EDUCATION GUIDE FALL 2010
uniformity Does dressing the same earn an A or is the whole concept a failure?
CENTRAL EDITION Another MulticomMedia Publication
Plus: Tips on picking the right school for your kids Students share their ups and downs and more... FALL 2010 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier
ON THE COVER: Sunnybrook School students work as a team during the school’s field day. Francis Crescia/ town crier
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Don’t skirt the issue
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Do uniforms encourage discipline and a sense of belonging or do they stifle self-expression?
Super students great places to be
Kids’ stuff
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Saluting the youth that make our schools
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Pupils tell us in their own words and pictures about their joys, challenges and lessons learned
Historical gems
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The Toronto District School Board looks at using its extensive fine art and artefact collection in the classroom
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your kids. And we have invited students of all ages to share their triumphs and challenges with us in words and pictures. New perspectives can not only broaden our own paths of inquiry but they can also heighten our sense of understanding. That is the true value of education. Here’s to a new school year, with all the possibilities it will bring with it.
Crier’s Fall 2010 Education Guide, the theme of new perspectives has informed much of our content. For instance, we explore both sides of the equation when it comes to kids wearing uniforms in the city’s private and independent schools. We also take a look at the Toronto District School Board’s long-buried art and historical collection, which offers multiple learning opportunities through first-hand experience with the artefacts. In keeping with the theme, we have invited educational experts from schools across the GTA to share their unique viewpoints on everything from how to choose the right school to ways to organize
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he beginning of a new school year can be bittersweet: it’s exciting to think of the challenges the year ahead will hold, yet it’s hard leaving behind memories of warm summer days spent with family and friends. But school is the place where the familiar and unfamiliar intersect, where new ideas can form and percolate. It’s where we all learned many of the great lessons of life from our ABCs and 1-2-3s to how to navigate the realities of modern society. It’s where many of us were first exposed to the diversity of thought and opinion which helped to shape who we are today. Which is why, for the Town
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Dear Town Crier Reader,
Gotta dance
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The ballet world can be a competitive one, but it doesn’t need to be
Hat tricks
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Magic can be the perfect thing to conjure up selfconfidence in kids
Plus lots more!
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EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010
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FALL 2010 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier
Dress for success
Do the clothes make the student? Pros and cons of uniforms
photo courtesy little owl preschool elementary
SENSE OF BELONGING: Wearing a uniform can help students feel a part of their school’s community and provide them with strong ties to their peers.
By Daniela Germano
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fter wearing uniforms for three years at Mentor College, Sasha Borges-Ho has mixed feelings about the strict uniform policy at her middle-school. The now 20-something York University graduate says she enjoyed the simplicity of waking up in the morning and not having to stress about what she was going to wear to school. But, she added, at times, the rules were a little too excessive. “In a lot of ways I am pro uniforms at private schools because it is a very competitive environment, where some students come from families with six-figure incomes and others whose families are scraping the bottom of the barrel to pay for the tuition,” she said. “It serves as an equalizer and in that sense I agree with it.” However, she said she didn’t agree with the ban on nail polish, hair being dyed an unnatural colour and boys having long hair. “I don’t think it’s their business how I wear my hair,” she said. Then, there is there is the constant battle over skirt lengths. Borges-Ho says that teachers would measure the length of the skirt by having the student kneel on the floor
and placing a ruler to measure how far the skirt came up from the floor. If the skirt was rolled, they would have the student unroll it. If it wasn’t rolled but was still too short, the student would be sent home. “I understand you want to regulate skirt lengths for younger girls, but I think it was a little excessive and too strict,” she said. “It became less about decency and more about portraying a level of prestige.” At Havergal College, they have implemented a program called “Don’t Skirt the Issue”, which uses Post-it Notes to remind stu-
PHOTO COURTESY E.P.I.C. School
FREEDOM OF CHOICE: Some schools believe that students should dress the way the want for class.
EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010
dents of the appropriate hemline length. “It’s an easy and comfortable reminder for our students,” said Barb MacIntosh, director of student life. “For the girls who are growing, the skirt tends to get shorter without intention, but this is a good reminder for them to keep their skirt length in mind.” MacIntosh says that uniforms are an integral part of Havergal College because they denote student pride and create a sense of community in the school. She added that the uniforms are also designed to be comfortable and age appropri-
Parents pushed for change ate and there are also occasions where they do not have to wear them. “Our students can voice their individuality through their conduct and actions, not by what they wear,” MacIntosh said. Natasha Galinskaya, principal of Little Owl Preschool Elementary, agrees. Even toddlers as young as two years old wear a uniform at the school. Galinskaya says that when the school implemented uniforms in the elementary school three years ago, parents approached her about uniforms for the preschoolers. “Uniforms are quite powerful in terms of discipline,” she said. “It creates unity and the children feel like they all belong to Little Owl.” Galinskaya added that the uniform policy is not as strict PUPILS Page 6
“Uniforms are quite powerful in terms of discipline.”
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Pupils seek selfexpression through fashion choices
PHOTO COURTESY TORONTO PREP SCHOOL
WEAR WHAT YOU WANT, WITHIN THE LIMITS: While some schools opt not to have a uniform, most still have rules for appropriate dress.
that students cannot wear offensive logos or anything that would be deemed inappropriate, such as showing too much skin. “We want to spend our energy in academic achievement not policing costume,� she said. “This encourages tolerance and a freedom of expression, which is key to intellectual creativity in all fields.�
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for the preschoolers, but it’s the school’s philosophy to teach students a sense of responsibility and that’s often done through the dress code. “We want our students to focus on what they are learning� she said. “I have noticed with the uniforms that the children are more disciplined and take pride in their education.� But not everyone agrees that a strict uniform policy creates good learning environments. In Dragon Academy’s first year, students wore uniforms, but ongoing complaints by students caused the school to revisit the policy, said principal Meg Fox. “(They) came to us with valid points and they voiced their opinions in an intelligent fashion,� she said. There were two main concerns: the students felt they were being targeted on the subway for attending a private school, and they felt that wearing a uniform inhibited their self-expression. The next year, the school took their suggestions into consideration and drafted a dress code, instead of the uniforms. Fox says
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Giving back to the world
“(It allows students to) see inequality in the world and see that they can make a difference.”
photo courtesy The bishop strachan school
PHOTO COURTESY Metropolitan Preparatory Academy
HANDS ON: Students from Bishop Strachan School went to Ecuador in March to do volunteer work.
MENTORING OTHERS: A Metropolitan Preparatory Academy volunteer tutors a Kenyan adult on how to use a computer.
Helping out International service trips By Hera Chan
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Admission Open Houses: Nov. 4 & 5 (9:30 - noon). Tuition assistance available beginning in Grade 7.
EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010
earning outside of the classroom can be the best thing to happen to your child’s education. Just ask the students at The Bishop Strachan School, who embarked on a service trip to Ecuador in March. For 10 days a group of students from the all-girls high school visited several towns in the South American country to help build a school, volunteer at a rehabilitation centre and improve their leadership skills through specially designed workshops. “The experience has helped me think on a global scale,” said grade 11 student Krystin Chung. “Going to Ecuador showed me the importance of giving back.” Chung says the trip also inspired her to become a more active citizen in her school, and to really take advantage of everything it has to offer. Bishop Strachan School knows the service trip concept well. The Forest Hill area school is affiliated with Free the Children, a charity partner of the Me to We program, which mobilizes thousands of youth ambassadors who engage in community development initiatives around the world. Service trips have taken youth to all corners of the world, including Kenya, China and India. In Ecuador, the students were working in a way not possible inside a classroom, said Charlotte Fleming, a teacher at Bishop Strachan. “The trip is a great opportunity for students to experience and learn about another culture,” she says. “To make global connections, and to learn, reflect, and think about how their actions may impact the lives of other people.” Trip locations are chosen by the end of the
Real life learning previous school year and a student-parent meeting is held in early fall. Students participate in several pre-trip workshops to prepare for the journey. Many schools across Canada have similar programs to Bishop Strachan. Earlier in the year a group of 20 students, chaperones and teachers from TDChristian High School left on an International Block service trip to the Dominican Republic. Students spent eight weeks working in different placements, including construction, schools, a rehab clinic, an orphanage and at a village on the outskirts of the city dump. The International Block program counts for three high school credits. The senior students take regular school courses for half the year, then take courses such as world issues, Spanish and English the other half to prepare for the trip. The experience can have a profound impact on the students involved. “(It allows students to) see inequality in the world and see that they can make a difference if they choose too,” said teacher Rachel Weening, who has coordinated the International Block program at TDChristian for two years. The benefits for students on service trips are countless, says John Myers, instructor at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. He says it shows students how big a place the world is and helps students develop a sense of social responsibility. As students become more aware, they become more likely to be interested in such service trips, he says. Programs like Katimavik, an opportunity for 17–21 year olds to take part in an intensive six or nine month volunteer service program, ensure today’s youth doesn’t turn a blind eye to world issues. “The curriculum a student goes through in high school is more than just a book or curriculum,” says Myers. “(Experiential learning lets students) understand curriculum in real life.”
Open House
In fact, we have the lowest student to teacher ratio of any boys’ school in our city, with specialists on-hand in art, physical education, science and more. Which means that your son will get the attention he deserves
and will thrive in a small class setting where his mind, body and spirit will all be nurtured. Moreover, Sterling Hall has excellent teachers who care – true mentors who not only know how to teach, but to listen. All of which makes Sterling Hall the one for your boy. 416.785.3410 sterlinghall.com
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FALL 2010 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier
Exemplary students
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ou don’t have to be old to be inspiring: Saluting the drive, passion and efforts of some of our area’s best young adults
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Olivia Bonham-Carter
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By Jessica Vitullo
livia Bonham-Carter said she feels happiest when she is involved in community service initiatives. “After I finish my education, I want to be able to help with human rights and environmental concerns around the world,” she said. “That’s my goal in life.” Bonham-Carter is well on her way to achieving that goal. A grade 12 student at Trinity College School, she has played a leadership role in several environmental activities. “I am part of the environmental group at the school,” she said. “We do a lot of things for the school and advocate for environmental projects.” The group holds assemblies to address the issue of water consumption and water bottles, which she said had a huge impact on the school. Based on her work, Bonham-Carter was
selected to join the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots & Shoots National Leadership Council, which allows her to connect with students around the world. The group discusses the best way to address environmental concerns and how to implement change within communities. “I’ve learned so much more about environmental problems around the world,” she said. “The only way you can fix them is if you help. “Something good comes out of everything.” When Bonham-Carter is not advocating for environmental rights, she is focused on other school initiatives including her duties as a prefect student. “We work to get everyone’s energy up throughout the year,” she said. “We’ll organize events for Halloween and Valentine’s Day.” At the beginning of the year, prefects worked to get new students together, excited, and participating in fun events. “I was really excited to help plan that and get everyone involved,” she said.
Milani Sivapragasam
By Kelly Gadzala
photo courtesy olivia bonham-carter
WELL DONE: Olivia Bonham-Carter accepts a Lieutenant Governor’s award on behalf of her school from Lt.-Gov. David Onley.
f Milani Sivapragasam’s graduation ceremony from Bayview Glen could be compared to star-studded awards gala, let’s just say the young lady rocked the red carpet and totally cleaned up. Valedictorian for her graduating class in June 2010, Sivapragasam raked in the Spanish subject award (her fourth in as many years); the Round Square King Constantine Medal for her dedication to service projects; a Student Executive Council appreciation award; a community service award for banking 750 volunteer hours at local hospitals; and numerous others accolades and plaques to add to the growing collection on her bedroom wall — her wall of fame, if you will. But the humble Sivapragasam doesn’t discuss her accomplishments in such flashy terms. Though she’s clearly proud of her achievements, the first-year biological and medical sciences student at the University of Western Ontario has taken it all in stride. “It’s not about how many awards I win,” says Sivapragasam. “One of my greatest gifts I can give is my compassion and my help.” The aspiring doctor credits the service work she did through Bayvew Glen with making her
the leader she is today. In a way, it all began with the Spanish language. When in grade 9, Sivapragasam listened to a speech given by the founder of Free the Children, in which he spoke of the compassion that every person is capable of showing. After that speech Sivapragasam signed up for a service trip through the organization to Arizona and Mexico where she worked with migrant workers at a drug rehab centre. “It was so overwhelming,” she says, describing meeting a 17 year old meth addict. “I was only 15 years old.” Children would come to the door begging for food, she recalls. “I can still hear their voices.” In the resource centre she met a man named Pedro, a person who still looms large in her mind. She was the only person in the group who could speak Spanish, she says, so she and Pedro would talk about his life. She remembers his kids’ names to this day. That’s where her love for Spanish flourished. When she went back to school in September in grade 10, she started and headed up Bayview Glen’s Chapter of Free the Children with another student. She and the group’s co-founder decided $5,000 Page 18
photo courtesy bayview glen
COMMITTED TO HEALING: The summer after grade 9 Milani Sivapragasam volunteered in a drug rehab centre.
