Interview with Crestwood School PARENT, Wendy Baker

The biggest thing for me is that my girls were always happy. If they weren't happy, it was dealt with right away and supported. The environment was nurturing and always positive in terms of staff. Every single door in that school, whether it was a former teacher, administration, principal, or vice principal, the doors were always open.

The school’s communication with me was outstanding, even in terms of emails. As a parent, if I sent an email after three o'clock, there was a response every single evening. They didn't wait till they were working or on the clock. I knew before my head hit the pillow that I would get a response.

Every year, I wondered how we could leave this teacher, thinking we'd never have just as good a relationship or better with the next teacher, but every year we had the same incredible experience with every teacher they had—no exception. We were with the school for a total of 16 years, having a different set of teachers each grade.

I always felt the teachers had a real vested interest in my daughters. The parent-teacher interviews each year showed me that the teachers all had an amazing handle on who my girls were, their strengths, weaknesses, and needs. I felt I could come to them at any time.

My first tour of the school was on a day when the primaries had come back from a skating trip, were having hot chocolate, and every child and teacher looked extremely happy. That was my first introduction to the school, giving me a really good feeling. The environment felt nurturing, and the kids were unbelievably happy.

I liked the separation between the primary building for Kindergarten to Grade 2 and the older kids from Grade 3 to 6 across a laneway.

Standards for student behavior such as kindness, compassion, empathy, sympathy are high. Empathy, compassion, sympathy, kindness, caring are values they want these kids to leave Crestwood with. Teachers work hard to prepare students for moving on to Grade 7, developing a sense of independence, building self-esteem, work ethic, and interaction with others. My girls were well-prepared for their next educational step by the time they graduated.

My twins have different personalities; one is extremely outgoing and social, while the other is more introverted with a smaller group of friends. Yet Crestwood managed to engage both of them fully. Both were extremely active in the school, participating in musicals, sports, eco-committees, and more, which only furthered their confidence and self-esteem. They remember everything positively, from friends to activities to being in clubs, serving as house heads in Grades 5 and 6.

Crestwood prepared them well for their transition to higher Grades. It's a multicultural school and being co-ed was key for me. It's important for boys and girls to interact, as that's real life. This aspect of Crestwood was also crucial for me, giving them confidence to work cooperatively and compete in a co-ed environment.

Academically, Crestwood offers extra help and has an excellent resource program. They teach to the individual child, recognizing the different learning needs and styles of each child. The smaller class sizes and great teachers really allowed them to tap into these varied needs and styles.

I can't say enough about the school; it was a very special place for us, truly helping me raise my girls. It’s interesting that I had already paid the initiation fee for another private school before choosing Crestwood, but within 30 seconds of walking into their building, we had decided that we’re going to Crestwood. This school helped me raise these kids, so I cannot say enough about them.