Interview with Kingsway College School PARENT, Navsheer Gill

The school is very forward-thinking, adaptive, and prepares children for the future with the way that they are shaping their pedagogy. It really is putting children into the world who are emotionally confident and capable of being in innovative and leadership positions. There is an emphasis on mental well-being and mindfulness, and it’s been a backbone of the school from the get-go. 

There’s a strong emphasis on raising socially responsible children, with the same simple but meaningful rules for everyone: respect, manners, and try your best. That’s a great way for any of us to live our lives, and I love that they taught that from the beginning. The emphasis on being hardworking, responsible, good people is invaluable for us as a family.

I appreciate the academic rigor and regular check-ins to see how my child is doing and whether they are meeting expectations. Their approach is to meet each child where they are and help them reach their potential. If that means they have to adapt things to meet that child's needs, they do it. They step in to provide extra support or enrichment when needed and always communicate regularly with parents.

Never has my son woken up and said he doesn’t want to go to school. He can have a bad day and talk about it on the car ride home, but the next morning, I don’t hear, 'I don’t want to go back,' which is phenomenal.

As a two-and-a-half-year-old, it was his first time in a non-home environment, but the warmth and patience of the teachers helped him feel comfortable. In the early years, everyone knew he was one of the youngest and took the time to make him feel comfortable and reassure us. As a parent, it was a huge comfort for me. Since then, he’s grown, become familiar with the surroundings, and it’s been an incredibly supportive and nurturing environment.

What my son appreciates most about the school is his friends. He’s made lifelong friends that he also sees after school or on the weekend. That makes the school a safe environment for him. I think it’s also the sense of safety and home that the staff creates. He often talks about problems they solved with the help of a teacher. He definitely feels supported, and we’ve seen his confidence and willingness to try new things grow, and I attribute a lot of that to the school.

The school has created an environment where the children feel comfortable expressing themselves. For example, during one of the school's celebrity days, a Canadian performer was there, and my son, who could only have been five or six, was so happy that he had the confidence to get up and dance with the performer. The fact that he was able to get up in assembly, dance, and be himself without being intimidated by the older kids is really impressive.

Communication has always been positive with both administration and teachers. There’s never been an issue with reaching out or having a query answered. I’m never made to feel like I’m imposing, and responses are always prompt, supportive, and informative. I leave every parent-teacher interview feeling like I’m putting my child in an amazing environment that’s both safe and nurturing, but also helping him to grow in a way that suits and supports him. 

Families are very like-minded and very engaged with what their children are doing and with the community. That helps because then you’re working toward the same ambitions for both the school and your children. Families we’ve come across are aligned with what they value in education and committed to fundraisers and events like the welcoming barbecue or summer activities. It’s nice to be part of a community working toward a common cause.

To the families searching for a school, I’d say that if you’re looking to put out into the world not only bright and capable children but also thoughtful, kind, confident children, then KCS is the place for you.