To DSA Or Not To DSA

The DSA Scheme

For students taking the PSLE, there was an option for students to apply early to the schools of their choices under the Direct Schools Admissions (DSA) scheme. Students under the DSA scheme will have to be assessed as a whole individual, rather than through numerical PSLE scores. Schools will look at a student's talent in different arenas (sports, visual or performing arts, music, leadership, etc) as well as regular school work, personal statements and an interview. They would usually have to sit through an assessment given by the school as well.

To DSA or not to DSA

We struggled with the decision to put Big Bee through the DSA because it is very time-consuming, and we heard from so many parents before us to just focus on the PSLE and not be distracted by the DSA. Many parents also cautioned me about the negative effects of failing to get into the DSA, thereby potentially affecting the child's morale before the PSLE. 

However, the holistic assessment of the DSA really appeals to me. I want schools to look at Big Bee as a person, and not just as a cold, impersonal 3-digit PSLE score. More importantly, we spoke about this with Big Bee, and she told us about her strong interest to apply through DSA. She wanted to experience the process and have fun writing her personal statement and creating her personal portfolio. Her interest helped us to decide on the DSA, and she applied to 2 schools, one of which is her "dream school", and the other is a "safe" option that most people would probably send their children to. 

Before selecting the schools, it is always a good idea to visit the schools through the many Open Houses that are available, so that the child gets a good idea of the school culture and spirit. 

The Personal Essay

She started working on the various personal essays that these 2 schools required. One school asked for an open-ended personal essay, and the other school asked for a personal essay highlighting her biggest achievement and the challenges she had to overcome in attaining it. 

It is virtually impossible for parents to help in any way to craft out the personal essays because by 12, these tweens are absolutely independent and have their own ideas of what constitutes their lives and achievements. So, after discussing what she intended to write, she was on her own in crafting out 2 very different personal essays for each of the schools. 

It is fundamental to plan in advance for the personal essays as these are reflections about what they had done thus far, involving at times a soul searching process of who they are. Big Bee spent about a week thinking about what she wanted to write and drafting out these 2 essays. 

The School Assessment Test

Each of the schools required different assessment tests to be taken, so she had to take 2 separate tests in different sittings. According to Big Bee, these 2 tests were somewhat different in nature. One essential thing to note is that the child does not need to prepare for these tests because they are very abstract reasoning in nature, with a non-composition writing component thrown in for one of the tests. So, plenty of sleep and rest before the test is sufficient! 

Some schools may have more than one assessment test. One of the schools she DSA for is a highly competitive one, and invited Big Bee back for a second round of assessments. Again, no preparation needed except for plenty of rest!

The Personal Portfolio

There was a lot of debate about the creation of a personal portfolio, and many of Big Bee's peers did not submit any personal portfolio. In fact, one of the schools actually returned the personal portfolio to me, highlighting that they only required the relevant application forms. So, this is an optional item. For me, the biggest advantage in building her personal portfolio is for her to rethink about her past experiences in school, and how each of these experiences shaped her. Even without the DSA process, the personal portfolio or reflection experience is wonderful for our children to be retrospective about their life experiences and how these had impacted them. 

There is also a section in the application for students to list down their achievements and experiences in school, so that the DSA assessors can further understand your child as a person. It was interesting to note the different approaches and priorities that each of the schools undertook. Many times, the schools' approaches and requirements reinforced in Big Bee what she wanted and where she thought she would belong to. 

The Interview

Big Bee was invited to one of the schools' interviews. The interview stage is usually the last stage of the DSA process, and is typically a nerve-racking one for many students because it is probably the first important interview that they had to go through in life! 

Big Bee was surprisingly calm before the interview, probably because she was notified of the interview at the eleventh hour. My only advice for her before the interview was to be authentic, relaxed and natural. 

Big Bee had a great time at the interview and told me about the interesting conversation that she had with her 2 interviewers. Some tips from Big Bee about the interview:

1. Smile, be yourself and be funny

2. Try to think through the answers in a more intellectual manner

3. Talk about your specific experiences

Talking About the Outcome

Throughout the whole DSA process, we kept reinforcing the concept of failure to Big Bee - that it is very competitive to get into either one of the schools she was opting into, that many others would not get in, that it is perfectly fine not to be selected, that there is a second opportunity through the PSLE. Highlighting the possibility of failure is more important for us than underlining the importance of success - for us, at least. It is all the more important because results would spread fast in school, and it is very easy for young tweens to be easily demoralised in the face of many stronger peers. 

The Outcome

DSA results typically come out at the end of August. One sweltering afternoon before the Science preliminary exams, Big Bee opened the letterbox and called me excitedly after minutes of jumping around the house in a flurry of elation. She was accepted into her "dream school"! She was also turned away from the other "safe" option school which she was not very keen on - so things really worked out well for her. 

