2018 PSLE Discussions & Strategies (Born in 2006)

[laughingcat]

Estee, I agree with you. Looking at my DC1, I let him decide and I just support him whole heartedly. When the ex-disciplinary master got to know he is moving on to another school.....Boy oh boy.....DC1 had a long talk with him.


DC2 selection of school primarily based on the
specific sports (must have top players) and food in the canteen. :roll:

[Estéema]

laughingcat:

I also have to disagreed with you. Not all parents put ideas to kids. I have seen parents let the kids decide. Some parents just want the kids to follow the same path as they are too busy to do all the nitty gritty stuff.....less effort no time. Some parents feel that follow the affiliation path to avoid any hassle. Like me when I was young until a letter from the MOE to specifically asking me to go to this this and that that school.


Stepped into my DC school, one will feel the vibes about continuing on the \"family\". Unlike you, we never talk about other schools at their young age until when DC1 was at P5. I have to drag DC to various open house even the \"not top school\" just to open up his mind about the various types of schools can offer. Only finally can open up DC1 mind. But not for my DC2.

For me, I do not want to influence their decision. I only answer their question and direct them to make informed decision. I purely let them decide. Bring them to various open house like host hunting which I have so much joy in meeting the teenagers. Although deep in my heart, I would like them to go to my alma mater. But then it is not me going to the school.

No lah. We also let our kids make their own choices. If DS wants to join his peers, we see the merits of continuing building on their frdship & be in a strong sch culture with some history/alumni.

At one time, DH wants DC for RI whilst I was shooting for NUSH (not for self but thot DC shld consider). But a year before taking child to all the respective Open House, it dawn on me that it’s not my choice but DC’s choice & comfort level. I shudder coz realised my dashing young fellow is not the book mugger but wld enjoy project work, presentations, reads widely of all genre and his temperament may not be suited to “my choice” which I wld then be doing injustice to maroon him in all the sciences he may not be ready for till much later.

So, when DS was offered DSA into RI & ACSI, we let him decide. Thankful, his own choice actually enlightened us to the fact that he choose a door that provide less rigidity & wider choices later in his journey. It’s his unique decision.

[3kiddos]

laughingcat:

Stepped into my DC school, one will feel the vibes about continuing on the \"family\". Unlike you, we never talk about other schools at their young age until when DC1 was at P5. I have to drag DC to various open house even the \"not top school\" just to open up his mind about the various types of schools can offer. Only finally can open up DC1 mind. But not for my DC2.

I just happen to have many teacher friends, amazing dedicated teachers who teach in neighbourhood schools and try so hard for their students. I would entrust my kids to any of them. My kids were in a neighbourhood pri school too, with some amazing teachers (and some not so amazing ones)

If I guess correctly, staying in the \"family\" shouldn't be too hard in your DC's school because of the affiliation, no? Just which side of the family? Is PSLE still stressful? :siam:

[laughingcat]

Affiliation or no affiliation leading to "less stress to PSLE" is a much perceived or rather a bias thoughts. Which kids doesn’t want to do their best in PSLE? They still have to work hard to be streamed into the secondary classes. Tsk tsk

[Estéema]

laughingcat:

Estee, I agree with you. Looking at my DC1, I let him decide and I just support him whole heartedly. When the ex-disciplinary master got to know he is moving on to another school.....Boy oh boy.....DC1 had a long talk with him.


DC2 selection of school primarily based on the
specific sports (must have top players) and food in the canteen. :roll:

Oh, then hv to support yr DC2 to excel in his choices lor.

ex-D master J N? I thot he’s more open then to try steer yr DC1 decision for his Sec sch choice. It’s OK for yr child to hv his choice & excel there. Support him as he explore & stretch himself. JN shld not highlight it as if he’s made a wrong choice now confuse him, i hope it’s just a frdly Chat to thoroughly Guide his decision to be very sure.

Your DC1 is a very special awesome guy man! All the best to his new sec sch journey! He’ll be someone to watch in future! :evil:

[laughingcat]

J N is a funny chap. Motivating teacher. Kept asking DC1 \"you sure? This is what you want?\" then jokingly tell DC1 \"not to talk to him about other school but must visit him every single year\" :lol: DC1 is so cheeky to send him a note thereafter.

[3kiddos]

laughingcat:

Affiliation or no affiliation leading to \"less stress to PSLE\" is a much perceived or rather a bias thoughts. Which kids doesn't want to do their best in PSLE? They still have to work hard to be streamed into the secondary classes. Tsk tsk

Haha, nah, hard work doesn't equal lots of stress. I tell my kids to do their best but don't need to fear results. I see PSLE as a placement exercise for kids to go to their school(s) of choice. Once there - whether through DSA or S1 - no one cares about that 3-digit number. I was from a girls school with an affiliated sec school and so many of us just happily moved on to our secondary school high scores or low. Was a very unstressful time (but seems times have changed).

[thisis2012]

phtthp:

Yes, my friend said that when entered Hwa Chong boarding school compound, a lot of PRC parents talked loudly, chit-chatting loudly, when they walked around the boarding school premises with their PRC children .

so is it really true that HCI has a larger than normal number of foreign students? That’s what I heard.

And I’m not talking about its international school of cos.

[deardear07]

pirate:

.zeit:

:thankyou: That's very helpful! My relative's kid has zero tuition and scored 1 borderline A/B, 2 low As, 1 A* & HCL=D in the recent P5 exams. Hopefully their kid can fall within the 30% criteria or consider DSA (CL) to an OP school, as her grades fluctuate quite drastically...

That may translate into PSLE T-score of 260.

Sorry, m i blur or not catching this? This score can get 260? Don’t wana be too hopeful..

[Estéema]

lee_yl:

Some geppers have high expectations of themselves. That day, DD2 saw her classmate sobbing and left the classroom within 5mins upon collecting her result.


DD2 went up to console her and tried to cheer her up. Alamak, turn up this girl’s tscore was higher than my daughter’s. :roll:

One of her super bright classmate also appeared to be suffering from depression. I believe a child who choose to end his/her is likely to suffer from some form of depression.

In hindsight, there was a possible tell-tale sign: “ I see no future”. People suffering from depression see the world as very bleak.

It’s sad when we missed our kids being overly pressurizing themselves. That’s why we hv the impt role as adults to guide our young ones to be realistic & down-to-earth and not be carried away by what society & world is doing. We need to be discerning ourselves coz I find it so easy to slip into the trap of looking out and let our eyes leave our kiddos. Somehow, kids get the vibes fr what parents are doing & we need to explain ourselves so they’re not led to their own conclusions.

I’ve shared this before in other threads, abt an ex-MP’s son who excelled but had constantly put pressure on himself & he sank into depression thinking he didn’t do well enuf to graduate in Oxford & ended his life even before his results. He did well & awarded posthumously. I’m sure it broke his parents’ hearts as it was heart-reaching for me to heat of it.

I guess u can say no one suggest or pressurize him to be top of the top performer. I won’t be surprise somewhere in his desire to please his parents, to make his parents proud pushes him. Very often, we’re not conscious when we praise or speak highly of other kids, our own may aspire to be noticed. We need to constantly affirm our own children, hug our kids more, esp after punishment for corrective actions or discipline, we need to put our love in action of love to show how we differentiate our never changing love as oppose to actions/behaviour that are not acceptable.

Sorry, don’t mean to ‘lecture’ but just sth I learnt fr a frd right after this oxford student’s demise, we might not realised our family & kids shld be of priority over our outside life (work, Social life, etc). Once we loose touch with our kids, it’s hard to reach out to them in a deep sense.