Observations from students and alumni indicate that Crescent School offers diverse extracurricular options that allow students to explore various interests and find their niche, fostering holistic personal development.
There’s just so much packed into the Crescent community, so many different niches that you can find yourself in. There are people who are interested in music. There are people who are interested in fine arts. There are people who are interested in sports. And they go on to do these things at a very high level. People find a place for themselves at Crescent, and you have all this abundant opportunity. It just kind of felt like a playground where you could pick and choose what you wanted and safely try things out.
Some schools are big athletic schools, others might specialize in drama. One thing that’s really strong about Crescent is it’s a bit of everything. For me, growing up, I had trouble just fitting myself into one category of interests. So I did the plays at Crescent. I was part of the hockey team. I was also doing some basketball growing up. And then I did music, and leadership. I wanted to do as much as I possibly could, and there was really an opportunity to do anything I wanted to do. I was able to find myself in that school and have it carry through to my life today.
Our older son really loved the robotics program at Crescent. It is an exceptionally respected program. It's not just, ‘Oh, we have a robotics extracurricular program.’ This is a top-notch program that you can take great pride in. He worked hard to get into it. The facilities for it, the guidance is second to none; he loves that. Also, just being in an extracurricular program that is so intense has taught him a lot about how to juggle things.
I think that there's something for everyone at Crescent School. That's something I also recognized at the moment, whether you're into artistic, extracurricular athletics, or student leadership, there's really something to cater to everyone's interests. What that results in, is you coming out of high school, really having a good understanding of who you are, what you like, and what you want to do with the rest of your life, maybe in the next few years, at least. I think that is definitely something that is really valuable to have at that age, as a recent grad.
What I appreciated most was having all those open doors available to me. Crescent is an ‘everything school’. Having drama, music, hockey, leadership, all there in one place while also getting that level of education — it felt like specializing in different areas as opposed to just one. It allows different kids of different backgrounds to thrive in that kind of environment.
This is a different track in terms of preparing boys for university. That said, it's a very well-rounded school. So typically we have programs where, outside of the classroom, outside of those scholastic commitments, we have boys who will be involved in multiple different programs. So we'll have students who are on a sports team who are also in a drama production. We'll have students who are on a robotics team and also be involved in community outreach. And I would say that it's a busy place.
It's not a school where you check in at 8:30 and you check out at 2:30. I think if that's what you were looking for, this wouldn't be the environment that I think would be the place for you. We have boys here sometimes as early as 7 in the morning on the field in practices, and right through until 6 or 7 at night. So it can be a very full experience. And we think that's part of the difference. We think that's why parents choose our school, for the fact that we can provide a high-level, quality education and a lot of extras outside of the classroom that then allows their boy to focus during their time at school, as compared to driving them around here, there and everywhere, trying to piece it all together.
Crescent School wouldn't be what it is if it wasn't committed to seeing students succeed, throughout the school and beyond. From the experiences you have in your classroom, to your sports practices, to band practice, to robotics, and everything in between. Crescent School is really committed to helping shape students into the person that they want to be, and make sure that they succeed throughout their time there and beyond.
Crescent School provides so many opportunities to explore yourself and to experience new things, whether it's sports, academics, drama, global outreach, leadership, business, robotics.
My son would say that he's at the best school. He's so proud of where he is. He's always talking about the school and sharing all the different things that Crescent School has to offer. The mentorship program in the Middle School, and how connected the boys are with their mentor, to peer tutoring. If you want to join the theatre, you're into drama, there's always a production, there's always something for a boy to do at Crescent School.
What we were attracted to Crescent for is that it's a very well-rounded program. All three of our sons have absolutely loved their experience at Crescent. Each of the boys is very different. One of them has loved the robotics program and has just really enjoyed his time with his friends and with the teachers as part of robotics, including the competitions. Our middle son is really into sports and athletics, and he's participated in soccer, track and field, cross country, and a number of different things. Our youngest son is a little bit of both. He's involved in music; he's involved in sports. Each of them has found different things that have fit their own unique and individual personalities very well.
I think my advice to new students would be to take risks. This is a very safe environment in which you can test out your understanding of yourself. Make friends, do new things, expand the scope of your perspective. Take advantage of the opportunities at Crescent. If you want to try art, you want to try sports, you want to try robotics, you should do that, because you’ll only be better for it. I look back at my time at Crescent as beyond formational to who I am now.
We started going to open houses, we started talking to parents that were in the school. We saw how Crescent shined, really shined in so many ways. Our question was, should we keep them in the school that they were in until that school was Grade 8, or should we pull them out earlier and move them into Crescent? It became an easy decision. The physical environment at Crescent was so pleasant. And then also the opportunities that Crescent gives them for education. We didn't know at this age if they'd want sports, art, science. Crescent literally gives boys all those opportunities on a top-notch scale. We have not regretted it one bit whatsoever.
I am quite happy with the quality of instruction in Crescent school. The school offers as many activities as possible. Students receive challenges and also encouragements to do their best. The school not only teaches students in class but also teaches them in speeches and in life. Crescent is well known for its lower school choir. Students receive professional training in singing and also in instruments. The choir team attend contests and trips abroad. Crescent teachers are very passionate and they are willing to devote themselves in many extracurricular clubs. They love to communicate with kids when they have questions and they also encourage kids to be good team members, good students and good citizens. Every kid receives both challenges and the support every day in the school life.
—Claire Chen, parent (beginning 2015) (see
full review)
There are lots extracurricular activities offered in Crescent School. By sporting spirit students are cultivated to become a devoted and warm hearted citizen. The outreach program starts in grade 6 and more in middle school. Students can select what they want to do in outreach program and they can learn more when they help others. There are also Science Fairs, Model U.N., Robotics games, Math Fairs for those instersts in the school.
—Claire Chen, parent (beginning 2015) (see
full review)
