Mexico City, Mexico Report of what it's like to live there - 05/17/16
Personal Experiences from Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City, Mexico
05/17/16
School Name:
American School Foundation
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?
Grade 1
3. During what years were you affiliated with this school?
2014/2015 school year
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?
It was the only school we applied to that had an available space for a first grader.
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?
F
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
F
Administration & School Procedures:
1. Describe the general climate of the grade level that you teach or your child attends:
In our experience, unfriendly, impersonal. This is a very large school. There are problems with bullying even at first grade.
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:
C
3. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
F
4. 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?
Gym uniforms, activity fees (which are reasonable for what you get)
5. Availability and variety of after-school activities for various ages:
A
6. Maintenance of appropriately high standards for all students:
C
7. Homework assigned (quality, quantity):
B
8. Administration-parent communication:
F
9. Teacher-student communication:
D
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?
No
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:
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
15. Are there academic requirements such as trips or other activities that cost money in addition to school fees?
Trips are included but activities are a separate fee that you must pay in person at the school.
16. Have your children participated in the activities offered? If no, please indicate why:
Yes
17. Does the school provide appropriate assistance to new students?
No
18. Please describe any problem areas or challenges in social interaction at the school:
It's not a warm and inviting environment. I felt that as a parent and I can only imagine how a child would feel. People are polite but not friendly. There is an emphasis on money and status.
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?
F
2. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
C
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?
B
5. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
C
6. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
Yes
7. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
A
8. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
Yes
9. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
No
10. 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?
No
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.
Yes, all students do unfortunately.
Overall Impressions:
1. What is the greatest strength of this school?
Its wealth
2. Greatest challenge?
ASF places non-Spanish speakers in a Spanish as a second language class. Our child was the ONLY student in the classroom who had to leave and go to Spanish as a Second Language. We would have preferred to challenge our child and make the transition to the school easier by keeping her with her peers. It's not really an international school because expats make up such a small percentage of the students.
3. Would you choose this school again? Why?
No
