Island Christian Academy ("ICA")

lyhung

Any comments about this school?

lyhung

In particular I would like to know if teachers are caring?

lyhung

Any comment about this new international school? I am considering to send my daughter to their G2 in coming Aug.......

elmostoney

you can search previous comments.  some may be posted under SWCK

jolalee

Heard only good things about ICA. One mom recommended it to me online and said it has fantastic pastoral care.

elizatyy

http://hongkong.geoschools.com/g ... d-christian-academy

elmostoney

兜兜轉轉, 比較完後, 我覺得我真的可以比較中肯地寫一下ICA.

有看過我之前的POST的話, 大家都知我個女由Y1~Y2, 係ICA兩年.  暑假前, 英基通知我地有位, 我地猶豫下, 最後都轉左佢去, 主要係有中學直升, 設施好D, 而且我近我地屋企.  呢間英基reputation都好好.  好幸運, 開學前年老二都有位, 於是將老二轉埋去, 一齊返學.

老大返左一個月, 我覺得佢唔太適應, 於是自動去做parent helper, 希望實地睇下佢上堂情況, 上星期又剛好見家長, 同老師傾完, 自己上堂睇完, 兩日就同老公有共識, 即刻轉返佢去ICA.  

開學兩個幾月後, 我地正式轉返老大去ica, 老二都係英基.  雖然大家都係標榜自由學習, 但結果就好唔同.  ica係一間對孩子好有愛心嘅學校, d小朋友都好友善, 學校好重視德育, 而且成個school community都好warm, 好close, 學術上絕對唔會低過英基, 但係因為一班人數比較少, 老師可以睇得小朋友緊d.

我唔係話esf唔好, 我家老二重係個度, 但係需要多d關懷同愛心, 比較敏感, 又或心散d嘅小朋友, 我覺得ica係一個比較好選擇.  我唔轉返老二, 因為esf有中學, 佢性格冇老大咁脆弱, 專注力都較強, 讀唔同種類學校都應該ok.

ktschan

Is it direct entry from SWCK?

Prettydice

Elmostomey, I personally like small world and ICA.would u pls share how to make your kids enrol to small world? I will submit application. Form next yr. will ICA expand secondary sch?

vivian-chy

回復 elmostoney 的帖子

Elmostoney, 好開心又睇到你嘅post. 其實我兩個小朋友都有報sw, 但只知道一直都是waiting list, 連interview機會都無. 打電話去問, 佢哋都係好客氣咁暗示無乜希望. 如而家入唔到sw, 將來入ica機會就更加渺茫. 但睇到你好似來去自如, 真係好羨慕. 當然, 你仔仔係舊生, 一定有priority. 只是覺得而家好學校真係好少好少, 終於揾到但又入唔到... 有無意見可以share下呢? Thx a lot!

Prettydice

回復 vivian-chy 的帖子

Vivian, y tow of your babies can't enroll small world?whst is her reason?

elmostoney

我入swck冇秘訣, 我家老大係swck最後一年幼稚園下學期插班, just happen 佢地有位. 後來入小一又未有著落, 咁啱佢地開一班Y1, 14人, 我地梗係即刻報啦.  老二入佢地第一年新校Y1, 一來係SIBLING, 二來, 第一年未咁多人知, 所以都好順利.  至於我家老大都唔可以話係來去自如, 其一, 佢係創校第一班學生, 而家計埋佢都係得十個左右, 係而家副校長一手帶大(老大Y1老師, 超好!), 返左兩年, 所以離開兩個月, 對佢影響不大, 唔會有需要再面試; 其二, 因為佢係返Y3, Y3冇收足人, 得十幾人一班, 本來就有位.  據我所知, 今年Y1已爆哂, 一個位都冇剩, 出年Y1都已收哂人. 不過以我所知, 好多人都會留位, 等其他學校覆, 交左留位費, 未必一定來讀, 不竟ica冇中學, 校齡短,  亦有d人讀完y1, 就會轉返出去local school, 又或佢地waitlist其他學校有位咁, 當然亦有expat會relocate, 呢d真係隨時發生, 所以我覺得實會有位, 問題係有幾多人排緊, 特別呢幾年, 學校做開左個名, 好自然會越來越難入.

至於之前我講esf, 我都要講句, 都係我地呢一間, 不竟每一間都有d唔同, 我唔知其他嘅情況, 不過我地呢一間, 據講已非常唔錯, 亞洲人同西人嘅mix幾平均, 學校人數比較少, 已算係好warm同友善, 小朋友都唔算難教, 學術上算幾好 (據聞qbs會要求高d, 因為多本地人), 我家親友中有5人讀過, 都好評, 我只能講, 你必須去ica走一轉先會明.  當然我家老大有著數, 佢係創校班之一, 所以佢個班人數永遠都遍低, 因為學校講明, 唔想為左收足生而收.

mama530

Prettydice 發表於 13-10-31 22:04
Elmostomey, I personally like small world and ICA.would u pls share how to make your kids enrol to s ...

原來而家入 SWCK 如此困難, 相信係因為報讀國際學校人數大增同埋 SWCK 的課程同老師都非常好, 我大仔現在6歲, 回想當年4-5月先報 SWCK, 同年6-7月左右已收到通知入 pm class, 小的龍鳳胎弟妹2年後也很順利的入讀了, 還可以選 am or pm class (因為有 sibling priority).....

