Eight Powerful Phrases that Parents Could Use

Read an article about eight powerful phrases that parents could use while interacting and communicating with their kids. I think the author has succinctly put across his ideas and suggestions.

A good read for parents.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/8-phrases-every-child-needs-hear-011127003.html

Is tuition necessary?

Was talking to a friend yesterday about her son's CA results. She sought my advice as her son did rather badly in his English CA. She was thinking of sending her son to a tuition centre near her house to save time. However, she was in a dilemma as her son was piled with homework every day and the form teacher told his class at the beginning of the year, "All of you must see if you can cope with your work before enrolling for tuition classes. There is no need for you to go for any tuition classes this year."

Hence we started discussing if tuition is necessary. As an educator, I told her that NOT every kid needs tuition. Yes, I believe so even after I have set up a learning centre. However, the rest of the kids need or choose to attend tuition classes for different reasons:
(a) Some kids are weaker and need reinforcement of the concepts in a smaller group
(b) Some parents think that their kids have potential to do better and hope to stretch their kids' potential
(c) Some parents are not able to coach or guide their kids at home due to their work commitments or their lack of knowledge of the primary school syllabus
etc
There are various reasons.
For my friend's case, reasons (a) and (c) apply. Hence I think it would be advisable for her son to seek some help.

My friend was in a dilemma because of the teacher's advice at the beginning part of the year. I think the form teacher was trying to pre-empt the class about the sheer amount of work the kids will have this year so that the kids will prioritise their activities. Her intention was good. However, she might have overlooked the fact that the kids in her class are not homogeneous. Some of them may be weaker in certain subjects although they are in one of the top classes.

Parents, do not feel anxious if your child is not attending tuition classes. This is especially so if you feel that it is not necessary for him or her. However, if you think that your child needs tuition due to one of the reasons listed above, try to seek help earlier. Do not wait till the crucial PSLE year. I think the foundation years are very important.

An interesting article - Fancy a cup of coffee from elephant dung?

Here's an interesting article that I shared with my P6 pupils during the English lessons.

http://business.financialpost.com/2012/12/17/elephant-dung-coffee-black-ivory-becomes-worlds-most-expensive-brew/

As promised, I have uploaded three photographs that show some of the processes involved in the production of this unique coffee brew.

Hill-tribe women hand picking Arabica coffee beans

                                     

                                               Picking out coffee beans from elephant dung

                                             Job is done!Look at the coffee beans collected!

Celebrating our tutees' successes

2012 was a busy yet meaningful year for our learning centre. We moved into our current premises at Blk 501, Jurong West St 51. On 22 November, when the much anticipated PSLE results were announced, our dear tutees updated us on their results. We were really happy for them when they shared with us their joy. We would like to celebrate their successes here. Here's a glimpse of the fruits of their labour:

English:
We had only one P6 English class in 2012. A few of the kids exceeded our expectations and their own expectations. 8 out of 9 of our P6 tutees in the class attained A*.

Science:
18 out of 19 tutees attained A and A*, with 10 of them attaining A*.

Maths:
All the 8 tutees attained A*.

Our thoughts:
Preparing for the PSLE is an arduous process. The kids need to have the right mindset and attitude. We have always told the parents that we are not miracle workers. We strive to impart the skills and concepts clearly to the kids. We strive to influence and inspire them to give their best. Why is that important? We always share this quote by Zig Ziglar with the kids. "Your attitude, not your aptitude, affects your altitude."

There is no short cut to success. Our tutees realised that they had to put in hard work to achieve their goals. During the year, it was gratifying for us to see the kids grow, gain confidence and bloom after hours spent on teaching of grammar rules and writing skills, "dissecting" the comprehension passages for better understanding, teaching them answering techniques and process skills for Science, imparting Mathematical concepts and skills involved for higher-order thinking questions etc

We are really proud of our graduating batch. Most of them displayed tenacity and perseverance. They were able to balance their school work and the work assigned by us.  They were also able to meet our expectations by revising for our quizzes. We hope that they are a source of inspiration for their juniors.

A GREAT start to a NEW year

After a two-month hiatus, we are back! We will be sharing some tips with parents in this post on how to help your child to have a GREAT start to a NEW year.

(1) Goals and targets for the new year
It is important that your child thinks through what his or her goals and targets are. He or she should have ownership of the goals and targets. Set aside time to discuss with your child the goals and targets he or she would like to set for himself or herself. The goals can be academic goals and personal goals (in terms of character and values).

