by on 13/11/2019 788 435
Tree Top International School is a peaceful, diversified community where families and teachers are joyfully engaged in contributing to the overall well-being of the children enrolled within. Everything they do is grounded by the philosophy to embrace the unique talents of every child, regardless of age and ability, while curating more opportunities for further learning and discovery. All children here live as a part of an accepting family where being friends with and learning alongside children with special needs are accepted as the norm. Everyone has a refreshing sense of mutual respect for each other and children of all abilities are invited to join this close-knit community to make the most of all they have to offer.
The extensive space and facilities are thoughtfully designed to encourage children’s development and creativity. There are distinct areas for learning: well-equipped classrooms fitted with a bathroom, pantry, reading corner and play area; self-contained physical activity area with synthetic grass; science lab; library; art studio; ICT room that raises digital leaders and educates children on cyber safety; toy library that ensures children from all backgrounds have access to a good range of toys; and more facilities will be progressively added to reflect current community needs. Additionally, there is a dedicated spot where therapists can work collaboratively with children that has developmental delays or special needs to ensure they receive the support required and can successfully attend preschool in typical childcare settings.
Take a walk through the school and you will see an appropriate balance between structure and freedom, within boundaries, in this free-flow environment. Children are free to explore and choose the materials that they want to work with, while progressing at their own pace. You will often see teachers in the classroom sitting quietly to observe children. Through their insight into each child’s personality and learning styles, they can then personalise the approach to suit individual needs. Children are not motivated by rewards or disciplined with punishments. Instead, mistakes are seen as welcome opportunities for improvement, conflicts are resolved diplomatically through calm talks and explanations, and teachers speak nicely rather than attributing blame.
Teachers acknowledge that young children are innately curious, and they start school with sparkling imaginations. This is celebrated and encouraged through a curriculum that drives children to explore endlessly, focus on big ideas and ask questions that engage them. The whole educational journey is more than just filling children with facts from pre-selected subjects of studies, as the school’s tagline suggests, it goes beyond academics. It is the objective of the school to get children to feel excited about learning and keep this motivation for life. It is also about inculcating a firm sense of grounding to the real world with relevant vocational skills. Plus, being guided with the right tools, children’s potentials can be maximised for future life situations.
As much as teachers inspire children, finding the best ways to guide them on their individual journeys, children are very much the inspiring reasons why teachers succeed in what they do today and why they want to improve further. No matter how skilled or experienced, the team supporting Tree Top International School is always open to new ideas to best accommodate needs and interests that they do not already currently offer.
At the heart of it all, relationships are the heartbeat of the school. Everybody learns and grows together as a community that respects the opinions and values of all. Children learn to care for their friends and respect others. Parents and teachers work together to enhance understanding to bring up competent children. They appreciate each other’s transparency, honesty and open communication. To date, Tree Top International School has built a reputation for excellent care and education, one that brings families to visit from word-of-mouth recommendations and experience it for themselves. This will no doubt remain for many years to come.
