Newton Kindergarten

[tankee]

greenbean2011:

hello Tankee,


may i know what is the cut off time on KSP, since i cannot OT ?
may i clarify - OT means overtime, is it ?

Thank you.

OT means Out of Topic

for the benefits of all parents and members of KSP.com, kindly keep the discussions relevant to the topic of the thread. And do not OT.

I am sure a lot of parents appreciate what you are sharing with us. If you post them in the right threads, it would benefits a lot more parents.

Thanks.

[greenbean2011]

hi jazz,


by and large, the resignation rate of teachers at Newton kindergarten is kept low.

On average, the teaching experience of most teachers at Newton is about 10 years minimum, approximately.

Today, there are some very senior teachers there still teaching, with > 25 yrs of experience.

The teachers there get rotated, to teach different levels.
example: this year, a teacher can teach K2.
Come next year, the same teacher can be assigned to teach Nursery.

resignation rate is low.
Rare cases will be like - say for example, husband receives an overseas posting, so teacher quit automatically to follow her husband on overseas stint / assignment. This then creates a vacancy to hire teachers from outside, for replacement.

or perhaps in past history - one off kind of event, when a past principal resigned to start up / establish another new kindergarten with a strong focus in Chinese curriculum, she may bring along with her some ex-Newton kindy fellow colleague teachers to join the new place. But this one off kind of resignation event once upon a time - has now become past history.


another thing, fyi regarding formation of classes … when your child moves from Pre-nursery to Nursery class, normally the form teacher will change. Likewise the same thing happens, when the child moves from Nursery to K1.

But come K2, normally the child at Newton kindergarten will have the same form teacher going up with him, from K1 to K2.

reason ? you need very close monitoring of your child’s progress, between K1 and K2, because the child is preparing for Pri 1.

so, it is better, safer to have the same form teacher moving up together with your child, from K1 to K2. Because the same form teacher who taught your child at K1 - would have already known how / what your child’s progress is like in K1 – whether he’s slow, average, or a fast learner. It is not wise to keep changing form teacher at K2, because then the important history / background of your child’s K1 progress will be lost.

so, normally K1 and K2 – have the same form teacher.
any level below K1, changing form teacher is all right !

[jazz]

Hi greenbean,


May I know how u know so much abt this arrangement? U seems to know everything! Convenient to tell me? If not, pm me, can? Tks very much abt the info. of same form teacher fm K1 - K2. Relieved to hear that as kids usually do not like to hv teacher change often.

[greenbean2011]

hi jazz,


since my child is going to spend the next 3 yrs of her pre-school educational life at Newton, I might as well be a kaypoh mother and …. ask Principal all sorts of qns - so that I know exactly what kind of school environment my daughter is going to grow up in.

Then I will know if I am comfortable or not, at peace or not.
this concerns my daughter’s pre-school education.
as a parent, I have every right to know what / how Newton teach, what kind of values system Newton impart.

example I just asked casually - may I know how often do the students here change their form teacher ?

before I enrol her in, I would have asked all the qns I need, also requested for sample worksheets of Newton daily schoolwork curriculum to browse through, to gauge the school’s standard.

another way to obtain info is …. come December year end, go for parents’ orientation day. On that day, you can see so many anxious parents from all levels (from Pre-nursery to K2) surrounding the Principal, firing all sorts of questions at the Principal.

last year December 2010, I was surprised to see in fact, more fathers asking Principal questions, than the mothers. Perhaps nowadays modern generation - fathers change !

nowadays, more and more fathers growing concerned over their child’s education, not just mothers alone. Fathers are also more daring, in the qns that they ask.

last year December on parents’ orientation day – the school Principal was not alone. With her are her big pool / team of teaching staff, on standby, to assist parents. The form teachers from all the various classes were with her, on that day.

there was this father in his mid 30s asking a qn so point blank directly at a teacher - who is going to be his son’s form teacher in Pre-nursery. I was quite taken aback by the qn he asked.

he asked a teacher who is standing in front of him, directly point blank, “so, what sort of qualifications do you possess ?”

i can understand why he asked.
he asked because she is the one going to teach his precious son.
as a father, he is naturally concerned … over the quality of the school teacher going to teach his son.

after hearing the Principal’s replies, then I went up level 2, to meet my daughter’s form teacher. She is a warm and friendly lady. She also shared with me her teaching experience at Newton.

i also asked her some qns. From here, I learnt even more.

another way to obtain info … is beginning of each new year Term 1 initial, first 3 days where many parents come to settle their child in, you can make friends with fellow school mates. Some parents have kids at a higher level than yr child. As you chit chat with these parents, you also get to know more Newton.

[laughingcat]

greenbean2011:

hi laughingcat,



wishing you Blessed new 2011 !
Bu Bu Gao Sheng
Sheng Ti Jian Kang
Xin Xiang Shi Cheng

Hello greenbean2011,

Happy New Year to you and your love ones too. Sheng Ti Jian Kan.

[yamdrink]

Hi Greenbean


Your comments previously were very helpful. Since you know so much about Newton Kindergarten, do you know when (which month and year) they enroll kids for 2013 pre-nursery? I have been calling their phone number for half a year but could never reach them.

I understand they are strong in Chinese. How is the English standard? Do they prepare our kids well for primary school?

