Can anyone recommend a good elementary & junior school in Edmonton? Heading there in the summer, kids hopefully starting school in September. 2 children aged 10 and 9 so looking for a nice family neighbourhood and schools fairly close by. We'll be looking at the South West side - maybe Terwillegar or Ellerslie area - not sure yet. Any recommendations?

I can't recommend one specifically in that area, because I don't live down that way but, they do use specific catchment areas here, so it will depend on where you actually end up living. They assign schools to addresses, and if you want to go to a school outside of your area, you have to wait until all the children in that schools area have been given a place, then you go on a waiting list.

The school board website has a tool for finding schools based on addresses, www.epsb.ca you can also get some information about the schools on the site.

You can look up all the schools in your ward - so for Terwillegar I think you would be in ward H - http://www.epsb.ca/schools/wards.shtml and for Ellerslie you would possibly in ward I.

You can then google all the schools in those wards and find information on them. A good realtor for the area will probably be tuned in to which schools have the best reputations.

I have a friend who lives down in that direction so I will mail her and see if she has heard anything.

Happy school hunting!

Thanks for the info. I'll check those sites out.

I wouldn't suggest moving to the Ellerslie Road area. There's a lot of new (and very ugly) housing there and only one school. Frankly, it's bleak, dreary area right on the outskirts of the city without much for kids to do. Also, traffic can be heavy expecially if you're trying to go north via Calgary trail which has just started undergoing a three year construction project at 23rd. Avenue. Terwillegar is a nice area but pricey. Windsor Park Elementary School near the University of Alberta was a good choice for our daughter and Grandview Junior High was also good. Looking down the road, Old Scona Academic High is a great senior high school. Hope this helps.

We will be relocating at the end of the year by Gods grace, I like the town Edmonton than Calgary (from what I have read) though my OH is looking for a job in Calgary. can one work in Calgary and live in Edmonton?

You can do a lot of things but a two and a half hour commute each end of the day will wear you down eventually. When the winter comes you can make that 3 hours minimum and with all the attendent worry of making it home.....

Calgary has a little warmer climate if that is important...

Which other town is near calgary for commuting purpose

Depends how you define town but Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks would be options

lets call them neighborhoods, how far are they from calgary

Okotoks would be the farthest away at 50kms. It would be under an hour to downtown if it's not snowing.....

Thanks for the info. My brother lives in the Ellerslie area, so I was hoping to be, sort of, in the neighbourhood. But, saying that, schools are more important, so maybe we should look elsewhere and drive a little further to my brother's house! We want a nice child friendly neighbourhood (kids are 10 and 9) with schools and facilities fairly close by. My husband will be working on 170th Street, that's why we were looking SW area. I also hope to work when we're more settled.

Thanks for the info. Its difficult to understand some stuff until one really gets to canada. will be in Alberta say Dec and will rent for a couple of months atleast to get to know the good schools around then we buy in that area. When is the best time/month to arrive canada in terms of placement in schools for the kids

Hi Depending on where on 170th job is have you considered St Albert, property is a little more pricey but communities and schools good. We have been here just over a year and started our daughter (7) at her new school in Feb 07 and she had no problems settling in.
Good luck

Elli and Paul

Thanks. I'll start researching that area. We're definitely concerned about the kids settling, so I'm open to suggestions! I'll google it today. We'll be arriving in the summer, so we'll have time to check stuff out before the winter sets in! I think you replied to someone elses (kaniyang) reply! Are there plenty of things to do for the kids too - out of school? My son enjoys footie, so he'd probably want to join a 'soccer team'.

I wouldn't know about fotie cos I have 2 daughters. Anyway summer is by the corner once you are in Canada I guess info will be easily assessable