Ocean View Heights

We removed our child from this school because we found it authoritarian, provincial, and they do not walk the talk - children are asked what adults (especially admin) fails to provide. Narratives are skewed to fit the goals of certain people. The school uses media as propaganda, they will promote themselves through green initiates to obtain accolades but their end of the year ceremony stage will be decorated with hundreds of balloons. They make students and teachers dress in certain colors so their media looks nicer, everything is about looks with little to no real purpose. This year they had students build worm farms but their campus is carpeted with artificial turf which has successfully killed all the worms on earth, it is ironic. They also use plastered the chain link fences with plastic vines. When parents tried to provide natural plantings the principal said the fence could not be covered. The education we sought does not align with the message, we want our children to be confident and feel safe at school. The school scores very well in standardized test because they receive public funds for doing so - but that comes at a cost. Science and social studies classes are skipped, and some students are made to leave. There are great public schools but parents must be willing to drive a little further - 15 minutes away. This school thrives because it is located in an area where there are not many A rated choices and because of political affiliations.

My experience with this school has been deeply disappointing and concerning. Instead of being a supportive and nurturing educational environment, the school has become a place where many children—especially those with academic difficulties—are made to feel overwhelmed, insecure, and discouraged rather than supported and helped.There is a noticeable lack of empathy and patience among a large portion of the teaching staff. Several teachers display poor attitudes, little understanding, and a harsh approach that intimidates students and negatively impacts their self-esteem. Rather than motivating children to grow and learn, they are made to feel incapable and constantly pressured.This culture appears to stem from the school’s leadership. Beginning with the principal Barbara Martin, the school’s methodology seems to support a rigid and emotionally insensitive approach, where academic pressure outweighs students’ emotional well-being and individual needs.Additionally, there is clear evidence of favoritism. Certain students—particularly children of teachers or school staff—receive preferential treatment, leadership roles, and opportunities that are not equally available to other students. This creates an unfair, exclusionary, and discouraging environment for the rest of the student body.The overall school climate is negative and unhealthy: poor communication with families, lack of emotional support, minimal inclusivity, and an absence of genuine concern for students’ mental and emotional health. As a parent, it is extremely troubling to witness how this environment damages children’s confidence and their relationship with learning.I would not recommend this school to families seeking a safe, equitable, and compassionate educational environment for their children.

As a current teacher and Alumni of CGHS, this is, without a doubt, the worst school I have ever taught and studied at. The primary factor for this is the teachers, especially Diana Van-Wyk. She is the "IB Coordinator" of the school, who demonstrates clear favoritism, laziness, apathy, and sexism. As a counsellor and coordinator of such a prestige program such as the IB, I would expect her to care for her students and support them fully through their academic journey, as would most people. However, since she has joined this school years ago, I have seen a noticeable decline in student mental health, overall happiness, and communication with teachers. This is what inspired me to become a teacher, so I could be everything she isn't. Furthermore, I have received multiple student complaints about her, and her failure of communication as well as her stubbornness. I don't think she understands that the students she deals with are socially maturer than most, perhaps indicating why she refuses to admit she's wrong. It is in the best interest of the school to remove her as a faculty.