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Update on ERIS

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NewtoSing
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Update on ERIS

Post by NewtoSing » Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:18 am

Hello, we will be relocating to Singapore this summer 2008. I am looking for a school for my children age 9 and 7 currently in grade 4 and grade 2. After reading all the posts, I was wonderting if anyone has a new updated on how ERIS is doing? They are seems the be one that has no waitlist for my children. I am not so keen to put them into temporary school while waiting. We have been moving countries (Bali - Canada - US and now Sing) for the last 5 years.

Some other old posts also mentioned that their children are downgraded (was Grade 3 in US but place on Grade 2 in Sing) due to age. My daughter is 9 years old (born in December 1998) and she is currently attending Grade 4. She is a top student in her grades and would be disheartened if she needs to be downgraded just because of age. Does anyone has had the same situation? Any information will be appreciated. Thank you.

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durain
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Post by durain » Tue, 29 Jan 2008 1:17 am

if you are in singapore, contact them to arrange for a visit. eris site used to be the Australian International School, and it is BIG. even got their own swimming pool. reason why they got no waiting list is because they are still new(ish).

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Post by skye » Tue, 29 Jan 2008 3:00 pm

You are confusing the name of the grade with what it means in different school systems. One school's grade 2 might be another school's Year 3 or grade 4. It doesn't mean much unless you know the age group and what work they are doing, it does not mean they are being "downgraded". To give you an example, my child moved from Year 3 to grade 2 and then Year 4 in different countries and systems. In each case he was with same age children and doing age-appropriate work.

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durain
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Post by durain » Tue, 29 Jan 2008 7:02 pm

private and local schools are slightly different too in terms of when your child is born to what year or grade they will goto. i think private school term starts after the summer whereas local school is beginning of the year.

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sundaymorningstaple
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Post by sundaymorningstaple » Tue, 29 Jan 2008 8:57 pm

durain wrote:i think private school term starts after the summer
Is that April or September? We have heaps of Aussies & Kiwis here. :wink:
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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durain
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Post by durain » Tue, 29 Jan 2008 9:13 pm

sundaymorningstaple wrote:
durain wrote:i think private school term starts after the summer
Is that April or September? We have heaps of Aussies & Kiwis here. :wink:
oops.. oh yeah... one man's winter is another man's summer!

politically correctness! should be one person's winter is another person's winter! :P

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Post by NewtoSing » Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:47 pm

skye wrote:You are confusing the name of the grade with what it means in different school systems. One school's grade 2 might be another school's Year 3 or grade 4. It doesn't mean much unless you know the age group and what work they are doing, it does not mean they are being "downgraded". To give you an example, my child moved from Year 3 to grade 2 and then Year 4 in different countries and systems. In each case he was with same age children and doing age-appropriate work.
My kids are attending schoold year that starts in August. Both in Canada and US (she was in K to grade 3 in Canada and grade 4 in US), her school mates are mostly a year older than she is. The cut off age dates is August 31. The school in Canada has accelerated her grade 1 since was advance and very gifted. They also offer to accelerate her grade 3 which we had say no (she was really enjoying school and her classmates).

I guess I would have to see what the school will say about it.

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Post by rachel_barons » Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:12 am

ERIS is having an open day on the 22-23 Feb. You should have a look if your still interested.

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Post by igrok24 » Mon, 18 Feb 2008 10:14 am

Hi! My son is 9 ( will be 10 in july). He is in grade 4 in ERIS. In Canada he would be also in Gr 4 by now. BTW the school is good:)

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Post by NewtoSing » Tue, 19 Feb 2008 1:37 am

igrok24 wrote:Hi! My son is 9 ( will be 10 in july). He is in grade 4 in ERIS. In Canada he would be also in Gr 4 by now. BTW the school is good:)
Glad to hear that you and your child is happy with the school. I have emailed them twice now and receive no reply, yikes!

Do you know if they have waitlist in grade 5 for 2008-2009 school year?

Thank you,

Olly

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Post by Greta » Fri, 22 Feb 2008 10:55 pm

First of all, I would guess that ERIS will accomodate your daughter's needs. ERIS skipped my daughter a grade after seeing her test scores. Like your daughter, she has a December birthday. My daughter was attending kindergarten in the US, which was based on an September start date/birthday, but ERIS put her in first grade when she started this January. You might even ask if your daughter could be skipped a grade if you want this.

Year 1 at ERIS= grade 1, Year 2= grade 2, and so forth. I asked about this because I was confused, too. (A few children in Year 1 are five or barely six, but most are about to turn seven or are already seven--this would be first grade in the US). The ERIS academic year starts in Aug/Sept.

Furthermore, we have been happy in that the school enables children (from what we can see) to move at their own speed. Our daughter is reading above grade level and ERIS has let her move ahead and has encouraged her. (In the US, she was held back.) In my daughter's class, there is one teacher and one teacher's aide (who is more than an aide--she is very smart and works with the kids well) for 18 kids, so the children get lots of personal attention. The low student: teacher ratio enables the school to personalize the instruction. I have gotten more feedback on my daughter from ERIS in the last couple months than I have ever gotten from schools in the last three years.

The head of the ERIS Junior School, Mrs. Renson, is professional, smart and warm. She will assess your daughter and place her accordingly. If you send them documentation, I am sure you will not have to hold your daughter back.

Another note-- the school was welcoming to new students, and took pains to give them "buddies" (who went out of their way to help the new children), and the school was aware and responsive to any transitional problems. I read about rumors of bullying at ERIS, but at the Junior School in Years 1-2 we have not seen this at all.

ERIS is working towards IB certification, and takes the curriculum very seriously. In the US, the first graders are doing 3+3=6. At ERIS, the first graders learn to tell time, add two-digit numbers and will soon start multiplication. They use Singapore Math and the Oxford Reading Tree series, which, based on my daughter's experience, are excellent. (That being said, my daughter never complains that she feels out of her depth--I don't feel as if they are pushing the class too fast.)

My sense is that ERIS is building itself right now, but that they are on track to establish themselves. We at first were worried, but we are happy now with the high academic quality and the warmth of the students.

One final plus for us is that ERIS's Junior School is indeed international. Our daughter is the only American in her class. She now has friends whose parents come from Japan, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Canada, Singapore, Australia, and Brazil, among others.

(Note - try this email for admissions: [email protected]-- I worked with her and she responded immediately to emails).
Greta

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