Choose Secondary school for 2010

[csc]

CrazyDad:

fxchow:

[quote=\"CrazyDad\"]

I think the intake of NUSH is closed. No more position left. All taken up during DSA.

Hi,

I thought they will reserve some places for Phase 2 which is after PSLE result are released. :?

If the intake is really closed, i think it is very cruel to those who had failed their DSA and they worked hard in their PSLE & get the excellent result BUT already no chance to go. :stupid:

I went to the MOE site, and NUSH is not open for selection/consideration; unlike RI, RV etc which clearly stated that score of 261 and 254 are the min scores required respectively.[/quote]NUSH is still open for registration after the release of PSLE results but it does not participate in the PSLE posting process. Interested students must apply to the institution directly. For the last 2 years, the cut-off is around 260-261 and students must score distinctions for both Math and Science.

I know of 2 students who got in after the release of the PSLE results.

So take heart, still got chance!

[kuzco]

CrazyDad:

But my kid already spent 80% of his time on CL in primary. If he still need to do something similar, the rest of subjects will be bad. So can forget about going to A level.
So my idea is get good O level first, get into JC. Fully agree that it will more demanding and still need to take HCL. But the strategy is to tank the HCL classes, let it fails. So still have time to focus on other subjects to get a good result to go to U.
One way to beat the system :lol:

Hi CrazyDad.
My kid is also very bad in CL and my greatest fear is that this subject will pull all his other grades down in the PSLE. He is not taking HCL and definitely will not be taking it in secondary school. Like most parents, I also worry about him having to take CL for 'A' levels.

Alternatively, I was thinking of him going to poly instead because there is no CL. If he studies real hard, he can still make it to the Uni. Maybe you could also think of this alternative for your child? Feasible? :xedfingers:

[turquoise]

Dharma:

CrazyDad:

[quote=\"lizawa\"]
Just to comment that if you do HCL for Secondary and able to clear 'O' levels for HCL, then, you don't have to do CL during the 2 years in JC.

I think it is still make sense to skip HCL in the Secondary, so to have time on other subjects (5 more than primary!!) :idea:

Then after 4 years of watching TV, should have enough background to handle HCL in A-level. Or just let it fails in A-level. Should be ok if other subjects can score.

Make sense?? :?

Hi Crazydad,

I share the same thought as lizawa. Doing HMT at Os may be better idea. Just need a credit to skip MT at As. Frankly,I feel the 2 most difficult national exams wrt to the child's age and maturity are PSLE and As. Getting a exemption for MT at As will free up time for other subjects which may be very demanding.[/quote]Hi Dharma,

So you just need to score a credit for HMT at O levels to be exempted from MT at A levels? No need for distinction? What if you pass but do poorly? Do you need to take some basic MT course? I thought I heard something about this but am not sure about the details.
Thanks!

[tutormum]

Hi CrazyDad,

My son passed the selection test at NUSH but still can't get in after the selection camp. :oops: :oops: They have allocated only 80 places for the DSA exercise - I think it's 20% of total intake. However, he was encouraged to apply with his PSLE results and in a way, they would give him priority due to the fact that he has had expressed interest. :love: I have a hard time convincing him to consider RI due to the travelling distance and he hates me for it though he has relent.
Anyway, my second son is very poor in Chinese, scoring a C for PSLE after much agony and tears. When he went to secondary school, the school refuses to let him take CLB until the final year when they realised that there's no way he could even pass. They insisted that he should try and all was not lost - yet cos he's consider a borderline failure. :frustrated: Maybe he should have purposely failed badly. :x
I made my PSLE boy dropped HCL this year to concentrate on his MT and it really pays off cos not only does he has to struggle with 2 papers which he is definitely weak in by today's standard but he has more time for other subjects. He even admit that he has the least stress compared to his classmates. :celebrate:

[tutormum]

Sorry, read my post again and realised should have said: Not only he does not have to struggle. :oops: :oops:

[daisyt]

fxchow:

Hi daisyt, fairy & crazy dad,

Thanks for your sharing.

In fact, I also wish my girl can go into RVHS as she only needs to take about 10 minutes to travel there and of course the new building.

