ESF西貢好不好

lovebird

請問有沒有子女在讀西貢ESF的父母，能否談談這閒學校如何？我女兒2嵗了，想明年報讀，不知情況如何？
謝謝。

alicewong

My colleague's kids are currently attending the EFS at clearwater bay. not many chinese according to my friend. his kids love the schoolvery much. they used to go to KG5 after gruated from the school.

siubchumama

Lovebird,

Are you want to know about Abacus kinder ??? Are you living in Sai Kung..?? My girl is 2.5 years old and I have already apply for the kinder, still don't know the result. I went for a visit in May and it seems it is the kinder I want, you can call the school to ask for visit.  But there is a problem with the kinder it, your kids will hardly return to normal main stream schools since they follow British curriculumn. I have ask before, but seems only one mama's son is studying this kinder...

For furthermore, discussion, please PM to me..

Regards,

lovebird

Thanks, siubchumama and alicewong.Nice to meet you here.
I really mean Abacus kinder. Actually my daughter is 2 years and 2 months old, since I applied for the kinder in August and was told that the result would come out in April the next year, I wonder whether she will be enrolled.
siubchumama:
We live in Tseung Kwan O, where do you live?
I think if my daughter could enter the international school, I will teach her Chinese by myself.
What do you think?
Hope our kids will be classmates the next year.

siubchumama

lovebird,

I live in Sai Kung town, my girl is a little bit older than you, she is now 2 years 8 months old, have you checked whether your daughter should be in April 2005's batch or Sep 2005's batch.. Since I think Sep batch is easier to enter (as some of the children had gone to ESF clearwater bay already). And if you apply for April's batch, your girl will have lower priority in Sep batch.. That's the point I think it is not fare..  For my daughter, she will enter into April's batch, so I think result should be known around December this year.

Do you got any priority in apply the school ?? since they will give priority to some family (like mother/father is a foreigner, or family come to HK but natvie language is english?)

For me, I do not have any priority, so it must be in the bottom of the list, actually I really don't know their enrollment information, so I am now worry whether my girl can go into the school or not...

As my hubby and I really don't like the HK education system, so we want our kids to study in the international school. But one thing is if we have any financial problem, it will be very difficult for our children to go to other schools..

In Abacus, children will have Mandarine (Sorry!! I forget the spelling) lesson (but I forget the frequency), but we do still teach them Chinese character.. My plan are same as you...

Keep in touch la...I hope our kids will be classmates the next year.

  

vcmum

Hi there

My daughter is now 3.5 years old and we tried to apply for Abacus about 1.5 years ago.  I think the Apr / Sept intake is depending on the birth month.  I am not very sure.

Anyway, about 2-3 months ago, I received their notice telling us that there's no place for my girl but if I want to put her on the waiting list, I shall call the school to confirm.  I didn't because I am quite happy with my daughter's school at the moment.

Later on, I've found that one of my daughter's classmate who was on the waiting list has been granted a place.  I am not sure if they have foreign passport or not but for sure they speak Chinese at home.

Since Abacus justify each kid base on the application form, there is nothing much we can do about it.

"In case" Abacus don't take your child, I would say the kindergarten my girl is attending would not be a bad choice.  You can PM me if more info is needed.

Good Luck.........

lovebird

siubchumama ：
我還是說中文比較順暢一點。
我為女兒申請的是明年9月入學，因為之前曾打電話到學校咨詢，他們是因應孩子的出生日期來決定的，我們無權選擇。
和你的境況一樣，我們沒有任何優先權，所以我也很擔憂不能被錄取。
看來我們的想法都較為一致，對香港的教育我已失去信心，我希望我的女兒可以入讀國際學校，不至成天面對太大的壓力和無窮盡的教育制度的變化而失去自信。
不要擔心，之前經濟日報親子篇，有一則講述一對夫婦的教育理念，我覺得很只得借鑒。他們的孩子先是在普通的幼稚園讀書，小學一、二年級則入讀國際學校，三年級再轉主流學校，剛轉出來時中文成績很差，但一學期過後，已不成問題了，而且各方面素質都很突出。中學時期，他們又讓孩子留學澳洲。
因為我們都愛孩子，都願意為孩子付出時間和精力，所以不用太擔憂將來難轉校，只要我們平常、假期一點一滴的為孩子積累中文知識，我覺得應該問題不大。
當然，這只是我的心願。能否上Abcus kinder終究我們沒有決定權，要看孩子的造化。
能否問一句，你的孩子現在有上幼兒園嗎？

lovebird

Hi vcmum

謝謝你的意見。
能否告訴我你女兒上哪間幼稚園？
我為我女兒申請了將軍澳德寶幼稚園國際班，由於某些因素，11月才讓她上學。除此之外，不知道區內有哪些好的幼稚園可以選擇了。

siubchumama

lovebird,

2005 Sep batch is better, since they will open 1 more junior class, so I think your kid will be accepted.  Sorry for my bad English la, I can't type chinese and even I can't used writing pad due to office PC setup.

My girl still haven't attend any nursery / kinder, since I think kids should be concentrate on playing and I want to save the expensive kinder money before she starts the long long schooling period..
She had joined playgroup in Marina Cove once a week since she was 1.5 years old... Now she had attend another native speaker playgroup near my mother in law's home.

