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Go to child profileSince 1982, Fern Hill's mission has been to graduate students aged 3-14 who are dedicated to excellence, possess a sense of personal worth and confidence in their talents and abilities. The enriched curriculum is taught in a rotary timetable by qualified, subject specific teachers who are passionate about their individual subjects. This approach is reflected in the high level of engagement found in the classrooms. Our Math, Science & Literacy program is enriched with Sports, Mandarin, French, Art, Drama, Music etc.
What learning looks like now: Fern Hill has developed protocols within our school that keep our students safe while preserving the key elements of our program that make Fern Hill special. Cohorts/bubbles have colour coded zones within the school facilities and outside on our 30 acres of property. Our daily screening app must be completed before entrance to the school, masks must be worn, and currently only staff and students are admitted into student spaces during the school day. Student timetables provide our full roster of subjects in our traditional 6 period daily timetable. For 2021-22, we hare happy to be able to add vocal music and our wind and brass instruments back into the music program after last year's focus on rhythm, strings and percussion. Clubs and House team events continue to flourish with students remaining with their cohorts but gathering points for their individual houses. Morning Assembly is a key component to building peer to peer connections at Fern Hill and we have maintained this daily component through all the phases of Covid. Assembly is performed live each morning with a limited student audience and is broadcast to each classroom and online learners via zoom. During closures and for students working online, participation in Assembly is maintained through the collection of individual video clips that are compiled and broadcast daily so that the start of our day remains consistent and our sense of community can be preserved.
Curriculum delivery:
Living Arrangement | Grades | Delivery Model | Frequency |
---|---|---|---|
Day | Preschool - Gr. 8 | Hybrid/blended | Full-time |
What Fern Hill School - Burlington says: For 2021-22, we are offering both in-person and online options to all families. Students can transition between online and in-person with 24 hours notice with curb-side pickup provided for the course materials needed to support online learning. In class cameras and technology supports a seamless flow between online and in-person so that students are always 'in' the same classroom with their peers regardless of their physical location. This fluidity allows us to support students staying home with short term symptoms or longer term, personal comfort issues that individual families may have.
Fern Hill School offers bus transferring. Service options offered are regular rider, regular rider AM only, regular rider PM only, door-to-door pickup .
The regions Fern Hill School offers busing from are:
Come and explore our campus and meet our faculty! Take this opportunity to discuss your education goals with interested educators who in turn will share their approach their subject and how they address the different learning styles of their students. Peruse our teaching materials and explore our facilities to gain an understanding of what we offer to every family who joins the Fern Hill community.
At Fern Hill, academics are important, just as they should be at any school, but culture is important too, including a desire to capitalize on the individual strengths of the staff. Cross-curricular links are a focus, as is a desire to allow students to experience things that may, for the moment at any rate, seem to reside outside their immediate areas of interest. The school takes good advantage of its location within the Ontario Greenbelt, and field studies—there’s a bird banding program, among other initiatives—are used as an entrée to the development of confidence, skill development, and team building. Families are drawn to the strength of the academic program, the small class sizes, the broad range of co-curricular programs, and an abiding dedication to academic excellence.
Focus |
---|
Academic |
DIBELS Testing: This school periodically uses DIBELS testing to assess reading progress.
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Evolution as consensus theory | |
Evolution as one of many equally viable theories | |
Evolution is not taught |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Biology | |
Chemistry | |
Ecology | |
Geology | |
Meteorology | |
Physics | |
Physiology | |
Zoology |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Acting | |
Dance | |
Drama/Theatre | |
Graphic Design | |
Music | |
Visual Arts |
Expressive | |
Disciplined |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Computer science | |
Robotics | |
Web design |
Flexible pacing style | offered |
---|---|
Subject-streaming (tracking) | |
Multi-age classrooms as standard | |
Ability-grouping (in-class) as common | |
Frequent use of cyber-learning (at-their-own-pace) | |
Regular guided independent study opportunities | |
Differentiated assessment |
Fern Hill School offers no/limited support for students with learning difficulties or special needs.
Subject Type | offered |
---|---|
Learning strategy and study counselling; habit formation | |
Extra support and minor accommodations for children experiencing subclinical difficulties |
Subject Type | offered |
---|---|
Accommodations | |
Modifications | |
Extra support |
Read our guide to special needs schools and special education
Curriculum delivery: Acceleration and enrichment (There is an equal emphasis on acceleration and enrichment.)
Program | offered |
---|---|
Custom subject enrichment (special arrangement) | |
Custom curriculum compacting (special arrangement) | |
Guided independent study (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Cyber-learning opportunities (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Formalized peer coaching opportunities (specifically for gifted learners to coach others) | |
Custom subject acceleration (special arrangement) | |
Career exploration (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Project-based learning (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Mentorships (custom gifted arrangement) |
English - 80% | French - 10% | Mandarin - 10% |
In grade Gr. 8, Fern Hill School students perform an average of 1.5 hours of homework per night.