Now, the problem is she does not like RVHS (don't know why) and prefers to go Nan Hua if she can not go into her dream school - NUSH.

hi fxchow, did you find out from her, why she does not like RVHS ?
Yes, the new campus is super cool ! Officially they are moving there on 1st Dec.

[daisyt]

CrazyDad:

Come to think of it, I also feel something is not right regarding RV. It is an IP school, similar to NJC and Dunman. But NJC and Dunman required 259 and 260 to get in. Why RV only need 254? :?

My guess is because RV is still very new in IP. They have not produced the first batch of \"A\" level yet. Maybe they would increase the COPs once their IP programme has proven some good result. Thats just my wild guess ...

[sunshinemum2]

CrazyDad:

sunshinemum2:

Hi,


Any recommended school in the west for an agg 240 boy?

ACS is ok?

But if you can get 14 more marks then go to River Valley High School, this is an IP school, but only need 254 to go in.

A few more points could probably earn him a place in Nan Hua, but in worst scenario, any comparison of the neighbourhood schools in the west? Commonwealth, Swiss Cottage, Fuhua Sec, which is better?

[daisyt]

girlmum:

My girl is weak in CL too. Secondary CL is so much different from primary school. They hardly use their CL textbk and their comprehension can be quite \"chim\". I have a friend whose son scored an A for PSLE and is currently in Anglican, the boy is facing difficulties passing that subject. Bear in mind, they will doing more subjects. So, better think wisely!

Yes, I see my girl's HCL is not easy. Strong base and high interest would definately help a lot. A lot of newspaper article, chinese readers digest, 散文， 中国名著, project work, presentations of their book review.

[Fairy]

tutormum:

Hi CrazyDad,

I have a hard time convincing him to consider RI due to the travelling distance and he hates me for it though he has relent.
Anyway, my second son is very poor in Chinese, scoring a C for PSLE after much agony and tears. When he went to secondary school, the school refuses to let him take CLB until the final year when they realised that there's no way he could even pass. They insisted that he should try and all was not lost - yet cos he's consider a borderline failure. :frustrated: Maybe he should have purposely failed badly. :x
I made my PSLE boy dropped HCL this year to concentrate on his MT and it really pays off cos not only does he has to struggle with 2 papers which he is definitely weak in by today's standard but he has more time for other subjects. He even admit that he has the least stress compared to his classmates. :celebrate:

Hi tutormum,

Just to share.....

My son 'rejects' Chinese throughout his primary school life. He speaks Mandarin only during Chinese lessons, does not read any story books written in Chinese nor watch any Chinese TV programme. He was still able to score very well in CL in P1 to 3 as the curriculum is not difficult. His marks in the subject dropped drastically when he joined the GEP and was transfered to a SAP school. Like you, his marks for CL & HCL have been my constant worry and I received complaints from his CL teachers (from P4 to 6) on his slip shod atitude towards the subject. My only consolation is that he could write fairly good compos :? (Thanks to TSLC) Due to his 'rejection' towards the language, he also did not put in efforts in learning those terms (chi yu) covered in the syllabus until the eleventh hour. Just before his Prelim, I insisted he do a lot of exercises on the mcq part of the exam format and phew, his marks improved a lot. I was very very surprised :shock: to discover that he was one of the fifty (only) in this SAP school to score a distinction in HCL. He also scored an A* in CL.

He wanted to join his friends in HCI but I persuaded him to go RI. My reason was that since he dislike studying Chinese Language, he will 'suffer' in HCI. It's been coming to the end of the year. So far, he did not complain about his HCL in RI (strangely, I also did not see him studying for the subject). The standard of HCL in the school must be really mangeable, I thought, until I met a mother who told me the standard for H Chinese in RI is very high, higher than HCI's (according to her - not sure if it is true). Today is his HCL exam. I found out only last night how ''chim'' it is when I heard him trying to memorise pages of Confucious sayings (again at he eleventh hour :x ) and their interpretations. That's apart from the usual 'chen yu', poems & etc. Hope he can pass his eoy exam today.

As for your son, you may also be surprised that he ended up doing well for his PSLE CL! Goodluck! :celebrate: