Meet J. Addison School's admission team at the Private School Expo: Toronto (Oct 04), Halton-Peel (Oct 19). RSVP NOW
The big picture on J. Addison School
We summarized the school ourselves
J. Addison School was founded in 2002 to serve both local and international students. The facilities are modern and extensive, including boarding and support programs designed with the needs of international students specifically in mind. The school is lead by alumni of York University, and the partnership between the institutions has grown over the years, including unique scholarships and internships. That relationship will presumably continue to grow with the completion of the York University-Markham Centre Campus. Lee Vendetti, principal at J. Addison has said, “This partnership offers all the key players in both institutions an opportunity to share expertise and resources that will make the transition to university and the working world a smoother and more meaningful experience.” The ideal student is one who will thrive in a challenging, academically oriented, international environment, and who is intending to continue to post-secondary education in Canada.
We questioned the school adminstration
1. Who are you, as a school?
"At J. Addison School, we nurture confident, resilient, and responsible students through character development and values-driven education. Our elementary program complements the Ontario curriculum with French instruction, as well as Montessori, and Pre-IB elements starting from grade 1. Our Secondary Program prepares students for higher education and future challenges. All levels include our “Focus For Success™” adaptive program, where students learn and explore new ideas driven by interests and potential."
Grade 1 to Grade 12
Average 1:15 Teacher to Student Ratio
On-Campus Boarding Program available for Grades 7-12
Summer School
Summer STEM & Sports Day Camps
30+ Student Clubs, Organizations and Sports Teams
Collaboration with Leading Universities
Individual Post-Secondary Guidance and Counsellling
2. What do you do differently and uniquely well?
"We offer the ideal school size for a close-knit environment, fostering personal support and strong connections between students and faculty. This nurturing atmosphere ensures...(more)
"We offer the ideal school size for a close-knit environment, fostering personal support and strong connections between students and faculty. This nurturing atmosphere ensures students feel welcomed, safe and supported, making it an ideal place to grow and thrive.
Leaders require empathy and awareness skills, at J. Addison School we provide many community involvement activities such as many volunteering activities that allow our students to truly understand their context and how they can be valuable providing them with a wider vision for decision-making.
In-Campus boarding facilities provide students with a secure and supervised environment. With live-in dorm staff and 24/7 security systems for monitoring and access control, we ensure we know where your children are without limiting the freedom to go and explore. We understand the responsibility and are committed to guiding our students so they can develop habits and valuable skills maintaining constant communication with parents."
3. What tradeoffs has your school made to serve families in this way?
"Our approach is based on the timeless values of security and discipline. While some students may initially find challenging to adapt to the structure we provide, this process is...(more)
"Our approach is based on the timeless values of security and discipline. While some students may initially find challenging to adapt to the structure we provide, this process is key to building resilience and character. In today's fast-paced world, we believe in maintaining a supportive, disciplined environment that helps students grow, bounce back from failure and graduate successfully as accountable and responsible individuals. The balance between traditional and innovative methods ensures that every student is not only prepared for academics success but also equipped with the life skills and values needed to thrive as global citizens. The journey may start with challenges, but the long-term rewards of personal growth, confidence, and a strong moral foundation are invaluable."
4. What key junctures in your school's history have most shaped its present?
"J. Addison School was founded in 2002 to provide high-quality education for international students, inspired by a vision to raise the standards of private schooling. By 2004, our...(more)
"J. Addison School was founded in 2002 to provide high-quality education for international students, inspired by a vision to raise the standards of private schooling. By 2004, our enrollment had grown to over 100 full-time students, prompting a move to larger facilities in Scarborough. Shortly after, we opened our boys’ and girls’ residences to accommodate our growing community.
In February 2005, to meet increasing demand, we acquired 3 acres of land in Markham to construct a state-of-the-art 60,000-square-foot campus designed with students' needs and security in mind. The new campus opened in September 2007.
On our 15th anniversary in 2017, we began a partnership with York University, offering enhanced opportunities for our students. This commitment continued with a collaboration with Wilfrid Laurier University in 2023 and a new partnership with Metropolitan Toronto University in 2024, broadening pathways for our graduates and reinforcing our dedication to excellence in education."