In all, I thought this was a most fulfilling experience for her, and I am really glad we put her through this time-consuming but enriching experience. 

'Twas The Night Before PSLE...

...and it was a stormy, rainy night. Just the perfect ambience for the start of the tumultuous PSLE (Primary School Leaving Exams), which is the national exams that all Singapore students take when they are 12 years old.

To many parents and schools, this is the culmination of 6 years of primary education, and signifies everything that primary school students had been working for.

Yet, I usually beg to differ when statements like these are mentioned to me because examinations - while an inescapable part of Singapore's education system - are never the be-all and end-all for our children. And I made this very clear to the Bees. So, when Big Bee lamented about how the PSLE will shape her life, she would most probably get a reprimand from me. I would usually tell her all the other things she could do in life if she could not fare well for the PSLE. I had seen a number of cases where young children were despaired and depressed over academic work, which ultimately led to unspeakable consequences. To me, my children's happiness is the most fundamental - and I would never wish to link their happiness to academic outcomes.

Regardless, this post is about the PSLE. I thought I should write a little about coping with the arduous journey of woeful 12-year-old children preparing for a major examination which, in many cases, takes up a significant portion of one of the most amazing milestones in a child's life - tweenhood. To place a major examination right in the middle of a year when our children are gradually growing up, discovering new sensations, emotions and feelings, understanding new perspectives....well, that is somewhat brutal. But this is what it is - we live in Singapore and we should just stop complaining.

Instead, it is so essential to show our children that we are not bothered by the PSLE, that there is life after PSLE (even if you score really badly), and that life still goes on in the PSLE year.

I thought of putting together a list of 3 philosophical approaches that we used to prepare Big Bee for the PSLE year, just as a reminder for me when it is Little Bee's turn!

Big Bee throwing her cap high up in exuberance in a trip to Cambodia in June

1) Maintain status quo in your social life
Do not stop CCAs, outings, gatherings with friends, or vacations, just because it is the big ol' PSLE year. Big Bee was even more committed in her CCA in school this year, and she went through two major exams for her piano and ballet lessons, which she truly enjoyed. We had more gatherings with her friends than before (because the kids just bonded so well as they grow older!), and she hosted her very first sleepover with her closest friends in May this year. We still went ahead with vacations, of which one staycation happened right before the mid-year exams! She also read so many more books than previous years (probably escapism at work here!).

As we inched closer to the PSLE, we had movie and bookshop gatherings with her friends and their parents, and we savoured their friendships even more, knowing that all of their classmates would not be together next year.

2) Communicate incessantly with your child
Kids are highly stressed out in the PSLE year because of the pressure given by school teachers. The amount of homework is fairly astounding....and distressing. The pep talks given by teachers - while helpful - can be taxing on their spirits as well. So at home, while it is important to talk about revision and studies, try to indulge in other topics as well.

Big Bee and I have nightly chats about the books that both of us read and love, the characters and plots in these books, as well as movies and music. When I sneaked into her room at night when she was studying, I tended to distract and lure her from her bookish concentration, and instead yakked about anything under the sun.

Of course I did nag at her to revise her work when I caught her using the mobile phone way too much. But more often than not, I was the main culprit who lured her into escapism...just so she could think about other things beyond the big exams. So much so that she ever commented to me sardonically, "Which mum would keep nagging me to stop revising and go to sleep?" or "Why are you always distracting me? Shhh!!"

Constant communication will also allow us to detect shifts of moods, tension or stress in our children, and we should try to talk it out with them. Just 2 hours ago, Big Bee was feeling the stress of the final D-Day tomorrow. Being a natural pessimist, she kept asking lots of "what-if" questions - what if I fail the PSLE? What if I have a mental block? What if the paper is super hard?

I just tried addressing all these in a light-hearted manner, although it can be alarming to the parents to hear some very pessimistic thoughts coming from our usually-cheery child!

3) Discuss options in worst-case scenarios
This is an issue that my mother and I had conflicts over. She believed in informing the child that a good education is the best option in life, and without it, life will cave in on you. While this advice is truly valuable (it shaped my entire life!), it also gives undue stress to a child, especially one with high expectations.

On the contrary, for me, I had always been telling Big Bee about the alternatives she could explore if she really could not do well for the PSLE. So much so that I decided to test her last week by asking, "What if you fail the PSLE?"....of which she quipped thoughtfully, "Well, I would retake the PSLE next year, and study even harder!" I was really happy to hear her response because it was such an improvement from her earlier, stressful thoughts of "PSLE determines my entire life!!!"

