REVIEW OF J. Addison School BY student, Zhi Ye Cao

(5) Student Experience

My student experience at J. Addison School has been wonderful. Personally, I love the atmosphere of the school and the dorm, as it provides a warm and welcoming feeling as a boarding student. In addition, I love the faculty and dorm staff as they are extremely helpful and kind. Moreover, the location of the school is not remote, as there are shopping malls, grocery stores, restaurants, medical and dental clinics that are all situated around the school. Furthermore, I feel safe attending the school as safety and security is a major priority for the school. Another factor that I like about the school is the food. The on-site cooking staff prepares delicious and well-balanced meals for us. In my opinion, if there is one thing that I would change about the school would be nothing, as I feel that they truly care about the student experience and work diligently to provide the best support for myself and for other students.

(5) School Leadership

The school leadership at J. Addison is quite diverse as the school has a Principal, Dean of Discipline, and a Residence Supervisor. Each of their responsibility is unique, which hinges on students' success. The principal can be described as a "warm, kind, considerate and friendly" individual, who provides an "open door" policy for all students to express their concerns. The "Dean of Discipline" ensures that all students follow the school rules and provides academic support. Finally, the Residence Supervisor works with the Principal and Dean of Discipline in providing a holistic care approach for each boarding student.

(5) Teaching

Honestly, I feel that the faculty of J. Addison School, do not place immense pressure on us to succeed, but create the awareness of why it is important for us to succeed in our academic and personal life. Each student that attends J. Addison School comes with the mindset to succeed based on their intrinsic goals, such as attending a post-secondary institution of their choice or receiving a full scholarship to play Division 1 basketball in the US or other parts of the world. As I continue to reflect on my experience and their ideology of success, I've learned that the school simply wants us to put forth our very best effort and the notion that we can succeed, despite any challenges that may arise.

(5) Academics

The academics at J. Addison School is rigorous, fun, engaging and definitely challenging. From my personal standpoint, in order to have a positive academic experience at J. Addison School, the student must display a level of discipline or personal motivation towards the subject area. The climate of the school concerning academics can somewhat motivate you to work hard as every student has a mission to graduate with good grades. Moreover, the students are extremely nice and they offer assistance if you don't understand a certain subject area. In my opinion, I feel that there is a level of difficulty based on the individual. Nevertheless, there is an academic support program that is provided for every student to help them to succeed in their classes. Furthermore, the information we study or learn at J. Addison School does prepare us for the future, as each student has their own mindsight of which post-secondary institution that they wish to attend and their secondary school course expectations for admission.

(5) Extracurriculars

The extracurriculars that I am involved with at J. Addison School are Residence Council, Student Council, Badminton Club and Peer Mentoring Club. Personally, I enjoy these clubs as they have helped me to be a well-rounded individual at the school. I've realized that every student should have a balance between their academic and personal life as it can be extremely stressful by focusing one's attention on studying and completing assignments. From my personal observation, I feel that every student has the opportunity to take part in a wide range of clubs at the school to meet their interests. Equally as important, the extra-curricular program is not overwhelming as it provides an opportunity to socialize with other individuals within a relaxed setting as well as consider the feedback of the students for continual improvement.

(5) Students

The students that attend J. Addison School represent a multi-cultural community. As an international student from Peru currently attending the school, I have made friends from Europe, Nigeria, Canada, Egypt, Iran, China and Hong Kong. I would have to say that the students are respectful. In addition, I would also have to say that the school creates the awareness of anti-bullying, which creates a positive student experience. The type of students that tend to do well at J. Addison School are students that are focused on receiving a good education. One must understand that if a student places so much emphasis on their personal life and not on their academics, then their experience at J. Addison School would be challenging. From my standpoint, J. Addison School fosters an environment that teaches discipline, accountability and responsibility to their students as well as inclusivity.

(5) School Life

In my opinion, I would have to note the school's state-of-the-art gymnasium. Being that I am an active student at the school, who is involved in various sport-related activities, the gym is such a calming and relaxing location to relieve any personal stress. In addition, there are large windows within the space that offers a great view of the Markham community as well as the beautiful sunlight. Moreover, the gym offers great memories that I share with my friends as we play games or take part in competitive sports, such as badminton or volleyball. Moreover, it is clean, safe, well-secured and provides many diverse opportunities to play a wide range of sports and team-building activities. Finally, the acoustics in the gym is quite awesome for great music!

(5) Community

Honestly, I would have to say that the school and dorm environment feels like home based on how the faculty and staff treat the students like an extension of their families. I feel as though the school understands the challenges that we may face as an international boarding student being away from home at a young age, where support is definitely needed. The relationships that I have made with the faculty and dorm team have been such a positive experience as they offer 24/7 assistance to myself and dorm peers. I have seen them work extremely hard to provide the best experience for the students, especially during this pandemic. Moreover, they always visit our rooms daily to see how we are doing and create activities to strengthen the school and dorm community.

(5) School Location

The school location of J. Addison School is situated in Markham, Ontario, which is about 20-30 minutes from Toronto. Prior to COVID-19, dorm students had the opportunity to leave the campus daily to enjoy the amenities that the city has to offer. However, due to the safety measures implemented by the school and the York region, the opportunity to leave campus has been slightly amended for essential services until further notice. Nevertheless, the faculty and dorm staff have provided supervised outdoor activities within a safe manner for the students.

(5) Admissions

The admissions process was easy for me, as I researched about J. Addison School through the internet prior to applying. In my country of Peru, I went to an educational agent that was able to serve as a liaison between the school and myself about the admissions process. In addition, I was interviewed by the school principal. The best advice I can provide for anyone that is applying to J. Addison School is to have a great academic record and demonstrate outstanding leadership through extracurricular activities or civic duties. Moreover, the admissions team at J. Addison School is extremely helpful, kind and reliable. Finally, the admissions team at the school is there to assists students with any concerns, such as renewing their study permits or answering any inquiries that families may have about the school. I would have to say that my overall experience working with the school's admissions team was not stressful.