Parents’ Guide

“We are a small school, so we know every student by name. We go above and beyond to take care of these kids. They become a part of us.”

Katie Cox, Head of HR

When you send your child to a foreign country for school, it is only natural to have worries. But we can assure you that your child is in the best hands. SOC offers a safe, caring environment – a true “soft landing” to Canada.

We achieve the fine balance between being sensitive to their emotional needs, recognizing that they are children far from home, and dealing with them as young adults, involving them in decisions regarding their studies and holding them to high standards.

In our experience, we find that parents tend to underestimate their children. Kids these days are smart, resilient, quick learners and adapt to new environments very quickly.

How can I support my child at SOC?

Prior to Departure

We recommend you have an open conversation with your child before departure about certain key issues:

• Spending and budget, especially for ongoing expenses such as mobile phone bills
• Expectations for behaviour and scholastic achievement
• Career goals
• Housing options – pros and cons

Monitoring Academic Progress

Students are registered in the Maplewood Student Information System during their first week at the school. Each parent receives a personal sign-in and PIN number with which they can access the Maplewood Student Information portal and check their child’s attendance, class marks, test scores and comments from teachers.

Encouraging Healthy Habits

Encourage your kids to eat healthy foods, exercise, get sufficient rest and stay alert to any changes in their health.  Also encourage them to speak to their teachers and guidance counselor if they have any issues or worries. Their wellbeing is critical to a successful academic journey.

Stay in Touch

We encourage you to stay in regular contact with your children by email, text, messaging apps and telephone.  It is important that they continue to feel your support and presence, even though you are far away.

Newsletters

We send out newsletters to parents to keep them up to date with what’s going on in school.

Click here to see our most recent newsletter