Our Legacy & History

K-W Fellowship Christian School Association was founded through the shared vision of pastors and parents from churches within the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada in the Kitchener–Waterloo area. On January 15, 1987, 116 interested individuals gathered at Benton Street Baptist Church in Kitchener, Ontario, to explore the possibility of starting a Christian school. From this meeting, a Steering Committee representing five local Fellowship Baptist churches was formed to pursue the goal of opening an elementary school by fall 1987. The committee met weekly until June 4, 1987, when an official Establishment Meeting was held.

The school opened on September 9, 1987, with 22 students from 13 families, offering classes from Junior Kindergarten to Grade Five. It began with two classrooms and two qualified teachers. In 1988, the organization was incorporated as K-W Fellowship Christian School Association and registered as a charitable organization, allowing it to issue tax receipts. It was also recognized by the Ontario Ministry of Education as a private school.

From its beginning, the school aimed to provide a Biblically grounded education with strong academic standards. Over time, it grew both in enrollment and in its connection to the wider Christian community, eventually drawing families from around 20 different local churches. Enrollment increased steadily, reaching 42 students in 1990–91 and 60 by the following year. As the school expanded, so did its facilities and staff, including additional classrooms, a gymnasium, a library, and administrative support. By 1990–91, the school offered a full program from Junior Kindergarten through Grade Eight.

In October 2000, the school relocated due to continued growth and the donation of a modular building. A new property was purchased on Old Glasgow Street in Kitchener, and the school community worked together to construct and move into the new facility, set in a natural environment of wetlands and farmland.

A major shift occurred in 2012–2013 when the school adopted the Classical Christian model of education, inspired by Dorothy Sayers’ essay The Lost Tools of Learning and later developments in the movement. This approach emphasized time-tested methods of learning and student formation.

In 2019, members voted to rename the school Verideia Classical Christian Academy. The new name reflects its classical educational philosophy while continuing its original mission: to provide a high-quality, Christ-centered education in partnership with families and local churches, supporting students’ intellectual, spiritual, social, emotional, and physical development.