Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) [*IP]
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Supernova\" post_id=\"2049757\" time=\"1638191332\" user_id=\"24494:
You’re welcome! Oh I totally understand, no qualms at all, I’m sure she will enjoy her time in school.
Thank you for your helpful reply! I guess if my girl has to stay back for lunch, that's an additional $3? Haha, just wanted to know the \"market rate\". 🤣
Thanks too for the advice on letting the girls figure it out. Just that my girl is my eldest and I have no idea how to deal with a secondary school teenager. Also, up to now, she's been depending on me to plan her work schedule etc. I want to let go but also worried about dropping her completely. 😅 -
Supernova" post_id="2049646" time="1638166535" user_id="24494:
(long post ahead
Hello!
If there is a WhatsApp parent chat group for Year 1 2022, please let me know! If there isn’t, and there are prospective parents who are keen to start one, please PM me.
Also, what’s the recommended weekly allowance for RGS girls? Do the girls bring cash or is there an electronic payment method in school?
Lastly, I would be grateful for any advice from RGS parents and RGS girls on how best to help my daughter with the transition to secondary school e.g. tips on how to manage time and cope with studies, and tips which would be helpful for new Year 1 girls!
Thank you!
)
hello! y3 going y4 student here
i may not be very accurate here but i guess the amount a student could spend during recess/lunch could vary from $1 to $5 depending on what the student buys! including lunch on several days, i’d say ~$30/week is sufficient for y1. there’s also no electronic method of payment in rgs!
as a y1 student, your commitments are really only school and cca. for those that take on leadership roles (eg class exco) or third lang (after school lessons at moelc on fridays), their school life might be a bit more busy. however, speaking as a former y1 who was in class exco for 6 months and took on an extra academic programme, y1 was very manageable and i had plenty of time to do the things that i enjoyed
the transition to y1 may be a bit bumpy at first. i remember in y1 i was kinda overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content i had to learn in a year (especially math :"D) and the jump from 4 subjects in primary school to 8 in secondary school was also undoubtedly scary, but i think the syllabus is quite well structured. the teachers can go quite fast as they have to cover so much content in a year (especially in math :"D). but as long as the student is consistent, y1 should be okay! personally, i didn’t realise this till later on in y2 (oops), but i still got a pretty decent gpa in the end of y1 :")
my coping mechanism for stress was honestly just my fear of failure :"D but apart from that, positive affirmation was very important to me. i was also quite realistic and when i was desperate, here’s some things i reminded myself:
first, remember that you’ll get to drop some subjects at the end of y2 when choosing your subject combi! personally i hated literature and even though i tried my best, my overall scores were 60% for in y1 and 70% for in y2 :") ultimately, i dropped it when choosing my y3 subject combi and now i’m happier than ever
i’ve heard of students who don’t study for some of their subjects at all and divert their attention to certain subjects that they like/want to pursue in upper sec… personally i really don’t recommend it, but because of the way our grade point average (gpa) is calculated, that is a loophole some students exploit :"D (i can elaborate more on that if you’d want, just drop me a dm!) also, remember that your y1 grades don’t have any lasting impact on your future. for example, your y3 subject combi is not dependent on your gpa, and I doubt universities look at your y1 grades :") as long as you try your best, that’s what matters!
ultimately, consistency is very important. my biggest suggestion to y1s is to make proper use of the resources available. for example, past year papers are available on iNet (rgs’ student portal) and some subjects provide a lot of practice material (eg math teachers provide topical supplementary worksheets, revision worksheets, and reference textbooks for self practice questions). this practice material, more often than not, is optional. hence, the student has to be self directed in her learning to build strong foundations in her subjects i also learnt it the hard way that opportunities don’t get handed to you on a silver platter and you may have to step out of your comfort zone to get what you want! it’s also helpful to get advice from seniors I personally had a group of seniors I was very close to and I got a lot of advice/help from them throughout my time in rgs; they really made my journey in rgs much more smooth sailing! there are some platforms (that are NOT school endorsed) like @gradepointpigeon on Instagram that post helpful rgs related content! (eg since it’s ri matriculation season and transitioning into y3 subject combi season, they are posting about jc subjects and y3 subjects on there) it’s also quite entertaining so do give it a look!
overall, y1 is really what you make of it; it can be quite fun and enriching if you make the best of it :")) drop me a dm if you have any further questions! :))) -
Sigh… I remember when I was able to get a drink for 5 cents and char kway tiao for 30 cents. If it takes just 50 years to move change from that to now… imagine what the prices will be like in the next 50 years.
