At the student panel on December 11th to kick off the annual Art & Design Expo, Grade 8 student, Wylie shared her humourous reflections and experiences of IPS. 

My brother went to IPS before me and even with that, when I visited in Grade five, I thought, “Wow. This school is really weird.” I mean, they have a stretch every morning where they meditate, they have four classrooms named after colours, a room named after a skeleton and I’m pretty sure that the person who founded the school liked Harry Potter a bit too much. And this kid just came up to me and said they got an eight. They seemed pretty happy about it. Don’t you need a 45% to pass? Apparently passing a frisbee is a sport now. They have dance parties in the mornings on Fridays and spirit days including anything from pajama day to “dress as your favourite teacher day.” They also go on camping trips a bajillion times a year.

But, when I got into the school I realized something. On the first day, I already felt like I had been here forever. Everyone was so welcoming and happy that I felt so included right away. The people at IPS have a way of including everyone no matter what they are doing. If we are dancing in the morning, you better prepare yourself to get pulled into multiple dance circles. Or if it’s your birthday, the entire school surrounds you and sings a very interesting version of happy birthday, no matter how uncomfortable you are.

IPS is so unique and it took me a minute to figure it out. Meditation? They do that so everyone is prepared for the day. The classrooms have huge maps on the walls or the cell theory poster. The MBC? Ya, that stands for mister brittle’s classroom, who was a skeleton when this was used for science class. The houses? They just bring everyone this much closer. They give everyone an extra close group of people who support you. And some friendly competition during the year. Dance parties and singing? If you have sensitive hearing, I highly recommend not going to those. Spirit days? I think I’ve worn my PJs more times in IPS than I have in my entire life. And camping trips? We go kayaking to Gambier each year and that is only a start.

If you just spend the time and get to know the inside jokes and pictures on the walls, you will understand that IPS is so crazy and I wouldn’t trade my middle school years somewhere else for any of the experiences that I have had in these past years.

Thank you.

Wylie S.
Grade 8 Student