Charles H. Hulse PS

Our Students

Our school is a site for the International Language Program on Saturdays. Arabic and a number of other languages are taught. It is also a hub for the community during the summer as many children attend the summer session of the International Language Program. The daily Breakfast Program is attended by many students at Charles Hulse and is supported by the Ottawa Food Bank. Students who attend this program receive a hearty nutritious meal that gives them the energy that they need for the learning that follows.

Our Staff

Members of the staff at Charles H. Hulse Public School are well known for their commitment to academic excellence and for their commitment to developing students’ potential within a safe and nurturing environment. Administrators, teachers, early childhood educators, educational assistants, office and custodial staff work together as a team to provide a school environment that is welcoming, validating and child-centered. As there is such a diverse student population, the teaching staff uses its expertise in first and second language development, and implements a philosophy of inclusion and global education in its programs. A key member of our staff is the Multicultural Liaison Officer (MLO), Mr. Abdirizak Warsame, who works at our school part time.

Our Community

We are fortunate to have many volunteers in our school, both from our parents/guardians and from the wider community. The Charles H. Hulse School Council is made up of a group of dedicated parents and staff. The activities of the council enrich the students’ educational experiences, and, promote, effective communication and co-operation between the parents/guardians, staff and the community.

In addition, we continue to have an excellent relationship with our neighbours at Ridgemont High School and St. Pat’s High School, and have many co-op students helping in our classrooms. This enhances community involvement as the older students serve as good role models for our students. The students clearly benefit from these positive interactions.

Mission Statement

At Charles H. Hulse Public School, we bring to life a shared vision of a quality school – a school full of enthusiastic and confident learners who are developing the knowledge, skills and values to successfully participate in a competitive, multi-cultural, rapidly changing global society.

When asked to describe our school, students say we have an excellent, fun, beautiful, safe, exciting, and peaceful place to learn!

Facilities and Resources

Charles H. Hulse Public School has a library with a large collection of current books by popular authors, and many books reflecting our cultural diversity. The classrooms have Tech Tubs with several mobile devices including iPads, Chrome Books, and laptops. All of our classrooms have ceiling mounted projectors for teachers and students to share. We are fortunate to have two gymnasiums and we have an onsite daycare, Andrew Fleck Day Care. Our school is a large one that benefits from a vast playground with designated areas for primary and junior students. The EarlyON Child and Family Centre is also located in our school. This centre is part of the Ministry of Education’s Early Learning Initiative. The centre helps prepare children (aged 0 to 6 years) for starting school and encourages families to be a part of their children's learning. On Saturdays, our school is used by the International Language Program offered by Continuing Education.

Programs and Services

Academic Programs

Charles H. Hulse Public School provides a Full Day Learning K-grade 6 English/Core French Program, with forty minutes of French for grades 1-6 and twenty minutes for kindergarten. Our school is an “Associate School” for Queen’s University, the University of Ottawa, State University of New York at Potsdam and Algonquin College.

Classroom Organization

Presently at Charles H. Hulse Public School, there are three full day learning kindergarten classes, two grade 1 classes, one grade 1/2 class, one grade 2 class, one grade 2/3 class, two grade 3 classes, one grade 4 class, one grade 4/5 class, one grade 5 class and two grade 6 classes. Our school also has a system class for pupils with Developmental Disabilities. In an inclusive environment, students are provided with intensive support directly in the classroom, with occasional withdrawal support in small groups as required. The Core French Program is delivered in the homeroom class.

Special Education and ESL Programs

Charles H. Hulse Public School has:

• One primary class for pupils with Developmental Disabilities
• Resource support from 1.5 Special Education Learning SupportTeachers (LST) and 2.0 Special Education Learning Resource Teachers (LRT)
• Resource support from our 3.0 English as a Second Language /English Literacy Development Teachers (ESL/ELD)

Clubs and Activities

Staff, volunteers and students work together at our school to a variety of extra-curricular activities. These activities include the very popular mid day and after-school sports programs open to all junior students throughout the year. Sports include: soccer, volleyball, cross country running, track and field and basketball to name a few. We also have a number of active clubs, including Student Council, Art Club, Writer’s Club, Knitting Club, Lego Club, Choir, and Games Club. Our Student Council consists of students at the junior level. Through fundraising activities and school spirit initiatives, these students develop leadership and citizenship skills. Each year, our student council has also taken an active role in helping with the implementation of our school improvement plan.

Safe Schools Initiatives

Charles H. Hulse Public School has a safe and caring school environment. We strive to ensure our playground is peaceful, as aligned with one of our school’s core enabling outcomes. We have many programs in place to support our students. A very successful pilot project for this year was an orientation week. Small groups of students participated in workshops. During these workshops, the students were explicitly taught strategies for getting along with peers and what to do in a conflict. We also launched the Fill Your Bucket campaign. Students were provided with a purple Fill Your Bucket Bracelet. Their goal was to keep giving the bracelet away when they made someone feel good about themselves. Our Hulse Habits program is a program through which our students learn about positive characteristics. This initiative stems from the OCDSB Community of Character initiative. Our Hulse Habits are highlighted and emphasized through rich literature and content areas such as Social Studies and Drama. Each month students are recognized for good character contributions to the school. Our school created and follows a Positive Progressive Student Support Plan. This plan is a hierarchical model of student support which helps students to learn from their mistakes and move toward making better choices. To complement this plan, is a restorative approach to discipline with a focus on empathy for others and the use of the 5 Point Anxiety Scale that helps students to self-monitor and seek assistance when it is needed. Each year our School Resource Officer presents formal information sessions to students about bullying and internet safety. Another significant initiative this year is “School Travel Planning”. This is a program through Green Communities Canada that assists the school in creating the conditions that promote walking to school. This is a joint project between many stakeholders including: the OCDSB, the City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority to name a few.