Roundtable Q&A Discussion About WillowWood School (2020)

I had accommodations throughout my entire lower, middle, and high school, and it was different throughout. Within every level, every time I went to a course, I would be tested accordingly. So, whether that be using a computer to read, using an audiobook, or needing extra time, or needing extra explanation, every teacher would accommodate that. For example, Kurzweil is a text-to-speech software. I used it for everything. I got my textbooks digitally, had an extra room to write my tests, and received extra time, which really helped me. In terms of my writing, I could even have a scribe with me to type or help me generate ideas. This kind of support helped my confidence when taking tests, knowing I had three and a half hours to listen to my text as much as I needed, instead of stressing about time.

What really made WillowWood special was the community. It had a very big sense of community, and the classes were smaller, with around 10 to 15 people per class. When I walked in, I would say hi to everybody, and everyone knew you, creating a unique experience. It was a place where everyone knew everybody and recognized what each person needed. This familiarity made it easy to go from the front door to the back of the school, saying hello and connecting with people. It made me feel like I belonged there.

At WillowWood, there’s no conventional approach; everyone had their own ways of doing things, and that’s what made it unique. If you wanted to sing in the play, you could sing in the play. If you wanted to do tech, you could do tech. The school was flexible, so if you needed one-on-one help, you got it. Teachers were dedicated and would stay as long as needed, even until 7:30 p.m., to ensure you grasped difficult topics. You could be yourself and pursue what interested you, with the school supporting and accommodating each path.

Starting in Grade 4 and continuing through Grade 12, I joined the tech crew and other extracurricular activities that helped build me as a person. I was involved in everything, even setting up smart boards in class, and people knew me as the tech guy. Being part of these activities made me excited to go to school and helped me develop my confidence. I also earned community service hours quickly, logging 100 hours in the first year of high school, with all my Grade 9 hours completed early on.

WillowWood helped me realize that I could pursue my own interests and do what I wanted. For instance, when I was applying to universities, I planned to go to business school. But a WillowWood teacher encouraged me to consider Ryerson for media and business, giving me options beyond what I initially thought. They helped me see that grades matter, but they aren’t everything. At WillowWood, I learned to believe in myself and explore my passions, which shaped my outlook on my future and my confidence in pursuing what I love.

I wouldn't change a thing about my experience at WillowWood, because even during difficult times, it helped me develop important skills. My time management and organization were not strong initially, but WillowWood helped me improve. By the time I finished, I had gained a whole new perspective. Despite moments when I struggled with academics, extracurriculars, or managing my schedule, the support I received set me up for success in those areas, transforming them into strengths.

There's nothing I would change about WillowWood. We're so happy, and my son is happy. Grades don't define you, but they are important. Absolutely. People work hard for them. We are so happy, and I say it again from the heart, like it's such a sense of belonging and it's absent in far too many workplaces and schools.

It's been three years at WillowWood, and I am still wondering: ‘How can one teacher possibly adapt to so many different needs?’ I don't know how they do it, but they do it. And it's actually quite magical. I think the common denominator is they build on each child's confidence and that really, I think, opens a child up to being the best possible student they can be. I think when you have self-worth and self-confidence, it really plays out in the classroom.

I can't speak enough about it, and I think with how they approach each child, I think because it's such a small environment that each child sort of takes a little bit from the others, and I think it makes them stronger people. Understanding, my son learns visually and that's been diagnosed. So, they really do hone in on that, but not at the cost of the other students.

WillowWood really has transformed our lives as a family. Michael's a beautiful little boy who unfortunately required extra attention, for whatever reasons, and I won't judge. Catholic school is a public school, but even in the private school, they were not able to accommodate him.

There is accountability. There's a strong sense of self-worth. I can't come up with anything negative. I think what really is so important to me as a parent, and all parents there, want the best for their children, not at the cost of anyone else's children. There's community, there's inclusion, there's mutual respect and caring. It covers everything. It encompasses everything that I grew up to believe was what school should be for a child.

My son is so happy, and we're happy as a family because there's nothing more emotionally draining in a household, when you can't help your child at school. You can beg, you can plead, you can follow the chain of command, and hope that someone embraces your request . It's such a gift, WillowWood, there's no negative. And I'm not just saying this. I speak from the heart.

