Pat's Schoolhouse

[Busymom]

smurfy:

LAP branch english speech n drama oso removed and replaced by PE.


i know LAP branch stopped offering swimming coz of the timing issue, due to some government guidelines. Keyboard not too sure status.

Do you mean Harmony Road? I was told a year ago that it will be removed eventually when the current batch who have had it graduate. The idea is not to introduce to the new playgroup students, but those who have started doing the program should be able to continue till graduation.

[Busymom]

empressplace:

applemum, thanks for the information.


However I thought this system is not efficient/ideal. Why should the parents not be kept aware of the learning progress and participate in it or at least reinforce teaching at home? For example, if the child is not spelling words properly, an accurate assessment should be given to parents and remedial action should be suggested to parents. Perhaps some simple correction exercises over the weekend would help. Why wait till P1 to struggle?

In my own memory of spelling ....ahem..decades ago, spelling means learning a list of words, being tested on a specified date and doing some corrections if needed. What's wrong with this simple method?

The children will get the spelling lists when they are in P1. For me, I am happy that I am not given the spelling list to teach my DS. The children spend so much of their time in school as it is. We shouldn't be taking over the teaching from the teachers, a complaint that many parents with older children in primary schools are harping about.

If you feel that your child needs to memorize spelling, you can come out with your own list, or use the high frequency word list. My older child is in P3 and I don't find her being in any worse off position despite not having any spelling list to memorize when she was younger.

[Busymom]

mtdt:

My boy was ex Pats kid... now in P1. Sad to learn the changes in PATS.


Eng S&D - is getting more and more impt as it would help in kids Show and tell in future. After the year end concert - all the kids were also given a Certificate of Distinction on DRama by a UK uni. Will this be gone too?

Chi S&D - also helps kids to have more love in the language using interesting chi stories and acting out. I rem my kid love all the chinese S&D time.

Spelling - same as applemum. Although there was no spelling list given, we do see the spelling book at the end of each term. According to the trs, they dont need to give spelling list to prep the kids as kids are expected to spell via phonics and not rote memory. It was indeed a useful way to teach spelling as it would works wonder after that...

Chinese ting xie - no way its going to be phonics based but kids do get it right and rem the words longterm.

Well - I would say the old ways of pats teaching does works. but I would be sad/angry with the removal of the enrichment classes offered.

Agree with everything you wrote above. However, during my DD's time, I don't know if there was any spelling, as we didn't see any spelling book at the end of each term. But this is still fine with me, as long as she has a strong foundation in the language which I believe Pat's has taught her well, spelling can be picked up.

[Busymom]

smurfy:

i have seen no spelling booklet... though i know my k2 boy has spelling every week....


my child is complaining of lack of playtime now.

No spelling booklet for us too, and I am not aware if he has any spelling..

Yes, he complains about having little playtime now, something which my DD didn't complain about when she was in K2. My impression of her K2 years, very fun and spending lots of time on the year-end concert instead of actual work in classroom

I think even Pat's has caught up with the primary one stress?

[Busymom]

smurfy:

\"the good, old experienced teachers.. have turned into teachers' mentors.. and they do not teach a class.. but to mentor the newbie teacher.. \" <- hearsay during a birthday party.

I don't think this is true. Maybe only the principal doesn't teach, the rest including VP are definitely taking a class of their own.

[Busymom]

mtdt:

applemum:

Maybe I am a lazy parent. So I was happy I did not need to reinforce anything at home. The teachers did alert me immediately when there were other problems.

haha... think we are the same pattern.
Guess boils down to the communication between the parents/trs.

Another good pt I can get is the kid is more independent. I do not need to sit down with the kid every week now to go thru his spellings...

Me three! I must be also a lazy parent. The fewer things that I am asked to make my child memorise, the better.

But I agree feedback is important. If there is a persistent problem, whether academic or behavioral, teachers should inform parents about it, not wait for parents to find out subsequently from the child like ages later. :gloomy:

[Busymom]

empressplace:

applemum:

I just remembered that I used to receive weekly update (via a piece of A4 size printed paper) on what was taught. The teacher even provided tips to parents on what to follow up to enhance the learning for the week. But I did not bother to do anything though. Is it still in practice?

