Observations from students and parents emphasize that Montcrest fosters a strong, close-knit community where every student feels known and supported, creating a warm and friendly atmosphere.
We chose Montcrest because it was a smaller school and it felt like a family. It was very welcoming and warm. And that's how we ended up deciding to apply for our daughter.
Abby and Claire have definitely had a positive experience at Montcrest School. This time of distance learning, they were really enjoying it, but they were desperately happy to get back to school and be with their friends and just be in that environment. So definitely, overall, very, very positive.
My daughter would just come home every day so happy to be there. And so from the beginning, it was just such a positive experience. Since then, there have just been so many fond memories. I also think about each year’s Fall Fair, which is more of a social event where they've transformed the entire school grounds into a bit of a Carnival field. There are games and activities and popcorn and face painting and all those kinds of things. It's a chance for the whole school community to get together. And I always look forward to those events as well.
There are a lot of opportunities for parent involvement, such as the Montcrest Parents Association. All parents are actually technically part of that association. There's obviously an executive committee for people who would like to spend a little more time volunteering, like the President, the Vice President role. But there's lots of opportunities within the classroom, even just on a day-to-day basis. There are parent volunteers who come and participate in academic activities, field trips, and larger social activities like the Fall Fair. There are lots of chances for those who choose to be involved whether you have a little bit of time to give or whether you have a lot.
Montcrest School has a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere and they foster an environment where long-lasting friendships can be built. Abby, in particular, gets excited each year when she knows that there are new students who are joining. She obviously has friends who she's known since she started in SK and Grade 1 and those friendships have carried throughout the years. But students come and go. They might just move or switch to a different school. So there's always new students joining each year. And she is always excited about getting a chance to know those students and making them feel welcome. So I definitely feel that Montcrest has that warm, welcoming environment.
I remember being shocked one day when Sasha, my daughter, got out of the car and a faculty person spoke with her right away, asked how she was, asked her about something the previous week that had happened, something good, and then spoke to me a little bit after she got into the class. That had never happened before at another school, where a faculty person who was not directly teaching her or connected to her knew her name, knew what was going on, and made her feel really welcome and safe. So that was a really pleasant surprise.
Being in the small classes were so helpful to me not only for my education but also for my friendships. I was able to create such tight bonds. I found that also the staff helped facilitate friendships. And my best friend that I met at Montcrest is still my best friend to this day.
I consider Montcrest as my second home. The connection I have there is like no other with any other school I've been to. So, honestly, an amazing school. And I really think you should consider coming here, whether it's the families that are considering it or the student is considering it. I would just consider coming here, because this is such a great school. I am happy to say that Montcrest has changed my life.
I most appreciated the community, and especially the teachers, during my time at Montcrest. I felt very cared for and seen by all of the teachers. And now, as a master’s of social work student, and learning about the importance of connection, community, and having adults that care for you during childhood, it's really made me appreciate having that in my life at school. And I think that really did help me have this strong foundation to build my sense of self and my well-being throughout my childhood.
Montcrest is very accepting of differences and celebrates differences. And I’ve also noticed with my work with teachers that they're always trying to make sure that all of the students feel included and welcomed.
What I appreciated most about Montcrest: I think the sense of community is really front and centre, though it is an intangible aspect of the school. You feel it when you speak to the parents. We speak to teachers.
The key value that has come out really intensely so far this year has been inclusivity, just in terms of including everybody who’s in the group. Like there's a rule: you can't exclude anybody from an activity. If two or three kids decide they're going to play a game, you can't ever exclude any other kid from that game. That's a value that I think Montcrest is in a fortunate position to be able to act on. It takes a certain amount of resources to be able to actually create a structure where inclusivity works.
What distinguishes Montcrest is the community. It is the feeling when we walked through those gates of Montcrest it felt like home—the heritage houses, the soccer pitch in the middle. And then, when we took the tours with the kids, and hopefully you'll get to speak to some of the kids, you'll see that they're crazy passionate about this school, and they love this school. And we learned about the facilities and we learned about all the things that were important to my son Cody in terms of athletics. I wanted a school band, that was important for me. It really comes back to the community.
All the other parents have the same values. They're coming to the school with the same thing, so I don't see how you cannot have a strong community. Community is important, because you're not alone. You need to know that you and the school are on the same page. And the only way to do that is communication. And if the definition of community is all having the same one characteristic in common, then you and the school have that in common.
What else my son has to say about the school: He said, ‘I like to go to school every day. My friends are there. I like all the teachers and I love all the events we have at the school, like the Mini-Marathon, Kite Day, Fall Fair, and Bingo Night. I also liked it when I broke my ankle earlier this year, and I got to sit in Miss Corbett's office and we would chat.’ Yes, that's why he likes the school.
If I could think of one thing to improve on, I think I'd like to see more diversity in the school. I think that's part of the nature of independent schools, however. The students, the faculty, and the parents certainly have been indicating that they also see that and want to see change. So there's an organic growth of that movement. I'm part of a committee right now that's working on improving that in the school. The school is really working on changing that in a substantive way. And I can see that both from the staff, from the faculty, and from the kids, which is really interesting. And so part of Montcrest valuing what their kids want and what their kids say is also appreciating that the kids want more and want to understand more and want to learn more about the world. They're doing really hard work and really good work in ensuring that that's happening.
The fact that so many families travel from all over the city is a real testament to the school's reputation.
My son described Montcrest as ‘zesty.’ Here's the definition: having a strong, pleasant, and somewhat spicy flavour—lively and pleasing. So I leave you with that.
