Nuevo Laredo, Mexico Real School Experiences
Personal Experiences from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico
United Day
School Website
http://uniteddayschool.org/home/
Background Information:
1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
Yes, parent
2. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
K, 1 and 2
3. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
Work at the consulate
4. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
No, there are no other options only UDS.
Admissions & Welcome:
1. Are the admissions and placement procedures clearly stated to prospective families, either on the school website or through other means of communication?
Yes
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
Bad
Administration & School Procedures:
1. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
E-mail - some teachers will be open to texting you
2. Aside from school fees, are there required expenses such as uniforms, laptops/tablets, musical instruments, or field trips that parents are expected to cover? What are the approximate costs?
Yes! You have to donate, donate, donate! Additionally donate 16 hours of your time meticulously counted, time that will not spend with your child or volunteer work. It is attendance to events such as auctions in which they will try to suck more money from you. Only a few hours involve kids activities .
Academics & Resources:
1. What personal or academic counseling resources are available at this school? Is there a dedicated college counselor at the school? Is he/she familiar with universities worldwide?
No
2. Is there before and/or after-school daycare available? What are the costs?
Yes, I think it is about 7 or 8 dollars per hour.
3. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
Yes, it is a good size
4. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
Yes
5. What are the technology requirements for students? Do they need their own laptops/ipads? How is technology integrated into the classroom and homework?
No - not in the grades my kids have been.
6. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
There is a gym but only 2 coaches at the school and they make the kids run around in circles and let them play hardly anything programmed. They have some basketball thing once a year and additional classes after school for tennis and other sports that you have to pay additionally and it only goes for a few weeks.
7. What is the approximate teacher-to-student ratio in the grades that your child attended?
15 to 1, and a teacher aid.
8. Are Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses available in upper grades? If this is an IB school, is the full diploma required of all students?
No it only goes k-8
9. Are students generally challenged appropriately by the curriculum? Please describe any particular strengths or weaknesses in this area. Do you have any thoughts how the curriculum is applied and implemented at this school?
All kids get into honor roll which has made me wonder either we got very dedicated kids or it is too easy.
10. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
Sometimes too much
11. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
All that you would expect from a public school in the USA.
12. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
Yes
13. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
14. What services are available for students with learning disabilities at this school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
15. What services are available for students with physical disabilities at this school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
16. What services are provided for speakers of English as a second language at this school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
17. What extra-curricular activities (including sports) are available at this school? Have your children participated in these activities? What activities do you feel are missing at the school?
Tennis, basketball. We have done tennis. It is not a constant sport it only runs for a few weeks.
Social & Emotional Well-Being:
1. Do expatriate students socialize with local students at the school? Are both groups successfully integrated into the school culture?
So, so.
2. Are there are any problems with exclusionary behavior, cliques, or bullying at this school? Please describe any problems your children may have experienced in this area.
Overall Impressions:
1. What letter grade (ranging from A, excellent, to F, fail) would you assign to this school based on your overall experience? Would you choose it again?
C, NO!
2. Please tell us anything else you think prospective parents and students should know about this school. Thanks for your contribution!
You will be forced to do 16 hours of volunteer work and those hours do not involve any quality time with your kids or other kids. The cost is $50 dollars per hour if you don't do it and it takes 40 minutes just to drive there. Some of the hours are at night and we are in a very dangerous place where I follow the curfew to avoid being out when the sun goes down. The hours you are forced to attend are events in which they will try to get you to donate more money.
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