The mascot at Mary Street Community School is the mustang — but not for long.Next school year, it will be the phoenix.A bird that rises from ashes to start a new life is a fitting tribute to the Oshawa school, which has recently undergone a rebirth of its own.This year was Justin Abdelkerim’s first as principal at Mary Street — and he inherited a unique set of challenges.The school was struggling with complex student behaviour issues, the worst attendance rate in the school board and low test scores.The data on the school neighbourhood is daunting too.According to the Durham Region health department, the downtown Oshawa neighbourhood where Mary Street Community School is located has Durham’s highest percentage of people living in low-income households, at 28 per cent.It also has Durham`s lowest median after-tax income, highest unemployment rate and the highest rate of adults who didn’t complete high school.“We’re dealing with poverty, students who are racialized, a lot of mental health issues and special needs,” Abdelkerim says.But he stops right there.He doesn’t want anyone to feel sorry for the kids at his school or make assumptions about what they can do.“We want to break assumptions. What you assume about this school is not true,” he says. “What we have created is a culture of very high expectations. There is no excuse for them not to succeed.Abdelkerim says the school already had a staff of “amazing” teachers when he came on board — last summer he started meeting with them, and crafting a plan for a quick turnaround.Over the course of the year dozens of small fixes have added up to big results.Grade 4/5 teacher Erin McGowan is leading the charge on self regulation.She has a background in mindfulness and reiki, a Japanese stress-reduction technique, and had success changing the vibe in her classroom by teaching students the “zones of regulation” — gree ...
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