and implemented Ministry initiatives as they pertain to the Ontario Curriculum.
Special Education Programs
Special Education plays an important role at Elgin Street. The role of our special education teachers and our educational assistants benefits everyone as we believe that all students can learn. Board and site services are provided both within the class and on a withdrawal basis as best fits the specific needs of a student. Elgin Street also hosts an area class devoted to the education and care of children with specific physical and learning challenges.
English as a Second Language Program
Elgin Street has an itinerant ELL (English Language Learner) teacher who works with students whose primary language is one other than English. Our students’ first languages include: Croatian, Spanish, Portuguese, Urdu, Romanian, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Chinese.
Safe Schools Initiatives
The Elgin Street Public School Code of Conduct is published to all members of the school community on a regular basis and is reviewed annually by staff, and School Council. The Code outlines the expectations for behaviour of parents, staff, visitors, and students. The goal of our Code is the education of all in order to assist in the provision of a caring, safe and secure school.
To assist further with a Safe and Secure School environment, the school devotes much of the first week of school to the education of students about “R.I.S.E.” as a processes to help students deal with issues. Throughout the year ongoing regular class meetings in every grade continue support of this focus. As well, drama workshops, assemblies, theme days, and individual teacher-student contacts keep Elgin Street Public School a wonderful safe place for all.
Our Facilities
The school sits on a five-acre property and offers a creative playground, baseball diamond, basketball courts, soccer fields and general play areas. We also have a YMCA Daycare available to the community.
Our catchment area provides the opportunity for most students to walk to school and provides routes that avoid high traffic areas. Students walk along sidewalks or paved pathways through the local park. Currently, a bus brings some of our students from the residential area on the far side of the Canamara Parkway.
School Success Plans and Initiatives
At Elgin Street Public School we work together as a community of learners: students, staff, and parents. Our goal is to improve literacy and numeracy for all of our students. Elgin Street is fortunate to have extra support in this initiative and we offer the Strong Start Program (a letter sounds and words program run by parent volunteers for our younger students), Early Intervention instruction for Grade 1 & 2 students, Empower for grade 3 students, and Corrective reading instruction for our junior students.
In addition to literacy initiatives Elgin Street PS continues to update and revise our character program and safe school initiatives in consultation with our school community as part of our school success plans. Elgin Street offers a caring, inclusive and safe environment for all students and staff where mutual respect, collaboration and cooperation are demonstrated.
Measures of Student Achievement and Success
For information on student achievement goals and results, please access the Education Quality and Assessment Office website: http://www.eqao.com/