[Bedok/Katong/Marine Parade/Siglap] Preschools

[seamonkee]

I am a \"very involved\" dad for my boys & I'm proud of it! :boogie:


I read w them, do homework w them, play toys w them, do baking w them, bring them on outings, etc, etc... Hehe... So u can imagine the extent I take in scrutinising schools on their curriculum, teachers & so forth... :evil:

[phtthp]

you are a great, wonderful Dad, very hands on! :salute:


your wife and kids must be so proud of you.
Keep up your good work !

[chuaeil]

seamonkee:

chuaeil:

[quote=\"phtthp\"]Judy said the Principal won't be teaching kids.


this Principal is actually the \"Administrative Officer\" handling MOE inquiries, handling customer calls, collecting school fees from students, processing school fees, handling finance matter, planning excusion outing for kids, etc. In short, she handle all administrative matter.

as far as teaching is concerned - Judy said she and other teachers will teach.

No.... she said cannot count her as teacher cos she and the chineses teacher will be floating around to oversee if there is a need she will help.

And i also asked her what if one teacher sick or onleave she said she will then teach but if really really no choice then the principle will go down and teach but of cos the principle will not count as a teacher but if really something cop up then no other choice then the principle will then come in.

Judy also said if more student enroll then she will recruit more teachers but then the teachers part which i am concern and my friend was questioning her abt the profit part of this business but business part i really not good at it so my friend will be visiting her again.

The impt is we dont want end up we have to change school again and we can't see the teachers and that made us hold back. Teacher is so impt too and however Judy cant be teaching all the time cos like i said she can't teach all the student so she needs teacher to teacher too. Cos if she is really gg to teach, which class is she gg to teach K1, K2 or nursery? She cant teach all right so it will also be unfair if she go down and teach cos i will also want her to teach nursery which is my dd will be in. How is she gg to combine all classes to teach? How is she gg to run here and there to teach? everybody wants her too. If she is gg to recruit teacher will the teacher as good as her cos we can't see the teachers yet and there is no class going on.

If u ask me, most kindy or montessori setup hv their most qualified teachers floating around to ensure quality teaching across all levels... I think most parents I know of will prefer it that way too. Otherwise, even if Judy teaches nursery for the full year in which ur dd is in, what happens subsequently when ur dd goes to K1 or K2?

From a dollar sense, if a school is purely staffed by highly qualified teachers to teach, it means high salaries to upkeep and it translate as premium school fees for the parents... I think that's also the reason why most kindys in SG (except a few premium \"atas\" ones w monthly sch fees going at more than $1K) adopts hving one or two highly qualified teachers to float around in order to keep operation costs low & in turn, fees competitive & viable for the parents... Am I right, Judy?

I will be more concern if Judy is tied down w paperwork & administrative stuff... Believe me, I've seen Montessori setups in which the qualified or Montessori certified teacher is also the principal/admin staff and she ends up doing more administrative work than doing teaching proper. I am glad to hear in this case that Children's Vineyard has a separate person doing the admin work so Judy can focus on her teaching.

I guess u're right that the school is new hence there will be reservations. I was initially apprehensive too in this matter until as mentioned, I saw parents (who has older kids that were home-schooled by Judy) coming all the way down from other parts of Singapore to enrol their younger dd or ds... That was the kind of parental support I saw for Judy... For me, that alone is a good attestation of Judy's passion for kids & what she is capable of delivering... No offence to Judy, but each time my wife or I turn up at a new kindy's open house (It's becoming like a hobby to us! Haha...), we take whatever the staff tells us with a pinch of salt (considering the sales pitch & all). For Children's Vineyard, it was the parental support I saw that sold the idea...

Children's Vineyard is a new setup & still getting enrolments, I can understand from a business perspective why Judy would only want to hire more teachers on a later note depending on the enrolment. It is not a problem for me since Judy will be floating around to teach the kids and mentor the teachers... [On a hindsight, I hv good vibes too abt Zhang Laoshi... That also spelled for me how Judy selects her teachers...]

BTW, I'm a stay-at-home dad... Hope this \"guy\" perspective from me helps in selecting a school for ur dd... [/quote]
Hi,
Nice to hear frm a guy perspective. I strongly agreed on what you have said here. I do visit those good montessori school which is expensive but i also came across to those montessori school which in the middle rage and is lousy. In Singapore there are many school cos a lot of ppl are really out here just to do business n very very few who is like Judy.

Judy and the chinese teachers is really good and u can see the passion but this type of teachers is very rare now and sad to say that. I am corcern with the teacher too....

As for school my dd is in a propula school and end up i just find that to my point of view they are famous for nothing as for now. To me this school they might be good last time but not as for now and when i speak to some parent and they told me you can't depend on this school, you have to send for enrichment class. The problem is this school dont have enrichment class and i have to find and i have a young one too so it will be very trouble for me to send her for all the enrichment classes. When i talked to the teacher and i find that their teaching is a bit lay back. The teachers have been there for very long but how much do they upgrade themselve or are they staying in the comfort zone.

