West Spring Primary

[tenko]

berrypie:

Hi Mummies, any info abt the student care center @ west spring? This year going to be my turn for my lo P1 registration so would like to find out more abt the student care there...

Hi berrypie, happy to hear you are planning to register next year. We all look forward to welcoming you to the West Spring Family.

West Spring Primary is the only school in the Bukit panjang area with a school based student care. The operator is Proteach. You may wish to call them to find out further information. Their number is 6892 2808.

[tenko]

Miaor:

Being able to handle nagetive feedback with an open attitude serves as a better public image than being anti-democratic. There will be issues here and there for every school. The key is how to deal with them not how to hide them from public. We should talk about two sides of a coin. Maybe as Kiasuparents we tend to complain and nag more about issues that make us concerned. But I expect to see the school take every compaint as an oppertunity to improve and a good image is a sure thing to follow up with their effort automatically.

The MConline forum is a good way to contact the school directly. But please do allow them at least 3 working days before they answer. Telephone the school if there are any serious matters that need a response sooner.

West Spring Primary is one of the only schools that replies to the kiasu forum and updates information on this forum. But the school has informed parents that all queries/concerns should now be sent on the MConline forum. We are fortunate that West Spring communicates via social media. Let us just remember to be respectful in our questions and words that we use. They are trying their very best to answer questions but do allow them time to reply.

I can understand that parents want a reply instantly. But do understand that the school needs time to reply. Their admin staff are busy with other duties as well. As I said, not many schools reply on social media, but our school does.

Well done West Spring for communicating and updating parents regularly. We all appreciate the effort and hard work.

[dearzen]

Yes agreed that not many schools are so active in public forum.


We should appreciate the efforts of the school to engage the parents, potential parents or anyone who wishes to know more about the school especially in the public forum.

Maybe we shouldn’t expect too much from either party.

Just my humble opinion.

[LFC4ever]

Dear All,

I have been following WPS very closely ever since MOE announce in 2013 they are setting up 3 new primary schools and we are lucky enough that one of the new school is at Bukit Panjang since then I have decided to place my first child in this school despite other more establish schools in the estate. My child has been very happy with her school life. The teaching and non-teaching staff has been very wonderful. Remember two months ago the big thank you card being given to the school from parents just indicate how parents appreciate the school. The school has been organising activity and events for parents to attend. This is a very massive effort not all schools do that. I am even more surprise to learn that a particular school more than 10yrs don’t even organise sport day but WPS has done a hugely successful sport day. The way WPS engage parents are also very impressive if not just look at the thread of this WPS parents networking groups the school is only 13 months old but the pages is already 90 some of the more establish school have not even reach this far. Every week the school has been uploading photographs of our children into flick(Yahoo) in order for parents to know the happenings in the school. I can understand from the school point of view when they urged parents to post their feedback and concern on MC online forum the school is not trying to put up a very positive impression infact I believe the school welcome feedback and concern from parents but from a different platform. Why from a different platform ? some parents may wonder ? As you see Kiasu parent forum is a very public forum so anyone can post message over here as some of the people may not even related to the school so their input may complicate issues some may even add oil and water into fire. This is the reason why the school urged parents to feedback their concern through MC online. As for potential parents if you have any concern about the school you can always raise your concern over here. Myself and some of the parents are very keen to answer your concern if we have the answer. After all WPS is one big family.

[Miaor]

Well I don’t think it’s necessary for WSP to shut off their parents here. Attention is a good sign of popularity. As a great school,they should be confident enough to handle any friendly or unfriendly comments on a public forum. And any wise potential parent shall have the commensence not to judge a school only based on partially negative comments. Forum works mainly because people are allowed to communicate freely and only good communication will give good information, which will eventually benefit every user of the forum. From the school side, it’s really not usual and even a bit inappropriate to communicate on a public forum. We do appreciate their effort. I guess they should just figure out a better way to communicate with and engage potential parents and stop communicating with existing parents here. Parents won’t have any problem to use here as the a parents only site for communication and I belive this is the major function for this forum instead of a recruitment platform.

[pixelbee]

Miaor:

Well I don't think it's necessary for WSP to shut off their parents here. Attention is a good sign of popularity. As a great school,they should be confident enough to handle any friendly or unfriendly comments on a public forum. And any wise potential parent shall have the commensence not to judge a school only based on partially negative comments. Forum works mainly because people are allowed to communicate freely and only good communication will give good information, which will eventually benefit every user of the forum. From the school side, it's really not usual and even a bit inappropriate to communicate on a public forum. We do appreciate their effort. I guess they should just figure out a better way to communicate with and engage potential parents and stop communicating with existing parents here. Parents won't have any problem to use here as the a parents only site for communication and I belive this is the major function for this forum instead of a recruitment platform.

