All About Parent Volunteers (PV)

[Andaiz]

kidznme:

anyone knows if PV application has been closed for the school? i'm looking to register my child for P1 in 2012. ur advice is greatly appreciated.

Call the school office up. Or check the website - you should be in good time if your child's entering in 2013. Maybe next year - but check with the school coz each one has its own criteria/lock-in period. :lol:

[lene]

Andaiz:

lene:

check with u parents,


I'm a full time working mum, PV can be on Saturday only?

lene, CCA's are generally not on Saturdays anymore. I'm FTWM too. During P2B PV time, I usually volunteer for ad hoc projects or full-day fairs etc (which you'd know beforehand) and if required, take leave.

Gotta plan ahead for us working mums...fact of life.

Tks Andaiz,

total how many hrs of PV do we have to wrk?
cos i scare wait not enough leave to do all this thing

[Andaiz]

lene:

[

total how many hrs of PV do we have to wrk?
cos i scare wait not enough leave to do all this thing

For my DD1, it was 40 hours and both parents can clock in. As DH and I are working, we basically took turns with the many-hours-one-time-kill 5-6 hours kind like excursion, decoration of school for festive occasions, even some hall after-exam activities. It added up quite well for us.

Don't know your profile but for me, I saw it as also investing time for my younger gals (1 stone kill 3 birds here) and to know more about the school culture. No regrets, just a bit of sacrifice loh.

I'm still volunteering at hall-hour to get to know the kids as well. My gal's classmates know me as well so that's quite

[Jav]

Hi Andaiz,


May we know which school you volunteered at?

[kidznme]

thank you, andaiz.


i already called the sch. but the admin office gave me a very general comment that the PV program is open till next year if i’m considering registering my kid for P1 in 2012.

right now i’m worrying if we could even get into their PV program. if no, should we take the chance and wait for balloting? we are living just less than 1km.

alternatively, we are considering to do PV for other schools that are on our priority list. should we attempt to do this?

any advice, anyone?

[Andaiz]

kidznme:

right now i'm worrying if we could even get into their PV program. if no, should we take the chance and wait for balloting? we are living just less than 1km.

alternatively, we are considering to do PV for other schools that are on our priority list. should we attempt to do this?

any advice, anyone?

What is the ballotting history for the school, kidznme.

For DH and myself, the school doesn't need balloting for P2C. However, our involvement in PV programme is to understand the school better, get to know the teachers and/or students and possibly the culture of the place.

So there are other factors to consider. Would you know the contact for the PV Group? If it's on the school website, may be a good idea to call up and find out.

[kidznme]

andaiz, thanks for your quick reply.


according to the school's balloting history and its popularity, there's always ballot for phase2C

so we are in the dilemma now...whether to try for other schools.

[cafelatte]

kidznme, lene and others,


I have been-there-done-that and also saw friends/relatives who went through P1 registrations the last few years. You have to ask yourself what is your take towards primary school for your children. If you belong to the school that every school is the same and okay, then you can sit back and relax. However, if you have some criterias, consider your resources(time,$$$) and do some planning in advance. I see many frustrated parents left with no options but to send their kid to a school 'no one else wants to go to' or not their choice school.

Regarding deadline for PV and number of hours, read the MOE official statement here :
http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/admissions/primary-one-registration/phases/
Phase 2B2
For a child whose parent has joined the school as a parent volunteer not later than 1 July 2008 and has given at least 40 hours of voluntary service to the school by 30 June 2009; or whose parent is a member endorsed by the church/clan directly connected with the school; or whose parent is endorsed as an active community leader.

Using the dates, you can work backwards and check your deadline. If your child starts P1 in 2012, you will register for P1 in 2011 meaning by 30June2011 you must have completed your PV service hence you should be an accepted PV by 1July 2010. Make sense ?

The above deadline and *at least* 40hours are the MOE guideline. However, the principal of each school has the autonmy to decide on the deadline and minimum hours. Some principals require 2 years ahead PV registration and minium 60-80 hours. Why ? Don't know...but they want to and if that is your choice school, you just have the accept their terms, right ?

Therefore, my advice to any parents thinking of PV is to CONTACT your choice school and find out the details. If you cannot get a clear answer via phone, visit the general office or make an appointment to speak to the VP or P. Furthermore, so far there is no school or principal that will PROMISE you a place in phase 2B as PV is purely a volunteer scheme and no one can predict the number of vacancies and applicants when the registeration comes. I see :x parents who have no chance even to BALLOT after completing their PV service so do think ahead and plan your strategy with eyes open.

Lastly, the kind of PV assignments and duties varies from school to school. It really depends on what kind of PV they get and the needs of the school at that time. Example, my friend helped in a school's library move (20 hours spread over 3 days) but of course, the following year's PV will not get such assignments. As for whether there are PV assignments on Saturday, there may be but likely more on weekdays. Saturdays could be special over-night camps or if you have special skills and can offer enrichment classes to the children etc. For run-of-the-mill assignments like school exercusions or library duties, definitely will be during school term on weekdays. That said, it is not impossible for FTWM to complete PV duties. I have friends and neighbours who did.

These are my experience after my own PV and also from discussions with friends over the past few years. Hope this helps the KSP parents here.

[titank]

Hi All,


In order to be able to get assignments, always indicate that you are operational ready to provide service to the school. Standby 24/7 etc. Personally I had did PV for 2 schools & used up quite many absent from work. As some members had mentioned, 40 hours is minimum & some schools like Nanyang Primary expect you to input 80 hours.

[hquek]

Adding on to titank’s list. if contact is via email, make sure you use one that you access regularly. The school I volunteered for is first come first serve. If you don’t respond fast, chances will slip by.