education guide fall 2012 - central ed

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EDUCATION GUIDEEDUCATION GUIDE

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Inside the Education Guide4

iLEARN: How schools are moving away from more traditional classroom tools toward a more high tech approach.

8 MAKING MATH ADD UP: For-get about just learning by rote, this teacher wants his students to learn why math works.

10 YOU’VE GOTTA HAVE ART: Why some schools value the creative and per-forming arts just as much as they do academics.

16 INSPIRING EDUCATORS: Five teachers who give their all for their pupils.

20 NUMBERS GAME: How much should parents really rely on school ratings when choosing a place for their children?

22 SCHOLASTIC FASHION: Uni-forms, even at the same school, can be surpris-ingly unique.

34 GET OUT: Leadership lessons that can only be taught in the great outdoors.

Plus lots more!

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Another MulticomMedia PublicationAnother MulticomMedia Publication

Students fondly remember

their retired principal

and more...

Plus: Terrific teachers who

make their schools great

Bye Bye BooksTablets and other

technology look to

replace the tried and true

FALL 2012

EDUCATION GUIDEEDUCATION GUIDE

CenTrAL eDiTionCenTrAL eDiTion

FALL 2012 ON THE COVER: A pair of Brank-some Hall stu-dents read the old fashion way.

PHOTO COurTESy Our kiDS MEDiA

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� EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2012

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By OMAR MOSLEh

They’re known as the Net Generation, and with good reason: Young people born after 1991 are the first generation to have the World Wide Web available to them their entire lives.

Naturally, this presents a challenge for teachers.“Technology makes it so that we’re no longer the bearers of knowl-

edge,” said Upper Canada College grade 1 teacher Jennifer Harper. “It’s no longer the teacher’s role because there’s too much information out there.”

But Havergal College technology integrator Paul Shuebrook says that makes it even more important to bring technology into the class-room, because it’s what students live and breathe.

“When you talk about the prevalence of texting and social media, it’s just a natural way for students to express themselves,” he said. “If you’re teaching in a way that embraces that, the student engagement will be very high.”

Harper compares the teacher’s role to a facilitator rather than a bearer of knowledge. And the conduits to that knowledge are digital tools.

Teachers say classrooms are being transformed by strides in tech-nology.

“I feel like it blows a hole through the wall and sucks the world right through,” Harper said.

Harper, who co-wrote a book on the subject called Literacy Smarts, uses interactive whiteboards to make for a more dynamic classroom.

“In my opinion it is one of the greatest tools to get out of the class-room,” she said. “I can go on digital field trips and bring my kids to anywhere in the world.”

As an example, she mentioned how her class visited Thailand to learn about structures in other areas of the world.

“It’s opened up all these possibilities that I couldn’t have done with

The new scribbler?Why iPads in the classroom are more than just toys

ANN ruPPENSTEiN/TOWN CriEr

NOT JUST FUN AND GAMES: As new commercial technologies hit the market, educators are finding ways of adapting them to the classroom, including the popular iPad which some are using to provide their students with personalized educational opportunities.


“Using their finger is very natural.”

a picture book,” she said. “It’s so authentic and real for them.”

She said taking students on digital fieldtrips also encourages critical thinking.

For example, while on Skype with a teacher from Thailand, students asked why it was dark in another part of the world.

“We can talk about it and show them videos until our faces are blue, but when they actu-ally physically see it happen, it’s astonishing for a young person,” Harper said. “We ended up having a huge wonderful conversation about the sun and where it is.”

Digital tools, such as tablets, can also help take that conversation outside of the classroom by allowing students to email their work instantly to

parents.“When they do

something on it, they’re empowered, excited, they feel ingenious and want to share that with their parents,” Harper said. “And the tablet allows for that.”

In contrast to conventional computers, Harper said tablets are extremely user-friendly — especially for kids.

“For little boys and girls, the mouse and key-board is so far removed from them,” she said. “To use a mouse to manipulate something on the screen is one step away from what’s natural for them, whereas using their finger is very natural.”

In addition to getting students more excited about school, technology also allows teachers to

understand their pupils better.Shuebrook has made good use of student

response systems, which are software that allow a teacher to ask his or her students anonymous ques-tions before making a graph for the teacher.

“It’s a great way to touch base with your stu-dents without putting them on the spot,” Shuebrook

said. “You can test students’ understanding of a subject they just learned and the teacher can use it in conjunction with any question.”

This helps teachers tailor their lessons better, he added.

Ultimately, integrating technology into the class-Continued on page 6


BLACKBOARD 2.0: The addition of interactive whiteboards to classrooms allow teachers the chance not only to go over a lesson with students, but also to take digital field trips around the world.

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room is crucial so students can work with tools familiar to them, he added.

“It doesn’t even feel like work to

many of the students if they can use a blog to discuss their work, rather than write it down on paper and hand it in,” Shuebrook said.

Is it possible to use an old tool for new tricks?

Teachers are find-ing innovative ways to use familiar pieces of technology to enhance learning and engage-ment in the classroom using everything from toys to the Internet.

GoogleIt turns out Google

is useful for more than just searching.

Havergal College technology integrator Paul Shuebrook says the school has made use of the Google Apps For Education suite.

“That provides wiki and blog functional-ity, where students can comment on each other’s work,” he said. “Basically it’s a safe environment where stu-dents can publish their own content.”

Google Docs is

also popular. “The kids can be

on the Google Docs making changes and the teachers can track those changes at the same time,” said Upper Canada College grade 1 teacher Jennifer Harper. “It’s an instant record of their communication and dialogue.”

LEGO Many people grew

up using LEGO in their classrooms. But did you know LEGO could do this?

Grade 6 students at the Country Day School use LEGO to build robots, which are then programmed to carry out simple tasks,

“Kids love it, it’s one of our most popu-lar science units,” said technology teacher Lara Gee.

She said the activity

not only teaches build-ing and programming skills, but also indepen-dence.

“There’s a lot they have to learn on their own,” she said. “It’s one of those units where they’ll come to us for the answers, and we don’t have the answers because they’re differ-ent every time.”

Digital cameras Upper Canada Col-

lege grade 1 teacher Jennifer Harper said her class uses digital cam-eras as tools for sharing their work.

“My students bring it to a level that I wouldn’t have brought it to,” she said. “It’s that link for them to get out of the classroom, and share what they’re doing and learning.”

— Omar Mosleh


INSTANT FEEDBACK: Using a student response system, teachers can instantly tell if their pupils understand the concepts they are trying to teach.

Old tools, new uses

Cont. from Page 5

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By ShAwn STAR

PBeyond rote learning

There’s more than one way to do math and it all adds up

aul Lacey begins his math lesson at Children’s Garden School by bringing up the equation 55 + 16 on the board. Immediately, half the students raise their hands, willing to give the answer.

When called upon, one boy cor-rectly says the answer is 71, but Lacey doesn’t tell him he’s right.

“Prove it,” Lacey says without missing a beat.

The boy explains that he first extracted the six from 16, and added that six to the 55 in order to get 61. Then knowing there was another 10 left to add, the answer very simply became 71.

Lacey affirms the boy’s meth-odology.

“Right,” Lacey says. “So that’s a pretty standard algorithm.”

Every math class starts like this in Lacey’s class. The students are brought away from their desks, and have to use mental math to solve equations. Calculators don’t make an appearance.

Another question comes up: 575 + 75.

The boy who answers this one explains he knows the answer is 650 because he added the number 25 three times to 575, thus going 600, 625, and finally 650. He notes that he thought of it like money.

One more thing — these kids are just eight years old and finish-ing grade 3.

His secret to success? Finding the right balance between what is known as “old math” and “new math”.

“There seems to be the sense that there’s drill and rote mem-orization on one side and then problem solving and conceptual understanding on the other,” Lacey said. “And for some reason these have become two camps that are opposed to each other.”

He explained how the two sides have their benefits, but also have their drawbacks.

“Our adult generation when we were taught in school, we were generally taught the standard algo-rithm only, and by that I mean

carry the one in addition, go next door get 10 more for subtraction — those kind of procedural rules,” he said. “Generally, we weren’t taught why they work.

“And a very good way of show-ing that would be to ask an adult from our generation ‘why does long division work?’ and see if they can explain it.”

It’s because of that style of learning, Lacey said, that it’s not always kids who are the hardest to teach, but it’s the parents.

“It’s still an uphill battle, it’s not easy,” he said. “Especially in a pri-vate school system where there’s more homework and parents want to help, but they’re scared of doing


it wrong, and I understand that.”So Lacey held two parent

math nights this past year, where he had the parents doing some math problems, as well as watch-ing their kids do the math, too. These turned out to be hugely successful.

“My parents are all on board, I’ve been very lucky,” he said. “They’ve all jumped on board because they’ve seen the results.”

One of those results, Lacey said, due to the way kids in his class learn, he doesn’t use text-books.

“They usually come up with all the ideas in the textbook on their own,” he said. “And from there all I’m doing is solidifying their own ideas. So in that way, it’s student-centred.”

And student-centred learning is also the focus at Greenwood College. The school’s director of personalized learning, Heather Rigby, who also teaches math and science, says they’ve upped the ante on personalized learn-ing with a new approach that embraces technology.

“I create online videos that the students watch, rather than

watch the teacher at the front of the room. And I use that idea to create a personalized class-room,” she said. “So what I mean by that is the kids are given the whole unit at the beginning of the unit and can watch the videos at home, they can re-watch the lessons if they weren’t sure on a concept.”

Rigby says this allows kids to be able to learn at their own pace. She gave an example of a student who managed to com-plete both grade 11 and 12 math in one year.

“That’s sort of the key to what we’re trying to do at Green-wood is this idea of personalized learning, so meeting the needs of each individual student,” she said. “Technology really is play-ing the biggest role in the change in how we’re working with kids in math for sure.”

Helping kids teach themselves is also a key element of the learn-ing process in Lacey’s class.

“The idea of problem solv-ing as discovery is something that I think is really important,” he said. “It’s not a matter of I stand up there and teach them how to do something. For things

like division, I start it with a word problem … I have remain-ders right away because I want them to get the idea that divi-sion means I’m sharing it with people.

“And yes, sometimes things are leftover, and I need to figure out what to do with them, it’s not just R2. In real life remainders mean something and you have to do something with them.”

So to help develop his stu-dents’ abilities to use mental math in real life, Lacey has taught them to think differently than the traditional methods. He gives a general addition ques-tion as an example.

“Even though there’s the rule you start at the ones, my kids know that no, you don’t have to start at the ones,” he said. “If I’m doing 29 + 36, I can turn that into 30 + 35. Start at the 10s, do 30 + 30, then add the five.”

Though there may be many different ways to solve an equa-tion, Lacey says he’s happy about one main thing his les-sons do.

“That’s the thing I’m most proud of is that they can manipu-late numbers like that,” he said.

SHAWN STAr/TOWN CriEr

ADDING OUTSIDE THE BOX: Children’s Garden School math teacher Paul Lacey helps students break down problems into chunks they can understand.

�0 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2012

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The need to Arts are key to education

TThe head of TMS School has a message for non-believers: To him, art is one of the keys to developing a whole self, not just academ-ics.

“[Art] isn’t fluff, it makes you a well-rounded person,” Glen Zederayko says. “Art is problem solving and communicating.”

The arts program at TMS focuses on not only teaching the technical skills behind the arts, but also putting emphasis on the value that it plays in everyday life. The program brings together passionate professionals rang-ing from drama experts, practising musicians and visual artists who help students realize their potential in every artistic facet.

But that’s not to say they value art above all else. Zederayko makes a point of placing equal focus on academics, arts and athletics.

“It’s not about being artistic or not,” Zed-erayko says. “We encourage all our students and want them to understand that they can do this.”

Montcrest School’s co-curricular coordi-

nator Lisa Swarbrick tries to spread the same principles as TMS when teaching students.

“[Our arts program] is about honouring the possibility of all our participants,” Swarbrick says. “Knowing that every child can grow to be a performer that feels proud of their accomplishments. We set high expectations, but we help them grow to meet those expecta-tions.”

