Roundtable Q&A Discussion About North Point School (2020)
North Point School alumni, current students, and parents shared their insights on the school’s culture, values, strengths, and weaknesses. Hear what Jet, Allison had to say about the school.
Highlights from the Q&A discussion
Jet — alum
Jet attended North Point School for Boys from Grade 8 to 12 and is one of its founding seven students. He has transitioned to a very large public high school.
- “I definitely appreciated the freedom. I had to kind of work at my own pace and how I was able to split up my time and work on this course during this particular time or work on this course during another time. … It was very good academically, the freedom I had, because I really appreciated being able to work independently. Whereas … in a regular public school setting, it was a lot of the teacher talking to you, and then you do the work. I enjoyed having the online aspect, where I could teach myself a bit and then work at my own pace.”
- “I think what most differentiates the school from others is a lot of the activities and cool learning opportunities the school does like … Action Fridays now are Fun Fridays … . Something that you wouldn't really do in a huge school. You might have one field trip every three months or four months [in a big school]. But [at North Point], it's like every week and [you] get to do something fun and new that really opens up the world.”
- “[Three words to describe North Point are] ‘unique,’ ‘supportive,’ and ‘energetic.’ And I definitely think it's unique in the way the school is run, and the smaller classes you have for now. And just the classroom environment overall is pretty unique. And it's supportive because of the amazing teachers there and … what a community you've built up there. And it's definitely an energetic environment with everyone running around and doing this and that, and all the fun activities guys get to do.”
- “[What families would find most surprising:] how the teachers are so supportive and just in it with the kids because … in a bigger environment, it might seem like kids are lost in the system … or they don't really have as big of a support network just with the high volume of people there are. So I think the staff is the most surprising because of how great they are overall.”
- “[Advice for students entering North Point:] I definitely say don't focus on fitting in because it may be challenging to … go into a new school environment and be young and be a kid and just be this young boy who was growing up … but don't focus on fitting into anything or trying to be someone you're not. [Just] try to be the best person you can be. That is yourself and just focus on growing as a person. And you can definitely do that at North Point.”
- “The Financial Literacy Academy … that was such an important part. And it was super cool getting to do that … . We had this … stock market game we played, and that was one of my favourite parts to do and just log in every day and see where my stocks were at and especially how it compared with everyone else. And I thought that was really fun.”
Allison — current parent
Allison has two boys in their fourth year at North Point. One is in Grade 4 and the other is in Grade 6.
- “When we started looking for a school for our boys, we wanted something that had small class sizes, we wanted them to really be engaged in their education. And we looked at several other schools and my youngest at the time, Liam, he was very shy with adults. So when we came into your office … he felt so comfortable in your office, he literally sat back and put his hands behind his head and had a conversation. And I went home and I said to my husband, ‘This is the school!’ There wasn't even another question about it because the fact that he felt that comfortable with [the school] and in that environment was … the selling point for sure.”
- “[The] selling point was the financial program for our boys. And coming from two entrepreneurial families, the focus on financial education for our boys was a huge part of why we wanted to come to North Point because we think it's so important that they learn that and are able to carry that through their life at a young age. So they're learning at such a young age. This is fabulous.”
- “[My children] love school. There's always challenges at any school. But they are so excited to come to school every day. They love the fact that they get … to be with the older students and learning from them as well. Having that opportunity is huge for them, to be able to learn from some of the Grade 9 students and some of the older students. They just have such different and diverse friendships there, which they wouldn't get in your typical public school system.”
- “[One word to describe North Point is] … ’gregarious’ … the energy through those hallways. I would like to tell my friends it's like organized chaos because … they have this camaraderie together and they don't even really know that it exists.”
- “[Another word to describe North Point:] ‘warmth.’ The fact that you all, as the staff, take an immense approach to learning about all of these boys and teaching them all. So to have that relationship, that warm, trusting relationship, with these boys is huge.”
- “We have a motto every year. The five ‘Rs’ resonates hugely within our family, and I try to instill those daily. I have the five ‘Rs’ posted downstairs in our basement so that the boys can see them every day. … Bringing that into our home and watching it grow at the school is huge.”
- “I just think anybody that attends North Point, it's really a gift, and I think that we have something super special and watching it grow, especially this year, has been really exciting. And to see where it's going to go in the next [few] years, I hope to keep my boys there as long as we can just because the foundation that they're going to get is going to be so solid and carry them through in so many aspects of their life that it's just an amazing experience.”
