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Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Reedley International School
We are at a stage in Aidan's life where we need to decide our education strategy. We want the best education for our kids but I believe that most traditional schools have outdated curriculum. Aidan belongs to the Generation Z and I believe that only progressive schools can meet their needs. We don't want to be close minded on this so we will be doing more research on the different schools in Metro Manila in the next few months. Suggestions are welcome.
Aidan's generation is different. As early as 2 years old, Aidan begun tinkering with our computer at home. He likes to visit the kiddie sites such as Starfall and Disney clubhouse on his own. We have stopped watching television(including us!) because of the negative impact of TV. When I was in Boracay, we were doing video calls via computer. Aidan's generation has NOT witnessed People Power 1&2, September 11 terrorist attacks, Glorietta bombings or the Tsunami in South East Asia. I believe that their generation would be more nationalistic, conscious about the environment and technologically connected in ways that we cannot imagine. Mandarin and English would still be the key to doing successful business in the future.
My preference would be the International Schools (like IS or Brent) but they are very expensive because you are paying for the Expat educators. Ateneo and La Salle, on the other hand, are more traditional in nature and I hear stories of 1 teacher: 40+ students ratio similar with our times. One consideration is Xavier School which already upgraded their curriculum and are very progressive. We are also interested with Reedley International School because of its core values and International School curriculum that they follow. We attended the orientation last December 2007 @ Reedley, and let me share with you what Reedley has to offer...
We are considering an international school program where the academic curriculum and knowledge is at PAR with the international schools outside the Philippines. They are required to learn another language which is Mandarin. Aidan will be expected to work with different nationalities and respect their customs and traditions at the same time valuing the Filipino traditions. The teaching style is more exchanging of ideas vs. the teacher downloading information and the student memorizing it.
I liked Reedley's core values which is aligned with our core values. I want Aidan's school to be truly a second home for him where he knows most of the students and teachers by first name. I like the positive culture of discipline they are fostering with focus on understanding the reason for discipline and its consequence versus the focus on punishment. Reedley boast dozens of case studies on turnaround cases where a happy-go-lucky student became enthusiastic about school and a bullied student and pressured by peers in the big schools transforms into being assertive, confident and knowing all about conflict resolution. Finally, I like the focus on finding the child's unique skills, gifts and talents and aligning the child towards his divine destiny.
I also like the very low student: teacher ratio where the teachers can really focus on the learning of the students. The maximum class size for lower school is 1teacher : 15 students.
We interviewed a Reesian and we only get great rave reviews from the kid. Have you looked into Reedley? Or are your kids enrolled in this school? Maybe you can share your experience with us.
Life Skills are also taught which includes teaching the 7 habits of highly effective teens, instilling virtues, learning conflict resolution skills, understanding emotional quotient, and reaching out to less fortunate brothers and sisters.
Mrs. Ong, founder of Reedley, shared her beliefs during the December orientation:
" I believe that with an international education, our kids are given lots of opportunities and seemingly more unique ways of learning, inside and outside of the classroom, less structured but more participatory discussions on: Global issues, economics and polities, 21st century technology, society's ills, and other relevant and worldly concerns. "
" I believe that a good school highly enables its students to have an excellent grasp of the English language in order to survive, to communicate well, and to promote Bi-lingualism."
" I believe that a both Parents and the School are responsible to help children discover ways to make good use of Life's Greatest Gift... the Gift of Learning."
" I believe that a good school is one where: RESPONSIBILITY and HARD WORK are deeply instilled; GOOD MORALS and DISCIPLINE become our children's way of life."
The tuition fee is twice that of a traditional school but a lot lower than the other International School in the country because they don't employ expats. Since they are an IS school, they don't have a focus on Christian formation which is one of the criteria I was looking for in a school. I grew up with Salesian brothers and priest in Don Bosco Makati and I was hoping Aidan to get the same Catholic formation which I won't get in Reedley International School.
We still have time to do research about other progressive schools before Aidan turns 6. Any suggestions on awesome progressive schools in Metro Manila?
For more information on Reedley: Reedley International School
January 16, 2008 in 08. Personal Family Posts | Permalink
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hi anton,
aidan and my son bryce are of the same age. like you, i am on the lookout of good schools for bryce. right now, i am enrolling him to a preschool near our area, but was debating also whether to enroll him in either xavier or ateneo when he reaches 6 years old. i am interested in the reedley school too but have not attended the orientation. can you please give me a ballpark figure of their tuition fee? thanks.
sheryl
Posted by: sheryl | Jan 16, 2008 9:41:10 AM
hello. My little boy is turning 3 in March, and like you, we are already scouting for a nice school in the south. Our choices are Cambridge, The Learning Child, or San Beda Alabang. I share the same sentiment re Catholic formation as my husband and I grew up with the Benedictine Monks and SSpS nuns, respectively. Plus, the teacher:student ratio today is unbelieveable! I do hope you'll keep this entry about schools updated.
