Location: Fisher Ave. (Experimental Farm). A little bit of a hike in the wrong direction if you live and work downtown, but for those parents who are coming from the south or west of the city; I think its worth considering the minor detour.
Facilities: Amazing! The school was constructed under the direction of Mrs. Turnbull, the owner on former farmland and I have to say; she is quite the visionary. It doesn't look like much when you first drive into the school parking lot, but then you realize that the school is built on a hill and actually extends down the hill to a rather long expansion. Enough to comfortably house the junior and senior schools. There is one section, I believe it was the middle school where it was a little dark due to lack of windows in the hallways, but it didn't seem to bother the students much.
Uniforms: There were none!There are school T-shirts for important functions, but no uniforms on a daily basis. The registrar explained that it was Mrs. Turnbull's vision to have students learn how to dress appropriately and to respect their own bodies and to develop a healthy image from a young age. While I can respect that point of view and understand the logic behind it, I personally would love to keep my child in a uniform for as long as I possibly can. I simply prefer to minimize the importance of physical appearances for as long as I humanly can. I believe we live in such a superficial society and the longer I can defer that particular issue in my household, the better!
Curriculum: Enhanced Ontario curriculum. There is no French immersion, but core French. I didn't have too much of chance to look at their course material or to speak to individual teachers to get their perspectives, but judging from the work displayed on the walls the students seemed bright and engaged in their work.
Classrooms: Classrooms were a nice size, many with large windows which helped create a welcoming feel, and most were equipped with advanced technology such as smartboards. There is a large library that is quite welcoming.
Class sizes: Class sizes ranged but it seemed 16 was the average. There is no issue of split classes here as many grades have multiple classes. This is definitely a perk for socializing your child. Many private schools offer the bonus of small class sizes, however it also limits your child's ability to socialize with a diverse set of peers. This structure offers the benefits of smaller class sizes while still enabling your child to meet a more diverse range of peers their age.
Staff: As mentioned, I didn't have a chance to talk to teachers beyond a few quick introductions with a question here or there. The teachers came across as engaged and hard working. The teachers in the senior school did appear to have a more no-nonsense attitude which I personally see as a bonus, while the teachers in the elementary years came across as very warm and nurturing. A good mix. One thing I did specifically notice was that Turnbull has quite a few male teachers. More than the statistical norm, which is quite intriguing. The reason I noticed this is because I personally see it as a plus for my particular situation. Being a single parent, I often feel that my child may not get as much of that "male influence" as other children would. So to me, I found this rather interesting and a potential bonus. I consider myself a strong figure in my child's life by any definition, but that being said, its not necessarily an issue of having a "strong" influence, its really about the way a person interacts with a child. I find men and women interact with children differently. One way is not necessarily better than the other, its just different.
Tuition: They don't advertise their prices on their website. You have to go in for a tour to get the full information package. Its quite clever on their part because they do offer quite the package. You really have to go in to visit the school to really get that impression of what a good environment it is for the children. Tuition comes in at a whopping $18,000.
Board: There is a parent group that is involved in some of the student activities, but decision making at large is done by the principal and ultimately is the decision of Mrs. Turnbull who oversees the direction of the school. The school is privately owned by Mrs. Turnbull.
My overall rating: "I love it, but its out of my comfort zone - budget and distance."
Monday, June 18, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Fernhill School
Location: In New Edinburg. The school is a good size, convenient location for anyone who works in downtown Ottawa or downtown Hull.
School grounds: I went to their open house, and unfortunately, it was late in the evening and it was already dark. The school tour didn't include the playground or mention of the playground and I completely forgot to ask about it. Everything else looked pretty standard. Nice size gym, which is usually the tricky thing to find. However, the way they organized their classrooms (use of physical space) was rather confusing to me. So bear with me here as I try to explain the confusion: they only have a limited number of classrooms. And as it is, Fernhill classes go up to grade 4; even though the school is supposed to go up to grade 6. The grade 4 class is the most senior class. So, because they are missing grades 5 and 6, the classrooms that they would have used for grades 5 and 6 are being used for preschool and kindergarten as these programs tend to have high enrollment. However, as their current students progress, the school will progress with them, shifting the demographics of the school. So currently, there is no grade 5 or 6 class; but the next school year, the 4s will become 5s and there will be no grade 6 class. So to make room for an extra grade next year, they plan on cutting one of their preschool rooms. So basically, they are making use of their space and filling it with preschoolers until the older grades (5 and 6) exist.
It was rather funny planning, from my perspective; but it sounded like they knew what they were doing. I know that preschool, JK and SK tend to have higher enrollment in private schools because they are still tax deductible and then enrollment tapers off in the more senior years. I don't know at what rate it tapers off, so I can't judge whether this method works or doesn't work. I can only say that I was rather confused.
Board: There was a very involved board of directors. It appeared as if the board consisted of only parents of current students, in contrast to many schools which have parents of alumni. The majority of the board members were present for the open house and this really gave the tour a warm familial feeling to it. The board members that I spoke to were absolutely pleased with the school and the education their kids were receiving. Many had multiple children at Fernhill and had started their children at Fernhill since preschool, and that was very reassuring for me.
