Today's parents are sometimes described as 'helicopter parents' because of their tendency to hover over their children, supervising and scheduling their every move.It's no wonder that some teenagers look to boarding school as a way to gain more independence, and broaden their educational horizons.Parents and children interested in boarding school in Canada can attend the Canadian Independent Accredited Schools (CAIS) Boarding School Fair in Bermuda next month.CAIS is an accreditation body for independent day and boarding schools mostly in Canada. CAIS has two member schools in Bermuda — Saltus Grammar School and Somersfield Academy.CAIS executive director Anne-Marie Kee, was on the Island recently visiting Saltus and Somersfield. She speaks all over the world about the benefits of CAIS independent schools and accreditation and also keeps a blog called 'KeeNote'. The Royal Gazette recently met up with her for a chat.“I didn't go to boarding school as a kid, I went to a Catholic girls school in Hamilton, Ontario,” she said. “But I have been very much sold on the value of boarding. I see that independent schools are fantastic. The boarding school just extends that learning environment when other schools close down for the day. The learning continues into the dinner hour and into the evening and weekend programmes.“There is a real sense of community and experiential learning. It is great for children to have time away from their parents. There are lots of stereotypes about helicopter parents or parking lot mafia parents. In a boarding environment the children really learn that sense of independence and resiliency.”She said that parents in Bermuda should ask two questions when considering sending their child to a boarding school: Is it a CAIS school and is it Canadian?“I love it here in Bermuda,” she said. “I love the people and the culture. It is really great to work with Saltus and Somersfield. We are holding a fair, because a lot of Bermudian families have close ties to Canada. We would estimate that about 25 percent of Bermudian students go to Canadian colleges and universities, and every year some Bermudian families choose a CAIS boarding school as one of the options for their child.”Ms Kee began her career as a teacher in Canada in the public school system, eventually joining Lower Canada College in Montreal.In 2006, she became executive director of the Canadian Educational Standards Institute (CESI) where she initiated the National Tracking Project. Forty-two independent schools in Canada now take part in this project which seeks to collect and provide data on student engagement, school leaving averages, university grades and differences related to gender and school activities. Reflecting on this data enables school leaders to set goals, highlight areas for improvement, and identify significant programmes for further evaluation.Ms Kee also co-authored the 'National Technology Project: A Report on Effective Practice' and led the organisation through a national collaborative review of the standards and procedures of accreditation. In 2009, when CAIS and CESI merged under the name of CAIS, she was appointed executive director.“I fell in love with the fact that a CAIS school has to go above and beyond basic requirements,” said Ms Kee. “In all areas of programme and operation, a CAIS school has to meet high national standards. I loved that passion and commitment to students, and commitment to excellence. Right now we have a collection of 27 boarding schools in Canada.”She said the message she got from CAIS boarding schools in Canada was 'we love Bermudians'.“Bermudians often end up playing leadership roles at the schools and enjoying the education and thriving in those environments,” said Ms Kee.One advantage to studying in Canada was that the education system there had a very high reputation in general, she added.“The Canadian government has done a lot of work,” she said. “We know that families choose Canada because of safety reasons and also because Canadians do quite well on the Programme for International Standards and Assessment. I think also they just enjoy everything that Canada has to offer.”Ms Kee said Canada and Bermuda have a good synergy and both education systems put strong emphasis on educating “the whole student”. This is compared to other countries where there is more of an emphasis on standardised testing.“The standard for the boarding schools in Canada is really high,” she said. “All of our schools would have to be accredited. One of our standards is just on the boarding programme. We would be looking at the supervision of the students, the well roundedness of the boarding programme.”She said when parents were choosing a boarding school, they really had to ask some “big questions”.“They have to ask first which country will you trust to take care of your child,” she said. “It is not an option to choose a Bermuda boarding school; you have to go overseas. I have to make sure that when you are choosing a boarding school, Canada is top of mind. Secondly, you want to choose an accredited boarding school where they are ensuring that the highest of standards exist for the safety and well being and happiness of the child. The message I want to get out is that this is a great option for families, and Bermudians thrive in Canadian boarding schools. They are a great option.”The CAIS boarding school fair will be held on October 11 at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess from 5pm to 8pm.For more information visit www.cais.ca or e-mail Sarah Milligan, smilligan@cais.ca.There is also a fair this Wednedday and Thursday representing boarding schools from around the world from 4.30pm to 7.30pm at the Fairmont Hamilton. For more information contact tory@schoolstoknow.com .Useful website: www.schoolstoknow.com.