保良局蔡繼有 vs 優才

father_ho

Dear M&M,

It's true if you intend to change school at the end of P5, you and your kid will face lots of difficulties (ie. how to match between CKY and other school's system and the teaching method). I have no answer but I think there must be a way out. I think no one can forsure the situation to be stable over ten years, what I can do is if I can afford today, why don't let them have a try and have a meaningful childhood rather than continuing my painful experience. I would not say CKY is the only choice, as far as I know, it suit my condition and expectation only.

Thanks,

WYmom

father_ho,

Thanks a lot for your info.  It helps a lot.

M&Mmother,

DSS means Direct Subsidized Schools.

I am considering CKY, Creative vs international schools.  CKY has good Chinese programs and teach other subjects similar to international schools.  But the students are mainly local.  

How about you?

Pang007

Dear M&M Mother,
My son studies P5 at CKY. I have been seeing continuous improvement on his English, Chinese and Maths. My experience is that the school would try to arouse the students' interest in languages, they encourage students to read a lot (of course, the parents need to co-operate as well). They also provide a lot of chances for students to make presentations or/and talk shows so that all of them would not be afraid of speaking in public. This really works, I found the students in my son's class are not afraid of speaking in both English and Mandarin in front of strangers or foreigners.
In terms of Maths, they do not push for drilling the calculations but they do emphasize on Maths concept. This year, CKY has recruited the secondary principal who is an expert on Maths subject, hence, he does contribute a lot to the P5 Maths curriculum, it does make a mark improvement to the P5 Maths standard.
Overall, I would say this is a good school that provides your child every opportunity to improve himself; however, it does not push, it can tolerate a lot. If the parents do not keep a close eye on your child or your child does not have any discipline, he can turn out learning very less.

hkchina2000

CKY & GT 是兩間性質不同的學校, CKY 較接近 International School, 有約20位NET.  學生將來或要去外國讀大學.

GT 較接近活動式的傳統學校, 但英文方面應該比傳統學校好, 因為學校班數不多, 但卻有5至6位NET. 學生將來既可留港, 亦可以出國.

兩間都是小班教學.  有錯請指正.

joanneheungyy

Hi Pang007,

Hope to know more about CKY from you.

My girl will have an interview for P.2 on coming Sat. Any idea how to get prepared?

My other questions are:

1. You've mentioned: need to keep a close eye on the child. Can you elaborate? How often and how close? My girl is studying P.1 in a traditional school, we need to push her everyday for home work, sometimes 4-6 homeworks per day. Over the week-ends, need to study with her for the dictations, tests and exams. I am a bit sick and tied of all these. What about for CKY?

2. For CKY students, is it most likely that they will need to go aboard for U? Meaning their exam results will not be accepted for local U admission, right?

Hope to hear from your the soonest.   

Junior-Fan

Dear CKY parents,

I'm seeking info for the below, pls share:

1/ How is the P1 interview running?
- talk to the kid only?
- talk to the kid and his/her parents?
- talk to a group of kids?
etc..etc...

2/ Any seminar is coming for the parents who are going to apply for next year P1?

Thank you.

CYCmama

Hi joanneheungyy,

Whilst I would like to hear more from Pang007, as a CKY P1 kid's mum, I reckon I can share my thoughts towards the school with you as well.

Generally speaking, the school does deliver what I expect from an ideal school, except the school fee is a bit on the high side.  To me, I would regard it worthwhile because apart from my daughter's gain from the school, I can be free up from the pressure brought about by her homework, exam...  I am a working mummy and seldom be back home before 8:00p.m.  Usually, she can manage to have all her homework done (except those readings that have to be done together with parents) before I am back.  Hence, I just need to have a quick look at them before our playtime.  

CKY has no test nor dictation.  To be exact, their 'tests' or 'dictations' are performed without prior notice to parents nor kids and kids would only perceive it as sort of quiz or challenge.  In fact, I just come to aware of it when her term is about to finish.  

For assessment (i.e. exam in traditional schools), my role would be to set a timetable for her 2 weeks before assessment so that she could make a quick revision over what has been taught by herself each day after she completed her homework.  (Sometimes, I would also doubt if she really revise it since I may/may not test it out afterwards.)  However, during the assessment week, no revision would be scheduled.  She can indulge herself in her reading (for leisure) or playing with kids in the clubhouse in the afternoon time.  No wonder she enjoy assessment so much.

