Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Report of what it's like to live there - 06/02/11
Personal Experiences from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
School Name:
The British School in Botafogo
Background Information:
1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
Parent
2. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
Parent
3. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
K (daughter) and - Grade1 and 2 (son)
4. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
K (daughter) and - Grade1 and 2 (son)
5. During what years were you affiliated with this school?
2006 - 2008
6. During what years were you affiliated with this school?
2006 - 2008
7. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
government
8. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
government
Admissions & Welcome:
1. Are the admissions and placement procedures clearly stated to prospective families, either on the school website or through other means of communication?
A
2. Are the admissions and placement procedures clearly stated to prospective families, either on the school website or through other means of communication?
A
3. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
A - much more individualized attention and accommodation than the other intl American school I almost enrolled my son in.
4. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
A - much more individualized attention and accommodation than the other intl American school I almost enrolled my son in.
Administration & School Procedures:
1. Describe the general climate of the grade level that you teach or your child attends:
Nurturing, supportive staff who motivate children to learn and enjoy learning and teach on a wonderful spacious campus with lots of room to run and great playgrounds for recess.
2. Describe the general climate of the grade level that you teach or your child attends:
Nurturing, supportive staff who motivate children to learn and enjoy learning and teach on a wonderful spacious campus with lots of room to run and great playgrounds for recess.
3. For the following attributes, down to the next blank box, grade your experience at the school on a scale of A (excellent) to F (unacceptable/terrible) and provide comments:<br><br>Overall fair and equitable treatment of all students and families:
A Lots of intl expats as well as local Brazilian families and school and students made everyone feel welcome.
4. For the following attributes, down to the next blank box, grade your experience at the school on a scale of A (excellent) to F (unacceptable/terrible) and provide comments:<br><br>Overall fair and equitable treatment of all students and families:
A Lots of intl expats as well as local Brazilian families and school and students made everyone feel welcome.
5. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
AScores and grades available online for parents, agendas to communicate daily things, just enough PTCs, emails for any other questions
6. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
AScores and grades available online for parents, agendas to communicate daily things, just enough PTCs, emails for any other questions
7. Services for gifted students who need academic challenge and students with learning difficulties:
?
8. Services for gifted students who need academic challenge and students with learning difficulties:
?
9. Availability and variety of after-school activities for various ages:
A - we only took advantage of the soccer
10. Availability and variety of after-school activities for various ages:
A - we only took advantage of the soccer
11. Maintenance of appropriately high standards for all students:
B
12. Maintenance of appropriately high standards for all students:
B
13. Homework assigned (quality, quantity):
AA little assigned every day that seemed just the right difficulty and was not overly burdensome
14. Homework assigned (quality, quantity):
AA little assigned every day that seemed just the right difficulty and was not overly burdensome
15. Administration-parent communication:
A Information about everything I needed but not extra paper.
16. Administration-parent communication:
A Information about everything I needed but not extra paper.
17. Teacher-student communication:
ABoth my children loved their teachers and understood the classroom and teachers' expectations
18. Teacher-student communication:
ABoth my children loved their teachers and understood the classroom and teachers' expectations
19. Academics, answer the following questions "yes" or "no" with an explanation if appropriate:<br><br>Are there any classes or subjects where students are not appropriately challenged?
no
20. Academics, answer the following questions "yes" or "no" with an explanation if appropriate:<br><br>Are there any classes or subjects where students are not appropriately challenged?
no
21. Does your child receive any special-needs assistance or instruction at this school? If yes, what types? Who provides services and where:
No
22. Does your child receive any special-needs assistance or instruction at this school? If yes, what types? Who provides services and where:
No
23. Do you believe the special-needs assistance is appropriate and fills your needs? Explain:
N/A
24. Do you believe the special-needs assistance is appropriate and fills your needs? Explain:
N/A
25. Does the gifted and talented program meet the needs of students? Please explain:
N/A
26. Does the gifted and talented program meet the needs of students? Please explain:
N/A
27. Does the school offer a wide variety of elective or non-core classes such as art, music, and drama?
Yes - was nicely balanced to include art and music.The religion class I wasn't really interested in was fine, too.
28. Does the school offer a wide variety of elective or non-core classes such as art, music, and drama?
Yes - was nicely balanced to include art and music.The religion class I wasn't really interested in was fine, too.
29. Please describe any classes or programs that you believe are missing:
Having been at the British School for the past three years I've come to appreciate the mandatory drama class as a norm in the curriculum.I think that's been a wonderful thing and don't remember them doing it at CHapel.
30. Please describe any classes or programs that you believe are missing:
Having been at the British School for the past three years I've come to appreciate the mandatory drama class as a norm in the curriculum.I think that's been a wonderful thing and don't remember them doing it at CHapel.
