French (Canada) 
November 2024
My daughter attended the grade 12 program at Kells Academy and she felt that the program under Ms. Suzanne Bailey was “life-changing”. Our daughter was guided in her learning and felt that Ms. Bailey really took the time to teach her how to write papers and feel more prepared for University. I believe that Ms. Bailey was able to guide her students and inspire them to believe in themselves, and in their futures. She would give feedback in such a way that the student could hear it, understand it, and make use of it to improve their work. She also created learning opportunies for leadership when students were interested in gaining more experiences working as leaders in the community. I feel that Ms. Bailey is someone who makes kids who don’t believe in themselves academically to see and feel their potential.The program is contained and allows students to fulfill the requirements necessary to go off to university.
- Ali Mindel
September 2024
Ms. Bailey taught me how to write professionally, which is a crucial skill in my Business courses. I remember her classes because they were always engaging and entertaining; she got to know us and gave the best advice.
- John Qiu, Class of 2024
September 2024
I enjoyed the individual support and attention I received at Kells. My first year at Kells was also my first year in Canada. Kells supported me as I adjusted from the Chinese education system to the Canadian system.
- Isaak Zhang, Class of 2021
August 2024
When I was at Kells, I struggled severely in mathematics. That, mixed with my anxiety, made it really challenging to successfully complete the necessary courses throughout high school. I remember one time where I was having a panic attack during an assessment and my teacher just took a minute to help me calm down and regain focus. This is not only a memory that has stuck with me over many years but also taught me to approach problems one step at a time. The field of psychology is heavily concerned with trying to find solutions/coping mechanisms to very complex issues and disorders, this lesson of remaining calm and approaching a problem one step at a time is one that I often employ. You can imagine my surprise when I ended up working as a statistics tutor at the university level!
- Ryan Shapiro, Class of 2017
August 2024
I’ll never forget the time I competed in the World Scholar’s Cup - especially when I got to travel to The Netherlands and attend the Tournament of Champions at Yale University with my good friends Carolyn and Minh. We had a great time at the competition, and Mr. Jankowski was an amazing mentor. I also can’t leave out the amazing cookies from the cafeteria - I hope they still taste as good as I remember them to be!
- Katie Phuong, Class of 2020
August 2024
One fond memory I have of my time at Kells would be the time spent in the music room, practicing with the rest of the band in preparation for the Spring Concerts every year. I no longer play the piano as regularly as I used to, so I treasure those days of being able to create music with the band very much.
- Minh Le, Class of 2020
January 2019
Hello Mr Jankowski,
I am presently completing my final semester in the BEng. program in Software Engineering at Concordia University. Last week, my application to Concordia’s Masters in Applied Sciences in Software Engineering got accepted, which I will start in fall on this year with a great supervisor, Dr Weiyi Shang.
I’m emailing you to thank you for being an outstanding Mathematics and Science teacher at Kells. I have fond memories of three courses I took with you in grade 10 as well as the ones in grade 11, and I was fortunate to have a teacher that was so knowledgeable about the subjects. It was your passion in these subjects and the fact that you care about your students’ performances that made you an excellent instructor that have inspired me to pursue studies in sciences, specifically Software Engineering. I am grateful for Kells for having a teacher such as yourself.
I hope hope other students of yours can realize they are fortunate to have passionate and caring instructors making for a valuable education.
Thanks for everything,
Sophia Quach
March 2017
We moved from New York City in 2009, and our son did not adapt well to the change nor the schools he was in. He had great difficulty dealing with his emotions and environment. By grade 6, he was diagnosed with high-functioning Asperger’s, and his doctor recommended Kells Academy. His visit to the school struck a chord with him, and he wanted no other high school. While it was an adjustment for him to adapt to a third new school in three years, it stuck. It was the right fit. The principal and the teachers could tell what made him tick and provided him the type of attention that suited his needs and personality. Our son has made friends, his marks have greatly improved, he participates in class, and best of all, he’s happy. We highly recommend Kells to any family that is looking for an alternative choice in their son’s or daughter’s education.
Grant & Marina
April 2017
If I had to describe my experience at Kells Academy in a few words I’d say that: it was a major learning experience for me. I began my student teaching internship at Kells Academy with a very traditional frame of mind, due to the way that I, myself, was educated. Teaching math meant that students would take notes, complete a worksheet on the concept they had just seen and then eventually be evaluated on their capabilities to reproduce and respond to similar questions. While I still respect and hold some traditional beliefs about education, my time at Kells has allowed me to expand my horizons and realize that the implementation of technology does not mean that I have to stray completely away from my traditional beliefs, but rather that the two could coexist and work quite well together.
