Where School’s Cool Works

School’s Cool has been proven to have a significant impact on all children when delivered in a variety of settings including:

  • Community Programs such as Day Care Centres, Family Resource Programs, Community Health Centres, and Early Years Programs.

“We are seeing the difference School’s Cool makes! 4 years ago, we ran our first course with 16 children who had been removed from kindergarten … and this year [in grade 3], they’ve all scored at or above the Provincial Standard, in a school where usually 80% of students score below … We’re making a difference!”

Jane Thompson, Project Coordinator, YMCA

  • Integrated into Kindergarten as the first 6 weeks of school. We call this Schools Cool in K and it provides all the children in the class with the opportunity to benefit from the program.

“You’ll know more about a child [by December] from those few months of School’s Cool in K than you will [in June] after a full year of kindergarten… Children are less likely to ‘fall through the cracks’ with School’s Cool!”

Esther Childs, Kindergarten Teacher

  • In programs focused on English Language learners.

“We’ve been offering the School’s Cool program in our community for 6 years now. Most of the families we serve are new immigrants learning the English language. Each year, I am amazed at the dramatic changes we see in the children during this 72 hour program, especially in language. Our kindergarten teachers are seeing the difference too! They’ve noticed that ESL students who have attended School’s Cool arrive at school with a stronger foundation of skills and maintain that strength throughout the year, setting them up for life-long school success.”

Gerry Catherwood, Program Manager

  • In Aboriginal settings.

“We’re very pleased with School’s Cool! Our kindergarten class is really engaged and doing exceptionally well with School’s Cool in K. The hands-on approach of School’s Cool is an excellent match with Aboriginal learning styles – we were amazed at how the program stimulated their vocabulary development. The children have become more articulate – they’re even voluntarily sharing their learning with their parents!”

Kathleen Manderville, Principal, (Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory)

  • With children who have Special Needs.

“It was obvious to me that the kids at risk benefited – kids with speech, language, OT issues, shy students. I see how much my teaching practices have benefited from this program; the training, evaluation tools, philosophy – School’s Cool was an amazing learning experience for my JK’s and me.”

Cathy Darlington, Kindergarten Teacher