Choosing A Kindergarten

Joey will be 5 years old in 2011! She will be promoted to Kindergarten 1 soon!

We are planning to relocate Joey from a Childcare Centre to a Kindergarten that is nearer to home. Really thank God she is quite looking forward to it. Let me spell out to you what are the differences between Joey’s present Childcare Centre and the Kindergarten we plan to shift her to.

Childcare Centre
Full day session (8am-6pm)
Travelling time is about 1hr (factoring in traffic jam)
School fee after subsidy is double the amount
Joey knows all the kids
We know the teachers & understand their teaching methods

Kindergarten
Afternoon session (1230pm-330pm)
Travelling time is about 20mins
School fee without subsidy is half the amount
Joey has to make new friends
Not too sure how the teachers’ teaching style

I can still remember the first days when Joey attended Childcare. She cried so much till we were so heartbroken, we nearly wanted to stop bringing her to the Centre. That was almost 2 years back. Now, she is enjoying the time playing and learning with her friends in school. She is also the teachers’ favourite.

Now, she is getting ready to embark to a new phase in her schooling life. Making a decision to shift her to a new school is not easy at all. There is the logistics to be settled, like looking for a nearby Kindergarten, looking for busing services, arranging my mother’s time to ensure she is able to take care of Joey when she returns from school, etc. But one of the most worrying thing is, will Joey be able to adept to the new environment? Will she be able to make new friends? Will the teacher be nice to her? So many questions, so many worries!