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ChiefKiasu\" post_id=\"2049829\" time=\"1638231138\" user_id=\"3:
LOL will we still be around in 50 years?
Sigh... I remember when I was able to get a drink for 5 cents and char kway tiao for 30 cents. If it takes just 50 years to move change from that to now... imagine what the prices will be like in the next 50 years. -
Supernova\" post_id=\"2049757\" time=\"1638191332\" user_id=\"24494:
Speaking as a mother with grownup kids, I think all loosening up of guidance and controls should be gradual, and this applies to all ages and stages. There is no magic button that makes a 12yo kid suddenly change and grow up between Pr and Sec school. You should certainly not be planning her schedule for her from now on, but she would probably appreciate (even if she doesn't show it) that you explain to her how to make a plan, what considerations to take into account, why certain considerations take priority over others, etc. You can then let her do up a plan or set some groundrules, and then look it over for the most glaring problems. Some \"grey\" areas can be left for her to discover for herself that they may not work (or you may find that they can work).
...Also, up to now, she's been depending on me to plan her work schedule etc. I want to let go but also worried about dropping her completely. 😅
For teens, I find that asking (guiding) questions works well, and this allows her to work out the answers for herself. Like, \"Given that you need to have 7 hrs of sleep every night, how can you fit all this in, or what can you drop/reduce during term time?\", \"Given your list of essential schoolwork, can you fit all these other things in?\" You may not agree with her answers entirely, but you can always let her try, then review it after a couple of weeks. Once she shows that she can manage on her own, then you can back off, keep a watching brief from a distance, and only step in when you think she may need more help. -
ChiefKiasu\" post_id=\"2049829\" time=\"1638231138\" user_id=\"3:
I can remember when the starting salary of graduates with \"good Honours\" was $1600! (Now it's around $3k, some considerably more, some less). And that is 10 yrs later than the 30-cent char kway tiao. Inflation lifts all boats (though unevenly, I must agree).
Sigh... I remember when I was able to get a drink for 5 cents and char kway tiao for 30 cents. If it takes just 50 years to move change from that to now... imagine what the prices will be like in the next 50 years. -
sob7\" post_id=\"2049833\" time=\"1638231629\" user_id=\"135725:
No... but we are parents with children, remember?
LOL will we still be around in 50 years? -
slmkhoo\" post_id=\"2049847\" time=\"1638236496\" user_id=\"28674:
\"
I can remember when the starting salary of graduates with \"good Honours\" was $1600! (Now it's around $3k, some considerably more, some less). And that is 10 yrs later than the 30-cent char kway tiao. Inflation lifts all boats (though unevenly, I must agree).
We can't control our import inflation when the Federal Reserve increasing the Money Supply (Printing Money) forever. :frustrated: -
<QUOTE author="boinkys" post_id="2049780" time="1638195055" user_id="195700">[quote=boinkys post_id=2049780 time=1638195055 user_id=195700]
(long post ahead )
hello! y3 going y4 student here i may not be very accurate here but i guess the amount a student could spend during recess/lunch could vary from $1 to $5 depending on what the student buys! including lunch on several days, i’d say ~$30/week is sufficient for y1. there’s also no electronic method of payment in rgs!
