Thursday, February 11, 2010

(our) application

靖愷九月要升幼稚園了,我們只有為他遞了一份報名表。為他報名時,到學校參觀和跟校長談過,被校長感動了。參觀的時候剛好是下午班學生回校的時間,校長都逐一跟孩子打招呼,也知道他們每一個的名字。學校沒有嚴謹的遴選程序,收生主要看孩子報名的先後次序,因為相信每個孩子與生俱來就是一樣。幼稚園的三年內都不會有家課,每天三小時的課堂全用來在遊戲中學習,孩子認不認字寫不寫字全看個別孩子的學習進度。

上月收到學校的電郵,說有位置給靖愷了,邀請我們到學校參加一個非正式面試。到了學校,校長就給孩子們讀讀故事書,談談上學的情況,最後帶孩子到露天遊樂場玩。整個過程,孩子甚至不用回答任何問題。校長笑咪咪地跟家長說了數遍,今天不是測驗啊,你們別擔心,還解釋孩子年紀這麼小,怎會用測驗來衝量他們?到遊樂場前,校長請孩子每人拿一個信封給家長,信封內早就預備好歡迎孩子的入學信和各項備忘。

學校請家長細閱一份手冊,裡面從茶點以至惡劣天氣的備忘都有提及。看到以下幾段,我放心了,我知道學校會真的關心孩子。

rafael is going to attend kindergarten this fall. from the few paragraphs below from the parent handbook, i trust that rafael's school days will be filled with love and encouragement.

Taking Work Home

The teachers will accumulate your child's artwork in a school folder. Every Friday the artwork and any written work will be given to your child to take home... When your child brings home his or her creative artwork we encourage you to say to your child "Tell me about your artwork". Don't be surprised if they don't say what it is (such as the sun or a house). He or she may just be exploring with the art materials and what they have drawn or painted may just be a mixture of colors.

Traveling Parents

Please let us know if one of you is going to be out of town for more than a week. It is likely that your absence will affect your child and knowing this helps us to be sensitive to your child's needs.

Dress


It is important to dress your child in play clothes which wash easily. Please dress children in clothes which they may easily take off and put on when they go to the toilet. We are teaching them to be more independent. Long dresses are dangerous, especially on the outdoor equipment, as is jewelry. It is also not practical for children to wear bracelets and belts (especially 3 year olds).

Health Guidelines

The immune system of the child is immature and is stimulated to maturity. It is therefore quite natural that for the first few months after the commencement of school your child may come down with frequent colds and a runny nose, this is due to exposure to a foreign environment and to other children who may have colds. This is not unhealthy and in fact is instrumental, in most cases, in strengthening your child's immune system.

就是這個校長跟我說,現在的孩子都像活在綿花上。我知道,在這學校,靖愷不會被困在綿花叢中長大。

你問,沒家課不認字又不學寫字,那孩子上學學些甚麼?或許是我不切實際,但我總覺得,才幾歲人仔,學懂去愛、學懂尊重他人、學懂對自己負責,就已足夠。我就不相信,如果他喜歡看書,他長大後仍會是個文盲。我就不相信,如果他從小就享受學習,他長大後仍會對這世界一無所知。我還是認為,把根紮在正確的態度上,比紮在課本的知識上,會穩固得多。

18 comments:

怒火眼睛 said...

我跟你的住處接近, 必必的學校也是"沒有嚴謹的遴選程序,收生主要看孩子報名的先後次序"喎, 難道......

少了功課/上進/追趕的壓力, 孩子快樂, 爸爸媽媽也快樂, 大小幾口才活得似個家呀.

amy said...

受寵若驚,歡迎你呀,怒火!:)

咿,九月入學時會不會碰到你和必必?

其實,說來說去,我還不是為了自己!我接受不了,下班後還要看功課和強迫溫習啊!一家人的時間那麼珍貴,怎捨得用在這些地方。

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
klau said...

I am so glad for you and Rafael... I am pround of you. Which school is it?

Unknown said...

hey, i'm sherry!

很替你高興呀!找到這樣有心的學校!我希望我的BB幾年後也能找到這樣的學校,到時可能會問你拿點資料。

alsace said...

I have subscribed the newsletter since I had submitted the application form to school. From the newsletter, I can see how good of the school. I hope Aidan will get the offer from school soon.

amy said...

woodstockbb: thank you! we're happy for rafael too!

sherry: 無問題啊!

alsace: i hope rafael and aidan can be classmates too! good luck!

孜媽 said...

amy:

替你們高興,看得心暖暖的。

aulina said...

好好的學校呀!

kkmOm said...

You are so right. If kids enjoy learning, they will learn. Kids' job is to be happy. Wish Rafael all the best in kindergarten! :)

amy said...

孜媽: 期望下年在那裡跟你和孜孜相會!

aulina: 有冇興趣比ssb讀?

kkmom: you're so right too. Kids' job is to be happy!!!

Sarah Yuen said...

100%讚成你的說法

Kambayashi said...

I'm so excited for Rafael and u, knowing the school is really about the students. so excited.... by the way, what school is this? (since my parent live so close..)

Unknown said...

Is it swck? Is it true that most of their student will go to ESF for primary school?

Yvonne said...

很認同你仔仔的學校教育理念, 我女女的幼稚園原來也沒有默書, 知道後真有少少放下心頭大石, 幾歲人仔唔係機械人, 不如在最初的幾年時間培養他們良好的學習興趣和習慣更是重要!!!!

很怕那些k1一上學已經要寫字, 仲學埋d難到我都可能唔識或者用不著既字, 為咩呢?

新婚少婦 said...

我太喜歡這學校了, 可以給我校名嗎? 謝謝

新婚少婦 said...

sorry, 我的email是: xinhunshaofu@googlemail.com

Thanks!

Unknown said...

Hi,

Sorry for the bothering.

Do you mind give me the name of the school???

My email is nick.ch.lui@gmail.com

Thank you.

Nick