Pei Chun Public
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Dear bridesep
Yes, 5A is the top class in PCPS. I think it still remains the same till this day. Naturally you will also see a lot of prefects from this class.
P3H and P3G are the sports classes. P3H is for table tennis and volleyball, during my DD’s time. Eventhough your academic results are good, as long as you have a niche CCA, you are in sports class. During her time, P3E was the top classes. But effective from year 2012, they don’t post students to P3 classes according to academics. They mix students of different levels of academics together in the same class. So you can’t tell where all the clever students are, in short, they are spread throughout all the P3 classes. But if you want to know who they are, very easy. The top 3 students of each class will be your top students.
If your child is in the school sports team, your chances to gain entry to a good sec school thru DSA is quite high. But you must check whether that secondary school has the CCA in the first place. Eg, Cedar Girls has a very strong volleyball team, thus they take in a lot of PCPS volleyball school team girls every year. If I am not wrong, this year they are taking 6 PCPS volleyball girls thru DSA to start their Sec 1 year next year. But Raffles Instuition does not have volleybal as its CCA, so it would be a waste of your kids’ time if you want to use this for DSA. Having said this, we should leave it to the kids to do the sports they like and not because of DSA.
999happygolucky -
Tks, MummyV and 999Happygolucky
Thanks for all the advice. Do you know what is the niche CCA for Hwa Chong Institute? I note that so far, the kids in the sports class are girls. I guess girls are more matured and manage time better.
I wonder how easy it is to drop out of sports class at p4. Maybe i can let my son try sports class and if his results drop, appeal to the prinicipal to be allowed to join normal calls at P4. What the PN said must be committed to P4. :scared:
MummyV , what CCA is your girl in?
999Happygo lucky , so you girl did not use the DSA route? Is she still active in sports now that she is in sec 2 ? -
Hi bridesep,
Understand why you are so worried. I think mummyv more or less summed up everything. Actually,it is a priviledge to be selected to be in sports class. And because the selection is based on sports, there are extremities in the results, hence the class consist of a mixed ability students. And I must second mummyv, I have checked with some of the non-sports classes for SA1 this year, it is the same and some even have even lower result range then the sports class.(we are proud and happy of this fact.)The school does stop CCA trainings temporarily nearer to exams so you dont have to worry about that too.
For my child, she enjoyed VB very much.The kids build team spirit, feel a sense of belonging to the school and when their peers win in matches, the atmosphere is really great. Of course the kids get physically tired with the training but the kids are very adaptive. They get special coaches to train them, they get to understand what sports discipline is like in the sport. I feel that there is value in that kind of school experience. EVen though the sch is top in VB nationals, I dont see the kids being pushed emotionally beyond their limit. The coach do not speak down to them or condemn them when they do not do well. I have not seen my girl come home emotionally upset because of training, except if she feels she has not played enough.I believe the coaches have handled them well and she looks forward to VB trainings.
If your child has art, music and swimming, I think that time management is crucial. In fact, my girl also has art, music, swimming as well as tuition. So her time is really packed. She enjoys it though but I have to be very strict in the sleeping time. I was like her "manager", managing her timing so she can enjoy her classes. When she fell sick this year, I cut away her art and swimming for now.
If we can replace CCA with our own enrichment classes, that would be great. But so far, thats not going to work for now. I think you dont have to worry so much for now. The volleyball training is not so tough in P3 and by the time its P4, your child will be well prepared. Of course, he must be consistent with his homework and I agree with mummyv, the teacher is not unreasonable to pile the child with hmwk during their training days.
In terms of learning, there is non of the sort, where,- since the kids are in the sports class, they are not academically inclined and so they need not be challenged academically. The kids are taught and exposed equally as with the other classes.
I believe that if you allow your child to enter sports class, it is because you value the experience your child get to gain from training in the sports class and their exposure to competition etc. At the end of P4 , there is streaming and that will be the real academic stress, by then you can decide to withdraw if you feel your child is not suitable.(in P5 sports class). -
Hi,
Just saw yr message, the prinicipal doesn’t allow any switch of classes in any point of P4 yr. AT the most, llike my girl has a medical condition, she is exempted from all trainings. There is no need to change class. Of course, this is a case to case basis. The quality of teachers the same. In fact, my girl’s teachers for these 2 years are very good. -
jce:
As far as I am aware, P3 and 4 are not streamed according to their academic abilities, but there are 2 sport classes. P5 and 6, if academic is good, you may choose to go to the top class but still remain in the school sports team.
