[Ang Mo Kio/Bishan/Thomson/Toa Payoh] Preschools

[blingbling]

furano:

Hi blingbling,


Did u when for Wharton Preschool open house? I missed it.

How do u find the curriculum, the teachers & principal?
I m looking into PG for my ds, would like to have more info.

Thanks for your feedback.

Hi Furano,

I missed the open house too as I was sick. However, I did a visit to the school twice as I was very keen in Montessori teaching. My child is in full day care which had certain differences.

When I was there, the incharge toured me around the compound and took me through the cirriculum. I realized that they combine both N1 and N2 classes as well as K1&K2 classes. That is one of the reason I didn't choose Wharton. It seems like they will be learning the same things for 2 years. They didn't manage to convince me as they do not have weekly time table and it is based solely on individual learning.

Can mummies share if N1&N2 as well as K1&K2 classes have to be separated or combined? As I'm not familiar with Montessori teaching methods.

[whartonps]

Dear Blingbling,

Thanks for your comments. Perhaps the following information can clear some of your concerns about our school.

Montessori style of learning is experiential, whereby the pace and progress are dictated by the individual child. In other words, instead of getting children to learn based on the pace that is set by the teacher/centre, the child learns at his own pace. Teachers plan each child’s weekly Montessori activity based on his/her observation of the child’s progress (this serves as a guideline). If the child progresses faster than expected, he/she will progress ahead of plan. During Montessori sessions, the activity that each child engages in are independent of his peers. In traditional Montessori sessions, children ranging from age 18 months up to 6 years can be put in the same class. Due to our size and the other curriculum that we offer, we are not able to do that. Hence, we adopt an open concept which physically combines Nursery and Kindergarten classes respectively together. Our physical classes are intentionally designed to allow us the flexibility to combine or break up the groups in accordance to the activities.

As mentioned, Montessori sessions forms only part of our full spectrum curriculum. We incorporate many other activities such as Mandarin, Young Art Theatre, Thematic Learning and more to nurture the child’s literacy, creativity and team work. To clarify, we have a structured weekly time table for each respective classes. Apart from Montessori, children of each level will engage in the same activities based on their level. Our time-table is posted on our notice board as well as on our parent-centre platform for enrolled children. It is true that we don’t have a class plan for Montessori as this style of learning is individualised. Our style has been tried, tested and improved upon, over the last 8-9 years. Rest assured that the children do not learn the same things throughout the 2 years. Hope this helps on clearing your doubts. We will be most happy to address any further concerns that you have.

[whartonps]

Dear Furano,


For PG children: Activities planned for children at this age are basically experiential in nature and we involve the children more on Montessori activities although other activities are also introduced throughout the day. The focus is mainly on nurturing fundamental characteristics such as resilience, creativity, concentration, confidence and their sensorial and motor skills. It may sound fairly abstract to you at this point and it will be wonderful if you could join us at our open house so we can share more with you. The next 2 scheduled open houses are on the 8th and 15th December (Saturday) from 9 am to 4pm.

We will also be most happy to show you the facilities we have in placed in our brand new centre that spans about 7000 sqft overlooking greenery. We look forward to meeting you!

[phtthp]

Totsville Montessori expand, set up another new branch:-


http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=77&t=47083

[Jenny Lam]

Dear ConcernednConfusedMummy and décolleté,

Amongst all the centres that you have commented,
1.\tOur Junior Schoolhouse @ Westlake, Nobleland Arts N Learning Place, Educa/Cambridge CDC @ Thomson and Caelum Junior are all in a landed property. You can only see the teachers in action when they are outdoor. While you they are inside you can’t see a thing unless you are on a permitted visit.
2.\tAgape @ Midview City and Helios Preschool are both housed in an industrial building, their children do not have outdoor play at all. You can’t see them in action at all without prior appt.
3.\tSunny Bunny Montessori, Shooting Star Child Development Centre and Happy Family Childcare Centre are at HDB void deck. Both Shooting Star Child Development Centre and Happy Family Childcare Centre have their windows covered up or closed. Especially there is not a single hole you can peek at Happy family. In your list, Sunny Bunny is the only one has it’s window wide opened and is not airconditioned. You can peek at them at many corners!
My take is: How can you be sure the teachers of centres which you cannot view freely are good or they treat the children well or better than the other behind the scene? I am not trying to take side. Generally I tend to go for a centre that allows full view of public. Don’t you think a centre that adopt an open door concept is less prone to bad practice? I have a friend who once worked as relief teacher in one of the aircon centre mentioned in your list told me that the teachers there left the infant to cry non stop until they sleep cos they are aircon and no one can hear baby cry. :censored: And the teacher said to her, after crying the baby will be tired and will naturally fall asleep. She felt so sad and she quit the next day. She also saw a teacher in another centre (not in your list) punished a PG child standing inside the dustbin! :censored: Fyi She is already a grandmother, a young grandmother. She did relief teaching to check out centres as she want to put her granddaughter in. I will only put my child in a closed aircon centre unless the centre classroom is visible anytime or when my child is able to speak and articulate well. As there is only one supervisor in a centre, the supervisor cannot see all actions and she can see only if she cares! Principal is nice so what? They want enrollment sure nice lah! Programme is good so what? How do you know they carried them out faithfully behind the door?
:? So, have your mind and eyes wide opened and choose wisely!

