We're Back - Bigger and Better Than Ever!

By Michael Clarkson

Broad smiles and youthful energy burst through the doors of FEIA last week as we opened with orientation for the 2026-27 school year.

We continue to grow -- enrolment has increased about 75 to 320 students while the athletic department has expanded in size.

FEIA’s childcare program, Rivergate Academy, presented the grand opening of its kindergarten class on Sept. 12 with the plan to accept students for Grades 1-3 in 2027.

Meanwhile, on-site dormitories have grown with the recent purchase of the former Gilmore Lodge, a seniors’ long-term care home, located just across a park from the academy, from the municipality of Niagara.

Last week, wide-eyed new students were greeted by our returning and outstanding Principal Will Cockburn.

“We will continue to grow and also to bring in the community as part of our family,” said FEIA founder and director Paul Liu, who hopes to raise money for a state-of-the-art sports’ facility for next year.

The Falcons have added their first girls’ volleyball team, which held its first practice last week under experienced coach Jenn Kelly.

The boys’ soccer club, which had its first season in 2025-26, is adding a second team this year under coach Aleks Balta.

Meanwhile, the boys’ basketball program has grown to five teams – a national squad, a second “Trillium League” team, two developmental teams and a junior team.

The Nationals, who won the provincial tile last season, have many new faces and should be a contender once more with new associate coaches Chris Sagl, Obi Dike, J. J. Sedore, and Alex Naovarath joining returning coaches Kemy Osse, Steve Houston and Darnell Landon.

The FEIA girls’ cage team is adding a second team and has new associate coaches in Asia Brown and Areej Burgonio with head coach Handel Kipp returning. They should be strong contenders again this season with a lineup heavy with all-star guards, including newly-signed Jayla Jackson of Detroit.

Hockey continues to be strong at FEIA with Pete Montana moving up to be head coach of the girls’ skaters. Joining program director Derek Bachynski on the boys’ team are new associate coaches Greg Wilson and Riley Eberhardt and returnees Tyler Leclair and Connor Walters.

“(The FEIA management) are creative and coming up with great ideas,” says Bachynski. “The campus environment and the culture are good. We’re going in the right direction, that’s why I’m here.”

On an academic level, our students will try to keep up the high standards which saw 50 of the 58 graduates from 2025-26 reach Ontario Scholar status with at least an 80 per cent grades.