REVIEW OF Scholars’ Hall BY parent, Keri Martin Vrbanac

(5) Student Experience

Simple sheer perfection! My daughter has loved every minute of her time at Scholar's Hall! She loves the small class sizes, the INCREDIBLE support from her teachers and the community as a whole! The SJSH community is truly a family that rallies together to ensure that students are successful in obtaining their goals! The teachers spend an incredible amount of time with students offering a personalized support system and they celebrate successes! They are selfless in the giving of their time and they are truly dedicated to their students. They allow their students to take risks and encourage them to pursue next level education by working ahead in their curriculum if they so choose! My daughter is surrounded by an incredible group of people who are continually cheering her on!

(5) School Leadership

The leadership at this school is exceptional and I have never in my life seen such a positive environment! The support that the students receive has beyond met my expectations. The communication is ongoing and the administration is ALWAYS willing to discuss any questions that we may have! We have not encountered discipline issues but I have no doubt that things are handled fairly and judiciously. The ongoing message that I perceive at SJSH is support for all and I do not doubt that the goal is to assist their students to learn from mistakes and make good choices in the future.

(5) Teaching

The teaching at Scholar's Hall is EXCEPTIONAL! These teachers are beyond dedicated to their profession and to their students! There is no bare minimum at this school...only a team of teachers that will give 150% to their students. I have witnessed teachers staying far past the end of their day to assist as well as completing so many tasks on their own time in an effort to enhance their student's learning experience! The quality of instruction is insurmountable! You can simply feel that passion that these teachers have and the respect that their students have for them is undeniable! My daughter has created relationships with her teacher that I believe will stand the test of time as she moves on in her post-secondary education and life in general. The teachers' communication is more than effective. They do not just "teach" per se but they bring the classroom to life! I remain amazed at how Shakespeare was brought to life in grade 11 English and the fun that came along with this learning! The support is beyond words and I truly appreciated that my child was challenged to work towards the next steps in her education! True preparation for her as she moves forward!

(5) Academics

The academics at Scholar's Hall is exceptional! The program has been developed to offer 3 learning terms and follows a schedule similar to the University programs. I do believe that Scholars is a true University prep school. The students are being challenged and taught is a way that will prepare them for their educational journey. The course selections are plentiful and provide an opportunity for students to choose some great electives! And the administration will go above and beyond to meet the needs of the students. The support is endless! The academic culture is one that fosters support, guidance, encouragement, recognition, and above all, a wonderful learning environment. I have absolutely no doubt that my child will be beyond prepared for her post-secondary education. She has learned skills that will be incredibly helpful moving forward!

(5) Extracurriculars

There are most definitely adequate extracurriculars at Scholars! There is always the opportunity to participate in organized activities as well as a pickup game of basketball, volleyball or other sports happening in the gym or outside! Karaoke in the lunchroom, tobogganing in the winter...the list is endless! There was not a day when I picked my daughter up that did not start with "Mom, we had so much fun today..."! I have no doubt that the way to well-rounded students is being paved at SJSH!

(5) Students

These students are amazing! I am always amazed at how incredibly polite, respectful and well-rounded they are. Secondary to the fact that the student body in small, there is truly a family feel. The older students can often be found supporting the younger students and the school philosophy promotes this! They truly care for one another and are always encouraging each other! The students do not seem to have to be asked to help one another but rather are quick to offer assistance wherever possible. There is a strong foundation for leadership at SJSH and I feel that this is not only important for the students while they attend Scholar's but also as they move out into the real world. I can best describe SJSH as a family!

(5) School Life

My child LOVES attending Scholar's Hall! Unfortunately, we were late in arriving in that my daughter came in grade 11 but her grade 11 year is often referred to as 'her best year ever'! She chose Scholar's Hall secondary to COVID and hoped that she would be able to continue her studies with less interruption and she was more than able to do this! Even when she was unable to attend in person, the online program at SJSH was incredible! Again, the support from the teachers and the administration was endless! This school goes above and beyond in every way! Attention to detail is beyond what one might expect from the school system! I am incredibly grateful for all that the school has offered and I look forward to continuing with SJSH in the fall.

(5) Community

COMMUNITY is the first word that I would choose to describe Scholar's Hall! Having been a part of this community during COVID has made it slightly more difficult to experience the parent community and I am often disappointed about this as I feel parental involvement at SJSH would be wonderful! Even with COVID, we were always encouraged to be a part of the online community! I am eager to put COVID behind us and become an active part of Scholar's next year! I do believe that the school strongly encourages parental involvement and provides ample opportunity for parents to become involved in their child's academic community! Parents are always welcomed by teachers and administration alike and encouraged to participate in the school's never-ending excitement!

(5) School Location

Scholar's Hall is located on a beautiful property and offers a number of amenities for the students. The grounds are exceptionally well kept and very safe. There are a number of places for safe outside activity and for the students to gather for lunch etc. And the grounds are always monitored! Pick up and drop is incredibly well executed! The senior students may venture out for lunch and although the school is tucked safely on a large lot, there are places to go which are relatively close to school!

(5) Admissions

We found the admissions process seamless! We did very much appreciate the one-on-one meetings with the administration. We arrived with a number of questions that were answered without hesitation and the shared information strongly encouraged us to make an educated decision to choose Scholar's Hall! I found the administration to be very honest about their expectations of their students and they were very forthcoming about their curriculum, their behavioural expectations and what they believed that they could offer my child to encourage her to be the best that she could be! I believe the admissions process at Scholar's Hall is fair, is presented with clarity and gives ample information to allow parents and children to make educated choices. The support received eliminated the need for stress!

(5) University placement and counselling

We have yet to begin the University placement process directly however we will be here next year! I do believe that the students are prepared well in advance of having to make these decisions. I feel that the school begins to prepare students very early on in their academic careers. Having begun at Scholar's in grade 11, my daughter was immediately introduced to the journey towards post-secondary education. She received guidance immediately upon registering with respect to course selection to foster her post-secondary school plans. And the teaching staff and administrators have continued to provide ongoing assistance as she paves her way. I have no doubt in my mind that the process will be seamless and that my daughter will receive more than adequate guidance.