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1^#

發表於 14-12-5 18:04 |只看該作者 |倒序瀏覽 |打印

正替小朋友找elementary school, 有以下問題，請指教：

1. 見到有STAR score 及great school rating, 請問有什麼分別？

2. 有些private school (mainly look for catholic school)冇rating, 可以從哪些forum/website 知道口碑？

3. 因為住址影響public school, 是否住址只assign 一間elementary school? 有冇official channel 可以confirm the assigned school? 擔心搵樓網d information 不準。

Many thx in advance!!

0 0 0

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2^#

發表於 14-12-6 05:33 |只看該作者

1） STAR係California Department of Education嘅官方測驗結果，每年會對公校學生進行成績評估，除咗一D有IEP嘅學生及家長書面要求括免對其子女成績納入評估（不過我相信好少有家長會咁要求），其中小學生評估包括語文（英文）、數學、科學（5年級生），中學生會加埋歷史科，你可以睇下呢個網址會了解多D細節，成績公佈時唔會公開個別學生姓名及成績，如冇記錯，公校每年會有兩至三次成績評估書俾番家長，亦有兩次家長會俾家長同老師去傾番小朋友喺學校表現，包括學業成績及社交表現。2014年開始STAR轉為CAASPP，分得更仔細，因為課程今年開始轉，而家有新準則叫Common Core，語文會著重閱讀理解，小朋友唔再只著重生字、拼音及閱讀，仲要閱讀後對課文理解及感想，K及小一開始會教寫句子，去到小二就要求可以自己作較多較長嘅句甚至短文，小三就會可以寫到大概一百字嘅文。數學亦都改咗課程，要求教嘅範圍細咗但深入咗，希望學生明白概念及可以融入生活應用之中。http://star.cde.ca.gov/

Great School Rating就係一個咩人都上得去嘅網，主要係家長學生等對學校嘅評價，有D更係冇Comment只俾星星，所以要比較的話，Great School Rating係可以好偏頗，有D學校得一兩個comments，有D冇，有D就好多，主要係睇家長有幾主動，呢個都算係marketing一種

。我只會睇下，唔會作準，而且個個家長要求唔同，佢唔鍾意唔代表你唔鍾意。

前者只見到成績，真係要深入了解當然係要去睇下實際間學校，同老師校長家長傾下計，睇下學生喺學校表現，如果唔得閒的話，可以上該城市嘅Unified School District網址睇下每一間學校嘅資料作比較，一般會有學生人數、種族、成績，又會有校舍設施評估。另外睇下有冇PTA網站可以睇到更多有關學校活動資料，如果你係在職父母，最好了解下有冇課前班課後班，因為學校放學時間係1點幾，兩點幾或3點幾不等，未放工的話就要安排childcare。

2）私立學校好多都唔會公報成績，我有朋友仔女讀私立，佢地圍內會知成績，好似係屬於同一個機構果D會有排名，但大多數都係跟口碑，冇正式一份資料作比較，你可以去個別學校網去睇下有關學校資料，例如班級、活動、老師、上課日程、課程範圍等，至於家長同學生對學校評價，除咗Great School Ratings外，Yelp.com都有，不過Yelp係以銷費為主，所以寫評語嘅都比較causal，唔係以學術成績等做基準。

3）除咗三藩市City之外，照我所知，所有城市公校都係以住址去分，或者有D特別嘅學校唔係都唔一定。要知道個分界線，最穩陣就係打電話去Unified School District office度問，因為就算Unified School District個網有時都未必可以好清楚畫出界線，如果你住嘅地方係喺正兩個分區邊緣的話就唔好以網上圖作準。不過大概的話都可以上個別Unified School District site上面查，好多都有個地圖可以大概睇到係派到邊一間學校。

你會住邊個city？睇下有冇住果頭JM可以俾到資料你啦，我只係講到大概情況。

花旗太太生活在花旗國，留意時差，你問我未必即時答到。

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3^#

發表於 14-12-6 10:33 |只看該作者

回覆：California 學校

Private 可以去 privateschoolreview.com 睇學校info。仲有去學校網頁睇資料。narrow down to the few you like, call the school to schedule a visit, then you will get a feel of whether you like the school or not.

