REVIEW OF CGS (Children's Garden School) BY parent, Lisa Cho

(5) Student Experience

My kids love CGS. They would say they like the teachers, learning, and friends. To elaborate, the teachers do an amazing job balancing learning with fun, hands-on activities, and keeping it interesting. One of my sons has fond memories of kitchen chemistry from SK. They learned how to cook as part of a unit on chemistry, which included measurements, chemical reactions, and teamwork work of course! The school promotes DEAR time, and my kids loved this time to pick up a new or favourite book to read. They have both developed a love for reading for fun, and I attribute this to CGS helping to promote reading and their strong literacy program. CGS finds an opportunity to incorporate learning, growth, and character development in all that they do. My kids loved monthly house games, which were always filled with new and friendly games. My kids have many fond memories - too many to name - but they loved the talent shows, the assemblies, and on-stage performances, which have helped develop their confidence for public speaking. I don’t think there’s anything they would change about the school. They love it like their second home.

(5) School Leadership

What stands out about the school is that the principal has been there since the beginning as the co-founder of the school. The school has been consistently well run by her, along with a strong administration team. There are a number of teachers who have been there for a very long time and who are very experienced. There is very strong communication from the school to parents about reminders, events, clubs, etc. I think the school communication is timely, clear and concise.

(5) Teaching

All teachers have their own teaching style, but what I found is that they are all passionate and knowledgeable. They treat the kids so well with their patience and balanced approach to nurturing them to be strong, confident individuals. When my kids bring home their completed work, I can see they have accomplished so much each term across a variety of subjects, including math, language, social studies, science and arts. Because of the smaller class sizes at CGS, the children are able to have more individual attention from the teachers, which helps with their learning, whether they need a challenge or support. There are weekly spelling tests, sometimes take-home projects/assignments, take-home library books to read, and weekly homework if assigned by the teacher. There are also optional activities such as the talent show or spring musical show. I found the report cards and comments to be very thorough, which I appreciated.

(5) Academics

The academics are appropriate and balanced at CGS. It strikes the right balance between academic and soft skills development. The school does a great job of preparing the younger students to read and write, to eventually read chapter books and write paragraphs in the grade years. I feel the students are very well prepared academically as they enter the larger school beyond CGS. When my son was in SK, he prepared a report on simple machines and had to present it in front of the class. It was a great way to showcase what he had learned and to develop his presentation skills in front of an audience at a young age. The students also learn about different cultures and celebrations, whether that is through the teachers, parent volunteers, or special guests. Each month, the school showcases a different character trait, which is helpful to develop the students into well-rounded individuals. The student also participates in swimming, gymnastics, and/or ice skating as part of the curriculum (depending on what grade they are). If students are interested, there are also after-school French or Mandarin enrichment classes, which the students could register for a fee.

(5) Extracurriculars

The extracurricular clubs offered before and after school are free and included as part of the tuition. Every term, there are different offerings, which are staff-led clubs. It could range from a LEGO club to origami to multi-sport. There are lots of opportunities for the students to participate or find a club they enjoy. In addition, there are also optional activities for students to participate in, which include running for student government, the talent shows, the public speaking contest, and the musical. There are lots of extracurricular activities to keep the students engaged and busy. When my son was in Grade 2, they went on an overnight trip with his classmates and teachers. It is true dedication when the teachers don’t sleep that night as they are watching over the students in their cabins to ensure they’re okay. My son still has fond memories of that trip.

(5) Students

The school has roughly 75-100 students. It’s a small neighbourhood community private school. Because of its small size, many students know many of the other students’ names. All the teachers seem to know all the students’ names. The students who are in Grade 1 and above feel like the ‘big kids’ in the school, which is great for confidence and leadership. They may even pair up the big kids with the little kids to be reading buddies, which is wonderful for the big kids to take on a leadership role. The students are divided into different ‘houses’, which promotes some friendly competition during house games days. It’s a great way for all the students to mix and mingle across grades. During recess and lunch, it is common for the students to be playing and sitting alongside other students not in their home grades, which is a great opportunity for them to interact with older or younger students. Generally, the students get along very well at the school. One of my son’s favourite activities is when they have ‘community’ time and are allowed to cross between the grade 1 and grade 2/3 classrooms to mix and mingle and play board games, building blocks, etc.

(5) School Life

Overall, I think the students are happy at CGS. I know my sons love CGS because it is a friendly and nurturing environment. The school strikes the right balance between an academic institution and a place where children can feel comfortable, be themselves, and have fun. At morning drop off, the staff are outside greeting parents and students, rain or shine. In the morning, my son can’t wait to get to his classroom, where they offer unstructured play time until the other students arrive. He and his classmates literally run up the stairs, hoping to get to the classroom first, and they love the school. There are two recesses offered, and the students have a great time. The small school yard encourages the students to be creative and think of innovative games. The school is great for the kids in the primary years, I think, given its physical size, which makes sense for the school to be offered up to grade 4, at which point, the students would physically need more space. For pre-school/early start or junior grade students, the school has everything they need to be physically active.

(5) Community

There is strong parent involvement at CGS. There are lots of opportunities for parents to participate and volunteer on a variety of levels. It is welcome by the school if parents choose to be involved. Opportunities include Parent Association, grade parents, pizza lunches, field trip chaperones, classroom visits, helping with PA-run events, etc. There are also opportunities for working parents to be involved. The big Parent Association events include the welcome back BBQ, the Halloween party, Ice Skating Night, and other events or workshops throughout the year where volunteers are welcome to help make it a success. The community is strong at CGS. There are strong turnouts for parents-only events, too, where parents can mix and mingle amongst themselves. Overall, the community is friendly, engaged and devoted to their children’s education.

(5) School Location

The school is located in a church in Leaside on Eglinton. It is a neighbourhood private school, and many driving by may not even know there is a school there. The location is very convenient for pick up and drop off, as parents usually park on Hanna or Donlea. It is located across from Leaside High School, which the school ventures to for field Fridays. The school also makes use of nearby facilities, whether through a bus ride or walk, for activities such as swimming, gymnastics, or ice skating.

(5) Admissions

I think taking a tour of the school and using that opportunity to ask questions, see the teachers in action, and see the type of work that is produced by the students is important to get a sense of what CGS is about before applying for admission. For the early years, admission might take on a play date type of admissions process where the child is observed playing alongside another child. I think if that is the case, ensure the child is well-rested and has a sense of what to expect (given it will be a new environment), but don’t put too much stress on it. Overall, I think the admissions rates are generally pretty high.