Returning to Our Roots
Fall is my favourite season, when days grow shorter and the air is crisp. The fall colours are beautiful, as are the long shadows. It signals a time of transition and I begin to wonder about the promise ahead. The fall is also enrolment season, and just as we start one school year, we begin planning for the next.
Prospective parents and students often have many questions, and you might be surprised by the one question we have heard most frequently in recent years: “Why does Crescent only begin at Grade 3?”
Prospective parents and students often have many questions, and you might be surprised by the one question we have heard most frequently in recent years: “Why does Crescent only begin at Grade 3?”
Interestingly, Crescent was an elementary school longer than it has been a secondary school. Before 1970, the school spanned Grades 1 through 8, and for a few years, even had a nursery and kindergarten program. From the start, Crescent was unconventional; it placed equal emphasis on the arts and athletics, weaving character education into the very fabric of school life so that it could be “a kinder, gentler place,” counter to the traditional boys’ schools of the day.
In 1970, coinciding with a move to Bayview Avenue, Crescent introduced a secondary school program by reducing its youngest elementary grades. By 1975, Crescent spanned Grades 5 through 13, and later reintroduced to Grades 3 and 4 when space became available in the mid-90s. Since then, the Lower School has operated with Grades 3 through 6, and our Middle School was formed to cater to the specific needs of early adolescent boys.
So, what’s changed now that inspires us to reintroduce Grades 1 and 2? True to our roots and mission, we continue to assess our school’s response to the larger social need of educating boys. Indeed, from a space utilization perspective, the additional 25,000 square feet provided by the Our Way Forward campaign to support a new school entrance, community hall, and flexible gathering areas is part of the opportunity.
But there is a more compelling reason. Research today affirms that boys often develop literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional skills more slowly than girls. Without intentional, supportive instruction in these areas, boys can experience early setback, frustration, or diminished self-confidence, which can lead to gaps in their learning. These challenges often compound, making it harder for boys to be motivated, find purpose, and develop agency. Indeed, many of the root causes of young men failing to launch in the world stem from these early school years.
Our mission compels us to respond. Grades 1 and 2 are the ideal times for boys to embark on their character journey through an intentionally developed primary years program that concentrates on their language and literacy skills, emotional expression, and social skills, as well as early and personalized interventions. Through a focus on friendship, curiosity, and adventure, these young boys will discover their promise in a highly relational and supportive environment where they will be known and loved as unique learners.
In many ways, the reintroduction of Grades 1 and 2 brings us back to our roots, without stopping our forward momentum. It’s a natural next step in our story, one that embraces what we know about how boys learn best while honouring our heritage. Crescent has always been at its strongest when it blends tradition with innovation, when it responds to the larger social need, and when it puts boys at the centre of the school experience.
