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COWICHAN SCHOOL DISTRICT

‘Cowichan Valley‘ is located between Nanaimo and Victoria. Among other villages Lake Cowichan, Duncan, Mill Bay and Chemainus belong to the Cowichan community. ‘Cowichan’ is a native word and means ‘the warm land’. That is not astonishing; for this area boasts the warmest average temperatures.

Cowichan Valley offers lots of possibilities to get to know something about the so called ‘First Nations Culture’. In special woodwork courses one can acquire practical skills and through that live and feel this old culture. At many places one offer links to the ‘First Nations’ history, the native people on Vancouver Island.

Chemainus, a small village along the coast, is internationally known for its more than 30 murals which tell the history of this region. Duncan (about 30.000 inhabitants) is called the town of the ‘totem poles’. Besides a cultural centre one can find a lot of totem poles which were carved out of cedar wood by local artists. Lake Cowichan, situated at the shore of Lake Cowichan and about 20 minutes away from Duncan is surrounded by forests. This lively place has a steady growth and offers all public institutions.

To Cowichan School District belong :

Chemainus Secondary	(about 500 students)
Cowichan Secondary	(about 1.080 students)
Frances Kelsey Secondary	(about 1.100 students)
Lake Cowichan Secondary School	(about 450 students)

Cowichan Valley has had a successful International Student Program since 1990. The School District offers a choice of schools and methods of instruction including self-paced*, challenge and traditional programs. Detailed Orientation Program and a ‘Buddy System’ help international students to get into the system very quickly and to make new friends. Students live in kind and friendly Home Stay Families which are carefully selected and fully trained by a professional, full-time Home Stay Manager. These families provide a safe, supportive environment and help students to achieve personal as well as academic success.

Something special is the Frances Kelsey Secondary School. It’s one of only a very few public high schools in Canada that teach using a self-paced model of instruction. The philosophy of self-paced instruction is based on the concept that students learn at different speeds.

Students are responsible for their own learning and thus learn in an entirely different way than in a traditional school. Students who want to attend to this school should

• have a high level of English so that they can understand detailed written instruction by themselves
• have a record of high academic achievement
• be responsible, self-disciplined, self-motivated learners
• be assertive, confident and outgoing, so that they can ask for help when they need it

2008-09 Fee Structure Cowichan School District	CAD $
School Fee* inclusive Homestay Fee and Medical Insurance 1 school year - 10 months 1 semester - 5 months *excluding ESL	17,850.00 9,000.00

This information including fee details is based on the information provided by the school district and is subject to change. No guarantee is given for possible errors.

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