REVIEW OF Blyth Academy The Glebe, Ottawa BY student, Sarah Mankour

(4.5) Student Experience

I've attended numerous schools throughout my life, where I've met a variety of teachers who used a variety of teaching methods. Blyth Academy The Glebe in Ottawa is by far my favorite school, and here's why: The school is small, everyone knows each other, and moving between classes is quick because the school is just one compact building. The teachers are also fantastic. I've had a lot of bad teachers in the past, and many of them were often rude and disrespectful, but here, every teacher treats every student with respect and genuinely cares about our well-being. Being a person who prefers a small environment and dislikes being among lots of people this school was truly the perfect fit for me. Even my friends who I've met from previous schools wish they could be in this school.

(5) School Leadership

I respect all the staff because of the way they treat me. There is never a need to be afraid of discussing any difficulties with them because they are all approachable and nice. They are all really kind and inviting since even though I did not have a class with most of the professors on my first day, they were all very nice and remembered my name. Since they already do so much for us, there is nothing I wish they could do more of.

(4) Teaching

I've taken four classes at this school this far, taught by four different teachers. I had a teacher that assigned a lot of work, despite the fact that they were all quite polite. Because the due dates for everything were so close together and we were all still working on something, it was incredibly stressful for all of the students in that class. While all of us students were under a lot of pressure and frustration at that time, just that teacher took these actions. The other teachers were all very kind and forgiving, and they were quite understanding when a student needed additional time to complete an assignment. When my teachers discuss success, they want us to strive for the highest goals we can achieve, and they support and encourage us every step of the way.

(4) Academics

In my opinion, the work is just right. You must be prepared for the class you choose and have knowledge of the material it covers. I believe that the assignments are exactly what they should be for each class. The assignment occasionally seems complicated, but overall I think it's properly designed to cover the material we're learning. Since many teachers want to help us become ready for college or university, I do think that what we learn will benefit us later in life. The teacher usually grades more harshly in twelfth-grade classes to help us get ready for the demands we will face after graduation. Most teachers keep in mind that workloads are too much but they also don't go too easy and make us feel so relaxed because the reality is that we will be stressed in university/college.

(2.5) Extracurriculars

I haven't participated in any clubs or extracurricular activities because there aren't many since the school is so little and none of them interest me. However, I wish there were more choices. I am also aware of the low number of people who are interested in joining clubs. The good news is that if there was a club that someone was interested in creating, they could easily start the club if they could attract enough members.

(4.5) Students

I have many friends who don't attend this school and I always tell them about how much I love it. It's small and pretty and everyone here is very nice. The school is also located in a tourist area which means we have a bit of everything all around us. All the students in the school are very sweet and welcoming. I’m a social butterfly, I tend to talk to many people and get along with everyone and there hasn’t been anyone that made my experience at this school bad, everyone here respects each other's boundaries and we all care about one another. When first joining the school, I was afraid that I wouldn’t get along with anyone and be left out of everything but from the very start, I had already made many friends and got along with most people in my class. I would say something students struggle with would be their own bad habits, such as procrastinating or not being able to focus. The school truly helps us with everything we need so other than that there isn't much to struggle with.

(5) School Life

If I was asked to give a tour of the school, I would like to provide the tour exactly as I received it because the entire school is lovely and appears to be a welcoming environment. Since most schools only have one lounge, I was especially excited to see that we had multiple lounges and areas where people could gather to talk or study when I first saw them. Students are also welcome to play ping pong in the ping pong room when they are on break from class which is a fun way to spend that time. The classrooms are small yet not in an uncomfortable way because there aren't too many students in each class. I would show the group of visitors all the good things we have to offer and our very sweet school animal that stays in the kitchen.

(5) Community

Because I have never thought of school as my home, I wouldn't really consider this to be my home, but I do like coming here even when I don't have courses. I attend to school from 8:40 to 1:15 but spend most of my time hanging around with friends afterward. Because of the small size of the school, getting along with people is simple. We strive to include people in things, and we also extend as many invitations to join us when we go out during breaks, so I think everyone feels valued and respected. Generally speaking, this school is great for meeting new people and getting along. Everyone is very open to new people and very talkative so there are always chances for people to meet each other.

(5) School Location

We are able to leave the school during breaks, and since it is located in Landsdowne, there are lots of places we can visit for food or shopping, which is great because we are not just out in the middle of nothing. Even if they aren't going anyplace in particular, most students leave during their breaks since it's pleasant to be able to take a walk and get some fresh air.

(4.5) Admissions

The admission process wasn't anything stressful because it was the same process that every other school has. Although I didn’t do the admission process myself I did help my father here and there and I was both nervous and excited. Going to a new school is not always the best thing in the world, but we had attended a zoom meeting with the school before we moved to Canada in order to visit the school and ask the questions we need to ask which I would recommend for everyone. We had meetings with several schools and Blyth Academy was both my sister's and my first choice. After the meeting, we realized that Blyth was the school for us and we were more excited to go to school than we were nervous.