Posted by
tictactoe2
19 yrs ago
Any experiences or views on this school - especially the section for 3-5 year olds? does any one know what the fees are?
tx
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I am also interested in how this school compared to Woodland Montessori in Repulse Bay. Any ideas?
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kar
19 yrs ago
I don't know how IMS compares to Woodland Montessori in Repulse Bay. However, my daughter has attending IMS since she was 3 1/2. She's nearly 6 now and will be moving up to the elementary section in May or June.
Overall, we've been very pleased with the school. The teachers are well-trained, professional and caring. My daughter has learned a lot. Each class has two teachers (one native English speaking and the other native Mandarin speaking). The kids learn to speak, read and write Mandarin as well as English.
One down side is that the school facility is quite small and there is no outdoor play area. I believe the school will most likely move to larger premises in the next year or two (I haven't been told this officially so I could be wrong).
It is amazing to see the multi-age classes in action. The children are self-motivated and happy to work. I would recommend taking a tour is you're interested.
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KAT8
19 yrs ago
I have two children who go to IMS. My son is in the elementary section and my daughter just moved to the elementary section in January. They have both been there for over three years and love going to school. Like kar said the only downside is that the school premise is quite small but overall it is a great school. With regards to school program etc, you can visit their website on www.montessori.edu.hk
Do I know you kar?
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kar
19 yrs ago
Maybe KAT8...we should meet up for a coffee in the morning sometime!
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thanks for this information - it is always good to get feedback from parents who currently have children in the school. Where do you plan to send your children after they turn 12?
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kar
19 yrs ago
If we're still in HK (strong possibility---I've been here 10 years and my husband has been here for 13.5), our kids will go to HKIS (where I used to teach).
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kar - we all end up here longer than we initially plan!
kar and KAT8 do you find that your kids end up with frieds of all different ages due to the mixing in classes. Say for example do they get invited to BD parties of kids that are younger and oldr than them?
Any other insights would be much appreciated (in addition to me going on a school tour).
tx
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KAT8
19 yrs ago
Yes, both my kids have friends of different ages and get invited to BD parties of kids younger and older than them. It is good to see my kids interacting with other kids of different ages.
kar, yes maybe we should meet for coffee. Monday?
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Hi Kar,
Were you told by someone that IMS is looking to move to a new premise ? If so, where might that be ?
A friend of mine loves the school but she lives in Tai Tam so it's a bit too far for her little one to travel to school everyday. She had to give up the opportunity there just because of this. If the school is moving to somewhere closer to where she lives, I am sure she will dive back in.
Is there anyway to confirm ?
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kar
19 yrs ago
Don't know for sure that the school is going to move but I believe the management has been looking at potential premises...kind of "house hunting". No decisions have been made so there is no way to confirm.
Tai Tam isn't sounding that far away...I travel further than that.
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kyuen
19 yrs ago
We are planning to move back to HK. I am looking for a kindergarten offering English/Putonghua program. Do you mind tell me how much is the school fee in International Montessori? Thanks!
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Hi Kar/Kat8
Is IMS difficult to get in ? I heard that someone had to apply there when the child was a baby.
Do you know how many spaces are available for the 3-5 year old ?
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kar
19 yrs ago
The fees currently are (and have been for the last three years)
Half Day (8:30-12:00) HK$ 6500/month
Extended Day (8:30-1:30) HK$ 8700/month
Full Day (8:30-3:00) HK$ 9800/month
It appears that tuition will increase by about HK$500 per month next year.
I don't know how many spaces are available in the Casa des Bambini section (3-6). I know there are not a lot of spaces and that siblings of current students get priority.
The current lease is through 2007. The directors are now looking at possibly moving (and expanding) the school. We recently received a letter about this but nothing has been decided yet.
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Thanks Kar. Their fees are really high, wouldn't you agree? They are more expensive than most of the international schools while they don't have the facilities most of those schools have. I am not sure how they justify for this, unless their quality of education is really outstanding.
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kar
19 yrs ago
Many of the international schools are subsidized by the country of origin. Another reason that the tuition is high is that IMS did not receive any help from the HK Government (like a land grant) as the rules regarding schools changed just before IMS got started.
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Thank you Kar. How do they compare to other international schools in terms of academic quality ?
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kar
19 yrs ago
I haven't looked at all the other international schools. I have experience teaching at a different international school in Hong Kong.
We are very pleased with the quality of instruction at IMS as well as the professionalism of the staff. Obviously the facilities at IMS do not compare with those of other international schools. The main two differences are that IMS has a Montessori curriculum through primary (not just a kindergarten like other Montessori schools), and that Mandarin instruction is a high priority.
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MC
19 yrs ago
Adachan, I put my daughter at IMS in Wanchai for the summer as they have an all mandarin program. It is hard compare IMS with other int'l schools as it does not have a secondary section. Many parents I know seem to put their children there till they turn 4 or 5 and then send them off to other int'l schools. The costs are the same.
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Thanks MC and Kar. I guess where I am coming from is Montessori is a different teaching philosophy and children learn at different pace. Do you see that the children there are as competitive as those in traditional schools? After all, we need to apply to secondary schools after IMS.
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kar
19 yrs ago
I believe that the children are just as competitive. In some ways (depending on the child), more so as they don't have to wait for the rest of the class to "catch up with them". Of course, at the end of the day, it depends on your child and how he/she learns best.
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kar,
do you know if they have afternoon session and what is the start time if there is ?
I heard they are planning a chinese stream. Is that true ?
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For those with kids already attedning did you have to pay a $50k placement fee ?
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kar
19 yrs ago
adachan:
There are a few children that attend only in the afternoon. I believe they arrive at 12:00.
As for the Chinese stream, there was talk of it. However, there won't be a Chinese stream next year.
tictactoe2:
No. We paid a 10k deposit but that changed this year.
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Hi Kar and KAT8,
My little one will be starting IMS the coming January. Just curious, who do you think is the best primary program teacher there (if you have to pick one)? This is just for reference and I understand it's a personal opinion. I won't hold you accountable for it :-)
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kar
19 yrs ago
Adachan:
I've sent you a private message. Please check your inbox.
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Hi kar,
Just PM you. Please check.
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