Delta West Academy

Wow — I am pretty surprised at the reviews I am reading here… I have 2 children (girls) who attend this school, and who have for the entirety of their school experience. The teachers and administrators on so many occasions showed not only great teaching but also so much compassion and that they truly care about our family. One of our daughters had a very intense surgery while in grade 8 — the school was amazing both during her home recovery and as she slowly made her way back to school. Our other daughter has some specialized learning challenges and the school worked hard on identifying it, working with her emotions /​confidence around it, and being really supportive. Teachers are available EVERY day for after school instruction and answering of questions — when there are quizzes /​tests results are emailed to the parents so we can discuss with both the kids and teachers — what went wrong, strategies for improvement…
The school is not perfect — nothing is. There is a small gym and no library — we felt if we were going to send our kids there then we needed to make sure they had other opportunities for physical exercise /​teamwork. Dance class, kickboxing, yoga — these are some of the things we have done outside of school. Even so, when the kids were interested, teachers stepped up and there have been soccer, badminton and volleyball teams that our girls have participated in and played in tournaments against other schools. Our kids were also involved in Cadets for a while to have chances to meet other kids (downside of small classes). So parents — if you choose to send your kids to a small school with small classes you may have to do some work in helping them foster friendships outside of school…
Bottom line — this is a great school with a location close to downtown that is really convenient for anyone commuting into downtown every day. There is a real community here. There are a core group of teachers /​administrators who have been with the school a long time — has every teacher been perfect — no — but the administration has been quick to make changes when necessary. As a family we feel cared for, safe and supported — our kids have as much help as they ask for (teenagers you know) and we know if there are any emotional /​social issues they are brought to our attention right away. We are very happy with our choice to send our girls to DWA and know we have given them a leg up for their future.

Having been a former student myself, I have A LOT to say about this school. I went to DWA from 6^th grade to 8^th grade, and those few years I have spent there have shed much light on this poor excuse of a ‘private academy’. My mother originally chose DWA because it boasted small class sizes, individual attention from teachers, instructors who see the students as more than a paycheque, as well as a plethora of opportunities for a thriving young student such as myself. HOWEVER, I realized well into the year that none of these were true. For the price you are paying, you could be sent to a much better private school (or even high-​ranking public schools) with the proper amenities to support your child and their education. For high prices you are paying for a lack of a library, one single (elementary sized) gym, very little sports teams, old piping in the school (I distinctly remember the water was hardly ever clear and tasted vaguely of copper pennies), no bus service, and a lack of the opportunities boasted by this school. Please keep in mind that these are my experiences from 6^th to 8^th grade, and I am now in university. While DWA may have changed, other reviews make me believe not. Some of my experiences here will be very eye opening for future parents.
During my time here I realized that while the teachers were indeed certified to teach, they should not be. Many had absolutely no idea how to deal with children (and their various conflicts) in a mature manner. Most of the time the teachers either didn’t care at all or forced the rest of the students into silence in order to appease the most troublesome child (who also happened to be the child of one of the more prominent donors). Many of the respected teachers had left for better opportunities elsewhere (good for them) where they will be much more appreciated. Furthermore, if the language opportunities remain the same as when I went there, instead of allowing your child to be proficient in a chosen language (French or Spanish), they will instead be forced to learn both in a very short amount of time. This does not yield advantageous results, and instead of having a satisfactory knowledge of one language, your child will be left stuttering in two. Any change asked for by the students was met with rage and a patronizing tone. Upon leaving I was not able to leave peacefully — quite the opposite actually. When I came back to DWA to visit my friends during lunch, I was rudely not allowed into the school. When I did manage to come into the school, all of the teachers (little as they were) acted very bitter towards me, making passive aggressive remarks about me leaving or dismissing me entirely. Overall Delta West Academy is an appalling excuse for a private academy with a lack of teachers who understand the students and an extremely high price for an extremely low quality education.
Do your children a favour and send them elsewhere — their education (and therefore their future) will be better off.

My niece has attended Delta West Academy since first grade, and is now 16 years old. During this time, I have watched her blossom into an intelligent, poised, and confident young woman. Having met some of the teachers and administrators at Delta, I am absolutely convinced that they have played a major role in my niece’s development, as they care so much about each student, and they make sure each student knows this. If we lived in Calgary, I would not hesitate to send my own children to Delta West Academy.

Although I have not attended the school personally, my brother did and had a wonderful experience. He really thrived and blossomed there. Small class sizes, individual attention, instructors who care, all that was missing from my public school experience.
Do your child a favor by not only considering DeltaWest, but enrolling them.