Schools and Neighborhoods

[Brooklynjenn]

We are relocating to Singapore at the end of August. We'll be sending our kids, both having August birthdays turning 4 and 6, to International Schools. I've found some have July cutoffs and would make my almost six year old repeat kindergarten, which will not work for us. We're narrowing it down, and finding we like the Canadian School, Eton House, Singapore American School and Overseas Family school. Have I missed any that you all would recommend? What are the neighborhoods like near these schools? It seems we'll be choosing a school before we choose or have even been to a neighborhood, which is a little daunting. Any advice? Is there a neighborhood close to Holland or Orchard that wouldn't have such a long commute for the children to the American School?

Thanks for your help!

[sundaymorningstaple]

Considering that Orchard or Holland in on the south side of the island and theAmerican School is on the north side of the island, they are going to have a long commute no matter where if you are close to Orchard or Holland.

You might want to consider using Google Maps.

[Brooklynjenn]

Wow, that was rude. I did use a map, thank you, and I guess what I meant to say was somewhere on the north side of the orchard and holland districts that expats live that might cut the commuting distance. Maps don't tell you traffic and travel times on a school bus. It would be nice if it were that simple but I have never even been to Singapore and I need to figure out this daunting task in a matter of days.

[sundaymorningstaple]

And why, miss brooklyn was it rude? With that attitude, you are gonna go over really big here. NOT.

How am I supposed to know if you used google maps or not? You put in the american school and you put in orchard road or holland village and it tells you how long it takes to get there, and how to get there if you are using a car, public buses, or trains or both. While shopping with real estate companies and you see condo's names in a location you want to consider, you put that into the equation and it does the same thing. Even shows you the route and tells you how to drive it.

Using a school bus? Then the only thing you can do is contact the school bus operators (they are all privately owned and there are literally dozens of them). Additionally, the routes will vary depending on where the kids are from, the size of the minibus/large bus and how many stops and in what areas. The only way to do this is call the schools concerned, get the bus operator's number, call them and ask. As they don't know their pickups for next year, you are going to be able to only get approximations until the school year starts, so as I said, Google Maps are your best bet.

Easiest and smartest way, when talking about kids, is to let the adults make the long commute and the kids the shortest as they have homework, need sleep, etc., etc.,

[Brooklynjenn]

It seems I have inadvertently offended you, and for that I apologize. Not at all my intention. I must have taken your comment to look at a map as an insult, when clearly you were being helpful. Thank you for your insight.

[hapa-girl]

Hi,

We just moved here and we have a five year old too. My word of advice is to apply ASAP (before you even see them) because they all (except OFS) have waiting lists. Canadian School has a few campuses. Eton House is east, where we are moving to and the area seems very nice and green. School bus commutes are hard to figure out because they stop at all the condos. Your best bet would be to contact the schools, ask for the number of the bus company and call them directly to ask how long it would take from A to B. Sorry I am not much help, being new myself, I just wanted to tell you to get them on the waiting lists.

Good luck.

[boffenl]

From Orchard, Holland Village area your commute to OFS would be nice and short. Depends on which campus for Canadian and for SAS you're looking at an hour easy--each way.

I believe the commute is one reason a lot of folks who send their kids to SAS live in Woodlands or Sembawang.

Good luck!

[Brooklynjenn]

Our schools counselor recommended United World College of Southeast Asia and also the Stamford American School. Anyone have any experience with those two schools?

I have started the application process. Unfortunately, I don't think we can get our dependent passes before school starts. I guess it is pretty normal for kids at the International Schools to start at any time during the year? Will my kids get penalized (for not having attended enough days) and have trouble advancing to the next grade? I'm less worried about them being able to catch up academically, more concerned about some rule I don't know about that has a mandatory number of days.

[Mad Scientist]

Our schools counselor recommended United World College of Southeast Asia and also the Stamford American School. Anyone have any experience with those two schools?

I have started the application process. Unfortunately, I don't think we can get our dependent passes before school starts. I guess it is pretty normal for kids at the International Schools to start at any time during the year? Will my kids get penalized (for not having attended enough days) and have trouble advancing to the next grade? I'm less worried about them being able to catch up academically, more concerned about some rule I don't know about that has a mandatory number of days.

Have you contacted both schools ?

I do not know per se on the school curriculum, other will guide you but I will sincerely recommend you to read up past threads by going to the search button on the top hand right hand corner under the profile link
Type in and rinse your search subject and you will definitely will have a better insight based on first hand account of parents sending their children to school in SG

Here is one

http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/ftopic ... hlight=uwc

Th

[Mary Hatch Bailey]

Hi Brooklynjen ~

Our kids all went to the American school, both when it was closer to town (Ulu Pandan) and in the Woodlands. We have always lived in the Orchard/Holland area and the commute was never near an hour. They may get picked up an hour before school starts but they get to school 15 or 20 minutes early in some cases. My kids never minded the commute or complained about it. When they were little they had their friends on the bus to play with and as they got older, they often slept or caught up on homework.

Google maps is handy, but only tells half the story. It has taken me almost an hour to bring kids a few kilometers to Chatsworth school for SAT prep in the pouring rain more than once. Also, with the ever changing bus routes, you can be closer to school but have a longer commute. Your best insurance against fluctuations of this kind is to live in a condo with lots of other kids going to the same school. They tend to have the shortest commutes and the most play dates. Good luck!

As far as the required amount of days goes, perhaps you can get a few textbooks and do some homeschooling to fill in for the time you are waiting? Keep a record of what you've covered, I'm sure it'll be fine.

[boffenl]

40 minutes on the bus is still a long time--even worse when you realize it's an hour and twenty minutes a day spent on the bus. Not sure how much safe play can happen on a bus and I wouldn't encourage it with so many bus accidents in the news lately.

There are great alternatives to Orchard/Holland V. But you'll need to look around and see what works for you. I know some folks in Upper Bukit Timah who are very happy and the commute to SAS is less that 30 minutes early in the morning, longer in the afternoon for some reason.

Good luck!