2016 Sec 1 Week 21 Update

Results week! GG did very well this exam, getting multiple A1s (equal to an A+), including Maths, which is the one subject she always loses marks in. She’s super pumped up and motivated now to do better and in hindsight I feel putting her in this stream has been great for her. She also scored highest in some subjects, of which, which she is very proud!

BB on the other hand, didn’t do so well, only scoring A1s for his strongest subjects of Maths and Science and indifferent marks in others. He also failed some academic subjects. I hope with this failure he pulls up his socks and starts getting serious for the year-end exams. He needs to do well especially next year as they will choose subject combinations in secondary 3, all of which will affect his post-secondary course choices. 

GG also has proceeded to the next round for he councillor selection at her school (actually all students went to the next round). She has the interview session with the current student council later this week. I’m going to help her prepare for this this week.

We also have the parent teacher meetings later in the week, on the same day for both. So first I go to BB’s school, meet his form teacher, then off to GG’s school and meet both, form and subject Teachers. I am also going to talk about a lateral transfer for her. I want her to get the choice, the final decision will be hers!

2016 Sec 1 Week 20 Update

We’re more than a third towards the end of the year and this year is going too fast for my liking!

Exams ended this week and hopefully both BB & GG have done fairly well. Friday was a holiday for both as both schools had the day off for students so that teachers can mark papers in peace!

On Thursday, after exams ended, both the kids met up with some Primary school friends. I am glad they are making this effort to reach out and meet old friends. These friends are the ones who’ve seen each other grow from tiny, shy and scared six year olds to confident teens!

On Friday, GG had a ‘Thank You’ lunch from her school. This lunch was to all cast and crew of their 30th anniversary celebrations last month and after that her choir had a party – to welcome the juniors and say farewell to the seniors. Most sec 4/sec 5 students will step down from their CCAs now as they start working towards their N and O level exams. Primary 6 students also do the same thing when they step down sometime in April to focus on the PSLE exams, unless there are major competitions which they are taking part in. GG enjoyed the day and they played with water balloons, sang and enjoyed themselves.

Last that day, they also met up with another set old friends. They’ve known these friends since they were around 8-9 months old. This is also a boy/girl fraternal twin pair who are roughly 3 months older than BB & GG. They used to live in the same estate we lived in and we met in the playground! They’ve been friends since then and have had innumerable play dates! Again, this is friendship I love and encourage, even though they’re in different schools and have different schedules. But most school holidays they meet up at least a couple of times.

This was BB & GG’s week this week. Happy Sunday people!

 

2016 Sec 1 Week 19 Update

Exam week for both BB & GG so it was a very low-key week for both.They both have finished roughly half with the exams expected to end next week.

We also got the Hindi exam marks this week and as expected, BB failed. I really don’t know how to reach out to this boy. For someone so smart, who can with one reading understand the subject, he is very unconcerned and in fact, completely neglectful of this subject. I hope, I can spend the next month or so with him on it, hopefully it gets inside his head that he needs to at least pass!!

GG, on the other hand, did OK. I did think she will do better, but considering that she was busy with her school  performance with the big day with two  performances just a day before the exams, it was better than expected. She didn’t get much time to study, especially in the days leading up to the exam.

happy-mothers-day-massage-specialsToday is Mother’s Day and to all the mothers who read my blog, here’s wishing you all a very happy Mother’s Day. There’s an old saying that says that since God knew he could not be around each and every one of his children, he created mothers so every one of his children have someone  love them unconditionally, be with them always and fight for them forever! That’s a mom for you!!

happy-mothers-day-poem

2016 Sec 1 Week 18 Update

Exams started for both the children and they’ve been busy with that.

GG has been nominated by her form teacher to apply to be a school counselor and she’s happy at this chance. They need to fill up a form with examples of how they exemplify the values the school holds close to heart and get endorsements from 4 teachers! The teachers then debate among themselves to decide the counselors. But I am happy that she is even trying for the position and her teachers nominated her. 

Other than that, nothing much happend this week with the children. More probably next week onwards as we start our home adventures! Happy weekend everyone

2016 Sec 1 Week 17 Update

A very ho-hum week as far as school was concerned. The children are busy preparing for their first semester exams which starts from next week,

I am very happy with GG, she has become very mature in the last few months, the failure she had in her PSLE exams was the spur she needed. BB on the other hand, is still as playful as ever! Sigh!!

BB had an e-learning day in school this week and e-learning here was very different from what they had in primary school. Then, they were given everything prior to the e-learnng day and had a few hours to complete all subjects. Usually it won’t take more than an hour, and they have the rest of the day to themselves. Here, on the other hand, BB had definite slots throughout the school day for each of the subject and the curriculum of the e-learning was also not shared in advance. If they missed the slot, they missed the e-learning, which would be graded in the end.

I also, on a whim, googled the best schools in the world for the subjects BB & GG are interested and shared with them. I am using that as their incentive to study, will know in a while if this was successful. It’s also surprising in a good way that Singapore universities figure in the top 10 in both lists…

On to week 18 now, which is the start of exams. Exams also are differently done in secondary school, in bits and pieces over a two week period!