SSAT Exam Preparation at Pear Tree vs Cram Schools

SSAT exam preparation requires having realistic expectations of a child’s abilities. One question parents often ask is: “Are 4 x classes enough to get a good score on the SSAT?” This question comes with an evident assumption that exam preparation is designed to improve students’ academic performance. However, this is not a realistic expectation…

Paul Romani

5 x Ways To Choose The Right Summer Camps

With so many types of summer camps in Vancouver, it can be difficult choosing which ones for your child. Here’s a guide to summer camps to help make your life easier and more affordable! Vancouver offers a long list of types of summer camps from the more traditional North American camps to more modern specialist…

Paul Romani

The Effect of Over-Protective Parenting on Child Potential

The notions of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ parenting are controversial issues. What each of us considers ‘normal parenting’ is due in large part to our personal experiences; in other words, we learn particular parenting styles when we are children through the process of socialisation. Our approach to parenting is likely to be influenced by that used…

Paul Romani

Healthy Recipes for Kids: Pork Lo Mein

Healthy Recipes for Kids: Here’s the recipe for one of Pear Tree’s healthy hot lunches for kids Making healthy recipes for kids isn’t rocket science! Despite immature taste buds and limited exposure to a range of food ingredients, kids aren’t all that different from adults. We eat with our eyes first. We look for pleasing…

Paul Romani

Book Review: Our Canadian Love Story by Linnie von Rekowsky

Our Canadian Love Story. An Immigration Tale. Well, Sort Of. I first heard about Linnie von Rekowsky (now calling herself Linnie von Sky) and her picture books in a store. It wasn’t a book store, so I was intrigued. The store representative heard that I owned an educational business and thought that Rekowsky’s books would…

Paul Romani

Fed Up (2014) – Wrong About Childhood Obesity

(Childhood) Obesity = Problem with Education. Period. Watching people say and do things that are bad for them throughout a 1.5-hour video is really, really tough. That’s the experience of watching the 2014 documentary, ‘Fed Up’ about childhood obesity. The movie sets about to defend the victims of (childhood) obesity by saying it isn’t their…

Paul Romani

Public Speaking at Pear Tree Education

If your idea of public speaking is a traditional speaking contest or that public speaking abilities are determined by ones ability to talk in front of people… mmm, please please please… think again! ‘Public speaking’ is a very desirable educational skill, however it’s not natural for a child to practice public speaking in isolation or…

Paul Romani

B.C. Money Changes

If you’re not already aware, there are a couple of changes in money that affect all of us in British Columbia. Firstly, Canada is phasing out the penny. This means that total amounts will be rounded up or down to the nearest 5c/nickel. This affects cash transactions only. All electronic payments will be charged at…

Paul Romani

Delusions about education and how life works

Coming to terms with the unpleasant truth that life has changed is the first step to admitting that your child needs a different kind of education Every parent wants their child to receive a great education and go on to a happy and prosperous life. However, when it comes down to making decisions that will improve…

Paul Romani

Pear Tree at Vancouver Private School Expo

We would like to thank all those families that came to visit us at our booth at the Vancouver Private School Expo. It was Remembrance Day (a silly day for the organisers to book this event), so we weren’t sure what the turn out would be. However, we were talking to all kinds of families…

Paul Romani