Hi All,


Just to share that my children benefit much from meditation. Instead of more work, tuition and drilling, we meditate. It is a good way to overcome stress, anxiety and bring the mind back to optimal level. Here is the link for the meditation session. There's free trial offer for 2015 A-level, O-level and PSLE candidates.

http://www.himalayansingingbowl.info/events

:xedfingers:

Performing arts CCAs are in a way a bit more competitive than some other CCAs. Members of the orchestra usually are ranked and placed in chairs or sections according to competence level with the instruments.


The exco and the musical leaders, conductors or concertmasters, are usually voted in by the members. The elects are to give a pitch, then interviewed by previous committee members and teachers, finally voted in by the members.

As for concertmasters and conductors, it is common to rotate so that other students also have chances to the roles. And, there are instances that students volunteered and became the guest conductors for certain events.

Just to share.


I’m also curious how it was possible that the teacher promised her or she knew that the position was given to her before the voting took place. As for bullying, we still need to see the evidence. Now we only have her words.

slmkhoo:

csc:

I have heard about the unhealthy competitive nature of RGS culture and I know my gal is not suited for it and I also do not want her to be under such stress. That is the key reason for not putting RGS as first choice even though she could enter the school .


She has found many genuine friends in her current school. I have never heard bully cases in her school.

I will not comment on the case as I don't have sufficient info and don't want to speculate. However, I do want to say, on behalf of RGS, that my daughter has been very happy there and so, as far as I can see, are her schoolmates. It is competitive, but not unhealthily so for those who have the personality to cope with it. She says, her experience is that it's more that each girl competes against her own targets for herself rather than against each other. It's probably not a school for those who need more hand-holding, and parents need to match the personality of their child with the nature of the school when making the selection. In any school, there will be disagreements and unhappinesses and competition, and not every student will behave as we would wish. But whether it is severe enough to count as \"bullying\" is another matter.

Yes, there are many more happy students in RGS that thrive well and enjoy every moment in school. My daughter is one.

jetsetter:

havok_ex:

Its weird how this is even tantamount to 'bullying'. Is ostracising bullying? I mean, dont students have a choice of who they want to be friends with?


As a guy, it feels weird that just because people dont want to be friends with me, they are 'bullying' me. For me, bullying must include some sort of physical threat or physical abuse. Yeah, I've had arguments and falling out with friends in the past, such that we end up never talking to each other. But is that really considered bullying?

I mean, I know of cases where guys were beat each other up, threw expletives at each other, ostracised themselves from certain groups and come back after June holidays like nothing happened.

It just makes me feel that this is an over-sensitive little girl who didnt get her way. It just reeks of immaturity.

That's the diff between guys and girls maybe?

+++

Based on the Wanbao report, my DH also dismissed this as a case of an immature, spoilt QUITTER returning with a vengeance. He even went as far as to condemn it as \"belated extortion\", which might backfire if she insists on suing...you know, she might end up 偷鸡不着蚀把米! :yikes:

DH thinks it's absurd that P should get a visit from this ex-student who's already a Winner in her own right: completed her A levels in the UK with stellar results and secured a coveted place in Oxford. Yet, she's showing you this whopping expenditure list to ask for compensation for her suffering in your school 3 years later. No one asked her to leave.

What was Cheryl thinking? She's coming back with bitterness to show those who had snubbed/slighted her 3 years ago that 我现在比你们过得好? Actually, come to think of it, even I don't feel good reading it this way now.

And that part where Cheryl reportedly refused to reconcile with those who hurt her/bullied her. I cannot understand why she refused to, because she sounds very religious in her blog. Her blog posts of England and her new life are very positive sounding too.

It isn't as if she's lost her ability today to strum those instruments due to her eczema. She wasn't suffering from insomnia, nor was she on anti-depressants. On the contrary, she's living very well and even made it to a good uni.

So to my DH, coming back 3 yrs later to demand her alma mater she picked and quit, pay her back expenses as petty as $573 worth of medical bills + $240 taxi claims makes her whole family look kind of mercenary! :scared:

Her batch is preparing for this year's A-level now. Very timely revenge. :siao:

If had problems with CCA, why not change CCA?


I’d seen Cheryl with my own eyes during a MEP event. She was happy and enjoying her role there for the whole event. Not all her time in RGS was miserable as the family has pictured I think.

My dd also got bullied in primary school. Handling bullies is an important lifeskill. Not everyone has the money to sue. I wouldn’t do so even if I have the money to play with. I would rather talk and resolve with the parents of the bullies quickly instead. Holding the grudge and nitpicking the ‘evidents’ for so long only deepen the wounds.

She should learn how to win people’s heart instead.


My daughter knows her and her friends. They all think she’s blowing things out of proportion.

Our feed back regarding uniform group, NCC:


1. There isn't super talents like in sports and performing arts CCAs. Everyone in the same platoon is equal.

2. Free uniform. Free boots. Formal and camo

3. Free camps

4. Diverse training: physical, leadership, adventure and many technical courses

5. Highly subsidised overseas trips

6. Good CCA and leadership points. (Compare with my other kid who held a leader position in performing arts CCA)

7. Strong bonds with platoon mates because they 'suffer' (being emotionally and physically challenged) together

8. Get to meet students from other schools in HQ every year


The physical training and the foot drills could be tiring. Some, especially the pampered ones, may find the camps and the 'being yelled at' harsh.

Dd had achieved much personal growth in this CCA. And she's loving it so much.

proudmum:

Oh dear, MOE directive to install fans instead of using air conditions in classrooms. Wonder if they would install fans in the container classrooms (year 1) and told to switch off the air conditions? Would be really stuffy..

There're fans in the classrooms.

I wonder how this directive, controlling the temperature of IP schools' classrooms, helps improve the education of other schools. :scratchhead:

kira:

:rahrah: Bravo, soda's DD!

:thankyou:

By the way, there're some photos of RGS girls on OBS's Facebook page.

slmkhoo:

soda:

[quote=\"3roses\"]Sec3 parents/ gals, can you share your dd's/ your OBS experience?

my dd said she enjoyed completely even though it was tiring. she said she didnt miss home atall, but we missed her though..... she bonded well with her new class and made new friends... happy to know that they are getting independant and growing up into young adults....

Hi 3 roses, dd came back with many mozzie bites. Other than that, she thinks it's an awesome journey. Yes, she'd bonded well with her new class and made new friends She's rather independent to start with. She cooked for the group. She said she's the only who knows how to cook. Other girls helped with cutting. She also had orienteering training in CCA before, and she led part of the trekking trip. The program was a mix of land and sea expeditions, high elements and games. They trekked for 10km and rowed the boat round Ubin. Now doing homework and getting ready for another busy week

My daughter enjoyed it overall. She got quite a lot of bites too, and not all mozzie ones, I think. She has allergic reactions to insect bites so has red bumps and some blisters, but nothing too serious. Did they kayak around Ubin? My daughter said they just went to some pile of rocks in the sea, circled it and came back. She says the high elements weren't high enough - there was more but they didn't get to do them. And she now knows what it means that \"too many cooks spoil the broth\"! She said she decided to be kitchen helper rather than the cook because there were so many different opinions, and since she's not fussy, she just ate whatever the result was. She's fairly active and fit so coped OK with activities, and she's unfussy about toilets, bathrooms etc. All I can say is that I'm glad I never had to go to OBS when I was a girl! I could have coped with the food and not-so-nice facilities, but not all that trekking and kayaking![/quote]We're both scare of height. DD was frozen and screaming away when doing the high elements. In the end, with the encouragement from her mates, she managed to reach the top