Shari Burnard Ostrom

Year: 2008 – Province: Ontario

Certificate of Achievement Recipient

School: Central Commerce Collegiate
570 Shaw Street
Toronto, Ontario
M6G 3L6

Principal: David Buhler
School Telephone: 416-393-0030
School Fax: 416-393-0049
School Website:http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/centralcommerce
Subjects and Grades Taught: English and learning strategies in Grades 9 to 12

Teaching Approach

• Teaches students research skills based on her research on how students can read more effectively as well as study of the particular literacy challenges boys face.
• Regularly involves parents and the local community.

Outstanding Achievements

• Created a Grade 9 mentorship program in response to province-wide statistics that showed that students that completed all their Grade 9 credits in a timely manner were more likely to graduate from high school. The program begins every year with an orientation day, which local businesses support.
• Meets with every student to discuss their successes over the year and to discuss ways they can improve in the coming year. The plans she and the students create have produced positive results, with some students marks improving by as much as 20 percent and the school's EQAQ Literacy passing rate increasing by 11 percent.

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