*This review is for the Lord Byng theater venue only, not for the school per se, FYI*…read more Yesterday I visited this school to attend a play being held in the theater auditorium. This school's been around for a long time (1925), so I'm surprised there aren't any reviews for this facility or venue! Overall, I was quite impressed with the features here, to accommodate a play production, especially since this is an older school (I've visited a few newer Vancouver schools, like Carson Graham Secondary in North Van, and their theater room is much larger and modern, with many more contemporary features for lighting and sound and a HUGE stage, but more commonly, I've seen MUCH less accommodating theater rooms in older Vancouver schools, where the stages are small and the sets and lighting features are incredibly antiquated - or nonexistent). The facility here at Lord Byng is older, yes, but everything worked and the auditorium was quite ample (not sure what the max occupancy is here but it was more than enough for the purposes of most school's drama departments and show-goers). I liked how there was a separate entrance for the theater "wing" off Crown Street, and there is a small lobby with a concession stand to buy snacks (nice!). The seats in the theater auditorium were comfortable, and the stage was fairly large and deep. Lighting and sound/acoustics were great. The only quibble I had with the actual theater concerned the banking or gradation of the rows of seats; they didn't seem engineered properly to maximize individuals' views of the stage. I think the seat rows should have been on more of a grade, as many of us in our party had semi-obstructed views due to the people seated in front of us (and they weren't that tall, either!). I had to crane my neck at times to see what was going on on stage. Other than that, this venue was great for a drama troupe to put on a production! Bonus: tons of free parking in the area. Can't beat that.

Queen Elizabeth School Annex, located on Crown Street across from Chaldecott Park, is a small…read moreschool, only offering classes from kindergarten to grade three. The school also offers a French Immersion program, in which I was enrolled, and I went there for all four years until I went to École Jules Quesnel in grade four, which is where most French Immersion students transferred to. It was a good little school, but the English kids and French Immersion kids never mingled, despite it being a small school, although that may have changed. When I was in grade three, the school got its first portable, and my class was the class placed in the portable. While celebrating my niece's birthday at Chaldecott Park yesterday, I popped over to visit the school, and there was a new wing of the school, made out of portables. The school has a HUGE playground, divided into three parts: the concrete school yard, with hopscotch and the alphabet painted on it; a gravel field where we used to play kickball and catch crickets; and the upper playground, a wooded area with the playground equipment. The playground equipment included a slide, an adventure fort, and some wooden posts you could walk on, all of which were gone when I went to the school yesterday. There was also a hill, going from the playground down to the gravel field, which was perfect for sledding when it snowed. Back in my day, there weren't wood shavings or that bouncy material at the bottom of playground equipment -- there was concrete. The adventure fort had a pole set in concrete that you could slide down, and I remember a kid in my class falling down the pole and breaking his arm. The following year, the concrete was replaced with wood shavings. [Yelp collections: Schools and Education]

The IB Program at SJS has been wonderful for my two kids. The teachers and administration obviously…read morework very hard to create a well prepared and engaging environment. My experience has, so far, been limited to the junior school where the warm and encouraging (while still academically challenging) atmosphere is quite special. My son, in particular, has transformed over his three years, (and counting), at the school from a bright, though highly anxious and shy child, into a much happier confident kid.

I went to a party organized here. The cafeteria, I think, right after the entryway…read more The tables and chairs were nice furniture. The carpet, podium with microphone, and fireplace at one end were nice too. Very nice skylights along the length of the room. Very elegant (I would assume this is a private school). No dance floor, though, so you'll have to rent one if you need it. No stage, either. I didn't organize it, so I don't know the rental price, but this is a very nice venue. There may have been a sink area, as well, but I don't know.

My child recently attended University Hill Elementary School for two years in 3rd & 4th grade…read more While there were some positive aspects of the school, like diversity and location, there were more concerns. One time my child was physically bullied on the playground, and when I made a complaint, the principal never replied to me. Another time, I picked my child up early for an appointment and found him completely left behind and disregarded laying on the ground in a classroom cubby area while the teacher was cheerfully teaching with her microphone headset gathered with the other students in the class. When other kids told the teacher their observations, she "didn't care." A lack of care overall is why I give this school the lowest rating. The front desk receptionist carried a heavy load, especially with no nurse of staff, but she was often not approachable for my child. One time when my child had a sore toothache and sought a call home, she only emailed me and didn't inform my child. When I saw the email after time had passed and went to the school, my child was no where to be found on the playground or in the building. my child was crying and hiding by a tree outside because they were in pain and felt the school didn't care about them and were going to call home. I am very grateful we have found a new school with a sincere culture of care.

Montessori school in south Vancouver close to Granville and West 70th Ave near Fraser River Park in…read morea light industrial area. They offer Pre-School from ages 3-6 and Elementary from grades 1-7. My kids went here from pre-school all the way through grade 5 and it was an incredible experience. A early Montessori education really helped them develop their hard-working and inquisitive personalities. French is offered from pre-school on and their level will exceed most public schools except for French immersion schools. Both French language and culture is taught which is nice so the kids have a practical reference for use of the language. They have both class observations where the parents can observe their kid in the normal class environment and parent/teacher conferences. Year-end show is fun where the elementary kids all present skits, songs and plays for the parents at a nearby theatre. Competition to get into the pre-school program is quite stiff so register early to get on the waiting list. Dedicated, long-term teachers and staff, highly recommended!