Skopje, North Macedonia Report of what it's like to live there - 09/20/13
Personal Experiences from Skopje, North Macedonia
School Name:
Nova
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?
2nd and 3rd grades.
3. During what years were you affiliated with this school?
2010-2012.
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
U.S. Military.
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.
The student body is composed of over 40 different nations, actively seeks diversity, and maintains an open door policy in terms of admissions.
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
A.
The NOVA PTA has a Welcome Committee whose responsibility is specifically tailored to addressing the needs of new families. The committee members are those parents who are very enthusiastic and willing to make new friends and help newcomers. The school also actively collaborates with the Macedonia Welcome Center, which is responsible for providing orientations and tours to new families and distributes their magazine.
Administration & School Procedures:
1. Describe the general climate of the grade level that you teach or your child attends:
The classrooms are structured and the climate is exactly what you would hope for as a parent. The teachers are attentive and the students seem to enjoy their time in class.
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.
All family needs are taken seriously and are accommodated with the same courtesy and urgency, but at times it may seem that administration spends more time on U.S. expats, both due to natural adjustment to a new culture, and because they make up the bulk of the proactive parents.
3. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
A.
The school has an active presence in the World Wide Web. It updates its website with the latest information (Calendar) and events (News Section). It has active FB, Twitter and Youtube pages, updated daily/weekly with new content. The school utilizes an online learning system (Edline) when communicating student progress, attendance and grades to parents, and uses the same system to send e-mail notifications to parents. Report cards and other information get mailed/delivered to parents in hardcopy at the end of each quarter. Parents are invited to quarterly Parent-Teacher meetings and I have continuous communication with my child's teacher. We’re also notified by phone if a situation requires our immediate attention.
4. Services for gifted students who need academic challenge and students with learning difficulties:
B.
Center for Differentiated Learning (CDL) was started 2 years ago. The center is staffed by foreign-hire education specialists experienced in work with multiple types of learner profiles, and their teachers. Next year the Center will include the gifted/talented. These needs are not neglected inside typically small classes, by teachers and/or assistants who are able to differentiate, and who have successfully accommodated such learners. Families of gifted children are generally satisfied with their kids' progress, but additional support will be offered by the Center next year.
5. Availability and variety of after-school activities for various ages:
A.
NOVA has an impressive number of Extracurricular Activities, including soccer, basketball, table tennis, swimming, fencing, karate, chess, mountain climbing, rock climbing, swimming, bowling, choir, band, ballet, and ice skating, made possible by a coordinator who is in charge of planning all aspects of the activities for each division. The school offers most activities free of charge, as an excellent way to build community and team spirit, and it has a smaller number of activities that require a nominal fee.
6. Maintenance of appropriately high standards for all students:
A.
Teachers set appropriate student learning goals by getting to know students well, by utilizing frequent formative assessments, and by benchmarking progress to standardized tests such as the MAP test, DRAs, Stanford-Benet, PSATs, SAT 1&2, APs and IBs.
7. Homework assigned (quality, quantity):
A .
Students in the Elementary and Middle School receive Homework Logs which parents monitor. Parents are encouraged to help with homework. Parents are also expected to actively read with their children and assist in project preparation. In the high school, the time spent on homework could vary greatly depending on course load, from less than an hour, to 3-4 hours a day.
8. Administration-parent communication:
A.
See above.
9. Teacher-student communication:
A.
Students have full access to teachers and an amiable relationship.
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?
Not in my experience. I have on numerous occasions visited the school where I witnessed the teachers interacting with the students. The students seemed enthusiastic and comfortable within their respective classes. The teachers are intelligent and creative with their approach, and more than anything, you can see that they are very invested in each child's success.
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. Please describe any classes or programs that you believe are missing:
I find the programs to be thorough.
16. Are there academic requirements such as trips or other activities that cost money in addition to school fees?
Yes, but they are optional.
17. What activities do you feel are missing?
None.
18. Have your children participated in the activities offered? If no, please indicate why:
Yes, she found the activity quite enjoyable and as a parent, I believe that it has enriched my child's overall experience.
