REVIEW OF Lakefield College School BY parent, Dean Findlay

(5) Student Experience

I rarely rate anything I provide a critique or review for as perfect, not that it's impossible, yet I rarely encounter anything ( service or product ) that exceeds all expectations. Our son has a keen intellect, love of the outdoors, academics and making new friends. He is also very independent ( bordering on stubborn), has his own drummer, deals with a learning disability and is challenged in a personal organization sense. It has become clear to us that LCS strives to feed his loves/interests while working with him and supporting him in his challenges. It leaves him feeling fully engaged with the school, his house, his peers and all the faculty. In his second year, he can't wait to get to school and always wants to stay late. If the admissions process seems lengthy and complex, I can now, with confidence, say they are working hard to get to know your child and you and make sure that a potential educational relationship between them and your family is beneficial to both parties. Its that relationship that will most impact the student, in our opinion.

Why Lakefield College School?

Day school was our choice; several schools are in our commute radius. Recommendations from close friends of ours and his got us to look there. The LCS standard of Outdoors Every Day / the amazing and family feel of the admissions team and process, and the interview/visit interactions made it a lock! One friend who had two kids already at LCS and knew our son quite well said,"he really needs to go to LCS, he is exactly what that school moulds best and exactly who adds to the school culture positively!"

Expectations vs. Reality

LCS, in the application process, asked us to update our son's ADD IEP to prepare for high school challenges. That was when we learned they had a department with experienced staff to focus on these challenges, and that they actually had a course that brought students together with all manner of learning challenges to work together to self-adapt and overcome the challenges. It puts those issues in the kids' control and empowers them to take responsibility. This was completely unexpected by us. The school, early on, also advised that the next 4 years would be primarily a work between them and our child; we would be involved if needed to resolve issues, but otherwise it was up to the student. We were made welcome to participate in school events, volunteer at events and functions and track the kids' progress, but LCS and our son were taking the high-school road and personal/leadership development on between them. It was a hard thing to get used to with a 14-year-old until you see incredible personal growth in the first year of school. The "off the chart" reality was the dedication and excellence of staff; we still have almost no words to describe their excellence and commitment to the kids. All LCS staff go that extra step to help and support the kids, even a groundskeeper returning your son's shoe as they have noticed they tend to lose track of belongings!

Your Advice

In our second year as LCS parents, I think I would look back and say the application process is a fair bit of work, and keeping up to date with your kids' academics and co-curriculars is a lot of work. Boarding parents and day parents face different logistical issues, but they are both still facing a lot of work. But for students and parents alike, the effort you invest in your time as a family at LCS is repaid tenfold in the experience that your family will enjoy at the school. I have already seen that students and indeed families forge lifelong relationships at LCS, while the students transform into the best of the next generation moving forward. I have seen parents whose involvement and support of the school has not only benefitted other students, staff, and the school as a whole, but also the parents themselves. It is honestly one of the most remarkable things I have seen in my life, parents as tied to and passionate about a school as their kids. It really creates an amazing place of growth. But if there is one thing I could give advice on to potential families, it is the admission experience. If you feel like just another application or number in any application, then you should pay attention to that and ask why. If you feel like you have made new friends in the process, if your child seems eager to see and experience more after a visit and interview, then you may have found something special. My son's entrance interview was supposed to be 20 to 30 minutes, but after 50 minutes, he and the interviewing staff emerged from the meeting and walked past me, discussing some mutual interest and went on a short tour somewhere. My son later said that was one of the best moments of his life! We are still close with that staff member and all admissions staff, and talk regularly even though my son heads toward his 3rd year at LCS!!

(4) School Leadership

As a smaller school, I think the staff are relied upon to do a lot of extra work! It's what probably makes the staff so amazing. Several parents have explored expanding volunteer capabilities to take some load off the staff. This is a point of families caring about all the staff. I think we trust the leadership to administer the school in expert fashion. Communication on issues is excellent, proactive response to issues of concern and discipline seems to be very well structured. I note that senior leadership at the school interact regularly with all students and parents, and is open to discussion.

