My girls go to ISS
My girls go to ISS. They're 4yrs and 2yrs and have only been there a few weeks but I am very impressed and they are very happy. The school has fantastic facilities, the staff bend over backwards to ensure that you know what your child's been up to (recording my 2 year old on her first week and giving us a CD to reassure us that she was ok). The school curriculum is very closely monitored and scheduled. If anything I'd say it's a bit advanced for a 4yr old, but I'd rather that than have her eventually fall behind in her studies.
My 4 year old previously went to The Learning Centre in Cabarete but I felt that, although her teacher (Teacher Ottie who taught Kindergarten) was outstanding, the school itself, having moved to larger premises, needed time to re-establish itself. For example, I wasn't happy that a sports field hadn't been completed at Christmas because some of the parents hadn't paid their monthly fees on time. My daughter left there on the Friday, started ISS on the Monday and slotted in straight away. I wasn't going to put my 2 year old in school so soon, but she just always wanted to stay when we went to pick her sister up, so she seemed ready, and she's loving it.
We know a few people who have had their children at Garden Kids for a number of years and they do seem very well educated and well adjusted. I was originally going to start my 4 yr old at Garden Kids, but, in all honesty, the thing that made me change my mind was that there are very, very steep stone steps there that end in a big drop down to the floor. If a child fell and tripped they could bounce over the edge and fall from a great height. There are also balconies there that I don't consider safe in a school. My 4 yr old pointed out to me that her friends went there and they hadn't fallen, but I just wasn't convinced. Even though the younger children have classes on the ground floor, they still need to use the steep steps if they need to see the Principal or visit the offices.
However, there's no doubt that Garden Kids is substantially cheaper than ISS. Also there was a choice at Garden Kids to take your kids out at 12.30pm or leave them in till 3.30pm for extra curricular activities and homework etc. At The Learning Centre the hours were 7.50am to 3.30pm which was a long day for small children and some of the parents complained (though it never seemed to tire my daughter out). At ISS the hours are 8.15am to 12.30pm for my 2yr old and 8.15am to 2.50pm for my 4yr old which seems about right. ISS also do lots of extracurricular activities such as Karate, Arts and Crafts etc and I know that children who do not study at the school attend some of these.
I hope this helps you. It really pays to visit the schools, because, as a mother, you get a feel for what's right for your child.
