660 Brownsey Avenue, Duncan, British Columbia, V9L 1C2, Canada
12 Bond Crescent, Richmond Hill, Ontario, L4E 3K2, Canada
660 Brownsey Avenue, Duncan, British Columbia, V9L 1C2, Canada
12 Bond Crescent, Richmond Hill, Ontario, L4E 3K2, Canada
1921
1993
553
300
Preschool to 12
1 to 8
Coed
Coed
Boarding, Homestay, Day
Day
English
English
Academic
Academic
Progressive
Traditional
16 to 22
Varies
Dedicated gifted school
$17,500 to $25,680
$18,500
$62,880 to $79,230
Yes
No
25%
0%
SK to 12
None
$3,000
$0
35
38
16%
0%
80%
75%
Preschool, JK, SK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
SK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Rolling
Rolling
Rolling
Not available
Yes: grades Preschool - 12
Yes: grades 1 - 8
No
No
information not available
information not available
Vancouver Island has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to beautiful, excellent schools, and certainly Queen Margaret’s is one of them. It was founded in 1921 by Norah Creina Denny and Dorothy Rachel Geoghegan, who dedicated themselves to providing what was, for the time, something unique: a robust educational experience for all, including women “capable of realizing ourselves as complete individuals.” Certainly, that’s what they did, and it’s a tradition that the school maintains today. The riding program is distinguishing, as is the strength of the academic programs. A strategic plan begun in 2014, to complete at the school’s centenary, will reaffirm the commitment of the founders to excellence as well as their commitment to adapting to the changing needs of students.
View full reportThe PACE program was developed with gifted students in mind, based in an understanding of what they share—overall ability—as well as what they don't, such as specific talents, interests, and curiosities. The term of art is differentiated programming, though it's a term that can easily lend itself to misunderstanding. It doesn't mean that different students proceed through the curricula at different rates or are each given separate tasks based on their individual abilities. Rather, within a differentiated program all students proceed at the same pace through the material, while instructors provide multiple entry points that address the needs of individual students within the class. The ideal student is one who has been identified as gifted, and who requires challenge in order to succeed in academic work.
View full report
" ... outstanding on all levels ... "
Mary Furneaux - Parent (Feb 05, 2018)
At Queen Margret's my child has grown to appreciate the diversity of the students. Being a preschool...
View full review
"he administration and teaching staff truly want all students to succeed to their highest potential."
Melanie Maresch - Parent (Mar 09, 2023)
Both of our kids love the culture and environment at PACE. They have many close friendships that hav...
View full review
"It offers a challenging, yet well-balanced curriculum in every grade."
Yuliya M - Parent (Mar 13, 2023)
Our daughter's experience at the Academy for Gifted Children - P.A.C.E. has been rewarding. She has ...
View full review
"The quality of teaching at PACE has always surpassed our expectations."
Raminder Juneja - Parent (Mar 22, 2023)
Both of our children have had wonderful experiences at PACE. The collaborative, supportive learning ...
View full review
"Located in the scenic Cowichan Valley, Queen Margaret’s School is an all-gender school with over 100 years of providing an exceptional education that builds confidence, character and compassion. Students develop and grow through a vibrant curriculum that focuses on experiential learning, innovative thinking and environmental stewardship. We proudly offer Canada's only on-campus Equestrian Program. Be curious. Be kind. Be brave. Be you."
"P.A.C.E. provides a differentiated curriculum built on greater depth and breadth of instruction. Our primary goal is to identify and enhance the abilities of our students, while simultaneously addressing their social and emotional needs. P.A.C.E. is based on the premise that gifted children require high-powered learning experiences to challenge their minds and ensure intellectual growth and achievement. A fully balanced program, including Arts and Athletics, complements this specialized academic program."
"Our unique educational model guides students to academic and personal excellence while developing the confidence to express their ideas and engage actively in their learning. We use our 30-acre campus and our local communities to serve as living classrooms where "learning by doing" encourages students to apply their knowledge to complex, real-world challenges."
Information not available
Information not available
Information not available
Information not available
Information not available
Information not available
Information not available
Information not available
Information not available
"Along with our strong academic and well-rounded programming, families choose QMS because of our welcoming community. From the moment families step onto campus, meet staff/teachers, interact with current students and speak with our families, the feeling of warmth and caring permeates all aspects of campus life."
