Roundtable Q&A Discussion About Appleby College (2023)
Appleby College alumni, current students, and parents shared their insights on the school’s culture, values, strengths, and weaknesses. Hear what Cathy, Mary, Danny had to say about the school.
Highlights from the Q&A discussion
Cathy — current parent
Cathy, a parent of four children at Appleby College, shared how the school’s nurturing environment has helped her children grow academically and personally. She highlighted the dedicated teachers, strong sense of community, and diverse opportunities that allowed her children to explore their interests.
I was so impressed when we were doing our tours of schools, just how the student ambassadors behaved. They held doors for us. They answered all our questions. I looked at them and I thought, if my kid turns out like that after he's left Appleby, that would be amazing.
I think the school just has such an incredible impact on him… the impact that the kids and the teachers, the faculty, staff, everyone has on these students is incredible to see.
Appleby is definitely open-minded, inclusive … They're open to getting to know your child and to figuring who they are and helping them with the guidance program.
The opportunities that they have, and they always encourage the kids just to be curious and ask questions. And the kids will come home and they're working on these fantastic projects in science class or math class or the international business program that you have. Just always encouraging students to be curious and try new things.
I think that Appleby definitely is the leader in the private schools, and I think that's what they teach their students to be, too.
Students are assigned a guidance counselor right from Grade 9, and they're with that guidance counselor right through the duration of their high school career. And they form a connection, and they're able to get that support beginning in Grade 9.
I find that every person that you meet, either in the parent association or just when you drop off your kids or going to the sports activity, they all are so excited to be there because they just want to show up for their kids. They just want their kids to have the best experience. We all, I think, just want the best for our kids. And I feel like we all then want to be part of this community that wants the best for your kids.
Appleby is not just about academics … I really appreciate that Appleby encourages them to do different things and to try out for sports, to try it for the arts, to try the whole co-curricular program that we have where you have to do so many sports sessions, then your service sessions, and then your art sessions.
I would encourage, if you're looking for schools, to go to the open houses to meet the students, to meet the teachers. And then once you decide, and you will, that Appleby is the right school, then get involved.
Mary — current parent
Mary, a parent of a graduate from Appleby College, talks about the school's warmth, community spirit, and personalized approach to each student's growth, and highlights how the academic excellence was complemented by opportunities for extracurricular involvement. She also emphasized the positive impact of the school's boarding experience, which helped her son develop confidence and resilience, making lifelong friendships along the way.
We had heard about Appleby's reputation and the programs, the diversity of it, just everything that it had to offer … I got to the school and the students and the faculty were just so warm and welcoming. Our student ambassador, too, who took us around, blew me away, just the ability. That was a clincher for us. The campus was just stunning. We decided that it was the right place to be.
Appleby ticked all of the boxes and then some ... We had high academic hopes, like we'd heard about academic excellence, but all the other things, too. It's just unbelievable. It's so well-rounded and offers so much. They do offer the academic side, but they also consider everything else that goes into making a well-rounded person.
It's incredible how they help these kids grow beyond and shape them into leaders. I say, I think part of who Mitchell is today, or most of who he is today, is thanks to Appleby and who he will be in the future because he'll continue to carry this experience with him.
They figure out how the students operate, who they are, how they learn best. They encourage them in these different areas. That's, I think, where the growth comes. They're masters at getting to really know your child personally.
They have such a strong community sense, including the parents, alumni, the students and the faculty and staff. It does just feel like one great big family and a part of the family that you can turn to when you need, and they're always there for help and support.
The school is very involved with the ACPA, the Appleby College Parents Association. We work closely together. It's just this community, and it all comes together, and the parents fit beautifully, and the kids fit beautifully, and everybody seems to belong. And it's just a really nice feeling.
Appleby has this ability to adapt, to think on their feet and adapt and really work with change that's happening, whether it's technological change or environmental change, or they just seem to be ahead of that curve and they can work with it.
Danny — current parent
Danny, a parent of two girls at Appleby College, shares how the school exceeded his expectations, praising the school’s ability to maintain its core strengths despite changes. He emphasized the strong sense of shared values and involvement at Appleby, which fosters a supportive community.
Despite changes over the years, changes in curriculum, changes in lifestyle, changes in everything, Appleby has managed to maintain core strength. I think that translates into what we see in our kids.
Appleby helped to expand their horizons in ways that I do not envisage in a different environment that they would not have had… I know that Appleby puts a lot of expectations on them in terms of academic performance and being involved in different things. But it is that it gave her the opportunity to recognize not just her leadership potential, but the fact of the ability to collaborate with others.
They actually let these children feel and let them know that their involvement and their contributions are valued. The staff and the people that they're involved with don't take it for granted.
We have seen, especially in the last couple of years, flexibility and innovation come to the forefront to rescue an extremely difficult situation and still keep that wonderful flag flying high.
We've had an amazing relationship with Appleby's administration and faculty over this period of time that allows for those values to truly be shared values. When we talk to the community, we actually walk the talk.
I would tell the parents looking for schools, look beyond this scholarship, look beyond the academics, look beyond the athletic programs, look to the core of what Applebee has to offer, which is incredibly rounded young people stepping into the world.
