Question for Busybee2

Busybee - many thanks for all your help and advice in the last 6 months. I am devastated to say that our move has been cancelled. We were in AD last week and had a great time, found houses etc, but i returned home Friday to hear that my father has terminal cancer. I just have to stay here for my mother. Thanks and goodbye x oh dear was just thinking about you getting email addresses etc as kids just gone back to sch. unfortunately sometimes things dont happen for a reason, perhaps now that you have done all the research it will happen but just at another time. all the best. for example my hubs was already working out here and the plan for us was that because i was pregnant and had problems when i had the c-section that i would come out with new baby, as it had taken over a year for my hubs to be approved (this is going back 15 years!) as it took that long to tick their boxes, anyways baby was born with major problems which were not picked up, and that we had to stay in uk for, in and out of hospital for just over first year etc, anyways when last operation was performed we came out, only to find out that i was pregnant again... what to do, will the problem arise again, as it was a very rare condition anyways long story short took the risk and had baby no2 here, and all fine. so you can have the best laid plans and it all fall down around you.

Busybee - many thanks for all your help and advice in the last 6 months. I am devastated to say that our move has been cancelled. We were in AD last week and had a great time, found houses etc, but i returned home Friday to hear that my father has terminal cancer. I just have to stay here for my mother. Thanks and goodbye x

Hi, Busybee2. I appreciate your advice. :cool: I appreciate your advice too Busybee2...that is why I addressed this thread to you as knew you would help by providing the facts (from what I read from your previous responses) :) Know the other site you are talking about, just a browser there....not a lot of useful information there thanks i will see post on here....... yes the facts i tell you them as it is. Dear busybee, very sorry to hear that you have been criticised, however want to tell you that your answers have always been valid & you have been of great help to me. keep it up since you are an asset to any forum. On a different note would like to add that I prefer the other forum at times since it is more active & hence plenty of new content everyday. but most of the answers that you will get on that other forum have come from me, because i was the one that told them it in the first place, so basicially if you need to know something you can ask here too! it makes me larf when people give out recommendations, and i think to myself "oh i wonder who told you about that?".

We already paid the 500dhs when we submitted the application because they asked for it. I don't expect to pay the 1st term's fee yet (I don't have it yet anyway). They haven't asked for more money in the letter, just that we commit to the school. But I think it may be a good idea to give them a ring and confirm this before signing anything. Also we don't know about the uniforms and school supply list. Why is this important? Because I will be going to the UK and it is easier and cheaper getting stuff there. When I dropped back our acceptance forms today to BC, I asked when more money is due and they said not till 1st day Sept/ term (can't remember which) so all seems legal to me. So far we have only paid the 500dhs application fee. I asked when details of uniforms will be announced etc as most people leave for summer and come back just before. The lady said they are working on it now and will let everyone know soon when there is an open day.

Hi, Busybee2. I appreciate your advice. :cool: I appreciate your advice too Busybee2...that is why I addressed this thread to you as knew you would help by providing the facts (from what I read from your previous responses) :) Know the other site you are talking about, just a browser there....not a lot of useful information there thanks i will see post on here....... yes the facts i tell you them as it is. Dear busybee, very sorry to hear that you have been criticised, however want to tell you that your answers have always been valid & you have been of great help to me. keep it up since you are an asset to any forum. On a different note would like to add that I prefer the other forum at times since it is more active & hence plenty of new content everyday. yeh the other one has a lot of different context but half of it can be a load of waffle, you have to wade through that and find what you need from wherever.

Hi, Busybee2. I appreciate your advice. :cool: I appreciate your advice too Busybee2...that is why I addressed this thread to you as knew you would help by providing the facts (from what I read from your previous responses) :) Know the other site you are talking about, just a browser there....not a lot of useful information there thanks i will see post on here....... yes the facts i tell you them as it is. Dear busybee, very sorry to hear that you have been criticised, however want to tell you that your answers have always been valid & you have been of great help to me. keep it up since you are an asset to any forum. On a different note would like to add that I prefer the other forum at times since it is more active & hence plenty of new content everyday.

