Pat's Schoolhouse

[Augmum]

Koolmama:

Hihi, this is such an interesting thread for me 'cos my elder child is in Pat's Halifax and i'm currently trying to decide between Halifax and Mt Emily for my younger girl!!

What Augmum says is true, Halifax has really really good teachers. When my ds first joined them (in the middle of Nursery), he couldn't speak any chinese at all. Now, his chinese is so fluent, it even surprises my (chinese-speaking) grandma!!
The other day, my mother pronounced the chinese word for \"chocolate\" wrongly and he corrected her, \"Qiao3 ke1 li4\"!! :lol:

i even noticed that he pronounces the word for \"ear\" more accurately than locals do... You know how people here will usually say it the lazy way \"e-duo\"?? He pronounces it as \"ER-duo\"... which is more correct!!

Anyway, the reason why I was considering Mt Emily is 'cos we actually live quite near that branch... so driving her there would save on ERP charges (since going out and in, past the stupid thing would cost us about $5 everyday! ) But we love Halifax, and they are bigger and have better facilities... but since Mt Emily just renovated, it's also not too bad... but.... am not so keen on the open concept.... SIGH!! So hard to decide!!!

And yes, our beloved principal Ada Teo is moving over to Tanglin... she's really nice!! If not for the distance, I would've moved my kids over to Tanglin too hehehee....

P.S. By the way, just to give you an idea of how expensive my bus fees are (for 2- way, including ERP charges the bus has to pay) - $400 a month!! That's like childcare fees some pp pay elsewhere already

The government really makes alot of $$ from parents like us... SOB!!

hi koolmama
u reminded me of my gal's spoken chinese when she was at Pats
she really spoke like a chinese native at that time.....
very clear and accurate pronounication
with great emphasis on the correct pitch or sound
but ....when she entered primary school
her chinese accent gradually faded......
becos no contact of communications with chinese native speakers

when she was at lower primary, i still could hear compliments from her chinese teachers, but no longer when in upper primary.......

$400 on transport alone ......that's alot :shock:
luckily, during my gal's time, i need not to pay ERP

[Augmum]

cookies_n_creme:

Just want to share that it has been a smooth transition for my boy from D'story club to toddlers' class (Share Bear) at Pat's Serangoon which just started last week.


Very thankful to the supportive teachers and principal Ms Wee (I have to mention special thanks to Ms Annabelle, Ms Joan, Liang Lao Shi, Ms Shar and many others) who helped to ensure that the little ones adjust to school.

btw....wanna to ask...is Chong laoshi (the native teacher) still at Halifax branch ??
i doubt so.....think she might have return to China.

my gal loves her very much.....she even visited her twice after she went to primaty school.
this teacher treated all children just like her own kids.....
revealed kinda of motherly love and care.......

[smurfy]

cookies_n_creme:

Just want to share that it has been a smooth transition for my boy from D'story club to toddlers' class (Share Bear) at Pat's Serangoon which just started last week.


Very thankful to the supportive teachers and principal Ms Wee (I have to mention special thanks to Ms Annabelle, Ms Joan, Liang Lao Shi, Ms Shar and many others) who helped to ensure that the little ones adjust to school.

hey, miss annabelle is my boy's form teacher in playgrp currently.. so she double up as d-story club now? she's great right? kekeke like disciplinary mistress to my naughty boy kekeke


this d-story club on wkdays and toddlers grp is a new thing here.. argg wanna find out more for my july 09 girl...

pray tell me more about the d-story club (wkdays or wkends?) and how long u have been in dstory club before transitting to toddler's clasS? how many months old is ur boy?

[mtdt]

smurfy - so no more CM for ur little gal???


i am still very much in love with CM… PATs - hmm… starts to like nia! hahaha

[smurfy]

mtdt:

smurfy - so no more CM for ur little gal???


i am still very much in love with CM... PATs - hmm.. starts to like nia! hahaha

CM was a plan to put her in before she starts playgrp in Pat's.. but since serangoon now offer toddlers class at term 4.. will start her there lor.. argg i still have no idea how the whole thing works..cannot trust hb to ask... must ask during Parent teacher review in oct ..

but hor... looking at what i read hereeeeeeeeeeeee n my understanding.... my boy's teachers currently

English form teacher - miss anabelle - senior teacher double up as d-story (on wkdays or wkends?)
chinese teacher - going maternity soon
every friday got english trainee teacher sits in his class
dunno who will take over the chinese teacher after she goes on maternity
class ratio of 2:16

messy messy structure.. luckily his classmates mostly all settled down oredi.. otherwise can faint....

[cookies_n_creme]

Hi Smurfy,


Yes, she has a way with kids and my boy loves her (can pronounce Ms A..belle already).

My boy started with D' story club (Saturday mornings, 1.5 hrs) since Jan this year.

Actually my plan was to put him in PG next yr since Pat's (serangoon) did not used to have classes for toddlers. Since they started toddler class this term, I thought it was a good idea to give it a shot! Thank god, all was well

[smurfy]

cookies_n_creme:

Hi Smurfy,


Yes, she has a way with kids and my boy loves her (can pronounce Ms A..belle already).

