“I wanted to express my personal appreciation for how SJSH is continuing to provide education throughout this COVID time.  I cannot tell you how many times I have told people I have talked to that Matthew and Samantha are still in full school mode despite learning from home.  I am very proud of them and your staff for making this possible.  I can personally attest to how much work it is to bring a traditional face to face class to a new, on-line delivery mode.  I can only imagine that you are having the same, and possibly more challenges.  You and your teachers should be commended for what you have accomplished in this short period of time.  Thank you for all that you are doing!!!

2020-06-08

Hi Cheryl-  Michael and I want to give a huge shout out to Mrs. R, Mrs. Towriss and Mrs. Farrell. I know I don’t need to tell you how proud you should be of them. They are always going above and beyond for the kids and have done a fantastic job at keeping their classes connected in these crazy times. They are all shining examples of the SJSH difference. To see how much the kids miss them and want to go back to school to see them just makes my heart swell.
Thanks so much for everything you and all the admin staff are doing as well. You are all so wonderful and we all appreciate all you do.
For the first time ever, my kids cannot only show me what they learn but have developed a clear passion for learning. They are excited to learn and to teach us what they are learning. I don’t have to nag my kids to do their school work – even with the change to online. They want to work. They want to learn. Zach left the system last year reading A level books. It was a chore for him and something he just didn’t want to do. Now – I am forever tripping on Dogman and Captain Underpants books in his room. He is reading J level books happily. Give all three of them the choice of TV or a book and they will now ALWAYS choose the book. That credit goes to SJSH. You have all given them the tools and the confidence to explore and learn not just in the classroom, but in the world around us.
We are forever thankful to have found SJSH!
Thanks so much,
Dawn, Michael, Josh, Zach and Chloe

A lot of people have been asking how Nickolas is doing at his new school. I won’t go into too much detail of why he left his public school, but as a parent I am glad I listened to what he was saying and validated his feelings. He has gone from getting in trouble for tripping over his snow pants to excelling at an amazing school. Nickolas was not challenged where he was and not complimented or encouraged. He is now doing amazing. Since January he has done a science fair project, two book reports, a speech (memorized), a project on Nauryz, and a spelling bee.

He is doing fractions, multiplication, and two column math (with carrying). He is treated with respect and kindness and is loving and excelling at his new school. He has regained his self-confidence, and can’t wait to come home and do homework. It goes to show that when you love children, and teach them with the respect they deserve they will grow and develop. Thank you Scholars’ Hall for showing children how incredible they are, and helping my son rise to his full potential! I have my confident son back!

I just wanted to write you a quick note to say ‘Thank You’ for all you and your staff do to provide an environment that both nurtures and challenges our daughters to be the best they can – and to be confident in their abilities. I know I don’t say it enough – but Thank You.

Hello Mrs. McKee !! So happy to hear from you.
My last exam is on Thursday. My marks are great (90%+) and I’ve been studying pretty hard, so I’m not worried. I have to admit, from the beginning, I haven’t been able to keep off my mind how prepared Scholars’ made me for Nursing Degree. The skills I obtained at Scholars’ are ones other students, ages 20+, aren’t even close to. I’m the youngest in my class and the only one, straight out of high school, without Pre-Health. Even doing Chemistry online at Scholars’ was great because now my Anatomy and Physiology classes are online and I find them a lot more manageable because of my experience on line at Scholars’. Most nurses in my program don’t even know what APA* is, which surprised me. I’ve never gotten any marks deducted as a result of my written format. I’m probably the happiest and most independent I’ve ever been and I don’t think I would have felt as prepared as I am without my Scholars’ experience. I am proud to say that I am from Scholars’ Hall Private School. When people ask if it is filled with geniuses, I have to say yes, because it’s absolutely true for every individual at Scholars’ Hall. Everyone is a genius in their own way and Scholars’ brings that out in every student attending. Tell everyone I say hi and that I miss them all very much !! Have a great week.

