Barker Road Methodist Church Kindergarten (BRMCK)

[Starling]

Thanks Deminc


I wanted to pop by BRMCK yesterday but was told that no visiting is permitted because of the recent Swine flu. I had also gone to Newton Kindergarten to take a look but was put on waiting list. Thus didnt really have a chance to speak to the principal to find out more about the curriculum.

[cnimed]

welcomed :). I hear Newton has a very strong/challenging Chinese curriculum. Cousin's children went there. But personally I think as long as the kids are happy it's ok. Teaching-wise, I think all parents do extra with their kids at home, or send them for after-school enrichment. Even at BRMCK, which is very structured, my son's classmates were sent for external reading classes and Chinese classes. Among my neighbours, even those going to more exclusive preschools have tuition for Mandarin and English at home. I was really surprised in the beginning, but now I realise that is quite common. With only three hours a day in a big group setting, the teachers really can't teach much. I think preschool is for social experience more than anything else.

[wyou]

Hi!

Anyone has any feedback on this kindy?
tks!

[BigDevil]

Hi wyou,


You might want to do a 'search' first before starting a new thread.
Not likely that BRMCK has never been mentioned before right?

Anyway, here's the http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=835&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=brmck you are looking for.

[wyou]

oops! sorry... :oops:

tks for showing me the thread Big Devil.

[krazy]

would appreciate if parents whose children are there can provide updates.


Are the enrichment classes in the afternoon taught by their own teachers?

[krazy]

would appreciate if parents whose children are there can provide updates.


Are the enrichment classes in the afternoon taught by their own teachers?

[greenbean2011]

Brmck also conduct Montessori classes, over and above the normal 3 hrs kindergarten - at additional steep costs fees per term. Montessori lessons are conducted Mon-Friday morning, 3 solid hrs daily.


Brmck is the only unique church kindergarten in SG so far that conducts her own in house Montessori lessons, over and above the 3 hrs traditional kindergarten teaching.

the school bus operation fleet at brmck is very large – picking up students all over SG from all directions, including those residing on eastern, western side of SG, and chua chu kang as well.

brmck also has a long list of wide, interesting good enrichment programmes conducted at her premises - including ballet dancing, play piano, play violin, play guitar, creative art drawing, quick feet tap dancing, and the unique flag dance worship accompanied with tambourine musical instrument - for Nursery, K1 and K2 levels.

except for the in house brmck piano teacher, all other external dance enrichment at extra, additional costs fees incurred - are taught by external enrichment providers.

all enrichment classes are conducted in the PM session around 3p - 4.15 pm, after daily lessons end by 2.45 pm.

Brmck core curriculum for English is strong. It is good. My friend’s 2 kids never have any enrichment in English. They just picked up English taught at brmck for 3 years - N2, K1, K2. But both kids went through Pri 1 english smooth sailing, in a good GEP primary school in Tampines

[greenbean2011]

if you want your child to benefit from both Montessori education, plus imparting good moral character values, can consider Barker road church kindergarten (brmck)


this is an established pre-school, been there for decades, with strong history. Brmck offers daily montessori programme, over and above her regular 3 hrs church kindergarten programme.

for latest info on regular school fees, click school website:-
http://www.brmck.edu.sg/rules.html

note - from next yr 2012, brmck going to increase school fees, stated on the website.

the daily Montessori programme is an enrichment programme.
it is optional, not compulsory.
it is conducted 5 days per week, 3 hrs solid daily per session, Mon - Fri.

if your child attends AM session, daily 3 hrs Montessori programme will be conducted PM.
if your child attends PM session, daily 3 hrs Montessori programme will be conducted AM.

here, Montessori programme is conducted 5 days per week. it is very comprehensive! you cannot choose anything, less than 5 days. 5 days per week - is compulsory!

if you only interested in letting yr child attend 2x, 3x, 4x per week, the school does not allow.

so far very seldom / rare can you find kindergarten in SG like brmck - that combines both regular traditional kindergarten programme, plus Montessori concurrently. Brmck can, due to sufficient number of classrooms available.

if you pay brmck a visit one day, the very first thing that strikes you instantaneously, getting you instantly impressed with are her:-

- spick and span facilities including kitchen food preparation, toilets,
- clean, spacious air con classrooms,
- the neat computer room where you see toddlers tabling their small fingers deftly, swiftly on the computer keyboard,
- the lovely ballet room with full length mirrors from ceiling to floor reflecting the girls’ graceful, dainty little feet rehearsing ballet steps, bound up in tiny pink ballet shoes, led by serene background music and teacher, plus
- all the nice décor hanging up along the corridor done by teachers, that changes according to different timely season of the year.

not many kindergarten in SG can fight with brmck, where facilities are concerned. Brmck beat many kindergarten hands down flat, once start to compare facilities.

apart from Montessori, what other enrichment programmes available at brmck ?

click here, find out:-
http://www.brmck.edu.sg/enrichment.html

note:
all enrichment costs come at additional costs, over and above the regular 3 hrs kindergarten fees. Call up admin office, find out costs, tel: 6255-8430.

at brmck, a wide choice of enrichment include :-

- junior Chinese club
basically, you choose either 3x or 5x per week intensive Chinese immersion programme. Minimum is 3x per week, don’t allow 2x per week. To find out costs, call admin office.

this programme is very hot and popular to both fellow Singaporean kids, plus foreigner kids eager to learn chinese - including a number of angmo kids, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Filippino expatriate kids, etc.

chinese taught here is intensive, preparing kids intensively for Pri 1 chinese.

- chinese creative writing
- English speech and drama
- Chinese speech and drama, called “Chinese Theatre”
- creative Art drawing, called “Fine Arts”
- ballet for girls
- music including guitar, violin, piano.

note: -
for kids keen to learn piano, call up admin office tel: 6255-8430.
they will arrange to get brmck piano teacher to teach your child piano lessons within brmck premises, using the in-house piano available, in one of the classrooms.

for school bus - what time, how much $, whether go your place or not to fetch yr child one way or two way to and fro, click here (scroll right to the bottom of webpage) :-
http://www.brmck.edu.sg/info.html

brmck is an established pre-school.
where do brmck kids normally target / aim to go to, once graduate K2 ?

majority going ACS Barker primary, ACS Junior primary, SCGS, MGS.
others also targeting Nanyang primary, St. Margaret primary, Pei Hwa primary, RGPS.

even those staying as far as Serangoon / Kovan area, but still send kids to brmck – also target Rosyth primary, Holy Innocent primary, RGPS, etc.

[greenbean2011]

brmck is a premium kindergarten.

brmck also covers tingxie and spelling, to prepare kids for Pri 1.

on page 1 of this thread, other kindergarten were also discussed.
for feedback, you may read respective thread.

St James
======
many kids from privileged, rich and influential families attend this kindy.
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=345&start=0

Marris Stella
========
wef 2011, Marris Stella kindergarten has converted into a 3.5 hrs kindy daily.
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?p=89347

Nanyang
======
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?p=42203

Newton
=====
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12778&start=0