Difference between G1, G2 G3

monkeydad

As noted from the intranet homework dairy, they should be learning the same syllabus.

The Head teacher said the distribution is by random.  But I have the following findings / observations :

G1 English - has more non-Chinese students
G2 Maths - move faster than G3 and G1
G1 and G2 Chinese - move almost in the same pace but seems there is no G3 only the Chinese as 2nd Lang. group

I am not sure the teachers has splited the groups according to student's respective learning level but it will be so after the 1st term (2nd term starts in Nov).

原帖由 ChapmanMa 於 08-9-18 00:58 發表
Hi SM parent,

Can you advise how to divided the students into the 3 groups ? Based on what criteria ?  Best studends ->  Fair students --> below Standard students ??  

Are they learning the same syl ...

monkeydad

Dear ChapmanMa,

It seems that you are not current SM parent.

The grouping is not rigid and the school tries not to disclose as the split is for sake of the kid's benefit.

The beforesaid is just my observation this year and it may change year by year.

The total number of non-Chinese students varies each year and the split this year 08-09 is about 10 in P1G1 and 4-5 in G2 and G3 respectively.

原帖由 ChapmanMa 於 08-9-18 10:08 發表
Dear monkeydad, thanks for your good observation.  That means, based on each subject, the studends will be splitted into different groups, right ?  As you see, normally, how many non-Chinese studends  ...

monkeydad

ChapmanMa,

Comparing to other local schools, homework of SM is not that much.  All depends on the style of your kid.

Some mothers said the workload is even less than kindergarten.  A few commented it is too much.

Take my boy as an example, he probably can finish within one hour if he is in good mood.  Please note that my boy is from an international type kindergarten (project based and less writing).  If those from traditional kindergarten, they would feel easy.

原帖由 ChapmanMa 於 08-9-18 10:23 發表
Dear monkeydad,
Yes, I am not current SM parent but I hope I can be next year.  I will go to SM's briefing this Sat and definitely will apply it.  Hope my son can be granted an interview and be a luc ...

monkeydad

HKQQbaby,

I want my boy to join as well because I find his English is not good enough.  I also want him to join the homework club also as I want him to develop a good / proper habit of doing homework.

By the way, where do you live, nearby?  My boy is in the same school bus with your twins and your girl says hi to me every time.

原帖由 HKQQbaby 於 08-9-20 17:24 發表
ConnieBaby

我打算讓baby join 這期的cambridge,　因學費確實抵(HKD50/hour, 如外面讀　多為$130-$180/hour)
趁現在功課少先試試(不過要自己接放學)

monkeydad

HKQQbaby,

I admire your so much that your boy and girl could tell you a lot on what they have learnt in school.  I asked my boy the same but he said his Spanish note book was kept by the teacher.

Besides, he also told me that he didn't understand much during English and Mathmatics lessons.  I was quite surprised as we have talked to him in English very often at home and his English standard should not be that bad.  Puzzling...

Thanks for your sharing that enable me to know more about his school life.

原帖由 HKQQbaby 於 08-9-22 18:17 發表
今天仔仔(PIG2) 放學後讓我看他上modern language: Spanish 筆記: Hola - Hello, Adios - Bye,  Buenos clias - good ...
雖然我不會spanish 不知是否正確, 為鼓勵他認真上堂, I give him one Mickey Sticker which  ...

monkeydad

HKQQbaby,

When I put my boy to sleep last night, I tried  some simple spanish words, like Hola, Adios...  Surprisingly, he could correct my prononciation.  He even said "thank you" to me in Spanish (of course I am not sure whether it is right).  This made me feel a bit better.  

Anyway, I have a spanish oral CD and will learn some words when he goes school.  Again, thanks for providing me the info that I can catch up with him.

I am still a bit worried about his Maths and English lessons.  What I can do for him is to prepare the class well ahead that would make him a bit easy to follow.

原帖由 HKQQbaby 於 08-9-22 20:16 發表
monkeydad

The note book for modern language is prepared by me, not by school teacher. I want them to take the notes, otherwise I do not know what they learned in class. And I prepare one paper for th ...

monkeydad

Hi WD40,

My boy is in P1 (G2) also and he got the notice from school probably on Monday.