Finally, every child is different. These approaches tend to work for Big Bee, who is self-motivated but easily discouraged, and who is rather pessimistic, having a tendency to think unduly of worst-case scenarios. With Little Bee, our approaches might be very different! This is why parenting different children is such a joy - it is a roller-coaster ride of diverse styles for different children!

PSLE and CCAs

OK, I know I just put 2 incredible acronyms into the title of this post, which might be baffling for some! For those who do not already know, PSLE = Primary School Leaving Examinations in Singapore and CCAs = Co-curricular (or extra-curricular) activities.

I cannot believe that this year is Big Bee's PSLE year and I guess I am still in denial. Whenever people found out that I have a kid going through PSLE this year, their responses would invariably be, "You must be very stressed!" or "You must be very busy revising with her!". However, fortunately (or unfortunately), I am not stressed, neither am I busy revising with her! In fact, work takes up so much of my time now that I really hope fervently she knows what she is doing on her own.

But this post is not about how we are managing the PSLE, although the real answer to that is that we are doing the same things as per previous years. We are still planning for movies and musicals to watch and places to go to on weekends, and I am still planning for vacations in June!

This post is about how much I believe in a well-rounded education for our children, and a bit about my anger when I see parents in Singapore pushing their kids to a wholly academic path, just to get good grades in key examinations like the PSLE. To me, every kid has only one year in their lives when they are 12 - that milestone threshold between being a big kid and a teen, that year of awakening when they have more mature perspectives, that year of awareness and realisation of their changing bodies and increasing curiosity about sexuality and non-platonic relationships. And yet, sadly, in Singapore, it is also the year of the PSLE.

I heard of parents forcing their children to drop all CCAs in Primary 6, and worse still, schools advocating this policy! I heard of parents doubling up on tuition, just to have a last burst to drill their kids. And worst of all, I heard of parents artificially pushing their kids' musical, sports or leadership positions in school, just so they can get a bid at the Direct School Admissions (DSA) exercise - when passions are overlooked for a tangible outcome of getting into their preferred schools.

For Big Bee, she is still as active in school and non-academic classes as before. She wanted to have a break from ballet in school this year, despite her past achievements in this CCA, and despite the many requests from her disappointed ballet teacher who had been incessantly telling her to stay on. I guess this is a phase of exploration for her as well, where she wants to get out of her comfort zone and be challenged in things that she had not always been doing.

So, she told me she wanted to try out in the trials for softball and netball, where they are looking for people in the school team. Being naturally athletic (not my genes!), she made it through the trials and into the school teams of both netball and softball. She chose netball in the end, for the kind of bonded teamwork and competition associated with it. And just yesterday, she was inaugurated into the school netball team!

Playing for the school team takes a lot of time and effort, of which many primary 6 mothers (including my own mother) frowned upon, who kept asking me if she would be better off studying and revising, instead of spending 6 to 7 hours a week after school to train for netball competitions. Sometimes, these questions got me worried - am I too relaxed? Is she falling behind in studies because of the crazy amount of time spent in practice, after which she will come home, too fatigued to do much work? Questions that frankly, after peer pressure from other mothers, make me question my objectives of encouraging her to take on a time-consuming sport in her PSLE year. Some mothers did ask me, "Why not chess club where they meet once a week and where their brains can be stimulated?" or "Why not Math or Science Olympiads because some schools prefer kids from the Olympiad programmes for their DSA!"

And recently, questions arose from Big Bee herself, "Mummy, why are you not putting me in English and Science tuition? Maybe they can help me boost my PSLE score!" (She had never had Science tuition before, and only went on less than a year of English tuition in primary 4, after which we stopped). Kiasu her even questioned why I am planning for a June holiday when she prefers to revise for the PSLE throughout the whole holiday! Swirling, disturbing questions. And I must admit, I am swayed sometimes.

Yet, I am glad that Big Bee's school is a holistic one, and I have fellow mothers there who are still putting their children through CCAs that are non-academic in nature, even in the PSLE year. And most of us have the same approach to PSLE - take it easy and "see how it goes." I am really thankful for that support of like-minded mothers.

I guess what I am trying to say in this blog post is to allow our kids to really pursue their passions in whatever things they request, for them to try new things, and get out of their comfort zones - even at the expense of time that could be spent on studies. Every time she is back from her netball practice, glowing with adrenaline but fatigued by the hours of competitive sportsmanship, I would tell myself that this is a right decision.