[greenbean2011]

hello yamdrink,


wishing you a blessed new 2011 !


a) registration info.

registration for next year 2012 fresh intake of new students to join Newton kindergarten, is open this coming March 2011 - anytime from 1 march to 31 march for:-

-\tcurrent siblings, ex-students' siblings,

-\tkids whose parents belong to Newton life church membership,

-\tkids who can prove that they joined Newton life church Sunday school, on Sundays.

for the Public, registration for 2012 intake of new students takes place on - 5 July, 8.30am onwards.

all vacancies are filled on a first-come-first-served basis.

usually AM seats are hot, snapped up very fast, with > 20 kids ! PM seats normally still got vacancies left.

if your child is the type that sleeps late at night and does not wake up early like mine - then let him sleep longer, go for PM. For kids going PM, there is plenty of time for your child to wake up, eat breakfast, bathe then get ready for school, daily.

advantage of PM is - because class size tend to be smaller, so can receive better and more personal attention from form teachers, also won’t fall sick so easily, compared to if the class size is big.

if your child attends PM, you can let him attend morning enrichment class – either in house at Newton, or external.
Newton offers a wide range of enrichment courses, for you to choose.

but all enrichment comes at extra, additional costs, over and above the regular kindergarten school fees paid per term basis.

click here, for various types of enrichment:-

http://www.newtonkindergarten.com/centres/?dxuid=SG010296&&pageid=1865


in the event that you really desire to get AM, but only been offered PM - then quickly call up admin, put down your child’s name to arrange for a transfer over to AM session. Also ask admin - what queue number is your child currently holding, in the transfer queue to AM ? From here, you know what is your chance like, in initiating for the transfer.

in the event a vacancy arises from AM session when pupils withdraw from Newton - then transfer to AM takes place, according to the transfer queue number your child is holding.

for all requests of transfer, priority is given to existing pupils currently enrolled in Newton, before any outsiders’ requests gets entertained.

likewise, the same thing happen for kids coming in for 2013 fresh intake, for all levels from Pre-nursery to K2.

for those connected to Newton, registration in March 2012,
for Public, registration in July 2012.

for further enquiries, please call kindy directly at Tel: 6251-5586.

now is term time - Term 1, 2011.
Principal and admin staff - are all available during Term time, to answer your queries.


b) english.

my daughter just started Nursery this year Jan 2011, so can’t comment on K1, K2 english standard. Not right of me to give you wrong info.

I enrol her in here, because I am more concerned for her Chinese, than anything else. I don’t know how to teach her Chinese at home. My own Chinese is helpless /weak / poor.

There are 2 groups of parents in SG:-

i)\tone group are those that speaks Mandarin so often at home.

either they’re overseas parents from China, Hongkong or fellow Singaporean parents who speak Mandarin /Cantonese everyday to their child, or their grandparents speak everyday to them.

i)\tsecond group are those that speaks mostly english at home, struggling with mandarin. I happen to fall under this group.

for English - I can teach her at home myself, or at most send her for external enrichment class like “I creative learning”, which receives pretty much good feedback from many parents.

perhaps Newton parents with kids who had been through K1 or K2, or with kids that had already graduated from Newton & now in primary school - they are in a much better position to comment ?

Because then, the feedback they provide is accurate - since their kids had gone through real life experience in learning english at Newton.

any Newton parent out here now reading this forum / thread - wish to comment ? You are most welcome !
Please comment ! Thank you so much for your feedback in advance !

alternately you may arrange to visit Principal, during term time.

visit during term time.
if you go during school vacation, Principal can say - Oh! all the kids have gone home now for school holidays – sorry, I can’t show you any sample english worksheet / booklet.

request her to show you all samples of english worksheets, from Nursery, K1 to K2. Then you know whether you are comfortable or not with the english standard taught at Newton, before making decision.

it is better to go with your spouse - can browse english worksheets together, discuss together, don’t go alone.


c) enrichment.

there is this kiasu innate spirit in each of us.

even if the child is fine / ok, progressing all right in school, some Newton parents still insist on sending their child for enrichment – be it internal in-house, or external.

so it is a norm to see Newton kids attending enrichment.

If you visit Kumon branch at Balmoral Plaza, you may get a chance to bump into some Newton pupils dressed in their pink school uniform, attending Kumon lessons.

for parents with spare cash, they can afford all these “extras”, or send their child for CMA quick mental arithmetic maths.

website: http://www.cma-sg.com

some kids also attend “I can Read” english.
website:
http://www.icanreadsystem.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25


perhaps because … many Newton kids normally target / aim to go following schools, once graduate K2.

at Bukit Timah area, many targeting Nanyang primary, SCGS, MGS, RGPS.

at Toa Payoh area, a number will target Pei Chun primary.

at Bishan area, some target Catholic High primary, plus other SAP schools.

[lil_jade]

Hi greenbean2011,


Wow... Newton sounds GOOD!

Too bad we live so far from Newton, else I'll surely consider it... the bus service you mention only up to AMK right? I think Sembawang will be too much.. sigh....

IF, IF, IF my DH strike it big, and we shift to Newton area, I will surely consider Newton Kindy!

[mum05]

Have checked this Kindy’s website and found out that they’re of a Christian setup. Are the children made to pray and/or its religion context taught in the school?

[verykiasu2010]

mum05:

Have checked this Kindy's website and found out that they're of a Christian setup. Are the children made to pray and/or its religion context taught in the school?

the kindergarten is run by the church

no different from a primary school run by the churches like ACS / St Magarets / Cat High ......and the CHIJs.....