Staff: The staff seemed very involved in the school and its activities. I managed to speak to a few briefly and they were incredibly helpful and knowledgeable about child development theory. Some didn't seem as enthusiastic about their jobs than others, but I guess you get that everywhere. I was very impressed that the principal had been at the school for 27 years though. Many of the teachers had been there for a number of years as well...6 or 7 years were some of the answers I got from the teachers I questioned. To me, the length of time teachers stay is pretty important. It shows me that they like teaching at that school and there is consistency at the school. To me, its also a sign of good leadership from the principal. You want to be weary if most teachers are new. This to me shows potential for high turnover rates, which is often a sign of cracks in the foundation of the school's leadership.
Curriculum: I was a little hesitant about the level of 'enriching' the curriculum actually got. It seemed as if they were following at par with the Ontario curriculum (judging by the exercise books and textbooks that were on the shelves), where other schools advertise that they are almost up to a full year ahead. So depending on your stance on this topic, this may be a point of discussion for your with the school should you decide to take a tour. When I asked how they enrich the curriculum, the principal mentioned things like experiments and field trips etc.; however, I remember my first instinct being 'well yeah, all schools public and private do that'. Basically, it didn't really sound to me like the curriculum was enriched all that much in comparison to a lot of the private schools.
Uniforms: Standard stuff. If you don't like green - you are not going to like these uniforms.
My overall ranking: I loved the warm familial feel of the school, however, I wasn't sure about their strength on the academic side. Not a good match for my priority list.
School grounds: I went to their open house, and unfortunately, it was late in the evening and it was already dark. The school tour didn't include the playground or mention of the playground and I completely forgot to ask about it. Everything else looked pretty standard. Nice size gym, which is usually the tricky thing to find. However, the way they organized their classrooms (use of physical space) was rather confusing to me. So bear with me here as I try to explain the confusion: they only have a limited number of classrooms. And as it is, Fernhill classes go up to grade 4; even though the school is supposed to go up to grade 6. The grade 4 class is the most senior class. So, because they are missing grades 5 and 6, the classrooms that they would have used for grades 5 and 6 are being used for preschool and kindergarten as these programs tend to have high enrollment. However, as their current students progress, the school will progress with them, shifting the demographics of the school. So currently, there is no grade 5 or 6 class; but the next school year, the 4s will become 5s and there will be no grade 6 class. So to make room for an extra grade next year, they plan on cutting one of their preschool rooms. So basically, they are making use of their space and filling it with preschoolers until the older grades (5 and 6) exist.
It was rather funny planning, from my perspective; but it sounded like they knew what they were doing. I know that preschool, JK and SK tend to have higher enrollment in private schools because they are still tax deductible and then enrollment tapers off in the more senior years. I don't know at what rate it tapers off, so I can't judge whether this method works or doesn't work. I can only say that I was rather confused.
Board: There was a very involved board of directors. It appeared as if the board consisted of only parents of current students, in contrast to many schools which have parents of alumni. The majority of the board members were present for the open house and this really gave the tour a warm familial feeling to it. The board members that I spoke to were absolutely pleased with the school and the education their kids were receiving. Many had multiple children at Fernhill and had started their children at Fernhill since preschool, and that was very reassuring for me.
Staff: The staff seemed very involved in the school and its activities. I managed to speak to a few briefly and they were incredibly helpful and knowledgeable about child development theory. Some didn't seem as enthusiastic about their jobs than others, but I guess you get that everywhere. I was very impressed that the principal had been at the school for 27 years though. Many of the teachers had been there for a number of years as well...6 or 7 years were some of the answers I got from the teachers I questioned. To me, the length of time teachers stay is pretty important. It shows me that they like teaching at that school and there is consistency at the school. To me, its also a sign of good leadership from the principal. You want to be weary if most teachers are new. This to me shows potential for high turnover rates, which is often a sign of cracks in the foundation of the school's leadership.
Curriculum: I was a little hesitant about the level of 'enriching' the curriculum actually got. It seemed as if they were following at par with the Ontario curriculum (judging by the exercise books and textbooks that were on the shelves), where other schools advertise that they are almost up to a full year ahead. So depending on your stance on this topic, this may be a point of discussion for your with the school should you decide to take a tour. When I asked how they enrich the curriculum, the principal mentioned things like experiments and field trips etc.; however, I remember my first instinct being 'well yeah, all schools public and private do that'. Basically, it didn't really sound to me like the curriculum was enriched all that much in comparison to a lot of the private schools.
Uniforms: Standard stuff. If you don't like green - you are not going to like these uniforms.
My overall ranking: I loved the warm familial feel of the school, however, I wasn't sure about their strength on the academic side. Not a good match for my priority list.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Westboro Academy
Westboro Academy is just across the street from Carleton University. Considering I had gone to Carleton for so many years, you would think I would have noticed the school. I have driven by the building so many times, and all this time I just assumed it was part of the City of Ottawa facilities - namely part of the Brewer pool and served as a community centre of some sort. Who would have known you could fit an entire school in there. So this leads me to my personal views on Westboro.
