One of the top independent schools for boys in Canada, Crescent School spans 37 acres in midtown Toronto. Now in our second century, we provide rich and diverse experiences and opportunities for boys in Grades 3–12 to learn, grow and thrive. Character has always been at the centre of a Crescent education supporting our mission, Men of Character from Boys of Promise.
Since 1913, Crescent School’s focus has been on character development. It is part of our DNA and involves a deep, uncompromising commitment to three essential areas we believe bring out the best in boys: relational learning, mentoring and character-in-action. A school that truly understands what makes boys tick, Crescent is here to meet your son’s development needs every step of the way.
Finding the right school for your son is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. Thank you for considering Crescent School. We invite you to apply through our online application form. Learn more about us by attending an Open House or taking a virtual tour. We look forward to welcoming you to our campus.
A Crescent education is exciting, fulfilling and broad. Our curriculum is taught by highly motivated, supportive teachers who understand that establishing a relationship with your son unlocks the door to learning and engages him in his character development. Your son will be celebrated for both his work and his work ethic as we guide him academically and emotionally on his journey to becoming a Man of Character.
Character-in-Action programs are Crescent's co-curricular activities that provide boys with ample opportunities to develop character outside the classroom. Through clubs and teams in the arts, business, robotics and athletics, your son will discover new interests and build his leadership skills. And our outreach programs will allow him to gain compassion for others both in our community and abroad.
The generosity of our Crescent community provides vital support for our campus development, signature academic and co-curricular programs, and Student Financial Assistance. Contributions, no matter what their size, allow us to deliver the best possible education for our boys and help ensure that we continue to fulfill our mission: Men of Character from Boys of Promise.
Crescent School doesn’t slow down when regular classes are out. We offer a Summer Academic Program available to all high school students, as well as summer camps for children 4 to 13 years old. Our Successful Start program is a special academic prep program exclusively available to Crescent students.
Employment at Crescent School is an opportunity to build a rewarding career and belong to a dynamic community where all are respected for their contributions. Our employees share a commitment to excellence that has made us one of the top schools for boys in the world. An equal-opportunity employer, we offer competitive compensation and benefits and believe strongly in workplace accessibility.
A few Saturdays ago, I participated in a Crescent Outreach initiative with Don’t Mess with the Don. This local organization partners with schools and other community groups to maintain, restore, and live in harmony with the city’s parks and ravines, specifically the Don Valley.
We gathered in the courtyard, divided into three groups, put on gloves, and proceeded to our campus ravine. After sliding down a fairly steep bank, which I’m sure greatly amused the students in my group, I sparked up a conversation with one of our new Upper School students. I thanked him for giving up his weekend morning to pick up garbage and beautify our green space. He responded, “There is nowhere I would rather be.” I, too, felt pretty good about our accomplishments that morning, however his comment stuck with me as I pondered my own experiences.
Famed Hungarian American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi was known for his seminal work, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Csikszentmihalyi, who passed away at the age of 87 in October, theorized that people are happiest when they are in a state of “flow”—or complete absorption with the activity at hand. While still in graduate school he observed painters in their studios, and made the following comment in one of his last interviews:
I was most interested in the fact that these people would spend weeks and weeks working on a painting and they would forget everything while they were working. Then they’d finish a work of art, and instead of enjoying it—which is what you would expect from the theories of psychology…that you work in order to get something rewarding at the end. After 10 minutes or so they would put it against the wall and start a new painting. They weren’t really interested in the finished painting.
When was the last time that you felt like time was standing still while fully immersed in an activity? What were you doing, thinking, and feeling? What was distinctive about that experience? What made you more interested in the process than the product?
I have always been passionate about sports. As a boy, I found that some of my school classes seemed to take forever, but when I was on the court—or more specifically on the ice—I lost track of time. Instead, I found myself deeply immersed in play and competition. In high school, I picked up a golf club for the first time, and since then have been obsessed with the game. During the past 20 months in particular, golf has provided a unique spiritual getaway from the ebbs and flows of worklife.
Outside of sport, though, there is another area of passion that has slowed my clock but heightened my engagement–giving back to causes larger than myself. Whether in my role as Headmaster or through volunteerism, serving my community is especially significant to me. Growing up in a faith-based home, I came to appreciate that I had a responsibility to give back because much had been given to me and I deeply value connecting and supporting others.
Despite the ongoing uncertainty of the pandemic, this holiday season will most surely afford space to find flow, that state of consciousness in which outside stimuli, even time itself, seem to fall away. I suspect this might happen during a deep read of a treasured book, or a long walk along a nearby trail. My wish for us at Crescent is to temporarily resist responding to the pressures of external forces and instead turn inward to marvel at and celebrate the joy of doing nothing at all but being fully in the moment.