daisyt:

Teacher and teaching style are very important. It can either kills the interest or builds up the interest. I experienced this for my dd. This teacher A, who has taught her for about 3 years, killed her interest totally. After changing, the current teacher B brings up her interest back.


Intitially I did not noticed it because I always thought, as long as she goes for exam, pass her exam, thats it. Slowly, I realised, she practised just for the sake of the exam, not the passion or interest. After a few close obervation on the teacher's teaching, I stop her lessons with this teacher A. I gave my girl (12yo) 2 months cooling down period to think it over, if she still wanted to continue. The reason of loosing her interest was teacher A's teaching and attitute, and the low grade piano we having. After 2 months, her answer to us was YES, she wanted to continue. We upgraded our piano and hunt for a teacher. I am so lucky to find a very good teacher, who is very passionate on teaching piano. Before accepting my girl, she asked for a trial/interview with my girl. I find this is good because I can also judge the teacher during the trial. In the end, she accepted my girl and we also accepted her. Compare her with teacher A, the way she teaches, is totally so different. For eg. teacher A teaches for the sake of teaching. When my girl did not practise, she would just keep quiet and go through the motion. Teacher B, once, she sent my girl back because my girl did not practise enough. She said \"My job is to teach, not to practise with her.\" (BTW, she did not charge me for that lesson she sent my girl back).

p/s : please do not ask me or PM me to recommend this teacher B because she is fully booked.

I'm in a chicken & egg situation. Some people have also told me that I need to get a proper piano to sustain interest. I bought one of those $300 Casio keyboards at home, and my daughter practices on that.

The main reason of course is that the cash outlay is not so high, so even if she gives up piano it is not so serious. Also, it doesn't take so much space in my 4rm flat.

She just says its too hard, and refuses to elaborate.


Sometimes I think she's just lazy

Hi all. My daughter is 6 yrs old, and has been learning piano since she was 5. She hasn’t taken the Grade 1 exam yet. She seems to be losing interest in learning, refusing to practice and asking us to stop the lessons. I don’t want to force her, but at the same time I don’t want her to regret this later in life. I know a few people who regretted not learning a musical instrument when young. Also it seems a waste to throw away 1 yrs worth of lessons just like that.


She was the one who asked for piano lessons at 5 yrs old. She used to love banging away at the piano ever since she was a toddler, but apparently not anymore. What should I do?

I’ve been trying to find a list of mixed primary schools in Singapore, but could not find any on MOE website. I don’t want to go to every school website just to check, very tedious.


Is such a list available anywhere? Thanks in advance!

I’m currently staying in a 3rm flat, thinking of upgrading to a 5rm. But next year my daughter in registering for P1, and I want to try for Phase 2C in a good school near my current place first.


If I’m lucky enough to get in, must I continue staying in my current place? In other words, is it ok if address at balloting stage is within 1km, but upon entering P1 we have moved to a larger place that is further away?

dilemma:

Hi Red_ryder


Maybe you will have better chance next year as I understand that the birth rate in year of Goat is so much lesser than that of Horse. Henry Park is also a good school in this region.

Pei Tong has rebuilt the whole building so it must have the best facilities. Clementi Pri has two students scoring 275 and above last year.

I doubt that low birth-rate means easier to get into good school. If the cohort is small that year, MOE will just scale down the vacancies proportionally. Otherwise a lot of the less popular schools will be left empty right? Anyway, thanks for the info!

Under MOE website, it states that children fostered out by grandparents can use grandparents address to register for the school. But you need to make statutory declaration and you are given lower priority compared to the 1km people.


My question is, what if my whole family moves into my parents flat? We are not fostering the child out, but are truly staying in my parents’ address. Is this reason accepted by the school? Anyone tried this before?

dilemma:

Hi Red_Ryder


I am also staying within 1km of Nanhua and I am really in a dilemma whether to try for the balloting because I feel that this year chances is lesser than that of last year. It's only Phase 2A2 and more than half the places has been taken.

I am formerly from Clementi Primary, I am not sure if I should go ahead and register under Phase 2A2 or try for Nanhua at Phase 2C.

I was also rejected to be a Parent Volunteer at Nanhua.

If I try for Nanhua and unable to get in after the ballot, will have to register in Pei Tong already because by then Clementi Primary will all be taken.

My daughter will be registering in 2009, so I still have one year to plan. Right now trying to decide between Henry Park or NanHua. Both I tried to volunteer and got turned down. If Henry Park is easier to get in, then I'll move to my parent's place in Ghim Moh and register from there.

But right now really have no idea what the chances are for people living within 1 km of both schools.

How is Pei Tong compared to Clementi Primary?