( *APA is a university writing style taught at Scholar’s and expected at university )

Fred!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the commercial!!!!
Thank you so much for including my kids! It is WONDERFUL! And they are so proud of themselves.
There is so much talent within the walls of your school. Aside from all the academics, discipline, etc. the biggest thing you have offered my children is security, self-confidence and ‘an ear’. They know they are heard – they may have to work hard at being ‘understood’ – but they ‘know’ they are heard. My twins’ talent(s) would never have surfaced had it not been for you, your beautiful wife, the lovely Ashley, your wonderful teachers and your amazing (also incredibly beautiful) daughter – and your majestic son-in-law whom we all love.
You’re pretty majestic too….!
I am such a proud mama.
Thank you Fred.

April 1, 2015 – KW RECORD NEWS STORY

This poor kid should be at Scholars’ Hall where he will not be treated differently for his differences. It saddens me that not everyone knows about this little piece of heaven at SJSH. Thanks for providing this for my children!!!

Fred!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the commercial!!!!
Thank you so much for including my kids! It is WONDERFUL! And they are so proud of themselves.
There is so much talent within the walls of your school. Aside from all the academics, discipline, etc. the biggest thing you have offered my children is security, self-confidence and ‘an ear’. They know they are heard – they may have to work hard at being ‘understood’ – but they ‘know’ they are heard. My twins’ talent(s) would never have surfaced had it not been for you, your beautiful wife, the lovely Ashley, your wonderful teachers and your amazing (also incredibly beautiful) daughter – and your majestic son-in-law whom we all love.
You’re pretty majestic too….!
I am such a proud mama.
Thank you Fred.

Hi Fred,
Happy New Year! Hope you had a wonderful holiday.I wanted to touch base with you regarding Melissa. We wanted to let you know that our plan is for her to continue at Scholar’s Hall throughout her high school years. We are so thrilled with Melissa’s progress and that she looks forward to going to school. She is even working on her homework of her own volition when I get home from work in the evening. And she is very happy that her best friend, Mya, is now attending St. Jude’s.
I also wanted you to now that I recently had a meeting with Diane from CFIB and she had mentioned that you had also become members. She said that she was really impressed with the way you interacted with the kids and how they responded so respectfully. I am so glad that we chose to have Melissa attend Scholar’s Hall!

Hi Fred,
Cassandra attended Scholars’ Hall for Grade 3 and Grade 4 after we removed her from the local Catholic School where she was horribly bullied. While she totally enjoyed being here and her grades soared, we worried about the class sizes being so small. While she had several really good friends, we were concerned about her not meeting kids in our own neighbourhood. When she attended Guides, she was always by herself because the other girls went to the local school together and did not include her.
Dave and I mistakenly decided to move her from Scholars’ Hall for the next two years (Grade 5 and Grade 6) to place her into the local Public School.
Our little experiment proved to be a huge disaster. Cassandra did not fit in well in the large, unruly classrooms. Her grades dropped, she was extremely unhappy and the girls in her class still did not include her in their groups at Guides. She ended up being very lonely.
This fall (2012), we have decided to bring her back to Scholars’ Hall. Cassandra has not stopped smiling since we told her. It was then that I realized something very important I had rarely seen her smile in the last two years. Her whole attitude has completely changed (for the better), knowing that she is coming home to her Scholars’ family.

You better pay attention,
And your teacher will help you
With your hesitation.
Math, language, English and more!
Flash cards, smiles, Fun, learning galore!
You’ll learn at your own pace,
Take your time course it ain’t a race!
Recess, gym, games are a whole lot of fun,
But when it comes to your work,
You know its to be done.
Tick tock, on the clock,
Getting ready to do your best
For a pop quiz, question or test.
Respect your teacher, principal and staff
Cause Math ain’t the time to laugh.
They will teach you lots of strategies
And don’t forget your locker keys!
Be nice to your friend
And try your best till the day’s end
All the way till three weeks.
Ask questions and don’t sneak peaks.
They make a lot of sense,
You’ll never feel tense!
Come right in,
Or give us a call.
Remember it’s Scholars’ Hall.
You’ll learn a ton
And have so much fun!

