This guide gathers what international families need to know before applying to Okanagan Christian School（欧肯纳根基督学校）, a private Christian school in Kelowna, British Columbia. Everything below comes from the school’s official website (ocskelowna.ca), accessed on 6 August 2026. Where the school does not publish a figure, this guide says so plainly instead of inventing one.
School Type and Christian Identity
Okanagan Christian School describes itself as a privately operated Preschool–Grade 12 Christian school serving the central Okanagan region of British Columbia since 1917. It is operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and follows the guidance of the Office of Education, North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The school’s stated mission pairs academic quality with character: its website talks about “shaping character” and helping students “discover purpose”, with biblical values woven into classroom instruction, service activities and everyday interaction with Christian teachers and classmates. The campus sits at 1035 Hollywood Rd S, Kelowna, BC V1X 4N3, in the southern part of the city.
Programs and Curriculum
Okanagan Christian School structures its curriculum by grade bands. Pre-school students cover Bible, physical and health education, STEAM, alphabet work and music. In Kindergarten to Grade 6, students take Bible, the core subjects of math, science, English and social studies, physical and health education, career education, and fine arts including choral and instrumental music and art; from Grade 5 to Grade 9, French or American Sign Language is offered, and ADST classes introduce computers, coding, 3D printing, robotics, food studies and woodwork. Grades 7 to 9 continue the core subjects and add choral music (Grades 7 and 8), fine arts or drama for Grade 9, and a wider ADST menu that includes textiles, media arts and entrepreneurship. Grades 10 to 12 complete the BC graduation pathway: Bible, core classes that can include Indigenous studies and vary with student need, physical and health education, Career Life Education / Career Life Connections / Capstone, fine arts such as choir, media art, visual art and drama, and ADST options from food studies and web development to robotics and drafting. The school notes that ADST and fine arts offerings are often student-driven and change from year to year.
Entry Requirements and the Admissions Process
Admission to Okanagan Christian School starts with an online inquiry form on the K-12 admissions page. The school explains that once initial questions are answered and suitability and space are determined, it sends a link to the formal application form; a non-refundable application fee of CAD 50 applies. The form covers the entering year (2025-26 or 2026-27) and the grade level from Kindergarten to Grade 12. All new students are on probation for their first semester, and the school expects students to be honest, attend class regularly and engage in learning; if a student is expelled, lab fees, registration fees and the current month’s tuition are not refunded. The site also publishes a beliefs document alongside the admissions page, reflecting the school’s expectation that families support its Christian environment.
International Students at OCS
The inquiry form explicitly asks whether the applicant is an “International Student not residing with parent in BC”, which confirms Okanagan Christian School accepts international applicants who are not living with a parent in the province. Beyond that field, the current website does not publish a separate international student section: there is no international fee schedule, no language-proficiency minimum and no international application deadline stated online. Families in this situation should therefore treat the general admissions process above as the starting point and confirm current requirements and timelines against the latest version of the official website, since the school decides next steps after the inquiry form is reviewed.
Tuition and Fees
Okanagan Christian School does not publish a unified tuition price list on its website. Its tuition page explains that fees vary depending on the program and the number of children enrolled, and that credits are available for families affiliated with one of the school’s supporting churches. Families commit to the whole school year even if they join mid-year. Local field trips are included in tuition, while out-of-town trips carry additional costs. On tax treatment, the school states that families receive an annual charitable donation receipt for the portion of tuition paid for religious instruction, calculated under Canada Revenue Agency rules, and that in recent years receipts have on average been equivalent to roughly 100% of tuition paid — a figure that varies from year to year. The school also says finances should not be a barrier to an Adventist education and points to its Family Support page for families with concerns.
School Year and Calendar
The 2026-27 school year at Okanagan Christian School follows the usual British Columbia rhythm, with Labour Day observed on 7 September 2026 (no school) and the first day of school on Tuesday 8 September 2026, with a 2 pm dismissal. The school’s public events calendar also lists parent nights in early September and community events such as a school photo day during the first weeks of term. Families arriving from abroad should plan around the September start and confirm exact term and holiday dates with the school’s current calendar.
Student Life and Community
Okanagan Christian School presents itself as a small community rather than a large campus: the principal’s message describes the school as a family-like environment where teachers know students by name. Extracurricular sport includes elementary floor hockey and soccer (Grades K-6) and CASA league flag football and volleyball at junior (Grades 6-10) and senior (Grades 9-12) levels. The school also runs service activities and an outdoor GrowZone classroom, and its junior kindergarten program — for 4-5 year olds, licensed by Interior Health and running Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm — is currently paused while the school recruits a certified early childhood educator, with the school expecting it to resume for the 2027-28 school year.
Sources and How to Verify
All facts above were taken from Okanagan Christian School’s official website (ocskelowna.ca) on 6 August 2026: the homepage (school type, founding year, address), the About Us page (Seventh-day Adventist operation, principal, SOAR values), the K-12 Admissions page (process, CAD 50 application fee, international field), the Tuition and Fees page (fee policy, no published amounts), the Course Offerings page (curriculum by grade band), the Junior Kindergarten page (program pause and 2027-28 restart) and the public events page (first day of school). Statements about the school’s own character and tax receipts are the school’s self-description, not independent findings. Fees, dates and program details change annually, so treat every figure as valid as of the current website version. For advice matched to your child’s grade level, English situation and budget, bring the facts you verified here to our advisers and discuss your specific case.