The first Polish-Canadian Maple Bear school in Poland is now open!

The first Polish-Canadian Maple Bear primary school and kindergarten were opened in Katowice. There will be a bilingual teaching methodology and strategy that is a combination of the Canadian and national curriculum. The guest of honor at the opening was Rodney Briggs, the legendary co-founder of the schools.

Maple Bear institutions include 580 schools in 39 countries around the world. Now Poland has also joined this group. The first primary school and kindergarten with a Polish-Canadian curriculum inaugurated the school year on September 4 at ul. Stawowa 6 in Katowice.

There was a welcome of the students by the international teaching staff, as well as the presentation of traditional Silesian titles.

Maple Bear Schools offer a bilingual teaching methodology and strategy that is a combination of Canadian and national curriculum. After completing their education, children receive Polish and Canadian certificates.

– Our goal is to equip children with the skills necessary to cope with the challenges of the 21st century. We are fully committed to providing exceptional quality Canadian education to the children of Katowice and expanding our school network while maintaining high educational standards in Poland – said Rodney Briggs, founder of Maple Bear.

Bilingualism – one of the advantages of Maple Bear schools

Education in Canada ranks among the top five best-performing countries in the world and first among English-speaking countries, as confirmed by the PISA rankings, the Program for International Student Assessment of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

– One of the milestones on which Maple Bear has built its global success is bilingualism. In Polish Maple Bear schools and kindergartens, similarly to Maple Bear institutions around the world, preschool education will be conducted using an immersion approach: teachers conduct classes in English so that children have constant contact with a living language – says Grzegorz Esz, president of the management board of Maple Bear Schools Poland.

– In primary school, the program will be implemented in both languages: local curricula, such as Polish literature or history, will be taught in Polish – he adds.

Textbooks are provided by the school. The children will be transported by a special bus

During the inauguration ceremony, Rodney Briggs presented the school with a certificate confirming full compliance with Maple Bear requirements and standards, which means not only compliance in terms of classroom equipment or the availability of Canadian educational materials, but above all, the quality of teaching.

The school provides a set of textbooks and exercise materials, as well as three additional extra-curricular activities per week. Parents will also be able to use an organized school bus that will take children to school.

Further schools are already being built in Kraków, Wrocław and Poznań (planned opening in September 2024). In Warsaw, Maple Bear will build a modern school building in Żoliborz.