School/Kindergarten
Oct 28th 2010 | 7:01 am
#31
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 15,883
Re: School/Kindergarten
I think Wildwood is a lrage school with mixed catchments.
For me the key is though that your 5/6yr old child will be bussed to school. Loads do it, but I don't like the idea of my babies on those yellow buses with no headrests and no seat belts.
I also think its much easier for both you and the kids to make friends when:
1. the kids get to play with each other/hangout on the playground after school
2. you get to meet and talk to parents
But I've said this before and I get jumped on for it. But then we get all these posts about how people aren't making friends.
Personally these brand new areas are all very nice in terms of swanky houses (and nae knickers), but to me they lack soul and community spirit as everyone is new, they seem to be disporportionately expat (which may suit you), they have few mature trees and they have so many kids that everything becomes an issue (eg getting into preschool, getting skate lessons etc as there is no community rink).
Aspen does have a nice market (Blush Lane). I think all the houses are brown, which gets a bit samey in Calgary.
What are its public transport connections like? That may be an issue for downtown.
For me the key is though that your 5/6yr old child will be bussed to school. Loads do it, but I don't like the idea of my babies on those yellow buses with no headrests and no seat belts.
I also think its much easier for both you and the kids to make friends when:
1. the kids get to play with each other/hangout on the playground after school
2. you get to meet and talk to parents
But I've said this before and I get jumped on for it. But then we get all these posts about how people aren't making friends.
Personally these brand new areas are all very nice in terms of swanky houses (and nae knickers), but to me they lack soul and community spirit as everyone is new, they seem to be disporportionately expat (which may suit you), they have few mature trees and they have so many kids that everything becomes an issue (eg getting into preschool, getting skate lessons etc as there is no community rink).
Aspen does have a nice market (Blush Lane). I think all the houses are brown, which gets a bit samey in Calgary.
What are its public transport connections like? That may be an issue for downtown.
There's also a junior high (H.D. Cartwright) in the neighborhood and it falls into the catchment area for Sir Winston Churchill High School which some believe to be one of the best high schools in the city.
Oct 28th 2010 | 7:02 am
#32
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,710
Re: School/Kindergarten
We live in North West. In fact some kids at our local school come in out of catchment from Valley Ridge because they don't want them to go to Wildwood.
Like Jings we chose where to live based on the schools. We also live where we do because my OH commutes to work by foot!!!
Lovely house for rent in our community at the mo. I know cos I looked around it 2 years ago. It has a gas cooker!!!
Oct 28th 2010 | 7:06 am
#33
Thread Starter
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 36
From: Aberdeen
Re: School/Kindergarten
gas cooker would be good, think we have to wait till we get out there before we decide where to stay, what website is that house on? just so i can have a nosey 
Oct 28th 2010 | 7:07 am
#34
Lowering the tone
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 8,154
From: Here and there
Re: School/Kindergarten
We live in North West. In fact some kids at our local school come in out of catchment from Valley Ridge because they don't want them to go to Wildwood.
Like Jings we chose where to live based on the schools. We also live where we do because my OH commutes to work by foot!!!
Lovely house for rent in our community at the mo. I know cos I looked around it 2 years ago. It has a gas cooker!!!
Like Jings we chose where to live based on the schools. We also live where we do because my OH commutes to work by foot!!!
Lovely house for rent in our community at the mo. I know cos I looked around it 2 years ago. It has a gas cooker!!!
Oct 28th 2010 | 7:08 am
#35
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,710
Re: School/Kindergarten
Not many oil company expats round us though. They live in packs round Jings and the near SW and operate as a seamless entity.
Oct 28th 2010 | 7:11 am
#37
Thread Starter
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 36
From: Aberdeen
Re: School/Kindergarten
ok thanks for that 
Oct 28th 2010 | 9:18 am
#39
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 91
From: Calgary Alberta Canada.
Re: School/Kindergarten
Any
decent schools in the south east?
Cheers. calum.
decent schools in the south east?Cheers. calum.
Oct 28th 2010 | 9:28 am
#40
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 13,402
From: South of Calgary
Re: School/Kindergarten
In Calgary, all the schools are "good." You have to drop the Brit mentality when it comes to schools: either your kids are bright, or they`re not. Sending Johnny Thicko to Eton will just result in an intellectually challenged teenager with a posh accent. It will not turn a road sweep into a rocket scientist.
Last edited by Almost Canadian; Oct 28th 2010 at 9:31 am.
