Information Night held at Lester B. Pearson School for the Arts 2023

Video recording of Information Night held at Lester B. Pearson School for the Arts.
Original recording: Wednesday, November 29, 2023

If you have any questions, please email or call the school directly
(519) 452-8300
pearson@tvdsb.ca

General School Description        

Lester B. Pearson School for the Arts was established in 1989. This school, one of very few of its type in the Province of Ontario, offers an enriched Arts program in dance, drama, visual arts and music. It also offers a complete academic curriculum, consistent with the program offered in all elementary schools under the jurisdiction of the Thames Valley District School Board. All students who attend Pearson participate fully in classes in the four Arts. The school stresses the importance of Arts education as a component of a complete educational experience. The program is intended to develop aesthetic appreciation, awareness of a relationship among the Arts strands, and a lifelong appreciation of the Arts.

 School Organization

Our school has ten classrooms: two each in grades 4 through 8. Each class has 28 students. We have 1 principal, 1 secretary, 3 custodians, and 15 teachers. We are fortunate to have specialist teachers in our arts program.

 Goals

Our school goal is to focus on the essence of an Arts education: creativity. Staff members study and share research on creativity, its definition, its development, its assessment, and its application to our Selections process. Our staff is committed to providing creative opportunities for all students, through our integrated arts program, which we believe will lead to improved student learning in all academic and Arts subjects. Students attending Lester B. Pearson School for the Arts face a heavy workload, as our school day is extended to 330 minutes to allow students to participate more fully in the specialized Arts programming we offer. Other issues which have an impact on the learning skills include a full rotary timetable, in all grades, and a demanding performance schedule for all students (many of whom are involved in outside-of-school activities, both artistic and athletic).

 Co-instructional Activities

Lester B. Pearson School for the Arts offers a variety of activities for all students. Each classroom can function as a performance unit in dance, drama, or music (vocal, instrumental, or keyboard), and student artwork is frequently on display across the city. In addition to the Arts experiences, Pearson staff coach cross-country, volleyball, basketball, track & field and wrestling teams. A community representative provides instruction in chess. Finally, the school presents an unchanged voice choir, the Pearson Singers, as a result of auditions held in the fall. Performances of this ensemble include Canterbury Cathedral, Carnegie Hall, Chicago Music Festivals, concert tour of New Brunswick, and concerts with Orchestra London and the Fanshawe Symphonic Chorus.

 Noteworthy Items

Pearson Panthers have represented our school in a variety of venues. Our performances have included the inaugural board meeting of the Thames Valley District School Board, Remembrance Day ceremonies throughout our community, Pearson Singers cabaret, Dance Festivals, all sport meets and tournaments, dramatic and musical entries in the Kiwanis Music Festival, as well as school performances which include the annual grade show. We share our works in progress each month with Sharing Assemblies, and a musical revue each spring! In addition, Pearson staff are busy performing and presenting workshops across the Board, city, and province.

 Volunteers at the School

Pearson welcomes volunteers in all the traditional means. We require parent support at concerts, on field trips, and on our Home and School Council, which raises money to support school activities. We also enjoy the support of parents in the drama and dance disciplines, with the creation and maintenance of costumes and props. We always welcome parents with particular training to present to our classes, as convenient. Of course, students have come to depend on the Hot Lunch committee, which helps organize a special lunch for the entire school on a weekly basis! Parents are surveyed each school year to ascertain interest in volunteering at our school, and are contacted as required.

 Measures of Student Achievement and Success

At Pearson, we believe that assessment and evaluation of student achievement are integral parts of the learning process. Information gathered through assessment and evaluation helps teachers to determine students' strengths and weaknesses in their achievement of the curriculum expectations. It also serves to guide teachers in adapting curriculum and instructional approaches to students' needs and in assessing the overall effectiveness of programs and classroom practices. A variety of methods are used to gauge student progress including: teacher observation, classroom tests, projects and other examples of student work.