education and camps guide winter 2012 - west ed

WINTER 2012 EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier �

WINTER 2012

Variety of methods help bring the language to life

French is Fun

• Gender gap Should girls and boys be taught differently?

• What should I do?

Class on ethics gets students talking

• Play time Artistic camps hit

the right notes

WINTER 2012

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� EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier WINTER 2012

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Inside the Education Guide4

Teaching girls vs. teaching boysDoes gender really matter when it comes to how our children should be taught?

7Ethical questionsCountry Day School opens the discussion on real life dilemmas

11iSchoolThe technology that surrounds us finds its way to make a positive impact in the classroom

12Bonjour les enfantsA focus on French education reveals several different styles

14Rock onSummer camps aren’t all about sports, crafts and the outdoors. Some march to the beat of a different drummer

Plus lots more!

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Sterling Hall School French teacher Patrizia Rizzo acts out a story with her students.


B

Different strokes

Does gender matter?Experts divided on if there is an optimal way to teach boys and girls

oys and girls are different, so it makes sense that they learn differently too, doesn’t it?

While there is no consensus on the matter, private and independent schools — be they single sex or coed — all have a different take on the topic, which informs how their students are taught.

Mary Gauthier, executive director of the Wernham West Centre for Learning at Upper Canada College, says her school is committed to creating an atmosphere where boys feel a con-nection to their education and a sense of passion and purpose.

Although she’s cautious not to generalize or create any gender-based myths, she believes rela-tionships and being able to relate to what they are learning to be key when it comes to teaching boys. Gauthier says boys tend to respond well to teachers who care about them as individuals and says they like to be included in lessons by being asked to share what they know. Boys also respond well to clear and consistent boundaries like having their shirts tucked in and wearing a tie to school.

She says it’s also important that lessons aren’t always structured the same way and that they incorporate a variety of lecture, group work and inquiry-based instruction where boys can inves-tigate and develop their own questions.

“We work really hard to make sure our teach-ers know the boys in the room,” Gauthier says. “You take time when you’re teaching to know their interests, that you know what they care about in their world and then actually include that in your teaching.”

Gauthier says teachers who can adjust their teaching according to engagement levels also do

really well with boys so they feel connected to the content, have a sense of independence and feel that their questions matter.

St. Michael’s College School principal, Ter-ence Sheridan, who used to teach at a coed school, says he typically finds boys are more hands on when it comes to learning and can ben-efit from a structured environment.

While the school caters to boys, he says, they also address individual learning styles and use different mediums like computer labs to encour-age boys to learn.

“There’s a variety of assessment too, whether it be presentations or individual communication, so it’s not all just writing a test,” he adds.

He says boys also respond well to initiatives and positive competitiveness, which is why they implement things like a competition for who racks up the most points in the school’s accelera-tive reading program.

Havergal College’s director of admissions Maggie Houston-White believes girls are more comfortable having conversational learning that allows them to ask questions and have a need to develop relationships with their teachers.

“It’s important for girls to feel that they are in an environment where they will be mentored and monitored,” she says. “Girls tend to need time to pause and think before answering questions and they like to have eye contact when they’re hav-ing dialogue and conversation.”

She says it’s important to have a curriculum that is both challenging and interesting and takes into account what’s meaningful to the girls in order to engage them deeply into each subject matter.

But not all schools believe learning styles are gender-based.

“I think there are many auditory, visual, kin-esthetic learners and I think that would account for boys and for girls,” says Bayview Glen’s head of school Eileen Daunt. “I think that’s across the gender divide — all different styles of learning.”

She says her school finds ways to personalize their students’ learning environment.

“I think what good schools do, whether they be coed or not, is they teach the individual,” she says. “They look at ways to reach each child and make sure that they have the skills they can take with them once they leave school to be success-ful in the world.”

Psychologist Michael Leatch, who is also Crescent School’s director of student services, says it’s important to avoid generalizations when discussing how boys and girls learn best.

“Just as there are many ways to be a boy or girl there are many ways to teach boys and girls,” he says. “Individual student need should be the predominant factor that educators consider when determining the best way in which to teach stu-dents.”

While some boys are active and like to move while they learn, he says, others may learn better through contemplative reflection and debate.

He believes educators need to be skilled in assessing a full range of learning styles and have a repertoire of strategies they can draw from to educate boys or girls as unique individuals.

However, Sterling Hall’s director of curricu-lum Nick Szymanis says brain science proves boys and girls are built differently mentally.

“Boys are operating from curiosity-driven, often kinesthetic intelligence and have better spatial memory,” he says.

• BY Ann RuppEnSTEIn

PhOTO COurTESY BiShOP STrAChAN SChOOl

LET’S TALK: Some educational experts say female students are more comfortable with conversational learning that allows them to ask questions as they go.

Continued on Page 6


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In addition to having different colour and sense perception, he says they also have a different threshold for attention.

“Boys also don’t hear as well as girls, their fine motor skills develop later and they can overestimate their abilities,” he says. “Boys in general, read later than girls by as much as 12 to 18 months.”

Since boys are kinesthetic by nature, he adds, learning often occurs with movement like swinging feet, tapping and fidgeting. He says the school encourages boys’ natural curi-osity through the use of educational props such as interactive games, dice and cubes. The majority of boys at the school also have daily physical educa-tion classes so they can expend their energy and focus better in class.

“What the best research is showing us is that boys thrive when they can figure out their way around a problem, often in a small group,” he says. “The most impactful learning seems to be a combination of processes where infor-mation is unpacked by a combination of natural curiosity and group interac-tion.”

Bishop Strachan School grade 12 student Carly Walter believes the dif-ferent learning styles boys and girls have are innate and obvious.

