International School in Admiralty

angelacylui

Any international school in or nearby Admiralty?

Gisele

Sorry to hear what happened to those children but it does not change my positive feeling of Starters, even we had done the afternoon sessions for months only.
In fact, we liked this school so much that at one time, we were thinking of switching my son to Starters' regular sessions and quit his local kindergarten.
But my son took a long time to build up his friends in the local school, he just could not leave them.

Honestly I wouldn’t like it if my child got bitten by his classmates. Likewise I wouldn’t like it if he picked up bad manners from them.
But I would let my son sort it out himself before took it to the teachers.
That is part of his life which he should try to learn and handle.
He may be too young to do anything meaningful but there is no harm in trying.


As I said before, when they noticed that my son had certain learning problem, the teacher were very quick to grab me and discuss what happened.
Probably, they thought that was what really matter.  And that is also what I think really matter.

For the toilet issue, Ms. Winnie let me take my son to the toilet the first few times because he was new to the school and he did not feel easy with strangers.
The toilet were clean, no smell, no water on the floor.
After my son got to know the school better, Ms. Winnie took him to the toilet and asked him to do it himself.
I think it is good for him because he should have learned to do this long ago.
Ms. Winnie would also let me take my son to the toilet when he wanted to poo poo because he did not manage to clean himself afterwards.


My friend who sent his son to the summer school (and who told me his son’s English improved a lot there) said his son was toilet-trained within a week, probably because she was not allowed to take her son to the toilet and the children there were taught to do it properly instead of relying on mummy or maid all the time.

YYFUNG

In fact I appreciate there is somebody sharing another side of the school (although we are much towards to choose Starters next year for K1).

I am not totally agreeing with "no news means good news". We are a family being brought up in San Francisco. My husband, my sister-in-law, and my nephews and nieces all being schooling there from kindergarten to university.

I share these strings of emails with them, they say " never ever a single parent would accept such situation ".
They all believe regular and open communication between family and school is critical - It facilitates the family doing the same/ similar principle as the school at home.

In fact we know Starters has pro and cons even before some mama shared their different view. We are still in "thinking process" in school selection.
From my side, I may probably let her start in April 2009 as a warm-up. Even it is bad, it may take 3 months only before a summer holiday.

Thank you,
Maria (Ava mama)

May2468

Well, how to say, I just want to share my experiences and give parents another picture of the school. Other parents may have good experiences with the school and so please forgive me if I said anything which may hurt other parents who have good feelings and experiences. My son started his early education in international schools (he never joined any local nursery/school until now). He started his playgroup in Woodland (3 days a week) and Tutor Time (2 days a week) when he was 1.5 yrs old. After that he attended Woodland school for stepping stone and his kinder and Tutor Time for Summer School till he swapped to Starters for his kinder. Woodland follows the British curriculum while Tutor Time follows the American’s. They are both international schools. My experiences in these 2 schools are a bit different from Starters. For examples, my son did get sick during his school days in these 2 schools, but both school teachers called me when my son was sick for more than 2 days asking me about his condition. Both teachers are “guai lo”, one is Australian while the other one is an American. So it’s really depends on the teacher and the school style whether they take a rather responsive and open approach to parents. I agreed that it’s the parent’s responsibility to call the school when their kids fall sick, but my point is the heart of the teachers. Will they be aware their students are absent from schools for few days? Will they care & concern? International school = no need to care & concern? Of course, it’s not compulsory for the teachers to call, but as parent, I appreciate thei call, and I can also see whether the teachers have heart or no heart on the children.

Maybe I could give parents one more example, my son was bit by his classmate causing a blue teeth mark when he was in Tutor Time. When I fetch my son, the teacher gave me a very brief report of why & how it happened and felt sorry of its happening. I appreciate it so much. “No news is good news” is not true. They reported to me the “bad news” but I didn’t mind that biting case, coz small children are always like that. Biting would always happen, unless it happens continuously, I would intervene. But same case did happen on my son in Starters. My son got different blue teeth marks from school in different days. After several times like that, plus he learnt some bad behavior (just was there 2 months but learnt splitting saliva), I thus called the school to reflect. I was told by Winnie (who was told by Mrs. Malton) that they checked and could not see the teeth marks. She argued that my son got it from other places. But except going to the school, he was at home. He didn’t join any playgroups or activities. He is a single child in the family. Who bite him? I told them it’s already the third or forth time he got the bit marks before I reflected it to the School. My husband also took down the teeth marks in photos. It was so apparent even in photos and I don’t know why the teacher said she could not see. I could make the photos print for their reference. I am not sure if the behavior of splitting saliva + getting bite marks several times are really not a big deal (少少事?), which I over-reacted and disturbed the school? Yet, my heart arches when I saw my son who got bite marks more than few times. I didn’t ask to schedule a very formal meeting (as I also never did it in Woodland and Tutor Time). I just want to talk to the teacher when I fetch my son after school, reflect to her and let them aware on that. I always talk to Woodland and Tutor Time teachers when I send and fetch my son to and from school. So I thought it’s quite common and natural for parents to freely talk to the “guai lo” teachers in international schools. Maybe I am wrong.


