UPIS Kindergarten Admission Test Schedule

January 22, 2015 by

Application forms for the UPKAT (UP Kindergarten Admission Test) are now available at the UPIS High School Building in UP Diliman.  Forms are issued from Monday to Friday, 8:00-12nn and 1pm-5pm.  You can get the forms only until January 30, 2015.

Here are the dates to keep in mind:

  • January 20-30 (M-F, 8am-12nn/1-5pm) – Issuance of Application Forms
  • February 3 – 11 (T-F, 8-11am/1-4pm) – Filing of Application Forms of Dependents of Non-UP Personnel
  • February 12 – 13 (8-11am/1-4pm) – Filing of Application Forms of Dependents of UP Personnel
  • April 6 – 10, 13 – 15 (M-F, 7-11am) – Test Administration
  • May 1, 2015 – Release of Test Results

Qualifications for Admission

  • Applicants to Kindergarten must be 5 ½ to 6 ½ years old by June 2015.
  • Only those born within November 15, 2008 -December 31, 2009 are qualified to apply.
  • They should NOT have taken the UPIS Kindergarten Admission Test before.

Requirements for Application

  1. Two (2) recent 1 ½” x 1 ½” identical photos pasted on designated box.
  2. Original birth certificate from the National Statistics Office (NSO), plus a clear photocopy. For those born abroad, include original passport, and a clear photocopy of the passport.
  3. A long white letter envelope with postal stamp for mailing of results. Write the names of the applicant and his/her parent/guardian and address with zip code.

The testing fee for this year is 450 pesos which is to be paid at the Cashier’s Office after the application form has been processed. Those who’d like to know more about the UPKAT including feedback from other parents, click here to read my post about it last year.

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Disclosure: I am not connected with UPIS. All information above are from the UPIS website. For further inquiries about the UPIS Admissions Test, email [email protected] or visit their website at http://www.upis.upd.edu.ph

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Educational Toys For Young Children

April 24, 2014 by

In an age of digital gadgets, there is still a place for traditional toys. Kids can have plenty of fun playing with classic types of toys that have entertained children for centuries. Some local brick and mortar toy stores may not carry a selection of unique items that could stimulate the imagination of young children.

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Doll houses are considered to be all time favorites among young girls. Miniature homes include replicas of realistic household furniture and other items. Of course, unique dolls are available to suit the characters of particular girls. Taking on the role of housewife is a great form of play for young girls. Such kids learn at an early age about responsibilities around the household. Perhaps, doll houses can inspire young girls to help their moms and sisters with various chores and other tasks around the house and outside.

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Trains and other locomotive toys inspire the imagination of young boys. Realistic replicas of actual railroad tracks, stations and other features create a fantasy world inside a child’s bedroom. Kids love to watch trains and other vehicles move around. A sense of space and other technical skills may be developed with play sets that include trains and other types of vehicles such as trucks.

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Parents can also shop for musical toys that stimulate the auditory senses and vocals of young kids. Small plastic toys are available to replicate realistic instruments that produce fun sounds. Toddlers can truly enjoy playing with musical toys that bring joy to the ears.

Filed Under: Busy Bees, PLAYhouse preSCHOOL, Resources, Toys Tagged With: ,

Learning the Suzuki Method in Music School

March 6, 2014 by

There are many ways to learn a new instrument. You can pick one up and start playing, or learn in school band. You can watch videos online and hope to get somewhere. You can also take formal lessons from professionals or at a Houston music school. Each school tends to have its own ideology and method for teaching. One such method for learning music is called the Suzuki method. This system is focused on listening and repetition.

Hear the Music

You’ve probably heard some musicians say they just “play by ear.” This is a large part of the Suzuki method, as students must spend a lot of time listening before they learn to read music. This ideology began during World War II in Japan. It is based on the principle that as children mimic sounds to learn to talk, they can do the same when learning an instrument. When you know how something is supposed to sound, and you can get an idea of the dynamics and tone of the piece, you may be able to play the song much more effectively.

Practice Makes Perfect

Of course, practicing is still required. You cannot just listen to a song and learn how to play it. But as you’ve heard the model piece so many times, you can practice the piece efficiently to get it performance ready. Another part of this method requires the continued practice of the beginners’ pieces. Just because the musician moves on to a more advanced book or musical piece, he or she will not just dismiss the old stuff. The idea is that these beginning pieces serve as a foundation and can be incorporated into everything else the learner plays.

Other Information

Although listening is the primary method for learning, students still use books at varying levels. There are 10 books in all, and the progress can be slow. The beginning books never stop being practiced as the student progresses. Most of these books focus on classical compositions. Teachers often supplement Suzuki books with other things like scale books or music books for other genres. If you decide to put your child into a Houston music school, be sure to inquire about the level of parental involvement they will require for your child’s success in music.

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I Like Reading Not Math

February 6, 2014 by

A couple of days ago, the little ones’ preschool teacher informed me that the little ones are not very keen on doing their Math worksheets.  Jakei in particular was often adamantly refusing to answer his templates.  This wasn’t the first time he has gone home with a sad face on his hand for not working on his numbers.  Jade, on the other hand, would answer her worksheets but would do so with a frown on her face.

I love Math! It has always been my favorite subject in school! Why do my kids have an aversion to it?!

I like reading not Math was the nonchalant reply of the little boy when I asked him why he wouldn’t work on his Math template.  Both kids are advance readers and do enjoy reading books everyday.  Since they were babies, not a day passes by without a single book being read.  You can say that the love for reading has been ingrained in their lives. I can’t say the same for Math though.  But I’m hoping it’s not too late for them to love Math as well.

