Anyone moved from London to Waterloo/Kitchener Ontario?

[itchyfeet38]

Our PR applications are being processed. We are looking at moving to Waterloo area as DH and I both work in tech.

Long shot - Anyone here living in Kitchener/Waterloo area?

My mothers family are from Kitchener Waterloo. What do you want to know?

I’m in Toronto, if that helps....

I went to University in Waterloo, and am Canadian. Waterloo is amazing! Any questions, feel free to PM me :)

Hi,
Can I wake up this thread please? @DammitOedipus please can I PM you? I have some questions

@Want2bSupermum and @UKsounding : I am specifically concerned about the quality of education compared to UK. Is there anything I can do from now to help my 10 yr old transition better? We may not move until next year. Is French mandatory in elementary schools?

Hi @Mum2020

My DD has been educated entirely in Canada, but my impression is that the Canadian system is at least a year behind the UK system at that point - especially in math.
The "Core French" program is mandatory in elementary school, although families often try to enroll their kids in programs with more instruction. TBH it isn't any great standard and your 10 yr old will quickly catch up.
If you go to the Ministry of Ed website, you can see the Ontario curriculum for each grade in each subject: www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/subjects.html

HTH - to be honest, especially if you have a son, at that age the catching-up would likely be sports. Most 10 yr olds skate and many play ice hockey a lot in the winter, and baseball in the summer....

in the Toronto suburbs here. UKSounding is right, at that stage, those that I know who moved with 10 year olds from the UK were definitely ahead. Although they found secondary a lot more demanding, so they catch up eventually. French is mandatory, immersion is also an option but it would be a difficult one for you as most of the kids would have started in Grade 1. They definitely measure and assess less, so don't expect any OFSTED reports and you just go to your local school, if you are in catchment they are obliged to take you. At least at our school, the class sizes seem smaller, 20 and 24 at grade 1 and 3. They do focus a lot on independence I think, many will be walking to school alone from 9 some even get the school bus from 3. They are also more outdoorsy, so they go outside even when it's bitterly cold, and it does get bitterly cold! If they do activities like football, martial arts or music Windsor will almost certainly have it, I've only been through it en route to Chicago but it seems lovely, Detroit is very interesting and depsite it's decline over the past 20 years it has tons going on. You are welcome to PM me if you need anything else.