Interview with Lynn-Rose School PARENT, Daniella Dhalla

I think the core values of the school have matched our own very well, which I think is one of the reasons we really love the experience and the environment that he's in. And that's really focused on not just the student and academics, but also on the community and the world.

We looked at a lot of different factors like cost, obviously, and things in addition to that, but really that good fit and something not just focused on academics, but on a good, well-rounded culture of the school as well. I think finding the right school was really important for us. So we toured a couple of schools in the area, probably three or four, to try to find one that was not just the best school in terms of ranking or academics, but something that we thought would be a really good fit for him and for us as a family, something where we could really identify with the school values and the feel of the school so that our son could have a good experience there.

The experience was pretty seamless. I think within a couple of days it felt normal. I think a lot of that was driven by the small class sizes and the ability to engage with the teacher in those first few days and with a smaller environment. I would say within the first 10 days it felt extremely normal, and we were right on track. It really was.

It’s great to see him already making friends, feeling comfortable going, and having no issues at all. We never had a struggle in the morning getting him up and out the door, ready for school, because he was so happy to go and he really enjoyed it. And one of the things about the small environment, too, is it wasn't just the class itself; it was the whole school. We'd be walking up to the school, and even when he was in JK, teachers in grades 3 and 4 would stop and say hello to him by name. Because with such a nice small environment, they all get to know each other really quickly, which was really nice and made him feel more comfortable, and certainly made us feel more comfortable too.

He's been in the same class with his good friends that he's become close to year after year, because it's not six classes of 30 kids that get moved around all the time. He's been able to form a really close connection with his friends, and that's been so great to see. One of the things that I appreciate the most, for sure, is that ability, because it's a small environment and a small group of kids in the class, to really customize that learning experience for each child. I can see it in the way his teachers talk to us at our regular monthly check-ins and parent-teacher interviews, where they know exactly what his strengths are.

They know exactly the areas of development that are needed, and have a plan in place to be able to work on that together. And I know that's unique for each child, and that for us is so important. And the second thing that I really appreciate with the school is that they know us so well as a family.

They know us, they know our interests, they know what's important to us because we've gotten to know them, and they've gotten to know us over the years. So I know when I call, they know the challenges we're dealing with. They know our family’s situation, and that's really important.

I think the ability in a private school to make the right choices that are student-focused is something you don't get in the public school sector. Whether you have a teacher that's struggling for whatever reason, maybe they're struggling or it's just not the right fit with the school philosophy, there's that ability to adjust quickly. I think in any environment, teachers over the years may vary in terms of fit from a child’s point of view. But that ability to pivot and be able to do the right thing for the school in a quick manner was something that surprised me on the positive side.

The focus is not just on the student and academics, but also on the community and the world as a whole. It’s not just about getting a good grade in a particular subject, but it’s about understanding, in science class, the impact of climate change on the world and how that affects your community, and really making those connections to the community and to what’s in the news that week, and having that broader community and international feel in terms of really being connected to the world.

What I appreciate the most is the candor and open dialogue. You can fall into this trap in a private school of being told what others might think you want to hear. And I haven't found that. It’s always been my litmus test at our parent-teacher interviews: give me the straight goods, how’s he doing in this area? I always find that the feedback is pretty honest and consistent. I think that's been good.

It has been a really good group of parents, and we have actually made some fantastic friends over the years. I find it really does go back to those values. I think people have chosen this school and this type of environment because they are really invested in the importance of a good academic education, a sense of community, and values that are also important to us. So you gravitate to those people and tend to become friends with people like that. And we have made some good friends over the years. And our son has too, which is great.

If I think back to the days of evaluating schools, the thing that struck me in those early days was that notion of diversity, not only in people, but in thought and culture. And to me, I think that was a really important piece in making that decision. So we knew early on that we were going to go down the private school option. And in that evaluation, the notion of diversity and inclusion played a big role, at least for me, in moving towards Lynn-Rose.

I think there are things at the school that have really brought out the best in him, and it's so nice to see that. One has been, I think, the activities they do outside of the school. He's been able to participate in some fantastic field trips and opportunities to give back to the community. One of the things that he's really proud of, that makes us really proud, is his involvement in the science fair and in certain science projects. And I think if I'd thought about, like, gee, what's my son really good at? That wouldn't have been at the top of my list, but he had some fantastic opportunities and some great teachers over the years that have brought that out in him.

We've had a really fantastic experience with both the teachers and the administration. And I think where that really resonated for us was during the COVID isolation periods, when the school, administration, and teachers were able to pivot so quickly to provide online options that worked for our family’s situation, with different options, and they were able to do it rather quickly. They paused, put a plan in place, taught the teachers how to use the technology that they were offering, and then opened it up for the students. And that was such a positive experience for us because we absolutely heard horror stories from other school systems where it just wasn't that seamless.

When you walk into the right home, you feel comfortable, you feel at home. School should be like that for a child. They spend more waking hours there than in their own home, so they should really feel at home. And I think the decision can't be made in isolation. Bring your child with you to tour the school. Get as many opportunities as you can to get them to participate, like sitting in the classroom, meeting a teacher, doing different things because if your child feels comfortable and happy in that experience and feels that instinct of, “Wow, this feels good,” then I think it's definitely a step in the right direction. And don't sell yourself short. Leave yourself lots of time to evaluate because you do want to find that right fit.