They help students meet these goals by bringing in experienced professionals to coach and guide them. For the school’s annual in-house plays, theatrical and film profession-als are brought in to help with design, stage managing and the light and soundboard and to show the students the ropes.

But for students, it’s not just a learning experience, but also a first-hand one.

“For [Montcrest’s] 50th anniversary the choir students wrote the celebratory song,” Swarbrick says. “Something like this is important because it shows that every student can be a songwriter.”

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TMS School’s musical endeavours are also a unique affair. The school’s productions bring together students from grades 4 to 12 to participate in all aspects of the show.

“The performances are cross-curricular affairs,” says Zederayko. “They learn from each other and build communications at the same time.”

He says the goal of TMS’s art program is to make students view them-selves as artists, regardless of age.

“The benefits of this program is that they leave thinking they can act, paint, etc.,” he says. “They leave thinking they are able to do all these things.”

PHOTO COurTESy liSA SWArBriCk

ON STAGE: Montcrest School encourages its students to participate in artistic endeavours, such as the school’s annual play, to challenge them and show the pupils what they are capable of accomplishing.

Royal St. George’s College offers a variety of choral and instru-mental music, visual arts and drama. The school’s choir is made up of talented sing-ers who are selected through auditions. Members gain experi-ence through annual performance at the Festival of Lessons and Carols, and in a major Spring Choral Concert.

Mississauga Private School offers a well-rounded art program from kindergarten to grade 12. At a young age, students are encour-aged in the visual arts and are introduced to a wide variety of materi-als, not just the pencil and paint staples. The multi-dimensional pro-gram not only teaches technical skills and pre-cision, but also allows for creative expression.

Toronto’s Metropoli-tan Preparatory Acad-emy’s theatre program really stands out. Over the years, faculty and students have joined together and built a black-box studio the-atre that they use for drama classes and even to perform school plays. This work environment has given students a real hands-on approach to acting, directing and design with theatre.

Promoting the arts

Yes I Can! specializes in Early Childhood Education with Enriched Preschool and Kindergarten programs. This award winning school is highly respected in the Community for exceptional personalized attention and an outstanding curriculum.

The Yes I Can! team is led by a proud recipient of a Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Education. Celebrating 21 years, Yes I Can is moving back to the neighbourhood to 3335 Yonge at Fairlawn Snowdon.

The preschoolers at Yes I Can! are presented with hands-on discovery through cooking, science and creative arts. The developmental curriculum nurtures the wonders of exploration and social skill building in a warm, welcoming atmosphere of acceptance and respect. Multi-media art explorations, new-age science and math adventures, creative cooking, small reading / story circles, big block building & music galore enhance the children’s day with one dedicated teacher to every six learners. Laughing and hugs are plentiful! The small Kindergarten classes offer individual and concentrated group work enhancing independence while encouraging critical thinking and positive social interactive experiences. Cooperation & teamwork combined with progressive teaching frame the science / discovery component as the children investigate the wonders of experiments. Embarking on global adventures in geography, exploring customs and cultures, the children also enjoy the beginnings of conversational Spanish. Before/After the bell school pickups too!

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�2 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2012

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Yes I Can returns to North Toronto

YBy SARAh TAGuIAM

school back home

es I Can Nursery School is finally coming home.After leaving North Toronto for a year, the nursery is establishing

a second site at Yonge Street and Fairlawn Avenue, four blocks up from its old location at Bedford Park United Church.

“When I was putting up the sign for the site, a lot of community members were honking and welcoming us,” executive director Janet MacDougall said. “We’re very happy to be back.”

The nursery signed a 15-year lease and will open its doors to 80 families — 20 more than its current location.

The Fairlawn site will offer standard nursery, enriched kindergar-ten and Saturday programs. It will also add Teeny Two’s for toddlers, and Before and After the Bell where Yes I Can teachers pick up stu-dents from their local schools for programming.

North Toronto resident Beverly Lynch is thinking of registering

Holy Name of Mary College School to offer Mini-Med programBy SARAh TAGuIAM

Is there a doctor in the school?

Holy Name of Mary College School students will learn the ins and outs of the medical field through a new 10-week hands-on lab called Mini-Med School.

Especially created for girls, the program seeks to peak their curios-ity and help them develop the interest to pursue the sciences,” accord-ing to a press release.

The program will run through the year and will be taught to stu-

The Toronto Prep School education experience includes: a semestered, university preparatory curriculum, a MacBook Pro or iPad with educational software, GoodLife Fitness membership, an extended after school study program, a Saturday Club study program, maximum class size of 16 students , extra-curricular clubs and athletic program, and a dedicated, passionate and experienced faculty.

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SAT., April 20, 2013 - 11:00 am to 2:00 pm

FALL 2012 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier 13

School back homeher son Aaron for the after school program this fall.

Lynch, whose son just graduated from Yes I Can’s senior kindergarten, said it’s fantastic the school’s returning to the neighbourhood as it has made a positive difference in her son’s life.

“It was a shame when they had to move,” she said. In 2011, Yes I Can needed to move after Bedford Park United Church’s rede-

velopment plans left no space for it on the property. “We felt that we had a strong partnership with them and we were disap-

pointed,” MacDougall said. The school moved to 25 Old York Mills Rd. in Hoggs Hollow, but Lynch said

some parents weren’t able to send their kids to the location due to distance.“Some mothers have to walk their children to school and daycare,” Lynch

said. “It was a real benefit for them to have Yes I Can so close.”Now back in the neighbourhood, MacDougall is excited to open the school

in September.“This community has a high need for early childhood education and we’re

glad to accommodate them,” she said.

Holy Name of Mary College School to offer Mini-Med program

Is there a doctor in the school?

sarah taguiam/town crier

NEW DIGS: Yes I Can Nursery School executive director Janet MacDougall says she’s glad that her school is finally back in the area it served for so many years and is in need of early childhood education options.

“we’re very happy to be back.”

dents from grades 5–12. Real-world scientists, physicians, nurses, and pharmacists will be guiding the

students in sessions as they explore subjects like forensic science, kitchen chemis-try and Leonardo da Vinci’s legacy.

They will also be performing hands-on activities such as dissections, DNA extractions, and making food cannons.

The program is being run in partnership with Roche Pharmaceuticals Canada.

Open House dates available online.

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Is your child experiencing dif culty in school due to a language de cit? Is your child having dif culty learning to read, write or acquire other basic skills? For over 30 years Kohai has offered direct instruction in small groups with a comprehensive curriculum. Contact us to set up a visit.

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email: [email protected]

14 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2012

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Holy Trinity School students get own devices

BBy Sarah Taguiam

Apples for alleginning in September, Holy Trinity School will launch its Apple 1:1 program where students from junior kindergarten to grade 12 will use their Apple devices for standardized learning in the classroom.

Lower school students will use school-owned iPads and computers while middle and senior school students will use their own iPads and MacBook laptops respectively.

Director of innovation and technology

Vince Delisi said one of the driving reasons behind the Apple 1:1 program is its potential to extend self-motivated learning.

“When students have access to their own device … they have the capacity to help plan and guide their own learning,” he said.

Students in Holy Trinity’s grade 3 social studies classes, learned urban planning with the help of iPads and simulation game SimC-ity.

Bayview Glen begins buildingBy Sarah Taguiam

Breaking ground

Bayview Glen celebrated its 50 years with a bang by launching a $15 million tri-campus facility expansion at a ceremonial groundbreaking in May.

Attended by about 400 staff, students and community members, the groundbreaking showed the attendees what’s in store for the school’s future: a new prep school, athletic complex, and the renovation of its Upper School.

“The celebration of our 50th year is the most appropriate time to launch a project of this scale,” said head of school Eileen Daunt.

With a lot of help from parents, the school has raised $5 million to date and is still reaching out for donations.

Daunt says the school is hoping to open the doors to the new and improved facilities in the fall of 2013.

During the ceremony, head boy Christian Medeiros and head girl Nayantara Ghosh called the new construction a legacy.

“What we are building here today is not simply in the realm of brick and mortar … [but] a source of school pride,” Medeiros said.

All students to have an iPad in class

Leadership

Creativity

Compassion

Condence

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JK - Gr. 6 / IB PYP

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Celebrating

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October 24: 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.

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Apples for all“It was a good project because it made learning

more fun,” said grade 3 student Heiu Ta. “When I made the city, the game would tell me if I was in debt or over budget … and if I was I had to figure out how to fix it.”

Students were also able to grasp concepts like types of zoning, communities and what buildings and services are needed to sustain a city.

Delisi said the Apple 1:1 program also allows student to connect beyond the classroom and deter-mine how they use technology for the rest of their lives.

photo courtesy holy trinity school

TABLET LEARNING: Students from kindergarten to grade 12 at Holy Trinity School will all be using Apple iPads and/or laptops starting this fall.

francis crescia/town crier

DIG IN: Bayview Glen students Angelo Bilanti and Michella Bellini helped to break ground for the revi-talization of their school’s Upper School campus.

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Terr

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teac

hers

By ann ruppenSTein

TKeeping it fun

Jennifer Patterson of Havergal College

eaching phys-ed was a natural fit for Jennifer Patterson, who grew up playing on numerous sports teams and has always been involved in athletics.

“I love being active and believe in the importance of leading a physically active lifestyle,” says Patterson, the head of health and physical education at Havergal College. “Ever since I was a young child that is what I wanted to do.”

Whether she’s teaching gym or coaching soccer and volleyball, Patterson hopes her students find a physical activity they enjoy and gain the knowledge and experi-ence to lead a healthy lifestyle beyond her class.

“My students need to feel wel-comed, be encouraged to try new things and feel safe so that they can take risks,” she says. “Eventu-

ally they will assume the respon-sibility for their long term health and well being so I need to help provide them with the tools to do that.”

Looking back on being a teach-er for the past 16 years, her favou-rite memories revolve around her students’ appreciation, she says.

“I really love it when I overhear them say things like, ‘that was so much fun,’ ‘that was the best class ever’ or ‘we’re done already? I wish we could stay in this class the rest of the day,’ ” she says. “Hearing positive feedback from my students and knowing that I am making a difference in their lives is memorable and rewarding.”

Patterson believes many facets of children’s lives need to be nur-tured in order for them to reach and develop their full potential.

At the beginning of every year she tells students school is what they make it and to get involved in clubs and extra curricular activi-ties including sports, intramurals, music, art and drama to ensure they maximize their time at Haver-gal College.

“The best part about working with children is that you can truly shape and have a positive impact on the person they are growing up to be,” she says. “The students are looking for someone to look up to as a role model and I gladly take on that responsibility.”

photo courtesy havergal college

DIVE RIGHT IN: Havergal College’s Jennifer Patterson says her stu-dents tell her she’s making a difference in their lives.

Emma Tilbury of Crestwood SchoolBy ann ruppenSTein

No meanie

Emma Tilbury describes her grade 3 teacher when she was growing up as mean.

“Unfortunately the school memories that stick with me are negative,” she says. “I remem-ber not wanting to go to school, scared to hand in work, doing miserably on tests.”

However, looking back it helped her realize how important it is for the kids in her own class-room at Crestwood School to feel loved, valued and safe, she says.

“When children are in a comfortable environment they become risk takers and learn by accident,” she says. “Nothing is forced or demanded, we just roll along together and learn.”

The head of the French Department and the school’s admissions director says watch-ing students succeed is one of the

most rewarding parts of her job.“When they have that ah-ha

moment and they realize they can do it or they do know it,” she says. “You are a part of that moment and that teachable moment can come out in any activity.”

Tilbury first started work-ing with children as a babysitter when she was 10 years old and continued working at summer camps until she was 26. The best part of being surrounded by kids is seeing how honest they are, she says.

“They’ll tell you exactly how they feel, how much you’re bor-ing them, who broke wind, why it’s their parents’ fault their home-work isn’t completed,” she says. “They are honest and they make my day.”

Outside of the classroom, Til-bury runs the flag football team

and the eco team, which meets weekly to discuss green initiatives and to educate the community.

“It’s wonderful to have so many young minds committed to making change,” she says, add-ing the club now has 98 student members. “It isn’t my generation that is going to fix the planet’s problems, it’s their’s.”

She believes optimal learning takes place in a safe environment where children have the opportu-nity to succeed and can develop a love for the subject.

