School Days in Canada: What to Expect (and What No One Tells You!) (Part 2)

What to bring?

Since children have two short recesses and one lunch break, make sure to pack a lunchbox with everything they’ll need for the day: 👉 Snacks, lunch, a drink, and a water bottle.

📌One more thing to remember — and it’s a big one: allergies and dietary restrictions are taken very seriously in Canadian schools. Most schools follow a strict nut-free policy🚫, so don’t pack anything with peanuts or peanut-based products. Depending on the needs of other students, some schools may also ban additional foods — and they’ll let you know at the beginning of the school year.

During recess, kids usually head outside to the playground — even in winter! Yep, you read that right.  Kids go outside every day, and schools only keep them inside if the weather gets really bad: think heavy rain🌩, extreme heat🌡, or bitter cold❄.

Something that still amazes me? How safe the schools are. Most playgrounds are open spaces — no bars, no fences or at the most, a low fence. In some urban areas like downtown Toronto, you’ll find more enclosed schoolyards, but in many neighborhoods, they’re wide open. And yes — it’s totally possible to get a message saying, “No outdoor play today due to a bear or coyote sighting.” I’m not kidding — it happened!😄

Now, back to what your child will carry in their backpack — besides lunch and snacks, they’ll also bring home something called the Agenda.

The Agenda is a small planner that many schools use for daily communication between teachers and parents. Teachers often write notes in it — reminders, homework, behavior updates, or upcoming events — and you can use it to write back. It’s a simple but effective way to stay in the loop with what’s going on in the classroom!

But my child doesn’t know much English (or French)… how will they learn?

Don’t worry — the younger they are, the faster they pick up a new language! Thankfully, Canadian schools offer targeted programs like English as a Second Language (ESL) and French as a Second Language (FSL or PFLS) to support students exactly in this situation. These programs provide extra instruction and help until your child becomes confident in the language.

When we arrived in Canada, my kids spoke what I lovingly call “survival English” — phrases like “Where is my mom?”, “My name is ___”, colors, numbers, and a handful of basic words. Yes… I know, I probably should’ve prepared them more before the move. But honestly? They picked it up so fast that it wasn’t even necessary in the end!

My son was 7, already reading and writing in Spanish, and my daughter was 4 — she spoke Spanish fluently but wasn’t reading yet. And guess what? After just three months in school, both of them could communicate perfectly in English!

The same goes for French. Kids can learn both languages — either at the same time or one at a time — depending on the school and your preferences. And they do it with surprising ease!

One thing I always made sure of, though, was that they didn’t forget their native language. At home, we speak only Spanish. Thanks to that, both of my kids now speak, read, and write fluently in Spanish, too.

How does communication between parents and school work?

As I mentioned before, in elementary school, most communication between families and teachers happens through the agenda. It’s a simple but effective tool for staying up to date on homework, reminders, and daily notes.

In JK and SK, children usually have one main teacher and an assistant in the classroom. From Grade 1 to Grade 6, students have a homeroom teacher, plus specialized teachers for subjects like English or French and physical education. Or, some schools might have a morning teacher and an afternoon teacher.

By Grades 7 and 8, schools start preparing students for high school life. At this stage, students begin moving between classrooms and switching teachers several times a day, just like they will in secondary school.

Once a year, the school hosts a Curriculum Night — a great opportunity for parents to meet the teachers and learn about the academic plan for each grade, based on the provincial Ministry of Education’s curriculum. Later in the term, you’ll also be invited to a Parent-Teacher Interview. This is your chance to speak directly with the teacher, share any concerns, and discuss your child’s specific needs in more detail.

In high school, most communication happens by email. Teachers often reach out this way, especially to address behavior issues or share important updates.

When it comes to absences, you must always inform the school. Some School Boards use apps for communication and attendance notifications. If your child’s school doesn’t have one, be sure to call the school directly every time your child will be absent — no exceptions.

📌Why is this important? If your child is absent without an explanation and the school can’t reach you or the emergency contacts you provided, they may contact local police to ensure your child’s safety.

If you’d like to learn more about how the education system works in Canada, I invite you to keep reading my blog. And make sure you didn’t miss Part 1 of this post and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss any of my new posts!.

Good luck and may God bless you!💗

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📸Photo by Freepik – pressfoto