Maris Stella High

[VVJJ]

HI Valsboys,


Yes, both my boys were waiting for me on Fri. I took half day leave to fetch them back in order to finish off their own enrichment homework.. We have been super stressed last Wed and Thurs over their Chinese spelling as well as the Chinese test. My boys always mixed up phonics against HYPY.

I just hope i may be wrong over Mdm Kala.. and hopefully things will turn to be better after the festive seasons..

Hi Honey,

I also tot my son listened wrongly when he's back with the many pages of maths homework. Goodness, I tot at that moment how the teacher can do this to P1 boys. They have just been into formal schoool for less than 7 weeks. And test during the week of CNY.... my other daughters are enjoying themselves... no homework nor spelling last week.

[Honey]

VVJJ:

HI Valsboys,


Yes, both my boys were waiting for me on Fri. I took half day leave to fetch them back in order to finish off their own enrichment homework.. We have been super stressed last Wed and Thurs over their Chinese spelling as well as the Chinese test. My boys always mixed up phonics against HYPY.

I just hope i may be wrong over Mdm Kala.. and hopefully things will turn to be better after the festive seasons..

Hi Honey,

I also tot my son listened wrongly when he's back with the many pages of maths homework. Goodness, I tot at that moment how the teacher can do this to P1 boys. They have just been into formal schoool for less than 7 weeks. And test during the week of CNY.... my other daughters are enjoying themselves... no homework nor spelling last week.

VVJJ

Week of CNY was ok for daughter too but this weekend is madness! She has alot of math homework to do, eng compo, chinese compo corrections (their corrections means to rewrite the whole compo again!!) & was told on Fri that they have Ting Xie & Mo Xie on Monday. I almost had nightmare that she was going to get zero for tomorrow's Ting Xie & Mo Xie cos I couldn't figure out any slot for her to learn that. Thankfully, we managed to achieve a lot this morning. I felt as if I was running a 400 meter race with her, very chuan! I needed to relieve the stress so I went to bake cakes for them to eat. Now awaiting for them to wake up from their nap & a treat to mummy's cakes & off to 2 hour swimming lesson.

I have no complains against my daughter's teachers. At P4, I can understand the need to prepare & train the girls. I would rather it starts now then the sudden surge in homework when she reaches P5. In fact, her FT is very dedicated & committed. Even as she issues alot of homework, she marks them promptly (which means she doesn't sleep till way past midnite). She personally called each set of parents on the 1st few days of school & followed up 2 weeks later with calls to parents whose daughters haven't been doing their homework. She told the parents & the girls that we could call her anytime. She has set a very open communication channel with the parents & the girls. I have only words of praise & appreciation to this teacher. She tries to spot the potential in each girl & develop them !

[valsboys]

Now i am confused.....My boy definitely didn't come home with that many pages of homework. If he had to do 27 pages I would be outraged too!! :shock: There is nothing in his maris buddy on Wed and I also didn't hear from Mdm Kala that he didn't complete his homework. Maybe I'll drop her a note to see if my boy has completed all required work.


Have your boys done their show and tell already? My boy brought his teddy to school and came home saying there was no time to do it. The next day some kids did the show n tell but not all and there was no need to do anymore. :?

I also feel that it is abit too much to have tingxie and test right after CNY, and 2 spelling test this week!! Luckily my boy is still taking it in his stride. My friend whose boy is in St. Hilda's was just sharing on how strict his lao shi is. The parents have been briefed at orientation on details like HYPY t must be curved up below and the q cannot have the hook like the alphabets, all points of the w must be in a straight line, etc. He boy actually has marks deducted for these at tingxie and have to do corrections. Its a struggle for a Pri 1 boy still mastering his writing.


Honey,

I think I will have to gear up like you in 4 year's time when I have to juggle my my boy who will be Pri 4 and my younger boy in Pri 1. Now I still quite relaxed, setting aside both saturdays and sundays for family time (enrichment class on weekdays), strictly no work on sundays. :lol: But going by their schedule, this will slowly have to change. What is moxie by the way?

Your daughter's teacher is like every parents' dream for their child. It is dedicated teachers like these that can bring out a child's full potential and encourage the children to excel. Hopefully our boy's class teachers can take a more proactive interest with them and maintain good communication with us by end of term when the boys are settled.

