ISF foundation year 180個位，難入嗎？

ikerberg

since when has this forum become:
- NOT a platform of helping each other?
- a stage to show colors and fight against each other?
- an altar of picking up / magnifying trivial errors?
- a circus to demonstrate who and who are the universe's centre?
oh moms and dads.....soverysad

shadeslayer

原帖由 tingtingting 於 14-09-24 發表
Why bother to revive a thread that has been subjected to abuse by irrational ISF haters?

Anyhow, ha ...

For some reasons, the school seems to be a flame war magnet around here.  

I don't think the name "International School" is very important.  But when I give it some thoughts, I am not convinced we should determine the "international-ness" of a school by measuring their students.  IMO, International School is characterized by offering education typical of a foreign country in Hong Kong.  For example, I don't think anyone would dispute AIS, FIS are International Schools. We call them IS for many many years in HK not because they offer balanced Eastern and Western education, it is because they offer American and French education respectively (adapted to local needs slightly) in HK.

What is important to me is the education philosophy and the execution of that philosophy by the school.  Not the name of a school. Does the name international school alone makes me feel better? No.

Anyone can disagree with me on the above definition.  However, it is harder for someone to disagree the notion that we should look at the education being offered to the students instead of whether students like Plato and ancient Chinese culture simultaneously.

Don't get me wrong, I am not a ISF hater. I think ISF is a innovative school, trying to strike a balance between the East and the West, which HK needs more of.

fatcni

May I call back parents whose kids are studying at ISF?!
Knowing isf is a Chinese local school, wonder if the students' English level is good?!
Heard from friends that ISF is a very gd school but never heard of any bad things, any comment? Just wanna study the school in both Gd and bad sides.
My worry is, ISF is quite young n offered IB since 2010. Wonder for its consistency and competitiveness. What's the way teachers teach? Spoon feeding? Inspiring? Since my daughter got 1B stage interview for reception year, gotta think n study more about this school beforehand. Thx!

Jane1983

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好吾好係好主觀，話人地小朋友讀緊的學校吾好，難免有冲突。
或者轉個角度，Isf小學側重中文，達~70%，打好基础後，英文比重會增多，甘樣的安排合吾合你心意？家長在中文能否給予小朋友支持？

另外，學校係比較適合有initiative 的小朋友，佢地容許每一科在同一班的差異很大。小朋友如果適合好有structure的學習，需要一定的壓力、測考去推動佢，可能吾係甘適合。

Jane1983

我吾係Isf hater，近幾年香港開多左IS，我覺得係好事。

香港家長願意投入甘多資源栽培仔女，大家值得有更多選擇。

musicien

My son just got in this year for g1. Chinese is not easy u think standard of eng is not low. Maths comparatively easier. Except for too limited exposure to ecas I'm quite satisfied. Actually the standard is higher than I expected. My son likes going to school. But the school culture is more competitive than I expected.

kfy

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fatcni我孩子在小三，讀第四年。
我理解 ISF 是一間雙語學校。有點和 VSA 類似。
中文課程是 ISF 的強項，課本是本地學校的“啟思”，另外老師編了詩詞集等教材。Foundation 教完拼音。小一開始每星期有聽寫。因為我孩子都願意看中文圖書，進度滿意。平常評估（一年五次）前一星期，老師會有 revision 工作紙（堂課或家課），在家只要重溫生字，評估成績已相當滿意。
英文課程就一直在改良中，這兩年算是比較上軌道。每星期都有 Spelling，也有 grammar 功課，算是在基礎上把關。Reading 每天必須。英文課時間比較其他 IS 短是事實。
數學分中數和英數兩科，中數跟本地，英數跟澳洲。今年小三，數學功課也不少。
功課量一定比其他 IS 多，小三每天不計 reading 正常速度一個小時內完成。
這是一間selective school，愈多人報讀，取錄學生的程度高一點也乖一點，competitive 就見人見智，因為大可以像我一樣不聞不問也不做任何義工，180人一級沒有分名次，聽聞評估 80 分或 90 分結果在成績表上的 grading 可能是一樣。

fatcni

Appreciated for your feedback, really think if it is suitable for my daughter.

