Amazing Star Montessori House

[sunset_dae]

the school is so popular, no wonder they increase the fees. hopefully they can start a infant care, then i dun have to find a nanny to take care of my bb next year…

[buds]

chatelaine:

Amazing Star @Jelapang 2011 fee has increased to $480.


PG size 1:20 with 2 assistant teacher. Was wondering if this is violating MCYS guideline :roll:

If you work out the sums... it'd be like 1 teacher to 7 children.
Cause above post shows 2 assistant teachers... i reckon that
does not include the main teacher yet. So, it is okay lah. PG is
18mths old. The fees are still within affordable range if you
compare with other centres within the area which offer quality
childcare programme. Plus more manpower... need more $$$$
right? You wouldn't want to shortchange the total number of
children with less teaching staff in a class... and do take into
consideration that qualified teachers would also cost more.

[chatelaine]

Hi buds


Do you mean is okay if they have 3 teachers in a class with only 1 teacher teaching 20 kids?

Is MCYS rule 1:8 meant for 1 teaching teacher:8 students? :?:

I were having a hard time looking for CC recently, visited almost all the CC @BP & Hillview. I went St Joseph ($500) & New Life ($435), their ratio is 1:6(max) only. Fee wise upon compared with Amazing, of course is reasonable based on the ratio.

FYI... The principal and asst. supervisor is montessori trained while the rest of the teachers are in-house trained by them. Asst. supervisor only teach K2 students.

[buds]

Depending on the size of the classroom really…


There are classes which have open spaces and segregated by only like
shelving cabinets (etc)… while some other cc’s of bigger scale can have
separate and specific rooms with doors for each and every class. So the
space limitations of every centre do vary.

As for the Amazing Star @ Jelapang’s space, i’m thinking that the main
open space will be allocated for the PG children as that is the only big
area i can seem to recall at this time.

1 : 8 is more so for the application of 1 teacher caring for 8 children…
not necessarily meaning teaching.

Main teacher can rotate roles for official teaching proper with her 2
assistant teachers, to provide for better teaching attention to smaller
grouped children.

For example, while the first group of 8 are being taught the day’s lesson
by a main teacher, the second group of 8 may be finishing up their b’fast,
followed by the third group of 8 perhaps doing colouring or perhaps some
tracing assignments given by the main teacher which may be in relevance
to the topic of the day. In this instance, if the main teacher is going to
teach different types of flowers another group can do the colouring or
tracing of the flowers the main teacher is going to teach and the other
group of 8… after finishing with b’fast can work on their flower craft for
the day.

The 3 groups can rotate between the given number of staff to ensure the
work scheduled for the day plus the care ie. showering, eating, sleeping,
(etc) are carried out within the given time frame.

I hope this clarifies and explains better for you to understand the daily
routine of a childcare set-up. For even better understanding, you could
opt for a two weeks or 1mth trial programme before you officially put
your child in for their half-day or full-day programme.

I understand that you have done your recce and your ground foundation
of the schools withinn your vicinity is quite extensive… however now, you
have to prioritize what is it that you actually want for your child, what are
your needs and what is it that you truly want in search of a child care ctr…
Issit the curriculum… issit the just the price/fee… issit caring staff… issit
a good management… or issit the group size…

Parents looking for or even considering child care arrangements do have
to bear in mind that they cannot get the best of everything under one
roof for a nominal fee. Determine what issit that both you & your spouse
are comfortable with in the search for a centre. Focus on the real needs
of what you want your child to have… While there are few centres that
DO indeed have the best of everything, they may either be full or on the
high side with regards to fees. Trained teachers, sufficient teachers, low
student teacher ratio, good menu variation + quality food… all these are
costs. Costs that need to be factored in to serve the children and of cos,
the parents better.

