I plan to move to Calgary in the next year or so. Thinking ahead of the education for my 6.5 years old daughter. Would it be really matter if we arrive and look for place to live and school during the school year? Another word, can she start school anytime during the school year? (off course after all paperwork/administration is done).

Thanks.

Pretty sure she could in Calgary. She could in Toronto. They'll need PR or Citizenship of course, and you'll need proof of resdience which will assign you a local public school.

So I should not be worry at what time of the year that we arrive, right?Thank you.

Kids can and do start school and change schools at any time of the year, and probably at that age it would not matter too much, ..... but for older kids they might find it harder if they miss things that are covered earlier in the year that are used as "building blocks" for later in the curriculum.

Hi, we moved to Calgary at the beginning of January. Our three children, aged 7, 8 and 16 had an extra month off school for Xmas hols as we were in hotel for the first month.
They started school at the start of February and have settled in quickly. Catching the school bus caused a few tears at first from the wee ones but now they love it. They are coping well with the changes in the education system here compared to UK, much more laid back, hardly any homework in grades 2 and 3 and the schools are so friendly and welcoming. Our 16 year old has also coped well, she's gone into grade 11. However she has an enormous amount of homework compared to her A'level studies in the UK (plus a lot of catching up to do in Social Studies). But she has quickly made friends and of course the boys all love her accent!!

There is never really a right time to move when kids and schools are involved but sometimes we worry too much...whereas they just tend to get on with it and sometimes cope with change better than us!!

Good Luck!

I would highly recommend coming during the school year. I have friends who moved here during the summer holidays and most families head off camping or on vacation for the summer, so the children found it hard to make friends until school started.
And happy children makes the move that much easier!
Good luck with the move, do you have any thoughts on where in Calgary you might move to?
Do you have your PR now?
Welcome to the forum!

Thank you and others. This is the piece of info that I needed.

I haven't really decided at this point, maybe NW. Yes, we do have PRs. Thanks.

we moved august bank hol weekend, and my daughter started school on first day of the school year. we had already arranged her place - in fact we had originally intended moving the previous easter - but papers got delayed.

the other kids in the class made great efforts to be welcoming, in fact on her first day she was received an invite to someones birthday party. I don't think that it really matters when you join the class, really, at age 6, though and I wouldnt base your move around it.

Soewitas, thank you so much for starting this thread, I have really enjoyed the replies. Snowcandy has massaged my fears no end, I am so glad it went well for you, it's heartening. I could worry as a national sport, and the idea of changing my son's school for one in another continent gives me wakeful nights, also as whilst we are English speakers at home, all of his education has been in French. We are planning to have a long visit this autumn, when the schools are open, so we might have the chance to see the schools in action - prior to moving over permanently, in summer of 2012, which is when he finishes primary (he's ten now). He wants to move and feels excited about it and is a sociable happy kid, so I'm hoping he will find a warm welcome. I think I'm more fragile and worried than he is, but I'm looking forward to it too. Scary moving with kids though isn't it?

Hi there. We live not far from Calgary. Our eldest was 7 when we moved over. Unless you're looking for a specialist school, ie. Catholic or French etc, kids pretty much go to the local school that covers your neighbourhood. We moved over November time and waited a couple of weeks until we we had sorted our permanent accommodation and then went to register our daughter at the local elementary. Really lovely school - they showed us around then and there and she started the next day and settled in really well and has made lots of lovely friends. Like others have said, I really don't think it makes a difference when in the school year they start. Best of luck!!

Thank you all.

Hi we moved to Calgary only 3 weeks ago my two girls (8 & 10) had a week off then I registered them in there schools and they started the next day & they seem to be happy.
Because they weren't born in Canada we had to go to the Calgary Board of Education though to register all they needed was to see the PR card.

Hope it goes well for you

We landed in April 2006 with 4 kids, (8, 6, 4 and 2 when we landed). The older 2 went straight into school - we registered them a few days after landing, and they started on the following Monday... no probs at all.

So I would not worry about the schools - kids can and do start pretty much at any point during the school year.

We were looking at moving the kids within the province this summer - either 6 weeks before the summer hols (so that they can make new friends before the summer) or during the hols, so that they start the new school year.

We have in fact decided to keep them where they are until the end of the school year for two reasons - our 11yo is in G6 and the new school said it would be problematic re curriculum and testing, and our G4 child would be starting a new (middle) school in the new academic year in the new division anyway, so effectively moving two schools rather than one. It won't make any difference for my 7yo (G2) though, so the OP shouldn't have any problems whenever they arrive. For other age kids (particularly those who might be moving between elementary and middle, or middle and high school, or those in Provincial testing grades) it might be worth checking with the school...

So, we are starting them in the new schools at the start of the academic year, so that we don't irritate the new middle school before we get there.