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4^#

發表於 14-12-6 20:32 |只看該作者

回覆：lottieclee 的帖子

好多謝rose-mag & lottieclee 的資料啊，真的好有用！其實我們未定住邊區, 想找好校區但好貴，所以有諗過住平D讀private school, 不過比咁多年學費也不是小數目，更怕好多雜費或者年年加學費。現在有諗過住Fremont, 不過十劃未有一撇。

有人話要school rating 8 或以上才算好校區，請問大家呢個rating 是指什麼？

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5^#

發表於 14-12-6 20:40 |只看該作者

回覆：rose-mag 的帖子

請問什麼是IEP學生？另外public school 也可以schedule school visit? Thx!

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6^#

發表於 14-12-7 03:50 |只看該作者

引用：好多謝rose-mag & lottieclee 的資料啊，真

原帖由 babyrabbit2011 於 14-12-06 發表
好多謝rose-mag & lottieclee 的資料啊，真的好有用！其實我們未定住邊區, 想找好校區但好貴，所以有諗過住 ...

私校係要每年捐款及不時參與籌款活動，睇你果間學校學生家庭背景係點，我以前有個同事個女讀一間私立女校，每年學費26000,另加donation幾千，仲有課後班同興趣班，仲有每年去同學生日會禮物，家長social gathering, 佢話大概一年3萬幾，佢地一次籌款係募集到十幾萬，唔係嚇你，有d公校都可以募集到五六十萬一年，當然公校壓力少d, 你唔捐都唔會有人白眼，私校就難講。另外，私校要多每年volunteer三四十小時，公校都鼓勵家長參與，我同老公夾埋一年都唔超過60小時。

IEP 係指individual educational plan, 通常係有特殊需要小朋友，佢地有獨立學習指標，另有特殊教學老師跟進，自閉症，自閉譜系，學習遲緩，傷殘，聽障等都會係屬於呢一種。

花旗太太生活在花旗國，留意時差，你問我未必即時答到。

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7^#

發表於 14-12-7 03:52 |只看該作者

引用：請問什麼是IEP學生？另外public school 也

原帖由 babyrabbit2011 於 14-12-06 發表
請問什麼是IEP學生？另外public school 也可以schedule school visit? Thx!

公校都有tour 時間，一般由10月開始到1月報名之前，會有特定時間，多數係周日早上，你可以查下學校網頁或打電話預約都得。

花旗太太生活在花旗國，留意時差，你問我未必即時答到。

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8^#

發表於 14-12-7 08:43 |只看該作者

My husband has decided a long time ago, before we have kids, that we are going to try our best and our means to send our kids to Catholic school, at least through elementary years, to give them a sound foundation of faith.

My kids go to Catholic School and we live in a good school district. The elementary, middle and high schools that we belong to have greatschools 8-9 ratings. So, I think I can give you a ballpark of expenses, somewhat. I live in Orange County, SoCal though, which the standard of living is slightly lower than the Bay Area, so you probably should expect these numbers to be higher in Northern California.

Public schools are funded by property tax. That's why housing in good school district is usually more expensive. It's a vicious cycle. Higher property tax, more funding for education, better education, making housing prices more expensive. My property tax is about $750 / month. And in terms of school fees, my younger son is at preschool, which is $850 a month, 5 days a week. The price is inclusive of childcare and available 6:30 am - 6:00 pm. It also includes 1 hot lunch and 2 hot snacks a day. The preschool belongs to the company I work for, so my poor child typically goes to work with mommy and goes home with mommy. The good thing is I can always drop by for any school events, like thankgiving potluck, Santa visit etc. And even if I am not there, the support staff usually help out. The sad part is, when I miss an event. This smart boy will tell other parents (and last time he told my CEO): I know, I know, my mom is with a patient again. Those children need her more than I do, it's only a Halloween Party. (Guess how I know? My CEO felt bad for the child and paged me to get there right away!). I feel bad. But it's better than not being there at all for anything.