Information not available
Information not available
Information not available
Information not available
Information not available
Information not available
Information not available
Information not available
Information not available
Information not available
Information not available
‘Fit’ is everything when choosing a school for your children or when selecting a place into which you want to pour your skills, character and energies. Here at QMS, we pride ourselves on a strong sense of community where everyone is an individual and meaningful relationships are the order of the day. Most people crave a sense of belonging and value connection so a school that works very hard to develop a meaningful culture can indeed be a place where strong attachments are formed.
I encourage you to explore our programmes and approaches to learning both inside and outside of the classroom. If you take that step and visit us here on campus, you will feel the sense of community for yourself. As we approach our 100th birthday, we are proud of our Founders’ vision, yet, we are excited about the future with all of the opportunities that it presents.
QMS is vibrant and ready to keep developing these “young trailblazers” who will take the lessons learned here out into the world to great effect. That’s the joy and it all just seems to be a good ‘fit’ for so many people.
My journey at P.A.C.E. began in 1999 and in 2019 I was delighted to assume the role of Director/Principal. The most rewarding part of my job is interacting with the students. They are fun loving, witty and demonstrate an intellectual curiosity that is any educator's dream. The energy level in the building is very high, the questioning by the students is incessant, and there are a lot of laughs. The skills for succeeding at P.A.C.E., whether in the role of teacher or student, are the same: a love of learning, high motivation, an excellent work ethic and a sense of humour. I am so fortunate to be surrounded by excellent teachers and a strong administrative staff: Liana, the Assistant to the Director; our Vice Principals, Caroline Corbit and Joanne Abela; and our Administrative Assistant, Irina. Every September we look forward to yet another passionate and exciting year for all.
Traditional
Information not available
Progressive (sometimes called "in- quiry-based") curricula attempt to place children's interests and ideas at the heart of the learning experience. Instead of lessons being driven by predetermined pathways, progressive curricula are often "emergent", with learning activities shaped by students' questions about the world. Instead of starting with academic concepts and then tying it to everyday experience, progressive methods begin with everyday experience and work back to an academic lesson. Teachers provide materials, experiences, tools and resources to help students investigate a topic or issue. Students are encouraged to explore, reflect on their findings, and discuss answers or solutions.
Traditional curricula tend to be very content-based and rooted in the core disciplines. It is a structured approach that involves the teacher delivering a unified curriculum through direct instruction. Students usually learn by observing and listening to their teacher, studying facts and concepts in textbooks, and completing both tests and written assignments - which challenge students to not only demonstrate their mastery of content but their ability to analyze and deconstruct it critically. Class discussions are also used to create critical dialogue around the content of the curriculum.
Not applicable
Students flourish in small classes where everyone has the opportunity to share ideas. QMS is the ideal size to reflect Canada’s many cultures while remaining an intimate community. We are large enough to offer an extensive educational program, yet small enough to ensure that each student is known and respected as an individual. As a university-preparatory school, academic rigor and personal excellence are our aims. Innovative and unique programs are offered to all students and support is provided to those students who need extra time to help build their confidence, self-esteem, knowledge and skills. We have developed a school culture where students can feel proud of their successes.
P.A.C.E. is a magnet school for students who have been identified as intellectually gifted by means of a psycho-educational assessment. The curriculum is differentiated through various methodologies and strategies i.e. compacting, identifying learning styles, creative problem solving, acceleration, inquiry-based learning, addressing the critical thinking skills, sophisticated field studies, greater depth and breadth of instruction, etc. in order to meet the special needs and characteristics of gifted kids. Our courses reflect high powered learning experiences for our gifted learners, including pre-AP courses offered in grade 8. To address the needs of the whole child, wonderful Fine Arts, Athletic, and Co-Instructional Programs complement our strong academic program. There is something truly special about being surrounded by people passionate about everything they do.
Equal Balance
These math programs feature an equal balance of “Traditional” and “Discovery” methods.
These math programs feature an equal balance of “Traditional” and “Discovery” methods.
P.A.C.E. is a blend of old and new, allowing for the mastery of basic skills while creating exciting new initiatives in how to learn mathematics. It's not all about numerical operations but the understanding of mathematical concepts and the application of mathematics to real world experiences.
A number of different textbooks are used at the high school level. But, most importantly, we create Resources Booklets for our students which allows us to draw from many different sources.
To foster the development of mental math students in grades 1-6 do not use calculators. Starting in grade 7 calculators are used for basic computational skills. Graphing calculators are taught and used in grades 8- 12, but only scientific calculators (without graphing capabilities) are used for evaluations.
