Corporation Primary

[Kabby]

Hi summergem,

Wow, new look to KSP forum, took me some getting used to. I can’t seem to find the "quote" button for highlighting your msg, so anyway here goes:

Maybe you can bring it up to the form teacher, and/ or P/ VP?

Indeed it sounds like a very unpleasant experience for your girl! Poor girl, to receive such a "threat".

Let us know what the outcome is?

Hope everything goes well for you and her! hugs!

[Champion]

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Hi Folks! :dancing:

This forum has been quiet for quite awhile - everyone busy attending rallies? :imcool:

Have been wanted to share this newsletter with you all but kept forgetting :roll: ...Guess due to the preparation of SA1 with DD1 and mind was too occupied with many things to remember :scared: .....

This is the 1st newsletter that I received for the past 3 years! :yikes: ...But I must say this is a good effort & hard work from the new P + teachers getting this artwork out :hugs: ....

For your pleasure reading, please! :celebrate:

[Kabby]

Champion:

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For your pleasure reading, please! :celebrate:

hihi! i missed you too! :hugs:

thanks for posting the newsletter. i received one too, so nice, i love it. i think it is a good thing to keep us more informed.

btw, just to let everyone know that i have gone through every single page in this forum and edited all my posts that contain any references that are personal pertaining to my son or your kids.

eg if i had mentioned expatmom's son in a certain class, i would delete that post. i also edited the 1st pg summary to list only the levels. hope this gives everyone more security.

some moms have pmed that they would edit their posts and requested that i help remove their kids' class or other personal info too. this is in the light of the earlier harassment and mistaken identity case.

also happy to inform you that my matter is solved. no more mistaken identity or harassment.

i wasn't that busy with rallies, haha, more like a little scared to come in and volunteer info, since in the past i had been very forthcoming and shared a lot but attracted attention of the wrong kind.

hopefully if it becomes more peaceful i will relax and let my guard down more and start to share again.

truthfully i felt quite hurt that fellow parents can be so mean and rude to another parent who has done nothing against them but instead patiently kept explaining i am not that person they think i am. so i need some time to get over this...

thanks champion for making this thread lively with your post again!

[Kabby]

oh btw, i tried to click to see the PAL portion but can’t enlarge it to read. is that how it’s supposed to be? or i did the wrong thing?

[Champion]

LKVM:

Hihi... so hows the parents after GE :evil:

Hi Hi,
Still very busy leh :imcool: - today starts of SA1's paper - EL Paper 2 :nailbite: ...But am very thankful that the weather is so cooling so at least Kids doing the papers will not feel the heat ......

My DD1 said during the exam period, her seat is next to the window so it can be quite warm especially between 10am - 3pm! :mad: :mad: So, hope the weather will continue like dat for the next 3 days :imcool: :imcool:

How's your DS coping in school?

[Kabby]

LKVM:

Hihi... so hows the parents after GE :evil:

Our SMC/GRC not so exciting as some others hor.

But in general it was a really exciting atmosphere and it is great to be able to vote, and see the younger ones all politically aware and actively posting on FB and so on.

As for my ds1, he was having those \"bite-sized\" assessments for every subject. To me, it is just like SA1 but perhaps they don't place that much emphasis (ie not that much percentage) on the pen and paper tests maybe. So ds1 is not that stressed yet, although I did let him revise Chinese since it is his weakest subject.

He knows all his results already, thankfully all Band 1 but for Chinese, he barely scraped through to Band 1 so we must keep working hard.

I keep reading in KSP and hearing from friends that P3 and onwards would be much much tougher academically, so can understand what Champion is going through. people keep saying the jump from P2-3 is a big leap and then from P4 to 5 also.

Tmr's ds' last session for the SwimSafer sessions at JW swim complex. They were told to pack an extra set of clothes. I asked why, ds1 said they have to wear that to jump in the pool??

Champion, what is that for? ds1 could not give me any more info.. I know his is definitely not the survivor or life saving module. Cos I signed him up at the start of term 2 as Beginner. So not sure what the extra clothes are for. This is in excess of the set of PE attire that he already is bringing to change into after the shower.

