MOMMY CLUB - Yr 2007 P1's (Yr2000 Millennium & Dragon Babies)

Hi Jess,
Usually, there would be some recommended dictionaries on the booklist. Did you consider those? I bought three dictionaries - 2 English and 1 Chinese - for my kid when I bought her books last year, but she has never touched them at all. I don't even have the time to teach her how to use them.

Wen,
You're so right. Now I tell others that my kid is going to be P2 next year, instead of 'She's in P1'. Wow ... time really flies.

Thanks, dorie, for sharing. I didn't know the UNSW scores could help students at secondary level.
 


hi hi, good morning!!!

am very happy with my gal's result... improve a lot esp math. i thought she cant make it man cos prior to her exam, she had gave us a lot of problems... she made her tutor so angry that i think she wont want to continue next yr...

times really flies.... i feeling a bit sad...

rains, ya... i keeping telling her that she is gg to pri2 soon...tomorrow, me gg to buy books... haha ks to the max!!!

dictionary
i dun get any this yr. think it's high time already. my booklist dun have leh... any recommendation?

time-management
one time that i wan to see in my gal is time management which she dun have at all!!!
 
Rains,
The booklist last year recommended an English picture dictionary which is not useful. I bought Longman's Basic English Dictionary but he cannot find many words in it. For Chinese, I bought Longman's Picture Dictionary for Primary School Students but I found some printing mistakes and it also does not contain many words. That's why I hope some mummies here can give me some good recommendation.
 
Jess, we are using the Oxford English Dictionary and Times New Chinese/English Dictionary. Both seems ok although my boy is still not skillful in his word search.
 
Hi dorie, thanks for sharing.

Jess, I'm using Collins English Dictionary. I'm also looking for a suitable chinese dictionary for my girl as the current one is for the beginner.

Dorothy, what do you mean by "Time management"? As I mentioned before, my daughter was the "battery operated" type. She tends to spent a very long time to finish a task. Is your daughter like that too?
 
Rimilyn, ya!!! at least yrs is "battery operated" ... mine is worse than that....
she needs to be remind again n again to finish up a task.... i sometimes nag until i gave up n ignore her then she realised that her mummy is veri angry with her... then she will hurry up...

so i hope that everytime, when she is given a task, i will give her a time frame to finisg...

also she expects me or her father to sit beside her to "watch" her doing her work.... imagine this how i spent more of my sat.... will die man!!

dic
can i know how u mummies teach yr child to use dic? can share...
 
My DD is using Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner's for ENGLISH & Xinhua Xiandai Hanyu Cidian(Starpub Pte Ltd).

i am very satisfy with the english dict. as this was recommended to me by my sec.english teacher. as for the chinese dict. todate whatsoever words i want can be found here...
 
dorothy,

My kid is like that too! When I ask her to get herself a pencil to do 1 mathematical sum, she takes out her pencil case which contains lots of colour papers, rubbish except a pencil and eraser. Then she'll dig into this pencil case and search and search to no avail. I'd have to scream at her to find 1 pathetic pencil. And after that, I have to scream at her to find 1 eraser when she makes a mistake. In the end, she takes 5 mins to get her stationery ready, after my screaming-at-the-top-of-my-lung.

Like your daughter, mine also expects me to sit beside her to look at her do her work. When I leave to do something, she also stops and stares at that same question and thinks about something else until I come back. I've tried giving her a timeframe, but it proves to be too tedious - I need to remember the timeframe I'd given her and go back to check on her on every task. And after a while, it becomes ineffective becos she starts to ask for more time when the time is up. On second thoughts, giving a timeframe is still better than nothing. So I give timeframe whenever I remember.

I was telling my husband how lousy a mother I feel I am becos I scream at her so loudly and so often. He said it's becos her acts remind me of the kids in school, and worse - most of the weaker kids are not even like that. They wouldn't dare to. But my own kid tends to stretch my limit.

Oh oh, I haven't even tell you she takes about 5 to 10 seconds to write a chinese comma and fullstop bcos she does things so slowly. Her chinese cum form teacher said that my kid likes to 'mo2 mo ceng4 ceng' (dilly dally). Actually, since K1, her teachers had noticed that she takes her own sweet time to complete her work. Even taking out something is slow-motioned.
 
rains, haha... what u have just written abt yr gal... IT"S THE SAME WITH MY GAL... once i was so upset with her, then i broke down n "cold war" with her the rest of the day...

sigh.... dun know what to do....rewards n punishment does not help to improve the situation.

have u thought of anything to improve?
btw, did u rec my pm?
 