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EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010
FALL 2010 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier
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Exemplary students
Alex Smith
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By Amanda Kwan
Laureen Hachem
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Amanda Kwan/Town Crier
By Amanda Kwan
aureen Hachem approaches education with a mixture of pragmatism and curiosity. “From the beginning, I really took school seriously,” said the 17 year old Northern Secondary School graduate, who scored the highest marks in the Toronto public school board for 2009-2010. “Each year … you build on what you learnt, instead of starting from scratch,” said Hachem. “So because of that, it was a continuation so it was easier for me.” Hachem earned a 99.2 percent average in eight grade 12 courses: physics, chemistry, biology, English, French, advanced functions, advanced calculus and co-op. Her near-perfect average was partly the result of diligent studying — spending about five hours a
day on homework — but Hachem says school wasn’t about getting high marks. “I wanted to make sure I really understood the material, just for my own benefit and later on.” This genuine desire to learn is the driving force behind her success, she said. “When I was in biology and would learn something, the next day I’d go to chemistry and see the connection between the two. And the physics would tie-in as well, this cohesiveness that they have. To see how the world works, it’s incredible.” Hachem is thinking about becoming neurosurgeon — a field she got a taste of during her co-op placement as a medical research assistant at Dr. Charles Tator’s neurosurgery lab at Toronto TOP STUDENT Page 13
lex Smith says the best way to address an issue is as a community. He put that belief into action when he started a book drive at his school to help raise money for the Oakville Literacy Council. Smith came up with the idea after volunteering at a past book drive for the council. “There are so many people, even in Oakville which is surprising, that don’t know how to read and that do need a lot of help,” said the grade 9 Appleby College student. “I think it’s important … to help everybody and make sure everybody has an equal chance.” The Oakville Literacy Council is a non-profit organization that provides reading, writing and math tutoring services for adults. The donated books are sold at Hopedale Mall and the proceeds go toward funding the organization. Smith and his fellow volunteers started spreading the word about the school’s book drive in January, and marketed the event by putting up posters and performing a skit in front of their peers. “We made it a fun event for everybody,” he said. The donated books had to be in good enough condition to sell — meaning no ripped pages — and couldn’t be school textbooks or dictionaries. “We found a surprising number of books we had to read over the summer,” said Smith. “(Students) only use those once.”
photo courtesy appleby college
Appleby held its drive over two weeks in early May, and ended up collecting almost a thousand books. “We got so many books, we actually had to set up two meetings over two weeks to sort them all and pack them all away,” Smith said. In total, the council raised $18,000 from their book sale, $3,000 more than the year before.
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EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010
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By Kelly Gadzala
photo courtesy Brodie kirsh
By Jessica Vitullo
A C AMBRIDGE E DUCATION IS C LOSER THAN YOU T HINK
OPEN HOUSES: THURSDAY OCT. 21 & WEDNESDAY NOV. 10TH FROM 10AM-2PM & 6PM-8PM
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or Brodie Kirsh, being busy and working hard is what makes her go. “It’s so fun to get involved because you meet new people,” she said. “To see when you have accomplished something and others have learned from it, it’s so nice and rewarding.” A grade 11 student at The Bishop Strachan School, Kirsh has been actively involved in school initiatives since grade 7. Last year, she attended a Green vs. Greed conference in Montreal, where Free The Children co-founder Marc Kielburger spoke about the organization. “I had a huge interest in it,” said Kirsh. “It’s really a passion and I’ve always wanted to help out in this way.” Kirsh attended last year’s We Day at the Air Canada Centre, an event held by Free The Children that hosts discussions on taking local and global action to help others. “It was such an inspirational day. So many
youth were there for the same goal,” she said. “It really opened my mind to global issues and global news.” We Day inspired Kirsh to organize the original One Night Out event at her school. “It’s a simulation of living on the streets to raise awareness of homelessness,” she said. “It’s important, especially in Toronto, because it’s everywhere we look.” Kirsh believes that people cannot make a difference unless they know what is going on. This is why raising awareness is so important to her. “We are hoping to empower girls who attended this event to do something about it and be more involved,” she said. When Kirsh is not raising awareness on homelessness, she is exercising her passion for other causes. This year, she is leading the school’s environmental council. “I’ve always been someone who reaches above and beyond,” she said. “I wish I had time to do everything.”
or a young man who says he’s not all that verbal, Ari Feinberg comes across like a poet. The Richmond Hill resident who graduated from TanenbaumCHAT in June won first place in the Toronto-wide Morley S. Wolfe Youth Competition for a children’s story he wrote on challenging racism. The contest had over 300 submissions on the same topic. His story, told in rhyme and called Clementine’s Sunflower, detailed the sufferings of a sunflower that is bullied by other flowers who call it ugly. In the end the sunflower dies because it is so saddened by the abuse it has received from the other flowers. “It’s a bit dark for a children’s book,” Feinberg admits. But the other flowers learn tolerance, he says,
Top student plans on medical future Cont. from Page 12
Western Hospital. Achieving this goal means thinking of the bigger picture, she said. Hachem chose to do co-op because it was an opportunity to see theory in action and a chance to network. “You get connections in an environment outside of school that you wouldn’t necessarily get if you were just in a classroom,” she said. This is the same reason why she’s going to the University of Toronto this fall to study life sciences. “(It’s) the connections with hospitals, top-notch
professors and doctors,” said Hachem, who is attending as a U of T Scholar. “I know they do programs throughout the year where you can do your own projects.” And it’s not enough to excel in academics. Being a well-rounded student also means taking part in extra-curriculars, she said. “When I was president of the French club, we did a festival to raise money for Doctors Without Borders,” said Hachem, who was also vice-president of her school’s cancer committee, treasurer of the heart and stroke committee, and a volunteer at the United Way.
after the sunflower dies. Though he says he’s never really experienced racism the topic resonates with him as his grandparents were subjected to anti-Semitism in Europe. “I’ve always felt connected to it.” Feinberg says he was happy about his unexpected win. He stayed up late a lot of nights doing the illustrations for the book on his computer. Though he’s just starting his first year as a sciences major at McGill University in Montreal, he says he loves writing. “It’s kind of how I get my creative side out.” Voted valedictorian for his class, Feinberg says he spoke to students about taking the initiative in his speech to them at graduation. Not surprisingly, he used one of Aesop’s Fables The Mice in Council to illustrate his point. He calls himself more of a quiet leader who WINNING Page 18
Does your child attend French Immersion Morning Kindergarten? If the answer is “Yes”… Please consider our Afternoon Kindergarten Enrichment Program to support and help build your child’s reading, writing and math skills in English. We offer half day Nursery School and Kindergarten Programs. Two, Three, or Five Afternoons available.
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1585 Yonge (at Heath) (Yorkminister Park Baptist Church)
www.yesicannurseryschool.com
Award winning Early Childhood Education Specialists 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 20 years, a Teeny Two (toddler) program launches for September 2010. 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 morning 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. Saturday October 23, 2010 the Yes I Can! team invites all past children and families to the Ranleigh site for a 20th Birthday Celebration/Reunion. Please call 416-486-4911 and do visit...www.yesicannurseryschool.com
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Examining the gender debate
EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010
By Jim Power
I
t has been interesting for me to watch the ongoing media debate about single-sex education. It’s a longstanding issue that’s in the spotlight again because it is being explored as an option within the Toronto District School Board. After 30 years of teaching in girls, boys and co-educational schools, I think it’s important to understand it’s not a case of one school-model being superior to another. While a boys’ school may be right for one son, a co-ed school may be a more appropriate setting for his brother. Critics of single-gender education sometimes stress the fact that life is coed. This doesn’t undermine the value of giving youngsters the sanctuary of a single-gender environment as they ride the sometimes bumpy roller coaster of adolescence. A comfortable environment, free from preening and posturing for the opposite sex, can allow children the chance to understand themselves as they discover interests, refine skills and embrace values. The first assembly I attended at a boys’ elementary school caught me off guard. The captain of the grade 7 soccer team was standing in front of 400 boys and sang a tribute to their championship season; he belted out the words he had written to the melody of “I Will Survive.” The captain may have been off key, but no one complained, and Gloria Gaynor would have been proud. As I sat there it occurred to me that, if there were even one girl in the audience, this scene would never have worked. There are many sound reasons for boys’ schools, especially if the teachers at those schools embrace the broad and occasionally nuanced challenges of boys. If teachers understand how boys grow and develop, they can address the organization and reading challenges that sometimes hold boys back. Yes, boys can be impulsive. They may need to move around a bit. They have a need to challenge authority from time to time. Beyond sound pedagogy, boys can benefit from the cultural liberation that can be created in single-gender schools. A friend told me a story about an English teacher who taught Hamlet to a grade 10 class at a boys’ school, and later, with the same group of boys, he also taught the class with a neighbouring girls’ school. When he taught the boys and asked for volunteers to read out the role of Ophelia, 20 boys would raise their hands. But when he taught the class with the girls, not one boy raised his hand. As a parent and teacher, wouldn’t we all be happier knowing that our sons had an opportunity and felt the freedom to participate in anything they felt passionate about? School should be a safe zone, a place for all of children to explore and discover themselves. I like to think of our schools as the Big ’N Tall store for boys. If you are 6-foot4, you might find a great fitting suit at Harry Rosen, but you are much more likely to find one at the Big ’N Tall because that’s where they understand big people. I BIOLOGY Page 15
125 Brentcliffe Rd., Toronto (416) 423-9123 www.mariamontessori.ca
Here are a few tips to help parents ease their children into a successful school year: Buy an agenda and use it as a planner. Break large assignments and test preparation into chunks and plan to work on one chunk per day. Use the agenda to plan the week. Enter all test dates it. Record long-term assignments as well. Create binders for even/odd days if your school has an even/odd day timetable. Keep subject binders at home and transfer work into those binders at the end of each month. Buy a hole punch and have your child start his or her homework session by punching all handouts and placing them in the correct binder. Make sure all work is dated. Help your child set a homework time, such as 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. daily and honour that time. If possible, have your child do homework in a clearly visible space at home (such as the kitchen or dining room table). This allows you to monitor social networking and computer games that intrude on homework time. It also gives you a good estimate of “real” homework time. Keep a basket of supplies at the ready for homework time. This should include pens, pencils, rulers, glue, a hole punch, coloured pencils, etc. Otherwise, looking for supplies can become a field trip and waste
For children two and a half to twelve.
Accredited by the Association Montessori Internationale
very parent and teacher recognizes that some children need more help than others in organizing their belongings and their time. Luckily, good organizational and study habits are skills that any student can learn.
photo courtesy Upper canada college
Maria Montessori School
LA CITADELLE photo courtesy Branksome hall
valuable homework time. Make sure your child is getting enough sleep. Tired children cannot get themselves organized. Allow your child to take a physical break after 30 to 40 minutes of homework. Plan these breaks (e.g., walk the dog or shoot hoops for 10 minutes), and then it is back to the books. Pack backpacks after each homework session, or ensure your son or daughter does so. Check off each homework task in the agenda as it goes into the bag. Check tomorrow’s timetable to make sure such items as gym shorts are in the bag if required for the next day. If the backpack is organized thoughtfully at the end of each day, you and your child will avoid the early morning rush that can lead to misplaced homework and those “my dog ate my homework” excuses.
International Academy of Arts & Science
International Baccalaureate World School
• Enriched Curriculum from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 • Assistance provided for non-bilingual students • Uniquely supportive and personalized setting • Mandatory Third Language (Spanish or Mandarin) • A low student/teacher ratio • Extra curricular activities • Summer School (July) • Highly competitive tuitions • 5 acre campus close to the D.V.P. & 401 Highways
Roberta Longpré is the Director of Learning Strategies at Branksome Hall.
Biology isn’t destiny Cont. from Page 14
think that we understand boys — warts and all. While always guarding against a boys-will-be-boys mentality, we try to create a safe space for boys to take risks. We believe there are many roads to manhood and we’d like to make all of these broad avenues available to our boys. It’s not that that biology is destiny, but we do believe it’s proclivity. If you saw the Spanish soccer players’ celebrating after their World Cup victory, you saw them crying and hugging one another. The context created a space for complete freedom of expression. We don’t win World Cups every day in boys’ schools, but we do enjoy the freedom to celebrate the wins that come our way. Just don’t tell Gloria Gaynor how we do it. Jim Power is principal at Upper Canada College. Power contributes regularly to his blog The Powerpoint http://thepowerpoint.wordpress.com.
Open House every last Thursday of the month 15 Mallow Rd., North York, Ontario, M3B 1G2 • 416-385-9685 www.lacitadelleacademy.com • info@lacitadelleacademy.com
FALL 2010 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier
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Educators’ insights
How to pick the best school
See for yourself with a campus tour of current parents or alumni, whom you can contact as references. Look for these qualities: •The quality of the campus grounds, lunchroom, sports facilities and classrooms: Are they clean, operational, and safe? •The diversity of the school: Is the student population multicultural enough for your child? Is that important to you? •The classroom dynamics: How do students and teachers interact? Is that relationship what you’re looking for? •Student supervision: How do administrators maintain a safe environment? How do they approach discipline?
Tips to help you in your hunt photo courtesy agatha stawicki
By Agatha Stawicki
P
rivate and independent schools are becoming an accessible, affordable and popular option for parents who know exactly the kind of education they want for their child. With a range of schools as unique as each individual child, finding the right one may seem like a formidable task. But with the proper techniques, the school search is an opportunity to better understand your child’s strengths and natural abilities.
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The Wish List Involve the entire family in creating the list of wants and needs in a school. This builds excitement, helps you get to know your children better, and determines exactly what you are looking for. It will also ensure that the money you spend on education will achieve the desired goals.
Ages 1.5years - 14years.
Thursdays
@ all 5 locations 9:00am - 4:00pm
EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010
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The Private School Expo Private school expos bring together students and representatives from all types of schools across a city for you to use as a one-stop source of information. School administrators and students are on-hand to answer questions. You will also find helpful seminars on how to choose a school, what type of school is best for a child, and how to finance a private education.
Some questions to keep in mind: •How is your child doing in his or her current school? What attention or challenges does he or she need? •What is your child’s personality, learning style, academic ability, social skills, talents, challenges and desires? •Will your child thrive in an environment rich with technology or one that is based in social interaction? •Is a co-ed or same sex environment best for your child? Will a day or boarding school environment be best? •Do you want a school that offers before- and afterschool programs? •Are you expecting an academic-based curriculum or one that attempts to educate the personality as well? •Does your child require dedicated help? Then you may need a school with small class sizes.
