Observations from students, parents, and alumni suggest that Appleby College’s supportive and inclusive community fosters a strong sense of belonging and allows students to thrive academically and socially.
The community and people were everything for me at Appleby College. There were amazing academics, amazing extracurriculars, and all of that was rooted in this community of people who really cared. Even though you’re surrounded by these people who have amazing goals and want to achieve so much, it never feels competitive. It always felt so supportive.
Two important characteristics of the school are inclusivity and kindness. It's hard to find a place that is genuinely inclusive. Many places want to feel that way, but I felt Appleby was inclusive for many different communities. I'm part of the LGBTQ community. It was pretty amazing to feel included in that. And then, there is kindness. Everyone's very kind to each other. The amount of effort that teachers put into each individual student. And there's a lot of help at Appleby as well. If you're struggling, there's help for educational purposes, mental health purposes, everything like that. So I think you don't get that often at high school. I think Appleby taught me my core values that I live by.
Appleby is inclusive. We come from all over the world. Whatever the skin colour and whatever the background, we are all one Appleby community, one family. My younger daughter used to go to a different private school. It’s like a more local private school. But Appleby is more international. It’s more open. The view is more open and it has a wider perspective. And Appleby—I don’t think there are many schools like Appleby.
I love this quote that says, ‘you’re an average of the five people you spend the most time with.’ And if that’s true, then Appleby is the perfect place to be, because you’ll find incredible people. If you become the average of any of the five people there, I think you’re in a pretty good place.
Appleby College would be the person who’s always like, ‘Hey! Hi! How’s it going?’ Because when you walked through the hallways at Appleby, it was always a myriad of ‘hellos’ and ‘how are you?’ People wanted to make sure that you were doing okay. When I talk about the support system, that’s what it was really like.
One thing that was surprising was that it never felt competitive. At Appleby it was always people working towards these greater goals, and supporting each other in them. There was never a feeling like you had to hide what you were feeling. People would talk very openly about any stresses they may have. There was never a feeling of, ‘Oh, I have to hide this to appear a certain way.’ It was always very open. I think our guidance program did a lot for that. My guidance counsellor at Appleby College was incredible. We had weekly or bi-weekly meetings, and we would just talk about how I was doing, how I’m processing, any challenges I was having academically or elsewhere. That made it feel less competitive and more supportive.
I look back now at my experience at Appleby with such a lens of gratitude, because I understand that the kind of experience I had was not the norm compared to other schools. When you’re so invested in a place that feels like everyone loves their high school, everyone is getting so much out of it, everyone is having such a great experience. My experience was so positive that I look at it now with really such a lens of gratitude.
If you’re someone who wants to be fully involved in the community—to find a community of people who will support you regardless of what you’re going through, that you will learn and grow from, that will shape you and your future—Appleby is an amazing place for you. It’s the community and the people and the mentors that you will find, who think about life in such a meaningful way, in a way that you might have never considered.
Coupled with all these opportunities Appleby are the support systems in place. Because any time that you’re doing so much, there could be stress, and there could be moments when you need extra support. The great thing is that that support is there. There’s a guidance program with many guidance counsellors, whose office doors are open. That support underpins all of the programming. And that’s necessary, because, for people like me and many others who want to get so involved, and want to do so much, that support can be necessary and so helpful.
I suspect everyone at Appleby College would say something like this: I’m really energized by the interactions I have at the school, whether it’s our students, our teachers, our staff, our parents or alumni. When you come to school each day, you can always speak to people who are going to put you in a really good mood. Everyone you talk to — they’re happy, they’re motivated. Those interactions make me feel good as I go about my day.
I think there’s a positive culture at Appleby College. To me, if you’re going to get one thing right, the most important thing to get right is the relationship between peers, and between teachers and students. I think that’s quite exceptional here. So if you can have people who are helping guide them, giving them experiences as far as programming — but more importantly, in culture — then I think you’re setting them up for success later on.
The number one thing, I’d have to say, is that at Appleby, all the teachers and faculty really want what's best for the students, and they want to make sure that everybody is succeeding. And I think that's really cool, because I don't think you can get that at many schools. Everybody genuinely wants what's best for you. Having the classroom size so small allows you to develop relationships with other students and teachers. It's a small class, so you have an opportunity to work one on one with students and teachers, which is special.
