St. James Church Kindergarten Parents' Club

Hi

Any moms staying in the jurong west / Bt batok or central area? Do you know what is the sch bus rates and time of traveling on average to and fro school?

Mommies please share how many sets of uniform we shd get for our child for school. Is 3 sets good to change and wash or better to get 5 sets? Not sure if i shd get 5 sets. My dd is tall. She is 3 but can pass off as 4 or 5yrs old.

Im looking to get a few set of preloved uniform, T-shirt and jacket for my dd. Pls pm me if you have any to let go:

Looking for Girl' uniform / Jacket / T-shirt
Item: Uniform / Jacket
Condition: Good 7-8/10
Size: TBC (4-5yrs old)
Sets available:

Please contact me if you have any to let go.
Hope to hear from the mommies here soon.
 


Hi Simp,
3 sets are usually sufficient...unless your child is not yet toilet trained or perhaps still needs time to drink properly from a cup.

previously my boy would come back from SJCK with some milo stains on his shirt (size ranging from a few drops to a big patch), but after a few months, he has learnt to be more conscientious during snack time.
 
Hi wenghan

Thanks for sharing. I bgt 3 sets for dd to test run. The staff initially refused to let me buy bigger size as she said principal wont approve. So i bgt 2 sets of S and 1 set of M. The current s size is just nice and i feel she could outgrow very fast. Anyway I think when she goes school on monday, i wd bring 1 set back to change to a medium size.Hopefully can still change.

Do u know if it is compulsory for dd to wear only white school shoes. Can she wear sandals, coloured covered shoes etc? I only bgt 1 pair of white canvas sch shoes abt $20 and price is abt those like outing shoes. Did not know that children school shoes can cost much these days.
 
not sure if there's any change in policy...but Pre-N are allowed to wear any type of shoes, while Nursery, K1 & K2 are required to wear white sch shoes.
 
hi mummies,

my girl is in this year's pre nursery class. as i will be relocating out of the country, i have a few sets of uniform to sell away.

2-XS tshirts
2- S blouse
2- S skorts ( the waist has been altered to b slightly looser so it;s easier for my girl to pull her bottom down when she goes to the toilet herself during pee breaks )
( these has been used for 5mths only : mint condition )

1- L jacket: brand new (except ive done a small iron on name stick on inside)
1- M size hat brand new ( no name label )

2- M size blouse ( seasoned )
2- M size bottom ( seasoned )

free backpack ( got a whole coming out soon...their bag quality is not really gd. this is my 2nd change for backpack frm them )

let me know if any of u are interested in getting everything n your offer price. thanks!
 
Hi Mummies,

Sorry to interrupt, but I am considering paying to join the waitlist (number 90++) for PNPG 2013 session 1. Can I have adbice from mummies who were on waitlist before? Are the chances even good?
 
Hi wenghan
Thanks for the info
happy.gif
. Just settled dd to school recently. I bgt 1 pair of white shoes. Pre-nursery may have some changes, i c that the kids are wearing their own sandals, shoes etc as their activities are mainly play. Now i wd alternate sandals with shoes during the week.


Little twin stars
I wish i could take over some of your items but i bgt them already when i saw ur msg. Hope someone will take over from u soon.

tywong
U can try. My dd was on the waitlist for session 3 when i applied last year. U shd find out more from the admin on the chances and the location of campus for ur kid. Hope u r successful.
 
Thanks Simp. I have joined the waitlist as number 99 - can only keep my fingers crossed. May I know what was your queue number and how long did you wait?
 
Hi tywong

I only applied with the school last year 2011 for this year 2012 pnpg session 3 when we were back to sg sourcing for kinders after hb' assignment is completed. I cannt remember my q number but def not the number 50? I cannt rem if it is <100 or > 100 but i thought i have no chance.Then we tgt we were quite ridiculous to waste money to wait for hope as we only applied early/middle of last year for this year class. I hope my case can be an encouragement and hope to hopeful parents. Then we thought at least we tried for our daughter, that was what it all mattered then
happy.gif


I was only informed towards 2nd half/sep 2011 that my child has a place. So news can come as late as 2nd half of of 2012 if u r keen to wait. However i was also considering another church kinder who has confirmed place for my girl then and it is either sjck or other kinder.

