Looking To Put Child In Private School In Santo Domingo

jimmythegreek

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Basically, I've narrowed down to a few schools and wanted to get some feedback to anyone that has some experience with any of them or any other suggestions to other schools. I'm in AH and the schools I am looking at are:

1. St. Thomas
2. American School
3. Ashton
4. Notre Dame
5. St. Michel's

These are all the most convenient in terms of proximity and traffic.
 

jimmythegreek

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Dec 4, 2008
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Basically, I've narrowed down to a few schools and wanted to get some feedback to anyone that has some experience with any of them or any other suggestions to other schools. I'm in AH and the schools I am looking at are:

1. St. Thomas
2. American School
3. Ashton
4. Notre Dame
5. St. Michel's

These are all the most convenient in terms of proximity and traffic.

Nobody out there with some experience with this matter? Thanks.
 

mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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I had a friend who taught at St Michaels - while he sent his kids to Carol Morgan - (his wife worked for a big NGO and they paid the tuition and Carol Morgan had the best reputation) He said that he was sorry that he had not sent his kids to St Michaels -thatis was a great school - far ahead of Carol Morgan, he thought.

Also-had a friend who graduated from St Thomas - and knew the headmaster there who was American - the friend was Dominican but spoke English without a trace of a Spanish accent.

Sorry - no info on the other three but I am not a parent -- so that does not mean much..

just to say that I had heard very good things about the other two.
 

bob saunders

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Jan 1, 2002
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My wife's niece sends her 3 year old to New Horizons in Bella Vista and says they are first rate, and I know a former teacher from Saint Georges and he has very good things to say about the school. Both are in the area of Santo Domingo you are interested in.
 

Robert

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Contact Dolores via PM or email, I'm sure she can help.

St. Thomas and St. Michels both have very good reputations.
 

jimmythegreek

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St. THOMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Thanks-well I've narrowed it down to St. Thomas and American School.

The other schools in Piantini are difficult due to the traffic to and from AH and also more expensive.

Also, they have more students in the school versus St. Thomas and American.

Another issue is that some of the schools are not even accredited by SACS or NECS, which is not the case with St. Thomas and American.
 

jimmythegreek

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Dec 4, 2008
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Thanks-well I've narrowed it down to St. Thomas and American School.

The other schools in Piantini are difficult due to the traffic to and from AH and also more expensive.

Also, they have more students in the school versus St. Thomas and American.

Another issue is that some of the schools are not even accredited by SACS or NECS, which is not the case with St. Thomas and American.

What is the better school-American or St. Thomas? Anyone have any input here? What are the pros and cons of each school? Thanks.
 

Criss Colon

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Where do you live???????
I remember you were thinking about Arroyo Hondo???????
If you live in "AH" I Strongly recommend St Thomas because it will be easy to get there in the morning.
I don't know where the "American School is located, educate me, and I'll give you my "Morning Traffic Report" about getting there.
Don't forget to tell me where you live.
My two daughters go to "Colegio Arroyo Hondo", on "Camino Chiquito",and take a private school bus there and back.
Cost is 2,800 pesos a month each.
Don't rule out Colegio Arroyo Hondo. It's not bi-lengual, but they do have English, and French classes.
I like their after school classes, of which there are MANY, and so do my girls.
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jimmythegreek

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Thanks Criss-I live in Viejo AH near Ikea-Basically, American School is in Cuesta Hermosa III above Supermercado Nacional-Body Shop AH. Alfonso Moreno Martinez up to Cuesta Hermosa Town Center where you take a right on Ave. Belice and then to Calle C-where the school is located. It is about 10 minutes from Viejo AH from some others that I have talked to that are enrolling their kids there.

The issue is that St. Thomas is more expensive than American for tuition and admission costs. Colegio AH I am also looking into as well.
 

Criss Colon

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St Thomas is worth the money, IF you have it!!!
I can not emphasize too much the morning traffic!!!!
You can call me if you want to talk about colegio arroyo hondo, just pm for my#
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jimmythegreek

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Dec 4, 2008
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Where do you live???????
I remember you were thinking about Arroyo Hondo???????
If you live in "AH" I Strongly recommend St Thomas because it will be easy to get there in the morning.
I don't know where the "American School is located, educate me, and I'll give you my "Morning Traffic Report" about getting there.
Don't forget to tell me where you live.
My two daughters go to "Colegio Arroyo Hondo", on "Camino Chiquito",and take a private school bus there and back.
Cost is 2,800 pesos a month each.
Don't rule out Colegio Arroyo Hondo. It's not bi-lengual, but they do have English, and French classes.
I like their after school classes, of which there are MANY, and so do my girls.
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

Are you sure that you did not mean RD$8,200 per month?
 

jimmythegreek

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he may be talking about the cost of the bus--

You know what? I think you are absolutely correct-$RD2800 would seem to make sense for roundtrip monthly bus service. I guess I was just hoping in my mind that the price of the school tuition could be that low.
 

Criss Colon

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Tuition this year is 14,200 pesos a month for two.
Bus is still 2,800 a month each.
He arrives at EXACTLY 6:26 every morning!
Never late, never misses.
Books were even more expensive than ever.
About 20,000 pesos each.
AND, no matter what the Ministry of Education said,("We will Use the same books for 4 years") they didn't, so my 7th grader can never use her 8th grade sisters books.
Which are really not "BOOKS" but soft cover work books.

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Feb 7, 2007
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Tuition this year is 14,200 pesos a month for two.
Bus is still 2,800 a month each.
He arrives at EXACTLY 6:26 every morning!
Never late, never misses.
Books were even more expensive than ever.
About 20,000 pesos each.
AND, no matter what the Ministry of Education said,("We will Use the same books for 4 years") they didn't, so my 7th grader can never use her 8th grade sisters books.
Which are really not "BOOKS" but soft cover work books.

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There is something wrong.

1. Most private schools use books by Santillana (90%)
2. 7th & 8th grade Santillana pack costs at my daughter's school 11.000 pesos (her 6th grade was 10.500) and this comes with a PIN for Santillana Compartir electronic classroom home office.
3. I did the math and the books cost actually less in a pack than what they would cost in a store
4. The newest edition of books is Todos Juntos, but 7th and 8th grade still use former Innova version (there is not yet Todos Juntos edition released for 7th and 8th grades).
5. Editions are about 3-4 years apart, Innova was 2012 and Todos Juntos is 2015. My daughter still got Caligraphia book from Innova version apparently Caligrafia is not yet released under Todos Juntos edition. It's the only Innova edition book in her pack, all others are Todos Juntos.
6. Todos Juntos is 2015 edition, Innova (Caligrafia) is 2012 edition with 2015 reprint.

Books pack consisted of:
(book + workbook)
Spanish
Math
Social Sc.
Natural Sc.
English
French
Caligrafia
Ortografia
A novel

Apparently there is some tigueraje going on on part of the school if they charge 20k for this (but then, maybe they use a different publishing house).

My daughter is in what is deemed to be the best school in Higuey (Serafines) and the tuition is 2700 pesos per month and seems to be the most expensive in Higuey. This school is somehow a school of "richest of the Higuey's rich" (there is a morning/afternoon traffic jam in front of the school consisting of year 2020 yipetas, and I am still holding my hopes to see some kids be brought by helicopters). Bus service is 2,000 per month.