Frequently Asked Questions

Our students come to Eastgate from a range of different schools, including Montessori, Francophone, French Immersion and Anglophone. Our program is designed to be tailored to each student’s particular strengths and needs. We do this by using an approach called Universal Design for Learning. We design the curriculum to be flexible and responsive to students’ prior knowledge, interests, abilities and needs. Because our classes are small, we can also help students develop the ability to make strategic choices about what and how they learn.

While it is a challenge to design the curriculum to meet the needs of students at different stages in their learning, it is important to remember that students in single-age groups are also at different stages in their learning. Each child brings a unique set of prior experiences, strengths, challenges and interests to the classroom, and each of those factors influences their progress as much (if not more) than their age. Moreover, learning itself is multi-dimensional and no single child will be typical, or average, in every dimension. At Eastgate Academy, we address this challenge by using an approach called Universal Design for Learning. We design the curriculum to be flexible and responsive to students’ prior knowledge, interests, abilities and needs. Because our classes are small, we can also help students develop the ability to make strategic choices about what and how they learn.

Wellbeing is a core value at Eastgate Academy, and we believe that maintaining a balance between work and play, school and co-curricular activities is essential. While some IB programs – particularly in grades 11 and 12 – can be very demanding, our program is designed to ensure that students can thrive in their studies while still having plenty of time to pursue their interests outside of school. For example, we currently have students who are balancing their school work with 12+ hours of athletics every week. There are a few ways that we support students in achieving balance:

• We explicitly teach learning skills. By helping students to become effective learners, they are able to use their time more efficiently.
• We do not assign homework for the sake of homework. All the work that we assign is directly related to the learning objectives and can generally be completed during the school day. Tasks that are assigned as homework are usually tasks that benefit from being done outside of the school – like interviewing relatives for a family history project.

As students progress into Middle and High school, they may find they need more time to complete tasks that they started during the school day; however, students are always encouraged to advocate for themselves. For example, if they are finding that a significant amount of time is required outside of school, they can work with their teachers to adjust the timelines or expectations.

Although each grade level is small, we combine those groups in a variety of ways to make sure that students are able to make a range of social and academic connections.

We don’t have a bus service yet, but are looking into it as a possibility when the school is a bit bigger. Our current families come from all over the greater Moncton area, including the North End and Dieppe. Because the school open from 7:30 to 5:30, families have the flexibility to drop-off and pick-up at a convenient time. Prior to the start of the new school year, we will help families connect with other families in their neighborhood who are interested in setting up a carpool arrangement.

The tuition and bond are a significant investment for families. There are a few different options for managing the cost:

• The tuition can be paid in monthly installments and no extra charge
• The school is open for students from 7:30 to 5:30, so families save on before- and after-school care expenses
• Co-curricular activities and extended play-based learning offered before and after school are included in the tuition, so $5000 of the tuition is eligible as a child care expense and can be claimed on families’ tax returns
• There is a sibling discount for families who enroll more than one child: there is a 5% discount on the tuition for the second child and a 10% discount for the third any subsequent children who enroll
• Because the bond is refunded to families when they no longer have a child enrolled at the school, some families elect to use an interest-only line of credit to finance the bond. Depending on the interest rate, this costs about $25 to $50 per month

More information is available on our here.

The programs of the International Baccalaureate (IB) share several philosophical similarities with the Montessori approach, especially in the primary grades. Both approaches are student-centred, meaning that students are the primary agents in their learning with teachers serving more as guides or coaches. In both types of schools, teachers work to create a rich, stimulating environment that piques and cultivates students’ curiosity. Students are supported in constructing understanding and skills that can be transferred to new situations.

The main reason that Eastgate Academy has chosen to offer the IB programs is that students will graduate with an internationally-recognized diploma. The IB Diploma is highly regarded by universities in Canada and internationally, giving IB graduates a range of options for their post-secondary studies. Likewise, all IB World schools go through a process authorization and on-going evaluation, ensuring that they meet the standards and practices of the organization. While some Montessori schools are accredited, Montessori schools are not required to have official accreditation.

Yes, the school day for all students runs from 8:30 to 3:30. Our schedule is designed to ensure that there is an appropriate balance to solo and collaborative work, quite and energetic activities, indoor and outdoor play, structured and unstructured learning. The flow of the day helps children sustain their energy and focus for a full school day.