We already paid the 500dhs when we submitted the application because they asked for it. I don't expect to pay the 1st term's fee yet (I don't have it yet anyway). They haven't asked for more money in the letter, just that we commit to the school. But I think it may be a good idea to give them a ring and confirm this before signing anything. Also we don't know about the uniforms and school supply list. Why is this important? Because I will be going to the UK and it is easier and cheaper getting stuff there. yes with bsak they ask you to fill out a form in the summer term indicating if you think that you will be leaving etc but its no way binding, just to give them an idea of what is what. they cannot ask for fees before you actually start the school only a rego fee. yes school uniforms yes cheaper in uk get shoes there the choice is limited here and more expensive. i find that for my school trousers i get from marks and sparks, and they now deliver out here for 15 quid postage considering if you live overseas they will deduct the vat off it sort of pays for your postage and thats not limited per item etc. Wow. Thanks for the tip Busybee2. I expect BC will have its logo on certain items but not on socks and underwear, etc. LOL.

We already paid the 500dhs when we submitted the application because they asked for it. I don't expect to pay the 1st term's fee yet (I don't have it yet anyway). They haven't asked for more money in the letter, just that we commit to the school. But I think it may be a good idea to give them a ring and confirm this before signing anything. Also we don't know about the uniforms and school supply list. Why is this important? Because I will be going to the UK and it is easier and cheaper getting stuff there. yes with bsak they ask you to fill out a form in the summer term indicating if you think that you will be leaving etc but its no way binding, just to give them an idea of what is what. they cannot ask for fees before you actually start the school only a rego fee. yes school uniforms yes cheaper in uk get shoes there the choice is limited here and more expensive. i find that for my school trousers i get from marks and sparks, and they now deliver out here for 15 quid postage considering if you live overseas they will deduct the vat off it sort of pays for your postage and thats not limited per item etc.

We already paid the 500dhs when we submitted the application because they asked for it. I don't expect to pay the 1st term's fee yet (I don't have it yet anyway). They haven't asked for more money in the letter, just that we commit to the school. But I think it may be a good idea to give them a ring and confirm this before signing anything. Also we don't know about the uniforms and school supply list. Why is this important? Because I will be going to the UK and it is easier and cheaper getting stuff there.

I am very relieved. The letter of acceptance want us to commit by March the 29th and agree to their term -mainly to pay the equivalent of a term's fee should we withdraw our application (ouch!). I guess BC doesn't want parents going anywhere!!! Will talk to hubby when he gets home. Can they actually legally request that? I thought you only had to pay 500 AED to hold the place. I know a lot of school request term fees up front, but technically they arent allowed - or is that just in Dubai? there was a lot of talk about this in dubai last year because the schools up there were trying it on and asking for the school fees before the start of term, schools are not allowed to ask for tutition fees before the 1st day of the term, they can however, ask for an entry/registration whatever your want to call it which can be offset against the terms fees i believe, hence why bsak you have to pay up to get your spot (their entry fee was always the same price as a terms fees, they havent increased it for the last few years when the tutition fees were going up which is good for you now), but the rules allow schools to ask for 500 application fee. if you look clearly at bc fee schedule is says about the 500 dhs being offset against the tutition fees, it mentions that tutition fees must be settled before 1st day of term, so thats all above board, but there is no mention of any fees on acceptance of place etc. i would check with the moe about this. schools do have a problem here with people trying to hold out for places at their preferred choice etc, but to be honest i think there is no problem filling places, there are too many people out there still looking for at too few places. <em>edited by busybee2 on 23/03/2011</em>

I am very relieved. The letter of acceptance want us to commit by March the 29th and agree to their term -mainly to pay the equivalent of a term's fee should we withdraw our application (ouch!). I guess BC doesn't want parents going anywhere!!! Will talk to hubby when he gets home. Can they actually legally request that? I thought you only had to pay 500 AED to hold the place. I know a lot of school request term fees up front, but technically they arent allowed - or is that just in Dubai?

Well, as a happy note I just received a letter of acceptance from BC. I am very relieved. The letter of acceptance want us to commit by March the 29th and agree to their term -mainly to pay the equivalent of a term's fee should we withdraw our application (ouch!). I guess BC doesn't want parents going anywhere!!! Will talk to hubby when he gets home. Well done Eli19! We also got offered a spot yesterday for Reception level and will be accepting. I can kind of understand why they want to charge a terms fees if you pull out - would be hard to plan class sizes, teachers, supplies etc if people stuff the school around prior to Sept and say they are coming and then pull out. Guess you just have to make a commitment and stick to it. :)

well done Eli! Thank you Mabsy. I feel better now (sigh of relief). I'm going to celebrate with a cuppa.

well done Eli!

Well, as a happy note I just received a letter of acceptance from BC. I am very relieved. The letter of acceptance want us to commit by March the 29th and agree to their term -mainly to pay the equivalent of a term's fee should we withdraw our application (ouch!). I guess BC doesn't want parents going anywhere!!! Will talk to hubby when he gets home.

