Renassiance College (Phoenix )

WYmom

M&Mmother 寫道:
Dear WYmon,

Hi, May I have your some opinions.

Compare with CKY and RC, both of them are IS school, Can you let me know what the difference
between them ? I'm looking for a IS school for my son, but it's seem there are a lot of waiting list for
all IS school, do you have any suggestion ?


Best Regards,

M&Mmother,

Oh, this is not a topic for CKY vs RC.  Better to discuss with you through pm.

WYmom

Kareese 寫道:
Dear WYmom,

Can you please also pm me your comments on CKY vs RC. Thanks a lot !

Kareese,

I am not parent of RC or CKY, so seems not to be in the position to comment on the 2 schools, I can only tell what I know.  To avoid doing more pm, maybe I simply discuss a bit here, but all are just my personal understanding and I maybe wrong.

Both RC and CKY are new as IB schools, RC seems to be more international as it is run by ESF.  RC's principal and staff seems to be more experienced with IB.  

RC has 20% Chinese, and all teachers are NET, CKY has more Chinese, some are NET, some mandarin teachers are local (as told by CKY parents).  Personally I think English standard of RC maybe higher.

RC has PYP, MYP and IBD through train IB programs, CKY's primary program is self-made, and will use ICGSE and IBD in secondary.  So depends what you want.

Facilities of RC will be better than CKY in next 2-3 years as CKY will move into a temporary old campus at Sham Shui Po until 2009.

Fees of RC are higher than CKY.  In CKY, has to pay extra to learn one music instrument as a must.

It seems that it is more difficult to join CKY than RC for the time being as RC has a lot of room to expand (grow from 800 students in 06/07 to 2100 max. in future).

Both schools seem to be good, yet no results can be seen.

I guess RC will have open day after it opens in Sept.  There are also a lot of info. of CKY from their parents in BK.  Hope this helps.

Applepie

Dear WYmom

Thank you very much for your sharing!

H_A

WYmom 寫道:
H_A and Saturn,

Is it necessary to buy text books for Chinese?

Do you know if there will be school bus going to West of NT from RC?

By the way, is there new uniform for the students after moving into RC?

Thanks.

WYmom

I still do not receive any information about textbook & uniform.
School bus will go to Yuen Long, Tin Shui Wai & Fairview Park, HKD1100/month, pay by quarterly.

Saturn

Dear Wymom,

Same as H_A, I still haven't received the info. you mentioned above.  But when my kid went to PIS' P1, except for the monthly school fees, before the start of the school year, we only had to pay $2xx for the stationery fee.  Kids weren't allowed to bring their own stationery to school (to avoid jealousy among kids if some parents buy expensive & funny stationery to the kids).  There was no extra payment needed for textbooks.

As for school uniform, pls visit the RC website.  A newsletter about RC can be found.  I guess (not very sure) the clothings that the kids are wearing will be the new uniforms.  The Principal, Mr Kenny mentioned in a curriculum night to PIS parents that RC proposed to design different colors & styles of uniforms (such as tee, shirt, pant, long pant, skirt).  Kids can mix & match the uniforms of their own choice on each school day.  Some parents commented that it is like there is no 'unique' uniform of the school.  So, it all depends on one's thought.

A school bus co. had sent us a form to fill.  But since my kids won't take school bus, I didn't follow up the rest.  But I heard that there will be kids from the island & different parts in KLN & NT taking the school bus in RC.  Pls try to call PIS within this week for the tel. of the bus co.

The school day will probably be 9-4 for Primary & 9:30-4:30 for Sec.  Mr Kenny also mentioned there will be 'Lang. bath' (extra activities for other languages) in the morning before school day, bus services will not be provided to early arrival to school.

Saturn.

WYmom

Saturn and H_A,

Thanks a lot for your information. :wink:  

Saturn

Dear M&Mmother,

You didn't mention what grade your kid is studying in local school.  My view is that if your kid has already studied up to ~P4 in local school, your kid should have quite a good foundation in Chin. lang in comparing with IS kids.  If you want to transfer your kid to IS, you still need to keep up his/her Chinese because this is what IS kids have missed.

As for Eng., your kid may have difficulties at start but since Eng. is much easier than Chin., he/she may overcome it after half/one year but pls don't expect his/her Eng. standard will be exactly as good as other kids in the school.  What you need to concern now is whether your kid can pass the test for entering RC.  Sorry that I don't know the requirements for older kids,  I assume both written and oral test for Eng & Chin. (Putonghua) are required.  Pls check the RC website or call PIS for detail.  You may need to show your strong interest & eagerness of sending your kid to the school.  As a reminder, if your kid is getting into P5 in Sept, he/she will need to apply P6 in RC or otherwise repeating P5 because local school K3=RC P1, P6=Y7 (Sec. 1), etc.

In the mean time while summer holiday begins, you may find some ways (eg. taking courses) to improve his/her written & oral Eng. lang.  Actually, IS accept application all year through.

Good luck.

Saturn







M&Mmother 寫道:
Dear Saturn,

Hi, how are you, my son is study in a chinese base
primary school, I'm want  transfer him to RC,
do you think it will quite diffiuclt for him to study in
a "English base" school ?

Anyway, Since I'm understand that language is a
main skill for him in coming future, I'm really want to hlep him to imporve his lEnglish skill,  Since you're the
parents of RC, can you share some comments to me ?

Many Many thanks.
[/quote]

Saturn

M&Mmother,

Pls see my PM.

Thanks.

Saturn.

Saturn

Dear Kareese & M&Mmother,

Pls check my PM.

Saturn.

WYmom

H_A,

As you mentioned, your kid is promoting to Y4, are you satisfied with the Chinese standard of the school so far?  Does he read a lot of Chinese story books?  Do you need to let him join private Chinese tutor class after school?

Many thanks.

H_A

WYmom
My daughter, she read more English books than Chinese.  Her school have "Silent Reading" time, 35 minutes everyday, so she is willing to read, but she will prefer reading English books.  She told me that when she read Chinese book, she found that a lot of words that she do not know.  But I won't let her to join private Chinese tutor class, I choose to let her read more book in this summer.  I think the interesting in reading is much worth than the standard of Chinese or English.

WYmom 寫道:
H_A,

As you mentioned, your kid is promoting to Y4, are you satisfied with the Chinese standard of the school so far?  Does he read a lot of Chinese story books?  Do you need to let him join private Chinese tutor class after school?

Many thanks.

Saturn

Hi Kareese,

I've sent you PM the 2nd time this morning.  Wonder you've read it.

Saturn.