Location: Its centrally located. As mentioned, its right by Brewer pool, the skating rink, lots of open fields and place for the kids to run around come summer time. There is a busy street (Bronson) that runs by the school, but everything seems safely fenced in. I'm not sure if noise is an issue in the school, but I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.
School property: The school grounds itself were decent enough. Nice playground for the kids. But the ease of access to all the public facilities is amazing. Everything is literally on their doorstep. Which is a good thing, because the actual school itself is a dump. Classrooms are tiny and incredibly stuffy. The school "gym" is literally a tiny classroom, not even big enough to house more than 15 kids comfortably, and when I was visiting they were trying to teach the kids to play volleyball in there. Not the best sport to try to teach when the ceilings are no more than 9ft high and the room is oh, maybe 10' x 15'. This "gym" is used by students up until grade 4, at which point they go across the street to Carleton U and use the facilities there. Despite the crowded and stuffy location, they did make the best use out of their space as possible. If you are claustrophobic...not the school for you. It was really crammed to the limit. They literally can not accept more kids because of the physical limitation on the number of people they can house in that school.
Academics: You almost forget about the stuffiness and the smell of wet snow pants, when you talk to the staff and observe the kids at work. The academic level at this school is impressive. The teachers seemed really passionate at what they were doing, and each class was filled to the max. This school is definitely in demand. The appeal for many parents, well for me anyways, is the bilingual nature of the school. Half the day is in English and the other half is in French. The English portion is taught following the Ontario curriculum and the French portion follows the Quebec curriculum. So this not only ensures that the kids are getting their hours in French, but they are also picking up on a lot of the cultural history of Quebec as well. In certain areas where the Quebec curriculum was lacking in certain historical events, the school actually had English texts translated so that they could enrich the Quebec curriculum using that. Some of the French teachers had a rather strong accent for my liking (not a nice fluid accent either), but they really seemed to enjoy and be good what they were doing, so it definitely made up for the accent. The other thing that impressed me with the school's academics was the tutoring. They offer students tutoring, if needed, free of charge. Tutoring could be either for students who need to do a bit of catching up (including Anglophone students needing to get caught up on their French), or students who are advanced and need more of a challenge. Did I mention that it was included in the tuition...??
Staff: All the staff members I met and observed seemed truly passionate about what they did. There was a warm familial feel to the place, but you could tell that they meant business there. Education, education, education.
Tuition: Tuition is affordable in comparison to other private schools. JK and SK are $13,020; Grades 1-6 are $11,530 and Grades 7-8 are $12,810. The school is not-for-profit and it appears that parents are very involved in the school.
Technology: I thought this was worthy of mentioning. They are a very technology progressive school. Most of the classrooms are equipped with either a smart board, or a projector which makes any type of board a "smart" one. There is even a Mac lab - so all the Mac haters in the world...you may not like that one!
Uniforms: Standard basic stuff. There is a gym uniform, formal uniform (summer and winter). Changes colour when students enter grade 4.
Overall ranking: "I really liked the feel and philosophy of this school. Academics is impressive, but I really wished the facilities were better!"
In all honesty, if their facilities were nicer; I wouldn't hesitate to put my daughter in there. However, the though of her going through years of school in such a cramped and crowded space really has me struggling internally. I don't know why, but I just imagine kids needing more space than that for some reason. All my priorities are there, but yet its the physical facility that is making me stumble a little. We'll see if I can get over this hurdle.
Location: Its centrally located. As mentioned, its right by Brewer pool, the skating rink, lots of open fields and place for the kids to run around come summer time. There is a busy street (Bronson) that runs by the school, but everything seems safely fenced in. I'm not sure if noise is an issue in the school, but I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.
School property: The school grounds itself were decent enough. Nice playground for the kids. But the ease of access to all the public facilities is amazing. Everything is literally on their doorstep. Which is a good thing, because the actual school itself is a dump. Classrooms are tiny and incredibly stuffy. The school "gym" is literally a tiny classroom, not even big enough to house more than 15 kids comfortably, and when I was visiting they were trying to teach the kids to play volleyball in there. Not the best sport to try to teach when the ceilings are no more than 9ft high and the room is oh, maybe 10' x 15'. This "gym" is used by students up until grade 4, at which point they go across the street to Carleton U and use the facilities there. Despite the crowded and stuffy location, they did make the best use out of their space as possible. If you are claustrophobic...not the school for you. It was really crammed to the limit. They literally can not accept more kids because of the physical limitation on the number of people they can house in that school.