Hello Mr. Gore,
My daughter, Tasha, came to your HomeWork Club about three years ago. I had put her with you as she was pretty much flunking Grade 11 Biology (and most of her other courses). Well, that tutoring did pay off and she got her pass. But the really good news is, because of the tutoring, she really began to take an interest in Biology and Chemistry. I am pleased to say she really kicked it up and graduated high school with most of her marks in the 80’s and high 70’s (considering she was in the 50’s – that is huge). She has now been accepted to Georgian College for their degree program in nursing, starting Sept/2012. So, I wanted to say thanks! And a big thanks to her HomeWork Club teacher. If you ever need a testimonial, please let me know.

Dear Ms. Kuzyk and Mr. Gore,
Thank you again for a great day. Hannah loved being in your class and is very proud of what she accomplished today. We loved reading about her day but I think she word for word told us all about it as well! She is very excited to take what she did today to her public school tomorrow and show her teacher. (Not sure if that’s going to go over well in my parent teacher interview!). I can already see how much she is going learn at Scholars’ Hall. You have already done wonders with her reading in only one day. She pointed out all the things you taught her in her home reading book tonight and read it with no trouble at all. She was very proud of herself and I think that somehow today you instilled a new form of confidence in her. Thank you again and we hope to see you on our next PD day and more often once she starts full time at Scholars’ Hall this July 2012!

Dear Mr. Gore,
I would like to thank you for paying our way to the leadership camp. We did many fun things there that I am happy to bring back to our school. All five of us who went have so many great ideas to get every one more involved with each other and with the school.

The first day of the camp, they put us in to our cabin groups and we had to run around and do an amazing race activity. I got along with all the girls and everyone was very nice. That was fun and as we moved on our team ended up almost winning! Throughout the whole trip we had LD sessions which taught us how to get people involved and make people feel welcome. That was really fun. I enjoyed everyone in that group.

We also had, throughout the whole trip, many workshops. We did three at different times. My first one was student council. There they taught us how to get more people involved in joining. The next one was building community. They blind folded us and made everyone follow a rope to get to our destination. We ended up doing that for about half an hour and when we took off our blind folds we realized that we were walking around in circles the whole time! That was funny. The last one I did was about justice. This workshop taught me how to destroy the cliques in the school and to make everyone one big family. I feel the workshops helped me a lot to learn how to build up our school community.

We got extracurricular time and in that time we could do many things such as yoga, football, crafts, work out, etc.That was fun, and the girls always invited me to join them in their games!

Bed time was at 11:00 pm, but my cabin always stayed up an extra half hour to chat about our schools.
My favorite thing about the trip was the talent show. All the cabins had to do an act and perform it in front of all 200 people. It was so funny and I laughed very hard. My group ended up doing the bachelorette show and everyone thought that was very funny.

I had so much fun, and again I would like to thank you so much for giving me the opportunity
to go to the camp. I feel it is going to be a great way to build our school community in the future and a great way to plan out other events for our school to join in. I am very fortunate to go to a school like Scholars’ Hall where we already are very close with everyone. I realized how lucky we are when I talked to kids from other schools. They have so much daily drama and they lack a sense of community. Our school has confidence and we are pretty much one big family.

I not only came back with new leadership skills but I left my stage fright behind. That was the toughest thing about the camp – beating my fear of performing in front of large groups. Again, thank you so much for the awesome trip, you truly are the best!

Dear Mr. Gore,

I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity of going to the OEL Conference this year. I really enjoyed it. I know that you paid for the trip expenses and all the fees, for which I am grateful. Besides having a lot of fun it was a great life experience and I have learned many things that I will share with the students in our school.

One of the most important things I have learned there is that our school is the best and this is because of you. I have talked with many kids from different schools and they were all complaining that their school had a lot of violence and drugs. We were the only school group that didn’t have to talk about bulling, drugs, violence or having a messy school because in our school these things don’t exist.
I want to thank you again for everything.