Phonics-intensive
Balanced reading programs are typically Whole Language programs with supplementary phonics training. This training might be incidental, or it might take the form of mini-lessons.
Systematic-phonics programs teach young children to read by helping them to recognize and sound out the letters and syllables of words. Students are then led to blend these sounds together to sound out and recognize the whole word. While other reading programs might touch on phonetics (either incidentally or on a “when needed” basis), systematic phonics teaches phonics in a specific sequence, and uses extensive repetition and direct instruction to help readers associate specific letter patterns with their associated sounds.
Information not available
Children entering in to grade 1 are reading at various levels; from one or two sentences with pictures, to chapter books. Therefore, often there are 2 or 3 reading groups each with different reading assignments. Typically, by January, all of the children have reached a comparable level in their reading fluency but not necessarily in their reading comprehension. By the end of grade one all of the children are reading the same novels.
Equal balance
Programs that balance systematic and process approaches equally likely have an emphasis on giving young students ample opportunities to write, while providing supplementary class-wide instruction in grammar, parts of sentences, and various writing strategies.
Programs that balance systematic and process approaches equally likely have an emphasis on giving young students ample opportunities to write, while providing supplementary class-wide instruction in grammar, parts of sentences, and various writing strategies.
Our children love to write, and we begin to introduce analytical writing as well as creative writing in grade one; the sophistication of which increases as writing assignments are introduced into writing categories: poetry, short stories, essays, and dialogues/monologues.
Equal Balance
Science programs that balance expository and inquiry learning equally will likely have an equal blend of tests and experiments; direct, textbook-based instruction and student-centred projects.
Science programs that balance expository and inquiry learning equally will likely have an equal blend of tests and experiments; direct, textbook-based instruction and student-centred projects.
A variety of methodologies work best with our students. It is very important for our students to be exposed to the expert, to work effectively with their peers, and to creatively design their own scientific experiments.
Evolution as consensus theory
Evolution as one of many equally viable theories
Evolution is not taught
Evolution as consensus theory
Evolution as one of many equally viable theories
Evolution is not taught
Equal Balance
These literature programs draw in equal measure from “Traditional” and “Social Justice” programs.
These literature programs draw in equal measure from “Traditional” and “Social Justice” programs.
Information not available
Literature comes alive through multiple interpretations and rich performance tasks that include choral speaking, debates, trials, videos, music and drama.
Ancient lit
English lit
World (non-Western) lit
European (continental) lit
American lit
Canadian lit
Ancient lit
English lit
World (non-Western) lit
European (continental) lit
American lit
Canadian lit
The Expanding Communities approach organizes the curriculum around students’ present, everyday experience. In the younger grades, students might learn about themselves, for example. As they move through the grades, the focus gradually broadens in scope: to the family, neighbourhood, city, province, country, and globe. The curriculum tends to have less focus on history than Core Knowledge programs.
The Thematic approach organizes the curriculum around certain themes or cultural universals. Students might spend time focused on food. Then they might focus on transportation or government, and so on.
Information not available
Through our broad-based issues and themes, students learn in a very holistic manner as opposed to learning content and facts in isolation. The exploration of the dynamic activities enhance the critical thinking skills and students learn how to apply, analyze and evaluate information. It is through these theme based assignments that our younger students learn to hone their research skills - both through written report and oral presentation.
Equal Balance
These programs represent an equal balance between the perennialist and pragmatic approach to teaching the humanities and social sciences.
These programs represent an equal balance between the perennialist and pragmatic approach to teaching the humanities and social sciences.
Information not available
Through our life skills course, civics, history, law, philosophy and classical civilization students develop their critical thinking skills through discussion, debate and analytical essay writing. Students enjoy discussing BIG IDEAS while respecting the opinions of their peers in a safe and open learning environment. Application to real life experiences remains an important aspect of any social science or humanities course.
Equal Balance
The communicative method of language acquisition emphasizes the use of the target language in authentic contexts. The approach commonly features interactive group work, games, authentic texts, and opportunities to learn about the cultural background of the language. Drills and quizzes may still be used, but less frequently than with the audio-lingual method.
These programs feature an equal blend of the audio-lingual and communicative styles of language instruction.
Information not available
The acquisition of French as a second language includes the concrete sequential mode of learning as well as interactive group work. Our French Language program addresses the four components: Listening Comprehension, Reading Comprehension, Written and Oral Expression. Students study French cultural and language heritage as well as the constructs of formal grammar.