Academics: You almost forget about the stuffiness and the smell of wet snow pants, when you talk to the staff and observe the kids at work. The academic level at this school is impressive. The teachers seemed really passionate at what they were doing, and each class was filled to the max. This school is definitely in demand. The appeal for many parents, well for me anyways, is the bilingual nature of the school. Half the day is in English and the other half is in French. The English portion is taught following the Ontario curriculum and the French portion follows the Quebec curriculum. So this not only ensures that the kids are getting their hours in French, but they are also picking up on a lot of the cultural history of Quebec as well. In certain areas where the Quebec curriculum was lacking in certain historical events, the school actually had English texts translated so that they could enrich the Quebec curriculum using that. Some of the French teachers had a rather strong accent for my liking (not a nice fluid accent either), but they really seemed to enjoy and be good what they were doing, so it definitely made up for the accent. The other thing that impressed me with the school's academics was the tutoring. They offer students tutoring, if needed, free of charge. Tutoring could be either for students who need to do a bit of catching up (including Anglophone students needing to get caught up on their French), or students who are advanced and need more of a challenge. Did I mention that it was included in the tuition...??
Staff: All the staff members I met and observed seemed truly passionate about what they did. There was a warm familial feel to the place, but you could tell that they meant business there. Education, education, education.
Tuition: Tuition is affordable in comparison to other private schools. JK and SK are $13,020; Grades 1-6 are $11,530 and Grades 7-8 are $12,810. The school is not-for-profit and it appears that parents are very involved in the school.
Technology: I thought this was worthy of mentioning. They are a very technology progressive school. Most of the classrooms are equipped with either a smart board, or a projector which makes any type of board a "smart" one. There is even a Mac lab - so all the Mac haters in the world...you may not like that one!
Uniforms: Standard basic stuff. There is a gym uniform, formal uniform (summer and winter). Changes colour when students enter grade 4.
Overall ranking: "I really liked the feel and philosophy of this school. Academics is impressive, but I really wished the facilities were better!"
In all honesty, if their facilities were nicer; I wouldn't hesitate to put my daughter in there. However, the though of her going through years of school in such a cramped and crowded space really has me struggling internally. I don't know why, but I just imagine kids needing more space than that for some reason. All my priorities are there, but yet its the physical facility that is making me stumble a little. We'll see if I can get over this hurdle.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Counterpoint Academy (Ottawa location)
Counterpoint Academy actually has 2 locations, one in Overbrook (near Vanier) - Ottawa location and one in Kanata. I visited the Ottawa location. This school is located in a quiet neighbourhood in Overbrook, and is actually in what was once the Overbrook Public School. There is a community centre across the street, which is currently under renovation; but the teachers say that the kids usually go to swim and play in the park there. It starts with pre-school (2.5 years) and goes up to grade 6. Some things I observed:
Price:
Pre-school is very reasonably priced at $900 a month. No food or snacks are provided, so it gives parents an early start on the lunch packing! The daycare centre consists of two rooms that where kids play in certain themed areas. I do have a friend who sends his son to the pre-school and says that his son has enjoyed his time there. They advertise that it is a bilingual school, although I did not meet with the teachers so I personally can't testify to the level of French the teachers actually do have. (I speak French fluently, and it is actually a pet peeve of mine when schools don't take language instruction seriously. I have personally known 2 Anglophone teachers who were sent for French training at Algonquin college so that they can offer French classes at their school. They were only at the intermediate level in French. Considering the number of Francophone teachers we have in the area, I find that rather shocking. ) The pre-schoolers here get the added bonus of getting to take advantage of some of the activities happening at the school. They get to watch the in-school concerts and get to take advantage of the school facilities that other daycares may not have.
Grades JK-6 the tuition fees are roughly $14,000 which is the city average. There are no bursaries offered, and there is a different rate for International students.
Uniforms: The uniforms look quite smart with gray and navy blue being the main colours. Looking at their uniform list, it does seem rather excessive to me however. There is a spring uniform and a fall uniform, the winter one is basically the fall uniform, but with an added sweater. The spring uniform is worn from May-June, which seems like a rather short amount of time to me. The gym uniform consists of shorts, T-shirt, track pants and sweatshirt. A lot of items which will end up costing quite a bit, however, in the grand scheme of things...not a big deal.
School grounds: One thing I did notice was the lack of grass. There is not one single patch of grass in the playground. The playground is next to the parking lot and its all cement with one sand pit where the structure is located. Its a large enough space for a city school, but I can't imagine too many kids fitting into the playground.
Staff: My appointment was with the principal and I did meet some of the staff. She was friendly enough, but I had the impression that she ruled her school with an iron fist. There was no doubt who the boss was in this setting. I personally, don't react well in situations where I feel as if I'm being talked down to - particularly if I'm the client. I personally think the key to leadership is making people want to follow you - not forcefully making people follow you. Subtle difference, but a difference to me. So, because of my personal reaction to her style of communication, I would worry about any interaction I would have to have with her should my child have any problems at school. The trust and comfort factor weren't there for me. I think a lot of it also had to do with the sales pitch, and the fact that it actually felt like a sales pitch.
When I decide on a school for my child, I want to make sure its one that I can keep her in for the long-haul. So, to me, this is like entering into a long-term relationship. I need to make sure the staff and I share similar goals and similar approaches to education; and that should there be differences, we can communicate and work the issues out together. I didn't quite feel like this was a good fit for me in that sense.
