FAQ

How long has Venta Preparatory School been in operation?

Dr. A.E. Sidlauskas founded Venta in 1981.

Where are you located?

The school is located in Ottawa proper - a 5 minute drive from the community of Kanata and just 25 minutes west of downtown Ottawa.

How do you select your students?

Students are selected on the basis of an interview with the applicant and/or his or her parents, a pre-admission psychoeducational assessment, and space availability. We are looking for students and families who will fit in well with our programme and our philosophy.

Can students enter at any grade?

Venta accepts students in all grades, right up to Grade 9 depending on availability. As a rule, we generally do not accept students into Grade 10, since this is the last grade that we offer. Our commitment to small class sizes means that available spaces at some grade levels fill quickly. If you are interested in the grade 10 program you are encouraged to contact the admissions office to discuss the possibility of admissions.

How big are your classes?

Maximum class size is 12.

What percentage of your students board?

Approximately 25% of our students are boarders. We accommodate boarders from Grades 1- 10, males and females. Our boarding population is a mixture of Canadian students and students from all around the world.

Where are your students from?

The majority of our day students are from the west end of Ottawa. Many live in communities such as Kanata, Stittsville, Dunrobin, Nepean, Carp, Arnprior and Almonte.

Our boarding students come from a variety of places. The majority of our five-day a week boarders are from the Ottawa region. Our seven-day a week boarders may live as close as Kingston or Montreal, or as far away as Bermuda, Hong Kong, Africa, Mexico and England. Historically, we have had students board at Venta from around the world!

Where do your grade 10 graduating students attend school after Venta?

The majority of our graduates attend other independent schools, but some attend public high schools. Our international students usually go on to other Canadian or international boarding schools. A large percentage of our day students who attend local high schools, go into gifted programmes.

Is transportation provided?

Parents of day students make their own arrangements for transportation. Many of our parents car pool and the school has established a Car Pool Registry to facilitate this.

On long weekends and holidays seven-day a week boarding students are escorted to the Ottawa bus station, train station or airport.

What are the school hours?

The school day normally begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 5:00 p.m. for all day students in Grades 5 - 10. The school day ends at 4:00 p.m. for students in Grades 1-4. However, these students have the option of participating in a daily supervised activity period that runs until 5:00 p.m.

A daily hot lunch and snack are provided by the school and included in the tuition. All students participate in physical education (daily) and music class and students in grades 1-7 complete all homework at the school.

Do you offer before and after-school care?

We are flexible. Children may arrive as early as 7:00 a.m. (sharing breakfast with our boarding students) and stay for supper at 5:45 p.m. or later, if a parent is detained. The before and after-school care is available at no charge, however, there is a $5.00 fee for breakfast and a $7.50 fee for supper.

How can I see the school?

Please stop by for a visit! Prospective parents are encouraged to contact Cory Awde in order to make an appointment to tour the school. If you have already made an application, you will be given a tour and an interview as part of the admission process. It is recommended that visits be scheduled while school is in session.