REVIEW OF Vianney Academy BY parent, Donna Mazzaferro

(4.5) Student Experience

My daughter is a non-speaking 10-year-old who started summer camp at Vianney in 2024. She was able to build relationships with the teachers quickly, so we enrolled her part-time for the 2024-25 season. It was her first time enrolled in an academic program, and we are already seeing great strides in all areas of study - as of Jan 2025, she is now full-time. The school is great at accommodating her special needs and meeting her needs academically and is currently completing work at grade levels from Gr 2-4, depending on the subject. The teacher gives me a daily account of progress (even when it's not so progressive), as well as providing written weekly updates via app. Homework is given to refresh learning, not to overwhelm with extra assignments. Tests are accommodated in class and given with time and patience. My daughter is actually learning! As a bonus, they also sourced therapists who will work with the students during school hours. To date, my daughter is enrolled in Neurodevelopment through Movement, NILD Educational Therapy, and Speech-Language Therapies. In the last 9 months, her progress in speaking has been a thrill and surprise to everyone in our family circle. We couldn't be more thrilled.

(5) School Leadership

Communication with the direct teacher is great. At morning drop off there is a brief account of events the night before, and at pick up I am given a recap of the day. On Fridays, there is usually a weekly recap provided, with pictures to show my child throughout the week. On occasion, I will receive pictures of the day (if there is a really good day, or if there was a bad event and I'm following up). The administrative staff is quick to respond to any admin questions or concerns. Discipline with these kiddos is tricky, but I think the teachers REALLY care, and handle all the situations with grace and fairness.

(5) Teaching

The kids in my daughter's class range in all kinds of abilities and learning challenges. The teachers really have their work cut out for them, and do a fantastic job accommodating the kids and their individual needs. My daughter on occasion has even made a request to learn with older kids, and it has been granted (with the provision that she follows classroom rules). It's refreshing to see her request challenges and live up to expectations, as it's usually the other way around with kids with special needs. The teachers not only foster learning, but they are passionate and caring about each student and their profile. My daughter used to enjoy only math, and now it turns out she has a real passion for art - and is wonderful at it. Something I would not have discovered prior to Vianney.

(4.5) Academics

The academic program is specialized for each student. My daughter's IEP was developed after about two months of her attending on a part-time basis. She had never been enrolled in a school offering academics, so results varied on subjects. Within the first 4 months, she has written two tests (passing with almost perfect marks) and has developed a brand new passion for subjects that I had not known previously she was interested in (art and science). The school's strength is identifying and exploring the child's stronger areas of knowledge, and trying to use that passion in other subjects. The drawback to this method is that learning is slower, but for my child, academics was a pipe dream previous to this school. I'm ok with a slower pace. Another drawback/positive is the location. There is no designated "school." The school is divided into younger and older kids, and they are in different locations. It would be great to have the kids all in one area, but for many of these kids, the smaller population makes going to school a lot easier to attend. Again, this will depend on the child's individual profile.

(3) Extracurriculars

Aside from the odd field trip, there are not many extracurricular opportunities offered. Although the students are given space and leeway to take breaks as needed, it would be great if the school would develop specialized classes or clubs that the kids could participate in while at school, or before/after classes. Again, however, a lot of these kids can barely handle a full day of class, so I don't imagine this will be a priority.

(5) Students

At my daughter's location, there are only two classrooms for students under Grade 9. There are older students who attend the high school area, but they are not as easily integrated. The intimate class sizes and modest class numbers allow for the students to move back and forth and get to know all the students with ease and virtually no intimidation. I find my daughter (10) cracking jokes with older students (13~14) quite easily. The feeling is that they are all classmates but do their work in different rooms. The teachers work with all the students at their own level. On one occasion, my daughter's classroom was short an assistant in the afternoon. To ease the strain, my daughter was happily moved to the other classroom, where she worked on her level, seamlessly and without interruption to the class.

(5) School Life

This is a loaded question: many of these students have a hard time anywhere, and especially with school. That said, my daughter enjoys going to school! She likes the accommodations (like letting her prep her lunch on days when she needs a break from academics), and has the freedom to move seamlessly between the academic classrooms. When she is in need of a break (sensory or otherwise), there is a spacious gym that allows her to exercise. There is also a big, safe yard that the students can walk around if they need outdoor time. The students always have someone available to go outdoors with them, if they need it (this was a big safety issue for us), and the neighbourhood is safe and quiet. I have not had a morning yet where she has refused to go to school!

(4) Community

We are still fairly new at the school, so I am not too sure what community life looks like. For the holidays, there was a fundraiser event that invited students and their families and friends of the family. Before the winter holidays, my daughter and her classroom put on a sing-along show for family and schoolmates. The parents of the class all showed up. My personal experience: I am in communication with most parents in the school, and would love to communicate with those I don't know. We share resources and try to set up extra playtime with the students. The principal encourages us to communicate and foster these out-of-school experiences. I don't know if there are opportunities for more involvement in the school, but with the new year, I will be asking and looking for opportunities to volunteer.

(5) School Location

The school does have an island feel at the location we are at ( I cannot speak for the other location, as I don't know). The grounds are spacious, so there is a good opportunity for outdoor time. The area (Clarkson) is very quaint: a quiet residential street. No speeding cars or heavy traffic. At one end of the street there is a small mall complex, but it seems to consist of daycares and dance schools - I haven't seen any retail.

(5) Admissions

I worked directly with the principal when determining the admission for my daughter. She met with her and gave her an assessment based on her abilities. Her placement involved consideration of: academic level; age; and personality compatibilities. Depending on the level of needs, tuition is stated: there is basic tuition and a new program for special education (I can't remember the name). After tuition, there are options to select "add-ons", like NILD Ed Therapy and SLP. Parents can determine the timing and frequency, and pricing is charted according to selection. Pretty straightforward. Payments are due at the beginning of the month, prior to services, and admin sends out receipts usually at the end of the month, after services are rendered. If families have OAP, it is accepted.