The deadline for opting for the DSA offers is, by now, over. What a relief!
It had been quite a mentally draining exercise pondering over the questions: Which is the better route? The more-familiar A-level route or the less-familiar IB Diploma route? Will WY thrive and excel in the IB programme? Or will it be better that he sticks to the mainstream A-level drilling and mugging regime? What will WY be happiest doing and where will he learn most effectively? Can and will SOTA deliver? Is its academic programme rigorous enough to get WY into the university?
.................
I spoke to WY extensively about his preferences. He said he likes the idea of pursuing music and does not mind that he will have to work and practise very hard on the piano, but he does not want to do just only that. He wants to also study subjects like Science, Mathematics, History, Geography etc like the other secondary students. In fact, he is looking forward to studying such things as Literature and Geography.
So, I probed and asked and probed and asked. It's tiring and I must have sounded ultra long-winded, but eventually, we came to a decision.
To sum up, WY wants something interesting (he wants to learn composing music!) and challenging (like studying the academic subjects) but does not mind being different from his classmates (based on what WY knows, no one else in his school has tried for SOTA).
In his words, he is ok with going to SOTA although he would also like to see if his results would qualify him for other places like HCI or DHS. (I know at least one of his closer friends is going to either HCI or DHS.)
So, we worked out our strategy, made our choice and now only await the final results.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
PSLE - Finally Over!
Last week and earlier this week, WY sat for his PSLE.
According to him, the language and Science papers were ok and not too tough, but the Maths paper was a killer. There were several questions which he didn't know how to do at first but managed to figure something out eventually (not sure if answers were correct or not?); there was also one question which he couldn't complete on time.
That the PSLE Maths paper was incredibly difficult is not new; almost every other year, we would hear in the news how some parents would cry foul over such 'unexpected' toughness in the Maths problems. Then, such complaint would inevitably progressed into an argument of sorts as to whether the education system here is 'healthy' etc. What absolute watse of time such ranting always is!
I looked at the Maths question posted on some online forum and found, to my dismay, that I don't seem to be able to work it out myself! Perhaps, if I tried harder using whatever mathematical concepts and skills that remain with me today, I might be able to find a solution somehow. But then, I didn't try harder.
Whatever it is, it looks clear that if this is the type of questions that they pose in the PSLE, the authorities are obviously expecting our 12-year-olds to be calculating at at least the Sec 2 level of our yesteryears (our time). How else could anyone expect the children to be able to apply algebra and simultaneous equations etc, all at one go, to solve this one (out of 18) questions?!
I really hope WY has done well enough to get a decent score. Not only for Maths but all papers. I am not speculating how many 'A's or 'A*'s he will get, but I hope that whatever the results may be, he will remain optimistic and motivated on his learning journey. The PSLE is but only the 1st stop; there are many more to go.
*****************
The current 'headache' for R and myself is the question: SOTA or not?
We have an appointment with the school this Friday for a discussion - we want to know better of its IB Diploma curriculum and assessment schemes etc. Also the music education aspect of schooling there.
Hopefully, we find some answers there and can decide wisely whether or not to proceed with SOTA at end October (decision must be made by then because this is a DSA process!).
According to him, the language and Science papers were ok and not too tough, but the Maths paper was a killer. There were several questions which he didn't know how to do at first but managed to figure something out eventually (not sure if answers were correct or not?); there was also one question which he couldn't complete on time.
That the PSLE Maths paper was incredibly difficult is not new; almost every other year, we would hear in the news how some parents would cry foul over such 'unexpected' toughness in the Maths problems. Then, such complaint would inevitably progressed into an argument of sorts as to whether the education system here is 'healthy' etc. What absolute watse of time such ranting always is!
I looked at the Maths question posted on some online forum and found, to my dismay, that I don't seem to be able to work it out myself! Perhaps, if I tried harder using whatever mathematical concepts and skills that remain with me today, I might be able to find a solution somehow. But then, I didn't try harder.
Whatever it is, it looks clear that if this is the type of questions that they pose in the PSLE, the authorities are obviously expecting our 12-year-olds to be calculating at at least the Sec 2 level of our yesteryears (our time). How else could anyone expect the children to be able to apply algebra and simultaneous equations etc, all at one go, to solve this one (out of 18) questions?!
I really hope WY has done well enough to get a decent score. Not only for Maths but all papers. I am not speculating how many 'A's or 'A*'s he will get, but I hope that whatever the results may be, he will remain optimistic and motivated on his learning journey. The PSLE is but only the 1st stop; there are many more to go.
*****************
The current 'headache' for R and myself is the question: SOTA or not?