PS | JK | SK | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fern Hill School | 0 mins | 0 mins | 0 mins | 0 mins | 0 mins | 30 mins | 45 mins | 45 mins | 60 mins | 60 mins | 90 mins |
Site Average | 2 mins | 6 mins | 7 mins | 15 mins | 17 mins | 23 mins | 29 mins | 34 mins | 39 mins | 51 mins | 55 mins |
Lettered or numbered grades | Gr. 1 to Gr. 8 |
Prose (narrative)-based feedback | Preschool to Gr. 1 |
Academic achievement reporting | Gr. 1 to Gr. 8 |
Habits and behaviour reporting | Gr. 1 to Gr. 8 |
Parent-teacher meetings | Preschool to Gr. 8 |
Competitive sports: 7
Recreational sports: 15
Fern Hill School - Burlington offers 14 clubs and extracurricular programs.
PS | JK | SK | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
Day | $22,713 | $23,391 | $23,765 | $24,241 | $24,550 | ||||||
Day (Half day) | $11,742 |
Discounts
Discount Type | Enrolment Type | Amount |
---|---|---|
Early payment | Day | $500 |
Grades | Gender | Living Arrangement | Enrolment | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Group 1 | Preschool to Gr. 8 | Coed | Day | 195 |
Total enrolment | 195 |
Average class size | 16 to 19 |
% of international students (total enrolment) | 0% |
Number of different nationalities within student population | 30 |
PS | JK | SK | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Day Enrollment | N/A | 11 | 21 | 24 | 16 | 17 | 26 | 13 | 24 | 25 | 15 |
Class Size | 8 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 15 |
Assessment | Required | Grades |
---|---|---|
Interview | PS - 8 | |
SSAT | ||
SSAT (out of province) | ||
Entrance Exam(s) | 1 - 8 | |
Entrance Essay |
Day students: Rolling
Offer mid-year entry:
Yes
Application fee: $250
Registration fee: $2,500
Deposit:
$0
This is the percentage of applicants typically accepted into the school. So if 50 students are admitted out of 100 applicants, the school has an overall acceptance rate of 50%.
Student Entry Points
This shows approximately how many openings there are likely to be in each grade in a typical year, as well as the estimated acceptance rate for each grade level.
Student Type | PS | JK | SK | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Day Acceptance (Acceptance rate) | 8 - 16 (90%) | 4 (80%) | 4 - 18 (80%) | 1 - 19 (70%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
My vision for Fern Hill School began long before there was a building, a student body or even a faculty. It began with a wish list: small class sizes, a warm friendly environment, attention to intellectual, social, emotional and physical growth and caring subject-specific teachers.
Today, more than 30 years later, Fern Hill combines the best traditional learning approaches with individualized techniques that have proven to be effective in engaging young minds. Taught by teachers who are as passionate about their students as they are about their subject specialties, our enriched curriculum stimulates and challenges students to give their personal best.
Our families choose Fern Hill not only because of its excellence in education, but also because our 22 acre campus is warm and inviting with indoor and outdoor spaces that are rich in purpose. In addition to spacious classrooms, a fully equipped gymnasium provides opportunities to be a part of school teams. A music room where vocal music is supported by Orff instruments and where band starts in Grade 5, offers a wide range of opportunities for performance. And a spacious art centre where students are led on an artistic journey that exposes them to all aspects of form, colour, light, perspective and Art History.
My honest opinion is that the only way to know what we do, is to come to visit and see for yourself. Ask our teachers why they love to teach here and our children what is it that makes them want to come to school each day. I know you will like what they have to tell you.
Does Fern Hill School - Burlington have good reviews?
You can read 2 reviews about Fern Hill School - Burlington via this link.
When is the application deadline for Fern Hill School - Burlington?
The application deadline for day students is typically open year-round based on availability. More application details are available here.
What is the acceptance rate at Fern Hill School - Burlington?
The overall acceptance rate at Fern Hill School - Burlington is 80%. This rate varies depending on the grade. More details about acceptance rates per grade are here.
What is the curriculum pace at Fern Hill School - Burlington?
Fern Hill School - Burlington has a Standard-enriched approach to curriculum pace (as opposed to Accelerated or Student-paced). Learn more about curriculum pace here.
How many students attend Fern Hill School - Burlington?
There are 195 students enrolled at Fern Hill School - Burlington from Preschool to Gr. 8. More details about enrollment are available here.
Does Fern Hill School - Burlington offer busing?
Yes
Do students at Fern Hill School - Burlington wear uniforms?
Yes
Does Fern Hill School - Burlington offer a hot lunch program?
Yes
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