Late Interview --- ESF Year 1 ??????

MITCHmama

My boy just got a late interview chance at SJS (Year 1 ) by the end of this month......what does it means?
Whay it come so late??
I suposed lots of kids are withdrawing from the offers.....
Anyways, I heard that it would be a pretty high chance to get an offer if you do receive an interview. Is that true?
How about all those kids in the waiting list which SJS claims that is a long one.
My boy is in the Cat 2, it is a surprise to me to get an interview at this late stage of admission .....even it's a bonce to have a chance to interview, I am still having a high expection though.
Any advice????

Thanks million times!!

Mitchmama

babymandy123

I want know too, i also received the call in this morning, anyone can share?

popolung

Good Luck to all. Chance is high, but once again they will still need to test your kid's English capability. Since you now have a month or so before interview, be prepared. May be you can look for those interview classes with foreigner teachers to train up a bit within this month. And again the best is to soak your kid in a complete Eng environment.

And that's mean SJS now has more spaces released, or they are holding it for some purposes (such as overseas applicants), but by all mean, as long as you have a chance, doesn't care la. Good Luck.

MITCHmama

Dear babyMandy,

Which school is your girl in now? Mine is in David Exdous.
Have your ever try RC before?
Mitchmama

原帖由 babymandy123 於 09-4-1 12:55 發表
I want know too, i also received the call in this morning, anyone can share?

MITCHmama

Dear Popolung,

Yeah, as long as there is a chance, I can't ask for more though!
Anyway, my boy is ok with English .....I think....as he is going to a IS kinder.
I was just surprised that they are still having space in such a late stage. Cuz' I know RC is all done with it's admission.....seem like no more chance for the waiting list though.

Mitchmama

原帖由 popolung 於 09-4-1 13:19 發表
Good Luck to all. Chance is high, but once again they will still need to test your kid's English capability. Since you now have a month or so before interview, be prepared. May be you can look for tho ...

popolung

原帖由 MITCHmama 於 09-4-1 13:37 發表
Dear Popolung,

Yeah, as long as there is a chance, I can't ask for more though!
Anyway, my boy is ok with English .....I think....as he is going to a IS kinder.
I was just surprised that they are st ...

Besides training up with English, give you one more hint. Bring your kid to SJS and has a walk, the best during school hour, try if you can walk around inside the school campus, tell him where it is, as many times as you can, so he won't be scared about the environment when he has to go to interview on that day.

There are always people rejecting offer as they have other schools admitted already. I have rejected RCHK recently as my kid will go to CWBS as it is much closer to where I lived. Anyway, good luck.

popolung

also see this for their teaching and learning policy so you know more what ESF is going on.

http://www.esf.edu.hk/FileManage ... learning_policy.doc

kcpapa

We were having the interview on 13/Mar.  Right after the interview, SJS will let you know a verbal result - if they do not say anything, that means okay, if they ask you to stay behind, that mean not ok....  We saw 1 or 2 kids stayed behind.  

That means spaces are available as the no. of candidates will be same as the no. of seat remain.  Moreover, last monday was the deadline of enrollment.  So may be some students declined the offer, that SJS arrange the interview for the remaining seats in end this month.  Interview will be arranged as long as seats are still remaining.  If you are having a chance of interview, then chance to be amitted is high.  Only if the kids English level is not up to their standard will be failed.  

The interview will take about 45min to 1 hours in a group of 6-8 candidates.  They will play in the classroom and the teacher will ask them some simple questions.  Just like a playgroup.  I think better way is not to put pressure on your kid and just let them play as usual.  For Cat 2 local KG Cantonese based kid, before interview, pls talk English only with the kid for at least a week and so they can tune to TVB "Pearl" before the interview.  If you know any kids who are having the interview together, pls pls pls... ask them to go together earlier and let them play for a while and make sure they are talking in English.  Stop them playing if they are communicating in Cantonese, try best to tune them in English.  If they speak Cantonese during the interview, that is finished...   