Oh I didn't realise that you pmed me.
I just replied you.

Talking about cold war with kids. One of my sisters once told me,'You can scold the kid, but you shouldn't ignore him.' I thought about it and I think it's quite true. So I don't ignore my kid now even when I'm very angry.

I haven't thought of any good strategy to counter my kid's slowness. My husband said he knows of a kid who used to be very slow and got an average of 77 marks at P1, but the mother beat her until she doesn't dare to be slow anymore. She's now P4 and doing very well in her studies - top 12 in the whole level, at a very good school too. But I'm against the idea of beating my kid. I feel that there's no need to take out the rod unless the kid has done something destructive. Slowness is not destructive leh. How to beat? I just keep telling my kid,'Do you know that Grandpa hates people to be so slow? He'll scold you too if he were here.' But of course, also not very effective. She tries to be abit faster, but only for that 1 minute.

If you have any strategy, share with me huh?
 
rains, saw yr reply.

ok.. i go think think... actually, for my gal's case, i just wan her to take more initiative that all.:p
i know that if we cold war too often, will backfire one. but on that day, i really cant take it already.
 
Hi mummies,

Any recommendation for P2 assessment books?

My kids tend to argue a lot recently, maybe they are boring. Usually what do your kids do during school holidays?

Jess, have you bought your dictionary?
 
Rimilyn,

My kids have always been arguing too. They want to play with each other but it is either too difficult for one or too easy for the other! I just bought a Junior Monopoly set - quite fun, both of them can play with me as the banker.
I also send them for holiday classes separately - quite tiring for me to ferry them here and there but easier for me to handle them separately as well as more one-to-one time.

I haven't bought the dictionary yet, haven't even bought textbooks...
 
ladies, just to share..

i bought all my textbooks fm Popular book shop instead of school vendors...

1 thing is bcos the school vendor have bad attitude, despite many complains fm parent.. they still exist...

another is i found the price is way too exp. if i buy fm Popular it is cheaper n we can hv Discount if we r members.. thus we save $$$.

so my conclusion is why do i spend more $$$ n make myself unhappy? so i go Popular to buy textbooks...
 
hey VQ, that's what i did too after my friend told me about it. however there are some workbooks that we still have to buy from school bookshop coz Popular don't have them.

as for assessment books, i also dunno which one to get. finally bought those published by EPB and Longman just coz i've heard of them before and content looks ok to me.
 
<font color="ff0000">Hi Wen,</font>
todate, i m still lucky to hv completed the booklist in Popular, but left the Perfect Match Music Book. i will only buy those "no choice" items fm the sch.. eg.. exercise books with sch name.

P2 assessment books? i will get fm the same publisher as her P1s.. cos they r on the same "path" as their textbooks!! i will check the names n post here later...

hey, i heard fm some parents fm DD's sch that their form teacher of P2 Yr2008 is the same as P1!!! i go: OH MY GOD!!!!! i dont like this form teacher.. she is always absent fm sch, n my DD whole class got to spilt up, into other classes!!! not 1 day only, it's for the whole 1 wk!!! n my DD did not learn anything but bring back papers of drawings instead!!! irresponsible teacher!!!
 
I checked out the prices at Popular and the school bookshop, they are similar, so decide to buy from school. Anyway, still need to buy school exercise books and uniforms because they changed uniforms.

My boy's form teacher has also remained unchanged for P2 - I think they want some form of continuity. His form teacher not very good but not too bad either, at least hardly on MC.
 
I also let my kids play "Junior monopoly", however, my daughter always cry if she is not the winner and my son always want the banker to pay him money. Explained to them but they refused to listen. Anyway, I just play according to their "rules" as long as they are willing to play together.

My daughter's P1 form teacher was OK eventhough she also MC and on courses quite often. Is all the primary schools going to have the same system, form teacher remain unchange for P2?

I bought my daughter's textbooks from the school vendor cos it was slightly cheaper. Yesterday, went to "Popular" but came back empty-handed. Really don't know which book to buy! There was a lady who bought 3 baskets of books (textbooks and assessment books only) for her P2 son
kao_confused2.gif
.
 