“My classroom is noisy,” she says. “My classroom may very well make other teachers nuts. However, my classroom is where great things happen every day in French.”

Ages 1.5years - 12years. photo courtesy crestwood school


We will encourage him to chase his dreams. At Sterling Hall, we know that

boys are a different breed. We understand their needs and realize how vital the

formative JK to Grade 8 years are, preparing them for the rest of their lives.

We use tactile tools and theme-based programming that appeal to boys, as well as

reading strategies and hands-on activities that are all designed specifically for them.

What’s more, we have small class sizes, low student-to-teacher ratios, leadership

opportunities and excellent teachers willing to take the time to celebrate your boy’s

individuality and strengths. 416.785.3410 sterlinghall.com

Open HouseAll Grades: Nov. 7th 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Preview DaysJK to Grade 3: Dec. 6th Grades 4 to 8: Dec. 7th

8:30 am – 10:30 am

25 YEARS STRONG

By ann ruppenSTein

SChild’s play

Jessyka Armstrong of Children’s Garden Nursery School

eeing growth in every child from September to June is the most rewarding part of teaching for Jessyka Armstrong.

“It can be something as simple as having the confidence to answer questions in front of their classmates to writing their name for the first time,” she says. “It is simply phenomenal to see how quickly children absorb everything in their environment.”

Some of her fondest memories at Chil-dren’s Garden Nursery School include helping ESL children transform from barely or not at all speaking the language to being fluent in English by the end of the year and helping a particular boy struggling to overcome low self-esteem.

“He constantly put himself down and I continued to tell him that he could achieve his goals with hard work,” she says. “He not only thrived, but exclaimed after his first successful attempt at writing his name, ‘I did it. You told me I could do it and I did it.’ ”

Armstrong, who was drawn to a career with kids since taking care of a child for a family friend when she was 16 years old, hopes her students gain a solid foundation of the skills they need to succeed in future school years as well as have fond memories of the time spent in her class.

A highlight of teaching nursery school-aged children is seeing how they find every subject she introduces exciting and almost magical.

“I feel very fortunate to be part of my young student’s educational lives where I can-not only help them to succeed but give them the confidence to do so,” she says. “The best part of working with children is that no two days are alike.”

Armstrong also takes part in an after school drama program and a drama summer camp, which culminates with a production, like Beauty and the Beast or Annie, and works with kids to create everything, including props, costumes and back drops.

Looking back on her own education, she remembers her grade 5 teacher Mr. Manning quickly made her feel part of an already estab-lished class after she moved midway through the school year.

“I liked the fact that although he was firm and rarely let students bend the rules, he had a wonderful sense of humour and would use real life situations to teach us new concepts,” she says. “I model his firm but humorous teaching style and have found that children thrive on a combination of rules, routine and fun.”

photo courtesy children’s garden nursery school


By ann ruppenSTein

Sara Adamson of Children’s Garden School

Helping kids grow

Even after 23 years of teaching four and five year olds, Children’s Garden School’s Sara Adamson is continu-ally amazed at how capable, innocent, honest and eager they are to learn.

“I have always been impressed by their ability to grasp new concepts,” she says.

Over the course of the school year she hopes students gain indepen-dence, pride, compassion, self-dis-covery, problem-solving skills and a love of learning, she says.

However, one of her favourite learning experiences happens outside of the class-room when students, teachers, parents and grandparents par-ticipate in an annual Terry Fox Walk.

“Children learn about his challenges and amazing accom-plishments,” she says. “One of my favourite memories — it has happened several times through the years — is when a child says for the first time, ‘I didn’t give up, I am just like Terry Fox’.”

In order to make learning fun, which is her top priority, Adamson uses stories or rhymes to reinforce concepts with her students, which has been a successful strategy in her classroom, she says.

“I love learning along with the children, as they can often be the best teachers,” she says. “I feel

incredibly lucky and blessed to be a kindergarten teacher.”

Having been a hands-on student growing up, Adamson’s classroom is one of self-exploration and direct experience. She believes children learn best in a bright and child-centered environment in which the children’s work is prominently dis-played.

“The children are encouraged to ask questions, take risks and explore

activities that inter-est them,” she says. “Sharing, honesty and respect for oth-ers and themselves are important lessons taught in kindergarten and these social skills and character values must be explained and modeled.”

Adamson also takes part in the school’s Principal’s Club, which helps

support a school in Nepal for nursery age children to grade 12. Students in grades 1 to 3 have been instrumen-tal in helping raise money for the Canadian World Education Society by organizing many events such as bake sales, holiday card sales, book drives and lemonade sales, she says.

“The children have stepped up to the plate and blossomed through the experience of recognizing the needs of other children in the world,” she says. “I am very proud of our young and motivated students.”

Branksome Hall’s music department head Lyris Pat can trace the begin-ning of her fascination with music to her childhood.

“I remember being intensely curious about the sounds created from musical instruments,” she says. “I never wanted music lessons to end and always felt a twinge of disappointment when the hour was up.”

After going on to receive a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Arts, Pat pursued a career in music education to cultivate her passion for lifelong learning and instill the same wonder and joy she gets from music in her students, she says.

“I aim to show them all the ways that music is powerful and trans-formative,” she says. “I understand that not all or in fact even most of my students will continue with music beyond high school but it’s important to me that they have been given experiences that they can look back on and remember as being remarkable.”

Whether they spend time listen-ing to music across time periods and cultures or are immersed in creating music through playing instruments, improvising or writing original compositions, she hopes they take away a meaningful experience.

“I prefer teaching at a more grass-roots level, teaching students

from scratch the mechanics of an instrument and the elements of music and sound,” she says. “There is something immensely rewarding when you begin to see growth over a period of time.”

Some of the many highlights of her job as a music teacher include traveling to Portland, Oregon, New York City, Washington D.C. and Venice, Italy with students, per-forming in a master class for the Toronto Symphony’s music director Peter Oundjian and in another piece by Canadian Opera Company com-poser-in-residence Dean Burry.

“The experience of students playing and singing music that had never been performed or recorded before and was custom written for them was one that could rarely be replicated,” she says.

Another rewarding experience is seeing participation and program-ming growth, such as an after school string ensemble she used to run for roughly eight students and has now grown to 60 members.

“I remember initially doubting the sustainability of such a small program, but I went with the phi-losophy that if a student walked in my classroom I would not turn her away but instead try to give her meaningful musical experiences,” she says. “That’s the kind of reward you get from grass-roots teaching.”

Lyris Pat of Branksome HallBy ann ruppenSTein

Love of music

photo courtesy children’s garden school

photo courtesy Branksome hall

“Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve”

De La Salle College ‘Oaklands’131 Farnham Ave. Toronto, ON416-969-8771www.delasalleoaklands.org

Join us at our Open HouseWednesday, October 19th at 7:00pm

Join us at our Open HouseWednesday, October 17th at 7 p.m.


WHY ENJOY JUST A SLICE of the world when you can taste it all? That is what we believe at TFS. For over 50 years, we have provided a co-educational, bilingual learning environment that celebrates a truly inter-national student and teacher population. Our academic excellence and rigour match up with the highest standards found anywhere. And they inspire the outstanding results produced by our bilingual International Baccalaureate program; a program that prepares our students to become fresh, worldly thinkers who will help shape the global community. www.tfs.ca

OUR SCHOOL. THOSE OTHER SCHOOLS.

Please join us at our next Open House

Toronto Campus at Bayview/Lawrence

RSVP Admissions: (416) 484-6533 ext. 4247

La p’tite école:Age 2 to Grade 1Oct. 17, 9:30 a.m.

Junior School:Grades 2 to 5Please call for a tour

Senior School:Grades 6 to 12 Nov. 7, 9:30 a.m.

photos courtesy children’s garden nursery school

SHOPPING: Students of Children’s Garden Nursery School show off the groceries they purchased for the Daily Bread Food Bank.

By ann ruppenSTein

Helping outGo

od w

orks After learning about how the Daily

Bread Food Bank helps feed people in need, students at Children’s Garden Nursery School developed an action plan to show their support.

“All of the children received cou-pons that consisted of different chores or ideas to be done at home in order to raise money,” says the school’s director Pauline Foulkes. “For example helping to unload the dishwasher would result in a $1 donation from mom or dad.”

With a goal for every pre-school to kindergarten-aged child to raise $10 each, they raised over $1,000 and embarked on a shopping trip for non-perishable food items. As the contribu-tions came in, they also decorated a bulletin board with a growing number of shopping bags to demonstrate the increasing donations.

“The children were very astute with their price comparisons and made the most of their budgeted amount to spend,” she says. “It is very important they understand the concept and so we involve them in as many steps of the process as we possibly can.”

Over the years the school has taken

part in several different community outreach programs, she says. Whether they’re raising funds for the food bank, charities like Free the Children or donating toys for the Holidays, Foul-kes says it’s important families don’t feel pressure to contribute copious amounts of money.

“We don’t want it to become a competition between families as to who can raise the most funds,” she says. “We never want to lose sight of what this is truly about — helping our young children become compassion-ate, thoughtful individuals who want to help others when the need arises.”

She hopes the kids realize their efforts can make a difference, learn there are less fortunate people than themselves and to experience pride from helping others.

“It is so important for children of a young age to understand that our community can be our neighbourhood, our city or a country on the other side of the world,” she says. “Reaching out and helping others is a life skill that we all need to work on, no matter what our age may be.”


How important are rankings or ratings when par-ents begin the search for a school? The topic has always been a heated debate in education because a universal and authoritative list of the best private and independent schools doesn’t currently exist.

There are resources such as the Fraser Institute’s annual report cards. These rank-ings typically show the success private and independent schools have had in educating children in comparison to public schools, due to smaller class sizes, opportunities for extra-help and enriching extra-curricular activities. While this type of statistical ranking can be a starting point and factor in comparing the short list of schools a family agrees upon, the fundamental flaw with these ratings is they don’t account for a child’s unique needs and learning styles.

It should be noted that proponents of public schools regularly criticize these lists because they usually do not recognize that public schools are legally obligated to retain failing or troubled students, thus reducing the school’s average and ignoring all of the students who excel. So, if a family is considering consulting a ranking or rating system, it’s advisable to look for one that calculates a school’s median results. In other words, how well is the average student doing?

The best way for parents to rate a school is by first looking at and understanding their child’s learning style, then searching for a school that’s right for that child. Each child has a unique learning style, so it’s important for parents to find a school that fits their child’s

needs, which may not necessarily be the one with the highest ranking based on academic averages.

How does a family go about choosing the right school? It often requires research and asking a lot of questions during school visits. These firsthand interactions with schools are excellent ways for parents to ask questions directly.

Some of the common questions parents might want to consider in comparing different schools are:

School’s philosophy or vision: How does this translate in the day-to-day life of the students?

School leadership and governance: Is it accredited by the Ministry of Education? Is it governed by a board or an owner-operator? Is it non-profit or for-profit?

School environment: What is the feel of the school? Is it a welcoming place? Is it clean, well lit and secure? Is public access limited?

Facilities: Is there a gymnasium, library, music room, or a playing field on site or nearby?

Tuition: What’s included and what’s extra? For example, uniforms, books, technology, extracurricular activities . . .

Curriculum: Does it follow, meet or exceed the provincial education guidelines? What happens if your child switches to the public system down the road?

Classrooms: Is there a maximum class size? How do teachers interact with students?

Teachers’ qualifications: What kind of pro-fessional development are they offered? Are

they professionals in their field or qualified teachers? Do you prefer one over the other?

After graduation: Where do students go for further schooling? In the case of a high school, what percentage of students goes on to university and do they get accepted to their first choice?

Entrance requirements: What, if any, test-ing is done? How much emphasis is placed on the results? Is accep-tance only granted in certain years?

Student life: Do students seem pro-ductive, engaged and happy? Can you picture your child in the setting?

Parental involve-ment: Is there a par-ent council or certain expectations?

Choosing the right school is one of the most important decisions parents make and hav-ing comprehensive information is key. Being realistic about a child’s academic abilities and being honest and upfront about what a child needs is one of the best ways to get specific, personalized information and to feel confident about choosing a school that will ensure a child’s continued success.