I agree with you. I too feel that there is no harm to have a free discussion in this forum. Stay open minded. We are not expecting the school to be 100% perfect.

Having said that I think the school does correctly by leaving any official replies to comments and suggestions to the private forum in MConline.

[Frozen Bear]

tenko:

keane16:

Fyi - I did log in to the MConline. Not impressed with it... All postings but no reply from the school. What's the point? At least here we can share our grouses/compliments among the parents. Sure, compliments are nice and reflect well for the school but feedback is also necessary for the benefit of all since our children will be studying at west spring for the next 5 or 6 years. It's true that vendors are changed from time to time but a change of vendors plus a 50% increase in prices? As consumers, we expect to get better services in return for an increase in prices... but sadly this is not true for our school bus transport situation in west spring. I take back my words in my earlier posting... I wish west spring changes the bus company next year...it couldn't and shouldn't get any worse... will it?

Hi Keane16,
the school has repeatedly informed parents that they will make an effort to reply to queries/concerns posted within 3 working days and have done so. Even before the school was open last year, they had communicated with parents via kiasu forum. Perhaps more than any other school, West Spring Primary School has updated parents regularly on this forum and on their school website. They have recently introduced the parents discussion forum on MCONLINE. This is so that parents/guardians can communicate directly with them. Please understand that they are doing their very best to reply within 3 working days.

To All Kiasu forum members,
Kiasu forum is a great tool for parents to ask questions and to communicate with one another. However, I don't think that it is good that this forum should be used to constantly criticize the school. If you feel strongly about something, I would suggest that you telephone the school directly to make an appointment to discuss the issue that you would like to raise. Let us all remember that new parents and potential parents will be reading this forum and it will hurt the school's image if there are continuous negative comments about the school.

I hope that you understand that we, Parents and The School, are trying very hard to promote West Spring Primary. The school management have done an exceptionally good job in communicating with parents. Please do allow them a chance to respond before venting out your frustration online.

Thanks All

I don't understand why there is a need to try so hard to promote the school. If the school is really good, sooner or later, the whole Singapore will know. There is no need for so much \"marketing\" to be done. This is for education, not an organization out to clinch business.

I understand and appreciate the school's effort for what they have done so far. But I still feel we should be free to give our opinion and comments no matter whether its positive or negative. No school is 100% perfect so there are bound to be both good and bad feedback. If no parents are allowed to give negative feedback at all, then may as well close this KiasuParents Forum or in fact ANY forum thats speaks bad of West Spring. Will that really help the school and our kids? I don't think so.....

[tenko]

Hi All,

The School is trying to engage parents better by communicating with them on MCONLINE. They are doing this because they are working very hard in building a strong Parents-School relationship. Please give it a chance by logging on and joining the MCOnline parents forum. They are not able to reply instantly but are doing their very best to reply within 3 working days.

The school has already said that they will no longer be replying on the kiasu forum. I will still be here along with other parents to help in any way we can. But please remember that we may not have the answers all the time. If you wish to share your concerns or if you have any queries, please do go onto MConline. For any urgent/serious matters, you should telephone the school.

Thank you.

[Pakya]

Hello,


I'm a parent and We are trying to resolve our school bus service problems. I'm trying to find a few more students to explore the possibility of bus-pool together.

I have 3 kids at Choa choa Kang north 6, any other parents staying around there that requires bus services too?

tentatively I found a 7 seater mini bus, so I have 3-4 seats left to gather. Cost wise, the operator I found can't quote until I have the paxs and pick up locations but preferably yew tee, senja area.

Interested party please pm me.

Thank you for the attention.

[West Spring Primary School]

Dear Parents & Potential Parents,


By the evening of every Friday, the school will be uploading some weekly PLAY (Purposeful Learning Activities for the Young) photos taken of some of our West Springers in action.

Please do visit our school website to take a look at the photos which we’ve captured to give you an insight into some of the interesting activities / programmes conducted in our school.

This year, the photos will be categorized according to weekly themes so as to provide parents with a better focus when viewing the PLAY photos each week. We’re doing this as an added service to our parents and seek their understanding that the staff helping to look into this matter each Friday also have many other duties to perform within the office. Yet, they’ve graciously taken on this weekly responsibility so as to better engage our parents in their children’s holistic development at West Spring Primary.