(5) Teaching

Off the charts in this area!! Assistance and support in challenging areas for our son and elevated challenge/encouragement in the areas where he excels. His best marks are in the 90s, and his lowest ones have risen from the 70s to the 80s. He feels very proud and supported. The learning challenge support is based on self-improvement and extra effort, so he has support to improve, even though he knows the core effort has to come from him. The teaching faculty, advisors and learning strats staff combine to make him motivated to overcome challenges while he enjoys mid 90s marks in his core interest areas. As parents, we see great improvement in his realization that he has to work extra on the challenges while enjoying success in his areas of interest and focus.

(4.5) Academics

Academics are again off the chart; the funny thing is that it was the primary reason we looked at LCS for post-secondary preparation. When we consider our son's happiness, growth, development and self-improvement in the last 2 years, now it almost pales in comparison to the person shaping LCS is walking him through. The level of challenge and instruction is significant, the work to make the subject matter engaging is without equal, teachers regularly make themselves available for extra help call "grove time", they actually take their free time to create help sessions for the kids. Our son has been very thankful for these sessions in subjects where he wants to improve. The key point is he is not at a failing grade, he wants to work and improve to maintain " scholar excellence status", an honours type of status, with an average above 85%! I don't think I need to say any more than that!!!

(5) Extracurriculars

White water canoeing, nordic ski racing, cross country running, etc., debate, the farm, trails maintenance. Outstanding!!! He has moved so far out of his comfort zone that it is incredible. Getting up at 4:40 am to get ready for a Nordic ski race, drive 40 min to school, bus 2 hr to the race, race, repeat, and in bed at 7, out cold, up at 6 am next day. This is not a typical 15-year-old's day. The school really engages kids and forces them to plan a full and complex schedule.

(5) Students

Incredible, varied, supportive, independent, and inclusive, the school assembles a cast of kids they believe will mould into a community. They are outspoken, compassionate, artistic, intelligent, fun, inclusive and supportive. Friends from different everything culture/ethnicity/ country/ climate/religion, social orders, locale. Incredible. Lakefield is a rural Ontario community with minimal ethnic diversity, much the same as the larger city of Peterborough. This mecca of the world of students gives an amazing experience to all. Boarding students open the world for day students, day students give a sound base for boarding students to explore Canada/Ontario and here. They can explore all of that safely, as a school, peers and friends, eventually even family! In addition, you add the blending of science, the arts, leadership, sports and prep for post-secondary, there can be no simple term to describe the extent of this experience!

(4.5) School Life

Our son loves life at LCS. As he nears university age, he wants to be there more, and it's no secret that he would love to board there. Its a funny thing for a day parent to hear, but it makes great sense. One of the selling points of LCS was the work to prepare students for post-secondary activity, work or study. As a parent, you may be surprised by how fast your child matures in this great environment and how soon they are ready to move forward. Our son became ready before us, so that is something we have to deal with, but we need to focus on helping him get ready for this next phase. Going into grade 11 with some AP 12 courses, he will be busy with work while sorting out post-secondary decisions. This is where the parents become the background, and the kids start driving the bus. We also think this is where parents can really come together to help each other through this process, which is honestly likely harder for parents!!

(5) Community

Again, don't usually give a perfect mark, but have to here. The community is in central Ontario, Peterborough region, Lakefield town and Selwyn, a perfect host to a grounds of perfection. Sports fields, maple trees, chapel, houses, parents, volunteers, it's all almost too perfect! Everything simple, everything complex in equal measure, boat races in a cold lake, debate sessions at Trent University, camping and canoe trips in North Kawartha, science fairs in Toronto! The students volunteer to help youth at risk at YES, Parents volunteer to celebrate staff and faculty, and everything for a school that is everything to a community. The magic of the LCS theatre performances deserves special mention, amazing events that provide guests with professional level experience in the arts and performance! Not to be missed!!!!

(4) School Location

At the edge of a small cottage town. Quiet in the off-season, busy in the summer. Like a small Muskoka, coffee shops and good food! Trent Severn Waterway goes by the school, offering lots of recreational boating and sailing, lots of chances to fish and canoe, and camping. The river can be fast in spring, where the students get trained in water activities.

(5) Admissions

I think you will find the admissions process at LCS very open and inclusive!! Very open and inclusive staff, very much oriented to the vibe of you and your family. I would encourage you to ask any and every question on the process and LCS! I would advise you to state clearly where your child wants to be in 2 years (grade 10), so you have a mid-point measure. It worked well for us!!