“Girls and boys are both distracted by different things and have different natural abilities,” she says. “From my experience, girls seem to spend more time talking about a task or abstract principle before actually attempting it, whereas boys often execute tasks in a trial and error method.”

Among her classmates in the all-girls school, Walter says, she sees a lot of differences in study habits as some are visual learners and others excel

with auditory instructions.“A lot of my peers like to sim-

plify abstract principles with concrete examples,” she says. “Other differenc-es are as simple as enjoying listening to music while studying or preferring to work in silence.”

Bishop Strachan School’s head of school Deryn Lavell says the individ-ual learner is most important, whether in an all girls, all boys or coed envi-ronment.

She does note a different kind of energy among the girls and says they develop and mature at different times than boys, which needs to be taken into account.

“We talk about a culture of power of learning and that’s really important for the girls,” she says. “For the girls it’s really important to find ‘where am I as an individual and how do I fit in with this group and where does that matter?’ ”

When it comes to competitiveness, Bishop Strachan School’s senior school principal Angela Terpstra says rather than measuring girls against each other they perform better by striving for their personal best and not in the same cut-throat spirit that may motivate boys.

Another important difference, she says, when it comes to the notion of learning is girls like narrative, particu-larly fictional narrative, where as boys gravitate more to real life.

Finally, just as courses are taught in different ways, Terpstra says, students are also assessed in a variety of ways.

“The evaluation is really impor-tant because for some people a paper pencil test might be the right thing to do whereas others they might actually need some pictures, they might need it read to them and some girls they actually need more time than others,” she says.

PhOTO COurTESY ST. MiChAEl’S COllEgE SChOOl

WE CAN WORK IT OUT: Research suggests boys prefer to figure out a problem through trial and error whereas girls talk more about it before starting.

Cont. from Page 4


Character education

Ethics class at Country Day School• BY Ann RuppEnSTEIn

To cheat or not to cheat, that is the question.Country Day School’s Ethics and Soci-

ety, a course developed by Tony Young and Walter Guerra, gets grade 9 students talking about moral and ethical dilemmas in a way that is relevant to their lives and allows the kids to learn from each other.

“A health course might talk about issues that impact teens but what we try to do here is also teach them decision making strategies when faced with ethical dilemmas,” says Young, head of social sciences at Country Day School. “I think that makes the course pretty unique because we go into good detail about how they should approach ethical dilemmas, reason through it, apply different strategies, that sort of thing.”

He says the course is also special because it would be difficult for parents to replicate a similar learning environment where their children can learn from one another through these in-class discussions.

“Some of it is relationship based just like honouring a commitment to a friend or to a girlfriend, boyfriend,” he says. “Some of it is bullying, how to treat others and then we get into other situations where if you were at someone’s home and someone offers you a drink and you are underage, those situations and trying to get them to reason through it.”

Young says he came up with the idea after reminiscing about the older days of education, which included some character development, and talking about how great it would be to have a course devoted to ethics as an academic subject. Once his school was interested in pursuing the project, he got it approved as a locally developed course with the province’s Ministry of Education.

Although the course is taught in a variety of ways like case studies, he says students also benefit from being surrounded by posi-tive role models.

“I’ve seen a number of cases where when we’ve had discussions, there’s this really positive peer pressure that happens,” he says. “Where there are students whose moral com-pass is a little off, they actually hear what might be the right way to approach the situa-tion from their peers, which as you know can be a very, very strong influence.”

Young hopes students will benefit from the course by applying what they learn to their everyday life and any future decisions.

“I always tell them you never know it but there might be a time in life when you have to make a really hard ethical decision which really can impact your life so just make sure you take the time to think it through.”

Moral questions

PhOTO COurTESY COuNTrY DAY SChOOl

WHAT SHOULD I DO? Students in Country Day School’s Ethics and Society class examine and discuss the dilemmas they may face throughout their lives.

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Ogiving back

• BY OMAR MOSLEH

n Nov. 3, 2011, students from Holy Name of Mary College School learned that hope comes in small packages.

The students travelled to shel-ters, seniors’ homes and community organizations as part of their Day of

Hope, an outreach project that aims to show students they can create change through small acts of kind-ness.

Chaplain and religion teacher at the Mississauga school, James McLevey, said it was inspiring for

Day of Hope at Holy Name of Mary

seeing first hand

PhOTO COurTESY hOlY NAME OF MArY COllEgE SChOOl

COMMUNITY WORK: Students from Holy Name of Mary College School spent a day volunteering with several GTA social service agencies.

Sgoing green

tudents and staff at Crescent School recently received a gold award from the Recycling Council of Ontario for their environmental efforts and commitment to recycling and sustainability. The school’s Environ-mental Action Committee chair, Jayme Nadolny, says he’s been working on revitalizing environmental programs over the last two years.

“This award is important because it shows the progress made by the Crescent community in their constant effort to become more environmentally responsible in all aspects of school life,” says the grade 12 student, adding they received a bronze award at the annual awards ceremony last year.

Taking home gold meant Crescent was the only

school in the province to be recognized at that level.To date, the impact of the Environmental Action

Committee includes helping Crescent School’s waste management process by reducing garbage output by 50 percent, doubling recycling and tripling the amount of organic waste collection. The school has also implemented green cleaning supplies and a col-lection program for used batteries and electronics.

Environmental action at Crescent School

cleaning up

PhOTO COurTESY CrESCENT SChOOl

CRESCENT SCHOOL received a gold award from the Recycling Council of Ontario.

• BY Ann RuppEnSTEIn

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him to see students get involved and make a con-nection between the small act of help and the effect it can have on somebody else’s life.

