SWCK, so we can centralise all SWCK moms

josechan

zachmama,

Can you share which primary school your son is attending now? And how would you comment on his chinese ability?

[ 本帖最後由 josechan 於 11-11-16 15:29 編輯 ]

zachmama

He was very lucky - he got into ESF.

However, his Chinese (both Mandarin and Cantonese) is crap - he cannot carry a conversation in Cantonese or Mandarin, only simple phrases.  We have a very big part to blame as we didn't speak that much Chinese at home.  Right now we are working more on it, and I will follow elmostoney's suit in her tuitioning her daughter Chinese.  Frankly, I won't count on SW's Chinese program if you have higher expectations of Chinese standard - afterall it is an English-medium school.  However, the school has a wonderful way of teaching kids, and all of the kids I see there loves to learn Chinese as well other things - they sing or recite poems in Mandarin during xmas and CNY plays, even caucasian kids!!  They are very proud of their ability to be able to do it.  With that backdrop and your other supplementing, kids from SW should be able to achieve a decent level of Chinese.

Btw, ESF's Chinese program is not as bad or slow as we originally thought it would be.  Of couse, it can't be compared with LS, but kids are learning it the happy way.

hope it helps!!

crystalpui

zachmama

very thanks for your reply
could you tell us whether your son is cat1 or cat2?
which ESF he's studing now?
It seems very difficult to get in ESF Primary......

zachmama

Hi Crystalpui.  pls check pm.

crystalpui

大家真係冇講錯真係個個都收左.

elmostoney

早兩日有同學仔生日, 班主任都來左, 真係好感動.  我同幾個媽媽傾過, 其中一個洋人媽媽, 大仔同我阿女一班, 細個兩歲, 佢話 swck小學係佢首選, 佢有好多朋友係esf讀, 但係佢覺得swck教得多d野, 連英文同phonics都教得快d (我有朋友係bradbury讀 year 1, 據我所知, 的確如此, 佢地而家讀12 camera words, swck 已要學成40個), 師生比例低, 所以亦personal同caring好多, 上星期老師同小朋友種左d蕃茄, 香草, 蘿蔔, 佢話係esf 更加唔會有. (有小朋友係esf 讀嘅家長唔好介意, 我都係照repeat佢所講), 我個女上堂已讀默, 如老師講MAD, 要小朋友寫出來, 主要係考phonics, 但係當然唔會有咩野評分, 都係睇小朋友做到物野.  阿女話老師會帶佢地出戶外, 觀察花草樹木.

zachmama

Crystalpui, congratulations!!  So are you going to let your little girl go to SWCK next year?

zachmama

原帖由 elmostoney 於 11-11-20 19:05 發表
早兩日有同學仔生日, 班主任都來左, 真係好感動.  我同幾個媽媽傾過, 其中一個洋人媽媽, 大仔同我阿女一班, 細個兩歲, 佢話 swck小學係佢首選, 佢有好多朋友係esf讀, 但係佢覺得swck教得多d野, 連英文同phonics都教 ...

Hi Elmostoney

Your sharing makes me wanting to get my son into ICA even more!!  I know it's still very early days, but how would you feel about the secondary school entry?  I think I need to consider this before really making a move, as my son was extremely lucky that he got into ESF, and couldn't count on luck always being on our side during the secondary school entry.  Perhaps ICA will have a secondary by then, but just for argument sake, what are your thoughts if there isn't.  Would you mind sharing?

Thanks!!

elmostoney

zachmama, i can't answer about a secondary school.  I know they are planning about it, but it is important that they get the primary up and running first.  

係swck讀, 我覺得父母要係學習上involve多d, 因為真係教得幾快, 除非小朋友個英文底 (phonics and reading)都唔錯,  我之前因為一早預左比阿女入is, 所以只係狂谷中文, 佢中文程度反而match到LS一般幼稚園, 但英文phonics而家就要追返.  佢地而家已讀緊test, club, drum, snap, puff, 呢d字, 一本phonics reader, 我同阿女讀左6日!  真係唔易.  讀左幾日, 老師有單對單要阿女讀返出來, 睇佢得唔得, 唔得就由得我地繼續讀多幾日.  我最初以為會慢慢教, cat, dog咁.  我地要做mathletics, 冇做仲比老師追.  

班主任之前係bradbury教, 佢本身係esf 都教左25年, 佢自己兩個仔都係esf 讀, 佢個人認為, swck提供嘅reading resources (指學拼音同reading)比esf多好多, 亦比較聽老師嘅意見.  所以我諗諗下, 覺得一間新校未必唔好, 睇佢點做. 因為佢地start small, 出年九月應該係5班, 110人, 可以慢慢做好佢, 佢地話就算多人申請, 應該都唔會加班住, run左第一年先.  唔會好似有d學校, 如isf同維小咁, 因為起左個大校舍,就有壓力狂開班, 除左會混亂外, 一時間要搵咁多好老師亦唔易.  今年其實我都覺得我地好好運, 今年會係唯一一年係一班14人, 對我個女catch up英文, 適應小學生活會有好大幫助, 以後都係22人. 而家14人, 仲要係一個老師, 一個assistant返到午飯時段, 另外中文老師每日飯後一節課.  我個女話連小朋友去poo poo, 唔係太識抹, 班主任仲幫佢地抹埋! 如果唔係人少, 點做得到.  要知道雖然係year 1 , 根本好多小朋友都係得四歲幾五歲, 其實都好細.