Here’s a list of questions to ask schools: •What makes the school unique? What is the school’s philosophy? •How does the school encourage involvement amongst parents, teachers and students? •What curriculum guidelines does the school follow and how are students evaluated? How do they respond to students who fall behind? •What are the teachers’ qualifications? •What is the average class size? •What are the transportation options for my child? •What is the admission process for my child? Is there a waiting list? •How much is tuition and what other costs might I incur (e.g. uniform, books, equipment)? •What are my payment options? What financial aid and scholarships are available?
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The Preliminary Search It has probably been a while since you’ve had to do homework, but this phase of the search can be exciting as you discover the different learning options available and select the best fit for your child, not making your child fit into a school at all costs. Here are some tips on the preliminary search:
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•Get started early: At least a year in advance is recommended. Good decisions are best made without time restrictions. •Consider your budget: Determine your financial situation, how much you are willing to spend and what financial aid is available at each school. •Read school profiles and websites: Look at what’s written about the school curriculum, mission, values and philosophy.
The School Visit As the search narrows to a few schools, it’s time to see first hand the different school campuses and communities. You can either contact the school to arrange a personal tour (including spending time in classrooms) or check school calendars for open house dates. It is a time to speak with principals, teachers, counsellors and other students and to ask for the names and numbers
5
The Application Compiling all the information gathered over the research process, you should be able to come up with a final choice of two to three schools in which your child will flourish. Families are encouraged to
apply to more than one school to keep your options open, because, although you may have preferences, chances are there are a number of schools that could be an appropriate fit. Here’s what an application may require: •Completed application forms (many are now available online) •Interview and possible entrance exam •Non-refundable application fee •Confidential school report from child’s current school •Previous report cards (up to two or three years back) •Test scores (such as the Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT) or another entrance exam) Agatha Stawicki is the Publisher at Our Kids Media, publishers of Our Kids Go to School magazine — Canada’s Annual Guide to Private Schools, powers the school search on OurKids.net and hosts the annual Private School Expo. This year’s Private School Expo will be held in Toronto on Saturday, October 16, 2010.
What schools look for in potential students As families search for the perfect school, schools are also looking for the perfect student to contribute to their community. Here’s what schools want to see in their applicants: •That they as a school will be a good fit for both the child and family •That the student really wants to attend the school and is not just being pressured to do so •A clear representation of the child’s ability •The potential for the student to become a participating and integrated member of the private school community •That both the family and child fully understand the school’s philosophy, FIRST TEST: Private and independent schools select their vision and expectations at the outset
students carefully and chose those who they feel will con-
— Agatha Stawicki tribute to their communities.
TWO LOCATIONS!! Leaside United Church & St. Cuthbert’s Church
NURSERY PROGRAMS 2 - 3 and 5 mornings
MORNING & AFTERNOON KINDERGARTEN ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS Visit our website www.mrs-parksschool.com 416-424-2135 Leaside 416-482-4131 St. Cuthbert’s mrs-parksschool@sympatico.ca
We look forward to seeing you at our Open House Saturday, October 23, 2010 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Application deadlines: Grade 7: December 1st, 2010 Grades 9-10: February 1st, 2011
Specialized programs to consider Most students in the private system are there because they cannot receive the specialized attention or curriculum they need from a public school. Here are some examples of unique programs that are giving private school students a boost. International Baccalaureate: The IB organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to create academic programs to challenge students while promoting inter-
cultural respect and understanding. Three programs aimed at varying age groups (3-12, 11-16, 16-19) feature subjects like math, science and the arts, but also personal and social skills, humanities and technology. Students must also study a second language and complete a personal project. Advanced Placement: The AP program allows high school students to take university courses for an extra challenge and to give them a head start in their post-
secondary education. There are now over 30 rigorous AP courses and exams available in Canada. Montessori: Children are able to direct their own learning at their own pace under the guidance of a trained teacher. Teachers then introduce children to the next level of complexity when they are ready. Children of different ages are placed in the same class to stimulate conversation and create community. SOMETHING Page 18
Financial assistance is available to students who qualify for admission.
371 Bloor St. W. Toronto ON M5S 2R7 416.946.7995 info@utschools.ca www.utschools.ca
FALL 2010 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier
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The Toronto Prep School education experience includes: a semestered, university preparatory curriculum, a MacBook Pro laptop 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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Winning was surreal !T 3T #LEMENT S 3CHOOL EACH AND EVERY
Cont. from Page 13
leads by example. As the head of the Holocaust Memorial Program this past school year, Feinberg was involved in planning a ceremony and activities for both the school and the public. But he was more relaxed in his leadership style, he says. “I try not to be in peoples’ faces.� Feinberg was also a member of physics team that won a worldwide competition, the Shalheveth Freier Physics Tournament run by the Weizmann Institute in Israel last year. He helped design a hard-tocrack safe that can be opened using physics principles. “You have to be able to crack it in two minutes but it has to be hard for other teams to crack,� he says In 2008-2009 the team was second in Canada but didn’t make it to
JOUFMMJHFOU Israel. Feinberg says he’s convinced they went to Israel and won the next year because the group truly learned to work as a team. Winning, he adds, was pretty mind blowing. “It was kid of surreal.�
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$5,000 raised for clean water Cont. from Page 11
to lead an Adopt a Village initiative, setting a goal to raise $5,000 over five years for a Clear Water Project in Sierra Leone. “I realized I want to lead a life of service,� she says simply. By the time her cohort graduated, the group had raised $2,000 of the $5,000, and by then Sivapragasam had only one year left to raise the balance of the money.
She did it, raising $3,000 through various school fundraising events that she got other students involved in. We take water for granted here, she says. Sivapragasam admits she grew up quickly. People have told her she’s old for her age, she says. And for a highly accomplished woman under 20, she sounds more than a little sage when she speaks of living
Cont. from Page 17
Waldorf: To facilitate the learning process, teachers use the most suitable techniques in their repertoire that consider the age of their students’ physical and mental being. For example, elementary students at Waldorf Schools learn through artistic mediums. Once they reach high school, the focus shifts to more direct intellectual stimulation. Duke of Edinburgh: The Duke of Edinburgh program is for students aged 14-24 and encourages personal growth through life experience. Students choose either a Bronze, Silver or Gold level and must complete a personal activity in volunteering, physi-
EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010
FROM GRADE ONE TO UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE DISCOVERS HER UNIQUE WAY TO SHINE
a satisfying life. “I’m completely ready to die right now,� she says. “I feel I’ve lived my life to the fullest extent.� Sivapragasam wants to maintain her Spanish studies and says she would love to work with an organization like Doctors without Borders. That way, she could go back to Mexico. Someone like Pedro, she says, has no access to that kind of care.
Something for everyone
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#LEMENTINE
cal, skills, expedition and residential. Round Square: With exchanges available in 60 schools worldwide to develop the Round Square IDEALS of Internationalism, Democracy, Environment, Adventure, Leadership and Service. Special Needs: Schools offer many different programs to cater towards students with any degree of physical disability, mental disability, communicative disorder, behavioural disorder. Almost always they’ll include one-on-one instruction and approved specialized learning materials. — Agatha Stawicki
PQFO IPVTF &RIDAY /CTOBER &RIDAY .OVEMBER n A M
4U $MFNFOU T 4DIPPM UIFSF JT OP DPNQBSJTPO &ULL SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE 6ISIT WWW SCS ON CA OR CALL FALL 2010 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier
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Students at work
Fun and challenges The assignment
L
Tatum Utsal, a grade 2, student at Montcrest School draws and writes about her favourite thing about school.
ast spring the Town Crier asked students from all grades to contribute to our fall education publications. We asked those in the primary grades to draw a picture and write a paragraph about either their favourite or most challenging thing about school. As for the older students, we asked them to write about what was the most difficult thing they’ve ever learned. We received many wonderful entries and we wish we could publish them all. If you don’t see your work in these pages check out our October education supplement or our website www.mytowncrier.ca for more great art and writing. Thanks to all those who participated.
Olaf Wijbenga — Grade 2, Montcrest School
Taylor Zivojinovich — Grade 1, The York School
Jackson Levin — Grade 1, The York School shares his reasons as to why learning French is the most challenging part of his school day.
Ben Capombassis — Grade 1, The York School
“We are learning fractions and I like the pizza game. I like playing soccer in gym.”
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EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010
FALL 2010 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier
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Some of our favourite things ...
and hard lessons we’ve learned
Listening to your parents Not listening to your parents is one thing, but biting your nails is a whole different story. When you don’t listen to your parents you suffer the consequence. When I had a bloody swollen finger, I just wished I had listened to my parents. It all started with me watching Scooby Doo and when I saw them biting and chewing their nails when they were near the monster. When I saw them I wanted to imitate them so I bit my nails and I just couldn’t stop after that. I just kept gnawing and gnawing until my nails were super short. Then I decided I chew on the skin beside the nail so I kept chewing and chewing. Then my mom and dad started telling me to stop biting my nails but I just didn’t listen. So I kept biting and biting until finally I had done it. I had bitten so hard that blood was oozing out. It was dark red. I was super scared and I yelled and screamed and my mom and dad came with ice and a bandage. When the bleeding had stopped, my nails, and parts of my skin, were black. The next morning I woke up and I felt for my infected nail but when I touched my finger my nail was not there. All I felt was this squishy skin that was under my nail. I was screaming for my mom and dad. When they came they were wondering what had happened. When I showed them my nail they weren’t surprised. After a few weeks my nail grew back and I sure was glad. When my mom told me to not bite my nails, this time I listened. I didn’t want to be back to having bloody, swollen finger again. Neema Safari — Grade 6, Toronto Montessori Schools, Bayview Campus
Taking Risks Imagine. Your school talent show is in two weeks. It’s time for the auditions. You’re gripped with fear. Should you do it? Do you take the risk of auditioning and looking stupid? Or, do you play it safe and walk away? You decide to play it safe. I mean, why would someone risk the chance of looking stupid and lame? It’s time for lunch and you’re walking away from the audition room with your friends. You’re feeling pretty clever for making what seems like the smart decision. But at lunch, you notice that everyone’s talking about how much fun they had auditioning. They’re saying how they all made it past the auditions. How are you feeling now? Chances are, you’re feeling a little remorseful. The talent show rolls around and you’re thinking, “Wow, that kid made it past the auditions? Pfft, I could do so much better than them.” Well, it’s too bad you didn’t audition. You’re feeling really regretful now. You start to feel even worse when people start saying that you should’ve been in the talent show. “There’s always next year,” you tell yourself. But you know you’ve been saying that for the past couple of years. This is how I felt just a couple of weeks ago. I think most — if not all — of us have been in this kind of situation. It sure feels bad, doesn’t it? You may be thinking that not taking the risk is the safe choice, but really, I think taking the risk would be the safe choice. Even if you don’t make it past the audition, at least you can feel at ease knowing that you gave it a shot. And isn’t that what counts? At the time, it probably seems like the scariest thing in the world, but if you step back and look, chances are, things won’t seem so bad. After all, you never know unless you try. Megan Sue-Chue-Lam — Grade 8, Bayview Glen
Hayden Spindler —Grade 1, The York School
Facing death Simon Casimir-Smorczewski — Grade 1, The York School
William Wu — Grade 1, The York School
“The most challenging thing at school is math questions. My teacher helps me.”
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EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010
Felicia Koumettis — Grade 1, The York School Mimi Hodaie — Grade 1, The York School
“One thing I like about school is the fairy tale unit.”
My grandmother died when I was the age of four. I was too young to really know her, but I loved her enough to cry about her death. When you die, where do you go? Did my grandmother go to heaven? Will she ever come back? I sat next to my mother who cried for her loss, and you could tell that by the look on her face, my grandmother was never coming back. Then, the notice came in of my grandfather’s death, which was only a couple days after my grandmother’s. My mother’s sadness was contagious. When I saw my mother’s determined face all red from her hand swiping across her face to dry her tears, I wanted to cry too. I had never seen her like this, and I hoped I would never have to again. My family, all five of us, would cuddle together on our parent’s king size bed and hug our mother until she laughed at our dog pile, now forming on her. I was four when I learned I was going to die one day and I didn’t like it. Gillian Monckton — Grade 6, Havergal College
FALL 2010 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier
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EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010
Rare art to be used in class Collection worth over $7 million
By Kelly Gadzala
S
omewhere in a top-secret location in Toronto, over one million paintings, photos and other artefacts are languishing in an environmentally-protected vault. Few eyes have seen them until recently. The archival, artefact and fine art collection, owned by the Toronto District School Board, was unveiled to the public at an invitation-only event in May. It’s an extensive — and wholly impressive — grouping of artefacts. There’s a Tom Thomson painting worth about $1.5 million. Other Canadian and Aboriginal artwork, including pieces by The Group of Seven, Emily Carr, and Norval Morrisseau, hang from steel cage-like grids that pull out on rosters. Not the most illustrious space to hang part of a collection that in its entirety is valued at over $7 million, true. But that will change soon enough judging by the tone of the unveiling event. “There’s no justice having them in a vault,” says school board trustee Gary Crawford, who introduced the artefacts to the media. “The collection is an enormous educational resource,” he says. “We must make it accessible.” The objects have been amassed since the mid-19th Century but weren’t consolidated until the city’s seven public school boards amalgamated in 1998. Many artists donated their works for educational purposes in the early 20th Century, says Crawford, and as such cannot be sold due to legal stipulations. The board also did digs on school board sites and discovered other artefacts, according to board heritage services archivist Greg McKinnon. The rows and rows of boxes spotted during the tour with various labels on them could fall under this category. One box labeled, “Leather Shoe, Top Prioryty”, looks old by virtue of both the dust and the spelling on the box. Others bear labels with the words “Brick Samples” and “Glass Bottles Collections” on them. Some pieces were purchased by individual schools, like the almost life-size painting of a very young Queen Elizabeth II that never hung in the school but which was hauled out during special ceremonies or assemblies. Piles of orange leather board room chairs with swivel bottoms, Commodore PET computers and old trophies could tell a multitude of personal and institutional narratives. Meanwhile a “Corporal Punishment Book” under glass dating back to 1892, which records children’s offences (like “talking in line” and being lazy), is a sobering piece of our educational past. Curator and educator Shelley Falconer has spent the past year studying the collection, interviewing various board members and exploring how the collection can be used for educational purposes. A report she authored, Learning through Objects, is yet to be presented to the board, so plans haven’t been approved regarding the educational use of the collection. Nevertheless, pilot programs using some of the artefacts will be starting in some schools as early as this fall, Falconer says. Objects learning, or the idea that objects provide deeper learning opportunities, is a popular educational methodology in American private schools based on
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OUT FROM THE VAULT: The Toronto District School Board’s archival, artefact and fine art collection, which was for years hidden behind closed doors, will start being used in the classroom this fall. Curator and educator Shelley Falconer, top, shows off a painting by Canadian artist Emily Carr. Other painters represented include members of the Group of Seven and Norval Morrisseau, right.