Good Luck!  longing to seeing you soon in End August..

Pls let us know if you are ok!

popolung

One more, I told my daughter that this is an English Play Day (never mentioning anything about interview), so you must speak English in order to win a prize (such as bring them to Disneyland or Ocean Park), hope it will help!

babymandy123

Hi Mitchmama

My girl study in St. Cat., she will interview on 20/Apr, how about your son?  

原帖由 MITCHmama 於 09-4-1 13:31 發表
Dear babyMandy,

Which school is your girl in now? Mine is in David Exdous.
Have your ever try RC before?
Mitchmama

[ 本帖最後由 babymandy123 於 09-4-1 17:10 編輯 ]

MITCHmama

Dear all,
Thanks for your hints. I live just in a 2-mins-walking distance from SJS, so I will definately bring my boy to have a walk there often.
But I have 1 question:
As SJS already knows my boy is in Cat.2 and able to speak in Cantonese......why they would fail him once he speaks Cantonese during the interview? I am just wonder if my boy shows his Eng cabability but at the same time he can speak Cantonese?

Dear babyMandy,
11:00 am, right? If yes, my son will preobably in the same group as yours. Then I will meet you very soon.
You know, we did tried RC before. However he did not pass the interview. Maybe they don't have enough seats for all those applicats , or maybe as they said my boy is way too young (X'mas boy) to suit for their Y1......whatever reason....they didn't take him.
So, I am a little worry about this interview. My boy most likely speaks Eng.inhis everyday life , but he is very excited to communicate in Cantonese as he met some Cantonese kids ......so, I don't know how he would react.
How aoout your girl, speaks Eng as mother toung?

原帖由 babymandy123 於 09-4-1 17:07 發表
Hi Mitchmama

My girl study in St. Cat., she will interview on 20/Apr, how about your son?  

原帖由 babymandy123 於 09-4-1 17:07 發表
Hi Mitchmama

My girl study in St. Cat., she will interview on 20/Apr, how about your son?  

Mighty

I really disagree, I know lots of people are saying it and believing in it, that once your child speaks Cantonese he wld be failed.  Not true!!  As you mentioned here too that ESF knows that your child is from Cat 2, then how could he not be able to speak Cantonese???  ESF only wants to know if your child is able to communicate (that includes understanding and express himself in English) in English as the medium of the school is English.  And not "Listen, i m going to fail you if you use Cantonese"!!  If the teacher talks to your child in English, of course, she expects an answer in English.  If your child answers in Cantonese, that either means he doesnt understand the question or he is not able to communicate in English.  In your case, I am sure it is ok.

RC - in fact my daughter was also a late december girl.  Last year (same time in this year) we went to RC and ESF.  RC didnt inform us whether she was accepted or not even the period for replying was over.  So my husband wrote them a letter.  Surprisingly the teacher replied the same day and explained that she was in a dilenma to reject us or not....  She said my daughter had no problem at all at her English level but she thought my child was too young to go to such a big school like RC.  Also bearing the fact that my daughter was from a tiny kindergarten.  That gave me an impression that RC is less keen to accept young children than ESF.

MITCHmama

Dear Mighty,

Yeap! That's exactly what I mean. I think they would like to see the English standard of the kids. So, what I really going to do is let my boy having a fun time there.
Thanks for your sharing!  :idea: :idea: :idea: :idea:
Mitchmama

原帖由 Mighty 於 09-4-1 20:04 發表
I really disagree, I know lots of people are saying it and believing in it, that once your child speaks Cantonese he wld be failed.  Not true!!  As you mentioned here too that ESF knows that your chil ...

popolung

原帖由 MITCHmama 於 09-4-1 21:43 發表
Dear Mighty,

Yeap! That's exactly what I mean. I think they would like to see the English standard of the kids. So, what I really going to do is let my boy having a fun time there.
Thanks for your s ...

I think other parents, including me, are just telling you that Native English Speaking is a must in ESF, as it is the medium of the teaching, and since you are keen to have your kids to get in ESF, then stick to the rules of the game. If they really fail your kid because of that, you can try to appeal, but successful or not, who knows?