“It was an opportunity cre-ated to make a collective impact through simple gestures, work-ing through different agencies to create hope in small simple ways,” McLevey said. “Anything from sweeping a floor to peeling a potato, it came to be because it was a desire to make change in a practical way.”

A group of students called Senior Outreach spearheaded the project. Participants were bused out in small groups to 12 agencies throughout the GTA to help others and create change in a tangible way. The school took about six weeks to prepare.

Grade 11 student Colleen Fer-nandes volunteered at The Daily

Break Food Bank in Etobicoke and Wenleigh Long Term Care Residence in Mississauga. Her favourite part was seeing seniors’ faces light up as she played the piano for them.

“To see what I can do can actu-ally make a difference for them, it was really nice,” she said.

Student Isabella Olivares, also in grade 11, expressed similar sen-timents after her time at the Good Shepherd Shelter in Toronto.

The most memorable part of the day for her was sitting down in the to eat rice, curry and chick peas alongside people she didn’t know she had anything in com-mon with.

“It just opened my mind to the fact that even though these people don’t go back to the same things that me and my classmates

do, they’re equal to us,” she said. “That’s what was so great about eating in the cafeteria together, it didn’t matter who you were sitting with, everybody was just equal.”

In the past, she “kind of tried to ignore” the homeless, but no longer. “Now when I see people on the street ... I’ll acknowledge them,” she said.

For McLevey, it’s a perfect example of how the Day of Hope urges students to create change not only in others’ lives, but also their own.

“After the debrief, students were sort of more aware of how some small gesture can create a big ripple of hope into somebody’s life,” he said. “Whether they’re a lonely senior or somebody who just needs some work done and can’t get it done.”


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B

Classroom shift

From glass walls to balls for chairs

• BY KAROLYn COORSH

ishop Strachan’s junior school girls are learning in a fishbowl, but it’s a good thing.

With hallways that sport floor-to-ceiling glass windows, parents, edu-cators and fellow students can peek into bright, spacious classrooms to see the young minds at work.

A long way from the traditional blackboard-desk set-up, the fish-bowl-like classrooms are one of the ways the all-girls school is designed to facilitate open-concept learning.

Increasingly, schools are mov-ing away from the traditional black-board, desk and chair environment in an effort to foster innovative col-laboration among students.

Optimal learning spaces and class-room design became major consider-ations at Bishop Strachan around 2004, when it began the process of building a new junior school.

School administrators and edu-cators insisted the school’s style of teaching — inspired by the Reggio approach — was to be reflected in the physical design of the new build-ing.

The Italian-developed Reggio approach is an education philosophy that encourages the development of the individual student through self-guided learning.

“It’s about seeing the child as being able to be resourceful,” says kindergarten teacher Mary Murray. “When you see them that way, that informs how you set up your envi-ronment, what you leave for them. You want them to be autonomous, so everything is at their fingertips for them to be thinking.”

The new school, as evidenced in a bright kindergarten classroom, now nurtures that notion of independent learning.

Nary a blackboard in sight, every-thing from markers to construction paper to building blocks are within reach, and inspiration can be found in every corner, says Murray.

The nature centre, complete with a pile of leaves collected by the students, overlooks the school play-ground, where students can com-pare what they see outdoors to work they’re creating indoors.

At the building blocks station in the centre of the room, a student has built a city skyline model. Behind it, are posted photos of Toronto, New York and Hong Kong’s skylines.

The students are encouraged to choose their own workstation each day, and explore at their own pace. Teachers help by asking questions and guiding discussion, Murray says. Students don’t need to be told to tidy up, she says, as they take ownership of their classroom.

“That’s a very empowering thing for young children to feel that they know how to take care of their space, they really feel like this is their space and their ideas are important and they can pursue them,” says Murray.

The new building is certainly a far cry from the old junior school, says vice-principal Catherine Hant, which was a wing built onto the upper school in 1931.

“It was a very traditional space, long narrow classrooms, bulletin board and chalkboard at the front, not a lot of flexibility,” Hant said. “You really were limited to desks.”

Blocks away from Bishop Stra-chan, students at Upper Canada Col-lege are also moving away from traditional blackboard-desk class-rooms.

When UCC began renovating classrooms a few years ago, Mary Gauthier, executive director of the school’s Wernham West Centre for Learning, took it as an opportunity to experiment with the notion of optimal learning environments. The research centre examined the effect of colour, lighting, classroom size, and flexible use of space on learning.

“We don’t actually have to be in

what we think of a traditional class-room space so we’re really thinking of where are these other (learning) spaces in the school,” Gauthier says. “It’s a really fun time.”

Over at UCC’s preparatory school, students began experimenting with new types of furniture, including stability balls and air-filled exercise balls, as a replacement for chairs.

“Some boys like it and some boys don’t, so having an option about what you’re going to sit on is I think a really wonderful thing to offer,” Gauthier said.

Innovative classroom set-up is also reflected in UCC’s upper school, where five classrooms sport Hark-ness tables, large oval tables with spots for 16 students. Typically his-tory and English lessons are con-ducted at these tables.

“It’s about conversation,” Gauth-ier explains. “You actually come to the table — literally — with ques-tions and you contribute.”

Educators at Bishop Strachan and Upper Canada College agree tech-nology has also driven new notions of learning spaces.

Handheld tools like an iPad or

laptop, in daily use at schools like Bishop Strachan, means learning can be conducted just about anywhere in the classroom, or the school.

The kindergarten class is equipped with an iPad, and is used for group storytelling and research, Hant says.

“The physical set up of the com-puters in the classrooms is set up really to be a collaborative area where a group of children can be huddled around the computer and be creating knowledge and doing some research together rather than think-ing of it as an isolated experience for one child,” Hant says.

