ICS Parents

LeoQuincy

ffma2007,

Thanks for the info.  Some more questions:

1) What are the treatments to these 3 levels?
2) Are we only talking about G1? How about Reception levels and Pre-1?
3) Heard for a long time the Chinese lessons will be intensified.  Any update?

    

lenglengma

SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Tests) are used to test on the aptitudes of a candidate for the purpose of admission to US universities.  All local U.S. students need to take SAT tests to get into universities.  Universities will look at their SAT results and AP scores (if any) to determine whether or not they will be accepted.  U.S. universities also require international students (ESL students or foreign students) to take TOEFL test to determine their English standards.  AP scores are used to determine if the student has already achieved university standards in high school.  AP scores sometimes can be considered as college (university) credits (units).  AP scores range from 1-5.  If your child take AP courses in high school, and have achieved 3 or higher, that means he/she is basically a student with university standards.  ICS provides many different AP courses which give students the chance to achieve a taste of university standards in high school.  ICS AP score in Studio Art is indeed the highest outside of the U.S.  They also provide Calcalus, Physics, Chemistry, Music, Foreign Language, and many other AP courses.

Standford Achievement Tests on the other hand, is not the same as SAT I think.  Standford Achievement Tests are done from P1 through Grade 12 every year to see how students are doing.  The scores are probably used to compared with other school's.  Not all U.S. schools provide Standard Achievement Tests, meaning that they are not required.  However, personally I think it is good to see how my child is doing.  It is nice that ICS has Standford Achievement Test.

tommyzoe

Thanks for lenglengma coming here again and giving us detailed info.

Any paretns knowing more & more about US educational system or issue please feel free to share with us.

lenglengma 寫道:
SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Tests) are used to test on the aptitudes of a candidate for the purpose of admission to US universities.  All local U.S. students need to take SAT tests to get into universities.  Universities will look at their SAT results and AP scores (if any) to determine whether or not they will be accepted.  U.S. universities also require international students (ESL students or foreign students) to take TOEFL test to determine their English standards.  AP scores are used to determine if the student has already achieved university standards in high school.  AP scores sometimes can be considered as college (university) credits (units).  AP scores range from 1-5.  If your child take AP courses in high school, and have achieved 3 or higher, that means he/she is basically a student with university standards.  ICS provides many different AP courses which give students the chance to achieve a taste of university standards in high school.  ICS AP score in Studio Art is indeed the highest outside of the U.S.  They also provide Calcalus, Physics, Chemistry, Music, Foreign Language, and many other AP courses.

Standford Achievement Tests on the other hand, is not the same as SAT I think.  Standford Achievement Tests are done from P1 through Grade 12 every year to see how students are doing.  The scores are probably used to compared with other school's.  Not all U.S. schools provide Standard Achievement Tests, meaning that they are not required.  However, personally I think it is good to see how my child is doing.  It is nice that ICS has Standford Achievement Test.

ffma2007

LeoQuincy,

1. The three levels are divided according to kid's Chinese (Putonghua) ability.  Some kids speak very good Cantonese are still put into the lowest level (with kids speaking Chinese as second language) because they don't speak Putonghua.  Frankly speaking, I don't see many special treatments to these levels.  The only difference is the starting point and the progress.   

2. I was talking about Grade 1.  As I can remember, there was no Chinese in R1 and R2.  I don't know whether it's the same now.  There is chinese in P1 (Pre-elementary one).  Students are taught some simple expressions. e.g.how are you, this is my head, eyes, nose etc.  Pin-yin (b,p,m,f) is not formally taught until Grade 1.

3. Sorry, I don't know.  In fact, they really need to because almost 90% of the students are Chinese.

All in all, don't expect too much for int'l schools' chinese curriculum.  Many parents sent their kids to chinese tutorials after school.

Is your kid in ICS?  :

LeoQuincy

ffma2007,

Thanks for your info!! Do you know if they would just learn to write simplied Chinese?

In fact I had visited the Elementary school and noted from their compositions posted on the bulletin board that their Chinese levels are not that bad.

Yes, my kid will join ICS this August.  Nice to meet all ICS parents here!  

DINGDING250

DINGDING250

HI,

Yes. ICS teach simplied character.  But kids can use the traditional character to do homework. They use singapore text book 小學华文(for Advance level) or austrilia text book 你好 (for Basic level). If your kid speak Candonese, you can find the private tutor teach him Putonghua.   My adopted son in G4. He very enjoy ICS live.

ffma2007

Hi, DINGDING250,

My kid in G1 is already using 小學华文.  However, they just finished Book 1A.  I think they cannot finish Book 1B this year (they received 1B last week).  Will they continue to use book 1B in Grade 2?  If so, their progress will be behind Singaporean schools'!?  So, what level of 小學华文 is G4 students using?