As far as I remember, I did participate in the school picnics, Halloween parties, birthday parties, pajamas fashion show, beach party in both schools but never was invited by starters to their school activities. So, “most of the schools which welcome parents to help in some of the class activities in junior primary (? not kindergarten?)” is not true. My son is still a kindergarten student now, but I have particpated in many of his school activities.

I have to say the other 2 schools are not perfect. Like when my son moves up to upper class with another teachers now, I can feel some are a bit racists who act more nice and kind to the “guai lo” parents than we Chinese. I also don't like that. Yet, they still didn’t block the communication with us. Some “guai lo” parents talk to the teacher even more than us. Maybe I am that kind of Chinese parents as described by Horizon in the eyes of Starters. Yet, I am really Chinese ma…..."學校如覺得家長煩,真的希望小朋友早些退學" Oh, if it's really that the case, is that a good school? I am really scared. To me, it's the other way round. I just don't want to continue bother. You know, children are always on the teachers' hands.

mosesdaddy

After taking a glance at Horizon's points, I still find a missing link, and in fact can't figure out the cause and effect.     

Some parents have shared that Starters has a "closed" communication system and that some of its staff are very uncaring.  I can't see how this relates to helping the kids to develop an outgoing character with an initiative to solve their problems.

Could Horizon share more from the experience of his/her friends and brothers to illustrate the points you are trying to make?

原文章由 Horizon 於 08-4-9 16:44 發表
我看完各媽咪的意見後,想表達小小意見:

我現在,正考慮我的女兒是否入讀Starters School,其實我考慮這間學校,是因為我有幾位外國朋友及我的兄弟的小朋友,曾入讀該校,出來學會了很主動的性格,並學會表達自已意見,當然 ...

May2468

hazel_mom:


How long did you put your son in Starters?


As my son was hospitalised for 10 days (and I also slept in the hospital accompanying him) , so my husband and I didn't have time to care for calling the school. Yet after that, we felt very angry and thus deliberately not calling it and wait and see when the school teacher would call us. It's very strange as there's a child absent from school for so long time but the teachers were not even aware and care. You said right, most Int'l school welcome parents particpation and field trips like my son current school but it seems Starters doesn't like much parents' involvement in school and I also don't know what my son learnt in school. You also remind me the curriculum. I never receive any notices about that.


For toilet issue, yes, Ms. Winnie also blocked me to enter the school toilet and so we used to take him to the toilet in the coffee shop downstairs before going up to the classroom. That's also what I feel very strange. Well anyway....we quited and we also lost the $3000 deposit, as Ms. Winnie said we informed her to quit less than a month and refused to refund us. Poor us.

YYFUNG

原文章由 hazel_mom 於 08-4-8 16:25 發表
Here are some comments I kept in record in my computer when some parents shared the comment of Starters 1 or 2 years ago in other forum.

quoted from a parent who was a friend of a teacher in Starters ...

While there are some bad things about Starters, any others kindergarten(s) would you like to suggest from your point of view?

My 21-monsth old daughter currently in the playgroup class of Anfield.

Thanks.

Maria (Ava mama)

hazel_mom

Here are some comments I kept in record in my computer when some parents shared the comment of Starters 1 or 2 years ago in other forum.

quoted from a parent who was a friend of a teacher in Starters school before:

Personally I am not at all surprised by the closure of Starters Tai Hang. Actually I am more surprised by all the positive comments about this school! I am not saying it is a bad school, it is just not as great as all of you imagined. I am friends with the some of the teachers and the feedback I got from them is really not good.


DO you know that Starters do not have a curriculum? And since they change the teachers so frequently, the new ones have no idea what the old ones have taught. And one thing I don't like is that they don't allow parents to sit in to observe the class, or ask for parent volunteers for field trips. The only visit you get is when you want to enrol your child. As a parent, of course you would want to know what your child is doing in class. There are a couple of good teachers there but I think recently some have also left. When you call, you might want to ask about the curriculum and the teachers. Bet they would tell you it is UK curriculum but no details.

hazel_mom

Well, I'm not surprised with your son's case.  When my son studied in Starters before, he was sick and absent from school for one week and I deliberately not to call school in order to test how the class teacher or Mrs Winnie cares about my son.
Unfortunately, no one call me regarding my son’s absence from school for a week.
You can see how the school cares about the students.

