In an often-overcrowded industry such as International Education, it is often very difficult or nearly impossible for schools to compete with the conglomerates that often surround large metropolitan areas through Ontario and even Canada!
But one little school, in one little village has made it BIG on the International platform, and that school is Merrick Preparatory School! Merrick Preparatory School or MPS as it is referred to has won the Prestigious PiEoneer award: Secondary learning international impact award!
How could a school of only a max capacity of 60 international students, and 20-day students ever be even in the running for such an award? The secret lays within its foundation, world class teachers, and the personal support of our staff and the entire community in the village that is given to our students. Merrick Prep focuses on 3 core values that bring the best out of its staff and students: Courage- Compassion- Community.
Many students and families tend to overlook small schools and are immediately drawn to the glitz and glam of large schools, big facilities, and shiny promises. This may all seem wonderful, but students tend to miss out on the key building blocks that will eventually carry them forward in their university lives, and careers. Students who attend MPS are taken under the care of our entire team, every member of our team knows each student by name; from cleaning staff, kitchen staff, faculty, and even as far as the hired taxi company that often shuttles students around.
Students attend our school from all over the world (typically we have 17 – 25 nationalities per year), so this is a huge surprise for the students, especially the students who have attended boarding schools in the past. When they join, they are surprised about the diversity and not being dominated by one specific market.
We treat each student as if they were part of a big international family. This has especially been true this year having students return to campus after nearly a year and half of learning remotely. As expected, some students were unable to obtain the required Covid19 vaccines in their own country, so they were placed in quarantine in their rooms for 14 days. It’s hard to believe how any young adult could withstand being stuck in a room for that long, but the MPS staff and students were quick to make the students feel just as part of the study body as the students who didn’t need to quarantine.
One warm afternoon, all students and teachers enjoyed ice cream together and had the quarantine students waving and enjoying ice cream from their windows as well. The peers were able to waive and chit chat from outside.
MPS staff also performed over 10 mental health checks throughout the day for each of the students. We wanted them to feel connected with everyone via video calls, or through socially distance door checks.
Admission staff, and even the headmaster Mr. Farrell geared up daily in PPE to deliver their meals, check how their day is going, and just to ensure that MPS was delivering everything they could to these students to make them feel home.
Some people say that Covid19 has made people further apart, but after witnessing how this small school came together and pushed through all the challenges, it’s almost like this unfortunate situation has given MPS even more strength and brought us closer as a community. No student was left behind, everyone felt connected and well taken care of no matter if they had to continue learning from home or joined us on campus. Our students educational and personal journey is most important to us. It takes a community to raise a child and we truly believe in that. The countless testimonials we have received over the last year are proof, and our PIEoneer award for Secondary learning international impact award shows that we have done it right.
We are very proud of our accomplishments during these last two years, but none of this could be possible if it wasn’t for the truly amazing families around the world as well as our international partners, that value education to the highest level. We will continue to welcome students from all around the world and preparing them for their next step in education academically and personally! Your success starts at MPS!
MPS ADMISSIONS Team
