River Valley High School [*IP]

[daisyt]

hi N3SKiasu, these works are for Higher Chinese and I think yes, everyone take HCL.


There are extras work, under the Construct, Integrate, Differentiate (CID) Programme. There are five Learning Clusters, namely Aesthetics & Language Arts, Chinese, Humanities, Science and Mathematics. There are different projects to do under each cluster. Its 1-1/2 hr lesson every week.

I think its good to understand more about the schools syllabus before choosing a Sec School. Unfortunately last year, I did not have these informations so I hope to share with the parents here, at this critical time.

[N3SKiasu]

daisyt:

hi N3SKiasu, these works are for Higher Chinese and I think yes, everyone take HCL.


There are extras work, under the Construct, Integrate, Differentiate (CID) Programme. There are five Learning Clusters, namely Aesthetics & Language Arts, Chinese, Humanities, Science and Mathematics. There are different projects to do under each cluster. Its 1-1/2 hr lesson every week.

I think its good to understand more about the schools syllabus before choosing a Sec School. Unfortunately last year, I did not have these informations so I hope to share with the parents here, at this critical time.

Thanks Daisyt very much for helping us to understand the CL standard in RV, yes it is very useful and critical! Tho there is no further news after DSA test from RV yet, I think I better take a serious consideration whether my girl can cope in first place, we really need to love chinese!

[daisyt]

hi N3SKiasu, you are welcome. I feel that kids have high adaptions to the environment, so should not be a problem to adapt to this type of teaching. Its would be good if you tell your kid about this and let her mentally prepared.


All I can say is, RVHS is not one of the top top schools but the stress level and work load is not low too. Fortunately, my child is still able to manage it so far. Sorry, I have to confess ! I did have a kind of under-estimate feeling about the school last year when we went for the orientation. :oops:

Someone asked me before \"Don't feel that RVHS is the lowest COP among the IP schools ?\". Yes, I did have the feeling. So one day, I asked back this question to my girl and she said \"Who cares ! I am doing fine here and I love RV\".

So your child DSA RVHS ?

[N3SKiasu]

daisyt:

hi N3SKiasu, you are welcome. I feel that kids have high adaptions to the environment, so should not be a problem to adapt to this type of teaching. Its would be good if you tell your kid about this and let her mentally prepared.


All I can say is, RVHS is not one of the top top schools but the stress level and work load is not low too. Fortunately, my child is still able to manage it so far. Sorry, I have to confess ! I did have a kind of under-estimate feeling about the school last year when we went for the orientation. :oops:

Someone asked me before \"Don't feel that RVHS is the lowest COP among the IP schools ?\". Yes, I did have the feeling. So one day, I asked back this question to my girl and she said \"Who cares ! I am doing fine here and I love RV\".

So your child DSA RVHS ?

I must also confessed that I have the same thots as you have when come to RVHS and I felt very bad becos I was from RV myself. I found the sense of belonging long lost when I visited it during open house and tears just swelled when I saw the stage sch has grown into. I did not visit it for years esp it moved here and there (so poor thing I think affected the intake as well). I think it has in recent years been brought down by the limelight of the few big names but it retained its status to be strong in Chinese. I admired its efforts on maintaining that. eg, DSA while other famous sch are using outsourced GAT and we paid a fee $30-$70, RV is FOC! and I really salute to the the teachers whom have to mark the papers, they are not MCQ but open-ended, can you imagine. And btw the Papers are not easy.

I am glad that your girl is proud of RV and she is enjoying there.
Yes my girl is trying DSA but no further news yet from RV after the tests, but I sensed that her heart is slowly drifting towards to NJC, prob becos of the distance to sch in JW next yr.

[daisyt]

Hi N3SKiasu, haha ... I am relief now, I am not the odd one who feels this way. Thanks for your confession too ...


Not MCQ but open ended - I salute to the teachers too. BTW, my girl's Chinese teacher was ex-RV too ! Jasmine Lee 李老师, maybe she taught you before too. She is a wonderful teacher ******* I am runing out of stars to give her. Haha !!

As for distance, we stay in Woodlands and my girl has classmates staying in Paya Lebar, Outram, Yishun, Johor and many from Woodlands too.

[N3SKiasu]

Hi daisyt, oh my era seldom have teachers with Jasmine as christian names, they are normally Ms Chiam, Ms Lee, Mdm Patricia...err. you kw what i mean.. diff era has diff \"fashion\" names ...Ya having a good teacher is a blessing, their influence is forever! I have great teachers in RV and the stars will definitely run in few pages. haha.


