Roundtable Q&A Discussion About Royal St. George's College (2022)

What I appreciate the most about my time at RSGC is the exposure it gave me to different fields and activities. It really set an amazing foundation for me to do whatever I want after leaving RSGC. I was involved in so many different sports, tennis, skiing, rugby. I was also involved heavily in the engineering program. So, academically, there was a lot of exposure there that maybe wouldn’t be at other schools. Then, with music, I was in the choir mentorship programs. I mentored junior school students, when I was in high school.

When I look at myself in my career, I think of myself as a generalist, and RSGC instilled that in me by giving me that exposure to so many different things.

Being able to see and try so many different things in my time at RSGC helped me choose my path a little bit better than maybe some of the people I know at university, who are still trying to figure out what they like. 

I had a strong relationship with the teacher who ran the engineering program, but I formed really strong relationships with my other teachers during my time at the school. I had so many different mentors at the school. They helped me grow throughout my entire time at RSGC, which was amazing.

I think the engineering program at RSGC is incredible. From an academic standpoint, I had already learned most of what I would take until the third year at the university. That gave me a leg up in terms of academics.

One of the big surprises came from wanting to build a mobile app. I didn't know how to build an app, but I had all the support and mentorship from the engineering programs, to build this thing on the side. That was completely unrelated to everything else I was doing at RSGC. When I look back, the level of support was the biggest gift that I got, which gave me the autonomy and the exposure to a lot of things, allowing me to go deep into things that I'm passionate about. The support creates an environment where you feel like you can do whatever you want to do.

I formed some of my deepest friendships with my classmates at RSGC. I'm a lot closer with my RSGC friends, and I have a lot more friends from there than I do from university. You can't really replace those relationships. I feel like I have much deeper relationships from my experience at RSGC. So I'll never be able to build the same kind of relationships anywhere else. I recognized that in Grade 12, but even more so now looking back now.

From my experience at RSGC, I’d mention the importance of ownership and being an owner of things. At RSGC, regardless of whether you make mistakes or do something really well, we were taught to own those mistakes or own those successes. And I think that has really helped me in how I approach things, in my day to day life at work, and my relationships, to really be an owner, and not cast things off for other people, to do a good job and be proud of the work I do.

RSGC played a huge role in giving me the confidence to have ambition. I have so much ambition for the future and strongly believe that I can do whatever I want and I can do it well.

The most 'Georgian' act that I can think of would be, in a sports game, if somebody falls down, you're the first person to go help them get up. That's what we're taught when we play sports at RSGC. You never leave a man down or leave a man behind. We're all in this together.

A great example of where the older boys and the young boys come together is the choir program. I have vivid memories of being in Junior School, looking up to the older boys who were the bass and the tenors and adding that deeper tone to the music. But there's something quite magical about how the younger boys and the older boys come together to create music together, and specifically in the choir. Then progressing through that and becoming an older boy and singing with the younger boys later on, was really awesome.

Class sizes are smaller compared to other schools, especially in the early years. My mother felt that I was a very energetic person, and that maybe I needed a little bit more support. And, without a doubt, it was definitely the right decision for me. Knowing the different options out there now, I couldn't have imagined going to a different school.

Our starting point was really the legacy of my brother who went to RSGC, starting in Grade 9, my husband who started in Grade 4, his brother, their cousin. They're all pretty different characters but they all had amazing experiences at the school and have felt very loyal to it. So it’s really a good thing all three of my sons got in, because we didn't really consider looking anywhere else.

I love the annex location. I love that it's in the middle of the city and it's also easy for them to get to by TTC, sometimes on their bikes, but mostly driving.

The biggest gift is how well the teachers get to know them, which enables them to push them, when they need to be pushed, and give them opportunities to either pursue things further or to be challenged. It happens every year they’re in school. I noticed that, on the first report that came out, and I would sometimes comment to other parents that I couldn't believe how well these teachers had gotten to know the boys so early on in the year. But when that happens year after year, it creates a real culture, where they are really becoming the best versions of themselves, because it is such an authentic connection that they make.

