Hi There !

Having looked at Abbey Park High School and White Oaks High School websites I am after reviews of the schools and their facilities Curricular and Co-Curricular.

This may determine which elementery we would place our kids in as they will both go in at the end of elementry.

We plan on visiting both schools in October to see for ourselves but would love real reviews.

Really if anyone has or has had kids who attended either Abbey Park High School or White Oaks High School I would love to hear your thoughts .

Thanks
The Blairs

Mine are too young yet, but all the kids in our neighbourhood attend(ed) White Oaks. They all seem well-adjusted, and of the three in the immediate neighbourhood who graduated White Oaks in the last few years, one is about to finish at McGill reading economics, one doing a commerce degree at Laurier, and the third is on a gap year before university - all bright, sensible, mature kids who seem to have benefited from the school's care. I know it offers the International Baccalaureate programme and some sort of accelerated learning thing for "bright" kids, but don't know how widely they are taken up. Don't know much about extracurricular activities except that they all seem very busy - band practice, sports practice, clubs of all kinds.

I don't know Abbey Park at all, so can't advise on that, but surely the primary consideration is whichever is the closest to where you live? There really isn't the same postcode competition for schools here as in the UK - kids just go to whichever is the appropriate local school fed from the local elementary. Unless you're in the Catholic system or go private, of course.

good to hear that about white oaks thanks!

We havn't moved yet and because our kids will only spend their last years in elementery I would prefer to focus our house search on the neighbourhoods which serve the best high school. Then choose a feeder elementery from that.

the blairs

The elementary system hereabouts is a little more complex - at least in the catchment area for White Oaks - because there's a bit of a demographic shift and a major realignment going on at the moment as major rebuilding/redevelopment is carried out. My son is just starting Grade 1 in the French Immersion programme, having moved schools (though the staff came too so he had continuity of friends and teachers) between JK and SK. If you end up in the College Park area I may be able to help steer you through the HDSB minefield; not much help for Glen Abbey, though.

we stay in oakville its the area where you stay determines what school they would go to. My kids are going to be going to be going to white oaks ,thats supposed to be good school for more technical subjects

I will have 3 kids in Abbey Park next week, grade 12,11 and 9.

The program is varied with lots of options giving a well balanced overall education, the standard of teaching is mostly good, I have only had one kid complain about a teacher but his grades were not too adversley affected.

My eldest looked at the International Baccalaureate programme at White Oaks as he found the level he was studying at a lot lower and at that point was adamant he was returning to UK to attend University. The head of the IB program at White Oaks was very helpful and bent over backwards to accomadate him however he eventually decided to stay at Abbey Park and take some courses which were one grade ahead, my younger son has done this also.

Abbey Park has an excellent dramatic arts facility, and the improv. team came 2nd in the Nationals last year.
They have all the usual sports clubs, plus a gamer club and varied councils e.g Envronmental, Wellness, Arts, World to name a few.
They have a number of fundraisers throughout the year to benefit the school and local community and an active school council.
There is a new principle this year, the last one got a lot of respect from the kids and put alot into the school, but there will probably be some changes.

My boys are very happy at Abbey Park and my daughter is so excited about going, if the course at White Oaks had been right for my eldest he would have switched schools, so I really think you need to get a feel for the schools on your visit and decide which you think will suit your kids the best.