I also dont want my kid to go for too much academic enrichment cos for me i never aim for top school, i only want her to go in the mid rage.

The people who run the school is very impt and the teachers too.

I have faith in judy and the chinese teacher so now i want to see the teacher too

[phtthp]

Yes, agree.


some kindergarten had her glorious hey days in the past. The \"old guards\" there in their comfort zone teach same old syllabus year in year out, didn't catch up with yearly MOE challenging changes to P1 curriculum. Give parents this generation the feeling of \"laid back\".

to be a good kindergarten, the Principal + staff must constantly keep upgrading themselves, catch up with the times.

most important, the CORE curriculum itself must be strong enough to stand on its own, to prepare and ease pupils into Primary 1, without the need for pupils to go outside attend extra academic enrichment. If parents send kids outside for non academic enrichment like ballet, baking, drawing, music, swimming, taekwondo, wushu, painting, all these fine.

But NOT send kids for extra academic enrichment for (English, Maths, Chinese), just because the core curriculum is weak in itself and expect parents to fork out extra, spend $ on external enrichment outside.

Then what for be a kindergarten in the first place ?

outrage over kindergarten \"tuition\" classes called \"P1 Preparatory\" class:-
http://www.tnp.sg/content/outrage-over-kindergartens-tuition-classes

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33009

[smurf]

so, is the principal judy or another lady? very confusing. coz she is the one setting up the school right? so she should be the principal, no?


So judy will be teaching, floating or she is a principal doing admin work??

can someone upload an example of the chinese worksheet? is Zhang laoshi a native chinese?

thanks!

[chuaeil]

smurf:

so, is the principal judy or another lady? very confusing. coz she is the one setting up the school right? so she should be the principal, no?


So judy will be teaching, floating or she is a principal doing admin work??

can someone upload an example of the chinese worksheet? is Zhang laoshi a native chinese?

thanks!

Judy is a director, Principle is another lady and she is doing all the admin work.
Judy and the Zhang laoshi are the one who run the school.
Judy will be teaching for the time being.
Zhang laoshi is from china but she had been in singapore for more than 10 yrs and teaching more than 10 yrs old. My hubby also speak to her and said that Zhang laoshi chinese is fine cos we also scare too china. hahaha

[chuaeil]

dear parents,


\"Children Vineyard Montessori Church\" is having an open house this Sat from 9am to 11am.

the address is:-
91 Koon Seng road

map
http://maps.google.com.sg/maps?hl=en&gb ... d=0CBUQ_BI

Just want to share from my point of view, i am not related to Judy, I just feel that i want to share the good part cos finding a school is not easy.

I really love Judy the way she plan her curriculum and if u listen from her then you will know that your child will be well taken care of and no worries of preparing your child for primary school. Is not only about academic but is about our child emotion and character building. You know as a parent i want to build my child overall not just on one things and God also speak to me this \" academic is not everything only good character will walk you thru the life\" cos in this world is about human communication and that is what i felt that we are lacking of. I have seen the teachers and i find that they are good and i believe that they will learn the way Judy teach and deliver to the children. I believe that some teachers are good but they cant handle 15 or more students cos the focus is not there and difficult to deliver the best of their teaching n love cos one you cant handle things u will get frustrated and love don't comes in that way. I am speaking from my experience from my elder daughter's school and that's why i withdraw her out and actually that school is a popular school.

Go down and see for yourself and find out the truth!

[chuaeil]

1st day of school at Children Vineyard Montessori Church


I am surprise n impressed that my dd dont even border to look at me when me n my friend were peeping at them and even open the door. The children are so engage with their activity. This usually dont happened cos normally children are very curious.
You can see that they love what they are doing and there is 2 way communication between the teacher and the children.

Oh i love the snack menu is healthy and the children have a chance create their own snack n eat what they had made with teacher helps. Today is oats n banana, my dd 1st time take oat cos mummy dont like oats but i am happy that Judy snack menu is so healthy.

When i went back to pick up my dd n i saw they are playing the dressing up which my dd old school will not have due to their capacity of intake. I am so happy cos at this stage of age, play dressing up is very good for them.

I feel very blessed and my children is well taken care of. Thank God for helping to find this school.

I will keep my updates for this school and all my updates is very sincere no matter good or bad. Is very hard to find a good n compassion teachers like Judy they all.

[chuaeil]

Hi everybody,


Children Vineyard updated by me at this thread

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=77&t=30636&p=733261#p733261

[Tutiliki]

Hi Inspirer and other parents of Kids n Kids children,


My family is buying an apt in Telok Kurau and we are in urgent need of finding a good childcare for my second son, who is 2yo next month. Kids n Kids seems to fulfill all the requirement of our ideal childcare: close to our future home, small classroom, enthusiasm principle… Not to mention the very helpful and informative parents of the students there.

Can any of you please email me the contact # for the school so I can call them up and check out the childcare?

Thank you so much.