Chennai moms - Activity centers - pls guide

Hai Tikka,

Thank u so much on ur quick response. Today only i came to know about the change in the program into musical beans, as i been to vanilla place today for my kid to engage in vanilla beans. As she left the country (i mean the kinder musik tutor).

My kid is nearing 3 years ( November 12th he will be 3 years). so if i start by this month, i can finish by november or so i think so. whether his age will be fine?

 

Love November babies. Am one too, overgrown one.

I think the programme is for 18 to 36 months, if I remember right. Your child may then be 38 months (silly me still counts in months, LOL) when it ends. You may then have to check with VP. It depends on your child's temperament. The instructor brings her 3 year old at times and the girl is a joy in the class. I know Kiran enjoys working with older toddlers, so it may work for your LO too. :thumbsup.

PS. Found your other post on VP.

 

Hai Tikka,

Great that ur also kid is also born in November.......

Anyway i asked the coordinator over their, she said, if he is completed 3 years, then u can opt for the other workshop, that is play pods.......

but i have to think about that..........do u have any idea about that work shop which is for 2 to 4 years kids.......it is about cognitive skills and etc stuff......anyway thank u for ur info.......

 

Hai Asha,

This place is a activity center for the kids above 6months and below 12 years. So they have a play area...

Just go to the below link, where v have discussed more about this place.......

http://www.indusladies.com/forums/playgroups-and-daycares/17793-vanilla-place-in-chennai.html

and they have a website too.......Vanilla

 

Hello all,

This is Vasumathy currently at Sunnyvale, CA USA. My daughter is doing her Pre K at school Sunyvale, CA. We are moving the 1st week of Jan 2009 to Chennai We will be mostly around Annanagar and wanted to get some advise on admissions into LKG in middle of the year in Schram academy or any other schools? Do you have any experiences on this ? Appreciate any answers on this regard. Thanks a lot in advance.. Have a very nice day ladies...

Regards
Vasumathy

 

Hi

Not sure if you are still looking for this information:

My 2 children are studying in Sankara and my nieces in Bala vidya mandir. Both the schools are very good offering good values along with education.

I find vidya mandir to be more holistic upto 5th standard and then suddenly the education needs increase multifold.

My son also attended SEED in Kasturba nagar and they have a fairly nice afterschool program.

 

Hi bookworm,

I wanted to know some details abour the shankara and BVM school. I know both are very good school apart from that,

1. How is the admission procedure?
2. Heard it is really tough to get admission in those schools?
3. How is the transportation? I live in Neelankarai so wanted to know will there be the transportation till there, I enquired in BVM they have but shankara they said they have till Thiruvanmaiyur.
4. What about the fees for academic and bus?
5. Will there be any criteria to get the admission there, will there be a big queue to get the application form itself?
6. How do they balace curriculam with co-curriculam?
7. Will there be pressure on kids in academic wise like bulk home work etc.,?

Thanks in Advance

 

Hi

To answer both your questions:

SEED afterschool - they have some music, computers and if you opt for it dance I think. They make the children do the homework also (this info is about 2 years old as my son was going there at that time).

Sankara and BVM :

1. How is the admission procedure?
2. In both the schools you need to get their prospectus/application form, fill it up and return it. They announce the dates (usually early january) and the queues are long. They give preference to people from nearby locality first, then the siblings of existing students, children of old students etc before the general quota. So usually BVM gets filled up. Sankara has a few more sections (I think 4 sections in each class) so some availability will be there.
3. Heard it is really tough to get admission in those schools?
4. There are long queues (last year the queue started at 6 AM!!). But once you get the form then it is based on standard criteria. They do have a oral discussion with the kid (both schools) - more to test comprehension I think rather than anything else. My kids were asked about their names, what they like and if they knew rhymes etc. My son categorically refused to tell any rhyme but promptly asked for the chocolate
5. How is the transportation? I live in Neelankarai so wanted to know will there be the transportation till there, I enquired in BVM they have but shankara they said they have till Thiruvanmaiyur.
6. Sankara school van comes till thiruvanmiyur I think. There are private vans that come further.
7. What about the fees for academic and bus?
8. Current fee is about 15-17K a year. Slightly more in BVM. I dont know about bus fee.
9. Will there be any criteria to get the admission there, will there be a big queue to get the application form itself?
10. as stated above.
11. How do they balace curriculam with co-curriculam?
12. Both BVM and Sankara have good curriculum and cocurricular activities - music, some art and craft, games etc. Sankara has yoga/violin etc starting 4th std. This is not at par with schools like chettinad or international schools. However both schools introduce computers early and have visual aids. Both schools have excellent principals committed to education which I like.
13. Not too much homework - may be the kid would need to spend about 15 -30 min finishing it. depends on the teacher.
14. Summing up, both schools are regular schools without much fancy stuff going on. There is a lot of emphasis on good values (BVM also has a moral education class etc) and the kids generally are grounded. Mostly middle to upper middle class kids. The schools are a little hindu oriented - religeous agnostics may find it different.
    
15. Will there be pressure on kids in academic wise like bulk home work etc.,?