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THE OUR KIDS REPORT:
Star Academy

Grades Preschool TO Gr. 8 — Mississauga, ON (MAP)
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Star Academy:
THE OUR KIDS REPORT
REPORT CONTENTS:

Pages in this report:

  • Grades
    Preschool — Gr. 8
  • Gender
    Coed
  • Class Size
    10 — 14 students
  • Tuition
    $16,500 to 19,500/year
  • Language of instruction
    English
  • Associations
    N/A
  • Enrolment
    70 day students
  • Curriculum
    Traditional
  • EBROCHURE
    View eBrochure

School address

  • 1400 A South Service Rd., Mississauga, Ontario, L5E 1V5 (MAP)
  • Busing not available

Our Perspective

How we see Star Academy

Star Academy was founded in 1998 and was led by the founder, Belinda Bernardo, until her retirement in 2017. She was succeeded by Julie Benneyworth and Heather Rees, creating a nice continuity in leadership, as well as a substantive dedication to the values that Bernardo instilled in the school, those of respect, curiosity, collaborative learning, and active engagement. Administration has also consistently demonstrated their desire to regularly revisit best practices, adapting instruction, including adoption of 21st century learning, to meet the students where they are, and to take them where they will need to be. Families that enroll often do so in light of those values as well as the things that are unique to the school, including a more intensive commitment to physical education, an 11-month instructional year, and a low teacher-student ratio. Other draws include small class sizes, individual attention, and cross-curricular instruction.

School's Perspective

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How Star Academy sees itself

The school administration answered our questions

Who are you, as a school?

"Star Academy is a small school that believes all children should love to learn. With class sizes of 10 -14 students, Star teachers know every child and therefore challenge them as individuals both inside and outside the classroom. Our Pillars of Child Development guide Star's philosophy and enrich classroom teaching, addressing the well-rounded development of the whole child. Social-emotional learning, daily Physical Education, Outdoor Education, and flexible learning environments are key components of programming."

  • Social emotional learning built into daily teaching.
  • Focus on learning skills for developing success.
  • Using our Pillars of Child Development to shape our curriculum.
  • Academic, Physical, Social, Emotional, Global pillars guide teaching and learning.
  • Relationships, relationships, relationships to strengthen our community.
  • Weekly teacher newsletters, weekly school newsletters to communicate events and activities.
  • Ongoing personal and staff professional development to be current in our practice.
  • Proactive in our communication with parents and students.
  • Involved and engaged in our larger community, supporting events and causes.
  • Promote growth mindset in all classrooms across the school.

What do you do differently and uniquely well?

"Every day the Star faculty seeks to create experiences that engage students in learning that excites them. Our Learn to Love to Learn focus is evident in the classrooms, where students have guided support but also the autonomy to develop their skills. From the moment they arrive at school to smiles and good mornings, to the moment their teachers sign them out at the end of the day, the children are involved with a community that is caring and invested in their personal growth."

To your knowledge, why do families choose your school over others?

"Our families regularly comment on the 'above and beyond' our teachers do for their child. Often, the switch to a small private school is what a child who is a reluctant learner comes out of their shell. The small school environment, the small classroom sizes, and the attention to detail by our teachers set the student experience apart. As one parent recently emailed us 'Thank you again for all that you do for the school and our family (and all of the families).'"

What aspect of your school is underappreciated?

"The use of technology in educational ways. We all feel some technology burnout, but there are so many ways it is integrated into learning that enhance the experiences for all children. It allows for accessibility, it allows for creativity, and it allows for the development of 21st-century learning skills. Our ongoing professional development continues to enrich our teacher's foundation skills in areas such as coding - which allows for great creativity as our children navigate new skills."

What might families find surprising about your school?

"1. We have the best catered lunch programme! (optional, but amazing!) (And Pizza on Fridays)
2. Our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion extends to the classrooms with diverse dolls, an extensive diverse book collection, with the goal that every child will find a character that represents them.
3. The wide range of school clubs offered at recess times, from 'Paw Patrol' to 'Dungeons and Dragons', Sports including racquet sports (tennis, badminton, pickleball), cooking and more!"

No additional photos or videos
School Facilities

Photo-tour of facilities

Athletics facilities

Campus

Classrooms

Instructional resources

Shared spaces

Insider Perspectives

How people from the school’s community see Star Academy

Video reviews of Star Academy

Parent, Lori Keightley (2021)

Watch our parent interview with Lori Keightley to get the inside scoop on what it’s like to have a child attend Star Academy.

Parent, Chala Dincoy (2020)

Watch our parent interview with Chala Dincoy to get the inside scoop on what it’s like to have a child attend Star Academy.

Written reviews of Star Academy

(4.9)

Parent, Natalia Diamond (2024)

Gr. 1 (current) — My daughter is now in her 3rd year at Star Academy. Previous to Star, she attended a Montessori scho...

(4.9)

Parent, Katharine Najmala (2021)

He is in Pre-K in the Kindergarten program and this is his first time enrolled in any program outsid...

(4.7)

Student, Charlotte Rees (2021)

I've been a student at Star Academy for 4 years, and it feels like my second home. As soon as I firs...
See all written reviews (5 total)

School leadership

Top-down influence on the school’s direction and tone

Message from school leadership

Julie Benneyworth, Principal
Principals Qualificaitons, York University (Private Education), Certificate in School Managemen and Leadership, Harvard University; Masters of Science, Environmental and Development Education, Southbank

Learn to love to learnTM is not only our mission statement, it’s what makes us unique. It speaks to the personalized approach that Star Academy takes toward everything we do.

Creating an environment where children are happy, engaged, and excited to attend is the beginning of a successful academic career. Investigative active learning, open-ended discovery, and project-based learning experiences enhance our curriculum and engage all learners.

Star Academy is an environment where children come to thrive and grow, develop and learn.  Mrs. Rees, our Director, and I look forward to an opportunity to share our school with you.

(In the picture, I'm on the left, Mrs. Rees in the middle, and one of our tutoring specialists, Mrs. Reiter)

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THE OUR KIDS REPORT: Star Academy

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