Shenzhen, China Report of what it's like to live there - 03/19/11
Personal Experiences from Shenzhen, China
School Name:
Shekou International 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?
ECLC 1 and Kindergarten
3. During what years were you affiliated with this school?
2010-2011
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
corporate
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?
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
A - They are very welcoming to new families, and kids and teachers work well to include kids who move in mid-year.The elementary school has a strong and open community.
Administration & School Procedures:
1. Describe the general climate of the grade level that you teach or your child attends:
Kindergarten has a very good climate - warm and nurturing, academically challenging while still recognizing that kindergarteners are young children, with learning individually tailored to each child.ECLC is a bit chaotic and has more of a daycare atmosphere.It is a loving environment, but not particularly nurturing or academically strong.
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:
A - I can only speak as an expat, but I never felt that we had lower priority that local families.If anything, the local families would have this complaint.
3. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
A - All teachers seem required to send weekly newsletters and regularly communicate with parents via email.
4. Services for gifted students who need academic challenge and students with learning difficulties:
5. Availability and variety of after-school activities for various ages:
A - Young kids have many after-school programs offered each trimester.
6. Maintenance of appropriately high standards for all students:
7. Homework assigned (quality, quantity):
8. Administration-parent communication:
A - The school sends out a weekly newsletter with a note from the head of school.Principals are very accessible.
9. Teacher-student communication:
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?
11. Does your child receive any special-needs assistance or instruction at this school? If yes, what types? Who provides services and where:
12. Do you believe the special-needs assistance is appropriate and fills your needs? Explain:
13. Does the gifted and talented program meet the needs of students? Please explain:
14. Does the school offer a wide variety of elective or non-core classes such as art, music, and drama?
Yes - The art program has studios for independent painting, the drama department puts on plays and
15. Please describe any classes or programs that you believe are missing:
16. Are there academic requirements such as trips or other activities that cost money in addition to school fees?
Yes - after school programs and school trips
17. What activities do you feel are missing?
18. Have your children participated in the activities offered? If no, please indicate why:
Yes
19. Does the school provide appropriate assistance to new students?
Yes
20. Please describe any problem areas or challenges in social interaction at the school:
The Early Childhood Program seems like an after-thought, operating more like a daycare with age-appropriate activities than like the reggio program they claim to follow.
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?
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 - The elementary library is very comfortable and warm, available to parents as well as students, has a wonderful selection of books, and currently has a great librarian.
3. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
A - Students as young as kindergarten attend technology class and become familiar with computers very quickly.High schoolers have their own laptop.
4. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
A
5. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
A - The kindergarten class never got larger than 19 students, with one teacher and one aid.
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?
7. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
8. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
9. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
Yes - Many teachers are American
10. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
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?
Students socialize outside of class, but expats do not socialize with locals.I believe that students must have a foreign passport to attend.
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.
No
Overall Impressions:
1. What is the greatest strength of this school?
2. Greatest challenge?
3. Would you choose this school again? Why?
Yes - It is a very warm school with a comfortable community; the facilities meet a high standard; the academics are strong; the teachers are wonderful.
