Dover Court

[Hackerwill]

Hi RainydaysandMondays

My eldest is in year 5 and tells me that LOADS of kids play football at playtime. They have a hard court football pitch.

Sounds promising.

You can really relax about Dover Court. It has exceeded all our hopes, so far. All my three kids (new this term) are having a blast and learning fast. My youngest (year 1) stood up after supper the other day and sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in Mandarin. At least I think he did...

[RainyDaysandMondays]

Thanks Hackerwill! It's nice to read little bits about the school from new parents. Good to know that your children have settled in so well. Brilliant that they're learning Mandarin. Mine are learning French or rather their version of it. I can see them doing ahem well in Mandarin

My son had huge smile on his face when I told him about football - that's one thing he's really looking forward to. Roll on August!

[Andream]

Wow ..... Lots of posts while we've been over in Singapore checking out places to live and looking at the school. We have had a fantastic time and can't wait to get packed up and go back. We had a good visit to Dover Court and although we didn't get to meet any of the teaching staff (which we would have done if our Son had been with us) we still got a really good feel for the place. What surprised me was that although there are 600 pupils the school didn't feel huge and impersonal. We looked in on quite a few different classes and all the children looked happy and like they were enjoying the lessons.

We have also chosen where we are going to be living and although its only a couple of kilometres from DC the school bus will pick up from our condo at 7.25 which seems quite early although appears to be the norm. We are due to move out first week in July so its going to be a long summer hols for us - will be very happy to get together with anyone who fancies it.

Hope your move has gone well Leaving London - it was good to see that you were able to get a place at school from May.

[Makingthemove]

Finally getting there with housing ideas. We've (well, 'husband has') seen a handful of condos and we're probably going the Mt Sinai route, Marbella or Glentrees. Still some to see down near Farrer Rd and closer to H Village but I think we will end up at one of these two.

Whoulda thought I'd come over all modern, I usually go for something a bit more traditional. Not sure what that would be in SG, though; I suppose 'modern' is what this area of Singapore is now all about. Anyway, they're very swanky and cool. I like Glentrees as it's low-rise and leafy and has the Ghim Moh hawker stands and bus routes close by.

Husband was knackered after his tour of duty. More to see today, apparently, wish I was out there too so I could see, it's very hard to picture it all but sites like this with all the online feedback are helping.

It's really all coming together now, just have to get these next three months done & dusted and we're there. Can't wait...

[Hackerwill]

Try Island View. A number of Dover school kids take the school bus (a 10 minute journey) and the condos have some character and are huge (3500 sq feet)...well I like it.

[Pammy210]

Hi Andream

Lovely to hear from you. This site won't allow me to PM yet as not enough posts made by me! So think I will split this one up!

[Pammy210]

Hi Andream

It would be lovely to meet up! We'll be moving into serviced accomodation when we're first out. I really hope I find somewhere suitable when I go out in June. Where abouts did you choose? Wld you PM me re accom please? Not sure how many posts one has to do, to finally PM someone!
My daughter's really excited about coming to "Singapaul!" my son will be starting year 2 and they both think they'll be swimming every P.E. lesson. Will have to get them lessons as they don't swim!
Will you be joining the British Club? I hear that's a really good way to socialise and meet people, think we're going to.
Anyway, wld love to chat more, once this let's me! Xx

Pam

[Makingthemove]

Gulp, well we've signed on a property, husband's spent two weeks tramping around in the heat. We've gone for location over anything else and ended up with what I think you could call a 'party house'. We've got a place in Holland Residences, brand spanking new, more modern than I'd ever have gone for - that's a big departure for me - and right in the heart of Holland Village.

I love the leafy green avenue type places but since I'm used to opening the door and getting on a tube, walking five paces and getting a pint of milk, it just wouldn't have suited. This way I can visit the green and leafy spaces and then come back to the chaos that is HV. I hope I don't live to regret this. I hope I don't end up loathing it. I doubt it, it looks amazing. I just think, when would I ever do something like this - live somewhere like that?

Best of all, the road it's on is lined all the way up with the kind of family bungalows that my aunt-in-law lives in, up in Malaysia, and so in many ways it will feel very familiar. If I can't live in one, at least I can look at one...

EP is through for husband, contract signed, lease on property signed. Getting close

Thanks to Leaving London for letting my husband come and nose around your place; it was his second favourite. And Hackerwill he went to see one of yours but it was just heeee-youge, he said we would have been lost in it, just us two and one small boy. Shame, I loved those.

[Pammy210]

Hi Making the Move!

That's great news about you finding your new (literally!) place. Just had a nose - and all I can say is errrr OMG! We'll be piling round ur place me thinks It's looks fantastic, a great choice. I'm sure you'll love it there, it looks amazing - doubt my new place cld match that lol!
I'm going out to Sin next Fri to look for our place (pressure), really hope I can find somewhere that suits, as I'm sure you'll agree, it makes is all the more real and will help me to decide "do I leave this huge sofa here or not?!"
Would love to start starting PMs and getting to know everyone better (albeit thru emails at this point etc....) but still keeps saying I haven't made enough posts grrrr!

Great news
Pammy210 xx

[Leaving london]

Making the move - ahhhhh
So excited for you! Your hubbie has explored far more than me... I have hardly left the pool since I arrived. It's been 2 weeks nearly & it feels like holiday still. Am gonna check out p your new pad online & am happy you'll be close by.
Pammy -,it's your turn next!
Before we know it we'll all be relocated and fully fledged expats.
Madness!
Leaving london

[Travailes]

How do mums organize playdates if most of the children are on the bus?

Thanks in advance!

.......and Dads !

Simple - each pupil has a 'Communication Book' in which you can advise the Class Teacher that little Johhny has a play date with X and will go home on their bus. Similarly, X's parents write in their child's communication book that little Johhny is coming home with them. System works very well from my experience. Hope this helps.

[Makingthemove]

Sounds efficient, brilliant. At our current school you forget to mention it entirely and then send a frantic text at about noon. I'll have to pull myself together!

[Travailes]

Sounds efficient, brilliant. At our current school you forget to mention it entirely and then send a frantic text at about noon. I'll have to pull myself together!

Be prepared for no texting or email communication. Bit old fashioned but is how the school operates. Similarly, mobile phones (or gaming machines) are not permitted in the school - period ! Wish it was like that back in the UK.

[RainyDaysandMondays]

How do mums organize playdates if most of the children are on the bus?

Thanks in advance!

.......and Dads !

Simple - each pupil has a 'Communication Book' in which you can advise the Class Teacher that little Johhny has a play date with X and will go home on their bus. Similarly, X's parents write in their child's communication book that little Johhny is coming home with them. System works very well from my experience. Hope this helps.

Yes it does, thanks Travailes. I like the idea of a Communication Book actually.

I found out that there are groupings within each class up to Year 4. We have this in our current school which has groupings across all classes, so that's something my children are used to. And completely unrelated but equally important uniforms will be sold at school during registration.

Makingthemove, I had a quick look online and your condo looks absolutely fantastic. Holland area seems very central and it's on our shortlist as well.

[livinginsinga]

Welcome to all the new families moving into Dover court. Great to see that we havetons of company. We have been in SIngapore for a year now and my son will join year 1 at DC in August.

Would love to arrange a social for new families in late July or August. Happy to host it. Do let me know if you'd like to join.