My kid also enjoys ICS life.     

momom

Sorry to distrub you,

When should I apply for the primary 1 for my son born in 2004?  Is it possible to get in a place in primary but not study in ICS kindergarten?

Please advise

momom

LeoQuincy

Can anybody advise what's the purpose of "band instrument rental" in G5? How about other classes? Would there be any lesson on musical instrument?

Thanks.

DINGDING250

Hi, ffma,

G4 using 小學华文 2B this quarter. His teacher is Mrs. Kan.  My kid very like her.  

It is said that ICS will change text book next school year. Do you hear about?  

ffma2007

My kid is also in Mrs Kan's class!  I've heard that they will change the curriculum (so as to raise the standard).  But I don't know the text book will be changed also.    

DINGDING250 寫道:
Hi, ffma,

G4 using 小學华文 2B this quarter. His teacher is Mrs. Kan.  My kid very like her.  

It is said that ICS will change text book next school year. Do you hear about?  

DINGDING250

I am northerner from mainland. So I help to follow my atopted son's  Chinese subject.  I think the Singapore text book uinstil into Singapore culture to 洗腦 .  It is fierce than mainland.

[quote]
ffma2007 寫道:
My kid is also in Mrs Kan's class!  I've heard that they will change the curriculum (so as to raise the standard).  But I don't know the text book will be changed.       

225333

LeoQuincy 寫道:
Can anybody advise what's the purpose of "band instrument rental" in G5? How about other classes? Would there be any lesson on musical instrument?

Thanks.

ICS quite promotes music environment to the students.  Students start from G5 will start to learn musical instrument for Band class (like flute, clarient, sexaphone, drum....).  Each of the students will be assigned (under simple testing and interest concern) to learn one kind of musical instruments.  As those kind of musical instruments are not cheap at all..., thus the school provides the rental instruments in terms for the student to practise in school and at home.  After 1-2 year rental period, students in Middle School will need to buy their own instruments...

For my understanding, there is an introductory practicing class for the musical instruments in every summer program.  Please check if you're interested.  

LeoQuincy

ffma2007

DINGDING250 寫道:
I am northerner from mainland. So I help to follow my atopted son's  Chinese subject.  I think the Singapore text book uinstil into Singapore culture to 洗腦 .  It is fierce than mainland.

I see.
Does your son find the G2 text book very easy (since he's in G4)?  My son always says the G1A text book is very easy.   He can recognize all the words.   I hope, under the new curriculum, they can have more supplementary readings and writings in class so as to consolidate what they've learnt.

Cheerfulmama

ffma2007 寫道:
[quote]
DINGDING250 寫道:
I am northerner from mainland. So I help to follow my atopted son's  Chinese subject.  I think the Singapore text book uinstil into Singapore culture to 洗腦 .  It is fierce than mainland.

I see.
Does your son find the G2 text book very easy (since he's in G4)?  My son always says the G1A text book is very easy.   He can recognize all the words.   I hope, under the new curriculum, they can have more supplementary readings and writings in class so as to consolidate what they've learnt. [/quote]

Does anyone know if the level of that Singapore textbook used by ICS is similar to those used at local schools?  If that is the case,  does it mean that the Chinese level at ICS is roughly 2 years lagging behind the local HK schools?  Thanks for your advice in advance.

ffma2007

Does anyone know if the level of that Singapore textbook used by ICS is similar to those used at local schools?  If that is the case,  does it mean that the Chinese level at ICS is roughly 2 years lagging behind the local HK schools?  Thanks for your advice in advance.

The design of the books are quite different.  S'pore's lays more emphasis on PinYin while the local's has more comprehension exercises and discussions (the usage).  So, merely comparing the text books cannot reflect the real abilities of the students because many of them have private tuitions and family support.   :

DINGDING250

If your son transferred from local school or had private tutor will feel easy for their Mandarin subject. Yes, Singapore text book is quite diference local text book.  Among those diference were the vocabulary. for exsample: taxt（德士Singaproe)(的士�計程車Hongkong)(出租車Mainland）.Plaza(巴刹Singpaore)(廣場Hongkong)　

ffma2007

Hi, Dingding250,

How's your son's Chinese writing? My kid's very good at reading (with Pinyin), but doesn't like writing very much.  Is there a lot of writings in G4?  Shall we ask them to write diary every day?