Kornhill Int'l Nursery N1

zenith

nicnicchu,

Hi, how's the school life of your son?  Can you share it with us?

nicnicchu 寫道:
Hello zenith,

My son will start his nursery school life at Kornhill Int'l next Tuesday.  I chose this one mainly because we are living in Kornhill.  Moreover, I learnt from a Mommy (I met her several times in playgroup) that Kornhill Int'l Nursery is very good.  Her son was studying in Kornhill at that time.  However, I didn't have the chance to ask the details as we were both in hurry at the time we met.

Maybe, I can give you more comments after next Tuesday.

nicnicchu

Hi Zenith,

I stayed with my boy two days only.  Today, my maid will stay with him.   There are three young ladies to take care 15 children.  Ms. Cheung, the head teacher, didn't lead the class but occassionally passed by to see the progress.  It's a bit mess on the first day.  I think it is because all are new to the environment.   

Teachers are so far ok, they are friendly and always smile except one (but she is ok just seldom smiles).   The english of the chief teacher is good with foreign accent.   It's hard to say whether they are good or not at that moment since many parents stayedl in the classroom and it will to a certain extent give them pressure.  

These two days, I just stayed aside to observe both my boy and the teachers.  See how my boy to get along with others and to see how the teachers to take care and to lead the children.   I think the teachers have their own ways to lead the children.  They just need time to get along with each other.

Helpers are also very friendly and willing to help.   But there was one thing that made me feeling uneasy.  My boy found a marble in the class and tried to put it into his mouth yesterday.  I stopped him immediately and told the teachers to take the marble away.  But seems the teachers didn't know there are marbles.  Anyway, I marked this issue in the communication booklet (the teacher will check the booklet everyday to see if any thing particular that the parents want them to know) and urged them to improve.   

However, I didn't have the time to talk with the head teacher and asked her about which primary school that the graduates usually to go to.  But maybe later lah....

zenith

nicnicchu,

I do agree with you that it might be a bit mess in the first few days in the class, and hope the teacher will improve esp on the observation and caring.

Does your son like the new environment?  How many local students are in the class?  How's the time table (roughly) ?  Is there any toilet training in school? Do the students are needed to go to toilet by themselves?  Sorry for asking too many questions.

nicnicchu

zenith,

My maid told me that Ms. Cheung lead the class yesterday.  My boy was ok at the first half of the class as they did singing and dancing.  He even followed teacher's instruction.  In fact, he seldom do that before!!

I think my boy likes the environment as he ran to the classroom himself when they arrived school.  However, he cried for almost 20 minutes during snack time when parents and maids were asked to stay outside the classroom.

Most of the students are chinese, only two are mixed and two are japanese.  They used to let them play for 30 minutes and followed by singing time or art time.  Then it will come the snack time.  Before snack time, all kids need to go to the bathroom to wash hands.  I didn't go with my boy on the second day and just let the teachers did it.  It seems if your kids need to go to toilet at that time, the helpers will help the kids.  

I am not sure if they will have toilet training at school later.  My boy still needs to use diaper and I just requested the teacher to check if his diaper would be too wet frequently.   Actually, I also wish my boy will learn to express his needs of "poo-poo" and "wee-wee" in school.      

woodsoil

Hi, as Kornhill Int'l encourage speaking in English.  Do all the mommy chosen this kingdergarten would like to send your kids to Int'l Primary School?  

zenith

nicnicchu,

It seems that your boy enjoys the school life.  He'll be more independent when he begins to make new friends, and no more crying lar later!  It's good for kids to have friends who speak Cantonese in class.  Same as u, I also wish my girl can express the needs for poo poo and wee wee at that time.

woodsoil,

The reasons I'm planning to send my girl to this nursery (N1) are: (1) It is near my home; (2) to have an exposure for her to meet other kids who come from different countries; (3) and to acquire a better skill in learning English.  I'd like to send her to the local traditional kinders/primary schools instead which have a comparatively higher standard of English, e.g. Sacred Heart, St Paul's Convent, Marymount.  Of course I do think Chinese language including Putonghua is as important as English, and I'll enrol the related course for her later as well.

chan_wingyee

Dear all,

I learn more about Kornhill Int'l at this post, cos' I intend to let my BB to attend Victoria N1 next year as well.  As Victoria is historically having high standards and the children can enrol into good primary schools (傳統名校).  Why not Victoria but Kornhill?  Will you let your child to apply for the traditional kinder e.g. St Paul's, Sacred Heart as well?  Also, are all of you living in Kornhill / TaiKoo?

Thanks
Alice

Mayumi

Hi Alice,

Actually my girl studied at Victoria PN last year and is studying K1 there.  I just heard from my sister that somebody suggested her to let her baby study in Kornhill Int'l and want to check some more info for her.  For the other traditional kinder, I did consider that but choose Victoria finally.  The reason is Victoria can provide a NET in the classes everyday (and the others, like St. Paul, can't) and it's good for the kids to develop their English as a second language I think!  Also, Victoria has a primary school and their kinder student can get into their primary easily I think (From my understanding, there's no more guarantee for Victoria students going into the well-known school any more since the system has changed and they don't have privilege anymore).  I don't want to put my girl's future in the public lucky draw (the gov't random draw).  I heard that Victoria primary is pretty okay.  A lot of subjects are taught by NET except Chinese/Mandarin of course!  School fee is not so high like Int'l school.  That's why I choose Victoria!

chan_wingyee

Mayumi,

Thank you for sharing.  I understand under the current "lucky draw" system, one needs to be lucky enough to get to a good govt/ subsidies primary school.  Even if you move your house, it doesn't guarantee your desired outcome.

