Canadian International School

cobomama

Any mama know about The Canadian International School, how is the waiting list and can share the interview?

Thank you so much.

AuSlai

Hi cobomama,

I just called to ask for the details the lady didn't mention about the waiting list bor.  How big is your baby?

Kycmc

Heard that Canadian IS has the practice of placing many students on their waiting list and asking parents to reapply year after year (with application fees). A child I know of has applied, been tested and placed on waiting list for three consecutive years, and still no place is offered.

Personally, I do not like such a waitlisting system. Parents are not told where their children are on the waiting list and  they can  do nothing but wait, reapply, wait, and reapply again (if your patience is still with you.).

Parents must be careful that sometimes the chances and priority in admission may not be related to how good your child is. Nationality or connections may matter more. So don't be frustrated if your smart child is kept on their waiting list for years. It does not necessarily mean that your child is not good enough.

emily06

AuSlai 寫道:
Hi cobomama,

I just called to ask for the details the lady didn't mention about the waiting list bor.  How big is your baby?

There is a waiting list in almost all international schools in Hong Kong.

In Canadian International School, they do not only have waiting list for application, but for the debenture as well.

gogocat

my daughter was put in the waiting list for the first year (pre-reception, in fact, the lady told me we would not get a place after Christmas coz not many students will withdraw), reapply next year and got accepted (reception). My daughter cried in the first interview for preception and they offered another chance for us, unfortunately, we could only attend the interview again 3 months later. most of the places have been filled up even she could pass the test, hence she was put in the waiting list. In my opinion, if one could pass the interview, u will get a place.

regards,
gogocat

mcyu

usually it only got waiting for the primary section, I seldom heard there is waiting list for the preception ??  Actually they admit my girl, but I quit...

gogocat

Although I dont know whether my daughter's case was rare or not, it is a real case. I got a friend, his boy also was put on waiting list for reception class.
Yet, we didnt choose CDNIS even though my daughter could get a seat for reception finally.

mcyu 寫道:
usually it only got waiting for the primary section, I seldom heard there is waiting list for the preception ??  Actually they admit my girl, but I quit...

cobomama

Thank all of the replies.  In my case, i applied for my 2 girls, one is almost for G1, another is 3 for reception, all for next year. and i just reveived the letter for the interviews.  Until now i got no ideas of the waiting list, i called the school about this, and they answered that don't have a waiting list, depends the kid pass the interview then let you know can get the seat or not. I applied for my two girls together and we both Canadian, i hope can get a little bit more chance.  But the big problem is my girls' speak cantonese and not really so good in English.

小袓

cobomama
hello!我個仔岩岩3歲，都報左07年Reception Class，但仲未收到Interview letter。請問你1月幾號去面試？

我都擔心唔知pass唔pass，因為我個仔好怕羞，見到陌生人唔多出聲。我問過入學組，佢話面試將會以Playgroup形式進行。

以我所知有d加拿大藉o既小朋友(鬼仔鬼妹)都唔pass個面試...學校要求好似都幾高，所以我好緊張... :-|

請問你囡囡幾月出世？依家讀緊邊間幼稚園？   

wonga

my son is 2 yrs old and has applied to the pre-reception class for 2007 too. we have already received the interview letter and it is a saturday after mid jan.
i am also worry about the interview, cos the lady which i talked to fr the school, she said that if the child cried at the interview, they will have to ask him/her to leave and to reschedule another interview if possible.
besides, do you know that the interview period is about a month, my friend's son will have an interview sometime in feb instead, so we really wonder if there are differences in early and late interview dates.
but most of all, does anyone have kids studying at cdnis at the moment? what do you think of the school? what about their academic level? what about chinese class? any good?
thanks!

小袓

wonga
我都收到信去interview喇~日子係一月中。依家好緊張呀!因為我個仔好怕羞，我怕佢到時會喊呀...

以我所知，擁有優先入學資格o既小朋友，將得到較早o既面試時間。不過，收唔收，最後都要視乎小朋友面試時o既表現。

你朋友個仔仔要到2月先能夠面試...都幾遲喎...請問佢申請邊個grade？

wonga

hello 小袓,

my friend's son is applying for the pre-reception class too.
right, that's why i am very worry too ... cos if the child did not do well at the interview and if he cried, then think that the chance of getting in is very slim.
what about the academic level? do you know anything about it or comments fr other parents?
btw, is your son going to school now? which kindergarten?

小袓

please check pm!

achow

Hi,

I am new. Please share your comment.

My brother in law's family are Canadian. The eldest son is 6 years old and the youngest one is 2 and a half. The eldest son was studying in Toronto French. And the youngest one was in Montesori.

They are planning to move back to HK because of some personal reason. May I know what should his sons apply in this case in HK?.

Thank you for sharing......

P.S: The kids may understand Canatonese, but cannot say a words. Only in English and French. Will there be a better chance to get into the international school. (Since the mother toung is not Chinese)????

Merry Christmas and thank you so much in advance.

cobomama

I got the interview date, in Jan and Feb.

Ribbon

my son went to the pre-reception class interview last year. He only speaks and understand English. We went into the classroom and he was very shy. Right after I left the room, he cried. I took him inside the classroom again, and he was so sad that he didn't give good response to the teacher.

They arranged us back to the office, and a lady talked to him. As both husband and I was staying with him, he answered several simple questions, and re-schedule second interview.

When he went to the second interview, I guess he did great without crying. Stayed inside for 30 mins. He finally couldn't pass the interview. We had little evaluation with the school after knowing the result. They explained the main problem is crying (although he didn't cry at all in the second interview), and had problem leaving mother....and keep on saying Cantonese. We were very surprised because my son never speak a word of Cantonese. Maybe his language development is not mature at that time (he only starts speaking with lots of words and vocab at 3), he communicated with 'his English' but the teacher couldn't understand. That's why the teacher misunderstood he was speaking Cantonese.

We will try again, and apply for reception class this year, and will have interview in Jan 2007.
My husband and I really love this school, good luck to my son !!!

wonga

hello ribbon,

thanks for sharing your experience and wish your son good luck in the coming interview.
btw, what kind of kindergarten he is studying now? while waiting to start the reception class in sep 2007?
sometimes i wonder if we really need to put our children in an english speaking school and keeps on waiting until they get accepted to cdnis or other international schools?

sounds like cdnis except really high standard children only ... no crying, speak good english and able to do all the things that they were asked to do in the interview ... but how well can a 2 yr old child able to speak?

i am getting a bit nervous cos my boy will have an interview in mid jan, and he is not really speaking yet ... only words but not in sentense ... the most important thing is being separate fr me ... i am pretty sure that he will cry ... what can i do???

chingchingbb

achow,

Happy New Year!
I am sure that your brother's sons can easily get the chance to study in Canadian Int's School in HK since they get very high priority ranking.  As I know, CIS gives priority to those:

1. Canadian Citizen
2. English speaker
3. Children of the staff
4. Sister / brother studying in CIS ...

See, your brother's kids are in the top 1 & 2 priority.  

Ribbon

wonga,

he went to kindermusik english playgroup from 11 months to 2 yrs old.

he went to tutor time (tai tam) nursery class last yr.

he is studying K1 in tutor time now

achow

Thank you chingchingBB.  The school replied my call yesterday. They told me to fill in the application form for the child and hand in to the school ASAP.
Since Nov was the due date, therefore what we can do is to wait till they call us up for interview, but the chance is LOW.

Anyway thank you for your information.