Merrick Preparatory School KEY INSIGHTS

Merrick Preparatory School is an academic gem in “The Jewel of the Rideau”, as the village of Merrickville is known. A small school by design and intent, Merrick Prep delivers outsized benefits for its students, unfailingly setting them up for success in and out of the classroom, and on their further educational and life journeys. In every aspect Merrick Prep exceeds one’s expectations of a school of its size in its location off the beaten path.

Catering to a mostly international student body, Merrick Prep is a coeducational boarding school, with limited day and synchronous online student enrollment. The school provides instruction to students in Grades 9 through 12, as well as an ESL Foundation program and a University Qualification Year specially designed for international high school graduate students. The programs in place at Merrick Prep ensure that every student is well-prepared to enter top-ranked universities around the world. And they do–with 100% of graduates gaining entry into their first-choice university.

As much as Merrick Prep emphasizes academic excellence, it also provides an exceptional living experience. One of the most commonly heard refrains is that everyone at Merrick Prep is like an extended family, and that the school itself is like a home away from home. As well, the small size of the campus and student population, and the character of the village, makes for a safe and secure environment. “Our students tell us that this is their home, and our graduates tell us that their time at Merrick Prep was some of the best years of their lives,” says Kevin Farrell, Head of School.

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT AND FACILITIES

Merrick Prep is located in a small town replete with charming historic and heritage properties. Founded in 1794, the village of Merrickville is located along part of the Rideau Canal (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) in eastern Ontario. The grand limestone structure that houses Merrick Prep was built in 1861, and the historic character of Merrick Prep’s home is evident throughout the building, lending a sense of tradition to a modern, progressive school filled with creative energy and community spirit. Outside, students have use of playing fields and courts, and the school has plans to expand the campus with a new gymnasium and sports facility. There are also plans for a new science and technology lab.

The largest addition houses the boarding students’ living facilities. The above-industry-standard suites are up-to-date, generously sized, bright, and comfortable, with each room shared by two students.

State-of-the-art technology in the classrooms enables teachers to integrate digital teaching platforms, and every classroom is sized so that every student is engaged and involved in the daily curriculum. Notably, Merrick Prep also has a robust remote synchronous learning program that is second to none. Designated classrooms are fitted with highly sophisticated cameras and audio equipment that allow synchronous learners to feel as though they are right in the classroom.

DIVERSITY AND THE STUDENT POPULATION

One of Merrick Prep’s slogans is: “Distinctly Canadian—Uniquely Global,” and it is evident that the school adheres to this identity. A significant percentage of the student population consists of international students, with an average of 20 different countries represented at the school in any given year. International students enrol to benefit from small class sizes and focused academic attention while experiencing Canadian culture. Domestic students choose Merrick Prep so that they can broaden their global perspective while pursuing their education. All are there for top-flight academics, and for the opportunity to come to know and understand different cultures and lived experiences.

The cultural diversity within Merrick Prep is one aspect of the student population that receives regular, positive comments from students, their parents, alumni, teachers, and staff. As one alum says, “One of the biggest benefits I acquired during my time at Merrick Prep was that I got to experience diverse cultures through friends and teachers. This taught me a lot.” One student’s parents say that the school’s compassionate, community-oriented approach has allowed their son to “learn for himself about diversity and inclusivity,” and that he “can relate to people of any stamp and understand them.” Students themselves say that the multicultural aspect of the school is one of the things they like best.

The multicultural community within Merrick Prep provides great “opportunity for personal growth,” says one teacher, and “its diversity is a major strength. It broadens minds and provides a true richness of vision and experience,” due in large part to the mindfulness with which it is addressed.

In addition to its diversity, the size of the student body is a defining characteristic of Merrick Prep. Among other advantages, the small population means that everyone knows everyone else—from the Head of School to the newest student at the school. The sense of community is so strong that the people living and working there become like a big family. One alum says that what continues to stand out for him is that “I felt that we became part of a family, and I felt very safe there.” This strong sense of family and community translates into lasting ties between alumni, who remain friends after graduation and whose common connections can lead to positive collaborations in their later professional careers.

COMMUNITY, INCLUSION, VALUES, AND LEADERSHIP

Mounted prominently on an oft-seen wall inside Merrick Prep are the words “Courage,” “Compassion,” and “Community”—the three pillars and core values upon which Merrick Prep is based. Community is paramount, but all three values are intertwined and integral to the school’s philosophy and functions.

Regarding Courage, Farrell says that from the outset it takes a great deal of courage for someone to come to Merrick Prep as a boarding student. By coming to Merrick Prep every student has already begun to develop courage, and to learn that “without experiencing challenges and overcoming them with courage, there is no personal growth.”

The courage to embrace difference is where Compassion comes in, at least in part. In Farrell’s view, students at Merrick Prep learn to employ three main types of compassion on their path to becoming global citizens: Compassion for self, for others, and for the Earth.

Community is the bedrock upon which Merrick Prep rests and is a common thread through all conversations about the school. Anyone connected to Merrick Prep will agree that everyone there is like a second family and that the place is like a home away from home. Merrick Prep’s values of respect, mutual support, compassion, service to others, and shared goals result in community-mindedness that becomes habitual.

ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT

Perhaps the most notable aspect of the academic side of Merrick Prep is its small class sizes. From the outset, the founders of the school deliberately intended to have an international student body, with limited enrollment to ensure small class sizes for focused, individualized attention.

With a maximum on-campus enrollment of 80 students the average class size is 10. The small class sizes at Merrick Prep allow “room for critical thinking and cogent discussion,” says one teacher. While ensuring that every student has full comprehension of the material, teachers are also cognizant of each individual’s well-being. Additionally, the small class sizes facilitate a mutually supportive environment among the students, who gain confidence in all subjects through help and encouragement from their peers.

The teachers as a group are very supportive of one another. “There is a unique collaboration between all the teachers, and we play to each others’ strengths,” says one. “This is the best school I have ever worked at,” is an oft-repeated assertion.

It is not only in-class instruction that sets Merrick Prep students up for success—a lot of it is attributable to extra in-class instructional hours and the structure of their days while at the school. Here they acquire tools and adopt habits that continue to support them once they graduate. (See pp. 28-29 in the in-depth review for more on this.)

Parents also have high praise for the teachers and the quality of the academics and instruction. Parents of current students and alumni corroborate Merrick Prep’s talent for transforming an average student into a high achiever. More than one parent observed that their child gained maturity, responsibility, and independence and that their approach to questions and larger world issues is very analytical and based on reason.

As a preparatory school, Merrick Prep’s raison d’être is, of course, to get students ready to continue their education at a post-secondary institution, and this is another area where Merrick Prep shines. Every student gains a solid academic foundation, the knowledge to see which university might be most appropriate for them, as well as developing the productive habits and life skills needed to succeed once they get there.