FREQUENTLY ANSWERED QUESTIONS

ARE THE TEACHER'S CHRISTIAN

A unique feature of this interdenominational school is its staff of qualified teachers chosen for their professional qualifications and commitment to Jesus Christ. All staff belongs to the Ontario Christian School Teacher’s Association. This association sponsors continuing educational and professional activities.

ARE OCS TEACHERS CERTIFIED?

All of our teachers are required to have a Christian School Teaching Certificate.  Many of them have or are working towards the Ontario Teaching Certificate.

DO THE CHILDREN WEAR UNIFORMS?

Children are expected to dress modestly according to the school dress code. Uniforms are not required.

WHAT ARE YOUR CLASS HOURS?

Classes begin at 9:00 and buses leave at 3:15. Senior Kindergarten is held full days Tuesday, Thursday, and every other Friday.  Junior Kindergarten is held for full days on Tuesday and Thursday.

HOW DO CHILDREN GET TO AND FROM SCHOOL?

Bussing is available within Dufferin County for no extra charge. Many parents carpool or drive their children to school each day.  Follow this link for maps of Dufferin County.

ARE ACADEMICS STRONG?

Our teachers work diligently with their students and encourage them to reach their full potential. Our students complete standardized testing in grades 3-8 biennially through the CTBS tests.  Test results comparing us to other Christian schools are available upon request.  For more about CTBS testing, click here.

ARE STANDARDIZED TESTS ADMINISTERED?

Yes, see note above.

HOW DO YOU ASSESS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE?

Students achievement is tested regularly using a variety of methods both subjectively and objectively.  Students take written tests, work on grade appropriate projects, collaborate in research, explore through experiments, etc.  In October we issue October Progress Reports that are followed by mandatory parent-teacher interviews.  We provide formal report cards three times per year. Faculty are available for parent/teacher interviews following these reports at the request of the parent. Our report cards provide a grade mark, an indication of effort in each subject, as well as behavioural and social development indicators.

WHAT ABOUT GIFTED CHILDREN AND THOSE WHO NEED EXTRA HELP?

At Orangeville Christian School we seek to develop the gifts and abilities that God has given to each child. Given the unique situation of each child it is best to arrange to meet with our principal to discuss your individual needs. Some children at OCS have Individual Education Plans (IEP) to meet their specific needs.  We have a part-time, certified resource teacher and a full-time Educational Assistant who work in collaboration to run a successful enhancement and remediation program.

IS YOUR CURRICULUM THE SAME AS OTHER SCHOOLS?  DO YOU FOLLOW GOVERNMENT STANDARDS?

Our curriculum meets or exceeds government standards and is quite similar to other OACS and CSI schools.  Canada Tests of Basic Skills (norm referenced tests which score achievements in math, language arts, research, reading and science) show very favourable results when compared to the national scores.  A detailed outline of our curriculum can be found here.

HOW DOES THE BIBLE FIT INTO YOUR CURRICULUM?

Every subject is viewed as an application of God’s Word.  It is our conviction that all of life is Christ-centered and that the cultural mandate impacts all studies.  Therefore we bring a Christian perspective to each subject and to our values and interactions.  We have devotions at the beginning and end of the day and at lunch.  Bible is also taught as a subject.  On the first day of every week, the school gathers in the gymnasium for devotions.  Once a month we have chapel where we focus on our theme for the year and meet to worship as a school community. 

IS YOUR SCHOOL RUN BY A PARTICULAR DENOMINATION?  IS IT A DUTCH-REFORMED SCHOOL?

Our student body represents a variety of churches from the Orangeville area.  Our school was founded on the reformed tradition.  However, we are multidenominational and boast a wide variety of denominations in our member population.  Included in this list is Orangeville Baptist Church, Orangeville Christian Reformed Church, Good Friends Fellowship, Orangeville Canadian Reformed Church, Salvation Army, Broadway Pentecostal, and the list goes on.

IS YOUR SCHOOL CONTROLLED BY THE CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH?

No, it isn't. Our church is non-parochial.  Some of our families attend the local Christian Reformed Churches and this denomination has been in the forefront of Christian day schooling in Canada for over 50 years. However, OCS has many different church representations as mentioned above.