Hi, Busybee2. I appreciate your advice. :cool: I appreciate your advice too Busybee2...that is why I addressed this thread to you as knew you would help by providing the facts (from what I read from your previous responses) :) Know the other site you are talking about, just a browser there....not a lot of useful information there thanks i will see post on here....... yes the facts i tell you them as it is.

Hi, Busybee2. I appreciate your advice. :cool: thanks, as i am too old to change my ways.... basicially i always say take the information that is relevant and ignore what isnt. how difficult is that? its not really is it. life is way too short so really worry about things that are important but some expats here believe themselves to be better than others, always have always will, i always think that whatever your "package" there is always many others worse off than you.

Hi, Busybee2. I appreciate your advice. :cool:

how ****** ridiculous x you'd be surprised how some expats treat people here.

how ****** ridiculous x

a lovely post busymumof4. Eh busybee? what forum is that? I just can't imagine anyone not appreciating your advice and knowledge, even if they disagree, you do speak from proper experience and hard facts I have found :) oh its not worth going there, really! this other website was created because EW were getting silly about deleting posts and meeting up with people, so this other forum was created, so have been in there right at the beginning, but i have not changed the way i write here, some people do appreciate yeh i know that, and when i first arrived on these shores i had to find out everything the hard way, there was no internet forums back then, so i like to pass on what knowledge i know, but there are very different types of expats, and some obviously have very sensititive ears, and dont like the facts of things...... yes you can disagree but in the past they have been very hurtful and bitchy, so i do not go there now. its funny though that i have had people ***** about me and then agree and sing my praises over information that i was the only able to provide...... short memories....!!!

a lovely post busymumof4. Eh busybee? what forum is that? I just can't imagine anyone not appreciating your advice and knowledge, even if they disagree, you do speak from proper experience and hard facts I have found :)

I do post on that other forum, and i felt it was a shame that Busybee left almost as soon as I joined- she always did offer good advice- the only issue was that it is very in your face advice which may annoy some, but she does tell like it is.. :) yes as i always say i do tell it like it is, i cant be bothered or have the time to faff about with the q's and the t's etc. i will tell you the facts and the facts alone. on the other forum there was many many times that i knew the answers and the correct answers, a lot of the information posted there is wrong, but i am not posting on there anymore! you can always find me in other places tho.

Hi There, this is my first post, so new to the whole posting process! Just want to share with you our story of the schooling process. We have 4 children (years 6,4,2 and FS2) and when my husband and I came out on our look and see in Nov we were told by Al Yasmina and BSAK that is would be highly unlikely that we would be abe to place all 4 in the same school. Went home feeling very disappointed, figured we had nothing to lose by filling out application forms for Al Yasmina so spent a long Sunday evening filling in the most comprehensive forms! Had been told by Bisad that we would be able to get all 4 in, however my preference was Al Yasmina, but thought one offer was a God send so would continue with our move out here. Husband moved out in Jan and the children and i followed mid Feb. In that time we received an e mail statting that all 4 children had been accepted into Al yasmina! They started 4 weeks ago. Schooling is very important in any country, and a school is only as good as its current staff and the ethos that is promoted. (I am a teacher - primary) Remember that the children are at school for perhaps 6 hours and they have lots of holidays too, children will learn a lot from their parents and it is our responsibility to foster a love for learning, not perhaps in the conventional sit down and work with me way (as i have found this doesn't produce the best results or the happiest of child!) but in a more explore and question way. I guess what I am trying to say is firstly get all applications in and wait and see what happens, and secondly if your first choice doesn't come about, don't fret, your child will still learn if you continue to take an active part in their learning, children are like sponges drench them in this wonderful new experience they are going to have out here in Abu Dhabi.... now that is real learning! Good Luck

I do post on that other forum, and i felt it was a shame that Busybee left almost as soon as I joined- she always did offer good advice- the only issue was that it is very in your face advice which may annoy some, but she does tell like it is.. :)

and getting into the older years at bsak is much easier that nursery and reception years etc.

think Busybee gives very good advice Eli, good luck with it all. My children are older so it's 'slightly' easier. why thank you, some expats who live here and post on other forums that start with an A think differently, as they dont like the fact that i tell it as it is and sometimes their little etihad edna ears cant stand it....! abu dhabi works very differently from the rest of the world and yes i have steered myself around most things here.