Connect with a Leahurst Parent

Kingstonian who spent 20 years living abroad (New York, San Francisco, Asia and Latin America), primarily as an investment banker.  Currently a finance professor, the Finance Advisor-in-Residence in the career centre at the Smith School of Business at Queen’s, and a portrait photographer. 

We have a lot of experience with a number of schools and different school systems (i.e. IB and AP) as we have 3 boys and have lived in a lot of places.  We can honestly say that Leahurst is absolutely world class!  The environment that Leahurst’s leadership creates extends far beyond academic excellence to all aspects of development.  They actually have a class called “Be Nice” which is something I’ve never seen before (and our son loves!). 

We have been so incredibly impressed with the Leahurst community and experience and would be happy to answer questions you may have!

We moved to Kingston in 2016. I am an assistant professor at Queen’s School of Medicine and a member of the divisions of Plastic Surgery and Oncology. My husband is a dietician and owns a private business. We have two sons, George (Grade 7) and Pavlos (Grade 4). We enjoy travelling, skiing and any sport on the water.  George attends Leahurst and I am happy to chat with you about our Leahurst experience.

George was previously attending the public school in our neighbourhood. We felt that he needed to be challenged more. We had heard excellent reviews for Leahurst College and attended one of the Curriculum and Information events. We immediately felt that the environment at Leahurst would be ideal for George. Two years later, we are watching him grow into a responsible, hard-working individual with dreams and aspirations. When I ask him what he loves about Leahurst, he says, the respectful environment, the amazing education and his friends and teachers.

We chose Leahurst College for its nurturing, yet academically challenging environment.  The faculty encourages students to approach every day with an open mind, developing their own independent thoughts, ideas, and leadership skills with confidence through a vast variety of lessons, clubs, sports, and activities.  The environment is warm & welcoming and the halls are filled with laughter.  It’s a delight to watch our daughter’s self-esteem grow and her mind light up every day!

Hello, I look forward to sharing with you why I feel Leahurst College is such an incredible school. I first heard about Leahurst just before it opened. When I met and spoke with the founder, Elizabeth Turcke, I quickly realized that her school would embody all that I hoped for in a school for my son. Every decision is well thought out and aimed at offering Leahurst students a positive, enriching learning experience.

What I appreciate most about Leahurst is that the teachers are consistently stellar role models who encourage students to be curious about their subjects, supportive of their peers, and involved in their immediate and surrounding communities.

I was asked once if Leahurst was really worth it because of what I have had to give up for my son to go to Leahurst - if the curriculum was really that different. My response was a wholehearted, “Yes, it’s more than worth it”. The curriculum may not be drastically different, but I respect and admire how the teachers deliver the curriculum. Students are encouraged to engage with the teachers and each other, work on enriching exercises, and seek help if needed. All of this combined results in a positive, comprehensive learning experience for the students.

I work at St. Lawrence College, Kingston, as a Communications Professor in Applied Science and am the Program Coordinator of the Instrumentation and Control Systems Engineering Technology program. I have a Grade 11, teenage son in his fourth year at Leahurst. I would be happy to share our Leahurst experience with you.

I own a Pilates studio in Kingston and currently have two children at Leahurst. Since moving to Kingston in 2010, I have had experience with the public school system as well as five years with Leahurst.

I have been a parent of Leahurst since 2017. I am a very proud supporter of the school, Mrs. Elizabeth Turcke and the teaching staff. They know each student well. They work very hard for each student and genuinely want each student to succeed. Mrs. Turcke and her teachers build young individuals who become wonderful stewards of their city, community, school and class. They handled the COVID pandemic with creativity (outdoor classrooms!), attention, caution and a continued academic curriculum. I am confident that the tuition paid will be one of the most important investment decisions we have made. The teachers teach with energy, experience in their subject matter, and go above and beyond to ensure their students can succeed. The location of the school is also beautiful, and the indoor setting has historic charm. I will happily speak with you about my experience with Leahurst to date.

Stay at home Dad, Personal Trainer, Lifestyle Coach, Woodworker.

Happy to answer any query.

Originally from Scotland, I moved with my family to Canada in 2011. Not knowing much about the local school system, I met with Elizabeth Turcke when Leahurst was in its infancy. I was so impressed by her drive, vision and compassion, I decided immediately that I would like my children to be a part of this community when the time came. I have not been disappointed.