Walden International offers bus transferring.
Service options offered are door-to-door pickup.
The regions Walden International offers busing from are:
Brampton
Mississauga
Oakville
Additional notes: Return transportation from Brampton and Mississauga to Oakville is available. Please contact the school office for further information. Busing is included in the cost of tuition.
Meet Walden International School's admission team at the Private School Expo: Halton-Peel (Oct 19). RSVP NOW
The big picture on Walden International School
We summarized the school ourselves
The work of Walden, as suggested by the school’s name, is informed by the work of Henry David Thoreau, specifically the idea that working within a natural setting, allowing curiosity to guide you, is the basis to working with others and knowing your place in the world. The offering of the IB program underscores that world view, as does an emphasis on getting into nature. It’s a noisy world. Kids need quiet, and Walden rightly makes that a priority. Instruction is student driven, seeking to inspire curiosity, while also capitalizing on the interests that students bring into the classroom. While academics are strong, it’s the values that the school promotes that is a particular draw to the families that enroll here. The school includes a dedication to 21st century skills, fostering leadership and independence, developing communication and interpersonal skills, as well as much of the staff, students, and the culture. As such the school is at the cutting edge of curriculum delivery, with a gaze firmly set on the skills, behaviours, and values that students will need as they move forward in schooling and in life. The ideal student is one able to make the most of an enriched, creative, student-driven educational environment.
We questioned the school adminstration
1. Who are you, as a school?
"Walden International School is an authorized IB World School that delivers the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) to students in JK-Gr 5, and the Middle Years Programme (MYP) to Gr 6-8 students. Walden’s dedication to wellness, service learning, environmental stewardship and international mindedness ensures students are well-prepared for secondary school studies and beyond. Walden is committed to nurturing young people who will mature into globally responsible citizens."
International Baccalaureate (IB) World School
21st Century Skills: Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, Leadership
Wellness
Service Learning | Taking action and making a difference in local, regional and national communities
Platinum Certified Eco-School | Promoting environmental awareness and stewardship
Intramural and Competitive Varsity Sports Programs
2. What do you do differently and uniquely well?
"At Walden, we proactively foster student achievement and recognize wellness as a fundamental pillar of education. Our students actively participate in mindfulness activities,...(more)
"At Walden, we proactively foster student achievement and recognize wellness as a fundamental pillar of education. Our students actively participate in mindfulness activities, which are not just a part of our program but a mandate we take seriously.
Evidence reveals that introducing mindfulness activities into the classroom improves kids’ attention and emotional regulation. We recognize the importance of encouraging and modelling a healthy lifestyle that includes mindfulness, which will prepare students for success.
Walden kids are different. They are resilient, curious, giving and good. At Walden, we make good people in the knowledge that from goodness arises greatness. We are dedicated to cultivating and preparing principled, compassionate, confident young people who become globally responsible citizens."
3. What tradeoffs has your school made to serve families in this way?
"If we’ve made any strategic tradeoff, it is to ensure that the families and students who join the Walden community have a view of education beyond pure academic results. This is...(more)
"If we’ve made any strategic tradeoff, it is to ensure that the families and students who join the Walden community have a view of education beyond pure academic results. This is not to say that we don’t provide a rigorous programme. After all, it’s why we are Halton Region’s only accredited school offering IB PYP and MYP. However, our core purpose at Walden is to make good people. While that still drives our programmes, we also focus on how we can encourage our students, their families and our staff to BE good people. Imagine what our society could become if we actively took our principles to the street, if we each contributed in some small way to making our neighbourhood a better place to live for every one of us if we took action that would improve the lives of those around us.
When you join the Walden family, you join a community that embraces a worldview that your children and our students can be the catapult to the future by creating young people with perspective."
4. What key junctures in your school's history have most shaped its present?
"In 2018, Walden International offered a fresh approach to elementary education in the Halton Region, including introducing the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years and...(more)
"In 2018, Walden International offered a fresh approach to elementary education in the Halton Region, including introducing the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years and Middle Years programmes. At the same time, the new head of school, Daphne Perugini, brought a refreshing perspective to the school’s offering.
