Husky Posted December 8, 2016 Report Share Posted December 8, 2016 Hi Melbournians (is that the correct form of address and spelling?), We are hoping to be in Melbourne by October 2017 if all goes to plan. My son will be starting high school (grade 8) next year and I am looking for advice on a school that will work for him. He is very laid back and easy going with a preference for smaller, more caring school environments. In most school advice posts, people refer to the top schools list. I respect that for most people, sending their child to a top school is the right choice. For me, I am more interested in my child being happy and allowed to be himself without the unnecessary pressure of intense competition and rivalry that I think form the essence of top schools. I am pro allowing kids to find their own way and have difficulty relating to 'helicopter' moms. You may be thinking, 'must be that her kid doesn't do well at school'. That is a matter of perspective. He does well enough and that is good enough for me. He is well liked by both peers and teachers, is caring and funny, and quite the charmer. The point is, are there any smaller schools in the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne that are perhaps a little more focused on developing the whole individual rather than creating competitive clones? A school that produces empathetic leaders with social conscience? I am more interested in seeing my son develop as someone who has a positive impact on the world than be obsessed with getting top grades at all costs. Every child is different and different schools work for different kids. Ok, that was quite a mouthful .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smailo Posted December 8, 2016 Report Share Posted December 8, 2016 Hi Husky, We moved to Melbourne in September in order to have my eldest son assimilate into the school we had chosen from SA. Unlike SA, high school in Melbourne starts in grade 7 and not grade 8. He is currently in grade 6 and has successfully made friends who will be part of his high school life next year. The school in question is not in the eastern suburbs but rather the northeastern suburbs of Melbourne. As it is a combined school and all three of my kids attend. It's new and incredibly inclusive and diverse, my kids absolutely love it! We asked the kids if they wanted to go back to Johannesburg, and there was a resounding NO. In fact because of the school the kids are not even prepared to move to any other surburb that is not within a commuting distance from the school. Believe or not on Friday my son graduates from grade 6 to grade 7, and we will be attending his graduation ceremony. I've attached the school link below for you to have a look and see. https://www.charleslatrobecollege.vic.edu.au/ I hope that this helps with options. Just by the way, my kids are currently in grade 1, 4 and 6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted December 8, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2016 Thank you @Smailo Looks like a lovely school and the fact that you referred to it as inclusive and diverse really speaks to me. Is it private or government? Need to start budgeting. How are you setting in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smailo Posted December 8, 2016 Report Share Posted December 8, 2016 Hi Husky, The school is a government school. From a costing perspective, the annual fees for all three my kids including stationary and books amounted to one months worth of SA school fees. Not sure if the visa plays a part? We are currently on a 190 PR Visa. As far as the settling in goes, I'd be lying if I said I don't miss home. It's the familiarity and sense of knowing that I miss. South African's are straight forward and to the point, we may come in all shapes, sizes and colours but you don't have to explain things to each other, you just get it! Mara was a god send when we arrived, and is always willing to help out and open up her home. Thank-you @Mara. I realize that it's going to take time to fully settle into a very different way of life, having said that, as a family we welcome the adventure. It makes an incredible difference when your kids can comfortably walk in the rain with their splash jackets and board a bus or train and shrug and say 'don't stress mum, it's only water, The sun will come out soon enough'. The teachers at the school have been incredibly welcoming. One of my eldest son's teachers picked up in the third week that he was not mixing with the kids as much as he should, and that he was using his ear phones as a defense machanisim. It helped that she was ex-SA so she immediately recognized the signs of grief. We spoke about it as a family, and with the help of the teachers my son soon realized that he was not swapping his friends out and being disloyal, he was in fact gaining additional friends who just spoke with different accents. Watsapp calls to their friends really help, and it has progressively become less. I'm sure that your son will fit in given time, and if you ever need to talk please just shout. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FromDurbs Posted December 9, 2016 Report Share Posted December 9, 2016 Not East, but rather central. We are currently looking for schools and received a lovely tour of Mount Alexander College. The principal was amazing. My husband works with children and he was so impressed with the principal and his philosophy. The school is close to a very poor area and has many immigrant families who struggle with English in the school. We are still slightly tempted to consider the school. It would definitely suit a child who needs some extra opportunities. Does anyone know anything about this school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted December 9, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2016 Thank you @Smailo Really appreciate your sharing. Just looked at houses in the area close to the school it looks lovely. Opened up my eyes to the possibility of the North Eastern suburbs. We're not particularly set on one area. In fact, aim is to find a school and then settle close by. Thank you also for the offer of more advice. May very well PM you . Will also be on a 190. @FromDurbs Thanks for the comment. Will also look at this. My view is that there is possibly more life learning that happens in a diverse school environment than if you were sitting surrounded by people who look exactly the same and have the same socio-economic conditions as you do. The world is diverse. Our kids would do well to have high cultural intelligence and tolerance. Open to all areas, not just the East. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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