Give your kids the best school experience this year. Meet with top schools across the country this fall at the Our Kids Private School Expos: www.ourkids.net/expo/.

Pick

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Academic statistics can be helpful, but don’t tell the full storyBy erin mcLaughLin

Do rankings matter?

photo courtesy our kids media

Knowing your child’s

learning style is key


By Dorian roLSTon

Past principalM

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Ian Robinson, principal of The Ster-ling Hall School for the past 17 years, retired at the end of June, 2012. Former Sterling Hall stu-dent and head boy, Dorian Rolston, class of 2001, shares recollections of Robinson and the lasting impact he has had on the lives of the boys who attended Sterling Hall during his tenure.

The door to principal Ian Rob-inson’s office is always open, so it feels strange to knock. From behind the desk he hears my faint tap.

“Come in, come in,” he says. I find the greeting reassuring, remi-

niscent of Robin-son’s confidence in me as a young boy at The Ster-ling Hall School.

“Hello,” he says. “Welcome back.”

As we begin talking, a young woman appears at the doorway.

“Mr. Robin-son, there is a line

forming here for you,” she says, motioning Robinson to the entry-way, where a toothy student rushes forward to speak. Still sticky in the boy’s hands are the remains of a marshmallow square. He tells his principal that he just swallowed a loose tooth. Robinson presses him.

“Well, if you believe in the Tooth Fairy, how is she going to get your tooth?” The boy reflects; his brow furrows. Then he pipes up.

“She’ll have to shrink!” Exchanges like this are what

have stuck with former student Matthew McInerney.

“[Robinson] just talked to you and kind of reasoned with you, which is a really enlightened way to deal with kids,” he told me.

Strachan Jarvis agrees. “[Robinson] was the kind of

person who would not simply give you the answers. He made you see the reasons why.”

Robinson’s subtle guidance is something Shaun Campbell will never forget.

“The CBC was visiting Sterling to interview students about 9/11, when [Robinson] pulled me and two others aside to speak with the reporters,” he said. “He chose us because he felt we would person-ally grow from the experience.”

Today, as a corporate sales rep-resentative, Campbell addresses large audiences for a living.

“Without [Sterling Hall], I would never have been able to present to hundreds of people.”

Campbell’s story is one of many I heard from old boys affirming Robinson’s eye for potential, and, in particular, his gift for inspir-ing students to define the form it takes.

“You can’t pigeonhole kids,” Robinson explains. “No one knows what they will be when they grow up.”

Of all the traits that old boys learned from Robinson, though, his hallmark lesson is perhaps the handshake.

“Who can be expected in grade 5 to shake hands properly?” asks alumnus Jason Merrithew. “But at [Sterling Hall], there it is: expect-ed. These are things you don’t appreciate until much later — the little things that make someone stand out.”

Originating in ancient Greece, the handshake remains, according to Robinson, “the secret signal of all kinds of things.” It’s not only the elemental expression of trust, but also faith, honesty, openness, togetherness, acceptance, and ulti-mately, the connection that sustains partnership.

While constituting just a small part of Robinson’s legacy, the handshake appears to capture his broader commitment to collabora-tive learning at Sterling Hall.

Robinson’s office, too, bears the mark of his leadership approach. On his desk, one small stone tablet is inscribed, “Attitude is everything;” another, Carpe Diem; a wooden plaque reads, “Head Learner”.

Wesley Pang, who graduated at the end of Robinson’s first year as principal, has never forgotten that plaque.

“He caught me staring at it the first time I was in his office,” Pang

recalled. “[Robinson] explained that he is the person who has the most to learn at the school.”

In his office 17 years later, Robinson catches me in a similar moment of intrigue.

“A school principal is just as much a learner as the youngest student,” he offers. “I owe a debt of gratitude to the [Sterling Hall School] family. I am a different person today because of their influ-ence.”

On my way out of his office, I become tempted to ask how he does it — leading yet learning; being both confident and comfort-

ing; showing the way, yet not dic-tating how. But he maintains that all credit is due to the magic of Sterling Hall itself.

“It hangs in the ceilings; it is evident on the walls; it is on the floors,” he says. It is in his office, too.

And as the old boys can attest, it stays with you long after you leave.

Dorian Rolston earned his BA in philosophy from Princeton Univer-sity, and now works as a research assistant to the Dean of Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School.

Sterling Hall’s head retires after 17 years

photos courtesy the sterling hall school

NOW AND THEN: Sterling Hall’s recently retired principal, Ian Robinson, poses with former head boy and author of this column, Dorian Rolston both as an adult and as a student.

“He made you see the reasons why.”


At first glance, you may not be able to tell a student who goes to North Toronto Collegiate from one who goes to North-ern Secondary, but if you know the uniform you’ll have no trouble telling a Havergal College student from one who goes to St. Clement’s School.

But there’s more to uniforms than having the student body dress alike, says Havergal Director of Student Life, Barb Macintosh. Uniforms can have a strong impact on the school’s educational and social dynamics.

“Who you are is not what you wear,” Macintosh says. “It’s what their actions are, how they are involved. It really is who they are as a person, so that uniform becomes that equalizer.”

And the students seem to agree.“Being in an all girls school, girls can

be really, really brutal to each other,” says Bishop Strachan School student

Emeline Smit. “I think it would be a lot worse if we didn’t have uniforms.”

Prior to the intro-duction of the uni-forms, many schools had a dress code for girls. Archival photos of old uniforms show girls in long skirts and blouses. Today’s uni-forms are lighter than the heavy wool that

was standard 100 years ago and many schools have modernized the cuts of some of the uniform pieces.

But, what may surprise some is that even within the same school, not all uni-forms are alike. Often blazers and ties are symbols of the leadership, achievement or grade level a student has attained. For instance, at Bishop Strachan, prefects wear a white prefect blazer, and all grade 12 students wear a special tie.

Havergal made the switch from white blazers just for the prefects to the entire graduating class in the fall of 2009, as well as rope belts to show their leader-

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While uniforms are designed to foster a sense of belonging,

they can also be suprisingly uniqueBy pauLa SanDerSon

Wearing her school pride

Blazers, ties, belts and pins personalize each girl’s uniform

paula sanderson/town crier

BISHOP STRACHAN SCHOOL wouldn’t be the same without sailor collars says Emeline Smit, left, posing with fellow student Stephanie Sisam.


ship positions. “Gold is for prefects only,” explains Karen Leung.

“White is for house and club heads and band music, and strings head, double-coloured is for boarder dons and boarder captains and the tri-coloured one is for everyone else.”

Similarly, all graduating students at St. Clement’s wear gold rope belts in addition to three different leadership ties. There are ties for prefects, student council and house heads.

Branksome Hall has the most elaborate uniforms for their leaders.

“This year I wore a red tie because I was in grade 12 and all the grade 12s get to wear a red tie,” says Branksome Hall head girl Julie Lowenstein. “But if you are a head of a club you get to wear a tie with

crests on it and

if you’re a sports captain you get to wear a tie with stripes on it so that’s a way to distinguish yourself.”

All prefects wear a red blazer and a Royal Stewart Hunting tartan kilt. Although the head girl wears the red uniform on regular days, for special occasions,

she wears an elaborate tradi-tional Scottish uniform.

“It’s very formal and very ceremonial,” Lowen-stein says, laughing.

For everyday wear,

photo courtesy Branksome hall

BRANKSOME HALL’S head girl Julie Lowenstein, left, wears full highland dress on special occasions instead of her usual red blazer and kilt.

Continued on page 24


HAVERGAL COLLEGE students like Sam King, left, Camille Archer, Jamie Wood and Karen Leung have a variety of looks to choose from when it comes to their school’s uniform.


each school has a unique skirt or tunic for its students. Bishop Strachan favours the grey box pleat skirt; Haver-gal, the plain green kilt or tunic; St. Clement’s wears a navy tunic but has an option for a navy box pleat skirt in the summer; and Branksome has the aforementioned tartan kilts.

While many schools have multiple shirt options, like polos, blouses and turtlenecks, Bishop Strachan keeps it simple with the traditional middy.

“We wouldn’t really be [Bishop Strachan] without the sailor collars,” Smit says with a laugh.

Bishop Strachan’s assistant head of the senior school Angela Terpstra has seen the middy worn by many girls, including her own daughter.

“I think the genius of the uniform is that it suits a lot of different body types,” she says. “What we have here

is a shirt that came from young women almost a hundred years ago and it’s flattering.”

On the surface these uniforms have no room for individuality, but that’s far from the truth as girls are able to wear hair accessories in their school colours and pins on their uniforms.

“What’s nice about it is that even though everyone wears the same uni-form you can have that little individu-ality because you can put little pins on

here and there,” says St. Clement’s school’s head girl Margaret

Irwin. “A lot of people have pins and it sort of

shows where people are involved in the

school, so you get pins from all

sorts of differ-ent aspects of the school.”

On Irwin’s tunic she has

house points pins, Duke of

Edinburgh Award pins, her prefect pin

and pins from her involve-ment with debating as well as from her service project trip to Nepal.

Like the pins, all girls agree that their uniforms are a key component of their school’s spirit.

“We are known for our uni-forms,” Irwin says. “I think a lot of people see the tunic and also the red blazer and it

makes us stand out and repre-sent the pride of the school and be Clementine.”

Lowenstein says she was skep-tical about having to wear a skirt every day because she considers herself a tomboy and had never had to wear a uniform before. But she says that all changed because of what the uniform now repre-sents to her.

“By wearing the uniform I am able to express that Branksome is a place that I care about and it is a school that I’m very passionate about,” she says. “The uniform is about school pride.”


ST. CLEMENT’S SCHOOL’s head girl Margaret Irwin, left, with Ellana Rocca and Amaris Terner, sees her school’s uniform as part of the school’s spirit.

Cont. from Page 23


Find your perfect schoolA directory of private and independent schools for

students from preschool to grade 12

Whole Child. Whole Life. Whole World.

Bayview Glen

Founded in 1962, Bayview Glen is a co-educational, multicultural, university preparatory day school.

Our programmes are enhanced to offer our students from age two to university entrance a highly challenging academic, athletic and character-building educational experience.

Bayview Glen is committed to fostering a sense of community that includes students, parents, faculty and staff. The goal

of the programme is to develop the whole child by nurturing self-esteem, leadership, academic excellence and independence within a secure and supportive learning environment.

Each day at Bayview Glen is filled with new experiences, and opportunities are provided for both challenge and success.

Our academic and Advanced Placement programmes are balanced by a strong music and arts programme, languages,

physical education, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, outdoor adventuring, Round Square, community involvement, and co-curricular activities. Please visit www.bayviewglen.ca for details.Our Public Open House dates for 2012-2013 are as follows:Sat., Oct. 27, 2012 @ 1:00-3:00PMWed., Nov. 21, 2012 @ 6:30-8:00PMSat., Feb. 2, 2013 @ 1:00-3:00PM

Academic Excellence in an Inspiring Jewish Environment

Starting from pre-Nursery, Associated provides an outstanding academic pro-gram in an environment rich with Jewish values and experiences.

Associated’s uniquely communal approach brings together children from across the religious spectrum, and from across a cross-section of cultural and

social-economic backgrounds. Our gradu-ates leave with a superb foundation in the essentials for their future academic success — English, math, science and the social sciences.

Equally they are recognized for their superlative skills in Hebrew language, their knowledge of and familiarity with

Jewish texts and their inspired affinity with the State of Israel. At the same time, Associated sees every child as an indi-vidual — each with his or her own special abilities and interests.

With four campuses in the GTA, we offer before and after care, busing and financial assistance.

Associated Hebrew Schools of Toronto



your perfect school

CGS - The Best Place to Start

Located in the heart of Leaside, CGS has been providing outstanding, co-ed Preschool to Grade 3 programming for 25 years. CGS is well respected in the private school community. Graduates have successfully moved on to all the major private schools in Toronto. At CGS, students gain the character, confidence and academic skill necessary to

transition to their next school with a high degree of comfort.

