Parental Thread

[EvoFire]

I've looked at that map. The old river district also has a lot of young families too because of the lower cost of entry for a Vancouver address. Add to the dozens of duplexes being built in the area and I'd say more basement rentals and laneways.

We've also heard that a lot of out of catchment families using grandparent's address to get into Oppenheimer. It's not because they want to go there, but they need grandparents to pickup and look after the grandkids while they are still at work.

I have a friend who's kid started kindergarten last year. He said it's so much harder now that the daughter is in school because school ends at 3pm, but daycare closed at 5:30pm. He gets off early and rushes back so he can pick up his daughter, whereas before he had time to go home, take a shower, walk the dog, and still have time to spare before going to pick up.

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by EvoFire

Oppenheimer came back to us, and told us we are 32nd on the waitlist. This is for IN CATCHMENT. They said they are in the process of confirming enrollment for the ones that have a spot and will trickle down.

We asked how many classes do they have and are they going to open a new one, since at 32, that's already 1.5 kindergarten classes deep.

I never would have thought getting into kindergarten was such an ordeal. Whatever happened to falling birthrates and all the shebang about schools having to close due to not having enough kids?

Oof, sorry to hear this. That sucks.

We also signed our kid up for kindergarten (French Immersion) but we're in West Burnaby and we got into 3 different ones including one that was outside of our catchment. I don't know if there's just a lack of demand (Burnaby isn't exactly building homes for families) or we just got lucky.

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by supafamous

Oof, sorry to hear this. That sucks.

We also signed our kid up for kindergarten (French Immersion) but we're in West Burnaby and we got into 3 different ones including one that was outside of our catchment. I don't know if there's just a lack of demand (Burnaby isn't exactly building homes for families) or we just got lucky.

When you say west Burnaby, I'm guessing like Moscrop area?

I think if you are in the heart of Metrotown, or the Brentwood area, getting in catchment might be a little harder? The number of new towers, plus the existing townhouses and lowrises around there is insane.

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by EvoFire

When you say west Burnaby, I'm guessing like Moscrop area?

I think if you are in the heart of Metrotown, or the Brentwood area, getting in catchment might be a little harder? The number of new towers, plus the existing townhouses and lowrises around there is insane.

We are just north of Central Park - I'm like a 12 min walk north of Patterson so I'm looking at Inman (our 1st choice), Chaffey-Burke, and Marlborough (both are right by Metrotown).

[EvoFire]

We ended up getting a spot at Champlain Heights. We were given a choice of Douglas, Waverly and Champlain and we had to give them our order.

Somehow we didn't get Douglas despite being the closest school, and we chose Champlain over Waverly. Not sure that's the right choice, I can't believe how stressful this has become.

[Eff-1]

I can totally understand how stressful it would be.

The location of the school determines your daily commuting routine for the next 7 - 12 years.

Also -- the choice of elementary school would generally dictate teh choice of high school, which may mean one even further away.

Forcing a child to change schools at any time, and make new friends and adjust to a new environment totally sucks so you want to avoid that at all costs.

I'm stressed for you!

[Traum]

Do you have any desire to bring your kid back to Oppenheimer though? Obviously, how well your child likes the school he is in will probably play a key role in your decision making process too, but over the course of my kid's K to early elementary school years, the number of kids leaving and joining his class has been much higher than I had anticipated. From K to Gr 2, I think there has at least been at least 2 kids transferring out, and at least 1 kid transferring in every single year. And after that, I just lost count.

But that is just his own class, and there are usually 2 - 3 classes for his grade at school.

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by Traum

Do you have any desire to bring your kid back to Oppenheimer though? Obviously, how well your child likes the school he is in will probably play a key role in your decision making process too, but over the course of my kid's K to early elementary school years, the number of kids leaving and joining his class has been much higher than I had anticipated. From K to Gr 2, I think there has at least been at least 2 kids transferring out, and at least 1 kid transferring in every single year. And after that, I just lost count.

But that is just his own class, and there are usually 2 - 3 classes for his grade at school.

It's been a topic of discussion as well.

His daycare right now is beside Champlain Community Center. There's a school right next to it and I had thought that was Champlain Heights Elementary. Oh how wrong was I as that is the Annex school. The actual Champlain Heights Elementary is nestled in a side street that's only accessible from 49th or Boundary which means the morning commute is going to not be fun.

Our son is, from what we can tell, a highly sensitive individual. Champlain Heights is a smaller school and we are hoping the stronger sense of community would be a benefit for him. Oppenheimer has said that we have first priority for transferring back to our home school, but if he's going to be happy at Champlain Heights, do we even want to?

Then comes the problem of highschool. Our catchment is DT, but all his friends he will make at Champlain Heights will go to Killarney. Killarney has been THE WORST highschool in Vancouver in terms of academics for the last decade. Though there's another 8 years before he starts highschool, things may very well change by then.

Just a bunch of empty worrying right now.

[Traum]

Originally Posted by EvoFire

Then comes the problem of highschool. Our catchment is DT, but all his friends he will make at Champlain Heights will go to Killarney. Killarney has been THE WORST highschool in Vancouver in terms of academics for the last decade. Though there's another 8 years before he starts highschool, things may very well change by then.

