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Go to child profileOak Learners inspires meaningful learning every day. Passionate teachers nurture children’s natural curiosity about their world with hands-on experiences. Students in Kindergarten through Grade Eight participate in an enriched interdisciplinary program, with a focus on Academic skills, the Arts & Outdoor Education. Academic excellence is enhanced with 30-50% of each school day being integrated with immersive outdoor learning, where academic subjects are explored and shared in an authentic way.
What learning looks like now: The ongoing community spread of COVID-19 requires schools to prepare a range of delivery circumstances for school and camp operations. Oak Learners has implemented many enhancements to our facility and programs which continue to be in place to protect the health and safety of our students, our staff, and our families. All policies and procedures are continuously reviewed and revised regularly to be always in accordance with the most current guidelines from Toronto Public Health and the Ontario Ministry of Education.
Curriculum delivery:
Living Arrangement | Grades | Delivery Model | Frequency |
---|---|---|---|
Day | K - Gr. 8 | In-person | Full-time |
The environment is our playground. Only minutes from the lakefront, Oak Learners students love going on regular hikes, exploring the natural beauty of our city while keeping fit.
Local parks provide endless opportunities for outdoor play, exploration and sports.
Our new Dance Studio is perfect for keeping our bodies moving and grooving! Daily Yoga and Physical Literacy classes are loved by children and adults of all ages.
We agree with Picasso, "Every child is an artist."
Creative expression is at the heart of what we do at Oak Learners.
Our music room is equipped with a variety of instruments to promote creative compositions.
Our cozy Kindergarten classroom is the perfect launch pad for learning.
Our library is a place to escape into our imaginations.
Learning about the world is just the beginning!
Our Discovery room can be used as a media room, science room and so much more!
Using every day materials in new ways is how we teach and reinforce new concepts in literacy, math and science.
21st Century Learning at Oak Learners includes a blend of "new" technologies with traditional resources.
Hands-on learning builds a solid foundation of understanding the world around our little ones.
Oak Learners is the very definition of a community-based, student-centered academic environment. Classes are small, personal, and lessons begin with the talents, interests, challenges and curiosities that the children bring with them into the room. An emphasis on the arts is used as entrée to the curriculum, underscoring a cross-curricular approach to instruction. Classroom spaces are bright, open, and adaptable to large group, small group, and tutorial-style learning. Founder Kelly Ferrell is rightly a draw, bringing a wealth of experience to the offering, as well as a proven track record as an educator, leader and entrepreneur. The faculty she’s attracted shares her enthusiasm for active, hands-on, inquiry-based learning. Still relatively young, Oak Learners has quickly established itself as a key offering within its catchment area.
Reggio Emilia programs are offered by some schools at the preschool and elementary level. The approach aims to develop curiosity and problem-solving skills through the liberal use of projects (as opposed to activities or lessons): teachers design projects for children around their demonstrated interests. Projects can be geared to an individual student, a small group of students, or the class as a whole. They can last from a few days to the whole year. Art is strongly emphasized and is typically incorporated into every project. Teachers actively participate in projects alongside students, rather than sitting back and observing. The philosophy calls for a high degree of parent involvement as well, particularly when forming curricula and project plans (which happens throughout the academic year).
Focus | Special needs |
---|---|
Academic | Gifted |
DIBELS Testing: This school periodically uses DIBELS testing to assess reading progress.
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Evolution as consensus theory | |
Evolution as one of many equally viable theories | |
Evolution is not taught |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Biology | |
Chemistry | |
Ecology | |
Geology | |
Meteorology | |
Physics | |
Physiology | |
Zoology |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Acting | |
Dance | |
Drama/Theatre | |
Graphic Design | |
Music | |
Visual Arts |
Expressive | |
Disciplined |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Computer science | |
Robotics | |
Web design |
Flexible pacing style | offered |
---|---|
Subject-streaming (tracking) | |
Multi-age classrooms as standard | |
Ability-grouping (in-class) as common | |
Frequent use of cyber-learning (at-their-own-pace) | |
Regular guided independent study opportunities | |
Differentiated assessment |
Students remain in a regular classroom for the whole day; the teacher receives special training in accommodating special needs and/or learning disabled students.
Subject Type | offered |
---|---|
Learning strategy and study counselling; habit formation | |
Extra support and minor accommodations for children experiencing subclinical difficulties |
Subject Type | offered |
---|---|
Accommodations | |
Modifications | |
Extra support |
Read our guide to special needs schools and special education
Curriculum delivery: Acceleration and enrichment (There is an equal emphasis on acceleration and enrichment.)
Program | offered |
---|---|
Custom subject enrichment (special arrangement) | |
Custom curriculum compacting (special arrangement) | |
Guided independent study (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Cyber-learning opportunities (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Formalized peer coaching opportunities (specifically for gifted learners to coach others) | |
Custom subject acceleration (special arrangement) | |
Career exploration (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Project-based learning (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Mentorships (custom gifted arrangement) |
In grade Gr. 8, Oak Learners students perform an average of 30 mins of homework per night.
