Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

[CSN]

Ngbrdad, DS mentioned that he got selected for canoe and track & field too. However, he did not give his name to the canoe teachers after he heard that there are 4 training sessions weekly (DH is keen for DS to take up but DS is not). He also came back with a letter recommending him to take up track and field (3 training sessions weekly). It's quite unbelieving - I mentioned before that DS is just not a sporty person and he hates being under the sun (he rather spends his time reading a story book). Both DH and I will discuss with DS this weekend the choice of the second CCA - whether it is a sports or a club. This is really difficult - one on hand we like the idea of him being involved in more sports which will be good for his physical development and more importantly discipline. On the other hand, we are concerned that he is not going to be able to cope with so many training sessions. He is really not good at time management. Spoke briefly to a Teacher in the sch - he said the boys somehow will find a way to cope. Teacher's own son is in sec 1 this year and he is going to do canoe - follow footsteps of an elder brother who is in the ACSI canoe team. Teacher's comment is that he rather his son spends his time in sports than to sit in the air-con watching TV or playing computer games. Guess very few will disagree with him. This is really a tough choice..... Suggest all parents please check the sch website for the training schedule of the CCA your DS is interested. It does not mean that clubs and societies will be more relaxed. DS is also looking at chess and we noted there are 2 training sessions for chess weekly. One other parent whose son is in year 3 IB asked his son to join the CCAs that demand the least time - that boy is in basketball (was told by this parent that there is only 1 training weekly but the website says 2x) and NCDCC (Civil Defence). PSG facilitator advised that child should ensure he can at least score A1 or A2 for the core CCA and realistically, the child should only be able to spend time developing one core CCA and he is unlikely to have much time for a demanding second CCA. This is all I gathered on CCA today. Any other advices from other KSP parents? A lot of thinking to do this weekend.... :scratchhead:

[Mandarin]

ngbrdad:

Was shocked that DS got a letter recommending him to take up cross country/track and field.


Can we decline and opt for other CCA ?

Do we need to inform anyone if not taking up the offer ? Or just don't turn up for the first training can already ?

It is an offer to the boy, he can opt not to take it up. If he is offered, that means he has shown some potential in that area.

Did your DS receive a CCA option form where he can indicate his preference?

[ngbrdad]

Mandarin:

ngbrdad:

Was shocked that DS got a letter recommending him to take up cross country/track and field.


Can we decline and opt for other CCA ?

Do we need to inform anyone if not taking up the offer ? Or just don't turn up for the first training can already ?

It is an offer to the boy, he can opt not to take it up. If he is offered, that means he has shown some potential in that area.

Did your DS receive a CCA option form where he can indicate his preference?

Yup received the form today.
My DS was never the sporty/athletic type. The best he ever get for NAFA was a bronze.

[autolycus]

Just a short note to 'old' friends in this thread... sorry for not responding to queries etc for a while. MOE work.


Now that the results are out, and also looking at the interesting comments in the last few weeks here about 'all-rounders' etc, I think people have a better idea of what the school is like! Best wishes to all, for a great year ahead for all your children!

[Mvm]

ngbrdad:

Yup received the form today.
My DS was never the sporty/athletic type. The best he ever get for NAFA was a bronze.

My son on the other hand is the athletic sort, always gold for NAPFA and always the among the first few to finish the 1.6km run He was quite disappointed he wasn't offered track and field nor cross country. Guess that's he result of not exercising much during the school holidays.

Also used to be school soccer player, but not selected for soccer either, as I heard trials for soccer same as for rugby. My ds is small built but fast on his feet. Too bad. Could tell he was disappointed.

That's life. Time to move on.

[Mandarin]

I fully empathize with some of the parents here, a lot of thinking and discussion has to take place this weekend.


When DS came back with a canoeing offer 3 years ago, I was surprised. DS was not the athletic sort, though he could get gold for napfa, it was not without effort. DH was keen for DS to take up sports, so we had a talk with DS. We realized that DS was flattered to be selected. We cautioned him on the commitment required, he told us he was willing to give it a try.