Some of the kinder and nusery is too pushy, that I heard kids need to have dictation in kinder (k2 and k3), that is the things I really can't accept...I am a typical Peaking Duck student, and I don't want my girl same as me.

My girl likes to talk, but we don't have maid, my mother-in-law, or my mother will take care of her.  
So nobody talk to her in English except us. She knows some of the vocabury in English. But when we/ they playgroup teacher in Marina Cove (she is a chinese) talk to her in English, she will reply in Cantonese, she is very tricky, that when she knows you can understand Cantonese, she won't talk to you in English even she understand all.  So that's why I need to send her to playgroup that is teach by native speaker..

For Chinese, I think I will try hard to teach her, but my hubby and I would also like to initiate her start to read, we both like reading, I found if you really likes to read, you will learn lots of language and it will be much more easier... so we will try to go to the path like this..

Really appreciate to find a mummy like me and we live so near and share...

lovebird

siubchumama

很高興見到你的回貼，下班前還可以和你說兩句，回家就沒空了，幾乎所有的時間都奉獻給我女兒了，故此家裡沒有上網。
原來除了我們的思維方式相近之外，我們的生活方式還有點接近。我家裡也沒有請工人，因為十萬個不放心，我寧願自己辛苦一點，早上送到我媽媽家，晚上再接她回來，很累，不過孩子大一點，現在沒有以前那麼辛苦了。2歲以後，我把她送到我媽家附近的幼兒園，主要是希望她盡快學會與人溝通、相處，盡快培養好習慣，上學2個月，感覺她學懂很多東西。不過，11月我會給她轉校。
她和你女兒一樣，我們只教她一些簡單的英文，平常在家裡我和她說國語，偶而說說廣東話和英語，現階段我最重視的是培養她喜歡閱讀的習慣，這一點她很不錯，天天都要看書，經常是我口水快說干了，她還要我繼續說給她聽，不讓停止。可是，她就是聽，不太願意說。
要下班了，以後再聊。
很高興認識你。

siubchumama

lovebird,

any planning that if child are not accepted by Abacus.. what will be that path ??  Actually, I am very frustrated of this question... Since I think it will be really difficult to enter CWB school by studying in another local kinder.. Do you have any seconday route... Really happy to talk to you ....

lovebird

siubchumama，

我的心情和你一樣，不過，我還沒想到那麼長遠。
如果這條路走不通，我想初中以後，送她往國外唸書。這樣也好，中文基礎會打得比較扎實。
別擔心，走一步看一步，只要我們盡力而為就是。
順便一問，你有幾個小朋友？
祝我們都好運!

siubchumama

lovebird,

I have 1 daughter only, if I have more than 1 kids, I can't afford international schools, since besides the school fee, we still need lots of money for a kid...

Are you also same as me ??

Keep in touch la...

lovebird

siubchumama，

是的，和你一樣，只有一個女兒，卻夠累的，不過我很想再要一個，可是我先生覺得一個就夠了，想想也有道理。
ok，Keep in touch !

PrinceAaron

May I know:

1. When will be the open day of Abacus?
2.  Is it very normal to wait ESF long long time?
3. What's the selection criteria?  They do not have interview, how can they choose children?  Do they choose parent only?  
4.  The application procedure: only send the application form to them and then wait wait wait?

Thanks.

luiwhy

其實我都想問，ESF Abacus要大約幾時開始報名呢? 係bb2歲開始要報定名? 如果入唔到Abacus仲有冇其他附近好的幼稚園呢?

如果真係在ESF讀上去係咪好難再轉番普通的學校呢?

定係比小朋友讀普通的學校先，然後大個才送佢地去外國呢?

siubchumama

PrinceAaron,

1. I don't know will they have any open days, but if you want to know more, you can call the school and ask for a visit.. I went for a visit on May, the principle will take you around and visit the student to see what they will do during a lesson and take about their daily lives in school.. You can also take the chance to ask the principle what you want to know..

2. Actually, I don't know their waiting list, they have increase a number of classes after ESF in charge of the school..

3. Selection Criteria will be same as other ESF schools, english native kids, with subling in the same schools..living in Sai Kung and TKO... No they don't choose parent, they won't meet you until your kids have been accepted..

The application procedure is, you ask a mail and together with some document for asking a form. Fill in the form and send it back to school. They will have a schedule of selection. they will select the children base on the application form and inform you the result..

If children are in the same priority, they will go for first come first serve method..

hope this can help.
   

siubchumama

luiwhy,

They divide the kids into three batch according to the birthday month.. Normally, you better apply around the baby 2 year old.. But better check with the school.  I still can't find another kinder similar to Abacus in that area.. they do have some international kids in Sai Kung, but it seems Abacus have the best resources to develop the kids..

If you go for the ESF route, it will be a little bit hard (but not impossible) to go back to normal school..

For ESF, kids will goes to grade 1 when they are 5, it will be earlier than normal school.. (ie. Kids will finish K2 then they will go to grade 1 in ESF) also, like other mommy mention in here before, Chinese will be another problem when kids going back to normal school.

hope this can help..

siubchumama

luiwhy

siubchumama

謝謝你的回覆~

你覺得你的小朋友讀得開心嗎?

siubchumama

luiwhy,

My girl have been applied for the Abacus, but she will be in 2005 April's batch, so still waiting for the result on this December..

Hope she can go there. Caused I saw the kids studied there was happy..

siubchumama