19. Does the school provide appropriate assistance to new students?
Absolutely. The staff is very welcoming and the attention given to each family is exactly what is needed.
20. Please describe any problem areas or challenges in social interaction at the school:
Honestly, we did not have a single issue at Nova, ever. My daughter has been enrolled in three different international schools, one in Japan, one in South Africa, and Nova in Macedonia, and while they were all excellent schools, Nova has far surpassed in so many ways. The staff are excellent, the overall feel at the campus is positive and alive. You can really sense that the students are happy there whenever you roam the campus and hallways.
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+.
The counseling program is fantastic; counselors are proactive, capable and caring.
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 school has two separate libraries, one serving the needs of the Elementary and Middle School, and the other one for the High School. The libraries have seen the number of volumes significantly increase over the course of the last years, as the school is investing and fundraising. The library is well stocked on teaching resources and classroom materials, but still lacks periodicals and reference materials. It has recently provided everyone with an online access to EBSCO. It works actively with Scholastic to organize Book Fairs. The school staffs both libraries each with a full-time employee who is assisted by an electronic library management system.
3. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
B.
The school has three computer labs and offers computer science classes in all three divisions, but it's slowly moving into integrated computer education, rather than offering standalone courses. The high school offers electives such as Database and Visual Basic programming, C++/Java programming, Multimedia and Web applications. Each classroom is equipped with a computer, the school is Wi-Fi enabled, and some classrooms are equipped with smart boards and projection equipment. There is a full-time IT person on staff.
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.
Physical Education classes are offered in all divisions. The school uses a full-size equipped volleyball, basketball, soccer, and handball gym. The school has an on-campus basketball and tennis court, and a small indoor gym, intended for the Elementary School students. It has two dance studios, equipped with mirrors, bars, and changing rooms, used for dance, aerobics, and ballet, across all three divisions. The middle and high school students (girls and boys soccer, basketball, and volleyball) are actively participating in international CEESA athletic events, and some local tournaments.
5. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
A.
At 79 full time teachers and 476 students, NOVA nurtures a small school culture, by maintaining a low student to faculty ratio of 6 to 1.
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?
A.
NOVA is one of the few schools, not just in Macedonia but in the entire Central and Eastern European region, which offers both the IB and AP programs. The school offers the IB DP program and students can choose between a total of 15 subjects, offered at the standard and high level. The school offers 17 AP courses to choose from. NOVA students receive better than world average IB and AP scores, and consequently place at top universities around the world.
7. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
Yes. I found the balance between school work and homework manageable.
8. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
A.
There are a great variety of electives for each grade level. Fine Arts, Music, and Dance are offered in all divisions, and Foreign Languages (Italian, German, French and Spanish) classes are offered in each grade level in both middle and high school divisions. Additionally, at the high school level, within the Fine & Performing Arts department the school offers Drama, 2D and 3D Art, B&W and Digital Photography, Band, Choir, and Video Production. The Physical Education department also offers Aerobics, Personal Nutrition, and Fitness. Christmas and end of the year drama/music/dance performances across all divisions tend to be big productions and ambitious undertakings. Monthly events include classical music performances, student art exhibits, and family dance workshops.
9. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
Yes. As a native English speaker, I have never had trouble communicating in English with any of the staff.
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, there is an extensive extracurricular activity program available.
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, my daughter is American and most if not all of her friends are from other countries all over the world. One of the most important draws for locals to the school is the international and wonderfully diverse community; locals are generally driven to make new friends different from their local culture, and this often times results in shorter adjustment to local culture, and lifelong friendships with the expat community. Cliques or intolerant behavior typical of any school is highly unusual for our community.
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.
Never in my daughter's experience.
Overall Impressions:
1. What is the greatest strength of this school?
The international student population and the professional staff.
2. Greatest challenge?
Maintaining their excellent standard.
3. Would you choose this school again? Why?
Absolutely yes! Our experience there was so positive, and the education level that my daughter achieved set her up for success during our transition to South Africa. Thank you Nova for what you are doing. Keep up the great work!