Stark contrast, she says, to the old days of labs in schools when using a computer was a timetabled experi-ence, Hant says.

It’s unlikely schools will com-pletely abolish the blackboard and desk classroom environment, but it’s important to have the freedom to change from one year to the next, Hant says.

“Having the flexibility with the furniture and the materials, every-thing that you use for the classroom needs to be responsive to the learners that you have.”

new school design

PhOTO COurTESY BiShOP STrAChAN SChOOl

EXPLORATION: Bishop Strachan School’s adaptation of the Reggio approach to pri-mary education has inspired the physical design of its new junior school.

PhOTO COurTESY MATThEW PlEXMAN

STUDENTS OF THE ROUND TABLE: Upper Canada College has placed large oval tables into some of its English and history classrooms to stimu-late discussion.

WINTER 2012 EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier ��

Bye bye blackboard

Two decades ago the Internet and cellphones were unknown in most school hallways, but nowadays students have the Internet on their cellphones.

Yes, the information age is fully upon us. But how are new technologies being used to teach our children?

While not much has changed in some schools save for upgrades to computers, others have made the available technology part of everyday classroom life. At Greenwood College School every student has a laptop, says Johnathan Tepper, the school’s director of information technology.

“When the school was first conceived they wanted to use a one-to-one laptop program to give students the 21st century skills to prepare them for their next careers,” he said.

The school doesn’t provide the laptops, but does suggest which ones would be most suitable. Grade 11 Greenwood student Nicole Toole said that while accessing sites such as Facebook is prohibited at school, other social networking sites are actually incorporated into the curriculum.

“Greenwood does use Twitter and Tumblr for in class assignments and work,” she said. “For example, in English class we do blog posts as we’re reading a book.”

Not only has technology at her school replaced former mainstays such as notebooks, but Toole said blackboards are also a thing of the past now that smartboards are in every classroom. The boards are

a cross between a traditional blackboard and projec-tor screen, with content easily altered and edited from a computer at the teacher’s desk.

“With the smartboards your able to do a lot more on there,” said Toole. “You’re able to show video clips and put in other links to different websites that could help you.”

Toole identifies herself as a hands-on, visual learner and said the smartboards are perfect for her learning style. St. Michael’s College School’s vice principal, David Lee, said his school acquired smartboards to reach students like Toole.

“We’ve got about 20 smartboards in the class-rooms so we’re working on trying to target more of the visual learners and more interactive learning with those,” said Lee.

But not all schools see using new technology as being the best way to educate their students. Director of research and innovation at Country Day School, Karen Sumner, said laptops are not always the best learning tools. Sumner, who has been teach-ing English and film at the school for 12 years, said they can actually hinder a child’s development.

“I don’t actually like having computers in my classrooms,” she said. “Research tells us that com-puter applications do not develop slow and deliber-ate thought. They’re really based on speed.”

According to Sumner, Country Day School takes a balanced approach to using technology, something Amy Dvorkin, a grade 12 student at the school, said she is thankful for.

“Personally, writing notes, I find I remember a lot more when I write it with a pen and paper,” Dvorkin said. “I don’t remember it as much if I type it.”

But some of her friends have embraced technol-ogy’s new role in education by enrolling in what are termed flipped classes. Rather than have the teacher lecture in class and then assign homework, flipped classes operate in the opposite way. Student’s access their teacher’s pre-recorded lecture via the Internet and watch it at home. The next day they work in class on an assignment and the teacher addresses any questions about the video lecture.

At Greenwood, Toole takes two such courses.“I really like it,” she said, later adding, “When

you come to class, if you don’t understand some-thing, there’s always a teacher there to work with you and make sure you understand all the con-cepts.”

One drawback for the teachers is preparing les-sons for flipped classes involve a lot more work, but as Sumner points out, once a lesson plan has been made, it can be reused for future classes. As tech-nology continues to evolve so do school policies concerning how it is regulated and incorporated into school life. Also, students can often be more in tune with new technologies than their teachers.

“I think one of the best things a teacher can do now to embrace the new technology is don’t claim that you know everything about it, but be part of the learning,” said Tepper. “Take a step back and work with the students and learn together.”

Classrooms go high tech

no more pencilsPhOTO COurTESY JOhN CArSON

RIGHT FOR HER: Greenwood College School student Nicole Toole describes herself as a hands-on, visual learner who says the school’s smartboards and laptop usage suits her learning style quite well.

• BY TRISTAn CARTER

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Learning language

Schools find different ways to help their students learn our other official language

• BY Ann Ruppenstein

arlez-vous français? In light of French immersion being rolled out at an applied

level at public schools as of September 2013, what are private and independent schools doing to make learning the language more accessible to students?

Mirna Hafez, principal of La p’tite école at TFS says they now offer French for those as young as 18 months.

The Jardin d’eveil program, which launched in 2010 and is geared at two year olds, was designed to stimulate social, emo-tional, physical, linguistic and cognitive development through play and exploration activities.

“At this age they just want to know the why and to touch,” Hafez says. “They are exposed to many things in the French con-text to really learn and address the five senses.”

TFS also runs an Intro to French Program, which students can join up to grade 7 without any prior exposure or knowledge of French. Its goal is to transition students to the same level of French as their peer group in the school’s regular bilingual academic stream. Although students have separate classes to start, they are slowly integrated in courses like art or phys-ed, which are less speaking based.

Hafez says they also encourage learning through music, drama, technology, games and treasure hunts and focus on ways to make students want to speak fluently.

Many schools have also adopted the Accelerative Integrated Method to teach French. Patrizia Rizzo, a French coordinator at The Sterling Hall School, says she uses gesture instruction with other vocabulary acquisition tools in order to bring variety and fun to the classroom.