I think of the school as being warm and welcoming and, above all, and probably the most important to me, is unpretentious. That it starts from everybody's initial interactions with the teachers. But, in a very unpretentious way, they do really great things, and they’re not looking to have the fanciest facilities, or the most bells and whistles.

Manners is a big one, in terms of the values, as are inclusiveness and respect. That means respect for teachers, respect for fellow students, respect for the school neighbors in the annex, and respect for kids at other schools, when the different sports teams are playing. If a St. George's team loses, they can be gracious, they can accept, and carry on. If they are on the winning side, and it looks like it might be a lopsided blowout, the coaches will sort of rein it in and tell the boys to ease up a little. They recognize that sort of ‘enough is enough.’ And that's something that has always meant a lot to me. But it's a running theme. 

Being kind was really instilled in them starting in Junior School. It's just so fundamental and so important, but as a physical manifestation of what's Georgian, it's also about giving somebody a firm handshake, looking them in the eyes and you're shaking their hand.

I wholeheartedly believe that RSGC can be the right place for all different kinds of boys, and I say that as a parent of three, who are very different from each other. Whether your son is more or less athletically inclined or academically inclined or, if they like music, they really can find they can really find themselves and blossom at the school. 

I think you get a certain feeling when you visit the campus, whether it's at an open house or the interview. And, personally, the feeling I get when I'm on campus is one that I love. And if people have that same feeling, then they shouldn't necessarily be distracted by things that other schools might have squash words or bigger fields or whatever.

My son joined in Grade 9, and we wanted an environment where we could trust that they would bring out the best in him and surround him with other great kids and families to put him on the right path. He is a fairly well-rounded boy. He is academic, but he's social, he plays sports, and we wanted to put him in an environment that would really help give him all the things that he was looking for.

I remember when we came to the open house, the Head of School used an expression we know and love, ‘Manners Maketh Man.’ Many schools have slogans, but I was just amazed at how true that was. I think everyone wants strong academics, and that is absolutely important to my family, but it's all these other elements around character, service, manners, how they represent themselves both inside and outside the school, that were additional pleasant surprises for me.

I was amazed at the teaching faculty and the staff, how well they knew each child, and they knew the goodness in the child, and they helped bring that out.

What I find is that the school brings out the best in them and it doesn't mean it's at the compromise of having fun and building relationships. The boys have ambitions. They want to do well in life, they have plans. They are really well rounded, whether it's with academics, or sports, or community service, or music. But they do have ambitions.

My son feels really well connected and well supported, but also really well prepared to move on. So that's a big one for me. I think that’s because the school really understands what the boys need. I remember when my son started in Grade 9, I started saying to him, ‘You're not getting enough homework. You should get more homework.’ And I remember other parents saying, ‘Let them do what they do. They know what they're doing, they know what young men need. This is an age where it's just all about adjustment.’ And, sure enough, over time, he continuously got more and more challenged.

Something else that differentiates RSGC from other schools is how much the school embraces the full family, whether it’s the siblings or the parents. It just warms my heart, because my older son and his friends, the RSGC students, are so kind to my younger son. Other schools might say ‘We've got him now, we'll take it from here,’ whereas I find RSGC is very family oriented. Just sending my kids to a school that's family oriented was important to us. I don't think any other school would pull off the same scale of parent events and engagement that we have here at RSGC.

I think they focus equally on being successful and being kind, so their success does not get in the way of giving back and being kind and remembering who they are as gentlemen. So, as my son was making decisions about what schools to go to, he reached out to a number of RSGC alumni, and the boys he reached out to, at a range of schools, really took the time to give him advice and gave him rich, thoughtful insights. So, that mentoring and that kindness continues even far long after they graduate. 

RSGC, because it is so well-rounded, accepting, and nurturing, it's hard to find a kid that wouldn't do well in the school. I tend to recommend the school to a whole range of families. There is a certain culture, and type of child that wants to focus on building character, that I think belongs here. You really have to do the research and be thoughtful about who your kid is and what they need.