By being able to have the core components of my lesson already set up in a Notebook file, on the smart board, I, nor my students, had to waste time copying down questions, which would then leave room for distractions and the students getting off task. Not only did this assist me, in terms of classroom management, but it also facilitated students’ learning, as I was able to display visual and interactive representations of the concept they were learning. Being able to use interactive websites, such as Kahoot, classes were able to become much more engaging and meaningful, as students were more invested in the lesson, due to the fact that they knew they would likely be evaluated shortly by participating in a Kahoot. Not only did students enjoy being able to partake in such interactive activities, but without even knowing it, these activities allowed for the concepts to be reinforced. I was also able to gather data on students’ level of mastery and the areas which would need improvement and further explanation. In addition to this, I really appreciated the Kells portal system. Many times in the past, I have had students come to me saying that they were not able to complete their homework as they had forgotten it at school the night before, or I have had students come to me in a panic saying that they lost their notebook, which had everything they had learned all year. The portal system completely alleviated these issues and made students accountable for their own learning as they had access to all course material, at any time, just at the edge of their fingertips. By consistently having classes of less than 20 students, I was able to give each student a sufficient amount of one on one time in order to meet their specific needs. This coupled with the email system, which allowed students quick, constant and direct access to me or any of the resources used in class, I believe that all students were able to have their specific and unique needs addressed and met.
While I cannot control the classroom sizes in other educational establishments, something which I will definitely be taking away from my time at Kells Academy is the ability to not shy away from the new direction in which education is going, but rather to embrace it. I believe that my new found appreciation for technology in the classroom and the skills I acquired in order to appropriately employ this technology have allowed me to become a better teacher, who can meet the needs of the students of today. On a final note, I am very grateful that I now have a digital copy of all of my lessons, resources, and assessments which I could easily alter and use in my further educational endeavors.
Finally, I am very grateful for the cooperating teachers, Mrs. Ghanem and Ms. Ungureanu, which I was assigned for my time here at Kells Academy. Both teachers were very supportive throughout my entire experience and their expertise taught me invaluable skills: how to plan and organize lessons, how technology can be a huge asset in the classroom, where to find interactive resources which can be used in the classroom, how to accommodate students with different needs and learning styles etc. I am grateful for their patience, encouragement and for them giving me the confidence to venture outside of my comfort zone.
Erika Savage, Student Teacher
March 2017
To all the staff at Kells:
Making a positive difference in a child’s life is an action that will not only contribute to their future but also help build a better society. When Vincent graduates in a few years, you can take pride in having accomplished this achievement.
It has been a year since our son joined Kells, and the social and academic progress he has made to date has far exceeded our expectations. The alternative he faced before his admission to Kells was integration into a specialized learning difficulties class at the CSDM.
Before his entry, you quickly understood the challenges Vincent faced and put in place an integration plan that you executed perfectly from his first day. Additionally, you communicated with us frequently so that we could support his progress.
Now in 9th grade, Vincent has been named to the honour roll, which recognizes academic successes for the second consecutive session.
Thank you, Kells. We will always be grateful to you.
Isabel and Andre
February 2017
After two years of struggling academically and just not being able to find his feet, our son enrolled at Kells in Grade 9. He is thriving in the Kells' environment of individual attention and excellent teaching. We are so grateful to see him having success and being happy at school. Thank you to Irene Woods and all of the kind, attentive, and professional staff members we have met at Kells.
Mary Spencer and Rob Nixon
April 2013
Our son Jordan was diagnosed as being dyslexic and with a condition called sensory Integration dysfunction. At the end of Grade 3 his reading level was that of a child in Kindergarten. We switched Jordan to the Vanguard School in grade 4. Vanguard is a school that specializes in teaching children with Learning Difficulties. By the middle of grade 6, Jordan was bored, restless, uninterested in learning and was heading towards being a juvenile delinquent drop out.
This is where Kells entered our lives. We moved Jordan to Kells Elementary School in the middle of grade 6. We immediately saw an improvement in his learning, his grades, but most importantly in his attitude.
Kells High School saved our son. During his 5 years at the Kells High School, Jordan was engaged by his teachers. The faculty really got to know Jordan, both his strengths and his weaknesses. The staff helped Jordan as a team. This included everyone from the secretary at reception to the principal.
The teachers at Kells really made the difference. They understood Jordan and his issues. When homework was emailed to students in Grade 10 & 11 by the media teacher- we were on the email distribution list. This helped us ensure that homework was handed in.
The most important tool Kells gave Jordan was the ability to use out of the box solutions to his problems, including his lack of organizational skills. In grade 8, Ms. Campbell and Jordan discovered that the reason Jordan’s homework was not being handed in was because it was not getting from the printer at home to the classroom. Ms. Campbell encouraged Jordan to submit assignments by email. Jordan took this solution to all his classes and the issue virtually disappeared.
Kells used Jordan’s strength- his intelligence and his ability to quickly comprehend material – to make him feel capable and to give him the confidence to handle his weaknesses- his difficulty reading and writing.
