NAFA Arts Kindergarten

[satyagraha]

Cherry blossom:

I enquired about this kindergarten last year... and was told that the waitlist is very long.

My understanding was (and is still) so too.

Just to let you have a rough idea of our process.
- 3Q07, went for \"site visit\" and was advised to be on waitlist (queue no. 70+ already, if I remember correctly).
- 4Q08, was offered afternoon session for N2 term 1 (start Jan 2009), but rejected them as morning preferred.
- 1Q09, offered morning session for N2 term 2 (start Mar 2009). Took it, since kid not attending class at any where else and the whole family had a \"love at first sight\" kindda feeling.

[jerejoy]

Can I know how early do I hv to register my boy in the school? My boy is coming to 17 month soon. Also how much do I hv to pay to be on the waiting list? Thanks!

[satyagraha]

It’s best that you call the school up to check for the latest practice.


Previously, "at my time" (sounds like a long time ago) there wasn’t a minimum age in order to be placed on wait list. And there is no charges for being placed on the wait list.

[jerejoy]

thanks for yr reply. Does this school prepare the kid well for P1? Understand from some forums that they do not need to send their kids for further enrichment courses after their kids attend this preschool. It sounds so convincing but nt sure if it is worth the wait and money…


Anymore parents having their kids in this school? Can I hv more feedbacks? Appreciate that.

[satyagraha]

Hope other parents can provide more info on that for you.


I’m not very concern about prep for P1 and not aware of what prep needed to be done… at least not for now. Only concern now is kiddo will establish right attitude towards learning and social situations.

[jerejoy]

appreciate yr info. Will go to the school to talk to the principal.

[littleKS]

Just some feedback from the graduating class of 2008.


* whether you are well prepare for P1 depends much on the individual. as I mentioned earlier, Nafa is not very academic. however, they offer you exposure in many other areas.

* DS would cope quite well in P1 as his learning and focusing is strong. that was why I did not worry much when I decided to put him in Nafa cos I know he is able to cope on his own. thought the additional exposure would do him good.

* there are a few of his classmates who are struggling with P1.

* kids love going to Nafa cos the school environment is good. teachers are caring. and the school offers alot of fun.

teacher turn over rate is low

academic wise. I think they are improving. cos Allison the principal is very on the ball.

* the students have very strong bond. they are in the same class from Nursery to K2. even the parents also know each other quite well. till now DS still miss his Nafa friends though he is coping well in P1 too.

* group project is very interesting as teachers really go in depth and provide alot of information to the students.

* however, for DS2, I did not put him in Nafa. He needs more reinforcing in learning. therefore I feel a Montessori environment is more suitable for him instead.

* in DS2 school, it’s just drop and go. I do not know any of the parents whereas in Nafa the parents will tend to linger around outside the classroom and chit chat.

[chaye123]

My kid is now schooling in NAFA, I think that the way the school function is quite organised and the Principal, Alison seems to be someone quite on the ball type. Sometimes she will go into the classroom and mingle with the children, the children seem to like her. However, for my kid’s nursery class, I feel there is a lacking of communication between the teachers and parent, we don’t really get much update of our kid’s progress in school unless we find chance to speak to them. The teachers seem very busy, not sure is it becos they have to conduct both morning and afternoon session, so during dismisal of class, it’s difficult to talk to the teachers becos they have to attend to the afternoon session.


As compared to my experience in my previous childcare centre, the teacher always keep us update of my kid’s progress in school whenver we pick up our kid up in the afternoon (on half day childcare), the teacher will make an effort to inform us about what my kid do during lesson time, and if there is any behaviour issue, the teacher and parent will try to work together as there is 2-way communication. We need not wait till “teacher & parent feedback session” which is usually in June or December, which would be too late if there is any behaviour issue. And in the previous childcare center, all the teachers know the names of each student regardless whether they are the teachers in charge, as you will see them calling out to the children, saying hello or bye bye. However, in Nafa, it doesn’t seem so.

Of course, one is childcare and the other one is a kindergarten, not sure is it becos of this difference, the standard of teachers varies ?

[ninenine]

Hi, I am a new member. Trying to get some feedback on NAFA Kindergarten. My child is currently in Chiltern house and she is doing fine. But currently i got a slot in Nafa and thinking if i should switch her over. CH is good but i would like her to have more exposure in Music , Art and Craft and Dance etc …


Really in dilemma dont know how to make a decision…can someone advise me? By the way, are the kids always sick at NAFA? For CH, the kids tend to fall sick quite often…

[moonee]

ninenine:

Hi, I am a new member. Trying to get some feedback on NAFA Kindergarten. My child is currently in Chiltern house and she is doing fine. But currently i got a slot in Nafa and thinking if i should switch her over. CH is good but i would like her to have more exposure in Music , Art and Craft and Dance etc ...


Really in dilemma dont know how to make a decision.....can someone advise me? By the way, are the kids always sick at NAFA? For CH, the kids tend to fall sick quite often.....

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C H is not bad , If she is happy there and has a good all round curriculum stick to it. she may not like changes as she has already settled down. About nafa kindergarten, i nearly signed my grl there but was in k2 when nafa kindergarten first started, btw now shes in p3. It was popular when it started, after 2 yrs, some parents mentioned that by sending their kids there ,they need not send their kids to art classes and music, others say that the emphasis on art and music is insufficient thus they land up sending their kids back to nafa arts, while some feel that they are not academic enuff. My grl has been with nafa arts since k2 and still is today.
I do c quite a number of nafa kindergarten kids there on weekends too.
Iused to wonder why nafa kinder kids still attend weekend classes till i spoke to their parents and rcvd the above feedback.
I dont know how old yr kid is but as its been a few years back that nafa kinder started, that was how it was then...I also understand how u feel as i wanted my kid to be the same initially, such that i exposed her to speech and drama, nafa arts, music, board games etc...all in different places. She was happy moving frm one class to another. I took every opportunity to sign her into any short holiday class/camps too, all just to expose her, but TODAY my mind is geared towards her academic progress as school life can be stressing n competitive. I had a good mind to stop her art at nafa next yr. I posted my dilemma under ARTs in K.S forum. u can check out my post. I dont know how its like todayat nafa kinder. Perhaps things have changed a lot by now. If you find that u prefer their exposure to arts etc.. then check it out with yr child,she may /maynot like the changes or do like i did, sign her up with nafa arts and stick to C.H. afterall its a good kindergrten and Ive heard lots of good abt them. My advice is to give yr child all the activities u can now,( of cos not neglecting the academic areas ) cos as she progress to primary school, there may not be enuff time. Somehow, childhood life in spore is very short.