The nurturing atmosphere, small class size, highly effective phonics program and excellent extra curricular programming combine to create the best early years education for your child. If you are looking for more than a traditional nursery school

experience, ask about CGS Early Start. This unique preschool program includes French, phonics and math, in a maximum class size of eight.

Visit www.cgsschool.com to learn more. Applications are accepted at all grade lev-els. Preschool & JK Open House – Tuesday, October 23. 9:30 - 10:30am.

CGS - Children’s Garden School

Central Montessori Schools: Help children reach their full potential

Central Montessori Schools

Central Montessori Schools (CMS) is a non-denominational, co-educational private school that offers a Montessori learning envi-ronment that enhances each child's unique learning style. The school operates in five convenient locations in Thornhill and Toronto.

Montessori education is internationally established as one of the most effective meth-ods to help children "learn how to learn", thus gaining independence and self-confidence.

During various stages of our Casa pro-gram, emphasis gradually shifts from basic motor skills and languages to development

of concentration, coordination, independence and sense of order. This leads the child to grasp writing, reading and mathematical con-cepts much more quickly. In our Elementary classrooms, we introduce hands-on mate-rial to assist in understanding concepts before they are committed to memory. Physical edu-cation, arts, French and various extra curricu-lar activities help our students to achieve a holistic higher standard of education.

The schools follow a high quality, accred-ited Montessori curriculum, which helps each child to reach their full potential. The daily

activities promote the development of social skills, cognitive ability, self-esteem, emotional and spiritual growth, and a love for learning.

Central Montessori Schools is pleased to add a new Casa French Program at our Willowdale Campus. This program, for children 3-6 years of age is offered fully in French, taught by a certified Montessori teacher and follows the Montessori philosophy. The CMS Casa French class offers five half days (a.m./p.m.) of five full days.For information please visit our website at www.cmschool.net.

Be Remarkable

Branksome Hall is more than meets the eye. Yes, we are an independent school for girls from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12. Yes, we are located on a picturesque 13-acre campus in the heart of Toronto. Yes, our International Baccalaureate (IB) Program’s empha-

sis on inquiry-based learning prepares young women to face the challenges and opportunities of our ever-chang-ing world. And yes, our graduates are welcomed by stellar universities across Canada and around the globe, most with scholarships.

But we are much more…• We are a caring community.• We are a home away from home.• We are a place where remarkable things happen. Discover our IB advantage: www.branksome.on.ca.

Branksome Hall

Blyth Academy Give your child the Blyth Advantage

Blyth Academy delivers a first-class private high school experience for students in grade 5-12 at a cost you can afford.

We hire highly skilled faculty with a global perspective who deliver experiential lesson plans to average class sizes of 8. Ontario curriculum is offered over four terms two courses per term. Participation outside of the classroom is encouraged through the arts, athletics and commu-nity service to promote character develop-

ment and a sense of social responsibility. A focus on wellness is achieved by providing a free gym membership.

Add expert counselling at a ratio of one counsellor to 75 students and you have 99% of graduates receiving first-choice university placements. In addition, we have student scholarships and bursaries avail-able. To learn more about our campuses in Yorkville, Lawrence Park, Thornhill, Port Credit, Burlington, Barrie and Whitby, visit

www.blytheducation.com or call 416-960-3552. Make a fresh start this fall!

Fall open house dates: Yorkville campus: Sept 4th, 7-8 PM at 146 Yorkville Ave., Toronto ON Lawrence Park campus – Sept 6th, 7-8 PM, at 3284 Yonge Street, Toronto ON Thornhill campus: Sept 6th, 7-8 PM, at 300 John Street, Thornhill ON



your perfect school

Celebrating 100 years of educating boys

Celebrating 100 years of educating boys, Crescent is committed to develop-ing and implementing the most current research into how boys learn. Faculty members, rated by parents as Crescent’s greatest strength, consider teaching boys their job, and educating boys their respon-sibility.

They combine a challenging academic

program with a superior array of co-cur-ricular opportunities allowing each boy to find and develop his unique abilities. Students strive for excellence and active-ly seek leadership opportunities in some aspect of school life. Community service and global outreach are integral compo-nents of Crescent’s broad educational program. Our school values — respect,

responsibility, honesty and compassion — guide the actions and decisions of fac-ulty and students alike. We encourage our community to ask of themselves and of others — locally, nationally and interna-tionally — “How can I help?” Looking at oneself through others’ eyes enables a Crescent student to progress from a boy of promise to a man of character.

Crescent School

Creating the Love of Learning!

In our original location since 1986, Children’s Garden Nursery School has been providing a vibrant, loving and nurturing environment where children are introduced to both academic and social life. The ultimate goal of the school is to enable young children to reach their full potential in areas of independence, confidence, coopera-tion, respect and academic learning.

Bright and stimulating classrooms, small group ratios, exceptional teachers, specialty programs that include French (AIM Gesture Program), Sportball, Music and Drama are just an example of what makes Children’s Garden Nursery School the perfect foundation for any toddler, nursery or kindergarten aged child.

We offer two, three or five half day kin-dergarten with an 8:1 student to teacher

ratio. For kindergarten children enrolled in morning public school, we offer an after-noon extended program with the options for transportation from public school to Children’s Garden, hot lunch and after school care.

Contact us for your personal tour: www.chi ldrensgarden.ca or cal l (416) 488-4298, 1847 Bayview Avenue.

Children’s Garden Nursery School

30 Years of Challenging Young Minds

Crestwood School practises the tra-ditional art of teaching by challenging young minds to learn and by structuring experiences that make learning pos-sible. The school’s philosophy is based on tried-and-true methods of teach-ing the basics, thus providing students with a solid foundation in the three Rs. Homework and development of stu-

dents’ organizational skills and good work/study habits are an integral part of the program.

At the same time, Crestwood School is concerned with the “whole child” — striving to maintain the balance of a child’s physical, social and emotional development. Each teacher is the key. With a well-planned program, a positive

rapport with each and every student, and a sense of commitment and dedication, Crestwood School’s goals are met!

Crestwood is located in the beautiful wooded valley at Bayview Avenue and Lawrence Avenue.For more information please cal l us at 416-444-5858 or visi t www.crestwood.on.ca

Crestwood School

Enter to Learn. Leave to Serve

De La Salle College “Oaklands” is an independent, Roman Catholic, co-educa-tional day school, inspired by the teach-ings of St. John Baptist de La Salle.

Founded in 1851, De La Salle contin-ues to educate young men and women in a truly Christian atmosphere and to devel-op a strong sense of religious and moral values. The College offers an advanced liberal arts curriculum, which is enhanced

by a variety of extracurricular programs, enabling students to develop leadership skills, self-confidence and a sense of social responsibility. With advanced cur-riculum, liturgical services, athletic pro-grams, extracurricular activities and com-munity service, our graduates go on to be scholars at some of the finest universities across the country and around the world. Students come to De La Salle to embrace

a challenging curriculum and engage in a variety of extracurrular activities. In addi-tion, our students are also expected to be patrons of service to others: “Enter to learn. Leave to serve.”

OPEN HOUSE: Wednesday, October 17th, 2012 - 7 p.m.131 Farnham Avenue, Toronto, Ontariowww.delasalleoaklands.org

De La Salle College



your perfect school

Metropolitan Preparatory AcademyMaria Montessori - a unique alternative to traditional learning

As with all schools, academic facil-ity is important to the Montessori phi-losophy. Maria Montessori School gradu-ates consistently enjoy success at schools throughout Toronto and beyond. However, while this claim can be made by many schools, for our children it is the path to this success that is markedly different.

Within specially equipped class-rooms, guided by teachers trained by the

Association Montessori Internationale, children happily work developing the skills that will prepare them for a lifetime of learning.

Without competition, extrinsic rewards or punishments, artificially segmented work periods, restrictive uniforms, or hours of homework our children eagerly meet the challenges of the world around them. Whether it is learning to tie their

own shoes or, in later years, to master the complexities of algebra, all development is supported and encouraged with equal enthusiasm and respect.

If you are interested in exploring a truly unique alternative to traditional education, for children two and a half to twelve years of age, we invite you to call us and arrange a personal meeting and tour.Please visit www.mariamontessori.ca.

Maria Montessori School

Enriching Your Child’s Life Begins Here

Little Tots’ Manor celebrates its 15th anniversary. Our school exudes passion for the success and development of children, who learn new skills through play.

Our philosophy of “Learning Through Play” along with planned and spontane-ous interactions encourage children to develop a love for learning.

Our team members are h igh ly

trained educators, dedicated to pro-viding an academically enriched cur-riculum and joyful environment where children can excel.

Specialized programs provide a high level of extra curriculum in music and movement, yoga, dance, and commu-nity service. Our library’s extensive col-lection of books fosters reading at an early age, helping children gain confi-

dence with literacy. Our onsite chefs prepare fresh,

nutritious meals and snacks. Little Tots’ Manor encourages children to explore, develop a strong sense of self, and learn at their own pace in a supportive environment.We will not be hosting any Open Houses in the Fall.For more information of our school visit www.littletotsmanor.com

Little Tots’ Manor

Dedicated to developing the whole child

Looking for a new school? At Hudson, we offer a challenging, nurturing and rewarding learning environment that allows students to reach their maximum potential. We are a co-ed, multicultural day school from PK to university entrance.

Recognized for our excellence in deliver-ing a balanced curriculum, our small class sizes and promise of a Total Personal Support system dedicated to developing the whole

child - academically, socially, and emotionally – ensure that all students receive the kind of individual attention needed to develop their special skills, strengths and interests. Our dedicated and experienced faculty care deep-ly about our students and their education.

They share a true passion for teaching, participating in all aspects of school life as mentors, coaches and leaders.

Situated on a large, quiet, air-conditioned

campus in central Toronto, our modern facility features spacious classrooms, state-of-the-art computer and science labs, large gymnasium, music and fine arts rooms.

We also offer Advanced Placement cours-es in senior-level Math, English, Business and Science.

Our graduates leave us with a strong sense of character, dedication to community and leadership qualities.

Hudson College

Invest in your child today. See the difference tomorrow.

HSG is an independent school for girls located in the Don Mills area. Founded by a group of parents who believed in educating the person as a whole, HSG combines academic excellence with growth in virtue. Since 1989, confident and intelligent young women of character have walked the halls of Hawthorn and walked out able to face the challenges of

the world gracefully. This is because the rigor-ous classical liberal arts teaching at Hawthorn fully prepares girls for university, the work-place, family life and the world beyond. To find out if Hawthorn is right for your family, please visit wechoosehawthorn.com or contact Admissions: [email protected] or 416-444-2900.

• Accredited university preparatory curriculum • Preschool - Grade 12 • Small class sizes • Co-ed Preschool-Kindergarten programs • Offering a Catholic education • Personal advisor for every girl • Active parent community • Tuition assistance available.

Hawthorn School for Girls



your perfect school

St. Michael’s College SchoolThe Leader in Catholic Boys’ Education.

Founded in 1852 by the Basi l ian Fathers, St. Michael’s College School offers an enriched, Catholic, liberal arts programme that prepares young men for university and to carry on as leaders in their community. The school offers a demanding curriculum that is comple-mented by faith development, leadership opportunities and a diverse array of co-

curricular activities. The school’s 10-acre property features a campus-wide wireless learning environment, modern research tools, electronic study aids, as well as first class athletic, art and music training and performance facilities.

Each year, over 95 per cent of St. Michael’s graduates are accepted at their university of first choice; approximately

half of these graduates are recognized as Ontario Scholars.

Open House evenings will be held on Wednesday, October 24th and Tuesday, October 30th at 7:30 p.m.

For more information, please contact Marilyn Furgiuele at 416-653-3180 Ext. 438 or [email protected]. Please visit us at www.stmichaelscollegeschool.com.

Excellent academics balanced with school spirit

St. Clement’s School

St. Clement’s students learn in a wel-coming, community-focused environment for girls from grades 1–12.

We encourage and support each stu-dent to achieve her highest potential — academically and personally — and to develop confidence, compassion, and leadership skills.

Our students experience a values-based education where academics are

well-balanced with school spirit and a healthy sense of fun. Known for our strong academic program, we offer Ontario’s most extensive Advanced Placement pro-gram. Comprehensive academics, com-bined with the School’s rich athletic and co-curricular program, ensure that our students are prepared for the challenges of the world’s leading universities.