[Champion]

Hello folks,

I very stress now :nunchuk: so log into this webpage to take a break lah :boogie: ...Tmr is the last paper for DD1 and is the most difficult one (for her & me lah) - SCIENCE!!! :frustrated: :imdrowning:

We decided that from now till tomorrow morning no more revision lioa or else both of us will go :slapshead: :slapshead: and DD1 might get all the facts mixed up :nailbite: :gloomy: .

Ok, received the PTC letter today and have to indicate the time-slot for it. You can choose timing, i.e your most preferred choice (Mark as No.1) and the next follow one (Mark as No. 2). I chosen the earliest slot, 7.30am -9.30am and the next will be 10.00am-12.30pm. Hope to get the earliest possible slot so after settle with the PTC, have to rush back office for meetings :sad:

There is also a talk at 12.30pm by the school counsellor but guess I will have to give it a miss :roll:

[Kabby]

Champion:

Hello folks,

I very stress now :nunchuk: so log into this webpage to take a break lah :boogie: ...Tmr is the last paper for DD1 and is the most difficult one (for her & me lah) - SCIENCE!!! :frustrated: :imdrowning:

We decided that from now till tomorrow morning no more revision lioa or else both of us will go :slapshead: :slapshead: and DD1 might get all the facts mixed up :nailbite: :gloomy: .

Ok, received the PTC letter today and have to indicate the time-slot for it. You can choose timing, i.e your most preferred choice (Mark as No.1) and the next follow one (Mark as No. 2). I chosen the earliest slot, 7.30am -9.30am and the next will be 10.00am-12.30pm. Hope to get the earliest possible slot so after settle with the PTC, have to rush back office for meetings :sad:

There is also a talk at 12.30pm by the school counsellor but guess I will have to give it a miss :roll:

Hi Champion,
don't worry, your dd will be like you -- emerge a champion! Jia you to her tmr!

Yes, I just received the PTM letter too. Like you, also intend to pick those 2 time slots as 1st n 2nd choices.

[Champion]

Hello All,

Yo! This forum is too quiet lioa ....Ok, come on, Let's make some noise here - Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray! :dancing: :boogie: :imcool:

Ok, I am reading many other topics in the other threads and really I see many parents share their woes & happiness throughout the 6 years of Primary School Education .

An interesting one that always catch my attention is this one - \"an issue is that P1 and P2 is too slow or relaxed now, and when the kids get to P3, it is a big jump that many then can't cope. Can't they even out the pace throughout the first 3 years instead of cramping everthing into 1 year?\" (Extract this from a post under the topic \"Petition to Review the Singapore Education System)http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=21969&start=320

Now that DD1 is in P3 and has finished her SA1 and CA1 in March - I feel the stress and the demand in this level . Even she herself was telling me this afternoon,\"Mummy, this year is really very difficult - I have to put in more efforts for the next 5 months!\"

For my own experience - just to share with CPS parents here - Initially I was very relaxed about DD1's academic progress. She is the discipline type and will finish her homework, project work in the afternoon after school. But when nearing the SA1 exam, suddenly there are so many homework and many past year exam papers, revision papers to do! :frustrated: Needless to say, as parent, we have to go through their work and to my :shock: - the questions (esp Maths) has more in-depth questions than those teach in the textbooks and/or activity books. So panicking, I run through those Maths assessment books esp on problem sums and doing them myself! :rant: I am thankful to a dear friend who pointed out to me the various methods and solutions to P3 Maths topics and the key points to look out for :please: Without hesitation, I apply a 2 weeks No-pay Half-Day leave (afternoon) to be with DD1 after school - for physical support and to do those Maths problem sums

Then there is Science - Alas, I think I almost :faint: when I looked at those questions - Science can be so wide and deep that really is putting your knowledge & understanding the concept into practise! I learn and pick-up many tips from other parents in the \"Science Assessment Books\" forum and now having many Science Assessment / Guide Books in my cabinet! :evil: :laugh:

Somehow along the way I was thinking,\" IS the doing away of exams in P1 and P2 a good thing? Will it be better if they know what is exam since P1 and will not be so stress out in P3?\" :skeptical: Well, this is still a very debating question and I know we will have many different opinions here :nunchuk:

[Kabby]

Yup, it is a very debatable Q indeed. In the papers, in KS forum, everyone is discussing all these issues. It's good, discussion is always good.


