Ottawa, ON | Grades NS - 8 | Shortlist
The science program is second to none and the curriculum is generally more advanced than provincial standards, so moving on to high school will not be a difficult transition. The older kids are encouraged to mentor the younger ones and know that setting the right example is an important responsibility, something they take very seriously.
See above. In addition, I often felt that I was one of the few students who were particularly self-driven when it came to academics - in Grade 5, I was already being given Grade 9 math problems, and I continued to want to be challenged. My fellow students were always collegial, but there were times when I wished for a more inspiring peer environment.
Being a montessori school, the learning environment was very unique but I found ir promoted more learning that a traditional school would have. The material I was learning by my final years was several grades above what other students my age were learning. Lots of emphasis was put on the science and french programs, as those were taught in separate classrooms, while math, english, history, etc. were taught by the main teacher in the main classroom. I definitely had a little more trouble with math so this is one area where more specialized teaching could have been helpful. The general student body was very supportive when it came to academics. We were given a lot of time to work on assignments, and many of us would work together and collaborate to finish things. I think this was partly due to the fact that marks were not emphasized (and often not given) so you were not competing or comparing yourself to other students. I was more than prepared from this program because I learned how to work collaboratively, think uniquely, and was learning at an advanced level.
When my children were at school, we were very happy that math, science and French are particularly strong in the school. The kids were very well prepared for high school when they finished grade 8 at BHMS.
Academically I was very prepared going into high school. As I was there for grade 7 and 8, the academics were really important to my parents and I as I wanted to enter the International Baccalaureate program (an international academic program, similar to AP). I always found myself being challenged and supported in a very productive way. In all of my classes were completing the curriculum of the year above us which was really helpful in preparation for high school. I would also say that academically our teachers really taught us how to learn effectively.
