REVIEW OF Lakefield College School BY parent, Liz Niehaus

(5) Student Experience

Lakefield has exceeded our expectations. Our son joined in Grade 11, and he was immediately welcomed into a great community of boarders within his house. The school did a great job matching him with a roommate, and the boarding staff has done a great job of building community within his house. His Head of House and his Advisor encouraged him to join a variety of activities and clubs. He has had the chance to explore new interests (tennis, maker space, swim team, rock choir, school play, etc). There is so much offered that it was difficult to choose! The emphasis on the outdoors and making real connections has been refreshing. He has spent a lot of time at Northcote Farm this year and has really enjoyed connecting with new peers in nature.

Why Lakefield College School?

He chose Lakefield because of the warm, welcoming vibe that he got when he attended an open house. The emphasis on the outdoors and the chance to learn farming skills at the Northcote Farm were particularly interesting to him. There seemed to be a real emphasis on becoming the best version of yourself at the school.

Expectations vs. Reality

We were expecting a warm, welcoming atmosphere at Lakefield, and that is exactly what we got. I was nervous about our son starting at a new school in Grade 11, but he was immediately welcomed into the community by a wide circle of friends. I was surprised at how much effort the school puts into finding ways to keep boarding parents engaged in school life. I feel more engaged at Lakefield than I did when he attended our neighbourhood school.

Your Advice

I would not hesitate to send my child to boarding school. At first, I was nervous to have our son away from home, but the life lessons he is learning are amazing. He is more confident, he advocates for himself when needed, and he manages his own schedule (academic, co-curricular, etc) independently. I think Lakefield has set him up for an easy transition to post-secondary.

(5) School Leadership

(5) Teaching

The teachers at Lakefield are incredibly dedicated and passionate. There are many opportunities to get extra help when needed through their "Grove Time" program. Our son receives detailed feedback on how to improve and feels comfortable asking for help when needed. The teachers go above and beyond to find ways to incorporate authentic learning. For example, in Green Industries class, our son had the chance to participate in a Community Shared Agriculture project where they learned how to harvest, wash, package and deliver produce to the local community. It was a great experience to learn about sustainable farming practices. The teachers are also very involved in the life of the school. The teachers really care about the students and encourage them to join teams, clubs, and be the best version of themselves.

(5) Academics

Lakefield has challenged our son academically compared to his previous school. He has learned to advocate for himself when he finds concepts difficult, and has had the opportunity to engage in enrichment opportunities. For example, the music class submitted auditions for the CIS music fest, and the outdoor education class is attending a 2-day whitewater canoe trip. He has learned many new skills in the outdoor education class (fire building, cross-country skiing, outdoor cooking) that far exceed what many other schools offer. I feel that Lakefield has a good balance of challenging academic classes as well as interesting elective courses that are unique to the school. There are not many schools where you can visit a farm in the morning for your Green Industries class and then go canoeing on the river in the afternoon! There are AP classes in Grade 11 and 12 for those students who want to be challenged, but the school does a nice job of guiding students towards classes that are a good fit for each student. I feel that the independence encouraged at Lakefield has prepared our son for his post-secondary journey.

(5) Extracurriculars

I cannot say enough about the wide variety of extracurriculars offered at Lakefield. My son came to Lakefield after leaving a national-level sport-study program. I was nervous about his ability to join new sports (because he didn't have a lot of experience outside of his sport!). I was blown away when he joined the tennis club, the school play, maker space, swim team and the rock choir. I love how the school offers many sports (including windsurfing, sailing and rowing) alongside the more traditional sports. There are also many opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities through their houses. Our son has played broomball, slash hockey, attended dances and overall had an amazing time at the school. The school does a great job of celebrating students who participate and excel in both the arts and athletics through their "athlete and artist of the month" program.

(5) Students

Our son was welcomed into the Lakefield community right away. He has a large group of friends and tells us that he "knows everyone". The community is large enough to have a variety of students from many countries, but small enough that the students get to know each other. There are many opportunities to meet new friends through house activities, clubs, teams and classes. I particularly appreciate how the boarding staff encourages the kids to attend school events together. Recently, his whole house attended the Dance Showcase to cheer on their housemates who were participating. The boys often eat dinner together as a house and really enjoy hanging out in the common room when they can. The students are celebrated no matter what their interests (arts, sports, leadership, music, etc), which helps to build a strong community.

(5) School Life

Our son was unsure what boarding life would be like, but he has thanked us many times for encouraging him to attend Lakefield. He says he feels lucky to attend the school because of the beautiful campus, the amazing teachers and the emphasis on academics. He is spending less time on his phone and more time connecting with his peers in-person. The school does an excellent job keeping students busy. There are many activities organized to help kids connect and build school spirit. We get regular reports of cool activities organized by the boarding staff and school: fire building challenges, winter carnivals, broomball tournaments, coffee house music nights, school dances, downhill ski days, etc. There is always something for students to do! I just love that Lakefield cultivates a community where students feel comfortable exploring new interests and being themselves.

(5) Community

We were worried that we would feel disconnected as boarding parents, but the opposite is true! From the very first day (move-in day), Lakefield does an amazing job getting to know parents and families. They also provided great opportunities for parents to meet each other during boarding parent receptions, community dinners after parent-teacher interviews, the Fall Fair, and events like Regatta Day. The school does a great job streaming many school events (ex, music concerts, parent meetings, etc) so that you feel connected to the school community from a distance. I will also say that I have found the parent community very welcoming and down-to-earth. The school is situated in a smaller, rural community where the pace of life is a little slower. This seems to bring out the best in people! We have had an extremely positive experience meeting other parents and feeling welcomed into the Lakefield family.

(5) School Location

Lakefield is a small town that is a little off the beaten track, but that is part of what makes the school amazing. I love how our son is spending time away from the hustle and bustle of the city and getting to spend more time in nature. Boarding students have the chance to leave campus on the weekends after class. He sometimes borrows the community bikes to go into town. Or he can walk when the weather is warmer. The school sometimes organizes a bus to Peterborough for shopping experiences on the weekend. One thing that surprised us was that the school helps to organize transportation back to Toronto and other nearby cities on long weekends and quiet weekends (when there are no Saturday classes). This is a huge benefit!

(5) Admissions

Compared to other schools, we found the Lakefield admissions experience very pleasant. The admissions staff who interviewed our son really took their time to get to know him. The interview felt more like a conversation designed to get to know his strengths and needs. The experience was more about "fit" for both parties. When he was accepted, we were welcomed with a personalized video that showed how much they knew our son. During the admissions process, our son completed a personality assessment that provided him with insights into his strengths. He was able to review the personalized report before the interview, which helped to guide him during the interview. While he was still a bit nervous during the interview, he said the admissions staff did a great job putting him at ease and seemed genuinely interested in getting to know him as a person.