I speak so loud and proud about it, and I can tell you, I think they should be consultants for public schools. They should be consultants because they can't make your child friends with everyone, but make sure that he's doing well, and he's not left out. And to me, at this stage, if we can't help our children while they're in school, that underlines so many future problems as adults.  It truly is the best school  . You know, my husband and I both went to private schools in Toronto, and there's no comparison to WillowWood.

There's nothing I would change about WillowWood. We're so happy, and he's happy. I look at Adam and I can only hope that Michael, you know, grows up to be a fine, well-adjusted young man, that's all we want. Grades don't define you, but they are important. Absolutely. People work hard for them.

We are so happy and I say it again from the heart, like it's such a sense of belonging and it's absent in far too many workplaces and schools.

I can tell you how I see it for my son. He's been at school at WillowWood from Grade 3 and now and he's in Grade 11. What I can tell you is that WillowWood is very adaptive. I remember when we first came to WillowWood, there was this period of time that my son couldn't attend classrooms. I would say probably three months in the morning, completely, because we had to go to hospital. They are very flexible in terms of when the child needs something, they will provide that, and they will change the curriculum around.

I have seen that during the many years that we've been at WillowWood, now my son is more interested in so many things, like he is participating. My Son is participating not because he has to participate, but because he wants to participate. It's fun for him. You know, that is really nice, because he wasn't like that.

The teachers care, they don't let the children fall behind everyone. And the pod learning program that they had, that was the best thing ever, because it's so mixed.

I've never seen anything like WillowWood’s pod program in other schools, it’s a fantastic program. No one feels like they are better or worse than anybody else. You know, it kind of gives everybody that feeling of, I don't know how to explain  it's such a comfortable feeling to be there.

Everybody, sometimes, can get overwhelmed in the classroom.  Let's say they just don't want to be in that class at that time, you know, these things happen. They do have the opportunity to get out and have a little bit of fresh air, you know, just change their mood, and it is not in a bad way, they're not being punished.

They can just get out and breathe, and when they are ready, they can always go back to class. It's a very comfortable environment for the Lower School kids.

At WillowWood, they have this one day that your child can go sit down in the class from the beginning of the day till noon, and they just get comfortable and see how it goes. My son was going there hating school, and he was like, ‘no, this is just another school.’ He greeted WillowWood with a frown. And at 12:00 p.m., I picked him up.  When he came out, the smile on his face! I had never seen anything like that. He came out and said, ‘this is the best.’

My son always needs extra time for the exams and everything, and he used that. The good and the funny thing is that, like I said, it's like magic. I don't know how it happens. But as he has progressed during these years at WillowWood, and he's been at it  he kind of gets better at everything. He's good at writing and typing right now.

The kids are allowed to be themselves and they're allowed to be human beings. They have strong points. They have weak points. And it's okay.

Teachers care. It is not okay for the kids to feel bad, and to feel left behind and to feel, you know, different. WillowWood does something about it. Other schools, they say a lot of things about it, but honestly, I didn't see anything being done about it. At WillowWood, they probably won't say much, but they do it.

I talked to the WillowWood principal about enrolment, and the first thing that settled us down was that she was so real. Then throughout the years, we realized that everybody at WillowWood has a good idea of what is real. You know, they're not sugarcoating anything. I knew what it's like behind the scenes, and I was comparing it to WillowWood, and I was thinking, ‘Okay, you know what? No, this is not the thing,’ because it's not just about academics for us. It's not just about academics, he can do well anywhere he goes, but it's about that sense of community at WillowWood.

That's what WillowWood feels like, you know, and they care about everything. They care about my son's mental well-being. Also, it's the curriculums that they are offering, and the teachers, honestly, they're the best  . They're really, really good teachers.

Is everything perfect? I don't know, but it's working, and we're really, really happy, and you see the fact is that I say I wouldn't change anything  but it's always changing. I think that's one of the reasons that I wouldn't change anything about WillowWood, because it’s always evolving and changing in a good way itself.