VINCI School of Ottawa was created out of frustration that as the capital of one of the most developed countries in the world, there isn’t a world-class primary educational institution.
Defining the Provincial Standard
Let’s face it. Ontario as the most populous province of Canada, and was merely ranked ahead of Serbia (the war-torn country formerly part of Yugoslavia) in the most recent TIMSS assessment.
Although many people feel comfortable that the high school graduation rate is much higher than that of the US, the truth is, the standard to pass, which is set at 50% in Ontario, is much below the norm of 60%.
90% of High Tech Activities in Canada Happen in the Region of Ottawa
You can see these stellar numbers on the website of the City of Ottawa. Unfortunately, very few primary educational institutions in Ottawa pride themselves on their remarkable math and science curriculum – providing unbelievable opportunities to the little scientists and little engineers. By in large, schools do not have teachers specializing in math, science, arts, and communications. Why should kindergarten kids have to wait until much later in life to have fun with robots? Why should grade 1 or 2 kids have to sit around the entire day remembering math formulas, while our little friends south of the border get to enjoy Next Generation Science and Technology-based learning? Click here to learn “Why Standards Matter.”
Let’s Talk About High Achievers
Schools, regardless of being public or private, are generally designed to rescue low achievers, and support middle achievers. Those who are ahead of their grade level often get bored by constant talks of familiar subjects, gradually lose their interest and become disengaged. But these bright kids have the potential to be the pillars of future society – the scientists who crack the cancer codes, the engineers who get robots to take care of elders, the entrepreneurs who create jobs, the architects who grow plants on walls to absorb carbon dioxide…
Yet, in a busy classroom of a very diversified student body, how can the teacher get certain kids to learn the alphabet through repetition while coaching others on how to write their first diary? Or to talk about fractions with the few kids while teaching others to count by fingers? Estimate how much face time the high achievers get with the teacher, and you will quickly see why the diversified student body under one teacher does not make sense.
Enriched and Accelerated Learning – VINCI School of Ottawa
Special kids need special teachers, and a special environment, where high achievers are not lonely and feel out of place. Instead, the environment must be built to help these bright minds overcome their specific, but very different types of challenges. These kids may learn things fast. But they need to be coached for persistence, hard work, strategic thinking, communication, creativity, and most importantly, leadership.
As such, VINCI School of Ottawa was born. This is a completely new environment where majority of children are ahead of their grades, with the remaining few working hard to be ahead. This is also a brand new environment where we take a holistic approach to learning – from a nice hot lunch to neurologically designed physical education, passing through project-based and cross disciplined studies involving Math, Science and Technology, Language Arts, Social Study, and a Second Language.
At VINCI School of Ottawa, we go above and beyond to support the leaders of tomorrow!