REVIEW OF Niagara Christian Collegiate BY Alum, Rachel Meissner

(5) Overall Experience

My overall experience as a student at Niagara Christian Collegiate was good. I had good teachers who cared about my success, both inside and outside the classroom. There were plenty of opportunities to get involved in extracurriculars, even though I did not get very involved in them at the time. Looking back now I wish I was more involved in extracurriculars than I was. The campus was very beautiful and peaceful to be on and still is. I loved that to get from one classroom to the next meant I had to walk outside. It was great to get fresh air between classes. I also appreciate the effort that is put into connecting with alumni and updating them with what is happening at Niagara Christian Collegiate.

(5) School Leadership

When thinking back to the school leadership at the time I went to Niagara Christian Collegiate as a student, I do not remember much as it was a long time ago. I will always remember the time when my parents could not afford to send me on a class weekend camping trip and one of the school's leaders offered to pay out of her own pocket for me to participate in the weekend. I have always appreciated that because it could have been very easy for her to just let me stay home and not go.

(5) Teaching

I had many teachers who were very passionate about what they do. Some of them are still working at Niagara Christian Collegiate. I remember them taking time out of their class time to help students and spend time with their students. I do not think I ever felt like I was not being given enough time to work through the school work that I had. I was part of a resource class where I would meet with a teacher who helped me to get better organized, taught me how to take proper notes, and helped me to plan my time wisely. I found that very helpful in my studies and even now think back to those meetings. I always like to plan my time and keep organized when it comes to my current job.

(5) Academics

It has been a long time since I was a student at Niagara Christian Collegiate (over 10 years ago now), but I remember feeling like I was in an environment where academics were taken very seriously. I felt appropriately challenged to push myself and also encouraged in the areas that I struggled and in the areas I excelled. Sometimes I felt a little out of my league, but for what I ended up going to school for I felt that I was well equipped during my time at Niagara Christian Collegiate. When I decided to study elsewhere for my final 2 years in order to finish high school with my closest friends, I do remember the quality of education was much lower when I went to study at a public school. It was a good school, but there is definitely a much higher level of quality in studying at NCC.

(5) Extracurriculars

I was a part of the Volleyball team in middle school and quite enjoyed it. By the time I was in grade 9, there were not enough students interested in volleyball, so they did not have a junior team and that made the senior team very competitive. I would have loved to keep playing. The time I spent on the team was a lot of fun! I took part in the school plays as well and really enjoyed them. The teachers put a lot of time into making sure students have good quality curricular options available.

(5) Students

When I went to NCC over 10 years ago, I remember feeling like I went to a small school, not in a negative way though. Everyone knew each other and it had a strong family-like atmosphere. The students who were helpful to others volunteered, and were kind were the ones who were most respected by others. I remember there being many students who cared very much about loving and caring for others. There were many opportunities to get involved in student leadership at NCC. I wish I had been more involved at that time. I, later on, went on to study Graphic Design and now, looking back, I wish I had been a part of the Niagara Torch yearbook committee as I think I would have really enjoyed it.

(5) School Life

I remember there being a lot of fun and exciting events at NCC that students could volunteer at or just participate in. Specific ones that I remember and really enjoyed were the Harvest Festival where local vendors came and sold things like hand-made clothing and jewelry, food, toys, and more. There were also hay rides, games, auctions, and live music from local musicians. I always loved that and really enjoyed it when in more recent years a similar event was put on (Fall Fest). NCC also had Spiritual Adventure Week which was a week focused on our faith in God. Guest speakers came in and spoke to the students and there were also times of worship. I always enjoyed those weeks and got a lot out of them.

(5) Community

I love that Niagara Christian Collegiate has The Collegian, which is a newsletter focused on updating alumni about what is happening in the NCC community. The school also usually hosts an alumni banquet every year, except during the pandemic. There are often people who graduated from NCC back in the '60s or '70s. It is exciting to see who will be there and to hear their stories. The school provides its alumni with plenty of updates on what is happening and how they can get involved. There have also been many alumni who have worked at Niagara Christian Collegiate over the years, including me. To have walked the paths on the campus and sat in the classrooms and now see other students do the same is really exciting.

(5) School Location

The location of Niagara Christian Collegiate is probably one of the most impressive parts of the school. It is located on the Niagara Parkway which goes along the Niagara River. It is a very rural area filled with trees and plenty of open space. The parkway has a path to bike or walk along. It's a very calm place to be. The drive to school every day was always really nice as you would often see the sun rising over the foggy Niagara River.

(5) Admissions

I do not remember much about the application process at Niagara Christian Collegiate, as I was going into grade 7 when I applied. I do remember my mom asking me to write an essay about myself, which at the time was a requirement in the application process. I actually had a lot of fun writing my short essay about my interests, goals and anything else I wanted to share. For anyone applying now, I would recommend you apply as soon as you are able and do not worry too much about the cost right away. Studying at a private school is going to cost money, but it is a worthy investment in your future. You get a high-quality education and will study in a very positive and encouraging environment.