New School Year

Today is Labour Day in Canada, a public holiday. All banks, most malls and other services are closed. For something to do, consider going to the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition). Today is the last day and they are ending the show with a spectacular Air Show.

For more details, check their website www.theex.com

Today is also a nice day to go for a movie, out for a meal or just to stay at home and get ready for the first day of school, which is tomorrow!!

Sept 7th is the first day of the new year of school here in Canada.

I have received several emails regarding the school system here. So for those of you who asked, and those of you who want to know..........here is the information.

There are three kinds of schools:

Private - These are privately run and are very expensive. Many work out to fees of between 8000 to over 10,000/- dollars a year.

Catholic - If at least one parent is a baptized Catholic, your child can go to a Catholic school for Elementary school. In high school, you can be of any denomination. You can approach Catholic schools and talk to them about admission in lower grades even if both parents are not Catholic. Some schools do give admission, but this is purely on a case to case basis.

Public - The majority of students go to school in the public school system. These are government funded and not to be compared or confused with the corporation schools in India! These schools have excellent infrastructure, syllabus and well trained teachers. The curriculum is a mix of American and European.

Within these schooling systems, you also have the French immersion students. These students learn all their subjects and have their education in French. Some people opt for this so their kids finish school bi-lingual.

Your child’s age at the end of the year (December 31st) determines the grade that they will normally go into, though this may be adjusted somewhat if your child's circumstances require it. Children begin school in the year they become five. Use the table below as a starting point for determining which grade your child will be in.

Age at Dec 31st	Grade
5	Kindergarten
6	1
7	2
8	3
9	4
10	5
11	6
12	7
13	8
14	9
15	10
16	11
17	12

These schools normally go by grades:

• Kindergarten to Grade 3
  Ages 5-8
• Elementary School
  Grade 4 to 7 (ages 9-12)
• Secondary (High) School
  Grade 8 to 12 (ages 13-17)

Some areas have Middle Schools for Grades 6-8. In these areas the students transition between Elementary and Secondary school via the Middle school.

If you are coming in to Canada, look at www.fraserinstitute.org/reportcards

This site has listings of most of the schools and their ranking. Also the area the school is in. The schools not mentioned here are either new or not open for the number of years required to get on the fraser report. You can also look at:

www.tdsb.on.ca

This is the Toronto School Board site.

For schools in Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon check this site:

www.peel.edu.on.ca

Remember: The school your child goes to depends on WHERE YOU LIVE. So if you want your child to go to a particular school, you can find a home in that zone and then get admission. Call the transportation department of the board and tell them the home address. They will confirm the school names to you.


If you live nearby, you will have to drop your kids. If you live a certain distance away, your child will be 'bussed'' to school. To know if your child is eligible for the bus this year, and what school your child is supposed to go to in the Peel Region, check this website:

https://businfo.stopr.ca/

Bus delays and cancellations can also be checked on the same link.


The 2010-2011 Peel board school calendar link:
http://www.peel.edu.on.ca/documents/HolyDaysHolidayscalendar2010.pdf

For other regions and areas, do a google search for the name of that area and school busing. You should be able to find some information.


If you have any questions....please feel free to ask.