Board: This is a private school period. There is no parent board, no board of directors, nothing. The principal owns the school and what she says goes. She was not shy about that fact. She actually said she didn't want to deal with the hassle of consulting because people can't agree, so whatever decision she makes, the community will have to deal with. Its easier and simpler this way she claims. Personally, I'm not sure if this is a soup kitchen and the single chef analogy works. I'm more of the 'it takes a village to raise a child' mindset (although, arguably, some people hold more significant impact in a child's life than others, but still. All interactions matter); so again, not a good fit for me.
Curriculum: They advertise an enriched curriculum, as all private schools do. They follow the Ontario curriculum and are beginning to roll-out French immersion. One thing I did like about this school was their student-teacher ratio. Larger classes have a primary teacher and an assistant teacher who stays with the class throughout the day. Having the assistant really keeps the ratios low, which I really appreciate. However, there is a very high occurrence of combined classes at Counterpoint (two grades in one class). Their enrollment seems rather low and the school rather small. Some grades have as few as 4 students it seems. So if you are not a fan of combined classes, this may not be the school for you, as judging by the numbers; combined classes seem to be a probable reality.
Activities: Their calendar is shock full of activities. There are camps, field trips, ski trips, concerts, off-site phys-ed and much more. These activities are not included in the tuition, so parents need to budget accordingly for these. However, no fees are specified when you sign on, so you don't actually know how much to budget. Also, if your child is sick and misses the trip or activity, their contract clearly says that you still have to pay for these activities even if your child does not attend.
Overall rating: "I'm not sure I share the same philosophy as the school, and I'm not sure about the structure of the school. I fear that there may be a conflict of interest when the principal owns the school. Not for my family."
**Addendum: I just spoke to my friend who has their son at the school. He is friends with the mother of a little girl in a different class. The girl was just pulled out of the school because of a disagreement that occurred with the principal which is now escalating to a lawsuit. The details surround the little getting hurt at the school, twice over the span of a month, both instances resulting in the girl being hospitalized. The mother claims that when she requested details of the incidents to report to the doctors, instead of being cooperative, the principal yelled at her for disrespecting her teachers by questioning the level of care that was given to her child. The lawsuit concerns the refund in tuition for the withdrawal of the child. I don't know the full details of the situation, and this information was obtained through a 3rd party source so there may be some inaccuracies.**
Price:
Pre-school is very reasonably priced at $900 a month. No food or snacks are provided, so it gives parents an early start on the lunch packing! The daycare centre consists of two rooms that where kids play in certain themed areas. I do have a friend who sends his son to the pre-school and says that his son has enjoyed his time there. They advertise that it is a bilingual school, although I did not meet with the teachers so I personally can't testify to the level of French the teachers actually do have. (I speak French fluently, and it is actually a pet peeve of mine when schools don't take language instruction seriously. I have personally known 2 Anglophone teachers who were sent for French training at Algonquin college so that they can offer French classes at their school. They were only at the intermediate level in French. Considering the number of Francophone teachers we have in the area, I find that rather shocking. ) The pre-schoolers here get the added bonus of getting to take advantage of some of the activities happening at the school. They get to watch the in-school concerts and get to take advantage of the school facilities that other daycares may not have.
Grades JK-6 the tuition fees are roughly $14,000 which is the city average. There are no bursaries offered, and there is a different rate for International students.
Uniforms: The uniforms look quite smart with gray and navy blue being the main colours. Looking at their uniform list, it does seem rather excessive to me however. There is a spring uniform and a fall uniform, the winter one is basically the fall uniform, but with an added sweater. The spring uniform is worn from May-June, which seems like a rather short amount of time to me. The gym uniform consists of shorts, T-shirt, track pants and sweatshirt. A lot of items which will end up costing quite a bit, however, in the grand scheme of things...not a big deal.
School grounds: One thing I did notice was the lack of grass. There is not one single patch of grass in the playground. The playground is next to the parking lot and its all cement with one sand pit where the structure is located. Its a large enough space for a city school, but I can't imagine too many kids fitting into the playground.
Staff: My appointment was with the principal and I did meet some of the staff. She was friendly enough, but I had the impression that she ruled her school with an iron fist. There was no doubt who the boss was in this setting. I personally, don't react well in situations where I feel as if I'm being talked down to - particularly if I'm the client. I personally think the key to leadership is making people want to follow you - not forcefully making people follow you. Subtle difference, but a difference to me. So, because of my personal reaction to her style of communication, I would worry about any interaction I would have to have with her should my child have any problems at school. The trust and comfort factor weren't there for me. I think a lot of it also had to do with the sales pitch, and the fact that it actually felt like a sales pitch.
When I decide on a school for my child, I want to make sure its one that I can keep her in for the long-haul. So, to me, this is like entering into a long-term relationship. I need to make sure the staff and I share similar goals and similar approaches to education; and that should there be differences, we can communicate and work the issues out together. I didn't quite feel like this was a good fit for me in that sense.