And I think as parents, it is important for us to put forth lots of calm and composure in front of our kids before major examinations. So that they understand there is more to life than academic achievements. Big Bee and I have had long discussions this year about many "what-ifs". There is a lot of emphasis from their teachers about academic achievements, and the biggest "what-if" question from her was, "What if I did badly in the PSLE?" which to me, is a masked question for "Will you still love me?". So, as parents, so long as we assure our kids about our complete acceptance and love for them, regardless of whatever they achieve, I think that gives them enough confidence to stride on in this world, especially in a cruel world where there are increasingly more depression cases amongst children.

The GEP Conundrum

* long post warning! *

I hesitated about writing this, as Big Bee reads my blog and she had always warned me not to write much about her! 

But being in primary 3 this year would mean one key thing to many parents: the GEP screening test. 

In recent years, I had seen many tuition and enrichment centres proclaiming their GEP preparation programmes are the best in town. I was aghast when I saw these advertisements. I always believe that being gifted intellectually cannot be artificially augmented - well, in some ways, as parents, we could help to nurture that love for learning, that ability to absorb information and knowledge in our kids. But I always believe that giftedness in academic ability is a trait that cannot and shouldn't be boosted by external means like tuition. 

Which was why I remained cool as a cucumber when Big Bee told me she sat for her GEP screening test a few months back. When she received a letter inviting her to the second round of GEP testing, together with about 30 or so kids from her school, I was pleasantly surprised but specifically emphasised to Big Bee that she should not practise or revise anything, as these would be totally irrelevant to the tests. 

In the first place, I am also not a strong advocate that giftedness should be tested through a series of pen and paper tests. I thought consistent school assessments as well as leadership qualities in class and school are far more accurate instruments of analysis. 

But still, when things like being shortlisted to the second round happened, there would always be well-concealed hopes and expectations - not just in me, but also very apparent in Miss Perfectionist. She was the one packing her pencil case on the days of testing, and she was the one who kept reminding blur Mummy about the dates of testing. 

Sometimes, I hate to see such expectations arising from my child, just in case they are sorely disappointed. But I guess these are life lessons for them. 

And true enough - she did not make it to the top 1% of the supposedly elite group. There were only 10 kids from her school who were selected into the GEP programme, and 7 of them were from her class. One of her best friends, A, was selected and would be transferring to a school with GEP programme. 

I could tell that Big Bee was a little disappointed, although she tried to hide it underneath her steely facade of bravado. But I had always been reassuring her that academic excellence is but a tiny part of life - a mere step in the long spiralling staircase of life. There are many more traits that make up a successful person. 

She got over this disappointment very quickly (I think). 

Her primary school also has this exclusive gifted class that I had always been eyeing out of the corner of my consciousness with curiosity - but never hope. The kids from this class would comprise of the selected GEP students (if they remain in the same school) as well as the other students who fared well in the GEP second round, but perhaps not good enough to be selected by our all-important MOE. 

The curriculum of this gifted class is similar to the other MOE-appointed GEP programmes, and was crafted in consultation with an American expert on gifted education. More importantly (for me), I was impressed by this class because the curriculum goes beyond the routine and unthinking school curriculum. On the contrary, their pedagogy teaches them to learn, nurtures them to think critically, encourages them to philosophize and embolden them with the ability to speak out and discuss issues in class. 

I was impressed. Because I had been disillusioned by Singapore's primary, secondary and even pre-university education system where academic success means exams success and little or no discussions in class. This was in stark contrast to the Bees' preschool where speaking out and expressing themselves are second nature to the kids. 

I could tell Big Bee harbours deep-seated hopes of entering this revered class. Yet I did not want to mention anything to her because I don't want her to be disappointed a second time round. 

2 nights ago, we went to collect our letters, and we saw a letter with her school logo on it. She looked at me with big round eyes and I could just feel her bated breath! 

I opened the letter swiftly, away from her, with the main objective of shielding any vile information that might strike more daggers into her little disappointed heart. 

To my great surprise and joy, she was selected into this gifted class! She was ecstatic and elated. Almost delirious with joy. There is an option to opt out - and I asked her to decide for herself without any pressure from me or Hubby. She wanted in. 

For me, I was excited because I love their enriching curriculum and pedagogy. I hope these will propel her to be a participative learner in school next year. 

More importantly - I am just grateful that her dreams had come true and that she is happy :) 

Exams Are Over!

Final examinations for Big Bee were over 2 weeks ago, and we rejoiced jovially. Not that we were cramming and mugging in a last minute way, as I prefer a consistent approach to revision. But it was liberating not to worry about academic homework and just indulged in whatever we wanted! 

