REVIEW OF Hydrostone Academy BY parent, Kim McCallum

(5) Student Experience

Our son has dysgraphia and struggles in the public system. He is a good kid, and because he didn't create drama in the classroom, he was overlooked by his teachers in the public system. He would come home frustrated and angry because he didn't understand the lessons, and his teachers were overwhelmed with the demands of the many students who required extra attention. At Hydrostone, our son loves the small class sizes and the one-on-one attention he receives when he needs the extra time to understand the lesson. He has easy access to his teachers and even has study periods where he can focus more on his work. He likes the outdoor education focus at the school and enjoys the trips to various parks and campgrounds that have been organized during his few years there.

Why Hydrostone Academy?

Hydrostone Academy focuses on developing a child's strengths, recognizing that not every person is the same. Their approach is to help the child through the required curriculum in a way that works best for their learning style.

Expectations vs. Reality

Hydrostone Academy met our expectations of a calm, supportive learning environment where our son would feel safe and comfortable asking questions when he was feeling overwhelmed or struggling with the material that was being presented to him.

Your Advice

Having your child spend a day at the school is important so they can experience what a day as a student is like. They can also ask their own questions of the students currently enrolled and ask why they enjoy the school.

(5) School Leadership

When our son expressed deep concerns regarding the fragile mental health and emotional well-being of his classmate, we immediately contacted the school administration to report the situation. The leadership team listened attentively to our notification and took swift, decisive action to intervene appropriately. Thanks to their rapid response and the professional guidance provided by the counselling staff, our son's friend received immediate care, ultimately ensuring that the vulnerable student remained completely safe, secure, and fully supported during this challenging time.

(5) Teaching

We firmly believe that during the upcoming parent-teacher interviews, our son must be present so that the important discussion on his overall academic performance fully includes him in the decision-making process. Fortunately, all of his current educators are highly trained and very knowledgeable on their particular academic subjects, creating a rich learning environment. Our son has developed a passionate interest in history, and so he is always genuinely engaged with his supportive history teacher during daily lessons. Furthermore, whenever we notice our son is struggling with his complex coursework, proactive changes to his daily schedule and structured extra help sessions have been successfully organized to his direct benefit. This collaborative, positive educational approach consistently ensures he remains motivated, highly confident, and successful throughout the school year.

(5) Academics

Hydrostone takes a holistic approach to education, but we firmly believe that all individual aspects of our son's ongoing academic journey—whether it be in the foundational sciences, creative language arts, vibrant visual art, engaging drama, or inspiring music lessons—are always maintained at an exceptionally high standard. We honestly do not feel there are any educational weaknesses within the entire curriculum. Every single teacher consistently takes an incredibly dedicated, highly focused approach in their specialized methodology to teaching and mentoring students. This unwavering, deep commitment to academic excellence ensures that our son receives a truly well-rounded, balanced growth, empowering him to reach his absolute full potential. We are continually impressed by the remarkable depth, rigorous standards, and supportive environment provided by this truly outstanding school daily.

(5) Extracurriculars

Although our son is currently much more involved in extracurricular activities outside of school, he truly appreciates the diverse student options available on campus. Students can easily join numerous rewarding groups, including athletics, gaming clubs like Dungeons and Dragons, or robotics. Additionally, the school provides exceptional summer camps and enrichment programs that actively focus on vital youth leadership development skills.

(4.5) Students

Our son initially started his education within the public school system, later transitioned to a specialized school focusing on learning disabilities, and ultimately moved to Hydrostone. He recently reflected deeply on this incredible journey, noting that how he actively interacts with supportive adults and classmates has drastically changed for the better. He genuinely recognizes that he has personally become much kinder, significantly more supportive of his peers, and experiences a far calmer inner feeling compared to the intense angst he constantly felt while in the public system. The student body here is uniquely supportive of one another; for example, even though our son is not personally involved in the school band program, he still enthusiastically attends their concerts because he truly wants to show up and champion his closest friends.

(4.5) School Life

Our son used to fight us constantly whenever it was time to go to school, but thankfully, he no longer resists doing this nearly as much as he used to. Because of his specific learning disability, he understandably still struggles with his regular academic workload; however, due to the incredible, highly personalized support he receives from his dedicated teachers, he is now far more willing to confidently tackle his daily homework assignments and actively participate in class. Previously, he would absolutely dread having to face these educational challenges. We firmly feel that his overall quality of life has improved dramatically here at Hydrostone, especially when compared to his previous stressful experience in the public system. He is truly thriving within this wonderful, encouraging school community.

(5) Community

There are numerous wonderful ways for enthusiastic parents to participate actively in vibrant school life and to assist with the various engaging activities the school has to offer. These inclusive opportunities range from relaxed morning coffee get-togethers and supportive parent groups to enriching language workshops or collaborative music lessons. To foster community spirit, the school does require each family to commit to a specific number of volunteer hours annually. However, fulfilling this mandatory service requirement is incredibly easy to do, and it directly allows us to participate deeply in our child's daily education. By volunteering together, we build lasting connections with staff, support hard-working teachers, and create a truly flourishing, very safe environment where our beloved children can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally every day.

(5) School Location

Nestled within a charming residential neighbourhood, the historic Hydrostone district is an incredibly welcoming community. Our adventurous son safely ventures off our property quite often to independently visit the popular local coffee shop, a busy neighbourhood pizza parlour, and the beautiful nearby public park. Because of this wonderfully tight-knit environment, we absolutely feel this is an exceptionally safe, family-friendly area.

(5) Admissions

Before deciding to send our son to Hydrostone, our family had a great introductory meeting at the school with the admissions team and went on a comprehensive campus tour. To ensure a smooth transition, our son also spent an entire day shadowing the specific class group he would be joining so that he could get a true sense of what a typical day at Hydrostone would be like. This immersive experience was highly beneficial and made the upcoming change much easier when the enrollment time finally arrived.