Greenfield Kindergarten in Hang Hau

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Tomartomma

New member
Hi. I am thinking of sending my daughter to pre-nursery in Greenfield kindergarten in Hang Hau. It's quite expensive, plus buying school uniforms and accessories and am starting to think is it really money worth?

A worrying factor I have now is that she is not yet accepted to any good international kinder (in N.T. area) for her to start August 2013 and I just feel I should start her from PN hoping she will be transferred to K1 automatically after PN. She's a mix of Japanese and British and we will send her to Inter'l primary in a few years time.

Any feedback appreciated!
 
Given any school spot in HK is really tight, yes, it would be wise to put her in a PN now so at least she has an option when it comes to choosing K1 (less stress on you).

Most Int'l interview doesn't start until January, so don't worry too much for now, but having an 'insurance policy' is always good, plus your daughter get to experience school a bit this moment.

Was she born in F/W 2010? Is that the reason why you didn't put her in PN back in Sept?
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Thank you for your reply Jomama. When I realized that I have to send applications, it was simply too late but Hang Hau branch still had an opening for PN. My daughter was born in Dec 2010.
 
OH no wonder. Yes, my son was born in Nov 2010, and he is still waiting for a PN spot in his current kindie although he's been in their playgroup since Nov 2011. The problem with F/W babies is that by September they are not yet allowed in a PN class legally (all PN children attending class away from their caregivers must have reached 2 years of age), and by the time they're old enough to enroll, all the spots are taken... but then they are expected to attend K1 the very next September. This forces many F/W kids to jump from playgroup to K1 directly, that or stay a year behind... To make your conscience feel better, it really doesn't make a difference if you apply earlier. I'm on the same boat so i understand the frustration you're going through...
 
Given your child is born in December, you have the option of putting her back a year (so she goes to school with kids born in 2011). The advantage is that she'll be one of the oldest in class instead of the youngest, so she'd be able to catch onto the teacher's instructions much better and boost her level of confidence throughout childhood. But if you're planning to go down the ESF route then that's not an option, because they go by the birth year quite strictly, which in a way a good thing to avoid overlapping.

The HK system accepts kids in the same grade born Sept until Dec of the FOLLOWING year, so you can have kids upto 15 months apart, which is too odd. Take my son for example, born Nov2010 meaning his classmates can be either 14 months older than him (if born in Sept 2009), or if I put him back a year, 13 months younger (if born in Dec 2011).

In the end it really depends on the child. For most kids being the oldest in class have its advantage, but if a child is very mature for her age, then holding her back might make her lose interest in learning. In the end just know all your options and observe how your daughter does in school. Wishing her all the best ;)
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I've noticed some moms were confused about me sending my daughter to K1 next summer, and now I see why! Well, I was Feb born and was one of the youngest in the class (school year starts from April in Japan) so my daughter can surely adapt quick. As for me, I feel a bit sad letting her go out and start schooling at such a young age, tho..
 
Hahaha, yeah, the separation anxiety is all on the parents, not the kids ;) My just-turned-two boy is able to go into the classroom for one-hour-lessons without any fuzz, and I feel the lost at the pit of my stomach... :P

So anyhow I suppose you've registered for several K1 that'll accept her in 2013, and I hope her PN class is going well?
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My son has just been accepted by greenfield but im wondering if this schoolis really good? Because i think my son didnt do well in the interview but he got accepted.
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At the end of the day it's really about what you're looking for in a school. Every family and child is different needs. In HK it's also important to know what education paths you are planning for your son, are you planning to let your child learn chinese etc. and to what extent. Are you into the chalk and talk type of school in the future or a more exploratory type of learning, and which type suits your son better. Greenfield in general is quite okay, have you also applied to the Hang Hau campus?
 
I would think that a school that understands that a toddler is not going to do well in an interview would be indicating that at least they understand something about toddlers.
 
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