Hence, we enjoyed a marvellous weekend - and an extremely busy one too! Here were what we did: 

Saturday, 15 October

1) Big Bee's ballet open house

She will be taking her Grade 3 CSTD exams next month, and moving on to Grade 4 next year. Time truly passes fast! In Grade 3, her solo sequence was a lot more complex, and the main tenet of performance ballet must be showcased - that brilliant, glorious, carefree dancer smile. I remember my younger days as a dancer in school when a megawatt smile could easily distract an audience from wrong dance steps! However, Big Bee, being at a self-conscious age, was so reluctant to smile, so she was dancing the entire sequence with her usual serious yet sweet look. Let's hope she puts on a big smile for the examiner in a few weeks' time! 

2) Shopping! 

We had an early scrumptious Mexican lunch, and brought the Bees shopping in Plaza Singapura, replacing their old shoes and stocking up on cute stationery. The Bees were ecstatic, although I was having a hard time controlling shopaholic Little Bee who wanted to buy almost everything she fancied! I had to request that she learned to make decisions and choose her purchases wisely. 

3) Delightful Afternoon Tea

Shopping was indeed tiring work, so the Bees were fatigued by 3pm, during which we chanced upon a lovely, cosy cafe where we had a peaceful and relaxing afternoon. The Bees were lounging on the comfortable sofas, whereas Hubby and I could sip our refreshing Moroccan mint tea in serene repose. They had both reached a stage when it was such fun chatting and bantering with them, and I felt like friends with them! 

4) Movie Time! 

After tea, we adjourned for a 4.20pm movie - Johnny English Reborn! The girls were thrilled and were enthralled throughout the entire movie. They were squirming with anxious anticipation over some thrilling and suspenseful parts, which was really amusing to Hubby and me.

Sunday, 16 October

1) We woke up bright and early for a breakfast at Rider's Cafe, where we munched on delicious fried eggs and bread, sipped coffee and stared with captivation at the myriad horses around us. 

2) We stopped by Botanic Gardens for a little while, and wandered along the sprawling verdant meadow beside the tranquil lake where we used to breakfast beside little cygnets. We decided to amble towards the new Botanic Gardens MRT and took a ride on the Circle Line spontaneously, much to the Bees' delight!

3) We took about 3 stops to Bishan - just a swift ten minutes! - and strolled gleefully around Junction 8 for a little while before heading back, still amazed at how fast we could reach Bishan from Botanic Gardens. The Circle Line was so new and uncrowded, and the Bees enjoyed themselves tremendously. 

4) Headed home for lunch, before scooting out in the afternoon to my in-laws' house for an afternoon visit, where the Bees frolicked and pranced around with their thrilled grandparents.

5) Went to our old regular restaurant haunt by the beach at South Changi (which had recently been renovated), and were captivated by the boundless sea that strayed right up to the diners, as well as the enchanting lavender-clad twilight that was mysteriously descending on us. Dined on yummy Indonesian food. 

What a f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c weekend, and we need not even go for a holiday, as we could get all these fun in Singapore! Will write about some of these places in more detail soon. 

Happy Babies

Tomorrow will be the last day of Big Bee's P3 final exams, and she is eagerly looking forward to it! (And so am I...and hubby as well, haha). In fact, she had already made plans with her best friend for a lunch in school, followed by a playdate at our place tomorrow! Soon, it will be outings after exams when they grow bigger, sigh.

We had been very busy revising with Big Bee since last weekend, and had not been spending as much time on homelearning with Little Bee, poor her! In time to come, by next year, we would hope Big Bee could learn to revise on her own...

So, we are definitely looking forward to imminent happy days in the long year-end holiday, back to lazy weekend afternoons of romping in the parks or having scrumptious tea or just lazing by the beach. Yippee!

The Bees at a cafe on an idyllic Sunday afternoon...

Heuristics For Math

With final exams looming next week, I try to be calm and composed when encouraging Big Bee to revise her work. I am a firm believer in constant revision, and not last-minute cramming, so as not to stress the child (although I was the direct opposite when I was a student as I operate much better under adrenaline rushes, haha!). I also believe in regular revision so my child will not be put off by this entire concept and philosophy of examinations. 

Besides, with longer days at work due to a new but exciting portfolio, Big Bee and I typically have less than an hour of revision each night, as I also set aside time for fun bonding, which is a lot more important than aggressive mugging for examinations. I want my kids to associate me with loving fun and not as a kiasu mum worried about exams results!

Hence, I am thankful that Big Bee is rather self-motivated (can be improved further, though!). I give her homework to do before I leave home for work, and she usually completes them when I am back in the evenings. I am also highly grateful that my Mum is around in the day to keep an eye on Big Bee, although the latter usually takes advantage of her nice granny whenever I am not around, thus resulting in a frustrated granny! She is a lot more disciplined and well-behaved with me around though! 

I am also heartened that Hubby is entertaining Little Bee to the max as I focus on revising with Big Bee these couple of weeks. Teamwork is indeed a fundamental key in a successful marriage. 