Anyway, will you let your child to apply for "private" primary school like St. Paul's Co-ed, St. Paul's Convent, Sacred Heart, and 港大同學會小學 too???  I heard these are pretty good ones.

Alice

Mayumi

Hi Alice,

I will still try my girl's luck through the random draw but planned to let her study in the private one in case we're allotted one that we don't want.  I think most likely I'll let my girl to study in Victoria Primary since I heard from my friend, who's boy is studying there, that the school is pretty okay.  As what I said earlier, their student's English standard is above average in overall (I think that is because most of their subjects are taught by NET).  However, one thing you have to think about is their Chinese standard (I think "writing skills" people mentioned).  People said that Chinese standard of Victoria's students is bad and parents have to try strengthen their kids' Chinese standard.  For me, I think it's easier to help my girl's in Chinese rather than English (especially in spoken).  For St Paul Co-ed, it's hard to enrol and the competition is really high I know.  For St. Paul's Convent, I have no idea.  However, if that's the one that their kinder students can go straight in, it is also a school with all subjects teaching in mother tongue (Cantonese) to my knowledge (I'm not sure whether I'm correct in this info.).  For Sacred Heart and 港大同學會, they're also schools with subject teaching in mother tongue mainly.  That's why I choose Victoria!

nicnicchu

Zenith,

Yes, I think my boy will adapt to the environment very fast.  However, he has been absent for two days lah...because he has 中耳炎 last Friday.  
  He is ok now, and will be able to back to school tomorrow.  Wish he won't cry much tomorrow as he will have to stay 3 hours in the school from this week onward! :wink:

Hi woodsoil,

I don't have the plan to send my boy to international school.  Just like zenith, I picked Kornhill just because it is very close to my place and it's environment is rather ok.   My boy is used to communicate in english with my maid (of course) and my husband, and I speak cantonese to him.  So, I don't think he will have problem when studying in traditional kindergarten.
    

zenith

nicnicchu,

Sorry to hear that your boy is sick, and hope he'll get well very soon.  

The application for the K1 admission of most of the kinders is coming.  Do u have any preference?  Will u consider the "one dragon school" although there're not much for boys on HK side

nicnicchu

Hi zenith,

My boy is ok now and I think he enjoyed his school life very much.  Last night when I back to home, I found his mood was very high and he was so happy.      

I am doing research for kindergarten now.  But I don't intend to find "one dragon" school.  Some of my choices are Ling Liang Church at Causeway Bay, Precious Blood at Happy Valley, SKH at 畢拉山 and Ming Wai at North Point.  Do you have any ideas on these schools?         

zenith

nicnicchu,

u must be v. happy to see your boy enjoying the new school life    

Sorry I don't have much ideas on the kinders you mentioned, but I can share what I heard from my friends...

Ling Liang Church is pretty good as many of the boys went to "Hennessy Road Gov't Primary School" (I'm not sure if the Eng name is correct), and many of them will go to Queen's College then (that's what I heard many years ago).  For SKH, most of the people said its students can get into St Paul's Co-ed.  The school campus of Ming Wai is a bit small and dark.  I hope the above helps.  

If I have a boy, I'll try the Victoria, SKH and Ling Liang Church.

nicnicchu

Zenith,

Thanks for your information.  Actually, I like Ling Liang Church very much as my friend's girl is currently studying there.  She is very happy with her school life.  But it seems competition is very keen.  
    

Which Victoria you want to apply? the one in Kornhill ?       I remembered at one time, I overheard the conversation of two moms.  They said the one in Harbour Height (North Point) is very good esp the english while others are so so only.  I am not sure if there is one Victoria in North Point.

mrsmak1997

Harbour Height is located near 砲臺山 MTR.

zenith

nicnicchu,

Yes ah!  I also heard of Victoria in North Point (HH) is pretty good ah!  

My friend's daughter is also studying in LLC, and she enjoys her school life very much.

nicnicchu

zenith,

I submitted the application form to LLC yesterday lah...   

Do you know if it is difficult to get into Victoria in HH?   

zenith

nicnicchu,

Good luck to your boy!
I learnt from BK moms that it's difficult to get into Victoria in HH as the competition is keen.

zenith

Hi all,

I received a promotion flyer from Kornhill Kinder telling that they're going to have an open day on Sept 11.  Details are as follows:

Date: Sept 11 (Sun)
Time: 9 am - 12 pm / 1 pm - 4 pm

fyi, they also have a "play class" (playgroup) for kids from 1.5 to 2.5 years old.

Play Class (1.5 - 2.5 years old)
School fee: HK$1,280 (8 lessons)
Time: 10:30 am - 12 pm on Saturdays

I'm quite interested in the play class, and I'll pay a visit there in open day to learn more of it.