:)
Posted by: Jojo | Jan 16, 2008 10:17:18 AM
xavier! i think it's, bar-none,the best catholic school in the country right now. good academics and great atmosphere and your kid will be amongst the taipans, connections!
Posted by: grace | Jan 16, 2008 10:17:26 AM
My nephew is 1 1/2 years old. This early me and my sister are already thinking of the best school for him.
In our vicinity we have Southville International School, Elizabeth Seton, a little farther is De La Salle Alabang. There is also Mulberry School here for toddlers. Sheryl, you reminded me of San Beda Alabang too.
I had asked Southville with regards to religion. I think they have one also. This is very important to us since me and my sister are both Paulinian, Thomasian and from La Salle too.
My nephew like Aidan is also interested in the computer, he is also interested in the cellphones.
I am interested also in international school since when we graduate and go abroad we take English exams. I am just disppointed to learn that many are passing the professional exams but failing the English exams. Come to think of it, these taking the exams are college graduates and they come from the best schools the country can offer. When we go to the US, though we are college graduates, our pronunciation here is very different from what they have abroad.
Posted by: Madeline | Jan 16, 2008 11:24:54 AM
hello. the only thing i have heard about reedley is that it is a disciplinary reform-type school (though this wasn't their goal) -- a place where parents send their "problem" kids (kids who are "antisocial", violent, or generally caused trouble at their last schools) when no other school will take them. heard this from a friend of one of the administrators. it's not necessarily a bad thing if they are able to create a positive environment for kids who feel alienated in other schools.
have you looked at the beacon school? not sure what tuition is like there...
Posted by: occasional reader | Jan 16, 2008 11:34:05 AM
personally, xavier would still be my 1st choice. however, reedley seems promising. i know that they pattern their curriculum similar to schools in singapore which makes a good balance between "work and play".
Posted by: fran | Jan 16, 2008 12:23:15 PM
try Meridian International Learning Experience in Crossroad 77, Mo. Ignacia St.
Posted by: stephanie | Jan 16, 2008 12:26:29 PM
Allow me to share with you that being a part of the Reedley Family (as they call it there---I'm getting teary-eyed...) was both a wonderful and enriching experience for me.
I learned a lot from working with this school.
During their first two years, Reedley had a few cases dealing with "problem kids." They tightened screening of applicants thereafter. I heard their students are much much better now!
Compared to the teaching strategies of traditional Catholic schools like La Salle and Ateneo, Reedley is more advanced since they send their teachers to workshops and seminars abroad. And yes, I was one of the lucky and blessed ones chosen to receive foreign training.:)
Anton, good luck to you in searching for the right school for Aidan. As for my two cents worth, Reedley is all worth it! :)
Posted by: Mailan | Jan 16, 2008 1:10:41 PM
Hi, first of all great site...i have had a lot of fun looking around it.
I am a proud alumnus of the International School Manila, and may i just say that i'm very glad you're looking into putting your son into a International School. I agree with you wholeheartedly on your thoughts on progressive education with less religion (or none at all) with a good focus on technology and critical thinking.
I know ISM is very expensive, but please don't right it off just yet. Did you know that ISM offers a scholarship program? They offer gifted local students enrollment for free. Well, your son may be a little to young to qualify, but i suggest you look into it. Also, you may want to consider the extra things that come with a larger school. Things like first class sports facilities, a very very very good theater program (fine arts in general is very good at IS), more students means more exposure to many different cultures and ideas, also the security on campus is very good. Though it is a bigger school they higher more teachers, and the faculty:student ratio is similar to Reedley's.
Perhaps you may want to look into sending your son there when he gets a little older (middle/high school), save a little money that way. But at least check the school out.
that's my 2 centavos
Posted by: Jonathan | Jan 16, 2008 3:02:16 PM
Having graduated from Xavier, I would definitely say it's the best choice. Not only did they upgraded the curriculum, they also upgraded the facilities (big time) :)
Well, Xavier has Chinese...Ateneo doesn't have..but they're both Jesuit schools... you might want to try British School of Manila? But, true blue Xaverian here! XD hehe
but of course, it's till your choice :)
Posted by: Brian | Jan 16, 2008 6:48:44 PM
If you are interested in int'l schools like Reedley, check out Singapore IS in Magallanes. My friend's kids goes there are he raves about it a lot.
www.singaporeschoolmanila.com
My only problem with IS schools is their lack of Catholic education. Who will answer my son when he asks questions like, "If God exists, why is there suffering in the world?"
