ABOUT MILLPOND ACADEMY
Millpond Academy is a small private school in Oxford County that opened on September 8th 2020.
Our elementary school offers education for students in Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8. We are a secular school.
The Ontario Curriculum guides our Language and Mathematics expectations to ensure our students are working towards a smooth transition to their next steps after Millpond. In Science and Social Studies, we touch on topics from the Ontario Curriculum in order to expand our student’s topic knowledge. We also try to explore additional topics that best match the interests and passions of our students all while still helping them to develop research skills, critical thinking skills and explore the scientific method! Our French as a Second Language program is offered in every grade. Students in Grade 4 to 8 follow the Core French Ontario Curriculum and students in primary grades will be offered varying levels of oral French lessons with a focus on vocabulary. We do not teach the Ontario Health Curriculum and leave it to our families to decide when and what their children need to know. We have a fantastic Drama, Music and Art program at Millpond Academy. Each year the entire school works together on presenting a school play, in the past we have done The Wizard of Oz and Beauty and the Beast. We also teach beyond the curriculum encouraging social and emotional growth in each child. We offer opportunities for students to learn new skills/hobbies in our Clubs sessions which are created each year based on the students unique interests. Previously, we have had clubs such as bird watching club, baking club, magic club, origami club, yearbook club, spa club etc.
All of our students, K-8, participate in Physical Education programming that includes a variety of games that help students develop gross motor skills. Students in grade 3+ participate in sport specific units to develop an understanding of rules and strategies in different sports as well more specific skills. We also try to offer some more unique Physical Education opportunities such as curling, skiing, skating etc. In September 2022 we joined the London District Catholic School Board Recreation Programs. This allows us to participate in sporting events/tournaments such as Cross Country, Track and Field, Tchoukball etc. These events are mainly for our grades 4-8 students.
We relocated to our location in Innerkip, ON for the September 2022-2023 school year. Our new building has a lot of potential including a spacious and green backyard, 4 homeroom classrooms and a music room. We are also located within walking distance to the Innerkip Library, Innerkip Presbyterian Church (where we do our physical education classes and present our school play), Innerkip Park and other small town amenities. We plan to build an addition to this building to accommodate the 75 students we hope to grow to in the future.
At Millpond Academy we strive to offer students unique and relevant learning opportunities. Millpond Academy has a resident dog which provides our students with the opportunity to learn about caring for a pet, things animals need, and how dogs communicate. Interacting with animals is also proven to help children develop their social and emotional skills, not to mention providing fun motivations, such as being able to read aloud to a loving, cuddly and nonjudgmental friend. Our dog's name is Poppy and she loves people! She has been around children all her life and has helped students that were scared of dogs to become more comfortable around them and grow to love them.
We are also value Outdoor Education and offer our students opportunities to establish a deep connection, appreciation and respect for the natural world. They have the freedom to develop their resilience, perseverance, cooperation and problem solving skills in a natural environment.
Other unique learning opportunities we provide at Millpond Academy may include learning about life cycles and development through hatching chicks, learning about different countries around the world and their food by having a food tasting party, and going on field trips to experience learning in different atmospheres. Millpond Academy is an exceptional alternative education option for families in Oxford County. We look forward to new families joining our school community!
SCHEDULE
7:30 AM
OPTIONAL BEFORE SCHOOL PROGRAM
Students can register for before school childcare at an additional cost of $5 per child per day.
9:00 AM
START OF THE SCHOOL DAY
Students will enter the school through the backyard, hang up their things and be prepared to start our day for 9am.
11:45 AM
LUNCH
Students should be provided with their own lunch, snacks and drinks for the day. On occasion, special lunch orders will be available.
3:20 PM
END OF THE SCHOOL DAY
Student pick up is
at 3:20pm.
5:00 PM
END OF OPTIONAL AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
Students can register for after school care at an additional cost of $5 per child per day.
MORE THAN JUST A LOGO
Millpond Academy’s logo design begins fundamentally with a circle. The perimeter of this circle represents how the educational journey never is ending. It is lifelong; once begun, we continue to learn well beyond our academic years. In addition to fostering the love of lifelong learning, each educational endeavour at Millpond Academy is based in what is known as a Whole Child Approach. This philosophy, represented by the body of the circle and its components, appreciates the development of each student as a multi faceted, complex and complete human being. Working to advance a child socially, emotionally, physically and academically is the primary focus of this approach.
The inner ring, closest to the school, represents the role of Millpond Academy collaborating with the outer ring, a student’s family or guardians, in supporting the student’s educational journey. A special appreciation for creativity and intelligence are expressed with the colours purple and blue respectively.
The school building depicted with the door open, signifies how Millpond Academy will unlock your child’s desire to learn in an inclusive and welcoming environment. The schoolhouse, located on the water illustrates how Millpond Academy, as a comprehensive institution, will ebb and flow with the educational needs and interests of your child just as the water ebbs and flows with the waves.
The three waves under the schoolhouse represent Millpond Academy’s three core values
– Empathy, Integrity and Exploring Passions.
Empathy - the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another
Integrity -the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles
Exploring Passion - a strong liking or desire for an activity, object, or concept
The symbols on the outer ring are the Balance Scale, the Open Book and the Graduation Cap. The Balance Scale recognizes the importance of STEM components at Millpond Academy. The Open Book signifies education, knowledge and wisdom as a foundation for a truly enriched life. The Graduation Cap exhibits the importance of setting, working toward and achieving important goals including personal development and educational success.
INNERKIP PARK
This park offers baseball diamonds, play structures, basketball nets, swings and greens pace! It is directly across the street from the school.
INNERKIP PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
We are thankful for our down the road and across the street neighbour, Innerkip Presbyterian Church, for the opportunity to rent their facility for our Physical Education Programming! The are located at 64 Blandford St, Innerkip.
INNERKIP PUBLIC LIBRARY
The library is full of resources for us to borrow and it is a short walk through the park from the school.
STONEGATE PARK
This park features a large open field great for soccer and tag. There is also a small playground with swings.