Gain exclusive insight into life at CGS (Children's Garden School) from our carefully curated video and written reviews that deliver in-depth insider info from parents, alumni and students.
Our Perspective on CGS (Children's Garden School)
CGS was founded in 1986 by Marie Bates, who remains as the principal at the school today. As that suggests, the school has remained very true to the founders’ initial intentions, namely to create a place that provides a strong academic foundation in a caring, open, and supportive environment. While reading, writing, and numeracy are key—just as they should be—so is the development of creativity and social engagement. Bates believes that children learn as much in music class as they do in math class, and she’s right of course. As such, the program promotes links across the curriculum, allowing children to see those connections while also broadening their horizons of interest. The strength of the program is reflected by the reputation that CGS has earned over the thirty-plus years of its life.
Video reviews
Get crucial behind-the-scenes information about CGS (Children's Garden School) from video interviews with probing questions that we recorded live with parents, current students, and recent alumni.
Watch our parent interview with Bessie Mitrakos to get the inside scoop on what it’s like to have a child attend CGS (Children's Garden School).
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Written reviews
Dive deeply into the real culture of CGS (Children's Garden School) with reviews we’ve structured to highlight only the most valuable insights and opinions submitted by parents, students, and alumni.
My husband and I couldn't be happier about our decision to send our 3 year old son to CGS. He h...
Marie, the school's principal is one of the kindest most down to earth people I've ever met. She seems to truly have the students' best interest at heart. Marie is a parent herself so she has lots of wonderful wisdom to share ...
I cannot say enough good things about the teachers at CGS. They are all extremely friendly and kind and seem to really care about the best well being of the children. My son had a short period at the beginning of the school ye...
I have been very pleased with the academic portion of my son's program. From the work his teachers send home, it seems like they do a good balance of Phonics, Writing and Math. I like that they send home completed work regular...
The school offers a broad range of extra-curricular activities. Everything from skating, swimming and skiing to Glee Club, French and Art. Each term they offer a wide variety of before and after school clubs to choose from. I ...
CGS is a small school of under 100 students. Because of this there is definitely a family dynamic. I have been so impressed with the relationships my son has formed with some of the older students in the school. His class is b...
As I mentioned before my son loves CGS and is always excited to return on Monday. Each morning we look at his schedule and talk about what is happening at school that day. His teachers really seem to go out of their way to mak...
There are lots of opportunities for parents to get involved in school life. CGS has a Parent Committee as well as a Foundation Committee. They also do quite a few family oriented activities including a Terry Fox run, Halloween...
The school is located in the Toronto neighborhood of Leaside. It's very accessible, right off of Eglinton Avenue, just East of Bayview Avenue. The school has its own parking lot as well as plenty of side street parking. It bac...
My kids enjoy the nurturing and encouraging school atmosphere created by the teachers and staff...
The school leadership and administration team is very easy to approach. There are various formal and informal communication channels for the parents to communicate with the school, including principle messages, weekly reminder...
Teachers at CGS are generally very passionate and loving. There are many faculty staffs who have been with CGS for a long time and are very knowledgeable and experienced about their subject. The younger teachers are all very p...
The phonics program started at JK all the way thru to grade level is very consistent and systematic, fostering reading skill at an early stage and also continuously reinforcing the rules and applications as the students advanc...
Despite the limited space in the school, the extracurricular program is well designed and integrated into the school life. Resources from the internal school and outside of the school are leveraged. There are about 4 or 5 club...
Early start and kindergarten classes are usually big in size, and when it progresses to the grade level, the classes become a little smaller. There are plenty of opportunities to work, play with students across different grade...
Both my kids love to go to school because there are always exciting things happing at school and they feel secure surrounded by teachers and friends they know well. The enrich academic program is delivered in a systematic yet ...
Parents community are highly involved in the school life. Regular PA meetings are open to every parents. There are lots of volunteer opporutnities throughout the year. It's a warm and close community that we all feel an import...
The school is located in a safe and nice neighbourhood. The construction of the subway line might have an impact on the local traffic. The school ensures that the morning drop off and afternoon pick up is as smooth as possible...
We had 3 children go through CGS and each loved being able to do things that young children are...
The school environment is incredibly nurturing and extremely responsive. Communication with parents and children alike is open and efficient. Issues are dealt with fairly and expiditously. It really benefits from being a small...
The teachers at CGS were excellent. They appear to truly love what they do. After having children there for nearly 10 years, I was amazed at the ingenuity that the teachers had to inject fun and mew ideas to keep children enga...
Children who struggle get extra resources to ensure they attain their learning goals. There are TAs to help children one-on-one to ensure they have a strong foundation in the fundamentals of math and literacy. CGS celebrates e...
There is a strong focus on philanthropy at CGS with monthly character traits learned and awards given to those who best demonstrate that quality. Lots of after school clubs with a variety of options including academically focu...
The school has about 75 students from preschool to grade 3 - a tiny little school. The intimacy of the student group means the kids all know each other and look out for each other. The young ages of the children means that chi...
My children loved going to school at CGS. They knew everybody, people were kind, teachers cared about how they were doing. There is something fairly intangible that makes it such a special place, but is just that...special. I ...
There is a great deal of opportunity for parents to be involved in the school. I was actively involved and found the experience rewarding. The doors are always open to parents there.
CGS is in a great residential neighbourhood. Children often go on field trips, particularly for gym as the facilities at the school are limited due to its small size. The only downside to the current location is the constructi...
Admissions at CGS are very relaxed. There is no formalized testing as it is not a big private school, but more like a community school. They welcome children with a wide range of skills including those with special needs who a...
My kids love CGS. They appreciate the family like feel of the school and how nurtured they are...
The principal of the school, Marie Bates is a phenomenal woman. She has an eye for hiring incredible teachers and she believes so strongly in building our children's character. She has introduced a character trait each month...
The teaching at CGS is well above average. The teachers go above and beyond to deliver a personalized curriculum to the kids. They have creative and engaging ways of teaching the material and utilize a variety of tools to de...
I feel the academic program at CGS is above average. The class sizes are small and the teachers go above and beyond, so that combination creates a very rich academic foundation. The only part of the curriculum I do not find ...
There are lots of ways to get involved and participation in extra-curriculars is encouraged. Principals Club, Glee Club, Cross Country Club, The School Plays (Holiday and Year End), Student Council and Science Fair are a few ...
There are between 70-100 kids at CGS ranging from Early Start (2.5 years old) to Grade 3/4. It is a small intimate school where almost everyone knows each other. I would describe it as a family school, where kids are nurture...
Quality of student life is high. My kids love going to school because they know the teachers love them, they get along well with their classmates (teachers do a great job at bringing out the best in the kids), and they feel c...
Parents are incredibly involved at the school. Among other things, there are monthly assemblies, the parent association, Pancake breakfast, Mother's Day tea, the school plays and grandparents day where families are invited in...
Given the age of the kids, they do not venture outside of the school, aside from when they go across the street to the high school to use their field. Leaside is a community full of families and is quite a nice neighbourhood....
Kelly is the admissions officer (among other things) and she is fantastic. Book a meeting with her and she can walk you through the school, explain CGS' philosophy and answer all of your questions. She is very open and hones...
