REVIEW OF Passages Centre for Self-Directed Learning BY parent, Sonya Goldberg

(5) Student Experience

My daughter has benefited greatly from attending Passages. She had originally attended a TDSB high school, but given her health needs she found it difficult to regularly attend and succeed in her courses. She also found it challenging to make friends. Passages in contrast has been a "soft place" for her to land. She loves the flexibility of the school. She is able to arrive late or leave early when she has medical appts and because Fridays at Passages is a non-school day we can schedule her reoccurring appointments on this day of the week. It is also a great day to work or volunteer. My daughter loves the flexibility Passages offers. She can follow her passions and engage with other learners who also want to pursue the same interests. Because passages doesn't separate ages, she is able as an older student to mentor younger students. For example, last year she tutored several students in math and digital art. This has been great for her self-confidence and has allowed her to make friends at the school more easily. The mentors/teachers at Passage who support students are incredibly caring and check in with students on a daily basis to see how they are doing. The weekly individual check-in meetings ensure that my daughter stays on task and achieves the goals she has set for herself. She loves how they help support and foster her interests. For example, because of the mentors, she has learned sign language and piano. These are skills she wouldn't have likely tackled at a traditional high school. Finally, we love that Passages is a small school in a very welcoming setting. My daughter knows all the students and mentors and feels very comfortable. We love that there are spaces to socialize and do group activities, but also spots that are quiet and allow students to focus. The kitchen, art room and gym encourage students to be creative and active. Additionally, Wednesday field trips allow students to explore the city in ways that traditional schools won't have time for. These field trips foster independence, and active learning and allow students to further engage in hands-on learning.

(5) School Leadership

Passages approaches school leadership in a different manner than most schools and is one of the reasons why students flourish. Instead of teachers offering courses and providing direct learning, Passages uses a mentoring model that works to meet students where they are rather than "where they should be". Weekly programs are dictate by student interests and passions, and thus students are excited to learn from the school leadership. Kristina and Ember who "lead" Passages are extremely kind, supportive and engaged, thus ensuring that students are fully supported emotionally, socially and academically. Disciple issues are minimal at Passages for a variety of reasons. The small school environment ensures that any issues that arise are dealt with quickly and appropriately. When necessary parents are informed, consulted and supported. The school is run via a community decision-making model, meaning that students collectively decide the "guidelines" of the school. This means that students fully understand the expectations and when problems arise students and mentors collectively work to solve these. Kristina and Ember are always available, and in any case that my daughter has had difficulties with another student, they have both been there to help solve. My daughter feels fully supported by the staff at Passages.

(4.5) Teaching

Teaching at Passages is unique and focuses on meeting students interests, passions, both celebrating their strengths and helping to overcome challenge in a incredibly kind and supportive environment. Learning at passages is fun and rewarding, thus encouraging students to want to be at school and make learning a priority. Along with Kristina and Ember, Passages utilizes highly educated and experienced interns and volunteers from a variety of backgrounds such as teacher's college, social work and youth and childhood services, which creates an incredibly empathetic and engaging teaching environment. These mentors are one of my favourite parts of Passages for my daughter. Each student is assigned a mentor that meets with them weekly. This mentor is always available to parents should they want to discuss their students' progress or challenges. The staff at Passages are only an email away, and Kristina is always available for a phone call or in-person appointment to discuss your student's progress. This connection between students, parents and mentors is one of the unique and great aspects of Passages. Programming offered at Passages is always changing and reflects the interests and passions of students and it is the job of Passages staff to foster this. For example, a number of older students were interested in taking their G1 (driving test), so one of the mentors offered weekly practice sessions. Additionally students are often learning from one another allowing students to develop leadership skills and be inspired by their peers. This environment allows students to take risks, knowing that they will be fully supported.

(4.5) Academics

The academic culture of passages is unique as students are not typically working towards a high school diploma. That doesn't mean, however, that students won't attend post-secondary education. Quite the opposite! Kristina and Ember ensure that all skills, knowledge and certifications that Passages students learn/receive are captured in a detailed portfolio. This means that students from Passages can apply to post-secondary as mature students, with little complications. Students at Passages follow their academic passions and this allows them to spend significant time on areas of learning that excite them. In a traditional school where students must move on to the next topic regardless if they are still engaged, at Passages students can delve deep into their learning. For example last year my daughter spent significant time focused on such areas as Math, sign language, piano, digital art, and developing leadership & conflict management skills.

(5) Extracurriculars

One would think that given the small size of Passages that extracurricular opportunities would be minimal. However, the unique structure of Passages actually allows these "extras" to be part of the curriculum rather than an add-on. Each Wednesday students have the option to go on a local field trip with Passages staff. These field trips allow students to explore Toronto and participate in experiential learning. These Wednesday trips are fully optional, so students may choose to stay at school and work on other passions. This flexibility is unique to Passages. In additional Passages has a large gym, bowling alley and full kitchen allowing students to participate in daily active play, games, cooking and baking. Lots of mentor support is provided in this area, often with these mentors having specialized skills in area such as physical therapy, social work and teacher education. Equipment such as sewing machines, a 3-D printer and a huge art supply cabinet, means that students can pursue so many unique interests that aren't always available at home or traditional schools. It is common at Passages to find a couple of students returning from the local grocery student to buy supplies to bake cookies for the other students! Passages students are encouraged to create clubs based on their own interests. So instead of teachers offering extra-curricular activities that students join, students are encouraged to create their own clubs, thus fostering leadership and team work. Last year my daughter helped create and lead the "Skittles Club" which was a club to support LGBTQ+ and neuro-atypical students. Non-Passages students (often home schoolers) were encouraged to also attend, allowing further opportunities for students to make friends and connections. This was also helped to create a large sense of community.