Our LINCWell Centre provides a com-

prehensive program of student enrich-ment, balance, and support for all stu-dents. LINCWell’s school-wide, integrated approach to education helps students to balance high academic standards, creativ-ity, health and wellness.

Come and visit St. Clement’s School to experience, for yourself, our warm and inclusive learning community. Find out more at www.scs.on.ca.

Montcrest School is a co-educa-tional, elementary day school, overlook-ing Riverdale Park in the Broadview and Danforth area of Toronto.

The challenging core curriculum is taught in a structured and nurturing envi-ronment. Students receive individual atten-tion and excellent instruction in small class sizes. The arts are an integral element of the curriculum. Students benefit from

the teaching expertise and enthusiasm of specialists in art, drama, music, French, physical education and technology.

A dedicated faculty provides a caring environment that is conducive to a child’s growth and instills a love of learning by stimulating individual interests and imagi-nation.

Students participate in a wide variety of co-curricular sports and clubs. Exposure to

cultural activities both within and outside the school community enrich the students’ experience. Emphasis is placed on leader-ship, character education and community service.

Small classes for children with learning disabilities are offered from Grades 2 to 8.

For more information please call 416-469-2008 ext 230 or visit us at www.montcrest.on.ca.

Nuture your child’s love of learning.

Montcrest School

A strong foundation for the future.

Metropolitan Preparatory Academy offers semestered, co-ed Middle School (grades 7-8) and High School (grades 9-12) programs in the DVP and Eglinton area.

Walking through the hallways of Metro Prep, you’ll quickly notice that it’s not an “old-fashioned” private institution. The academics are structured and challenging, yet the environment is supportive and

nurturing. Faculty and administration doors are open, encouraging strong relationships with students and their families.

And, no uniforms are in sight, allowing young men and women to express their individuality.

In this comfortable setting, Metro Prep’s students are taught to trust their instincts, to think both critically and

creatively, ask questions, and seek the help they need to succeed. Extensive athletic and extracurricular opportunities foster the physical and social potential of each child.

For over 29 years, Metro Prep’s has been preparing children for the academics of university and the skills needed for life-long success. Preparation begins NOW!Please visit www.metroprep.com.

Metropolitan Preparatory Academy



your perfect school

A bilingual education and IB respected around the world.

Canada’s International School, TFS is bilingual, co-educational and non-denominational. TFS educates students from aged 2 to university entrance.

We are accredited by the Ministry of Education of Ontario, the Ministry of Education of France and the International Baccalaureate Organization.

Our outstanding English and French

curriculum is designed to provide students with an international perspective.

Students require no prior knowledge of French when applying up to and including Grade 7. Our Introductory French Program is successful at integrating students into the French curriculum.

All students prepare for the International Baccalaureate Diploma and have the

unique opportunity to pursue an IB bilingual diploma.

Athletics and arts are an integral part of a TFS education. We offer a wide array of co-curricular programs. For more information, please contact Susan Markle at 416-484-6533 x 4247, email [email protected] or visit us at www.tfs.ca. Toronto and Mississauga campuses.

TFS - Canada’s International School

The Dunblaine School

The Dunblaine School is a small independent school offering a curriculum designed to motivate and meet the needs of elementary school children with learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, as well as speech and language difficulties. Through individualized programs and a low

student-to-teacher ratio, The Dunblaine School helps students realize their full potential.Direct Instruction methodology, individual tutorials, music, social skills and other professional services are emphasized features of our program.

We are accepting applications for the

2012-2013 school year. Please join us for our Open House on Feb. 21, 2013, and April 18, 2013 from 9:30am - 11:30am or 5:00pm - 7:00pm.

For more information, please contact the school at 416-483-9215 or visit us at www.dunblaineschool.com

Focus on learning disabilities at Dunblaine School

Celebrating 60 years

Sunnybrook School is an inclusive com-munity of passionate, committed learners who aspire to active global citizenship. Our nur-turing, transformative learning environment provides students with diverse opportunities to develop leadership, creativity, compassion, and confidence.

Sunnybrook is proudly co-ed, encour-aging boys and girls to explore the world

together, and learn with, and from, each other. Sunnybrook teaches the inquiry based IB Primary Years Programme, from JK to Grade 6. The Singapore Math Programme develops numeracy and a love of math.

Daily French classes focus on commu-nication skills and the culture of language. Technology enhances learning in all areas of the curriculum.

Creativity blossoms in an accepting, car-ing environment. In our Phys. Ed. programme, SBS students become active athletes.

At Sunnybrook School students develop the will to learn, the courage to care and the confidence to succeed.

It is a very special place for children to begin their education; come and see for your-self.

Sunnybrook School

The Linden School

Since 1993, The Linden School has inspired girls to develop confidence in themselves through innovative teaching methods, empowering experiences, and meaningful connections to their peers and their community.

Our evidence-based approach to teaching is girl-centred, incorporating the most current research about how girls

learn best at every age and stage of development. Linden’s small classes allow our teachers to embrace the individual learning style of each student.

The strong relationships Linden girls develop with their teachers and peers generate a strong sense of belonging throughout the school community.

These connections stimulate our

students to take ownership of their education and to believe in their ability to impact the world around them.

When a girl finds her voice at Linden, she knows it can make a meaningful difference.

To discover if Linden is the right fit for your daughter, visit www.lindenschool.ca or call us at 416-966-4406.

Where girls find their voice



your perfect school

University of Toronto SchoolsA unique learning environment for high-achieving students

University of Toronto Schools (UTS) is a co-educational university preparatory school, grades 7 -12, affiliated with the University of Toronto. Founded in 1910, UTS offers high-achieving students the chance to study with engaged peers, guided by a stellar staff of highly-quali-fied teachers. A specialized curriculum and unique learning environment encour-

age creative interests, physical activity and a sense of social responsibility as well as providing myriad co-curricular pursuits and ample opportunity for stu-dents to take on student leadership roles. UTS graduates are admitted to highly-selective colleges and universities, many on scholarships. UTS is renowned for educating generations of outstanding

graduates including two Nobel Laureates, 20 Rhodes Scholars and numerous lead-ers in commerce, industry, academics, the arts, sports, government and public service.

Admission to UTS is based on aca-demic and overall performance. UTS has a financial assistance program to which families may apply.

Upper Canada CollegeThink Ahead. Think Upper Canada College.

Upper Canada College is one of North America’s great independent boys’ schools. Founded in 1829, UCC alumni include politicians, scholars, business leaders, artists and Olympians.

UCC offers “big school” opportuni-ties and facilities combined with a “small school” approach to individualized learn-ing. Our unsurpassed facilities include a new double-pad hockey arena and a

400-acre nature sanctuary northwest of Toronto.

Our programs include international community service trips and myriad clubs and co-curricular sports.

Located in the heart of Toronto, UCC comprises 1,150 students in Senior Kindergarten through university entrance, with boarding from Grade 9 open to stu-dents from across Canada and around the

world. Graduates receive the International Baccalaureate Diploma and the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Our school has a 100 per cent university placement rate at the country’s and world’s most prestigious post-secondary institutions. Tuition assistance available beginning in Grade 5.

www.ucc.on.ca/Admission

Experienced faculty engages minds at Toronto Prep

The Toronto Prep School is a new, independent, co-educational, university preparatory, day school for discerning students and parents. We are dedicated to creating an academic and social envi-ronment designed to prepare students not just for admission to university, but for success - both in the post-second-ary arena and in later life.Toronto Prep is built upon the belief that a talented,

experienced, dedicated, passionate, and well-prepared teaching staff is one of the most important ingredients for students’ success in school. Teachers’ knowledge and skill make a crucial difference in what students learn and how well they are prepared for the rigours of post-sec-ondary school education.

We are committed to engaging each one of our students and will provide them

with the best learning environment. Let us help your child achieve and maintain academic success.

Consider our program if you are inter-ested in an academically rigorous and structured environment dedicated to challenging and nurturing your child.

Contact us at 416.545.1020 or [email protected]

Toronto Prep School

The Sterling Hall School

At Sterling Hall, we know boys. We understand their needs and realize how vital the JK to Grade 8 years are, preparing them for the rest of their lives. We use tactile tools and theme-based programming that appeal to boys, as well as reading strategies and hands-on activities designed specifically for them.

We have the lowest student to teacher

ratio of any boys’ school in Toronto. Our dynamic teachers are extraordinary mentors, willing to take the time to celebrate your boy’s individuality and strengths.

Our School is home to excellent academics and a host of leadership opportunities.

Your boy will be free to express himself

through drama, chess, robotics and a wide range of character building extracurricular activities.

Founded in 1987, the School has an enrollment of 310 boys.

For further information, contact Claire Reed at 416-785-3410 ext. 238, email [email protected] or visit www.sterlinghall.com.

You’ve come to the right place.



Open HOuse scHedule

for Private & indePendent SchoolSSCHOOL DATE TIME CONTACTINFO SCHOOL DATE TIME CONTACTINFO

AssociatedHebrewSchools PoslunsEducationCentre 905-889-3998 www.agreatschool.com Sun., Oct. 21, 2012 10:00am ext. 337 AssociatedCedarvale Sun., Nov. 11, 2012 3:00pmBayviewGlen Sat., Oct. 27, 2012 1:00pm - 3:00pm 416-443-1030 www.bayviewglen.ca Wed., Nov. 21, 2012 6:30pm - 8:00pmBlythAcademy YorkvilleCampus 416-960-3552 www.blytheducation.com Tues., Sept. 4, 2012 7:00pm - 8:00pm LawrenceParkCampus Thurs., Sept. 6, 2012 7:00pm - 8:00pm ThornhillCampus Thurs., Sept. 6, 2012 7:00pm - 8:00pmBranksomeHall Grade7-11 416-920-6265 www.branksome.on.ca Tues., Oct. 23, 2012 9:00am - 11:00am 5:00pm - 7:00pm JK-Grade6 Wed., Nov. 7, 2012 9:00am - 11:00am 5:00pm - 7:00pmCentralMontessoriSchools Thurs.atall5locations 9:00am - 11:30am 416-250-1022 www.cmsschool.net 1:00pm - 3:30pmCGS-Children’sGardenSchool Preschool&JK 416-423-5017 www.cgsschool.com Tues., Oct. 23, 2012 9:30am - 10:30am SK-Grade2 Thurs., Nov. 15, 2012 9:30am - 10:30amChildren'sGardenNurserySchool Fri., Oct. 19, 2012 5:00pm - 7:00pm 416-488-4298 www.childrensgarden.caCrescentSchool LowerSchool 416-449-2556 www.crescentschool.org (Grades3-6) Tues., Oct. 23, 2012 9:30am - 11:30am Tues., Nov. 27, 2012 Middle&UpperSchool (Grades7-12) Tues., Oct. 16, 2012 9:30am - 11:30am Tues., Nov. 20, 2012CrestwoodSchool Wed., Oct. 10, 2012 9:30am - 11:30am 416-444-5858www.crestwood.on.ca Tues., Oct. 23, 2012 9:30am - 11:30am Thurs., Nov. 15, 2012 9:30am - 11:30amDeLaSalleCollege Wed., Oct. 17, 2012 7:00pm 416-969-8771 www.delasalleoaklands.orgHawthornSchoolforGirls Mon., Nov. 5, 2012 9:00am - 11:30am 416-444-2900 www.wechoosehawthorn.com Wed., Nov. 7, 2012 9:30am - 11:00am (Preschool. JK, SK) Thurs., Nov. 29, 2012 9:30am - 11:00am (Preschool. JK, SK) 6:00pm - 8:00pmHudsonCollege Sat., Oct. 27, 2012 12:00pm - 4:00pm 416-631-0082 www.hudsoncollege.ca Sat., Nov. 10, 2012 12:00pm - 4:00pm Sat., Nov. 24, 2012 12:00pm - 4:00pmKohai Please call for information 416-489-3636 www.kohai.ca

LittleTots’Manor Please call for information 416-485-5515 www.littletotsmanor.com

