REVIEW OF Pear Tree School BY parent, Gabriela Passano

(5) Student Experience

We’ve found Pear Tree to be a great choice for our son. The level of personalization achieved with such small-sized groups has proven very helpful in keeping him interested and engaged. We love that all teachers—not only his own but also others in the school—know him by name, as do the other students, which has given us a true sense of community. We also love the theme/project-based approach, the early use of technology, and the multiple field trips and experiences (including amazing PE-related ones) he’s had so far. Finally, the healthy hot lunch program has been a lifesaver, and we’ve noticed that our son is eating a greater variety of foods after being involved in this program.

(5) School Leadership

We believe that the school administration is open to our active involvement as parents, which was a pleasant surprise. We feel it’s possible to have a say in decisions that affect our child and that we can openly voice any concerns. So far, we haven’t encountered any discipline issues, but I have a feeling it would be reasonably easy to navigate if and when one arises. I also appreciate the way the school communicates with us, especially through the mobile app, which I think is great for our son’s engagement with technology and also provides us, as parents, with timely updates on his academic and social development.

(5) Teaching

We are very happy with the quality of our son’s teachers. We believe they are passionate about their teaching, and most importantly, we get the sense that they genuinely care about our son beyond just teaching him. In terms of communication, again, I believe the app has been great for receiving timely updates on activities and academic performance, and it has kept us very engaged throughout our child’s journey. We also think that personalization has been key to providing appropriate challenges—for example, each child has their own level for reading and their own set of “sight words,” so every student is able to progress at their own pace. I’ve found this amazing and have seen my son make fast progress in both reading and writing.

(5) Academics

We believe it’s a great strength to have students in mixed grades—in our son’s case, he is in Kindergarten, and half of his classroom is made up of Grade 1 students. We think this setup gives students the opportunity to develop more quickly in certain areas—academically, socially, or emotionally. The project/theme-based approach is also fantastic, as all subjects are taught in a more fun and engaging way. I also love that research and public speaking are introduced so early in their academic journey. Exposing them to technology from an early age will, I believe, help them thrive in an increasingly interconnected world. Overall, I believe Pear Tree is preparing my son not only academically, but also emotionally and socially for his future. The only thing I’d like to see more of is a focus on measuring success, not just internally, but also through external benchmarks.

(5) Extracurriculars

We’re loving the extracurricular activities at Pear Tree. While the school doesn’t have the same infrastructure as some other private schools, they’ve been very clever in partnering with the right organizations to offer amazing options. For example, they organized a term of ice skating for PE, where the entire school had the ice rink to themselves. It was a lot of fun for the kids and also contributed to a strong sense of community, as even parents were invited to attend. I also find that the after-school care program offers a wide variety of options.

(5) Students

We find the community at Pear Tree very inspiring. My 5-year-old son has nine- and ten-year-old friends who treat him like a little brother and play with him during PE or breaks. Every time there’s a school-wide event, like the Winter Festival or the Spring Fling, I see all the kids getting along and being respectful to one another. I also love the “houses” the school has created, and the fact that all grades are involved in the different house teams. Kids of all ages interact with one another to earn house points. I think this fosters a great sense of teamwork and community, and I love that the “contests” to earn points are usually tied to socially responsible themes like environmental protection and social awareness.

(5) School Life

My son loves going to school, which to me is priceless. He has very good friends of all ages, and I can tell he enjoys everyday activities and also looks forward to special events. I also see how he knows and likes all the teachers and staff, not just his own teachers, which is a great perk of being in a small school. Field trips and extracurricular activities are always welcomed by him, and he’s very excited to participate. We’ve also found that there is an excellent mix of academic, social, and cultural activities and events, especially compared to other schools we hear about. We've noticed, too, that our son has become much more independent. He even enjoys his homework and daily reading, and he either reminds us about it every day or just goes ahead and completes it himself.

(5) Community

We find, especially compared to other school communities we've heard of, that Pear Tree provides an amazing sense of belonging. We’ve created our own parent social committee at Pear Tree, and I’ve seen the school support us at every step. As a parent, it’s been great to be part of such a strong community and to have such a meaningful say in shaping various activities and events. I feel the school absolutely welcomes parent involvement and supports it throughout—they truly see it as a partnership in building a successful community. Some examples of these events include family game nights, the year-end carnival, and participation in externally organized events like the Sun Run.

(5) School Location

The location of the Pear Tree school our son attends is amazing, as it’s right in the heart of the Kitsilano neighbourhood. Since the school’s infrastructure isn’t as large as that of other schools, they’ve found creative ways to ensure students don’t miss out on having a great school experience. Students regularly use nearby facilities, like the Kitsilano Community Centre and Connaught Park, for PE and breaks, and they go on field trips to other local spots, such as Granville Island and the library.

(5) Admissions

I think my biggest advice would be to make sure families take advantage of the early access to the community to learn more about it and ensure both parents and kids feel comfortable joining. Examples of this include the Kindergarten Experience Day, which my child absolutely loved. From that day on, he asked me every single day when he would start kindergarten, and the potluck, which provides a great opportunity for new families to meet both current and incoming families before school starts.