[barbiegirl]

Hi,

I have just received the acceptance letter from ESF kinder Sheung Wan. School tour will be arranged on 24 Jan 2008 afternoon.

Any comments on this kinder? Are the teachers there nice? Pls share your experience. Thanks.

[rani]

D was at ESF kindy last year. He loved it. Both the K1 teachers - Daisy and Lindsey are warm and great with the little ones. He's now in P1 and all his close friends are still from Kindy.

[barbiegirl]

Hi, rani

Thanks for your prompt feedback, it sounds very encouraging. I looked up kindy website, I see photos of key staffs there, I can see Daisy but not Lindsey, I guess she might have already left the kindy, what a pity. We are not yet informed of the offer for am or pm session, not until the day of school tour, are they going to inform us as well of who the class teacher is? From the website, it says the kindy offers two K1 classes, does it mean it has only one K1 class in each session? How big is a class? What teaching method are they using, montessori or traditional? Are they teaching phonics? Do they have outdoor activities, it seems no outdoor playground in the campus? Are the class comprised of mainly asians, does it provide a good English speaking environment? How about the chance to get into ESF primary, did anyone there fail to get a place in ESF in the past? We wish our little one can get into Kennedy S. when it is her turn for P1,how is the P1 place Kennedy S.? Do u think there is very high chance as long as we live in the right catchment area?

Sorry for asking heaps of questions, but I want to hear more of your first-hand experience on both kindy and primary, any good or not so good comments. Many thanks....

[Seb's Dad]

hi
my son went to esf kindy a few years ago. he had a great time with a fantastic teacher, michelle, who is no longer there, unfortunately.

they had two k1 classes in the am and two in the pm when he was a student (two years ago). they did not have outdoor activities, only rarely did they play outside.

while the school is affiliated with esf, children there have to have interviews to get into esf schools just like children at every other primary school.

there is a large debate on as to which schools in hong kong actually teach proper montessori methods, and i don't feel qualified to answer that question. what i will say is that i think the school is very good and your child will be happy there. and that's the foundation you really want for those first years, for a child to enjoy being in the learning environment!

[barbiegirl]

Seb's dad,

Glad to hear that both you were happy with this school. Before, I have heard some bad comments from other sources that the school mix K1 & K2 and leave them play alone for most of the schooltime with little guidance from teachers, little interactions between children, and there are seldom singing or dancing time. This sounds very isolated and weird. Those bad comments raise my concerns, but now it seems your experience with this school were very positive, this reliefs my worries alot. Thanks for input from both you and Rani. We are now looking forward to attending the school tour and meeting the teachers there.

Does your son go to a esf primary school now? How do u find the school?

[barbiegirl]

hi,

Anyone else here are attending the school tour? hope will meet u there!!

[rani]

Hi Barbie,

There's a new principal at the kindy and things have changed a bit. When we got our acceptance later, it did state which session we had been accepted to. The first tour, you meet the principals and you get a presentation on the curriculum. After which you pay your deposit, and you're invited back to the school for a 2nd visit, where you find out which class your child is and meet the teacher.

I have heard they are following a more traditional method than before. Not sure what changes they have made.

They don't have their own outdoor playground, but take advantage of the public playground next door. Park visits are weekly. Their sports day is also held here.

My son is now at Kennedy school. All his friends who applied were accepted. We didn't hear of anyone who didn't get in but I'm not 100% sure.

HTH

[barbiegirl]

Hi, Rani

Glad to hear that your son and his friends who applied were accepted to Kennedy school. How do u find this school? And how many P1 classes are there? Do they have lots of sports (eg. swimming), as the school locates near a sport field. Would like to hear your 1st hand experience.