Category Archives: Education

Education

2018 Secondary 3 Week 9 Update

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We’re almost at the end of term 1 of the school year and I feel that time is just running fast and before we know it the children will be giving their O levels and thus ending their school journey!

BB’s common tests start from tomorrow and I have really no idea how much he has prepared for them. I can and do keep nagging constantly, but at this age, most of it goes in from one year and goes out immediately from the other ear, with nothing actually being heard! I don’t want to push him too much because he is in a hormonally charged, sensitive age, but I can’t leave it as it is because the marks he gets now will pretty much determine his future, especially in the grade-obsessed nation we live in.

GG will go for her adventure camp tomorrow. She is quite ambivalent about this whole camp. She says she does not like outdoor activities too much, but I really doubt her claim. I am sure when she comes back, she will be full of stories about the fun she had with her cohort.

The next week is school holidays with GG’s choir doing a public concert, so that’s something BB and I will be going to support her. We don’t have other plans for the holidays, so need to think of something the children can do.

Have an awesome Sunday!

 

2018 Secondary 3 Week 8 Update

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It was a very hectic day for GG yesterday. She, along with three other students from her class were the official entries representing their school for the national Geography Olympiads. Except for checking out past years questions the night before GG had not done any prep work. They went in just to gain experience. According to her, it was fun and if given a chance, she’d do it again.

BB’s school week was the usual one. His common tests start the week after next. Theirs is the only cohort who will have the test then, all the others start from tomorrow. I’ve started my nagging mode now, chasing him to do some work on a daily basis.

2018 Secondary 3 Week 7 Update

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This was a very short school week for BB & GG. They only had full-day school for three days and then Thursday was Chinese New Year celebrations in schools with half day school thrown in and then a long weekend which means they only go back to school on Tuesday.

GG finished all her common tests and the teachers were nice enough that they did not pass out the marked papers this week. This meant that both teachers and students had a stress-free holiday!

There’s really nothing to write about the children this week since there was nothing to write about!

Have a wonderful Sunday and a Happy Lunar New Year!

2018 Secondary 3 Week 6 Update

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GG has started her first common test of the year and she is super stressed about it. I am starting to get worried about it and any possible repercussions on her mental and physical health. I will monitor this for a while and will intervene if needed.

BB  went to the Singapore Airshow this week as part of his CCA. They spent the whole day there and even missed school because of this. BB has been going to the airshow almost every time it comes to Singapore (it’s a biannual show).

I also wasted more than three hours in going to GG’s school for a principal’s talk. Usually, all schools will have the principal addressing parents in the first month of the new school year where they will speak about the direction the school will be moving in that year. They also bring up any issues that students face and it is also a chance for parents to feedback to the school leaders any issues they or their children may have. Unfortunately, today’s talk was all about a new smart room the school is opening. I liked hearing about the technology used in the room (where we were seated), but I felt cheated that there was nothing at all about how the school year will be planned and what the school has in store for the students. Anyway, I am going to chalk it up to experience and just leave it there!

Next week is a short school week for the kiddos because of the Lunar New Year, so they are quite happy about it. For any readers who follow the Lunar calendar, Gong Xi Fa Cai, Xin Nian Kuai Le! Happy Lunar New Year to you and your loved ones!

Happy Sunday everyone…..

2018 Secondary 3 Week 5 Update

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The first month of school is done and the children are settling into what is probably the most difficult year of their school lives! The GCSE O levels is a two-year curriculum and since next year, which is the O level year will be a short teaching year since the school will complete their teaching by the middle of the year and the rest of the year be spent in revisions. This means that more than half the curriculum should be taught this year, which also means that the stress levels are pretty high for students!

I also went for the OBS briefing in BB’s school earlier in the week. The camping trip sounds to be pretty exciting and I am more excited than him who seems to be pretty blase about it! His class will be going during the September holidays and since this means that this batch will miss their holidays, they get to have their holidays earlier when the first batch goes to their camp.

At the camp, day one and five will be team building and reflections activities and the middle three days will be spent on land and sea activities as well as climbing stuff. They will also need to do a medical checkup to certify them fit for the camp which will be done in school in week 1 of term 3. The principal also introduced the form teachers of the cohort to the parents which was good to put names to faces and so I also introduced myself to her.

His form teacher is his English language teacher and she had some good comments about him. She said BB is an intelligent boy and speaks well in class. She was particularly impressed with some answers he gave in class recently which is quite heartening. But she mentioned he seemed a bit lethargic in class sometimes so I did assure her that I will enforce bedtime for him. She was concerned he was studying but I said no he was playing games! And she brought up handwriting, my perennial problem!!

Nothing much from GG’s school this week. She is up for some executive committee roles in her CCA and the Student Council Board and last night we sat down to do a short presentation on the role she is interested in and why she would be the best fit for it. The presentation to the teachers and the current board is tomorrow and hopefully, she gets what she wants!

Well have a great week folks!!