Lower School families, it’s almost time to start the 2024-2025 school year. Whether you are just beginning your journey at Ridley or returning for another action-packed year, all the start-up information you need can be found here.
Psst... if you see a term below and aren’t quite sure what it means, visit our Glossary of Terms, where we break down everything you need to know.
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Important Dates and Deadlines
Mark your calendar with these important dates and upcoming deadlines leading up to the beginning of the school year. Be sure to review our Major Dates Calendar for all our important dates starting September 1st with Orientation, which we call Opening Days.
All times are listed in Toronto (ET) time.
- March 19th at 8:00p.m. - Newly enrolled families join our virtual English presentation of our Town Hall*
- March 21st at 8:00a.m. - Newly enrolled families join our virtual Mandarin presentation of our Town Hall*
- May 30th at 8:00p.m. - Newly enrolled families join our virtual Town Hall*
- August 6th - School uniforms available for purchase online through Hank’s Campus Store
- August 6th - Uniform alterations through our on-campus sewing room are available
- August 6th to 29th - Uniform fitting appointments open
- August 13th at 8:00p.m. - Newly enrolled and returning families attend our virtual Town Hall*
- August 15th - Complete the health forms listed on your child's Magnus account
- August 15th - Provide proof of a valid Provincial or Territorial health card through Magnus (if applicable)
- September 1st to 3rd - Opening Days Orientation
- September 1st - All boarding students arrive and move in.
- September 1st to 5th - Visit Hank's, in the basement of School House, anytime between 9:00a.m. and 4:00p.m. to be fitted for a uniform without an appointment.
- September 3rd - Lower School Open House and BBQ
- September 4th - First full day of school
* An email to all incoming and current families with a registration link for our upcoming Town Halls will be sent. Please keep an eye on your email in the coming weeks.
This important document tracks school holidays, return to school and end-of-school dates, all of which are especially important for travel planning. Please be mindful of the start and end dates around holidays and long weekends, as our expectation is that students will arrive at Ridley on time and that travel plans will be booked accordingly.
View our Major Dates Calendar
Checklist for Newly Enrolled Families
As you are just beginning your journey at Ridley, there are a few things you need and should do before the start of the school year. We’ve created a checklist below to help you rest easy, knowing you’ve done everything you need to prepare for your child’s first day here.
In July, current parents, on behalf of the entire Ridley College Family Guild (RCFG), will contact each of our newly enrolled families as part of the Family Mentor Programme. If you are new to Ridley, you can expect an email or phone call from one of our family mentors, who will be delighted to answer any questions about what it's like to be a Ridley parent. We hope this programme will provide you and your child with a smooth transition to Ridley life and encourage relationships within our community.
- Sign and submit your enrollment contract on TigerNET.
- Ensure your account is up to date based on the payment plan you chose on your enrollment contract.
- Email copies of the following items to our Lower School Office Administrator, Mrs. Jodi Battle, at [email protected].
- The completed Consent to Transfer form (if you are transferring from an Ontario school).
- Proof of your child’s legal name with a scan of their birth certificate or passport.
- A copy of your child’s final report card. (if applicable)
Additional steps for international families:
We offer extensive on-campus health resources for all Ridley students. There are a few pieces of your child’s health information that you need to provide before August 15th so that we can review them and ensure we are ready to offer your child the best possible care on campus.
All medical records and health information should be provided through Magnus Health, which is the school's secure electronic medical record system. Families can log into Magnus through their TigerNET account. Please note that only the parent's TigerNET account can access Magnus.
Before August 15th, you should:
- Complete the health forms listed on your child's account
- Provide proof of a valid (non-expired) Provincial or Territorial health card (if applicable)
- Add your child’s immunization records
Learn more about these requirements, systems, and our on-campus health care in general.
For your child to make the most out of their Ridley experience, there are a few items that we request you send with them at the start of the school year.
- Order your child’s school uniform online and review the Lower School Uniform Policy.
- For school uniforms, please visit Hank’s, our campus store, between 9:00a.m. and 4:00p.m from Sunday, September 1st to Thursday, September 5th. No appointments necessary. Starting Monday, September 9th, Hank’s will resume regular business hours of 9:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. No appointment necessary.
- Returns and exchanges: Hank’s will be open for returns and exchanges by appointment beginning August 12th. Please call Hank’s at 905-684-1889 ext. 2243 to make an appointment.
