Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

We have been here in Calgary NW for 7 months now and to find a decent elementary school seems to be a nightmare. Can any of you maybe tell me which schools your kids are attending and if you are actually happy with the school.

When we arrived here in June 2012 I knew that the Tuscany schools were full and very difficult to get a space in it. The english public one just refused to listen and help me at all where at least the local Catholic school St Basil's said I can put my name on the waiting list even though they can only accommodate my oldest who is in grade 3 and the Kindergartener will need to go to the school in Scenic Acres and hopefully they will have space for him next year for grade 1 but did not liked the idea of having the kids in 2 different schools. Well we tried our best to find a rental property anywhere except Tuscany but were not successful and the only successful rental application ended up being in Tuscany. So the boys are going to the elementary school in Scenic Acres but I am very disappointed in the school. The kid in KG doesn't seems to learn anything except color in pictures for the 2 1/2 hours he is at school where I am used to like in England and America where we lived before one is usually quite impressed by seeing the progress your kid is making with starting school. And then my oldest child is in a split grade 3/4 class. He is in grade 3. Again the teacher is very frustrating to communicate with and not very good in giving me any feedback about how my child is doing because from what I can see he is not learning anything. They don't get homework, don't do any tests, they don't do any worksheets because the teacher feels worksheets is a waste of time ( just because he needs to mark them ). My child still can not write a proper paragraph or essay and when I asked the teacher about it he said he does discuss it with the kids but he don't think kids this young must be expected to write long paragraphs. There is lots of other frustrating issues I have with the school and teacher but don't want to bore you all with it.

I am just really disappointed on the education side of things when I used to read and hear how good the Canadian education is and so far this is the worst education system we have ever been in. I cant wait for our rental contract to end in July and get out of here. That is why I would like to hear from anybody else here in the NW which schools you all maybe can recommend and no we can not afford private school. I have a 3rd one starting school this September. I want to start doing research for possible rental houses in a neighborhood with good schools that have space.

Looking forward to hear some possible suggestions.

Thanks

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

My kids aren't quite school age yet and I can't compare UK vs Canada schooling but I've heard good things about the Spanish bilingual elementary at Dalhousie. The two elementaries in Silver Springs are under subscribed. Is there anything up in Arbour Lake at all? Also if you work downtown and drive then the W H Cushing workplace School could be one to check out too. Are your kids 'gifted'? If so what about a charter school like Westmount (not private)?

I have a feeling your issue is probably more of a UK vs Canada schooling issue and I expect there will be some info and experiences on this along shortly.

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

They teach kids differently in Canada to how they are taught in the UK.

I would imagine that most schools in Calgary will teach in a similar fashion.

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

This name tag always makes me laugh. The "gifted" ones I have met appear to be a little backward. I always thought refering to them as gifted was the Canadian way of being polite.

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

You are probably right AC :rofl:

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

To the OP: for what it's worth we arrived with a 7 year old and a 4 year old. The 7 year old had attended school in the UK. The 4 year old has only ever attended school in Canada (Calgary).

Of course, being of English parents, they are the absolute brightest in their classes but I see little to distinguish their abilities. Both are straight A students but I doubt that that really means anything at their ages.

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

I am not comparing schooling with any country I am just concerned that it is not a good school and I am trying to find out about communities where there is spaces in the school and people are happy with the education their kids are getting. Last year the principal changed 4 times and at the end of the school year the principal, vice principal and 4 teachers left so think the school is going through a rough patch. My concern is that the kids are not learning anything at school. I have chatted to one of the parents in my oldest son's class and she said including her nearly all the grade 3 kids in that split class is not happy with the teacher. They did talk to the principal about him but there is nothing they can do about it.
And again even from the locals I heard it is difficult to get your kids in the charter schools. One lady told me she's put her son and daughter on the waiting list for some of the charter schools when they were 6 weeks old and they now 5 and 6 years old and she still haven't reached the top of the waiting list.
We do like Arbour Lake and is on the look out for an affordable rental property there as most of them are too expensive for us.

Just to make it clear I am not comparing education to England I am just looking for advice about neighborhoods in the NW where there is schools that have space and the school is doing a good job education wise.

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

I think in very general terms the older the community, the more likely there will be a school with space. Calgary seems very homogenous in that a single community seems to attract similar demographics e.g. Tuscany is very family oriented and hence schools are crazily over subscribed. Move inwards and you should find older communities that are likely to have more space available in their schools.

Driving round there are lots of boards up around the communities for open days and registration for schools - might be worth visiting a few?

Have a look also at Edgemont, Brentwood, Collingwood, etc .

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

Will PM you. Don't want to put info about my son's school on open forum :)

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

You will probably be aware that CBE has a GATE programme. Generally speaking the GATE children get decent enough grades but, more often than not, the one's I've seen are what you might describe as slightly quirky or even eccentric. Nothing wrong with that, everyone is different, but the GATE programme does seem to me to be more a way of grouping children together who might not fit in particulary well otherwise.