Board: This is a private school period. There is no parent board, no board of directors, nothing. The principal owns the school and what she says goes. She was not shy about that fact. She actually said she didn't want to deal with the hassle of consulting because people can't agree, so whatever decision she makes, the community will have to deal with. Its easier and simpler this way she claims. Personally, I'm not sure if this is a soup kitchen and the single chef analogy works. I'm more of the 'it takes a village to raise a child' mindset (although, arguably, some people hold more significant impact in a child's life than others, but still. All interactions matter); so again, not a good fit for me.
Curriculum: They advertise an enriched curriculum, as all private schools do. They follow the Ontario curriculum and are beginning to roll-out French immersion. One thing I did like about this school was their student-teacher ratio. Larger classes have a primary teacher and an assistant teacher who stays with the class throughout the day. Having the assistant really keeps the ratios low, which I really appreciate. However, there is a very high occurrence of combined classes at Counterpoint (two grades in one class). Their enrollment seems rather low and the school rather small. Some grades have as few as 4 students it seems. So if you are not a fan of combined classes, this may not be the school for you, as judging by the numbers; combined classes seem to be a probable reality.
Activities: Their calendar is shock full of activities. There are camps, field trips, ski trips, concerts, off-site phys-ed and much more. These activities are not included in the tuition, so parents need to budget accordingly for these. However, no fees are specified when you sign on, so you don't actually know how much to budget. Also, if your child is sick and misses the trip or activity, their contract clearly says that you still have to pay for these activities even if your child does not attend.
Overall rating: "I'm not sure I share the same philosophy as the school, and I'm not sure about the structure of the school. I fear that there may be a conflict of interest when the principal owns the school. Not for my family."
**Addendum: I just spoke to my friend who has their son at the school. He is friends with the mother of a little girl in a different class. The girl was just pulled out of the school because of a disagreement that occurred with the principal which is now escalating to a lawsuit. The details surround the little getting hurt at the school, twice over the span of a month, both instances resulting in the girl being hospitalized. The mother claims that when she requested details of the incidents to report to the doctors, instead of being cooperative, the principal yelled at her for disrespecting her teachers by questioning the level of care that was given to her child. The lawsuit concerns the refund in tuition for the withdrawal of the child. I don't know the full details of the situation, and this information was obtained through a 3rd party source so there may be some inaccuracies.**
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
St. Laurent Academy
I heard about St. Laurent Academy through a neighbour who had a grandson that attended the school for a few years, so I decided to book a visit. Its close enough to town that its not too far out of my way to drop my daughter off. Its in a larger school building and is situated right next to park which gives it the advantage of extra grounds for the kids without having to actually pay to maintain them. The neighbourhood is residential, just off of the main street, so pick up and drop offs should be rather safe for the little ones like mine. There is a nice gymnasium and they have a lot of space in the school for future expansion. Here are some of my observations.
They follow the Ontario curriculum and advertise that its an enriched curriculum, which basically means they cover more than the basics. All private schools will say that, so that isn't a distinguishing feature for me. Plus, I have discovered that for private schools in general, there is actually very little oversight when it comes to curriculum. The Ministry of Education simply asks that private schools indicate whether or not they intend to offer their services each year and apply for their licence, and apparently that's that. The Ministry of Education brushes their hands and they are done. Private schools are considered independent of the education system so it is up to the school's principal to maintain standards. (Someone please comment if you have any other details to shed light on this point. I have had a hard time finding much about how private schools are regulated, if they even are regulated and monitored in terms of quality of education.) So this is another reason you want to make sure that the school principal shares similar philosophies on education as you do, or else, what the heck are you paying for? It also means that if you don't see eye to eye with the principal, there is very little recourse as the Ministry of Education has very limited vested interest in private schools. Perhaps this is a flaw in our system that should be brought to light.
Separate French and English cohorts. I personally found this idea to be very hard to understand and I actually had to ask the principal to clarify a few times what this actually meant. If I understand correctly, there is one French cohort and one English cohort and they actually remain separate for pretty much everything. Both cohorts have classes in the other official language, however it is not considered an immersion program because it doesn't meet the time requirement to qualify to be called an immersion program. (time is pretty much the only qualifier for a program to be called "immersion") I'm not quite sure what the advantage is for the school to keep them separate to this extent, other than the possibility that they may not have sufficient specialized staff to offer a full enriched bilingual curriculum. In which case, this signals to me, that one of the cohorts may have fewer teachers that are responsible for multiple subjects because of the language barrier.
Community-oriented. One of the things that struck me most about St. Laurent Academy was that you could immediately sense that you had just stepped into a warm community. Everyone seemed to respect and genuinely care about the other. Parents seemed highly involved in the school as there are many volunteer groups. The teachers seemed like they were fully invested in the interest of the school and the interest of the children. I could sense the team spirit. I sensed it the second I met the principal. She seemed like someone who is in it because she cares. She seems like the type of person that genuinely wants to make a difference and will work hard at it. She didn't come across as a slick business woman, or a tough salesperson; but to me, that is a good thing. Who wants that in a principal? Not me. I don't want someone who is going to put business first and then the children are just an afterthought.
