Yerevan, Armenia Report of what it's like to live there - 02/27/14
Personal Experiences from Yerevan, Armenia
School Name:
QSI Yerevan
Background Information:
1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
Parent.
2. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
First grade.
3. During what years were you affiliated with this school?
2013-2014.
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
Government.
5. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
There really isn't a choice if you want an English speaking school. Also, very convenient to our housing.
Admissions & Welcome:
1. Are the admissions and placement procedures clearly stated to prospective families, either on the school website or through other means of communication?
A. I think if you fill out the form and pay the money, you get in. You are placed based on age for the most part.
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
D. The website didn't even list when school would begin. We had to get our info through the Embassy to know what was going on. Evidently our application attachment did not go through with the e-mail we sent and no one from the school bothered to contact us about it. No supply list until after school started so we didn't know what we would need and then had to scramble to buy it locally. PTO had a back to school BBQ so at least we got to meet the teacher and see the school ahead of time.
Administration & School Procedures:
1. Describe the general climate of the grade level that you teach or your child attends:
My child loves his teacher and the assistant. The class has 14 students which is a bit big for the space they have. My child gets along well with the other students and has play dates with classmates outside of school hours.
2. For the following attributes, down to the next blank box, grade your experience at the school on a scale of A (excellent) to F (unacceptable/terrible) and provide comments:<br><br>Overall fair and equitable treatment of all students and families:
B. I suppose it is fair and equitable to students and their families. Parents who don't speak English might be at a disadvantage at events or communicating with teachers.
3. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
A. I imagine this varies by teacher. I am happy with the communication with my child's main teacher. I haven't even spoken to all of the other specialist teachers. I have the opportunity to schedule a conference with them but don't really have any specific issues to discuss. I hope they would contact me if there was an issue.
4. Services for gifted students who need academic challenge and students with learning difficulties:
D. The school does not seem to have a plan in place, however if you get a good teacher who is willing to put in the extra effort it could work. The school lacks the resources needed to challenge those who are high achievers which can be especially frustrating if there are a lot of non-native English speakers in the class who naturally need extra support due to language issues. If you have a flexible teacher, great. If not, your child may be bored. There is no guarantee that the school will even have a teacher with training in special education, so again, luck of the draw.
5. Availability and variety of after-school activities for various ages:
A. Elementary school has a few choices each day Monday through Thursday. They vary from homework club and free play to more structured classes. There should be one or two things that work for your child.
6. Maintenance of appropriately high standards for all students:
C. I find the QSI grading system a joke. The standards are low and the supports are plentiful to ensure every child "succeeds" academically. What looks great on paper, lacks in reality. There is little need to put forth effort because you can always just do it again. QSI also has success orientations on the report cards. I find it odd that it is easier to get an A in math than an exemplary in politeness.
7. Homework assigned (quality, quantity):
C. The homework comes from the curriculum which is rather poor. It is a very worksheet heavy school.
8. Administration-parent communication:
B. The director knows all of the parents and the children. There is a weekly newsletter but it is more of a publication put together by students with a short blurb by the director.
9. Teacher-student communication:
A. Again, this would depend upon the teacher.
10. Academics, answer the following questions "yes" or "no" with an explanation if appropriate:<br><br>Are there any classes or subjects where students are not appropriately challenged?
Yes! In order for all students to succeed and master the material, the expectations have to be low. Sure the school can pull out a worksheet to correlate with each common core state standard to show how it was addressed, but language arts and math are focused on basic low level thinking skills. Science and social studies seem to be a bit more hands-on rather than workbook based.
11. Does your child receive any special-needs assistance or instruction at this school? If yes, what types? Who provides services and where:
12. Do you believe the special-needs assistance is appropriate and fills your needs? Explain:
13. Does the gifted and talented program meet the needs of students? Please explain:
No. There is no program. If your teacher isn't interested in extra work, you are out of luck.
14. Does the school offer a wide variety of elective or non-core classes such as art, music, and drama?
Yes in elementary.
15. Please describe any classes or programs that you believe are missing:
16. Are there academic requirements such as trips or other activities that cost money in addition to school fees?
Some field trips at very low cost. Much lower than you would find in, for example, Prince George's County or Montgomery County in Maryland. I believe the fees were 1000 dram (US$2.50) or less. High school extra curricular activities that require travel might be $$$ though.
17. Have your children participated in the activities offered? If no, please indicate why:
Yes.
18. Does the school provide appropriate assistance to new students?
Academics & Resources:
1. What personal or academic counseling resources are available at this school? Is there a dedicated college counselor at the school? Is he/she familiar with universities worldwide?
No idea.
2. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
B. The library is small and rather pathetic compared to other schools I have seen. However, I feel that the librarian does a good job with the space and resources she has available. She gets to know the students and can recommend books they might like. Students can check out multiple books each week. I think that the library will improve as the librarian is slowly able to add to it.
3. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
D. At least in early elementary school it appears that computers is an isolated subject and not integrated into the rest of the curriculum. Classrooms are not well equipped with modern equipment. A computer for teacher/student use would be more valuable if it could project and be used in whole group presentations. I also noted a TV/DVD cart being pushed down the hallway. With so few classrooms it should be easy to have a mounted TV/DVD player in each class. The TV could even be connected to the computer rather than investing in a separate projector. High school students are allowed to bring laptops if they have them.
4. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
A. Seems fine for elementary. It would be nice if there was a gym but they seem to manage.
5. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
A. Varies. My child's class has 14 students. There is a teacher and an assistant. It is a fine ratio, but you have to remember that there are many students who are learning English as well as a variety of ability levels and educational backgrounds.
6. Are Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses available in upper grades? If this is an IB school, is the full diploma required of all students?
I believe there are some AP courses offered, or at least tests for them.
7. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
Yes I suppose. Every parent has different feelings about homework though.
8. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
A. Fine for elementary. Art, music, PE, library, computer, foreign language.
9. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
Fluent? I suppose that depends upon your definition of fluent. I believe all core academic teachers are native English speakers. The preschool teachers speak good English but are not the kind of model I would want for a child learning English. I don't know how well the PE, art, music, computer, and foreign language teachers have to speak English. I think the current teachers speak adequate English.
10. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
Yes. Provided by the classroom teacher through materials brought into the school.
11. What extra-curricular activities (including sports) are available at this school? Have your children participated in these activities? What activities do you feel are missing at the school?
Ok for elementary.
Social & Emotional Well-Being:
1. Do expatriate students socialize with local students at the school? Are both groups successfully integrated into the school culture?
Yes, especially if you live in the neighborhood near the school.
2. Are there are any problems with exclusionary behavior, cliques, or bullying at this school? Please describe any problems your children may have experienced in this area.
Probably sometimes, but they are just as likely to be the one bullying, teasing, or excluding. I don't think that this is as big of a problem as it is in larger schools.
Overall Impressions:
1. What is the greatest strength of this school?
Small class sizes.
2. Greatest challenge?
Meeting the range of ability levels to appropriately meet student needs.
3. Would you choose this school again? Why?
Perhaps. Social interaction is important in my opinion and it isn't like there are other English options. I would not choose for preschool. I would go with Rainbow which is great and much cheaper.
