slmkhoo\" post_id=\"2049834\" time=\"1638232277\" user_id=\"28674:

Speaking as a mother with grownup kids, I think all loosening up of guidance and controls should be gradual, and this applies to all ages and stages. There is no magic button that makes a 12yo kid suddenly change and grow up between Pr and Sec school. You should certainly not be planning her schedule for her from now on, but she would probably appreciate (even if she doesn't show it) that you explain to her how to make a plan, what considerations to take into account, why certain considerations take priority over others, etc. You can then let her do up a plan or set some groundrules, and then look it over for the most glaring problems. Some \"grey\" areas can be left for her to discover for herself that they may not work (or you may find that they can work).

For teens, I find that asking (guiding) questions works well, and this allows her to work out the answers for herself. Like, \"Given that you need to have 7 hrs of sleep every night, how can you fit all this in, or what can you drop/reduce during term time?\", \"Given your list of essential schoolwork, can you fit all these other things in?\" You may not agree with her answers entirely, but you can always let her try, then review it after a couple of weeks. Once she shows that she can manage on her own, then you can back off, keep a watching brief from a distance, and only step in when you think she may need more help.

Thanks so much for your reply slmkhoo! It really helps hearing from a mother who is ahead of you. Yes, I'll bear in mind that I need to gradually let go. It's really hard though! The eldest somehow gets (and needs) the most attention! I really need to start focusing on the younger ones! Hard to balance as parenting is so 'involved' these days!

<QUOTE author="boinkys" post_id="2049780" time="1638195055" user_id="195700">[quote=boinkys post_id=2049780 time=1638195055 user_id=195700]
(long post ahead )

hello! y3 going y4 student here i may not be very accurate here but i guess the amount a student could spend during recess/lunch could vary from $1 to $5 depending on what the student buys! including lunch on several days, i’d say ~$30/week is sufficient for y1. there’s also no electronic method of payment in rgs!

as a y1 student, your commitments are really only school and cca. for those that take on leadership roles (eg class exco) or third lang (after school lessons at moelc on fridays), their school life might be a bit more busy. however, speaking as a former y1 who was in class exco for 6 months and took on an extra academic programme, y1 was very manageable and i had plenty of time to do the things that i enjoyed

the transition to y1 may be a bit bumpy at first. i remember in y1 i was kinda overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content i had to learn in a year (especially math :"D) and the jump from 4 subjects in primary school to 8 in secondary school was also undoubtedly scary, but i think the syllabus is quite well structured. the teachers can go quite fast as they have to cover so much content in a year (especially in math :"D). but as long as the student is consistent, y1 should be okay! personally, i didn’t realise this till later on in y2 (oops), but i still got a pretty decent gpa in the end of y1 :")

my coping mechanism for stress was honestly just my fear of failure :"D but apart from that, positive affirmation was very important to me. i was also quite realistic and when i was desperate, here’s some things i reminded myself:


first, remember that you’ll get to drop some subjects at the end of y2 when choosing your subject combi! personally i hated literature and even though i tried my best, my overall scores were 60% for in y1 and 70% for in y2 :") ultimately, i dropped it when choosing my y3 subject combi and now i’m happier than ever i’ve heard of students who don’t study for some of their subjects at all and divert their attention to certain subjects that they like/want to pursue in upper sec… personally i really don’t recommend it, but because of the way our grade point average (gpa) is calculated, that is a loophole some students exploit :"D (i can elaborate more on that if you’d want, just drop me a dm!) also, remember that your y1 grades don’t have any lasting impact on your future. for example, your y3 subject combi is not dependent on your gpa, and I doubt universities look at your y1 grades :") as long as you try your best, that’s what matters!

ultimately, consistency is very important. my biggest suggestion to y1s is to make proper use of the resources available. for example, past year papers are available on iNet (rgs’ student portal) and some subjects provide a lot of practice material (eg math teachers provide topical supplementary worksheets, revision worksheets, and reference textbooks for self practice questions). this practice material, more often than not, is optional. hence, the student has to be self directed in her learning to build strong foundations in her subjects i also learnt it the hard way that opportunities don’t get handed to you on a silver platter and you may have to step out of your comfort zone to get what you want! it’s also helpful to get advice from seniors I personally had a group of seniors I was very close to and I got a lot of advice/help from them throughout my time in rgs; they really made my journey in rgs much more smooth sailing! there are some platforms (that are NOT school endorsed) like @gradepointpigeon on Instagram that post helpful rgs related content! (eg since it’s ri matriculation season and transitioning into y3 subject combi season, they are posting about jc subjects and y3 subjects on there) it’s also quite entertaining so do give it a look!

overall, y1 is really what you make of it; it can be quite fun and enriching if you make the best of it :")) drop me a dm if you have any further questions! :)))[/quote]Hello boinkys,

Thank you so much for your reply! Such wise words! I love your positivity and your ‘can do’ attitude. Thank you so much for sharing. I shared with my daughter your reply. Really helps. It’s a big jump from P6 to Sec 1 but your words give much reassurance.

