About FirstBell
Some parents always seem to know about the French Immersion lottery, the mini school deadline or the math contest that opened last week. Usually they just heard in time from a friend. FirstBell exists so every family hears in time.
Why I built it
Hi, I'm Polina, a parent in Burnaby. When I registered my child for kindergarten, I chose our catchment school. It has a great reputation, so it felt like an easy decision. Nobody told me that the same form was also choosing their secondary school, and our catchment secondary is a very different story. By the time I understood how the paths work, most of the doors had already closed.
Talking to other parents, I found I wasn't alone: families who heard about mini schools in Grade 7, newcomers who missed the French Immersion lottery by weeks, parents of December babies unsure when their child could start. The information exists, but it's scattered across dozens of district pages and changes every year. FirstBell puts it in one place, for your child, before the deadline.
How we check information
- Every date and fact comes from the organizer or school district's own website, linked at the bottom of each page.
- Each page shows when we last checked it.
- When a date for the new school year isn't announced yet, we say so and show the usual timing instead of guessing.
- We re-check every page at least once per school year, and before each reminder email.
Our promises
- FirstBell is free for parents.
- Sponsors and advertisers never change what's listed, the dates, or the order of the calendar. Any sponsored content is clearly labelled.
- We never sell your data or your child's information.
Independent and free
FirstBell isn't affiliated with any school district or school. It has no ads, and school ratings are never for sale.
Spotted a mistake? Have an idea?
Email hello@firstbell.ca. I read every message. Accuracy matters more to me than anything else on this site.