Relocation services for British Columbia, Canada

School life

Introduction

This description of daily life in the Canadian school system is written by Alice. It describes her experience as a Grade 8/9 in a secondary school.

Daily Life at Canadian Schools

When I started high school in Canada I noticed a few differences that I feel that other people coming to Canada should know about. The schedule at my school is quite hard to follow at first but you eventually get used to it, lets take my last years schedule as an example.

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
A: French	E: Socials	B: Math	F: English	C: Band
B: Math	F: English	C: Band	G: Science	D: Gym
C: Band	G: Science	D: Gym	H: Film	A: French
D: Gym	H: Film	A: French	E: Socials	B: Math

This schedule is called a block rotation. There are 8 blocks in the rotation. So as you can see the cycle continues over the course of eight days.

Homework, projects and stuff

I think that you get less homework in Canada compared to England. Some teachers don’t even give homework. When you do get it you usually have to get it in for the next day.

The kind of homework you get is textbook work for math, or sheets of exercises to do. In science you may have to do lab reports.

You don’t get projects that often. The sort of projects you get might be to prepare a presentation on diseases for biology. Or an essay on Jesuit relations for social studies.

We have had to learn about the provinces and their capitals if you do Geography at higher levels (Grade 11 did). We did not really have to catch up on Canadian history. English history is useful as I did the English Civil War and Black Plague - keep your notes from the UK!

In Grade 8 you get one elective. This is where you get to choose the subject from Art, Band or Drama. You have to do one of them but you can choose which one.

In your lessons you sometimes get a quiz. This is a small test which contributes to your final mark. So it is important to do well in them.

Daily Schedule

This is the schedule for my usual school day.

• 8:36- first bell, signifying 5 minutes until the first block starts.
• 8:41- second bell, if you are not in the classroom at this time you are late.
• 9:48- end of first block quick break for going to lockers.
• 10:00- start of second block.
• 11:26- end of second block and start of break.
• 11:36- end of break and start of third block.
• 12:56- end of third block and start of lunch.
• 1:40- start of fourth block.
• 2:56- end of school.

Lockers

You get a locker at school to keep your books and stuff in. You go to it between classes to get your books for the next class, or to get your lunch. There are loads of lockers all over the school.

It can be crowded and confusing, especially on your first few days. I found opening my locker one of the biggest challenges of school. You get a locker combo and you have to figure out how to open the locker from these three numbers for example, 16-36-25. The best way to figure it out is to ask someone like the person with the locker next to yours.

Lunch

Lunch is quite a different experience as well, there are so many different things that you can do. Quite a few people like to sit at the tables in the Cafeteria, but you can also sit at the benches around the school, go to the library, play basketball in the gym, play soccer on the field or just sit outside if the weather is nice.

The Cafeteria is popular. It has fries ($1.75- i.e. chips), chicken strips, small salads ($3), pastries($1-$2), chocolate bars ($1.25 )and chips ($1 - i.e. crisps). The school is getting healthier, with water and orange juice now in the vending machines (along with pop like coke).

Not many people bring their own lunch.

The best part about my school is the village across the road students in grade 10 and up are allowed to go across for lunch. You can get a starbucks, a slice of pizza, a sandwich from subway or anything from safeway.

Holidays

The holidays (vacations) are different as well. You get two weeks for Christmas, two weeks in March for Spring break and then you end school around mid June which is quite early compared to England.