naggo-nitemare:

The 2010 scores doesn't seem to be cumulative, like the 2009's. The best way is to clarify with the ri communications dept, since the 2010 results are emailed to all the parents of ri pupils.

the results presented are accumulative, else the results will be REALLY impressive...

...because the total quota exceeds the total number of rafflesians for that batch. Total cohort for 1 batch is about 1200 (to 1300)

Ex-Math teacher in RI

notsokiasu mum:

Fairy:

[quote=\"kiasuson\"]
My DW has been complaining about this for the last 2 years. My son will either bring back other boys' t-shirts, shirts, ties, extra text books, worksheets, calculators, etc. A check with other parents and it since to be very normal. The boys will be able to sort out themselves after sometime but there are cases where they cannot get back their own stuff. My DW has the same thoughts as yours and she get the same feedback as yours from my DS. My DS told me that their schedule is quite pack and have to ensure they have to be fast to maximise their time to learn more. sigh...

So, it's really a common occurance? Perhaps, it's a gender thingy? sigh...
I can accept it if it happens to primary school kids, but to Sec3s!! :shock: :?

Ok,ok..I'll try not to sweat the '$MALL $tuff'. Maybe, men are created not to be petty about such things.

My son spent 4 yrs in RI and he never had any problem with his uniforms getting mixed-up. There was only one incident of him leaving his hp and wallet in his pants when he went for pe and they were stolen and were never found.[/quote]The teachers and level head in school have reminded the boys many times (during morning assembly, etc) to take ownership of their own belongings but some never listen. The boys are supposed to leave their belongings with the PE rep and finally locked in good hands. But some choose to leave their latest Iphone, cash and wallets in their shorts/pants, sometimes in an empty classroom, and return much later to realise that everything had vanished. Even if the teachers perform a bag search (especially if multiple items were missing from many boys in a class on the same day), they were NEVER found. The culprit may or may not be another boy in school [if found guilty, it is a very serious offence]. Do bear in mind that there are cleaners, ad hoc workers and contract workers loitering in the school campus too. The most viable solution to this problem is for every individual boy to take care of their valuables and not to leave such items unattended. Ask the boy in school, they have been reminded umpteen times.

We have also reminded the boys many times 1) not to change in the classroom and 2) to tuck in their shirts (inside/outside school). Well, these are just some of the MANY common offences.

Ex-teacher (Math) in RI

...giving equal emphasis to studies, CCAs, ECAs, friendships. well said.


i am sure the road ahead will be a fruitful and rewarding journey. it is during the farewell assembly, when the school flash back pictures taken during the cohort milestone (esp the orientiation pictures) that the boys themselves realise how much they have grown.

good luck!

blessedami:

thankyou kiasuson,verykiasu 2010 and Innovate- maybe as parents we do overreact as we want the best for our children. But like all of you mentioned, PSLE is history, an access point through which our children are in one of the best schools in the world.

I certainly was impressed more by the seniors ( Sec 4s especially ) than by the grandeur of the surroundings. And I thought in my mind, yes this is how I would like my DS to be- respectful, humble, polite and pleasant. My DS too was very impressed with his PSLs and like what the Principal said in her speech on Registration Day they do take in \"our boys and give us back wonderful young men\" whom we should definitely be proud of.

We consider ourselves blessed to have had this opportunity and we have told DS to enjoy himself giving equal emphasis to studies, CCAs, ECAs, friendships.

naggo-nitemare:

Tks for sharing. I wish every success in ur new venture!

thank you!

Hi all.


Some statistics for your reference. I left RI early this year/late last year (i.e. the statistics provided here are up-to-date and relevant) to run a tuition centre now.

1. Generally about 15 classes in RI for each batch (1A, 1B, 1C, etc till 1Q, same class for Year 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, etc till 2Q). Omit alphabets N and O (i.e. no classes such as 1N, 1O, 2N, 2O). You can safely assume an average of 30 boys in a class. Total cohort is about 450 per batch. But there are some years when the school will take in slightly more students (i.e. Dragon Year etc). All classrooms are air-conditioned (FYI).

2. 1A (and therefore 2A because the boys are generally in the same class for the first 2 years) is sometimes called the Sports Class or DSA Class. It is a usual practice to group/put the DSA boys in the same class (i.e. 1A/2A) so that the teachers/school can better cater to their needs. I have no qualms with the DSA boys and definitely do not perceive them as lazy boys, weaker boys or slower boys etc… But a handful of them are generally weaker in their academics. Having them in the same class would mean that the teachers can help them easier by conducting remedials (or slower teaching pace in class). Imagine if they are everywhere, in all different classes. A bit more difficult to really help them. Note: RI do conduct additional classes/remedials for the weaker students. I personally taught the boys (All levels, Year 1 to Year 4 in 2009) during the September holidays to help them cope with the EOYs.

3. 1B to 1H (7 classes) are the non-GEP classes. 1I to 1Q (7 classes) are the GEP classes. Results (for Math) from the latter are generally better. For us teachers, it is pretty obvious which are the GEP classes based on the class average score.