My older one is in Catholic School and the younger one will start Pre-K there next year. For catholic schools, they are usually published on the school website, because they have to be approved by the Diocese, so there's no secret. We pay $275 registration fee per family; then there is $300 - $350 per student for annual activity fee, depending on the grade. Tuition is $5,800 / year this year. After school childcare is $200 per student per month. With a little extra, there is also before school childcare. Childcare for our school is also 6:30 am - 6pm. Per family: there is $450 fundraising obligation; $300 annual auction obligation (either buy a ticket to attend, or underwrite to buyout); 35 mandatory volunteer hours. There is also annual Christmas teachers appreciation donation, classroom project donation, student council fundraising, bookfairs, etc, etc. Honestly, I have been writing so many check between thanksgiving and Christmas that I have lost track. They are all less than $50, but it adds up. Fieldtrip, EAC, retreats and cub scouts are all extra. If a child requires education support and testing, in a Catholic (private) school, it's also complicated. I know it way too well, so I paid for it myself last year.

Don't ask me how much I am paying for my kids. I have already turned a blind eye on paying. I am hoping it's a worthwhile investment, in their faith, wellbeing and academics etc. I also admit that I am a lazy mom. I don't want to take them to Sunday schools for First Communion classes. They already go to school 5 days a week, and asking them to get up early on Sunday for faith formation is just brutal. I would rather they have it at school on a daily basis. Another thing is: My husband works shift, so he sometimes has to work PM or weekend shifts. I feel like a "fake" single mom all the time. I only know that if my kids are not in catholic school, I can visit my parents in Hong Kong twice a year. I can have a bigger house, and drive BMW or Tesla. So far, it's worth it, especially with my older one, who needs the love, understanding and support. He has very poor social skills, so the Catholic model has taught him how to be caring and loving. There is also the benefit of smaller class sizes. My younger one can well be in public school, but I'd rather send him to the same school with his brother. There is always the "what if"? I don't want him to blame us for not paying for the same education as his brother.

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9^#

發表於 14-12-7 08:47 |只看該作者

回覆：California 學校

唔好意思，我唔識打中文。如要我用Iphone寫上面的回覆，我諗到你land，我都未寫完。請見諒！

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BossCatCat

男爵府

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10^#

發表於 14-12-7 12:01 |只看該作者

lottieclee, $5,800 / year doesn't sound as much compare to some private school around my area, with all the extra... would you say roughly $8000 -/+ a year?

I feel bad for your "single" mom situation, and looks like it will last for a while... Hope the situation will get better in the future, so your children can enjoy family days every week and days. :)

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11^#

發表於 14-12-7 13:10 |只看該作者

回覆：lottieclee 的帖子

Many thx for ur valuable advice and information! My kid now is studying in a catholic kindergarten in HK where teachers are very good. We also want to build a stronger foundation for her. But when thinking about the expenses, especially I\'m not sure if I can find a job in Bay Area, we hesitate.

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12^#

發表於 14-12-7 13:49 |只看該作者

BossCatCat 發表於 14-12-7 12:01
lottieclee, $5,800 / year doesn't sound as much compare to some private school around my area, with ...

Yes.. Catholic and Christian schools are more affordable than many think. For Catholic school, diocese schools are cheaper. Most catholic schools have the tuition listed on their websites.

Tuition, childcare and fundraising, summer camp etc, probably comes up to 110 - 130K per year per child. It is not bad, considering public school after school programs can be quite costly too. A friend of mine is paying $450 per month for public school after-school program.

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13^#

發表於 14-12-7 13:53 |只看該作者

回覆：lottieclee 的帖子

In HK now, even though she studies in a full time catholic nursery, we still bring her to bible class in Sat and church Sun. We are new in US n we really don\'t mind to let my kid have church class in the weekend. Hope we can find a house where we are affordable with good elementary school.

BTW, do we need to pay property tax if we rent the house?

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14^#

發表於 14-12-7 13:55 |只看該作者

引用：In+HK+now,+even+though+she+studies+in+a+

原帖由 babyrabbit2011 於 14-12-07 發表
In HK now, even though she studies in a full time catholic nursery, we still bring her to bible clas ...

Apartment complex的話通常唔駛。我冇租過house，但應該係租包埋。

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15^#

發表於 14-12-7 13:56 |只看該作者

回覆：lottieclee 的帖子

How\'s the curriculum of catholic school? Do they perform as well as their peers in public school? Pls do not mind I ask this question because I really give up a very good catholic school (in the sense of moral education n academic achievement) in hk if we relocate. Also, is there any girl catholic school?

