REVIEW OF Toronto STEM School BY parent, Alexandra Orlova

(5) Student Experience

My daughter has been attending Toronto Stem School (TSS) for a year. She just finished grade 9. It has been an absolutely wonderful experience for her. She has always been interested in math and technology, so she met a lot of like-minded students at TSS, which provided a great sense of community for her. The school has a very positive atmosphere with zero bullying. My daughter made a lot of friends across different grades. The school provides an opportunity for students to help one another and for peer-to-peer learning. The school is very supportive of all student endeavours and encourages students to explore different academic options. Students are well supported and my daughter has made good friends this year. It has been a wonderful transition from grade 8 to grade 9.

(5) School Leadership

The principal of the school - Mr. Hamed Bahador - spends time with every single one of TSS students helping them navigate the curriculum, talking about their interests, and guiding the students through the challenge of the University admissions process. TSS has managed to assemble a wonderful and caring team of teachers led by an excellent principal. TSS has small classes, so students get a lot of individualized attention from the teachers, which provides great in-depth learning opportunities when it comes to the school curriculum.

(5) Teaching

Because class sizes are small, students are able to work on many projects and presentations in order to advance their understanding of the topics that are being studied. For example, my daughter has created presentations on programming AI robots to disobey bad commands, as well as the impact of house plants on mental well-being, among many others. The school also enables students from different grades to cooperate during club days. My daughter has participated in a robotics club and a computer programming club. Moreover, the teachers are always very accessible and are willing to go above and beyond to explain concepts that are being studied. The whole school atmosphere is very conducive to learning. Students are very well supported by the teaching staff and the principal.

(5) Academics

The school provides many different courses for students to choose from in addition to meeting the curriculum requirements. Students are guided through their curriculum choices by the principal, who personally meets with all the students in the school to discuss their academic choices and plans. The teachers are always willing to go above and beyond in order to help students. The classes are small, so students get a lot of personalized attention. My daughter has also started to take Advanced Placement (AP) courses through the school. She has completed an AP science seminar and found it a rewarding experience that certainly expanded her knowledge and skills outside of the regular school curriculum. She is very much looking forward to grade 10 at TSS and continuing her academic journey.

(5) Extracurriculars

Students at the school have a chance (if they wish) to participate in many mathematics and computer coding contests, such as Pascal, Fermat, Canadian Senior and Intermediate Mathematics Contest, etc. Every month the school has a field trip, which this year included campus visits to a couple of Universities in Ontario, AGO, cooking class and Evergreen Brickworks. The school has a dedicated club day, where students can explore their extracurricular interests.

(5) Students

The student body is diverse. My daughter made a lot of friends across different grades. Since the school has a relatively small student body, everybody has a chance to make friends and fit in. The school has a friendly and collegial atmosphere with zero bullying. Students are always welcome to talk to the teachers as well as the principal and make suggestions. At TSS the student voice truly counts! Students often work cooperatively on many projects both within the classroom as well as during extra-curricular clubs. My daughter had a chance to learn from students in older grades during her robotics club. Students can make suggestions in terms of what type of guest speakers they would like to see or workshops they want to attend.

(5) School Life

TSS is a great place for students. My daughter always looks forward to going to school every single day. In addition to a wonderful learning environment, with small classes and responsive teachers, the school always hosts some sort of workshops, invites interesting guest speakers and has a field trip every single month. My daughter particularly enjoyed a robotics workshop that was organized for the students in the school's robotics club. The school also hosted a dance party for the students, where in addition to dancing students enjoyed karaoke singing and a photo booth. There is always something going on at TSS, so each student can find their niche. My daughter, despite being somewhat shy, made great friends this year who have similar interests to her.

(5) Community

TSS is a small but very tightly-knit community. There is an opportunity to serve on parents' council. The principal regularly holds parent council meetings to discuss school events and opportunities for the students. The school organized a number of events where students, parents and school staff could interact in an informal atmosphere. For example, the school had a winter holiday party and a solar eclipse party, where students, parents, siblings, teachers and the principal could talk and socialize. The school is very responsive when it comes to any sort of parental suggestions. It has been a wonderful experience in terms of finding a community of like-minded parents, students and teachers. When it comes to TSS, students are not just numbers. The school has created a caring atmosphere.

(5) School Location

The school is conveniently located on Eglinton Avenue near Mount Pleasant Road. The school is easily accessible by public transit and is close to many shops where students can get a bite to eat. Students often take walks during lunch hour on some green side streets in order to get some fresh air. It is a perfect location and is very convenient.

(5) Admissions

The admissions process was very straightforward. It required the submission of documents as well as an application online. The school also allowed my daughter to come in and shadow a class when she was in grade 8 in order to decide whether she would be interested in attending in grade 9. TSS principal is very responsive to any sort of questions that parents or students may have about the school or the curriculum. My daughter was interested in Advanced Placement (AP) courses, so the principal took the time to explain various options.