Rosedale Day School Toronto

Rosedale Day School (RDS) is a private school in the heart of Toronto that offers a Junior Kindergarten through Grade 8 education. Founded by Sharon Stewart in 1995, RDS approaches education from two key starting points: The curriculum must focus on the fundamentals, and that each child develops at his or her own pace and in his or her own way. With this foundation, RDS is both a unique and critically important addition to Toronto's independent school system.

The mission of this Toronto private school is to develop students academically while also building within them strong character so they can continue to achieve success once they leave RDS and enter any one of the highly regarded independent schools for their high school education. The well-trained and experienced staff at RDS fulfill this mission by providing RDS students with opportunities to learn and play with their classmates and individually. By ensuring each student have both the group and individual experiences in their education, each student will be able to discover his or her own interests and abilities. The school motto, "Quisque Infans Singularis Est” ("Every Child is Special"), is a testament to how seriously RDS takes the individual development of each student.

The other advantage RDS instills in its students with its educational style is that students learn to work and play collaboratively and on their own. This atmosphere helps the RDS community foster its core values in its students: integrity, effort, respect, and involvement. Just as the solid, "back to basics" academic curriculum at this private school prepares its students for further academic achievement, these values are the foundation for the strong character that will also serve them well for the rest of their lives.

An independent school, RDS bases its curriculum on the Ontario Curriculum. Student study all the most valuable subjects that any well-educated person must master. These subjects include Language Arts, Mathematics, History, Geography, French, Science, Computing, Music, and Physical and Health Education. These subjects are taught in an integrative manner, with many enriched programmes so students are well prepared to enter prestigious high schools.

In addition to the core curriculum, RDS also has a full range of co-curricular activities as well. From arts groups, like band and choir, to hobby groups, like knitting and Strategy Games, all students are expected to explore their interests and get involved.

Athletics and physical activity is also considered particularly important to the students' overall healthy development. All students enjoy a daily outdoor recess where they can be active. However, there are also organized, competitive sports teams students can join. Some of the sports available are baseball, cross-country, hockey, swimming, track & field, and basketball. RDS is a member of the Small School Athletic Federation, which allows it to compete against other private schools.

Combining both academics and physical activity, the outdoor education programmes at RDS are designed to bring students into Canada's beautiful nature in physical activities that promote teamwork. The outdoor education experiences vary by age group, but include such activities as kayaking, scavenger hunts, and archery.