[ConcernednConfusedMummy]

Happy New Year, mummies! I would like to recommend that you check out Our Juniors’ Schoolhouse in Thomson (33 Westlake Ave). I just enrolled my 17 month old son there after getting a waiver from MFS. So far our experience has been fantastic. The teachers are very friendly and gave me daily updates on my child - eating, napping, milk, class participation. My child is also adjusting very well. He does not cry when dropped off, is always smiling and chatty when we pick him up, and within the first 4-6 days at school, is already singing bits of Old MacDonald Had a Farm and Row Row Row Your Boat. One evening, just before going to bed, he pointed at me and daddy’s eyes, nose, mouth, ears, face, head, hair, hands, legs, shoulders, and named them all correctly and repeatedly, as if to practise. It seems the school is teaching children well and further enhances their interest in learning, which I am very happy about.


School fees are also not sky-high like many new schools; this school has been established since 2003 as a Pat’s Schoolhouse associate. Now it’s under G8 education which means that Ms Patricia Koh who set up Pat’s is back as its CEO.

Parents of PG, PN and N kids were invited to a curriculum chat last Sat and I must say the session exceeded expectations. We parents were engaged in fun classroom activities to have a taste of the different teaching methodologies for different subjects, and we got to hear all the teachers present and share something. The session gave me a lot of confidence in the teachers and curriculum.

Other aspects about the school that first really drew me to it were as I mentioned in an earlier post - its big bungalow setting with its own waterplay area, playground (for which they are getting new structures - a bonus!), playhouse, toddler ride-on cars and tricycles area, sandpit, and best of all, very well-organised and well-resourced classrooms that are bright and airy. Air-con is only turned on for naps. Otherwise, there’s lots of natural sunlight and fresh air. Health record seems good. We had enrolled our child two days after a child in his class was diagnosed with HFMD, but with the great care and measures taken by the school, here was no further transmission. Phew.

I’m not related to the school in any way, by the way, but thought I’d like to share my good experience thus far for potential parents’ consideration.

[ConcernedDaddy]

My colleague was shopping around for nursery in the bishan area. At one branded childcare centre, he was casually asking if they had infantcare services(he has a baby in 6 months time but he didn’t mention this). The teacher told him that infant care is not as profitable and only childcare can make money for the owner, so focusing on childcare only is more worthwhile.


Isn’t infantcare charging much higher in fees already? So is the lower profit the reason why few childcare centres want to provide infantcare? Notwithstanding the owners need to make a living, I kind of find it disturbing that profits and not passion is almost the sole objective that motivates the private operators.

[Jenny Lam]

ConcernedDaddy:

My colleague was shopping around for nursery in the bishan area. At one branded childcare centre, he was casually asking if they had infantcare services(he has a baby in 6 months time but he didn't mention this). The teacher told him that infant care is not as profitable and only childcare can make money for the owner, so focusing on childcare only is more worthwhile.


Isn't infantcare charging much higher in fees already? So is the lower profit the reason why few childcare centres want to provide infantcare? Notwithstanding the owners need to make a living, I kind of find it disturbing that profits and not passion is almost the sole objective that motivates the private operators.

I heard the same from another centre at same area that infant care not making money and sometime lost money. This centre still has infant care service as a SERVICE for the sake and convenience of parents so that they can place both infant and older child in the same centre. They say they make the money from child care.
Operators need to make money too. If they are not making money why must they operate?

[Giving Tre3]

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Hi mummies,
we are a playgroup preschool located just next to Thomson Plaza. We are open for registration now! Vacancies limited!! You can go to our facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/givingtre3.

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Roadshow at Thomson Plaza! Discounts for Playgroup & Enrichment Progs! (Thomson Plaza)

Calling all parents, bring your kids dressed in your finest Prince and Princess costumes and join our Facebook photo contest to stand a chance to win $50 NTUC vouchers!

Date: 18th to 24th February (Mon - Sun)
Time: 10am to 10pm
Venue: Thomson Plaza, booth outside POPULAR Bookstore

How to join??
Step 1: Dress up your kiddos in their Prince or Princess costumes!
Step 2: Come down to our roadshow at Thomson Plaza (Outside POPULAR Bookstore) and take a picture on our grand castle backdrop.
Step 3: Like our Facebook page!
Step 4: Upload the photo on our Facebook page.
Step 5: Get your friends and relatives and anyone you know to like our page and your photo!
Step 6: Picture with most amount of likes wins!

Enjoy 10% off our programme fees and a waiver of registration fees when you sign up on any of our programmes during the roadshow!

Children can also make their very own Princess Wands and Knight Shields!

Come come and join us that week....mark your calendar now!

For all enquiries, please email to [email protected].
Like us on http://www.facebook.com/givingtre3!

[msscarlet]

There’s a new MindChamps preschool in Bishan, located in Midview City, Sin Ming Area. I’ve visited the school and quite like the centre premises. Very nicely renovated, bright with natural sunlight and the school is big with it’s own playground.


The gym is big and my child enjoyed playing with the gym equipment and musical instruments. I like that each class has it’s own classrooms and it’s beautifully decorated as well.

Have signed my boy up and waiting eagerly to commence school in April.