Roundtable Q&A Discussion About Children's Garden Nursery School (2021)
Children's Garden Nursery School alumni, current students, and parents shared their insights on the school’s culture, values, strengths, and weaknesses. Hear what Michael, Robin, David had to say about the school.
Video Contents
Highlights from the Q&A discussion
Michael — current parent
Michael has a son that attended Children’s Garden Nursery School for two years. He feels that the teachers are passionate, compassionate, and have a genuine concern for all students. He appreciates that the school offers a French immersion program, which he believes will benefit his son in the future. His son came out of his shell at Children’s Garden Nursery School and feels prepared for middle school.
- “[I would describe Children's Garden Nursery School as] compassionate, passionate and fun. … [Children's Garden Nursery School has] genuine concern for others. … Everyone's genuine and that ties into ‘passionate.’ There's a strong belief and enthusiasm that everyone truly cares about the kids, their role in the school, and fun.”
- “[Children's Garden Nursery School is] a wonderful space and a very fun environment, but it's created by the people who are there.”
- “I was most surprised about the level of passion that there is [at Children's Garden Nursery School]. … You really come to appreciate how much work is really put in. … [I saw the] quality of the education and the level of passion and the consistency [from the teachers at Children's Garden Nursery School].”
- “Day in, day out, I never saw any frowns on any teacher’s faces [at Children's Garden Nursery School]. It was always very fun. That’s not an easy thing to create, especially online. You have to be very passionate, and that passion really shines through. It was neat to see that and be that fly on the wall.”
- “It was important for us to have [our son] in a smaller environment, which is why we didn't want to put him in the public system at that point. … Having that warm, loving environment was hard to put into words for us. You just sort of you have that feeling … I haven't met anybody from Children's Garden [Nursery School] who didn't have that feeling.”
- “[Children's Garden Nursery School] exceeded our expectations. … Having French immersion specifically is something that many schools don't offer, so that is a big point of difference.”
- “[My son] came out of his shell [at Children's Garden Nursery School]. It's different for every kid in terms of when they sort of connect certain dots. … If you asked us a year ago with Chase, had been ready to be fed to the wolves at a bigger school, we would have said ‘no,’ but in this past year, he's now ready for the wolves, and his older brother is there, and that's where he's ending up eventually. We're now very comfortable feeding him to those wolves, and we wouldn't be if it weren’t for Children's Garden [Nursery School].”
- “Whether we're walking or driving by [Children's Garden Nursery School, my son is] always like, ‘Yay, my school. Yay, my school.’ I think that says it all; it's a happy place. His face lights up whenever we simply walk by or go by the school. That says everything.”
- “Everybody wants the same thing [at Children's Garden Nursery School]. Everyone wants that happy, safe environment for their kids. ... Whether you're saying ‘Hello’ to somebody's kid or another parent greets your child, it's a very warm, respectful place day in, day out. … I could be a chatty Cathy on many days, and it's an easy place just to be yourself.”
Robin — current parent
Robin has two sons who attended Children’s Garden Nursery School. She was initially drawn to the school because of the small teacher-to-student ratios, which allowed her sons to get more individual attention. She was impressed by all of the specialty programs offered at the school, such as drama, sports, music, and art, which she feels benefitted the students there. She appreciates how friendly the teachers and staff are at Children’s Garden Nursery School and believes they care deeply about students’ well-being and development. Her sons now love to learn and are ready to move on to middle school.
- “I would say the small class sizes is one of the biggest benefits of [Children's Garden Nursery School]. The 8-to-1 ratio with the younger kids and the 10-to-1 ratio with the older students give them a lot of individual attention. I think that's the huge benefit of [Children's Garden Nursery School]. I also think the fact that it's a small school, in general, isn't overwhelming for the kids, so they can come in, and they feel like they're part of the community, which is really nice, especially the younger kids that are starting the school.”
- “I also think the specialty programs at [Children's Garden Nursery School] differentiate the school from other schools, having a drama program, sports, music, and art. I think that's wonderful, and both of my kids have said that was one of their favourite things about the school. I think that was excellent. I'd also say the field trips pre-COVID was another thing that [Children's Garden Nursery School] did well. I know we went on some farm field trips and to the symphony. … They were wonderful.”
- “Because of the small class sizes, I found that [Children's Garden Nursery School] was able to make it very individual for each student. So if one of the kids needed to move ahead, because of the small class sizes, they were able to do that and meet each child's individual needs.”
- “Friendly, dedicated, and responsible were three words that came to mind [to describe Children's Garden Nursery School]. ... I think the staff and administrators are some of the friendliest people I've ever met. Every time you walk into the school, there are big smiles, everyone's welcoming you. All of the teachers are willing to talk to you. [My children have] had pretty much every teacher at Children's Garden [Nursery School], and I can say they're all amazing and dedicated.”
- “The staff [at Children's Garden Nursery School] is so dedicated. … Everyone just cares for the kids, is so interested in their well-being and development. … I was hesitant to leave my children for the first time, but [Children's Garden Nursery School] just made it so warm and welcoming, and I always felt like they were in good hands after that first day where it was hard. I never hesitated to leave them again. I knew that [Children's Garden Nursery School] would take care of them.”
- “Since [Children's Garden Nursery School] have changed the garden, and made it more of a playground for the kids, [it has been great]. My older son didn't experience it, but my younger son did, and he loved it. I think that's been a great change.”
