What is your usual routine on the weekdays and the weekends?
On weekdays, we usually wake up around 7:20 a.m. Then everyone has their breakfast in the cafeteria and at 7:55 a.m., everyone takes the bus to school. After school, the bus picks us up, we arrive around 3:30 p.m. and basically we have free time up until 6 p.m., which will then be our dinner time. Then from around 6:30 to 8 p.m. is study time. Finally, by 10 p.m., everyone goes to bed. If I have soccer practice or games after school, there will be a car provided by the school that will pick me up, which I find very convenient.
As for the weekends, you kind of just do whatever you want. For us Grade 11s and 10s, we need to be back at Gryphon House by 11:30 p.m. and for Grade 8s and 9s it’s 10:30 p.m.
How’s the food?
The food is surprisingly very good and healthy. There’s always granola bars and cereals provided throughout the day. The chef there also cooks some amazing food.
What are the rooms like?
For me, I have a roommate and the good thing is I get to shower in my own room, rather than having to go to the hallway and share it with everyone compared to some other boarding schools. However, I do envy some of the other students’ rooms, which have bigger beds.
What are the house parents like, and what’s great about them?
There are always one or two house parents who would stay on the lower floor of the Gryphon House on the weekend, although there would be a few teachers who would spend the night during the weekdays too. I think that their care for the other students and I has been tremendously beneficial, and they are fantastic people.
What was the most surprising part about the boarding experience of the Gryphon House?
The most surprising part was just how quickly you feel immersed in the community. At first, it was just awkward to be in a building with a bunch of people you don’t really know, but the way the school has organized trips for us before the school year really made me feel comfortable and I didn’t realize how quickly I was able to learn about all of the people in the Gryphon House. The House definitely helped me settle in a lot quicker than expected, even if my family isn’t here with me.