The Dalton School is a dual-language school, so it doesn't use the language immersion model that most Canadians are familiar with. First off, no prior Mandarin or English proficiency is required to enroll. Further, both languages are given equal weight, unlike in many public school immersion programs where students all share a first language and are all learning the same second language—at The Dalton School, 50% of the day’s instruction is in Mandarin, and 50% in English. The curriculum is balanced in order to allow students to achieve academic proficiency in both languages. So, it’s different, and as such, visiting the school can be, and often is, a striking experience. Most Canadians, truly, have never experienced an academic environment quite like it, with very young children functioning easily, casually in two languages. Both languages naturally open up a range of learning areas—both social and academic—not the least being an exposure to a wider range of culture influence, providing the groundwork for an expanding and empathetic world view. All academics follow an enriched presentation of the Ontario curriculum. Dalton has a very close, community feel, and parents are welcome to be involved in the life of the school. A new home for the school is set to open in 2018, allowing space to further grow the program and the enrollment.
The Dalton School
I have 3 children at the Dalton School and this is our 4th year here, so we have experienced preschool to 4th grade. The very first thing we noticed was the kind and caring teachers, especially in the lower grades. As young students they felt comfortable and nurtured. They felt loved and at the same time knew what was expected of them and I believed this allowed them to thrive. They all have always loved going to school here. The teachers have been great, but I think what ours kids would sa... View full review
