A Strong Start

Does the new calendar year have you thinking about the new school year (as in next September)?
If you are researching schools for your daughter next year, you might want to know that The Bishop Strachan School (BSS) is hosting an Open House for girls and their parents on Wednesday, February 10, from 4–5 pm., with a special focus on Grades 3 to 6 admissions.

Interestingly, Grade 3 is an entry year at BSS, which is not the case for many other independent schools in Toronto. Grade 3 is an important consolidation year in school. Around this stage, students shift from skills like mastering the mechanics of reading to reading for understanding. They are also learning to use the tools they’ve developed thus far to communicate their ideas in their writing. In the Junior School classrooms, the students’ ideas and theories are central to the learning that happens at school.

At BSS, the teachers are deliberate about building community in the classroom—helping the existing girls to welcome the new girls into the culture of learning at BSS, and supporting everyone to feel confident and secure in taking risks.

“It’s about being engaged intrinsically in the process of learning and wanting to learn for learning’s sake, not learning because ‘I’m going to get a sticker’ or because ‘I want to get an A’,” says Patti MacDonald, BSS’s Junior School Principal. “When students focus only on getting an A, they will choose the easiest book to read to ensure they get the best grade. At BSS, we want students to challenge themselves. The motivation really needs to be in the learning.”

In Grade 3, there is also a heavy focus on the development of independence and building confidence in the girls—not really surprising when the school’s motto is ‘Girls Can Do Anything’.

The right school is important. After all, a strong start for your daughter will mean a better finish.

To learn more about The Bishop Strachan School, bring your daughter to the Open House, with a special focus on Grades 3 to 6, on Wednesday, February 10 from 4–5 pm. Register at bss.on.ca.

Individual tours can also be arranged. Contact Cathy Mathison in the Junior School at [email protected] or 416-483-4325 ext. 6021.