Secondary School CCA
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Is your school a govt, govt-aided or independent school. My friends’ kids come from a govt-aided primar school, their parents need to co-pay in order to enagage external coach. for certain CCA.
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Zann:
Heard some of the CCAs need parents to co-pay, as high as $600 per year. Any parents come across this in govt or indpt schools?
Just heard from my boy who is in independent school that we have to pay for all the gears required for his cca - softball. And that includes the jersey specially imported from Japan.... shoes.... cap.....i wonder if got to get the bat as well.....
Wow...not cheap ....almost $200... keeping fingers cross that they don't ask me to co pay for the coach's fees.... -
Maybe it’s because the gear is customised or personalised? And school will not want to keep this gear after your boy leaves. Anyway, the good thing about this is that you know he will get brand new gear that works and fits properly.
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schellen,
I think you're right cos he told me the head gear he wore during the selection trial stinks.... and almost wanted to back out of the cca even though he was selected ...anyway I'm looking forward to seeing him play his first game..... but for the moment, his first practice was to swing the bat into the air....which lasted 3 hours.... oh mine... :faint: -
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insider:
I wrote in another thread all these CCAs are just hoax - twisted truth under beautiful cover (what CCAs build kids to be more well rounded etc etc).
Majority of kids join CCAs and even those what Community Involvement Programme (CIP) are coz these will give them points into college applications (I asked my daughter. She said her school requires 7 CIP hours per child per year \"But if you want to get more points, then you have to do more lah, such as 100 hours\"). Take away the incentive of using these involvements into college, I wonder whether the CCA and CIP systems will collapse. Such incentives turn kids and parents into very calculative lot but no choice, it's practical (whenever I talk about MOE, I get very boiled...Sigh...)
PS: I have a friend who starts her child from 5 years old on tennis and she is not so much of having sports in mind but have a 'long term view' of her son getting Direct Entry when he grows up... hahaha...
Do you agree children nowadays live in a pressure-cooker-like environment? At my child's CCA talk for parents, the head of CCA actually told us candidly that CCAs in that school are NOT FOR RECREATION! Indirectly, the school is sending out the message that we, as parents, should ensure that our kids are 'competition material'. Stressed....Stressed.....
A CCA in Sports, UG or PA is compulsory. However, the student has to go throuh selection tests to get into any of them.
I am very sad to learn that one of the Sec1 students in a top school had collapsed and passed away over the weekend while undergoing his private sports training. Who knows, he may be pushing himself to train hard for his CCA trial.
Just one or two months ago, it was reported in the Papers that a sec school boy also jumped to his death over disagreement with his parents/teacher regarding his CCA choice!
I hope parents will not push their kids too hard over studies/CCAs. There is more to life than such achievements. I pity the kids nowadys; they face pressure from all sides......not enough sleep, long hours at school, numerous subjects to study, tests/exams/projects, loads of enrichment activities like ballet/piano/swimming&etc...training for CCAs....... :?: -
My son also told me about the boy. He is a top PSLE student in his primary school. Agree with Fairy…Do not push your kids too much on CCAs… The most important thing is that he/she enjoys it.
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Fairy:
...I am very sad to learn that one of the Sec1 students in a top school had collapsed and passed away over the weekend while undergoing his private sports training. Who knows, he may be pushing himself to train hard for his CCA trial.
...
It does appear that in our eagerness to ensure our children is prepared for the future, we may have put too much emphasis on instant measurable results rather than fundamental long-term character building and appreciation of life. We want our children to be highly efficient problem-solvers without them really understanding why they have to solve the problems. We demand that they strive for excellence without understanding its potential impact on their lives. Without an anchor, even the best ships will flounder under the smallest storms. Perhaps we should teach our children why life is worth living and fighting for, instead of just living to fight for life. -
ChiefKiasu:
It does appear that in our eagerness to ensure our children is prepared for the future, we may have put too much emphasis on instant measurable results rather than fundamental long-term character building and appreciation of life.
Chief, agree with you totally. I know of kids who have achieved Gold Star awards in swimming by primary three but have never ventured beyond the rectangular swimming pool into the deep blue seas....
Or as in the case of my friend's daughter who after attaining her grade 8 piano (at quite an early age), closed the piano and told the mum, \" I've done whatever you asked me to.... no more piano practice from now on..\" -
I think that parents, besides not choosing their children's CCAs for them, should also model commitment to the voluntarily-chosen CCAs. Cos some children have the \"3-minute-hot\" attitude towards CCAs (and other things in life). They need to keep at what they have chosen and stay committed. (Life lessons blah blah, you know.)
For example, parents can talk about their (glorious) CCA days and show off trophies, medals, badges, photos (if any). Some CCAs become lifelong interests like continuing to play music for leisure purposes, going back to former school to help out, etc.
My DH and I met at a musical CCA at university. We still listen to music regularly and I try to play the keyboard from time to time. It's difficult for us to play our original instruments now (unless I have lots of space and money) but we still keep in touch with music. That may partially explain why DD is still enthusiastic about piano lessons despite the difficulties she encounters everyday while practising.
Also, without commitment to CCAs, Mommy would never have met Daddy in the first place! :love: -
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kiasuson:
I can understand the parents' grief. Just days ago, they should be one of the hundreds of parents, hearts filled with pride, who packed the school's hall to attend the ceremony to officially recognise the boys as one of the school's members....My son also told me about the boy. He is a top PSLE student in his primary school. Agree with Fairy...Do not push your kids too much on CCAs.. The most important thing is that he/she enjoys it.
Just two years ago, I had the same feeling when my son came home from school at the start of the school year to tell me that one of his classmates (a GEP student) had passed away in his sleep during the Dec holidays, just before school re-opened. Some of the teachers and classmates cried. A counsellor talked to the students to ensure that they handle the situation well. The teachers created a powerpoint presentation on the boy, with photos of his life at school and got the students to make cards (probably to help them express their grief) to the boy's parents. The boy's parents were invited for the 'presentation'. I was very very sad for a while.
the following is unrelated to the above.....
In our pursuit for excellence, most people, especially parents nowadays do it at the expense of Quality Of Life. Is it so important to be a TOP student, be it in academics or sports? I trully symphatise with the Child, whose parents made it their motto/life's objective/ KPI to groom their Child into a TOP since kindergarten. Learning years ahead of the cohort, memorising the dictionary and etc are strategies they use to ensure that the Child remains a TOP, at least in the 6 years of primary school life. The Child's excellent marks, however close to full marks, are just not good enough if it is not the TOP. There can only be one TOP. Why give up so much in life just to hold on to such a title?
To quote a poem By William. Henry Davies.:
\"LEISURE\"
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.