Outi and Chris’ kids have been brought up trilingual, and they wanted a school that could continue supporting this. With its English and German curriculum, GESS was their top pick!
Kids’ brains are like sponges. They can absorb so much (and so quickly!) especially in their younger years. So if you want your little one to pick up a new language, make it easier by exposing them to it as early as you can. Psst: constant practice is key too!
For Outi and Chris, their children have been exposed to the German, Finnish, and English languages and cultures since young. They were on the lookout for a school that would allow their kids to continue learning two out of the three languages, and GESS was the perfect option! Here’s how GESS helped to support them on this journey, plus more on their thought process behind choosing it as the school for their children.
What are your priorities for selecting a school?
Both our children were born in Singapore, with a mother of Finnish origin and father from Germany. We fully love and embrace this combination, and try our best to have them appreciate all three Singaporean, German, and Finnish cultures. The kids have thus been brought up trilingual, and we wanted a school that could support that.
GESS presented the opportunity to be fluent in English and German (on top of Finnish, as much as possible). It gives them the space to appreciate and express their diverse identities, as well as celebrate the diverse languages and cultures of their students who come from all over the world.
How have you found GESS to be so far?
Our children have attended GESS for almost 5 years, and we (us parents included!) all have been loving it so far. The facilities are amazing too; our children even choose to stay after school just to continue playing at the playgrounds.
The teachers have been brilliant in creating a nurturing environment where each child can thrive, exploring their individual interests and strengths. The teachers have also been very supportive towards families with any concerns or questions they might have. We feel that the school sincerely cares about the children’s wellbeing, giving us the assurance that they’re on the best possible learning journey.
What do your children like most about GESS?
Our children cheerfully exclaim that they love ‘everything’ about the school! But to be more specific, they really enjoy being able to explore and express themselves in so many ways, such as through arts, music, sports, storytelling, and more. They also love the wide variety of toys and building materials available for free play.
Every morning, they look forward to going to school, and always return home excited to share about their day. We appreciate how the school has a very child- and play-centric approach to nurturing passion and skills for lifelong learning.
So yes, I suppose ‘everything’ is probably the best answer!
What do you like most about GESS?
As a parent, I value that I can fully trust the school to take care of my children. I have the absolute confidence that GESS is giving them the best possible school environment that allows them to explore who they are, how to express themselves, embrace their strengths, and gear up for the future.
GESS sincerely wants the best for each child, and it truly shows. I appreciate how they also engage with the whole family, and offer support towards achieving a seamless learning journey. For example, families enjoy access to the fantastic libraries as well.
How did GESS make your family feel welcome?
When my son started first grade, the first week was curated to be incredibly inclusive of parents and older students. It was so heartwarming to witness, and certainly helped to ease the uncertainty of new routines. My son definitely felt comfortable, and eased into being a part of the student community.
As for us, we’re impressed with GESS’ level of community engagement. There are many kinds of community events each year, including cultural celebrations, parent meetups, workshops, and so on.
I’m grateful how the Parents’ Committee facilitates many opportunities for parents to easily connect with one another, within and beyond the children’s specific classes, as well as effectively bridging the whole parent community and the school. The Buddies Committee is another cool initiative helping especially the new(er) families to settle in quickly!
Do you have any advice for other parents in the process of selecting a school?
We think it’s important to recognise that each family (and their children) are different. It’d be best to consider what matters to your family, and what will make your children happy.
For expats like us, the mix of languages and cultures present a different framework. I would encourage parents to think ahead, and evaluate the importance of ‘home’ cultures, traditions, and languages — and how they can fit into their current lives.
Thanks for sharing all this with us, Outi and Chris!
This post is in partnership with GESS.
