3 22
3
June14
PRE-SCHOOLS
Avondale Grammar School
Joanne and Mark Vanderfield, British and Australian
Freddie (4) and Henry (3)
Both of our boys are very happy at Avondale. Freddie
started in the Reception class last year and is now in the
Transition class. Henry joined the Reception class this year.
We enrolled Freddie while I was heavily pregnant with
Henry. I remember taking a tour of the school, and one of the
students holding the door open for me without being asked.
He looked at my pregnant belly and politely said: ‘Ooohh,
congratulations!’ That made a very good first impression.
Our boys both have fantastic teachers who are always
cheerful and positive and give excellent and insightful
feedback at the parent-teacher meetings. In fact, all the
teaching staff at Avondale have made us feel welcome. Many
of them knew Henry before he even started at the school. I
think this is indicative of the community feel at the school.
The Parents’ Association is very involved in the school and
there are many opportunities for parents to play an active role.
Though both of our boys are learning a lot at Avondale,
they don’t feel under overdue pressure, because the learning
happens in such a fun and engaging way. For example,
even at home, my
boys often sing songs
in Mandarin or their
Jolly Phonics songs.
More importantly,
though, Mark and
I liked the fact that
Avondale was a small
school with small
classes. In addition,
we wanted the boys
to be in a school that
taught the Australian
curriculum, because
we feel this will make
the transition back to
Australia a little easier
for them.
318 Tanglin Road, Phoenix Park
6258 8544 | avondale.edu.sg
7 Ming Teck Park
6733 9768 | betweentwotrees.sg
Between Two Trees Preschool
Pitikarn and Peter Swim, Thai and American
Charlotte (6), Olivia (5) and Alex (1)
Charlotte and Olivia
have been attending
Between Two Trees
Preschool for seven
mo n t h s . We we re
looking for a school that
could provide a solid
learning environment
and prepare the kids
for either local or
international schools,
and we have not been
let down.
T h e c u r r i c u l um
provides a structured
setting while also
allowing the children
the space to explore
their curiosity through
group projects and
interaction. Balance is
a key theme, and they
always begin their day
with creative outdoor
play. In general, the
school provides an
environment where the
girls have been able
to grow artistically,
intellectually and socially, while having an immense amount of
fun at the same time!
We learned of Between Two Trees via word of mouth and chose
it based on our interview with the administrators and after viewing
the school while it was in session. The staff seemed to have an
enthusiastic and caring attitude towards each and every child
and provided a clear level of detail regarding their approach,
methods and expectations.
Our children love their school, teachers and new friends. They
have particularly loved the ‘school shoe project’ and have learned
in-depth the end-to-end process of making shoes and managing
a ‘store’. Their favourite place to play is the block area, where they
can spend up to an hour with friends discussing how to build
perfect structures. They also spend a lot of time in the playground,
burning off some extra energy before coming home at night.