Sao Paulo, Brazil Report of what it's like to live there - 03/30/14
Personal Experiences from Sao Paulo, Brazil
School Name:
The Graded School
Background Information:
1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
Parent.
2. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
Grades 1st-3rd and Grades 5-8.
3. During what years were you affiliated with this school?
December 2010- December 2012.
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
Government.
5. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
It was the primary State Department school and it was secular.
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?
B -
it was tricky. They tried their best, but it is a school in very high demand.
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
A
Administration & School Procedures:
1. Describe the general climate of the grade level that you teach or your child attends:
It was a high achieving environment with the best teachers.
2. 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:
B
3. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
A-
teachers were amazing and great at communicating with parents quickly.
4. Services for gifted students who need academic challenge and students with learning difficulties:
A -
They have great resources for both, but it is on a case-by-case basis.
5. Availability and variety of after-school activities for various ages:
A -
lots of great choices and options.
6. Maintenance of appropriately high standards for all students:
A-
this was stressed and very well executed.
7. Homework assigned (quality, quantity):
B-
too much homework, very high quality.
8. Administration-parent communication:
A
9. Teacher-student communication:
A
10. 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.
11. Does your child receive any special-needs assistance or instruction at this school? If yes, what types? Who provides services and where:
No.
12. Do you believe the special-needs assistance is appropriate and fills your needs? Explain:
This school is not known for special needs services, but they have great people and resources.
13. Does the gifted and talented program meet the needs of students? Please explain:
Yes.
14. Does the school offer a wide variety of elective or non-core classes such as art, music, and drama?
Yes - fantastic options.
15. Please describe any classes or programs that you believe are missing:
Time management/ study skills.
16. Are there academic requirements such as trips or other activities that cost money in addition to school fees?
Yes - lots of great field trips. They were extra.
17. Have your children participated in the activities offered? If no, please indicate why:
Yes.
18. Does the school provide appropriate assistance to new students?
Yes - fantastic welcome program.
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?
A-
all of the counselor so were very proactive and fantastic.
2. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
A
3. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
A++ -
Amazing resources and opportunities!
4. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
B-
This was pretty interesting. I think they did rock climbing . The school athletic teams were pretty competitive. There was an A team and a B team. The A team traveled and played games and the B team just practiced.
5. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
C-
it was a crowded school.
6. 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?
IB only
7. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
Yes.
8. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
A ++
Insane amount and range of arts electives. They have a HUGE art program with practice rooms for music, dance studios, and wonderful art classrooms!
9. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
Yes.
10. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
All classes treated the students as if they were GT.
11. 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?
Yes.
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. 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.
Sometimes - but the school does a great job addressing the issue.
Overall Impressions:
1. What is the greatest strength of this school?
Academics, their teachers and the arts programs.
2. Greatest challenge?
The inequality between the "have's" and "have not's"
3. Would you choose this school again? Why?
Definitely!!