VQ,

Teachers are only human. They also fall sick. Some teachers are entitled to 30 days of MC but they try to take not more than 10 days in a year, becos it'll affect the appraisal. But sometimes it's really hard especially when you get sore throat. You are not supposed to talk alot when you have a sore throat but teachers need to talk, definitely, and loudly at that. So it doesn't heal. And teachers cannot take medicine when they go to work, bcos medication makes you drowsy. It's hell when you are at work. Perhaps MOE should give schools more funds to employ more relief teachers so that schools don't split up classes when teachers are absent. Your kid only get to do drawing to keep her occupied becos teachers teaching the other classes need to get on with their work and they can't attend to students from other classes.

Most of the time when teachers remain unchanged when children go up to the next level, it's bcos the teachers need to follow up the children on some program the school is doing, like SEED or STELLAR.
 
<font color="ff6000">Hi Rains,</font>
pls dont misunderstand that i thot teachers cant get sick... i rephase my words. i should said that the sch should get some relief teachers if they know that the teacher is away for more than a certain days.

i understand cos i hv friends working as teacher too... Dont get upset over my wrongly phases huh...
 
VQ
I understand how you feel when teacher is absent for many days and frequently and it is not one subject. I went through that stage before and was pek chek but after too many times, see through already. What I did was to teach myself.
 
My niece's teacher was pregnant and kept taking MC here and there. I suppose it couldn't be helped and it was also difficult for the school to arrange for relief teacher on ad hoc basis. As a result, they often had to cramp a few lessons together in order to complete the syllabus on time.

I think from a parent's point of view, it is rather frustrating and yet from a humanity point of view, it is probably inevitable for teachers to go on MC. This is a problem which is not easy to resolve...
 
<font color="ff6000">Ladies,</font>
Thank you for understanding! n Yes, this form teacher teaches them at least 5 subjects too... Maths, English, PE, Art, etc...
 
VQ,

No la. I wasn't upset. I just didn't want you to think that that particular teacher was irresponsible becos she often takes MC. I know of some teachers who genuinely need to take MC. Very often, teachers cannot even take MC when they are really sick becos of the unrealistic deadlines and work demands at school. Fever at 39 degree celsius still have to go to work. It's really a highly misunderstood job. Even within the school itself, teachers also don't dare to take MCs becos the management or even other teachers who need your help in other work areas will be unhappy.

But I do feel that teachers nowadays seem to take more MCs than when I was a student. I don't remember my teachers taking MCs so often compared to the teachers now. Perhaps it's becos teachers of yesteryear did not have so many duties and what they did at work were always student- or teaching-related. In comparison, the priority in school today is not so much of teaching.
 
<font color="ff6000">Hi Rains,</font>

i hv to apologise for my wrongly phases. i do not wish to hv any misunderstanding here mah!!! ok liao lah!

btw, i m not saying she takes too much MC leh! in fact, when my DD told me her teacher was sick.. i even asked her to voice out to the teacher to go home.. dont spread the virus to the children!! hahaha....
 
Aiya, VQ, apologise what apologise la! We are already so 'ripe' (think chinese). No need to explain I also know you have no ill intention or feelings. As a mother, I will also be worried and frustrated if I were in your situation. You said the teacher didn't take too much MC - then you should count yourself fortunate still. I know of a teacher who once took 10 days of MC (not counting Sat and Sun) straight and he's often on MC. But honestly, I can understand why some teachers take MCs when their sicknesses are manageable. Some of them are disillusioned about the job itself but are bonded and cannot leave the job. And some just cannot stand facing the kids they teach becos the kids are too trying for them. At other times, it's becos they are overworked on other duties that they need a break. And since teachers don't have annual leave, they take MC.
 
Oh oh mummies,

I lost my IC recently. Besides reporting to the police and the library (to prevent people from loaning books on my card), is there any other place or authority that I must notify?

There's zero chance to get back my IC becos it's inside my purse which contained my two newly-topped-up ez link cards and $200.
 
Hi Rains,

Did you misplace it at your parents' place? Besides reporting to police, I suggest you inform the BANK as well.
 
Hi mummies,

As our dragon babies move on to P2 next year, do you have any recommendation on English Creative Writing course (other than Lorna Whiston)? Thanks.
 