I am digressing actually. I meant to write about a couple of interesting Math sums in an exercise that I am currently marking after Big Bee had completed it. These Math sums are quintessential demonstrations of the heuristics and modelling methodology that most parents complained about (many very much prefer algebra that we had been used to). 

On the contrary, I had begun to truly appreciate the beauty of heuristics when explaining such sums to Big Bee - as they are a lot more logical and visual, hence, much easier to understand, compared to the remote concept of algebra (although they will be acquainted with good old algebra very soon!).

Kids take to heuristics and modelling very well. It is also not rocket science for parents, and I learned the methods myself, just by browsing through her textbooks. However, this evening, as I was working through a problem sum with Big Bee, she came up with the solution much faster than me, much to my amusement! I used to be embarrassed if I could not solve a problem in front of my child, but these days, I will graciously tell the Bees that I am learning from them too. Parenting is all about learning from our children as well, and our children will definitely love it if they know they can help us. 

Anyway, here are the problems: 

1. Carena and Megan save some money every day. Each day, Carena saves the same amount of money, and each day Megan saves $1 more than Carena. After several days, Carena saved $18 and Megan has saved $27. How much does Megan save in 1 day? 

2. Alice, Susan and Jane have 270 buttons. Alice has twice as many buttons as Susan. Jane has 3 times as many buttons as Alice. How many more buttons does Jane have than Susan? 

(I know it is just sooo tempting to use algebra on this - I did use it at first! - but bear in mind the kids don't know algebra!)

3. Ali has 3 times as many marbles as Bala. After Ali lost 4 marbles and gave Bala some marbles, the two boys now have the same number of marbles. Bala has 22 marbles now. How many marbles does Bala have at first?

Liberation

Now that Big Bee's mid-year exams are over, we can start indulging in lazy weekends and leisurely evenings. We can revert back to fun activities like badminton, table tennis, tennis, cycling and bowling!





I had been trying to introduce more outdoor play for them, so they can learn about the marvelous Mother Earth around them and to adapt to a non-airconditioned environment. More importantly, outdoor play helps to keep myopia at bay. Already, Big Bee is now slightly short-sighted at 50 degrees for both eyes, but I am resisting glasses for now. I guess it is hard to avoid, given her voracious reading appetite.



But for now, plenty of play, huge doses of greenery and an abundance of fresh air!

Work Hard, Play Harder!

When I was young, my parents always encouraged me to dream about the fun-filled holidays when I was grumpily studying for exams. And my mum would usually plan some wonderful holiday programmes for my brother and I, together with our cousins, so that we worked hard, but played even harder! I think it was a fundamental philosophy that shaped my attitude to perseverence, always ensuring a strong balance of work and play in my life. 

With the Bees, I try to reinforce this same philosophy that my parents taught so well. One example was this past weekend, which was such a remarkable one! It was jam-packed with all sorts of activities, making it a very balanced weekend, and we truly worked and played hard. It was the weekend before Big Bee's Science CA1 on Monday, but instead of staying home to revise, I decided to practise intermittent revision with her instead!

Here was what we did:

Saturday

1) Big Bee's good friend from kindergarten, Mit, invited her to her 9th birthday party in East Coast.

2) Hence, we could drop Big Bee at the party place, where we left her squealing and excited with her good pals, before adjourning for a refreshing alfresco breakfast with the little one, which was a rare occasion! 

3) After breakfast, we ambled towards the beach for a bout of sandcastle building with Little Bee. The late morning sun was blisteringly searing, but Little Bee enjoyed this little exclusive time with us thoroughly, where she was able to arrest both our attention all to herself. We love the soft, powder-white sand, and was able to stroll along the coastline, picking up myriad pretty seashells and colourful rocks! This certainly brought a whole new perspective to the East Coast beach for me! 

4) We headed back to the birthday party for a little chatting between the parents, and some bonding amongst Little Bee with her jie-jie's friends. Most importantly for Little Bee, she got to eat the mouthwateringly moist chocolate cake! 

5) We then headed for Kid's Kampong, where I had promised to bring the Bees after experiencing - once again - just how fun it was to do longkang fishing after Little Bee's field trip. This excursion with Papa and Mummy was much longer than the field trip in school because the Bees got to feed and observe many little animals too! More on this in another entry. 

6) After an exhausting session of frantically catching fishes and feeding hungry animals, it was to our cosy home we headed towards! Big Bee and Papa (who is the designated Science tutor!) did some quick Science revision with her textbook. 