Zeal mummy\" post_id=\"2049755\" time=\"1638190721\" user_id=\"58173:[quote=\"Zeal mummy\" post_id=2049755 time=1638190721 user_id=58173]
Hi Supernova,

Didn’t see any chat groups yet…

No electronic payment. It’s really up to you to give your girl.. $5 should be sufficient. Chicken katsu rice $2.50, drink $1, ice cream $2. I think can give more, $5.50 ? ... *wink

Girls must learn to be independent. Let them work things out themselves and be a listening ear, be there. They are good at everything and will eventually be excellent at what they put their heart in. Actually year 1, not a lot of work. Let them adapt to the new environment, honeymoon, make new friends.[/quote]

Thank you for your helpful reply! I guess if my girl has to stay back for lunch, that's an additional $3? Haha, just wanted to know the \"market rate\". 🤣

Thanks too for the advice on letting the girls figure it out. Just that my girl is my eldest and I have no idea how to deal with a secondary school teenager. Also, up to now, she's been depending on me to plan her work schedule etc. I want to let go but also worried about dropping her completely. 😅

Hello!


If there is a WhatsApp parent chat group for Year 1 2022, please let me know! If there isn’t, and there are prospective parents who are keen to start one, please PM me.

Also, what’s the recommended weekly allowance for RGS girls? Do the girls bring cash or is there an electronic payment method in school?

Lastly, I would be grateful for any advice from RGS parents and RGS girls on how best to help my daughter with the transition to secondary school e.g. tips on how to manage time and cope with studies, and tips which would be helpful for new Year 1 girls!

Thank you!

skyline88\" post_id=\"1911933\" time=\"1558715498\" user_id=\"100587:

faithj\" post_id=\"1910269\" time=\"1557827021\" user_id=\"171285:

Hi, I'm wondering if there are any composition marking services (pegged to Singapore PSLE style of marking), where a student writes a compo at home and emails it to a teacher who will grade and mark the compo in detail, with guidance on how can he/she improve in some areas, what and how to elaborate, adding in good phrases/sentences to the compo where necessary, with the intent to allow the student to read, compare, analyse and improve.

If you know any, pls pm me. Thanks!

Hi faithj, I have teachers who can mark compositions like this.


https://postimg.cc/t7mcQZMS

https://postimg.cc/N59zgGhg

Hi Skyline88, please could you PM me your teacher's contact? Thanks.

Hello Joy of Learning 111, I am looking for help with guiding my children in English creative writing. While they read quite a fair bit, they need guidance in the craft. Please send me a PM. Thank you.

Hello Joy of Learning 111, I am looking for help with guiding my children in English creative writing. While they read quite a fair bit, they need guidance in the craft. Please send me a PM. Thank you.

Hi, I’m trying to decide between Pei Chun (my husband’s alumni) and CHIJ Toa Payoh (my alumni). I would be grateful for any views on these two schools and in particular, the teaching standards and facilities. Unfortunately schools don’t have open houses for prospective parents so there is no way of finding out more about the schools. Thanks

Callie Tan:

Supernova:

Hi, I'm trying to decide between Berries and the ChengZhu language learners programme for my 3.5 year old daughter. She needs to be prepared for P1 higher Chinese and we don't speak Mandarin at home. I would be grateful for any views.

at 3.5 years old I feel it's more about cultivating interests in the laguage... Heard that Berries are pretty fun for learning chinese, and I have not heard of ChengZhu...IMO, do make some effort to speak the language at home, which will definitely help a lot a lot compared to just depending on enrichment classes which might be just 1-3 hours a week...

Thanks Callie!

Hi, I’m trying to decide between Berries and the ChengZhu language learners programme for my 3.5 year old daughter. She needs to be prepared for P1 higher Chinese and we don’t speak Mandarin at home. I would be grateful for any views.