What is the EQAO

If you are a parent in Canada with a child in the third grade or higher, you probably already know of the EQAO tests and what they are. For those of you who are new to Canada or have children just going into the third grade, the EQAO stands for Education Quality and Accountability Office.

 It is the provincial agency that designs and gives annual tests to Grade 3 and Grade 6 students in reading, writing and mathematics.

Grade 9 students are tested in mathematics and Grade 10 students are given a literacy test. The Grade 10 literacy test is called OSSL (Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test) and a pass is required by every student in order to graduate high school.

  The EQAO tests gives parents, teachers, principals and school boards information about how well students have learned the Ontario curriculum in reading, writing and mathematics and at what level are they compared to the others.

The 'grades' are given as Levels in Ontario.

Level 1 is well below Govt standards
Level 2 is below but approaching Govt standards
Level 3 is at the Govt standard
Level 4 is above the Govt standard

The website for more information is:

http://www.eqao.com/categories/home.aspx?Lang=E


It is really important to note that the level of reading and writing in every school depends on the number of students writing the test with English being a second language. Some schools have more students with English as a second language than others, so if you are looking at the EQAO results for a ranking of the schools and their academic performance, then this criteria might not be the right one.

School System link

Many readers have sent me emails regarding school admissions and the school system here in Canada. I had written a post on this before, so the link to that is:

http://chennai2canada.blogspot.ca/search/label/school%20system

When moving to Canada, if you have children (especially in Middle or High School), it is important the area and atmosphere of school that your children go to. The catch is that the better school zones have higher rents and more expensive houses for sale. Also, when looking at reviews and lists of schools according to their rankings, it is important to note that anything that falls within the top 100 is generally considered good.

Please email me if you have any specific questions.

Officially Fall (Autumn)

Sunday was the first official start of the new Fall season here in Canada. It already feels half like Winter though with temperatures dropping to 3C at night. Watching the transformation from one season to the next is something you really enjoy here - especially (at least for me), Summer to Fall. The trees and plants change colours in amazing ways. From shades of green to glorious colours of orange, yellow and red, just driving through the rural back roads can take you through a burst of various colours. Do you have pictures of Fall and live in Canada? Email them to me with a description and I'll put it up on this blog in a later post.

Renewing your PR card

Many readers have emailed me regarding renewing the PR card when it is nearing expiry and or applying for citizenship.

This post will be about renewing the PR card.

When you first land in Canada and receive your first PR card, this is normally valid for five years. About six months before it expires, you can start the procedure for your new card. The wait times for a new card can vary depending on the number of applications at that time. For instance when I checked today for processing times, the number of days it will take if you apply today is 99. So make sure you apply early enough so that your PR card does not expire before your new one arrives. (If this does happen and you have to travel out of Canada, you have to go to the other country and apply for a one time re-entry visa back to Canada as a permanent resident)

To apply for a new PR card, go to this website:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/pr-card/apply-first-pr-card.asp

Make sure you read through all the instructions and then proceed to apply by filling in the forms and paying the fees.

After landing in Canada the first time:

1. Keep track of all the dates of when you leave and re-enter Canada. This includes day trips to the United States.

2. Keep track of all the places you have stayed in Canada, with dates.

When re-applying for a PR card, you will be asked for details of all your travel dates.

You will also be asked for the copy of your landing papers. This would have been stapled to your passport at the time of landing or given to you. The landing paper is a single sheet form with the date and location of your landing. If you do not have this paper, you will have to either first apply for a replacement copy or give a reason why you have misplaced this.

The name and number of the forms they may ask you for are the: Immigrant Visa and Record of Landing (IMM 1000) or your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (IMM 5292 or IMM 5688).

For a replacement for these documents go to this link:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/certcopy.asp

Hope this was of some help to you. Please email me (email given on the top of the page) with any questions you would like me to answer.

Have a good week!

Statistics on Permanent Card holder immigration to Canada in 2010

From Wiki, some interesting statistics on PR card immigration to Canada in 2010:

Canada receives its immigrant population from over 200 countries of origin. As indicated below, over 50 percent of new immigrants admitted in 2010 came from 10 source countries.

Permanent Residents Admitted in 2010, by Top 10 Source Countries

Rank	Country	Number	Percentage
1	Philippines	36,578	13
2	India	30,252	10.8
3	China	30,197	10.8
4	United Kingdom	9,499	3.4
5	United States	9,243	3.3
6	France	6,934	2.5
7	Iran	6,815	2.4
8	United Arab Emirates	6,796	2.4
9	Morocco	5,946	2.1
10	South Korea	5,539	2
	Top 10 Total	147,799	52.7
	Other	132,882	47.3
	Total	280,681	100

Interesting, Eh?

Back to Classes

Come September in Canada...and it is the month that all students go back to school, college or university. Stores have massive 'back to school' sales from items like clothing and pencils to computers and backpacks.

People new to Canada, who have learned how drive or got their licenses during the months of July and August -  look out for school buses and children in the mornings and afternoon hours. When taking left or right turns, please look out for students crossing the road. Been reading the newspapers recently about accidents involving new drivers and students and or school buses. (People not stopping for school buses that have their lights flashing).

Good luck to all the new students out there....experiencing their first year in a Canadian school! Learning to adjust to a new culture is tough enough for adults - and sometimes we forget how much tougher it can be for children and teenagers.

For new immigrants with school going kids, take the time to see how Canadian kids dress and ask the school if they have any newcomer orientation sessions. Teachers are well versed with new immigrants and issues they may face. So definitely don't hesitate to tell a teacher or Principal your concerns.

Will try to post more often....been busy with guests visiting, getting my G license and the Summer vacation.

Let me know if there is anything you would like to know more of through my blogs.

Thanks!

Job Fair for Newcomers to Canada

Here is a link to the Newcomers Job Fair in Toronto this weekend.

http://www.newcomerscanada.ca

This website also has a lot of information on immigrating to Canada and tops on settling down and finding jobs etc.

The Job Fair will have people there to help you assess your foreign credentials and give you advice on if you need to further your resume with a Canadian degree or what steps you need to take to give you a better chance of getting a good job.

Hope this helps!!