Hi Fred,
I wanted to send you this email to let you know how pleased my husband and I are on Meghan’s progress. She is so happy at your school and her marks are a reflection of her positive attitude and hard work.
Thank you,

Hi Mr. Gore,
Emily did very well in her last semester of grade 12 at Galt Collegiate with an average of 94%. She was accepted at The University of Waterloo, Guelph University, and also McMaster’s in Hamilton, but she decided to pick The University of Waterloo and she wants to major in one of the social sciences, since her greatest interest is in psychology. There’s no doubt th at the main reason for her turn around was her attendance at Scholars’ Hall for grade 10, 11 and the first semester of grade 12. Thanks very much for everything, and we all wish you good health and happiness…

Dear Mr. Gore,
It is hard to put in words appreciation that Ivan, Nada and I have for Scholars’ Hall and the work you and your staff have done and are doing. Scholars’ is fulfilling one of the noblest missions one can think of. Eight years have passed since we visited Scholars’ Hall for the first time but that meeting with you is still vivid in our memory. At that time we were at the grips of anxiety about Ivan’s progress at school. You assured us that Scholars’ Hall would look after everything related to Ivan’s academic development, relieving us from a tremendous burden. As you said, we just had to make sure Ivan gets a good night’s sleep and a good breakfast before coming to school. Ivan grew b not only academically but personally. He has built self-confidence, understood, faced and worked on overcoming his difficulties, developed into an independent, caring individual with versatile interests and a remarkable character. All this would not be possible without an effective approach, well thought out and honed through practice, that Scholars’ became renowned for. Moreover, Ivan had a privilege to interact with and benefit from great many fine teachers and educators.
With great pleasure we would like to let you know that Ivan got early acceptance to all programs that he applied to at various colleges. He had a privilege to select the one he found to suit him the most and that is Construction and Architecture Engineering Technology at Conestoga.
Kind Regards to Your Staff and You …. Best Wishes to Scholars’ Hall!

Dear Mr.Gore:
I wanted to take the time to thank you for all you are doing for my family. The day we had the conversation about Emma joining Scholars’ Hall will always be a memorable moment in my life. That was a moment I have never experienced before. You went above and beyond to make it happen. Your kindness will make a difference on my children’s lives and I want to thank you and thank God for leading us to your school.
You welcomed my children into your family with open arms. Your teachers are amazing and so caring. I had my initial experience with Mr. Calahan and now Mrs. Dick. They are remarkable. Even the older students say hi to Brennan as he enters the school. Brennan’s home room teacher today greeted him warmly and welcomed him to class. Your administration team is so warm and always willing to help out. Jesse and Mary are really trying to show Emma all the great things she has to look forward to. What a wonderful team/family you have. My children LOVE going to school!! Not many kids can say that. We are proud to be apart of the Scholars’ Family. I just want to say thank you and let you know that you will always hold a special place in our hearts. God bless.

Dear Mr. Gore,
Just recently I have won 2nd place in a bra design contest for Wonder Bra. Not only did the head of wonder bra personally acknowledge me, but also she wanted a picture with my design and myself. The design was for an event called “Braz for a Cauze” (Breast Cancer Foundation). Another assignment I earned 90% and placed 3rd in my division. Only 6 student designers will be invited to go to Fashion week in Toronto to display their collection. I really hope to be one of those six students designers.
My classes are running very well. The Scholars’ teachers who taught me all those years gave me the ability to stay focused; to take everything in like a sponge and to use my abilities to become a creative designer. Please thank the teachers at Scholars’ for me. They taught me the ability to keep with it; not give up on assignments easily; and that it’s OK to ask questions because most of the time it actually leaves an impact on not only the students but also my professors.
To the teachers I’m grateful; to you, I’m most grateful of all. I believe that a little bit of Scholars’ Hall is with me always with a b voice to be dedicated, open minded and have the courage to do anything I can set my mind to.

We just wanted to take a quick moment out and say thank you to you and your team at the school. They say it takes a community to raise a child. Your community has helped Eric focus, develop his talents and learn a few life lessons. I`m certain that without your infrastructure he would be like many of his male friends preparing to repeat next year to upgrade their marks and likely ill prepared for the next step in our increasingly competitive society. Please share our thoughts with those on your team. A heartfelt thanks for being part of our journey.