How to start... sigh. this is such a long topic that I could go on and on.

Ok, our time as students were different. Last time, I felt that it was pretty relaxing. We loved going to school, even though there was a lot more rote learning and teachers were fierce and could cane anyone. But there was hardly much exam stress, yet it was fairly easy to score, just study what teacher taught, will get by smoothly.

So I'd never questioned the need for exams and tests, a lot of them, cos it was just something we took in our stride, we still managed to have an enjoyable life, playing, going out...

But now, I notice a trend. Exams seem to be more and more difficult. Stuff learnt at higher levels last time are now studied at lower levels. Everything is brought forward. Kids who are younger are supposed to have a carefree childhood. They are supposed to have time to play and run around and basically not do anything structured. That's how they learn best actually.

It's very unhealthy for young kids to sit down and do work for long periods of time. This is the reason why I feel there should not be rigid tests at the lower levels. Exams that have high percentages and emphasis attached to them is just wrong at the low levels. This makes everything hinge on that exam.

Having been through NIE, and then becoming a teacher, it did change my perspective a little. The proper training opened my eyes to how important assessments are. When we teach a topic, how do we evaluate pupil learning? Did they learn and acquire the concepts effectively? We need to assess.

However, I disagree that the only way to assess is via the pen and paper tests. So I am all for the alternative modes of testing. Those take up some percentage of the final mark and it is especially good for boys and students that have multiple ways of learning. Because at the young age, boys tend to lose out if exams are solely pen and paper type. They, for one, do not sit still as long as girls, and may not focus as well.

Show and tell, projects, all these are good for varied types of learners.

I am told listening and oral skills are assessed too, and count towards the final scores.

ok, how the schools carry out the alternative modes of assessment and how effective they are, let's not discuss that, cos it is out of our control.

My students are those preparing for the A levels. They are the creme de la creme in Singapore. Looking at them, how they study, how they cry when they receive their results, how they break down sometimes, right before a test... It pains me. It makes me think, is all these good and necessary?

I have students who come to me after the prelims, right before the A levels, telling me they don't have the confidence to sit for the A levels, can they pull out, can they drop out? I have to spend time counselling them.

These kids, when they get the A level results, they score string of As, distinctions in S paper, clinch overseas scholarships, go to Ivy League colleges. Yet, they still feel so tense and nervous before the exams. It's unhealthy. They lose their self confidence sometimes, even though they are all very smart and great kids.

It is easy to talk to them though. They are young adults. After some pep talk, they are ok, and are back to the grind. But for young kids? I am afraid for them. That they would burn out early, that they would lose the love for learning at a young age. That would be quite sad, isn't it?

However, now as a parent, my views are yet again modified.

What you say is true Champs... If the system is not tweaked, having these alternative forms of assessment is meaningless if ultimately, the PSLE is just a series of pen and paper tests. Like what Chenonceau mentioned too, if pupils are kept fitted onto a bell curve, then the competition would keep getting stiffer too. Because there wouldbe a \"quota\" of high scorers... There is no end to the stress on the kids nowadays, isn't it?

So what should happen is that the PSLE is also changed to have less weightage on just the pen and paper segment maybe. But as an educator, I know how difficult it is to implement all these. SEAB will have a big headache.

Already at the JC level, when we introduced the SPA assessments for science, there was so much fuss and we needed so many hours of training and re-training on how to mark, how to assess, how to carry out the tests. There needs to be moderation too, across schools, for such tests. Same for Project Work at JC level, for which I was also the assessor before.

So well, I don't know, it is quite hopeful to have some changes now though, don't you think? With a whole new team in the MOE, perhaps there would be radical changes?

The new leadership seems very receptive to the people's opinions, let's hope something can be done so our kids need not suffer?

For now, I am scared by what you say, Champs... I hope my boys can keep up..

However, for the P1 parents, just to share, my P2 ds also has tests that are the same timing as the CA and SA, just that they are not called that. They are called \"bite-sized\" assessments. Hmm, well, the teachers still make the kids revise for the tests and they also record the marks and it is counted towards the final percentage at the end of the year. It doesn't seem very different from CA and SA right? So I think that eases them into P3?

Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that our kids will benefit from whatever changes there be to the system ya?