Secondary 2 MeettheParents Session Saturday 14 Feb 09

1
Secondary 2Meet-the-Parents SessionSaturday 14
Feb 09
2
Homework

• Daily targets for homework / reading ahead during
  peacetime
• Lower sec 1-2 hours a day
• Upper sec 2-3 hours a day
• More if there are tests / exams (wartime) If
  unable to reach this on certain days make up on
  other days
• These time targets will help students know if
  they are on-track or not

3
Homework

• Focus on the work, set other things aside
• Study in a quiet place
• Without TV, handphone or computer
• Makes notes, draw mindmaps, write it out and
  practice the sums dont just read

I hear, I forget I see, I remember I do, I
understand - Confucius
4
SYF and Sports / Games

• SYF Judging Days for Band, Choir etc will be
  around end March to around the 3rd week April
• Inter-school sports competitions will begin in
  Term 1 and may end as late as 3rd week April
• That is, very close to the mid-year exams
• Accordingly, students who are involved in these
  CCAs will have to put in very consistent work so
  that they are well prepared for their exams

5
Progress and Promotion

• Students, tell your parents about your work and
  show your test papers and assignments to your
  parents
• Parents, please monitor your children and make
  them meet the time targets and improve on their
  test marks
• Towards the end of Term 1, a Progress Report will
  be given, to keep track of progress

6
Progress and Promotion

• Promotion to Sec 3
• Express
• Pass in EL and overall pass (average of all
  subjects)
• Normal Academic
• Pass in EL and 2 other subjects
• Or - pass in 4 subjects
• Normal Technical
• Pass in 2 subjects one of which must be EL or
  Math
• Note students should not be aiming to merely
  pass, but to do very well, since Sec 1 and 2 are
  the foundations for Sec 4 / 5 years

7
Progress and Promotion

• Lateral transfers
• For 2NA 70 or higher in overall average and
  deemed able to cope with Express may be
  transferred to 3E
• For 2NT 70 or higher in overall average and
  deemed able to cope with Normal Academic may be
  transferred to 2NA (to build foundation in
  Humanities and others)

8
Progression for Sec 4NA

• 2 options Sec 5 or Higher Nitec at ITE
• From 2009s 4NA batch, promotion criteria to 5NA
  is changed to better match the polytechnics
  admission requirements.
• Benefits
• Students will be motivated earlier in their
  secondary school years to make the effort to
  qualify for polytechnic courses
• N(A) students will be able to cope better with
  polytechnic education

9
Progression for Sec 4NA

• What does this mean?
• In past, students could go to 5NA by focusing on
  3 subjects
• From now on, students must do well in all the
  subjects, so that their chances of doing well in
  Sec 5 and poly

10
Subject Combinations(Tentative)
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Subject combinations

• The subject combinations we offer will prepare
  students for many / most post-sec options
• In the following, we show the 2009 Sec 3 subject
  combinations
• The 2010 Sec 3 subject combinations may look the
  same

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Sec 3E 2009

• Students are high ability, so (i) 8 subjects (ii)
  Double Maths (iii) Pure Sci
• Core 6 subjects EL, MTL, EM, AM, Social Studies,
  Chem
• 2 main groups - triple Science and Double H /
  Double S

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Sec 3NA and 3NT 2009

• NA
• Core 4 EL, MTL, Maths, Social Studies
• 5th - Sci(Chem/Physics) or Sci(Chem/Bio)
• 6th - Art / DT / FN
• NT
• Core 5 EL / MTL / Maths / Science / CPA
• 6th - Art / DT / FN

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Higher Mother Tongue

• Students who do well at end of Sec 2 may be
  invited to offer HMTL
• Benefits
• Students will learn the language and culture in
  greater depth
• 2 bonus points for JC entry
• Criteria 75 and above for SA1 SA2, consistent
  good results in CAs, plus teachers
  recommendations, subject to Schools approval
• HCL and HML are offered at Sec 3 and 4 in Swiss,
  during curriculum time
• HTL will still be offered at Jurong West Sec,
  Marsiling Sec or Umar Pulavar

15
How to decide?

• Students interests and aptitudes
• Aspirations for post-sec education
• Aspirations for careers

16
Advice

• Parents, please take time to help your children
  to think through and choose, in the course of
  this year
• Where possible, aim for JCs they provide a
  pretty direct route to university
• Polys are good too bear in mind that only X
  make it to the university
• ITE can be a stepping stone that leads a
  further end-point eg, poly, uni
• Others NAFA, Lasalle

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Useful Websites

• http//www.polytechnic.edu.sg
• http//www.ite.edu.sg/justforschools/learning.html
  courses
• http//www.careercompass.gov.sg