Life is quite easy for me and her.  However, her gain is enormous during this one year time.

Ooops... I am about to miss an appointment.  Perhaps, I would share with you regarding her development tommorrow if time allows.

Besides, I think I must remind you that a notice in the school website has been posted up saying that there would be written assessment for Chinese, English and Maths for new P2 prospectives.  

Good luck to U.

kunggi201

CYCmama 寫道:
Hi joanneheungyy,

Generally speaking, the school does deliver what I expect from an ideal school, except the school fee is a bit on the high side.  

Not only the school fee, but also the expenses of the story books.  My kid, in his first half of P2, has already completed reading two series of chapter books - [1] Magic Tree House and [2] Geronimo Stilton - all together 60 books ($$$$$).  Plus many books from the libruary, he is really a book worm.  He starts reading The Secrets of Droon series now, and I expect he will complete it before the end of the summer. I am bankrupt.

broccoli

Dear Junior Fan,

My son will study in CKY this September and I think I can share my experience with you on the P.1 interview.
1. The first interview was conducted in small group of about 6 kids alone.  They played games in a room together led by the interviewer and then the interviewer asked them questions to recognise the words and tell the wrong things from the picture.  One expatriate teacher asked them some simple questions in English.
2. Some students would then be selected for the second interview.  That time both parents with the kid were invited to attend the interview conducted by the principal and a teacher.  Every time, three pairs of family were in a room to talk to them.  They asked parents for general questions and so did the kids.  

Hope the above info. can help.

kunggi201

M&Mmother 寫道:
Dear kunggi201,

Hi, Could you tell me how much around for the books ? By the way, do you feel it is valuable ?

Magic Tree House
No. 1-28 @ $49.9 each
No. 29-35@ around $110-120 each (forgot the exact)
Geronimo Stilton
No. 1-25@ $49.9 each

So, I spent about $3,000 (after discount) for half year, just the story books. These books are for leisure, not being taught at class.  I know many of my kid’s classmates also brought these two series.

The English standard of these books is not easy for P2 kid in traditional schools.  My kid’s English standard is average in class, but he said he can understand about 90% of the stories.  I trust him because, if he doesn’t understand, he won’t keep reading and reading.

However, the stories are sometimes related and in sequence, so if he skips one book, he could not fully understand the next story.  So, we better not to borrow separate and not-in-sequence books from the libruary. No choice, but buy all.

Yes, it is worth to spend money, when I note that my kid’s reading speed is getting faster and faster, and his English skill has been improving on his own effort.

Sometimes I met other CKY parents at the bookstore, and they always complain – “買書買到窮” – but a kind of “smiling complaint”

CYCmama

Yes, Kunggi201, you are right.  My daughter has started reading these two series, too (but she opts for Chinese version for Geronimo Stilton.  Anyway, I think it is up to her and in fact we can also strike a better balance between her English and Chinese readings).  She is about finish all the Junie B. Jones as well.  

BTW, do your son read the research guide for Magic Tree House series?  It is quite difficult.  My daughter has read one.  At first, she show no interest towards it.  However, after finish reading all the books in the house (those newly bought or borrowed from library), she started reading it, too.  Her comment is 'not as interesting as the storybook' but is still 'acceptable'.  As you said, I really really wonder if she understand it since there are tons of vocabulary and some of scientific theories behind are too complicated for them.

EdT

joanneheungyy 及各位關心孩子將來大學出路的校友家長

雖然我的孩子將來出外升學的機會不小,但是看到很多家長認為這是唯一的出路總有些戚戚然,所以下定決心做了一些粗淺的硏究。由於資料都是respective institution website找來的,相信有相當準確性。

