REVIEW OF St. Jude’s Scholars’ Hall BY parent, Lisa Ramautor

(5) Student Experience

Before attending St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall, my children attended Montessori for 7 years - and switching schools was the best decision my husband and I made! My children begin their school day with smiles as they enter the school, depart the school in great spirits, and are excited to talk about their day (this was not the case at their former school). As a parent, my husband and I cannot express the sense of contentment seeing our children in such great spirits gives us. This shows that St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall sets a positive tone and atmosphere for learning. My children prefer the more traditional style of learning over Montessori, as lessons are taught to the whole class (and not to smaller groups). My children also appreciate that the whole school gets recess together (not staggered), so they are able to see their siblings and friends from other classes at recess. What my children appreciate the most at St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall are the teachers. The teachers are absolutely phenomenal. The teachers take the time to explain new concepts to the children and foster a positive learning environment. The teachers also make time to address any concerns that a parent may have, so in my opinion, St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall works collaboratively with parents for maximum academic success. Since enrollment at St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall, my children have never expressed discontent with the school, teachers or fellow students.

Why St. Jude’s Scholars’ Hall?

My husband and I knew from our first meeting with Cheryl McKee, Principal of St. Jude's/Scholar's Hall, that this institution was the right fit for our family. Principal McKee took the time to answer our questions with explanations that made sense. We never felt rushed during our conversations, and she made us feel welcome. The philosophy and core educational values that Principal McKee fosters are clearly disseminated throughout the staff, and this, in turn, is the perfect recipe for children to reach their full academic potential. To this day, Principal McKee takes the time to chat, and her office door is always open. One thing that really stands out is that she knows each one of her students' names, which is remarkable considering the school has almost 400 children!!

Expectations vs. Reality

St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall has not only met but exceeded my expectations. As mentioned, my children attended Montessori for 7 years, so my husband and I felt it was time for a change in environment and a more traditional learning approach. For our children, St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall was a new surrounding with new teachers, new friends and a new learning structure. My husband and I hoped that our children would acclimate well to the big change - and they exceeded our expectations by not only adapting swiftly to the new learning style, but also the amount of delight and curiosity they have every day with regards to the school has exceeded our expectations. My children's growth and development both academically and socially is assurance that my husband and I made the right decision for our family (the only regret we have is not switching schools earlier!).

Your Advice

A substantial strength which St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall exemplifies is that every child should be given the opportunity to prosper academically by catering to each child's specific needs and supporting children with exceptionalities. Smaller class sizes at St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall offer this, so parents can be assured that their child is learning to their full potential.

(5) School Leadership

St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall leadership and administration is exceptional. The Principal of the school is well informed of issues or problems that arise, as there is clear communication between the Principal, Vice Principals and administration. Parents are informed promptly to rectify any issues, whether academic or social. St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall also enforces a very strict no-bullying rule, and compliance is mandatory - so parents can be assured that issues will be rectified right away. Administratively, there is an office text line where parents can report any absences or if their child has an early or late departure. This text line is very prompt and quite impressive. I have personally had a situation where my daughter was not feeling well, and the secretary sent a message to notify me of the issue, and I was able to speak with my daughter on the phone. St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall fosters a positive school environment by executing an equitable and nurturing learning environment, which in turn cultivates an atmosphere where children can prosper and thrive academically.

(5) Teaching

I cannot speak highly enough about the teaching quality of instruction at St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall. There are 3 times throughout the academic year when there is a parent-teacher interview along with a report card. The parent-teacher interviews do not feel rushed, and the teachers take the time to share your child's previous work, current work and discuss the areas in which your child needs more support and areas in which your child is excelling. The report cards are very detailed, and if there is an area of improvement, the teacher states how they will support your child. I have had the pleasure to chat with quite a few of the teachers at St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall, and everyone seems so passionate about what they do. You can tell they truly care about the children and the academic journey they are on. Not only that, the teachers seem happy and motivated- this is not only a job for these incredible educators, it is evident that they truly care about what they do.

(5) Academics

The academic program at St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall offers a traditional-style learning platform where textbooks are the number one learning source - which, in my opinion, is an academic strength as your child is using a hands-on approach to advance their articulating skills to read, write and perform mathematical functions. The academic culture is also very structured, where there is a language block, followed by a math block in the mornings, then in the afternoon, there is art, drama, social sciences, French, science, reading buddies and music offered. St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall also offers a Leadership program, which is a mandatory requirement for all students. St. Jude's Scholars' Hall prepares my children and our family life's next steps as what is unique about this school is that it goes up to Grade 12, so my 3 children (there is a 7 year age difference between my eldest and youngest) will be attending school together for many years to come, which is something my husband and I value, so if keeping your children together during their academic journey is something you value, than St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall is the perfect fit for your family. My husband and I are confident that St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall is able to provide our children with the tools needed to prosper in post-secondary education and excel in their future careers, as it offers a well-rounded curriculum and educators who care about their students.

(5) Extracurriculars

I do feel there are adequate extracurricular opportunities offered at St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall. Competitive activities include softball, volleyball, track and field, cross country, and basketball, in which teams are formed and compete against schools from the Catholic School Board. There are also numerous fun activities/clubs which are offered during the lunch recess, such as crafts, LEGO, Pokémon, puzzles, girls' club, dungeons and dragons, chess club, colouring club, debate club, and floor hockey. Based on the variety of clubs offered, my husband and I feel that St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall is providing the right context in which to develop well-rounded students, as there is essentially something for everyone, and the list of extracurriculars is quite diverse, from athletics to working on fine motor skills to creative design and implementation.

