St.Catherine - negative comment?

Baoma

I have seen a lot of good comments about this kinder in this web site, it seems it is a perfect school. Are there any not-so-good things about it or any areas that need improvement? I want to collect both side of the stories to make sure I can make a right decision for my kid.

Golf

Baoma,

It's very subjective and also there will have good or not so good teacher in the same kinder.  Right?  Soooo... even we will have some chance to face not so good teacher. we will understand or try to see any other way to solve it.

Golf

wailamng

I have a friend who's son is now studying in st.catherine. She said the teachers always complained to her that her son was not up to standard, in particular English, though my friend did not agree with it. In fact, she said other kid's mummies also received such kinds of complaints. My friend thought it was because the teachers wanted to give pressure for the parents so that they would "push" the kids at home. My friend did not like this school and planned to transfer to CCKG instead in K2. She also complained the school site was old. Her son also had mosquito bites after school.

TinaMummy

Dear all

As I understand that CCKG's English standard is higher than St.Catherine.  The teaching mode of CCKG is English and only 42 boys and 42 girls will be accepted each year.  It's very difficult to admit CCKG.   If the kid's English standard cannot reach in St. Catherine I think the kid will be under a great pressure in CCKG.

In my opinion, I think the parents need to evaluate the kid then choose the right school to them.  Don't give your kid too much pressure.

HuiTung

Baoma,

No school is perfect.  Imagine that a school with 5-600 graduates each year, there must be some who are outstanding and some are not so good.  I know some cases that their K2 students' academic standard in Chin, Eng & Maths are pretty low.  But it doesn't mean that the school is not good.  The ability of individual child and parental support are also important.  

The only thing that I don't like is the arrangement of their NETs in each year level.  Only K1 has a NET stationed in each class.  There is no NET stationed in the class in K2 & K3 except English lesson (30 mins a day?) but still charges $3xxx for the school fee.  Whether it is worth the money depends on your value system.

Baoma

Thank you all parents who commented. Actually I was not really focused on the academic ability of the school when I asked about comments. I was more interested in things like whether the teacher is kind and respondible, good communications between teachers, school and parents, can teacher and the curriculum provide good stimulation to a kid, can they take care of each child based on his or her own development..etc. The campus being a bit old is also my concern.

Baoma

Is it really about 600 students in every year?? that is a lot! I kept hearing a lot of parents said this school give your kid a better chance to get a place in famous primiary schools, it this true? why? it is becuase of the reputation only, or can the school really develop the confidence and knowledge of a child that is essential during an interview?

Justin2002

If there are 5-600 graduates each year, no wonder the successful rate of entering into those famous schools is 'higher' than others!

Also, I believe St. Catherine chooses those children who have parents/brothers or sisters who had studied or are now studying in those famous schools so that to push up the rate. [This is exactly what my husband and I dislike most about this school and it seems just too commercial!]

HuiTung

For the number of graduates each year, you may refer to the "Kindergarten Profiles" compiled by HKed City.  

About primary school, I tell my personal case to you.  My kid was accepted by this school for the coming school year.  During the interview, he was so scared that he sat on my thigh for the whole process no matter how hard I tried to ask him to sit on the chair.  If you were the interviewer, would you consider this kid even he could answer most of the questions?  At least it would give a bad impression to you, right?  The only reason I could explain is that my hubby is an old boy of a DSS on HK Island.  This school is the only school which needs us to provide parents' primary & secondary schools in the application form.  Why they need these info.?  To anticipate their students' results in the primary allocation/application?

Of course, there should be students from this school who are smart enough to get into famous primary schools, but who knows the exact percentage?  How many of them whose parents are old boy or girl of such schools?  Anyway, this is still a good kindergarten.   

ChristyBBmama

I have different opinion with Hui Tung. I think that the interview arrangement of St cat is much better than that of many other kg like MS (just an example). At least, they allow the parent's acompany during the interview. Most of the kids lose their chance just because they don't want to leave their mummy. I don't think that kg is a good kg if they just accept a kid who is independent and cannot answer the question but reject those kids who sit on their mummy's lap. I know that St cat also emphasise on the parent-child relationship. For my case, my husband and I are not old boy or girl of any famous p school. I 'm a working mum. My daughter didn't the question promptly but after I repeat the question again. She just use her finger to point at the correct picture and take it to the teacher's hand but she did it correctly. She was willing to answer one question only at the end of the interview and say byebye to the teacher. Of course, she was accepted and I choose it instead of Mensang. This is just my own case for sharing.
:  :  :

wailamng

Dear Tinamummy,

I thought you might misunderstand what i wrote.

My friend said there isn't any problem for her son's English standard. I don't wonder why because my friend is a british-born Chinese and her husband is 喇沙 graduate. They use English as their daily communication language. As my friend said might be, the teachers just want to give negative comment her son so as to push the mummy to be "hardworking" at home and to train up her son in dictation and writing etc. more intensively.