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the teachings of Harvard professor Howard Gardner, she says. The report, she adds, develops a blueprint for how to move forward and incorporate the objects into the curriculum in an accessible and multi-faceted way. Though museum quality, she says the collection doesn’t belong in a museum. “It tells the story not just of the board but also of Toronto. “We’re talking about something that doesn’t exist in the country,” she says. “That’s cutting-edge progressive curriculum.” For more photos of the board’s collection see page 26
The YMCA Academy is a community offering a safe and supportive learning environment that includes: • Study and life-skills development for success in workplace, apprenticeship and post-secondary studies • Individual support from full-time guidance and lifestyle counselors • Numeracy and Literacy Remediation • Experiential, hands-on learning • Two Semesters (Sept. & Feb.) • Small Classes (maximum of 15) • A wireless online environment • Outdoor education experiences • Applied & Academic Streams • Workplace internships & full co-op program 42 Charles St. East, 5th Floor Toronto, ON M4Y 1T4 Tel: 416-928-0124 ext. 0 Fax: 416-928-0212 Email: info@ymcaacademy.org
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Find your perfect school
Board’s basement
A directory of private and independent schools for students from preschool to grade 12 Arrowsmith School Arrowsmith Program: A cognitive program strengthing a student’s capacity to learn Knowledge about the causes of learning difficulties has been changing over the past three decades. Dr. Doidge’s book, The Brain that Changes Itself, featured the work of Arrowsmith in Chapter 2. Research has demonstrated that the brain can be modified and that learning difficulties are not an unchanging fact of life. The Arrowsmith Program has designed innovative computer and auditory exercises to correct the underlying problem by strengthening parts of the brain that are
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Artefacts from all eras of the Toronto District School Board’s past can be found in a collection that includes everything from desks from some of the early schools to computers. Displays, like the one on corporal punishment, at right, bring the past to life and give students an opportunity to see how much has changed over the years. Many famous artists, including Tom Thomson, have donated examples of their works to our schools.
underperforming and impacting a range of learning problems from reading, writing, problem solving, reasoning, comprehension, non-verbal learning, attention, dyslexia, working memory and processing speed. Upon completion of the program students mainstream with no further curriculum modification. Sarah who could not read is now an architect. Jane who struggled with writing is now a journalist. Bob who could not
problem solve is now a systems analyst. Dan who struggled with understanding numbers is a successful venture capitalist. The power of changing the brain through the Arrowsmith cognitive program is that it gives the individual the capacity to learn effectively for the rest of his or her life. If you would like more information about our program or testing please contact Daina Luszczek at 416-963-4962 or by email at info@arrowsmithschool.org.
Bayview Glen School Bayview Glen - Whole Child. Whole Life. Whole World. 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 escia/to francis cr
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a sense of community that includes students, parents, faculty and staff. The goal of the programme is to develop the whole child by nurturing selfesteem, 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.
Blyth Education Make a Fresh Start at Blyth this fall! Experiential. Engaging. Empowering. Blyth Academy provides a first-class high school education at a price you can afford. Class sizes are small – on average 8. Our highly specialized, Ontario-certified faculty bring a global perspective to the classroom, mentoring students and preparing them for university success. We focus on the whole student by providing well-rounded programming and unique
learning opportunities such as our ROM studies, integrated study abroad and co-op programming. We offer a full complement of extra-curriculars and community service opportunities and encourage personal wellness through sports, a free gym membership and a Sony e-Reader for every student. Strong communication with families and our online reporting system keep students on track. All this, combined
with superior counselling, means that 99% of our graduates receive admission at their first-choice post-secondary institutions. To learn more about our campuses in Yorkville, Thornhill, Lawrence Park and the ROM, visit www.blytheducation.com, call us at 416-960-3552, or join us at one of our information sessions across Ontario. We believe our educational model transforms and delivers. You’ll see.
Branksome Hall Branksome Hall. Be Remarkable.
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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 emphasis on inquiry-based learning prepares young women to face the challenges and opportunities of our ever-changing world. And yes, our graduates are welcomed by stellar universities across Canada and around the globe.
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. FALL 2010 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier
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Your perfect school
Your perfect school Fieldstone Day School
Central Montessori School Central Montessori School helps children reach their full potential Central Montessori School (CMS) is a nondenominational, co-educational private school that offers a Montessori learning environment 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 methods to help children "learn how to learn," thus gaining independence and selfconfidence. During various stages of our Casa program, 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 concepts much more quickly. In our Elementary classrooms, we introduce hands-on material to assist in understanding concepts before they are committed to memory. Physical education, arts, French and various extra curricular activities help our students to achieve a holistic higher standard of education. The school follows a high quality, accredited 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 School 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.
Children’s Garden Nursery School Nursery and Kindergarten Programs Are Our Specialty! In our original location since 1986, Children’s Garden Nursery School has been providing a vibrant, loving and nurturing atmosphere where children are introduced to both academic and social life. The ultimate goal of the school is to foster the things that enable young individuals to reach their full potential; independence, confidence, cooperation and respect. Bright and friendly classrooms, small group ratios, exceptionally dedicated 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 Nursery or Kindergarten aged child. • Looking for a Kindergarten program that will help prepare your child for Grade One? We offer both five morning and five afternoon Kindergarten programs. • For those children enrolled in morning Public School for French Immersion or
Regular Kindergarten, we also offer two or three afternoon Kindergarten Enrichment. A unique individual learning philosophy provides the children with an opportunity to develop reading, writing and math skills at their own pace. • For more information about our programs, call 416-488-4298 or visit our website at www.childrensgarden.ca We are located on Bayview Ave, 1 traffic light north of Eglinton.
Crescent School Crescent School: A Unique Educational Experience for Boys A school for boys since 1913, Crescent is committed to developing 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 responsibility. They combine a challenging academic program with a superior array of co-curricular
opportunities designed to allow each boy to find and develop his unique abilities. Students, in turn, strive for excellence and actively seek leadership opportunities in some aspect of school life. Community service and global outreach are integral components of Crescent’s broad educational program. Our school values – respect, responsibility, honesty and com-
passion – guide the actions and decisions of faculty and students alike. We encourage our community to ask of themselves and of others – locally, nationally and internationally – “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. Please visit www.crescentschool.org
Crestwood Preparatory College Meet the challenges of the 21st century Crestwood Preparatory College continues to educate young men and women with great energy and enthusiasm. Families are drawn to the caring and diligent staff. Superb academic and co-curricular programs draw students interested not only in University careers and a full and enriching high school experience. We offer excellent school facilities and an unwavering ambition to produce successful university students who
will go on to happy and productive adult careers. Academic content in all subject areas is advanced. Students who demonstrate particular aptitude in both academic and non-academic areas are given every opportunity to develop their skills and interests. Teachers strive daily to inspire critical thinking, underline the importance of effort and process, and encourage the habits of good citizenship. Lessons and values related
to family and community are never far from our students’ lives. Through the experienced leadership of our Principal, Mr. Vince Pagano, and Vice Principals Mr. David Hecock and Mr. Phil Santomero, Crestwood Preparatory College will provide universitybound students with the tools necessary to meet the challenges of the 21st century. For more information please call us at 416-391-1441 or visit www.crestwoodprepco.com.
Crestwood School Crestwood School - 31 years of challenging young minds Crestwood School practises the traditional art of teaching by challenging young minds to learn and by structuring experiences that make learning possible. The school’s philosophy is based on triedand-true methods of teaching the basics, thus providing students with a solid foundation in the three Rs. Homework and development
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of students’ 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 call us at 416444-5858 or visit www.crestwoodschool.com
Fieldstone – In A Class Of Its Own! Fieldstone Day School has the distinction of being Canada’s only “Global Knowledge” private school for students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6, and was recently accredited by Cambridge University, in the United Kingdom, as the first school in Canada to deliver the Cambridge Curriculum from Grades 7 to 12. Cambridge diploma courses
will be offered beginning this fall, allowing Fieldstone students the unique opportunity to earn their Ontario Secondary School Diploma in addition to a University of Cambridge International Certificate of Education (AICE), recognized globally as a mark of academic excellence. The world renowned Cambridge Curriculum together with the rich and
innovative Global Knowledge curriculum will enable Fieldstone students to acquire a broad foundation of knowledge that is essential to a successful adult life. Small classes, individualized attention, challenging curriculum and outstanding teachers place Fieldstone Day School at the top of the class. www.fieldstonedayschool.org
Greenwood College School Greenwood students are encouraged to be individuals Greenwood College School is where kids love learning and can thrive without compromising their individuality. A dynamic staff creates the school’s innovative and welcoming environment, combining the highest academic standards with character-building experiences in the community and outdoors. We offer a strong academic curriculum for boys
and girls in Grades 7 through 12, and believe that who is being taught is just as important as what is being taught. Our teachers aim to make academic achievement both relevant and engaging through differentiated instruction, technology and authentic contexts. Experiential education is a core component of the curriculum, which includes Outdoor Education,
Community Ser vice, Co-Opera tive Education and national and international trips and exchanges. With a continuing emphasis on community inside and outside the school, life at Greenwood develops socially responsible individuals, each prepared to make his or her own unique mark on the world. Please visit us at www.greenwoodcollege.com
Hawthorn School for Girls We teach the mind academic knowledge and the heart what to do with it. Spend ten minutes inside our welcoming halls and we believe you’ll find that enrolling your daughter here is giving her a rare gift. Maybe it’s because the teachers’ devoted, nurturing approach to classroom instruction leads you to wonder if every child in the class is, in fact,
her own. Or perhaps it’s seeing the result of individual attention in the form of our self-confident, independent girls. Most likely, however, it’s observing our staunch commitment to an integral education. We place as much importance on developing good character as achieving aca-
demic excellence. Because we believe that while academic knowledge will get your daughter through university, a strong moral character will get her through life. Please visit www.hawthornschool.com or call Mary Romanelli at 416-444-2900. We look forward to seeing you!
Hudson College Dedicated to developing the whole child Looking for a new school? At Hudson College we offer a challenging, nurturing & 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 its excellence by the Ontario Ministry of Education, our balanced curriculum meets & exceeds Ministry guidelines.
Our small class sizes & promise of a Total Personal Support system dedicated to developing the whole child ensure that all students receive the kind of individual attention needed to develop their special skills, strengths & personal interests. Our dedicated & experienced faculty care deeply about our students & their education. They share a true passion for teaching, participating in all aspects of school life as mentors, coaches & leaders.
Situated on a large, quiet, airconditioned campus in central Toronto, our modern facility features spacious classrooms, large gymnasium, state-ofthe-art computer & science labs, music & fine arts rooms. We also offer Advanced Placement courses in senior-level Math, English, Business & Science. www.hudsoncollege.ca admissions@hudsoncollege.ca 416-631-0082
La Citadelle
Hudson’s balanced curriculum is rich in sports, languages, sciences, music & the arts.
La Citadelle, an exceptional bilingual IB private school. La Citadelle International Academy of Arts and Science is a unique bilingual private school in Toronto that was founded ten years ago on a clear vision of international education, rooted in the fundamental concepts of Canadian bilingualism, holistic education and a spirit of excellence. La Citadelle International Academy of Arts & Science offers an efficient educational setting based on student-centered classrooms with an optimal student to teacher ratio, attention to individual students, experienced and devoted teachers and specialized facilities. The growing reputation of La Citadelle,
acknowledged by its recent IB accreditation, is founded on an exceptionally caring environment, an advanced curriculum from pre-kindergarten to university entrance and a comprehensive and balanced program leading to mastery learning in French, English and a third language (Spanish or Mandarin), Liberal Arts, Mathematics and Science and some unique courses such as Computer Music, Method of Study and Character Education. With three years of total French instruction at the kindergarten level and seven years of bilingual instruction at the
elementary level, students acquire the skills and knowledge required to start a five-year (30+credits) advanced secondary education that has been customized to offer them a very solid foundation to successfully pursue higher learning in the most prominent universities around the world. Open House: The last Thursday of every month at 10:00a.m. & 2:00p.m. 15 Mallow Road, Toronto, M3B 1G2 tel/fax:416-385-9685 info@lacitadelleacademy.com www.lacitadelleacademy.com FALL2010 2010 EDUCATION EDUCATIONGUIDE GUIDETown TownCrier Crier 29 29 FALL
Your perfect school
Your perfect school
Maria Montessori School
St. Michael’s College School
Maria Montessori - a unique alternative to traditional learning As with all schools, academic facility is important to the Montessori philosophy. Maria Montessori School graduates 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 classrooms, 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.