Dear Mr. Gore,
Alex’s graduation today is a very special and emotional event for us. When we first came to you four years ago we were concerned that Alex might not get the education he deserved. Scholars’ Hall gave Alex that opportunity.
The patience and support you shown to Alex was essential in allowing him to learn and grow while he was at Scholars’ Hall. We want to express to you our deepest gratitude for everything Scholars’ has given Alex and our family. You believed in Alex and never gave up on what he could achieve. This has made a world of difference for Alex !

Dear Mr. Gore,
This is a note of thanks for making Alex’s 7 years at Scholars’ Hall a memorable and comfortable experience. Starting at Scholars’ 7 years ago was a risk but it was well worth it. You have great philosophies, “You parent and we’ll do the teaching.” That is so true since this has made Alex an independent learner. Also your other philosophy, “It is easier to solve a little problem rather than big ones.” We loved your open-door policy towards problems as well as how fast they were rectified. Your staff was always helpful and patient with Alex and accepted him for who he was.
We believe Alex learned life-long skills such as time-management, organizational skills, self-sufficiency and that hard work will get you somewhere.
Again we would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts, we certainly appreciate Scholars’ Hall.

Dear Mr. Gore,
The last four years have been the best years in our son’s education, if not his life. It is difficult to describe how grateful Marcia and I are for all that you and your school have done for Thomas. When we first heard the recommendations about your school from other parents, we found them hard to believe. I have spent considerable time in the educational field myself (three university degrees and 12 years as a teacher), and had never heard of the kind of successes other parents described their children having at your school. Now Marcia and I are among those parents praising Scholars’ Hall.

In the past four years Thomas has gone from fear and anxiety to hope and ambition for his future. He was crestfallen and lost when we brought him to your school and now he has a vision and self confidence. It is not just his maturing that has done this but the whole approach that you and your teaching staff provide. Your focus on rekindling a child’s desire to learn, celebrating every success and building the skills needed for life long learning have given our child the chance to dream again. To see that he can achieve what he wants to do, despite his disabilities. Before Scholars’ Hall, Thomas knew only that he was not as “smart” as others. Now that you have given him the skills he needs, he knows he is every bit as capable and is confident he can achieve.

Please accept Marcia’s and my most heart felt thank you and deepest gratitude. Thank you for all you have done for our son. Our only regret is that we did not place Thomas in your care sooner.

Hey Mr. Gore, it’s John again.
I just wanted to thank you again for your support and the great reference. The Reference aside, I just wanted you to know that you and Scholars’ Hall is, perhaps, the main reason that I have made it so far in academics and as a person. As a person you inspired me when I was younger and as a school Scholars’ Hall showed me that I can accomplish anything. I have always admired and respected the way in which you carry yourself and interact with people; you are a role model and, if you don’t mind me saying, I have always considered you as my mentor. Thank you once again for your ongoing support, and I will let you know how I make out with law school.

Dear Mr. Gore,
As my son’s final term before graduation draws to an end, I wanted to write and extend heartfelt thanks for the superb educational experience that your school has provided during my child’s twelve years of attendance. Enrolling my son in Scholars’ Hall was, undoubtedly, the wisest investment I ever made and certainly, the one that has yielded the greatest dividends.

Reflecting upon what makes Scholar’s Hall so exceptional, I could emphasize the many unique features of your school: its status as the singular nondenominational private school in the Waterloo region, its beautiful location, large well-lit classrooms that contain no more than 15 students in any one class, its course offerings at many different levels of study and, not least of all, its commitment to providing students with as much as a full month’s worth of additional instruction over the course of the school year.

However, it strikes me that Scholar’s Hall is much more than the sum of these remarkable features. In my experience, Scholars’ is a school with a heart, responding to students with empathy, kindness, encouragement, and respect. It is a school with a backbone, scrupulously, ensuring that any behaviour that could mar the academic experience, such as bullying, harassment or rudeness, is responded to promptly and with meaningful sanctions.

As a parent it is always tempting to claim sole responsibility for a child’s success; however, I recognize that Scholars’ Hall has played an invaluable role in cultivating the very best in my child.