Westmount Admission Procedures

Our mandate is to provide an excellent, publicly-funded program for Gifted Learners. Westmount Charter School defines Giftedness in this way: "Students are gifted when they perform, or show potential for performing, remarkably high levels of accomplishment in learning rate, depth of knowledge, and reasoning and problem-solving abilities when compared to others of their age, experience, and environment."

Since we honour the Multiple Intelligences and the extraordinary variety of ways in which students express their giftedness, we use a variety of tools in the qualification process prior to registration. All applicants provide a significant amount of written information: self/parent assessment, academic records, and professional references/recommendations. If there are psychological-educational assessments in place, those are requested. In addition, students from grades 1 to 8 will come to the school for a day of testing and observation; students from grades 9-12 will come to the school for a half day only. Students from grade 9 to 12 will also engage in an assessment interview in addition to the written information that they submit.

Our largest intake group is at the grade one level where there are four classes (68 spaces each year). Since our high school program is still young, there will typically be a number of openings in grades 10, 11 and 12; the openings at any of the other grades (2-9) usually ranges around 10 or fewer per grade level.

In addition, we offer a popular Kindergarten program, but please be advised: admission to Kindergarten, which does not include admission testing, does not guarantee acceptance into the grade 1-12 educational program. Siblings of currently-enrolled grade 1-11 Westmount students receive priority for Kindergarten spaces. Siblings applied prior to January 15, 2010, and remaining Kindergarten spaces were made available to community applicants in April, 2010. Our kindergarten is now over-subscribed.

Choosing a program for your gifted child

Click here for a "white paper" by our Principal, Martha Faulkner, entitled Choosing a School Program for Gifted Students.

Student Fees

Westmount Charter School is publicly funded and charges no tuition. Click here for our 2010-2011 schedule of annual Student Fees.

7 July 2010

How to Apply

For specific information regarding Student Application/Registration processes, including access to the application packages, please follow these links.

Kindergarten
Elementary (grades 1-5)
Mid-grades (grades 6-8)
High School (grades 9-12)

Please be aware that well over 1,000 attended our parent information nights in February-April, and several hundred applications (particularly in grades 1-9) were received by the deadlines.

All grades from Kindergarten to grade 9 are now over-subscribed for the 2010-2011 school year.