3 years on and he grew much more athletic and he thoroughly enjoys his CCA. Be prepared that the training will be tough but not a single time had DS talked about giving up. Training goes almost uninterrupted throughout school holidays. On non-school days, training is moved to the mornings. During the period leading up to competition, there will also be morning gym training. And he would also miss a couple of days of school to attend competitions. Coupled with UG, DS has only 1 free afternoon a week. So, he has learnt to finish most of his homework (except those that require research) in school during free period or in-between periods. He has to learn to manage his time better to cope with the demands of both study and CCA.
I am a strong supporter of Dr Ong’s philosophy in this area, keep the boys gainfully occupied in this period, they have so much energy and if not properly channelled, it will be wasted.

[Blur Dad]

Mvm:

ngbrdad:

Yup received the form today.
My DS was never the sporty/athletic type. The best he ever get for NAFA was a bronze.

My son on the other hand is the athletic sort, always gold for NAPFA and always the among the first few to finish the 1.6km run He was quite disappointed he wasn't offered track and field nor cross country. Guess that's he result of not exercising much during the school holidays.

Also used to be school soccer player, but not selected for soccer either, as I heard trials for soccer same as for rugby. My ds is small built but fast on his feet. Too bad. Could tell he was disappointed.

That's life. Time to move on.

My DS has awarded gold for NAPFA for P5 & P6. He was not selected for any sport CCA. Quite disappointed. Can my DS still join CCA sport like badminton or swimming even he was not selected?

How about UG? What is the 3 most popular UGs in ACS(I)? Which 3 UGs have won the most awards?

Thank you
Cheers

[Mandarin]

UncleLim:

ACI (I) school sees IB students get perfect score

Posted: 06 January 2012 1900 hrs

SINGAPORE: Results of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) examination held in November 2011 were released on Friday.

ACS Independent said of its 454 students who sat for it, 29 obtained a perfect score of 45 points.

ACS Independent said the average score was 41.36.

Significantly, the percentage of students who obtained 40 or more points increased from 71.4 per cent in 2010, to 78.2 per cent in 2011.

Principal of ACS (Independent) Mr Winston Hodge said: \"The students have worked hard, remained focused and were well motivated. Their success must be shared with their families.

\"The school also has a strong culture of teacher care and support, with many teachers walking the extra mile for their students. A key success factor is the strong foundation that the students receive in their Years 1 to 4 programme, which encourages inquiry, creativity and innovation.\"

ACS Independent said the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a demanding and challenging pre-university course of study.

Beyond completing courses and examinations in six subject areas, IBDP students are also required to complete three core requirements: the extended essay (EE), the theory of knowledge (TOK) course and developmental activities and community service, known as \"Creativity, Action, Service\".

The programme is highly regarded for its rigorous assessment, breadth of study and the depth of intellectual engagement.

For instance, the EE requires students to produce an independent piece of research, culminating in a 4,000 word paper.

Similar to an undergraduate research thesis, students investigate a research question of their interest.

The keystone of the IBDP programme is critical and analytical thinking.

In the TOK component, students examine the nature of knowledge issues across disciplines.

The 2011 IB cohort comprises 454 students and is the school's largest candidature to-date.

ACS (Independent) said it started the Integrated Programme (IP) in 2004 with the first batch of students sitting for the exam in 2007.

The 2011 cohort is the school's fifth.

- CNA/ck

An interesting comment above. I have not come across any comparative analysis of the IB performance between students admitted in Year 1, 3 and 5. has anyone seen one before?

[ngbrdad]

Blur Dad:

My DS has awarded gold for NAPFA for P5 & P6. He was not selected for any sport CCA. Quite disappointed. Can my DS still join CCA sport like badminton or swimming even he was not selected?

How about UG? What is the 3 most popular UGs in ACS(I)? Which 3 UGs have won the most awards?

Thank you
Cheers

As mentioned during the briefing yesterday, BB and Scouts are 2 of the 3 most popular UG.
I didn't hear them mentioning the 3rd.
Maybe I fell asleep.

[clayman]

ngbrdad:

Blur Dad:

My DS has awarded gold for NAPFA for P5 & P6. He was not selected for any sport CCA. Quite disappointed. Can my DS still join CCA sport like badminton or swimming even he was not selected?

How about UG? What is the 3 most popular UGs in ACS(I)? Which 3 UGs have won the most awards?

Thank you
Cheers

As mentioned during the briefing yesterday, BB and Scouts are 2 of the 3 most popular UG.
I didn't hear them mentioning the 3rd.
Maybe I fell asleep.

I think Red Cross was the other one.