4. Do note that 3A and 4A are NOT the sport classes. The boys will be crossed mixed again into different classes from Year 3 onwards based on their subject combinations (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Humanities, etc). Every boy must take math and it is the only subject given a double weighage (from Year 3 onwards). (i.e. counted as two subjects Math 1 and Math 2). There are generally more classes (up from 15 to 17 or 18 ) from Year 3 onwards. Generally, this is so for 2 reasons, to cater to the different demands (for the different subject combinations) and some of the direct admission to Year 3 RP programme (i.e. more boys joining our programme).

In fact, you can get most of these information/statistics (i.e. how many classes they are, how many boys in a class, etc) from any current Rafflesian boy in RI.

Hope this helps!

Ex teacher and trainer for International Math and Science Olympiad in RI

fruitplus:

Hi mathspark,


So the Math textbooks no need to buy. Thanks! So the Maths teacher gave out notes to the Sec 1?

I wonder is there any changes in the booklist for Sec 1 next year? I was thinking of getting the textbooks early, then get my not so hardworking son to go thru some topics early. I've copied down the booklist you posted in Dec last year Very helpful indeed, I found out that my Sec 3 girl can pass some of her old text books to DS. We can save a bit of $$, thank you!

How is your son coping? Is he enjoying his lessons in school ?

Is there a lot of project works in 1st year? What kind of project work is it?

Oh, is there a need to buy notebook for DS? Do they use computer to work on project very regularly?

Is RI a 'Future school' ? Some Sec schools are using the Fujitsu Tablet PCs b'cos they are the 'Future school'. The tablet PC is so costly ($3k+) and heavy!

Thank you in advance!

Hi fruitplus!

In Raffles Institution (Math Dept), we review our recommended textbooks yearly (i.e. batch after batch) with the enitre department of teachers.

The textbook recommended (Shinglee) is meant to be a supplement to the school materials. The IP syllabus in RI (a.k.a. Raffles Programme in short RP from here onwards) is fast-paced, rigorous and conceptually challenging for the boys. In the RP syllabus, the boys are provided with a couple of materials.

1. Worksheets. This is the main teaching material used in school (some students called it the textbook for math used in school). Concepts are introduced while we go through the materials in the worksheets. The content is comprehensive and some practice questions are also included. The boy should revise this fundamental course materials in order to grasp concepts. One topic is usually sub-section into several worksheets. There are blanks to fill in and worked solutions to copy while we teach.

2. Assignments. These are the homework assigned to the boys after each topic (or after a specific section of a topic). Depending on the teacher, it could be collected for marking or some teachers may go through the questions in class (i.e. self marking). Questions are usually tagged with a mark to provide the boys with a mark allocation for a specific question or part-question.

3. Supplementary Worksheets. As known as the ten-year-series for the RP syllabus. These are a compilation of the past years Common Test (CT) questions from RI (sorted according to topics). These are self-revision questions provided for your own practice. For my classes in RI, I will sometimes used those questions for revision before a class test or major exam. Most teachers will not go through the questions in this handout. Rather the onus is on the boy to work on these questions himself for his self-revision. Also a quick check for boy if he understands the content. Numerical answers are provided in the supplementary worksheets for the boys to cross check their answers. Note: I emphasize that this is a mere compilation of the past years CT questions from RI. As such, for some topics, you may find 30 (or more) questions per topic.

4. Revision Worksheets. These are a compilation of the past years exam (End of Year, in short EOY) questions from RI. Again for self practice. This is usually given at a later stage, a couple of weeks before a major exam (i.e. Mid Year Exam or EOY Exam). The materials are sort according to topics for easy reference and revision. One revision worksheet per topic. In all, the boy may receive >200 questions from all the revision worksheets before a major exam for their self practice.

In short, the materials provided in the RP should suffice. It should be the main revision materials before an exam. The topics covered in RP bridges across different sections in the mainstream school curriculum (i.e. O Level syllabus). For this reason, the school will sometimes recommend textbook across different levels (i.e. Sec 1 and 2 book for Year 1 RP). We will hardly or almost never use the textbooks in class itself. (For me, I never use the book in my classes. The materials in the RP programme is really very comprehensive and should suffice for most of the boys). The book is a supplement to the Raffles Programme (i.e. should the boy need additional understanding for a specific topic or need additional revision exercises for his own practice), the book will come in handy. The topics that we cover in the Year 1 RP syllabus are found in the Sec 1 and 2 Shinglee text. For me, I will insist that the boys purchase a copy of the Shinglee text. It is the best textbook thus far after many years of review (every year, RI math dept will do a review. For many years, the teachers chose Shinglee year after year). True enough, the boys will rarely use it and the teachers will hardly use it in school as well, but the book (in mint condition) in the bookshelf will come in handly if he needs help in understanding a topic. Especially so, nearer to exams (i.e. no last minute panic, looking for explanations the day before the exam). Furthermore, should the boy be absent from school for some reasons (i.e. MC, competition, etc), the textbook may come in handy as his worksheets will be empty (do copy from peers though).

Hope this clear your doubts. An important side note, the above content is valid for the RI RP Math syllabus. Not sure for the other subjects, because the different depts run our programme differently in RI.

Ex-teacher and trainer for International Math and Science Olympiad in RI