My boy started with D' story club (Saturday mornings, 1.5 hrs) since Jan this year.

Actually my plan was to put him in PG next yr since Pat's (serangoon) did not used to have classes for toddlers. Since they started toddler class this term, I thought it was a good idea to give it a shot! Thank god, all was well

oh cookies.. so they still dun have d-story club for wkdays lar??
then miss anabelle is d-story club teacher or current toddlers class teacher? but tot she is still with my boy in his playgrp morning?

yah.. me oso going to start my girl in d-story club saturdays next yr term 2.. then term 4 proceed to toddlers class

[DC Mummy]

mtdt:

DC Mummy -


My Ds was from Character Montessori... and I still love this CC!
we changed cc becos we moved out of that area.

Character monetssori gd pt is their theme surrounds a character trait. not the usual (my body, animals, world etc). my DS really learn very indepth abt the character. till today, when i need to discipline, i wld remind him of what he learnt at CM. lt really helps. sometimes just telling the kid - be attentive/be obedient etc. I dun think the kid really knows how/what etc. but CM surrounds all the learning with these characters, it kind of instill/gives them many examples etc to really learn and know what it is all about.

but PATs also has its strong pts lah. but if Pats also adopt this character theme - wow! I wld hv best of both worlds!!

Actually, before I went to see Pat's at Serangoon, I wanted to enrol DS into CM. CM is considered spacious as compared to the rest of CC, however timing was not right, there was no vacancy at all! They told me they were waiting for MCYS approval to increase the intake (MCYS has guideline for children intake base on capacity) and was unable to register my DS there.

Thereafter, I visited Pat's at Serangoon, wow this school is much more spacious than CM.....but school looked was so old and simply just like a 70's school. In the end, I still enrolled DS there as Pat's met most of my critieria set for a preschool. I was so delighted and surprised to see how the school new look turnout at beginning of this year. Yes, it maintained the rustic look but newer and cleaner after renovation done in last december'09.

Few months back, CM sent me email + phone call asking if I'm still keen in putting my child into their center as they got the approval to increase intake......but too late

[mtdt]

DC Mummy:

mtdt:

DC Mummy -


My Ds was from Character Montessori... and I still love this CC!
we changed cc becos we moved out of that area.

Character monetssori gd pt is their theme surrounds a character trait. not the usual (my body, animals, world etc). my DS really learn very indepth abt the character. till today, when i need to discipline, i wld remind him of what he learnt at CM. lt really helps. sometimes just telling the kid - be attentive/be obedient etc. I dun think the kid really knows how/what etc. but CM surrounds all the learning with these characters, it kind of instill/gives them many examples etc to really learn and know what it is all about.

but PATs also has its strong pts lah. but if Pats also adopt this character theme - wow! I wld hv best of both worlds!!

Actually, before I went to see Pat's at Serangoon, I wanted to enrol DS into CM. CM is considered spacious as compared to the rest of CC, however timing was not right, there was no vacancy at all! They told me they were waiting for MCYS approval to increase the intake (MCYS has guideline for children intake base on capacity) and was unable to register my DS there.

Thereafter, I visited Pat's at Serangoon, wow this school is much more spacious than CM.....but school looked was so old and simply just like a 70's school. In the end, I still enrolled DS there as Pat's met most of my critieria set for a preschool. I was so delighted and surprised to see how the school new look turnout at beginning of this year. Yes, it maintained the rustic look but newer and cleaner after renovation done in last december'09.

Few months back, CM sent me email + phone call asking if I'm still keen in putting my child into their center as they got the approval to increase intake......but too late

I see I see... yup, CM was full for a long period of time. They also recently renovated and thus hv more space for more kids. (MCYS approved based on useable classroom space available per kid i heard)

anyway think Pats also a gd choice. Last time I went to serangoon to view for my no1... it was really BAD! the toddlers classroom is at the back some small alley... looks so sad place. The N/k1/k2 at lesat more welcoming. While touring the sch - we even saw a HUGE cockroach running out fm the toys, across the classroom floor to another side! The poor gal (VP/Admin -cant rem who), had to act brave to go \"chase\" the cockroach. At that time, they still hv no plans for reno... so we din consider pats after that

[smurfy]

dc mummy

i think i visited CM ard the same time for my #1 as well.. (Since our #1s same playgrp then). yah that was my pri choice then.. until i enrolled #1 in d-story club at serangoon when he was 18mths onwards.. during that period..we were taken over by the rustic building and spacious environment and since then no regrets..

As i mentioned to mtdt before, i dropped by CM this year in preparation for #2's future arrangment and was quite disappointed w the current upkeep of the env. :x.. and seems like they onli have 7 children in 07 group this year leh :P... and even asked whether i wanna put #1 with them.. i told them #1 is inside same future sch with Mtdt's.. she then keep quiet... but yes, that's still the best in sengkang.punggol area. .. thankfully seems like i can start #2 in toddler class come next term 4.. ie when she is 26mths old :).
mtdt
playgrp still in that back alley leh ... i tot the back alley quite good... a standalone stretch from the bigger children...