Manila, Philippines Report of what it's like to live there - 01/04/16
Personal Experiences from Manila, Philippines
School Name:
ISM (International School Manila)
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?
Currently grades 2 and 6.
3. During what years were you affiliated with this school?
2014-1016.
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
US Government job.
5. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
It has an excellent choice of after-school activities, an it is clos to where we live.
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"
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
"A"
My kids started grades 1 and 5 at ISM, and everyone there was very warm and welcoming.
Administration & School Procedures:
1. Describe the general climate of the grade level that you teach or your child attends:
Friendly, especially in the elementary school. Parents are very involved, and teachers are really nice.
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 the teachers seem to be nice, friendly, understanding, and sincere.
3. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
"A"
Depending on the teacher, but usually it's great.
4. Services for gifted students who need academic challenge and students with learning difficulties:
ISM provides ESL support for all grades.
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?
Yes. The uniform is not very expensive, but it is separate from other school fees. Students can buy lunches or bring their own. The cafeteria is big and offers a variety of choices (including vegetarian).
6. Availability and variety of after-school activities for various ages:
"A+"
There is an overwhelming number of after-school activities, anything from orchestra, drama, chess, to soccer, gymnastics, even circus arts. For bilingual children, they offer several Mother Tongue classes. My kids sometimes had difficulty deciding what to choose, because, of course, they would like to do it all at once. But you can only choose two activities per semester. ISM has swimming, gymnastics, soccer (and there could be something else) with teams that compete regularly. And there was a month-long sport session in summer (for additional cost), which the kids really enjoyed.
7. Homework assigned (quality, quantity):
"A-"
There is no (or very little) homework in grades 1-4, and then a lot of homework in middle school. And this was a big shock for some kids.
But overall, the amount of homework does not seem unreasonable, although it may vary from teacher to teacher.
8. Administration-parent communication:
"A"
9. Teacher-student communication:
"A"
Again, it all depends on the teacher.
In the Middle School, kids are encouraged to take the initiative, and if they need to finish their work, of if they need to retake a test, it is primarily their responsibility to talk to their teachers about it (which, I must say, I really like).
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, not for my kids.
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. Does the school offer a wide variety of elective or non-core classes such as art, music, and drama?
Yes. The drama, and choir teachers are all very good.
13. Are there academic requirements such as trips or other activities that cost money in addition to school fees?
Usually not, but some of the after-school activities may have a small additional fee.
14. Have your children participated in the activities offered? If no, please indicate why:
Yes, my middle-schooler went on several trips with classmates from her grade and their teachers, and she absolutely loved it.
15. Does the school provide appropriate assistance to new students?
Yes.
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?
"A"
Wonderful-wonderful library.
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?
"A"
Seems to be great.
5. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
"A-"
Elementary school: 1 to18 or 1 to 20.
Middle school: 1 to 20.
But this is not counting teaching assistants, ESL specialists, literary specialists, etc, who are usually present during the class.
6. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
Yes. But I kind of wish there was homework in ES (elementary school) as well.
7. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
"A"
ISM has drama, choir, dance, ballet, and orchestra. My kids did not participate in those, but there are plenty of choices. And I really liked that choir and drama classes were actually in the curriculum, in addition to art. So there was a chance to try everything.
8. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
Yes, I think nearly all of the teachers are native English speakers, and all teaching assistants speak English fluently.
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, including volunteering opportunities for kids.
Social & Emotional Well-Being:
1. 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. Most of ISM's students are expats.
Overall Impressions:
1. What is the greatest strength of this school?
Its teachers. They are very enthusiastic, eager, well-educated, and all of them genuinely enjoy working with kids.
2. Would you choose this school again? Why?
Yes.