Yes, it is. At one point it was uploaded on the parents' portal but it was not timely. Now we seem to be back to the paper updates. The update is so brief that it is pretty useless in my opinion.

What I get now is the same as what my DD got 3 years ago - one piece of A4 size paper. You mean you were getting more before?

After the initial 2-3 weeks in K2 for my DD, I think we were asked to go to the parents' portal. To be honest with you, I much prefer that they give this A4 size paper as I don't go to the portal at all; I ended up with nothing from her K2 years (not that I read if I am given that piece of paper, but I want it, even if it is just a false sense of security to me).

[Busymom]

smurfy:

maybe it was because of the freshie teacher assigned to them in K1 and K2.. totally does not live in pat's values....whereas during playgrp and nursery time, their teacher (Same but since then left pat's) practically u can hear her echoing pat's values and beliefs in the way she talks... i am sorry to say that my child's k2 class are fearful of their teacher.. their teacher is like a disciplinary mistress who count down in order to get them queue up or do things faster.. one mummy mentioned her child was punished to go to a K1 class (for a while) because he cannot behave well... it's like a real joke.. another mummy said her child nag at her non stop to make sure the pencil case was put in the school bag immediately just in case the mummy forgets.. at least two mummies commented the teacher have brainwash them that when they go primary school, they will not have time to play...

I have the same sentiment as you too wrt discipline. Some of the new teachers are taking things a bit too extreme. Do you think a child should be:
1. Locked out of classroom, for being late for school
2. Locked in the small playroom attached to the classroom because he makes too much noise while playing (nb: playing, so he was given permission to play by the teacher in question)

I have issues with both. :sad:

[Busymom]

smurfy:

applemum:

All the above bad feedbacks shocked me. My girl had very encouraging and patient teachers in Pats last time. Infact, they were a lot more patient than me! She had very wonderful learn through play experiences although I must agree that the teachers did instilled more discipline as the kids progressed to higher level. As for pri sch, her teachers are also very nice.

my child oso had very encouraging teacher in playgroup n nursery leh.. only K1-K2.. luck luck luck..

my younger child's teacher can sms me last year to ask me to put my child back on diapers coz they spent too much time to change the kids.. whereas the older child playgroup teacher then kept on encouraging us to let the child wear undies.. luck luck luck

This is totally shocking!

[empressplace]

Busymom:

The children will get the spelling lists when they are in P1. For me, I am happy that I am not given the spelling list to teach my DS. The children spend so much of their time in school as it is. We shouldn't be taking over the teaching from the teachers, a complaint that many parents with older children in primary schools are harping about.


If you feel that your child needs to memorize spelling, you can come out with your own list, or use the high frequency word list. My older child is in P3 and I don't find her being in any worse off position despite not having any spelling list to memorize when she was younger.

I think I have clarified enough that I am focusing on the lack of parental participation, not memorising word lists. :slapshead:

As working parents who pay a premium to send our children to PSH, of course we hope to have an easy time not having to do anything and the child will be returned to us educated, reading and writing fabulously, well spoken, curious and well rounded. But is this the reality on the ground? I can confidently say it is not the case.

Even if the child is spelling via the phonics method which my son is taught to do, we still need to guide and help him to improve retention. So why is parental participation considered unnecessary? In Britain, it is already well established that parental involvement is critical to literacy. Any decent Phonics based reading programme on the enrichment market normally involves parents' guidance and some spelling. So what's so special about PSH's programmes?

I have not really seen any fabulous new initiatives in PSH to keep up with the current and available methodology or the changing demands of parents paying higher fees in the past 4 years. Resting on one's laurels does not seem to have hurt them in a market with long waiting queues for places. Instead, I have only seen whittling down of enrichment programmes by replacing English S&D to something as generic as PE, removal of swimming and other optional programmes, removal of a very useful timing of 3.30 p.m. dismissal and higher teacher turnover.