Daphne spent most of her career as a high school teacher and administrator in one of Canada's largest public school boards. During that time, through conversations with parents and colleagues and observing students, she witnessed an increasing neglect of students’ fundamental needs.
Daphne decided to create a school where the learning environment:
Is caring
Fosters curiosity
Encourages self-expression
Celebrates diversity
Truly values inclusivity"
5. What type of student is a good fit for your school?
"Our core purpose at Walden is to make good people. While that still drives our programmes, we also focus on how we can encourage our students, their families, and our staff to be...(more)
"Our core purpose at Walden is to make good people. While that still drives our programmes, we also focus on how we can encourage our students, their families, and our staff to be good people. Imagine what our society could become if we actively took our principles to the street, if we each contributed in some small way to making our neighbourhood a better place to live for every one of us, if we took action that would improve the lives of those around us.
When you join the Walden family, you join a community that embraces a worldview that your children and our students can be the catapult to the future by creating young people with a broader perspective."
6. Under what conditions would you advise a family against choosing your school?
"There are better choices than Walden International for families seeking a strictly regimented approach revolving primarily around marks."
"There are better choices than Walden International for families seeking a strictly regimented approach revolving primarily around marks."
7. To your knowledge, why do families choose your school over others?
"Walden is the only private school in the Halton Region accredited for the International Baccalaureate Primary Years (PYP) and Middle Years (MYP) programmes.
Our exceptional and...(more)
"Walden is the only private school in the Halton Region accredited for the International Baccalaureate Primary Years (PYP) and Middle Years (MYP) programmes.
Our exceptional and dedicated faculty and staff set Walden's standards. Our teachers feel that every child deserves the best, are committed to delivering the best, and are not apologetic for demanding the best. They come together daily to develop an engaging program that generates curiosity and fosters innovation.
Our school is committed to fostering independent, self-reliant learners in a nature-centric environment. Our mandate is to model for our students the merits of an unadorned approach to living while developing a worldly view in pursuit of academic excellence. As an international school, we promise to deliver a rigorous, prestigious and necessary educational programme that meets the standards and demands of the world in which we live.
Walden’s tuition fees are comfortably mid-tier and accessible to most families."
8. How would you characterize your school's image amongst the public?
"“Walden feels like family; when you walk through the doors, you cannot help but feel the nurturing environment. We are thankful for the academic and personal growth they have...(more)
"“Walden feels like family; when you walk through the doors, you cannot help but feel the nurturing environment. We are thankful for the academic and personal growth they have fostered in our son.”
Walden Parent
“Walden has been a perfect fit for our daughter! She was instantly inspired by teachers who understood her strengths and needs while continually providing a perfect balance between teaching goodness with teaching curriculum.”
Walden Parent"
9. What aspect of your school is underappreciated?
"Student agency means students have the power and desire to impact their lives and the world positively. It's about setting goals, thinking about what they want to do, and then...(more)
"Student agency means students have the power and desire to impact their lives and the world positively. It's about setting goals, thinking about what they want to do, and then taking action to improve things. Instead of letting things happen to them, students with agency take charge and make decisions for themselves. Others do not just influence them—they're the ones who decide what to do and how to do it.
We all aspire to be good, strong, and courageous. These are noble goals that require guidance, inspiration, and support. Character demands humility, strength pairs with perseverance, and benevolence involves a bit of everything. At Walden International School, we know this to be true. It's why we're so committed to creating good people who go on in life to do good things every day."
10. What might families find surprising about your school?
"Our campus is larger than perceived from the outside. All of our families, students, and guests report that upon entrance into the school's lobby, there is a welcoming, intangible...(more)
"Our campus is larger than perceived from the outside. All of our families, students, and guests report that upon entrance into the school's lobby, there is a welcoming, intangible feeling that cannot be perfectly articulated."
11. What improvements or changes has your school made recently?
"With the introduction of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP), we are now the only accredited private elementary school in Halton Region that offers both...(more)
"With the introduction of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP), we are now the only accredited private elementary school in Halton Region that offers both PYP and MYP."
12. How will your school change in the next 5 years?
"To continue to deliver excellence in elementary education and making good people!"
"To continue to deliver excellence in elementary education and making good people!"
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