Chatelaine, as for the part on trained teachers and in-house trained ones…
Here’s my take. While there are many trained teachers out there, not all
of them are committed & almost all of them will command a higher salary
especially for Montessori trained ones. Even more expensive for teachers
who are Montessori trained & also Early Childhood trained to be recruited!
The $ these teachers have invested & the time they have taken to pursue
training are substantial. So, unless the centres can find such teachers ard,
or can pay to sign on such teachers, they have to make do with in-house
training first. Teachers who are just recruited in and in-house trained will
be sent for official training in due time. Perhaps after probation period &
also perhaps if they are willing to be bonded for sponsorship… (etc)

There are many behind-the-scene situations that not all parents know of
in having a well-run centre… but here’s just sharing a few of them for
sharing sake in the hope that parents can identify the priorities of what
they are looking out for in a centre. While centres try to cater better to
the needs of parents as the years go by, parents too; have to play a part
in being fair to the limitations of each centre with the price tag each of them
bring to the table.

[luvmum]

chatelaine:

I were having a hard time looking for CC recently, visited almost all the CC @BP & Hillview. I went St Joseph ($500) & New Life ($435), their ratio is 1:6(max) only. Fee wise upon compared with Amazing, of course is reasonable based on the ratio.
.

Hi chatelaine,

I too have a tough time as most of the cc I visited ard BP are full for K1 level and I'm in a fix. Was placed in waitlist but after 3 weeks still no news yet. Getting really anxious. I went to St Joseph too, was placed on waitlist and that's the most optimal choice for me. Am still praying hard for a placement for my child. New Life can't even place me on waitlist...say very very full.... :stupid:

[Joeyz18]

luvmum,

u went and like ST Joseph too! haha, hi-5, i love there and hope my boy can study there. cannot really find a school that i like in Bp areas… sian

[chatelaine]

Hi buds


Thanks for the detailed explanation.

From what I understand is 1 teacher teaching 20 students; With 2 assistant teachers to help out as in go toilet, etc. PG will be utilising inner corner classroom, no partitioned cabinet. Open space is meant for indoor playground

[chatelaine]

Hi luvmum


Sad to hear that you are still searching for CC.

I think most BP CC are full is due to the closure of 3 CC @Ten Mile. That's why I have problem finding one I really like too.

SJ and New Life is nice, both my kids were put on waitlist :oops:

Hope you find one soon... Good Luck :love:

[chatelaine]

Hi Joeyz18


Seems like we have the same likes together here with luvmum :love:

[buds]

chatelaine:

Hi buds


Thanks for the detailed explanation.

You're welcome, chatelaine.

Just to share that different centres have different limitations.
I'm also a parent so i can empathize with parents' expectations
but i am also an educator, so to balance it... gotta justify both sides
of the fence. Hope it's ok with you...

chatelaine:

From what I understand is 1 teacher teaching 20 students; With 2 assistant teachers to help out as in go toilet, etc. PG will be utilising inner corner classroom, no partitioned cabinet. Open space is meant for indoor playground

Possible scenario as well... to save time, the main trained teacher may
teach the whole 20 children either in parts or all at once with 2 helpers
assisting her with class discipline, new or crying babies, or those needing
toilet breaks... if the main teacher has to do the nitty gritties then it defeats
the purpose of having a trained teacher in the group. After the teaching
part is done, the 2 assistants (in-house) trained will work with their grp
of 8 and revise the lesson that was completed plus assist children with
the tasks or assignments scheduled for the day. This again amplifies the
basis that different centres work differently...

I have had to manage 37 children alone when i first started teaching in
kindy... it was challenging especially during the first few weeks of school
year... what with unsettled children, crying children, vomitting children,
children's anxiety and parents too of course. :lol: But i thrive in big grps
and i have had my kindy students coming up to me of late when i'm out
kai-kai with my family already in poly and all that.. their parents remember
me too.. if feels good to know that i was a part of their growing years and
foundation.

Teachers and also parents in this day and time are lucky to get to work with/
have lesser number of children due to the adherence of MCYS/MOE rulings.
During my time, there were more loopholes... So we did what we
could to the best of our abilities and not to mention.... energy. :lol: