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June14
PRE-SCHOOLS
Chinese International School
Anna and Adam Law, British and Australian
Lucy (8), Henry (6) and James (2)
Both Lucy and Henry are very happy at CNIS, where they started in August
2011. Lucy is in P2 and Henry in K2.
Having looked at most of the bigger schools in Singapore, we felt that
nothing was as good a fit for our family as CNIS. New headmaster Stephen
Keegan, a recognised IB expert, is helping to take the school to the next level.
Class sizes are small. In Kindergarten, there is both an English and a
Chinese teacher in the class at all times – and in Henry’s class there is also
a teaching assistant. The level of Mandarin and the method by which it is
taught are excellent. The Kindergarten is a truly bilingual programme that is
second to none. The teachers are caring and enthusiastic and really bring
the IB topics to life with their creativity and imagination.
Henry says that the best thing about his school is ‘everything’, and he
cannot wait for Mondays. Lucy loves her extra-curricular activities (which
include Chinese paper cutting and peer club) and the PE programme.
Depending on demand and numbers, the school is currently considering
setting up a new bilingual ‘nursery’ class for two-to-three-year-olds from
August 2014. This would be a great way to introduce youngsters to Mandarin.
German European School Singapore (GESS)
Sara and Mans Lidgren, Swedish
Molly (8), Fred (6) and Tom (3)
Though we are Swedish, we have been living in Switzerland for the past
five and a half years. Before we arrived in Singapore in June last year, our
two older children had been going to a bilingual school where they spoke
German half the time and English the other half, so they were both fluent
in these languages.
Molly is currently in Grade 2 in the European section of the school,
Fred is in the pre-primary English-speaking class, and Tom is in an English-
speaking toddler group.
It was not a hard choice to pick GESS for our children. We liked the
idea of a smaller school that was also a not-for-profit one, and it was very
60 Dunearn Road
6254 0200 | cnis.edu.sg
important for us to keep our European roots. With our
children already speaking three languages, GESS
was ideal for us.
The school is divided into two sections, German
and European. The European section, which we
chose, is a fully authorised IBWorld School that offers
all three IB programmes; children don’t have to speak
German to join this section. The German section offers
the major German school-leaving certificates. Over
1,500 students from more than 50 nationalities are
currently enrolled at GESS.
Both of the two campuses are very green and
surrounded by nature. Our children were amazed
when they first saw monkeys in the trees outside their
classroomwindow. The open and friendly atmosphere
at the school gives it a family feeling. My children
are always happy to go to school, and they like their
teachers and classmates. As parents, we can see that
they feel safe and at home there.
What’s more, the school has a good balance
between work and play. We have already noticed the
result in our children’s learning, and we love to see
their self-esteem grow, too. Molly and Fred also enjoy
a wide range of co-curricular activities, and they love
the library and the playgrounds.
Our whole family has settled very well in Singapore,
and GESS is a huge part of that.
300 Jalan Jurong Kechil (Junior School Campus)
6461 0802 | gess.sg