Think International School

so.san

Yesterday was the first day of school (Think MOS). There were 24 children in one class! Do you think the class size is a bit too large for K2?

Are we demanding too much? What do other parents think?

maria_lai

leshita, rdc888 and 小奇媽媽,

Thx for all your replies and support.  I'm living in Ma On Shan now and will move to MeiFoo next year which is near to my mother.  my son is now being taken care by my mother (we're the weekend parent).  If then, we can see each other more on weekdays.


leshita,
I have the same requirement as you, that's why I don't want to find the 'estate kindergarten'.  I think it's no harm to let our children learn and try more.  We just give our best to them as we can.


rdc888,
I'll apply the Think in MeiFoo soon.  I'm happy to know the principal and teachers are all nice.


小奇媽媽,
Your son is so great that he didn't cry in the first day.  


Thx again!!

小奇媽媽

rdc888,siuming,

When I visited Think Mei Fu last year, they told me that they had English session every day for 2-year-old class. That's why I choose them instead of other local good nuseries. Now they tell me English sessions are only available two days a week becasue the teacher who is newly recruited from UK has to go to MOS campsite on the other three days.  I am very disappointed.

mummies at other campsites ,

Does your kid have English session every day at nusery?

P.S
And their school bus service is really terrible.
The first day, 45min late in the morning, 30min late on the return trip;
2nd day: 30min late in the morning, one and a half hours late for home;
3rd day:30min late for school, 40min late for home;


This is because the  Mei Fu School bus needs to take students to Kowloon Tong first before picking up students to Meifu. And the principal still consider this is OK. She addresses the problem by switching the schoolbus to a small one only. But the problem is the route instead of the bus size. This principal is really something.

I am just so disappointed with the school!!!!!

BBMMUMMY

Dear 小奇媽媽,

Concerning the english teacher, my son class (when he was in LN last year) did have similar problem.  No english teacher was in class in the first few months until around Nov/Dec.  The principle explained that as kids may afraid of going to school if there was someone who cannot communicate well.   The kids may even get worse, especially in the first month.  I noted that an english teacher was assigned to his class through out the week after the transition period.

Of course, she also mentioned that she had difficulties of employing native english teachers as the demand for native english teacher is very high in themarket.  I do notice that nearly all kindergarten have 1 to 2 native english teachers.

You are better to talk to the principle to understand their planning.

BBMMUMMY

小奇媽媽

Dear BBmummy,

You are so lucky to have an English teacher throughout the week after transition period. According to the teacher in Meifu, the practice (englsih session two days a week) will prevail for the whole year unless they can have two more nusery classes in January. Btw, which campsite does your kid go to ?

Do you think it's useful talking to the headmaster ? It's her decision after all. It seems to me she is more like a businesswoman than an educationist.

maria_lai

小奇媽媽,

I'm going to let my son join nursery in Jan/Feb05.  After reading your case, it really makes me a little bit worry.

The school bus was late more than 30mins?  How can they do that?  So you just stood on the street with your kid and waited?  Where do you live?

BBMMUMMY

Dear 小奇媽媽,

I'm in Laguna City Branch.  They had four groups of students in LN in a very big classroom last year.  Each group have about 10-12 students.  They all share the same english teacher.   I think your class should be much smaller.

Anyway, he was lucky to have a very good chinese teacher and he was very happy last year.

BBMMUMMY

leshita

Dear 小奇媽媽,BBMMUMMY

我係〔馬鞍山〕分校，就我所知，我相信女女(LN)係共用一個英文老師的，當中文老師係度時，英文個個唔係度；英文係度時，中文個個又唔係度咁．　有時我放假，去〔莊〕下佢上堂，有時見到２個一齊係度（個時係玩緊玩具時間�茶點時間）．當然，我都係偶然〔莊〕下，因為都好odd的．學校入面係會見到有人係度〔莊莊下〕，所以都唔想做咁多黎啲野．

小奇媽媽

Dear all,

The principal clarified that an English teacher will be assigned to Meifu five days a week starting from January. This is not the best solution, but better than nothing.

Maria_Lai,

Thanks for your concern. Today the school bus is only five minutes late which is acceptable. I hope last week's chaos has finished for good.

maria_lai

小奇媽媽,

It's good to know they have improvement.  Regarding to the English teacher, I think they don't have one for whole now due to not many students.  How many class/students now?

