Interview with St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School PARENT, Samantha Cheung
Samantha, parent of two St. Mildred-Lightbourn alumni, expresses appreciation for the school’s supportive environment that fosters courage, community involvement, and academic excellence. She highlights the global studies and real-world work placement programs as unique opportunities that prepared her daughters for university and beyond.
Highlights from the interview
Our girls responded quite well to being at St. Mildred's. I saw them gaining the confidence to try things that they wouldn't otherwise try. Our girls have been there, since JK through Grade 12, and I really saw them step up to take on roles that they might not otherwise be thinking of doing. They participated in all kinds of things, from robotics to arts, to leadership councils, to global study experiences, to community experiences, and athletic roles. The school must be doing something right in terms of creating an environment for them to thrive.
One value that I saw really evolve in the girls is the value of courage. My daughters tried out things such as art projects, leadership roles, and started new initiatives such as community organizations. The school encourages these types of initiatives.
Both our girls thrived in academics and were given opportunities to stretch what they could do and the courses they could take. The school prepared them well for entrance into university.
The teachers really understood the strengths and weaknesses of our girls and helped them work on getting better to attain their goals. Each parent-teacher interview was helpful, transparent, and thoughtful. Our experience with the teachers and administration has been excellent. The administration also had an open door, where I could provide feedback. They took feedback from us and responded appropriately.
The strength of the school lies in its global studies program and the work placement term. The global studies approach offered the girls opportunities to environments of different cultures and behaviors. I think their approach positions them well for integration into the real world.
St. Mildred's is known for its strength of community, its excellent academics, and its outstanding global studies approach. Our girls had great experiences, such as a sailing trip in the Caribbean, and exploring marine biology.
The one thing that I most appreciate about the school is the community and more specifically, the parent community. Everybody is there to help each other out, and we learn from each other. Early on, I got involved in the school through the parent association and co-ran the used uniform sale as a way to get to know other parents. St. Mildred's offers that, because it’s a small, close environment.
St. Mildred's offers a unique program in Grade 11 that places the girls in real-world environments with accounting firms, law firms, marketing firms, digital tech firms, and engineering firms. I was really pleasantly surprised by the global studies program and other opportunities that the school offered.
Our middle girl, who just graduated in 2022, would really be most proud of her role as head prefect. She's particularly proud of having a great team and supporting the school in their initiative. Of course, it's something that you could never have imagined when she started in JK, but she loved the role and embraced it.
The most important thing was the fit between the school environment and our children’s personalities. And, for us, St. Mildred's-Lightbourn checked all of our boxes. I think that's why our children thrived in the environment. The child needs to feel comfortable and open to trying those new experiences and meeting new friends. When these things work together harmoniously, the child will thrive, and the results are unlimited. For us, St. Mildred's was the right choice.
The all-girls environment was the right choice for us. It felt like an environment without any barriers. The girls could do what they wanted to do in a controlled environment. They could grow and gain the life skills they needed to thrive at the next level of education at the university. Having two girls that have gone through the process successfully, I can say without a doubt that St. Mildred's-Lightbourn School was the right choice for our family.
