The right school?

A common question that many parents ask themselves is whether or not their child is at the right school.  It is always hard to judge as parents if you've made the right choice regarding your child's specific school, however if you listen to your child for feedback you will get a good sense.

Some look-fors in a school:

• Does the school have many extra curricular activities?
• What is the level of involvement of the parent council?
• How supportive is the administration with regards to your child's individual needs and does the school follow through with the commitments of support for your child?

It is really important to make sure that when you are choosing a school for your child you are not strictly focused on academics but also taking into account the social aspect of the school.  The relationships that your child forges in the formative years of their education is crucial in making lasting relationships later on in their lives and, ensures that your child will have confidence to move forward.

Choosing a school is a daunting task.  Speak to other parents who send their children to prospective schools.  Speak to their children and find out how they like the school.  Check out the school profile which is usually found on their school website and finally look at the EQAO scores to see where the school measures up academically.

Most importantly, keep the lines of communication open with your child once they begin at that particular school, because the best feedback as to whether your child is at the best school will come from your child!