Wow the students are really from everywhere, I thot those in the East wld have opt for Dunman high which is equally good sch. So I shld not complain much as I am in west. I understand there are a lot of students in JW applied for DSA this yr in particular as it is moving so near to them!

Daisyt, I have heard so much stories on the sch hours of the top sch and really a bit worried, I think the main thing is that top sch emphasizes on CCAs as much as academic hence sch hrs are long. I dont mind as it occupied their time rather hanging around in malls. Do you mind to share your girl school schdule for RVHS? Does she have enough sleep? Sorry huh so lor so. thanks in advance!

[daisyt]

hi N3SKiasu, no problem, my objective is to share mah because I gone through the \"blur\" stage last year.


Ya, my girl was telling me, so many primary students that day during DSA application.

The time schedule is really VERY packed ! But like what you mentioned, rather than they hang out in the malls. I have shared in other thread about the time schedule but its OK, I don't mind to share it here again.

School starts at 7:35 am every day. Ending time is more or less 2 to 2:20, change every semester. Currently, her schedule is follow.

Monday - ends at 2:30 follow by 3rd lang lesson at MOELC, ends at 6:45.
Tuesday - ends at 2:00, follow by CCA from 2:40 to 6pm.
Wednesday - ends at 2:00
Thursday - ends at 2:20 - go for piano lesson
Friday - ends at 2:00 follow by CCA from 2:40 to 6pm.

Usually for those weak at certain subjects, they are required to stay back for 45 mins to 1 hr remedial lessons on Wed or Thurs.

For Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri, she would reach home abt 7+, have shower, dinner and chiong for homework. Usually she sleeps at 10:30pm and ocassionally stay till 11+ if a lot of homework. Wake up at 5:30am, take MRT to school. Actually she does not to leave home so early, but her character is such, she likes to reach school early, don't like to rush.

Saturday is family activitiy time.
Sunday - she would spend the whole day, 10am to night time, doing her homework.

She would get back her beauty sleep on weekend, esp Sat, she can sleep till 11 am. :lol:

CCA, once choosen, they have to stay on that CCA till year 3. Year 4, they would choose again, the more relax type because I think need to start preparing for A level.

When CCA compeitions are near, they need to spend extra time during the weekend. I try to make her understand, school work come first, CCA is 2nd.

Year 1 to 3 wear the traditional \"St John / Nurse\" uniform. Haha The girls always \"complain\" about the uniform, thick, hot and look like St John.
Year 4 to 6 change to two piece. For girls, dark blue skirt and white top.

[csc]

Thanks, Daisy for your sharing.


RV is one of the schools I'm looking at for my girl. In my interaction with RV students in the past (during school exhibitions, sec school talks and even at the bowling alley), I am very impressed with the way the students carry and present themselves.

Ya, my girl doesn't like the uniform, but again, most girls' school's uniform are rather ugly.

[N3SKiasu]

Thanks so much, Daisyt! appreciated your efforts on sharing.

Sch hours... :scared: I think your gal is a determined and self-motivated child as she can wake up at 530am! hence she is coping well and enjoying herself at RV, happy for her! keep it up!
From the schedule, one can easily tell that there is no much rooms for tuitions if one needs it. But i also understand with IP prog, it is rather difficult to find suitable tuition programs.

Btw my niece said why choose IP sch, so boring, face the same batch of pple for 6 yrs! so she has friends changed school after Yr 4 to her JC. err.. no comments, teenager difficult to understand...but do you kw if such IP sch \"facilitate\" change of sch in Yr 4? I kw at NYGH need to maintain a certain grade at Yr 4 else have problems coping at HCI. Any criteria at Yr 4 you kw of for RV? If cannot make it will RV say bye bye you go find yr own sch/JC? (I kw JC also has DSA). I guess thats is the common worry of IP parents.

Err... uniform.. my friends and I used to hate it frankly, need to fix the buttons on every Sunday nite mah (not sure if still need to nowadays?) and white skirt difficult to maintain. But now.. I appreciate these schools as this is one of the ways to preserve the culture of the sch. I guess your gal will understand in future.

Hi CSC, I also felt the same way when I spoke with the students and they carry themselves well and communicate well.

Daisyt, Last question (I hope!) :oops: :
-what is the class size of Sec 1 and how many classes of Sec 1?(more to see any slim chance of DSA) .
-Got streaming within level?
Thanks!

[csc]

[quote]Got streaming within level?
[/quote]My boy's ex-classmates whose aggregate score in the range of 268+ were streamed to the first class - presumably the best class in the cohort.