Anyway all the best to u. If u can get ur child in, good, as it is a loving environment but not academically demanding school if u r looking at this. Otherwise, dun get too affected as i believe there are other church/pte kinders who have just the right environment for our kids to grow loving sch. we just have to look and ask around
happy.gif


Hope to hear gd news from u in 2012 for 2012 session 1 class!
 
hi simp,

glad to c u here :p
i m passing my girl's stuffs to her close classmate as i m leaving the country n i have no time to sort things out .....

tywong,

u might have a chance as i know the turn over for SJCK is high too. i for one is leaving as i m relocating n there r some that will leave for a full day childcare session as they cant handle a 3 hr session with an active child etc. all the best!
 
Little twin stars
All the best to ur relocation ya
happy.gif


School Refusal
Any moms have experience their dd or ds refusing to take bus, go school after attending school for sometime? DD was adjusting well since day 1 but since yesterday she was crying refusing to go school. Today, she resisted badly to take school bus with crying and i can see the distress her face is showing. How do you deal with that and help her cope with school?

I have sinced communicated my dd' behaviour over the school notebook and called the school to ask them to take note. Now pending the class teacher' response.

I suspect dd may not know how to cope with teachers or kids or adults' discipline, loudness or strictness. when i enrolled her overseas to prepare her for sg school, she started well in 1st 2 days then 3rd day onwards she started showing distress to going school. I then tried to ask questions and derived her fears and have a talk with the sch teachers. After that they take note, take care of dd and teach her how to manage teacher' discipline and loudness in class. Seems like it is happening again in sg school for dd.

This week dd has been easily disturbed by crying, throwing tantrums, being angry and having sleeping disturbances daily. It has been especially frequent this week by her behaviour and I have been upset by her being difficult. Now it all made sense why she has been crying easily when i just told her off without the usual discipline methods i use.

I hope teachers can teach dd how to manage their stress, fear, anxiety whenever teachers are disciplining her or other kids. She pro seems mature in her development but i dun think dd is ready to manage adults' behaviours in class.

Any sharing to help dd better express her fears and helping her to manage them better. I so wish i can be at the school now and then to find out abt dd' progress in school. Any mommies' dd/ds went thr these and how did u deal with that to help child cope all these.

Hope that I am not alone dealing with this.
 
Dear all,

Could someone please let me know how did the admin staff convey the news that your child has confirmed a place in SCJK?

I just got news that my daughter was confirmed a place but they dropped it cos we didn't reply the email by the deadline stated. We told the admin lady that both my husband and I did not receive the email they sent and we did not even receive a call from them. My husband had even visited their admin office in early July to register a place for my younger son, and the lady had expressly stated that they will call us in the event a slot opened up for my daughter.

I am very disappointed cos we have been hoping and praying to get a slot in SJCK for my daughter. Now they are telling us that the Leedon class is full and they are trying to get us into Harding. But in the first place, if we have a slot, shouldn't they have called us up? And why is it that the email they sent to both my husband's and my account didn't come through? They forwarded the email they previously sent and this time, it came through. It's so so strange. Why is it that this time the email came through and previously, it got lost in transit. I'm really quite heartbroken about this.
 
Does anyone manage to do a swop in session with the mummies here? My fren is considering to do a swop but not sure if the sch admin allows. Pls pm me if not convenient to disclose here. Thanks.
 
Hi mummies, my boy just got a place for 2012 Nursery session 1.
Now thinking whether should put him in SJCK or Creative O childcare, he just got a place there after long wait list too. Haiz, when we need either one, there was no place, now that we get it, dunno how to choose.

Any advice from the mummies here? Location wise, SJCK is further away, but we are looking at school bus option for both school. Do you have any idea about the bus fee from SJCK to west area?

Thank you!
 
both are good i think. Creative O is more project based. And i thik the teachers there are good too. We visited them 2 years ago. If you are creative stuff, you get to enjoy significant discount.

My elder one is with SJCK. with them for 2 yrs already. he took school bus daily. 110, per month if i am not wrong. We stay in the west too.
 
Hi Simp, maybe you have to check with the bus lady ...like who is your gal sitting with or find out any misbehaviour of other kids. Last time my gal also had this problem.. after trying hard to get more out of my girl, finally found that there's other elder kid whom actually bullied her on the bus...after talking to my girl and the other elder girl on bus, they are now friends. And my girl has no issue since then. Hope it help.
 