[VVJJ]

Hi Valsboys,


Your boy brought a teddy? my boy said his teacher mentioned to bring any super heros character… goodness, i just hope if the teacher can put in effort to update the blog… my other son also sometimes not sure on his teacher request… but her daily blog is really useful. She even mentioned on certain times that half of 1G class didn’t complete hand in work as required etc etc… I guess it’s all boiled down to the boys listening skills …


Hi Honey,

Ur daughter’s FT is impressive… my girl’s doesn’t seem to have that many homework. If you dun mind, which class your DD is in? My style is to get my DD to learn her spelling/ moxie 2-3 days in advance… However, this doesn’t work on my boys. Though they learn few days in advance, they are still not making effort to remember HYPY. This usually gets on my nerves and I will get even stressful as their FT will do a mock spelling before the actual spelling on Fri. Ever since my twins started formal schooling, I don’t seem to have enough time to coach all of them. Can you imagine 4 kids talking to me at the same time abt their project/spelling/homework… faintz

[Honey]

Valsboys


Actually, you just need to check your son’s Math Workbook pages 30 -57 & you’ll know if he has done the homework. The homework has been marked already as I had to sign last week.

Mo Xie is unseen dictation in Chinese

Valsboys/VVJJ

My son told me Super Hero Toy or Super Hero Picture or Soft Toy.

VVJJ

My daughter is in Violet. Her FT is also her Math & Science Teacher. I understand from my friend whose daughter is in the same class as your daughter that their class do not have as much homework.

I asked my daughter over the weekend why so learn the Ting Xie so last minute? She said MT teacher told them last Friday about today’s Ting Xie/Mo Xie so no choice but to comply.

[Honey]

Valsboys / VVJJ


You may be disappointed to hear this. Tiredmama just highlighted to me that actually Kala did not mark the 27 pages of homework that she made our sons rush thr :x ! I went to double check & indeed so DID NOT MARK!

[VVJJ]

Hi Honey,


I think Mdm Kala don’t really collect back homework that soon. Even the English homework my boy did last Fri, it wasn’t collected back yesterday.

To be very honest, I have spoken to Mdm Kala a couple of times when my boy cried during 1st 2 weeks of school. I wasn’t very impressed with her way she handled things.

[valsboys]

Hi Honey,


How do you check the workbook? My boy does not bring the book home unless there’s homework. He said its kept by the teacher in school. The last time I saw it was 2 weeks ago!! In fact, unless he has homework, the only books he brings home are the marist buddy and the chinese text. Music and SS book he keeps in his locker together with art materials and pencil case.

I also don’t understand the rationale of changing my boy’s seat 4 times in the last 6 weeks. One of those times he is seated at the last row for a whole week where he cannot see the board (he is one of the smallest boy in class)!!

[Honey]

Valsboys/VVJJ


I have been told by family members who are/were educators they (the schools) will always assign the BEST Teachers to take care of the Primary One kids but it's certainly not the case here leh. In fact, sad to say our sons' teachers (MT included) are far from the BEST from interpersonal skills to classroom conduct!!

My boy also does not bring books home unless there is homework. I thought & expected some hot housing but seems like honeymoon period still after 7 weeks. When I am very free or feel very ON :lol: , I just go thr' his work & file page by page. Sometimes my helper (my P4 daughter) would go through her brother's work & highlight to me like y'day she highlighted that son hasn't shown me his vocab lists which I am supposed to sign. She told me to better go thr' the lists with him :lol: .

Generally, he is a very responsible boy but there are still areas that I need to nag at him like copy writing also can write wrongly! Not too happy with his English Stellar Learning Sheets that he brought back. I told him the difference between a boy who can score better is not because he is smarter but because he is more careful, he checks. I told him that if that repeats again, I will breathe down his neck!!

Regarding changing of seats, I am also very AMUSED :lol:, especially Valsboys' son 4 times in 6 weeks! Poor boy has to adjust then re-adjust even before he warms up his seat! How can a small boy seat at the back?!But she doesn't change the seats of all the boys so really don't understand her rationale. Think the recent round 2 or 3 groups are affected, not all.

[Miracle Child]

Dear Honey, valsboys, VVJJ and tiredmama,


I have not been reading the forum for quite a while...very busy of late

So many things transpired??? I did not know about the homework of 27 pages, neither was I aware of the change of seats and show n tell activity. My son never tells me anything :roll: I thought the purpose of the Marist Buddy was for the teacher to communicate important, \"unusual\" activities to the parents, otherwise how would parents know esp with kids who do not talk much about school.

I asked my son about the 27 pages of HW - he said he cannot remember. I asked him about show n tell - he said that some boys brought stuff to school and did the show n tell; others (including him) did not bring anything so no need to do. What kind of teaching is this?? Really makes me mad :x