Montreal parents brave cold in hopes of landing coveted spot at Royal Vale School

Shared challenges tend to draw people closer. And when you’ve been waiting outside since the night before in the minus 20s, it’s not surprising.

That’s what happened Saturday morning outside Royal Vale School in NDG where parents began camping out early Friday night hoping to secure a kindergarten spot for their kids. Spots are are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so when parents get a place in line, they hold it.

One parent had to leave because of an emergency and crossed her name off the list , but the other parents wouldn’t hear of it.

“Seriously, go put it back,” insisted fellow parent Kathryn Shubin. “Go, seriously. We’ll hold your spot,” she told her as they both began to cry.

Hours after the parent left, she sent four large pizzas to the group to thank them for holding her place.

Lining up outside the school has been tradition for decades. This year, people began arriving Friday night even though registration only opens on Monday.

“This year there are 29 spots available for new kindergarten students,” Shubin explained.

That is, only after parents with children already attending the school receive spots for siblings. At number eight on the list, Shubin expected to be able to get her daughter in.

“My daughter will be registering as the third generation who will be going to school in this building right here,” Shubin said with a grin.

But despite the cold, many parents say it’s all worth it because of Royal Vale’s enriched math and science programs and other offerings.

“There are a lot of extracurricular activities that make it a unique experience while still being a public school,” Shubin explained.

The other reason for the waitlist is that the school has open boundaries, so parents from other parts of the city can send their kids to Royal Vale — like Francois Xavier from Villeray, who was first in line.

Some criticize the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) for not having a better registration procedure to prevent such lineups. But the parents who flock to Royal Vale in hopes of registering their kids just focus on the benefits.

“There’s lots of socializing, getting to know one another,” Shubin notes of meeting other parents in line — bonds that could last for years if their kids end up going to the school together.