There are many institutions that are driving the educational world. These institutions are going a mile ahead, establishing a culture and an environment for students that enables them to grow out of their shells and become leaders of tomorrow.
Amongst these top institutions is the name Philopateer Christian College. This educational institution goes a step ahead in providing the students with the best of opportunities and all-around development.
Leading this premier institution is an exceptionally talented and experienced faculty. Heading this prestigious faculty is the principal Phoebe Wasfy. She is a leader through her core and an educationalist by profession.
Phoebe Wasfy brings her immense and diverse experience, merging it with the splendid culture and extremely talented faculty of the school, which creates an institution that brings education to another level, and prioritizing the overall growth and development of students is what sets it apart!
The organization
Philopateer Christian College is a Pre-K to gr.12 school. The organization was established in the year 1999 by the Egyptian Coptic Community. The institution is based in the city of Mississauga, Ontario. During the inaugural year, around 40 students (K-8 at that time) were schooled in the basement of the Canadian Coptic Centre.
Over the years, the institution, its infrastructure, and the student body have grown manifold. Now, the institution includes state-of-the-art infrastructure and exceptional programs, comprising high school too.
Philopateer Christian College was moved to a larger facility in 2009 which offers some of the best facilities to achieve an unmatched learning experience. Philopateer Christian College boasts a sought-after infrastructure catering to students in all the areas of a well-rounded educational journey with immense opportunities in extracurricular activities.
The graduated students from the school have moved on to top universities nationally and internationally. The alumni have also become leaders in different professions all over the world, thus showcasing the exceptional education and standards of Philopateer Christian College.
The Journey
Philopateer Christian College is a private school, and as the competition is fierce there were many challenges that the organization faced to establish its brand and name. The foremost challenge was to build a strong and integral reputation and also the crucial task of recruiting families, to fund the big investment needs in the education of their children. Also, to raise their institution and its standards to convince the parents of choosing their institution instead of publicly funded schools.
As a private school, laying a solid foundation for students, while gaining the support and belief of parents in the vision of building well-rounded leaders for the future is another challenge they faced and continue to face.
Involving parents while maintaining a high level of professionalism can also prove to be a big challenge. Yet none of the above-mentioned challenges stopped Philopateer Christian College from becoming what it is today!
The growth of the institution over the years has just been tremendous. It all started with the new building where students felt that they now have “a real school”. In 2014, when the school board of directors chose Phoebe Wasfy to step up into the Principalship position, she was able to come in with a full understanding of the school culture from the perspective of a parent, a teacher, and an educational leader.
Phoebe empowered her staff through the creation of a strong vision and big dreams for Philopateer Christian College. Stabilizing the leadership of the organization helped gain the trust of the families and triggered the growth of the school even further.
The Education
At Philopateer Christian College, their vision is to prepare their students to become well-rounded leaders of tomorrow, following in their Master’s footsteps. They do this by helping them believe in and develop their God-given talents in the right environment, guided by highly qualified teachers.
The school takes this vision to their heart, ensuring their students learn in a very highly motivated environment, encouraging them to excel and also reach the highest levels they can.
They aim to achieve this by setting up opportunities for them through academic programs as well as extracurricular activities that not only emphasize local involvement but also global exposure. They educate their students to have a balance between academic life and being actively involved in extracurricular activities and events.
During the pandemic, when the world closed, the school became innovative in the area of the hybrid/virtual learning world. They took on the launching of their online high school program, enabling students from around the globe to join their school from the comfort of their own country and allowing them to participate in as much of the student life as they can while remaining in their homeland.
The school has many reasons behind its long-standing success but they can all be wrapped up in a strong vision of empowering the students to reach their goals and believing in making a real difference in the world they live in.
As a school, the faculty firmly believes in raising their students in every aspect of life, so that they can face any challenge that comes their way and turn it around to make it a story of success.
Philopateer Christian College is much more than a solid academic institution. It is where tomorrow’s leaders are today’s students!
The leadership at the institution of the future!
“You don’t inspire your teammates by showing them how amazing you are. You inspire them by showing them how amazing they are.”
Robyn Benincasa
A great organization requires equally great leadership, and an educational institution requires something more than just a leader. It requires a leader who understands the current generation, who understands the parents, and who visualizes the future.
Philopateer Christian College is lucky to have such great faculty and principal under its wing. They are not only shaping the reputation and value of this organization but also contributing to building a better future by nurturing the leaders and innovators of tomorrow.
Phoebe Wasfy is the Principal of Philopateer Christian College.
Phoebe began her journey in 2005 as a grade 3 teacher, followed by a position as a middle school teacher. In 2008, she was a part of the team that began the high school division with three grade nine students. Step by step the school moved into its current location on its tenth anniversary with 280 students.
At that time, she was chosen by the principal to be the headteacher, leading a group of teachers who took on the different departments in the school. Through every step of the way, learning was a big part of the journey and a belief that in order for one to truly succeed and excel in what they are tasked with, one must be empowered through education.
From having additional qualification courses in the pedagogy of all age groups to a specialist in literacy and history to two-part principal qualification courses to a Master’s degree in Education and most recently a Certificate of Higher Education from Harvard. All these steps led her from teacher to head-teacher to Assistant administrator to assistant vice principal to vice principal and finally in 2014 when she took on the role of Principalship of Philopateer Christian College.
The faculty of Philopateer Christian College
At PCC, the faculty prides themselves in being a large family. The team works together and supports each other with one purpose in mind and that is the success of the school through the success of its students.
The faculty works in sync and to their best level which is demonstrated in the success story of every student who graduates from their school.
Their story with their students only begins when they are in the school but continues after they graduate which speaks a great deal about their success as teachers and guides. The team is unique because they are all one with a uniqueness that comes together to make them PCC!
Special experience with students
The PCC family pride themselves on their students going to the best universities nationally and internationally. In 2020, when the pandemic caused repeated lockdowns and isolation from each other, a unique email came from a dean of a prestigious university requesting a special virtual meeting with prospective students.
In his email, he boasted about his current program which has now become what it is in Canada because of the students who have gone to it from Philopateer Christian College. It was at this moment, that they as a school felt that all their hard work is not going in vain but really forming well-rounded leaders for tomorrow.
Phoebe’s views on constant vigilance – as a need or strategy
A combination of both is key to the success of an organization. One must always be vigilant and aware of everything that can impact their organization. In doing so, it would lead to a strong strategy that would resolve any issues that may arise. Being one step ahead of the game always helps in quick and more solid resolutions.
