REVIEW OF Elevate Learning Centre BY parent, Ana Correa

(5) Student Experience

Although our child has just joined the school recently, we can say that he is enjoying his experience at Elevate Learning Centre. His favorite things about the school are the following: being able to work one-on-one with the teachers, being taught a lesson by a teacher while in a very small group of students, and having so many teachers available to help when needed (fantastic student-to-teacher ratio). Our child needs lots of encouragement and immediate feedback, and at Elevate, we feel that he gets those from the teachers every single day. The lessons are taught in a variety of different ways to accommodate our diverse learners, which not only enhances the overall experience but it also makes the children even more interested and eager to learn. Finally, our son thoroughly enjoys the various extracurricular outings in the community, whether it be for volunteering, exercising, or learning something new (read more in the "Community" section at the bottom).

(5) School Leadership

What stands out about Elevate's leadership and administration is definitely with regard to communication. We parents feel that the school and the teachers have very good communication with the parents. They respond to issues appropriately and do what is best for each student. There are a lot of great things happening at Elevate every day, and the school prides itself in fostering positive relations among the students, teachers, and parents. Both students and parents are treated with dignity and respect, and the school leadership and administration are always ready to assist should a need arise.

(5) Teaching

My family and I are quite happy with not only the quality of instruction at Elevate but also with the variety of different ways that the teachers use to teach their lessons. Our diverse learners greatly benefit from this, because it enables them to learn the lessons utilizing their strengths. This makes the students excited about learning every day, and it makes them feel empowered and confident in their abilities. The teachers at Elevate are incredibly passionate, knowledgeable, and caring individuals. Working with our students, they not only teach lessons but also help the children understand and process their emotions in a positive, healthy way. This is part of the daily curriculum, and our son actually tells us about this part of his day often. When the children are happy and healthy, they can truly maximize their learning potential. In addition, there is open communication between teachers and parents and you can tell that they are always giving constructive feedback about the students, and how parents can help their child at home. We feel that our son is learning a lot while at the same time receiving lots of support every day.

(5) Academics

There are so many academic strengths at Elevate. Besides being taught the core subjects that they would also be learning in a typical school, the students at Elevate have a dedicated time each and every day for Social-Emotional Learning (which is incredibly important for anyone, but even more so for our diverse learners). In addition, lessons are taught in ways that are engaging to the students, allowing them to dive deeper and combine different subjects when learning something new. Elevate cultivates an academic culture and atmosphere that makes the students excited to learn, improve their skills, and want to gain new ones. Student achievements are celebrated, both big and small, and the children use various methods to learn. We feel that Elevate's academic program is a great fit for our child and that it will adequately prepare him for the next steps in his journey.

(5) Extracurriculars

Elevate provides several extracurricular opportunities for its students, some of which are reoccurring and others are a one-time session. Through initiatives both in the classroom and in the community, we feel that Elevate is doing a lot more than most schools in terms of involving the students in the community, providing opportunities for hands-on, concrete learning in areas that will be needed in the real world. For more details about extracurriculars/community involvement, please read the "Community" section at the bottom.

(5) Students

Although Elevate is currently a small school, the group of students (and teachers!) is wonderful. Each child is working on their challenges, but at the same time every single one of them has a few things that they are truly passionate about and they love being able to actively use their interests as part of their learning. What stands out to me about the general atmosphere of the students is that they all feel calm, safe, and secure. Elevate truly cares about the well-being of each of its students, and it shows. When the children feel well, they are happy to go to school and do their best every day. There is a lot of camaraderie among the students at Elevate. They are a welcoming group and enjoy helping each other and learning from one another.

(5) School Life

We are pleased with the overall quality of student life at Elevate. Our child really enjoys going to Elevate. Because of the great ratio, he actually gets the support, attention, and positive reinforcement that he truly needs on a daily basis. Elevate is already doing a terrific job, and they are always thinking of ways to help improve the quality of life of the students with things like mindfulness activities - I'm not sure if they do things like yoga and meditation, but if they don't it might be a nice fit for this group! I would highly recommend that any prospective family speak to the administration and actually visit the school because there are so many great things to see when the students are going about a typical day at Elevate.

(5) Community

We are new to the school, so all of us are still adjusting but overall we feel a very strong sense of community more than anywhere else we know, to be honest. Parents are welcome to be involved in the life of the school but in a way that works for everyone (not every parent's schedule allows). I cannot say enough wonderful things about how Elevate involves its students with relevant, meaningful extracurricular outings in the community. The students volunteer at a food bank once a month and participate in exciting opportunities such as visiting the Planetarium, doing a lesson at the Art Gallery of Burlington, and weekly swimming at a nearby swim school. They learn and grow so much doing these things out in the community, I think this is such a valuable experience for all of them.

(5) School Location

Elevate Learning Centre is located at Burlington's Central Park which is great because the students have access to a large open space in which to play and exercise, in addition to two playgrounds. Burlington Central Library is adjacent to Central Park which is very convenient as well. Lastly, there is public transit right outside the school and the students use it often to go on outings to various places in the community.