“I introduce basic vocabulary and language through games, songs, artwork, role-playing and gestures,” she says. “The use of stories and songs in second language instruction allows students to connect and become engaged with the content of the program.”

Rizzo says their French curriculum is designed to prepare stu-

dents for success in corresponding programs at the secondary level. Along with grammar conventions, she also teaches students about French culture so they can make connections between what they are learning and the real world.

This year she also started inviting French-Canadian singer/songwriters to come to the school and perform songs the students sing in class. The school also has a pen pal program in place that pairs grade 7 students with children in France.

Havergal College also uses Accelerative Integrated Method to teach French as a second language starting in senior kindergarten.

“This is especially helpful to students who have little or no exposure to French, as the majority of the gestures reflect the meaning of the vocab-ulary,” says Jennifer Peirce, who teaches French in grades 5 and 6. “They are able to enter a French classroom where only French is spoken and yet understand and be sup-ported in their learning of the language.”

She says the school also offers extra help in French and also runs clubs like a French Lunch Club. Her colleague France Gareau has been teaching Accelerative Integrated Method to students in grades 2 to 4 since 1999, when the method was first introduced.

“New students to Havergal, who often enter in grade 4 or grade 7, tend to adapt eas-ily to the program,” says Gareau, who has been teaching French for 20 years.

Gareau’s colleague Louise Cholette-Rees says through the method the language is contextualized with stories and short plays about children and young adolescents to help the students learn.

“Stories, theatre and songs are a way to scaffold language pro-duction and ease students into a new language without anxiety,” she says. “When students gain new vocabulary using gestures

It’s all French to me

• “We know students have to be engaged.”

WINTER 2012 EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier 13

Depuis la 1ère année,

en 2001

Depuis la 3e année,

en 2005

Depuis la Maternelle

GrandeSection (SK),

en 2002

Depuis la MaternelleMoyenne

Section (JK),

en 2001


Section (JK),

en 2004


Section (JK),

en 2003


Section (JK),

en 2003


Section (JK),

en 2006


Section (JK),

en 2008


Petite Section (PK),

en 2009



en 2009



en 2011

15 Mallow Rd., North York, ON, M3B 1G2 • 416-385-9685 • www.lacitadelleacademy.com • [email protected]

and much practice, students start speaking naturally without the teacher always using gestures.”

Country Day School’s jun-ior school head of French Lori Pella says the methods used to teach French with Accelerative Integrated Method resembles the way students acquired their first language. After teaching French for 24 years, she says she would never go back to the tradition-al approach because it doesn’t compare.

“We know students have to be engaged, they have to be involved, that’s how they retain the material and that happens in an (Accelerative Integrated Method) classroom,” she says. “The language becomes part of the children.”

At Holy Name of Mary Col-lege School, Meaghan DeCourcy says they integrate visual art, music and technology into the French program to foster a high-er level of student engagement and enthusiasm.

“There is no shortage of creativity in the French room, where students speak, sing, draw and dance their way through the adventure of second-language learning,” she says. “Activat-ing the auditory and kinesthetic areas of the brain allows for the formation of new pathways in the mind, while also creating a fun and engaging atmosphere.”

She says they enhance vocab-ulary and language development through a variety of visual aids and oral practice. Throughout the first months of school they introduce students to common words that exist between lan-guages in French, Spanish, Ital-ian and English.

“By making connections and seeing similarities between other languages, students build their confidence with the French lan-guage,” she says.

Branksome Hall’s Sarah Craig, the head of the junior school, says while French is mandatory from junior kinder-garten to grade 6, the school also has an extended French stream for those who want to pursue the language further.

The Extended Middle School program allows students to take 25 percent of their course load in French, including social sciences like history and geography.

In addition to using Accelera-tive Integrated Method to teach French in the junior school, the French program includes fieldtrips where students can gain real-life experiences in French. The school also has an International Languages Pro-gram, which was originally for students in grades 7 to 12, but as of this year expanded to grades 1 through 12. It allows students whose first language isn’t Eng-lish to maintain their mother tongue with courses taught in 14 languages including Swedish, Italian, Mandarin and Urdu.

For those students set to join Branksome Hall’s Junior School with little or no background in French, Craig says they provide the family with Accelerative Integrated Method-based DVDs so they can begin learning the gestures and vocabulary before the school year begins.

“Once they start the year, the teachers provide weekly indi-vidual or small group sessions to help them catch up either before or after school,” she says. “Sometimes students opt to get a Senior School student tutor to encourage conversation and help them to enhance their comfort in the language.”

francis crescia/town crier

ACTING OUT: The Accelerative Integrated Method for teaching French uses songs, artwork and gestures to connect the students to the language. Above, Patrizia Rizzo and her pupils at Sterling Hall School use puppets to tell a basic story.


H

strike up the band

Rock out at music

campPrograms give students a way to hone their skills

and have fun

• BY shAheeR ChoudhuRY

photo courtesy Guitar workshop pLus

LEARNING TO SHRED: Students at Guitar Workshop Plus spend a week learning the finer points of both their chosen instrument and preferred style of music.

er first brush with music came at age three when Irene Harrett’s par-ents enrolled her in a music program at Humber College. Since then she’s become an avid musician who spends part of her summers at various music camps.

Harrett, who currently plays the double bass and bass guitar, has gone to about seven or eight music camps.

“I usually try different ones each year,” says the grade 11 student. “They all offer different things and have different teachers.”

Harrett says unlike music lessons you get a more intense experi-ence at music camp as well as an honest opinion from the instructors since it’s not coming from a private tutor.

She suggests looking into a few camps before choosing one as they all offer different things. But she also warns that music camps aren’t for everyone.

