REVIEW OF Foothills Academy BY student, Michael Bonila

(5) Student Experience

Going to Foothills Academy was sort of fair for me especially having everyone being levelled out by Covid 19, we were all sort of new to the new world order so I kind of liked that. I grew up thinking that grades and marks meant everything in life and that your whole future and societal value depended on those insignificant numbers. It took me years to finally realize that but then it is kind of too late. If only i had known this before arriving at Foothills, I would have probably enjoyed it more. If it were up to me, I’d lower the tuition to increase the enrollment. Small class sizes are good… within reason. Seven students in a class is ok but it will be hard to separate students by ability levels. If it were possible to halve the tuition and double the enrollment, I would do that. Then I could have two classes of 20–25 students per grade. Not only would that allow for ability-grouped classes, but it would also allow the students more chances to socialize and allow for more and larger teams and clubs.

(5) School Leadership

I respect Ms Barber so much because she respects and cares for me along with the rest of the staff and students. The teachers definitely understand me more at Foothills Academy. Before my diagnosis and Covid, I was attending a public school which I will not mention the name but the expectation and segregation was a bit higher though I did not know my condition back then. So for me I have learned many tools to help me with my learning disabilities also gained life skills. This school has provided me with opportunities to flourish and expand where in the public system I was lost.

(5) Teaching

A school’s greatest asset is its teachers and, given the extensive training and professionalism of the staff at Foothills Academy, it’s no surprise the school was selected as the Gold winner for Favourite Charter/Private School 5 years in a row. The teaching staff at Foothills Academy continually receives specialized training to remain up to date with the best practices in learning disabilities and education. Teachers also access additional support from other professionals. This can include working with a team of psychologists, intervention experts, literacy and numeracy specialists or occupational and speech therapists. I don't think the teachers ask too much, but obviously, after assessing me, they know the potential and always push to get the best out of me. I imagine when teachers say I will be successful, they imagine me completing post-secondary education and having a prosperous career ahead of me despite my learning disabilities.

(5) Academics

At Foothills, the staff teach the full Alberta curriculum and assess and evaluate students with rigour in a comprehensive way that aligns with each student’s learning needs. To ensure that all of our individual needs are met means that they make appropriate evaluations to support success and provide interventions and accommodations when needed to help every student succeed. In addition to the expert teaching staff we have in the classrooms, we have access to extra supports to enhance and maximize our learning potential. Educational Assistants and Assistive Technology are available to us. I think what were are learning and the way we are learning will be useful in life because it integrates and blends all of us in the future, those who had learning disabilities and those who did not. We will both be equipped with workforce skills that will enable us to compete for jobs.

(4.5) Extracurriculars

I take part in extracurriculars whenever we have free time usually in the afternoon. I play basketball and I enjoy it very much. I wish we could compete with other schools but i understand there are not many schools that are special like my school so it's difficult to compete. However, everyone always has something to do when it is time for extracurriculars, it's almost the favourite time of the day for everyone.

(4.5) Students

Foothills Academy is for kids with various levels of learning disabilities where the classes are smaller than a public classroom and the teachers can help work with the kids who require a bit of extra attention. It definitely feels like a community because no one segregates anyone saying this one is special needs or slow, rather we are all here to be helped. I find the students who tend to embrace the disability and interact more with teachers and access extra support that we have and the extra work we do, tend to do better. Most students who come to Foothills embrace that and have very supportive parents, more than 90% of all students who went to Foothills graduated with a diploma which they almost couldn't if they were to attend a public school.

(4.5) School Life

If I were to give a group of visitors a tour, I would first take them to the gym. It's where I get to breathe and where most of the recreational activities happen. In my case, I play basketball there. There we would also find my friends and support staff, who contribute greatly to making my life at Foothills bearable. On the way to the gym, the hallways are decorated with some of the school accolades, great pieces of art from students (mine is not yet there hehe, but soon) and even some students who are working on something be it a group discussion or an assignment. Lastly, coming back from the gym I will pass through the small classrooms which have an almost open concept where you can sit where you feel comfortable, be it on the floor, right in front of the board or close to a project partner.

(5) Community

I had never felt like I belonged in a school setting before Foothills Academy. Right from the first day the teachers and staff made me feel like I was understood and I have since felt very welcome and comfortable. This is because I feel included. After all, every other student almost has the same challenge that I have. It has changed the trajectory of my life. I am beyond grateful for the program that allows us to get the help we need. I am excited to go every day, I have actual friendships and more confident version of myself. Everyone is patient, kind and understanding and communicates so well with us at the end of each day. The community is terrific and is making a real difference in our lives.

(4.5) School Location

We are always on campus during the day. Students also tend to stay on campus throughout the day. It is against school rules to wander off the campus, if found it could result in disciplinary action. Besides, I have never found a reason to leave school unless it is time to go home. It is located in Calgary's North-West.

(5) Admissions

Alberta Education requires for Foothills that every student who attends our school program must have a diagnosis through a psycho-educational assessment that states that they have a "Learning Disability" or “Specific Learning Disorder”. The application process is easy because psycho-educational assessment provides WISC-V results and Achievement Assessment scores. Applying early is always a plus. For me, it was stressful having to wait to see if I had been accepted into the program or not otherwise the admission process itself was straightforward. However, the intake criteria for the Community Services programs are broader. Read/Write, Assessment, Counselling and Parent & Community Workshops do not require a diagnosis.