When Julia Lawn's son Harry was identified as gifted in Grade 3, the mother of four began to research his schooling options.
At the time, the North Vancouver mom said Harry was attending a French Immersion public school, but "he was bored and disruptive in class."
Lawn said many people believe that when a child is labeled gifted that it seems to be an unqualified positive. "It's not, there are many challenges as well, which I think a lot of public schools aren't equipped to deal with," Lawn said. "It was going to be hard to give him what he needed within the public school system.
"We found out about Choice and liked what we saw."
So pleased are Harry's parents with Choice, that Lawn quipped, "I would commute to Chilliwack if I had to, because Harry is thriving, his behaviour has improved and we don't get phone calls from the school anymore telling us how badly he's behaving."
Choice School acknowledges Harry's differences and gives him schooling that is more meaningful to him, she went on to add.
"He is so much more engaged than he was at his previous school," Lawn added. "The framework of Choice offers different opportunities for hands-on learning, with electives like ancient civilizations, international cooking and skating.
"His opportunities for social learning and foreign languages are great."
Lawn pointed out though that she isn't against the public school system - her daughter attends public school and is thriving as well.
"It's just that Choice perfectly matches our needs, but more importantly, our son's needs," she added.
"There is a great community here. the nurturing, flexibility and skills of the teachers are exceptional."
Gifted and bright children need to be taught differently, said Ray Probyn, principal at Choice School, which accepts students from Kindergarten to Grade 8.
"Choice students thrive because of the small class sizes (no more than 16 in each classroom), the customized teaching and the attention to the welfare of every member of the community," he said.
"The curriculum enables students to advance beyond their chronological age in areas where they are particularly strong while remaining in chronologically appropriate classes in other academic areas."
Each child has an Individual Learning Plan, which sets goals and targets that are agreed upon by the staff, parents and students.
Meanwhile, the Choice Challenge Program, Passions Projects and Focus Weeks provide opportunities for enrichment for each child's learning experience, Probyn said.
Each student chooses two Choice Challenges per term, which may include areas as diverse as international cooking, public speaking, medieval times, drama and ice skating.
The Passions Program allows each to share their interests while developing valuable research and presentation skills.
Each year, Choice holds three focus weeks (literacy, math and science, arts and culture) where for a week, students are immersed in learning about the specific focus.
The Life Skills course focuses on every day needs such as conflict resolution, learning styles, teamwork, collaboration and effective communication.
"We tailor a program, not just educational, but also for their individual and life skills, which all children need to thrive as well," said Probyn.