Besides, what May said was true.   Mrs Winnie tried to block all parents to contact the class teacher.   All questons or enquiries must be "screened and consulted" by her.   Even I picked up my son after school, my son said he wanted to go to washroom.  When I accompanied with my son to the toilet, Mrs Winnie blocked my way and insisted she took my son to toilet and never allowed me to go inside the school.   I didn't know why she was so nervous to let parents to go inside the school.   Does she worry that the parents would talk to the class teacher? or worry that the parent would see how dirty of its toilet?.........I think most of the parents in Starters also encounter this problem.   

mosesdaddy

原文章由 May2468 於 08-4-7 16:03 發表
...Could you imagine a child who was absent for almost a month due to sickness but the class teacher never called the parents asking why and what happened? You can see how child caring the teachers are....

If this is something true of Starters, it's really terrible.  I feel sorry for the teachers concerned, and even more sorry for the affected families and kids.

May2468

Well, I think I can also share with you some of my comments in Starters, as my son also studied there before. In fact, I totally agreed with the comments of hazel_mom. (Sorry to other mommies who have good feelings on Starters.) My son also studied in starters last January, but after few months, I quitted the school and changed my son back to Woodland. I also heard some good comments before putting my son there, and I also had a good impression when I visited the school as well - both Ms WinnXX and Mrs. MaltXX looks very nice and friendly. Yet after my son was admitted, they became totally different. I can say they are even not that friendly and child caring. After a month or more there, my son learnt some bad behaviors in the school which I felt it’s not very good and so I called the school and wanted to reflect to Mrs. MaltXX. I never thought that it’s so difficult to meet the teacher and Ms. Winnie said Mrs. MaltXX is very busy, asked me why and told me it’s not their practice to arrange an appointment for parents to see the teacher except teacher/parent day. In fact I was not asking a formal appointment but just wanted to talk to her after school when I pick up my son. If your children did study there before, you may notice that Mrs. MaltXX never open wide the door when you put or fetch your children before and after school, so you can never see the situation inside or talk to her as she just put out her head a little bit and most of her body still hide behind the door. Yet, Ms. WinnXX said I better talked to her and then she would help to reflect my concerns, ba ba ba….tried to block my way to talk to Mrs. MaltXX. You know it’s really incredible to me coz I always talked to my son’s teacher when he was in Woodland before. As I insisted, they finally arranged me a 5-minute meeting after school. Yes, 5-minutes! They said they don’t have much time to talk to me or they cannot take their lunches! I told Mrs. MaltXX what happened to my son and what he learnt from his other classmate (I can name which classmate, an Indian boy). But Mrs. MaltXX was not very welcome to hear that and I could sense that she felt I complained her or she could not teach the students well. The conversation with Mrs. MaltXX was useless. After that, I felt my son had a hard time in Starters and Mrs. MaltXX and her assistants started to act stricter to my son and watch him. My son started to cry to me and said mommy, I don’t want this school, etc. Every morning when we sent him to school, he felt so scared. He told us the teachers were fierce to him and not nice. I think as parents, you could sense and guess what happened on him in school. My husband and I started to regret to talk to the school. After few weeks, my son got a serious intestine problem and could not go to school. The first day I called the School applying a 1-day sick leave for him. But the next day he was hospitalized and so we were just too busy and didn’t call the school for his absence. My son was absent from school for more than 3 weeks. Could you imagine a child who was absent for almost a month due to sickness but the class teacher never called the parents asking why and what happened? You can see how child caring the teachers are. And the school impression to us before and after are totally different. The school is quite closed and it's not easy for you to know what you children do in the school. Of course you may feel worth for just spending 3 thousand dollars to learn English. But I felt a kindergarten should be more than that. So after a month, we decided to change the school. Fortunately we’ve made a good and fast decision and my son is happy to school now.

YYFUNG

原文章由 hazel_mom 於 08-4-3 01:01 發表
Don't think Starters is as good as before.   I don't want to blackmouth Starters but just try to give you another perspective.  My son studied there before.   

1.  You'll notice Mrs Winnie has two di ...

Dear hazel_mom.
I appreciate your inputs on another side of Starters.
As a parent of a 21-months-old daughter, I think the parents would know how to judge their choice of the school. Each school usaually has the pros & cons to every family, and every child.

Just as what my sister-in-law also advised me to visit more schools before really make decisions, even though she an dher daughter had very good experience in Starters Schools 10 years ago.

Meanwhile, I myself am interested in what you hear about Small World.

Thanks.
maria (Ava mama)

Gisele

I cannot comment on your other comments but I don't feel Ms. Winnie is that kind of person.  My son has done their afternoon sessions for 8 months.  During that time, I sent my boy to school and picked him up.  Ms. Winnie was always helping children to tidy up their clothes or put on their jackets, to put things into their cubby-holes and was giving kisses and hugs to those who behaved well.   

原文章由 hazel_mom 於 08-4-3 01:01 發表
Don't think Starters is as good as before.   I don't want to blackmouth Starters but just try to give you another perspective.  My son studied there before.   

1.  You'll notice Mrs Winnie has two di ...