(4.5) Students

As mentioned above Passages is a very small school with approximately 20 students ranging from age 10-18. This allows for a very welcoming and supportive atmosphere. Students at passages are encouraged to take leadership roles and work collaboratively with students. Projects aren't driven by staff interests, but rather by student learning. Senior students are trained in conflict management and are brought in if issues arise. In the event that further support is necessary, mentors are just steps away to support this student-led problem-solving model. School guidelines are regularly reviewed to ensure that students feel welcome and supported. Collaboration and student leadership are central to the spirit of the school. The relationship between students is unique and special at Passages. Younger students learn from older students. Those with special skills are encourage to share them with others who have similar interests. There are many opportunities for students to collectively tackle their passions and in the process make friends with one another. Often students will form clubs to support their shared interests, and this allows those not exposed to these skills to become involved too.

(5) School Life

Passages is a safe place for students to land that have found traditional school challenging or homeschoolers that are looking to make friends and collaborate. For many years, attending school was challenging for my daughter. Classes were too large and overwhelming, making friends was difficult and accessing supports wasn't always easy. In contrast, my daughter finds it easy to attend Passages and access supports necessary. She learns at her own pace and has made new friends. In particular, my daughter finds the supports provided by the mentors key to why she wants to be so excited to go to Passage. Whenever she is stumped or has a question, the mentors are there to direct and support her. They are also there as support system for students, offering confidential advice and helping students to problem solve, so they can tackle their own problems. Passages is an extremely welcoming place for students and for students who haven't always found acceptance and support in traditional schools. Passages offers a wonderful alternative.

(5) Community

Parents are an integral part of Passages. Parents' perspective is highly valued. Parents are encouraged to attend monthly school meetings and sit on the school's board of directors. Kristina is available daily for office hours, for any parents that have questions or concerns. Support is just a virtual visit, email or phone call away! Because I drop off my daughter at passages each day I often have a short conversation with the mentors and several students. As a parent, I always feel welcome in the building. Several times a year, Passages runs parent events to celebrate student learning. These are excellent opportunities for parents to meet one another, along with staff, volunteers and students. They also get to see all the great work students are tackling. Parents are also encouraged to volunteer at Passages, offering supports in areas that they have expertise in. Yet at the same time Passages recognizes that many parents are busy, and as such meets parents where they are and fully accepts and values the level of participation they can provide.

(5) School Location

The Passages' building is located on the Danforth steps away from Chester station and as such, means the school is highly accessible by transit. Just steps outside the school are many unique shops, restaurants and a large grocery store. The school is very much part of the community that surrounds it and this makes the school quite special. This past year, the church that housed Passages (which is by no means associated with school) supported 30 or so refugees. These sorts of connections create a wonderful sense of community and support that Passages students get to experience and value. The building itself that houses Passages is welcoming with different spaces to meet different needs - academic learning, socialization and active play. My daughter also uses a cane/wheelchair and she can move easily around Passages, both inside and outside.

(5) Admissions

Learning and applying for Passages is not challenging. Passages offers regular online sessions to allow parents and potential students to learn about what makes Passages special and worthwhile. In addition, families are encouraged to come visit Passage for a tour. Ample opportunities exist on such tours for parents to asks students and staff questions and see how learning happens. Finally, and probably most special, Passages offers Discovery Weeks. Discovery weeks allow potential students to attend Passages for a full week and get a real sense of what the school is like and if it is the right fit for their style of learning and academic and social goals. It was after our discovery week that my daughter knew that Passages was right for her. Unique to Passages compared to many other schools, is that students are admitted throughout the year. Students who are struggling at their home schools may feel they have no other options other than remaining where they are (despite their struggles) or dropping out until the next school year. However, Passages allows students to enrol anytime between Sept and June. After doing her discovery week, my daughter was invited to attend Passages for the last 3 weeks of the school year. This allowed her make friends prior to the start of the next school year and made her September start for less scary or stressful. Finally, Passages is unique in its admission process as it considers the financial situation of its families. Tuition is on a sliding scale, allowing those with less financial support to still attend Passages. This certainly stands out as a special feature of Passages and represents one of the core principles of Passages; equity in education and strong social justice principles.

(4.5) University placement and counselling

We are just starting this process as my daughter has at least one more year at Passages and because of health reasons may delay attending post-secondary school another year. As a result, I can't speak directly to this process. That being said, I know that Kristina and Ember work with each student throughout the year (well before they apply to post-secondary) to help create a detailed portfolio of their learning and help them recognize their long-term goals. This acts as evidence to allow students to apply as mature students. Kristina understands very well the process of applying to post-secondary as a homeschooler or mature student and helps students/parents work through this process. In addition, Kristina, Ember and the mentors work with students throughout their school year to help them recognize and foster their academic passions so that they find what areas of study are best suited to them. Along with students and parents, they help them research the types of programs and specific schools that would be right for them. I'm confident when it comes time for our daughter to choose programs and attend post-secondary, she will have all the support she needs from Passages.