Marilyn Webb Nursery School Marilyn Webb Nursery School
and Don Mills area. Our trained and experienced staff provide a variety of learning opportunities throughout the morning. Children are encouraged to develop social and communication skills, pre literacy, letter and number recognition and basic math concepts. Self help skills are developed through many of our classroom routines. We offer children an environment in which they have the maximum poten-
tial to experience secure, stimulating, healthy and enjoyable opportunities for growth. The emphasis of our program is learning, friendship and fun. Registrations are made on a first come, first served basis. Register early as spaces fill up fast. For more information, please contact Fran at 416-443-9414, or visit www.uppercanadachildcare.com.
Metropolitan Preparatory Academy 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 cre-
atively, 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 28 years, Metro Prep’s has been preparing children for the academics of university and the skills needed for lifelong success. Preparation begins NOW! Please visit www.metroprep.com.
Montcrest School - How did you grow today?
Learning through the arts at Montcrest School.
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 imagination. 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 leadership, character education and community service. Small classes for children with learning disabilities are offered from Grades 2 to 8. Fo r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n p l e a s e call 416-469-2008 or visit us at www.montcrest.on.ca.
EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010
The IB Primary Years Programme is the core of learning at Sunnybrook School. Our international curriculum is designed to foster active, caring, knowledgeable citizens of the world. This learning begins close to home, and over the primary years it grows in ever larger circles to embrace the world. At Sunnybrook we teach 21st century skills and knowledge to boys and girls
from JK through to grade 6. Our graduates, who all move on to the schools of their choice are our best ambassadors. We are thrilled to announce we are expanding our facilities, to open in September 2011. The addition will include 4 new classrooms, as well as an art/drama studio, a French room and a Music room. We also look forward to the expansion of our
beautiful playground. Enrolment will remain the same, as we believe that small schools are best suited to fill the learning needs of young children and their families. Our dynamic, nurturing school is about to become both bigger and better. Please visit, so you can experience the Sunnybrook community of learners in action. www.sunnybrookschool.com
Focus on learning disabilities at 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 lan-
guage difficulties. Through individualized programs and a low student-to-teacher ratio, The Dunblaine School helps students realize their full potential. Direct Instruction methodology, indi-
vidual tutorials, music, social skills and other professional services are emphasized features of our program. For more information, please contact the school at 416-483-9215 or visit us at www.dunblaineschool.com "The Enjoyment of Learning"
The Junior Academy, founded in 1988, continues to offer a unique small school environment to their students in a new facility at 2454 Bayview Avenue, which opened in 2008. The Junior Academy is committed to providing students in JK to Grade 8 with both small classes and a smaller school environment in which the dif-
ferent learning styles of students are acknowledged and addressed. Our best references are always our families, past and present. Experienced and dedicated teachers are our foundation, and a commitment to extracurricular activities and community service enriches the learning environment.
“I can confidently say my children’s academic, moral and emotional needs are being met everyday! Their confidence, abilities and love of learning are a direct result of the superior quality in teaching and atmosphere the Junior Academy provides.” Please visit our website at www.junioracademy.com
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.
The Linden School
A balanced approach to education
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Why parents are excited about Sunnybrook School
Junior Academy, Small School...Big Family
St. Clement’s School St. Clement’s School is where tomorrow’s women learn. Since 1901, SCS has developed women of character by encouraging academic excellence, self-confidence, leadership, and independent thinking in an enriching, supportive environment. Known for its strong academic program, St. Clement’s School has Ontario’s most extensive Advanced Placement program. Comprehensive academics, com-
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. For more information, please contact our Admissions Office at 416-653-3180, Ext. 195 or Ext. 438 or visit us on the web: www.stmichaelscollegeschool.com.
The Junior Academy
Montcrest School Montcrest School is a co-educational, elementary day school, overlooking Riverdale Park in the Broadview and Danforth area of Toronto. The challenging core curriculum is taught in a structured and nurturing environment. Students receive individual attention and excellent instruction in small class sizes. The arts are an integral element of the curriculum. Students benefit
the teachings of the Catholic Church and a demanding curriculum that extends beyond the classroom into our diverse array of co-curricular programs. Our campus is fully networked and offers students an opportunity to make use of modern research tools, electronic study aids, and state-of-the-art athletic, drama and music facilities.
The Dunblaine School
Metro Prep Academy: 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,
Founded in 1852 by the Basilian Fathers, St. Michael’s College School stands as Ontario’s only independent Catholic school for young men. The school offers an enriched, Catholic, liberal arts program that prepares young men for university and to carry on as leaders in their community. Our mission is to educate the whole person through
Sunnybrook School
Learning, friendship and fun at Marilyn Webb Operated by Upper Canada Child Care, Marilyn Webb Nursery School is named in honour of our first teacher who retired in 1995 and set the high standards continued in our program today. The Nursery School operates Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 11:30 am. Parents may choose 2 to 5 mornings per week. The Marilyn Webb Nursery School is located in Three Valleys Public School, in a quiet neighbourhood in the York Mills
Teach Me Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge.
bined with the school’s rich co-curricular program, ensure that “Clementines” are prepared for the challenges of the world’s leading universities. The school’s vibrant facilities include a performance and lecture hall, a dance/drama studio, two gymnasiums, a bright and inviting library, state-of-the-art science laboratories, and more – all reflecting the varied activities of SCS students. SCS has recently devel-
Where girls find their voice oped and launched LINCWell, a comprehensive program of student enrichment and support that includes the creation of two beautifully-designed student centres. With its motto, “Learn well, Lead well, Live well,” LINCWell offers a school-wide integrated approach to education helping students to sustain high academic standards, creativity, health, and wellness. Please visit scs.on.ca
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
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Your perfect school
Your perfect school Trinity College School
The Sterling Hall School
Considering the boarding school advantage
The Sterling Hall School, you’ve come to the right place. At The Sterling Hall School we genuinely care for your boy. We have the lowest student to teacher ratio of any boys’ school in Toronto, with specialists on-hand in art, physical education, science and technology. Your son will receive the individualized attention he deserves in a small class setting where his voice will not just be heard,
but recognized. The Sterling Hall School is home to excellent academics, leadership opportunities and a stimulating array of extracurricular activities – all designed to create students who become today’s critical thinkers and tomorrow’s innovative leaders. Our dynamic, accessible teachers are
extraordinary mentors, truly committed to our guiding principle of providing an environment that nurtures your boy’s mind, body and spirit. The school has an enrolment of 310 boys under the leadership of Principal Ian Robinson. Contact Claire Reed 416-785-3410 ext. 238, email admissions@sterlinghall.com or visit us at www.sterlinghall.com.
Toronto French School riculum. As early as age 2 and all the way to university entrance, TFS helps its students develop outstanding skills in both French and English. Fewer than 10% of new students have a French-language background when they enroll at TFS, but all are bilingual when they graduate. Our introductory program, offered from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 7, successfully integrates students with no back-
ground in French. The co-curricular program at TFS includes recreational and competitive sports, music, visual and dramatic arts and leadership activities. Students benefit from exceptional facilities and a diverse, non-denominational environment. We have two campuses: Toronto and Mississauga. If education means the world to you, visit www.tfs.ca.
a strong competitive edge in preparation for the demands of their post-secondary studies. Grades 9 -12. AP, SAT and TOEFL prep. classes available. Summer school offered in July & August. 416-924-1011 or yb@tiaschools.com Preparing for success starts at TIA. www.tiaschools.com
ability and, most of all, engagement. Our school encourages students to be themselves and recognizes that instruction is only effective when it can be attached to meaningful experience. Not only do we promote thought, we also promote thoughtfulness. We don’t believe in cliques. We don’t believe in
his own personal passions and strengths. With a 100 per cent university placement rate, our graduates will be ready for a meaningful, fulfilling future. We’re especially qualified to prepare our boys, thanks to our “big school” opportunities with a “small school” personal approach. Our teachers bring the latest skills and knowledge to the classroom, as well as
a commitment that’s truly enduring and inspiring. As the country’s leading and oldest independent boys’ school, UCC graduates receive both the International Baccalaureate Diploma and the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Student aid is available. Discover UCC: www.ucc.on.ca Contact Chantal Kenny, executive director of Admission, at 416-488-1125, ext. 4123.
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-secondary school education. We are committed to engaging each one of our students and will
WillowWood School has been delivering student-centred, individualized education in a warm and caring environment for thirty years. We’ve been ahead of the educational curve by recognizing, since our inception, that one size does not fit all, and that students flourish when their school embraces their strengths, addresses their needs and
respects their dignity. This approach has paid off for decades of graduates who have gone on to post-secondary experiences of all types. WillowWood grads, filled with self-knowledge, self-confidence and strength, go on to engage dreams of all kinds: university degrees, college diplomas, start-up businesses, careers in the arts, healthy fami-
lies, and much more. WillowWood’s small classes, dedicated teachers, robust program offerings and full curriculum make it a perfect school for all kinds of learners, from Grades One to Twelve. For more information call 4164 4 4 - 7 6 4 4 o r v i s i t o u r We b s i t e www.willowwoodschool.ca
The YMCA Academy
Experienced faculty engages minds at Toronto Prep
EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010
At Upper Canada College, we believe in preparing our boys for a changing world – for a tomorrow where character and creativity will be as important as discipline and knowledge. Through world-class academics, athletics facilities (including a new state-of-the-art arena) and programs, the arts, community service initiatives and more, we provide each student with an environment to thrive and discover
Thirty Years of Student Success labels. You see the result in our students’ respect for their teachers and each other as individuals. We prepare students, better than all others, for success at the post secondary level. We treat our students like the adults that they will become. www.torontonewschool.com
Toronto Prep School
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and public service. Admission to UTS is based on academic and overall performance. Financial accessibility is supported through a generously endowed bursary fund, to which families may apply, and which has been set in place to provide opportunities for qualified applicants. Please visit www.utschools.ca
WillowWood School
New School in Historic Setting
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 environment designed to prepare students not just for admission to university, but for success - both in the postsecondary arena and in later life. Toronto Prep is built upon the belief that
social responsibility. Virtually all UTS graduates are admitted to highly-selective North American colleges and universities, many on scholarships. UTS is renowned for educating generations of outstanding graduates including two Nobel Laureates, 22 Rhodes Scholars and numerous leaders in commerce, industry, academics, the arts, sports, government
Meaningful futures start at Upper Canada College
Toronto New School The Toronto New School, Located in the historic Massey Mansion, is an intimate learning environment in which each student acquires confidence, intellectual tools, life skills and adaptable habits of mind. Our teachers and students are on a first name basis, promoting trust, account-
University of Toronto Schools (UTS) is a co-educational university preparatory school, grades 7 through 12, affiliated with the University of Toronto. Located on U of T’s St. George Campus, UTS offers high achieving students a specialized curriculum and a unique learning environment that encourages creative interests and physical activity as well as a sense of
Upper Canada College
Proper study habits lead to success. Do you have them? With a maximum of nine students per class, we set high standards for strong work ethics, integrity, self-motivation, independent thinking, and self-respect. As part of our curricular programs, we also offer scheduled tutorial sessions to help students advance their study skills in Math, Science and English. Graduates have
necessity to form lasting business contacts and friendships and the need for a global perspective and superior communication skills, the international community offered by a boarding school is the ideal setting for fostering such attributes and opportunities. Excerpt from Headlines, a blog by Trinity College School Headmaster Stuart Grainger - www.tcs.on.ca/headlines
A unique learning environment for high achieving students
Toronto International Academy - Yonge & Bloor Campus Every student has the potential for success. We help our students realize their success by putting a focus on proper study habits. At TIA, we provide a strong support team. Our highly qualified teachers and guidance counsellors work with students to create a healthy, respectful and challenging learning environment.
At Trinity College School our own data regarding university placements, scholarship offers from universities and parental feedback is similarly supportive of the added value of a boarding education. Typically, over 60% of students in our graduating class are offered university scholarships. Within a reality that sees increased competition for university placement, the
University of Toronto Schools
TFS Delivers Excellence in French and English Bilingual and co-educational, Toronto French School delivers an enriched curriculum with an international perspective and an emphasis on academic excellence and personal development. Our students prepare for the International Baccalaureate Diploma and students here have the option of pursuing a bilingual IB. TFS is renowned for its bilingual cur-
A recent study by The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) demonstrated that graduates credit boarding for making them better people and leaders. And when asked if they believed themselves to be academically prepared for college or university, 87% of boarding students responded in the affirmative, while only 39% of their public school counterparts could say the same.
provide them with the best learning environment. Let us help your child achieve and maintain academic success. Consider our program if you are interested in an academically rigorous and structured environment dedicated to challenging and nurturing your child. Contact us a t www.torontoprepschool.com.
The YMCA Academy: Learning that makes a difference. The YMCA Academy is a small, innovative secondary school in the heart of downtown Toronto. Created to respond to the unique learning needs facing many young people today, the curriculum integrates academic credits with practical life skills. Our personal approach and specialized programs
are ideally suited for students with mild learning disabilities, learning style differences or need for remediation. Small class sizes, a team of highly skilled teachers and up-to-date computer and science labs ensure a high quality of learning strategies that work for our students.
