Part 1 of this series was about how our little family ended up living in North Toronto. Basically, it was pure luck. But we didn’t have any idea how lucky we really were until Cole and Alannah were born. And Part 2 talked about the play dates, playgrounds and activities they enjoyed around the neighbourhood when they were little.

Time certainly passed quickly and in the blink of an eye, it was time for them to start school. Our first decision was whether to keep them in the same class or separate them. People told us it’s better to separate twins because they can often be very competitive with each other or very dependent on each other, neither of which is ideal for their development as individuals. Cole and Alannah were pretty much best friends and were very independent so we figured “Why separate them? Let them start their school lives in the same class as their best friend.”

There were several Pre-Schools in the immediate neighbourhood from which to choose, all of which had good reputations. For one reason or another, we settled on the Fairlawn Pre-School which was conveniently located in the Fairlawn Community Centre just a few blocks from our home. Although we were warned about separation anxiety when kids start school, I still wasn’t prepared. On their first day of school, Cole and Alannah said a quick goodbye and walked right into class without a second thought. I wish I could say I was as relaxed about it as they were. I liked knowing that they would be home whenever I had the opportunity to stop by during work and wasn’t ready for them to grow up. On the whole, Pre-School was a lot of fun. They went a few mornings a week, met some new little friends, played games, learned a few things and then had lots of free time to do as they pleased.

Once they graduated Pre-School, it was time for another decision: public or private school? There’s no right answer to this question. It really comes down to a personal choice. Katherine and I both went to private schools and there are loads of great private schools in central Toronto from which to choose (Havergal, Branksome, Bishop Strachan, UCC, Crescent, Sterling Hall, Toronto French, Greenwood and more). But we lived a few blocks away from John Wanless Public School, it had an excellent reputation and we wanted Cole and Alannah to make neighbourhood friends and feel part of the great community in which we lived so off they went to John Wanless.

The principal tried to convince us that they would be better off in separate classes, but no one knows your kids as well as you do and we opted to keep them in the same class for Kindergarten. When it came time for Grade 1, we asked them what they wanted to do and they both chose to separate. It wasn’t a messy divorce, just a matter of fact decision.

John Wanless was absolutely fantastic! There was a good mix of teachers – young and not so young, strict and relaxed, male and female, enthusiastic and not so enthusiastic……. Some teachers they really loved and other teachers they didn’t love quite as much, but it was good for them to be exposed to different styles of teaching. One thing I’ve learned from talking to so many parents in the course of my work is that one child’s experience with a certain teacher can be radically different from that of another child. Just because Sally loved Mrs. Smith doesn’t mean Jenny’s going to love her, too.

John Wanless offered much more than just academics. There was the Fall Fun Fair, the Hallowe’en parade, BBQs, all sorts of sports from track to basketball to volleyball to badminton and everything in between, playing in the schoolyard with their friends after school and on weekends, a great community feeling amongst the parents and, my personal favourite, the choir. I just loved the holiday season choir recital and never got tired of listening to those little angelic voices.

One thing we quickly learned about Cole and Alannah once they got to John Wanless was that they were not like Katherine and I when it came to academics. We were goody goodies who always got A’s and never got into trouble. Alannah and Cole not so much. We heard the same thing at every parent-teacher interview for both kids: “He’s doing well and a very good kid. If he’d do just a little more work he’d get excellent marks.” When we talked to Alannah at the beginning of Grade 3 about working harder in school she replied “No one is ever going to look at my Grade 3 marks.” And that essentially summed up their attitude. We tried encouraging them, reasoning with them and punishing them, but they basically said to us “Nothing you can do is going to make us work harder. We’ll get good marks when it matters.”

True to their word and luckily for them, they did work harder when it mattered (in grade 12) and everything turned out okay, but I’ll be the first to admit that their work ethic was a source of stress. Especially because they were about to enter their teenage years and Middle School, which is where this story will continue.

In the meantime, if you know of anyone who’s looking for an honest realtor who really knows his stuff and who doesn’t pressure his clients, Please Don’t Keep Me a Secret. I really appreciate your referrals. Thanks for reading and don’t be shy if you have any questions or comments!