Extracurriculars at Sunnybrook School

Qualitative insights

These insights are based on conversations with parents, alumni, and school leadership. Handpicked and curated by our editor, they offer a close look at how the school is experienced and perceived by those who know it best.

The teachers are dedicated and have a long tenure.

Discussions with parents highlight that the long tenure and dedication of teachers at Sunnybrook School reflect a strong commitment to the students' educational and extracurricular development.

The long tenure of the teachers was something that we really appreciate, and we were looking for, as we did our research. The long tenure was a good indicator of, of course, commitment to the school. But what it's also shown us is just the dedication that teachers have to what they're doing. Not only are they committed from 9:00 to 3:30, but then they're also committed in the evenings and on the weekends to all the different activities that Sunnybrook runs.

—Nina and Mark Angelo, parent (beginning in Gr. 1) (see full interview)

It really helps that all the teachers really know the kids. That’s because it’s a really small school, and there wasn’t a lot of staff turnover either. Even if your child is only in Grade 1, the Grade 6 teacher will still know your child. They begin to know them early on, and they do a lot of school activities together with all the teachers. For example, they do this wonderful school musical at the end of the year. The students get to know each other really well, across grade levels. I found it really heartwarming.

—Laurie Levitt, parent (see full interview)

Students are well-rounded and engaged.

Observations from various stakeholders suggest that the encouragement for students to participate in a wide array of activities, from academics to athletics to the arts, helps develop well-rounded and confident individuals.

The IB Programme is a very rigorous program. It is academic, but at the same time it creates a love for learning. And so even if they’re shy and not as confident at the beginning of their time with us, they’re leaving as confident people when they graduate. Everyone is a musician, everyone’s an athlete, everyone’s an actor, everyone is an academic, so to speak. So everyone is everything, and they’re expected to be part of everything. And that makes for a very well-rounded child.

—Teralee Brunn, Principal (see full interview)

There is lots of parent involvement and flexible support.

Feedback from parents indicates that Sunnybrook School provides flexible support for working parents while encouraging active parental involvement in various school activities and a welcoming parents association.

We really encourage parents to help out around Sunnybrook. But at the same time, we do cater to the working parent: we open up at 7:45 a.m. and we close at 6 p.m. So a lot of our parents are working, and we understand that sometimes it is hard to volunteer, but they can volunteer in different ways even remotely. For those parents that can offer volunteering and helping out, they’re more than welcome to come in and help with an art project or be a library helper. They can help out with the musical, or field trips, and really get involved. We also have a parents association where every parent is welcome to come out to meetings, and those are usually after hours so that all the parents can get involved.

—Teralee Brunn, Principal (see full interview)

There are comprehensive and inclusive extracurriculars.

Accounts from students, parents, and alumni indicate that Sunnybrook School prioritizes a wide range of high-quality extracurricular activities, which are integrated into the school’s competitive framework, fostering student involvement and talent development.

My son is very boisterous, very loud, and our one concern was that maybe Sunnybrook would be too small for him. But somehow it wasn’t a problem. For example, we were thinking of the small gym, and the fact that he was very sporty. The small gym wasn’t an issue at all because they do a lot of outside activities. They go to the parks a lot. They do outside activities like curling, skating, rock climbing, gyms, things like that. When you go tour Sunnybrook, one thing you notice is how tiny the gym is, but they do so much to get them outside of that small gym.

—Laurie Levitt, parent (see full interview)

They put on very high-quality art, plays, and athletic activities. They're continually going off-site or finding different, unique ways to use the on-site spaces.

—Clark Savolaine, parent (see full interview)

The third reason would be the attention to extracurricular activities. Sunnybrook has a very high-quality music program, very involved athletics off-site, and very high quality French instruction. You might not think a smaller-size school would be as strong as they are in those areas. But it's clear that Sunnybrook views that as part of its competitive advantage, and has invested in it accordingly.

—Clark Savolaine, parent (see full interview)

You’ve got the ‘big school’ feel in a nice small package. You’ve got sports, you’ve got art, you’ve got music, and they start French in Kindergarten. Just because it’s small doesn’t mean it doesn’t offer all of the things a bigger school would offer.

—Heather Morrison, parent (see full discussion)

Good balance of athletic, creative, and leadership-focused extracurricular activities. It would be great if private piano lessons could also be provided at an additional cost and upon request, and conducted during recesses etc. The scheduling of the activities is also well thought out, as it does not disrupt the pick up/drop off schedules. I also like the teacher involvement with these activities as well. It gives my son a chance of interacting with other members of the school.

—Olivia Kao, parent (beginning 2019) (see full review)

Great neighbourhood. Despite being located on a very busy street in the middle of Toronto, the staff has made the pickup and drop-offs as seamless as possible. Kids have an opportunity to explore the neighbourhood as well in their extracurricular and physical education activities. I love the fact that the kids take advantage of the beautiful environment around them, like the Mount Pleasant cemetery, for their runs and group activities.

