Discussions

Good morning all!  
I am trying to sign up my oldest for kindergarten this year and was looking for suggestions. I do not live in Brandon and I know I need to submit a school of choice form, etc. Based on location, before/after school care, and full day availability, I am looking at the following schools:  
- King George  
- Betty Gibson  
- Riverview  
- Riverheights  
Does anyone have any comments good or bad about any of these schools that I should consider if any of them accept my son? All opinions welcome, thank you!

We loved Riverheights!  
 
I also sent you a PM

Riverheights is a great school!

If it's a "school of choice" and I'll assume you might be considering driving him, the parking , pickup and drop-off is brutal at that school (Riverheights). I know all schools are tough to drop off or to find a spot to park, but that one is the worst to deal with on a regular basis. With the hospital being nearby, King George isn't great for parking spots and the narrow streets around Betty Gibson can also make you pull your hair out at times just to get in and out. My advise is to do a dry-run right now, picking one school a day and roll up at 3:25 and experience the chaos first hand. Riverhieghts is a nifty school with some great teachers, but Holy Cow what a pain in the @$$ to stop or park there when everyone is doing the same thing with less then a dozen spots available across the street.  
 
Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

Unfortunately, unless you use a Brandon address and lie you cannot have your child attend within a division you are not living in. School of choice is for people who are going to a different school within the same division.

Where are you getting that info from? There's a form for in-division school of choice and a form for out-of-division. Students residing in-division are given priority over those outside the division, so it may be unlikely or near impossible to get into some divisions if you are outside, but technically it is allowed under Manitoba education rules.  
 
Having said that, the whole process is silly. In addition to the provincially required forms I was told I needed to write a letter basically explaining why I want/need it, and why I should get it. Without getting into details the process seems very arbitrary.

You may also want to look into what kindergarten looks like at each school. Full days, half days, etc. Not all are the same.

Something else to think about is the fact that even if you are approved for Kindergarten, you will have to re apply for Grade 1, you are not guaranteed a spot for school of choice.

Lots of misinformation happening in this thread it seems....Per Manitoba Education:  
 
Does a student have to reapply every year to continue to attend the school of choice?  
No. Once a student has exercised choice and is accepted into that school, he or she is entitled to attend that school. The student is assumed to be in attendance at that school year after year unless he or she wishes to exercise choice and leave.

Recent personal experience contradicts that. Reapply after kindergarten, but didn't have to after grade 1.

You've experienced something similar to what I have - school divisions that appear to not be following the processes established by Manitoba Education, who set the framework for school of choice.