“Kids that don’t feel like they want to do music will not enjoy the programs because they are so music focused,” says Harrett. “And if kids aren’t used to that or they really don’t feel comfortable doing that, it doesn’t really work.”

For Harrett, Guitar Workshop Plus, which she attend-ed last summer, provided the best experience. She said she

learned more from their program than any camp she’s attended.Guitar Workshop Plus holds two sessions at Appleby College in

Oakville in the last two weeks of July. Followed by one more session in Vancouver in mid-August.

The camp’s founder and director Brian Murray says the program is for those who are serious about music. According to Murray, half of the campers are between the ages of 12–18 and the other half are anywhere from 20–70 years old.

“We do rock, blues, jazz, acoustic, classical,” Murray says. “Basi-cally every style of music and students choose their major.”

Students can also choose to major in the bass guitar, percussion, keyboard, vocals and song writing. They are free to attend special clinics centred on their own particular interests throughout the week, in addition to their other work.

“You’re living, breathing, eating music, morning noon and night for a week,” says Murray.

He adds that you can’t help but get inspired when like-minded people who all hold the common interest of music surround you and are all trying to better themselves and their art.

However, as Harrett pointed out, a fully music-focused camp is not for everyone, but some programs, like that at the National Music Camp, offer music along with a more traditional camp experience.

The camp’s music director Michael Ferguson says it’s important to have both music and non-music activities.

“For those serious students, those who want to do more in-depth music at the camp can do so,” says Ferguson. “But also those who feel that the base courses we have is enough for them can choose to do other things.”

The camp offers a variety of musical disciplines and styles mixed with waterskiing, kayaking, wall climbing, archery and sports.

“It is a great way to be introduced to music because you are in an environment that is totally focused on music education,” says camp director Bruce Nashman. “But you’re also having fun and a great time making friends, doing camp activities, so it’s an ideal situation for anyone interested in music.”

Like Harrett, Ferguson suggests parents look at different music camps and see what each has to offer to find one best suited to their child.

“This is an overnight camp and there are music day camps that go on in bigger cities,” says Ferguson. “But I think in terms of a summer camp that has a focus, but still gives the kids a summer camp experi-ence, really it can’t be beat.”


Your perfect school, camp and activity


A School for Boys for Since 1913

A school for boys since 1913, Crescent is committed to developing and implement-ing the most current research into how boys learn. Faculty members, rated by parents as Crescent’s greatest strength, consider teach-ing boys their job, and educating boys their responsibility. They combine a challenging aca-demic program with a superior array of co-cur-

ricular opportunities allowing each boy to find and develop his unique abilities.

Students strive for excellence and actively seek leadership opportunities in some aspect of school life. Community service and global outreach are integral components of Crescent’s broad educational program. Our school values, respect, responsibility, honesty and compas-

sion, guide the actions and decisions of faculty and students alike.

We encourage our community to ask of themselves and of others, locally, nationally and internationally, “How can I help?” Looking at oneself through others’ eyes enables a Crescent student to progress from a boy of promise to a man of character.

Crescent School

New Year’s Resolution: Improve brain function

by Lynda Thompson, Ph.D., C.Psych.Perhaps your child’s fall report card was

not all you hoped for and you want him or her to do better in 2012. If one factor contributing to underachievement was difficulty with pay-ing attention consistently, then training can be done to improve that skill. Just like you go to the gym to build up muscles, you can exer-cise the brain a couple of times a week and

strengthen the neural pathways that are acti-vated when a person practices a calm, yet alert, mental state. This learning technique, called neurofeedback, involves a brain-com-puter interface that lets a person know instant-ly if their brainwave pattern (EEG) indicates calm focus or drifting attention. Research stud-ies going back to 1976 have documented last-ing improvements in behaviour and learning in

children with ADD/ADHD. Increasingly, these techniques are being used to give athletes and executives the mental edge, too.

To add to your child’s skill in paying atten-tion, whether he has a diagnosis or even if he is just an energetic kid or a bright daydreamer, contact The ADD Centre at 416 488-2233.

Check www.addcentre.com for more infor-mation.

ADD Centre

A Sleep-over Camp for the Arts!

Centauri is an exciting summer camp com-munity created especially for young people with arts interests.

Now entering our 18th exciting sum-mer, we offer 40 specialist arts programs for young people to choose from, all locat-ed at a residential camp facility in the Niag-ara Region.

With programs for ages 8 all the way to

pre-university, a special club for younger campers away from home for the first time and challenging leadership programs for old-er teens, Centauri has something for every-one!

Choose from theatre, dance, art, film, cre-ative writing, photography, design, musical the-atre and stage combat, or make a movie with us in Wales!

With an outstanding faculty of arts instruc-tors, fun-loving and creative counsellors, excit-ing camp activities and a nurturing, communi-ty focus, Centauri is the place to be if you love the arts.

Join us this summer for memories, skills and friendships that last a lifetime.

Visit www.centauriartscamp.com or call 416 766 7124.

Centauri Summer Arts Camp

Appleby College – Fascinating Minds Since 1911

Appleby College is a non-profit, indepen-dent school for more than 725 young men and women in Grades 7 to 12.

Founded in 1911 and located on a 60-acre campus in Oakville, Ontario, Appleby offers a university preparatory education to both board-ing and day students.

The curriculum offers an exceptionally

diverse education that combines rigorous aca-demics with dynamic arts, athletics and com-munity service.

At Appleby College, we encourage our students to discover and embrace their pas-sions.

We challenge them to try new activities, explore new ideas and take chances.

We promote the development of the whole student, blending academic excellence, ath-letic achievement and creative expression with opportunities for leadership and community engagement both at home and around the world.

To explore all that Appleby has to offer please visit www.appleby.on.ca.

