All About Parent Volunteers (PV)

[edrickelleon]

alng:

Hi edrickelleon,


Before you apply for PV in a school, try to find out the niches of the school and find out the areas that the school wants to develop in. For Rulang, for example, they are strong in robotics. They have developed an entrepreneurship program and have just launched it. So you will be at an advantage if you could contribute to their niche area. Forget about library or gardening as those are too common.

For SCGS where my DD1 is in now, we are looking for PV to support some of the talent program such as mentoring the students in business competition etc.

Hi Alng,

Thanks for the tip. But how do you find out what the school's niche is besides browsing through their website? Would it be good if I personally go down to the school of choice to get some details? Will they even entertain me?

So far, I've tried to call up some of those schools I've shortlisted, asked about their requirements & objectives of the school and they all sounded very eager to get me off the phone by saying just fill the pv form up and we will contact you. And when I further asked about whether they will inform those unsuccessful applicants why they are not selected, they sounded even annoyed that the decision by the principal is final and that there's nothing else I can do.

Sorry to say but I felt like an idiot so desperate looking for some answers on what they want and all they have was an attitude implying that we're too busy for you and there are many others in the queue and they do not have to be responsible to tell me why I was unsucessful in the application given the fact I've spent time and effort to send in the application.

I can't help but wonder that is this the kind of treatment that my child will get from the school if he falls behind his peers and needed assistance?

Or maybe it's just me having sour thoughts escalated from the frustration I felt about this whole registration process.

[mummy of 3]

For what i know, SCGS does not have PV scheme.

[mummy of 3]

edrickelleon:

Sigh..so stressful.


Just got to know from a friend whom did not do any pv and went for the P1 registration for his son, choosen a school that was ok, not the ones on the hot seat. It was disastrous and only managed to get a school for his son in Phase 2C supp in a school totally not his choice but at that stage, there's really nothing he could do.

Another friend of mine, no PV, stayed more than 2 km from Nan Hua, went straight to Phase 2C to apply knowing he will get balloted, and guess what! he confirmed a seat for his daughter.

So I guess, it's really a matter of luck, even for pv applications.
Maybe should just leave it to the hands of God...

Impossible that your friend's DD can get into NHPS as they stay > 2km. NHPS ballot within 1 km at P2C. Correct me if im wrong. :roll:

[alng]

mummy of 3:

For what i know, SCGS does not have PV scheme.

SCGS has started to accept a few PV to support their niche areas. Refer to the link below:
http://www.scgs.edu.sg/content/view/68/76/

[alng]

edrickelleon:

Hi Alng,


Thanks for the tip. But how do you find out what the school's niche is besides browsing through their website? Would it be good if I personally go down to the school of choice to get some details? Will they even entertain me?

The school admin staff will not entertain your calls. You either find out from friends with kids in that school or from this forum :-).

[alng]

Daddy

U speaking as a PSG member?

Hmmm... if u ask me... this sounds more like what external training vendors do for schs... and the sch expects PV to do for FREE?
Win liao lor... :?

Isn't that where true value added is ? Afterall, popular schools do not lack in PVs from existing students so they are unlikely to be interested in common services.

I have a friend who has applied for PV in a boys' school and she was asked to wash toilets!!!! I checked on the P1 registration statistics and told my friend she need not wash toilets also can get her son into the school.

[mummy of 3]

alng:

mummy of 3:

For what i know, SCGS does not have PV scheme.

SCGS has started to accept a few PV to support their niche areas. Refer to the link below:
http://www.scgs.edu.sg/content/view/68/76/

Ohhh... That is very good for those DD that born in 2006 onwards. :lol:

[dorisp]

alng:

She must apply now. I must say that though on paper it is stated as 40 hours, to mentor a team of students for the business competition that span over 10 months will take up more than 40 hours - it is like 100 hours in the end. 100 hours include off site mentoring.

Thanks alng, your help is greatly appreciated and that is very good info. for my friend. Though the system can be very stressful at times, it is comforting to have this platform for us to lend our hands to each other.

[mummy of 3]

Went to see the PV form from SCG S. Its very difficult to write.

[janet88]

Hi alng,

What ? PV wash toilets in boys’ school ? Isn’t that rather overboard for the school to make that request ? It’s really taking advantage.