MariaMontessoriSchool Tues., Sept. 25, 2012 6:00pm - 8:00pm 416-423-9123 www.mariamontessori.ca Tues., Oct. 23, 2012 6:00pm - 8:00pm Tues., Nov. 20, 2012 6:00pm - 8:00pmMetropolitanPreparatoryAcademy Tues, Nov. 20, 2012 5:00pm - 8:00pm 416-285-0870 www.metroprep.comMontcrestSchool Fri.. Oct. 26, 2012 9:30am - 11:00am 416-469-2008 www.montcrest.on.ca Fri., Nov. 23, 2012 9:30am - 11:00amOurKids Private School Expos Register online at www.ourkids.net/expo www.ourkids.net Toronto Sat., Oct. 20, 2012 11:00am - 3:00pm Halton/Peel Sun., Oct. 14, 2012 12:00pm - 4:00pmSt.Clement’sSchool Fri., Oct. 26, 2012 8:30am - 11:00am 416-483-4835 www.scs.on.ca Fri., Nov. 16, 2012 8:30am - 11:00amSt.Michael’sCollegeSchool Wed., Oct. 24, 2012 7:30pm 416-653-3180 www.stmichaelscollegeschool.com Tues., Oct. 30, 2012 7:30pm SunnybrookSchool Wed., Oct. 24, 2012 1:30pm - 3:00pm 416-487-5308www.sunnybrookschool.ca Wed., Nov. 21, 2012 1:30pm - 3:00pmTFS Age2-Grade1 416-484-6533Canada’sInternationalSchool Wed., Oct. 17, 2012 9:30am ext. 4247 www.tfs.ca JuniorSchool:(Grade2-Grade5) Please call for a tour SeniorSchool:(Grades6-Grade12) Wed., Nov. 7, 2012 9:30am TheDunblaineSchool Thurs., Feb. 21, 2013 9:30am - 11:00am 416-483-9215 www.dunblaineschool.com 5:00pm - 7:00pm Thurs., Apr. 13, 2013 9:30am - 11:00am 5:00pm - 7:00pmTheLindenSchool Fri., Nov. 2, 2012 9:00am - 12:00pm 416-966-4406 www.lindenschool.caTheSterlingHallSchool AllGrades 416-785-3410www.sterlinghall.com Wed., Nov. 7, 2012 9:00am - 12:00pm PreviewDays (JK-Grade3) Thurs., Dec. 6, 2012 8:30am - 10:30am (Grade4-Grade8) Fri., Dec. 7, 2012 8:30am - 10:30amTorontoPrepSchool Sat., Oct. 27, 2012 11:00am - 2:00pm 416-545-1020 www.torontoprepschool.com Sat., Nov. 24, 2012 11:00am - 2:00pmUniversityofTorontoSchools Sat., Oct. 13, 2012 10:00am - 2:00pm 416-946-7995 www.utschools.caUpperCanadaCollege Thurs., Oct. 25, 2012 9:30am - 11:30am 416-488-1125 www.ucc.on.ca 6:00pm - 7:30pm Fri., Oct. 26, 2012 9:30am - 11:30amYesICan! Please call for information 416-486-4911 www.yesicannurseryschool.com


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ILearning leadership

Students can discover a lot outside the classroom

t’s 7:15 a.m. and the boys from St. Michael’s College School are getting ready to run into Koshlong Lake. The lifeguard mentions the ice just cleared a few weeks ago.

The boys scream as they splash their way into the water. Once they dunk their heads, they turn around and run out as fast as they can.

Welcome to Camp Wanakita. It’s early May and over 200 boys have left the four walls of the classroom for the forests of Haliburton to swing on ropes, climb walls, canoe and sing songs for the school’s 2012 leadership camp run by outdoor education company Alive Outdoors.

St. Michael’s College School has partnered with Alive for the past 10 years and this week are training the leaders who will help facilitate the fall programs for the incoming grade 7 and 9 classes, the grade 10 canoe trip and a winter camp for students in grade 8.

“On their very first day of school, we send them to camp,” says the school’s vice principal, David Lee. “It’s a really powerful experience because they get to learn about the school, but they make those instant bonds that really last a lifetime.”

St. Mike’s president Father Joseph Redican adds that the program works as


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“our ultimate goal is to empower

these kids.”

an educational tool. “I think experiential learning is the best way of

learning,” he says. “I think the outdoor education experience, especially for kids growing up in the city, is very positive.”

St. Mike’s isn’t the only school that goes on these trips. Alive has partnered with many schools including Royal St. George’s College, Greenwood College and Branksome Hall.

Different schools get different programs, but the end goal is always the same says Alive Outdoor’s owner and director Jalynn Bosley.

“Our ultimate goal is to empower these kids to understand themselves enough so that they can go out into the world and be their best self,” she says.

As the boys poured out of the buses, they remarked how much better the air smelled than when they left in Toronto.

Alive Outdoor’s associate director Sam Dear says being outside is a critical part of outdoor education.

“I think that when they are placed in the outside that’s a really powerful environment where they push themselves,” Dear says. “That’s what’s so cool about outdoor ed.”

While the activities are fun, each of the games and challenges also has a point.

“There’s always an underlying purpose and mean-ing to every program,” Dear says. “With that comes some structured learning and some learning that just

comes from exploring.” Take Connor Ross, the grade 12 student who says he

is the person he is today because of these camps. “I’ve always been good at presentations,” he says.

“But I only became great at public speaking and being comfortable in front a big crowd because of camp.”

On the final morning, Ross stands up at the closing campfire and makes a speech about the importance of bringing the lessons from camp back to school. He has his audience captivated. As he speaks, his voice breaks. This is his last time at camp. Ross is in tears and the audience rises in ovation.

Bosley is incredibly proud of Ross, she says.“I was so touched by the passion he spoke with. It

was moving. He moved me to tears,” she says. “Connor is just a fantastic, amazingly mature young man. He just gets it. He’s thoughtful, he’s caring, he’s sincere. He’s everything I would hope these boys would be.”

Each camp experience plays a part in this forma-tion.

At low ropes, the boys work together to get from one platform to another using a rope swing because they can’t touch the “lava” below. They learn to cooper-ate and use both their physical and mental strength to complete the task.

At high ropes, the boys try to cross a bar hanging six metres in the air. This time the challenge also includes not only crossing the bar, but trusting that your class-

Learning leadership

TEAMWORK Page 36


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mates holding the rope at the bottom won’t let go. “We’re going to front load an experience,” Dear

explains. “So you want to get from point A to point B by walking across this line that’s really high in the air. [We say] ‘I want you to think about a fear and I want you to conquer that fear,’ and once they get across it’s really empowering and overcom-ing.”

The boys agree. They say camp has given them more confidence, has allowed them to build trust with their classmates and helps them realize they can accomplish their goals.

Lee says that is exactly what St. Michael’s Col-lege School is trying to get out of these programs. He says taking students into the outdoors allows them to shine in ways they never knew they could.

“You know the students who are strong aca-demically or strong athletically or artistically or what have you,” says Lee. “When you bring them out into a situation like this you find the students who didn’t really think they had it in them to climb to the top of the high ropes course or climb into a canoe and do a kilometer portage on an out trip.”

Bosley says while the majority of parents are nervous sending their kids to camp, they become advocates after their kids come back and they see the results.

“I had a parent call to tell me how her son came home and he had had a fabulous experience,” Bosley says. “She said, ‘I know he has become the man he is and built the confidence he has because

PASS THE PERSON: Activities at Alive Outdoor are designed to challenge students so they can see for them-selves what they and their peers can do if the work together.

Teamwork all part of the program


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of these camps.’ ”Alumni from past camps also look

back on their experiences passionately, she says.

“[Alumni will] contact me after they’ve come out of a job interview and say ‘Jal, I looked them in the eye, I felt confident, I realized as I walked out of there that I really learned a lot at the camps, it’s really made a difference in my life,’ ” Bosley says, smiling.

Bolsey has seen a number of kids grow up and mature at camp, including grade 12 student Joe French, who she’s worked with over six years.

“He’s always had huge energy. He’s been loud and vibrant but he’s also had an ego,” she says. “I’ve really seen him grow into a humble guy.”

French stands up in front of the camp wearing women’s pants with a large grin plastered on his face. His class-mates howl as he cracks joke after joke MC’ing the evening campfire. He says his experiences at St. Mike’s have all been amazing, but the most meaningful experience has been camp.

“I was a pudgy little 12-year-old kid with a lot of spunk that didn’t really have a handle on what leadership really meant,” he says. “I’m graduating here

six years later and I think I have a pretty good handle on the person I am, the person I want to be and how close I am getting to that person I want to be.”

French, like Ross, made a speech at the end of camp. He says his goal is to be more loving. After all the speeches wrap up, the grade 12 students clamor onto a large rock to take a group photo. Holding each other tightly to stay on the rock, the boys start laughing so hard they start crying and are crying so hard they are laughing.

Ross then yells out, “Hoikety Choik On C” and the boys all respond:

“S-M-C! Hoikety Choick Hokiety Choick, Chamma Chamma Che, Riget-ty Ragety Rigetty Ragety S-M-C, Chi Chaw Ra Ra St. Mike’s, St. Mike’s Ehhhhhh!”

The boys let out a deafening cheer and smile at their teacher Jadranka Man-dic who is looking back grinning as the boys start falling off the rock into the water.

“The academic part of education is extremely important, that’s what gets you into university,” Mandic says. “With that said, some of the best things you learn at school are not in a textbook, and this is one of those best things.”

HELPING HAND: Students from St. Michael’s College School take turns assist-ing each other go get over an obstacle as part of a leadership training course.

Teamwork all part of the program


Social networking since ‘92Kids have always loved learning through performance. Especially at Th e Martha Hicks School of Ballet.

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“we teach them different things for wellness and anti-bullying, so that’s part of the curriculum as well.”

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I It’s not UFC for children

MMA teaches discipline

f you think a mixed martial arts program for kids is just grooming them to become UFC fighters, think again.

Owner of Grant Brothers Boxing and MMA Gym in North York, Neil Forester, launched Mini Me MMA in late February and says, really, it’s just teaching a combination of traditional martial arts all rolled into one.

“I love being challenged on the question why don’t I just teach karate?” he says. “It’s pretty simple. I explain to them, if your son does karate and he falls on the ground, he doesn’t know how to defend himself.”

The classes run from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturdays. Three classes per week focus on striking and are headed by trainer Aleksander Mihajlovic, a former European karate champion who also teaches self defence in Montessori schools, while the other three classes each week are taught by grappling instructor Michael Lombardo.

Though it might sound scary knowing kids are being shown ways of strik-ing and grappling, Forester explains the kids in the program never fight each other.

“The only type of one-on-one interaction they have is when they’re play-ing games,” he says. “We have a game where they each have to touch each other’s foot with a pool noodle, so it teaches them footwork and hand-eye coordination.”

Throughout the program, kids also get the opportunity to earn badges, as opposed to belts like in traditional martial arts.

“Every four months they take a test and try to earn a badge,” Forester says. “The first badge is they become a cadet, the second badge they become a soldier, and the third badge they become a gladiator.”

Badges are stitched onto the kids’ shorts, “like the Cub Scouts kind of thing,” Forester quips.

In keeping with traditional martial arts, Forester’s program also focuses on


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teaching the kids to be disciplined.“They have to recite benefits of exercise, there are guidelines and rules,” he

says, adding that kids have to explain the exercise and then perform it. “They’ll also have to recite certain rules or things they’ve been taught in class, for example never strike somebody first.”

But there’s an emphasis on education outside of the gym as well, Forester says.

“Every kid has to maintain a B average to be in the program,” he says. “So we’ve implemented our own discipline in the teaching.”

Discipline is all part of the curriculum, which clearly goes beyond the physical side of the sport.

“It’s not just a physical test, like kick the bag 10 times, punch the bag 10 times, now here’s your badge,” he says. “We teach them different things for wellness and anti-bullying, so that’s part of the class and the curriculum as well.”

It’s not UFC for childrenPhoto courtesy egor radzievskiy

EYE OF THE TIGER: Grant Brothers Boxing and MMA Gym instructor Ryan “RG” Grant shows two Mini Me MMA students the proper boxing stance.