To encourage Jakei to be more diligent with his Math exercises, I told him that race car drivers should be very good in Math.  Aside from being a race car driver, he also dreams of being Batman when he grows up. So I stressed also that both Batman and Ironman are Math geniuses.   As for Ate Jade, I explained that she was an excellent reader because she had plenty of practice reading.  For her to be good in Math, all she needed to do was practice regularly also.  If we do Math drills everyday, she’d be adding and subtracting as fast as she could read.

Because of this, we’ve added “playtime” with Math flashcards to our daily routine.  Why flashcards?  It’s more fun!  The kids see it more as playing than learning.  Even Jakei gets excited when I bring out the flashcards.  I do hope this daily flashcards play would pay off in the long run.

Meanwhile, here’s a video of Ate Jade helping Jakei with his Math. Enjoy watching!

Filed Under: Busy Bees, Kids At Work, PLAYhouse preSCHOOL, Resources Tagged With: , ,

Grade School Search: San Benildo Rizal

January 29, 2014 by

Here’s the long overdue post about admission requirements and our feedback on College of San Benildo Rizal.  Both our kids took their exams for Kinder and for Grade 1 last December.  Results were given the first week of January.  We were merely given a slip that informed us that they passed the exams and were given instructions regarding reservation fees and admission procedures.  I was hoping we could be given quantified test results so I’d know how my kids really fared in the exams.  Nonetheless, we are seriously considering enrolling our kids in this school next school year.

Quick Facts about San Benildo Rizal

  • Established as San Benildo Integrated School (SBIS) in 1996, the school tapped the Lasallian Schools Supervision Office(LASSO) to supervise the planning and construction of SBIS.
  • A campus for Grade School was constructed along Marcos Highway in Cainta, Rizal.  The doors were opened for admission in June 1997.
  • LASSO continued to supervise the administration of the school from its opening in 1997 to its eventual “graduation” from being a De La Salle Supervised School in 2009.
  • In 2001, a new campus housing the High School Department was opened along Sumulong Highway in Antipolo City.
  • In 2010, a college department was added to the SBIS Antipolo Campus.  They then changed their name from SBIS to the College of San Benildo – Rizal (CoSB-R). A college campus was eventually constructed and completed in January 2013.
  • The school upholds Benildean excellence and the Lasallian mission of Christian education
  • CoSB-R leads students to embody the following core values: Committed to lifelong learning, Competent, Confident, Compassionate, Christian.
BENILDEANS DO
ordinary things
EXTRAORDINARILY WELL

 

Admission Requirements

Children must be at least six years old by June to be qualified for admission to Grade 1.  They should also have no grade below 80% and a conduct grade of 85% or higher.  Qualified applicants can submit the following documents to the Records Office from Monday to Friday, 8AM to 3PM.

  • Clear Photocopy of NSO Birth Certificate
  • Clear Photocopy of Baptismal Certificate
  • Certified True Copy of latest report card (3 copies)
  • 2 x 2 colored picture (3 pcs)
  • Good Moral Character Certificate signed by the Principal
  • Recommendation from the Class Adviser & Guidance Counselor (use CoSB-R Form)
  • 1 long brown envelope
  • Testing Fee of P500

Our Feedback

The atmosphere inside the school is calm and relaxed.  The kids seemed well-behaved. We weren’t able to take a peek inside the classrooms but we did chance upon the kids’ recess break.  The kids, 3rd to 5th graders I think, were surprisingly well-behaved.  No one was running around nor would you hear any noisy banter.  There was chatting and playful banter but no one was rowdy.  There were also only about 3 – 4 sections having their recess so they must have varying schedules for break time.  That, or there was another canteen in the other building.

Another thing I noticed was that the students were dropped off directly in front of the gated entrance to the school corridor.   That’s one less thing to worry about if the kids take the school service.

While waiting for our kids, one of the parents told us that the school discourages the use of stroller bags.  Backpacks were recommended though there were ramps installed on the staircases for those who are using strollers.

Feedback from Online Forums

Scouring the net for information about CoSB-R, I read many positive feedback.  Among them were the advanced curriculum and effective teachers.  The school is also said to be an English zone which is very common in all schools nowadays.  One parent shared that teachers hand out notes to parents if their children are lagging in their studies.  They provide remedial (I’m not sure if that’s what they actually call them) classes after school to help children catch up with their lessons.  On the other hand, there are irate La Sallians who claim that CoSB-R misleads people into thinking that it is part of La Salle Schools.  Aside from this, there were no other negative feedback.

Tuition Fee

The current fees for this school year are P41,629.26 for Grade 1 and P28,669.02 for Kinder.  Monthly scheme for Grade 1 is P14,986.53 upon enrolment  and P3,093.79 monthly(total of P42,830.64). For Kinder, the monthly scheme is P 14,334.51 upon enrolment and P 1,640.50 monthly(total of P29,099.01). They also have semi-annual and quarterly payment schemes.

Update: (June 2016)

After two school years in this school, we have opted to homeschool our children starting this June.  Our first year was not perfect but it was fine enough for us to re-enroll.  However, we had some issues with teachers and a few students last year.  All issues were promptly addressed by the administration and those involved.  Nonetheless, we still decided to not enroll in San Benildo again and to instead take the leap to homeschooling.

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The Tottering Mama is not in anyway connected to the College of San Benildo Rizal.  All information in this post are from personal experience, brochures from the school, and online forums. For more information about the admissions, call their Grade School Department at 646-3395 or 681-1718.

Filed Under: PLAYhouse preSCHOOL, Resources Tagged With:
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