Beckett Farm Public School
Beckett Farm Public School was founded in 2014 in Markham, Ontario, Canada.[1] The school is named in honor of the family who farmed in this area for more than 100 years. Their house and barns once stood in that very spot. Being a modern school, it hosts 2 floors connected by an elevator, a Gym, Science Lab, Music Room, Multipurpose Room, and over 30 classrooms, spaced evenly over the 2 floors. It has slightly over 750 students and approximately 60 staff. Beckett Farm has a Student Council and Parent Council, in addition to the School Council. The school principal, Michael Matt, has said that, "It's an awesome looking school. It's refined and has a very modern twist to it."
Beckett Farm Public School | |
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Address | |
78 Beckett Ave. , , L3R 0K6 Canada | |
Coordinates | 43.883860, -79.309514 |
Information | |
School type | Public School |
Established | 2014 |
School board | York Region District School Board |
Superintendent | Erik Khilji |
Area trustee | Billy Pang |
Principal | Michael Matt |
Staff | 60~ |
Grades | JK-8 |
Enrolment | 750~ |
Feeder to | Pierre Elliot Trudeau High School |
Facilities
Beckett Farm's school building contains many unique features. According to the York Region District School Board, "Every entrance into the building has been designed with a clean-cut, customer rock finish – quite different to the usual cement block look many of us are used to."
First Floor
The first floor is mainly used for primary grades and one junior class, with an entire hallway dedicated to kindergarten classes. Kindergarten classrooms have also been given their own entrances at the front of the school, allowing easy drop off and pick up for parents.
Gymnasium
The gymnasium is large enough to host two classes at once and features a retracting dividing wall.
Library
The library is situated directly above the main office on the second floor and has ample space for multiple students to work comfortably in one environment.
Outdoor Areas
If a teacher feels they would like to enjoy some fresh air, a custom-made outdoor classroom is available for use on the tarmac.[2] Students also have a large, open, tarmac and field to use during recess. There are basketball nets situated in two groups of three, back to back, on the tarmac, along with two smaller plastic devices dedicated to primary use. The Kindergartens have their own fenced-off area to play in at recess, while a double-yellow line separates the Primary and Junior/Intermediate sections. Also in the field, there is a sandpit used for track and field events, such as long jump, standing long jump, triple jump, and more. On the tarmac, there are lines painted for activities such as Hopscotch and Four-square, with the latter having more than a dozen variations.
Technology
In order to maintain a green footprint, several water fountains have a built-in water-bottle refill station situated in the wall – allowing students to refill their own water bottles while it maintains a count as to how many plastic bottles are being saved from landfills. The principal, Michael Matt, also wants the school to go paperless. Students at Beckett Farm are putting technology to use effectively. IPads and Chromebooks are a large part in the students' classroom activities, though still depending on the specific teacher.
Special Education/Community Classroom
Community Education Center - East
Extra-Curriculars
Beckett Farm P.S. offers students many sports teams, including:
- Badminton
- Volleyball
- Basketball
- Cross country(Long distance running)
It also has a variety of clubs, including:
- Art Club
- Chess Club
- Cooking Club
- Student Council
- Fit Spirit
- Announcement Team
- Eco Team
- Dance Team/Club
- Drama Club
- Elements Ambassadors/Leaders
- BFPS Tech Team
- Lunch Monitors
- School of Rock
- TED-Ed Club
- Junior/Intermediate Choir
- School Band (Grades 6 to 8)
Art club, Eco Team, Dance Team, Basketball and Volleyball are divided into divisions: Primary (Grades 1-3), Junior (Grades 4-6), and Intermediate (Grades 7/8). Not all Extra-Curriculars are in divisions.
References
- "Pages - School Information". www.yrdsb.ca. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
- "New Beckett Farm school in Markham green, high tech". www.yorkregion.com. Retrieved 2016-04-17.