Ateneo Prep Exam

[MrsLuluyz]

medyo nalilito lang ako. i tried moving forward from the admissions link that you posted here, to check when i will apply. so my son's birthday is march 2013.

tama ba na by september 2018, for SY 2019-2020 (dates of birth from 1 September 2012 to 30 October 2013) ako mag apply for him? hindi pwedeng the following year, september 2019 for SY 2020-2021?

kasi im planning pa na next SY pa sya mag aaral, di kaya mabitin sya? nursery 17-18, k1 18-19, edi dapat me k2 (19-20) pa?

[Mumoftwo]

Hi mommies.

I am new here. I registered 'coz I was searching for this topic and found this forum. Just need insights from you.

My family currently lives here in London, but we will be going back to Phils 2017. We are hoping to send our 5yo son to Ateneo (who will be 7 by then). I just want to know what is expected of a Grade 1 or a 7 year old child. I am not sure how the curriculum here is faring compared to Manila's. I want to prepare him in for anything expected.

Also, how is the situation in terms of bulliying in schools? Been reading sad stories. I don't know if they're exaggerated or not. I'm too anxious for my child. He has made friends here and I am not sure how well he will be able to cope there. He has been telling me and his dad he doesn't want to stay in Phils.

Appreciate any insights.

Donna

[marose17]

Hi Donna, first off, Ateneo's age for grade 1 is 6 years old (not 7) in accordance with the Deped K-12 program.  If your son is 5 now, he should take the entrance exam later this year (August-September) for admission to grade 1 next year.

The curriculum for the primary school (grades 1-3) is literature-based, with emphasis on written and verbal communication skills in English and Filipino.  Your child is expected to be able to communicate well in both English and Filipino, by the way.   Reading is highly encouraged and the school uses the traditional textbooks instead of a tablet.  I love the fact that there is a reading corner in every classroom and a Pass-the-Book campaign where each student will donate a book and pass that book for reading at home during the school year. At the end of the school year, each kid gets a book to keep.  The Ateneo grade school library has the largest collection of children's books in the country.  There is also a Reading Week or Book Fair each semester.  Exams for Language (or English) and Filipino are three-fold: written, oral and listening. 

Math and science are based on Singapore's system and the boys use textbooks and workbooks that are also being used by Singapore's primary school students.  Singapore math is process-oriented.  Word problems to hone analytical skills, rather than rote learning, is the norm.  Singapore science is also very much process-oriented and deviates from traditional science instruction in most Phil. schools that involve a lot of memorization. 

There is homework every day and quizzes for each subject every week.  Brace yourself.  Of course, the homework and quizzes are age-appropriate.  For grade 1, these are easy and it progressively gets more challenging with every grade level.  If you are a pro-active parent, there is a better chance of your child getting high grades.  Quiz charts are given every quarter so you already know the topics that will be covered in each subject. 

There is of course Christian Living Education since it is a Catholic school and formation is based on Ignatian spirituality.  Physical education, music and art are the other subjects.  Boys have extra-curricular activity starting grade 3 (scouting).

Class size is big ha, around 40 students per class and there are 13-14 sections per grade level.  It is a BIG school.  A lot of parents are turned off by this.  It is highly traditional.  If your kid does not thrive on routine and is more of a free spirit, he will have a difficult time in Ateneo.  If you expect a more homey atmosphere, it is not the place.  The teachers though are really topnotch and know how to handle a big group of young boys.

I am happy to say that Ateneo has a very strong anti-bullying campaign (October is peace month) and in the three years my children have been there, we have not encountered any bullying incident.  I also know that teachers and guidance counselors teach children to be vocal in case they are being bullied (which can take various forms) and protocols have been set in place to deal with bullying.  I attend various activities and I can say that most Ateneo parents are vigilant against bullying and pro-active.  Honestly, the classmates of my children are generally good boys and the teachers are fair and well-trained, with the right balance of nurturing and firmness.  Most teachers have been teaching there for years and are experts in handling young boys.  My kids love their teachers.  I'm confident that your child will enjoy studying there.  My children love their school and want to stay there forever (their words).

[MrsLuluyz]

follow up question. okay lang bang 2 lang ang pre-school ng son ko if ever prior to entrance exam?

[marose17]

^ Did you mean 2 years of preschool?  It is fine, I suppose and it really depends on how fast your child learns and adapts to school, as well as his maturity level, when he enters the big school.  Ateneo could be tough for children who are not well-prepared socially, emotionally and academically. 

[roxyhart]

Joining this thread. We are eyeing Ateneo (and only Ateneo so far) for our son who will turn 4 this June. We enrolled him in a progressive school last year and we are very happy with his preschool. We have communicated with his teachers right from the start that we are eyeing Ateneo for him and they were happy to report that most of their students go to AGS din.

We are also in the middle of buying/building a brand new house in QC (and yay, it's almost ready for occupancy!) so we will be nearer his big school when the time comes. We currently live in Pasig. So there, we are preparing years ahead hehe. Whew, time flies so fast!

[euwie]

Hello! Anyone here preparing their kids for kinder application for sy 2019-2020? 😊

[she_1108]

Hi! My son is taking the grade 1 exam this week... We heard that it is shading type on how to answer exam. Would anyone know if it is true?  I have read in the previous post that it's not but it is sometime in 2014 pa, baka po iba na ngayon? thank you.

[Oberlio34]

The most important thing about test prep is to stick to your study time table. If you are not making efforts to do scheduled study, it can be hard to complete entire syllabus in timely manner so you won?t have the time for revisions too. I am also going to study for Bar Exam and have just got my study plan ready from an expert.