REVIEW OF CGS (Children's Garden School) BY parent, L & R R

(5) Student Experience

CGS is a wonderful school, with caring teachers, a very warm school community, and high standards. Our kids have loved the school. They love the close relationship they have with not only their classroom teachers, but also the extracurricular teachers and school support staff. They enjoy the variety of programming available - in terms of sports, special events and the specialty subjects, in particular art, music and drama. The school offers so much, with swimming lessons, cross country running, gymnastics and skating offered from grade 1 and up. The small class sizes are also amazing. The school is also extremely flexible and personalizes every child's learning, which is so important in the early years. A great deal of outdoor time ensures small kids get the unstructured time they need, as well.

(5) School Leadership

Communication from the school is excellent, with feedback gratefully received by the school and frequent, detailed feedback from the school. We are never in doubt about what the children have been up to, and similarly, the school very much welcomes our own input on how our children learn best. The school always makes time for parents and provides detailed feedback on how our kids are doing in all aspects of the program. Report cards are thorough and personalized.

(5) Teaching

The teachers have all been terrific - they are enthusiastic, caring and foster a very warm environment. The teachers work as a team, and so the experience of the children is seamless. Given the small size of the school, some teachers have been at the school for decades, while others may move on. However, we have never been disappointed by any of the teachers. All have been warm, and our children have liked all of them over the years - not a single teacher has been anything other than a positive force for our kids. We especially like that there are several specialty teachers who supplement the in-class academic learning. This adds variety to the kids' days and allows the classroom teachers to have time to communicate with parents.

(5) Academics

Academics are great, with learning being differentiated and the standards being high, but flexible, given the young age of students. The kindergarten classes offer some structured learning time, which we appreciate. They provide direct instruction on phonics, writing and math at those ages. Public speaking is also emphasized, which is a very important skill. The teachers work to build confidence in kids and use a growth mindset approach, which is terrific. All kids are given an opportunity to shine, and are rewarded at the term awards assemblies, where all children are awarded based on something they accomplished in the previous term. Even music and drama work on important skills, and French is also taught daily at all levels. They have a very thorough approach to teaching.

(5) Extracurriculars

Many are available - the clubs offer a variety of options for kids before and after school, and they are free of charge. In addition to many free after-school and before-school clubs, there are also language classes in French and Mandarin available for a fee. A few of the teachers also provide reading tutoring after school and on weekends at the school.

(5) Students

The small size of the school is perfect for young learners. Everyone knows and cares about everyone else. Most families are from the neighbourhoods around CGS, and half or more go on to the "big" private schools around CGS after their years at CGS are over, while the other half go to the public system. Most students enter the school either in preschool or JK, but some students do join in other years. We have found the students to be overall very kind and inclusive, and these traits are fostered by the teachers, as well. The school does tend to have more boys than girls, given that many boys' private schools only admit from grade 3 on, while girls' private schools admit from earlier grades, so many girls leave after kindergarten.

(5) School Life

Our kids have loved their time at CGS and have been excited to go to school every day. CGS is a wonderful school, with caring teachers, a very warm school community, and high standards. Our kids have loved the school. They love the close relationship they have with not only their classroom teachers, but also the extracurricular teachers and school support staff. They enjoy the variety of programming available - in terms of sports, special events and the specialty subjects, in particular art and music and drama. The school offers so much, with swimming lessons, cross country running, gymnastics and skating offered from grade 1 and up. The small class sizes are also amazing. The school is also extremely flexible and personalizes every child's learning, which is so important in the early years. A great deal of outdoor time ensures small kids get the unstructured time they need, as well.

(5) Community

Given the small size of the school, the school community is very warm and welcoming. There are many events to get to know other parents, with welcome events, fall family fun night, skating night, mom and dad night outs, etc. As most children are picked up at the same time, it is easy to get to know other families at pick-up time as well. Each class also has class parents, who organize a WhatsApp group for each class. We have felt we know most of our children's classmates' families fairly well, and that provides a high degree of comfort for everyone. The parent council is also very active and has open meetings that all parents are welcome to attend. This is an area of strength for CGS.

(5) School Location

Perfect for many families who live in the neighbourhoods around the school. In terms of facilities, the school makes the most of the available space, especially for grades one and above, given the lack of an on-site playing field, which is one of the school's few downsides. School-wide events are sometimes hosted in local parks, etc., when more space is needed.

(5) Admissions

The process is very straightforward. The school, I believe, provides a good amount of information to families to ensure an appropriate decision, and also has a very welcoming approach, with no formal assessments, given the young age of the children. The school works hard to integrate all children and is very flexible with families. They don't judge children and work to integrate all kids and help them grow. I would encourage parents to speak with the school if they have questions.