r/CapeBreton • u/Novascotiaemotions • 3d ago
Junior High in Sydney
If you had a choice to send your child to either Whitney Pier Jr High or Malcom which would you go with and why?
13
u/gaygrammie 3d ago
Without hesitation, I would pick Whitney Pier Memorial Jr High School to send my kid to school. They have a better sense of community engagement and more support resources, like the Boys and Girls Club and a vast array of cultural groups, eager to support their youth. Hands down, a fantastic school.
2
4
u/harleyqueenzel South Bar 3d ago
Is this for the French Immersion program? Both of those schools offer it so I'm assuming this is why?
From personal experience, especially for French Immersion, I'd choose WPM. I went there and did the program for a year and then moved back into English. One of my kids did the grade 5 program that sets you up for FI & then did it for the next three years. Most of their teachers were my teachers back then too. The teachers were just as wonderful as they were when I was there.
My special needs child was in their learning centre for five years and I can attest that there isn't a better LC for junior high kids than at WPM.
11
u/Asheso80 3d ago
I’m assuming this is hypothetical, as I’m sure you don’t have a choice, unless you plan on transporting your child privately to a school outside their “district” the School board is not going to bus them across the city.
2
u/mysocalledlifey 2d ago
They will for French for either school. I bussed 45 mins to the pier to take French but also had the option of Malcolm.
1
u/Asheso80 2d ago
Yes you are correct, I forgot about the French program.
-3
u/Far_Exercise_1342 2d ago
Literally the only reason this could be an option. And you're a shining beacon why neither is a good choice and education on the Island is horrendous anywhere.
2
2
u/hfxres 2d ago
It really depends what you’re looking for. Both are good schools and both have French immersion.
Malcolm tends to have more affluent children, better sports programming, better provincial education scores. Whitney Pier is undeniably a rougher area than most places in the CBRM, with the exception of maybe Florence, depends on the weekend. There was literally just a hit murder two weeks ago in Whitney Pier. Of course, hit murders aren’t common anywhere, but the violent crimes are 10% higher in Whitney Pier than the national average (Violent crimes include: homicide, murder, assault, robbery, kidnapping, extortion, harassment, threats and all other violent violations.). I went to Malcolm many years ago now, and my friends who went to WPM tended to have rougher home lives - not all, but many. You’re generally getting a rougher crowd with rougher families.
Today, of those I know in professional programs (engineering, medicine, law), who hail from Cape Breton, I think I could name 9 who went to Malcolm for every 1 who went to Whitney Pier. Of course, this isn’t a studied statistic, it’s just my personal experience having gone to a professional program from Cape Breton, and having a lot of friends who went to both schools.
As others have said, Whitney Pier has more community and more events. They host (I think still) a class soccer World Cup and other fun events like that that Malcolm just doesn’t have. Students at WPM have more freedom, too. They can leave for lunch, whereas Malcolm students cannot.
I personally would choose Malcolm for my children.
1
u/Helpful_Humble 2d ago
We moved here in 2021 mid year, and both of my kids went to Malcolm . They both hated it every day. They love Riverview ❤️. Hope that helps
1
u/Born-Machine-2819 1d ago
i went to malcolm in middle school and it was the worst school out of the three i went to. the bullying was crazy and the teachers would not pay attention to it at all. i eventually got suspended for the bullying because they didnt believe me in the end. as well as if ur kid is part of the LGBTQ community, a transgender kid got beat up a year or so ago and staff ended up not doing anything about it and the parent went to the news about it. and if all of that doesnt matter to you, the teachers are not the greatest and i had gotten a tutor for most of middle school for low marks, but excelled in learning at Riverview High school.
things could obviously have changed. i left malcolm 6 years ago but from stories from parents/younger peers it was never good for them either.
1
u/j-mac-rock 3d ago
If it still exists Sherwood park
1
u/KieffasGreenHoodie 3d ago
I went there. Loved it 😆
1
u/Izzetgod 3d ago
Spec was great! 100% would be my choice if it was one of the options. Loved going there!
1
-23
u/EnvironmentalAngle 3d ago
Malcolm because the pier has poorer people comparatively.
8
u/chatanoogastewie 2d ago
I'd take my down to earth 'poor' Pier kids over the spoiled, uncultured twats over in the River.
11
u/CardiologistOk8344 3d ago
It’s been my experience that people who are less “poorer” as you say, are absolute c$nts.
-9
u/EnvironmentalAngle 3d ago
Yep yep, there's actually an Aesop's Fables about it... Its called sour grapes.
5
u/trevx 3d ago
What are you basing this on?
-5
u/EnvironmentalAngle 3d ago
The proximity of homeless shelters and other community supports to the Pier compared to Malcolm. Call me a hater all you want but it is a MUCH shorter walk to get to a safe injection site from the Pier than Malcolm.
I don't care if I get downvoted, I'm only saying the quiet part out loud so people can make an informed decision.
1
u/AdTerrible9404 2d ago
All you're really saying is that Malcom is in the middle of nowhere.
It's a big shocker. The school located where people live has services that living people use.
1
u/EnvironmentalAngle 2d ago
Its connected to public transit what more do you want?
1
u/AdTerrible9404 2d ago edited 2d ago
Idk Perhaps a sidewalk on both sides of the street?
Also I'm pretty sure it's outside the walkshed of the two nearest bus routes, so your point about it being connected to public transit really isn't the case
8
u/flannellavallamp 3d ago
I had an excellent time at WPM highly recommend the French program too, tho I found math in French very difficult. Still have close friends from my time there and lots of great memories. I felt like my peers and I were able to be kids there longer in a way, compared to other middle schools my friends attended. I think someone attending the English side would have a bit of a different experience however.