Hebrew
ESL
Spanish
Russian
Latin
Japanese
Italian
Greek
German
French
Chinese-Mandarin
Chinese-Cantonese
Hebrew
ESL
Spanish
Russian
Latin
Japanese
Italian
Greek
German
French
Chinese-Mandarin
Chinese-Cantonese
Information not available
Equal Balance
These programs have an equal emphasis on receptive and creative learning.
These programs have an equal emphasis on receptive and creative learning.
Students engage in making art come alive using a collaborative approach to learning. Taking risks, emoting and developing the aesthetic sensibilities create the ultimate performance in both drama and music.
Acting
Dance
Drama/Theatre
Graphic Design
Music
Visual Arts
Acting
Dance
Drama/Theatre
Graphic Design
Music
Visual Arts
Medium integration
Effort is made to integrate the development of digital literacy through the curriculum. However, this is not a dominant focus.
Effort is made to integrate the development of digital literacy through the curriculum. However, this is not a dominant focus.
Information not available
All students use personally owned devices to enhance learning experiences and opportunities in various disciplines throughout the regular school day. Robotics plays a very large role in our technology program and the instruction of coding begins in grade four.
Web design
Robotics
Computer science
Queen Margaret’s School offers exemplary curricular and co-curricular athletic and club programs that provide students with the opportunity for physical as well as academic development. The athletic program in the Junior School includes every student. There are many opportunities for involvement in sports. Building a strong athletic program, developing physically fit and motivated students and building team pride is a process that takes many years. Specific skill development must be sequential and must begin early. Therefore, we expect Intermediate students to participate on a team or in a sport at least twice each year. We also offer structured and unstructured opportunities for our primary students to get involved in athletics and team sports. In Senior School, physical education classes for all students combined with an integrated Outdoor Education program develop physical fitness and skills while enhancing sportsmanship and strengthening student self-esteem.
The development of a healthy mind and body is critical to success.
Play-based programs are the most common type of preschool and Kindergarten, and are founded on the belief young children learn best through play. Largely open-ended and minimally structured, play-based programs aim to develop social skills and a love of attending school. “Pre-academic” skills are taught, but in a more indirect way than at, say, an Academic program: through children playing in different “stations” set up around the classroom, which children choose on their own volition. Stations often contain an indirect lesson or developmental goal. Play-based classrooms are highly social and active.
Academic-based preschools and Kindergartens are the most structured of the different types, and have a strong emphasis on math and reading readiness skills. These programs aim to expose children to what early-elementary school is like. While time is still allotted to free play, much of the day is built around explicit lessons guided by the teacher. Classrooms often resemble play-based ones (with different stations set up around the room), but at an Academic program the teacher leads students through the stations directly, and ties these activities to a whole-class lesson or theme.
Queen Margaret’s Early Childhood Education programs are designed for three and four year-old children. We offer nurturing and play-based programs enriched with a wide variety of age appropriate activities that promote social, physical, intellectual, creative, and emotional development.
Information not available
Accelerated
Broadly-speaking, the main curriculum -- like that of most schools -- paces the provincially-outlined one. This pace is steady and set by the teachers and school. The curriculum might still be enriched in various ways: covering topics more in-depth and with more vigor than the provincial one, or covering a broader selection of topics.
The main curriculum accelerates beyond the pace of the provincial one; ALL students do the work of OLDER public-school peers in tangible and measurable ways. This accelerated pace is maintained by the teachers and school, (through textbook selection, topic selection, grading, assignment standards and expectations, etc).
Differentiated instruction based on student learning needs.
Information not available
A school with a “rigorous” academic culture places a high value on academic performance, and expects their students to do the same. This does not mean the school is uncaring, unsupportive, or non-responsive -- far from it. A school can have a rigorous academic culture and still provide excellent individual support. It does mean, however, the school places a particular emphasis on performance -- seeking the best students and challenging them to the fullest extent -- relative to a normal baseline. High expectations and standards – and a challenging yet rewarding curriculum – are the common themes here. Keep in mind this classification is more relevant for the older grades: few Kindergarten classrooms, for example, would be called “rigorous”.
