Gonzaga Middle School of Winnipeg Inc.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, R2W3L4 Canada

Mission Statement

Gonzaga Middle School of Winnipeg empowers underserved children from low-income neighbourhood families to develop to their full potential while accompanying them on their educational journey from middle school through high school and beyond. It supports students breaking the cycle of poverty by providing an enhanced, holistic, culturally-sensitive, Jesuit-inspired middle school education.

About This Cause

GMS offers a unique educational program that provides students from underserved low-income families in North East Downtown and the North End with significant supports not otherwise available to them. This gives the students a chance to affect their academic trajectories positively and to develop significant leadership skills and social capital. Through the application of a distinctive “Nativity” model education which includes an extensive graduate support program, GMS prepares students and then supports student success in high school and post-secondary study. GMS’s goal is to lower barriers to educational success for vulnerable underserved Grades 6 to 8 students of all backgrounds, empowering them to develop toward their full potential, to break the cycle of poverty and become leaders for care and service of their families and communities. GMS also gives parents who normally have few choices with an educational option that targets the needs of their children – helping to change lives through education, one student at a time. Research has shown that the neighbourhoods from which GMS students originate are where children and families in Winnipeg are the most underserved as noted below: • The Point Douglas (most of the southern part of the North End) and North East Downtown neighbourhoods are among the poorest urban neighbourhoods in Canada and the most and second most socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Winnipeg (Manitoba Centre for Health Policy research studies). • The neighbourhoods have high percentages of Indigenous, new Canadian and visible minority residents with high and increasing percentages of families living below the poverty line (LICO) and more homes that are in need of repair compared to the city at large. • Neighbourhood children are 2-3 times more likely to be in poverty and using food banks, have a substantially higher risk of gang recruitment and substantially poorer child health outcomes. • Neighbourhood children show the poorest educational outcomes and lowest high school graduation rates in the city (around 50%). • In these neighbourhoods, inequities increase as children progress through school suggesting early and middle years schooling present opportunities for programs and interventions. GMS follows the “Nativity” school model originally developed at a school in the Lower East side of Manhattan to address underserved Hispanic children living in poverty who were slipping through the cracks of the public school system. The school at “Nativity Centre” included a summer camp and after school program and then added support for students after graduating middle school through high school and post-secondary studies. The unique combination of school, after school programming, summer programming and graduate support proved to be very successful in helping Nativity Centre students complete high school and go on to post-secondary studies. The educational success of Nativity Centre School led innovators in other cities across the US, and more recently in Canada, to adopt what became known as the "Nativity" model in similar economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods and meet with similar success in giving underserved youth the life-changing opportunity of a good education and ongoing support. More than 50 such schools operating across the US and now two in Canada form a coalition of schools following the model, sharing data and best practices. Historically, Nativity model schools show close to 90% high school graduation rates (compared to 40-50% graduation rates for the demographic served). Almost all high school graduates go on to post-secondary study with about 50% completing a degree or diploma within 8 years. In keeping with the Nativity-school model and in response to student need, GMS provides: • An extended school day including before and after school programming • An extended school year (including summer camp weeks) • A graduate support program - staff continue to meet with, mentor and support students through high school and Post-Secondary studies • A strong academic program with high expectations leading to excellence • Enrichment activities (artistic, musical, athletic and cultural activities) • A nutrition program (we provide free breakfast, lunch and two snacks each day) • A transportation program – we bus students to and from school • A 1-1 technology program in the classroom • School uniforms and other material needs as necessary GMS started with a single Grade 6 class in September 2016, added a Grade 7 class in September 2017 and its first Grade 8 class in September 2018. Many of our current and graduate students live in foster homes and are in and out of the care of social services. Many live with their grandparents or other family members. Most come from single parent homes. Many have parents who have passed away or who have served time in prison and some have parents who are in and out of drug treatment programs. Each family is required to submit the CRA Income Tax assessment for the current year in the initial application process. Families must be below or near the CRA defined Low Income Cut Off (LICO). In addition, multiple factors are also weighted in determining disadvantage such as if the child is in the care of Child and Family Services, is being fostered or in the care of another family member, how many siblings are also being provided for in the household and if the students or their siblings have special needs. Typical of the neighbourhoods we serve, since opening, although varying slightly from year to year, about two-thirds of the combined student population of between 50 and 60 students have Indigenous (First Nations or Metis) backgrounds, with the remainder of the student population being mostly New Asian Canadians or New African Canadians or children of newcomers. This year, many of our first Grade 8 graduating class have begun post-secondary studies and our Graduate Support Program will be working with over 80 graduated students, their families, over 14 receiving independent and public high schools while also providing assistance with post-secondary applications, financial aid applications and other supports for graduates beginning or appling for post-secondary programs. GMS does not charge tuition and relies upon individual donors, the Independent School Grant from the Province and foundation grants to fund our diverse program of support, enrichment and academics to help change the lives of our students and help them develop toward their full potential.

Gonzaga Middle School of Winnipeg Inc.
174 Maple St N
WINNIPEG, Manitoba R2W3L4
Canada
Phone 204 9497101
Unique Identifier 813613767RR0001