7) After invigorating baths for everyone, we proceeded to Keat's and Candice's charming Thaddeus' first month celebration in the evening! It was simply remarkable to catch up with my cousins and relatives again, and for the Bees, their cousins as well! The Bees were also excited to welcome their newest baby cousin, Thaddeus, and Little Bee kept whispering to me that she wanted to carry the cute little baby! Gazing at the beautiful infant makes me want to have another baby again! Haha!

Sunday

1) We decided to head towards the zoo bright and early in the morning, and enjoyed a whole morning of enrapturing activities with the animals, all the way till lunchtime! Again, more on this in another entry. Big Bee was disciplined enough to complete her reading revision of her Science textbook before we proceeded to the zoo. Little Bee was also diligently completing her school homework with minimal supervision from me. Once again, working hard and playing harder! :)

2) Back home, Big Bee did a Science assessment by herself while I read some books with Little Bee. 

3) I promised them a break in the cool evening breeze and stunning golden light of early dusk that I so adore. So, after an hour of schoolwork, the Bees dashed out to play table tennis with a grinning me in tow! We had fantastic fun sparring at table tennis, with Little Bee playing a moderated version where she simply rolled the ping pong ball over to Big Bee. We also stopped by the playground to become giggling pendulums on the swings! The addictive chuckles emanating from the Bees never fail to make my heart surge with immense joy. 

4) Sundays are usually playtime in the bathroom for the Bees, which means waterplay and showering together! Again, shrill squeals and excited yells filled the bathroom with happiness and wonder as the Bees created a mountain load of bubbles! 

5) Finally, more revision in the form of 听写 for Big Bee and some 四五快读 flashcards for Little Bee, before we call it a day, or rather, a long weekend!

As Big Bee exclaimed enchantedly at bedtime, "Mummy, this weekend seemed soooooo loooooonnnggg!" 

One Of Those Languorous Weekends...

This week had been rather busy with Big Bee's continual assessment tests for this term. Her first paper started mid-week and unfortunately, her last paper (Science) would only be next Monday, which means we would have spent 2 weekends revising with her! 

However, I do not believe in creating an incessantly "mugging" environment, preferring consistent revision versus last minute cramming. So we still have plenty of time for relaxation, although there were some rather intensive bouts of revision every weekday night, just before each test, which resulted in me neglecting poor Little Bee, whom I could only afford whatever little time left to read a book with her. I can't imagine the nights when Little Bee enters primary school as well! 

Weekends before tests or exams are usually kept simple and relaxing for us, so we can have full flexibility to revise or to laze about. A languid weekend was what we had last week, and we emerged revived and rejuvenated, ready for this week's gruelling challenges! 

We had a hearty breakfast in Botanic Gardens on Sunday, and ambled contentedly around the lush grounds, feeding the fishes by the lake and enjoying the serenity.

The Bees were very intrigued by what Big Bee called a long mysterious winding road that leads to nowhere. 

We had a lackadaisical and serene afternoon, in between revision bouts, to wander around our estate, with the Bees playing with bubbles and chilling out with their friends. What a perfectly restful Sunday!

The Bees with their friends in the neighbourhood playing with one of the girls' guinea pig. 

Assiduous Cogitation

* The answer to the Math problem below is in the comments section*

This is the season again - right smack in the midst of intense revision and constant coaching for Big Bee's primary 2 final term exams. With no tuition or enrichment classes, I am her de facto creative writing mentor, English and Chinese tutor as well as Math teacher. Thank goodness my mum helps out with Chinese coaching sometimes!

Teaching and coaching is easy. Facing an occasionally irate child who is a perfectionist is a wee bit challenging. I believe in instilling discipline for children from a young age to be self-focused in their academic pursuits - which is not a relentless quest for perfection, but rather, ingraining a sense of responsibility and accountability. However, Big Bee carried this belief much further than I would like.

The evenings before her exams, she would get cold, sweaty palms and soles, although she still maintained a cheerful disposition. And she, very much like Hubby and me, prefers to work under stress and adrenaline, instead of dwelling in a complaisant environment with no pressure. As parents, we never ever gave her pressure to succeed and I tried not to talk about her exams as we revised her work, but she would give herself an invisible shroud of pressure.

Thankfully, we are now into her last paper tomorrow - Chinese. She slept easy tonight, ecstatic in the knowledge that she can celebrate and relax tomorrow afternoon. I had promised her that there would be no academic activities for a while, because I - like her - believe very much in the good old adage, "We work hard and play even harder".

Meanwhile, I am also looking forward to a breather from all these rigorous coaching, and to get back the momentum for more enjoyable homelearning activities with Little Bee, who had been feeling rather neglected this week.

To end off, here's a Math problem in her school workbook that was somewhat baffling for 8 year old kids, I thought. We managed to solve it for her (she was too mystified to solve it!), and I heard from Big Bee that no one in her class could solve it.

