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.
A mother's quest to find a good school. The ups and downs, pros and cons, public vs. private, and my personal dilemma in a world of choice.
The Quest
I am the mother of one school-aged child. Education has always been a priority to me, so much so that I am willing to scrimp and save to invest in my child's education. Whether that investment is in private schools, in RESPs or in time spent with my child; I invest my heart, soul and money in my daughter's education - formal or informal. I'm just not quite sure what mix is the best for us yet. And perhaps that mix will constantly change as my child changes.
I went to both private and public schools myself, and had some incredible experiences. I look back on my journey through the education system, and there were some clear highs and lows. If anything, my own journey has taught me the importance of a good school, with good solid foundations, and a clear philosophy on education. As a mother, I want to assure that my daughter has more highs than lows. I want her to thrive in the environment she is in, and I want her experiences to shape her into a strong, confident and capable woman. I realize that nothing is perfect, no matter how much you pay for it. The trick is finding the right fit for your child, and for your family.
In my searches, I found that there were very few reviews or comments on schools in Ottawa. So if you don't know anyone with children at the school, you were rather strapped for sources of information. Throw in the fact that the Ministry of Education does not oversee the operation of private (by private I am referring to all school structures that are not public) schools beyond issuing a license to operate, parents who choose to go down this path are pretty much on their own. This is why making a educated choice is even more important. You are effectively taking your child's education in your own hands, and throwing a whole whack of money into this decision too - so do it right!
I am, in all honesty, what you would call an uptight mother. I don't like making decisions without doing my due diligence. So I'm hoping that my quest to find a good school for my daughter will lead to more parents vocalizing their views on their childrens' schools so that all Ottawa parents can make better informed decisions. So Ottawa parents, please comment and share your views!
I plan on visiting many of the Ottawa area private schools, as well as some of the public schools which I qualify to register my daughter in. I will share my impressions of the school as well as any background knowledge I have managed to obtain through other parents.
I went to both private and public schools myself, and had some incredible experiences. I look back on my journey through the education system, and there were some clear highs and lows. If anything, my own journey has taught me the importance of a good school, with good solid foundations, and a clear philosophy on education. As a mother, I want to assure that my daughter has more highs than lows. I want her to thrive in the environment she is in, and I want her experiences to shape her into a strong, confident and capable woman. I realize that nothing is perfect, no matter how much you pay for it. The trick is finding the right fit for your child, and for your family.
In my searches, I found that there were very few reviews or comments on schools in Ottawa. So if you don't know anyone with children at the school, you were rather strapped for sources of information. Throw in the fact that the Ministry of Education does not oversee the operation of private (by private I am referring to all school structures that are not public) schools beyond issuing a license to operate, parents who choose to go down this path are pretty much on their own. This is why making a educated choice is even more important. You are effectively taking your child's education in your own hands, and throwing a whole whack of money into this decision too - so do it right!
I am, in all honesty, what you would call an uptight mother. I don't like making decisions without doing my due diligence. So I'm hoping that my quest to find a good school for my daughter will lead to more parents vocalizing their views on their childrens' schools so that all Ottawa parents can make better informed decisions. So Ottawa parents, please comment and share your views!
I plan on visiting many of the Ottawa area private schools, as well as some of the public schools which I qualify to register my daughter in. I will share my impressions of the school as well as any background knowledge I have managed to obtain through other parents.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
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