DSA 2011

[Funx3]

jtoh:

Funx3:

[quote=\"carmen21\"]Anyone can advise me on what is \"open symposium\" from SOTA?

I Have Attended it with My Gal & Eldest Son on 18/2/11 Evening ....

This is an Introduction & Explanation on the IB system adopted by SOTA for the 6 years of study there.
2011 Intake Cohort : 200
PSLE Avg Score : 230
Lowest PSLE Score : 190
Admission : thru Auditions ONLY

Participants R Requested to be seated separately to the Art Form their Child is Interested in ....
Music, Dance, Art and Drama (Largest Number of Participants) ....

Later, Each Electives is invited to a more specialised Talk session by the Head of Dept ....

We attended the Dance Section Session.
2011 Intake : 40 (should be No Change this year)
Dance Discipline : Students Mostly from Ballet, Due to Most Applicants from Ballet.
Also Take in students from Chinese Dance, Indian Dance, others ....
Except for 2nd year - Exposure to Ethnic Dance = Flamenco + Chinese Dance, ALL the Rest the Years Specialised in Ballet Training ....

My Gal Chinese Dance T (She's the instructor for SOTA Chinese Dance in 2nd year) has advised us if We Not going to Pursue Ballet, Maybe better to stay in Main Stream .... Still Can DSA in Later if Really Really Want to ....
:lol: :lol:

My Gal is Not So in Favour with the IB Prog ....
Esp the part where students R advised to stay back during Holidays to attend training, and staying back for Evening Classes conducted by External T ....

So Guess We'll Give SOTA a Miss for DSA this Time ....
:lol: :lol:

Thanks for sharing, Funx3. Why doesn't your dd like the IB program? The extra training during the hols and evening classes are for Dance students only?[/quote]My Eldest Boy Who Has Completed his O-Level Last Year was Busy Exchanging, and Explaining about Subject Combinations they Flashed on the Screen to My Gal ....
and Going By the Frown on Her Face ....

Final Conclusion is .... She Not in favour of the IB Prog ....
Actually, I Have Some Reservations as well with Regards to the Large-ly Ballet Dance content, which may Not Be in Line with My Gal's Dance Preference (At Least for Now) ....
So One Less School to Consider .... :lol: :lol:

We Attended the Dance Session Talk, Where They Mentioned Quite Frequent Evening Classes (Guess It's at Higher Level), and May Be due to Visiting Overseas Instructors ....
And Hols Class is In Preparation for the Concerts, Performance, Competitions, Special Intensive Training or Exams of Some Kind or other. They Advised Against Travelling during the Hols, Or Else Will Miss and Lose Out ....

For Other Discipline, Have to Get Feedback from other Parents who attended the Separate Sessions ....
AnyOne Out There Care to Share?
:celebrate: :celebrate:

[Funx3]

Tinkerbelle:

Hi Funx3,

The fact that your DD got selected for National competitions is an indication she's very good in her gym. :rahrah: Ya, heard from my friend that there's stiff competition between competitors during the national competitions. Encourage your DD to try her best during the competition as there will be \"talent scouts\" hanging around looking for potential students to invite for Tea Ceremony. Hope you receive a call after the campionships. :celebrate:

Is your DD doing artistic gym or rhythmic gym? Friend's DD DSA with Rythmic gym to RGS. Yes, you're right, RGS is stringent with their DSA Sports applicants but they do not need to score 262-265 for PSLE. As a matter of fact, friend's DD scored less than 250 for PSLE. RGS honoured their end of the DSA deal and she was accepted by RGS. She was told that she only needed to qualify for Express stream during PSLE. However, she won some individual gym awards in the national championships. She also sat for the GAT test and the interview so I guess all these factors could have contributed to her admission to RGS.

If your DD is interested in RGS, no harm trying for DSA. Friend told me her DD is banded together with the other DSA sports gals into 1 class and she's happy. When you go to RGS Open House, there'll be a DSA corner set up...maybe you can make more enquiries there regarding your DD's situation. Wish your DD all the best in her championships. :ugogirl:

My Gal in RG Now. Used to Be in AG until a couple of Years ago, when her school decided to Drop AG and Promote RG. She started Training in RG Last Year and won Some medals in her category When she Represented school team, in their First Foray into the Inter-school RG Championship.

With Regards to the 260+ PSLE score for DSA-Sports, I get to know it thru a few parents feedback .... Have Not Got any Feedback on <250 until U Mentioned it Here.

Thanks for your Well Wishes, and I'll Definitely Remind My Gal to Perform Her Best at the Championship .... Hope the \"Talent Scout\" Like her Performance then ....

[phankao]

Funx3:

Final Conclusion is .... She Not in favour of the IB Prog ....
Actually, I Have Some Reservations as well with Regards to the Large-ly Ballet Dance content, which may Not Be in Line with My Gal's Dance Preference (At Least for Now) ....
So One Less School to Consider .... :lol: :lol: :

Haha - we didn't even need to go, bc took a look at the curriculum online and the instructors. The instructor at SOTA for ds2's instrument is not a very good teacher, so no go. With that kind of standard at SOTA, might as well be in mainstream school and learn privately - much better.