Enrolment at the school includes: membership at YMCA Health, Fitness and Recreation facilities, adventure camp experiences, workplace internships and mentors, co-operative education and small group remediation. Call us at 416-928-0124 or e-mail us at: tracey.addison@ymcagta.org FALL 2010 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier
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Open House Schedule for Private & Independent Schools SCHOOL
DATE
TIME
CONTACT INFO SCHOOL
Arrowsmith School Wed., Sept. 15, 2010 7:00pm Wed., Oct. 13, 2010 Wed., Nov. 17, 2010 Wed., Dec. 8, 2010 www.arrowsmithschool.org Bayview Glen Sat., Oct. 23, 2010 1:00pm - 3:00pm www.bayviewglen.ca Blyth Academy Lawrence Park Campus www.blytheducation.com Wed., Sept. 22, 2010 7:00pm - 8:00pm Branksome Hall Grade 7 - 11 www.branksome.on.ca Tues., Oct. 26, 2010 9:00am - 11:00am 5:00pm - 7:00pm JK - Grade 6 Wed., Nov. 3, 2010 9:00am - 11:00am 5:00pm - 7:00pm Central Montessori School Thurs. ALL 5 Locations 9:00am - 4:00pm www.cmschool.net Children's Garden Nursery School Fri., Oct. 15, 2010 5:00pm - 7:00pm www.childrensgarden.ca Crescent School Lower School 9:30am - 11:30am www.crescentschool.org (Grades 3-6) Thurs., Oct. 28, 2010 Thurs., Nov. 25, 2010 Middle & Upper School 9:30am - 11:30am (Grades 7-12) Thurs., Oct. 21, 2010 Tues., Nov. 23, 2010 Crestwood Preparatory College Thurs., Nov. 4, 2010 7:00pm www.crestwoodprepco.com Crestwood School Please call for information www.crestwoodschool.com Fieldstone School Wed., Sept. 22, 2010 9:00am - 11:00am www.fieldstonedayschool.org Wed., Oct. 13, 2010 9:00am - 11:00am Wed., Oct. 27, 2010 9:00am - 11:00am and 7:00pm - 8:00pm Greenwood College School Grade 7 Open House www.greenwoodcollege.com Thurs., Oct. 14, 2010 9:00am - 12:00pm Hawthorn School for Girls Sat., Oct. 2, 2010 10:00am - 12:00pm www.hawthornschool.com Thurs., Oct. 28, 2010 10:00am - 11:30am and 6:00pm - 8:00pm Fri., Nov. 19, 2010 10:00am - 11:30am Hudson College Sat., Oct. 16, 2010 12:00pm - 4:00pm www.hudsoncollege.ca Sat., Oct. 30 , 2010 12:00pm - 4:00pm Sat., Nov. 6 , 2010 12:00pm - 4:00pm Sat., Nov. 20 , 2010 12:00pm - 4:00pm Kohai Please call for information www.kohai.ca La Citadelle Open House Last 10:00am & 2:00pm www.lacitadelleacademy.com Thursday Every Month Maria Montessori School Tues., Sept. 21, 2010 6:00pm - 8:00pm www.mariamontessori.ca Tues., Oct. 19 & Nov. 23, 2010 6:00pm - 8:00pm
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EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010
DATE
TIME
CA N A DA’S L A R G EST PR I VAT E S C H O O L E X P O S
HALTON-PEEL TORONTO
CONTACT INFO
416-963-4962 Marilyn Webb Nursery School Please call for information 416-443-9414 www.uppercanadachildcare.com Metropolitan Preparatory Academy Thurs, Oct. 28, 2010 7:00pm - 9:00pm 416-285-0870 www.metroprep.com Thurs., Oct. 21, 2010 4:30pm - 7:30pm 416-469-2008 Montcrest School 416-443-1030 www.montcrest.on.ca 9:30am - 11:00am Fri., Nov. 19, 2010 Mrs. Parks School Please call for information 416-424-2135 416-960-3552 www.mrs-parksschool.com 416-482-4131 Our Kids Private School Expos Register online at www.ourkids.net/expo 416-920-6265 www.ourkids.net Halton / Peel Sun., Oct. 3, 2010 12:00pm - 4:00pm Toronto 11:00am - 3:00pm Sat., Oct. 16, 2010 8:30am - 11:00am 416-483-4835 St. Clement’s School Fri., Oct. 22, 2010 www.scs.on.ca Fri., Nov. 19, 2010 8:30am - 11:00am 416-250-1022 St. Michael’s College School Tues., Oct. 19, 2010 7:30pm - 9:00pm 416-653-3180 www.stmichaelscollegeschool.com Wed., Oct. 27, 2010 7:30pm - 9:00pm 416-488-4298 Sunnybrook School Thurs., Oct. 21, 2010 1:30pm - 3:00pm 416-487-5308 1:30pm - 3:00pm www.sunnybrookschool.com Wed., Nov. 10, 2010 416-449-2556 The Dunblaine School Please call for information 416-483-9215 www.dunblaineschool.com Thurs., Oct., 21, 2010 10:00am - 2:00pm 416-425-4567 The Junior Academy www.junioracademy.com 6:00pm - 8:00pm Wed., Nov., 10, 2010 10:00am - 2:00pm 6:00pm - 8:00pm The Linden School Fri., Nov. 5, 2010 9:00am - 12:00pm 416-966-4406 www.lindenschool.ca 416-391-1441 The Sterling Hall School Tues., Oct. 26, 2010 9:00am - 12:30pm 416-785-3410 www.sterlinghall.com 416-444-5858 7:00pm - 9:00pm 416-928-0124 The YMCA Academy Wed., Oct. 20, 2010 www.ymcaacademy.org 416-486-4530 Junior School: (Age 2 - Grade 5) 416-484-6980 Toronto French School 9:30am ext. 4247 www.tfs.ca Wed., Oct. 20, 2010 Thurs., Nov. 18, 2010 7:30pm Senior School: (Grades 6 - University Entrance) Wed., Nov. 17, 2010 9:30am 416-482-9811 416-924-1011 Toronto International Academy Please call for a visit www.tiaschools.com 416-444-2900 Mon., Sept. 20, 2010 6:30pm - 8:30pm 416-960-1867 Toronto New School www.torontonewschool.com 416-545-1020 Sat., Oct. 23, 2010 11:00am - 2:00pm Toronto Prep School www.torontoprepschool.com Thurs., Nov. 11, 2010 6:30pm - 8:30pm Trinity in Action 905-885-3209 416-631-0082 Trinity College School Registration Required www.tcs.on.ca Sat., Nov. 20, 2010 University of Toronto Schools Sat., Oct. 23, 2010 10:00am - 2:00pm 416-946-7995 www.utschools.ca 9:30am - 12:00pm 416-488-1125 416-489-3636 Upper Canada College Thurs., Nov. 4, 2010 www.ucc.on.ca Fri., Nov. 5, 2010 9:30am - 12:00pm 416-444-7644 Thurs., Nov. 18, 2010 7:00pm - 8:30pm 416-385-9685 WillowWood School www.willowwoodschool.ca 20th Birthday Celebration/Reunion 416-486-4911 416-423-9123 Yes I Can! www.yesicannurseryschool.com Sat., Oct. 23, 2010
MEET TOP K-12 SCHOOLS
`
FREE INFORMATION SEMINARS
`
“HOW TO CHOOSE A SCHOOL”
october 3
october 16
HALTON-PEEL OAKVILLE CONFERENCE CENTRE 12:00 P.M. TO 4:00 P.M.
TORONTO ROY THOMSON HALL 11:00 A.M. TO 3:00 P.M.
register online
for free admission ($10 at door)
www.ourkids.net/expo SPONSORED BY
HALTON-PEEL EXPO EXHIBITING SCHOOLS Appleby College Athol Murray College of Notre Dame Bronte College of Canada Buffalo Seminary Chisholm Academy Dearcroft Montessori School Fairview Glen Montessori Fern Hill School - Oakville Glenburnie School Gow School Halton Waldorf School Hamilton Academy of Performing Arts Hillfield Strathallan College Holy Name of Mary College School Karas French Immersion School Kingsway College School Lakefield College School Lynn-Rose Heights Private School MacLachlan College Meadow Green Academy Mentor College Oakville Christian School (OCS) Rotherglen School - MISSISSAUGA Rotherglen School - OAKVILLE Sommerville Manor School St. Jude’s Academy St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School Star Academy Storm King School Team School Toronto French School TORONTO EXPO EXHIBITING SCHOOLS Abelard School Academy for Gifted Children - P.A.C.E Alderwood Toronto Private School Appleby College Athol Murray College of Notre Dame Bayview Glen Bishop Strachan School Bond Academy Branksome Hall Buffalo Seminary Central Montessori Schools CGS Chisholm Academy Citadelle International Academy of Arts and Science Cornerstone Montessori Prep School Country Day School Crescent School Crestwood Preparatory College Crestwood School Discovery Academy Dragon Academy Fieldstone School Giles School Gow School Great Lakes Christian High School Greenwood College School Grier School Havergal College Hawthorn School for Girls Holy Trinity School Humberside Montessori School J. Addison School John F. Kennedy International School Junior Academy Kildonan School Kingsway College School Linden School Lycée Français de Toronto Maple Crest Private School Maplebrook School Mentor College Metropolitan Preparatory Academy Montcrest School MPS Etobicoke Northmount School Pinehurst School Renaissance Academy Richland Academy Robert Land Academy Rosedale Day School Royal St. George’s College Shoore Centre for Learning St. Clement’s School St. Peter’s ACHS College School Sterling Hall School Storm King School Sunnybrook School Team School TMS Toronto Montessori Schools Toronto French Montessori Toronto French School Toronto German School Toronto New School Trafalgar Castle School Trinity College School Upper Canada College Villanova College WillowWood School York School
FALL 2010 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier
35
AFTER SCHOOL
Having a field day
ACTIVITIES
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photo courtesy wonderful world of circus
Three A+ students.
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Learn to skate at any age! UÊÊ+Õ> ÌÞÊà >Ì }Ê«À }À> ÃÊÌ>Õ} ÌÊLÞÊ - >ÌiÊ > >`> ViÀÌ wi`ÊV >V ià UÊ À Ê«Ài ÃV ÊÌ ÊV «iÌ Ì ÛiÊ
You can't change the wind...but you can adjust the sails.
Achieving below potential? francis crescia/town crier
FUN FUN FUN! Students from Sunnybrook School worked together in teams to compete against one another and build school spirit during their annual field day in Serena Gundy park. Teams challenged one another in many of the traditional games including potato sack and egg and spoon races as well as some lesser-known favourites.
36
EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010
• Attention Span is Short • Distractibility • Difficulty Organizing & Completing Work • Impulsivity • Learning Difficulties • Asperger’s syndrome
,i} ÃÌiÀÊÃ
Which one has ADD? Neurofeedback plus coaching in Learning Strategies can provide a lasting improvement in learning. Research results are available.
Director: Dr. Lynda M. Thompson (416) 488-2233 Co-author with pediatrician Wm. Sears of The A.D.D. Book www.adcentre.com
>ÃÃiÃÊV i ViÊ Ê-i«Ìi LiÀ
ÀÊ ÀiÊ v À >Ì ]ÊV Ì>VÌÊÕÃÊ>ÌÊ 416.481.7325 or foresthill1@bellnet.ca
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FALL 2010 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier
37
On pointe
Dance doesn’t need to be cutthroat
Serving the greater Toronto community for over 40 years!
Register Now for Fall 2010 and Winter & Spring 2011
Frank’s Swim School is serving as interim aquatic facilities for the ProssermanJCC and Schwartz/Reisman Centre
W NLS & Instructor Courses W Parents and Tots 3 - 24 months old W Lifesaving Society of Canada swim and lifesaving courses W Special 1 hour swim team W Featuring different special teaching pool-types to suit each student’s ability needs. W Teaching each child according to their needs W Excellent 3:1 student-teacher ratio W We make up all missed classes
Instructor positions available. Please call the office.
Ballet without the competition By Kelly Gadzala
C
ompetition in the world of dance may seem to go together like Fred and Ginger, but not all dance schools are as cutthroat as an episode of So You Think You Can Dance?. Martha Hicks has built a business on her recreational, non-competitive approach to teaching dance. “Dance is competitive enough,” says Hicks. “Why compete?” She clearly disdains what she calls the expensive and showy world of competitive dance. But even though her school, The Martha Hicks School of Ballet, prides itself on its noncompetitive approach, rivalry and disappointment can rear their heads. There are six school companies that students have to audition for and students also need to be approved to take exams.
Disappointments can range higher than a grande battement, to be sure. The most contentious topic in the school, perhaps, is when students reach the age of 12 and are streamed into either the recreational or the more intensive dance stream for jazz or ballet. They do their best to downplay the differences between the two, says Hicks, but since a lot of students aspire to be in the more advanced group, managing expectations can be really hard. But having the two categories is important, she says. If anything, she suggests, it encourages students to be confident in who they are. “If you put them all together, no one wins.” Those in the recreational stream are too selfconscious if students from the other stream take classes with them, for one.
Not surprisingly, perhaps, a large chunk of Hicks’ time is spent on the phone with overprotective parents whose kids want to move up to the intensive stream but who haven’t been recommended to do so. It’s a tough situation, she acknowledges, though she’ll sometimes capitulate — and sometimes she won’t as her biggest concern is acting in the best interests of the student. So much so that she’ll even ask parents if their child can handle being the weakest dancer on stage at the end-of-year show. “There’s lessons for the parents as well as the kids,” she says, somewhat cryptically.
“Dance is competitive enough.”
Musical Moments with Sophie Bell for 6 mos - 10 yr. olds learning that:
c a p t u r e s cultivates e l b e rates c
a young child’s musical expression
Central locations www.sophiebell.ca
(416)484-7798 38
EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010
photo courtesy The martha hicks school of ballet
THE RIGHT PATH: While The Martha Hicks School of Ballet streams its students into recreational and intensive programs at age 12, the decision is based in part on what’s best for the pupil.
