Below are the answers to your quiry.


Do Returning Singaporeans have to sit for school-based entrance tests for admission to primary schools?
Previously, Returning Singaporeans seeking admission to primary schools had to sit for school-based entrance tests. However, under the current enhanced admission framework, Returning Singaporeans no longer have to sit for entrance tests for admission to primary schools. Nevertheless, primary schools may conduct test(s), after admission, to determine Returning Singaporeans’ mastery of content and language. This is to provide information on the children’s current attainment level, so that they receive the appropriate help to settle back into local schools. The schools may, based on such tests and in consultation with parents, place the children into a lower more suitable level.


What option is there if Returning Singaporeans are unable to keep up with the schools’ academic requirements?
Primary schools must admit Returning Singaporean children to their age-appropriate levels. This is because if the children had stayed in Singapore, they would have progressed to the same levels as their peers residing in Singapore. MOE’s policy intent is to ensure that Returning Singaporeans are not worse off than their peers in Singapore. However, primary schools may, in consultation with parents, place the children into a lower more suitable level

Can Returning Singaporeans be exempted from examinations?
As Returning Singaporeans rejoin Singapore schools at different times of the school year, parents may be concerned about the performance of their children in school examinations. In this regard, the Principals have the discretion to decide whether the pupils should be exempted from examinations and on their promotion to the next level on a case-by-case basis.

Can understand your worries, hope that the above answers gives you a guide to the schooling system in Singapore. There’s always room for discussion but the main issue is whether you are able to get a place in the school near where you are staying.

OMG! Must try to relax a bit first or else we will go crazy before the time comes. Maybe can read my earlier post on page 163 and share some tips to relax ourselves and fight the PSLE battle in an easier way.


TGIF, as usual I will be finishing my work at 5.00pm and will bring dd to play at 5.30pm. I always look forward to this time everyday, so happy that we can stay slightly late today.

Have a happy weekend, cheers

I came to realise that DD has so many school holidays in August.


10 August - off-in-lieu for National Day (No sch)
16th to 17th August - PSLE oral (No sch)
20th August - Hari Raya Puasa

My DD’s school CA2 schedule are as follows:
23 August - English
24 August - Math
27 August - MT
28 August - Science

Luckily the school only takes 30% from SA1 and 70% from SA2

Not so stress for us at this moment, we can take our time to revise for the final exam.

As a mother, I always thought I have inculcated some moral values and life lessons to my daughter (DD). But lately I realised that unknowingly, she has also imparted some life lessons to me through our daily interactions and conversations. It’s a humbling experience to learn from a young child, and these are the things I’ve learnt from her:


1. Do not let the sun go down on your anger.
DD never goes to bed angry. She may be a little ‘chilli padi’ at times but she doesn’t hold her unhappiness or frustration for long. She recovers quickly from any unhappy incidences and does not harbour grudges, even those who had upset her.
Many times, we adults can hold grudges from wrongs done to us decades ago.

2. Be thankful for little blessings.
One day out of the blue, DD just looked at me and said, "Mummy, thank you for making me happy!" I was a little stunned by her sudden declaration because I haven’t done anything spectacular for her that day. But I managed to recover from my surprise and gave her a hug, speechless for word because I was so touched by her attitude of gratitude.
Sometimes we are so blinded or numbed by the daily pursuit of life that we forget the little blessings that lurk behind every challenge.

3. Laugh at yourself from time to time.
I read somewhere that humor is the best medicine in life and any relationship. How true it is! Both hubby and I are rather serious folks. But since DD came into our life, she has taught us to laugh at ourselves and our silly antics at times. For example, she would make funny faces or do funny gestures just to make us laugh. She is not afraid to act silly just to humor us.
As adults, we sometimes take ourselves too seriously that we fail to view life from a humorous perspective. We are so strict with ourselves that we have forgotten how to laugh at ourselves and when life throws us a hard ball.

4. Be contented but not complacent.
There is a difference. Being contented means to be happy and thankful with what you have, and not demanding what you could not have. Being complacent means just accepting what you have without any joy or thankfulness.

