ISF Academy - Open Day

Parent

1) Anybody has comments for this school?

2) I went to Open day today and their teachers are friendly and well-experience but the school fee is about HK$10,000 per month!!!   

Parent

Anybody has comments for this school? [quote]

yukidaruma

http://www.baby-kingdom.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic_id=190491&forum=7&start=0&viewmode=flat&order=0

ettawong

Hi Parent,

I saw on the ISF website, that the Open Day is on next Sat, May 13, are you attending a special section ?   Is it worth the while to pay this visit ?  

A friend of mine had a son studying in this school.  He had positive comments on the Putonghua program.  And based on our observation, his son is a confident and smart boy.  

raymun

I may pay a visit to the school this Sat.  I am interesting in their new School Campus (completed in 2007).  The school fee is however very high.  According to their website, I note that there are not many students, maybe 'cause the school fee and now only at the temporary school campus.  

warrrren

Hi,

The following is an edited version of my reply to the private messages and emails from some of you.  I hope it serves as an useful update on ISF.

Regards,
warrrren


...

Sorry I took so long to get back to you.  My to do list for the past few weeks was indeed a long one.

As you have taken the trouble to read my previous posts, I guess you know that I always want my girl to be truly highly proficient in both English and Chinese (written Chinese and Putonghua).  I consider that ISF offers the best curricula and language programme in Hong Kong.  Its programme is unique in that the students are expected to attain native speakers' proficiency in both English and Chinese.  At ISF, people do not talk about English or Chinese as a medium of instructions.  English and Chinese are the languages the students use in classrooms, playground, cafeteria and dance room, and when they take part in outside activities, or talk to each other on the phone.  You have to see it for yourself to believe what ISF has delivered so far.  Take my girl as an example, she knew almost no Putonghua before she joined ISF. She is now more comfortable with Putonghua than Cantonese and talks like a girl from Beijing.  It is sometimes quite amusing that she will say “我不懂” instead of “我唔識” when she speaks in Cantonese.  She is by no means atypical.  Many ISF kids (especially the younger ones) speak excellent English and Putonghua.  The school was one of the schools selected for the final round of the HK-Macau Inter-school Putonghua play script competition, and sent out 3 teams to take part in the competition.  The result was encouraging – the 3 teams won the second place in the upper primary section, and the first and second places in the lower primary section.

This year we have a few new students who were from other international and local schools.  I had a chance to talk to the parents of some of them in a function organised by the PTA.  They all felt glad that they had made the switch to ISF.

I love the atmosphere at ISF.  The students are appropriately motivated and challenged, but never pressurised.  They are happy, cheerful, and not afraid to speak up and speak out.  Whilst I understand that you are concerned that the school may be too "elitist", I do not think you should feel worried.  Most of the ISF's students are from middle class families.  Some of them are receiving financial aid.  I consider that ISF has a fairly well balanced mix in its student population (at least you will not see any men in black with in-ear microphones at the front and rear doors of the school).

One thing that I am against xxx and xxx is that they are teaching Chinese in its simplified form, which, to me, is lesser Chinese.  ISF is probably one of the very few non-mainstream schools that teach Chinese in traditional Chinese.  This is 100% personal, but I somehow look down upon those schools that do not have the good taste to teach Chinese in its proper form.

You are right that a number of teachers left ISF in 2005.  It is indeed a sad thing.  The good news is – with the exception of one (or maybe two, not sure), all the existing teachers are staying, and the school has hired a few new teachers from overseas who are very well qualified to cope with the expansion.  I no longer have the notice from the school, but you may contact the school for information about the new teachers if you want to know more.

Two weeks ago the parents received another piece of good news from the school – the school managed to raise more than $75 million (yes, $75,000,000) in the first 4 months of 2006.  A large part of the money came from a single grant from an educational trust, which, after many months of due diligence, came to the view that ISF was better qualified than other schools to receive the grant.  The grant is of course a good thing to have.  What is more important is that it is a recognition of what the school, the parents and the kids have achieved so far.  Since the school is a non-profit making body, it will spend all the money on the students.  I guess (and hope) the school may increase the % of students who are to receive financial aid.

Having been with ISF for about two years.  I am satisfied that the school has delivered what it has promised, and will continue to deliver.  I fully understand the concern that you may have with a school as new as ISF and suggest that you go to the open day on 13/5.  Make sure you call the school first and reserve your place for the briefing.