Hi all,

Anyone compare SJCK to kinderland before? What is the different? Which better prepare kid to P1?

Also any good enrichment to share for K1/ Nursery?
 
Hi Starystrynite, which part of west are you staying? Bus is charging us for 180 at cck.

I think is pretty expensive and not sure how they come out with this value.
 
Hi Mrs Ng

Thanks for your advise. Yes i talked to her for a few days and finally understand that it is the long 1.5hr journey to school that is making her so unhappy. I managed to find out that she like to talk to a girl who is more chatty and has since discussed with the driver on letting her sit with her. She managed to cope better. I also found out from school that there is a boy who has been very sticky and rough with her at times and she is scared and would show distress. The teacher also watched out for her. Now i think she is adjusting well. The issue came after 2 weeks of bus ride and managed to resolve with the next 2 weeks. I am glad she is ok now. I wd be moving back to my place soon and she would need to change bus again. Hopefully she will cope better since the ride shd be less than 30mins / 1hr.

The driver charges us for $260 for jurong west that is near the ntu. Very exp when i find out that the new rate i wd be charged is $110 when i move soon. Can save $150/mth.
 
Hi Mrs Ng,

I compare with kinderland at Spore poly before. In terms of environment, i would prefer SJCK. teachers are better too at SJCK. in terms of enrichment after class, there is not much choice for SJCK at nursery level. and i think SJCK does not really prepare student sufficiently for chinese language and maths. So, got to look externally for enrichment to make upin this area. Pro and cons lah....No perfect one.
 
i stay at clementi and there are ard 5-6 students in the same bus/van. The cost depends on distance to the kindergarten, number of students sharing the van etc...not exactly sure how they calculate..
 
Hi,

We are at Toh Guan, near IMM. School bus charges $140. So $180 at cck is quite reasonable since cck is further away. I dun think number of students sharing the bus comes into play when determining the bus charges. I have 3 kids boarding the sch bus at the same spot at Toh Guan.

Mrs Ng
SJCK is not v academic. As far as I know, Kinderland is more academic, based on feedback from friends. If you are looking at your kids bringing back homework, to have spelling and ting xie every week from K1 onwards, you will be disappointed 'cos they don't. SJCK also do project work. Kids will get to explore things abt a particular theme and do stuff related to it. At the end, parents are invited to school to take a look at what they have done in their project work. This is done in Term 3 of school.

Ashley
Between Creative O and SJCK, my gal likes SJCK. We only lasted for 1 mth in the former. And after that, we have major issues settling in other schools due to the bad experience. But she was 3 when we put her in the former and 4 when we put her in the latter. Guess maturity makes a difference too.

Simp - School Refusal
It is quite normal for kids to refuse school after attending it ok for a while. I've been experiencing it on n off with my kids. Usually, it is due to something happening in school and they were unable to cope. Like now, my boy is crying abt hvg to start school tomorrow 'cos he din wan to do his chinese assignment book as he was not happy with an earlier assignment he did in that book....sigh! He was like that 10 days ago before school closes and I've already spoken to his teacher. But guess this issue din get a proper closure 'cos it was project open house day after that and he din get to do his chinese lesson. And then school was closed
sad.gif
.
 
Hi simp.. .. Gd to hear she is ok now. Wow 260 is really expensive, lucky u r shifting. Really save alot.

Hi starynite, thanks fir the info. Yes, I did some research at Kinderland CCK, also prefer sjck environment and teachers. So really tough to decide on should we be so KS... To go for academic than to the relax, comfy environment..which somehow is pretty important for each child development.

Hi blueberries...so can we say that sjck dont really prepare kid well for P1?? ur kid is at which level/ session My girl recently also act this way too ... Just before closure, like not willing to go school... Have try talk to her many rounds and even to teachers, no avail of such cause of refusal action.
 
After much praying and hoping, we finally confirmed a place at Session 1 in Harding campus in January 2012. Just called up the bus operator for SJCK and was told that it's S$180 for 2 ways from where we stay in Redhill to SJCK. Don't understand how it can be so expensive when the journey is around 10 minutes by car.

Am trying to find other bus operators now. Any recommendations from the other mummies here? Please help.
 
