Catholic High School

[zac's mum]

Aren’t there some SAP schools in the East that you can pick from?

[Option]

Thanks zac’s mum,

He is the type who doesn’t want to do things they are not his interests, even though he has a flair. You will hear negotiations from him : I can also try these other things…Just not taken in by praises, he simply says plainly he is not interested. Already gotten him to try doing things which he is unlikely to be interested but then he weighs the amount of time spent. Perhaps, a part of all of us are like that too. We have seen cases where what he didn’t do well originally, and got better over time than those which he was stronger earlier but didn’t have interests.
We used the text books reference method, similar to what MerlionInGermany mentioned. We referred him to some humanities text books and he pointed out what he would be ok to try and what is uncomfortable. So the question is what will the school being doing so differently from text books used, such that the interests can only be assessed two years at the end of Sec 2 ?
Third language is an option that will be open on paper if he is eligible. We are not dead set that he has to take it during Sec school days, MOELC or otherwise. The considerations are probably more complex than school workload but I can be seen as digressing from a forum that is not labelled under ‘foreign language’.
The filters to screen for a school on handphone usage and SAP school is less straightforward at this point.

[Option]

phttp, you rightly pointed out that there are very kiasu parents out there (not referring to you although you were conferred with the title KiauGrandMaster somehow) who want everything for the kids. AEP, MEP, Third language, don’t know what else out there to be bundled for the child. All given in the name of stretching the child. What for ???

We are not like that. Whatever he gets exposed to or tries to get exposed to, 90% are from him not us. Sure this is going down some dangerous path that we may not know if he does something bad, but so far he is ok.

[Average Joe]

Hi all, on the topic of govt-funded vs. independent schools, materials aside, would you say there’s a considerable gulf in the quality of the teaching staff? For eg CHS/VS as compared to SJI?

[phtthp]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"1995903\" time=\"1600752546\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=1995903 time=1600752546 user_id=53606]
Aren’t there some SAP schools in the East that you can pick from?[/quote]

Their dilemma lies in joining which \"dual track\" IP school.

1) join CHS or VS ?

2) join IP or join O-level ?


both schools are good.

Difference lies in, which JC they prefer when their son reaches 17 year old in Year 5,

and also
the distance travelling to and fro, up and down, daily. Distance play a very important part too.

School fees wise, both similar, around $30 per month.

VJC has been in existence for a long, long time, a few past decade.

Are there any niche programme that is found and present in CHS, but absent in VS ?

If say, her son like Chinese a lot, or eyeing to study in one of the Top China universities one day after completing his GCE A-level, does it mean that he is keen to take up the Chinese BSP Bicultural scholarship programme, come Upper Sec 3 ?

If Yes,
then come to Catholic High, because SAP schools like (CHS, Hwa Chong, Dunman High, Chung Cheng High, etc ) Secondary schools, offer.

Here is a description of the BSP scholarship programme, when students move up to Eunoia Junior College (Year 5)

https://eunoiajc.moe.edu.sg/curriculum/special/bsp/


Note

Even the end of Sec 2 O-level students, if they are keen in this Sec 3 Chinese BSP scholarship programme, Yes, even these O level students who are interested, after attended an interview, and if they got selected by the interview panel, these students also need to change their original course curriculum from O level, to join IP starting Sec 3. They cannot remain inside O level track, anymore

[zac's mum]

He mentioned son prefers SAP school.


Also mentioned son prefers Science & doesn’t like the 3 humanities.

And they live in the East. Reluctant to commit to further 2 years of long travel to EJC.

In view of all of the above, wouldn’t it be more suitable to pick IP track? Cos from what I understand, IP track has its end goal on A levels. And Science-oriented kids usually do Econs as their A level humanities (don’t have to care about Literature, Geography, History except do the basic minimum to pass those subjects’ exams in lower sec). Whereas in O level track he still has to fret about scoring well in one (or two) of those humanities for O level exam.

