John Ware Junior High School opened in 1968 with five classes of junior high and six classes of elementary.
Who Was John Ware?
John Ware was born a slave, destined to work the cotton fields of South Carolina. Freed as a young man at the end of he American Civil War, he traveled west and learned skills and the life style of a cowboy in Texas. He established his reputation in frontier society with deeds rather than words. His cowboy skills were legendary. All that knew him would say he was a gentleman. He led an honest, moral life, and was a loving father. His work was extremely difficult, the working conditions were harsh, yet he persevered and excelled. In a time where roughness, dishonesty, bullying, and lawlessness seemed normal, Mr. Ware showed honesty, skill, hard work, and decency.
He became a symbol of tolerance and decency. His legacy is one of personal and social commitment, character, and citizenship. This legacy is one which those of us in the John Ware community can draw upon, as we strive for success in life, work and continued learning.
Learning at John Ware
We believe in maintaining an environment that encourages risk-taking, and allows everyone the opportunity to grow and develop in ways that are meaningful and suitable. We believe in inclusivity and that every one of our students should have positive connections with our staff and peers. We believe every student can learn to a high level and deserves rich, personalized learning experiences to support that growth.
As educators, we believe including home supports is important. We endeavour to support and to work with parents and guardians, as the proverb suggests: “It takes a village to raise a child.”
We believe that every young adolescent:
- has the capacity to learn, grow, and develop into a knowledgeable, reflective, caring, ethical, and contributing citizen
- must have access to the very best programs and practices a school can offer
- must be engaged in learning that is relevant, challenging, integrative, and exploratory
- thrives academically, socially, and emotionally in a democratic learning environment where trust and respect are paramount and where family and community are actively involved
- faces significant life choices and needs support in making wise and healthy decisions
- deserves educators who are prepared to work with this age group, who are themselves lifelong learners and committed to their own on-going professional development and growth
To create a systematic process that ensures every child receives additional time and support needed to learn at high levels.
The Four Cs
Collective Responsibility (Why are we here?) – A strong staff belief, commitment, and responsibility of each staff member is to ensure high levels of leaning for every child
Concentrated Instruction (Where do we need to go?) – A systematic process of identifying essential outcomes that all students must master and determine the specific learning needs for each child to get there.
Convergent Assessment (Where are they now?) Formative assessment to drive instruction specific to individual student needs based on evidence and data.
Certain Access (How do we get every child there?) – A systematic process designed so every student will receive the time and support needed to learn the essential outcomes
