Dear Logan,
So we went to check out two more schools yesterday. We first went to M. Academy, and I was pleasantly surprised. Not sure if it's because it's a Saturday, or it's a private, non-Christian school, but that place was packed! Balloons were given to little kids, the classrooms were all decorated, and snacks of fruits, cookies, and candies were readily available. I had to say, they presented themselves very well.
We were escorted in by a parent volunteer who has a little girl in the pre-K room. He took us to the Pre-K room, showed us where the KG room was, and then left. We had a chance to look around this huge classroom and chatted with one of the teachers. She was nice and friendly, and looked pretty young. Your brother was busy sucking on his candy and playing with the play kitchen at the Dramatic Play area. There were books, pictures, drawings done by students, posted on the wall. It was a very warm and welcoming room. We saw that each kid has an assigned seat with a sign stating their dietary restrictions.
After talking to the Pre-K teacher, we found out that the room is for 30 kids with 3 teachers. Though it is a big room, I am not sure how I feel about having 30 kids altogether. Sounds chaotic! There's another Pre-K room with two teachers and 24 kids. Each year, students get 2 assessments through observations. In the summer, they do 2 field trips a year, some close by and some far away. When they do go far away, there's a school bus to take the kids. The kids get to go out to the playground area 3x a day. At this point, I don't quite remember what that playground looks like. I think it's a decent-sized one, and average. If it's good or bad, it would have made an impression on me. Overall, I really like this room and the school, so far.
We then went over to the KG room and spoke with the teacher. There was another parent volunteer showing a couple other parents around. This room felt welcoming as well, nicely decorated with children's artwork and pictures. Daddy was keeping your brother happy while I spent time with the teacher, and asked some questions.
From speaking with the teacher and the notes I have taken, the KG class is definitely more structured than the Pre-K room. The ratio is 1:20, and no more naps. Instead of nap, the teacher said she did some meditation during the day (not quite exactly know what that entails). In the morning, they do language arts and math, and in the afternoon, they do reading, social science and science. There are extra-curricula classes that parents could pay extra for the kids. This particular teacher said she likes songs and likes to teach through music. By the end of the school year, kids are expected to write complete sentences, and read simple chapter books. The curriculum is about a year ahead of the public school system. The parent volunteer mentioned something called Project Cornerstone, where they teach kids about conflict resolution with parents involvement. Once a month, there's a newsletter for the parents. This particular teacher does some e-mail communication, but prefers written note. She said there will be a math assessment every 5 lessons. When I asked about the spelling tests that I found listed on the website, both the teacher and parent volunteer said not to worry. The kids see those words everyday from Mon-Th, and by Friday spelling test comes around, they all know the words even without intentionally studying for them.
Unfortunately, we didn't have a lot of time to really tour around the school, as we had to meet with Grandma, Yeh Yeh, Uncle John and Auntie Katie for lunch as Saturday was Uncle John's birthday. On our way out, we did check out the gym/cafeteria/theater stage area. I like that they have drama/theater classes for kids. We also went into the music room, where they have displayed different musical instruments (keyboards, guitar, drums). The teacher said that all students have music class once a week, and when they're older, they could be in a school band. I believe that's part of the extra-curricula activities.
The other extra-curricula activities listed in their packets are music, gymnastics, sports and Spanish. I saw that on their website Mandarin and Taekwondo are offered, but they're not listed. I need to ask them if Mandarin is offered. If it is, then this is definitely a big PLUS! Also, lunch and 2 snacks are included in the full-time tuition. You can pay extra for extended care until 6 p.m. for grades KG and up. The tuition is cheaper than C. School, and seems to be about average private school price.
Overall, I really like this school. It's academic enough, and the environment is welcoming. Teachers seemed nice, and the curriculum seemed to be more well-rounded than C. School.
Definitely on the top of my list now!
Love,
Mommy
No comments:
Post a Comment