Pristina, Kosovo Report of what it's like to live there - 11/01/12
Personal Experiences from Pristina, Kosovo
School Name:
International Learning Group
Background Information:
1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
Both
2. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
2nd grade
3. During what years were you affiliated with this school?
2009-present
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
NGO
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?
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
A+There are regular "New Parents Coffees"which provides new parents an opportunity to meet "old" families.Some parents also run a web group to keep in touch about activities, and so on.
Administration & School Procedures:
1. Describe the general climate of the grade level that you teach or your child attends:
Excellent school with motivated teachers, lovely and active parent community, very diverse student body.
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 Expats are what it's all about at ILG, the school was created as a place for expats to send their kids, so the school has stayed true to its mission.
3. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
ATeachers often have meetings with parents, and also have open house nights at beginning of school year to introduce themselves and talk about what is expected during the year
4. Services for gifted students who need academic challenge and students with learning difficulties:
A The school is trying to accomodate families whose children need extra tutoring due to ESL and/ or learning difficulties.
5. Availability and variety of after-school activities for various ages:
AThere are after school activities which are quite popular for all ages
6. Maintenance of appropriately high standards for all students:
A
7. Homework assigned (quality, quantity):
A
8. Administration-parent communication:
AThe director sends out frequent emails and updates, and the school assembly meets three times per year to vote on budget issues etc.
9. Teacher-student communication:
Good,
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?
11. Does your child receive any special-needs assistance or instruction at this school? If yes, what types? Who provides services and where:
No
12. Do you believe the special-needs assistance is appropriate and fills your needs? Explain:
NA
13. Does the gifted and talented program meet the needs of students? Please explain:
14. Does the school offer a wide variety of elective or non-core classes such as art, music, and drama?
Yes (See above)
15. Please describe any classes or programs that you believe are missing:
Some parents have asked for more language courses, such as Spanish, German and Albanian ( the school currently offers French)
16. Are there academic requirements such as trips or other activities that cost money in addition to school fees?
No cost for scheduled field trips
17. What activities do you feel are missing?
18. Have your children participated in the activities offered? If no, please indicate why:
19. Does the school provide appropriate assistance to new students?
Yes, new students are warmly welcomed and since it is a school that caters to expat families there is a steady stream of children arriving throughout the school year.
20. Please describe any problem areas or challenges in social interaction at the school:
None that I know of.
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?
NA
2. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
AThe Library is an ongoing project, and currently has about 2,000 books in English. The Administration is trying to add new books as often as possible but is hindered by the high cost of shipping from UK and US.
3. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
There is a computer lab with a desk top computer for every child in the class, however the classrooms are not set up with any special technology, and are more traditional (no interactive whiteboards yet...)_
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 the PE teacher is a former professional basket ball player, the kids love him!
5. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
A+ the teacher to student ratio is set at 6 children per adult, and the administration sticks to that limit
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?
N/A (it is an Elementary school)
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)?
A+the school offers 5 core electives, from French, PE, Art, Music and Computers, allof those teachers have special training or Master's level education in their subject
9. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
Yes, the teachers are all taking an English proficience course this year and will all take the IELTS Exam offered by the British Council.
10. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
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?
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.
No
Overall Impressions:
1. What is the greatest strength of this school?
It has a very warm and welcoming atmosphere and is still small enough (with about 100 children)to feel cozy.All of the children know eachother and all of the parents as well.
2. Greatest challenge?
Growing while still keeping the same spirit.
3. Would you choose this school again? Why?
Absolutely!
