Private, In-Home Tutoring in Abbotsford, British Columbia

Auguston Traditional Elementary School is located at 36367 Stephen Leacock Drive, Abbotsford B.C. V3G 2Z6. At Auguston Traditional Elementary School they pledge to: bestow children with the ability to become productive societal contributors through a steady, organized surrounding; provide a nurturing environment in order to encourage children to mature their potential and grow the confidence necessary to meet the goals set for them and that they set themselves; place an emphasis on basic skills; and provide access to a shared sense of mission and purpose among their peers, their superiors, and parents. The school’s main focuses include: 1. to affirm a strong and steady focus on the more traditional teachings, which include: content and skills development; stress on all aspects of linguistics including spelling, grammar, phonics, and whole language; creating links and coordination between topics that seem different; standardized tests with authentic assessments; letter grades (in grades 4 and 5) with purposeful and anecdotal reporting; direct instruction combined with some active and cooperative learning; competition through academic achievement, citizenship, and athletic awards; teacher role as supervisor of learners; professional, collegial and collaborative relationships; 2. Set high but attainable goals of achievement, and encourage a sense of educational commitment and purpose. 3. Establish a regular homework policy and schedule. 4. Establish a clearly defined code of behaviour.  5. Encourage parental involvement, with the Parent Advisory Council taking an advisory role in various aspects of education.

WJ Mouat Secondary School is located at 32355 Mouat Drive, Abbotsford B.C. V2T 4E9. In the past 30 years since its inception, W.J. Mouat Secondary has grown from junior high with 150 students and nine teachers, to one of Canada’s best high schools, with a population over 1500 students strong and more than 80 teachers. It was built in 1973, and was named after then superintendent W. J. “Bill” Mouat, the school opened to a meagre group of excited eighth and ninth grade students. Since then, Mouat has become a full secondary school with grades 8 through 12 and, in the early 2000’s, it finally became a 9-12 secondary, as it is now. Mouat has been honoured both on the provincial and national level for its Athletic, Fine Arts, Academic, Technology Education, and Community Service achievements. A newly constructed wing in 1988 created science labs, art rooms and a theatre, and another expansion in 2002 that created an art wing, a practice gym, and state of the art weight room, Mouat students have superior facilities that are designed to improve learning, spark inventiveness, and build athletic prowess. A sizable upgrade project in the works from 2007-2010 has since provided both infrastructure and surface improvements. In 2010, administration and students began following a Character Education initiative, it would put a sentiment into writing what Mouat has strived to perfect for years: that “good character and citizenship are equally important to strong academics.”

Robert Bateman Secondary School is located at 35045 Exbury Avenue, Abbotsford B.C. V2S 7L1. Robert Bateman Secondary School has a long history of creating greatness in their students. Located in the east of Abbotsford, B.C., Robert Bateman Secondary currently hosts above 1000 students in ninth grade through twelfth grade. Bateman offers a varied portfolio of programs in order to meet the needs of their students, including athletics, academics, and arts programs, such as: the Hockey and Golf academies, Musical Theatre, Howler Media, Career and Trades Programs, Learning Assistance, Link Crew, the Equestrian program, MARVEL anxiety program, Advanced Placement programs,  and Student Leadership. The school is designed to create a rich ecosystem of learning through collaboration, this is shown throughout the community and through the continuous addition of new opportunities for creation, and helping students develop their passions for a long life ahead of them. Bateman sees their motto “Eye to Eye with Respect” as more than just words, but truly a belief that is a guiding principle in their school culture. Teachers provide as many opportunities for learning as possible through both formative and summative assessments, giving students the tools to succeed as learners without the stereotypical pressures that come with a purely summative based curriculum. The staff use a custom tool called the Pyramid of Intervention, which details weekly extended learning opportunities, which are designed to help students develop as learners and as citizens. As they are committed to lifelong learning, the staff also participate in regular professional development in order to bring together and develop new skills in teachers based on areas pertinent to their classroom, and that they are passionate about. Out of the school, teachers and students share many opportunities for extracurriculars. Clubs showcase student abilities in drama, environmental stewardship, student leadership, digital production, music, art, travel, and volunteering. At Skills Canada 2017, a nationwide student competition, Bateman did their students proud by coming home with 4 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals  for 2D and 3D Animation, Culinary Arts and Welding.

