About Us

Julie Payette PS is located in Whitby, Ontario and serves students in Grades 1 through 8.

Mission statement

Rêver. Viser. Devenir. ~ Dream. Aspire. Become.

The Julie Payette crew, a partnership of families, school and wider community, is committed to working together in a bilingual culture. We strive to promote an equitable, safe and meaningful learning environment that fosters global awareness and creativity while challenging students to be passionate, lifelong learners on their journey to discovery.

Principal’s message

Bienvenue à l’école Julie Payette! Welcome to Julie Payette Public School!

Julie Payette Public School (JPPS) is a vibrant learning community that offers a linguistically rich learning environment in both official languages. Our goal is to prepare our students to become citizens of the world by focusing on developing their literacy, numeracy, communication, and technology skills. Students at JPPS are also encouraged to find their “voice” and become active citizens by developing their learning skills, personal traits and by participating in various leadership opportunities.

Julie Payette P.S. is truly a place where staff, students and families work together to create the best learning opportunities for academic, social and emotional growth. We believe in every student's potential for success, and strive to help develop our students into responsible life-long learners. Taking our inspiration from our namesake Julie Payette, we support our students to “Aim High and Dare to Dream!”

Thank you for visiting our website. You will find important information about upcoming events, school community council information, and newsletters. Have a look!

As always, please contact us at (905) 668-2225 should you have any questions.

A bientôt!

Philippe Coutu

Principal of Julie Payette Public School

Our Namesake

Julie Payette, born October 20, 1963 in Montreal, Quebec, is currently the Chief Operating Officer of the Montreal Science Centre as well as Vice President of the Canada Lands Company. Prior to that, she was an engineer and a Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut. Ms. Payette has completed two spaceflights, logging more than 25 days in space. She served as Chief Astronaut for the CSA, and has served in other roles for both NASA and CSA. In addition to her impressive career, Julie Payette is a talented athlete and musician. While fluent in French and English, she can converse in Spanish, Italian, Russian and German.

Julie Payette is a strong Canadian role-model; her contributions have been great. In 2000, she was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec. Ms. Payette was granted an honorary doctorate by the University of Alberta in 2006, and one at the University of British Columbia in 2010; she holds 18 honorary degrees in total. In 2010, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. Julie Payette also assisted in the carrying of the Olympic flag in the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia.

To learn more about Julie Payette, read her biography on the Canadian Space Agency website.

Watch Julie Payette's speech at our opening ceremony, May 16, 2012.

French Immersion Program and Grade One Registration

Julie Payette PS Feeder Schools are C.E. Broughton PS, Col. J.E. Farewell PS, E.A. Fairman PS, Fallingbrook PS, Glen Dhu PS, Jack Miner PS, Ormiston PS, Pringle Creek PS, Sir William Stephenson PS, West Lynde PS and Whitby Shores PS.

Please consult the DDSB website for boundary and homeschool information by using the School Locator.

Registration for grade one French Immersion

Registration for grade one French Immersion is accepted any time after the February open house.

If you are planning to fill out the registration package that evening please ensure to bring copies of the following information with you as applicable.

Not a current DDSB public school student

Canadian Citizenship or residency status (ie. birth certificate or passport or permanent residence card or record of of landing),
proof of residency within our boundaries (purchase agreement for new home, ownership title, lease/rental agreement, property tax assessments) with driver's licence,
health card and immunization record,
most recent report card,
proof of custody if child does not reside with both parents

Current DDSB public school students

proof of residency within our boundaries (purchase agreement for new home, ownership title, lease/rental agreement, property tax assessments) with driver's licence
most recent report card

Thank you!

French Immersion in Ontario

The primary goal of the French Immersion programs in Ontario is to increase, within realistic and well-defined parameters, a student’s ability to communicate in French. The programs also enable students to better understand the stages of language learning and the use of language learning strategies to acquire the language.

In Durham, the French Immersion program begins in Grade 1 and provide instruction in French in all subjects (i.e., for 100 per cent of total instructional time). In Grade 4, students begin to study English. Instruction in English is then be gradually extended to include other subjects. By the end of Grade 8, students receive up to 50 per cent of their instruction in English.

Two essential elements of the French Immersion program are intercultural awareness and intercultural competence. French Immersion educators strive to develop student understanding of, and appreciation and respect for, diverse cultures. They do so by encouraging students to explore diverse cultures and develop the attitudes, knowledge, and skills, including their French-language skills, needed to interact with people in French-speaking cultures effectively and respectfully.