This reminds me some years ago, when my friend went to interview a job in HSBx, he failed in the interview, and he asked the interviewer why he was failed, the interviewer told him that it is because of his poor English, "in Chinese". Then my friend argued about a lot of things with the HSBx interviewer, and finally the interviewer told him:" I knew you are good in many ways, and English is not something that should be solely considered in the interview, but it is a MUST here in HSBx."

Remember, interview result is the sole discretion of the interviewer / accessor, and if you want to bet the future of your kids, it is a free will, and good luck. I have been via a very tough times since last Sept till Mar, and I don't want it to happen again, even to other Cat 2 or Chinese parents, as long as your kid is capable to study in ESF.

popolung

原帖由 Mighty 於 09-4-1 20:04 發表
I really disagree, I know lots of people are saying it and believing in it, that once your child speaks Cantonese he wld be failed.  Not true!!  As you mentioned here too that ESF knows that your chil ...

Yes, I think RC don't take "too young" kid, as it happened to one of my friend's kid who study in ESF kinder (and RC really informed the parent about the immaturity of the kid in letter), but got admitted in another ESF.

I share some worry on RC campus too as looks like Primary & Secondary students share the same campus, at least some common area like playground. Pros & Cons for the mix though. Correct me if I am wrong. In another case, SJS & SC has separate campus, but still they use the same Sports complex I think. Of course then primary students has more facilities to play with.

Mighty

Hi Mitchmama

One of the stretegies was taking my child to the school early, and let him mix with other kids, chat and play, and stop nagging on using English, as he wl feel the tension. Obviously if you child is used to gweilo teachers, then he wl be fine.  Good luck.

oooray

原帖由 popolung 於 09-4-2 09:45 發表


Yes, I think RC don't take "too young" kid, as it happened to one of my friend's kid who study in ESF kinder (and RC really informed the parent about the immaturity of the kid in letter), but got ad ...

Mighty's and poplung's friend's experience has solved one of my questions about RC admission criteria...
After the first round interview, the school announced in the website that there would be some "direct decline". I was quite surprised about that arrangement at that time. (This is no cost for the school to leave someone on the waitlist, no matter the queue has already been lining up from Tsimshatsui to Sha Tau Kok)

MITCHmama

Dear Popolung,

I totally understand your point.
I asked this question and want to seek for some help is just because I am not familiar with the ESF "interview rules".......if that's what it supposed to be, I, of course has no right to say a word.
Anyway, I really do appricate all your hints. It's very handy......but now, I will just let it be.

And as for the RC, as I know, they do have a waitlist. "Direct decline" means you got NO CHANCE. I also did write to them and ask for the failture reason, they mentioned my boy is too young and his fine motor skill is not well developed yet as he is one of the youngest among all those applicants. They suggested we try again next year!
Anyway, they didn't mentioned about the English part even I asked them in the letter......
However, as I know, we don't have a high hit way from my son's previous school though. ---> So, I supposed school (kinda) really makes a matter in their consideration.

Mitchmama

原帖由 popolung 於 09-4-2 09:40 發表


I think other parents, including me, are just telling you that Native English Speaking is a must in ESF, as it is the medium of the teaching, and since you are keen to have your kids to get in ESF,  ...

almom

At any interview, either you succeed or you fail.

"Direct decline" means you failed the interview.

"Waitlist" at RC means that you passed the interview and yet there are no place available yet; because they usually interview much more applicants than available places.

popolung

原帖由 oooray 於 09-4-2 12:12 發表

Mighty's and poplung's friend's experience has solved one of my questions about RC admission criteria...
After the first round interview, the school announced in the website that there would be some  ...

My kid also a winter baby so consider young, but as she is very talkative, so she got admit by RC. But another kid I mentioned also a winter baby got declined and clearly indicated in the letter that he is mentally too young, so I think RC do consider this via interview but not purely considering the age.