It all starts camping weekend, the very first weekend of the school year. All students and staff head off to Muskoka Woods Sports’ Resort for two days of pure fun and camaraderie. New students begin to feel they are a part of something special. Older students meet new friends and get re-acquainted with old ones. Everyone participates and is ready to begin the school year with confidence and enthusiasm.

Back at Trafalgar Castle, this confidence is nurtured daily. Being an all-girl environment allows students to just be themselves. But that’s just the beginning. At Trafalgar we do much more to support and encourage all students. Staff and students alike are all divided into four houses, each one with a special House Leader—members of our Trafalgar Athletic Association, or “TAA”. This House System fosters the close-knit, family atmosphere that is part of the fabric of the School. There are many friendly competitions throughout the year between Houses where everyone works together and cheers each other on.

Each new student to Trafalgar is paired with an older student. This mentoring system provides a supportive ‘Big Sister’ for each ‘Little Sister’ to count on, right from day one. By promoting relationships between older students and younger students, day students and boarding students, friendships have no boundaries. One dad reports, “Within weeks of coming to Trafalgar Castle my daughter started taking risks and joining teams she had never tried before”.

Trafalgar Castle School was founded as Ontario Ladies’ College in 1874 by the Methodist Church of Canada and remained affiliated with the United Church until 1979. In 1959, thanks to the vision of the late Dr. Stanley Osborne, the Grace Chapel was built and used for regular United Church services. Although the school’s affiliation with the United Church ended in 1979, the Grace Chapel continues to be used for daily Chapel each morning.

Our Chapel programme is not tied to a particular faith as many faiths are represented in our school community. Our Chapel programme may be best described as supporting the concept of a “Character Community”. Character Communities have begun to appear in many places through North America both in schools and urban communities. Character Communities make conscious attempts to address values in a society and provide the framework for the development of contributing citizens of tomorrow. 

The full school gathers in the Chapel daily at the beginning of each school day. Each week of the school year is dedicated to a particular theme, related to the concepts of a Character Community. Examples of themes that are highlighted include citizenship, respect, honesty, responsibility, community and honour. Various members of our community, including the Head of School, Faculty and Students, speak to the theme on specific days. We do not have a Chaplain, but rather our entire community leads reflections through the school year.

One important tenet of Trafalgar Castle School’s philosophy is the development of balance in the lives of our students. As a school, we naturally work on the development of the intellect and healthy physical lifestyles, but as a Character Community we also hold high in our consciousness the need to nurture the spirit in its broadest sense.

Trafalgar Castle School's Peer Mediation Program has become a widely recognized method of improving student relations and has grown in visibility and respect over the years. We are proud to have trained mediators in Grades 9-12, and junior ambassadors in Grades 6-8. The word is out!

Peer mediation is designed to improve problem-solving skills, increase self-esteem and develop compassion for peers dealing with a variety of social, emotional or behavioural challenges. The program enhances peer-to-peer communication, decreases incidents of relational aggression and helps to nurture a positive school culture. As they are guided in ways to solve their own problems proactively, students develop a sense of tolerance and empathy, while learning to celebrate diversity in our school community.

As an integral component of Trafalgar Castle School's mission, we commit to the following shared values among all members of our school community:

- Respect self and others.
- Celebrate diversity and traditions.
- Instil the joy of lifelong learning.
- Promote confidence, creativity and collaboration.
- Commit to be fully engaged in all areas of school life.
- Accept responsibility for school, community and environment.