I understand why you're disappointed with the English teacher arrangement 'coz it's different to your expectation (according to what they said before).  Anyway, it's good that they'll have one soon.  Don't be so unhappy.  The most important thing is your kid is happy at there.

Where do you live?

I'll apply N1 for my son soon and hope he can 插班 in Jan05.  Not sure if he can be allocated in the morning class.

so.san

leshita,

我同你一樣, 間唔中都有呢個舉動: 去莊莊下, 不過我個仔個班房比較難莊....佢上午讀LK, 下午讀Deer. 在Think兩年, 感覺佢地D老師成日換人 (中, 英都試過), 相信其他家長也有同感. 今次英文老師從new zealand來的, 睇下又點.........

小奇媽媽

maria_lai,

So far there are 22 students ( a.m. class) divided into two classes. I live in Tai Kok Tsui.

maria_lai

小奇媽媽

thx for your info.  

rdc888

Dear moms,

The principal of Think called me yesterday said that there will be an Native English teacher stationed at the school (Nob Hill) every Tue and Thur starting from Oct.  There will be one station all the time starting from Jan 05.

rdc888

maria_lai

rdc888 and 小奇媽媽,

is that mean there'll be two teachers in each class?  one cantonese and one english?

Siuming

Dear rdc888,

I also got a call from the principal yesterday about the english teacher arrangments.  I really disappointed what she said.  When I joined the orienation day, she clearlly mentioned that the english teacher will join after a kind of transitional period.  But now, just tuesday and Thursday.

And even she said that during these two days, both
the Chinese and English teachers will be attending to the class, but I 'm afraid that once my daugher rely on the Chinese teacher, she 'll always approach to chinese teacher for help, and ignore the english teacher.

Is totally different with what I understand. My impression is that the english and chinese teacher should have lesson seperately.

Really disappointed meifo arrangement !!!!
If there arrangement is so bad,  such high
school fee is didn't worth.

Siuming

leshita

我打電話去了解過，只針對〔馬鞍山〕．

頭一個月〔適應期〕無英文老師．

十月起逢星期一�三�五有英文老師．因為老師未到，所以要同美孚共用一個．到十二月到為止，之後會五日都有英文老師．

十月起的安排：由於二�四無英文堂，所以，逢一�三�五的英文堂時間會加長，以補返無左個２日個個時段．話唔會令我地〔蝕〕左wor．
類似係由原本的每日半個鐘，變成個３堂為４５分鐘左右．

個英文老師係唔會同個中文老師一齊上堂的．因為佢地話如果英文堂個時個中文老師係度的話，個小朋友會分心同埋會依賴左個中文老師，所以２個老師會獨立分開上堂的．

不過，茶點的時段同埋玩玩具的時段就有可能２個老師都係度，因為我見過．

之前我女女讀LN時就係咁，一個老師一個時段，茶點的時段同埋玩玩具的時段就有２個老師．

maria_lai

Siuming,

I know Victoria (Bachelor) has two teachers and one assistant.  They have 2x students and are divided into three groups.  The Chinese teacher teaches group A, the English teacher teaches group B, and the assistant takes care of group C.  Then, they'll take turn to teach or take care the other two groups.  It means all three groups see all three teachers/assistant daily, but the students will not see three of them together unless playtime or tea-time.

Btw, I think your kid will be okay with the new arrangement soon.  Don't worry too much.  Hope everything is fine and smooth soon, and you'll have confidence with this school again.

rdc888

Siuming,
Like Lesita said.  MOS and MF will share one English teacher from Oct to Dec 04.  I didnt go to the orientation as I am out of town.

Your kid join any other playgroup before joining Think??  If yes,  they are always English orient.  Therefore there will no problem for them to tune the channels.  One of the question is that, why MOS have 3 days and MF only got 2 days??  I will call Think again to clarify.   

Don't be too worry.  Will let you know later.

rdc888

rdc888

Dear moms,

I have called the principal to check why MOS got 3 days and only 2 days for MF.  The principal told that since MOS have more classes and need more time for the English teacher.

Anyway, the English teacher will station at MF for two whole days from Oct 04 until end Dec 04.  A full time English teacher will station five days starting from Jan 05.

rdc888