Learning through experience. When I visited the classrooms, I was amazed at how much hands-on learning these kids were doing, and the level of investment that the teachers were putting into their classes. They had done things from building prototypes of the inside of the space shuttle to a mini-science museum in the classroom. The history room had recreated scenes depicting historical events and recreated ancient artwork. It was so incredibly hands on. If you are a proponent of this type of hands-on learning, I think you should definitely visit the school to learn more.
Tuition is around the city-average. You're looking at roughly $14,000 per year.
Overall rating: "Looks like a great school, but not sure if its a good fit for us"
They follow the Ontario curriculum and advertise that its an enriched curriculum, which basically means they cover more than the basics. All private schools will say that, so that isn't a distinguishing feature for me. Plus, I have discovered that for private schools in general, there is actually very little oversight when it comes to curriculum. The Ministry of Education simply asks that private schools indicate whether or not they intend to offer their services each year and apply for their licence, and apparently that's that. The Ministry of Education brushes their hands and they are done. Private schools are considered independent of the education system so it is up to the school's principal to maintain standards. (Someone please comment if you have any other details to shed light on this point. I have had a hard time finding much about how private schools are regulated, if they even are regulated and monitored in terms of quality of education.) So this is another reason you want to make sure that the school principal shares similar philosophies on education as you do, or else, what the heck are you paying for? It also means that if you don't see eye to eye with the principal, there is very little recourse as the Ministry of Education has very limited vested interest in private schools. Perhaps this is a flaw in our system that should be brought to light.
Separate French and English cohorts. I personally found this idea to be very hard to understand and I actually had to ask the principal to clarify a few times what this actually meant. If I understand correctly, there is one French cohort and one English cohort and they actually remain separate for pretty much everything. Both cohorts have classes in the other official language, however it is not considered an immersion program because it doesn't meet the time requirement to qualify to be called an immersion program. (time is pretty much the only qualifier for a program to be called "immersion") I'm not quite sure what the advantage is for the school to keep them separate to this extent, other than the possibility that they may not have sufficient specialized staff to offer a full enriched bilingual curriculum. In which case, this signals to me, that one of the cohorts may have fewer teachers that are responsible for multiple subjects because of the language barrier.
Community-oriented. One of the things that struck me most about St. Laurent Academy was that you could immediately sense that you had just stepped into a warm community. Everyone seemed to respect and genuinely care about the other. Parents seemed highly involved in the school as there are many volunteer groups. The teachers seemed like they were fully invested in the interest of the school and the interest of the children. I could sense the team spirit. I sensed it the second I met the principal. She seemed like someone who is in it because she cares. She seems like the type of person that genuinely wants to make a difference and will work hard at it. She didn't come across as a slick business woman, or a tough salesperson; but to me, that is a good thing. Who wants that in a principal? Not me. I don't want someone who is going to put business first and then the children are just an afterthought.
Learning through experience. When I visited the classrooms, I was amazed at how much hands-on learning these kids were doing, and the level of investment that the teachers were putting into their classes. They had done things from building prototypes of the inside of the space shuttle to a mini-science museum in the classroom. The history room had recreated scenes depicting historical events and recreated ancient artwork. It was so incredibly hands on. If you are a proponent of this type of hands-on learning, I think you should definitely visit the school to learn more.
Tuition is around the city-average. You're looking at roughly $14,000 per year.
Overall rating: "Looks like a great school, but not sure if its a good fit for us"
Monday, December 5, 2011
Elmwood School Ottawa
(*note: when I use the term private school, I am referring to all classifications of schools...independent, not-for-profit, private etc. It gets too complex and confusing to differentiate otheriwise.)
Anyone that has shopped for private schools in Ottawa has heard of Elmwood School. Elmwood, along with the neighbouring Ashbury, are private schools in a league of their own. They have the advantage of time on their sides. They are what I have in mind when I think of private school. They are similar to the schools that I went through personally, and it was in schools like those where I was truly challenged as an individual - I may not have necessarily liked all of the challenges growing up, but looking back, it was those experiences that really shaped me.
Some highlights from Elmwood:
Elmwood follows the IB program which means a solid curriculum, international recognition, and hence a slight advantage for graduates applying to universities overseas. I only say slight advantage, because truth is, Canada is a well respected country internationally and our high school diploma will be recognized pretty much anywhere in the world. However, one added advantage of the IB program is that this minimizes significantly the chances of your child being a split (blended) class. As many private school parents will know, many of the smaller private schools in Ottawa tend to have lower enrollment and sometimes two grades will be put into one class and hence share the teacher's time. Elmwood's enrollment is not currently an issue, but should such a scenario present itself, the IB structure is not conducive to split classes. So if split classes are an issue for you, you may want to consider the IB program.
Elmwood is classified as not-for-profit. This means that there is a board which is made up of a mix of current parents, alumni parents, as well as independent bodies. They make the decisions pertaining to the school and send their direction to the principal who is in charge of the execution of these decisions. This has the advantage of separating the education aspect from the business aspect by one degree of separation. This doesn't necessarily guarantee that all will be peachy-keen, but its one of the more democratic ways to run a school. So if you don't want to be at the mercy of the whim of one sole principal, you may wish to look into a not-for-profit structure or ask if the school has a board of directors.