Appleby College

A directory of private and independent schools, camps and

extracurricular activities


At MPS, we cultivate a culture of learning, one that will foster our students’ personal and academic growth for the rest of their lives.

MPS Etobicoke – Striving for excellence

When you send your child to school, you want to know that they’re getting an exceptional education, but you need to know they’re being cared for and respected as individuals. That’s what sets MPS Etobicoke apart and it’s why parents have been sending their children to us for over 30 years.

MPS is a private school for students

from JK to Grade 12. Through high academic standards

and an emphasis on educating the whole person, we prepare our students for the post-secondary institutions of their choice. Our program stresses skill development through individualized achievement, made possible by virtue of small class size and a dedicated staff.

Students are encouraged to think for themselves, to become problem solvers and leaders of tomorrow. We believe that students learn best in a nurturing environment that offers praise, encouragement and opportunities for success.

For more information please visit www.mpsetobicoke.com.

MPS Etobicoke



Inspire Your Daughter

Dedicated to developing the whole child

Looking for a new school? At Hudson, we offer a challenging, nurturing and rewarding learning environment that allows students to reach their maximum potential.

Recognized for our excellence in delivering a balanced curriculum, our small class sizes and promise of a Total Personal Support system dedicated to developing the whole chi ld — academically, socially, and emotionally

— ensure that all students receive the kind of individual attention needed to develop their special skills, strengths and interests.

Our dedicated and experienced faculty care deeply about our students and their education. They share a true passion for teaching, participating in all aspects of school life as mentors, coaches and leaders.

Situated on a large, quiet, air-

conditioned campus in central Toronto, our modern facility features spacious classrooms, state-of-the-art computer and science labs, large gymnasium, music and fine arts rooms.

We also offer Advanced Placement courses in senior-level Math, English, Business and Science. Our graduates leave us with a strong sense of character, dedication to community and leadership qualities.

La Citadelle

Hudson College

La Citadelle International Academy of Arts & Science

La Citadelle International Academy of Arts & Science is a unique bilingual private school in Toronto that was founded in September 2000 on a clear vision of international education and rooted in the fundamental concepts of Canadian bilingualism, holistic education and a spirit of excellence in education. La Citadelle International Academy of Arts & Science offers an efficient educational setting based on student-centered classrooms with an optimal student to teacher ratio, attention to individuals students, experienced and devoted teachers and specialized facilities.

The growing reputation of La Citadelle, acknowledged by its IB accreditation, is founded on an exceptionally caring environment, an advanced curriculum from Pre-Kindergarten (2 years old) to university entrance and a comprehensive and balanced program leading to mastery learning in French, English and a third language (Spanish or Mandarin), Liberal Arts, Mathematics and Science and some unique courses such as Computer Music, Method of Study and Character Education.

With three years of total French instruction at the Kindergarten level and eight years of

bilingual instruction at the elementary level, students acquire the skills and knowledge required to start an advanced secondary education that has been customized to offer them a very solid foundation to successfully pursue higher learning in the most prominent universities around the world.

Open House:Last Thursday of every month at 10:00 a.m. 15 Mallow Road, North York, M3B 1G2tel/fax: 416-385-9685info@lacitadelleacademy.comwww.lacitadelleacademy.com

Instructional Skate Program is just one of many co- and extra-curricular programs offered at Hudson.

Choosing the right school for your daughter is a critical decision for parents. All-girls’ schools recognize and focus on the particular ways girls learn.

Research indicates they produce graduates who achieve greater academic success, are more self-confident and develop stronger leadership skills.

In 2008, St. Michael’s College School of Toronto and the Felician Sisters of

Mississauga, two icons in education with long traditions of academic excellence, came together to establish Holy Name of Mary College School as a private university preparatory school for girls in grades 5-12.

At HNMCS our core values are integrated into both the curriculum and daily life at school where knowledge is linked to growth in faith, strength of

character and self esteem.Give your daughter the gift of an

education that will help her develop academically, spiritually and personally. You will be amazed as she develops into a confident and accomplished young woman.

For more information please visit www.InspireYourDaughter.ca.

Holy Name of Mary College School




Where girls find their voice

It’s a camp wonderland in the middle of winter.

The Our Kids Camp Expo, the largest one of its kind in Canada, is a one-stop shop to help families find the best camp for their child.

“It’s very interesting and very informa-tive—we got a lot of information we nev-er knew about,” says Nadia Carter, who attended the expo last February with her

son, Dibonte, 11, and her husband.Our Kids is hosting its annual Camp

Expo on Feb. 26, 2012, from 12 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto.

The expo features over 50 different types of March break, year-round and summer camps from across Ontario and Quebec.

The free information seminars will help you choose and prepare for summer camp.

Register online for a 50 per cent off ad-mission voucher: www.campexpo.ca.

While families have to do a little re-search, there is a right camp for every child.

Our Kids Camp Expo

The Linden School

If you want your son to think big, think small.

Blink and you could miss giving your son the best education of his life. Set amid the trees and Victorian houses that line the streets of Toronto’s Annex community, Royal St. George’s College might not stand out as you walk by the campus. In fact, you might think it’s another home - and in many ways, it is.

It is home to a tight-knit community

of 426 boys from every background who share one thing in common - they are all proud Georgians. Boys flourish in an inti-mate, nurturing environment where they are known and respected.

RSGC has been educating boys since 1964 and has created a unique pro-gramme and atmosphere that are de-signed to bring out their best.

A small school gives boys the oppor-tunity to focus on big ideas. Individualized learning, a challenging academic program, and a strong set of values that empha-size respect, responsibility and voice, give Georgian boys the grounding they need to become the men our world needs.

So if you want your son to think big, think small.