as a y1 student, your commitments are really only school and cca. for those that take on leadership roles (eg class exco) or third lang (after school lessons at moelc on fridays), their school life might be a bit more busy. however, speaking as a former y1 who was in class exco for 6 months and took on an extra academic programme, y1 was very manageable and i had plenty of time to do the things that i enjoyed
the transition to y1 may be a bit bumpy at first. i remember in y1 i was kinda overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content i had to learn in a year (especially math :"D) and the jump from 4 subjects in primary school to 8 in secondary school was also undoubtedly scary, but i think the syllabus is quite well structured. the teachers can go quite fast as they have to cover so much content in a year (especially in math :"D). but as long as the student is consistent, y1 should be okay! personally, i didn’t realise this till later on in y2 (oops), but i still got a pretty decent gpa in the end of y1 :")
my coping mechanism for stress was honestly just my fear of failure :"D but apart from that, positive affirmation was very important to me. i was also quite realistic and when i was desperate, here’s some things i reminded myself:
first, remember that you’ll get to drop some subjects at the end of y2 when choosing your subject combi! personally i hated literature and even though i tried my best, my overall scores were 60% for in y1 and 70% for in y2 :") ultimately, i dropped it when choosing my y3 subject combi and now i’m happier than ever i’ve heard of students who don’t study for some of their subjects at all and divert their attention to certain subjects that they like/want to pursue in upper sec… personally i really don’t recommend it, but because of the way our grade point average (gpa) is calculated, that is a loophole some students exploit :"D (i can elaborate more on that if you’d want, just drop me a dm!) also, remember that your y1 grades don’t have any lasting impact on your future. for example, your y3 subject combi is not dependent on your gpa, and I doubt universities look at your y1 grades :") as long as you try your best, that’s what matters!
ultimately, consistency is very important. my biggest suggestion to y1s is to make proper use of the resources available. for example, past year papers are available on iNet (rgs’ student portal) and some subjects provide a lot of practice material (eg math teachers provide topical supplementary worksheets, revision worksheets, and reference textbooks for self practice questions). this practice material, more often than not, is optional. hence, the student has to be self directed in her learning to build strong foundations in her subjects i also learnt it the hard way that opportunities don’t get handed to you on a silver platter and you may have to step out of your comfort zone to get what you want! it’s also helpful to get advice from seniors I personally had a group of seniors I was very close to and I got a lot of advice/help from them throughout my time in rgs; they really made my journey in rgs much more smooth sailing! there are some platforms (that are NOT school endorsed) like @gradepointpigeon on Instagram that post helpful rgs related content! (eg since it’s ri matriculation season and transitioning into y3 subject combi season, they are posting about jc subjects and y3 subjects on there) it’s also quite entertaining so do give it a look!
overall, y1 is really what you make of it; it can be quite fun and enriching if you make the best of it :")) drop me a dm if you have any further questions! :)))[/quote]Hello boinkys,
Thank you so much for your reply! Such wise words! I love your positivity and your ‘can do’ attitude. Thank you so much for sharing. I shared with my daughter your reply. Really helps. It’s a big jump from P6 to Sec 1 but your words give much reassurance. -
slmkhoo\" post_id=\"2049834\" time=\"1638232277\" user_id=\"28674:
Thanks so much for your reply slmkhoo! It really helps hearing from a mother who is ahead of you. Yes, I'll bear in mind that I need to gradually let go. It's really hard though! The eldest somehow gets (and needs) the most attention! I really need to start focusing on the younger ones! Hard to balance as parenting is so 'involved' these days!
Speaking as a mother with grownup kids, I think all loosening up of guidance and controls should be gradual, and this applies to all ages and stages. There is no magic button that makes a 12yo kid suddenly change and grow up between Pr and Sec school. You should certainly not be planning her schedule for her from now on, but she would probably appreciate (even if she doesn't show it) that you explain to her how to make a plan, what considerations to take into account, why certain considerations take priority over others, etc. You can then let her do up a plan or set some groundrules, and then look it over for the most glaring problems. Some \"grey\" areas can be left for her to discover for herself that they may not work (or you may find that they can work).
For teens, I find that asking (guiding) questions works well, and this allows her to work out the answers for herself. Like, \"Given that you need to have 7 hrs of sleep every night, how can you fit all this in, or what can you drop/reduce during term time?\", \"Given your list of essential schoolwork, can you fit all these other things in?\" You may not agree with her answers entirely, but you can always let her try, then review it after a couple of weeks. Once she shows that she can manage on her own, then you can back off, keep a watching brief from a distance, and only step in when you think she may need more help.
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