REVIEW OF Oakville Christian School (OCS) BY parent, Michelle Pratt

(5) Student Experience

Our experience at Oakville Christian has been wonderful. The school, the teachers, the PTA and the families are all so very supportive and caring. Both of our children love their teachers, their friends and the Christian environment that is offered by OCS. Some of their favorite things include the opportunity to perform on stage for special occasions (Grandparents Day, Christmas Concert), gym class, the many opportunities to give back through the charitable activities through the year and the cluster groups that focus on their interests. The only thing that my son would recommend is more organized school sports for the younger students (he is grade 2). Most of the team sports begin in grade 3 and up.

(5) School Leadership

Communication is one of the top reasons that we love OCS. The leadership, teachers and entire administration are all so responsive to any questions, concerns or needs. They are all very friendly and helpful, which is something that is important to me as a parent. Teachers always make themselves available if you have concerns or just want an update on your child's progress.

(5) Teaching

Every teacher is a bit different and has their own style or methods but we have been very happy with all of the teachers that our children have had at OCS. They are getting a good quality education that includes many different types of learning including hands on, quizzes, special projects, etc. Both of our children are happy and sufficiently challenged but in a positive way.

(5) Academics

From PK on the school focuses on providing a christian based academic learning environment. The school is great at ensuring the academics are a focus while while still making the learning fun with projects, choices and cluster groups to focus on hands on activities. So far the teachers that we have had at OCS have been fantastic and the kids always surprise me with the things that they are learning. I feel that my children will be ready for whatever lies ahead of them based on the academic foundation that they are getting at OCS.

(4.5) Extracurriculars

The school provides several extracurricular activities that can help to enrich any child's learning and interests. Most of the team sports begin around grade 3 and up but the school choir, enrichment clusters, Mad Science Program, Bricks for Kids, French program, etc offers more than enough choice for anyone looking for something extra.

(4.5) Students

The students are great and the size of the school is nice. Most classes are not more than 24 students with a couple larger and a couple smaller depending on the year. The different grades interact with each other in many different ways. My JK child has friends on the playground in Grade JK-Grade 2. They interact with students of all grade levels through the year by doing different activities (Christmas Concert, House Competitions, etc). The older students are given responsibilities that allow them to set good examples for the younger students to look up and learn from behaviors. I am very impressed with the strong Christian values displayed by so many of the student body.

(5) School Life

My son has never been in love with going to school but once we transferred to OCS he goes to school everyday without any problems. He loves his teacher and the atmosphere in his classroom. He is given the opportunity to be a good leader and get recognized for doing good things. The school recognizes student for more than just academics. They strive to build well rounded students by calling out good qualities like helpfulness, patience, joyfulness, positivity and hard work and many other attributes of a well rounded person. The student life is very positive, poor behavior is identified and handled quickly in an appropriate manner. Both of my children love going to school and are very happy at OCS.

(5) Community

My experience with the OCS Community has been wonderful. There is a very active PTA group who are involved with many aspects of the school throughout the year. Parents are always asked to be involved with different activities, field trips, fun days, events, etc. I feel that if a parent wants to be involved there are more than enough opportunities to do so. On the flip side if a parent doesn't want to be involved there is no pressure to give time that you do not have available. There is a very good balance.

(5) School Location

The school is located in a convenient location surrounded by residential homes and a nice city park just behind it which offers an extended play area for the students. Students typically stay on the school ground but are in walking distance to many things including parks, Lake Ontario, the Senior Center where they perform Choir at the holidays and many students live and walk or ride bikes to school as well.