kfy

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對。ISF 小學階段的中文程度是 "local school level"，而英文程度則是 try to catch up with IS. 所以你要想想你認為孩子需要學（這樣程度的）中文嗎？學中文，no pay no gain。學少一樣語文，對孩子來說一定“愉快”得多。
我的孩子一直都不用出外補習，我相信整個小學階段都會如此（我也相信到要考 IB DP 時將要補習）。而我自己認識的讀其他 IS 的朋友孩子，全部都有在外補中文 and/or 數學（不同的原因，有些可能只是課餘太多時間）。我自己 close relatives 的孩子全部讀 local elite school，成績也好，功課量當然是“不可同日而語". 我自己孩子差不多每天放學都有些活動(畫畫學琴運動），回家做功課練下琴，9時上床。I can't ask for more.

kfy

Jane1983 發表於 14-11-20 15:10
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好吾好係好主觀，話人地小朋友讀緊的學校吾好，難免有冲突。

'另外，學校係比較適合有initiative 的小朋友，佢地容許每一科在同一班的差異很大。小朋友如果適合好有structure的學習，需要一定的壓力、測考去推動佢，可能吾係甘適合。'

This comment may be rather universal among international schools. They appreciate and tolerate differences among students. Normally faster student would be asked to refine his classwork or given extra work if he finishes earlier than other students. However this kind of tolerance will diminish as the students go to middle school.

fatcni

I went the isf jam day this sat and I have some thoughts.
Same as previous times I visited isf, two grade 4 students took me to have school visit but this time I am more chance to ask questions. Rather than showing me around how new and how big the campus is, the two students told me sth like how's daily school life is and how the teacher teach them. Surprisingly, they two students hate Chinese and every subjects being taught in Chinese. The teachers ask them to memorize lots of things they have no interests in. The Chinese teacher may evict noisy students out to the corridor for punishment. The two students were being asked twice by another visitor that what is the best you thing about this school, and both of them answered "its big." I won't comment if it is appropriate but it definitely not align with my philosophy of education.
I finally realize what is the difference between local school and IS. It is not what subjects are being taught or what language was used in teaching, it is just the way to deliver knowledge and how the teachers stipulate students's interest on learning.  Maybe those two girls are exceptional case Ander kids won't tell lie.
Maybe this school not suit my kid.

Jane1983

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Yes and no，不同的課程安排，效果也有不同。例如考試based和group做project計分，已有好不同的效果。不過，可能吾同IS亦有吾同的問題，吾同小朋友亦有吾同的效果。

sihuizhuzhu

lSF係咪6百萬債券？

caa

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6.5 million according to some membership trading co

caa

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Are those girls chinese or westerners?

Jane1983

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去網站看看，debenture holder當然有好處，但吾係必須要買debenture。舊年亦識人無買，有offer。

musicien

Chinese is v tough. If the kid will struggle really u sud consider other is. I bet if u ask other local students they hv the same feeling. I appreciate that the kids still feel the freedom to express their true feelings.

fatcni

Those two girls are local hk

caa

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ISF is nominally and actually not an international school

21Ckid

fatcni 發表於 14-11-24 02:12
I went the isf jam day this sat and I have some thoughts.
Same as previous times I visited isf, twostudents told me sth like how's daily school life is and how the teacher teach them. Surprisingly, they two students hate Chinese and every subjects being taught in Chinese. The teachers ask them to memorize lots of things they have no interests in. The Chinese teacher may evict noisy students out to the corridor for punishment.

I think this is exactly the reasons why many parents like the school! Discipline, chinese etc, rather than letting their children like going to fun parks every day！ So it really depends on whether this school is your cup of tea. The school is demanding, nothing like esf. Miles apart.