You have two empty pails. In one pail, you can put exactly 5 litres of water. In the other pail, you can put exactly 3 litres of water. You need exactly 4 litres of water. How would you measure exactly 4 litres of water using only the two pails?

On a lighter note, here's a composition from Big Bee that she wrote in May, which had gotten her 9/10 (4.5 marks each for language and content):

The Rescue

One windy afternoon, Danny decided to play with his new aeroplane that his father had bought for him for Christmas. Danny went to a park not far from his house. He went to a field near to a canal.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew Danny's precious aeroplane into the canal! Danny did not want his precious aeroplane to be swept away in the flowing water, so he tried to reach for the aeroplane. As he was too near the edge of the canal, he fell into the flowing water in the canal!

He was afraid that he might be swept away with the flowing water so he shouted for help. Luckily, a young man who was coming back from work heard Danny's screams. He rushed to the canal as the screams were coming from there. The young man jumped into the canal and carried him out of the canal. He had rescued Danny!

Danny's parents were getting worried as Danny did not come home, so they decided to go to the park to look for him. Danny's mother was shocked to see so many people crowding around her son who was wet. The young man told Danny's mother what had happened. Danny's mother thanked him. She also gave him some money as a reward. That was Danny's most unforgettable day in his life.

A Sigh Of Relief

Looking cool in West Coast Park 2 weeks before the exams...

This week had been rather hectic for Big Bee and myself as it was the week of the harrowing final year exams! Remember how we used to slog and slave towards it when we were students? Well, this semester, I was determined not to let Big Bee be stressed over the finals, so I started a slow-paced and consistent revision programme since August. And it had shown to work for Big Bee who is generally a steady learner rather than cramming everything in the last minute (like the Mummy!). 

Hence, this week, her mood was relatively placid and collected - we even had a couple of hours of playground and strolling time every day, which really helped to soothe and cheer her. 

But it was still with a sigh of relief when Friday afternoon arrived - it means the inauguration of almost 3 months of play and relaxation! 

Big Bee is not one who likes toys these days so for her, it will mean more free time to indulge in her favourite activities like the following: 

1) READING: I am elated that she is very much in love with Enid Blyton books, following the footsteps of Hubby and me last time! However, it saddens me that the libraries here do not stock up many of her books, particularly the fascinating Faraway Tree series, so she has to turn to other alternatives. 

2) She completed this Roald Dahl book right after her exams. I found this edition very amazing - the cover is blank for children to depict their own covers from their imagination! What a wonderful idea to see how different each child's depiction is! 

3) PLAYING INTERNET GAMES :( She is somewhat (too) bewitched by these Playfish games on Facebook, particularly Country Story where she can farm crops and rear animals. The only good learning objective I got from this is to learn how to calculate profits and to set goals for herself in the farm! 

4) Drawing and writing stories: the above is herself with her current pet fish and imaginary pet bunny! 

Because of Big Bee's exam revisions, poor Little Bee did not get to do much home learning with me. I am glad that I now have 3 months to focus on Little Bee's development before she starts school for good next year!

The Calm Before The Storm

This long weekend was a taxing yet halcyon one. A strange juxtaposition, I know. It was taxing because I forced the family to stay home with no programmes as it will be Big Bee's first mid-year exams this week. So, I need to devote plenty of free time and energy for revision. 

Hence, Big Bee had her plate all full with mock exam papers, assessment books and homework, on top of revising through her corrections. These days, the primary one work is no longer like the elementary stuff in our time. The vocabulary, grammar, mathematical sums and Mandarin words are rather profound.

Yet, we took this opportunity to spend a restful weekend with the Bees with minimal distraction. Hubby bought a pair of baby hamsters for them, much to Big Bee's delight. She named them Jerry and Nibbles, after the Tom & Jerry cartoon show. 

I took the opportunity to experiment with Western-style dishes, which are never my forte. For Saturday's dinner, instead of the usual stir-fried dishes and double-boiled soups, I decided to whip up a dinner of hearty rib-eyed steak with mushroom soup and fries. It was a hit with Hubby, Big Bee and my helper, but I do not really fancy meaty meals!

 

And on Sunday, we took the Bees out for a long lunch and coffee. These days, the Bees will chatter loads, so when we were eating, Hubby and I could truly sit back and listen to the Bees yak non-stop about everything under the sun. We usually have a warm and fuzzy feeling in our hearts, seeing them so chirpy and happy.

 

It was truly enjoyable and relaxing, before we are back to the grind of exam preparation. I must say Big Bee took to the revisions very well, and was game to complete her work. Like I kept telling her, after this week, she can play for all she wants! Gosh, I do sound like my parents these days :)