5. What type of student is a good fit for your school?
"We seek for families that valued the importance of habits and well-rounded individuals who will positively impact their community. We push our students to their highest level of...(more)
"We seek for families that valued the importance of habits and well-rounded individuals who will positively impact their community. We push our students to their highest level of ability that is why we care about families that believe in team-work between parents, students and school to support and guide younger generations through the development of character and civic responsibility as the foundation to navigate today's fast-paced digital world."
6. Under what conditions would you advise a family against choosing your school?
"J. Addison School may not be the ideal fit for every family, as our approach and environment cater to specific educational values and goals. Our emphasis on structure and balanced...(more)
"J. Addison School may not be the ideal fit for every family, as our approach and environment cater to specific educational values and goals. Our emphasis on structure and balanced approach may not fit families looking for a highly specialized curriculum. While we celebrate diversity and global perspectives, with 50% international students, some families might seek a more homogeneous school environment."
7. To your knowledge, why do families choose your school over others?
Information not yet available.
8. How would you characterize your school's image amongst the public?
"We are well-know for two key areas. Our students consistently achieve a 100% acceptance rate into top universities and colleges, a testament to our academic curriculum and...(more)
"We are well-know for two key areas. Our students consistently achieve a 100% acceptance rate into top universities and colleges, a testament to our academic curriculum and personalized guidance counselling we provide. In addition, our elite basketball program is recognized for producing outstanding athletes who gain exposure to international experiences and opportunities often earning scholarships for Universities and Colleges in Canada and US."
9. What aspect of your school is underappreciated?
Information not yet available.
10. What might families find surprising about your school?
"Families may find how incredibly diverse our school really is. It is true that many of our students are international students but they are from a variety of different countries....(more)
"Families may find how incredibly diverse our school really is. It is true that many of our students are international students but they are from a variety of different countries. Many of our local students have the opportunity to interact and learn from our international students and vice versa. Families often overlook the fact that students learn from each other."
11. What improvements or changes has your school made recently?
"Following our mission on developing well-rounded individuals we have joined to The York Region Athletics Association. Our goal is to strengthen life skills such as perseverance,...(more)
"Following our mission on developing well-rounded individuals we have joined to The York Region Athletics Association. Our goal is to strengthen life skills such as perseverance, resilience, collaboration and leadership. We now have competitive Volleyball, Basketball, Badminton, Soccer and Track and Field teams as alternatives apart from our Elite Basketball Program."
12. How will your school change in the next 5 years?
"Our priority is and always has been about student success. We pivoted from “Our students’ success is our success” when we moved into our new boarding facility in 2013. We...(more)
"Our priority is and always has been about student success. We pivoted from “Our students’ success is our success” when we moved into our new boarding facility in 2013. We decided to expand on this and incorporate the roots of student growth and development, which is when we shifted our priority to “Nurturing Tomorrow’s Thinkers”. Building character, instilling kindness and respect are all at the forefront of building the foundation to a lifelong positive journey to learning. In the next 5 years, we’ll have to embrace the leading technological forces which have reshaped how students learn. While we firmly believe that AI will never replace the human teaching experience, we also have to incorporate the advantages available to strengthen and harness teaching strategies, processes, concepts and methodologies to encompass a mass breadth of learning styles that our children embody."
Gr. 8 (current) — I am a 9th-grade student at J Addison School and I was originally born in Beijing, China. In 2021, I came to J. Addison School as an international boarding student and I have been at the school for almost a year. Within my first year at the school, I felt an immense sense of care from dormitory staff, teachers and school administration. The environment of J. Addison School is extremely clean and very tidy. I must acknowledge that the cleaning staff does a great job ensuring that my living environment is well sanitized. Additionally, I am also very satisfied with the facilities that the school offers, such as a large indoor air-conditioned gymnasium and a beautiful cafeteria that serves diverse quality meals. In addition, the school's security measures are also very good. For example, the school and dormitory are monitored 24 hours a day and there are surveillance cameras on the school property. Another aspect of my student experience at J. Addison School that I like is the medical services that are easily accessible to boarding students. For example, when I am sick, the dorm staff makes arrangements to take me to the clinic or hospital at any given date and time and provides needed support, if there is a language barrier. Above all, I really like living in the dormitory with my friends and taking part in various activities hosted by the dorm staff, such as shopping, visiting tourist attractions like Niagara Falls or going to the movies. Overall, my student experience at J Addison school is very good!