話雖如此, SWCK 外國小朋友多, 好多小朋友讀讀下會回國或離開香港, 所以同一年裡面都有好多小朋友進進出出, 希望你好快可以收到學校通知有位啦!

minirat

回復 elmostoney 的帖子

見過你好多posts，都獲益不少。謝謝你一直的分享！你真是一個很用心的媽咪，同埋好俾心機了解自己的小朋友。我只是搞緊一個2歲的已經頭都大埋！

vivian-chy

回復 Prettydice 的帖子

Enrolled last year, still on waiting list. The admin said there's long queue in front if us. No way out, I planned to enrol ica for my elder son next year, just try my luck.

Prettydice

回復 vivian-chy 的帖子

Thanks for the reply!
Vivian , good luck! I think ICA will open more seats later!

其實上年去small world sch visit 已經好impressive. My daughter 係一個好需要encourage, 小班教學的kinder. I saw the kids are all with happy faces.. Which is totally different from local sch. I will apply swck next yr jan coz she will b 2 yrs old in 2014. Finger cross her age and early bird submission can help her to get the seat..

見到佢咁多feedback, I wish my daughter could get in,

vivian-chy

回復 elmostoney 的帖子

之前同husbabd去了swck n ica school tour, 其實已非常喜歡學校環境，亦很認同它的教學理念，看見小朋友都是又開心又專心. 無奈admin說2010年的application超乎想像，相信大仔可在swck插班的機會十分渺茫. 我們亦有報esf, 可否講多些小離開原因. 是因為太大班 (相比ica), 還是個別老師問題? 你只給了學校只兩個月的時間，就好像當年icms. 我正在考慮應否給$500k NR.... 你一直有自己的point of view, 不相信名氣，只相信自己切身感受. Truly appreciate your comments. Thx.

jxwahc

回復 elmostoney 的帖子

Thanks for sharing your experience with ICA. Do you mind me asking some questions? My boy will join Y2 at the school from January and I am curious

- The reader and library books. When I visited school I saw the readers are quite small thin books, which makes me wonder whether they are too easy. My son is at ORT 11-13 right now. Also, the library looks a bit under supplied, or maybe just that day? (the books could be checked out for packing).

- The Chinese level. The kids do get 45 min a day, but what's the highest level?

- Would you get weekly update from the teacher?

Again, I am really impressed by the homey environment, and these are just some minor concerns.

elmostoney

我個女入SWCK, 一星期適應, 上Y1, 第一次返全日, 新老師全新同學, 都係一星期適應.  我見佢係ESF2個月都唔係太開心, 連老師都話佢SETTLE得唔好, what's the point?  物野學校適合自己小朋友, 只有自己先知.  我想搵一間啱佢嘅學校, 而唔係夾梗要佢改變自己去就間學校, 否則我左搵右搵, 所為何事?  我唔係話ICA is a better school than ESF, 但對我個女來講係.  

我地有位ICA同學仔, 讀完上學期後轉左去我地呢間ESF,  我地轉去後重逢, 當時佢已讀完下學期, 正開始Y2上學期.  佢媽媽話讀左成個學期都投入唔到, 早兩日我又見到個媽媽, 佢話就算而家都係好DD, 唔係太好. 但係佢係ICA讀個個學期係超開心, 我重覺得呢個小朋友好開朗好友善, 去到ESF, 點解會冇物朋友, 我都大奇.   AGAIN, 我唔係話ESF唔好, 但唔同小朋友所需唔同.  

elmostoney

至於ESF, 我只能做一個同ICA比較, 同其他我唔敢講:

1.  上堂部份時間分小組, 一般4~5組做野, 老師同TA各睇一組, 另外個幾組, 有家長來就幫手睇, 冇就冇得睇, 自己攪掂. 我做PARENT HELPER, 見到有D小朋友真係好懶散, 有D程度好低, 每組通常得一個認真做野, 有D就做下傾下計, 我覺得都叫OK.  問題係唔做個D, 我叫佢佢都未必聽, 程度低個D, 又未必一定聽我教, 佢地都係最聽老師, 而老師帶緊班, 咁多人, 唔係下下可以兼顧.  呢D程況下, 大班真係輸蝕, 試諗下, 小班, 同樣情況, 老師就算帶緊第二組, 都好容易留意到其他組.  ICA好少要家長去幫手帶班, 可見一斑.

2.  ICA 真係go out of its way to teach the kids good morals, discipline and kindness. ESF都有, 但係我覺得冇ICA咁注重.  我個女而家ICA Y3呢班, 有個外國EXPAT來左, 佢同父母講, 呢度小朋友真係好NICE, 比佢係美國時重FRIENDLY.  我兩個細路最初係ESF playground time, 成日都有返來講其他小朋友點樣推佢地凶佢地 (又唔係去到bullying), 同老師投訴又冇人理, 由於當時我諗住留係到, 只好顧左右而言他. ICA真係冇物呢種情況, 除非老師見唔到, 又冇人講, 如果老師見到, 一定會教小朋友.  當然事情係兩面睇, 你可以話老師隨小朋友自由學習相處之道, 就好似個小社會咁, 視乎你自己或小朋友接受程度.  我最記得我個女有次好唔開心, 話佢玩緊一樣野, 比人叫佢"行開D, 阻住哂" 佢返來好唔開心, 我問佢有冇同老師講, 佢話講都唔會理. 我只好開解佢, 有D野要自己處理.

可能我講到ESF好負面, 對我個女來講係, 我個仔尚可.  睇你自己要求物野, 我有朋友對ESF有超好評, 睇你自己要求係物.  我相信ESF同其他學校比, 應該真係唔錯, 但我有左比較, 就會諗多好多.  我唔係再單單追求歷史, 設施, 穩定, 自由學習, 有經驗老師等.  如果用工廠來比如, ESF係一間大工廠, ICA就係一間半手作工廠.