The International School of Bangalore (TISB) – review and a field trip with the pre-kg class

Ankit and Ashvin at school

For a breakdown of schools in Bangalore please see http://kindazesty.blogspot.com/2011/03/international-cbseicse-alternative-home.html
Ashvin goes to TISB as a pre-kg student. This is the youngest class in the school. We sent him their because it is the school Ankit goes to but are very happy with the decision. He gets onto the school bus with Ankit and we get updates on him via his brother, it is easy and convenient for us but to add to it the school has proved to be good too.

Ashvin’s class is comprised twenty children cared for by three teachers and an assistant. It is a bright cheerfully decorated class with a circle time rug in the center and areas for reading, building, eating etc. There is a big sandbox and a playground where they are taken to twice a day.

Lining up for a field trip

His day begins with a bus ride at 7:35. School starts at 8:10am and ends at 1:15pm. His bus drops him home by 1:40pm. On the bus all the little ones are kept in the first few rows, buckled up and overseen by a teacher or some assistant. There are three school buses from TISB to our community but all the little ones are kept on one bus. During the day in school too they are well chaperoned. Ankit smiles when he tells us how the pre kg class walks holding hands guarded by teachers on both ends and the commotion caused by Ashvin breaking the chain by running towards him.

They have been learning phonetically and do a lot of drawing, coloring and real life learning. The teachers are well trained and seem to really enjoy teaching these kids. My questions about places to take kids or what to do with Ashvin after school hours have been responded to in great detail. Besides that there is a parent teacher diary that Ashvin takes to school daily that helps keep communication flowing.

PlayGround at Jerry Marten Farm

I had the pleasure of joining his class on a recent field trip and got to spend the whole day with his class and teacher. The whole process was very similar to the field trips I went on with Ankit in US. They were counted again and again, given their school hats and then taken to the school bus. Everyone was buckled and counted again. A little speech on treating farm animals nicely was given and a short bus ride took us to Jerry Martin’s farm. At the farm there was the usual running around, feeding farm animals (and in the case of one kid the want to feed on the ducks, sheep, rabbits and pig – he wanted to eat everything). They sat and had snacks provided by the school and then played on the monkey bars, swings and see-saws. At noon they were herded back into the bus and driven back to school.

Lunch in the dining room. TISB

At this point I joined them for lunch which consisted of both Indian and continental options. I was impressed by the food – I went to a boarding school and our food was nothing like this. They even had oranges and Indian sweets for desert. They were not expecting any parents at lunch so I can honestly say that the food there seems to be good (it is always vegetarian for lunch, boarders that stay there have chicken and meat during dinner). Post lunch there was a short play time in the sandbox, some running around,  followed by a farm animal story time (with lots of animation and sound effects).
I had had my concerns about what an Indian school for a preschooler would be like and I must say that this school is at par and in some cases better than a preschool in the US. They have a good learning style, plays that kids participate in from an early age, swimming classes, field trips, caring teachers and a secure campus and classroom. Price wise it costs almost the same as a mid-range Seattle preschool (very expensive from Indian standards for a preschool) but it does have a 5-1 student teacher ratio and above all Ashvin loves going there.

Lunch Menu to that day

View of playaround outside classroom TISB

Sandbox