REVIEW OF March Academy BY parent, DARCY YEE

(5) Student Experience

Kiddo started his schooling in the publicly-funded system. He was middling at best; he was bored and he didn't care. He had a couple of friends and was satisfied to cruise along. Nothing about school mattered. I knew he needed something different to find his footing. March Academy with the smaller classes and teachers who see him and hear him have been great. He is given opportunities to discover his strengths, interests and challenges. Without March Academy, I know he would not be learning music, yoga, TKD. With March Academy, he found his love of reading, strength in STEM, a world well beyond him (geography, social awareness, field trips, nature studies) The school often asks, 'what kind of citizen do you want your child to be?' I often reflect on this when kiddo demonstrates his ability to be an effective speaker, a social advocate, a leader/organizer, or when he, 'was there a better way we could have done that?' In the publicly-funded system, I could see kiddo was slipping through, but the system was not able to react. With March Academy, he is finding his way to being the best version of himself.

(5) School Leadership

With any social/academic issue, I receive/send a quick text/email to keep me in the loop. Replies are prompt. Issues are addressed. If I desired a face-to-face discussion, a meeting was set up and concerns discussed. MA often talks about inclusivity and being a good citizen. This aligns with my social values, so I appreciate it all. With it being such a small school, and kids ranging from Gr1-8, I think kids quickly learn to get on with a variety of personalities. Conflicts are inevitable, as far as I can tell, things resolved equitably.

(5) Teaching

During COVID and virtual classes, I got the opportunity to listen to many classes. All the kids were encouraged to participate, their input valued, and dialogue encouraged. There is an annual presentation the kids give to essentially show learning objectives of the past semester. This is a great opportunity to see their organization and presentation skills. I always come away with thinking, 'if only work meetings were so interesting'. Kiddo is curious about learning, he has a little bit of homework in Gr 7, and he is able to complete it timely without any prompting. I love that learning is not restricted to the indoor setting. Classroom time occurs outside when weather permits, nature studies is outside, and field trips are always fun! Thanks.