School Of The Arts, Singapore

[dance and theatre]

Hi Startz, good to *know* you !!!


Yes some of the dance kids are well qualified, it really depends on which commercial dance school they come from prior to SOTA. Not all dance schools in Singapore believe in exposure or training the kids to Performance levels, not all parents want their kids to have this option which they see as stressful or unecessary. Last year's top SOTA student in Dance did not have much formal training in ballet, but she had tons of talent, enthusiasm and worked really hard academically. In the end, the talent shines through for dance ..... kids applying should not be intimidated by those who have had formal training.

The advantage of going in with strong dance training/technique - SOTA Year 1 Dance is easy and the students get exposure to Master classes earlier. A few Year 1s were recommended to SDT's Ballet Associates Program, auditions were last Sunday. Although purely optional and unsubsidised, it is a rare privilege as SDT's Artistic Director Janek Schergen took them through the audition. Exposure to professional dance companies is important for student dancers as it is working at a completely different level of awareness, they *get* where their training has brought them and how much more they must learn.
[quote]I wonder if SOTA also has avenues for learning video programming and film, movie making...animation[/b][/i].. all this is also part of visual arts or are they only drawing, painting and sculpturing, the traditional art forms ? [/quote]We were told that ALL students will do a term in animation for Intergrated Arts, regardless of art form. A friend's daughter now in Visual Arts Year 1 was told that animation will be part of their Modules in the higher levels.
[quote]And what about Chinese /mother tongue ? [/quote]They work at two levels - Basic Competency and Higher Competency. In Year 1 kids are slotted for MT by their proficiency, the work paced at their ability. Classmates might not be in the same MT classes. My daughter's MT is OK, but not stellar ..... and at SOTA, she is enjoying MT classes as they are small, the learning is made interesting by videos and relevant materials like newspapers or current articles. It is less tedious with the focus in getting their spoken MT levels up so they are better at class discussions.

Perhaps I am able to compare as I have an older daughter who finished O Levels in a mainstream school. She had to give up dance at the beginning of Sec 4 because of the time crunch and pressure from the school to make sure the students were academically prepared. Then she was 16, was in Ballet doing both the Graded Syllabus and Majors, Tap and Modern all of which required classes 3 times a week, more nearer exams. To stop dancing was a VERY hard decision for her particularly since she was really good at Tap, enjoyed it tremendously, she'd been with the group since she was 5 years old, they have won competitions together. At that time I truly wished she was in a school which had dance as part of the curriculum ....... unfortunately she missed the SOTA boat by two years. With my younger daughter, I made the decision that IF she was good at dance, had the personality, enough maturity, commitment and discipline, I would channel her to SOTA to give her more options.

It's not easy doing an Art Elective program in a mainstream school as very few are supportive of the time and efforts the students (and their parents) must make outside of school time. Also, Secondary schools with Art Electives are usually under the IPs ..... academically your child would have to do fabulously well at the PSLE to get into them. This means if your child has talent, but academically is average, there is no way to get into these schools even by way of Direct Schools Admission as the bottom line is still excellent exams results. A handful of non-IP Secondary schools do offer Art Electives for O levels, but the competition to get into these electives is fierce. In my older daughter's former secondary school, there were 25 places each for O level electives for Drama and Visual Arts.

As mentioned, much of what I post here is based on personal experiences. Other parents may have different opinions and viewpoints to offer which are just as valid and useful

[puppylove]

Hi to all new ones who are interested in SOTA. The Open House is on 19th Feb 2010...the Friday just after the CNY break. Go to website...must register. See you there. At night 7.30pm to 9pm.

[Lock]

hi,

My dd is in P3 this year and has been interested in the visual art since 5. She is currently in her sch art CCA. She does not attend any Art enrichment class outside sch but she learns from books and I will do some art n craft activities with her occasionally at home. Her passion in art is evident but talent wise, I am no expert to tell if she has any.

Placing her in SOTA after PSLE has crossed my mind as I do like the IB prog and the opportunity for her to continue her passion as part of the curriculum. However, I do have 1 concern and hope the parents will put fwd your views.

My concern is that at a young age of 13, the kid is put in an environment where the people around her has similar interests and personality or even temperament.(of cos I am generalising here). But I think a certain personality will sort of point to a certain interest that the kid will develop a passion in. Eg, an introvert child will prefer indoor activities to running in the sun and socialising. I believe there are general characteristics that is common to people who pursue Arts.

What I am trying to say is that compared to mainstream schs where there are many different types of students with different interests; ranging fr sports to robotics etc, hence they have students with vary personalities, SOTA's cohort will not have that 'colourful' mix of students.

Will we limit our kid's exposure to a more variety of people by placing them in SOTA. Is the kid too young to be placed in a specialised environment and missed out on the more varied interactions with people of different interests? After all the kid will be spending 6 yrs (that's almost the whole teenage phase) and abt 8 hrs a day in SOTA.

Appreciate if parents can share their views on this.

[dance and theatre]

[quote]What I am trying to say is that compared to mainstream schs where there are many different types of students with different interests; ranging fr sports to robotics etc, hence they have students with vary personalities, SOTA's cohort will not have that 'colourful' mix of students. [/quote]
The kids might be Arts focused, but they are not that much different from kids in other secondary schools. They can be just as rowdy, as sweet, as cheeky as any teen child in Singapore. From what my daughter tells me, her class has a Math whizz ..... a tae-kwan-do exponent who wins competitions, the boys love football and pc games, my daughter loves badminton and can critique and name all the WBF winners, her favourite football team is Man U and she is a science buff, loves anything to do with weird creatures (bugs, deep sea monsters, snakes etc).