We have an appointment with the school this Friday for a discussion - we want to know better of its IB Diploma curriculum and assessment schemes etc. Also the music education aspect of schooling there.
Hopefully, we find some answers there and can decide wisely whether or not to proceed with SOTA at end October (decision must be made by then because this is a DSA process!).
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
中秋节2009
今年，M 和我一起到WF 的学校参加一个下午的庆祝中秋、儿童节的活动。
其实，我知道庆祝活动肯定进行得有点儿‘乱’，也会用上好一些时间，所以，M 一定会觉得不耐烦、觉得她在浪费时间。可是，因为我这段时间没有上班，所以我想参加今年的这个活动，看一看、体会体会WF 在学校里是怎么样庆祝这日子的。
最终，M 接受了WF 的邀请，同意到学校里参加这个‘三代同堂’的庆祝活动。
当天，为了方便，M 和我乘坐德士到学校。我们抵达了一会儿，由老师们呈现的表演节目就开始了。她们又跳又唱，还表演杂技，逗得那些小一、小二的学生乐得不得了。尤其是当同学们看到平日严肃无比的老师们，在一项预先录制好了的录影片中，随着音乐跳啊跳的，大家都笑到‘肚子痛’！
表演完毕后，学生们都排队回到课室。 家长们，则到礼堂外面的走廊，享用茶点。说到茶点，校方真是用心良苦； 他们安排了一些高年级的学长，分发切好了的月饼和柚子给我们。这些同学们，也把杯子递给我们，让我们自己去装热腾腾的中国茶。
M 和我一边吃，一边看看WF 是不是从课室里跑出来了。因为，正当我们吃、喝着，休息的铃声就响了。我们东张西望，一直没见着WF 。于是，M 和我把杯子、碟子放好后，便再一次进到礼堂，找位子坐下，准备做灯笼。
我到礼堂外领取做灯笼的材料。原来，学校也准备了一袋礼包，送给学生们的‘阿公、阿麽’！里面有小月饼，零食，还有两瓶燕窝呢！还蛮细心的，不是吗？
制作灯笼，的确不容易。尤其是和M 一起做，心里的压力更是极大！
老师分了一张纸给我们，上面写着灯笼的制作过程、步骤。M 一看也不看，就只坐在我的正对面，看我七手八脚地把材料翻了又翻，看了又看，不知从哪里先做起！
最后，我们还是东看看、西瞧瞧，一边‘偷看’旁边的人怎么做，一边试着根据那张纸的图，把红纸折折、剪剪，又贴贴的，做得我手忙脚乱！ 还好，老师把礼堂里的冷气开了，我才没有满头大汗！
过了一会儿，WF 也来参加灯笼的制作。我们让WF 用浆糊，把灯笼的一部分材料粘好；这儿数数、那儿粘粘的，把这个小瓜也弄得挺忙的。这时，M 也开始指挥WF 了。
我想，这就是‘三代合力’的一幕吧。 我乘机把这一幕拍了下来。在我们隔壁的一组人，也有样学样，开始拍起照来！
就这样一剪、一贴、一钉的，我们好不容易地终于完成了灯笼！这时，WF 也需要回到课室了。所以，我催着他和M，一起拿着刚出炉的灯笼，拍照留念！因为匆忙得很，手也抖了抖，照片不是很清楚。
在回家的路途中，M 一直唠唠叨叨地说，以后再也不参加这种活动了。 她嫌费时、费力，花时间又‘麻烦’，还说灯笼要的话，买一个就有了！咳，说得我听了都厌烦！
我想，这一次的经验，是难得的。我回到公司上班后，也大概不会特地请假到学校，跟孩子一起来这样制作灯笼。所以，虽然我们的灯笼不是很好看，我还是觉得挺骄傲的。（在制作的过程中，我还因为钉错了灯笼的一部分，必须把材料拆了，重新再做两回，真是考耐力哦！！）
这个灯笼，在中秋节晚上也派上了用场！你看，这不是蛮美的照片吗？！
咦，这么多的月饼，怎么吃得完？！
