Finding the right school for their children can be a challenging assignment for parents relocating their families to Metro Vancouver, but resources are available to help take the headache out of homework.
The area features a healthy range of educational options including public, private, religious, French immersion, International Baccalaureate, integrated arts, traditional, Montessori and Waldorf schools.
B.C. has an open-boundary policy, but catchment areas should be considered for enrolment in public schools. Most school districts have an online school locator tool on their websites to help parents find catchment schools.
After moving to Vancouver from Caracas, Venezuela, with his family in 2003, Carlos Wolf wanted his son, Ivan, now 16, to attend a free public French immersion school, but he says he found it difficult to access enrolment information.
Ivan attended Little Sprout Preschool at the West End Community Centre to help him prepare for kindergarten, and later attended Henry Hudson Elementary School. He is currently in Grade 11 French immersion at Kitsilano Secondary School and shows an interest in film production and basketball.
“A public school education gives them a connection with the real world,” says Wolf, president of FXtectips, his foreign-exchange-market training company. “It helps them build social skills, learn how to solve problems and negotiate with others.”
Navigating online school information has improved in recent years, but Wolf recommends parents new to Metro Vancouver seek advice when school hunting.
“Talk with people who have kids and get them to explain the process,” he suggests.
Getting started ■ To prepare children under five for kindergarten, many school districts offer free programs including StrongStart BC, which allows parents to join their children in storytelling, music and art. The Ready, Set, Learn program helps parents with three-year-olds support their child’s learning, while English-as-a-second-language preschool programs are also available.
Children between six and 16 must attend school or study at home in B.C. Proof of the child’s birth date, resident status, immunization record and current address need to be provided to enrol a child at a public school.
Independent options ■ For those considering independent schools, options are wide-ranging, but can be costly. Annual tuition at most schools ranges between $6,000 and $12,000, with some being as low as about $4,000 and others as high as $55,000. The Vancouver Private School Expo, where parents have the opportunity to speak with school representatives, students and parents from Vancouver and elsewhere, is held every November in Vancouver.
The website ourkids.net offers practical advice, including step-by-step guides, for parents looking for private, independent and boarding schools for their children.
Located in Vancouver’s affluent Shaughnessy neighbourhood, York House School is a day school for girls in junior kindergarten to Grade 12. Head of school Chantal Gionet says smaller class sizes allow the independent school to provide students with more personalized and experiential learning opportunities and a well-rounded, values-based education.
“We understand how daunting it can feel to move to a new community where you don’t know anyone,” says Gionet. “We are a small but very close-knit community, and our parent community is very supportive of the school and of each other.”
Several years ago, York House introduced a program matching new families with enrolled ones, creating opportunities to connect with each other.
“New families have other parents that they can reach out to to get to know the community and also get a better sense of the flow of the school,” explains Gionet.
Russell and Wanda Hopkins chose to send their 15-year-old daughter, Vianna, to York House after relocating to Vancouver in August 2017 following 25 years in Singapore.
Russell Hopkins says they chose the school due to its “high academic standards”; a campus tour sold them. Vianna, in Grade 10, is performing well and making friends.
“She has enjoyed both the challenges of the academic program and the extracurricular activities, including a four-day hike in Garibaldi Provincial Park, the volleyball team and choir,” says the Kitsilano resident.
Crofton House School, located in Vancouver’s Kerrisdale neighbourhood, is a university preparatory day school for girls from junior kindergarten to Grade 12. The school offers a range of learning opportunities from design to filmmaking, debate to athletics, music to math and science and technology.
“This is a school where there is valuing of difference,” says Crofton House’s head of school, Patricia Dawson. “Each girl brings her own unique potential to the school and it is our responsibility to help her discover and pursue what will be her personal excellence.”
Resources ■ The Fraser Institute, a Vancouver-based think tank, publishes annual B.C. school rankings. Its Report Card on British Columbia’s Secondary Schools ranks 293 public and independent secondary schools based on seven academic indicators using student results from annual provincewide exams, grade-to-grade transition rates and graduation rates. Parents should keep in mind that the rankings are often controversial, with critics accusing them of being biased toward independent schools. To view rankings and compare schools’ performance, visit compareschoolrankings.org.
Many Metro Vancouver school districts have Settlement Workers in Schools programs to help immigrants settle in to their new schools. In addition, the Vancouver School Board offers several resources to help new Canadians, including multicultural liaison workers, an Engaged Immigrant Youth program and volunteer interpreters. ç
