HELP!! Vancouver Island
Jan 21st 2013 | 9:36 am
#46
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 20,188
Re: HELP!! Vancouver Island
She is. She's your typical busybody school mouthpiece who was a failed teacher. Most staffs have one.
And you think the teaching is lazy and bad now, you just wait until that Dix and his apologists gets in. The province is very lucky it has lots of trees and fish, otherwise it'd be buggered
And you think the teaching is lazy and bad now, you just wait until that Dix and his apologists gets in. The province is very lucky it has lots of trees and fish, otherwise it'd be buggered
Jan 21st 2013 | 9:38 am
#47
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 20,188
Re: HELP!! Vancouver Island
We had aspirations back in our day. 
Jan 21st 2013 | 10:31 am
#48
Bristolish expat
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,700
From: Bristol ~ Nanaimo, BC ... It's a bit like Salem's Lot!!
Re: HELP!! Vancouver Island
I suppose its all about your expectations and experience, but I’ve visited a lot of schools on VI and found the facilities and the lack of equipment to be woeful. They still have separate computer labs, only about one in ten schools will even have a smart board, and none of which are integrated and some schools are still using videos players. The books are mostly out of date and American and the teachers are using pedagogical methods that went out of date in the middle of the 1980s. There's no vibrancy and energy in the schools, they don't push the kids and while I find the teachers capable enough, the lack of consequential accountability in the system lets them be extremely lazy.
(apart from the vibrancy & energy comment) we don't have Wi-Fi, teachers fight over the Elmo projectors & we have 1 smart board in a school of 300 kids 
You're right about the PAC too, if it wasn't for them we'd have bu**er all!!
Have to say though, it's not like that in all the schools here, I've worked in 7 different schools & some of them have excellent facilities.
Last edited by bananahammock; Jan 21st 2013 at 10:38 am.
Jan 22nd 2013 | 10:44 am
#49
Thread Starter
Just Joined
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 9
Re: HELP!! Vancouver Island
Sounds like you've just spent the day in the school that I work in!! (apart from the vibrancy & energy comment) we don't have Wi-Fi, teachers fight over the Elmo projectors & we have 1 smart board in a school of 300 kids
You're right about the PAC too, if it wasn't for them we'd have bu**er all!!
Have to say though, it's not like that in all the schools here, I've worked in 7 different schools & some of them have excellent facilities.
(apart from the vibrancy & energy comment) we don't have Wi-Fi, teachers fight over the Elmo projectors & we have 1 smart board in a school of 300 kids You're right about the PAC too, if it wasn't for them we'd have bu**er all!!
Have to say though, it's not like that in all the schools here, I've worked in 7 different schools & some of them have excellent facilities.
Jan 22nd 2013 | 2:24 pm
#50
Born again atheist
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 30,259
From: Europe (to be specified).
Jan 22nd 2013 | 2:38 pm
#51
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 20,188
Re: HELP!! Vancouver Island
Resources/funding are the most critical elements in education. Smartboards are simply symbolic of that. Usually the people who tell you otherwise, that 'you can't throw money at schools/the problem' are the ones paying exorbitant school fees for their children while donating large sums for the 'extracurricular'.
Jan 22nd 2013 | 3:29 pm
#52
Bristolish expat
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,700
From: Bristol ~ Nanaimo, BC ... It's a bit like Salem's Lot!!
Re: HELP!! Vancouver Island
Depends what you're looking for IMHO one of the best schools I've worked in, for being a caring place with a great PAC, breakfast/before/after school care, a weekly gardening program, lots of outdoorsy stuff & field trips & good community spirit is one of the poorest schools here in a fairly low income area.
The one I enjoyed the least had far better facilities, in an area with a long wait list and lots of spoiled students!
There is quite a difference in the high schools and their facilities, 2 have good sports programs, one is French immersion, one has an amazing music program & one has a great performing arts/drama centre.
Really it depends on your child, rather than where you send them, don't you think?
IMHO one of the best schools I've worked in, for being a caring place with a great PAC, breakfast/before/after school care, a weekly gardening program, lots of outdoorsy stuff & field trips & good community spirit is one of the poorest schools here in a fairly low income area. The one I enjoyed the least had far better facilities, in an area with a long wait list and lots of spoiled students!