SKATE AT LEASIDE
photo cour tesy The ma rtha hicks school of ballet
“Parents appreciate that we protect their (kids’) self esteem.” The goal, she says, is to make kids comfortable enough so they want to perform. That philosophy even extends to the primary and JK level grades, who don’t perform their end-of-year piece on the stage but instead inside the studio, with the windows blacked out. “We used to put three-year olds on the stage,” she says. “They peed.” And, more than good posture, passed exams and great technique, what comes out of the experience is a closely-knit community of students, many of whom have been in the school since they were three years old. By the time students graduate at age 17, they feel comfortable in their own skins, she says, and have formed great relationships with each other and their teachers. Some who go on to train professionally in dance return to choreograph, while others who don’t pursue dance come back and take drop-in classes. “There’s so much more going on than dance,” she says. “There’s really a great feeling of camaraderie.” Still, Hicks is no softy. As a teacher she’s strict, telling the story of refusing to teach her teenage daughters when they gave her teen attitude. “I’m pretty intense when I teach,” she says.
s A fun-filled environment with nationally certified coaches s Low skater:coach ratio – maximum 6:1 s Learn-to-skate programs for all ages (4 years and up) and levels of ability s Skate Canada Star test level figure skating program s Synchronized skating teams s Fall Power Skating program NEW s Proudly serving the Leaside community for 58 years
Register online (after August 1, 2010) at www.leasideskatingclub.com Or at our registration evening on Wednesday September 22, 2010 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the Leaside Arena, 1073 Millwood Rd. (at Laird) For additional information please email: info@leasideskatingclub.com
CLUB
FALL 2010 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier
39
Your kids may have told you that they want to be Game Programmers when they grow up! This is not a fantasy since the combined market for mobile, online, console and computer games is expected to exceed 76 billion dollars by 2013.
Presto!
THIS FALL, YOUR KIDS CAN LEARN TO PROGRAM VIDEO GAMES LIKE PROS! At Real Programming 4 Kids™ your child or teen can learn University level Game Programming and simultaneously use elegant Math applications within game coding! This happens because there are never more than 4 kids to an instructor.
During our evening and Saturday weekly classes in Toronto & Richmond Hill, we will teach your 7 to 17 year-olds REAL PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES including; Visual Basic, Java, C#, XNA, Alice (developed by Carnegie Mellon University) and C++. RP4K fall 2010 weekly Game Programming classes are located at Branksome Hall School.
Call Real Programming 4 Kids™ 416-469-9676 & schedule a FREE ASSESSMENT CLASS www.realprogramming.com
Magic can open kids up
13 years
Music Ensemble Program (ages 6-36 months)
Introductory Music Program (for children 3, 4, & 5 yrs)
Sing and Strum (for children 10+)
Registering Now for Fall 2010 862 Millwood Road 416-422-3993 leasidemusicstudio.ca
Doing tricks builds confidence The newest after-school game, puzzle, and activity-based mathematics program for Grade 1- 6 students
Awakening Children’s Math Sense One Mind at a Time LOCATIONS:
Toronto: The Beaches, High Park, Leaside & North Toronto Brampton, Mississauga & Richmond Hill (Please visit our website for speciďŹ c locations)
Starting this September - REGISTER NOW!
www.plus223.com
A creative home for young bodies, minds and spirits since 1983!
416-924-5657 Ć” schoolofccdt@ccdt.org www.ccdt.org Ć” 509 Parliament Street, Toronto
Every child should feel good about school.
CALL NOW!
416 924 READ
1027 Yonge St (Rosedale) 3335 Yonge St (North Toronto)
SylvanLearning.com/sylvanrosedale & SylvanLearning.com/sylvannorthtoronto
In-Centre & In-Home Tutoring Owned & Operated by Ontario Certified Teachers; All Programs connect with Ontario Curriculum Expectations; Guaranteed 1 Grade Level Improvement in 36 Hours! Increased Confidence and Mastery of Skills.
READING, MATH, WRITING, STUDY SKILLS, TEST-TAKING, COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY PREP AND MORE!
40
EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010
in the Le aside Commun ity!
By Kelly Gadzala
P
oof! Michael Collins is performing a magic trick with a luminous bulb, and it’s manifesting itself all over his face. First it appears to pop out of his mouth; then, with an artful bat of his hand, it seems to travel into one ear only to exit the other in a flash of red luminescence. The 18-year old has been learning and performing magic for a decade. A Western Tech student just finishing off school this year, Collins performs across Ontario under his business, CollinsMajik. Magic has given him a lot. Indeed, there’s some truth to the idea that the transformative powers of magic are as magical as the craft itself. “It gives you a way of interacting with people in a different way,� Collins says. “It’s a great ice-breaker.� It’s definitely helped him hone his ability to think on his feet and adapt to any situation, Collins says, recalling a leadership course he did at school that saw him traveling to schools across the city to perform. He says he showed up to a kindergarten class in a bunny suit without any magic props and was told the class was expecting a magic show. After raiding the crafts basket in the classroom, Collins built props for an hourlong show in 20 minutes flat. “I can pick up anything and do anything with it,� he says, demonstrating his point by making a pen disappear with a flick of his hand, only to have it rematerialize a second later. That adaptability and creativity has carried over to other parts of his life, he says, and has even helped him with his business. Now he builds and sells his own tricks. His current project: a snake that winds itself out of a basket. On a deeper note, Collins credits magic with helping his dyslexia. “It forces me to read,� he says, adding that reading is vital to learning magic as the best secrets are in books and not on DVDs. Dan Morrissey of Morrissey Magic at Dufferin Street and Castlefield Avenue says he’s seen magic transform many a kid. At least half of his customers are kids or teens (mostly boys, he says), and many end up coming to his store for years and years. A lot of kids attracted to magic tend to be shy, some painfully shy, Morrissey says — and so much so they can hardly look at you or ask a question about a magic trick. Some have been bullied, he says, and need to heal themselves. “They’re looking for a special power to make them different from others.� Often magic can give kids like this the confidence on the stage and off, he says, even though they may still remain shy.
“They’re looking for a special power to make them different from others.�
Let Kumon Math & Reading Unlock Your Child’s Potential.
PICK A CARD: Michael Collins has been performing feats of magic since he was eight years old and says his efforts to perfect the craft has helped him with his dyslexia by forcing him to read books on magic.
Several Centres across the GTA. Call us or visit our website to get in touch with a Kumon Instructor at a Centre near you.
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He tells the story of one regular customer who’s 16 years old, and has been coming to the store since he was seven. “The kid was so shy it would take him 10 minutes to ask a question.� Now that young adult is busking downtown and has performed in various talent shows at his school. Not all kids who learn and practise magic perform, he says. Sometimes they’re content to show tricks to their friends, and sometimes they do tricks alone and then post them on YouTube. “That’s their way of getting themselves out there.� He’s even seen magic help kids with speech impediments. One boy was so unsure of himself he couldn’t even look him in the eye, Morrissey recalls. That boy is 30 now. He still has the speech impediment, though to a lesser degree, says Morrissey, but he’s so sure of himself he’s performing in magic competitions — something Morrissey says is not for the faint of spirit. Getting your child started in magic if he or she is showing interest is as easy as starting with a basic magic kit, says Morrissey, which can range anywhere from about $30 to $80. Generally these kits are geared to ages eight and up, but there are new wooden ones on the market that are for six and up, the lowest minimum age he’s seen. Then kids can build up their magical repertoire by buying individual tricks that cost anywhere from $3–10, with fancier tricks and DVDs starting at $40 or so. But there are good old-fashioned magic books that, though not as flashy as the DVDs, have the best tricks buried within them, Morrissey says. Speaking of books, Collins says he hopes to apply his magical powers in an educative setting one day. He has a friend who’s a special education teacher who uses magic as incentive, and he says he thinks he’d like to follow in his footsteps by doing something similar.
UĂŠOrganizationĂŠ&ĂŠTˆ“iĂŠManagement UĂŠReadingĂŠ&ĂŠNotetaking UĂŠTestĂŠ&ĂŠExamĂŠPreparation
ACADEMIC COACHING: Providing students with the tools necessary for academic success
416-781- 9018
www.academiccoaching.ca
FALL 2010 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier
41
Funny business
After school activities
Clowning around INTERPLAY
Two Downtown Toronto locations: 250 Davisville Ave Outreach Program: (at Mt. Pleasant) Bishop Strachan School
416 972 1316
416 483 4325
Offers pre-professional & recreational programs by world renowned dance instructors for ages 18 months to adult from September to June and recreational & intensive summer school programs Creative Movement, Ballet (Cecchetti & RAD exam program), Pointe & Classical Repertoire, Modern, Contemporary Modern, National, Jazz & Hip Hop, Acro, Musical Theatre, Lyrical, Super Boys, Adult Ballet, Jazz, Movement, Stretch & Strength, Interplay Dance Compan , Daytime Children & Adult Program
MUSIC AND MOVEMENT CLASSES y FOR AGES 18 MONTHS TO 2.5 YEARS
REGISTRATION DATES AT DAVISVILLE STUDIO: Wed. Sept. 8 & Thurs. Sept. 9, 5-8 pm
Call for more information or email kdthomas@rogers.com
www.interplay-dance.ca Karen Davies Thomas, Director
F.I.S.T.D. (Cecchetti); A.I.S.T.D. (National), A.I.S.T.D. (Modern) Royal Academy of Dance Teacher’s Certicate BFA Honours Degree, York University Graduate of the National Ballet School Teacher’s Training Program
NTIM Offers Music Instruction for All Ages and Levels! Private lessons in Piano, Guitar, Violin, Viola, Cello, Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Accordion, Percussion & more!
The NTIM Advantage
◉ Well established in Toronto since 1995 ◉ Highly qualified teaching faculty ◉ Easy access by TTC, free parking
North Toronto Institute of Music
550 Eglinton Ave, East (at Bayview) Toronto Tel: 416-488-2588 www.ntimusic.com
42
EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010
Your guide to extracurricular activities and educational options for students
By Kelly Gadzala
A
rthur Kantemirov became a clown as he felt sorry for his mom. It may sound crazy, but that moment of empathy may have been his first and perhaps most real moment as a clown. The performer and instructor at the Wonderful World of Circus says he never wanted to clown, so much so that when his mother, who owns the circus and school, asked him he told her no flat out. Afterwards he saw his mom, whose specialties are flying acrobatics and trick riding, trying her best to clown for an event. She was looking uncomfortable and was struggling, he says, so he jumped in and finished the act. He’s been clowning ever since. Clowning, he suggests, is more about human nature than it is about flopping around in big shoes with a red ball on your nose. “It can enlighten your understanding of social interaction.” Clowns have to feel out the audience’s mood and then respond to it in order to make its members laugh, he says. For instance, if he goes out on stage and sees that the audience is not excited, he has to adapt his act so that he’s not trying to make them laugh when they don’t feel like it. He may end up mirroring their mood in his act, and finally get people to a point where they’re laughing at themselves. “I have to be ahead of their thoughts.” In the same way, perhaps, that he was when he saw his mother trying to clown. Learning to be a clown is very difficult, he says, and even tougher than acting. You can’t act at all, he says. In fact if you over act — something he’s seen many a clown in training do — you just won’t connect with the audience. “You have to live it,” he says. “Making people laugh is the hardest thing. “It’s the hardest and the best paid job in the circus,” says the
ADD Centre Train your brain to pay attention by Lynda Thompson, Ph.D., C.Psych. The latest developments in 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 paying 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 photo courtesy wonderful world of circus
KEEN OBSERVER: Arthur Kantemirov says that you need to be able to read people to become skilled at his art form.
29-year old. “After 10 years of clowning I’m only now understanding what it is.” For that reason, Kantemirov suggests that the idea of teaching clowning is a paradox. In fact, he says he doesn’t even like to say that he teaches clowning. You can teach kids certain skills, he says, like miming and doing clown acts and some aerobatics, but the finer points of interacting and communicating with an audience develop over time and through lots of practise. He recalls a famous clown he once studied with in New York: “All he was teaching was for people to open up.” Though many pupils at the school go on to perform either recreationally or with the performing arm of the Wonderful World of Circus, only a small percentage will go on to be professional clowns, he says. But students can take away so much from not just clowning, but also from the circus arts in general, which include gymnastics, trampoline, aerobatics and acrobatics and juggling. Circus training teaches students to be competitive with themselves, Kantemirov says, but not with others.
“I don’t like this whole idea of competition.” He tells the story of being in high school and wrestling with a fellow student in a competition. He was winning, and the other student was crying as his family had come to watch him and he was losing. He let the other student win, then quit the wrestling team forever. “It always irritated me that I had to go and be better than someone else.” The circus, he says, doesn’t motivate kids to be competitive with each other. “I find a lot more positivity in that.” In another way, circus classes can help at-risk teens by helping them to get interested in and focused on something. A lot of kids have so much energy, he says, and they channel that energy into smoking or drugs or gangs. When they take circus classes and perform, they release that energy in a healthy way, he suggests. “If you can give people interest in something, that’s good.”
“Making people laugh is the hardest thing.”
with computerized feedback and encouragement 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 just 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 lasting; 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
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 modern and Royal Academy ballet will instill the versatility demanded by today’s finest companies and postsecondary programs. Young dancers are invited to audition for the cutting-
edge performance company, Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre, to experience the life of a professional dancer. Located in 509 DANCE, a state-of-the-art facility in central Toronto, the School of CCDT has inspired first steps and groomed acclaimed artists for 25 years. Visit our website at www.ccdt.org for more information.
The School of CCDT 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 leading youth and dance specialist, Artistic Director Deborah Lundmark. Beginner classes are led by select children’s teachers, pianists and assistants. Recreational classes present end-
Forest Hill Figure Skating Club 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 a l s o r u n h a l f - d a y s k a t i n g
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.
