Life after House on the Hill is an ongoing series where we look back at how the various graduates have been doing! In this article, we look at graduate Maia and her life in primary school.
Graduate of Year 2019 – Maia
Parents’ Names – Shereen and Raj
1. What did you like about House on the Hill?
The location, the flexible school day schedule, small class sizes and the Montessori method of teaching. Once Maia started we also very quickly grew to like the teachers too and family feel at the school .
2. At any point in Maia’s pre-school years did you have any reservation on how she will cope in Primary/Grade school?
Yes. I’m sure every parent has reservations about how their child will adjust when they leave a setting that they are familiar and comfortable with. Our reservations were never really about how she would cope academically though, but more about the change in setting, class size and environment.
3. Do you think Maia was well prepared for Primary/Grade school in terms of Self Care, Confidence, Curriculum?
Absolutely! Growing up in HotH had taken her from being one the youngest in her class to being one of the eldest who, displayed confidence, happily took on responsibilities and enjoyed being the teacher’s little helper when needed. Primary school was always going to be a step up in terms of learning, but we believe she was more than ready for that next stage.
4. How is Maia coping with Primary 1/Grade 1?
Maia has exceeded any expectations we had in terms of academic achievement. She is in a school with small class sizes similar to HotH and a setting which allows children to study at their own pace and move forward quickly if they grasp, understand and pass the relevant primary level test. She has been quick to accept new challenges and is so motivated by seeing her own results, that it drives her even more. We honestly do believe that having had a good foundation for her education from her time at HotH helped her strengthen this belief in herself too.
5. Your overall experience at House on the Hill.
We were happy we chose HotH for Maia (and for Gia now as well!). Maia was a very chatty, but also very wary, sensitive little girl. HotH was such a welcoming caring environment when we first visited, we knew it was right fit. When Maia started she used to tell us that her teacher Ms Gim Peng was her ‘school Mummy!’ and that kind of care and nurturing was how we knew we’d made the best school choice.
6. What advice do you have for new parents of House on the Hill?
Have open and honest conversations with your child’s teacher whenever you have any questions or concerns.
It was always easy to quickly chat to teachers at pick up or drop off (or now through the Diibear app) if we needed to. Ms Marilyn was also always around to talk and any queries or suggestions we had were answered and taken on board. Sending your little one into someone else’s care is always daunting at first, but knowing exactly what happens at school and having open lines of communication provides the assurance and clarity that parents need.
