School Of The Arts, Singapore
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Not everyone goes in with sterling results.
My girl is average academically, but she was definite about wanting to audition by end P5, even though the dance teacher did not support SOTA's direction in dance (that's another story !). It would be fair to say that if a child's results are average, then strong talent in the art form is even more important.
At Year 1, talking to the teachers, I got the sense that SOTA understands it is hard for the students and they do try to ease them into the IB curriculum which does require maturity of thought, strong analytical skills, organisation and being in dance, time management really is crucial. Fact is : most kids at 13 years old still do not see any need or urgency in learning how to proritise. Making friends, being popular, having fun is more their agenda !
Currently at Yr 3, my girl still takes lessons (RAD Advance 1) with her ballet school outside, she enjoys it because it's different from what's done at SOTA, with familiar classmates she's known from 5 years old. Without learning how to portion off her schoolwork (like finishing homework during the breaks in between lessons) and managing her time properly this would not be possible. Her academic strengths have become more apparent, she is doing very well in Math and the Sciences ...... and is beginning to see other options besides dance.
On the other end of this vacancy issue - there are kids who apply for SOTA, get a CO and then because they did really well at the PSLE, opt for mainstream schools. Personally I know of two girls who opted OUT of SOTA and instead chose RGS and Dunman High, they are doing well, they're still happily dancing with their ballet schools.
Ultimately your child has to be happy with their school as it's a huge part of their lives, regardless of where you prefer them to go. -
dasalo:
I like hearing stories like these. It goes to show that given the opportunity to pursue a subject/art form a child is passionate about, he can soar.
I know of a student who was also struggling for 2 yrs in the mainstream school. Than he finally made the switch in yr 3 but he had to repeat yr2 for fear of not being able to catch with the IB syllabus and now he excels in his studies and is one of the AGP (artistically gifted programme) students. So going to SOTA with the burning passion for their art form may not be a bad idea. Fyi, this student's PSLE score is just average. -
dance and theatre:
Once you accept a DSA CO, then opting out is no longer acceptable as parents are made to sign and acknowledge this in the application. In the past kids opt out after finding out their PSLE scores are able to get them in to other schools with higher cutoff point. MOE decided to close this loophole.Not everyone goes in with sterling results.
On the other end of this vacancy issue - there are kids who apply for SOTA, get a CO and then because they did really well at the PSLE, opt for mainstream schools. Personally I know of two girls who opted OUT of SOTA and instead chose RGS and Dunman High, they are doing well, they're still happily dancing with their ballet schools. -
Good luck to all on the Prelims!
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Carpe diem:
Yes once you accept the DSA, opting out of SOTA is difficult, but not impossible. After the PSLE results are out, for the parents and kids who prefer another school ..... they have to appeal for a transfer to the other school, then go for an interview at that school and wait for the results. One of the girls who opted for RGS, spent a week at SOTA (uniform and all) before the appeal was approved and she changed schools. During her appeal, the student had to state she would take Dance as her CCA for the whole 4 years at RGS. As we all know, appeals are on case by case basis ....... it will be different for each student.
Once you accept a DSA CO, then opting out is no longer acceptable as parents are made to sign and acknowledge this in the application. In the past kids opt out after finding out their PSLE scores are able to get them in to other schools with higher cutoff point. MOE decided to close this loophole.
For every student who leaves SOTA in Year 1 and 2, there are students from other schools who transfer in. -
Thanks dance and theatre for sharing experiences. When your girl was in Year 1, what time did she end lesson and training?
Besides this forum and SOTA’s website, is there another platform for sharing info on SOTA’s news and events? There’s an fb page but not an ‘interactive’ one. -
Pixie28,
Dance is everyday and probably has the most erratic schedule compared to other art forms. Some days dance can start as late as 6pm till 7.30pm, other days dance classes are in the morning. This is why time management is so important, students need to plan their time usefully otherwise it's late when they get home and too tired to finish any school work.
I have to admit that for my daughter's Yr 1 (2010) and part of Yr 2 (2011) the schedule was intense ...... there was some stress especially when there were Showcase rehearsals apart from the regular dance classes. Some parents made known their concerns and what I've noticed now : there has been much effort by the school to keep dance lessons to a reasonable time.
Every child is different, some cope better, some need more encouragement. With dance being such a physical art form, eating well, getting enough sleep is important or the body breaks down ....... but try telling that to a child who has projects to finish ? I don't think the schedules in SOTA are that difficult or different from the other Independent schools .... it is secondary school after all and they must learn resilience, working smart by putting in the effort and being organised.
One thing to watch out for : some of the more social students have a habit of dawdling in school, chatting, staying late. While most mainstream secondary schools have their gates shut at 6pm, SOTA closes late at 8pm.
Yep you are right about the FB being inactive.
Once your child is in SOTA : the class mentors (teachers) are easily contactable by email if you need to feedback any situation and as long as your email is listed with the school, you will received updates. You will have access to the Parents' Portal which has information about events, exams/tests and the results (including comments by the teachers), extra or master classes, your child's timetables, the teachers teaching the subjects.
Hope this helps -
:thankyou: dance and theatre! Definitely very helpful info there. :love:
I guess the irregular timing may have to do with the adjunct teachers hectic schedule. -
Just curious but if the dance classes start as late as 6pm, do the kids have the time in between to do their homework or is it classes all the way? I mean, if dance class starts late but they have the time to do their school work etc, timing works out pretty much like a normal sec school on CCA days. But it would be pretty crazy if the dancers have lessons all the way till dance starts!
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Yes, if the dance classes start late, they usually will have a break for a meal and to finish some of the school work
By Year 3, dance tapers off a little as more projects and academic work take over.
Useful information for SOTA Dance : a full 3 year (Yr 1 to Yr 3) scholarship is offered for one dancer based on auditions. To apply : in the beginning of Year 1, your child would have to submit a dance video of at least 3 minutes long. It can be any dance from Ballet, Jazz, Malay, Chinese, Indian Dance, the latest dance exam certificates and a resume of dance competitions (if any). The scholarship winner will be given many opportunities during the 3 years, and usually singled out for major roles in the showcases, automatically included in master classes, it's worth trying if your child has the ability.
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