Jerusalem, Israel Report of what it's like to live there - 03/13/15
Personal Experiences from Jerusalem, Israel
School Name:
Jerusalem American International School
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?
Second and fourth.
3. During what years were you affiliated with this school?
From Pre-K to 4th grade.
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
End of our posting, we lived in Jerusalem for 4 years.
5. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
Because of its facilities.
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?
B
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
A
Administration & School Procedures:
1. Describe the general climate of the grade level that you teach or your child attends:
If we ask our two boys if they like school, they always say yes. We rarely heard that a student ever responded no to this question, and this positive response. The staff is so committed and caring making it a great place for kids. They keep lines of communication open with families through newsletters, telephone calls, special meetings etc. We feel that just being part of the school enriches every adult and child. It is an international school that lives and learns together with joy, understanding, and enjoyment, building a strong community spirit where each of us has something to offer. Our children spent 4 years at the JAIS and we were very happy. We will be leaving this year with a big regret of leaving such a great school.
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:
A
3. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
A
4. Services for gifted students who need academic challenge and students with learning difficulties:
B
5. Aside from school fees, are there required expenses such as uniforms, laptops/tablets, musical instruments, or field trips that parents are expected to cover? What are the approximate costs?
There are extra costs but they are not hidden. Lunches and uniforms have to be provided by parents.
6. Availability and variety of after-school activities for various ages:
C
7. Maintenance of appropriately high standards for all students:
A
8. Homework assigned (quality, quantity):
C
9. Administration-parent communication:
A
10. Teacher-student communication:
A
11. 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
12. Does your child receive any special-needs assistance or instruction at this school? If yes, what types? Who provides services and where:
yes, ELL support was provided as a part of program by a specialized ELL teacher.
13. Do you believe the special-needs assistance is appropriate and fills your needs? Explain:
yes
14. Does the gifted and talented program meet the needs of students? Please explain:
15. Does the school offer a wide variety of elective or non-core classes such as art, music, and drama?
yes
16. Please describe any classes or programs that you believe are missing:
17. Are there academic requirements such as trips or other activities that cost money in addition to school fees?
none
18. What activities do you feel are missing?
sports activities for older kids.
19. Have your children participated in the activities offered? If no, please indicate why:
yes
20. Does the school provide appropriate assistance to new students?
yes
21. Please describe any problem areas or challenges in social interaction at the school:
no problems to my knowledge.
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?
A
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
3. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
A
4. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
C
5. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
A
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?
C
7. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
yes
8. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
C
9. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
yes
10. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
no
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?
yes
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
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.
none
Overall Impressions:
1. What is the greatest strength of this school?
Community spirit and transparency with parents.
2. Greatest challenge?
Learning English for non Anglophone children.
3. Would you choose this school again? Why?
Yes, we had great experience as a family.