请别误会，它们有一些是我们买的，有一些则是别人送给CP 的。我们只是把那天晚上，家里所有的月饼，一起拿来合照而已！（还有其他的月饼，早在前一个星期，就和YP 他们大家一起吃完了！还有，我忘了摆上柚子！啊！。。。。）
拍照过后，我们一边吃，一边谈到学校制作灯笼的事儿。 大家最后的结论是：灯笼，亲手做的珍贵，可是，买的更方便！
哈哈哈哈哈，大家笑着把3、4个月饼吞到肚子里去。R, WY 和我还喝了茶润喉 － M 和WF 只喝水，因为M 怕喝茶，会睡不着觉！
即使那天晚上的月亮不是很圆、不是很亮，我们的中秋夜，还算过得不错。
其实，我知道庆祝活动肯定进行得有点儿‘乱’，也会用上好一些时间，所以，M 一定会觉得不耐烦、觉得她在浪费时间。可是，因为我这段时间没有上班，所以我想参加今年的这个活动，看一看、体会体会WF 在学校里是怎么样庆祝这日子的。
最终，M 接受了WF 的邀请，同意到学校里参加这个‘三代同堂’的庆祝活动。
当天，为了方便，M 和我乘坐德士到学校。我们抵达了一会儿，由老师们呈现的表演节目就开始了。她们又跳又唱，还表演杂技，逗得那些小一、小二的学生乐得不得了。尤其是当同学们看到平日严肃无比的老师们，在一项预先录制好了的录影片中，随着音乐跳啊跳的，大家都笑到‘肚子痛’！
表演完毕后，学生们都排队回到课室。 家长们，则到礼堂外面的走廊，享用茶点。说到茶点，校方真是用心良苦； 他们安排了一些高年级的学长，分发切好了的月饼和柚子给我们。这些同学们，也把杯子递给我们，让我们自己去装热腾腾的中国茶。
M 和我一边吃，一边看看WF 是不是从课室里跑出来了。因为，正当我们吃、喝着，休息的铃声就响了。我们东张西望，一直没见着WF 。于是，M 和我把杯子、碟子放好后，便再一次进到礼堂，找位子坐下，准备做灯笼。
我到礼堂外领取做灯笼的材料。原来，学校也准备了一袋礼包，送给学生们的‘阿公、阿麽’！里面有小月饼，零食，还有两瓶燕窝呢！还蛮细心的，不是吗？
制作灯笼，的确不容易。尤其是和M 一起做，心里的压力更是极大！
老师分了一张纸给我们，上面写着灯笼的制作过程、步骤。M 一看也不看，就只坐在我的正对面，看我七手八脚地把材料翻了又翻，看了又看，不知从哪里先做起！
最后，我们还是东看看、西瞧瞧，一边‘偷看’旁边的人怎么做，一边试着根据那张纸的图，把红纸折折、剪剪，又贴贴的，做得我手忙脚乱！ 还好，老师把礼堂里的冷气开了，我才没有满头大汗！
过了一会儿，WF 也来参加灯笼的制作。我们让WF 用浆糊，把灯笼的一部分材料粘好；这儿数数、那儿粘粘的，把这个小瓜也弄得挺忙的。这时，M 也开始指挥WF 了。
我想，这就是‘三代合力’的一幕吧。 我乘机把这一幕拍了下来。在我们隔壁的一组人，也有样学样，开始拍起照来！
就这样一剪、一贴、一钉的，我们好不容易地终于完成了灯笼！这时，WF 也需要回到课室了。所以，我催着他和M，一起拿着刚出炉的灯笼，拍照留念！因为匆忙得很，手也抖了抖，照片不是很清楚。在回家的路途中，M 一直唠唠叨叨地说，以后再也不参加这种活动了。 她嫌费时、费力，花时间又‘麻烦’，还说灯笼要的话，买一个就有了！咳，说得我听了都厌烦！
我想，这一次的经验，是难得的。我回到公司上班后，也大概不会特地请假到学校，跟孩子一起来这样制作灯笼。所以，虽然我们的灯笼不是很好看，我还是觉得挺骄傲的。（在制作的过程中，我还因为钉错了灯笼的一部分，必须把材料拆了，重新再做两回，真是考耐力哦！！）
这个灯笼，在中秋节晚上也派上了用场！你看，这不是蛮美的照片吗？！
咦，这么多的月饼，怎么吃得完？！
请别误会，它们有一些是我们买的，有一些则是别人送给CP 的。我们只是把那天晚上，家里所有的月饼，一起拿来合照而已！（还有其他的月饼，早在前一个星期，就和YP 他们大家一起吃完了！还有，我忘了摆上柚子！啊！。。。。）
拍照过后，我们一边吃，一边谈到学校制作灯笼的事儿。 大家最后的结论是：灯笼，亲手做的珍贵，可是，买的更方便！
哈哈哈哈哈，大家笑着把3、4个月饼吞到肚子里去。R, WY 和我还喝了茶润喉 － M 和WF 只喝水，因为M 怕喝茶，会睡不着觉！
即使那天晚上的月亮不是很圆、不是很亮，我们的中秋夜，还算过得不错。
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)