Interview with Balmoral Hall School PARENT, Kelly Gasmen

It was really just the feeling we had when we walked through the door. It's hard to describe that, but really, that's all it took for us, and it essentially sealed the deal for our daughter to attend Balmoral Hall.

She's had a tremendous experience all throughout. She, of course, started in the nursery program. I think hers was the last year that the official nursery program was offered, and now it's all blended into a childcare option, which is a full-day option… So for us, it was just preferred. But we are certainly grateful that she had that opportunity, given that it was the last year it was offered.

For us, it was just a blessing. She has thrived academically at the school. She's engaged in sports. She's engaged in the Bell Club, she's engaged in the choir, a multitude of clubs, the dramatic arts, and performing arts. So really, just taking advantage of all of the offerings at the school, and where there's been opportunity for development and involvement, she's taken full rein of it.

Lots of opportunities to invest in a subject area. They developed a petition in support of the David Suzuki Foundation and really took that to the next level. Then in middle school, as an example, they really look at Canada's heritage a little more closely, and those selected get to represent the school at the Red River Heritage Fair, which is a provincial fair. Our daughter chose the constitutional monarchy—again, not a small subject. Grade 10 is another threshold year whereby students are really encouraged to pursue an area of their passion that may or may not lead to a future career choice. My daughter's example was the human-animal bond because she's aspiring to be a veterinarian.

From our experience, it's the individualized approach to learning that the school takes. I would have to say that it's Balmoral Hall's trademark, and it begins as early as junior school. They really make every effort to meet the child where they're at. Our daughter has benefited from enrichment opportunities, but obviously, for those students who are more challenged in certain subject areas, they meet them where they are…. In middle school, there are what are otherwise more defined streams as they relate to both math and French. So students are identified to partake in what is considered the advanced stream.

While we had identified that we wanted a single-sex learning environment for our daughter, perhaps some of our rationale or reasons for choosing a single-sex learning environment had nothing to do with the methodology behind it. I mean, when you look at the confidence that comes from an all-girls learning environment, the academic achievement and the focus that comes with a girls' learning environment, and the mentorship—there is probably a more predominantly female-represented faculty at the school. The girls appreciate that and the mentorship that comes from it. I would just have to say … There are numerous benefits, obviously, including the focus on STEM, where females are underrepresented. You see that more so in an all-female learning environment.

This belief in an all-girls education being balanced is reflected in the available opportunities for involvement and development. I had mentioned some of the things that my daughter has been involved in, whether that be debate, sports, or performing arts. The balance comes in that the school really goes beyond academic programming in terms of its offerings to students and really shows students that education is about being well-rounded, and a lot of that comes with learning timetable management and becoming a more well-rounded individual.

When I think back to that very large-scale project that the students undertook in Grade 5, and how that relates to the values of the school in terms of students being globally minded and acting as citizens with compassion and integrity, that could not have been better depicted in that project work, just in terms of the collaboration. When you think about them engaging with the Prime Minister and the famous Canadian David Suzuki, it really went beyond the bricks and mortar of the school community. It was a global awareness initiative, demonstrating their care and thought for the environment beyond just the school project.

The school strongly represents its values. When we look at other values—and I've probably already spoken to these in various ways—but when we look at curiosity, creativity, and innovation in the programming and curriculum, much of that becomes inherent. One thing that I haven't talked about as it relates to the lifelong learner value that Balmoral upholds is resiliency. Again, perhaps I really haven't honed in on this, but Balmoral Hall really allows girls to learn through trial and error. Dare I say it, but girls are allowed to fail at Balmoral Hall. Lifelong learning is built on the principled foundations of curiosity, creativity, innovation, and resiliency. It's about how they get to the endpoint, the level of collaboration. And in the event that they don't get to the absolute correct endpoint, what have they learned from that? The goal is that they are allowed to learn from the lessons that failure holds.

There's a very strong sense of community at Balmoral Hall. The parent association works very hard in terms of their guiding principles of community engagement and "friend-raising," as they call it, whether that be through parent connection or community-based events. I would have to say that, by and large, there is a very strong sense of community at Balmoral Hall. Obviously, it's always stronger in Junior School, where there is much more parent interaction with drop-off and pick-up. Parents are really invested in the quality of the programming at Balmoral Hall and in understanding the value of their child’s education.

They have a very positive experience as it relates to the leadership programming. This starts in Junior School, more towards the end of Junior School. But of course, through Middle and Senior School, there is the opportunity to lead on student council. Our daughter was elected this year to the student council, where she serves as the public relations grad prefect. She has especially enjoyed the leadership opportunity this year, as she is now getting into quite a busy time with graduation approaching in the next few months. She really appreciates having the opportunity to help create a memorable experience for the class of 2024 and to share information via communication, predominantly through social media, about the happenings throughout the year and the greater sense of community at the school.

The faculty at Balmoral Hall are truly exceptional in their expertise and commitment to inspiring active and compassionate citizens in a broader community. It’s truly unparalleled. I've mentioned the big project in grade five and its role in fostering globally minded citizens. There is definitely a favorite teacher at every age and stage. The equitable environment created at Balmoral Hall really allows for student voice. In turn, the students feel safe and supported, and they ultimately thrive to their fullest potential with the utmost purpose and meaning.

The school’s commitment to STEM has now evolved to incorporate the arts into the programming, making it STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics). They integrate arts through a multidisciplinary approach, embedding it all the way through.

Another key feature is the diverse programming. There is the IB Programme in Junior School, the AP Capstone program in Middle School, and advanced placement course offerings in high school. As early as grade nine, students can participate in the newly introduced computer science program. There is also the TIE certificate program (Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship), where students can acquire a digital credential.

The diversity of the school community is another significant strength. One in four students receives bursary support, ensuring that students from all backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses are welcomed.

Balmoral Hall fosters collaboration, a growth mindset, and experiential learning. The school takes learning outdoors and offers off-site experiences that extend beyond the classroom while still exceeding curriculum expectations.