A school with a “rigorous” academic culture places a high value on academic performance, and expects their students to do the same. This does not mean the school is uncaring, unsupportive, or non-responsive -- far from it. A school can have a rigorous academic culture and still provide excellent individual support. It does mean, however, the school places a particular emphasis on performance -- seeking the best students and challenging them to the fullest extent -- relative to a normal baseline. High expectations and standards – and a challenging yet rewarding curriculum – are the common themes here. Keep in mind this classification is more relevant for the older grades: few Kindergarten classrooms, for example, would be called “rigorous”.
"We honour and distinguish our brightest students, using them as examples for other students to follow."
"We honour and distinguish our brightest students, using them as examples for other students to follow."
Balanced
Equal emphasis is placed on a balance of priorities: intellectual, emotional, social and physical cultivation.
Intellectual
The goal is to cultivate "academically strong, creative and critical thinkers, capable of exercising rationality, apprehending truth, and making aesthetic distinctions."
Intellectual
The goal is to cultivate "academically strong, creative and critical thinkers, capable of exercising rationality, apprehending truth, and making aesthetic distinctions."
Balanced
Equal emphasis is placed on a balance of priorities: intellectual, emotional, social and physical cultivation.
Addressing the needs of gifted children through a well balanced education that attends to the cognitive as well as social emotional needs of the children allows for us to groom good people who will be productive citizens in society.
CompetitiveComp. |
RecreationalRec. |
CompetitiveComp. |
RecreationalRec. |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
Badminton |
||||
Baseball |
||||
Basketball |
||||
Canoeing/Kayaking |
||||
Cricket |
||||
Cross-country skiing |
||||
Cycling |
||||
Downhill skiing |
||||
Equestrian |
||||
Fencing |
||||
Field Hockey |
||||
Figure Skating |
||||
Football |
||||
Golf |
||||
Gymnastics |
||||
Ice Hockey |
||||
Ice Skating |
||||
Lacrosse |
||||
Martial Arts |
||||
Mountain biking |
||||
Racquet Ball |
||||
Rowing |
||||
Rugby |
||||
Running |
||||
Sailing |
||||
Skateboarding |
||||
Snowboarding |
||||
Soccer |
||||
Softball |
||||
Squash |
||||
Swimming |
||||
Tennis |
||||
Track & Field |
||||
Volleyball |
||||
Weightlifting |
||||
Wrestling |
||||
Archery |
||||
Curling |
||||
Ultimate |
Ballet and Classical Ballet
Yoga
Yearbook
Student Council
Scouting
Science Club
School newspaper
Round Square
Robotics club
Radio club
Poetry/Literature club
Photography
Paintball
Outdoor Education
Outdoor Club
Online Magazine
Musical theatre/Opera
Math Club
Jazz Ensemble
Habitat for Humanity
Foreign Language Club
Environmental Club
Drama Club
Debate Club
Dance Club
Computer Club
Community Service
Choir
Chess Club
Band
Audiovisual Club
Astronomy Club
Art Club
Animation
Ballet and Classical Ballet
Yoga
Yearbook
Student Council
Scouting
Science Club
School newspaper
Round Square
Robotics club
Radio club
Poetry/Literature club
Photography
Paintball
Outdoor Education
Outdoor Club
Online Magazine
Musical theatre/Opera
Math Club
Jazz Ensemble
Habitat for Humanity
Foreign Language Club
Environmental Club
Drama Club
Debate Club
Dance Club
Computer Club
Community Service
Choir
Chess Club
Band
Audiovisual Club
Astronomy Club
Art Club
Animation
SK - 12
25%
0%
$3,000
$0
80%
75%
Preschool, JK, SK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
SK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Rolling
Rolling
Rolling
Not available
Yes: grades Preschool - 12
Yes: grades 1 - 8
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Our admissions process is very personalized. Members of our team look forward to meeting prospective families to determine if QMS is suited to them. We are looking for students who would benefit from our academic program, small enriched classes and specialist teachers. Student applications are assessed individually, taking into consideration past performance, teacher recommendations and students’ extra curricular interests.
The first critierion for P.A.C.E. is that the student is identified as intellectual gifted. We are looking for bright individuals who are passionate about learning and are productive citizens within the school.
Please visit our Admissions page at qms.bc.ca/admissions/ for our current admissions criteria and fees.
All students are required to have a psycho-educational assessment (WISC V). If the student scores in the 95th percentile or higher in verbal reasoning and visual perception, on paper, that child would qualify for P.A.C.E. The next step would be to have a meeting with the family and for the student to visit for the day. Feedback regarding the child's visit is provided.
