REVIEW OF Academy for Gifted Children - P.A.C.E. BY parent, Yuliya M

(5) Student Experience

Our daughter's experience at the Academy for Gifted Children - P.A.C.E. has been rewarding. She has been attending the school since grade 4, and she is currently in grade 7. We have been a part of the school for many years since our older daughter attended P.A.C.E. and graduated from the school shortly before her sister started there. We have always been impressed with every aspect of the school - from P.A.C.E.'s passionate teachers to the challenging curriculum and the exciting and fun extracurricular and social activities. For our family, it has always been important to find a school for our kids that would challenge them academically, teach them the critical thinking skills necessary for their education later at the university, and get the valuable life skills to navigate the world outside of school. P.A.C.E. has been providing all of that. It offers a challenging, yet well-balanced curriculum in every grade; it gives students the opportunities to engage in discussions and debates to practice their critical thinking skills; it also offers exciting extracurricular activities, trips, and social events that provide students with opportunities to engage beyond the classroom experiences.

(5) School Leadership

Communication between the school (teachers and administrators) and the families has been exceptional. P.A.C.E. is committed to its students, their families, and the school's community by fostering a positive school environment, teaching its students values, and ensuring positive educational and emotional growth. If there are any issues related to discipline, they are communicated to the parents immediately and are handled in an appropriate, fair manner. P.A.C.E. administrators take successful student educational experiences at the school very seriously and encourage an environment of kindness and responsibility.

(5) Teaching

We have been extremely happy with the quality of instruction and the curriculum at P.A.C.E. At the beginning of each school year, the school hosts a Curriculum Night for parents, where families have an opportunity to meet their kids' teachers and learn about the curriculum in each subject. There is also very effective communication between the teachers and the parents in case parents have questions or concerns about their kids' academic activities. There are also opportunities for parent-teacher interviews a few times a year, where parents can speak with their kids' teachers individually and get feedback on their academic progress. What impresses me about P.A.C.E. is the way they encourage responsibility for students' own learning by ensuring that each student learns good study habits (e.g. taking notes, recording homework, completing assignments by a deadline). P.A.C.E. focuses on providing gifted education which empowers students with impressive intellectual growth and achievement.

(5) Academics

The Academy for Gifted Children - P.A.C.E. has been providing high-quality gifted education to its students for decades. With two children studying at the school, we were able to see the consistency of a challenging curriculum and the way the school fosters responsibility for one's own learning, intellectual growth, and leadership. I have always been impressed with the variety of educational resources P.A.C.E. uses in their classrooms and the depth of knowledge the teachers instill in their students. With the curriculum that challenges the students, I have to say that P.A.C.E. offers a reasonable amount of homework. The students receive valuable feedback from their teachers in a timely manner. Every day after classes are over, the students have an opportunity to speak with each of their teachers in case they have questions or need to clarify something they are learning.

(5) Extracurriculars

P.A.C.E. offers an impressive variety of extracurricular activities. A few examples are the debate club, Robotics, arts and crafts, dance, chess, drama, and many more. Each activity is a unique opportunity to learn a variety of skills, make new friends, and socialize outside of classroom. You can sign up for one activity a week or participate in one every day.

(5) Students

I have always been impressed by the fact that all students at P.A.C.E. come from families that value education, intellectual growth, and achievement. Also, I have been impressed that the students are not competitive with each other. The school provides various opportunities for students in different grades to connect. For example, P.A.C.E. has a system of student "houses" where students from different grades are placed to participate in "house day" activities. This gives the students an opportunity to meet students from other grades, make friends, and participate in fun sports activities or games as a team. The students at P.A.C.E. are taught and constantly reminded to be respectful of each other and be kind to their peers and the people around them. Both my daughters have always been happy to go to school and spend time with their friends. It's always nice to hear the stories of how they played a game during lunch or got together after classes to work on a project.

(5) School Life

Before the school year starts, each family receives a school calendar and the dates of various events at P.A.C.E. I am always amazed at how busy the calendar is and how vibrant life at the school is. In addition to extracurricular activities, P.A.C.E. offers overnight trips for each grade. The trips include but are not limited to visiting museums, art galleries, or educational centers. Each year in spring, there is a music festival to showcase students' achievements in their music classes. The students also participate in the Festival of Words, the Spelling Bee, and the Science Odyssey. The students also have an opportunity to participate in competitive sports, like badminton or volleyball, individually or as part of a team. P.A.C.E. strives to provide its students with the best educational experience possible and also make room for fun and enriching activities.

(5) Community

As a parent, I have always felt that my feedback and involvement in my daughters' school life and in P.A.C.E. life, in general, is appreciated by the school. P.A.C.E. offers a variety of opportunities for parents to participate in school life. For example, I had an opportunity to become a parent judge at the Science Odyssey and helped my daughters with a fundraising activity they were working on at school. In addition, P.A.C.E. helped me connect with a few families in my area to join the carpool, which greatly helped us with commuting to and from school. I also feel that more experienced P.A.C.E. families are very eager and ready to help new families with answering their questions about academics or other school activities.

(5) School Location

P.A.C.E. is conveniently located in a very nice neighborhood in Richmond Hill. It is easily accessible from all directions. The traffic in the school area gets busy during drop-off and pick-up times, but it is directed well by the school staff to avoid congestion. Starting in grade 7, students can receive their parents' permission to leave the school premises during lunch. It is good to know that there are a few good restaurants within walking distance from P.A.C.E. where students can get snacks or lunch, and they don't even have to cross the road. Student security and safety is one of the top priorities at P.A.C.E. The school building is locked during school hours, so no one is able to walk into the building unnoticed.