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harrymanmypun

複式洋房

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16^#

發表於 14-12-7 14:10 |只看該作者

回覆 babyrabbit2011 的帖子

我住在FREMONT，這裡有很多亞洲人住，最多中國人同印度人。好學校可看API成績，妳可看看以下資料

http://api.cde.ca.gov/acnt2014/apiavgdst.aspx?cYear=&allcds=0161176&cChoice=2013BDst
FREMONT公校以高中劃分所屬校網，API高，樓價與租金最高。FREMONT以MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL 最勁，其次IRVINGTON HIGH SCHOOL

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17^#

發表於 14-12-7 14:15 |只看該作者

本帖最後由 lottieclee 於 14-12-7 14:17 編輯

Diocese of Orange follows Common Core, which is public school curriculum. Schools need to do so to be accredited by State of California. But the truth is, Catholic schools are usually a lot stricter in terms of discipline. I feel that they set academic standard higher than public school peers. I am not a tiger mom, I don't push. However, my son needs a highly structured environment, which catholic school style is perfect for him. My 2nd grader is doing multiplication and writing journals now. He is also reading at 5th grade level. He is big and tall for his age, so he loves american tag football, where he can legally push and bump during sports practices.

Elementary schools are usually co-ed. High school have all girls or servite (all boys). You need to look in your area. Going to open days and talking to students at the school would help. The best way is to talk to the parishioners at church and see where their children go to school. I pick a school that is closer to work, than the school in my parish. I don't like the school in my parish. Many think my reason is silly, that's why I strongly encourage you to visit the schools of your choice before making a decision.

I know San Jose Diocese call their catholic school Drexel Schools (kind of operate like a school district).

Here's the link: http://dsj-px.rtrk.com/schools/

I was looking at a school about the same size as my son's. It's about $10,000 a year for basic tuition, in Silicon Valley. Some schools have sibling discounts.

During school year, you can always tell which children go to private schools in the neighborhood. They need to wear school uniforms, while their public schools peer don't.

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18^#

發表於 14-12-7 16:28 |只看該作者

lotieclee, 你仔間小學算唔貴，我呢度幾年前我去參觀過幾間私校，都係出名比較成績好又幾嚴但唔算太貴都要入場費每年接近6000，仲有每年registration三幾百，雜費又去咗一二百。後來我冇報，因為我仔派到我地想佢入果間公校，不過我有一個同事嘅仔讀果間，佢話donation不成文大概1500至2000，課後班每月幾百，睇你報咩興趣小組，佢仔報中文、chess、足球，自己報游水又個個月二百幾（私人單對單），學校踢足球打league要自己另俾錢登記，我唔記得幾多。大致上Catholic或Christian school學費都比較低D，但近呢幾年都要最低接近8000，有D低年級會平一兩千一年，我都覺得教會學校學規矩真係嚴D，但我地本身冇宗教信仰，有D學校要我地全家都應承信教至收，另外有一D唔教進化論，因為同宗教有抵觸，所以我都冇考慮。

以我同事同我講（佢有好多朋友仔女都讀唔同學校，成日聚會，所以佢可以比較到，我就唔得啦），公校最初兩至三年，教嘅嘢係會比私校深，但discipline就一定係教會學校最嚴格，公校有教無類，所以冇得講，咩人都要收，所以揀學校好重要，一定要去睇同刨下資料至得。去到3年級就開始唔同，私校學生一般比公校學得深同快，呢樣我唔係好知係唔係，而且今年開始全面改用Common Core，而家老師都摸索緊。

preschool 850一個月好唔錯，我呢度較多人爭嘅，有晒牌有晒安全設施又有D規模嘅，早3年都已經要過千，我好彩D，屋企附近有間包午餐包茶點，每個月都係780，好似呢幾年都冇加，仲要冇donation冇field trip，聖誕party校長俾錢，小朋友又有玩具收，每年有人幫小朋友影畢業相，學校出錢。我知呢D全部普通preschool都係家長出錢，仲有PTA幫手籌款，不過最正係我仔女以前間preschool教得好好，起碼教到我仔女每日知道要做功課，而家佢地明白做功課係佢地嘅責任，佢唔交唔關我事。

我同老公都debate緊中學會唔會俾仔女去私校，因為未知第時派去果一間好唔好，適唔適合我對仔女，始終去到6至8年級對小朋友成長都好關鍵。

花旗太太生活在花旗國，留意時差，你問我未必即時答到。

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