REVIEW OF Cousteau, The French International School of Vancouver BY parent, Maryam Moayeri

(5) Student Experience

Both my kids love their teachers and their friends. They’re proud that they can speak three languages fluently. They have both reached a French level of expertise that cannot be distinguished from French people in France. It is a far higher level than what one can expect from French Immersion programs. They both have many friends. My main indication that they like school is that they go without complaint and it is very difficult to get them to leave at pickup time. They want to stay longer to play with their friends at school. They love going to their after school clubs at the school with their friends. Whereas they complain going to activities outside of school, they never complain about their after school programs ran through school. They love the amazing variety of choices they have for their after school activities including swimming, skating, gymnastics, robotics, art, hip hop, karate, and so much more. They love the many field-trips they get to go on. They love the hot lunch program. Most families don’t realize this amazing school is open to all families, not just French families.

(5) School Leadership

The French system does a great job of being strict but fair and kind. The administrators of the school are warm and welcoming to parents and children. The board of directors are caring individuals who are working diligently to improve the operations of the school. I consider the teachers of the school as leaders as well. They work collaboratively in creating excellent programs for the children. They also create a fun and engaging environment that makes kids love school. The administration and teachers dress up for Halloween and with spirit and joy prepare festive celebrations for Christmas and the other holidays. The school gets inspected by both BC and France and therefore must maintain a level that meets both standards.

(5) Teaching

This is perhaps our favourite part of Cousteau. The instructors are highly educated and qualified from even the preschool level. The last two years, my preschool child has had teachers with dual university degrees. In addition, the language of instruction is the teacher's best language. French teachers from France are teaching in French. I've noted in many other schools, especially preschools, that teachers often teach in a second language which makes it much more difficult and far less engaging for students to learn. Lastly, Cousteau follows a dual curriculum. Every teacher knows both the French and BC curricula and adheres to teaching both. The kids are getting the best of two worlds, not only in language, but in culture, and curriculum as well. The instructors of the after school programming are also excellent.

(5) Academics

Cousteau is a school for families looking for academic rigour. The students cover both the BC and the French Ministry curriculum. They score at the top of the province on the government FSA tests in reading, writing, and math. Students achieve true French fluency here. My kids speak French together at home even though neither parent is French. They also speak English and a third language fluently. It is impossible to identify which language is their best. Most importantly, unlike many other private schools, Cousteau does not attain this level of academic excellence by admitting academically excellent students from the start. Instead, it creates academically excellent students. Neither of my children had to take any sort of test to be admitted. Students entering at the preschool level enter without testing and grow as students over time regardless of IQ, discipline, or prior engagement. Older children are given an entrance exam to test for French competency and not for intelligence. Cousteau turns children into academically strong students who are engaged and inquisitive.

(5) Extracurriculars

The school provides 40 different clubs including Robotics, swimming, skating, gymnastics, karate, soccer, art, music, dance, climbing, chemical, mechanical, civil engineering and so much more. They have excellent instructors teaching the clubs. Their after school programming is not only of the highest quality but also an incredible convenience for families. There is no need to leave work early to pick up children and drive them to different activities. The students can take almost any activity through the school as part of their after school program. For example, I drop off my children at 8:30 AM at the school and pick them up at 5:00 at the community center where they take swimming lessons on one day and skating lessons on another day with their Cousteau friends. On other days, I pick them up at 5:00 right from the school where they take Soccer and Karate with professional athletes and instructors, and Robotics and Art from certified and talented teachers.

(5) Students

The children are bright, creative, and kind. They are inclusive and cultured as many students come from France and England. It is wonderful to see such a collaborative spirit at the birthday parties. The student body is a culturally diverse one. The school is not dominated by any one culture, but rather the love for one culture--the French Culture. In my daughter's class, we have 6 families that were born and raised in Canada, 6 families from France, 2 families from England, 2 families from China, 1 family from Iran, 1 family from the USA, and a few more from mixed cultures. Each year, we get one or two new students per class that bring a beautiful cultural diversity to the school. They have come to town either from France or another country where they were studying under the French system. These students give the school a lovely international feel and helps make the other students much more worldly.

(5) School Life

My kids love going to school. They are part of an inclusive community where they feel belonging. There are lots of extras offered at the school that make it a fun place to be yet still an academically rigorous one. The students go on field trips and take part in extra-curricular activities. They are each others main support group and the families become good friends. There are many different celebrations from Halloween to Christmas to French specific festivities. Every school has areas that need improvement. Cousteau’s weak areas are areas that do not affect students therefore I do not worry about them much. Sometimes, I even find the school's weaknesses to be charming. For example, the newsletters that are sent home are translated into English by non-English speakers and can therefore have some amusing errors in them.

(5) Community

The community is cultured, inclusive, kind, and worldly--literally. We have many families from Europe giving the school a dynamic feel of culture and understanding. Parents have ample opportunity to get involved in school activities and planning from joining the PAC to supervising activities. I went to school, grew up, and currently work in the neighbourhood of my children's school. I, therefore, had and still have a strong support system and many friends outside of my children's school. However, ever since joining Cousteau, I have made new friends with the many families of my children's classes. They have been kind and supportive to our children and our whole family. My children get invited to all the birthday parties and events. We feel lucky to be part of an inclusive and caring community.

(5) School Location

I feel lucky that the only French curriculum school in BC is located in North Vancouver. It is an Eco school in the midst of nature. Its walls extend beyond its school with frequent field trips and after school programming that takes kids to external facilities including pools, rinks, climbing facilities and more. The school itself is not posh, but it has the needed facilities to run an excellent program. Where it lacks the facilities, it makes up for it by taking children to nearby locations to partake in those activities. This year my children have taken part in gymnastics, skating, climbing, and swimming even though the school does not have a gymnastics floor, a rink, a climbing wall, or a pool. Where the school lacks, it makes up for in other ways. There is a bus available for students coming from off the North Shore.