Hong Wen

[hquek]

addy08:

Anyone has any idea if kids are allowed to keep their textbooks at home? How is the weight of their chool bags like daily? Are they required to bring any ring file bigger than A4 type (as this will determine if the bag we are getting will be able to put the file inside). And are P1 kids required to use computer or laptop to do their work?

hi addy08,

If you insist to keep books at home I don't think there is any issue (except on the bag weight management part) but if you are asking about keeping books at school,can only say it depends on the teachers. Some years my kids are allowed to leave books in the school, some years they are NOT allowed (and therefore have to lug the whole motherload home).

For P1,2, I can only remember they use the flexi file (the plasticky one that looks like the L shape folder, these sell for like 70cents to $2 at bookshop with multi colours) and these are usually kept by the teachers. They don't use the 2inch/3inch arch files. P1/2 kids, even P3 do NOT use the computer/laptop to do work.

Please note to write names on EVERY BOOK. DS2 experienced a few cases where his books went missing but those with his name on it mysteriously reappeared days later and foolscap where we didn't put any marks remained missing - the culprit was never found. It is really unsettling, to the point I have gone to colour the sides of his foolscap (P3 onwards), write his name in ink on the front cover, back cover of his textbooks, exercise books. I don't know if the loss was intentional (other classmates also had stuff go missing) or brought home by mistake and the child did not dare to tell the truth.

Happily, this seldom occurs - DS1 never had any problems, other friends also did not report such issue. Unhappily, I remain wary. Once his recorder went missing and I got a replacement from Mustafa (theirs come in more colours - so I bought something that is clearly not from school bookshop) - then his original recorder came back.

[hquek]

Correction: there will be a couple of times when kids will need to log into mconline to complete online work. But it’s not often and not a lot - so can use whatever computer at home to do.


FYI. For those needy families that fulfill criteria, there are forms to fill and MOE (?) will give free computer/internet connection. Believe school will share details of such schemes during the briefings.

[addy08]

Hi hquek,


Thank you so much for your useful tips. It certainly makes purchasing of a school bag easier, for as long as the bag can fit in A4, it should be fine.

There are some mummies who propose printing name stickers, and to paste them on their books, and to make the stickers as thin as possible so that it is not easy for people to peel off!

Btw, for HWS, there is no so call admin day and orientation day right? All things will be done on orientation day itself? I do hv friends whose kids are enrolled in other schools, and there are 2 dates they need to go school, one day is called the admin day for them to fill in the forms, and to buy uniforms, name tags, etc, and the other will be orientation day. But till date, have not receive any letter or info from HWS yet.

[hquek]

Yes, maybe u can estimated worst case scenario to be like two or three phone books inside. Remember that stationery sometimes is way heavier than we think.


No. Only orientation day. There will be a fair amount of queueing to get the size of uniform, paying for first couple of weeks makan, etc. If both parents can come, could help to split forces to queue.

Mine are boys and they not quite care. I have resorted to writing name in pen and in a few places. Since i paid for the books, no reason why i should not own it. Not selling my textbooks becos wun fetch good prices and just want to make them theft proof. When your child time comes to buy a recorder…get a more unique one and not the generic beige one.

[ILoveBubbleTea]

hi all,


would like to ask what time does school starts ?
I could not find the info online.

Im staying at buangkok and contemplating placing kid in hong wen, my alumni…

[hquek]

ILoveBubbleTea:

hi all,


would like to ask what time does school starts ?
I could not find the info online.

Im staying at buangkok and contemplating placing kid in hong wen, my alumni...

Best you call the school, I am not sure although kids have been there for some years because we tend to go very early. I think it's 7.25am although kids are encouraged to be early (for silent reading).

[ILoveBubbleTea]

thanks for yr reply.


my kid will start P1 in 2017. which i heard all schools shd be single session and shd start at 8am… but asked around, many single session schools ranges from 715am to 745am

[smurfy]

hquek:

ILoveBubbleTea:

hi all,


would like to ask what time does school starts ?
I could not find the info online.

Im staying at buangkok and contemplating placing kid in hong wen, my alumni...

Best you call the school, I am not sure although kids have been there for some years because we tend to go very early. I think it's 7.25am although kids are encouraged to be early (for silent reading).

hb was an old boy then as well..
we stay in sengkang and we reach school at ard 7am. Boy is kiasu (we leave the house at 635 or 640am)

we take the KPE, traffic very smooth at that time :rotflmao:

[smurfy]

understand that end of p2 the kids will be streamed (or moved) to different classes. Was surprised that it is a openly discussed topic in the classrooms and kids wondering which class they will be going next year and whether they will be with their besties next year etc… boy can come home tell me classmates say best class is 3C

[ILoveBubbleTea]

hahah i think C is best class during my time too.. 6C-> only class with EM1 and EM2

but best class or not. so long school is good, each class is good. Hopefully i have not made the bad choice of making my kid go so far.

Great to hear another parent in SK as well Does your kid go afterschool care? good to know KPE is smooth as CTE seems to have alot of cars!!