K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oak Learners | 0 mins | 0 mins | 0 mins | 0 mins | 0 mins | 15 mins | 15 mins | 30 mins | 30 mins |
Site Average | 6 mins | 15 mins | 17 mins | 23 mins | 29 mins | 34 mins | 40 mins | 51 mins | 56 mins |
Prose (narrative)-based feedback | JK to Gr. 8 |
Academic achievement reporting | JK to Gr. 8 |
Habits and behaviour reporting | JK to Gr. 8 |
Parent-teacher meetings | JK to Gr. 8 |
Oak Learners does not offer any competitive or recreational sports.
Oak Learners offers 17 clubs and extracurricular programs.
K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
Day (3 days/week) | $11,655 | ||||||||
Day (2 days/week) | $9,132 | ||||||||
Day | $19,250 |
Discounts
Discount Type | Enrolment Type | Amount |
---|---|---|
Full payment | Day | 5% |
2nd child (sibling) | Day | 5% |
Grades | Gender | Living Arrangement | Enrolment | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Group 1 | JK to Gr. 8 | Coed | Day | 60 |
Total enrolment | 60 |
Average class size | 6 to 8 |
% of international students (total enrolment) | 0% |
Number of different nationalities within student population | 0 |
K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Day Enrollment | 12 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Class Size | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Assessment | Required | Grades |
---|---|---|
Interview | JK - 8 | |
SSAT | ||
SSAT (out of province) | ||
Entrance Exam(s) | ||
Entrance Essay |
Day students: Rolling
Offer mid-year entry:
Yes
Application fee: N/A
Registration fee: N/A
Deposit:
$2,500
The admission process is personalized, just like most aspects of our programming. Your journey at Oak Learners begins with a personalized tour and meeting with our Director. If it is determined through this interview that Oak Learners may be an appropriate fit for your child, we will then book a trial-day where your child will spend the day as part of our classroom. Following the trial day, there will be a second in-person meeting to determine next steps and registration.
The success of every student plays a role in the admission process. Decisions may be made on several factors, including (but not limited to), student-teacher ratio, academic needs, classroom make-up and social needs.
This is the percentage of applicants typically accepted into the school. So if 50 students are admitted out of 100 applicants, the school has an overall acceptance rate of 50%.
Student Entry Points
This shows approximately how many openings there are likely to be in each grade in a typical year, as well as the estimated acceptance rate for each grade level.
Student Type | K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Day Acceptance (Acceptance rate) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
On behalf of the entire staff at Oak Learners, I want to welcome you and your family to our school this year. The global Covid-19 pandemic caused adversity and change. However, as a community, we have adapted by working together to support all the learners in our classrooms and, despite these circumstances, we have ensured that all students received the education and support they needed while remaining safe.
The 2022-2023 school year is no different, with a focus on equity, diversity, ingenuity, and inclusion. All the educators at Oak Learners will face the coming challenges and continue to adapt to create a caring and welcoming school environment.
Raising resilient and successful children certainly does take a village! I love working together with parents to support their child’s education; in a true partnership between the school and families. Communication between home and school is paramount to a child’s success and we strive to demonstrate this value on a daily basis.
At Oak Learners, we strive to create an engaging curriculum that is progressive, interdisciplinary, and most importantly student-driven. Not only are we an innovative not-for-profit learning centre, but we are also a team of leaders in the community, working to ensure all students are supported and cared for. I truly believe that every child has the capacity to excel and succeed and love school.
I am proud to welcome you to our 7th school year and look forward to working with the entire school community once again!
~Kelly Farrell
Kelly is an OCT certified teacher and has worked in classrooms and alternative learning environments since 1996 and as a certified teacher since 2004, working with students from Kindergarten through Grade 12. Kelly has a passion for empowering students to develop confidence through building on their strengths to support their difficulties, particularly those with learning exceptionalities, including Learning Differences, ASD, social-emotional needs, and anxiety. Kelly subscribes to the tenants of Montessori, Reggio-Emilia and Constructivist methods of teaching and is always looking for ways to bring these strategies into the 21st Century through technology and environmental education.
Throughout her teaching career, Kelly has been teaching, leading, and connecting students and staff with a global community of educators leading the way in 21st century personalized learning. In 2014, Kelly was awarded “Project of the Year” at the Water Docs @School Film Festival for her Inquiry-Based Learning project, “Kids Against Road Salt“. This project has been used to train new teachers on the benefits and processes behind inquiry-based learning. Kelly’s teaching was also featured in Owl Magazine on the “Cool School” page in 2014 for a unique publishing project undertaken by her Grade 7/8 class that year.
Does Oak Learners have good reviews?
You can read 9 reviews about Oak Learners via this link.
When is the application deadline for Oak Learners?
The application deadline for day students is typically open year-round based on availability. More application details are available here.
What is the curriculum pace at Oak Learners?
Oak Learners has a Student-paced approach to curriculum pace (as opposed to Standard-enriched or Accelerated). Learn more about curriculum pace here.
How many students attend Oak Learners?
There are 60 students enrolled at Oak Learners from JK to Gr. 8. More details about enrollment are available here.
Do students at Oak Learners wear uniforms?
No
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