Posted by: rog | Jan 16, 2008 7:16:55 PM
I dont know if they are still there but, some of my old teachers in ateneo are teaching in reedley. I remember when they used to be near capitol 8, and had alot of atenean links (old students, teachers, administrators, etc) I believe a principal of theirs was the BPI Teacher Awardee, when she was teaching in Ateneo (a wonderful educator i might say) the little i know about reedley is that Mrs Ong herself is an atenean mom, (i think she has 2 wonderful kids who graduated recently from ADMU), I have a couple of friends with kids in reedley, although they have an issue with the catholic education, they love the advanced curriculum they have, foreign language lessons are available to students (not just chinese) How cool would it be to have aidan speak in 4 different languages (tagalog, english, mandarin/fookien, and french or spanish )wow!
Posted by: trek | Jan 16, 2008 7:45:53 PM
hi anton! you might want to check out the beacon school or the esteban school which are both in the same pcpd compound along pasong tamo ext. some of the faculty members in beacon are formerly with ISM where my sister teaches. my 3 boys attend the ateneo grade school and i'm aware of ateneo's efforts to make the curriculum at par with international standards. if i'm not mistaken, they continually benchmark vs singapore intl schools. there's my two bits. =)
Posted by: miej | Jan 16, 2008 9:23:09 PM
Hi Anton,
Here was my blog entry when I was faced with a schooling decision last year:
http://3xhcch.multiply.com/journal/item/78
Because this was not a Catholic school, we had to provide my daughter Catholic catechism which was fortunately available every Saturday in the parish church of Damar Village nearby. She already had her first Holy Communion just last December 8.
Posted by: fred | Jan 16, 2008 10:18:53 PM
hi snton! it's good to know that as early as now you are paying great attention to aidan's education. international schools are good because not only do they have good programs but it also allows your child to be more aware of different cultures and traditions and more. but right now i believe in the effectivity of schools that are multiple intelligence-based. maybe you can try to look for one near where you live.
Posted by: via | Jan 16, 2008 10:20:47 PM
Hi Anton! Have you tried looking into PAREF schools e.g. Woodrose, Southridge, Rosehill, Northfield, Ridgefield, etc. They have a pretty good curriculum and values formation
Posted by: pilar | Jan 16, 2008 10:58:58 PM
hi anton,
please consider that reedley still accepts students from other schools who are dismissed because of low grades. just this school year, i know of a grade school girl they accepted so i disagree with stephanie. another case - my daughter saw her former classmate last sunday who is studying now in reedley. we asked her why she transferred and my daughter said "cos she is not smart".
i know you want the best for your son so please consider this. reedley has that image. it is still your decision
though my son is not in xavier, i regret not considering that school because of the chinese subject. it is really a good school.
just a curious question...why not don bosco? where you studied?
good luck.
Posted by: mai | Jan 16, 2008 11:53:09 PM
Sometimes people get awed with the words “international school”. They think that it is a step above local schools because of smaller class sizes, greater resources, advanced curriculum, better disciplinary measures or even higher scores on standardized tests. But that’s not always the case…. and I am speaking from experience. My youngest son finished 7th grade at Xavier and was accepted at Phillips Andover Academy (www.andover.edu) and Buckingham, Brown and Nichols (www.bbn.org) , both in Massachusetts (company relocated us, hence he couldn’t continue at Xavier). He chose BBN because I would not let him go to boarding school. Daughter finished second year at UP Integrated School and was accepted at Groton School (groton.org), also in Massachusetts. Both Xavier and UPIS worked my children to their greatest potential and that’s why they are able to meet the challenges of these American schools. Xavier has 40 students in class, and UPIS has a similar number. It really boils down to the student and the involvement of the parents on their children’s school life! Nevertheless,I still firmly believe that our local schools deliver a superb education!
Posted by: Joy | Jan 17, 2008 12:19:55 PM
Many of our friends from private schools here in the Philippines excel well when they go to the US, Canada and other countries. We value
education alot! Most of them became A students when transferred abroad.
I value religion alot, that's my point against the international schools. So catechisim is one great option but is it available in other places?
Posted by: Madeline | Jan 17, 2008 2:02:49 PM
Hi Anton...agree 100% with Mai! Reedley has that reputation. They take in the "kick-outs". Just recently, my friend's son had to get out of Ateneo because of poor grades and disciplinary issues. He's now at Reedley.