Just seeing the way that Appleby keeps bringing people back and shows how much they care about you and value you really makes me feel valued and part of a community. It's just really nice. Teachers bring their families and parents come and things like that connect the students, I would say, but also just everyone in the Appleby community. When I was attending the school, I did feel like there was a great community around us and we had all those events and everything. But now that I'm out, I still get reached out to by the school. We still have events and I still get invited to things, and they still ask for my feedback on plans and future projects that they're working on for the kids in the school.
It's just the best place for them to grow; there's every opportunity; there's something for every interest. There's every chance that you could want. To parents considering Appleby, I’d say, because it's such a community, you will have help. There will be parents there who are in the same boat as you, who are thinking the same things, have the same reservations, and have the same hopes as you. And if you go in, they really will embrace you.
Right from the beginning, I really appreciated that supportive atmosphere. From the beginning, there was a really supportive environment, just a really safe environment. Coming into Grade 9, I didn't know what to expect from high school. I was a bit more of a shy kid, I'd say. Didn't necessarily have the most confidence. But the teachers were so supportive. Just all the faculty and staff, in general, they were always there for you. The students themselves, obviously amazing.
After we made our choice in 2015, we immediately knew that enrolling our children in Appleby was the best decision we could have ever made. The community is inclusive, it embraces not only the students, but also the parents. It has a vibrant community that we are proud to be a part of.
From the first day, the opportunities that the children had were just incredible. The older students welcome the younger ones right from the start, unlike the typical high school awkwardness between different grades. In the school environment, children are accepted and nurtured. The staff play a significant role in this. They actively engage with the students and make an effort to get to know each child. They create a welcoming atmosphere from the moment the children arrive at the campus.
Appleby is an inclusive environment that values the development of global leaders. Just last week, the school held a seminar on gender diversity and inclusion, where numerous students stepped up to lead sessions. This proactive participation from the student body showcases the empowering environment at Appleby College.
My son loves his school. He’s even talking about going to universities here in Canada, which a couple of years ago was not the case. He would have wanted to stay in the U.K. or in Europe. I see a child that actually loves the school environment, loves the multiculturalism. He finds that the students in general are very friendly. He feels safe and he feels adapted to the school.
I think all students at Appleby are not treated just as a number, but they are valued as individuals. The teachers go out of their way to get to know and listen to the students. So I feel that the children are not all viewed as a group. They are looked upon individually and treated with their individual needs.
If you end up at Appleby, I’d say try to get involved. There is an amazing parent community and it changes your whole experience and your child’s experience. It’s changed everything for us as a whole family because we feel that we’ve gone through Appleby a bit together. And those years go by so fast it’s hard to imagine. They enter in Grade 7 and believe me, they’re graduating in Grade 12 in a flash. So take the time to get involved because just seeing your child around the school and having them see you there and be part of it makes it just so much better for them.
Sending our kids to Appleby College has turned out to be a remarkable journey, one that surpassed our initial expectations. It’s provided them with a nurturing and vibrant environment, fostering not just academic excellence but personal growth and resilience. The robust curriculum, coupled with a supportive community, has facilitated a comprehensive development that we are proud to witness as parents. Looking back, we couldn’t have made a better choice for our kids, and we are excited to see how the foundations laid at Appleby will guide them in their future endeavours.
What I appreciated most as a student is the space and the resources that Appleby provided to allow me to grow over those six years. That is something that benefits me even to this day, and something I’m beyond grateful for. Appleby gave me the space to grow not only intellectually, but also in terms of leadership, and in how to be a good person in general.
‘Progressive’, ‘dedicated’ and ‘adventurous’ are three words I would use to describe Appleby’s personality. Appleby is always looking for that new forefront, whether it be in academic skills, social justice, or developing the campus. All the students, staff and professors are dedicated to making the community what it is. And being adventurous, literally, by going to Temagami and on all those outdoor trips.
I have three boys who have gone to Appleby. They are all such different characters, and yet all three of them found what they needed. They found something that supported their character, and exposed them to other things. Whether it be Athletics, or musicals, or Arts, they were always exposed to new things, well supported, and able to find their niche and then developed it even more.
It's hard for me to characterise one typical Appleby family because I think we are all different from each other, but we all share the same goals. We found that other parents have been quite generous with their time in terms of meeting with us and helping us to understand different facets of the school.