CAIS vs ICS (Int'l Christian School)

kunzite01

CAIS vs ICS

Any parents can share their experience of having kids in these 2 christian schools:

Just knowing that:
CAIS - canadian curr, while ICS : Amer
CAIS: no debenture, while ICS: 190,000 depreciation
CAIS: small campus, will move to Lai Chi Kok in 2014-15, while bigger and new campus for ICS

but I wish to know more about their

• academic achievement
• discipline
• will that be too strong in christian belief
• will kids be happy in studying there, love going to school?
• workload of homework?

I wish my child can grow up under a happy learning environment and enjoy going to school.

Thanks for parents sharing their practical experience for my consideration.

workmama

Without any financial concern, ICS will be definitely perfect choice.  But for the balance between quality of school and financial, CAIS will be a good choice... CAIS students are nice and polite while my kid go to school for interview and notice this.  Adm. staffs are nice, headmaster is polite and CAIS give us a very good impression.  For the campus, a little bit old and small, but it has a development to a bigger campus in the future, so this should be ok.

erida

Could some helpful parents please devote some comments or information on this topic?

I'm also considering between CAIS and ICS. Definitely both are good in terms of students' discipline and biblical education. Both of them are genuine Christian schools with daily devotion and biblical inputs to students in all aspects.

According to my friend, academic results from ICS is better in general as their GPA scores are higher than those from CAIS. However, ICS maybe quite pushy on academic performance and the councellor can only point out students' problems but not solve with them. This may discourage students in the end. More ICS students take after-school tuition classes but not for CAIS's. The studying environment of ICS is keen.

During interview, I felt CAIS's staff were more sincere and caring. Vice Headmistress met us individually and then Headmaster greeted us (we're waiting outside his room) and answered lots of questions. Teachers-students relationship are close.

My consideration is, I like ICS's academic standard guarantee, as well as it's hgiher standard in Chinese language (one of the highest in HK among all IS), and it is prestigious in IS, but I believe CAIS can provide better caring and inner development to kids with closer workout among kids-teachers-parents.

I need to pay deposit to CAIS by this Friday. Hope I can receive results from ICS by that day. All in all, both schools should be good to my kid.

InitialD

Please advise the chinese standard of CAIS when compare to ESF or SIS?

原帖由 erida 於 10-1-26 14:09 發表
Could some helpful parents please devote some comments or information on this topic?

I'm also considering between CAIS and ICS. Definitely both are good in terms of students' discipline and biblical  ...

kunzite01

Yes, your sharing and observation is quite simliar to mine.  I've already paid the deposit for CAIS and is now waiting for the result of ICS (should be notified by the end of this week), right?!

Since my son is now at local school, which I believe that CAIS would be an easier transition for him since CAIS is small, more caring for students, and all K3 students are new to the school.  But for those pre-grade 1 at ICS, the majority is from their KG, so at least this group of students would be more proficient in Eng than my son.  This is also my worry about his transition esp at the start, I don't want to discourage my son in learning.   I also heard that ICS is recently more pushy in acad since they wish to raise their status.  Is that true?

Of course, I believe that ICS surely has a better environment, new campus, more resources (since we need to pay debentures..).  Quite a dilemma.  But of course, it might be too much a worry since the competition for entering ICS is extremely keen.  May be even no offer for my son...

Anyway, pls tell me if you got any info/news from ICS.

Thanks,

原帖由 erida 於 10-1-26 14:09 發表
Could some helpful parents please devote some comments or information on this topic?

I'm also considering between CAIS and ICS. Definitely both are good in terms of students' discipline and biblical  ...

hoeve

May I know more about the chinese standard of ICS. Why you said that it is one of the best among all IS? can you tell me more.

原帖由 erida 於 10-1-26 14:09 發表
Could some helpful parents please devote some comments or information on this topic?

I'm also considering between CAIS and ICS. Definitely both are good in terms of students' discipline and biblical  ...

[ 本帖最後由 hoeve 於 10-1-27 12:37 編輯 ]

erida

Hi InitalD

my info about the Chinese Standard came from my son's school PTH teacher. i don't think the comparison include SIS (btw, is it "Singapore IS"?) coz they seldom have graduates to HK side.

what i understand is, according to my sch visit at ICS, students can compose a 1-page passage in simplified Chinese in G5 or 6, which is acceptable to me. and PTH teacher said ICS is eager to put effort and resources on improving their Chinese standard. that's what i know so far.

A school visit definitely can help us know more about our target IS. Hope the above info are useful to u.

原帖由 InitialD 於 10-1-26 14:30 發表
Please advise the chinese standard of CAIS when compare to ESF or SIS?

buu0605

I'm also interested in ICS so my husband joined the school visit last year.  He was told that there is only 1 hour putonghua/Chinese class per week so we think the Chinese language teaching is not one of their 'priorities', like many IS (e.g. ESF).  Anyone knows the current situation?

原帖由 erida 於 10-1-27 13:31 發表
Hi InitalD

my info about the Chinese Standard came from my son's school PTH teacher. i don't think the comparison include SIS (btw, is it "Singapore IS"?) coz they seldom have graduates to HK side.
...

hoeve

I think ICS is puting more effort on Chinese teaching. from next year ICS kinder will have Chinese (don't know about detail). Hope Elementary will have more Chinese teaching too.

erida

just called the administrator of ICS. my son failed on the assessment. so we'll just stick to CAIS. wish the others good luck!

workmama

I think my kid also failed,... because i did not receive any call from ICS, i think the success chance is small...

kunzite01

Any one got the offer already?

原帖由 workmama 於 10-1-28 15:40 發表
I think my kid also failed,... because i did not receive any call from ICS, i think the success chance is small...

erida

The administrator said they'll release the result on Friday (maybe via phone or mail). coz I have to pay deposit by Friday, so i called her today and got the result. u all still have chances! She said there're around 75-76 seats for P.1 and around 50 from ICS kinder but ICS kinder also have to go through the test. I think they select those with highest scores and put the remaining qualified ones to waiting list.

Good luck to u all!

workmama

Any one receive acceptance call / mail ?

tamm

I have just received the acceptance email!

workmama

原帖由 tamm 於 10-1-29 18:27 發表
I have just received the acceptance email!

Me too, accepted.

workmama

tamm,

Is your kid ICS kindergarten student ?

bakusensei

原帖由 workmama 於 10-1-29 20:45 發表


Me too, accepted.

cong! workmama and tamm :)

cchan0311

Congratulations too!  Are your kids from ICS kinder?

原帖由 bakusensei 於 10-1-29 22:54 發表


cong! workmama and tamm :)

workmama

原帖由 cchan0311 於 10-1-30 00:20 發表
Congratulations too!  Are your kids from ICS kinder?

No, my kid is outsider.