Roundtable Q&A Discussion About Balmoral Hall School (2021)

Something that I still appreciate to this day is just the preparation for real-world career opportunities. There are various opportunities that the school gives you to see where your passions are, where your interests are, being able to explore so many different things. I was able to explore a lot of different languages. Might be different now with technology and the new Center for Arts and Design.

University and career preparation begins at an early age, even with things like wearing a uniform. As soon as I entered university and had to wear a suit, I appreciated it so much that I had worn the uniform for my last 14 years. Being able to get exposure to the panel interviews and things like that. My peers at university had never gone through anything like that.

At Grade 10, my daughter had been exposed to VR headsets and had seen how they work and how they’re designed and coded. Those types of experiences, I think, really make the school stand out.

Three words I’d use to describe the school are: well-rounded, confident, and empathetic. My kids had experiences in very many things, and they're not just focused on academics. The school is really good at exposing the girls to a lot of things, but also recognizing that it's important to do a lot of things.

The opportunities for the girls to really become confident, starting with junior kindergarten presentations, are really important. They don't have to be the best public speaker in the world, but you should be able to get up in front of a room and be able to say something without being too nervous or too scared.

The teachers are empathetic toward the students and toward each other. They also teach the girls to be empathetic toward each other. And I think it's so lovely to see.

My mom and I both were recipients of this wonderful education at Balmoral Hall. So, when we did have girls, we booked a meeting and came to Balmoral Hall, and we had a Grade 5 student talk to us about the school. As we were walking back to the car, my husband said, ‘I get it. I totally get it now.’

There is a sense of comfort and family in the school, which is very nurturing. When my first daughter started nursery school, I walked through the front doors with her, and it felt like I was putting on an old pair of slippers. That homey comfort feeling, very nurturing, but also reminded me how the school had really prepared me for university and for the real world.

Both my girls love the school for different reasons. I have one who's very academically inclined and one who's very athletic. And the school supports them both. They're both very happy there. I've asked them if you were going to go to a different school, where would you go? And they say, ‘Nowhere. We're going to stay right here.’

The most important character trait of the school is that it’s forward-thinking. They’ve been through a couple of different strategic plans over the last seven or eight years. This allowed the school to be forward-thinking. For instance, when the pandemic occurred and we went to online learning, we had already been discussing online learning for three years. So, it was far easier for us to make the switch. The plans allow us to think, ‘Sky's the limit!’, and just go for it and give our girls the best all-girls education possible.

I learned this summer that Balmoral Hall was rated the number one independent school in Winnipeg. I think oftentimes the school shies away from telling its story, because that's who we've been. But that's one way to reach out to people, by sharing our stories and our successes.

For new students, the first thing that I can guarantee is that they are receiving the best all-girls education out there, period. I would also tell them to get involved. There's a lot to get involved in. Just enjoy all that the school has to offer. Great teaching staff, support staff. You're getting the best of the best, and you should enjoy that.

Throughout the history of the school, it's been ahead of the game in terms of what's next, whether it was STEM or STEAM programming. The school's tradition and its approach is to position itself for the future. 

The character traits of the school are: balance, stability, and a forward-looking vision. There's a stability in the school, and you feel that. There is a history, a foundation. There's something solid there which feels stable. That feeling is still there. I would also describe the school as supportive. There's a feeling of family. There's a feeling of support, knowing that there are people who are looking out for them.

The school does a lot of amazing things to connect, whether from a service perspective or bringing together people, showing interesting innovation so that students are prepared to succeed. But I think we can always do more about reaching into community and relationships, because relationships within the school are so strong. So I think the school's reach in terms of community connection could still improve.

When you visit the school, it feels like a grounded, down-to-earth place, which is surprising until you've spent some time there. Sometimes people on the outside see all the success and the wonderful things we're able to offer in the programs. But it's a pretty normal place within its walls.

We originally chose the school because I wanted my girls to have an all-girls education environment to see how they would thrive. They are growing up to be confident young women. That was a big part of my tie to the school, and I'm pleased that that's what it was.

I have three very different children, so they all have different personalities, and they feel comfortable exploring who they are at the school. That could involve their professional or academic pursuits or just exposure to other activities. There is a comfort that it's okay to explore all of those things.

As my older daughter is looking ahead at university, and the younger one is just starting middle school, they feel like they have a good education. They've got complaints just like other kids, about everything around them, about their friendships. But when asked, ‘Do you want to go somewhere else?’ They all want to stay at Balmoral Hall.

There's a community feeling that provokes pride. There's pride in that family, the school itself, and in the kids. There's also empathy. We're fortunate to be in this environment, to have the support and the educational opportunities.

To new students, I’d say: Don’t worry. There really is a place for everyone and every personality. The environment for learning is really unique.