TomFrench

That's a great insight. Thanks for sharing.

Zoe Bell

Part of what makes the IB diploma program so time intensive is that " the other stuff" is required in order to get the diploma.

A certain amount of Creativity ACtion and Service hours must be obtained and sustained throughout the two years.

If it is one thing the IB excels at it is turning out well rounded students.

Completion will give more activities to be listed on college applications not less

HGerchikov

That's interesting Zoe. Are the activities defined by the program? or are the students expected to find their own activities and then report the hours, rather like the 40 volunteer hours that they have to do to be able to graduate.

Zoe Bell

They are expected to find and record them. In the case of the CAS project, they are meant to initiate an activity that combines two or more of Creativity ACtion and Service and continue it for a sustained period.

dbd33

My daughter somehow got credit for being a sailing instructor and for involvement in various volunteer programs related to autism (the latter being an especially creative case of making the best of what you have, in this case an autistic sibling).

To my mind, the "not taking the IB so as to more rounded" approach falls down on two points:

- it assumes application to a school in a jurisdiction where extra-curricular activities count. As expats considering an international qualification we shouldn't be thinking just of Canada.

- there will always be some overachiever who has scored sevens, set a new record for the SAT and, on Sundays, learned Arabic so as to teach basket weaving to disabled immigrant children. It's not enough to aim just high, if you want to get into vet/law/med school you have to aim to be able to everything.

MillieF

I am rather keen on the IB programme, but only have experience of it in the Middle East, where the kids studied lots of more diverse subjects like Theory of Knowledge, which was a watered down Philosophy and went off to the New Model Parliament in the Hague, Cairo and all over, I also liked the community involvement aspect of the programme, it does seem to turn out rounded kids. Lots of students here arrive at uni who have had little or no experience of life, except their home or school.

OP the word 'rural' can be somewhat lonely in parts of Canada, it definitely has different connotations to the word in the UK. A bit of land, is somewhat different here. I know people who have to drive for quite a few kilometers to get to their front gate. I'm 'downtown', admitedly in tiny Fredericton, but I still have rather more garden and trees than I want to mow and rake leaves from.

Very best of luck for your forthcoming trip, do let us know how it goes

dbd33

Ah. I know the area vaguely, having had a few contracts at the Ford plant and once having lived in the area of Port Credit. Shame those eras didn't coincide.


The GTA is well served for cycle paths. There's one along the edge of the lake from, approximately, Oakville (it may go farther but I ran out of steam at Oakville) to Scarborough (where I started pedaling). Given the budget, it would be possible to live in an American Beauty style suburb, Oakville/Lorne Park/Mineola and bicycle to work. You'd need to be south of the QEW in an older suburb (so as not to have the neighbour's nose poking you when you shower). Our house in Lorne Park was on a lot 70'x130' and backed on to a park, not rural by my current standards but the sort of thing one might find in Guildford, and typical of the area.

If you want actual rural, keep a horse in the backyard rural, then you do well to look toward Cambridge. Puslinch for example, is horsey and commutable.

All that said, if you don't mind straight, there's an enormous choice of country roads with negligible traffic within 45 minutes drive of work. The three or four roads with bends are clogged with cyclists, motorcyclists and people who think their cars interesting. People do not come to Ontario for scenic routes.

Zoe Bell

Theory of knowledge is also a compulsory part of the IB diploma program

TomFrench

Hi All,

Thanks again for all the advice. It was a massive help. So in the end we went over for a 5 day visit at the end of March. We drove around the GTA area to get a sense of geography. I am lucky; my company provided a relocation consultant to spend 2 days with us, so we had a local UK expat showing us around. To cut a long story short, we are definitely coming to Canada! I signed a contract 2 weeks ago. We decided to live in the Oakville area for a number of reasons and are currently looking for accommodation. We move out in July. Regarding the schools, which is why I initially started this thread, we decided to put the kids into a good public school and commit ourselves to stay at least 4 years to get our eldest through high school. It’s a personal decision, but it was easier having read your impartial views, and all the pros and cons from you guys. Thank you!

christmasoompa

Congrats! Do make sure you apply for PR as soon as you can if you want to stay at least 4 years - as your visa will only be for a maximum of 3 years if you're going on an intra-company transfer TWP, with no guarantee of renewal. But once you've got PR, you can stay as long as you like.

Best of luck.

TomFrench

Thank you :-)

HGerchikov

Congratulations on your contract, I found it something of a relief once we actually made the decision. My boys have both been educated through a good public high school in Oakville, we are pleased with the end results for both of them. Oakville has been a good choice for us, I hope it works out as well for you.

Snowy560

I think you're making the right decision (about public schools).

S

TomFrench

Thank you ;-)