For a smaller school that nurtures while challenging its kids, it’s hard to look past Sir Manasseh Meyer International School.
Are you looking for a top international school for your kids? There are so many great options out there, but can we challenge you – just for a moment – to put yourself in the shoes of a child going to a new school, or one who’s just feeling a little unsure about everything? You’re surrounded by people you don’t know, being asked to do unfamiliar things, and all you really want to do is go home to mum and dad. We suspect this ‘mini you’ would feel a lot more comfortable starting out at Sir Manasseh Meyer International School, because it’s small by design. Around every corner there’s a teacher or staff member who knows your name, and new friends are made in record time. We took a peek inside this lovely little school and found that good things really do come in small packages.
Sir Manasseh Meyer (SMM) is a non-profit international Jewish school that rolls out the welcome mat to students from all nationalities. Kids can get started there from as young as 18 months, and classes are offered through to eighth grade. The school challenges and nurtures kids with a holistic academic program that aims to build confident, adventurous and creative thinkers who care about the world they live in, and who ‘dare to be great’. And who doesn’t want to be great?
The ‘small by design’ nature of the school means that every child is helped to reach their full potential through receiving a higher level of attention. SMM currently has 185 students in total, with class sizes capped at six for early childhood, and 15 for lower and middle school. This intimate environment means that all kids are encouraged to discover their unique talents and abilities, and get the chance to be recognised. In fact, research from The National Education Association shows that schools with less than 500 students tend to foster students who experience greater academic success, have better attendance records, and demonstrate greater persistence. Teachers are often more satisfied in their jobs, and the lower levels of anonymity mean bullying and feelings of isolation are also generally lower among the kids.
We also suspect the smaller size of SMM helps kids to better understand their role in helping others, and this is reinforced by the school’s ‘Tikun Olam’ community service program. ‘Tikun Olam’ means ‘repairing the world’ in Hebrew, and the students get to engage in projects such as volunteering at the Shooker Home for the Aged, raising funds for young cancer patients and their families, and learning about food wastage and the amazing work of Israel’s largest food bank and food rescue network, the Leket Foundation.
If you like the sound of the small and lovely atmosphere at SMM, head along to the open house on either 14 or 28 October. You’ll get to tour the brand new state-of-the-art facilities and fire all your questions at the team! Like, “can I enrol myself too?”
Sir Manasseh Meyer International School Pte Ltd, CPE Registration Number: 200811757D. Period of Registration: 6 July 2016 to 5 July 2020.
This post is sponsored by Sir Manasseh Meyer International School.