Photo courtesy egor radzievskiy

NO RUMBLE HERE: Young Mini Me MMA students don’t actually fight.


After school activities

Train your brain to pay attentionby Lynda Thompson, Ph.D., C.Psych.T h e l a t e s t d e v e l o p m e n t s i n

Neuroscience document brain plasticity – the idea that the brain can change. One exciting application involves exercising the brain using a brain-computer interface that indicates, by monitoring brain wave activity, when the person is calmly pay-ing attention. The brain wave pattern is different if the person is daydreaming or drifting off and those mental states are not rewarded. Paying attention is rewarded

with computerized feedback and encour-agement from the trainer working with the client. This learning approach, called neurofeedback, is now established as an effective treatment for Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder. A meta-analysis published in the journal Clinical EEG and Neuroscience (Arns et al, 2009) reviewed 15 controlled studies. All showed reduced symptoms of ADHD after neurofeedback training. Another study (Gani et al, 2008) showed that positive effects were last-

ing; indeed, half the group who had done 40 sessions of neurofeedback no longer qualified for a diagnosis of ADHD when re-assessed 2 years after training. This non-drug approach for ADD/ADHD, which produces lasting positive gains and no negative side effects, is something to pay attention to if you want your child to improve at school and in sports.

For more information, contact the ADD Centre at 416-488-2233 or check www.addcentre.com

ADD Centre

Forest Hill Figure Skating Club programs

It’s never too early – or too late – to learn to skate! Forest Hill Figure Skating Club, located at Forest Hill Memorial Arena (340 Chaplin Crescent, two blocks north of Eglinton) offers an array of group and private lessons taught by a team of enthusiastic and skilled Skate Canada Certified Coaches.

Programs include Preschool and Mini-tot (age 2 and up), Start-Right, Hockey Skills, CanSkate, Junior Development, Double Digit (age 10-16), Intermediate, Advanced and Adult Learn-to-Skate programs. Register now for the upcoming season sessions. We also run half-day skating camps for all ages

and abilities during Christmas, March Break and Passover holidays.

Come skate with us! Earn badges and ribbons and have fun! For more information or to download registration forms, visit our website at www.fhfsc.ca or pick up a registration form at the arena.

Forest Hill Figure Skating Club

Your family’s best alternative!Since its foundation in 1968 by Frank

Liebmann, Frank’s Swim School has been an integral part of the community. Cur-rently operated by Frank’s son, Michael Liebmann, the school maintains its origi-nal philosophy and offers its unique brand of teaching to children of all ages and

dispositions.As featured in various news media worldwide, Frank’s Swim School offers training specifically tailored to match each student’s needs and abilities, thus ensuring optimal results even in the youngest or most fearful of children.

Classes are offered at several loca-

tions throughout the city. Beginners and young children are trained at the school’s highly specialized and exceptional facility which was designed specifically to pro-mote comfort and security.

www.franksswimschool.com

Frank’s Swim School

The Interplay School of Dance, is under the direction of Karen Davies Thomas, located at 250 Davisville at Mt. Pleasant. Karen is a graduate of the National Ballet School and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours Degree from York University. Since its hum-ble beginnings in 1983 when Interplay first opened its doors, the school has grown to over 300 students and contin-ues to focus on teaching classical bal-let in Cecchetti and Royal Academy of Dance methods. Interplay offers rec-reational and intensive classes forag-es 3 to adult in Creative Movement, Bal-let, Contemporary, Jazz, Lyrical Hip-Hop,

Acro, Tap, and Musical Theatre.Among its finest dance teachers are

John Ottman, Director of the Quinte Bal-let School, Bretonie Burchell, Faye Rauw, Lucie Ward, Martine Lusignan, Christina Neves Tughan and Erin Poole.

Interplay offers intensive dance train-ing for talented students who wish to pursue a professional career in dance or perform with our in-house dance com-pany and competitive team.

Because of the excellent dance train-ing provided at Interplay, many of our students are accepted at Canada’s most prestigious schools such as the National Ballet School of Canada, Royal Winnipeg

Ballet School, Alvin Ailey School, Boston Ballet and many others.

Our students are rewarded with high school credits, university scholarships, dance teacher’s qualifications and pro-fessional training.

Interplay also works in partnership with Bishop Strachan School, Brank-some Hall, and Mooredale House to pro-vide quality after-four dance programs.

Whether your child is the next prima ballerina or simply loves to dance, Inter-play has a space for you.

If you would like more information on our school, please visit our website at www.interplay-dance.ca

Interplay School of Dance - Two downtown locations

Interplay School of Dance




Leaside Music Studio: Early Childhood Music EducationThe Leaside Music Studio is now

celebrating its 15th year in the Leaside neighbourhood.

Our music programs have been enjoyed by over 2500 families since 1997.

Under the careful instruction of Maryke Sluis, babies grow through the various programs into young children with musical competence and most importantly, a real

love and appreciation of music. In Maryke’s words “Music in the

early years should be an expression of childhood and in the child’s language for it to be meaningful to them.” Babies with their caregivers and young children alike engage in the music making process together through songs, rhymes, expressive movement and dances, singing games,

listening activities and instruments. Progams are held in a spacious, naturally-lit and well-equipped studio with a maximum of 10 children per class.

Thoughtful programming and sensitive instruction make the LMS your preferred choice for your child’s early childhood music education. Please visit www.leasidemusicstudio.ca.

Leaside Music Studio

Welcome to Leaside Skating Club

Skate Canada Leaside Skating Club teaches the joys and skills of skating to people of all ages. For beginners and relative beginners, the Club uses the Skate Canada “Canskate” learn to skate program. We have an Adult pro-gram, Star/Test sessions for skaters

who have entered the Skate Canada Test Stream, Powerskating sessions and several successful Synchronized skat-ing teams. LSC is a non-profit organi-zation and has been an integral part of community life for 60 years. Over time it has been the venue for many

lasting friendships. See www.leasides-katingclub.com for session information and to register on line. A Registration evening will take place from 7:00pm - 8:00pm on Wednesday September 19, 2012. For further information email [email protected]

Leaside Skating Club

This Fall... Join the Huskies !

The coaches, sponsors and organiz-ers of the NTBA are once again keen to provide the best possible basketball pro-grams for boys & girls this season.

The NTBA strives to provide a consis-tently high-quality program for its ath-letes and their families.

The 2012/2013 season is the 22nd year for the NTBA which has a track

record of providing strong community-based basketball. The NTBA offers House League basketball on Saturdays from Oct-to-Feb.

In addition, “Rep” (or all-star) teams are planned for almost every age group with team selection targeted for Oct.

Boys House League and Girls House League registration (for players born

between 1995 & 2004) is open for both new & returning players.

Registration is online and there is space available in most age divisions (especially for players born between 2001 & 2004).

Please visit the NTBA website for more information and to register. www.ntbasketball.com

North Toronto Basketball Association (NTBA)


Celebrating 20 years!!

The Martha Hicks School of Ballet has been an exciting and creative dance school in North Toronto for 20 years. MHSB is a recreational, non-competetitive school offering children the opportunity to take dance in a friendly and encouraging atmo-sphere.

The School’s main location is at Yonge and Eglinton, with several satellite loca-tions in Lawrence Park, Leaside, and Armour Heights.

The main location is a recently reno-vated facility with bright studios, sprung

floors, mirrors and lockers. The other loca-tions, which are held in local churches, are friendly spaces that are a part of our student’s neighbourhoods.

We offer daytime/ evening classes, seven days a week, in ballet, pointe cre-ative movement, jazz, hip hop, tap and modern.

MHSB provides professional instruction for beginners as well as more experienced dancers, with the choice of dancing once a week or several times per week. As well, students aged 12-18 may audition

for MHSB Company - experienced danc-ers who want extra challenges and more performing opportunities.

The highlight of each year is our year-end recitals - 3 different produc-tions geared at 3 different age groups. The senior show is an exciting, eclectic mix of all dance forms, with spectacular cos-tumes and lighting presented at a beauti-ful downtown theatre.

Studio rentals are also available. Please call 416-484-4731 or visit www.mhsb.ca for more information.

Martha Hicks School of Ballet

Power Soccer provides a comprehen-sive range of training programs from the beginner to the elite player.

We emphasize fair play, skill develop-ment and the maximization of each child’s potential. Our programs are presented through a creative age appropriate soccer training model.

We focus on giving players the oppor-tunity to express their individuality while

providing clear feedback on how improve-ments in their game can be made.

Clinics and camps focus on ball con-trol, movement with and without the ball, dribbling, shooting, defending and accu-rate passing.

Players experience soccer sessions which are rewarding and enjoyable. Pow-er Soccer coaches conduct challenging sessions which provide an opportunity for

full participation for each player. We build player confidence through a program in-cludes lots of game play.

Improved ability level and a marked increase in game enjoyment are the re-sults of participation in Power Soccer programs. Please visit our web site at www.powersoccer.ca or cal l us at 905.829.0562 (local call) to learn more about the Power Soccer School.

Power Soccer School – advanced technique training

Power Soccer



Know where you are; Know where you are going; Know you will be successful

For students today, navigating the path to a successful future is difficult.

At a very early age, they are expect-ed to make critical education and career decisions, and be disciplined enough to overcome the numerous, inevitable chal-lenges they will confront along the road to

success. The Guidance Office is a community

of dedicated professionals committed to ensuring that students overcome these challenges, and make insightful decisions about their future. Then, we guide and support them throughout their journey, to

ensure success. Knowledge and expertise are the keys, and The Guidance Office has much to share.

Know where you are; Know where you are going; Know you will be successful. We are pleased to develop your program for success. So let’s get started.

The Guidance Office

The School of CCDT

Whether your destination is fun and fitness or the world’s greatest stages, the School of CCDT has the ideal program. Classes are designed by Canada’s lead-ing youth and dance specialist, Artistic Director Deborah Lundmark. Beginner classes are led by select children’s teach-ers, pianists and assistants.

Recreational classes present end-

less movement possibilities in modern, jazz, tap, hip hop, ballroom and ballet. For those pursuing dance as a profession, the School’s proven balance of Limón mod-ern and Royal Academy ballet will instill the versatility demanded by today’s finest companies and post-secondary programs. Young dancers are invited to audition for the cutting-edge performance company,

Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre, to experience the life of a professional dancer. Try our SummerArts program in creative dance, visual art, music and the-atre for ages 4-8. SunDance is an inten-sive course of study for experienced danc-ers ages 8-20 (application required). Visit our website at www.ccdt.org for more information.

The School of CCDT

WHAT ARE THEY DOING? Students from St. Michael’s College look like they’re having fun during an exercise at an Alive Outdoors leadership camp.


Seventeen years in music education Music education is a gift for life,

unequalled by any other subject in enriching a student’s aesthetic sense. It also enhances logical thinking, as in math, and fosters a sense of discipline. At an early age, students learn how to develop a sense of achievement based

on their diligence, and thus can rec-ognize their progress from lesson to lesson. The North Toronto Institute of Music offers all this through instruc-tion in most instruments, singing and theory. The Faculty consists of highly trained professionals, who still make the

lessons fun. Performances twice a year also showcase the students’ achieve-ments. RCM exam preparation at all lev-els is available and students of all ages are welcome.For more information, please check our website: www.ntimusic.com.

The North Toronto Institute of Music


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since 1913


Bayview Glen maintains high standards in order to prepare every student for a promising future. Each year, our students apply to several

universities and, in return, receive multiple offers of admission. In addition to the schools our students have chosen to attend, the following

offers of undergraduate admission have also been received by Bayview Glen graduates during the years 2003-2012:

CANADAAcadia University

University

UNITED STATES

UNITED KINGDOM

University

INTERNATIONAL

Bayview Glen Graduating Class of 2012

North, East, West, SouthBVG grads go everywhereBayview Glen grads go on to prestigious schools of higher learning – in all parts of Canada, the U.S. and internationally – pursuing their heart’s desire, from commerce to kinesiology, engineering to the arts.

Let us tell you more about BVG.

Whole Child. Whole Life. Whole World.416.443.1030 bayviewglen.ca

Public Open Houses:

education guide fall 2012 - central ed

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