DD has a deep quest for knowledge. Whenever I bought her books, she would spend the next one hour flipping through the pages of her new books. But when we went shopping and she saw a toy or book that she liked, she would not demand or pester us to buy for her. There was once when she held something that she liked very much for quite long, and when we said, "Come on, let’s go!", she would quietly put it down without kicking up a fuss. She knows Mummy and Daddy will get whatever she needs for her, and she knows what are ‘must-haves’ and what are ‘good-to-haves’.
Often people are discontented with life because they do not differentiate the ‘needs’ from the ‘wants’.

5. Have compassion and empathy for others.
There was once I went to see DD during recess time, I happened to see DD gently patting a boy’s head and talking softly to him. Later I asked her why she patted her schoolmate’s head. She replied that the boy had a fall and she was helping and consoling him. I was touched that at such a young age, she already knows how to show compassion for her others.
Sometimes life has made us so jaded that we may become immune to those who are suffering or going through a rough patch.

Life is made up of experiences. And experiences can be converted into meaningful lessons if we have an open and humble heart to learn from it.

We are living in a very fast paced country, did anyone ever stopped for a while and think about the things that you have done that made someone happy?

I am a FTWM but I always make it a point to make myself free from 5.30pm to 7.00pm. I will join my girl at the park near our block to play with her friends everyday be it rain or shine.

I hope all mothers out there can also spare some time with your kids, it is very important to spend quanlity time with the children. This way you can also get to understand them better.

Lastly, The best inheritance that we can give to our children is our time and happiness. Money cannot buy all this.

Thanks 711mum,


We had great fun today. After the electone exam at Yamaha Thomson Plaza, we proceeded to Bishan for a celebration at Swenson, followed by shopping.

Swenson was having lunch promo from 12nn to 2pm, for every main dish, you get to choose a free side dish, ice cream or drinks.

After lunch, we went to the Lego shop, DD was overbeamed with joy when we decided to reward her with a box of Lego.

We were so exhausted after so much of walking but she’s still full of energy, playing with her Lego now.

It’s been quite some time since we really enjoyed ourselves.

It’s really a joy to be able to see the happy smile on dd’s face, this day will always remain etched in my mind.

Good night and sweet dreams to all.

Tomorrow will be another happy day.

The weather forecast shows cloudy with temperature between 27°-31°


Have a nice day.

Tomorrow is the day for my dd’s grade 9B electone exam.
One more day to go and we can go out and enjoy ourselves.
Planning to bring her to universal studio next week.

Thanks cfchi2,


Blk 629 is very near my house.

Any feedback?

It will be an eye-opening event for your kid. My dd also have an immersion programme to India in Sept but we opt out.


DD needs to go back to sch from 10am - 2.30pm this week follows by another week of electone training cos she’s going to take her grade 9B exam on the 13th June.

Of course in a very relaxed pace. As usual, she will go down to the playground for her daily activities for 3 hrs.

It’s very difficult to get her to do homework so I just let it go. Afterall they are still kids.

After some consideration to source for tutor, we have decided to take the risk to let her continue to study by herself this year. In fact, she lost most of the marks because of carelessness and not because she don’t know her work well.

We think that if her results were still not satisfying again, it will be easier to let her realise it by herself. Maybe we’ll start with the tuition next year if she really can’t cope.

It’s never too late, most important is the child is able to analyse the situation and they learn to manage the outcome and also be able to withstand failure.

Bishan is too far for everyday traveling, any others to recommend? Home group tuition?

KS_me,


I agree with Bluebelt, "Tuition won’t solve the main problem if attitude is the real issue." "Marks are not so important to me at this moment, most important is to tune the character and attitude and I believe that with this done, the rest will be an easy task."

I personally feel that a boy who is smart but lazy will not be able to score very good marks if he don’t work hard but an average boy who is willing to work hard can eventually score very well.
Sometimes I do feel the pressure when my dd’s teacher said "your daughter needs to put in more effort as she’s in the best class, she can do it… blah blah…"

The FT is very good and gives alot of encouragement but my dd always disappoint him.
she’s used to score 90+ for all subjects and always top the class until this SA1, her results dropped alot except for Math.

I noticed that her character has changed thus causing her change of attitude. Can you imagine that from the top 3 position, she dropped to the middle or maybe the last? Can you feel the disappointment?

I am disappointed not because of the marks or position, it’s the attitude. If she’s hardworking and the results are still not good, I can accept it but her results dropped because she’s very lazy not that she’s stupid. (btw she doesn’t have tuition at all)