Maputo, Mozambique Report of what it's like to live there - 08/17/15
Personal Experiences from Maputo, Mozambique
Maputo, Mozambique
08/17/15
School Name:
School Name: Canadian Montessori
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?
Pre-school through lower elementary (grade 2).
3. During what years were you affiliated with this school?
2012-2015.
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
Foreign service.
5. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
We like the Montessori approach and the fact that both of our kids could be in the same school, even with one in pre-school.
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?
B
Administration & School Procedures:
1. Describe the general climate of the grade level that you teach or your child attends:
True Montessori, with small classes and lots of work stations. School has a small outdoor playground with jungle gym and sand box as well.
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?
B
4. Services for gifted students who need academic challenge and students with learning difficulties:
Not sure.
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?
No.
6. Availability and variety of after-school activities for various ages:
B - see above.
7. Maintenance of appropriately high standards for all students:
A
8. Homework assigned (quality, quantity):
B
9. Administration-parent communication:
A
10. Teacher-student communication:
A
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?
Not really.
16. What activities do you feel are missing?
None.
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?
Yes.
19. Please describe any problem areas or challenges in social interaction at the school:
None.
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?
2. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
Good library lending system.
3. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
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 - PE during school plus after-school options.
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?
The school only goes through lower elementary.
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)?
B - several after school activities are offered at additional cost, including martial arts, piano and crafts.
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.
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?
Limited play dates.
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?
Small class size, strong fundamentals in math and reading.
2. Would you choose this school again? Why?
Yes, it has been a very good start for our kids. We are very pleased with the level of instruction for our older daughter in reading and math. Teachers have been very good.
