YWCA Childcare Centres

[Xiaoman]

Hi, I’m new here and I have a query to see if anyone can give me feedback on.


I have just transferred my gal to a new childcare, YWCA, cause it is nearer to my current place. Another reason is due to the increase of school fees of the current school. Any feedback or comments on the teaching and environment or overall on YWCA childcare? She’s going to be N2 next yr.

Thanks!

[tankee]

Mod's Note


Threads merged.

[aleela]

which area YWCA? I only know Bedok YWCA the principle very lousy, Mrs Philo.xx really a bad principle. don’t go there.

[Laid back Mummy]

Visited YWCA marine drive last week to assess PG for my 19 month old and these are my thoughts…I am a mummy who leans towards the clueless side, so any thoughts or additions to the below feel free to add.


Pros
- honestly it is one of the cheaper schools around. S$390 after $300 working Mother subsidy

Cons
- large space where PG, N1, N2 class combined and only separated by a short partition for individual classes. According to principal Margaret, it is about 30 people current. I think it is more difficult to manage cause kids get easily distracted when it is all in one room even though you have partitions. If someone shouts or you have a noisy kid there, everyone gets distracted.
- TV time from 530 to 630pm which is a no-no for me. Rationale for implementing this is because the early shift teachers would go back and there wouldn’t be enough manpower. Principal said the kids only watch half an hour each time because the younger kids would watch and then swap with the older kids. But when I checked, the TV room door was open and the other kids waiting in line were standing outside watching anyway. It was a pirated children’s ktv DVD (the type with grating singing) and not hi-five which the principal claimed is what they always watch. Plus she also confessed that sometimes the kids will bring their own DVD and the cartoons they share to the rest can be violent type of cartoons.
- regarding feeding, the principal said that it is best to supplement the lunch with a milk feed after right before nap. I know this can be common practice, but the feed was almost right after the lunch and bath and the principal kept emphasizing that kids in PG group are picky and slow eaters. She didn’t say it outright but I can tell her attitude towards feeding was "if the kid doesnt like to eat then i would just give milk" rather than think of ways to coax the kid first. This gives me a clue that the teachers are not patient in this area.
- with high subscription of PG classes around the marine parade area eg: kinderland, my first skool. I was very suspicious that there were only 2 PG kids registered. One as half day and the other full day. When I visited in the PM, the poor lonely full day PG kid was left sitting on his own while the rest were drawing and coloring. When the teacher saw me, then before I knew it, the poor fellow was "incorporated" into the class. The logic of the low number of students was that the principal would take in students for PG from the start of the year and take in 1-2 students every month and year end, it would be pretty full house. Not very logical as the PG system all around singapore doesn’t work in the jan to dec calendar format and how does the school maximize profitability plus where are they going to hire the additional teachers come every year end? All very suspicious if you ask me.
- they implement a drink water practice for the kids. Kids (didnt verify but i think the N2 kids and up) bring in a full water bottle and are encouraged to finish half in the morning and another half in the pm. It sounds like good practice but when I witness how the principal was reprimanding a student for drinking so little water the whole day, somehow I get a strange gut feel that the approach is strangely too public shame with all the rest watching. Parental instinct can be very accurate so I better trust it.
- 3 hfmd cases since start of jan 2012. I was told this is very common in branded schools like eton, pat’s schoolhouse which is true in the stats on the Mcys website on schools with major hfmd incidences. But 3 for the start of the year is still high for me.

This is my 2 cents worth. If you have any feedback on the above or have good schools to recommend, drop me a line! Am still at hunting mode and with the long wait list, am intending to be more kiasu and register for good kindergartens already and not end up in the situation where I am now with choice for the unpopular schools or very expensive ones.

[stay_home_mummy]

I often meet a group of children from YWCA Child Care when I take my boy for his morning walks around my neighbourhood. I am staying in Bedok South and had read the threads about the Bedok South Branch. The children (I believe they are from the toddler class) and the teachers are really a happy and friendly group - nothing like the feedbacks given in this thread. I am most impressed, the teachers spoke in good English and the children, though most were not able to communicate fluently yet, were very responsive and appeared to be very happy and relaxed under the teachers’ care. Out of curiosity, I visited the Child Care at Blk 24 New Upper Changi Road. The principal is a Chinese, not Mrs Philo as mentioned in one of the thread. This Chinese principal is very friendly and answered all my questions very patiently. Being a first time mom and considering putting my son in Child Care before returning to work soon, you can expect the "mountain" of questions I have. I must urge all who had any "bad" experience with this Child Care to visit the place again. This Bedok branch is really recommendable. Don’t just believe my words, go check it out on your own.

[new_dad]

Agree with stay_home_mummy. My son just started with the Bedok centre and so far I am very happy with the centre. There are about 6 or 7 children in the class and they have 3 teachers in the morning (I think their ratio is 1 teacher to 5 kids). In the evening when I pick him up, 2 of them are still there. Really appreciate the daily feedback from the form teacher.

[Off123]

Any mums with kids at YMCA McNair?


Are the PG teachers responsible and friendly? Good English?
Caring?
How about hygiene?

Thanks

[chingrass88]

My daughter was at YWCA McNair which was her first child care. The teachers there are very friendly, e.g. Ms Nina and the Principle. They really helped my child to transit to the child care life. They would carry the child in the first few weeks to form attachment. She later transferred to PCF Blk 50 Dorset Road because it’s much nearer, which is very much institutionalised. Personally I feel at such a young age, children need to be loved more than to be trained. It’s a pity that we could not afford the 1 hour travelling time to send her back to YWCA McNair. She still remembered many of her classmates’ names 2 months after being transferred out, she’s only 2 years old at the moment. I can feel she loved YWCA McNair and the teachers there.

[kiabo1]

not recommended.

[enfa]

My DD has been with YWCA childcare Mcnair for x years.

The standards over there has drop drastically in terms of teaching.
Last time they use to have spelling but now they don't have.
My DD has not much home work to bring back from school.