ESF (Tsing Yi) K1 inteview

jolalee

菠蘿媽媽 發表於 13-1-24 10:41
It's similar to some "happy learning" kindergarten interview pattern… that's good for patents and k ...

Unfortunately, I found that my son performs better with the sit down Q&A type interview instead. For the playgroup interview style (that's how i'd describe it), it's a bit too free and my son tend to lose interest a bit too quickly (especially story-reading). I just hope that for tmr it'll be all playing and singing without the additional 'structures' described above... Fingers crossed....

FattyDaddy

jolalee 發表於 13-1-24 19:11
Unfortunately, I found that my son performs better with the sit down Q&A type interview instead ...

Don't worry about the "performance". You know why ESF call it a "play visit" and not an interview? It is because it really isn't an interview, you and your child just need to be your true selves and play together as in routine daily life.

I know many "famous" kindergartens expect children to perform amazing feats and give witty answers, perhaps in return for a "好叻渦" comment like that stupid milk powder advert on TV, no, ESF is not looking for that kind of "performance", they are just looking for ordinary children who understand English, not circus monkeys who know many tricks {:1_1:}

jolalee

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The problem is that although my son's first language is English, he will know Cantonese soon enough (i shall start teaching him Chinese in a few months). Would that demote him into a Cat 2 candidate for P1 interview in the future? It's sorta useless to go to an ESF kindie but ends up in Cat 2 for P1 entry. Given the competition is getting more and more fierce for ESF, i don't see the point in getting priority if he ends up in Cat 2...

FattyDaddy

jolalee 發表於 13-1-24 21:29
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The problem is that although my son's first language is English, he will know Cantonese soon enough (i shall start teaching him Chinese in a few months) ...

To be honest with you, that will put your son in Cat 2 and he will be at a disadvantaged position when it comes to applying for ESF primary schools in 2 years time. You can teach him Mandarin instead of Cantonese though, and that will keep him in Cat 1. Contrary to what many people believe, ESF does not discourage Chinese learning, just Cantonese, and they teach Mandarin in their kindergartens too, albeit not to a high standard, but then if good Chinese language capability is what one is after then ESF schools aren't exactly the right path anyway.

Also, one mustn't overlook the fact that there are 2 ESF PIS schools, namely Renaissance and Discovery College who don't categorize applicants into Cat 1 and 2, and from what I have gathered from various sources, around 80% to 90% of ESF kindergarten kids do proceed to ESF primary schools (including the 2 PIS schools), and that rate is almost as good as many so called "dragon" through-train schools.

keiasahi

May I know where are you living? NT or KLN？Because I am thinking which ESF kinder, I should apply...thx

jolalee

Play visit completed :) Honestly this was the easiest 'interview' ever. If all they looked for was parent and child communicating in English, then i think we're alright... fingers crossed. They didn't even have circle time/singing/reading at all. Just pure playing for the full half-hour. Maybe it's because my son is in the youngest group? (November born).

FattyDaddy thank you for your tips. I tried to get my son to play in various stations, but he went to ask the teacher for airplanes and trains (and got them), and then he was unwilling to part with them until the very end. Fortunately there were some legos beside us, so i was able to make tunnels and buildings with them so we never ran out of topics.

Results will be back the week of Feb 4. Hope others did okay as well.

FattyDaddy

jolalee 發表於 13-1-26 05:51
Play visit completed :) Honestly this was the easiest 'interview' ever. ...

Yep, thats what I told you, it really isn't an interview {:1_1:}{:1_1:}

Your son did well, and I think his chances are good, hope you'll receive good news on 4/Feb.

菠蘿媽媽

Same to you, the play vist was very simple and smooth. My daughter just keep playing around. Luckily when we were building a horse (that's my daughter's favorite), the teacher came by. Then my daughter can have response actively… haha
Now is time to wait!

菠蘿媽媽

I live in west kln, so i applied TY campus!

jolalee

Good luck Pineapple mom! Perhaps our kids will become classmates! (Fingers crossed). We live in Tung Chung, and one of my target Primary is Discovery College. Thanks for your info FattyDaddy about DC being a PIS and do not separate kids into Cat 1 & 2. I don't think i'd give up teaching my child Cantonese because he need to communicate with his grandparents, and i shall live by my decision.

Sounds like ESF is all about fun. Hey everyone, do you think it'd be okay to add another kindie for our child which is more rigorous in teaching? Would that be too much for a young child? I think it would, but given they just play there, do you think that's possible without wearing the kids out?

Shrimpiggy

Are you gals in 2pm session yesterday? we were there with our girl in the blue group.
in fact the interview was not too short compare with SC, hkpreschool, those took around 10mins only.

FattyDaddy

jolalee 發表於 13-1-26 17:53
do you think it'd be okay to add another kindie for our child which is more rigorous in teaching? ...

You mean studying in 2 kindergartens one in the morning and another in the afternoon?

Not sure how many would do that but have seen at least one such case. The kid finished at ESF kindergarten, then the helper took him to the mall to have a quick lunch, changed him into another uniform, and then off they went to attend another school in the afternoon. What struck me was the kid looked so tired and disinterested! He was a K2 student and so had probably been doing this routine for over a year.

jolalee

Shrimpiggy: My son was in the 4pm session, also in the blue (youngest) group. There was an Indian boy, a Korean girl and 1 or 2 mainland kids along with the regular overseas Chinese & Caucasian kids.

FattyDaddy: Yeah, that's what i'm worrying about. Although ESF is all play, i really don't want to over do it and quench the interest for school out of my kid. So far he likes school a lot. Decisions decisions... (oh well, i'll worry about it when we really have more then 1 offer )

菠蘿媽媽

I was in 11:00 morning session snd slso in blue group :)

Shrimpiggy

I would like to double check if this campus has totally 16 classes of K1?  (8 AM classes,8pm classes). how many floors are there?

FattyDaddy

Shrimpiggy 發表於 13-1-27 20:53
I would like to double check if this campus has totally 16 classes of K1?  (8 AM classes,8pm classes ...

There are 2 floors, K1 upstairs and K2 downstairs. 4 classes of K1 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon, so a total of 8 K1 classes, not 16.

Similar to K1, there are 8 K2 classes (AM + PM), so if you add all the K1 and K2 classes together, then you would get 16.

Around 22 children per class, so a total of approximately 350 children for the entire school.

jolalee

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Thank you again, FattyDaddy. Just wondering, are your kids in ESF? You know so much about it!! Do share about your personal experience about it! Would love to know more.

Shrimpiggy

fattydaddy, thank you.
I ask this question is because the leaflets they distributed on last Friday wrote "88am, 88pm" that's why we are confused.

FattyDaddy

Jolalee, yes my child is studying there, what I posted are my personal experiences.

Shrimpiggy, I guess what they meant by "88am, 88pm" is there are 88 K1 children (4 classes of 22 each) in the AM session and another 88 K1 children in the PM session.

Shrimpiggy

Fatty daddy,  thank you and your explanation make sense!