As a Killarney grad, I was simultaneously LOL-ing while also shaking my head. Back in my year, we were right up against DT in the rankings...

I am really not sure why Killarney has been such an academically crappy school in the past 10+ years. A good chunk of its catchment is prime Fraserview / Killarney / Champlain Heights, so these should be solid middle class families. Shouldn't at least some of the parenting show through the kids outcomes at school?

For your kid, Champlain Heights can be accessed via Arlington Street on the west side of the school -- you just have to go through a short walk across the grass field. On dry days, I'm sure you'll end up saving time than if you were to access the school from the 49th side street, or from Boundary (SB only). On wet days, it'll probably get muddy though.

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by Traum

As a Killarney grad, I was simultaneously LOL-ing while also shaking my head. Back in my year, we were right up against DT in the rankings...

I am really not sure why Killarney has been such an academically crappy school in the past 10+ years. A good chunk of its catchment is prime Fraserview / Killarney / Champlain Heights, so these should be solid middle class families. Shouldn't at least some of the parenting show through the kids outcomes at school?

For your kid, Champlain Heights can be accessed via Arlington Street on the west side of the school -- you just have to go through a short walk across the grass field. On dry days, I'm sure you'll end up saving time than if you were to access the school from the 49th side street, or from Boundary (SB only). On wet days, it'll probably get muddy though.

I'm a Killarney grad too, and my year were the overachievers, but even the other years when I was there still did quite ok.

There was an article awhile back where a lot of kids going to Killarney were relying on handouts at school and the counsellors were having a hard time feeding all the kids in need. My guess is all the basement rentals and laneway houses. The old middle class family you are thinking of don't actually exist anymore and it's all low or lower income renters. The old middle class families are the grannies and grandpas out walking their dogs, empty nesters. Definitely a lot of old ppl in Killarney and Fraserview.

Heck, I'd say 90% of my grad class do not live in the area anymore. I only know two ppl who still live around Killarney and would fall in the catchment.

[winson604]

Originally Posted by EvoFire

We ended up getting a spot at Champlain Heights. We were given a choice of Douglas, Waverly and Champlain and we had to give them our order.

Somehow we didn't get Douglas despite being the closest school, and we chose Champlain over Waverly. Not sure that's the right choice, I can't believe how stressful this has become.

How dare you not choose Waverley I guess I won't be waiting outside the school with you shooting the shit during pickups

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by winson604

How dare you not choose Waverley I guess I won't be waiting outside the school with you shooting the shit during pickups

Oh I would but mornings can be so damn hectic sometimes. If you see a blue M3 in the hood wave madly

I've waved madly at Traum but he doesn't see me when I drive the X3

[Traum]

You and your wife got them into a good habit! My kid already has the habit of not wanting to get up in the morning, and it is a PITA.

And, if the mad waving doesn't work, feel free to try a little honk hahah~

[winson604]

Or try swerving into his lane!

[EvoFire]

I wish the two munchkins would sleep in. The older one woke at 5am this morning, the younger one was screaming bloody murder at 6am.

[SSM_DC5]

Have you tried winding the clocks in their room backwards by 2 to 3 hrs?

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by SSM_DC5

Have you tried winding the clocks in their room backwards by 2 to 3 hrs?

Jokes on me, they don't read clocks. Older is 4 and still learning and the younger is 16 months.

[SSM_DC5]

Internal clock for mine to wake up is between 5-6am

[Traum]

Originally Posted by EvoFire

Jokes on me, they don't read clocks. Older is 4 and still learning and the younger is 16 months.

I can't understand how my kid has no concept of time or the ability to read clocks. It isn't like they don't teach it in school, but he just has no concept of it. I don't even know how to drill the idea into his head because it is just something so fundamental when I grew up.

Maybe there is a benefit to those cartoon shows only being available on TV from 9am to 9:20am, and 3:30pm to 3:50pm after all. This on-demand programming is all BS lol~

[underscore]

Originally Posted by EvoFire

Jokes on me, they don't read clocks. Older is 4 and still learning and the younger is 16 months.

The Little Hippo Mella is a lifesaver for this.

[EvoFire]

We have the sun clock thing, but it doesn't work anymore. He just stares at it until it turns yellow.

[Mikoyan]

School registration for K is such a crapshoot each year. It can change from maxed out one year, then struggling to fill the class the next. Kingsford Smith would be as close too, but if it wasn't offered, the 2 K classes we have must be full too.

There's usually some movement even during the first 2 weeks of classes in Sept, so you're not locked in as you think.

[winson604]

Originally Posted by Mikoyan

School registration for K is such a crapshoot each year. It can change from maxed out one year, then struggling to fill the class the next. Kingsford Smith would be as close too, but if it wasn't offered, the 2 K classes we have must be full too.

There's usually some movement even during the first 2 weeks of classes in Sept, so you're not locked in as you think.

Kingsford on Elliot? Damn would have never known.

[EvoFire]

Oppenheimer has 3 K classes and their in catchment waitlist is still at least 2 classes deep.

[Mikoyan]

River District kids are at Oppenheimer and Champlain Heights mainly I heard. There's a need for an elementary school, but it'll be forever before that happens. Olympic Village's Elementary school just got approved/funded this year after 17 years, and it won't be ready till 2029.