Queen Alexandra Middle School's Mission Statement
Queen Alexandra Middle School is a diverse community of learners who will be prepared to meet the academic challenges of the 21st century. All members will be empowered to be global citizens by thinking critically and acting collaboratively.
- The school serves 400+ diverse, largely inner-city students in Grades 6, 7 and 8. The largest self-identified groups include Caucasian, Indigenous, Latinx, Black, Middle Eastern, and about half the population identifying as East Asian or South Asian.
- The staff is committed to building a strong partnership with students and parents in order to provide a productive, relevant learning environment which includes an extensive co-curricular program to engage.
Mission Statement
Queen Alexandra Middle School's mission is to build
a community of learners that embraces compassion and fairness. Our goal is to
provide students with an environment that nurtures their academic, emotional,
social, and physical growth. Queen "A" is committed to motivating
students to set goals and reach their full potential. The main purpose of our
safe, diverse and inclusive school is to create a culture of responsible
students, who maintain their uniqueness and passion for learning.
More Information About Queen Alexandra Middle School
Queen "A" Learning Goals
We are learning to meet the academic challenges of the 21st century by thinking critically, acting collaboratively and contributing in a socially responsible and innovative way to the global community. We value inquiry based learning, and evaluate using success criteria based on citizenship, critical thinking, communication, character, creativity and collaboration.
There is also a strong focus on math, Science, STEM and robotics at Queen A. We have a dedicated Science room with a Specialist teacher and we've recently invested in upgrading our technology including a number of robotics kits.
Commitment to Social Justice
As a school community, our focus on a wide variety of equity and social justice issues is embedded within the curriculum and our co-curricular activities. Our goal is to foster a learning environment that celebrates diversity and enables all students to see themselves reflected within the curriculum. We offer a rich range of experiences and opportunities to students.
At Queen "A", our programs have reached out to engage our students in the many topics that surround social justice issues. The Young Women's Equity and Empowerment Group have fostered discussion about global and local issues and the power of your future. Our award winning GSA as well as assemblies and workshops addressing anti-homophobia, racism, discrimination, harassment, building healthy relationships, and bullying all support our school Code of Conduct and mission statement. We continue to strive to create an inclusive and dynamic learning environment that engages all students.
Celebrating the Arts
Our arts programs offer a rich opportunity for our students to find their creative selves and experience the extension of learning. We have a general music program including digital music composition and production. Students participate in Instrumental Music programs in strings, band (e.g., trumpet), guitar and steel pan.
To engage our students, many performances are offered both in our school and at the theatre. This year the students will be enjoying live performances in drama, dance and music, as well as attending live theatre. These experiences serve to bring these topics to life allowing our students to appreciate the art of performance, link directly to the issues in the curriculum as well as the creative world.
Queen "A" is on the Move!
We know that physical activity leads to active minds and healthy bodies. Every student participates in physical and health education classes, including swim classes in our pool. Our students engage in activities that support fitness and skill building. The school has two gyms, a pool, an outdoor soccer field, basketball courts, track, and baseball diamond.
Our program is designed to build skills in swimming, fitness, soccer, baseball, basketball, volleyball, badminton, football, rugby, ultimate frisbee as well as track and field. Students are encouraged to participate actively will expand their teambuilding skills and knowledge about safety. The curriculum in health educates our students about substance abuse, healthy lifestyle and nutrition as well as growth and development. The Queen A extra-curricular program reflects these sports throughout the year and there are also opportunities for drop-in sports.
Additional Features
- Partnering with Community Agencies
- Extra Curricular Sports and Clubs
- "Drop-in" sports
- Breakfast/Snack Nutrition Program
- Council Fire
Student Life - Where You Belong
GO TEAM
Queen Alexandra provides a wide array of extra curricular programming geared to the varied aptitudes and interests of all our students. These programs offer students and opportunity to further develop their self-esteem and social skills. Students can participate in a number of activities such as: sports teams, choir, Yearbook Club, ECO Club, and many other clubs. Students can engage in leadership through groups such as Student Council. In conjunction with our school-based programming, we also offer a host of programs in collaboration with local community agencies.
WHAT SETS US APART
Queen Alexandra M.S. started a program at our school to support at-risk students through our “One Caring Adult” (OCA) program. Adults in the building who wish to participate in the OCA program are matched with these students. Together, the adults and students plan their meeting schedule – whether it’s help with homework after school, or 10 minutes weekly to clean out a locker. Each schedule looks different depending on the needs of the student. The Caring Adult becomes a safe and caring “touch stone” adult for the student. Queen Alexandra uses twitter to communicate regularly with students and parents: @queenA_ms
PARENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
At Queen A we believe in regular communication and partnerships with local agencies (e.g., Council Fire). We have an ongoing partnership with Dundas Public School, Wandering Spirit (formerly First Nations School of Toronto), and SEED Alternative Secondary. Our staff is involved with Ontario Studies in Education at U of T , York University's and Waaban Teacher Education Program. We are involved in a partnership with OISE's Deepening Knowledge Project (e.g., Indigenous student literacy tutoring). We pride ourselves on our open-door policy for parents/guardians. We have regular communication with our parents through email, and Twitter, along with paper communication.