Frank’s Swim School
Join Forest Hill Figure Skating Club and learn to skate at any age
Frank’s Swim School/JCC: 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. Currently operated by Frank’s son, Michael Liebmann, the school maintains its original 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 locations throughout the city. Beginners and young children are trained at the school’s highly specialized and exceptional facility which was designed specifically to promote comfort
and security. Again this year, Frank’s Swim School is pleased to announce its joint relationship with the Prosserman JCC and the Schwartz/Reisman Centre. Together, Frank’s Swim school and the two north Toronto JCC’s will provide fun, safe and secure in-water experiences to families within the community. www.franksswimschool.com FALL 2010 EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier
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After school activities
After school activities Interplay School of Ballet
Plus223 Education – The Algo Club
Interplay School of Dance - Two downtown locations The Interplay School of Dance, founded by Anna McCowan Johnson is under the direction of Karen Davies Thomas, located at it’s Main Branch - 250 Davisville at Mt. Pleasant, Unit 502 & Bishop Strachan School, 298 Lonsdale Rd . Karen is a graduate of the National Ballet School and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours Degree from York University. Since its humble beginnings in 1983 when Interplay first opened its doors, the school has grown to over 300 students and continues to focus on teaching classical ballet in both the Cecchetti and the Royal Academy of Dance styles. Interplay offers recreational and intensive daytime & evening classes for ages 18 months to
adult in Creative Movement, Ballet, Modern, Repertoire, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Acro, Tap, Stretch & Strength, Musical Theatre, Jazzercise, and Super Boys. We also offer Music & Movement classes for children 18 months2.5 years. Among its finest dance teachers are Lara Kelly, Stephanie Landry, Faye Rauw, Shannon Nedza, Lucie Ward, Charissa Zoeltmulder. Interplay offers intensive dance training for talented students who wish to pursue a professional career in dance or perform with our in-house dance company. Because of the excellent dance training provided at Interplay, many of our students are accepted at Canada’s most prestigious
Awakening Children’s Math Sense One Mind at a Time dance schools: the National Ballet School of Canada, Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and Quinte Ballet School. Our students are rewarded with high school credits, university scholarships, dance teacher’s qualifications and professional training. Interplay also works in partnership with Bishop Strachan School, Branksome Hall, and Mooredale House to provide quality after-four dance programs. Whether your child is the next prima ballerina or simply loves to dance, Interplay has a space for you. If you would like more information on our school, please visit our website at www.interplay-dance.ca or call 416-9721316
Kumon Math and Reading Centres Give Your Children the Tools to Write Their Own Success Stories Kumon, the world’s largest after school education program, has been giving children the tools to write their own success stories since 1958. Whether coming to Kumon for remedial support or enrichment, the stories of more than 4 million Kumon students worldwide speak of growing self-confidence, improved grades and a heightened dedication to education, and
the future. Kumon students achieve these results thanks to a personalized program dedicated to helping them consistently experience success. From starting each student at a level that ensures confidence and selfreliance are nurtured from the first day, to focusing on the mastery of concepts through daily practice, to continued dis-
cussions with every student to ensure the program is meeting their unique needs, the Kumon Program offers each student the opportunity to take active ownership of their education and their success. For more information, visit www.kumon.ca. Become a Kumon Fan! Join us on facebook at www.facebook.com/kumon.
Leaside Music Studio: Music Education At It’s Best
5 year olds enjoying a singing game
importantly, a profound enjoyment and appreciation of music. Babies with their caregiver and young children alike engage in the music making process together through songs, rhymes, expressive movement and dances, singing games and instruments. In Maryke’s words “The music of early childhood should be an expression
of the child and in the child’s language and intrinsically meaningful because it is so.” Music programs are held in a beautiful, naturally lit, well-equipped music room and are carefully developed for you and your baby, your preschooler or your school-aged child. Please visit our website at www.leasidemusicstudio.ca for all program details.
Leaside Skating Club
“Having Fun at Leaside Skating Club!”
for skaters who have entered the Skate Canada Test Stream and several successful Synchronized Skating Teams. LSC is a non-profit organization and has been an integral part of community life for over 50 years. Over time it has been the venue for many lasting friendships.
See www.leasideskatingclub.com for session information and to register on line. A Registration evening will take place from 7:00pm - 8:00pm on Wednesday September 22, 2010. For further information email info@leasideskatingclub.com
Musical Moments with Sophie Bell
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EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010
Power Soccer Power Soccer School – advanced technique training Power Soccer provides a comprehensive range of training programs from the beginner to the elite player. We emphasize fair play, skill development 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 opportunity to express their individuality while providing clear feedback on how improvements in
their game can be made. Clinics and camps focus on ball control, movement with and without the ball, dribbling, shooting, defending and accurate passing. Players experience soccer sessions which are rewarding and enjoyable. Power Soccer coaches conduct challenging sessions which provide an opportunity for full participation for each player. We build player confidence
through a program includes lots of game play. Improved ability level and a marked increase in game enjoyment are the results of participation in Power Soccer programs. Please visit our web site at www.powersoccer.ca or call us at 905.829.0562 (local call) to learn more about the Power Soccer School.
Real Programming for Kids This fall 2010 - spring 2011 school season; your kids can learn to program video games, like pros! Real Programming 4 Kids™ teaches 7 to 17 year olds REAL PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES like Alice (created by Carnegie Mellon University), Visual Basic, Java, C#, XNA and C++. RP4K classes have a MAXIMUM OF 4 STUDENTS PER
INSTRUCTOR. Students new to Programming begin by learning how to program classic arcade games like Pacman, Donkey Kong or Mario, using Visual Basic. Intermediate students can learn how to program a Retro Asteroids Game in Java or a Shooter Game in C#. Advanced students can use C# XNA, to program 3D
games for the Xbox 360. RP4K will be offering an 11th weekly school season (2010-2011) program of Monday evening or Saturday Game Programming classes @ Branksome Hall School. To schedule a FREE ASSESSMENT call RP4K @ 416-469-9676 www.realprogramming.com
Study Spot Educational Services
M.Ed. (OISE/UT.), an A.R.C.T. (piano performance), an Advanced certificate in Early Childhood Music Education (Ryerson/RCM), and is a certified Orff specialist. As a faculty member of the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Children’s Department, 1982 – 2001, she taught Preparatory Music, and Music with Your Baby classes.
The philosophy of StudySpot is simple: Good students utilize certain skills to reach their potential and manage school more effectively. Unfortunately, these skills are rarely taught directly in school, and many students have trouble acquiring them on their own. Our goal is to equip students with the skills they require to be effective
students overall, and to provide them with the opportunity for improvement that will last throughout their academic lives. Our view is that schools and traditional tutors spend far too much time on content and not nearly enough time on skill development. Underachieving students need to learn, develop, and practice skills like
note-taking, textbook management, study techniques, and organizational and time management strategies. In the context of a positive and inspirational relationship with a coach or mentor, our students learn how to learn. For more details, please visit www.academiccoaching.ca.
Sylvan Learning Centres Toronto
Capturing, cultivating & celebrating a child’s musical expression Young children invited to see, hear, do, and share in a learning partnership discover the joy of creative music-making. An active music curriculum integrating movement, singing and song games, drama, instrument playing, and listening activities nurtures a child’s musical intelligence as well as their overall growth. Sophie Bell holds a B.A. (York), a
class of 12-24 students. This small facilitator-student ratio provides multiple opportunities for interaction between the facilitator and each individual student. The Algo Club is now being offered in locations in Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga, and Richmond Hill. To learn more about the Algo Club, visit the Plus223 Education website at www.plus223.com.
Students see lasting benefits from the Academic Coaching approach
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 evening adult program for skaters of all levels of ability, Star/Test sessions
egies, and understanding, which results in success and confidence when learning mathematics. Through this non-traditional approach, children may not realize they are building math skills – only that they are having fun! In each weekly class, Plus223 Education, the Algo Club provider, provides two highly qualified facilitators to conduct a
Real Programming 4 Kids™ game programming classes
Leaside Music Studio The Leaside Music Studio has been offering early childhood music education programs that have been enjoyed by over 2000 children and their families since 1997. Under the careful instruction of Maryke Sluis, babies grow through the various music programs into young children with great musical competence and most
Are your children active learners and problem solvers in mathematics? You can enhance your child’s mathematical thinking, reasoning, analytical, and communication skills through Algo Club! This revolutionary programme, based in engaging games, puzzles, and hands-on activities, enables all students, regardless of mathematics ability, to build tools, strat-
She remains active in the field as the music specialist for several preschool and nurseries; as a visiting guest artist teaching music & movement classes to children in JK - Gr. 6; teaching community classes; mentoring, conducting workshops for students and educators, and presenting at conferences. www.sophiebell.ca
Sylvan Learning Centres Toronto for academic success Sylvan Rosedale & Sylvan North Toronto are Toronto’s first and only authentic teaching practices, owned and operated by professionally licensed, Ontario Certified Teachers. Each one of Sylvan Learning’s students is individually taught life-long learning skills through guided instruction, independent practice, and applica-
tion under the mentorship of our expert teachers. We believe in the importance of a strong partnership, a network of support, involving Sylvan Learning, the child’s family and school teachers to ensure our high quality of education achieves its maximum effect and contributes directly to the child’s ongoing success. We help students
and families achieve their goals whether they are for mastery of Math, Reading and Writing skills, competency and top marks in Ontario Curriculum subjects, increased personal confidence and enjoyment of learning, or private school entrance and success in further education. Contact us today – we can Help!
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After school activities The Martha Hicks School of Ballet The MARTHA HICKS SCHOOL of BALLET
ď Ľ All ages ď Ľ All styles ď Ľ All levels ď Ľ The In first 43recital. countries ď Ľ Parking & Subway www.yamahamusicschool.ca
y YAMAHA MUSIC SCHOOL
ď Ľ All ages ď Ľ All styles ď Ľ All levels ď Ľ In 43 countries ď Ľ Parking & Subway
416-224-5590
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5075 Yonge St. YAMAHA MUSIC SCHOOL
5075 Yonge St.
416-224-5590
MHSB focuses on fun and performance The Martha Hicks School of Ballet has been an exciting and creative dance school in North Toronto for over 18 years. MHSB is a recreational, non-competetitive school offering children the opportunity to take dance in a friendly and encouraging atmosphere. The School’s main location is at Yonge and Eglinton, with several satellite locations in Lawrence Park, Leaside, and Armour Heights. The main location is a recently renovated facility with bright studios, sprung floors, mirrors and lockers. The other locations,
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 creative 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 dancers who want extra challenges and more performing opportunities.
The highlight of each year is our year-end recitals - 3 different productions geared at 3 different age groups. The senior show is an exciting, eclectic mix of all dance forms, with spectacular costumes and lighting presented at a beautiful downtown theatre. Birthday parties and studio rentals are also available. MHSB is pleased to continue a joint venture with the Koffler Centre for the Arts with additional dance classes being held at Prosserman JCC. Please call 416-484-4731 or visit www. mhsb.ca for more information.
The North Toronto Institue of Music Fifteen years in music education The North Toronto Institute of Music offers instruction in most instruments, singing, and theory. The school enables students of all ages to develop selfexpression and confidence in their music making within a caring and stimulating
environment. Students are encouraged to participate in semi-annual student recitals, master classes and festivals. They can also work towards RCM exaninations. The Institute is starting new courses, including a
“Glee� choir program, a guitar ensemble and a wind ensemble. All teachers have extensive teaching experience, and many are award-winning artists as well. For more information, please check out our website: www.ntimusic.com.
Yamaha Music School 2010 Yamaha Music School Yamaha believes that ever yone can create, perform and enjoy music, resulting in an enriched life. Worldfamous Yamaha courses are designed for specific ages: Tunes For Twos (age 2-3) encourages singing, movement and rhythmic play. Junior Music Course (age 3-5) develops aural/music skills using the keyboard. Young Musicians Course (age 6-8) develops musicianship/keyboard skills. Piano Club (age 8-10) teaches piano styles and keyboard ensembles.
Guitar Course (age 7-adult) teaches strumming/solo/ensemble playing. Violin Course (age 8-adult) teaches classical/ alternative music with motivating software accompaniments. We also offer cello lessons! Flute and Sax Courses (age 10+) develop basic technique through solo/ensemble playing with motiva ting software accompaniments. Drum Course (age 10+) teaches today’s popular beats with motivating software accompaniments.
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Keyboard Club (teens/adults) teaches all about today’s electronic keyboards. Seniors Keyboard Course (age 65+) making music improves quality of life – it’s an ideal way to learn a new skill while meeting new friends. We also offer lessons for seniors at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (@ DVP and Wynford Dr.). Yamaha courses also available at 88 Keys - 9011 Leslie St. (at Hwy7). For more information, visit www.yamahamusicschool.ca.
Kids have always loved learning through performance. Especially at The Martha Hicks School of Ballet. +B[[ t )JQ )PQ t #BMMFU 5BQ t .PEFSO BOE NPSF Now accepting.
Social networking since ‘92.
Register at 416.484.4731 or www.mhsb.ca The MARTHA HICKS SCHOOL of BALLET
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THEY’VE ALREADY GONE TO ONE
GREAT SCHOOL NOW THEY’RE GOING TO A WHOLE BUNCH MORE Bayview Glen’s Class of 2010 were accepted to illustrious Canadian and American academic institutions from coast-to-coast, including British Columbia, Dalhousie, UCLA, Tampa and all points in between. At McGill, Queen’s, Toronto and Western Ontario, they will study in a wide range of programmes, from engineering, science, commerce and information technology to arts, music and journalism. With scholarship offers amounting to over $300,000 and a collective 3,203 hours of community involvement, this year’s Bayview Glen graduates are truly in a class of their own. 416.443.1030 • bayviewglen.ca
OPEN HOUSES: 6$7 2&7 30 :(' 129 30
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EDUCATION GUIDE Town Crier FALL 2010