Educating Our Parents: Understanding the Abbotsford District Curriculum

The language arts curriculum was developed to enable student communication and literacy in all subjects. Analytic reading skills and the ability to deliver organized and clear thoughts in writing are developed each year. When speaking, students learn how to deliver an appropriate introduction with details that support their argument or point of view. Learning to critique the work of others is a part of the curriculum as well. Students offer feedback to their peers with regard to writings and oral presentations, and learn how to critique assigned readings as well.

In circumstances where a class is being offered that the Ministry of Education has not developed a curriculum for, local school authorities have the ability to create their own curriculum. In addition, the curriculum used in Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate Programs have been approved by the Ministry of Education for use in the schools. Within these programs, the expectations that students will face at college are emphasized so that students know what to expect in terms of conducting research, writing original works, and communicate their thoughts.

Abbotsford is a city in the province of British Columbia; Abbotsford is relatively large, covering an area of 375.6 km2 . Abbotsford has a population of 141,379, and is the largest city in British Columbia outside of Metro Vancouver. Abbotsford is home to Tradex, the University of Fraser Valley, and Abbotsford international Airport. It is also the fifth largest city in British Columbia, and has been named as Canada’s most generous city in terms of charitable donations for nine straight years. Abbotsford is also the largest city in British Columbia by area, and it directly borders the United States.

According to the 2011 Census, 65.74% of Abbotsford’s population have English as mother tongue; Punjabi is the mother tongue of 18.71% of the population, followed by German (4.32%), Dutch (1.12%), Korean (1.00%), French (0.83%), Spanish (0.74%), Vietnamese (0.47%), Chinese, n.o.s. (0.45%), and Tagalog (0.44%).

Mill Lake Park

Mill Lake Park is a place for the whole family; along the 2.3 km length of paved footpath, there is a water park, an outdoor pool, several picnic areas and rest stops, three separate playgrounds, as well as a small dock where ducks frequently come to swim. There are many points of entry into the park, each one offers something unique, but they are all wheelchair accessible. The main entrance is on Bevan Avenue, there is free parking, a huge play area for the kids with benches for the parents, a huge green space with trees, benches with the perfect view across the lake, public bathrooms, a gazebo, and a beautiful maze-garden. They also host many events for the enjoyment of the public, such as the Annual MS walk in June,Cancer Awareness walks , The Walk for Diabetes, and many more. For more information, please visit their website located here.

Clayburn Village

Clayburn Village is a quaint village at the bottom of the Sumas Mountain in Abbotsford, British Columbia and was appointed as a Heritage Site in 1996. Clayburn was the first “company town” in British Columbia, a town built and run by the Clayburn Company in order to provide their massive number of employees with housing and services while they lived and worked there. It contained a bank, a school, three stores, and a church. The high demand for bricks and possibility of high grade clay throughout Sumas Mountain were the foundations that allowed Clayburn Village to exist. The Village and brick plant are over 100 years old; built in 1905, by a former Royal Engineer and B.C. pioneer, Charles Maclure. When the demand for bricks tapered, the brickplant, after remaining in operation for nearly a quarter century, was dismantled and discontinued in 1931.  Operations were scaled back and relocated to the sister “Kilgard” site located higher up the Sumas Mountain. Only the foundations of the original Clayburn plant now remain, but about half of the original homes, a single store, the church and the schoolhouse have survived, and continue to be preserved in order to showcase the original village atmosphere. Most prestigious of the remaining buildings are the Clayburn Church built in 1912 and the Clayburn Schoolhouse built in 1907, both of which are on the register of Canada’s historic sites. For more information, please visit their website here.

Interesting Facts

• From 1991 to 2001 there was a 51% population increase and a similar increase is expected between now and 2036, seeing the population reach 206,000.
• 21.4% of persons in Abbotsford hold a University certificate, diploma or degree at the bachelor level or above. 65% of Abbotsford’s citizens both live and work in Abbotsford.
• The first residents of the city were Tlingit, Sekani, Haida, Chilcotin and the Shuwap. They used to live along the cost of the city to take the advantage of the resources provided by the ocean to the city.