“Leadership in the OCDSB is the demonstration of personal initiative to achieve a positive outcome.”
Students
All our Pinecrest students are given an equal opportunity to display their leadership skills through a variety of school events such as spirit days, fundraising, assisting with various primary and junior activities including refereeing intramural sports, lunch helpers, Pawsome Pals, drama productions, etc. Students are learning valuable leadership skills that benefit them now and in the future. Intermediate students are given long term opportunities such as lunch bin distributors, child care provider for School Council meetings, and technical support helpers to prepare them for the World of Work. To obtain these positions, students submit a resume, meet to discuss their performance, and may obtain a reference upon completion. Student leadership is acknowledged throughout our school on a regular basis in the classroom, through school announcements, newsletters, assemblies, Pawsome reports for demonstrating personal growth and leadership, and Principal's report to school council.
Staff
The Pinecrest staff is a committed and talented staff. Their many talents shine in our school through their leadership efforts in the Arts, sports, science, robotics, yearbook, music, drama, school clubs, student initiatives and so much more. Staff at Pinecrest use their leadership abilities and talents to enhance the learning opportunities available to students. In many cases, these opportunities would not be available any other way and require staff to volunteer their time to make them possible. Their dedication to lifelong learning and providing authentic experiences to their students is greatly appreciated by the students and can often be found in writing activities or recounted among friends long after the opportunity is finished.
Many of our Pinecrest staff are also leading outside our school in literacy, math and Kindergarten initiatives within our board. They are cognizant of the learning that happens when they are willing to share their own personal learning stories with colleagues. Networking with colleagues, literacy/math coaches and board personnel enhances their leadership qualities and enriches the learning environment that they create for students.
Pinecrest recognizes staff leadership through letters of thanks, school announcements, newsletters, assemblies, staff meetings, performance appraisals, media releases and our Principal's report to the School Council.
Parents/Guardians/Volunteers
Pinecrest is very thankful to the many parents/guardians and volunteers that give of their time to benefit student learning. It is through these generous offers to help that students are able to engage in regular reading opportunities, authentic learning opportunities, and cultural experiences. The school, with the help of our parents, volunteers and community partnerships raised close to $700 for our Butterfly garden. It was a delight to see the students, garden angel, staff and parents come together to create a new look to the front of our school. It was very exciting to see the flowers bloom, butterflies fluttering and the addition of a tree frog! This initiative will continue this coming spring as we add new plants and a new bench for students and volunteers to use for a reading nook on nice days.
As invaluable partners, we thank our parents, guardians and volunteers on an on-going basis, and look for opportunities to acknowledge them such as school announcements, our Principal's report to school council, school newsletters, thank you cards, and our annual volunteer appreciation event.
Community
Pinecrest continues to benefit from a number of wonderful contributions from individuals, associations, merchants and organizations all over Canada. Through these partnerships, Pinecrest students have made great strides in many areas of their studies and have had some amazing opportunities that, up to that moment, they only dreamed about. It is often the community support that makes it possible for Pinecrest to fulfill our purpose to understand our students in order to focus on academic excellence and their social/emotional growth. We recognize our community support through newsletters, school announcements, letters written personally by our students, and the Principal’s report at School Council.