Singapore International School

evatsoihk

Hi CY-Mother:

終于看到你了。

你的小朋友已經上學快3個月了，由開始聼不懂英語到現在可以嘗試跟其他同學溝通了，真是太好了。

你在家中，有沒有特別幫他再加強補習英語呢？閲讀方面又怎樣解決呢？（是你陪他一起閲讀，還是請人教呢？）普通話的情況又是怎樣的呢？

最後，老師方面給了你什麽反饋信息？

CY-mother 寫道:
hi

最近才有空回應各位關於仔仔在學校情況, 仔仔己適應學校生活, 但最近仔仔好唔開心, 常說沒有同學同佢玩, 好lonely, (之前佢本來說有好多朋友的, 但近這一個月就話只有一個肯同佢玩), 我都有d擔心可能是佢英文問題令到這情況出現...我就鼓勵佢主動d, 佢說有, 但沒人so 佢,  我的心聽到佢這樣說都心痛...

佢這幾日都有這樣說, 又要我問老師, 我昨晚都sent email 了解情況, 現等待回覆.



:cry:

一條毛

Leehoma001

I am not trying to boost how knowledgable my son is. The reason I wrote the previous posting is to point out that I know how my son gets these knowledge. My son learns from self-reading, Thankful's kid gets the knowledge in-born, however, you do not know your son's. I have no doubt that your son know much more than mine. Mind you, your son is one or two years older than mine and he has such a good, caring and educated mother (Oh! I am sorry, it should be father) like you.

If you still cannot get my point, I will be very disappointed.

leehoma001 寫道:
Don't be silly !!

Who cares who is the winner.  I don't care what other kids' can do. I only concern my kid loves reading and builds up the habbit of learning things by himself.

I am just telling the facts about my boy's situation. Believe it or not, I don't and I hate telling lies.



[quote]
一條毛 寫道:
Leehoma001

Calm down, I have admitted that thankful's kid is the winner. Wouldn't you agree?
Smile!

[quote]
leehoma001 寫道:
My kid now seldom reads the two pocket science books published by Usborne as he already finished reading them half year ago.  He is now interesting in reading a series of student encyclopidea containing 20+ books as I mentioned before.

[/quote]

一條毛

Leehoma001,
Hi, little boy again!
I remember in one of other threads, you said you had conducted a thorough, detail, in depth research about why ESF can produce students with quite an even and high academic standard. You had also consulted an education pschologist about the system of ESF. At that time, I admired you very much since I am a lazy father. I just asked my friends' opinion and visited some of the schools. However, in the recent postings, it seems that this is not the case. Therefore I advise you to conduct the research again. This may be a very good PhD thesis and worth publishing so as to benefit our future generation and help the education reform. Now, I am so disappointed that you only mention about to trust the school. However, if my memory is wrong, I give you my deepest apology.

Another thing, you mentioned that you only concern whether your kid can cope with ESF's system and develop his potential. Does it mean that ESF system is only suitable to a certain proportion of students and your son may not be one of them? This is just a gentle reminder, don't be angry about that.

leehoma001 寫道:
Why I need to concern about these unless you don't trust your school can perform well.

ESF has years of well-proven track records and I have no need to concern all what you mentioned. Instead, I will only concern whether my kid can cope with ESF's system and develop his potential.

See my point, little boy !!!!

On the other hand, I think it should be you yourself to learn more in depth about SIS and what is the difference of SIS from ESF system in order to know why ESF has no need to have so many exams, pressures, homeworks.. etc. like SIS but still can achieve such excellence results.

You really need to consult education psychologist as you think SIS style and system is a good education system.



[quote]
一條毛 寫道:
leehoma001

I think you better carry out again a  more detail, in depth research about the teaching method, curriculum and administration of the schools of ESF to find out why they can produce students with quite even and high academic results among the different schools. May be you need to consult education psychologist again as well.

[quote]
leehoma001 寫道:

It is true that QBS or ESF primary follows the British curriculum.  However, I don't know whether it is exactly the same or have some modifications as QBS doesn't give me the details nor asks the parents to check on the UK websites.

[/quote][/quote][/quote]

一條毛

Leehoma001

1). According to defination of the EMB, any school using foreign education system can claim herself an international school. However, I really don't concern SIS is a "real" international school or not. I will still be happy even She changes the name to Singapore Local School or Singapore Traditional School or whatever. I think most of the parents of SIS will share my view.