There is quite a difference in the high schools and their facilities, 2 have good sports programs, one is French immersion, one has an amazing music program & one has a great performing arts/drama centre.
Really it depends on your child, rather than where you send them, don't you think?
Jan 22nd 2013 | 4:32 pm
#53
"In cruce vincam"
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,233
From: Mill Bay, Vancouver Island
Re: HELP!! Vancouver Island
Depends what you're looking for IMHO one of the best schools I've worked in, for being a caring place with a great PAC, breakfast/before/after school care, a weekly gardening program, lots of outdoorsy stuff & field trips & good community spirit is one of the poorest schools here in a fairly low income area.
The one I enjoyed the least had far better facilities, in an area with a long wait list and lots of spoiled students!
There is quite a difference in the high schools and their facilities, 2 have good sports programs, one is French immersion, one has an amazing music program & one has a great performing arts/drama centre.
Really it depends on your child, rather than where you send them, don't you think?
IMHO one of the best schools I've worked in, for being a caring place with a great PAC, breakfast/before/after school care, a weekly gardening program, lots of outdoorsy stuff & field trips & good community spirit is one of the poorest schools here in a fairly low income area. The one I enjoyed the least had far better facilities, in an area with a long wait list and lots of spoiled students!
There is quite a difference in the high schools and their facilities, 2 have good sports programs, one is French immersion, one has an amazing music program & one has a great performing arts/drama centre.
Really it depends on your child, rather than where you send them, don't you think?
Last edited by rivingtonpike; Jan 22nd 2013 at 4:33 pm. Reason: mis-quoted!!
Feb 1st 2013 | 3:45 am
#55
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 6
Re: HELP!! Vancouver Island
Hi
We just moved to Parksville from the uk, my kids are 6 and 10. The school we selected is very good, my kids are for sure ahead academically but I am not too worried about that. My impression is that the kids are eased in to school and then pushed harder towards grades seven and up. Full day kindergarten will help I think.
The school doesn't have smart boards but it has a huge library, playground, computer lab, gym etc.
For us it works, learning isn't all about the classroom in my opinion. We have seals, mountains, bears, deer, miles of beaches to explore as well!
Any questions, just MSG me. I would stay away from a certain school in parksville though as it does have a bad rap for 'issues'.
We just moved to Parksville from the uk, my kids are 6 and 10. The school we selected is very good, my kids are for sure ahead academically but I am not too worried about that. My impression is that the kids are eased in to school and then pushed harder towards grades seven and up. Full day kindergarten will help I think.
The school doesn't have smart boards but it has a huge library, playground, computer lab, gym etc.
For us it works, learning isn't all about the classroom in my opinion. We have seals, mountains, bears, deer, miles of beaches to explore as well!
Any questions, just MSG me. I would stay away from a certain school in parksville though as it does have a bad rap for 'issues'.
Feb 1st 2013 | 7:22 am
#56
"In cruce vincam"
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,233
From: Mill Bay, Vancouver Island
Re: HELP!! Vancouver Island
Are your kids in the French Immersion?
Feb 1st 2013 | 7:44 am
#57
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 81
Re: HELP!! Vancouver Island
Hi,
My family and I are thinking of re-locating to Vancouver Island to work at the air base in Comox. However, I'm starting to get second thoughts because the schools seem a little backward. We have a 4 year old and would like any advice as to where to live and which school is the best in the area? We're looking at Aspengrove but that means moving South to Parksville area.
Its a reasonably well paid job ($100k pa) and looking at the housing market it seems more reasonable than the UK. We love the outdoor life, sailing, kitesurfing and skiing etc.
Any comments welcome.
Thanks,
Simon
My family and I are thinking of re-locating to Vancouver Island to work at the air base in Comox. However, I'm starting to get second thoughts because the schools seem a little backward. We have a 4 year old and would like any advice as to where to live and which school is the best in the area? We're looking at Aspengrove but that means moving South to Parksville area.
Its a reasonably well paid job ($100k pa) and looking at the housing market it seems more reasonable than the UK. We love the outdoor life, sailing, kitesurfing and skiing etc.
Any comments welcome.
Thanks,
Simon
