Zoophonics

[dew]

Hi mummies


Recentlt I have very bad experience with this enrichment center.
My gal had been going for the parents-accompanies prog for 6 mths and enjoyed it. So we decided to let her try independent prog for tods. It went so well for first few lessons. My gal didn’t cry as she was so familiar with the place and songs and play. But after 4th lessons, she started showing fear n withdrawl. Thinking it was separation anxiety. I did not react. But she started showing fear even to her favourite teacher at juliaL Gabriel when we bring her for her Sat edu drama class! As a mother, I sense that something is amiss. So i took the Fri off and accompanied my child. To my shock, the indian teacher is so loud and unprofessional. She used a reprimanding tone to shout at the kids and she used the same tone when she talked to me and other parents! She even left the bunch of kids unattended when she came out to photopy her teaching material!!!
Feeling "guilty" of being witnessed by me, the teacher kicked a big fuss of not allowing parents to wait within the aschool premise.
Now the worst is when I tried to feedback to the Principal, she did not bother to call me ro reply my email!!! And she went straight to the teacher and told her taht the mother of so so compalined about her!! And the Principal started setting this Golden Rule that no adult is allowed to wait for their kids within the office!!!
On that day, my 2.5 years-old gal came back with red cheeks. I wondered if that loud and fierce indian teacher pinched her cheeks!!! I stopped my gal from going back. GUess what, the Principal and teacher did not even bother to do any follow up!!! And the Prinicipal even took pictures of my gal to "proof" that my gal did smile and enjoyed her lessons!! And guess what these pcitures were never sent to me!! Guess they are taken to safe guard themselves just in case I surface this issue to MCYS.
Now i have to start looking for another school for my gal.
As a mother and and an educator myelf, I hope that preschool teachers can be more loving and provide our child a good start in school experience. It saddens me to see young kids fearing school or teacher. They still have a long way to go. Hope we can be the wtachdog and single out irresponsible teachers and preschools who are only keen in earning money.

[My Destiny]

Luckily you posted here… I was seriously thinking abt sending my boy there! Actually, I was quite put off when I went down last week to get more info abt the lessons. I asked if I was allowed to stay and observe my boy for the first day as he had never attended any school before but they were very firm that I was not allowed to even peep into the class!


They said its better to be firm and juz let him cry as he will get used to the environment aft a few days! I also saw a sign posted at the door that parents should wait outside the school to pick up the kids… Thought it rather strange that they don’t seem to welcome parents… They also do not hv any trial classes… hmmm… will definitely think twice now…

[dew]

Am glad I posted this as I dun want parents and child to go thru the same bad experience. It was really traumatic. So bad that my child still remembers. The other day I brought her to Cherie Hearts (Westlake Ave) and after that I drove her to meet my MIL and since my MIL is familiar with Zoophonics, I asked her to wait there. GUess what, my child started protesting saying " Mummy, i don’t want to go zoophonics." She was so happy when she was at Cherie hearts for trial but the moment i turned into zoophonics, she made that statement. I dun want to imagine what happened in Zoophonics!

And my gal has been going for so many programmes and she is certainly not the shy type. And during Chinese New Year ( just a few dyas after I withdrew her from Zoophonics), she kept throwing tantrums and cried when I want to put on dress for her! It never happened b4!!! Maybe the teacher made fun of her in a dress?
Thank goodness my gal is back to normal. No more tantrums and enjoyes her lessons at Julial Gabriel. And now she is willing to go with em to check out other schools. If I can afford the time, I may even want to surface this to MCYS to see fi there is anything they can do to protect us and our little ones from these irresponsible pple.

[chocpie]

[Moderator's note: Topics merged.]


HI,

Any parents sent their 3 yrs old children to the Zoophonics located at Bt Timah.
Hoping to get some feedbacks.

[megbryan]

My experience in Jurong Branch is not very pleasant too. That was 1.5years ago. I stop my dd from attending after 1 mth.

[Bowie]

Hi Dew,


Which Zoophonic your gal attended?

Planning to register my gal @ Bukit Timah Zoophonics.

Hope it not that one.

[Bowie]

[Moderator's note: Topics merged.]


Hi ALL,

Planning to sign my gal up for Zoo Toddlers class in Zoophonics Bukit Timah. Any experience to share?

I saw on web there are many programs like
1) Kindermusik
2) Tumble Tots
3) Growing up Gifted

My gal is 2 years old, very active and keen to learn new things.
My objective of enrichment is to enjoy herself while learn something. So any advise??

[Lili 22]

chocpie:

[Moderator's note: Topics merged.]


HI,

Any parents sent their 3 yrs old children to the Zoophonics located at Bt Timah.
Hoping to get some feedbacks.

Hi,

Hope my reply is still useful.

My boy, who was 4 years old then, had attended Zoophonics located at Bt Timah in 2007 for two years. He loves his teacher, even asked to bring him back to visit her.

Personally, I like his teacher too. Boy is a crying baby, used to cry almost every morning (for 2 years) when I leave him at the childcare. Hence, every week he would cry when he reached Zoophonics. I was really greatful to his teacher to have the patience to handle two crying children (there was another girl crying every week also) and made them enjoy the lessons.

There was once I expressed my thought of withdrawing boy from the school to his teacher, she took time to explain to me why I should let him continue. Sometime later, I realised (or it could be coincidence) that the teacher had actually took effort to speed up and modify the program a bit to make the lessons more interesting.

The son of my friend is also attending weekend class there and enjoys it. My colleague's girl is attending the kindergarden program at Jurong West branch, her only complain is the monthly schoolbus fee is too expensive.

[Bowie]

Hi,


Thanx for the input. I have signed up my gal in the Jurong West branch instead cos better timing.

Will start next week. hope my gal will enjoy the class.

[chocpie]

This is Chocpie, I was still battling whether I should stop sending my 3 yr old girl to the Zoophonics at Bt Merah as recently there is a school bus fees revision. And i felt that the school bus fees can be used t send her to another enrichment class.


However, I was impressed when I noticed that my girl is learning more vocab, she is able to tell me that the joey is a baby kangaroo & kitten is a baby cat.
she know the word "juggle", as she was telling me that Teacher Christine allows her to juggle with the balls in class.
She also loves to sing the chinese nursery rythms that her chinese tacher taught her in class.

And after the curriculum explanation that the principal took trouble to explain to my husband and me. I had decided to let her carry on for her N1 & N2 at Zoophonics.

But I still find the bus fees very expensive.