Thanks, Rimilyn,

I lost it under my own flat. I put my purse inside a plastic bag containing some canned drinks and asked my cousin to take care of it for me for a while, but she didn't know there's a purse inside, so she left it at the void deck while she went to do something else. When we realised she didn't bring it back with her to the house, we rushed down to the void deck, and of course, the whole plastic bag was already gone.

Must inform the bank too? Wah, lost IC really troublesome.

JJB,

Sorry, I don't have any recommendation. Like you, the only creative writing course I know is offered by Lorna Whiston, but I'm not keen on sending my kid there.
 
Hi Rains,

Thanks for replying. Why aren't you keen? Centre problem or not necessary for your child?
 
Hi JJB,

My child is not a prodigy, so she'll need practice in creative writing. I just don't like the ang moh centre.
 
<font color="ff6000">Hahaha.... Rains,</font>

y r funny!! y not? normally, ppl would think ang moh speaks VERY GOOD English!!

I did not send my DD to ur above-mentioned ang moh centre for creative writing too!!(bcos too exp liao!!) a fren send her DD to British Council, fees is a BOMB!!! n months later, she found her DD did not show any improvements!!! depends on individual child also right?

i send my DD to a local centre which located at a bomb shelter... local teachers who teach full-time in local schools...

most importantly, my DD is comfortable with the centre, teachers, etc...
 
VQ,

Of course ang mohs speak very good English - it's their native language mah. But having worked in an ang moh environment before, I feel that ang mohs have this superiority complex. They still behave like they are of a higher class human beings than asians, which I loathe.

I also had ang moh tutors whom I felt discriminated against Chinese and favoured Malays over Chinese because they felt that Malays are better in English. But this is beside the point.

Call it 'racial discrimination' if you like, but I honestly don't think that ang mohs are as competent in teaching as what most locals think. I also have doubts on how relevant or applicable the skills they teach in creative writing are in relation to our education system. I mean, they don't even teach in our primary schools.

Above all, I don't want the ang mohs to earn my money while looking down on the local kids.
 
Hi mommies...school holidays going to be over soon. We got our boy's new bag, books, extra uniform, shoes and a haircut.

However i'm not very sure what he should pack on his first day coz we don't have the time table yet...any idea?

Btw, his school bus fee will increase by $5.
 
<font color="ff6000">Hi Wen,</font>

i packed most of the workbooks/ activity books for my DD. Cos her teachers would want to keep them.
 
Thanks mommies for the tip on buying books from Popular. I bought all the textbooks and workbooks from Popular this time, not like last year - 'gong3 gong3' lugged the heavy load all the way back. I just went to her school bookshop to pick up her exercise books and the peripherals.

I would pack her workbooks and exercise books, and two storybooks - one chinese, one english - on her first day.
 
Hi All! The new school term had started and our children are now back to school. Finally some personal time for me when the kids are in school.....Happy New Year to all of you!
 
Hi mummies, Happy new year! How are your kids doing in schools? Mine is very excited with her new teachers and classmate. No lesson for the first two days, children are mainly playing some games in class.

Oh yes, I need some advice on "school with Gifted programme". Recently, my MIL keeps on "brainwash" my kid to ask me transfer her to a school with this programme. My MIL says I'm not a good mother cos I don't care for my daughter's future. I was quite upset when she said that to my daughter. What's the pros and cons for this programme? Is it true that gifted programme student stands a better chance to enter those better(popular)secondary schools next time? Please help me cos I don't know how to explain to my daughter.

Thanks in advance!
 
Hi Rimilyn,
I think your MIL doesn't understand about the gifted programme (GEP). You cannot sukat sukat transfer your child to a school with gifted programme.

Actually, one of the reasons parents want to enrol kids into 'branded' schools at P1 registration is becos these schools have this programme and usually such schools produce good results, and that's probably why they are selected to be schools running this programme. Schools with this programme are: Anglo-Chinese School, Catholic High, Henry Park, Nan Hua, Nanyang, Raffles Girls, Rosyth, St Hilda's and Tao Nan.

You go back and educate her, that the only way to get into GEP school is for your kid to do very well in the gifted programme test at P3. It has nothing to do with whether you want it or not.

