PTC again

The Parents-Teachers Conference was held last Saturday.

Every teacher told us that Kai is very bright, very intelligent. They all felt that they were not able to give him more to do. His English teacher even suggested that we exposed him to sec 1 work. They felt that he has "slackened" because he has already reached the level where he could no longer learn new things. They all enjoyed teaching him. The whole school knew him as a bright boy but a mischievous one at times. They gave examples, instances where he showed a high level of maturity. It was indeed a privilege to hear them say, "you guys have brought him up well." The teachers suggested that we put him in a good secondary school.

Should I take their words for real or is it among the int'l students, he is the best but back in SG, he is just the average kid? I think I would rather believe the former. I have a list of schools in mind ...

Hwa Chong Inst - there is a problem when it comes to Mother Tongue. It has to be taken as 1st language
Raffles Inst - distance is an issue
NUS Math & Science - his language skills will go to  waste
Singapore Science and Technological School - too new, not tested
ACS (Ind) – haven't heard much

You know when you have such feedback from the school and in need of some advice from fellow mama friends, it is important to find the right ones to share it. Some mamas (I consider them the very immatured ones) would think that you are just bragging. The wise and sensible ones will help you to see things differently.

One mama whom I have known since the USA days wrote this
"Some parents are happy that their kids are at grade or above grade because that means the kids can focus more on other things - depth/breadth/current affairs/arts/sports.... there are so many interesting things out there! On the other hand, some parents are worried/concerned because they feel that their kids are not maximised."

Another one wrote,
"First, congrats on the teachers' views on your son! However, as you have discovered, it can be both a curse as well as a blessing as it can be a big responsibility.

There is something I think you should be aware of, and that is that being intelligent and getting good grades in Singapore are 2 different things. Singapore's exams test a fairly narrow range of skills and content, and sometimes, the smart kids find it too confining and aren't too motivated to do things the 'right' way and may not necessarily get top grades. Teachers in international schools probably make more wholistic judgements which count more in the long-term scheme of things, while Singapore sec school grades are more limited in scope. So don't expect your son to necessarily get top grades in Singapore school, and don't assume the teachers got it wrong if that's how it turns out.

I think trying to get your son into a school where he will be stretched is probably a good idea. But I don't really know if you should rely so much on the school to do the stretching. If you can find one, well and good. If not, it may be better to place less emphasis on school demands and do the stretching at home."

See what I mean, not your typical kiasu mamas. They are mamas who think out of the box.

As a parent, what do I really want for my child? I remembered many years back, my friend is a NUS professor. His son more than qualified to study in Raffles Institution yet he chose to study in Swiss Cottage Secondary School (SCSS). Most parents would think, even I asked him why did he allow his son to go to SCSS. He said that his son made the decision and if that made him happy, it would be fine with him. Today, his son is in his 4th year in the NUS law faculty.

As for now, I have come up with some stretching exercises for Kai. He has to read the Straits Times and give me the 'Why, What, When, Where, How' about the news and at the end of it, his views on it. He has already done two on top of his daily homework and is enjoying it. I hope this will keep him away from his mischief.

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Equally proud of Ann. Her teacher commented that she is among the top two, not just in her studies but also her social behaviour. A born leader. Kids just go to her for guidance. I was really pleased to see her composition, using phrase like "the crashing of the waves". That's very matured writing coming from a to-be seven year old. Just the other day, I heard her asking her brother, "what is its gender?" They were talking about some animals. Children at her level would have asked, "is it a boy or a girl?"