Ngee Ann Primary

[3bagsfull]

JustADad:

I was at Ngee Ann at about 4pm also on Friday. We were number 231. It was a big risk as there were parents coming in. It was either Ngee Ann or my wife quits her job and my son would go to Kong Hwa. We were looking for a single session school.


Well, my son is now in Ngee Ann Primary.

Hi hi

I'm also a parent who just registered my kid with Ngee Ann. Have been aiming for it since day 1 cos I want a single session sch.

Coincidentally, I was also there at 3-4pm last fri. When I left at 4pm, I was actually quite worried cos there were just 7 places left but there were still quite a few ppl coming in (and I stayed outside 2km of it).

So when I found out that eventually they had 4 places left from P2C, I am really relieved.

[KingRascal]

Hi Daddy Papa, this means our boys are both in the same level! Who knows…they could be in the same class!!


Hi 3bagsfull, welcome! Yes, single session is really very convenient. We are able to have lots of "free time" in the afternoon and it’s very effective for us to plan his other commitments for the afternoon.

[3bagsfull]

japhys:

Hi 3bagsfull, welcome! Yes, single session is really very convenient. We are able to have lots of \"free time\" in the afternoon and it's very effective for us to plan his other commitments for the afternoon.

The main reason for us to aim for Ngee Ann is also because of the free time in the afternoon after school and the routine it can provide throughout the 6 years till the fella finishes pri edu. I pity those kids that need to wake up at 6am or earlier in the morning just to reach sch by 7am when they reach P3.

BTW, just wondering, has any parent here joined their PSG? How active is the PSG? I am thinking of joining cos I wanna know the sch better but not sure if it would be very demanding cos afterall, I am a FTWM.

TIA.

[KingRascal]

The PSG is rather strong. In fact, at times I find it too strong that they are leading several of the activities instead of the teachers. Hmm, pros and cons… Anyway at times I also wonder if it’s a situation of chicken-and-egg. Maybe the teachers are happy that the parents are there to help, thus relieving them of some of the duties…


These activities are definitely in the midst of schooling hours, and I believe they do not defer much from other schools’ activities:
- assisting trainers in the class during enrichment programmes
- library duties
- morning assembly duties
- mass PE

There are also other duties that require the parents to tag along for activities like swimming lessons, outings, etc.

Of course festive celebrations are also part of the activities, whereby parents would organise / set up stall / plan activities or programmes with the pupils / etc… too many for me to name.

You can sign up and indicate your availability for adhoc activities only. Thus there are some parents who are on part-time working basis, who would take part in library duties, mass PE, etc. Others working full time could only take part in adhoc activities.

Thru the activities I get to know a group of parents whom I keep in close contact as they are better source of information than our own children at times!! Haha. You would appreciate their contact lot next time! Thus try to get to know some!

[June]

My boy will be starting P1 next year too, and I m staying outside 2km fm the school too So was extremely terrified when i saw parents loitering in the school last friday, so panicking.


Actually i am also keen to sign up for PSG will try to volunteer as much as I can since I am FTWM too

[janet222]

June:

wow.. :udawoman:


Janet, is your prince or princess in P1 next year too?

hi hi
yep... My princess is in p1 next year. I love that the sch is single session sch n cohort is smaller n heard from friends' kids that the teachers are nice but firm n the school is very strong in character building. Perhaps like a mini-Dunman high there ...

[3bagsfull]

Anyone knows how their sch bus operate? What kind of bus/van they use? Are the buses/vans fitted with safety belts already?


I ask because I would most likely need to get the sch bus to send the fella home as I wld be working when the sch ends.

In the morning, I plan to drop him off to sch before I head to office. Someone told me that even if I need only the return leg, i wld hv to pay for both to and from journey if i wanna take the sch bus.

Any existing parents can advise pls?

TIA

[KingRascal]

My son is currently with the school bus. I believe they follow the regulation stated by LTA which does not require seat belt to be installed if it's below a certain number of seats (cnt rem the number). So my son's bus falls under that number, thus it does not have one too. Initially I had reservation, but after talking to the bus operator, I felt reassured of the driver's patience and track records.


It's a trade off. NA has alot of smaller buses, and I was told this would ensure the rides are not too long and the students get to reach home fast.

Maybe you have a word with the bus operator that plies along your house to find out more. My son's been with the bus since March and all are well.

Bus fare - ya, it's standard that single trip costs as much as the 2-way trip. Rule of thumb - single trip is about 80% of 2-way trip. Still that did not stop me from putting my son on single trip (just the return trip). My husband likes to send him to school in the morning as they can chat along the way, and he has a slightly longer time in bed

[3bagsfull]

Thanks Japhys for the details.


Just wondering, how does your kid cope with school? Is it a stressfull environment? Any problems of bullies?

I went there twice myself, once during its open day and once on the date of P2C registration.

Generally I saw that the kids are well-behaved but not sure if it's really the case throughout.

TIA

[KingRascal]

Generally he copes very well with the school. I have no complaints over the support they provide the children to settle down. Alot of parents were mobilised on the first 2 weeks to help the Primary 1s. Don't be surprise when you are not allowed to follow your child into the school compound right from Day1. They believe that parents' presence at the assembly hall or even outside the classrooms (which happen to many other schools), would cause anxiety to those pupils who did not have the luxury of having their parents there.


However I believed my son was in safe hands as a PSG member held his hand and led him to the assembly place

Yes, on the whole, I think the school's children are rather well-behaved. We cannot expect a perfect environment so the occasional incidents of bullying we hear of is normal. They have a very strict team of Operation Management, who controls the discipline around the school. They would constantly patrol and control rowdy play. I also felt safe to let me P1 boy cross the zebra crossing outside the school every morning when my husband drops him across the road. A very dedicated staff would be there controlling the traffic. He's an icon there.

Academic aspect - Hmm, it depends on your expectation. It's something that is very subjective. There would be a mix of parents who felt that the standard is good enough, and others who feel it should and could be better. It's not easy for me to generalise. Since your child is already committed there, I'll leave it to you to assess Do get contacts among the new P1s, as it's often useful to compare notes among the classes, to see if you are happy with what your child is getting from his/her class teachers...as most of the time it very much depends on the teachers' influence...