(5) Students

As a parent/guardian, if you are looking for a school which offers a balance between smaller class sizes but does not feel like there are not enough children in each grade or graduating class, then St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall is perfect for your family. There is typically a 16-student cap per class, which, in my opinion, is perfect as classes do not feel overcrowded and the teachers can educate and provide a positive environment to engage their students. Also offered are smaller ratio classes for children with exceptionalities with 2 educators per class. The school spirit at St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall is impressive. Each student has a designated colour house, and throughout the year, there are various competitions between each colour house for grades JK-12. Spirit week is in March, where every day is a themed day, such as sports day, St. Patrick's day, beach day, decades day, and minions day, so your child dresses up in that theme for the day! Also offered are school dances from elementary school students to junior high and prom for high school students. To sum up in one word the student body and the general atmosphere, I would use "connected". Whether it be inside the school during various classroom activities and leadership programs, outside during recess, or at the end of the day, you can tell the children are genuinely happy to be at school and appreciate the close-knit community. Through various leadership initiatives and youth development programs, St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall connects each student by fostering a relationship from JK to Grade 12. Some examples include Grade 5 students having a reading buddy with JK's, grade 3 students having a reading buddy with grade 2 students, junior high and high school students planning and executing bake sales throughout the year, curating a tree planting fund, and planning campaigns to highlight various ailments, such as the Terry Fox Run and Relay for Life. There are also field trips offered for junior high and high school students in which they can travel to Canada's Wonderland and Muskoka Woods, Rosseau for 3 days as part of the Leadership program. For graduation, the students this year are travelling through the United Kingdom with stops in London, Paris, Oxford, Stratford-Upon-Avon and Bath, and in 2027, grades 11 and 12 will be travelling to Greece and Rome. In my husband's and my opinion, St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall facilitates the student body to form a cohesive community of strong leaders with a family-oriented environment.

(5) School Life

An insight to prospective families that I would like to share is when my husband and I attended the school tour, we took a peek at the high school classes, and there was a calculus grade 12 course being taught, and I distinctly remember there only being 5 students in the class with the teacher walking around to each student's desk and observing the students' work. This was quite impressive for my husband and me. How many of us struggled in high school, specifically in calculus, and wished we had enough support, which ultimately led to higher marks and getting into a post-secondary institution? At St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall, your child will not leave a class without knowing what steps need to be taken to solve an equation. This is a clear example of students thriving in a positive environment where educators are there to provide one-on-one support and guidance. My children wake up each day excited. Excited to begin their school day with smiles on their faces. They have huge grins after school, and they literally have to take turns to speak because they have so many positive things to share about their day. As a parent, I cannot express how much satisfaction, contentment and a sense of security it brings - knowing that your child is genuinely happy to be at school and is thriving throughout their academic journey.

(5) Community

The broader parent-community at St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall is engaging and unified. At the beginning of the school year, Principal McKee hosts a welcome presentation where she goes over the student handbook, various expectations and highlights all of the incredible opportunities your child will be able to be involved in at the school. This is a great time for new and returning parents to meet one another. The students conduct various expositions throughout the year, where parents are welcome to the school to view each student's project. There is a Christmas concert, there are absolutely exceptional plays/performances, a "movie night" is offered a few times a year, where the students come to the school dressed in their pjs and bring blankets and at 6 pm they watch a movie in the gym. The parents are welcome to stay and hang out in the high school lounge to catch up. Parents are also welcome and encouraged to attend any sporting event that the school is participating in to cheer on their athletes. The camaraderie of the parent community is passionate and shares a common goal of having their children achieve long-term success and become well-rounded individuals. Additionally, there is also a parents committee and a Facebook group where parents are up-to-date with what is going on around the school. This is the perfect balance, in my opinion, as parents can choose to be as involved within the school community or be more in the shadows if they prefer.

(5) School Location

St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall is nestled literally steps away from the Huron Natural Area in Kitchener. I would describe the school grounds as more of an island, as the perimeter of the school is surrounded by beautiful trees and immaculate landscaping. In the fall/winter months, the forestry surrounding the school is adorned with thousands of stunning, colourful lights to highlight the Holiday season. Within the school grounds, there are fences which separate the parking/road area so balls or equipment cannot easily escape, and the younger children can visualize that there is a boundary. Students are not permitted to venture off school grounds unless they are in good standing and have written permission from their parents/guardians.

(5) Admissions

As previously mentioned, my children attended Montessori for 7 years. For my children, Montessori-style learning was all they knew from the age of 2.5 years old, so the thought of considering a new school was daunting, and of course, it was met with a bit of nervousness as wondering how our children would adapt to a new school, new teachers, new surroundings, new friends, and new learning style was top of mind. Principal McKee patiently sat with my husband and me during the initial consultation and answered our questions with such passion and confidence, which put any type of hesitancy we had prior to our meeting at ease. My husband and I knew from those few minutes with Principal McKee that St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall was the right fit for our family. Once your family has submitted the necessary enrollment documentation, your child is welcome to come to the school for the day to shadow and see what it would be like if they were to attend. My children loved this as they were paired with a buddy for the day - and they even met some former friends from Montessori! The idea of shadowing for the day is genius, as it puts any type of nervousness your child may be experiencing at ease. Administratively, the application and acceptance process was very efficient. Along with submitting your application, you also have to submit your child's record of immunization and a deposit cheque. If there was anything outstanding, the administrative staff was on top of it. There isn't anything I would change in the administrative process, as the design and implementation are very organized. Once parents are set up on the email list, you start receiving newsletters from the school, so you are well-informed for the next steps, such as uniform ordering and what to expect on the first day of school. The philosophy and core educational values coupled with traditional-style learning that St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall provides are the perfect recipe for children to reach their full academic potential. The only regret my husband and I have is not finding St. Jude's/Scholars' Hall sooner!!