Hi Mrs Ng,
I hv 1 in K2, 1 in N, both in Session 2. Wat abt yours?
Not sure your "well" is how well
happy.gif
. I would classify sjck as basic for maths and english. In fact, I find their progression a tad too slow but I was told they need to cater for the average kids, kids who dun hv additional help outside. For chinese, it may be a concern.
My K2 has other enrichment on the academics outside, so she is quite well prepared for P1 next yr. But my N is rejecting chinese totally....he said he is English, not Chinese like her sister...HAHAHAHAHA! I think I hv to start to make plans for Chinese immersion programme for my potato kid.
As for school refusal, the teachers do start to get stricter and stricter as the months progresses and the kids become more familiar with them. And the school do expect the kids to be more rule-abiding with progression to next level. So sometimes, the kid feels that how come the teacher is not so kind/friendly now when the teacher forbid him to do something or chided him. Kid feels his lost of freedom....hahahaha! I will usually ask my kids what they do in sch and hv them tell me wat happy/sad things happen in sch that day.
For your gal, can get the teacher to help talk to her too to see if there is any issue. But do continue to send her to school.
 
Hi, would anyone like to exchange school sessions? My child will be in K1 Session 1 next year and we would prefer Session 2.

Please let me know via PM if you are interested.

cheers
 
Hi blueberries, I have 1 in N session 2 too. Maybe same class as her teacher seem to be quit strict &amp; firm. Hahaaa.

Ya.. I have talked to teachers to observe her during these period, hopefully can get sometime out from there.

Hi mightyminx, are we allow to exchange without going sch admin? Please advise in case future need to do so. Thanks.

Anyone at sjck staying near/at CCK area taking sch bus transport for next year session 1???
 
Hi Mrs Ng,
Hah! wat coincidence! which class?
No lah, his English teacher is ok....big, firm but gentle. She is well liked by all kids in the school...u can hear the kids calling out to her when they see her around in the school...very cute sight. Even my gal knows her but she was never in her class. My boy is the terror in the class, I get "feedback" numerous times liao. If the teacher is too soft, he would hv climbed over her head by now. His Chinese teacher is also the ok type...kind and understanding. I'm very appreciative to his teachers for the guidance and patience they have given him 'cos he is quite a boor in the behavioural aspect. I've seen the improvement in him ever since he went to sjck and went under the wings of these 2 teachers.
That's the main reason why I stick to this sch though I know that the school just provides basic in terms of academic curriculum. I know I will not see my kid memorising multiplication tables, memorising tang shi/cheng yu or doing creative writing, etc in sjck. But I can always supplement all these with other enrichment classes elsewhere
happy.gif
.
 
Hi blueberries, my gal in SS7... Urs?
Her teacher is really good... I can see that she is trying to sought out my girl 's problem... What I felt good about sjck is that the teacher do frequent feedback even thoug parent are not there to fetch kids always. Once the notice any changes in kid they will quickly feedback which I would say this is pretty impt... So kid won't feel stress in going to sch.

Ya.. Same here ... It's the teachers n environment that r important for kids at this young age... If not I would have change sch too...
 
Hi Mrs Ng

No I don't believe we can do it without going through School Admin ultimately. But am just trying to ask around to see if someone might want to do this as a private agreement then we can approach the school. Worth a try.

Are you interested?
 
Hi Mrs Ng,
not the same class. Mine is at SS11. I like the classroom used by SS7, bigger, layout is better n it oversees the carpark. My gal used to use that classroom. I remembered how we stood at the carpark, trying to peep into the classroom to see how she was coping when she first joined the school...and then the principal Jackie came to chase us away....hehehe!
 
Hi mightyminx...no plans to change yet for now. But I am sure many want to go session1.. U can check with admin.

Hi blueberries, ur son from which DD last year?
Ya, SS7 class is quite good location for parent to peep in... As I m one of them too ... Hahaaa.
 
My DS is in K2. Actually when he brought back his Chinese assignment books, I found it kind of difficult. They have changed their materials for Chinese starting this year. Unsure if it was easier than previous years.

As for Maths, it's enough to let them survive Term 1 of P1. The teachers are not encouraged to teach more advanced stuff as the kids are required to build a solid foundation. I find this important cos this is a pre-cursor to the more advanced questions in P1, and even P2.