They are not at all like the socially inept misfits you see in the TV series Glee !

Having said that, most of the parents of the kids have invested alot of money in lessons for music, dance, theatre or art classes to get them to SOTA. To say that the school has kids from the lower income would be an untruth, though no one is denied a place if they have the talent and the academic smarts to get into SOTA. Independent school fees are $360 per month and not all parents feel it's necessary to pay that amount. Is the school elitist ? That is a relative perception and if your genuine intention is to choose a school that best suits your child's abilities, you should not be faulted.
[quote]Is 13 too young to channel into a specialised school ?[/quote]To me the IB guarantees a great education that will prepare them for the academic rigour required for universtity, they do not necessarily have to be artists, thespians, musicians or dancers. BUT ..... if that is their passion, then at least we have done right by our kids by sending them to a school that incorporates the art discipline within the curriculum and school time. The support SOTA gives to these art forms is massive in terms of the facilities and quality in Faculty members who are recognised professionals in their own right ...... artists with professional experience and industry knowledge. They are completely different from teachers in mainstream secondary schools
[quote] ...... the kid will be spending 6 yrs (that's almost the whole teenage phase) and abt 8 hrs a day in SOTA. [/quote]A mainstream secondary school student has long days as well. Let me share the example of what my older daughter had on a typical day (in a mainstream sec school) from Sec 2 to Sec 4. School starts at 7.20am, she would finish 4.30 or 5+ due to CCA, suppl classes, special events planning or prefectorial board meetings. I would pick her up, rush home for dinner, she would start on some of the homework before leaving for the dance class which is at 8pm till 10pm. Get home, shower, finish the rest of her homework. Friends who have kids in upper secondary or JCs have this similar schedule.

In mainstream secondary schools, if your child is doing music, dance or painting classes outside of school this is a likely scenario. Many students also have to factor in tuition after school.

SOTA is way better because everything is in the school, under one roof. They do not have to travel out, they have their meals in school throughout, they may have free time before their art-form classes to finish the homework. Tuition is not recommended and if your child needs extra help, they will be scheduled remedial classes in the afternoons before their art-form classes. In addition students are taken to exhibitions or shows which are fully subsidised by the school - this is only Term One and my daughter had already been to the Science Center for the Body Works Exhibitions, the dance students will go to the ballet Giselle. With SOTA's Bordeless Learning program for 2010 during school time they will have classes at the National Museum, Spore Art Museum, Aisan Civilisations museum, Singapore Philatelic Museum, the Esplanade and the National Library. These classes cover MT, Intergrated Humaninties, Math, Science and their art forms. I can't help feeling that learning this way adds so much more value to the subject and as well as making the whole process more appealing.

In mainstream schools, due to the larger student population, the bigger classes, the costs and logistics of excursions, students are limited to two per year, if they are lucky three.

Hope you find this information useful

[Startz]

Hi Everyone!Gong XI Fa Cai!!And very glad to make your acquaintence too, Dance and Theatre


Hmm...after reading Lock's query whether enrolling her dd into a specialised school would hinder her dd development (social, emotional etc)I decided to pose this as a hypothetical issue to my dh.

His answer was \"why not?If the child loves what he or she is doing in that school..\"

Then I countered cautiously,\"then what happens if the child changes her mind halfway/or there is a change of heart somewhere?\"

Without a moment's hesitation he replied (matter-of -fact tone)\"then go back to mainstream lah, what's the problem?\"

That kind of set me thinking.many a time .the decisions we make are based on the values we uphold..
indirectly, in the end, we will decide on a school choice/make an educational decision based on what we value most..To each parent his/her own for their child is uniquely differently..

I am not sure if there are studies made on impact of specialised schools on the subsequent development of an adolescent (interesting topic uh?)

Essentially, SOTA is a viable option for any kid who is inclined and likes the arts.

[Lock]

thanks dance and theatre for your insights. The curriculum sure sounds more interesting than mainstream sch.


My dd's dream is to become a famous artist. :lol: So, ultimately I will like to let her passion be the guide.

Another question: Is is necessary for my dd to attend formal art enrichment classes outside sch if she wants to audition for SOTA? The art portfolio that has to be presented, does it has to be professionally done? Does DIYs art folio done at home holds any weight?

[phankao]

puppylove:

I wonder if SOTA also has avenues for learning video programming and film, movie making...animation[/b][/i].. all this is also part of visual arts or are they only drawing, painting and sculpturing, the traditional art forms ? :

Those courses are available in SST. Only that they offer only a 4-year course instead of 6years.

[puppylove]

Sorry what is SST? How much is the fees ? Does it mean can join in Secondary 3 and study till PreU 2 so A level is conducted there? Then must quit SOTA after sec 2 ? :?

[phankao]

puppylove:

Sorry what is SST? How much is the fees ? Does it mean can join in Secondary 3 and study till PreU 2 so A level is conducted there? Then must quit SOTA after sec 2 ? :?

Nay, it's only sec 1 to sec 4. Have to take O-levels in sec 4.
http://www.sst.edu.sg/

There's Art, Media, Design & Technology for Lower Sec:
http://www.sst.edu.sg/cos/o.x?c=/wbn/pagetree&func=view&rid=67945

Also Design Studies & Media Studies for Upper Sec:
http://www.sst.edu.sg/cos/o.x?c=/wbn/pagetree&func=view&rid=67947

[ooptimizer]

phankao:

puppylove:

Sorry what is SST? How much is the fees ? Does it mean can join in Secondary 3 and study till PreU 2 so A level is conducted there? Then must quit SOTA after sec 2 ? :?

SST is School of Science and Technology.