2201 Shantz Station Road, Waterloo Region (Breslau), Ontario, N0B 1M0(MAP)
Busing available (View details)
School Busing:
SJK School offers bus transferring.
Service options offered are regular rider, regular rider AM only, regular rider PM only, occasional rider.
The regions SJK School offers busing from are:
Kitchener
Waterloo
Cambridge
Guelph
Our Perspective
How we see St. John's-Kilmarnock School
Our Kids Feature Review
SJK is a model IB school, one of the first in the country to offer the full continuum.
The experience of belonging to a shared community is a key to the SJK offering, for both students and parents alike.
Physical activity is promoted throughout the student body, realizing high participation rates.
Arts education is taken seriously and teachers create real-world experiences for students in the local community.
The 50-page review of St. John's-Kilmarnock School is part of our series of in-depth accounts of Canada's leading private schools. It provides a unique and objective perspective on the school's academics, programs, culture, and community.
We’re an unapologetically academic school. So we have the IB Programme that goes from Junior Kindergarten all the way to Grade 12. We really challenge our students to reach their potential and develop all facets of themselves, while still keeping in mind the importance of their academics, and of course, the opportunities that those academics afford. —From Interview with St. John's-Kilmarnock School Head of School: Cheryl Boughton.
St. John’s-Kilmarnock School is a really academic environment. You’re really encouraged to do the best you can and to push yourself in all of your classes. This is done in such a compassionate way. I was never pitted against anyone. And I never had a time when I asked for help and it didn’t get returned in spades. —From 2021 roundtable discussion about St. John's-Kilmarnock School. (The quote comes specifically from Kate Newman, an alum).
Most of my classmates were very focused and motivated … A lot of them wanted to go to university and were motivated to work really hard. The school was able to offer resources for everyone to succeed. And the teachers really cared, and wanted their kids to do well. Their goal is to make you succeed and that’s their priority. —From Interview with St. John's-Kilmarnock School alum: Anna Bout.
I feel so fortunate to be on such a beautiful campus.” St. John’s-Kilmarnock School is located on 36 acres of land in rural countryside nestled between Waterloo, Guelph, and Cambridge. “When I drive to school in the morning I drive through farmers fields and I see the mist and I see the crops."
School's Perspective
Compare with:
How St. John's-Kilmarnock School sees itself
The school administration answered our questions
Who are you, as a school?
"SJK is the leading independent school in Waterloo region. The School is located on a beautiful 36-acre natural campus offering enriched educational programming for students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 through its International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. SJK is proud to be the only accredited IB World Continuum School in Southwestern Ontario. At SJK, students discover their passions and unique gifts through meaningful, student-centered learning opportunities. SJK students build confidence through risk-taking, overcoming challenges, and stepping outside their comfort zones. Their specialist teachers provide personalized support, community building, and genuine care. Project-based learning, design-thinking, and collaboration equip SJK students with skills that will make them successful globally-minded citizens. SJK students graduate as confident, well-rounded individuals fully prepared for post-secondary education and life beyond SJK. Our graduates earn 100% university admission rates and many go on to elite post-secondary programs in a range of disciplines including STEM, business, and the arts.
The journey begins here. Experience the difference, discover the possibilities and go beyond at SJK School."
Extensive co-curricular programs in athletics, arts, leadership and community service
Outdoor experiential learning
Beautiful 36-acre natural campus
Fresh and healthy daily dining
Supportive, connected community
What do you do differently and uniquely well?
"Passionate, forward-thinking teachers guide learning through the International Baccalaureate PYP, MYP and DP continuum curriculum. In addition, our picturesque 36-acre campus connects students to a natural environment. SJK offers a rich co-curricular program with opportunities in the arts, athletics and leadership. With an average class size of 17 students, small classes are where big ideas live."
To your knowledge, why do families choose your school over others?
"SJK is the only CAIS accredited school in the region, and it is one of the few IB Continuum Schools in Canada. SJK is a small community where strong relationships are fostered. Both curricular and co-curricular programming provides opportunities for students to collaborate, learn and play together. SJK provides an enriched academic experience with opportunities for experiential, project-based learning. 100% of graduates earn admission to best-fit post-secondary opportunities."
What aspect of your school is underappreciated?
"Visitors to SJK always remark on the beauty and tranquility of our 36-acre natural campus, with its pond, forest trails, varsity playing fields, and safe, rural setting. Families may not realize the opportunities for learning that exist in the natural landscape around us. Tending to a vegetable garden, studying the flora and fauna in our natural landscape, tapping the maple trees, canoeing or engaging in our invasive species removal project—learning in nature is an everyday experience at SJK."
What might families find surprising about your school?
"Ours is a diverse, inclusive community of learners who enjoy school and make the most of the many opportunities available to them inside and outside of the classroom. SJK is a place where students will feel supported and safe, able to take risks and try new things. Students often tell us that they tried things at SJK that they never would have tried in a larger, less supportive environment. SJK is a place where you will discover your areas of passion and strength and feel supported."
Watch our St. John's-Kilmarnock School Q&A discussion with Kate (Alum), Hannah (Alum), Sacha (Alum) to gain fresh insight into the school’s culture, values, and strengths.
As a well-established and fully accredited International Baccalaureate (IB) Continuum School, we prepare your children for the future, providing the foundation to thrive in a rapidly changing world. From Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12, students engage with modern facilities and the School's beautiful 36-acre campus, which sets the stage for stimulating learning environments where knowledge, innovation, and internationalism are expressed and valued.
SJK is the only school in our region to be authorized by the International Baccalaureate to offer the continuum of three IB programs: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the university preparatory Diploma Programme. We are one of only five schools in Ontario to achieve this distinction.
Our qualified and talented faculty ensure that learning and teaching focuses on the development of well-rounded and confident individuals; IB represents an enriched framework for personal and social development as well as skills for life, but also a competitive academic and professional qualification alongside the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). Students engage in a balanced range of classroom and course offerings; co-curricular, leadership and service activities; as well as international perspectives and experiences.
The SJK community is grounded in a sense of respect for oneself, each other and our environment as local and global citizens. Students are challenged to GO BEYOND the given, to the possible.
The best way to get to know the School is to come for a visit, experience the energy, explore the facilities and campus, and see firsthand the warm and friendly environment our school has become known for.