- “I was most surprised at the education [at Children's Garden Nursery School], and how good it is, and how they do a great job of blending the education with fun. I feel like the kids enjoyed learning. To be honest, that was very surprising for me. Both my kids were reading in kindergarten, and writing, and doing math. I found that I knew that [Children's Garden Nursery School] had a great education program, but I was so surprised at how good it is, how fun it was for [my kids], and how much they enjoy learning.”
- “Both my kids love to learn, and I owe that to Children's Garden [Nursery School]. I was surprised how well they were able to come out of kindergarten and be so ready for Grade 1.”
- “I think it's natural to be shy and a bit nervous coming to a new school. I would say not to worry because the teachers are fantastic. [Children's Garden Nursery School is a] very warm and welcoming environment, so I think there's absolutely nothing to worry about. You'll make a ton of new friends, and you're going to have the best years of your life so far. I think it's amazing. It's fun, just enjoy. It goes by quickly.”
- “I chose [Children's Garden Nursery School] initially because I liked the small class sizes. That was important to me, and it exceeded my expectations. The small class sizes were wonderful. I liked how it was a very small school, sort of an extension of the home. For me, it was the first time my kids left home, and I wanted to find a very warm and nurturing environment. I had met the teachers, and they were all so lovely, and that was something that I enjoyed.”
- “Some schools are very just play-based or just academic. I found that Children's Garden [Nursery School] did a good job blending both, which was important. I think the kids are sponges at that age. … [My son is] going into Grade 3, and I don't think he'd be where he is today without Children's Garden [Nursery School], he does very well academically, and most importantly, he loves learning.”
- “I've had two boys who have gone through Children's Garden [Nursery School], and the biggest impact is the fact that they both love to learn. That has been huge for them. I have to say that specialty programs have impacted [them]. My older son is more into the arts, and my younger son is more into sports. We found that just having him exposed to drama, music, and the arts was wonderful. Doing the play at the end of the year, we came to realize that he is a good little actor, and he's now with an acting agency.”
- “My younger son, he's a little bit more on the shy side. I think Children's Garden [Nursery School] has helped him come out of his shell. He's much more comfortable talking in front of his class now, and he's made some great friends this past year. I think that he's more than ready to go into Grade 1. He's not a shy little child anymore.”
- “Both my boys said they love Children’s Garden [Nursery School]. They have both made great connections with their teachers, all the staff there are incredible. They said that was a big part of them enjoying the school. They said everyone is very friendly. That was something they both said. My older son really liked the did French immersion. He liked that, and my younger son talked about how much he loved all of the specialty programs and said he enjoyed the work.”
- “I would say some of the values [of Children's Garden Nursery School] would be friendliness, respect, and commitment. All the parents gathered and talked within the school community when we were picking up our children. They have to kick us out at the end of the day because everyone is friendly and committed. All the parents were wonderful and helped put on a lot of the different events at the school. I think that was great.”
- “The teachers and administration are committed [at Children's Garden Nursery School]. I would say [they are] respectful as well. Everyone's respectful of each other.”
David — current parent
David has one son that currently attends Children’s Garden Nursery School. He initially chose the school because of the half-day kindergarten program and it’s warm and welcoming environment. He feels that the small class sizes give students a competitive advantage and more opportunities to grow more quickly. During his first years at Children’s Garden Nursery School, David’s son learned socialization skills, expressing himself, and adequately dealing with problems.
- “Three words [to describe Children's Garden Nursery School] are warm, organized, and thoughtful if the school was a person. … There was just this warm and welcoming feeling that carried to [our son] every day. When he went to school, he would just run right in without looking back, much to Mom and Dad's dismay. It was always a positive sign that showed how much he loves going in there.”
- “It was amazing to watch just how organized [our son’s] teacher [at Children's Garden Nursery School was] this year. … On Friday, there was a pizza day where the kids would make pizza. … There was math and reading all through the week, gearing up for this one event. … I was amazed.”
- “[What I found surprising about Children's Garden Nursery School was] the value of the small class sizes and the intimacy of the school. You just see how tailor-made the educational approach can be for the kids, having those small class sizes. I think it's a huge competitive advantage for the students going forward to help them grow quicker. I can't say enough. It made a huge difference.”
- “I was blown away by the academics [at Children's Garden Nursery School], that was very important, and it was amazing to see that growth. Your child goes from not being able to pick up a pen and write, to writing sentences, reading, and doing math all very quickly. It was amazing, but it was all the other things as well. … The drama, and all these extracurriculars that really you wouldn't think you would find in a small school, but [Children's Garden Nursery School is] punching way above their weight in those areas.”
- “We were just so impressed about the impact that [Children's Garden Nursery School] has had on [our son] from September through. He came a long way. He hadn’t been in a school environment before, and [he learned] socialization, how to express himself, and just understanding how to deal with people and problems. Around Thanksgiving, he really started to blossom a couple of months in, and then it just continued right through. [We’re] very grateful that we chose [Children's Garden Nursery School], and saw that development.”
- “[My son] loves going to [Children's Garden Nursery School]. He would go today, and it's the middle of July. He just thinks the world of it. It is his happy place. What a great way to start your education process. [When you] go through school, as you get older, sometimes going to school can be a challenge, and nervous anxiety thing. [I’m thankful] that this starting point is so great and so warm.”
- “I think there is a value of being warm and nurturing in the parents at [Children's Garden Nursery School]. There's this focus on creating bright and engaging classrooms, and there's this idea to help each child grow. I think all of that comes together both within the school and in the larger community.’
