[Bedok/Katong/Marine Parade/Siglap] Preschools

[auntieM]

:thankyou: autumnbronze.. ...

We will let the 'clever' forummers decide for themselves then.. ..

[sapphiree]

I think we all meant to be kind and helpful.

Dun be offended by the comments here.

thanks all for taking the efforts to pen your thoughts and recommendations.

[sheley]

any comments on Seeds D’learning house? Is the academic preparation sufficient for P1?

[thatsmygirl]

anyone child attending pcf childcare in marine parade? The other private childcare is very expnsive. Any other cheaper but good childcare around?

[thatsmygirl]

Please post if anyone know of any. thanks!!

[Pixiemom]

inspirer:

Hi Greenbelt


It doesn't have a website, given the school is small (purposely kept that way). Let me PM you the fee.

Just to share with you, when I was choosing a school 3years back for my then 2yo, I went down to speak with the then-principal of Gracefields Koon Seng, who's now principal of Kids 'n' Kids, her enthusiasm & practical approach blew me away.

Two things I specifically remembered she told me was they went around visiting different kids' homes so kids will know what's HDB flat, condo, landed etc. Another was she had the kids wrote cards to one another and to themselves, bring them to post office to post these cards (take public transport somemore !!), and when they receive the cards they posted to themselves, the kids understand how the whole postal system works. Back then, I told myself, I wished I went through an education like that myself when I was a kid

Hi inspirer,
Can pls pm me Kids & kids contact & fees pls. Thanks heaps!!!

[hokkiengirl]

thatsmygirl:

anyone child attending pcf childcare in marine parade? The other private childcare is very expnsive. Any other cheaper but good childcare around?

The PCF kindys actually have very good programmes. They have sports, regular (inexpensive) excursions to the zoo and National Library, for example, and they bring in external vendors to teach Chinese enrichment and sports in certain schools. They are well-equipped, too. There is a gym room in my boy's PCF kindy, and the previous one he attended had a Rock Wall!!! My boy attends the PCF at Mountbatten.

For parents who wish to extend the hours of their children's school-time, you have the option to let your child remain in school for extra lessons till 3pm. The additional charges are very affordable. Less than one hundred bucks a month for the additional care plus lunch (halal food is catered, I think). Note that the PCF kindys close during the same time as the primary schools for breaks, ie. March, June, September, December.

Having said that, you may want to check out the teachers yourself. The spoken Mandarin is usually fine. The kids get a good grounding in that. The standard of teaching of English varies with the teachers in each centre. I am very fortunate that my son's English teachers in both K1 and K2 were very, very good indeed. (He attended two separate PCF kindys for logistic reasons).

[phtthp]

parents with kids attending pre-schools in the East or elsewhere,

can learn di zi gui.

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=100&start=220

[Pixiemom]

Hi mummies,

im a newbie on this forum.

Would like to seek help as I am torn between St. Hildas & Kids n Kids @telok kurau.
I like the curriculum approach at kids n kids, but concern is that they have no premise of their own & hence unable to register wif MOE.

Pls advise…many thks…

[hokkiengirl]

Pixiemom:

Hi mummies,

im a newbie on this forum.

Would like to seek help as I am torn between St. Hildas & Kids n Kids @telok kurau.
I like the curriculum approach at kids n kids, but concern is that they have no premise of their own & hence unable to register wif MOE.

Pls advise...many thks......

Hi, Pixiemom!

St Hilda's Kindy is a very established kindergarten with a wonderful principal, Miss Buckland. She has been there FOREVER, and if you are looking for a Christian leader in terms of education, she embodies all the traits, in my opinion. She is very nice, has beautiful manners which kids would do well to emulate, genuinely cares about the children, but is very old-school when it comes to manners. She will bother to discipline unruly children, which I like. Nowadays, too many kids are used to being treated like princes and princesses in all these enrichment programmes which parents pay for them to attend, so the trainers can't afford to offend the kids (the customer is always right mah).

However, I would like to add that St Hilda's is best for children who are quick and early learners and who do well in an environment of discipline and academic rigour. There is homework everyday. Teachers stress preparation for primary school, which means there is quite a bit of writing and ting xie, etc, by K1. This is a good programme for children who thrive on structure and who can handle stress. Erm, my second son was not suited for the environment. He was a slow learner. He lagged behind his classmates and felt really miserable. We pulled him out. Still, I will not and cannot say that it is a bad kindy; many kids I know do very well in it and go on to be well-prepared for primary school.

Aside from the academic programme, there is moral education through bible stories. They have a lovely playground and the premises are pretty nice. Non-air-conditioned classrooms. There is time for singing and there is an annual concert in the church hall where the kids perform (SO CUTE!!!) on stage. And tickets are cheap - $5 bucks or so per person. Not like some pre-schools would book concert halls and charge 50 bucks???!!! FAINT. There are excursions every term. And there are cooking classes, masak-masak time, etc. The teachers have been there for a very long time, so staff turnover seems low. I take it that it means it is a pleasant place to work.

My eldest boy went through the programme and he was a happy boy, even though he was a slacker and got into 'trouble' regularly with the teacher for not paying attention. The teachers really do care for each pupil. He has fond memories of the kindy. My second boy was a sad boy going there. So it depends on your kid. Hope the info helps!