English wise, my DS did do some writings. He will also express his thoughts through speaking out in class when the teachers ask questions. During the project open house, the teacher actually took into consideration the kids' contribution when composing a song. My DS was very happy cos his idea was incorporated into the song.

As for English spellings, they are basically sight words which I am fine. I saw some kindergartens or childcare centres giving very difficult words. What's the point if the kids forget about it after the spelling cos they don't see and use them?

I did not outsource any academic teachings. My DS attends the enrichments after school in SJCK. I would say their enrichments are pretty good, except for 1. No Chinese spellings as MOE does not encourage pre-schools to give. In one of the newsletter previously, this was explained to the parents.

Overall, I am very happy with the school as the teaching staff are very dedicated + the good environment. Jackie knows almost every kid! My DS did not have any change in teachers when he was in Nursery and K1.

Oh yes, do volunteer yourself during their excursions, projects, concerts, etc. You will get to know more parents and also receive feedbacks from the teachers more regularly on the performance of your child.
 
Hi Starystarynite

Can u confirm that the bus driver charges ur kids each $110 for clementi to harding road? Any increase to bus fare this year for u?

Wd appreciate if u can pm me if it is not convenient to respond here.

Hear from u soon.
 
Correction: My sch bus rate from tiong bahru is $150 instead of $110. $110 is the savings compared to $260 to jurong west.
 
Hi, my boy is attending PNPG 2012 at Leedon. Anybody staying at west coast can advise on the bus transport? How long is the journey and how much?

Thank you.
 
Hi, any SJCK mummies with kids in nursery this year? My son is starting nursery at SJCK next year (2012) and I would like to buy his books and music materials secondhand to try and save on costs. Please do PM me and I can send over the book list.
 
@Celine:
I know some mums on the west coast who put their kids on the school bus to SJCK. The journey is REALLY short (like 15-20 min or something), and they get to school really early too so they get an extra 20 minutes of singing songs with the teachers before they go to classes proper. Don't know how much it costs, though.
 
Hi Debbie, really 15-20min? I went to the orientation recently and the bus driver told me its 45min-1hr @ $180
sad.gif
 
Any mummies staying in Sengkang area and is also looking at the school bus service? My boy is attending PNPG2012/Session 1 next year and the bus driver quoted us $350 (one way- from sch to home only). He doesn't fetch kids from Sengkang/Hougang/Serangoon area. Just wanna know if this is the market price. I find it too expensive for one way only.
 
Amanda,
Why do you want to put your kid in a school so far from your place? Furthermore, Session 1 starts early.

The school bus definitely needs to charge higher if he is not fetching other kids in your area. Actually many school bus drivers are not willing to deviate from their usual route if there is only 1 kid staying in a particular area which is very out of way for them. A fren whose son is in a pre-school in Newton pays $300/mth just to send the boy home to Bukit Timah (near Beauty World). It's not too far actually. Another had a problem with Pat's schoolhouse as the driver totally refused to send the poor child home (when the journey home is only 15 mins by cab).

Another way is to see if you have any elderly or maid to help you. The helper will take mrt, followed by public bus to school. After which, both of them will take taxi home. You can try once and see how much it cost before deciding if you want to take the school bus. The good part about taking taxi is you save when your boy doesn't need to go to school, e.g. school holidays. I do know of a few parents getting the maids to bring their children home. Some live as far as the east side.
 
Hi PomPom,

Sending my kid to school is ok, even for Session 1 as we drive. However, bringing the kid home will be a problem. That is why it's gonna be a headache on the logistics part.
 
Hi mummies... Was thinking of signing daughter up for Helen o Grady speech and drama class. Any advice? Does it help improve language skills? Does it help prepare child in any way for P1?
 
Hi my boy is in PNPG 2012 session 2, sch start today but I still can't adjust his nap time, anybody keen to switch?
 
Hi Tommie, I register my Child when he is bat 15 mths, there is already a wait list, but still manage to get a slot for him. They only call me late last year to confirm his place. Hope it helps.
 


Hi Tokkie

I registered my child one week after I gave birth. Actually it really depends on which month you gave birth. If its the beginning pat of of the year, I think it shouldnt be a problem. When I registered in June, there were 12 spaces left. So it really depends.Especially for dragon year, I think there will be more children.
 
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