[Funx3]

phankao:

Funx3:

Final Conclusion is .... She Not in favour of the IB Prog ....
Actually, I Have Some Reservations as well with Regards to the Large-ly Ballet Dance content, which may Not Be in Line with My Gal's Dance Preference (At Least for Now) ....
So One Less School to Consider .... :lol: :lol: :

Haha - we didn't even need to go, bc took a look at the curriculum online and the instructors. The instructor at SOTA for ds2's instrument is not a very good teacher, so no go. With that kind of standard at SOTA, might as well be in mainstream school and learn privately - much better.

Wah U Very Detail -le!
Who Teaching, Who is Good instructor ALL in your Book Already ....
U R One Very Prepared Parent!
:celebrate: :celebrate:

[TREX8]

Funx3:

For Other Discipline, Have to Get Feedback from other Parents who attended the Separate Sessions ....
AnyOne Out There Care to Share?
:celebrate: :celebrate:

I attended the Theatre Studies and there's no mention of evening/night classes etc. DD's other friends who attended the Dance Session also came out having second thoughts about whether to pursue Dance or not. They, too, seem to be put off by the long hrs and the extra committment during holidays. It seems that the long hrs is due to rostering as there is a need for one-to-one sessions. But that also mean that there would be gaps in between lessons for students to complete their school/homework.

[phankao]

Funx3:

phankao:

Haha - we didn't even need to go, bc took a look at the curriculum online and the instructors. The instructor at SOTA for ds2's instrument is not a very good teacher, so no go. With that kind of standard at SOTA, might as well be in mainstream school and learn privately - much better.

Wah U Very Detail -le!
Who Teaching, Who is Good instructor ALL in your Book Already ..

It's not difficult to be in-the-know as to who are the accomplished instructors in this field. I think you also would know who are the good instructors for Chinese DAnce, right?

[phankao]

Funx3:

phankao:

Haha - we didn't even need to go, bc took a look at the curriculum online and the instructors. The instructor at SOTA for ds2's instrument is not a very good teacher, so no go. With that kind of standard at SOTA, might as well be in mainstream school and learn privately - much better.

Wah U Very Detail -le!
Who Teaching, Who is Good instructor ALL in your Book Already ..

It's not difficult to be in-the-know as to who are the accomplished instructors in this field. I think you also would know who are the good instructors for Chinese DAnce, right?

[Funx3]

phankao:

Funx3:

[quote=\"phankao\"]
Haha - we didn't even need to go, bc took a look at the curriculum online and the instructors. The instructor at SOTA for ds2's instrument is not a very good teacher, so no go. With that kind of standard at SOTA, might as well be in mainstream school and learn privately - much better.

Wah U Very Detail -le!
Who Teaching, Who is Good instructor ALL in your Book Already ..

It's not difficult to be in-the-know as to who are the accomplished instructors in this field. I think you also would know who are the good instructors for Chinese DAnce, right?[/quote]Well, We R Happy and Satisfied with the Current Instructors teaching My Gal so Far ....
So Did Not Look Further than That, I'm Afraid :oops: :oops: ....

[MyBaby]

phankao:

Haha - we didn't even need to go, bc took a look at the curriculum online and the instructors. The instructor at SOTA for ds2's instrument is not a very good teacher, so no go. With that kind of standard at SOTA, might as well be in mainstream school and learn privately - much better.

Dear Phankao, you are indeed blessed with talented children. I've read in the other thread that your 3rd child, at 2 yrs old, is competent with both Chinese and English languages, as well as Malay and Japanese. It seems that your DS2 is also very talented in his art form such that SOTA teachers are not good enough for him. You are very lucky to be blessed with talented children with many options available to him/her.

SOTA might not be suitable for your child, but there is no need to run-down SOTA with your sweeping statement about SOTA. It seems insensitive as there are people in this forum whose kids are in SOTA (and these kids got in through an audition, where only 1 out of 5 applicants were selected) and whose kids are aspiring to get into SOTA.

Have a nice day!

[phankao]

MyBaby:

SOTA might not be suitable for your child, but there is no need to run-down SOTA with your sweeping statement about SOTA. It seems insensitive as there are people in this forum whose kids are in SOTA (and these kids got in through an audition, where only 1 out of 5 applicants were selected) and whose kids are aspiring to get into SOTA.!

I was not even running it down. You brought it to the forefront instead.

You would realise in my post that I was replying to Funx3 and saying that we read & researched onine about the school, and I did say that I was referring to ds2's instrument. How is that a sweeping statement? I didn't say that ALL the instructors in Dance, Drama, Music, etc are not good! How does that discourage the students who are there?!

You would realise that SOTA is rather good for Dance students in reality and also for western music and drama but not necessarily suitable for all domains. Just like Funx3's dd who is under Chinese Dance and found that the programme may not really suitable for her dd and Chinese music for my ds. And I was not even saying that the instructor in SOTA is not good enough for my child, just that the instructor is not one of those very sought-after teachers. My child is not even with one of those \"star or accomplished\" and very sought after teachers. Neither does he have any wish to be with one of those teachers.