2009 DSA(Direct School Admission)

[kohjl]

mathsparks:

Hi Kohjl,

You sure sound like a professional parent. It's excellent that yr kids don't resent each other or have morale problems. It's amazing how you manage.

Thank you, but no accolades please.... I'm just a regular mum who tries to spend as much time as possible with my kids. All Mums (and Dads) who love their kids dearly and want the very best for them should be applauded!

[kohjl]

Jennifer:

Hugs.

And hugs to you too, Jennifer!

[phankao]

kohjl:

Now, this P6 son is very much like his brother, EXCEPT for one thing - he is very very careless. Almost all the marks he consistently loses in Maths (and less so, but yes, in Science and English too) are for carelessness - simple things like adding wrongly, forgot to write the answer at the end, copy wrongly, read wrongly. As I always tell him, he loves to \"throw away\" marks. AND because of that, he will never be able to score the way his brother scored, nor get awards the way his brother gets awards, and will never do as well as his brother in exams. Not because he is less intelligent (in fact, I tell him that he is more intelligent than his Kor-kor; and that's the truth), but if he doesn't overcome this careless trait, the reality in Singapore's exam-oriented world is that he will always lose out.

Moreover, his Chinese is not that good, so he needs all the marks he can get for his other subjects. So very frankly, I am not overly optimistic for PSLE.

I am not sad for myself. But I am very sad for this P6 son because he has SO much potential but I can't seem to help him to reach it because of carelessness.

No need to be sad. Looks like he doesn't need any help in the academic area - really. He might need more help in focussing/reading. But being highly intelligent, he has been able to more than overcome it so far, I think from the description you wrote.

[Joy]

kohji


He is a bright boy, he can do it and will not want to waste his own potential...am sure he wants to do well too....All the best for his upcoming psle...


rgds
Joy

phankao:

No need to be sad. Looks like he doesn't need any help in the academic area - really. He might need more help in focussing/reading. But being highly intelligent, he has been able to more than overcome it so far, I think from the description you wrote.

[kohjl]

phankao:

No need to be sad. Looks like he doesn't need any help in the academic area - really. He might need more help in focussing/reading. But being highly intelligent, he has been able to more than overcome it so far, I think from the description you wrote.

Hi phankao and Joy
Thanks for your encouragement!
He has done well in Science all these years thru his own studying (no tuition or enrichment classes in Science throughout Pr school) because he has a true passion for it - for instance, he prefers National Geographic and Discovery documentaries to cartoons/comedies. I just hope and pray that he will overcome his careless trait as he matures.

[tik]

wiimum:

Having had a child who went through DSA last year and subsequently transferred, perhaps I am qualified to give some advice here


Choosing the school is really an important issue and it must be a school that your child is willing to go to and not one that you have decided for him or her. So please discuss this at length/with depth with your child.

If you have one or 2 confirmed offers, no problem go ahead and exercise the option.
If you have been waitlisted at your preferred choice, I feel it is still better to put that waitlist option as the first choice because that's where you really want to be, and chances will be good to get in.

You may have some gut feel about how you child performs during the PSLE itself so that can in some way help you decide.

After the PSLE result comes out, if the result is better that you expected but having been posted via DSA , you can still make an appeal and change schools. We did that and yes it is a hassle. First from the school that you are transferring out, you get remarks passed (why did you choose us in the first place... Many people would want to be here.....)
It would involved several trips to both schools to get documents processed, submitted etc. But it is possible just a bit troublesome. But for the sake of what we think is in the best interest of the child, it was worth it. And more importantly, for my child to get to his school that he really wants to be, based on his results.

thanks for sharing the experience on transfering even after taking up dsa offer.

may i ask what is the sequence of steps? after accepting dsa offer but the psle results were above the COP for another IP school, what to do next? do we need to contact the IP school first if they allow the transfer and then contact the DSA school to be released?

Thanks in advance for reply.

[wiimum]

tik:

may i ask what is the sequence of steps? after accepting dsa offer but the psle results were above the COP for another IP school, what to do next? do we need to contact the IP school first if they allow the transfer and then contact the DSA school to be released?

Thanks in advance for reply.

Accepting the DSA offer is around Oct. When the PSLE results is out, go to the IP school that you are interested to transfer to and submit your application. You would stand a much better chance if the PSLE result is not just one or 2 points above the COP along with any other support that you can garner - like prizes, awards won, leadership position etc.
After which you have to wait , from the time the PSLE result is released till the posting result is out. The IP school would inform you if you are successful in the transfer. If you do not hear from them, on the day of reporting after posting result out, you have to go to the DSA school to report. But until school reopens, there is lots of activity going on. Once transfer is successful, you need to go to the DSA school to get the letter of release and submit it to your choice school. Very tedious right?

Edited to add this: There is also the HCL letter and a letter for Third Language if the child is eligible. These will be at the DSA school after school posting results is out. You need to collect these 2 and submit the HCL letter to the school you transfer to. You need the letter for 3rd language to register at the language centre if you decide to take up the third language offer.

So my advice is still, if you could, don't transfer because it is really very troublesome and there is always the worry that your transfer is not granted. In addition, this process is very unsettling because you have to wait.... and wait (pray and pray)..... until your appeal is accepted.

[kohjl]

wiimum:

Accepting the DSA offer is around Oct. When the PSLE results is out, go to the IP school that you are interested to transfer to and submit your application.....

Thanks to tik for asking a most relevant question, and to wiimum for giving a useful step-by-step reply.

[leungyc]

[Moderator's note: Topics merged.]


My son has been offered NJC DSA, but he would like to go to HCI if his PSLE results are good, I understand that one needs to make a decision prior to the release of PSLE results in Nov for those who are given confirmed DSA places, anyone knows after PSLE results, is there a way to change to HCI if his results are good even though he has put NJC as his first choice?

[Jennifer]

This is discussed here http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=157&start=720


you can start reading from page 46 onwards. A few members have posted very valuable info on how the switch can be done.

Hths.