St Stephen's

[Oppsgal]

If staying at Bedok, can get in this school? I am wondering need to do volunteer work to get in this school? How old need to fill up the form to enrol?

[roamingglass]

AgDearie:

Their Best classes are E,N & I from P3 to P6.

For P3, it will be based on P2 result, and P5 will be based on P4 result.

Bear in mind that, your child may be in these classes but that does not mean your child will be in the best chinese class. For those are not in other classes beside E, N, I, they may be in the best MT Class.

For those parents who wants to put their child in HMT in P5, should get prepared since P1 - stay in Enrichment Class throughout, exposed them to High Chinese Textbook and Assessments.... You will get shock when you compare between P5 standard Chinese with Higher Chinese, their is a huge difference.

Their focus are very different for regardless which MT class your child will e in. If you notice or check with your son, if there is a code number to their chinese class. Example MT Class for P5, 5.7 is the best HMT Chinese Class, followed by 5.6 HMT Chinese Class (average), 5.5 will be standard Chinese. If the child is not able to cope or not able to preform well in their HMT, in P6 the school will decide for the child to take standard MT instead of HMT.

Therefore, my advise is prepare early.

I must agreed that in the past, the Chinese Standard in SSS was not impressive. With the HOD and her some delicated teachers, I can see great improvement over 2 years but don't expect miracle overnight. Compared the current P3 vs P3 2 years ago, their standard had gone up very much higher. Even the current P3, is very closed to P4 Science standard.

If you has doubt about your son's MT Progress, talk to Mrs Ming Loh.
She is a great lady, and she has a great listening ears... I was surprised she looks so young and pretty.... Ha Ha! You are right, I have spoken to her about my sons progress.

Did you also notice, SSS has new HODs of English and Science. My son said the HOD of English is an amazing lady. She taught the boys the some amazing techniques of mastering English. Those students in her class did very well, some got 90s in last year SA2. How nice if my boys are in her class. Do you think we can get her to start some workshops for parents in school that she can share some technique that we can apply at home for our children and those boys that are not taught by her. Any parent support this idea? this can be apply to all subject as well. Of course must be good teachers.....

There are some teachers that I don't like too. What to do?

Nice to see that they are improving the Chinese Standard.

[maisy]

Thanks Agdearie for the detailed information:)


Apologies for this delayed response as I somehow feel that this SSS thread isn't v active (so seldom check here; moreover my son won't be in SSS til 1 year's time haha) - not sure if it is also because most SSS' parents are not too \"kiasu\" hence the absence from this \"scene\" & hence the \"inactiveness of this thread\" hahahahaha

But thanks really. Will come back to read your info when my son gets in I'm sure it will come in useful .. and hopefully by then , the Chinese standard will improve

oh btw, how old are your sons?

[hashroop]

My ds2 got his P6 SA1 Maths paper results. On exam day when paper was over he called complaining that the paper was very tough. They just couldn’t answer most of the questions. Even the top student was complaining. And guesse what majority of students got 20-30%. My son is not in the bottom weak class. The paper set was a combined CBS. Some questions were testing stud on topics which they hv not been taught, eg. Vol. of water combined with rate (5 mark qn)It was a combined paper with other Catholic sch. I think it wasn’t St Stephen tr who set it. Just felt such results only reflect badly on their sch trs n Math HOD

[maisy]

Hi Hashroop


majority 20-30% over 100% ? Hmm yeah that’s indeed worrying. But i think the HOD will also have "some explaining to do" (I’m sure he has to explain the standard’s overall lack luster performance to the P. What was the top score?

[hashroop]

One of the parents brought the topic to the maths teacher during MTP session yesterday. She was told volume was taught last year in P5. Yes, agree it was taught but how was it taught ? Touch and Go method!! Just browsed thru that was how it was taught last year.

[hashroop]

Some P6 parents are really disappointed with lack of dedication from teachers of SSS. Its worse if your son is not in the strong class. Too much of focus and practice is given to these strong classes. During the recent June holidays boys from average classes were given exercises from maths text book "my pals are here" for the chapter on volume. This is the ONLY maths homework given in the 4 weeks of holidays. Something right out of their text book! Whereas strong classes were given past year practice papers to do - not one but a few. Was the teacher trying to just get the chapter completed as she wasnt able to in Semester 1? And make them do text book homework?Why no other maths practice papers given to them on topics that they have been previously taught?

More pages of science were required to do from the PSLE past years booklet versus the average class with just booklet A papers(30 pages). Math topic on Circle was covered in two days(is this possible?) Ditto for speed(completed in 2-3 periods!) Heard from tutor that it takes much longer to master these two topics if exposed to different variations of questions to tackle. Is the teacher trying to finish up her syllabus quickly and not considering whether the poor boy fully understands the topic?In view of this problems, I sms to my FT and told her some parents would like to see the Science and Maths teachers to iron out these issues. Response that we got - Teachers not free to see us.(P6 Science teacher and HOD maths teacher - also teaching P6 maths). However they suggested we call them and speak to them on individual basis. As one parent put it "Our problem is a ONE VOICE problem as we would like to give our view as a whole not as individualist as a matter of strategy.Individual calls will invite disjointed views and responses, we need to speak as one voice." We cant rely on SSS teachers anymore to help the P6 boys. I usually rubbish when they harp on the same sentence at each MTP "we teachers share the same goal of helping the boys to excel". Most parents depend on tutors. If those who can afford a tutor fine - but what about those who cant?

[Rivevae]

Dear parents of SSS students, understand SSS is one of the PAL schools. Any idea how does the day’s programme look like? Has school transitioned to single session with longer school hours already or how many classes are affected by it? Will be registering my ds for P1 under P2C and considering him for a single-session cum PAL school. Appreciate any insights you could provide. Thanks!!

[awesome_mummy]

Rivevae:

Dear parents of SSS students, understand SSS is one of the PAL schools. Any idea how does the day's programme look like? Has school transitioned to single session with longer school hours already or how many classes are affected by it? Will be registering my ds for P1 under P2C and considering him for a single-session cum PAL school. Appreciate any insights you could provide. Thanks!!

hi rivevae,
yes SSS is single session, every Thursday is a long day (dismissal at 3pm) to 'cater' for PAL. u can find out about the sch hours from the school's website.

Good luck for your registration!

[maisy]

hihi can i ask … what is PAL ?