Interview with Metropolitan Preparatory Academy PARENT, Mishma Gashyna

My daughter responded very positively to being at Metro Prep from the very first day of school. The important thing was connecting with the faculty, and we did that immediately on the first meeting. We felt very comfortable with the school, with the space. A family acquaintance had given me the business card for the principal, Wayne Mckelvey. I called and made an appointment to go see Principal Mckelvey. My daughter sat with and chatted with him, as well, and we all connected. I thought, ‘Well, this is a place for her. I can't ask for anything more.’ 

What I know, for sure, is that Metro Prep fosters the intellectual potential of university-oriented students, and I can confirm that that is in fact the case. My daughter aspired to be on the honor roll every semester, and she achieved that. And the teachers have been very supportive and encouraging of her academic performance. She was also able to get into her first choice of university, and that was quite an amazing accomplishment for her. So I think that Metro Prep stays true to its promise and its philosophy.

It was a refreshing experience for my daughter, and for me too, knowing that the teachers genuinely cared about the well-being of the students and how they were performing academically and otherwise. She appreciated being in a smaller classroom, being able to access her teachers, when she needed to, and also approach Principal Mckelvey, when she needed to. Wayne was always welcoming of my daughter, and all other students to his office, at any time of the day. 

My daughter really appreciated being respected by the teachers, and she appreciated knowing that the teachers genuinely cared about how she performed and how she was doing. It also mattered to her how that the guidance counselor was also genuinely interested in her well-being. My daughter loved being in the Smith Program at Metro Prep. The most important thing was knowing that the teachers were there and they were supportive and encouraging and she could truly be herself. There was no fear of being ridiculed, by anyone, whether it was a student or faculty. She felt totally comfortable to be herself at Metro Prep and as young kids, that's really important.

What stood out for me as a parent was how approachable the faculty were. It was important for me to be able to reach teachers, when I needed to speak with them about something related to my daughter. I found it very easy to reach the teachers. That was important to me, and I celebrate that, because it's important to be able to access teachers, and they're very responsive. So that was key for me and that was what I appreciated most about my daughter being at Metro Prep.

One thing that surprised me and impressed me about Metro Prep was the level of talent, excellence, and creativity among the faculty. I attended a Grade 8 graduation and the teachers performed a musical show for the attendees. And their talent was outstanding. They sang, they played instruments, and you could have assumed that they were professional performers. I was impressed and surprised, and I could recognize how supportive, and encouraging of excellence and creativity, they would be, with the students they teach.

I haven't met all of the families of the Metro Prep students, but I believe that the typical family is like me, in terms of wanting their child to aspire to get into university, one of the best universities, if possible, and then succeeding at the university. Other than that, I'm not sure what other similarities the families would have, but I think the goal is academic success and career success after university.

Something my daughter was quite proud of was being placed on the honor roll at Metro Prep on a regular basis. She worked really hard, and so it showed when she was able to see her name on the honor roll amongst the other students who had also placed. She really enjoyed being part of the Smith Program, the Performing Arts Program at Metro Prep. That was something she was quite proud of as well, her participation, and that was very important. So her confidence in herself grew tremendously from being at Metro Prep and achieving all the goals that she had set for herself.

To prospective parents, I’d say, if you're looking for a place where teachers genuinely care about how well your child is performing, academically and socially, then Metro Prep is the place for your child. If you're looking for a place where you know that you can access the teachers, if there is ever a concern, then the Metro Prep teachers are accessible. And those are the three things that were important to me: My daughter feeling safe and comfortable to be herself at Metro Prep, my daughter's teachers actually caring and loving their jobs. And that's what you'll find at Metro Prep, the teachers love their jobs and teaching is their passion.

I'd recommend that if you're looking for a new school for your child, then go speak to Principal Mckelvey, go speak to one of the faculty members, or speak to a family member of a student who has attended Metro Prep. I would not do anything differently. I'm very happy that my daughter attended Metro Prep and I would recommend that if you're looking for a new school, then make an appointment, speak to Principal Mckelvey, speak to a guidance counselor, go to an open house of Metro Prep and see for yourself. It'll be the right choice.