REVIEW OF Fieldstone School BY parent, Paola Ortiz

(5) Student Experience

I can't express with words my gratitude towards Fieldstone School. The staff is incredibly professional, and the character and leadership that Sofia developed at Fieldstone are not to be found elsewhere. I choose fieldstone at first because the Cambridge program called my attention, but they exceeded my expectations in all areas. The teachers are super committed to the students' growth, leadership is a must, and that is something very important in our society, and for the positive impact on the community. She is always applying her leadership principles and values to her daily routine. The commitment from teachers is priceless, I was impressed before, but now facing a pandemic they did an amazing job, keeping our kids interested in school, despite the "online" teaching. I highly recommend Fieldstone if you want your kid to develop a strong sense of leadership and a supportive community citizen.

(5) School Leadership

Leadership is AMAZING! my daughter Sofia, was Captain of the Peterson House for 3 years in a row, at first she was not sure about the role, but the school always supported her to develop her strengths as a leader, they have a very good strategy of having a vice-captain which is great for students to learn how to work in community and project planning as a Team. One learns from the other. Her House won the Annual CUP for 2 years in a row, and that shows how much the school supports leadership and growth. The administrative team is always reachable, they are always open to parents' points of view and suggestions. We have very healthy communication with the school at all times.

(5) Teaching

Talking about challenges, I know my daughter's character and I knew that she needs to be challenged in order to perform at her best. Since fifth grade, I noticed that all the teachers were very passionate about their job, they were super supportive of Sofia's personality so they always created new challenges for her, and she responded very well as the curriculum is very strong, she felt that she was learning more than she was expecting, and I really saw that happening. Since then, every single teacher, every year, they do their job exceeding our expectations and making sure Sofia's character is stronger as time passes. The support from the teachers is extremely high, they are always doing the extra mile, to deliver the best. For example; Sofia is taking both English and French Cambridge test, and the teachers were super supportive in teaching her extra hours after school. I can't describe with words my gratitude towards all the staff and directors of Fieldstone.

(5) Academics

I definitely believe that Firestone has the best environment for its students. The academic program they have is very strong in my opinion. I notice that when she speaks to an adult in a reunion, she express herself differently than other kids her age. That's is a very strong reflection of the strong educational character she has developed at Fieldstone. People always ask me which school she goes to, and that is why I decided to make it public, some times we receive amazing things from our kid's schools and we don't take the time to express our gratitude towards their efforts. It is time to remind parents that our kid's education, principles, values, and character are traits so important to cultivate that we need the kind of education that Fieldstone is providing. Of course, our job as parents is 100% the pillar of our kid's next steps in life, but a good school will definitely make a huge difference.

(5) Extracurriculars

Absolutely the best extracurricular activities are a plus at Fieldstone. Due to COVID-19, the school was limited to the activities, but before the pandemic, Sofia, was involved in so many of them, She belongs to the Kilometer Club, Shakespeare Plays, Violin Plays, She was a the Toronto Marathon running the 5K, Cross-country, Volleyball Championships, Soccer Championship, Camp Pioneer- "Leadership Camp", Art Club, and Coding.

(5) Students

I like the fact that students can also interact with International students and learn from other countries. The atmosphere is very nice and full of many colors and cultures. The amount of students per class makes it easier for them to connect and preserve the teamwork spirit. Leadership at Fieldstone encourages students to become family, the House meetings in the morning allow them to know each other, from different grades, and teachers are always pressing forward to help the community values to stand up. I think the leadership programs will be always the best way to create a strong sense of Team Work and Friendship. The outreach programs are also a very good way to make the students know each other and support the community with their efforts as a group.

(5) School Life

I mentioned before that the Staff is five stars and their commitment to creating the best environment for students is priceless. They make feel like your kid is a family member and they feel that they belong there. Communication "students-teachers" is key and they know how to do it. Sofia always feels that she can count on them for anything. She had face not-so-great moments in life, but the teachers were always open to listen and always proactive in their approach to any situation. So the quality of the environment is amazing and she always feels safe around every person at school. As a parent, I feel super comfortable reaching out to any of the staff, also the board of directors to manifest what I feel and they are always there for us. Yes, Sofia, loves attending Fieldstone.

(5) Community

Fieldstone is always open to parents' participation, I always experienced that. I know COVID19, impacted all of us in that area of community events, but I was involved as a parent in activities as; volunteering doing makeup for the actors in a Shakespeare Play, Helping with some cooking for a culture fair, helping with face painting for the kids in a family barbecue, and many more events that I have participated, also the Fieldstone Parents Association as a volunteer a few times, like a said, all before COVID-19, happens. As parents we can always be involved in our kid's school, we have total access to it, Fieldstone is always open to any new ideas and open to parents to become community supporters. Yes, Fieldstone is a great community.

(5) School Location

The School is conveniently located in my personal opinion, they are super close to Yorkdale Mall, and many other stores around it. In case they need to take a walk in a Lunch break, the neighborhood is very safe and there is always someone watching the surroundings. The 401 HW is also 5 minutes away for the students who drive, bus routes are accessible to students a step away from school. The Yorkdale Station makes it easy for parents and Students. Convenient location.

(5) Admissions

I remember my first School tour, I really like the welcome from them, we had a nice tour and we love it, we also received the detailed information and we heard about the benefits of the Cambridge program, which I really liked since, I loved that they weren't pushy or forcing me to decide right away, it was super comfortable to deal with the decisions, and the school board of Directors is the best since. then. They made sure that Sofia really likes the school before we jumped into the enrolment process, then when she felt that Fieldstone was the right fit, they were so helpful with the whole process. I really love and appreciate the Fieldstone Family, and their amazing job in the middle of a pandemic. We couldn't do this past two years if it wasn't because of their supportive and brave team of teachers.