I have believed for quite a long time that our school is the best possible education but there have been a number of things happen over the past while that have cemented that realization.

It was Chris Hadfield that got me thinking about this again. We sometimes take what we have for granted but when he told the students that they were in a great place (Mentor/TEAM) to learn in a great country, it was a great reminder. There are students right in our neighbourhoods who do not have the same opportunities as our kids do and there are many countries in the world where sadly, education is a privilege at best (and where simply seeking an education can make you a target for terrorism).

Last Wednesday night, I had the opportunity to hear a homeroom of Mentor Grade 10 speeches. And while only one of those speakers will get the opportunity to say their speech again (at tomorrow’s Speech Contest), every one of those students will be asked to speak in public dozens of times in their lives. The experience with Speech Night every year puts our students at a competitive advantage in post-secondary education and long into their employment years. If you need proof, just click on this CTV news link to see how polished our students are in front of the camera!

Over the past two days, I have heard from perfect strangers how wonderful our kids are. At yesterday’s HS wrestling tournament, guests (parents) commented on how helpful some students in the front lobby were in escorting them to a washroom and the coaches glowed about the efficiency and teamwork that our 30 student volunteers exhibited in keeping the tournament flowing. Today, it was satisfying to hear the students leading the HS Business Conference speaking with the guest speakers in the room next door to mine. They were businesslike (but in a good way, if you think that is a negative connotation) and friendly and I could tell by the responses of the guest speakers that they were impressed with the professionalism of both the afternoon’s programme and the poise of the students.

It will be interesting to hear from prospective parents this Saturday at our Open House what they know about the school and more importantly, about our students. I am confident that if these families have any experience dealing with our students, our school (like a good business product or service) will “sell itself”.

Chris Starkey
Administrative Principal
Mentor College / TEAM School