Catholic High (Primary)

[ParentOfXJ]

Lam:

Hi, I am a new user to this forum. My boy is going to P1 next year. We are facing some transportation issue as we are staying in tiong bahru. We have checked with the school bus n were told that the pick up time is 6 a.m. That's really too early. We are thinking of making taxi arrangement but no cabbie seems to be keen. I have read from this forum that there is someone staying at bukit merah area n will like to find out if you have resolved your transport issue.... Thank you

Hello, we stay in bukit merah. I'll be fetching my son to school and one-way school bus to my dad's place at tiong bahru after school.. can't be helped best we can do now. Prob leave around 6.30am.. over time may push it to 6.40am so we get another 10min of zzzzzz...

[bluemoon]

Lam:

Hi Bluemoon, what time u all leave the house for school? Any traffic jam along cte? Problem is we don't drive. But if really got no choice, may contemplate buying a second hand car as new car's coe has gone up by much recently

We try to leave by 6.45am latest and reach the school around 7.05am. I go by Adam Road/Marymount so smooth traffic all the way.

I agree the morning part is very challenging especially if they have problem getting up. Cannot imagine missing the school bus.

[ParentOfXJ]

Btw, me and wife intend to be at school first 2 days… after we tuck him into class at 7.10am … then what do the rest of you do?.. what time is their recess?

[phankao]

ParentOfXJ:

Btw, me and wife intend to be at school first 2 days.. after we tuck him into class at 7.10am .. then what do the rest of you do?.. what time is their recess?

Recess is either 10am or 10.30am, but i think p1 should be 10am? There might be break at 9am too, i think?

[JonC]

ParentOfXJ:

.. after we tuck him into class at 7.10am .. then what do the rest of you do?..

You can buy things to eat and drink, stare into the air and wait till recess.

[ParentOfXJ]

ah… just realised lots of details for first week of school are in the orientation booklet… the school has thought of everything!

[catmum]

My ds P2 this year (2011). Don't worry too much about their first week there. The buddy system is very good. My ds's buddy took such good care of him for the first few days and I could see that he took pride in making sure that my ah boy is well taken care of!


I actually stayed away out of sight during recess and observed how he went round with his buddy guiding him in buying food. He did very well and built bound with the buddy too!

If you can \"let go\", I strongly encourage parents to \"hide\" so that kids can learn independence fast. Some parents (mostly grandparents) insisted on helping the kid to buy food, and the buddy ended up feeling a bit pai seh or low morale coz they can't do their part! They only get to be buddies ONCE in the whole 6 years, so let them have a chance to do it well too!

10.05 - 10.35 am is recess for P1. They have 2 short \"10min breaks\" at 9am and 12noon to stretch, run toilets etc.

Also would like to appeal to parents and grandparents please don't always buy food from canteen for yourselves as the stalls prepared enough for kids and teachers but can't estimate parents/grandparents. I've noticed on many occassions that most of the food were all sold out even before the school ended, so kids staying behind for CCAs, enrichment classes etc, didn't have enough food to go round. I've asked my boy to share his food with his poor classmates on a few occassion already!

And please don't stand guard outside the classrooms just to peek at ds or even take photos, videos of them as it is very distracting to kids and the teachers can't do their work properly. First few days very important for setting class rules, giving instructions and important info, so please let the teachers and kids focus on what's happening in class instead of being distracted by parents along corridors.

Sorry for being such a kapo! As I'm a teacher in another school so know how some things work in school

And, yes, the guide book given by the school is very useful. Just follow the instructions there and your boy will be fine! Get ready to receive SMS from school and even teachers too, as they usually send reminders via SMS to parents.

[ParentOfXJ]

Thanks for the insightful advice catmum… they make sense… I too think parent paparazzis in school is a bit much… good idea to check out the nearby coffeeshops too

[growie]

Thanks Catmum for all the advice given. Well appreciated!! :celebrate:

[meiah]

ParentOfXJ:

Thanks for the insightful advice catmum.. they make sense.. I too think parent paparazzis in school is a bit much.. good idea to check out the nearby coffeeshops too

Can do grocery shopping at ntuc too. Got one just open there recently.