Chempaka Kindergarten

Kindergarten: The place where our children are first exposed to the school life which is supposed to have a major influence in the character building of children.

The meaning of the German word "kindergarten" is Children's garden. So ideally a kindergarten should be a Children's Garden. Gone are the days when we have to send our children to the schools which is nearby and which is really affordable.
Now there are n number of options and the rise in percapita income means almost all schools are within the reach of middle class families. The situation in Thiruvananthapuram (capital city of Kerala) is no different.
Me too was engulfed in the search for a school where my child has to be send. My conditions were similar to that of any parents around

1. The school should not create any kind of fear to the kid
2. The kid should feel at home when at school
3. The kid should be enthusiastic to go to school everyday
4. There should not be any heavy load on the kid.
5. There should be ample scope of recreation at school
   

My search ended at Chempaka Kindergarten. This group has a chain of kindergarten schools in Trivandrum. Their main campus is near Sreekariyam. My kid was admitted to the Kesavadasapuram campus situated in the Kesavadasapuram - Ulloor route.

What I liked about this school

1. The pleasing entry: The lady who greets the child daily at the gate always bear a smile and greet the child everymorning all through the year with the same enthusiasm as the
   first day. Holds the child and leads the child to the way of his/her class as smoothly as she can and all the time making the child talk about things at home. This one act gives a sense of belief in the parent that his child is in safe hands.



2. More smiles: The teachers also greet the child with a pleasing smile. The child likes his/her class teacher and is really excited when talking about his/her teacher.
   This made us feel that the teacher has been successful in gaining the respect of the child. The child does not have any fear for the teacher, means that the teacher might not be resorting to aggressive methods for ensuring discipline.


3. The child was eager to go to school. Surprisingly my kid did not even cry from Day 1. Normally his behaviour is such that he will cry even for the simplest of the things. This means that the activities done at school was something which the child was eagerly looking forward to.


4. No books for the children. The children was not given any books at all. What ever books they have, are kept at school. This removes the burden of children to carry loads of luggage to class even from kindergarten level


5. Parents should not teach at home. The children is being guided in a particular way at school and he is being taught the very basic elements of education.
   The school seems to believe the fact that if children is also being taught at home then he may get confused with lot of things, coz never can a parent teach exactly the same way as a trained teacher can.


6. Learn things practically: On a particular day the kid has to wear one particular coloured dress depicting a vegetable or flower. It seems that such days are celebrated as that vegetable/flower day and lots of activities related to that vegetable/flower was being carried out. This creates a lasting impression on the child about that vegetable/flower.



7. No examination for kids. This is a matter of great relief. Otherwise the fear for exams will be generated in kids from this very young age itself. Here there are exams, but the parents will not be informed of the same. The teacher evaluates the child during the class time itself and makes notes about each of the kid.


8. Each kid has a record which is updated by the teacher. The data contained in this record will be shared with parents towards the end of each term. The good thing is that the record contains information about the overall development of the kid and not about his academics alone. Some features are whether the kid is able to manage his belongings, how neatly he eats food, whether he sings along with teacher at class, whether he is an active participant in the activities of the class etc. Some of the points are quite interesting since even the parents might not have noticed. They can correct deficiencies pointed out even at home


9. Eliminating stage fright: Each and every kid will have a stage performance during annual day. Kids are on stage even before they know what is stage fear.


10. Strong Foundation: The foundation laid at this kindergarten is a strong base for the student for the challenges ahead.

All the above facts makes this a "Children's Garden"

Disclaimer: This review was reported based on my child's experience at Chempaka Kindergarten - Kesavadasapuram and is solely my view about this school. He studied there during the academic year 2007 -08. The coaching at this school was the major reason for him to pass the admission test to one of the best schools in trivandrum and that too with zero preparation at home for the admission interview.