So now we narrow down to CHS IP versus VS IP. The former is far from home, and locks them in to EJC. Minus points. VS IP wins.

And if he really wants SAP IP in the East, there is Dunman High IP. No?

[MerlionInGermany]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"1995957\" time=\"1600773980\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=1995957 time=1600773980 user_id=53606]
And Science-oriented kids usually do Econs as their A level humanities (don’t have to care about Literature, Geography, History except do the basic minimum to pass those subjects’ exams in lower sec). Whereas in O level track he still has to fret about scoring well in one (or two) of those humanities for O level exam.[/quote]

Only with reference to the above, the promotion criteria of some IP schools, include adding the grade of one humanities subject, so the student cannot “dont care ...and do basic min to pass in lower sec”. Of course I think if the other subjects are 90, the student can “dont care” and score 0, and yet still promote because the final grade is simple average. 5 subjects 90 can cover one subject 0.

[phtthp]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"1995957\" time=\"1600773980\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=1995957 time=1600773980 user_id=53606]
He mentioned son prefers SAP school.

Also mentioned son prefers Science & doesn’t like the 3 humanities.

And they live in the East. Reluctant to commit to further 2 years of long travel to EJC.

In view of all of the above, wouldn’t it be more suitable to pick IP track? Cos from what I understand, IP track has its end goal on A levels. And Science-oriented kids usually do Econs as their A level humanities (don’t have to care about Literature, Geography, History except do the basic minimum to pass those subjects’ exams in lower sec). Whereas in O level track he still has to fret about scoring well in one (or two) of those humanities for O level exam.

So now we narrow down to CHS IP versus VS IP. The former is far from home, and locks them in to EJC. Minus points. VS IP wins.

And if he really wants SAP IP in the East, there is Dunman High IP. No?[/quote]

think they prefer a dual-track IP school like CHS or VS, not a single-track IP school like Dunman High, although Dunman is located in the east, also SAP and much closer to them, compared to Catholic High.

Or maybe they prefer mission school ?
CHS is a mission school, but Dunman and VS are not

[MerlionInGermany]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"1995957\" time=\"1600773980\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=1995957 time=1600773980 user_id=53606]
And if he really wants SAP IP in the East, there is Dunman High IP. No?[/quote]

I will hazard a guess that Dunman High is scoring low for their handphone policy.



Anyway, with regards to the handphone policy in VS, they can use their handphones before school dismissal, like during recess, lunch breaks, before CCA starts, etc. They are “not required to put the phones aside till school dismissal”. Remember to update your schools score sheet.

Option\" post_id=\"1995877\" time=\"1600747006\" user_id=\"185249:

On websites for SJI, NUS High, VS, CHS, there were guidelines on handphone usage, requiring them to put aside till school dismissal.

[floppy]

MerlionInGermany\" post_id=\"1995962\" time=\"1600776244\" user_id=\"2964:

zac's mum\" post_id=\"1995957\" time=\"1600773980\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=1995957 time=1600773980 user_id=53606]And if he really wants SAP IP in the East, there is Dunman High IP. No?

I will hazard a guess that Dunman High is scoring low for their handphone policy.



Anyway, with regards to the handphone policy in VS, they can use their handphones before school dismissal, like during recess, lunch breaks, before CCA starts, etc. They are “not required to put the phones aside till school dismissal”. Remember to update your schools score sheet.

Option\" post_id=\"1995877\" time=\"1600747006\" user_id=\"185249:

Most of the schools’ phone policies are same-same, whether they publicize it or not. Hence, they should all score fairly similar. I haven’t come across any schools that say you can use the phone as and when you like, during class, when there’s an ‘urgent’ call or text an ‘urgent’ message.

Anecdotal evidence would probably suggest that students from all the top schools, including CHS / VS / DHS etc, are relatively heavy phone users. How else you expect them to share info / coordinate project-work / “research” or find info? If one seriously want to siam handphone, these schools are probably not the best option.