Packer Collegiate Institute

It gave me a love of learning in many fields--a great 'head start'!! I established many life long friendships there as well!

This school has diversity and has strived to make sure that if my child has problems in any subject that they are worked with one on one to help them overall this school has done well for my child.

OUR CHILD ENTERED IN HIGH SCHOOL. HE HAS THRIVED. I do not know what the orevious reviewer meant by parental invovlment'for the wrong reasons'. They student body is terrific, great values, commitment,hard working and socially aware. It is a great pity that the math department is so weak. I would advise a tutor for all students- it is that bad right now. Fabulous extra curricular opportunities.
--Submitted by a parent

I am in the packer middle school and I love it! The teachers really make the subjects interesting! I feel very comferatable there, and somtimes it feels very cozy. The things we learn about are interesting and there is a lot of fun lunch time clubs to join!
--Submitted by a student

Our son joined Packer this year for high school and loves it. He has always been a 'laptop kid' and enjoys having this be central to the academic experience. Everyone -- teachers, parents and students -- is welcoming to new kids and their families. The teachers are very bright and engaged in their work. The adminisration is very flexible to accommodate needs. We are very happy here.
--Submitted by a parent

I think packer is a phenomenal school. I attended for over a decade, and still have strong friendships with both students and teachers (yes, I keep in touch with many of them). Packer is a really unique place because it has such a long history and deep tradition, yet it is full of progressive-minded students and faculty you can see this even in the buildings themselves, where students' artwork and poetry dons the walls of these cathedral-like buildings. The teachers, for the most part, are wonderful. There are some brilliant minds who perhaps do not belong in the classroom, but most of them are dedicated, inspiring, and extremely qualified. The sports are impressive, and a new fitness center has been a welcomed addition. The performing arts are wonderful. Visual arts could be improved. The student body could not. Such great kids, so caring, so kind to one another.
--Submitted by Sarah, a former student

My children are in the elementary school and with the change in administration things seem much better overall. Unfortunately, I think the school can be more 'academic' - the math and language arts/reading program need to be more rigorous. Other than that the school is very 'in-tune' with the children and their emotional growth.
--Submitted by a parent

It's a fine school I guess. In terms of academics, I get the feeling that they think that just because they're a private school, they don't need to keep the education level up. The music, arts, and sports programs are great. Parents do get involved, but for the wrong reasons. The biggest problem is the administration.
--Submitted by a student

My children are VERY happy at Packer. The administration, parents and students were very welcoming to our entire family. There is a wonderful balance between what has traditionally worked well and a progressive ideology that benefits the children in an ever-changing world.
--Submitted by a parent

My oldest child attended Packer from kindergarten and is now a senior. My youngest child also attended through middle school. We found Packer to be a nurturing, caring community of parents and teachers who strive to continually evaluate their understanding of the children's needs as learners and people and apply that knowledge to improving the academic, artistic and social aspects of the schools environment. I found the teachers caring and committed, available to work one on one with students and parents and the administration responsive and caring as well. My eldest was able to shape her own path through the high school and spend a portion of her junior year abroad. My youngest is electing to move to another school for high school not because she doesn't love the school and her friends but simply because she wants to stretch herself beyond what she knows to be safe.
--Submitted by a parent