Interview with Kendellhurst Academy PARENT, Yuhong He
Yuhong has two children who have attended Kendellhurst Academy since they were 16 months old, starting in the Early Learning Center. She decided to keep them at Kendellhurst Academy until Grade 8 because of the quality of education and individual attention they received. Though her children are different from each other, they both feel at home at Kendellhurst Academy and thrive academically. Yuhong feels that the school prepares kids for success in this rapidly changing world by offering tailored and advanced learning programs. She is proud to be a part of Kendellhurst Academy’s tight-knit parent community who all want their children to reach their full potential. Yuhong appreciates that their voices are heard by the teachers and administrators, who address any issues promptly.
Highlights from the interview
Kendellhurst Academy prepares our kids very well for success in this rapidly changing world. At Kendellhurst Academy, they teach things a year ahead. For example, my son is in Grade 8 but is also taking Grade 9 'reach ahead' academic credits in math and English literature. What surprised me the most about Kendellhurst Academy is that they provide tailored and advanced education. Tailored education mainly happens before Grade 3 and 4, and by then all kids are almost at the same level, with advanced education continuing from Kindergarten through Grade 8.
Because of the quality of education at the Kendellhurst Academy Early Learning Center, and how much attention they received from the teachers every day, we decided to keep our kids in Kendellhurst Academy for Kindergarten and for the grade school from Grade 1 to Grade 8. I have two kids in the Kendellhurst Academy family, both of whom were in the Kendellhurst Academy Early Learning Center when they were 16 months old.
We want our child’s school to teach kids the value of hard work, and we want our kids to be more independent as time goes on; to take on their own responsibilities and work on their homework assignments by themselves. That is already happening at Kendellhurst Academy. So there is more support from parents early on, from Grade 1 to 3, and afterward, it's all happening between teachers and students.
What I like the most about the academic-related education at Kendellhurst Academy is that they have very clear plans and detailed instructions on how to improve students' literacy skills. They started from kindergarten with reading and writing plans. By about Grade 4 or Grade 5, our kids were able to write a complete and comprehensive book report on their own, which is amazing. Kendellhurst Academy’s strength is that they offer tailored education, especially from Grade 1 to Grade 4. The kids could receive different assignments or homework according to their level, and they were split into reading groups with books based on their reading levels.
Kendellhurst Academy values a positive environment and engagement. Those are the reasons we picked Kendellhurst Academy and why we stayed. Both of my kids have very different personalities, but they have always been very happy at Kendellhurst Academy. If I ask them ‘how is the day going?’ their answers have always been ‘good,’ and they love their teachers and friends at school. Kendellhurst Academy is like a very close family in terms of community and parents. Many parents have moved on due to relocation or other reasons but stayed in the same WhatsApp group to talk about their experiences, which has helped build lasting friendships.
Because Kendellhurst Academy has a very tight and small community, parents' voices are typically heard, and concerns are addressed very quickly by the school administration. My experiences with Kendellhurst Academy’s teachers and administration have been very positive. They reach out to me if they see problems in the classroom. The principal called me once last year before the pandemic and said there was a kid who picked on my son. Although my son didn’t think it was a big issue, the school was already working on it and let me know I could reach out if there were any concerns. You can directly talk to the Kendellhurst Academy administration team if you have any questions or problems, and they will respond. Parents can walk into the school, go into their office to chat, get advice, make suggestions, or express any concerns, and they will listen.
Kendellhurst Academy values being a global citizen and participates in various environmentally related initiatives. I work in the environmental field, so this aspect is especially meaningful to me. Kendellhurst Academy teaches kids many things related to the environment and how to support the Earth. The school provides more environmentally friendly initiatives and asks students to participate in hands-on experiences like planting trees, releasing salmon, and observing wildlife rehabilitation programs. The service initiatives at Kendellhurst Academy help students understand the importance of supporting different communities worldwide.
Kendellhurst Academy’s extracurricular activities are not about winning; they're more focused on participation, enjoyment, and learning through the process. They have a spelling bee and a talent show, which are very exciting moments. Sometimes my younger child is shy about participating in those things, but she tries to participate at least once every year. I think that is the most important part, and I think our kids get it. As a parent, there's a lot I appreciate about Kendellhurst Academy, as it encourages kids to do their best without the pressure of competition.
A majority of Kendellhurst Academy parents are busy, working parents. Kendellhurst Academy takes the lead in educating our kids, while parents provide the necessary support. To be honest, there was not a lot of parental support necessary for our kids because, after Grade 3, our kids are on their own completing homework and projects with quality, which has been very satisfying as a parent.
