REVIEW OF Braemar House School BY student, Jasmira Lail

(5) Student Experience

I love it here at Braemar House School. Everyone is included and everyone has a place. We have lots of fun activities and friendships here. I couldn't imagine a better school environment. If I could change one thing about the school it would be to have a few retired teachers back. They were amazing, though the staff still is amazing. I love everything here, the students, the teachers, the building, and the park. I don't really like change, and I've been here since Gr. 2, so this is my comfort zone. I always want to be at school. The environment is more like a friend study group than a classroom, which makes you feel included and welcomed. There is never any bullying as we have a strict policy for that.

(4) School Leadership

In this school, we respect our teachers and the staff. We especially show respect to our principal and executive director. In fact, our teachers become a part of our class group the year that they teach our class. I connect especially to one of the teachers, as we share similar interests. The teacher I currently have will play video games with us after school and doesn't refrain from talking about them during school hours, which improves our bond dramatically. We always adore our teachers and staff.

(4.5) Teaching

I work really hard on my assignments and put a lot of time into them. This makes the workload seem a little overwhelming for me. The work that we do builds us up for higher grades. For example, I am in Grade 7 and am doing Grade 9 math. This school very much prepares us for high school and other grades. The teaching style is very much, "I shall hold your bike, but I will let go eventually and, if I have trained you well, you should go on without even noticing." By the end of the year, everyone is well-prepared for the next grade. Though teachers have different teaching styles, we always enjoy what is being taught to us. Each class is fun. We will always have some time to play before a school break or long weekend.

(4) Academics

The work here is difficult, but not so difficult that it is impossible or imposing. Some students struggle with the workload but most don't, and if they do they will always find help and get better. In younger grades, most of the work was educational games and lots of fun. In older grades, the work becomes more difficult as this school prepares you well for high school. I think that everything taught here is useful, either to prepare you for future grades and high school or for the real world. We have lots of word problems, and we can easily figure out how and when they would apply to life. Our teacher gives us examples of how the problems we are faced with will be applied in real life.

(4.5) Extracurriculars

In this school, there are lots of clubs and teams offered to students. Some clubs include the primary craft club and chess club. Gr. 7 and 8 students are able to take part in team sports such as volleyball, soccer, and basketball. Gr. 7 and 8 students are able to form clubs. In fact, I help to run the chess club. We have a student parliament that gets events and plans together, such as casual days. Some scheduled events also have Gr. 7 and 8 volunteers.

(5) Students

Everyone here feels special and appreciated. Everyone teases each other in a friendly way, and no one feels excluded. We all have different traits and skills but can do great things for the class and the school when combined. We have small classes so you will always have a friend. The students that do best here typically have natural skills, though others get good grades as well. Everyone here is helped so that they can get better grades. The people that do worse tend to usually doubt their skills, think that they're going to do terribly, or put off their work or studying last minute. No one here could possibly feel excluded because we all are in the same boat. We develop bonds quickly, so a relationship that would take several months in a public school could be formed in minutes at this school.

(5) School Life

I know I've said this a lot, but it's just fabulous here. If I were to give a tour of the school, I would direct the person to the classroom that they will use, first. We only have one classroom per grade, other than the gym, with one teacher to teach us most subjects. The only time you would be in a different room for learning would be for physical education in the gymnasium. Only having a few teachers helps us bond with each one. For example, the teacher we have right now plays games with us after school and doesn't refrain from talking about the experience during school, but she still makes us work hard. Our teacher becomes part of our group the year that we have them.

(5) Community

This school is amazing and such a welcoming place to be. It is a utopia here because of our beautifully interwoven community. The whole school participates in scheduled events and non-scheduled events. We all get along and celebrate each other’s achievements. Anyone who is new is instantly thrown into open arms and a loving community. Here, whoever you meet will give you a smile and want to know you. We are all linked together and support each other. If you were in a major event, you would be congratulated for how far you got in the competition. We often have friendly challenges. We have few people, so we automatically bond together. My best friends and I will never disconnect, as our bond is so strong.

(4.5) School Location

The location of the school is good. We have a small building, so it is only a short walk to the bathroom or gym. We have a large outdoor area where soccer, basketball, and army tag games are often taking place. This is good for inter-grade collaboration. The Gr. 8s usually are doing something in the gym or are staying in to do work, so they don't often join us.