資料顯示,
1.        本港三大世界排名最高的大學都會收本地國際學校學生和外國學生, IB DP和IGCSE亦係主要認受資格。  由於實在沒有時間,所以沒有去其他五大的websites喇,但相信不會拒諸門外。(題外話,CU的website undergrad admission方面做得最好、資料最齊全,HKU次之,UST居末。)
2.        另一重要資料。本地非主流學校學生(即包括國際學校、ESF、CKY、耀中及Victoria等等),只要不需持student visa, 即是大部分CKY學生,都是被classified為non-JUPAS local student。 “local”很重要,因為係無quota既。 JUPAS 同non-JUPAS係同一樣機會入學。這和很多人心目中大學有quota給考IB的學生絕不一樣。
3.        CU website 顯示2005年有大約4-5%新生係non-JUPAS “local” students。  如此推算在有限的國際學校本地學生數目對比數萬高考主流學校學生,入學率並不遜色。HKU 及 UST沒有列出統計資料。
4.        還有,持有IGCSE好成績的同學亦可慿4-8A*成績報拔尖計劃,和考中學會考6A入U一樣。由於高中試的關係,將來只能從IGCSE拔尖,想早一年讀大學的主流學校小朋友可能需要自己另外報考。

結論:放心啦。而且出生率咁低, 將來人人會有五成機會率入大學,怕甚麼!

Sammymother

If you have HSBC's credit card, you can get 50% off of the Magic Tree House Series #29 - 35 at 商務 this week.  But too bad, I've just bought 2 of them from Page One at full price.  You can also get a very good deal (4 for $100) during sale period, normally twice a year.  

Kunggi201, when did your son start reading the MTH series all by himself?  It's the end of the term of P1 and my daughter can only read with my help.  Sometimes she is so lazy that she insists me to read it to her instead.  However, she does like it very much.  For Geronimo Stilton, can you briefly describe what's the story line?  Will that be introduced later in school?  Thanks a lot.

15分

CYCmama,

你個小朋友P幾? 係學校指定讀物定....?

CYCmama 寫道:
Yes, Kunggi201, you are right.  My daughter has started reading these two series, too (but she opts for Chinese version for Geronimo Stilton.  Anyway, I think it is up to her and in fact we can also strike a better balance between her English and Chinese readings).  She is about finish all the Junie B. Jones as well.  

BTW, do your son read the research guide for Magic Tree House series?  It is quite difficult.  My daughter has read one.  At first, she show no interest towards it.  However, after finish reading all the books in the house (those newly bought or borrowed from library), she started reading it, too.  Her comment is 'not as interesting as the storybook' but is still 'acceptable'.  As you said, I really really wonder if she understand it since there are tons of vocabulary and some of scientific theories behind are too complicated for them.

joanneheungyy

Dear CYCmama,
Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts about the homework and assessment at CKY. They help me to better understand how the school life at CKY is like and what the school demands from its students and their parents.


Dear EdT,
I really am impressed with your research work. Your findings and clarifications do help me to understand that studying abroad is not the only way out. My worry is, even though I want my kid to study overseas at the U level, I never know whether I could afford to do so ten years from now. After SARs and the economic downturn after 1997, most people have become more cautious than before.


Dear Kunggi201,
I really admire you guys that your kid could read so well and is so interested in reading. I wish my girl would ask me to buy more readers for her. She could read stage 8 books of Oxford Learning Tree, but only read 1-2 books per semester.


To All CKY Parents,
I deeply admire all of you that your kid is studying at CKY. As compared to traditional schools, I believe this does not only mean a much more enjoyable school life, but also mean a totally different family life. This is because, you don't need to spend 80% of your after-work and your kid's after-school time on homeworks, tests, exams. I tell you, these really kill a lot of family time and fun.
Since my girl started studying P.1 in a traditional school last year, our relation has somehow turned bad. Over 50% of our communication is about homework/test/exam. As my girl is rather active, she doesn't have the initiation to finish her homeworks or studies by herself. After pushing her time and again and again, very often, I become impatient and will blame her and sometimes even beat her (I use to think only uncivilized parents will beat their kids, but you couldn't imagine how mad I have become when she kept delaying her work and even neglected them).  

Enough has said. I do hope that my girl could get good results in the upcoming CKY interview and get admitted. However, I am not so sure why CKY use written test for potential recruits. This is usually a practice of traditional schools but not for schools like CKY.

Another barrier I need to overcome is to convince my husband. He believes traditional schools could help to establish a solid foundation, and therefore worth the effort!!!???