- Alterations: Our sewing room will be open Monday to Friday from 8:30a.m. to 5:00p.m. beginning August 6th. They will also be open September 1st to 5th from 8:30a.m. to 5:00p.m. No appointment is required. The sewing room will be closed on September 6th.
- Purchase our recommended school supplies and label each item with your child's name:
- JK-Grade 1 students should bring a backpack, extra clothing, indoor shoes, a water bottle (with a secure lid) and headphones.
- Grades 2-6 students should bring a backpack, pencil case, headphones, indoor running shoes, a water bottle (with a secure lid), and extra clothing.
- Grades 5-6 students should also bring a lock for their locker if they are comfortable handling a combination code.
Technology
Ridley is a Microsoft Office 365 school that will provide students with all the software they need for their academic journey. Students in JK-Grade 6 are provided with school-owned devices. JK-Grade 4 students are provided with iPads, and Grades 5-6 are assigned Mac laptops. Students are welcome to bring their own laptops if they prefer.
As a new boarding family, we know there are many things to consider, from your child’s travel to campus to what they should pack. We want to take the mystery out of the boarding experience to help make the transition to life at Ridley as smooth as possible.
Below are a few steps you need to take before you arrive on campus.
- Book your child's transportation to campus. New boarding students are invited to arrive and move into their boarding houses on September 1st.
- Plan accommodations if your child is arriving before their move-in date. We recommend the following accommodation options:
- Hospitalité Canada has worked with Ridley College for over 15 years to provide care to international students needing a safe place to live while not at school.
- International Student Guardianship Canada (ISGC) offers a short-term homestay programme which allows students to stay in a safe and friendly home within a community in Ontario.
- Pack all of the items suggested on our packing list.
Following house placements in the spring, the Heads of Houses will send a welcome email and information for the coming school year to all boarders.
Checklist for Returning Families
Welcome back to Ridley! Although you’ve been through at least one school year with us before, we wanted to ensure you had all the information you needed to prepare for your child’s first day back at Ridley.
- Make sure you have signed and submitted your enrollment contract on TigerNET.
- Ensure your account is up to date based on the payment plan you chose on your enrollment contract.
Additional steps for international families:
Although we already have your child’s health records on file, we request that you review their information and make any necessary updates on Magnus Health before August 15th to ensure we are ready to offer your child the best possible care on campus.
Before August 15th, you should:
- Update the health forms listed on your child's account
- Provide proof of a valid (non-expired) Provincial or Territorial health card (if applicable)
- Update your child’s immunization records
Refresh your knowledge about these requirements, systems, and our on-campus health care in general.
- You probably already have all the school supplies ready and waiting for September for your child. If your child is going into Grades 2 or 5, there are a couple of additional items that they should bring with them for this school year.
- In addition to the items your Grade 2 students brought with them last year, they should also bring a pencil case.
- In addition to the items your Grade 5 student brought with them last year, they should also bring a combination lock for their locker if they are comfortable handling a combination code.
- If your child is moving from Grade 3 to Grade 4, there are some changes to the uniform policy.
- For school uniforms, please visit Hank’s, our campus store, between 9:00a.m. and 4:00p.m from Sunday, September 1st to Thursday, September 5th. No appointments necessary. Starting Monday, September 9th, Hank’s will resume regular business hours of 9:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. No appointment necessary.
- Returns and exchanges: Hank’s will be open for returns and exchanges by appointment beginning August 12th. Please call Hank’s at 905-684-1889 ext. 2243 to make an appointment.
- Alterations: Our sewing room will be open Monday to Friday from 8:30a.m. to 5:00p.m. beginning August 6th. They will also be open September 1st to 5th from 8:30a.m. to 5:00p.m. No appointment is required. The sewing room will be closed on September 6th.
Technology
If your child is moving from Grade 4 to Grade 5, they will be assigned a Mac laptop this year. Students are welcome to bring their own laptops if they prefer.
Although your family are already experts on boarding at Ridley, we wanted to share our packing list as a reminder of what to bring with you when returning to Ridley.
Download Your Packing List
Opening Days Schedules
Our 2024-2025 Lower School Opening Days schedule will be available closer to the start of the school year. Please check back at a later date for all the details.
Additional Resources
Explore Our Website
There is so much more to Ridley than we can fit on a single webpage. When you have time, explore the following sections of our website for more information about what your child will experience when they start in September.
Don’t forget to follow us on social media to get an inside peek at the day-to-day of the Ridley Tiger experience. Links to our social media channels can be found at the bottom of this page.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about the information on this page, below are the Ridley community members who can assist you.
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