2). Just a curiosity, if the students are not ranked in ESF, how can you know your son is only average in class?


[quote]
leehoma001 寫道:
Go ahead, you both guys!!!

Ask those who can tell you what you want to know about ESF and then you may know what are the difference in the teaching approach and style between SIS and ESF.  You will also know how a real international looks like as you are accustomed to the system of SIS of which it looks like a traditional school more  !!!

(Note: traditional style of education has its own good points too and many parents like it but it is not my cup of tea and I don't buy it )

P.S. I am a father not a mother

------------------------------------------------

****
(3) Her kid is not excellent. At year 1, his kid was below average academically almost in all aspects. Now in year 2, his achievement is average in his class.
****

By the way, I have said that I don't and I hate telling lie.  If anyone don't believe what I have said,  I can bet for anything you like and I can open my boy's school report in year 1 to those who would like to bet with me.

We were requested to see the class teacher together with the assistant principal a few times in year 1 and they said that as my boy refused to participate in the class activity because of his emotional disturbance and could learn nothing from it.  They were worry whether my boy could keep up with the year 2's curriculum.

一條毛

Thankful

The trouble maker now thank you for summerising what is happening here! It is very clear and precise.
[quote]
thankful 寫道:
一條毛

You really are a trouble maker!  

leehoma001 already said in her postings that despite the fact that her kid is so knowledgeable:-
(1)  It is difficult to tell exactly what kinds of things her kid has learnt from ESF.
(2)  She doesn't know whether her kid learnt the knowledge at ESF or by his own reading.
(3)  Her kid is not excellent.  At year 1, his kid was below average academically almost in all aspects. Now in year 2, his achievement is average in his class.
(4)  She trusts ESF's system very much, but she never asks you to trust what she has posted.

I am sure we will learn a lot more from those other parents:-
(1)  who knows what they teach in ESF;
(2)  whose kids are doing well above average in class as to how they do it;
(3)  who, apart from trust, will tell you something concrete about the pros and cons of ESF.

TeddyBear2006

leehoma001 may have strong opinion on SIS but is it necessary to be so sarcastic, bearing in mind that it is a forum where people can freely express their view.

I guess kids, no matter they are in ESF or SIS, will not like to see their parents defending for their schools in this way.

TeddyBear2006

SIS, as a school preparing students to transit smoothly to  high schools in singapore, is inevidently rigorous in its curriculum. No matter how much it promotes extra-curriculum activities, average students still need to spend time to cope with the rather difficult curriculum. In this sense, it makes no different from DBS, St. Paul Co-ed, LaSalle etc.

If a school has

1) studend mix with almost 100% Asian (largely Chinese Asian)
2) faculty mix with great proportion of Chinese Asian
3) Curriculum is as rigorous if it is not more than that of HK local school
4) Strongly emphasizing Chinese

I would like to ask how the "international" culture can be diffused into student's educational experience? Is it worth paying 3-10 times more for what I think is similar to local school education?

TeddyBear2006

thankful

I guess I explicitly mentioned "Chinese" Asian as the student and faculty mix whose culture are vastly the same as ours. Indeed, as oppose to "Chinese" school, school with significant number of non-Chinese, no matter it is predominated by Japanese, Korean, westerners or foreigners, can at least offer a rather different cultural environment to the HK students there.

A school emphaszing in Chinese indeed has an impact on cultural development. The reason is pretty obvious, isn't it?

Regarding to rigorous curriculum, local schools have been adopting very rigorous curriculum and specifically in this regard SIS is no less local than any schools in HK. It has been very well accepted in the western world that rigorous curriculum, especially in early education, may not be a good thing for kids and that is why many international schools do not have any aptitude based examination in the first couple years of schooling or tend to adopt a rather all-rounded assessment through IB curriculum.