Power Soccer

Royal St. George’s College

Since 1993, The Linden School has inspired girls to develop confidence in themselves through innovative teaching methods, empowering experiences, and meaningful connections to their peers and their community.

Our evidence-based approach to teaching is girl-centred, incorporating the most current research about how girls

learn best at every age and stage of development. Linden’s small classes allow our teachers to embrace the individual learning style of each student.

The strong relationships Linden girls develop with their teachers and peers generate a strong sense of belonging throughout the school community.

These connections stimulate our

students to take ownership of their education and to believe in their ability to impact the world around them. When a girl finds her voice at Linden, she knows it can make a meaningful difference.

To discover if Linden is the right fit for your daughter, visit

www.lindenschool.ca or call us at 416-966-4406.

Power Soccer School – advanced technique training

Power Soccer provides a comprehen-sive range of training programs from the beginner to the elite player.

We emphasize fair play, skill develop-ment and the maximization of each child’s potential. Our programs are presented through a creative age appropriate soccer training model.

We focus on giving players the oppor-tunity to express their individuality while

providing clear feedback on how improve-ments in their game can be made.

Clinics and camps focus on ball con-trol, movement with and without the ball, dribbling, shooting, defending and accu-rate passing.

Players experience soccer sessions which are rewarding and enjoyable. Pow-er Soccer coaches conduct challenging sessions which provide an opportunity for

full participation for each player. We build player confidence through a program in-cludes lots of game play.

Improved ability level and a marked increase in game enjoyment are the re-sults of participation in Power Soccer programs. Please visit our web site at www.powersoccer.ca or cal l us at 905.829.0562 (local call) to learn more about the Power Soccer School.



Tap into Tapawingo…

And tap into an 80 year tradition of adven-ture and fun. For girls 6-15 years of age, the Y.W.C.A.’s Camp Tapawingo turns a summer exper ience into a summer of life-time memo-ries. The relaxed atmosphere of an all-girl’s setting creates the perfect environment for embarking on a girl’s road to self-discovery, confidence, achievement and FUN.

Our Georgian Bay location provides for a broad range of activities-swimming, canoeing, sailing, kayaking as well as climbing, crafts, paddlemaking, dance, drama and woodwork-ing.

Whether it is making friends, singing by a campfire, special events, games, or sports-every day is a new adventure. A range of trips

are offered from overnight canoe trips to a five day trip. Our sessions run 2 or 3 weeks with a one-week option for younger girls and a special 6 week leadership program for 16 year old girls.

For slide show information or a brochure call the Camping office at 416-652-9374. Please visit www.ywcatoronto.org

YWCA Camp Tapawingo

TFS is Canada’s International School

TFS - Canada’s International School is bilingual, co-educational and non-denomina-tional. Renowned for its academic excellence and emphasis on personal development, TFS educates students from age 2 to university entrance.

Our outstanding English and French cur-riculum is designed to provide students with a world view. We are accredited by the Ministry of

Education of Ontario, the Ministry of Education of France and the International Baccalaureate organization.

Students require no prior knowledge of French when applying up to and including Grade 7. Our Introductory French Program gives students intensive French language instruction, following the same curricula as their peers.

Athletics and the arts are an integral part

of a TFS education. Our students also benefit from our rich array of co-curricular programs. All students prepare for the International Baccalaureate Diploma and have the unique opportunity to pursue an IB bilingual diploma.

Want your child to be prepared to be a global citizen of tomorrow?

Learn more about TFS’ Toronto and Mississauga campuses at www.tfs.ca.

TFS - Canada’s International School

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Appleby College sat., Jan. 21, 2012 10:00am - 2:00pm 905-845-4681 www.appleby.on.ca

Crescent school All Grades 416-449-2556 www.crescentschool.org thurs., May 24, 2012 9:30am - 11:30am

holy name of Mary College school sat., feb. 11, 2012 10:00am - 2:00pm 905-891-1890 www.inspireyourdaughter.ca sat., Mar. 31, 2012 10:00am - 2:00pm

hudson College wed. , feb. 1, 2012 7:00pm - 9:00pm 416-631-0082 www.hudsoncollege.ca sat., feb. 11, 2012 12:00pm - 4:00pm sat., feb. 25, 2012 12:00pm - 4:00pm

La Citadelle open house Last thursday of every Month 416-385-9685 www.lacitadelleacademy.com 10:00am

Mps etobicoke sat., Mar. 3, 2012 10:00am - 1:00pm 416-745-1328 www.mpsetobicoke.com

our Kids Camp Expo www.campexpo.ca sun., feb. 26, 2012 12:00pm - 4:00pm

Royal st. George’s College Book your tour today 416-533-9481 www.rsgc.on.ca

tFs - Canada’s international school Age 2 to Grade 1 416-484-6980www.tfs.ca wed., Jan. 18, 2012 9:30am - 11:30am ext. 4247 Junior school: (Grade 2 - Grade 5) thurs., Jan. 12, 2012 9:30am - 11:30am senior school: (Grades 6 - university entrance) wed., Jan. 25, 2012 9:30am - 11:30am

the Linden school fri., feb. 17, 2012 9:00am - 12:00pm 416-966-4406 www.lindenschool.ca

Open HOuseSchedule For Private

& indePendent SchoolS


EDUCATING BOYS: CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES & SOLUTIONS

A special presentation on Wednesday February 1 at 7:00 p.m.

Centrefor Creative Learning, Crescent School

No charge to attend but please register online at

www.crescentschool.org/EducatingBoys

education and camps guide winter 2012 - west ed

Documents

camps education

camp guide town crier

lwkjluofhqwhuhgw education

french education

education guide4teaching

different drummer

teaching boysdoes gender

fun gender gap