Gr. 7 (current) — From my perception, I think J. Addison school is indisputably the most outstanding private school in Toronto among other schools I’ve been to. The experience I had here at J. Addison will forever leave a lasting impression on my mind. I love mostly everything about J. Addison school, though there were some things that didn’t go well for me regarding my personal conduct, however, I am extremely grateful for the care and support provided by the faculty and staff. For the people who are planning to study at J. Addison School, my advice as a young boarder is to avoid getting into conflicts with others such as your dorm peers, faculty and staff. J. Addison School has helped me to grow as an individual this year, which I believe will help me to be a better individual and student. If there’s one thing I could change about the school would be more personal space in the dorm room that optimizes privacy.
Based on my personal experience, I would consider the school like a second home for me. In addition, there are over 300 day and boarding students from various countries, including Canada. The school offers a friendly atmosphere that can be describe as a small multi-cultural community. If there is one thing that I would improve about my student experience at J. Addison School is the opportunity to meet other students from different grade levels during the school day as the current pandemic has slightly restricted the student movement for our health and safety. Despite this challenge, the relationships between faculty and students are respectful. The faculty are truly nice and they display a high level of patience when helping students understand the content area of a specified subject.
My experience at J. Addison School has truly been good. My grade 8 teacher, Ms. Perry is an outstanding educator that is extremely helpful. She makes learning fun by giving us engaging assignments and offers opportunities for us to relax. Our classrooms are clean, well-organized and offers the ability for students to connect to the school's "Wi-Fi" network. The interior design of the classroom is quite interesting that makes an exciting learning environment. The school's cafeteria is also beautiful, as it displays various international flags that represents the diverse student population. Equally as important, the food is quite divine. Some of my favorite meals are, fried rice, fries, grilled chicken and steak. If there is something that I would consider as a positive change at J. Addison School, would be to continuously expand the technological network within our school community as they are currently doing.
At J. Addison School, the student population and staff are made up of various nationalities, which I love! Being an international student from Egypt, I thought this aspect was truly important, as I felt a sense of belonging. The school leadership and management is truly cooperative as well. I feel like I can visit the principal at any time throughout the day to have a conversation with him about any issue that I may have. Finally, I love the school policies to ensure the safety and well-being of the school community, especially during the current pandemic, where everyone is extremely worried about Covid-19 in Canada. The school provided assurance and ease that we will be safe and provided on-going support to any concern that we may have.
I am a student from Europe that is currently attending J. Addison School, who never had a study abroad experience until now. Before my arrival at J. Addison School, I felt a sense of ease because the staff and principal explained everything to me about the school, expectations and transitioning to boarding life. What I like about the school is the fact that the school is multicultural, which gives me the opportunity to learn different languages and cultures. In addition, the students are very polite and helpful as well as the staff. The teachers are very patient with you and take their time to explain everything to you. From personal opinion, I can't think of anything that I would like to change as everything is available for me.
My student experience at J. Addison School has been wonderful. Personally, I love the atmosphere of the school and the dorm, as it provides a warm and welcoming feeling as a boarding student. In addition, I love the faculty and dorm staff as they are extremely helpful and kind. Moreover, the location of the school is not remote, as there are shopping malls, grocery stores, restaurants, medical and dental clinics that are all situated around the school. Furthermore, I feel safe attending the school as safety and security is a major priority for the school. Another factor that I like about the school is the food. The on-site cooking staff prepares delicious and well-balanced meals for us. In my opinion, if there is one thing that I would change about the school would be nothing, as I feel that they truly care about the student experience and work diligently to provide the best support for myself and for other students.
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