Filtering down the lists, the only majorly difference of SIS from local school can only be language but Putonghua and simplified Chinese characters are by no mean considered "international" by people living in Hong Kong. It is just another dialet. By the way, it is fair enough to choose SIS if these 2 things are of major concerns. Just whether they are worth the price is really a personal call.

yyyy

看完你們的分析,我覺得自己很對不起個女,不要因為選了SIS給她讀,一個銅幣有2面,不同的學校模式都有它的好處,重要的是適合自己;好像選丈夫/太太一樣,選適合自己的而不是選最好的, 況且,怎樣的丈夫/太太才算最好, 真是因人而異…

覺得對不起個女,是因為自己始終擺脫不了傳統思想,就是讀書要勤勤力力,所以對她要求比較嚴厲,自己完成功課是份內事,還要好好用自己的時間溫書…今早還用讀港大時有”咪王”之稱的何XX所說”勤力讀書是很重要”,希望佢好似何XX那樣經常在圖書館咪書那麼勤力…

點解要咁???

經常聽到別人說…”人地D外國人唔駛點讀書, 一樣可以讀完大學”, 這真是一個事實, 但很無奈自己個女不是一個外國人,天生黃皮膚, 還幸好不是十分黑…眼見只要是白皮膚, 在香港就可以找到一份不俗的工作, 收入也不錯…但也眼見, 不同的膚色待遇真的有點不同….說到這裡, 要衷心多謝我家的工人,她比我勤力…

所以華人無論移民到那個國家,生活亦算不錯,聽說是因為華人很勤力,我想,身為華人可能就要勤力點吧…

我對一般DADDY所說的話有一定的尊重,總覺得他們會比較理性和有一定的分析力,對小婦人之見解亦能包容,多謝先! 亦多謝SIS的媽咪, 一直以來都是沉實的以過來人的身份去讓其他媽咪知道SIS是一所怎樣的學校,讓有心的媽咪可以多一個選擇…

evatsoihk

Thank you for sharing with me.

YYYY, It is nice to hear every now and then!
[quote]
yyyy 寫道:
一個銅幣有2面,不同的學校模式都有它的好處,重要的是適合自己;好像選丈夫/太太一樣,選適合自己的而不是選最好的, 況且,怎樣的丈夫/太太才算最好, 真是因人而異…

EEPhoon

cfanny

My P1 kid is seleted to joint higher Chinese class (special syllabus) on every Friday. Pupils are selected based on their P1 examination results (The higher score the better chance). I think based on the result to select the kids is an accetaple way.

MOE of S'pore just changed P1 syllabus for all PI pupils of Singapore primary school. Next year they will change the syllabus for P2 and so on.

All,

I feel more comfortable and secure with my kids being judge my examinations. As when they grow up the society also will jugde them at the same way. It is my resposibilities to make known to them what is the real world and have to learn to deal with different degree of stress at difference ages if they want to be success.
It is pointless if I think my kids is a genius but their employers (who belief on transcript) do not think so. I also cannot guarantee that their future life will be vey relax. Short working hour, no stress, cocking up legs and receiving few millions salary every year.      

ngtw

Hi, EEPhoon,

May I ask how many marks of the exam need to be obtained in order to be selected in P1 higher Chinese class and when ? What grade is your son now ?
This year, the syllabus of chinese is changed. It seemed that it's easier than old syllabus. What do u think ?

thanks,
ngtw

TeddyBear2006

thankful,

"International" is with respect to local students in Hong Kong, not to western students living in HK. Before asking if SIS can offer international culture to western kids, you may want to find out why there is virtually no western kids at SIS first.

By offering Chinese language does not mean that a school shifts the emphasis from English to Chinese. SIS, on the other hand, emphasizes its bilingual curriculum which in essence has the same mentality to all English "local" schools. The only difference is on the detail implementation, not on the big picture.

I totally agree if kids are happy, it worth the price. However, I maintain that happy education does not necessarily equate to either "international" or "expensive" education. Motivated students in some unknown local schools can also be happy.

I am just wondering how many parents before signing up their kids to a school will put their welfare above their own expectation on the kids futrue academic achievement or language development.

EEPhoon

Hi ngtw,
My kid is in P2 this year. She was seleted to joint P2 higher chinese class based on her last year (P1) Chinese examination result. Her score was 96/100 for her Chinese. I am unable to you tell the min.mark to be qualified for higher Chinese class. To me the new syallbus seemed higher (I compared the text book with the old tex book). Have you gone thorough the above syallbus?
For example -
The old syallbus - chinese spelling only testes in vocabularies
New syallbus - chinese spelling are tested in sentences (10 -12 words). I just gone thorough with my kid.

I bouht some (2006 edited) assessement books
from Singapore. After I gone thorough those books, to my shock, it is really hard for kids at 7-8 years old.