Interview with Ridley College PARENT, Jennifer Alexander

The admissions process was great. We live in the GTA, so it meant that we had multiple options for schools our daughter could go to. She did apply and get accepted at other schools. It was when we went to Ridley that we really felt that the experience made us feel at home as a family. When my daughter made the decision that she was comfortable with the boarding aspect of school, it was a really easy choice to choose Ridley because it aligned with what we were looking for in a school. It has been an amazing experience for our daughter, and it has really allowed her to thrive. Our decision process in choosing a school was: how do we set our kids up to become the best version of themselves? Ridley has done a fantastic job of that for our daughter.

I appreciate the openness to reach out and talk to the teachers, coaches, and house parents. The access and communication with the school have been fantastic. Their ongoing support as we think about Grade 12 and what postsecondary looks like right now has been excellent. They have helped our daughter determine what is the best path for her, and they have communicated options clearly. Even after graduation, she will still have access to them in the years to come as she thinks about further education. The experience has really outweighed our expectations.

The families are very welcoming. Our daughter has become friends with both boarders and day students. The day students welcomed her into their homes multiple times. Other families have been encouraging and supportive, and as fairly local parents, it has given us the opportunity to be involved in the school, attend sports games, and meet other parents. The parents have been phenomenal. I remember when we were dropping our daughter off for the first time. I was emotional, and another parent came right up to me, put her hand on me, and said, “Here anytime, we’ll talk through it anytime.” It really put me at ease. Parents who have been there for a few years are always open to welcoming and supporting others.

There is so much she is proud of. She entered the school with one sport but has since taken up rowing and done very well. She has also taken on leadership roles, becoming a prefect next year. She has not let any opportunity go by and has really made the most of what Ridley offers. She needs to be proud of that because she has gone right into the opportunities and allowed Ridley to give her everything it has to offer.

The administration is phenomenal. They have a head of school, Mr. Kidd, who knows every student’s name and every parent. It feels like a real family atmosphere, and the teachers and administration make it feel that way. They welcome you and are hands-on, always looking for feedback. The support they have given to us as parents and to our daughter has been phenomenal. With the onboarding process, they were willing to have all the discussions before the decision was made, and now, as students, the access to them has been equally strong. We have never felt we were leaving our daughter at an institution. She is well cared for, and her house mom treats every girl in the house as she would her own children. We can text at any time and get information. We also have two other children, and one of them will be applying to Ridley as their first choice. It has been such a good experience that we want our other children to experience it too.