REVIEW OF Crescent Heights Academy BY parent, Paulie Bergeron

(5) Student Experience

Throughout the school year, my child was consistently supported and nurtured during their first year of schooling, in kindergarten. They felt comfortable in the classroom with both the teacher and classmates. They felt that they were part of the community because there was interaction not only between classes in their grade but also the whole school. There is a strong sense of community within Crescent Heights Academy. That extends to the community outside the school complex with field trips, raising money to donate to charities and other activities. My child's language and social skills improved and expanded consistently over the year. The style of teaching, with identified competences taught across subjects, is a great approach. My child thrived in this setting. School was fun for them.

(5) School Leadership

Crescent Height Academy teachers, support staff and administration definitely foster a positive school environment. Walking into the school, there is a sense that the staff like their jobs and care about their students. Communication was effective with the daily Toddle app reports and photos. Completed work was sent home regularly. Student-led open houses fostered responsibility in my child, placing them at the centre of the process of learning. This fosters an expectation of them being an active participant in their learning. School events were well-run and fun to attend.

(5) Teaching

The teaching at Crescent Heights Academy is creative, personable, structured, but not rigid. Skills are taught and then reinforced to ensure mastery by each student. Students are set up in pairs and small groups to explore the skill being taught, which fosters cooperation and exploration. Each child learns from their fellow students. This "student with student" learning occurs outside the home classroom, in the playground, at sports events, fun days, and music events. The older students teach and help the younger students. The teacher's feedback and reports of my child's progress were specific and helpful. I knew what skills they needed help with, so I could provide that at home. Even at this grade level, kindergarten, my child had the opportunity to learn from not only their home room teacher, but from specific subject teachers in physical education, music, and French. All of these teachers were exceptional in their enthusiasm for their job and in creating a fun and educational environment. The after-school program seemed like an extension of the classroom work. The teachers in it promoted social and academic skills.

(5) Academics

My child was definitely prepared for moving to the next grade, and they are looking forward to grade one. I was not familiar with the International Baccalaureate program before my child started at Crescent Heights Academy. I am not even sure if it is part of the kindergarten program. But what I saw this past year in the school impressed me in the manner in which academic skills are taught, along with life skills and the creation of a sense of community that goes beyond the school walls. I envy what my child has received this past year at Crescent Heights Academy and what is ahead for them in the next grades. For my child to enjoy school each day and, I hope, become a lifelong learner is the most important gift a school to give to their students.

(4) Extracurriculars

With only knowing the kindergarten grade this past year, I was not exposed directly to the extracurricular activities. I saw some of the extracurricular activities on social media, which were great, and on the website, as well as when walking around the campus. I look forward to my child choosing what they would like to participate in after school in the higher grades.

(5) Students

The classroom's student-to-teacher ratio was great with the smaller number of students per class, thus giving more teacher time per student. The different cultures of the students were part of the teaching program, with their parents coming into the classroom to read stories from their culture. They often brought ethnic snacks for each student to try. I see this fostering acceptance of other people's cultures and allowing students to accept differences between themselves and their classmates. My child's classmates got along with each other very well. I see this is a result of the teacher themself as well as the school environment. My child developed empathy for others this past year, which I think was not just developmental for their age but was a result of the atmosphere of cooperation and play among the students.

(5) School Life

My child definitely loves school. There was so much variety in each day for them that no tedium developed. The variety came from, for example, having dress-down days where they can choose not to wear their uniform and pyjama days! It came from outside, special visitors to teach something like appropriate touching, butterfly release and dancing. The classroom walls were decorated with the students' artwork and academic studies. The classroom area was divided into work/eating tables, a carpet for sitting and listening to the teacher. When students were working in groups, they had a choice of working at a table, sitting or lying on the carpet or standing at the counter. My child learned to listen to others, converse with all ages, express their feelings and respect others. In addition to reading, writing and arithmetic.

(5) Community

I feel there were ample opportunities for parental/grandparent involvement at Crescent Heights Academy. Scheduled student conferences with the teachers, invitation to special events like music concerts (which were great! - two in the year, entertaining, just the right length, and smoothly run in a good venue) and volunteering for school trips to a number of interesting places over the school year. The Toddle app allows the parent a daily view of what their child's class did that day, photos, as well as reminders of future events. At the beginning of a new teaching module, an outline and learning expectations were posted on Toddle. The gym and music teacher used Toddle as well as the home room teacher. Report cards are available on Toddle. Information was provided periodically regarding the new school campus, which is slated to open in September 2027, and which will bring the current 3 campuses onto one site. This new school will be built with consideration for the environment, accessibility and innovative teaching styles. Something to look forward to as a parent.

(4) School Location

Given the location of the school and the age of the children at the elementary campus, safety is paramount to manage traffic flow during drop-off and pick-up times. Most, if not all, students are driven to school. Crescent Heights Academy staff managed this well to control and move traffic along in a safe and efficient manner. There is ample parking at the school. I know of one outing the kindergarten class took to walk from the school around the neighbourhood. Otherwise, outings involved the school bus (owned and driven by a designated staff/driver). Because the school owns the bus, the kindergarten students were given a lesson on bus etiquette and safety before they used it for a field trip.

(5) Admissions

The admission process was well communicated by pleasant, informative and friendly staff. The website was clearly written and full of useful information. Social media showed an interesting and fun school. I had lots of opportunities to ask questions and visit the school. The expectation of costs was well laid out, and extremely affordable tuition for an IB private school. There were no hidden costs at the time of admission and none as the school term progressed. The school presented itself as student-centred, and my child felt comfortable from the very beginning of exploring Crescent Heights Academy.