Interview with Niagara Christian Collegiate PARENT, Ronald Kayanja

There was a friend of ours who had two children at Niagara Christian Collegiate (NCC), and she told us about the quality of education, the way our children would be looked after, and the Christian values. We checked on the website, asked a few questions, settled on NCC, and we have never regretted it.

I commend the school for its academic achievement because my children have done well and are now attending university and succeeding. The foundation they got from the school is helping; one is studying chemical engineering, another is in engineering, and they're doing very well. One of our sons was more interested in academics and was able to do well because he was supported by the teachers. 

We wanted an environment that helps the child not only in academics but also in other areas of human development, like how to relate to and work with others in a team. Not only in the classes, but also in the activities, the school teaches children that they are not alone and that they don't achieve results on their own; they achieve results with, and sometimes through, others. My children tell me a lot about how they did a project with a group and gave a presentation with others. Discipline is also very important, and the school has ways of introducing these values. I was told that at some point, they had to report every morning. That is discipline — having to wake up at a certain time and show that you are present. 

What I appreciate most about the school, I think, is the Christian values. The world today has increasingly become so secular that we find schools where students behave differently and don't receive proper guidance. I really like that at NCC, our children can wake up every Monday and go to the chapel. That doesn’t happen in all schools. They can be advised on how to live, on how to trust in God, and so on. For me, that is what I like most about the school: helping our children to grow up with values, as people with values. It's one thing to have an education; it's another to have an education with values that help a person in life and destiny.

The school shouldn't only give academic work; it should be well-rounded. For our daughter, what she really liked, especially when she was in middle school, was the opportunity to experience a number of things she couldn't do in her country. She went skiing and visited various parks, which were very exciting for her. My son, on the other hand, was very much interested in the city and activities like the Model United Nations. They have been able to get opportunities to do a number of things and have enjoyed trips where they were able to see things and interact.

When we arrived at the school and spoke to the teachers, I was comforted knowing that our children would be safe. When we first came to bring our children to Fort Erie, the journey made me a bit anxious, as it seemed far from anywhere. But I saw that the environment gives them the opportunity to concentrate on their studies. We were also happy with the way they were looked after in the dorm. Every day, we would ask them, “How are you feeling? Did you eat? Did anyone care about you?” And so on. They were very happy. That really gave us a lot of comfort that they were cared for and eating well.

I think to be a parent at NCC, you must be a conscientious and committed parent. We have been able to make friends with the parents of some of the children in the school because of our children's friendships with the other children. So, we realized that many of those parents share the values of what you call objective parenting. I think most parents at this school are those who care about their children, how they are doing, and so on. We share values of how we want our children to turn out and how we want them to really enjoy lives of success, better than even their parents.

I think to be a parent at NCC, you must be a conscientious and committed parent. We have been able to make friends with the parents of some of the children in the school because of our children's friendships with the other children. So, we realized that many of those parents share the values of what you call objective parenting. I think most parents at this school are those who care about their children, how they are doing, and so on. We share values of how we want our children to turn out and how we want them to really enjoy lives of success, better than even their parents.

I think to be a parent at NCC, you must be a conscientious and committed parent. We have been able to make friends with the parents of some of the children in the school because of our children's friendships with the other children. So, we realized that many of those parents share the values of what you call objective parenting. I think most parents at this school are those who care about their children, how they are doing, and so on. We share values of how we want our children to turn out and how we want them to really enjoy lives of success, better than even their parents.

Because I'm a very conscientious parent, I interact with the teachers a lot. I interact with the principal. I want to find out how my children are doing. Thankfully, they do well. I find them very responsive. Whatever you ask, they respond. They explain things. The communication is very good. Parents are informed on a regular basis of what is going on, and I really commend the school for that. I'm thousands of kilometres away from where my children are, but I felt good that I got to know on a regular basis what was happening.

I'll recommend the school for three reasons: one, for its values; two, for academic achievement; and also, for the extracurricular activities that they provide to the children. If a parent is looking for a school where they would feel comfortable leaving their children, knowing that they will be cared for and that the teachers take education seriously, NCC is a good school. For a parent interested in Christian values, like myself, it is a good school. If you want your child to be exposed to a number of different things and abilities in life, I think NCC does that. So, I would commend the school to a parent who is looking for things like that.