FIS School Bus Service

Posted by expat123 (693 days ago)

I'm really shocked, the bus company that I believe is the only one for FIS refuses to come to my street. My child will be in Reception and we'll have to walk 15 minutes uphill and downhill, everyday to get to the bus. I find this ridiculous and am wondering what others have done in similar situations.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

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Posted by Nappypooh (693 days ago)

Well, I know that my sister have been in the same situation last year. She and one of her neighbor had to share a taxi every morning with one adult. Of course, they had a discount on the fare...

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by activehealth (693 days ago)

We live on Jardine's Lookout and my boy starts pre-nursery (he is 2)in a kindergarten tomorrow in South Horizon (Apleichau). The only school bus covering HK East goes from Quarry Bay, North Point (Braemer Hill) then Happy Valley and Apleichau. It does not even go anywhere near where we live.
I have organized with a taxi company which sends a taxi to pick my boy and my helper up in the morning at 8:15am (kindergarten starts at 9am) and pick them up from kindy at 12 noon when they finish. My helper will stay there for 3 hours (it takes too long for her to travel back and forth). I have to pay much for taxis but this is how it is going to work.
I have put my boy's name down for reception (international stream)in FIS for 2008. Was it difficult for your child to get in and how was the interview like?
We speak English at home. I and my husband speak a bit of French and my boy has been going to French class twice a week for an hour each with native French teachers since 9 months old. He can count, sing his abc and name his body parts etc. in both English and French now (age of 2). Do you think that it's good enough for him to get in?

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by expat123 (693 days ago)

activehealth, i will send you a pm regarding your question.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by cathyjane (693 days ago)

activehealth, I would just like to ask you why you think it is necessary to send your two year old so far for kindy, surely there is one closer to you say on Stubbs Road or Happy Valley? Is it because the school you have chosen offers your child something that other Kindys do not?Shouldn't it all be about play not homework at that age? - and I am amazed that you would send a 9 month old to French classes - do you think that your son really got any benefit from it at such an early age? I don't mean to be nosey, but could you let me know what nationality you are? I am just very interested as different nationalities do view educating little ones very differently.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by Katetam (693 days ago)

I don't know about FIS specifically, but in the schools of Kowloon Tong ( Kowloon 's biggest area for famous schools)..... if there are no Official school buses.... there are MANY private school bus companies that do the routes too.

I live in Clearwater Bay, the official school bus only goes to Tseung Kwan O..... so I am going to use the private bus companies (school bus) A little more expensive, but picks up my daughter at my door, and back.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by activehealth (692 days ago)

Hi cathyjane, good questions, I like them.
Firstly, my boy has been going to KinderU since he was 2&1/2 months old. They use the flashcards, pictures and dotcards for the stimulation of the right brain. It is based on the philosophies of Glen Doman who founded the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential in 1955 in the US. He wrote books like "How to Teach Your Baby To Read", "How to teach Your Baby Math" etc (you can find much more info on this topic on the internet). Studies have shown that children learn best between the age of 0-5 years, as I had learned in Uni (I am a medico). However, I was a bit skeptical about the effectiveness of this sort of education to start with.
I was very surprised to find that my boy did learn a lot after going there for 2 months. When he was a bit less than 5 months), I had a piles of 12 cards on a theme (say fruits) with the names of the fruits written in huge letters on white cards or the pictures of the fruits and showed them to him at the speed of 1 second per card 3 times in a row in random orders (studies have shown that it has to be that quick to get the attention of the young minds). I then picked any 2 of these cards to put in front of him in random (say "apple" and "orange") and asked him which one is "orange", he always picked the correct one (my sister did not believe it and she decided to play the game with him, he managed to get all correct 10/10). We have been playing it as a game (with different cards on different themes)which he loves. He thinks that the cards are his best toys. He loves going to the English classes as he gets bored at home. He is the only child at home and both of us work full time. With such results and joy, he has started the Potunghua program there when he was 8 months and the French program when he was 9 months. He has been attending classes in all 3 languages since. He started talking at 7 months in English saying things like car, daddy, mommy etc. Now he is pretty eloquent in English (in full sentences), can say his alphabets, his body parts in English and French; can count in English, French and Potunghua and say many things like car, clock etc in all 3 languages. He does not seem to be confused at all. In fact,I have started learning French through Alliance Francaise at the same time when my boys started his. He definitely has picked up more vocabularies from his French classes while I am struggling with my poor grammar and pronunciations. I have no doubt that my boy benefits from attending the French classes at such an early stage. On contrary, I start wondering if I would benefit at all from learning such a foreign language at this late stage in my life (I am in my 30s).
My boy loves books and has started reading by himself (he is 2 years 3 months old to be exact). He loves pointing to numbers, signs, pictures in his surroundings and say out loud.
I DO NOT think that my boy is particularly clever as such, just that he has been exposed the stimulating environment of learning at a very young age.
Secondly, the kindy he is going to (Rightmind) in South Horizon uses the same philosophies, as it is run by the same people as KinderU. Many of his classmates from KinderU are going to start there as well (many of them live in Kowloon as far as Meifoo). They teach in English and Potunghua in pre-nursery; then they add French from K1 onwards). That's the reason why we decide to send our boy there, although it will cost us an arm and a leg to send him there every day in taxis with our helper. Plus he'll continue his French twice a week in KinderU this year.
Thirdly, please don't get us wrong, my boy is perfectly normal. He is very active and cheerful, he loves swimming, "jogging" with Mommy etc. and we go every week. He is under no pressure to learn at all. We just provide the ideal environment by involving him to learn activities that stimulate his brain growth appropriate to his developmental stages.
Lastly, I am an Australian-Chinese, born here in HK and grew up in Australia.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by cathyjane (692 days ago)

activehealth - thank you for replying to me. I find it very interesting how different parents educate their children, especially here in HK where there is so much choice. I would never have guessed you were Australian in your choice of education for your child, however your explanation makes very good sense. I wish your little one good luck on starting Kindy. Thank you again for replying.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by alyyang (256 days ago)

Hi expat123,

I've sent you a PM. Please check.

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by hkrcac (147 days ago)

Dear expat123,

I have sent you a pm.Please check.
Thanks,
hkrcac

(I am based in Hong Kong)

Posted by alyyang (145 days ago)

Hi expat123,

I've sent you a PM. Please check.

(I am based in Hong Kong)