It's true that GEP students stand a better chance at going to top sec schools, not becos of the programme, but bcos in the first place, these students are the cream of the crop in the country. Of course they will go to the good schools, and special stream at that. Going for the programme is just to study together with the other smart children instead of staying in an environment which doesn't stretch the child's potential.

For your daughter, you just need to tell her that the programme is available to her if she does very well in her studies. If she does well in the gifted programme test, she will be invited to enrol herself in a GEP school.
 
Hi rains, thanks for solving my problem. I'm not a local and I'm not highly educated, that's why my MIL looks down on me since I married her son. I'm a "kiasi" type of women. I never talk back my MIL eventhough I'm not wrong. To be frank, I'm more like a maid to her. Luckly, I'm not staying with her anymore. Now, as long as my children are happy and understand me, I don't really bother how she treats me.
smile.gif
 
<font color="ff6000">Hi Rimilyn,</font>
*Hug* *Hug*

Please do not think this way. You sounds like those "ku ming" DILs leh!! Your MIL is not aware of all these programmes that's y? Nvr mind, u hv us, Mommies here!! Post your doubts here n those mommies who know the answer will let u know abt it. Then u go back to tell ur MIL.. Not talk back to her but tell her very confidently!

My nephew was in a neighbourhood pri sch n sec sch. He is 1 of the "Zhuang Yuan" in GCE 'O' level in Yr2005. Pics of him flash the newspaper for a few days. Same for TV too! This yr, he had completed his GCE 'A' level.(waiting for results) And, had got accepted by the scholarship of Cambridge UK. Nw, teaching as a relief teacher in a sec sch!!! (i also think very funny! a 18YO relief teacher, teaching Sec1!!!)

All his accomplishments, r being fulfil by himself, not thru any FAMOUS schs or programmes!! So i believe, student hv to do their part too!
 
Rimilyn,

It's funny how MILs often think that DILs are not good enough for their sons and not the other way round.

It doesn't matter - as long as our husbands don't think that way.
happy.gif


We could never tell you're not 'highly educated'. You sound just as good as any of us. It's only natural that you don't understand some of the systems here. Even locals don't. And I'm not a local either.
 
Hi Rimilyn

It doesn't matter whether you are highly educated or not so long as you are able to communicate with us on the portal. I suppose we are all here to share our experiences and learn from one another.
 
Hi mummies, thanks for all the encouragement! I'm so fortunate to know all of you.
happy.gif


VQ, it's not sounds like but I was once a "ku ming" DIL before. A lot of things happen since I married my husband. Pardon me for unable to tell you cos she is my husband's mother. Let's talk about other things. Wow! your nephew is an independent young man. His parents must be very happy to have such a child.

Oh yes, recently I bought a chinese composition book for my daughter to practise. She is not very good in this area. I bought it from Popular Bookshop.
 
<font color="ff6000">Rimilyn,</font>
Yeah! we r proud of him too. The day his results was announced, my SIL "pretend" to call me(she dont call me often!) asking whether i hv a video recorder? then of cos i will ask her abt her son's result! THEN, she happily announce it!!! asking me to tape down her son's when he is on TV. Luckily, i dont know how to use a video recorder!! hahaha....

hey! u r fast leh! i hv not started buying assessment books for my DD. Who say u r not a good mom??? hahaha....
 
Hi Ladies,
Haven't been here for a while. How's everyone ?
As for assessment books, I've bought for all the subjects for my son from Popular, using the 20% discount. 2 sets for Chinese, English and Maths. Kiasu right ? No choice lah, tutor him myself.

Hi Rains,
MILs all think their DILs are not good enough for their sons. I dont give a damn. In fact, I keep arms length because it's not good to quarrel nor scold her. She is fantastic at putting up a show. A pity she didn't join Star Search. Sure to come in 1st.
 
hi janet,

A harriet is looking for you to enquire abt volunteer work at peihua. She's at our old thread on dragon baby registration.

Eh, how come you got 20% discount huh? Not just 10% meh?
 


Rains,
The 20% discount is given to Popular card members...used only once with the coupon for assessment books only.

Harriet,
If you're enquiring about volunteer service, do write in to the school at [email protected]. I think can write in when yr child is 5, pref in Jan. State yr occupation (even if SAHM), interests. If I remember correctly, the email I sent was rather short and straight to the point. All the best.
 
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