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

I'm not sure that the UK and Calgary are each quite as homogenous and distinct as you suggest.

Even within the same school here it is particularly apparent that different teachers have completely different approaches/styles/personalities which affect how the child is taught.

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

Would you consider moving outwards to Cochrane perhaps?

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

I presume you're at Monseigner doyle school?

Think you should say so as you make it sounds like the other SA schoool, but its not.

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

I think the following schools may accept out of area kids and all would be decribed as good I think:
Silver springs, Wo mitchell, EW coffin, marion Carson, Hawkwood, other SA school etc etc. Lots will still have split grades.

Have you talked to the Principal?

I think though if you want your Gr 3 kid to get loads of homework and write essays that you may not be in the right place. Calgary schools (well CBE anyway) are more about inquiry based rather than traditional based learning and typically in KG they focus on other things.

However you might be well suited to CBE's traditional learning schools or some of the charter schools like foundation for the futures. These tend to be over subscirbed though I think

PS Bearspaw also takes out of area kids

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

Hi, I have tried to PM you but wouldn't let me. I've also been here 7mths live in Tuscany. My eldest son is due to start kindergarten this Sept. I was hoping to get him into Tuscany School but as he doesn't have a sibling attending and we are in the bus route and not walking route it looks like he will be entered into the lottery. The school he will have to go to if he desnt get a space (to be honest don't fancy our chances!) will be W.O. Mitchell. Is this the school you are talking about? I've been trying to get information about this school but finding it very hard!

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

W O Mitchell is in Silver Springs. It's currently undersubscribed as is the other elementary in the community. The CBE has recently announced that WOM will be running a Spanish bilingual program from 2014-15 as well as its regular program so that numbers improve and they don't have to close.
http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b257/default.htm

This letter might help a bit http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b257/pdf/Ki...ion_letter.pdf

They have an out of school club called summit kids if you require such a facility.

I haven't heard anything bad about WOM or the other elementary in Silver Springs and hope to send my kids to one of these in the future.

Also some interesting background and projections on the Tuscany school issue: http://www.cbe.ab.ca/Schools/ceop/pp...ngOct%2018.pdf

P.s. you need three posts to do private messaging.

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

Hi Geordie Lass

Can you pass any info / thoughts to me (if you don't mind) as I'm in the same position for my kids starting in Sept this year in NW Calgary

Thanks :D

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

Hi, I can't add anything useful but wanted to say thanks to the posters in this thread. We have a baby son, and I now realise just how difficult it will be to try and get him into a good school.

Luckily we'll be renting at least until he starts kindergarten so we're flexible on being able to move. But it's good to have read some of the admissions processes into the charter schools. Are these the best schools? Just on first appraisal I'd like him to go to CSS!

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

Thank you everybody for your responses I will definitely look into some of the suggestions that has been made.

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

I read the PDF - interesting how different school districts/provinces run things. There really is no "Canadian" schooling system.

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

Just move to Ottawa ;) :D

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

Yep sure - will PM you. :)

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

Hmmmm.....Inquiry based learning. If the You Tube video on the CBE website is anything to go by, I'm a little bit sceptical. I especially liked the clasroom diagram which seemed to go from order to chaos. Or the quote that "children become teachers; teachers become learners". IBL seems more suited to adult learning than child learning.

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

I guess the alternative would be the Traditional Learning Centre program.
http://www.cbe.ab.ca/programs/Choices/prog-tlc.asp

It seems pretty popular but there are only a few of these. Oo and they wear school uniform too.

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

That's interesting. Thanks for flagging it.

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

One of my children is at High School doing the pre IB course in the "regular" programme. Apparently in his classes there are some children in the TLC programme - they wear uniform but only on some days. Mixing up non uniformed students with uniformed who then only wear it on "formal" days does seem a rather strange arrangement.

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

Thanks for this info. I guess I will just have to wait and see what happens. I guess I'm probably in a different situation then most on here as I know my son will only be doing 2 years in a Canadian school and then we will be back in the uk!

I guess I will have to right more posts if I want to PM people then lol

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

That does seem really weird.

But then I'm not one for traditional learning either

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

If you want him to go to Calgary Science School then you need to be on top of applying as soon as you are allowed. We applied as soon as we got here, one term into KG. We didn't get a grade 4 place and I think were quite back on the wait list.

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

PS. I think that is completely untrue. Think there are loads of good schools and a lot of older areas will have good schools and take out of area kids

BTW. Have heard good things about WOM, people I know rate it and rate the Principal. The school my child is at is great and swimming in money for extra programming (not found in catholic schools, or larger CBE schools)

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

My sons Catholic School is swimming in money:)

I think any school will only be as good as the administration running it and your luck I getting some good teachers.

There are some huge generalizations being made in this thread.

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

Ahh, but none do Casinos.......

Re: Elementary Schools in Calgary HELP PLEASE
 

Yes, they do. The parent group just forms a society and then donates to the school.