(2) Personal Timetable 
Set aside some time this week or next week to plan a personal timetable (Monday to Sunday - allocating time for homework, revision, rest etc) with your child. This will help your child to have a better picture of how much time he or she has each day and how to plan and use his or her time more effectively.

Kids are also strongly encouraged to factor in a five-minute slot for personal reflection daily or weekly. They can reflect on what has gone wrong for the day or week and how things can be done differently. They can also reflect on what they have done right for the day or week. As a start, perhaps parents can help them via a discussion.

A personal timetable is a powerful tool to instil self-discipline in the kids. Parents can cut down on time spent nagging them. Kids will also have a sense of responsibility and ownership.

(3) Daily Revision
No matter how busy your child is this year, he or she has to set aside some time daily for revision. It can be in the form of reviewing what has been taught for the day. Your child may also like to focus a little more on his or her weaker subject(s) during the daily review. Cumulative review is encouraged. Please refer to a post on our blog on cumulative review. If your child does not have the time to copy the questions down in the cumulative review book, it will be good if he or she tags out the questions that needs further review and revision.

(4) Sharing of inspirational messages or stories
Take some time in the first month to share some inspirational stories or quotes with your child. Discuss with them the importance of having a positive attitude towards learning and life. Watch some inspirational videos with them. It is important to influence the mindset and attitudes of the child and to inspire him or her. Once the child has a positive attitude, half the battle is won.

Don't despair if you think your child had not been self-disciplined last year or for the past few years. It is never too late for them to change. You will be pleasantly surprised at the outcomes when they change and become more mature,self-disciplined and self-motivated.

Registration for 2013 Classes

Dear Parents,

We have received many emails asking about our new timetable. We were busy preparing our P6 pupils for the PSLE. Thank you for considering Serena's Greenhouse as your partner for your child's learning journey and for being so patient with us. We have just completed our registration for our existing pupils. We will now release available vacancies to the pupils on our wait list(*) and then subsequently to the general public.

* Terms and conditions apply

Regular Classes for 2013 (Updated 25 October):
Conducted by Mrs Teo-Chng Hui Min (ex-Math HOD who has anchored the P5/P6 creme classes, producing stellar results)

(a) P4 Science (Full)
     Wednesday  2.45 p.m. to 4.45 p.m.

(b) P5 Science (Full)
     Sunday         9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

(c) P5 Math (High Achievers) (New class - Limited Vacancies)
     Wednesday  7.15 p.m. to 9.15 p.m.

(d) P6 Math (1 Vacancy)
     Wednesday  5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

(e) P6 Math (High Achievers) (Full)
     Sunday        11.30 a.m. to 1.3 p.m.

Conducted by Teacher Serena a.k.a Mdm Chng Hwee Cheng (ex-Science Subject Head of top primary school in Jurong area )

(a) P4 Creative Writing (Full)
     Monday       6.45 p.m. to 8.15 p.m.

(b) P5 English (Full)
      Saturday     11.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m.

(c) P6 Science (Full)
     Friday         4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

(d) P6 Science (High Achievers) (Full)
      Sunday     8.45 a.m. to 10.45 a.m.

(e) P6 English (High Achievers)
      Friday       7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Full)
      Saturday    8.45 a.m. to 10.45 a.m. (Limited Vacancies*)

(f)  P6 English (Full)
      Sunday      11.15 a.m. to 1.15 p.m.

Note:
(a) Do note that placement tests will be administered for certain classes to ensure that there is a right fit. It is our belief that one size does not fit all and there must be a right fit for the pupil to benefit from the classes.
(b) There are requests from parents to start new classes or place them on the wait list for holiday programmes in future. If you would like to be placed on our wait list, please send an email to us.

Contact Details:
serenagreenhouse@gmail.com

Common Mistake (1): Live vs stay

I was marking a pupil's assignment when I spotted this common mistake. I decided to highlight it during my lessons. This is a common mistake made by adults too.

When we ask someone where he or she resides, we should ask, "Where do you live?" instead of "Where do you stay?"

Note the difference in meaning between "stay" and "live"
Stay: Live in a place temporarily
Example: I stayed at ABC Hotel when I was on holiday in Paris.

Live: reside in a place permanently
Example: I live in a flat in Jurong West.