WYmom

SC is very famous, but I feel that it is like a factory producing 700 graduates a year.  The campus is very crowded, classrooms are relatively small for 30 kids a class.  Teachers will like kids who are more disciplined, and also expect parents to help a lot to keep up the kids' English standard, many kids attend extra English classes outside the school.  So the kids can speak English well even there are only 20 mins. English in K2 and K3.

SC has very systematic syllabus and qualified teachers, but some teachers have worked for many years and they will not be so enthusiastic any more in caring every kid.  This does not mean that they are not nice, but just don't expect them to be very caring on all kids as they really need to take care of a lot of kids at the same time.

This is just my personal observation after a thorough visit to the school.

TinaMummy

Hi wailamng

I am sorry that I misunderstand your message because you did not mention your friend's kid has no problem in English.

Hi WYmom

I had an interview with my daughter in SC last Nov 04 and I saw the classroom when I pass through the corridor.  It's really crowded if 30 kids a class???  Any SC parents can prove ???

hart

It's really crowded if 30 kids a class??? Any SC parents can prove ???

I read in another thread that the no. of children also depends on the size of the classroom.  My cousin's daughter is going to K1 there and she said there're about 20 kids in a class but I've also seen some parent say that there're 30 in their class as the room is bigger.

This school is the only school which needs us to provide parents' primary & secondary schools in the application form. Why they need these info.? To anticipate their students' results in the primary allocation/application?

I also felt it was ridiculous requiring parents to provide info about which primary school they went to.  Anyway I completed the form.  Both of us didn't graduate from famous schools and my daughter didn't answer all the questions right but she got a place in the a.m. session.

I think if the interview arrangement of St cat is much better than that of many other kg

I agree that their interview arrangement was good, quite organized and the waiting time was relatively short, compared with e.g. TAYSF.  However, from the registration experience, they have a lot of instructions to follow and the parents have to be really organized to be able to prepare all those forms, cheques, etc. in the perfect order for registration.  In seems to me that there are lots of instructions to follow and pretty complicated too.  Wonder if daily communication is the same when school starts.

TinaMummy

引文:
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This school is the only school which needs us to provide parents' primary & secondary schools in the application form. Why they need these info.? To anticipate their students' results in the primary allocation/application?
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Totally agree with your comment...."To anticipate their students' results in the primary allocation/ application?"

The school can make sure the student rate for entering DBS, DGS, 喇沙, etc.  So they can keep the school reputation.

I have some questions when I see your your comment :-

1)  Whatever kinder they study, the old boy's kid must enter to those famous primary school directly.

2)  According to parents history, the teacher knew already which kids can enter to DBS, DGS or 喇沙, right ?

3)  The parents who are not old boys still expect their kids have a higher change to the famous school if their kids study in SC ?  Of course have exceptional, right ?

Thank you for baby-kingdom, you let us have chance to know more, discuss & communicate any topic here.  不再是閉門造車

twyam

Dear TinaMummy,

For your point #1, I guess it definitely has advantage for those kids entering into famous 私小.

For your point #2, it really depends.

For your point #3, do you mean that for those being accepted by SC, the teachers have already screened that they have "potential" to be accepted by famous 私小 in the future?  If yes, these kids already are targetted by SC.

twyam

HuiTung

TinaMummy 寫道:
1)  Whatever kinder they study, the old boy's kid must enter to those famous primary school directly.

2)  According to parents history, the teacher knew already which kids can enter to DBS, DGS or 喇沙, right ?

3)  The parents who are not old boys still expect their kids have a higher change to the famous school if their kids study in SC ?  Of course have exceptional, right ?

1) Why not?
2) At least at the primary stage.
3) It is still worth to try.

TinaMummy

Dear twyam & HuiTung

(For point #3) ~ Yes, I mean SC is a wise kinder.  They target all potential kids by the application form.

Do you think the school supports kids to famous school or .........school reputation supports by the those old boys (parents) or....... ????

Just joking, please don't serious to think the above question  :

HuiTung

TinaMummy,

To take 50 students out of 600 would be enough to do these la ~~~~      

ChristyBBmama

WYmom 寫道:
SC has very systematic syllabus and qualified teachers, but some teachers have worked for many years and they will not be so enthusiastic any more in caring every kid.  This does not mean that they are not nice, but just don't expect them to be very caring on all kids as they really need to take care of a lot of kids at the same time.

I think it is not fair to these experienced teachers. At least, my daughter's teacher, with 10+ year experience in SC, is very caring and use a very effective way to teach.

Personally, I think that SC is a good kg but it did require good parent support. If u want your child to be free and not really want to learn too many things in kg. I adivise u not to choose SC. There are many other good kg in HK. Just my personal advice.