Am I right to assume that P4 streaming to P5/6 is based solely on academic performance only?? -
jce:
DSA is a tough route, whether it is through arts or sports. Obviously you are eyeing for a top school, and so are hundreds of others. The child really needs to stand out in the sport or art in order to stand a chance. Once the child gets in, he/she needs to be equally strong academically otherwise he/she may be teased by other school kids. I have heard from AC and RI boys regarding this. So consider carefully if you are really thinking about DSA. To excel both in sports/arts and academic, it takes a lot of discipline and a dose of talent.
Thank you for the advice... yes will consider this option carefully... -
bridesep:
Aside to Callie - my views is just focus on 1 niche CCA. No way to do two. For me, I think even one is tough. ha ha..
Hi bridesep,
I totally agree with you... that's why I am having headache now to decide which one to choose. -
kin:
Although I know some better sec schools take in students via DSA but is it really true that it is a privilege to be in the sports class? Somehow there's this superiority connected to being in the Sports Class... Isn't CO the niche CCA too in PCPS?Hi bridesep,
Understand why you are so worried. I think mummyv more or less summed up everything. Actually,it is a priviledge to be selected to be in sports class. And because the selection is based on sports, there are extremities in the results, hence the class consist of a mixed ability students. And I must second mummyv, I have checked with some of the non-sports classes for SA1 this year, it is the same and some even have even lower result range then the sports class.(we are proud and happy of this fact.)The school does stop CCA trainings temporarily nearer to exams so you dont have to worry about that too.
For my child, she enjoyed VB very much.The kids build team spirit, feel a sense of belonging to the school and when their peers win in matches, the atmosphere is really great. Of course the kids get physically tired with the training but the kids are very adaptive. They get special coaches to train them, they get to understand what sports discipline is like in the sport. I feel that there is value in that kind of school experience. EVen though the sch is top in VB nationals, I dont see the kids being pushed emotionally beyond their limit. The coach do not speak down to them or condemn them when they do not do well. I have not seen my girl come home emotionally upset because of training, except if she feels she has not played enough.I believe the coaches have handled them well and she looks forward to VB trainings.
If your child has art, music and swimming, I think that time management is crucial. In fact, my girl also has art, music, swimming as well as tuition. So her time is really packed. She enjoys it though but I have to be very strict in the sleeping time. I was like her \"manager\", managing her timing so she can enjoy her classes. When she fell sick this year, I cut away her art and swimming for now.
If we can replace CCA with our own enrichment classes, that would be great. But so far, thats not going to work for now. I think you dont have to worry so much for now. The volleyball training is not so tough in P3 and by the time its P4, your child will be well prepared. Of course, he must be consistent with his homework and I agree with mummyv, the teacher is not unreasonable to pile the child with hmwk during their training days.
In terms of learning, there is non of the sort, where,- since the kids are in the sports class, they are not academically inclined and so they need not be challenged academically. The kids are taught and exposed equally as with the other classes.
I believe that if you allow your child to enter sports class, it is because you value the experience your child get to gain from training in the sports class and their exposure to competition etc. At the end of P4 , there is streaming and that will be the real academic stress, by then you can decide to withdraw if you feel your child is not suitable.(in P5 sports class). -
I am really very appreciative with all the opinions and advices from all the parents with regard to my issue now… whether to allow my girl to continue with CO ( which she has already started 2 months ago) or switch her to VB now since she is selected. Till now, nothing is conclusive as my girl is also undecided… she asked me to decide for her actually cos she’s torn between both!! Both of us still very lost…
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999happygolucky:
So my girl is considered to be in the Sports Class if she is with Chinese Orchestra, which is the niche CCA according to the Head of PE?
Eventhough your academic results are good, as long as you have a niche CCA, you are in sports class.
999happygolucky
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