REVIEW OF Pythagoras Academy BY parent, Mackie Mack

(4.5) Student Experience

We have 2 children attending Pythagoras Academy. Regardless of whether they are in the elementary or in the kindergarten campus, they both share the same positive feeling about the school: a sense of security and trust and a love for learning. We remembered the first day they toured the school and they had fallen in love with the environment, teachers and staff there immediately. They were not nervous at all, instead, they felt a sense of comfort and trust in their surrounding. My younger one being only 2 at that time, was able to play independently by himself and had no hesitation to explore the Junior Kindergarten Classroom. My elder one was jumping with excitement after her interview with the headteacher and asked me if she can attend this school as soon as possible. At that moment, we both knew that we had found the place to nurture and groom our children. After three years attending Pythagoras Academy, there is not a day that my children will not want to go to school - every day is an exciting learning adventure for them – a wonderful learning journey starts with a warm and friendly school with dedicated and passionate teachers & staff.

(4.5) School Leadership

A school with wonderful teachers is not possible without strong leadership and administration. All the staff at Pythagoras Academy are amazing and remarkable. Parent and student concerns and inquiries are always addressed efficiently with professionalism. A school that listens to the parents is a school that cares. We are thankful that the school is always putting our children in priority of everything else. During the pandemic, there was not a day that the school did not consider the safety of our children and even us parents. We are so proud of how the school dealt with the challenges over the recent years and a great round of applause is well deserved.

(5) Teaching

The teachers at Pythagoras Academy are absolutely phenomenal. They are knowledgeable in their own areas of expertise, extremely helpful and amazingly hard-working, passionate, and responsible in their roles and responsibilities. Their dedication for their job is what we see in our children's love to be at school. School is like their second home, there is no hesitation to head off to school each day. They come home excited to share about what they had done at school. This feeling of trust is not possible if it wasn't for a group of outstanding teachers. What impressed us the most was the effort and planning that was taken place for the online classes during the pandemic shutdown. The classes were well planned and organized, and amazingly informative and interactive. The children were engaged at all times - our children were eager to jump online every morning to go to school even in their own homes. A ‘big’ Thank You to all the wonderful teachers at Pythagoras Academy!

(4) Academics

Pythagoras Academy provides the ideal preparation for children from as young as 3 years of age and up. The education program at the school not only focuses on just academics but well-roundedness. The students there are trained to excel in academics and students are constantly encouraged to inquire, be creative, and explore. Pythagoras provides a wide abundance of experiential learning opportunities for all grade levels. Students are exposed to IT, Music, Musical Theatre and all academic core subjects at a very young age. However, the school is not all about academics, they promote balance in student activities through an extensive array of clubs, and hands-on opportunities. We feel that the small class sizes are critical for focused learning. This environment allows the teachers to concentrate on both teaching and understanding the students. As parents, what we value the most about the school is the communication and bond between parents and the school. The best education for any child is one when the school and the family work together as one.

(3.5) Extracurriculars

Pythagoras Academy offers a wide variety of extracurricular programs which is extremely diverse and fun for children of all ages. We have no complaints about the programs introduced at the school, especially my elder one's all-time favourite is Robotics, Lego and Coding. We would love for the school to have more diverse sports opportunities for the children, especially competitions so they can develop more on teamwork and competing with other children outside of their school. The house system they have in place definitely encourages the children to participate in activities and makes them feel they are part of a whole school environment.

(4) Students

The student body at Pythagoras Academy is small and intimate, and this is one of the major factors that initially drew us to choose this school for our children. With grades from JK to grade 8 represented, and a maximum of 20 students per class, the sense of community is wonderful. It is such a welcoming and warm environment, which is especially nice for smaller and younger children. Students at the school are respectful and polite. Older children get to know the younger kids through programs such as learning buddies, which have benefits to both sides. Children often make friends with students in other grades. They get to know other students through house games, musical events and activities. The younger and older students usually work together in harmony in the extracurriculars and other school events. The spirit from what we have seen and experienced over the years at Pythagoras Academy is remarkable and memorable.

(4) School Life

The quality of student life, along with the quality of teaching, is what differentiates Pythagoras Academy from other schools. It is a small school, only going up to grade 7/8. Smaller kids don't get overwhelmed by big groups of older kids, and the older grade students have the opportunity to mentor younger children, for example with learning buddies or shared events and activities. My children love going to school, there is not a moment of hesitation when we drop them off. From the moment they walk through the doors in the early mornings and enjoy themselves to the fullest until they finish school in the afternoon. All of the teachers and even the administration staff knows the name of each and every student and amazingly even us parents. Little things like that mean a lot to our families, especially to new families entering the school or even the area. Everyone really gets to know each other. Our children had felt welcomed and supported by the entire school from our very first day at Pythagoras Academy.

(4.5) Community

The parent community at Pythagoras Academy is small but very enthusiastic and engaged. This is the gem of a small community. You really get to know the other parents, seeing them at pickups and drop-offs. Pythagoras Academy also hosts events for the parents to socialize, which is great. Before the pandemic, parents are invited to participate as volunteers on class field trips, events and even to decorate the school. Relatives are invited into the school to attend assemblies, musical events and sports events. Parents contribute to various class parties and celebrations. Unfortunately, we cannot see our children in action at the moment, but we especially enjoyed the days set aside for parents to come into the classroom to see demonstrations of student learning. Class parents are also a great way of staying connected. We really feel that the school welcomes parent involvement. What impresses our families is that even during the years of the pandemic, parents at PA are still able to work together to help and bond together. Their never-ending support especially during these challenging times are a great example of making it possible, proving to our children that the love of the school and community can always make it happen.

(3.5) School Location

The Pythagoras Academy campus is located on Odlin Crescent in a very convenient and safe area in Richmond. It is well-located and easy to access with an extremely safe neighborhood and residential area. We live out in Vancouver and since it's very close to the bridge, we don’t mind commuting about 20 minutes to school every day. We love it as it’s also in the heart of Richmond where it’s close to the major shopping areas and easily accessible to all public transport and community parks. We can conveniently bring our kids to their various after-school extracurricular activities around the area.