31. Are there academic requirements such as trips or other activities that cost money in addition to school fees?
Not in the lower grades but yes as they get older.
32. Are there academic requirements such as trips or other activities that cost money in addition to school fees?
Not in the lower grades but yes as they get older.
33. What activities do you feel are missing?
34. What activities do you feel are missing?
35. Have your children participated in the activities offered? If no, please indicate why:
Yes
36. Have your children participated in the activities offered? If no, please indicate why:
Yes
37. Does the school provide appropriate assistance to new students?
Yes, we felt warmly welcomed from the beginning and had the feeling that the administrators knew and cared about us as individuals.I did not have that impression from the en masse briefing for new families at the other AMerican intl school.
38. Does the school provide appropriate assistance to new students?
Yes, we felt warmly welcomed from the beginning and had the feeling that the administrators knew and cared about us as individuals.I did not have that impression from the en masse briefing for new families at the other AMerican intl school.
39. Please describe any problem areas or challenges in social interaction at the school:
None.
40. Please describe any problem areas or challenges in social interaction at the school:
None.
Academics & Resources:
1. What personal or academic counseling resources are available at this school? Is there a dedicated college counselor at the school? Is he/she familiar with universities worldwide?
N/A
2. What personal or academic counseling resources are available at this school? Is there a dedicated college counselor at the school? Is he/she familiar with universities worldwide?
N/A
3. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
A though mine weren't into the reference and periodicals at that age.
4. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
A though mine weren't into the reference and periodicals at that age.
5. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
I don't remember if they started that that young but I wasn't looking for this.
6. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
I don't remember if they started that that young but I wasn't looking for this.
7. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
A
8. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
A
9. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
B I think it was about 18:1 plus an assistant
10. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
B I think it was about 18:1 plus an assistant
11. Are Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses available in upper grades? If this is an IB school, is the full diploma required of all students?
I didn't check but I'm sure they have
12. Are Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses available in upper grades? If this is an IB school, is the full diploma required of all students?
I didn't check but I'm sure they have
13. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
Yes
14. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
Yes
15. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
A
16. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
A
17. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
yes - language of instruction is English and lots of native English speakers
18. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
yes - language of instruction is English and lots of native English speakers
19. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
No
20. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
No
21. What extra-curricular activities (including sports) are available at this school? Have your children participated in these activities? What activities do you feel are missing at the school?
I recall so but we only did soccer and gymnastics.
22. What extra-curricular activities (including sports) are available at this school? Have your children participated in these activities? What activities do you feel are missing at the school?
I recall so but we only did soccer and gymnastics.
Social & Emotional Well-Being:
1. Do expatriate students socialize with local students at the school? Are both groups successfully integrated into the school culture?
Yes.
2. Do expatriate students socialize with local students at the school? Are both groups successfully integrated into the school culture?
Yes.
3. Are there are any problems with exclusionary behavior, cliques, or bullying at this school? Please describe any problems your children may have experienced in this area.
No.My kids are dual nationals and fluent in Portuguese but their English-speaking newcomer friends had no problems at all either.
4. Are there are any problems with exclusionary behavior, cliques, or bullying at this school? Please describe any problems your children may have experienced in this area.
No.My kids are dual nationals and fluent in Portuguese but their English-speaking newcomer friends had no problems at all either.
Overall Impressions:
1. What is the greatest strength of this school?
Feels like a small school where there is individual attention to children and families and everyone is made to feel an important part of the community.
2. What is the greatest strength of this school?
Feels like a small school where there is individual attention to children and families and everyone is made to feel an important part of the community.
3. Greatest challenge?
It may be a little small for high school children who are used to socializing in large high schools.
4. Greatest challenge?
It may be a little small for high school children who are used to socializing in large high schools.
5. Would you choose this school again? Why?
Definitely!I wish we could go back.We loved everything about it and my children love to visit and attend class whenever they can (even giving up vacation days).I also liked that even though it's a relatively expensive school, it wasn't THE most expensive expat school and the other kids and families - even if they were wealthy - were down to earth, friendly, and did not ooze arrogance that you sometimes see among the elite.I also loved that they had uniforms, so no debates about what to wear.
6. Would you choose this school again? Why?
Definitely!I wish we could go back.We loved everything about it and my children love to visit and attend class whenever they can (even giving up vacation days).I also liked that even though it's a relatively expensive school, it wasn't THE most expensive expat school and the other kids and families - even if they were wealthy - were down to earth, friendly, and did not ooze arrogance that you sometimes see among the elite.I also loved that they had uniforms, so no debates about what to wear.