新校另一個好處係, 佢地唔受好多現有制度制抓, 校長同老師都好有心同齊心, 所以會係能力內挑佢地認為最好嘅方法, 教材比學校.  雖然我地為細仔都報左幾間學校, 未interview, 但係我同老公而家都傾向細仔入埋swck小學.

因為 ica 等緊教署批文先可以正式派入學申請表, 所以佢地而家只係叫人填意向書 (form of interest),我估係想統計下有幾多人會申請入學. 據我所知, 而家已收到 130個家庭form of interest (唔係小朋友, 因為有d家庭可能超過一個適齡小朋友), 仲要未計我阿女呢班year 1, 不過我知道當中有d 香港父母, 打算比小朋友出年入LS一年班, 所以到時會有人走, 但起碼應有一半人留低.  我個人聽阿女同學個媽媽講, 出年ica一開, 佢會將大仔(出年year 3)轉埋來, 而我地阿仔出年就係 year 1.

[ 本帖最後由 elmostoney 於 11-11-21 10:28 編輯 ]

elmostoney

i haven't thought about secondary.  做一日和尚撞一日鐘, 到時先算.  i know many kids go abroad for secondary, especially the ones who want to go on to UK universities (after hk changed the system to 334 and doesn't match with UK's system).  i think a space can be found.  入ICA就有呢個煩惱, 不過我覺得現階段, 以女兒年齡同性格來講, 一間細d同有愛心d嘅學校, 對佢較適合, 長遠對佢學習同性格發展有好處.

Littleho

"5班, 110人" is large as compared with many international schools (CIS, KCIS, GSIS)

crystalpui

zachmama

yes
should be study in SWCK in coming Sep if I haven't loss my job...

Littleho

I think the primary section has large enough student body to stream students into Chinese classes of varying levels.

elmostoney

i think you need to put school fees in perspective as well.  how much does CIS and GSIS cost?  If the fees of NIS and presently at small world is of any indication, 22 kids at around $7000 is quite reasonable compared to ESF 30 kids.  (right now, we pay $6700/month for 14 kids, full day).  I wouldn't claim SWCK/ICA has the "LOWEST" teacher/student ratio, but I think it is quite reasonable, considered the price.  and apparently, many parents are comparing ICA to ESF, not to GSIS and CIS.  So it depends on the type of school you are looking at.  

School culture is of another consideration.  I once considered Victoria Shanghai.  At $8400 this year, although a class is big (30 kids), each has TWO teachers - mandarin and English.  It also has indoor swimming pool, auditorium, art room for pottery and oil painting, etc.  More after school activities to choose from so kids don't have to run around to go to 才藝班.  $8400 vs. $6700 in this case, judging from these facts, I would choose VSA anytime, especially it has a longer history than ICA.  but I think people who pick SWCK and ICA don't solely choose the school based on concrete gains, it's because the school is so LOVING and CARING!  Being a Christian school, it is there to teach kids the right values in life.  I am not a Christian myself, but my husband is.  I think many schools are out there to be kind and nuturing to the kids, encourage them to explore and be creative.  But too often, kids nowadays can only think of themselves.  everything is about me, me, me - being taught to be creative and adventurous is often about forging ahead.  It is all about one's own interest.  I appreciate the fact that a Christian school will attempt to put some moral teachings in their curriculum.  so it depends if this is important to the parents.  CIS is one school that I didn't even apply. Partly I knew it is close to impossible to get in, but mostly because I don't like their culture.  It is all about money and how much money you have.  all my 3 nephews/nieces went there from reception till graduation and I also have friends' whose kids go there now or at some point of time.  Just not the right set of value which I want my kids to have in a school as such.

Littleho

Hi elmostoney,

I actually like school with large number of student enrollment for a particular school year (ie. P1, P2,etc). I brought my son to SWCK school visit. We love the caring environment and school philosophy. My son reacted very positive during the school visit. Thanks for your detailed information about the school.

zachmama

Dear Elmostoney

Thank you very much for your detailed sharing.  I appreciate it very very much.  I agree with you, school culture is a very important factor in deciding the right school for a child.  Like you, we didn't apply to CIS, cos one, we know we couldn't get in, second, even if we could get in, we couldn't afford it, and finally, let's say we won't be happy in that environment.  I also agree with you that there are advantages being in the start up stage of a new school.  There would be flexibility and a drive to make the teaching program better.  I'll continue to watch this space.  We are one of the families which submitted a form of interest and I eagerly await its development.  Mrs Gail and Mrs Tess and their team has been working tirelessly towards giving children a better learning environment, and their courage is to be applauded.

共勉之。

dogeug

Hi Crystalpui,

Congratulations! 想問下你報左名後有無自己去school visit? 定係等學校call 你去visit? 我send左form, 跟住應該點做?

Littleho

I also did not apply for CIS and Cdnis. Their tuition fees doubled those of KCIS, SWCK and ESF. I guess they might have other hidden costs too.