Kells allowed Jordan to flourish because they made him feel welcome, safe and normal- even if he had learning issues. The teachers pushed him and told him they were doing so because they knew him to be smart and able to do more. Jordan believed them because he knew they really knew him. He also knew that the teachers would not let him get away with anything.
Jordan graduated Kells with an 83% overall average, and won the award for most improved student!
Rochelle Ross
May 2014
Education is not only an academic endeavor but also a personal voyage. Self- confidence, pride, personal growth, this all comes in a package which Kells successfully provides to all its students. The journey is not an easy one, there are many hours of hard work, weekends devoted to study and projects but the results are extremely rewarding. Kells instills a belief and desire for success, where academic challenges are overcome by positive thinking and there is an overwhelming feeling that everyone belongs.
I wish every kid could have a Kells experience.
Elizabeth Cabadaidis
I will always remember when I was new to Kells Academy how the lovely teachers helped me a lot with their patience and professional attitudes. Kells is definitely a great school because we all get to know each other and we all share the best learning resources. As an international student, I received a warm welcome. The school provides an educational environment that takes into consideration students with different backgrounds. I really appreciated the various clubs and interesting activities at Kells. I especially enjoyed the time I spent preparing for and performing in the Spring concert. I would recommend Kells Academy to any family that is looking for an excellent education. Thank you to all the staff and teachers for all of their well wishes. I will always save my beautiful memories of Kells Academy.
Peiyue (Christin) Yan, Class of 2014
April 2013
Dear Ms. Woods,
Already 6 years has gone by since our son Anthony started attending Kells in Elementary School and now he is already in 9th grade and getting ready for grade 10.
At the age of 5 years, Anthony was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder and a Speech and Language Delay as well. Anthony attended public school in the East End of Montreal. The school did not have enough resources for all students, as Anthony’s difficulties were considered mild compared to other children that had more severe difficulties. Needles to say, we received very little help or assistance at school in regards to his needs. We had to seek for private Speech and Language Services, learn as much as we could about ADD on our own and use strategies at home to help him cope with his difficulties. After 3 years of public school, we knew we had to find a better place for him. We were very worried about him, not only about his academic success but also about his emotional well-being.
Kells was recommended to us by a teacher from the Montreal Children’s Hospital. We will never forget the day we met with you and Mrs. Wasserman. This was the most positive and encouraging meeting about our son that we ever had. The assurance and confidence that you expressed about Anthony’s strengths and potential was music to our ears. You accepted our son the way he was and told us not to worry.
From the start Anthony adjusted to his new school very well. Everyone at Kells made him feel welcomed and comfortable. Accommodations were made right away for his individual learning style. We had access to a Resource Teacher and continuous feedback with the teacher throughout the year. I believe that with the strategies that were put in place in the classroom, along with the different teaching styles (visual and hands on) has helped Anthony achieve success and increase self confidence. The teacher is able to give more attention to the students that are having difficulties.
Thanks to the positive and stimulating learning environment at Kells, Anthony was able to reach his personal and academic potential.
I can’t stress enough how grateful we are to your school, to you Ms. Woods, Ms. Perlman, Mrs. Wasserman, Ms. Morris and all the teaching and support staff at Kells Academy for making school a very positive and enjoyable experience for Anthony and for us as parents.
Yours truly,
Ines Gregorovic and Dordo Matosic
May 2013
I arrived to Montreal with my children in August 2006, and immediately began my search for a school to enroll my daughter Haya, who was in 8th grade at the time. After visiting many schools, it became clear to me that the high caliber mentors and unique learning environment offered by Kells Academy made it the best option for Haya.
At first, I was very anxious that my daughter would not be able to adapt easily to the new school. However, all uncertainty disappeared once I witnessed how the hospitable environment at Kells was not only helping Haya adjust and integrate herself quickly but also providing her with opportunities to develop qualities that helped her grow both academically and personally. Within a few months, Haya became part of the musical band, Student Activity Council, and in later years, editor of the Yearbook and member of the Peer Mediation Committee. This was only made possible through the help of committed teacher and members of the staff who always inspired her, encouraged her to always pursue excellence and provided her with countless possibilities to participate in extracurricular activities that enriched her experience. Even now, Haya always says that her best school years were spent at Kells, where she was surrounded by a supportive community that made her learning experience unforgettable.
The knowledge and the skills that Haya developed during her years at Kells facilitated her transition to CEGEP and motivated her to continue her studies in Health Science at Marianopolis College and now, as a student in the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University. I could not be more grateful to everyone at Kells for being instrumental in Haya’s achievements.
Today, when friends ask me for advice, I have no hesitation in recommending Kells Academy because I am certain that it provides students with the best opportunities to excel and guides them towards achieving their goals. The teachers and mentors at Kells work tirelessly to allow students to make use of all the tools they need to pave their paths to success!