Anglo-Chinese School (Junior)

[despmom99]

Hi asking on behalf of a friend. Is there scouts cca at acjs? How active is the cca group? She is thinking of a school for her son but hopes to let him join scouts.

[laughingcat]

ACSJ has scout. But because there is balloting process, so depends on your luck to get in. My DC attends the scouts and he likes it. As a scout or girl guides, one can form their own group to do the activities during the school holiday just to earn the badges. I did that for my child.

[zac's mum]

despmom99:

Hi asking on behalf of a friend. Is there scouts cca at acjs? How active is the cca group? She is thinking of a school for her son but hopes to let him join scouts.

Yes there is. But they only accept members from P3 onwards. And don’t choose a primary school based on what CCAs there are. Like laughingcat pointed out, there’s no guarantee you will get your choice of CCA.

If she really wants her boy to be a Scout, there are even external Scouting Associations to join. You don’t even have to be from a school group. I heard about this one from a friend:

https://anza.org.sg/groups/scouts/#!form/Scouts

[despmom99]

laughingcat:

ACSJ has scout. But because there is balloting process, so depends on your luck to get in. My DC attends the scouts and he likes it. As a scout or girl guides, one can form their own group to do the activities during the school holiday just to earn the badges. I did that for my child.

Thanks! Will update my friend. Just curious, why is there balloting for CCA?

[laughingcat]

CCA vacancies are also limiting. There are some CCA which are highly popular among the boys. So balloting is fair for new timer and those boys who wished to change CCA at the beginning of the year.

[zac's mum]

ACS Junior gets an honorable mention in the Straits Times today for being a holistic school :rahrah: Congratulations to all the boys who have secured a place in the school so far: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/early-balloting-for-p1-places-likely-at-chij-st-nicholas-girls-catholic-high?xtor=CS3-18

[Kenstro]

Well, as long as that doesn’t screw things up for the rest of us who are relying on later phases of entry…

[gpliu3]

My son is in P1 and I understand there will not be any streaming exercise throughout his 6 years in ACSJ, a new exercise introduced by the new principle.

I am a bit worried as the kids may not get educated at the level they need. This applies to both the brighter ones and the not so bright ones.
Will any parent here understand the consideration/reasoning of the school? As streaming is a common practice among SG primary schools.
Thanks.

[zac's mum]

gpliu3:

My son is in P1 and I understand there will not be any streaming exercise throughout his 6 years in ACSJ, a new exercise introduced by the new principle.

I am a bit worried as the kids may not get educated at the level they need. This applies to both the brighter ones and the not so bright ones.
Will any parent here understand the consideration/reasoning of the school? As streaming is a common practice among SG primary schools.
Thanks.

I thought this is an MOE directive. Just that other schools are taking longer to implement it.

My DS is in P2 and I am glad that the SA2 marks will no longer be used to segregate them into higher-ability vs mixed-ability P3 classes. I know my kid is a late bloomer, so I have no objection. Maybe it’s those parents who think their kids are HA but no superior resources allocated to them? There is the Thoburn program at P4 for such HA kids.

For the other end of the spectrum (the slower ability ones) - I am aware that the school provides pull-out lessons during each subject: lower ratio and more personalized attention. For those kids who are really struggling with the basics, I am also aware that the school provides after-school remedial lessons, as well as LSP and LSM programs.

These are done very discreetly. Perhaps that’s why you have not heard of them.

To me, I prefer this system, which is “customized” per child and depending on which subject they are weak in. Better than “labelling” and ostracizing the kid based on his overall score. In some neighborhood schools, the kids in the lower classes are so demoralized and give up because The HA class seems so far away & in a world of their own. At least in ACSJ the form class can still have normal friendships across the strata.

But have compassion on the ACSJ teachers because their job is not easy with such customized programs.

[gpliu3]

Hi Zac’s mum,


Thanks for your kind sharing, as always.

I searched in ACSJ website and found the mentioned Thoburn program and also the Hinch program. I believe the latter is for not so bright boys. It seems both programs are provided after-school. In normal school hours, all the kids will be taught at the same level. While in 2 after-school hours (Mon & Thurs), some boys will get customized education.

Can ask how is the percentage for Thoburn & Hinch programs? Also it’s only for P5 & P6?

Thanks again.

zac's mum:

gpliu3:

My son is in P1 and I understand there will not be any streaming exercise throughout his 6 years in ACSJ, a new exercise introduced by the new principle.
I am a bit worried as the kids may not get educated at the level they need. This applies to both the brighter ones and the not so bright ones.
Will any parent here understand the consideration/reasoning of the school? As streaming is a common practice among SG primary schools.
Thanks.

I thought this is an MOE directive. Just that other schools are taking longer to implement it.

My DS is in P2 and I am glad that the SA2 marks will no longer be used to segregate them into higher-ability vs mixed-ability P3 classes. I know my kid is a late bloomer, so I have no objection. Maybe it’s those parents who think their kids are HA but no superior resources allocated to them? There is the Thoburn program at P4 for such HA kids.

For the other end of the spectrum (the slower ability ones) - I am aware that the school provides pull-out lessons during each subject: lower ratio and more personalized attention. For those kids who are really struggling with the basics, I am also aware that the school provides after-school remedial lessons, as well as LSP and LSM programs.

These are done very discreetly. Perhaps that’s why you have not heard of them.

To me, I prefer this system, which is “customized” per child and depending on which subject they are weak in. Better than “labelling” and ostracizing the kid based on his overall score. In some neighborhood schools, the kids in the lower classes are so demoralized and give up because The HA class seems so far away & in a world of their own. At least in ACSJ the form class can still have normal friendships across the strata.

But have compassion on the ACSJ teachers because their job is not easy with such customized programs.