—Olivia Kao, parent (beginning 2019) (see full review)

Although it has only been a month, the curriculum seems to have a balance of all the important academic aspects required. Along with interesting units of inquiry, the school also focuses on academic fundamentals. The use of technology, and the addition of coding, helps to prepare the students for a tech-heavy world. Along with a focus on academics, the priority placed on physical education and eating healthily is key and appreciated to ensure that the students are well-rounded. The IB structure is also ideal in creating a positive and dynamic learning environment and will prepare my son for the "real world" when he grows older. The priority placed on music and the arts is fantastic as well, and I look forward to the end-of-year concert and production!

—Olivia Kao, parent (beginning 2019) (see full review)

Musical theatre is a highlight event.

Insights from the school community consistently highlight the annual musical as a cornerstone event, which involves every student and cultivates a strong sense of community and excitement throughout the school.

What's really cool is that everyone takes pride in Sunnybrook School, every year, their music teacher puts on a musical. And the quality and professionalism of this musical is incredible. What happens is that every single student in the entire school participates.

—Nina and Mark Angelo, parent (beginning in Gr. 1) (see full interview)

We had a lot of fantastic musical theatre productions, which I definitely thought really brought a lot of us together. That is something that every single person at the school participates in, everyone has a role, and everyone has a part to play. And that was definitely a big way to bring us all together.

—Kelly Pinch, alum (see full interview)

Independence and responsibility are fostered.

Observations from students and parents suggest that Sunnybrook School's emphasis on uniforms, agendas, and structured responsibilities fosters independence and organizational skills among students, creating a positive and accountable learning environment.

The school teaches you not to be afraid of trying, and that's a very good, very important life skill. It teaches you how to be involved with the community, with your classmates, with things like clubs and co-curriculars. It teaches you to put yourself out there, and to do what you enjoy, or just to try new things.

—Kelly Pinch, alum (see full interview)

My child recently switched from a Montessori environment to Sunnybrook School this year. Although it has only been a month, he is excited to go to school everyday. He loves his teachers, the team events, the extracurricular activities, and constantly chats at home about what he learned. He is motivated by his peers, and is learning to become more independent with respect to managing his homework, and balancing his schedule. The uniform requirement is also a welcome addition. It has taught my son to be responsible in ensuring he has the correct uniform for the specific week day and event. The use of an agenda book has also taught him to ensure that he keeps track of his work, upcoming events, and overall organization and tasks.

—Olivia Kao, parent (beginning 2019) (see full review)

The house system and extracurriculars are inclusive.

Input from parents and students highlights the well-organized extracurricular programming and unique house system at Sunnybrook School, which foster team spirit, leadership, and cross-grade interactions.

Every child is different, but Sunnybrook ended up being a really good fit for our son, too, for similar reasons. They have a house games program that he really enjoys before school. Our son also likes the camaraderie, and the variety that comes along with the specialist programs, French music, art, and PE.

—Nina and Mark Angelo, parent (beginning in Gr. 1) (see full interview)

Our son loves to participate in the house games, which he does basically every morning. It's really great. In the house games, they get to interact across the grades, with older and younger kids. At the end of the year, he got a medal, and he was so proud of how he could contribute to his house game points, by participating and competing in house games.

—Nina and Mark Angelo, parent (beginning in Gr. 1) (see full interview)

One thing that Sunnybrook School does is the house games, dividing the kids into these various houses. For my younger son, who is quite athletic, the house games definitely help him get up in the morning and look forward to school, to go and be a bit competitive, burn off a bit of that energy, and be ready for other learning settings.

—Clark Savolaine, parent (see full interview)

The school offers a variety of extracurricular programs which I don't feel I can speak to extensively since many of them start in grade one. The house system they have in place definitely encouraged the kids to participate in activities and makes them feel they are part of a whole school environment. We are looking forward to being part of some of the other programs as my daughter gets older.

—Laura Waters, parent (beginning 2019) (see full review)

The addition of "houses" creates a great sense of team spirit and accountability for my child. It also allows the students to interact with kids outside of his grade. My son has already made a number of good friends within a short period of time. One of the motivators to move my son from his previous Montessori school to Sunnybrook is the class size. I wanted my son to experience a more "real-world" class experience, without having to be in a very large class where his needs could be forgotten. With only fifteen kids in his class, he has a good balance in learning how to work with other kids, "sharing" the space, and being able to learn from others. The overall size of the entire school is not too big or small, and creates a great sense of community.

—Olivia Kao, parent (beginning 2019) (see full review)

My child loves going to school, and the involvement of parents is great! He is a fan of his teachers, both his core Grade 3 teacher, as well as all of the other specialists (French, physical education, music, library etc). He also likes the assignment of weekly responsibilities, and it gives him a sense of pride in being able to contribute. He has been more helpful at home as well with chores as a result of this! Great bonus! The house environment gives my son a sense of belonging and friendly competition. Events like the Terry Fox run gives him a great opportunity to meet other kids in the same house, and exhibit leadership skills to those younger than him, and learn from those older and potentially wiser!

—Olivia Kao, parent (beginning 2019) (see full review)

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