Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

[autolycus]

hexagon:

ngbrdad:

But they will put the GEP kids in the same class.

I was told otherwise. :? They are not group according to their PSLE results or Gep status. There are 9 classes of express stream, 1.1 to 1.9. They are group according to their mother tongue. The other 6 classes, 1.10 to 1.15 are IP classes.

Actually, to be exact, at all levels they are grouped by time-tabling convenience (i.e., most often by subject combination). Since for Year 1-2, they all have the same subject combination EXCEPT for mother tongue language, they are grouped by MTL by default. Should there be many candidates with same MTL, they can then be grouped in other ways (as is often the case for 'majority' MTL (i.e., Mandarin). It is also 'doctrine' to try to divide groups of minority MTL students into at least two classes. E.g., if there are only 17 students doing a minority MTL, then we would try to split them 8/9.

[ngbrdad]

Bbee:

ngbrdad:

DW enquired about the school bus service.

Apparently the school bus will reach school around 7am.
Since we stay near the school DS will be the last pick up and can choose the bus coming from Holland - Ulu pandan route or AMK-Bishan-TPY route.

Will probably have to wake up earlier if taking school bus compare to taking bus on his own.

However probably more convenient and useful on rainy mornings.

Yes ngbrdad. School bus service for mornings more convenient. If last to be picked up, should be quite close to 7am, that's not too bad.
Good that your ds has friends in the same class, good for him!
Am sure your ds will do well as they have the GEP background. All the best.

Thanks. All the best to your DS in his appeal.

[Bbee]

ngbrdad:

Bbee:

[quote=\"ngbrdad\"]DW enquired about the school bus service.

Apparently the school bus will reach school around 7am.
Since we stay near the school DS will be the last pick up and can choose the bus coming from Holland - Ulu pandan route or AMK-Bishan-TPY route.

Will probably have to wake up earlier if taking school bus compare to taking bus on his own.

However probably more convenient and useful on rainy mornings.

Yes ngbrdad. School bus service for mornings more convenient. If last to be picked up, should be quite close to 7am, that's not too bad.
Good that your ds has friends in the same class, good for him!
Am sure your ds will do well as they have the GEP background. All the best.

Thanks. All the best to your DS in his appeal.[/quote] :thankyou:

[jtoh]

From posts in the forum, I gather that students posted to ACSI who scored <255 cannot appeal to enter the IP programme. On the other hand there are students who DSA’d in with T-scores of 240 or less but who are in the IP programme. These students were accepted into IP based on their HAST scores. Given that, why aren’t S1 Posting students given the option of taking HAST to see if they have the ability to do IP?

[autolycus]

jtoh:

From posts in the forum, I gather that students posted to ACSI who scored <255 cannot appeal to enter the IP programme. On the other hand there are students who DSA'd in with T-scores of 240 or less but who are in the IP programme. These students were accepted into IP based on their HAST scores. Given that, why aren't S1 Posting students given the option of taking HAST to see if they have the ability to do IP?

It's probably an issue of perception. In most other schools, there aren't two tracks (or four, if you're being picky) — this means that in most schools, if you're in, you're IP. However in ACS(I), being in the school does not mean you're automatically in the IP, and being in the IP does not guarantee you will stay there. So the ACS(I) arrangement is to allow lateral transfers as frequently as is convenient; students can appeal, and there are other measures. The main transfer points are at the end of each year.

Again, I'll point out that it probably doesn't make the difference that people think it will; after all, people who enter the IBDP at Year 5 don't seem to do significantly worse and may in fact do better. For RI and HCI, this was certainly the experience for students entering at JC1 as opposed to IP students. It's a complex issue...

[jtoh]

Thanks autolycus. I suppose there isn’t that much difference in syllabus between the two tracks in Years 1 & 2. Although I’ve heard boys say that the Lit text in the IP programme is a lot more interesting than the one in the O level programme. Do the boys in the two tracks take the same mid year and final year exams?

[autolycus]

jtoh:

Thanks autolycus. I suppose there isn't that much difference in syllabus between the two tracks in Years 1 & 2. Although I've heard boys say that the Lit text in the IP programme is a lot more interesting than the one in the O level programme. Do the boys in the two tracks take the same mid year and final year exams?

You're welcome!

There is considerable difference in curriculum design but not so much in curriculum outcomes. What we've really learnt in implementing such programmes is that there are alternatives to the standard methodologies, and that some students (sometimes very unexpectedly) can learn in rather interesting ways. The exams are different, but the assessment methods at the earlier years are not as different as we would have liked them to be.

[jtoh]

Thanks autolycus.

[ngbrdad]

autolycus:

Actually, to be exact, at all levels they are grouped by time-tabling convenience (i.e., most often by subject combination). Since for Year 1-2, they all have the same subject combination EXCEPT for mother tongue language, they are grouped by MTL by default. Should there be many candidates with same MTL, they can then be grouped in other ways (as is often the case for 'majority' MTL (i.e., Mandarin). It is also 'doctrine' to try to divide groups of minority MTL students into at least two classes. E.g., if there are only 17 students doing a minority MTL, then we would try to split them 8/9.

In IP the GEP kids are group together right ?
So if the GEP kids in express are dispersed in different classes how are they going for the SBGE activities if they are in different classes ?

[SBC dad]

Spent $200 on uniforms/accessories, and $240 on books. Whoo! Exp!