It does not have to be dauting to find a private school for your child that fits your budget and your child’s needs. By following a 5 step selection process, the hassle and anxiousneess about the right choice are simply illiminated. We covered the first 2 steps in the previous post, now let’s see what are the last 3.
Step 3 – The Private School Expo
- What makes the school unique? What is the school’s philosophy?
- How does the school encourage involvement amongst parents, teachers and students?
- Ask for an outline of the school calendar. How long is the school day and the school year?
- What curriculum guidelines does the school follow and how are students evaluated? How do they respond to students who fall behind?
- What are the teachers’ qualifications?
- What is the average class size?
- What are the transportation options for my child?
- What is the admission process for my child? Is there a waiting list?
- How much is tuition and what other costs might I incur (e.g. uniform, books, equipment)?
- What are my payment options? What student financial assistance is available?
Step 4 – The School Visit
- While at the school, keep an eye out for these qualities:
- The quality of the campus grounds, lunchroom, sports facilities, and classrooms: Are they clean, operational, and safe?
- The diversity of the school: Is the student population multicultural enough for your child, or is that important to you?
- The classroom dynamics: How do students and teachers interact? Is that relationship what you’re looking for?
- The hallway scene: How do students interact with each other? And will your child fit in?
- Student supervision: How do administrators maintain a safe environment? How do they approach discipline?
- Completed application forms (many are now available online)
- Interview and possible entrance exam
- Non-refundable application fee
- Confidential school report from child’s current school
- Previous report cards (up to two or three years back)
- Test scores (depending on your child’s age and the school, it may be necessary for your child to write the Secondary School Admissions Test (SSAT) or another entrance exam)
TORONTO: Saturday October 15, 2011
HALTON-PEEL REGION: Sunday October 23, 2011
VANCOUVER: Sunday November 27, 2011
See Private School Expo for details.
With fewer kids and a better understanding of the educational system, parents today know the kind of education they want for their child, and private schools are becoming an accessible, affordable, and popular option. Offering much more than tradition, prestige or religious instruction, qualities which were highly valued in the past, they’re catering to modern parents who are more concerned about finding a particular educational approach that suits their child. With a range of schools as unique as each individual child, finding the right one seems like a formidable task. But with the right techniques, the school search can be painless for parents and children, resulting in a valuable education that will fit the entire family.
A 5 step approach will help any parent in the search and selection of the right school. Today we will cover Step 1 and 2, and a bit of step three.
Step 1 – The Wish List
Before even beginning the search, parents need to decide exactly what they’re looking for. Involving the entire family, including a long standing nanny that knows the children well, in creating the list of wants and needs in a school is also a way to build excitement, help parents get to know their children better, and support family bonding. It will also ensure that the money parents spend on education will achieve their desired goals. Having a list of “needs”, and a smaller list of “wants” like certain extracurriculars, technology, or sports teams, will help you stay focused on finding the perfect school.
Some questions to keep in mind:
About your child:
- How is your child doing in their current school? What attention or challenges do they need?
- What is your child’s personality, learning style, academic ability, social skills, talents, challenges and desires?
- Will your child thrive in an environment rich with technology or one that is based in social interaction?
About your family:
- What are your family’s values, goals and priorities?
- Do you want a school that is close to work or home?
- Do you want a school that offers before-school and after-school programs?
About the school:
- Are you expecting an academic-based curriculum or one that attempts to educate the personality as well?
- Are you searching for a large or small school?
- Are you looking for a coed or same-sex, boarding and/or day environment?
- Do you want a school that accommodates all grades or a certain age group?
Step 2 – The Preliminary Search
It has probably been a while since parents have had to do homework for themselves, but finding a private school takes the same concentration, dedication, and time management as a final exam or research project. And just like school projects, the amount of time and effort that goes into the early stages has a direct effect on the quality of the end product – in this case, a child’s happiness and success at school. This phase of the search can be exciting as you discover the different learning options available for your child, but the most important thing is to select the best fit for your child, not to make your child fit into a school at all costs. And the perfect fit for your neighbour or friend’s child may not be right for your daughter or son.
Here are some tips on the preliminary search for a private school:
- Get started early: At least a year in advance is recommended. Good decisions are best made without time restrictions.
- Consider your budget: Private schools will vary in cost depending on a number of factors – day or boarding, class size, the level of additional services and extracurricular activities. Determine your financial situation, how much you are willing to spend, and what financial aid is available at each school.
- Read school profiles and websites: The Internet can be a parent’s best friend. Look at what’s written about the school curriculum, mission, values and philosophy. Read reflections and testimonials from students and parents. Most schools have their own websites with photos and virtual tours, and websites like www.ourkids.net have useful search engines to narrow your choices.
- Ask other parents: Find other parents who are interested in private school. Ask them what they’re looking for, what they’ve found, how they’re going about their search, and if they have any feedback about schools you’re interested in. Online forums are great if you don’t know anyone personally.
Step 3 – The Private School Expo
Attending a fair (or expo) that brings together students and representatives from all types of schools across a city for parents to use as a one-stop source of information. This step, together with the remining 2, we will cover in our next posting. Fall is the “season” for Expos and 3 are coming in the next few months:
TORONTO: Saturday October 15, 2011
HALTON-PEEL REGION: Sunday October 23, 2011
VANCOUVER: Sunday November 27, 2011
See Private School Expo for details.
With fewer kids and a better understanding of the educational system, parents today know exactly the kind of education they want for their child, and private schools are becoming an accessible, affordable, and popular option. Offering much more than tradition, prestige or religious instruction, qualities which were highly valued in the past, they’re catering to modern parents who are more concerned about finding a particular educational approach that suits their child. With a range of schools as unique as each individual child, finding the right one seems like a formidable task.
But with the right techniques, the school search can be painless for parents and children, resulting in a valuable education that will please the entire family.
A 5 step search process will help to choose the right school for each child:
- The Wish List
- The Preliminary Search
- The Private School Expo
- The School Visit
- The Application
We will cover these steps in details the next two posts. However, Montreal families can already jump to stage 3, as this Sunday, Montreal Private School Expo will be held in Place Bonaventure. This is where you can find all English language private schools in Montreal, meet the management and staff, and get a feel on their offering.
And we have FREE TICKETS for readers of this blog and SOSsitter members.
To get the free tickets, REGISTER HERE, with the promo code: SOSSITTER
Private School Expos are also coming to Toronto, Peel region and Vancouver:
Selecting a nanny or a babysitter is definitely an important decision that you should not take lightly. Before hiring, you must first validate her identify and check the background of the candidate for previous criminal or sexual offenses.
Indeed, a crucial step in selecting your child caregiver is to validate her criminal history and to verify the absence of sexual offenses on her record. You do that by requesting to see her most recent certificate of good conduct. The time of hire is the only opportunity you have to ensure that your family is in the hands of someone you can trust.
The first thing is to make sure that the nanny or babysitter you are going to evaluate is the person she claims to be. Do not hesitate to ask her for two identification documents. Photo IDs issued by the government will ensure not only that the child minder is who she says she is but also she is legally in the country.
After the identity of the potential nanny is verified, the second step is to request a Canadian Criminal Record Check. It is a nationwide search of the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) database that queries police records for convictions for which a pardon has not been granted, for absolute & conditional discharges and for any stays of proceedings, as they appear on CPIC.
In addition, it is strongly recommended to obtain confirmation of the absence of sexual offenses. This is of course particularly important when selecting a candidate who will be responsible for one or more persons considered as vulnerable (children, the elderly and individuals with disabilities). The search, based on the applicant’s fingerprints will reveal whether the person has been convicted and/or has obtained a pardon for a sexual offense.
It is very important to ask your potential child minder for the most current certificate of good conduct.
In fact, it is recommended to request a new certificate as a pre-requisite for hire. This can be done at the expense of the nanny or be covered by the family.
All the checks can only be requested by the nanny herself. They can be obtained at any police station or using the services of specialized companies. The costs range from 40$ to 100$.
By following these simple steps to check the background of your care giver, you’ll be able to entrust your home and your children with confidence.
What should you look for in a summer sitter?
Beyond the usual qualities you are looking for in a nanny, summer sitters must have specific skills to ensure that your child will securely enjoy summer activities.
She should be enthusiastic with high energy, willing to make light meals, do some light housekeeping, and have a driver’s license and possibly a car. Ideally, a summer sitter should have CPR training and water safety training. To help you out to select a good summer sitter, we have put together a checklist of the qualities you should be looking for in a summer sitter.
Summer is a very active season for kids (and grown ups!), filled with outdoor activities and opportunities to have fun. Therefore there are some important qualities that a summer sitter should have in order to care for your child or children in the best possible way. Hopefully, your regular sitter will fit this profile, but if not, you may need to look for a different sitter for the summer.
Desirable characteristics
Taking care of children in the summer months requires energy, stamina and enthusiasm. Your summer sitter must have many specific attributes but these are of the utmost importance. Summer days can seem long, and there are several months and a variety of activities to deal with. If your sitter enjoys staying indoor, she might be perfect for winter months but not for the summer season. Summer provides an opportunity for children to do activities that may not be available, or that they may not have time for, during the school year. You want your child to be able to take advantage of this valuable time, not waste it watching TV.
You summer sitter will probably be with your child for a good portion of the day. Therefore it is essential to have a sitter that is willing and able to make meals and provide snacks for your child. The summer sitter should also do some light housekeeping to keep your home orderly and clean. Finding someone that is willing and able to do both is a necessity.
Because summer is a time when children get to spend extended periods of time playing outside, there will be the inevitable sunburns, bee stings, and falls and scrapes to deal with. Therefore, finding a sitter with a CPR certificate is quite important. A sitter with first aid training can provide immediate assistance.
One of the best aspects of summer is the opportunity for children to swim. Swimming and playing at a pool is a great way for your child to spend some time outside getting exercise. It is also an opportunity for your child to develop or improve upon his / her swimming skills, and to see friends or make some new ones. But, taking children to a pool is a big responsibility. It is recommended that a summer sitter have water safety training so that your child will be safe.
On Monday this week, we were featured as a weekly profile of a SME from Montreal (we are based in Montreal) by the very famous Montreal daily – La Presse. SOSgarde, the French equivalent of SOSsitter, was sited as a new way to find a babysitter and nanny with a help on the Internet. In it, I am outlining my story and how i got to create the service. Bonne lecture!
SOSsitter: How to find a babysitter nanny on the web
What should you ask a potential nanny, babysitter when you first call her? Here is a quick guideline of nanny interview questions and steps you should take to start your selection in the right way. Conducting phone interviews with potential nannies or babysitter before meeting them in person is highly recommended. This step has many advantages. First off, it saves you time. If you start with a list of six potential nannies, you can reduce the number down to two or three. By interviewing only two or three sitters, not only are you better able to evaluate and compare the candidates with each other, but you are also streamlining the process and significantly cutting down the time it takes to find the best candidate. Second, it allows you to prepare the ground for a detailed personal interview with the candidate.
The purpose of the phone interview is to narrow down the list. Keep this goal in mind as you follow the steps below. Get the basic answers during this stage. Seek more detailed answered at personal interview stage.
Phone Interview Steps
Call the child carer and either conduct the interview right away or set up a time which is more convenient. The interview should last between 15 to 30 minutes.
- Validate the sitter’s basic information from her SOSsitter profile: full name (with correct spelling), telephone number, email address.
- Review the job details with the nanny. Mention the age(s) of the child(ren), hours of work, salary and required tasks. It is good to get this step out of the way sooner than later because sometimes there is a conflict and the sitter is eliminated before going any further.
- Background information. Ask questions about the nanny / babysitter’s age, education, health and family situation. Ask her about her criminal record check when it was done and by who.
- Criteria checklist.You know what your nanny babysitter needs are. Focus on the must-haves rather than the nice-to-haves. Do you need someone with a drivers license? A non-smoker? One SOSsitter family was conducting a phone interview and she could tell right away that the woman she was speaking with was a heavy smoker just by her voice and cough. The family saved themselves a lot of time and trouble by conducting the interview over the phone instead of meeting the candidate in person.
- Previous work experience and references: where did she work, how long ago, what where her tasks. Get the details (if not provided on the profile already) and hold on to them. Call them AFTER you have meet the nanny in person.
During the phone interview, pay attention to the candidates tone as well as to what she is saying. Is there any background noise? All these are important clues that will help you get a feeling about the candidate and if you want to meet them in person. The phone interview should not replace the in-person interview. Sometimes a nanny can sound very promising on the phone but then your opinion changes when you meet her face-to-face. One SOSsitter member had a young female candidate who succeeded in all of the above steps and then she showed up at the doorstep dressed too provocatively. Trust your intuition and good luck!
It was a really great evening last night where I presented my insights, taken from personal experiences as the Founder of SOSsitter, to a group of switched on, creative and dynamic entrepreneurs, during Montreal Girl Geek Dinner meeting. The talk was full of practical examples and best practices of how to make the most of a small business, while being a parent. Few golden rules to follow and a strong foundation will insure desirable fruits and a successful business.
Here is the presentation. Please share it with anyone that might find it useful:
Are you a Montreal Mom and a future or present Entrepreneur? Thinking of starting a business? Owning your business is a great but treacherous journey especially when being a Mom never stops. It is all worth tough. The rewards are simply put: priceless. I am living this reality for few years now and would love to share with you how to prepare yourself to succeed as an Entrepreneur AND a Mom. I will share with you the challenges faced, common pitfalls and solutions that I used to either overcome them or avoid them.
The talk is free and is organized by Montreal Girl Geek Dinner. Come and join me then on Tuesday evening, January 18th.
Here are the details: http://guestlistapp.com/events/41304