I wouldn't "intellectualize" these matters too much about schools if I were you. I have 5 kids and they all went to traditional schools (La Salle & Assumption) . They turned out to be a good, happy bunch. I know we want the best for our children but let's not stress ourselves too much. Kids should have fond and FUN memories of their schools. (And so do we parents.)
Put Anton in traditional schools like Ateneo, La Salle, Xavier and yes, why not Don Bosco? He'll be fine... :) Good luck!
Posted by: Cristina | Jan 17, 2008 2:48:05 PM
Hi Anton!
I guess I have to disagree with what both Mai and Cristina have written about Reedley, that it takes in the "kick-outs." True, that there are kids who left the big schools like Ateneo and La Salle and were accepted by Reedley.
But I think it's always a matter of perspective when you look at kids who leave the big schools.
Were all of them kick outs? Or did they leave the big schools by choice?
Were all those kids at fault thats why they failed?
Or did they lack attention that a big school is unable to provide because of their high student population and their structure?
I came from a big school. People didn't care about me. I was not smart, or pretty, or an athlete. I was a name in the class list, a class number. Teachers didn't really care about me.
I have a friend who has a daughter in Reedley. And she says she's very happy about it since her kid is now happier, more confident, and is achieving more academically and socially.
And she passed Ateneo. :)
Big schools aren't for everyone. If your kid can flourish and shine there, then that's a good thing. Keep him or her there.
But when your kid is not excelling, unhappy (but not stupid or evil) and just needs just a little care and guidance to be pushed to excellence and kindness, I believe Reedley is doing a great job.
I wish you and your wife all the best in setting a great path for Aidan.
Best wishes!
Posted by: Jennifer | Jan 17, 2008 3:20:14 PM
Hey there! IMHO, don't worry too much about getting Aidan into a Catholic-centric school. I think it would be much better for Aidan to decide for himself what religion he'd like to follow (or not follow) when he's big enough to actually make a decision. What's important is that he's getting proper education. From what I've read from your post, it seems Reedley is an excellent school to go to.
Just my 2c worth! Cheers!
Posted by: John | Jan 17, 2008 4:42:04 PM
@ Jonathan-
"...putting your son into A International School."
"...but please don't RIGHT it off just yet."
"...Though it is a bigger school they HIGHER more teachers"
I guess ISM needs to step up in spelling and english grammar.
"I agree with you wholeheartedly on your thoughts on progressive education with less religion (or none at all) with a good focus on technology and critical thinking."
Also, Anton wanted his son to receive Christian cathecism. Read his blog carefully.
Peace! :-)
Posted by: Peter | Jan 17, 2008 5:25:36 PM
I won't get into which schools I think are the best, because I haven't done enough research on all of them to make a judgment. Besides, all schools have pros and cons, just as the choice between traditional vs. progressive vs. international school (note that not all intl. schools are progressive) has pros and cons. I think the bottomline is what the parents consider most important in their child's education, and which system is most suited to their child.
I completely agree with what Jennifer said above. While most in our generation and our parents' went to traditional schools and did well, or at least, came out "fine," we all know students who didn't. During our time, these students were labelled dumb, lazy, or troublemakers, and some were even kicked out of the school. But I'm sure at least some of those kids could've done better if they had not been in such an impersonal school. I know of several cases where kids who weren't doing well in a big school -- and consequently, hated school -- flourished when transferred to smaller, progressive systems. With hundreds of students to deal with, even the best teacher can overlook diamonds-in-the-rough.
As for Catholic education, you will have to decide if you want it to be a constant presence for your kids in school, or something which Rache and you can teach them at home, and supplement with catechism class (which, by the way, ARE available -- my nephew goes to one in Forbes). Personally, I prefer for children to be aware of, and learn to respect, different religions early on. Prejudices are hard to break once set.
Good luck, Anton and Rache! I absolutely understand how important it is to choose the right school.
Posted by: Katrina | Jan 17, 2008 6:11:10 PM
I graduated from The Learning Child School in Alabang and I would have to say that they really develop their students very well in English (reading, writing, verbal), Math and values excellence. I would have to say that TLC, really helped me get to where I am now. Teacher-student ratio is not a problem at all. Teachers knew my parents by name. They send weekly updates and write to the parents constantly. Religion is also developed in every student. Only hindrance is that they offer only upto grade 7.
Southville International School in Paranaque is where I finished my high school studies. The curriculum is really very much at par internationally. Moreover, French and Mandarin are included in the curriculum. As well as, automotive, wood/metal working for both the boys and girls. The school provides much opportunity for travel and college abroad. They conduct quarterly aptitude and behavioral tests to monitor the progress of their students.
Good luck with your decision!!!!
Posted by: cheska | Jan 17, 2008 10:06:07 PM