Large school grounds. The history of Elmwood goes back many decades. Many of the grounds were actually donated to the school. Since Elmwood has time on its side, the school's properties are rather enviable in a time where grass is a rarety in a city-school. There are sports fields and separate buildings for the junior and senior schools. Shared facilities, such as gymnasiums are in good shape and roomy.
Teachers. Many of the classes at Elmwood are covered by one primary teacher and one assistant. Oftentimes, the teacher's assistant is a fully qualified teacher as well. Due to the school's large size, Elmwood has many specialized teachers who only have one, perhaps 2 main core subjects.
Price. What is that saying? "You get what you pay for..." Well, if that is any indication, Elmwood must be a darn good school. JK and SK are slightly more expensive than their other private school counterparts, but remain competitive at approx $16,000 a year. This price tag includes early morning drop-off. The big gulp, *gulp*, comes when students enter grade one, with a tuition jump that brings annual tuition to a whopping $20,000 a year. Add in the cost of uniforms, text book fees, and other outings and etc...parents had better plan their investment accordingly.
Bursaries. Elmwood does offer bursaries. They have an application process, and from what I have observed and heard through the grapevine, they are good with their bursaries. By good, I mean, they offer them to students. Although they may be a not-for-profit, they still need to pay the bills. So money, is still an issue. So bursaries add some tuition flexibility to aid the overall business plan.
Uniforms. I'm not overly picky with uniforms. As long as the school has them, I'm happy. And as long as it doesn't get too ridiculously expensive, I'm fine with that. These uniforms are a rather ugly green, and some of the items are rather expensive; but in the grand scheme of things, not a big ticket item...in more ways than one.
Overall rating: "If I could afford it, I would send my daughter there"
Anyone that has shopped for private schools in Ottawa has heard of Elmwood School. Elmwood, along with the neighbouring Ashbury, are private schools in a league of their own. They have the advantage of time on their sides. They are what I have in mind when I think of private school. They are similar to the schools that I went through personally, and it was in schools like those where I was truly challenged as an individual - I may not have necessarily liked all of the challenges growing up, but looking back, it was those experiences that really shaped me.
Some highlights from Elmwood:
Elmwood follows the IB program which means a solid curriculum, international recognition, and hence a slight advantage for graduates applying to universities overseas. I only say slight advantage, because truth is, Canada is a well respected country internationally and our high school diploma will be recognized pretty much anywhere in the world. However, one added advantage of the IB program is that this minimizes significantly the chances of your child being a split (blended) class. As many private school parents will know, many of the smaller private schools in Ottawa tend to have lower enrollment and sometimes two grades will be put into one class and hence share the teacher's time. Elmwood's enrollment is not currently an issue, but should such a scenario present itself, the IB structure is not conducive to split classes. So if split classes are an issue for you, you may want to consider the IB program.
Elmwood is classified as not-for-profit. This means that there is a board which is made up of a mix of current parents, alumni parents, as well as independent bodies. They make the decisions pertaining to the school and send their direction to the principal who is in charge of the execution of these decisions. This has the advantage of separating the education aspect from the business aspect by one degree of separation. This doesn't necessarily guarantee that all will be peachy-keen, but its one of the more democratic ways to run a school. So if you don't want to be at the mercy of the whim of one sole principal, you may wish to look into a not-for-profit structure or ask if the school has a board of directors.
Large school grounds. The history of Elmwood goes back many decades. Many of the grounds were actually donated to the school. Since Elmwood has time on its side, the school's properties are rather enviable in a time where grass is a rarety in a city-school. There are sports fields and separate buildings for the junior and senior schools. Shared facilities, such as gymnasiums are in good shape and roomy.
Teachers. Many of the classes at Elmwood are covered by one primary teacher and one assistant. Oftentimes, the teacher's assistant is a fully qualified teacher as well. Due to the school's large size, Elmwood has many specialized teachers who only have one, perhaps 2 main core subjects.
Price. What is that saying? "You get what you pay for..." Well, if that is any indication, Elmwood must be a darn good school. JK and SK are slightly more expensive than their other private school counterparts, but remain competitive at approx $16,000 a year. This price tag includes early morning drop-off. The big gulp, *gulp*, comes when students enter grade one, with a tuition jump that brings annual tuition to a whopping $20,000 a year. Add in the cost of uniforms, text book fees, and other outings and etc...parents had better plan their investment accordingly.
Bursaries. Elmwood does offer bursaries. They have an application process, and from what I have observed and heard through the grapevine, they are good with their bursaries. By good, I mean, they offer them to students. Although they may be a not-for-profit, they still need to pay the bills. So money, is still an issue. So bursaries add some tuition flexibility to aid the overall business plan.
Uniforms. I'm not overly picky with uniforms. As long as the school has them, I'm happy. And as long as it doesn't get too ridiculously expensive, I'm fine with that. These uniforms are a rather ugly green, and some of the items are rather expensive; but in the grand scheme of things, not a big ticket item...in more ways than one.
Overall rating: "If I could afford it, I would send my daughter there"
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