There are 3 levels - starter (every Tue), mover and flyer (every Wed) from 3:25 to 4:55 - i.e. 1.5 hours; cost : $900 including teaching materials for 12 lessons starting mid Oct till mid Feb 2009.  

You can call the class teacher or Ms Ma at 2396 6675.

原帖由 WD40 於 08-9-24 22:36 發表
Thanks G-Ma.   Shall there any course for P.1 students to learn Cambridge Eng?  I have not recieved any notice/circulate in relation to this subject!!  Or it may provide for P.2 onwards???

Wa...yr da ...

monkeydad

HKQQbaby,

Thanks.

It is a good suggestion - 與仔仔備課.

Mr Gaffney posted on the intranet that there would be a test on Monday (10 words).  I think this refers to the dictation done already.  Next monday is the School Sports Day.  Will you be there?  I have enrolled to be the helper.

原帖由 HKQQbaby 於 08-9-25 07:36 發表
Monkeydad

Do not worry. 能考入SM 的學生英文基楚不會差. 可能你仔仔需要時間適應新老師(發音及教學方法), 如事前與仔仔備課可能便於他理解. 我會在家用中文再解題,讓仔仔確實明Maths, 始終English is 2nd languag ...

monkeydad

HKQQbaby,

Sure.  I will be helping the Long Jump section.

原帖由 HKQQbaby 於 08-9-25 15:41 發表
Monkeydad

I will be there after lunch, about 3opm.
Since that day morning, I will be work for half day.
If you see me, pls say hello to me. (You know my girl.)

monkeydad

HKQQbaby,

He is ok, just hurt his right hand with the pencil.

He is now practising running with his uncle.  He asked his uncle to bring him to the sports ground and show him how long is 60m.  He said he will run 60m and only the top 8 boys can go for the final.

I saw the 20 words but my boy told me dictation is only up to the 12th (may be this is his wish / dream).  Glad that we have 2 days off on Sep 30 and Oct 1.

My boy has not yet finished the textbook and workbook exercises up to Ch 10.  Have to hurry up.

原帖由 HKQQbaby 於 08-9-26 20:19 發表
Monkeydad

你仔仔今天是否有小小受傷(My girl said) 會否影響下週一出賽? 保重.

6th Oct  又有 English dictation (20 words.)
10th Oct 有 Maths Quiz

下週假期我可要好好與仔女溫書.

...

monkeydad

WD40,

Yes the Maths quiz is from Ch 1 to Ch 10 - per what my boy had written down and info from intranet.

原帖由 WD40 於 08-10-1 15:52 發表
係呀！我0岩 0岩都同阿仔溫習 dictation。聽佢講話要默晒果20個生字。

我都想clarify Math Quiz 範圍是否 ch 1 - ch 10?

其實好多人話smc唔谷，但我覺得都開始谷谷地！所以大家努力呀！

...

monkeydad

HKQQbaby,

No wonder I found there were fewer students on the bus - quite a number of empty seats.  Then your twins will arrive home earlier la.

Today I found the completed pages after pg 38 of my boy's Maths textbook were erased.

原帖由 HKQQbaby 於 08-10-2 15:30 發表
Monkeydad

I am happy to tell you that the P3 Girl who took the No.9 school bus, will not take the school bus from today, since she will join the Homework club after school.

monkeydad

Sara,

I thought it was quite tough for P1 at the beginning.  However, I think it may be the school's objective to encourage kids to read more when I stepped back.  This sets the target for the kids.

Besides, we can have a mix - both difficult and easy ones.  The purposes are (1) to encourage them to read and be able to recognize some words as well as (2) to widen their knowledge.  Thus, I will choose a mix including those less interesting topics such as stories of the Great Men and Women like Newton, Nintingale, Helen Keller, Wright Brothers, Watt... as well as those funny themes like Three Little Pigs, Disney stories...

The language ability of my boy is not that good and I have to accompany him to do the reading and let him bring the book to school to read by himself (not sure??) for memory recall.

monkeydad

Sara,

In this stage, I have to read to my boy and make him learn and read the repeated words.  I think this should be an on-going process, not just last for 2 months, hoping that he can eventually read by himself la.

I would take reading one chapter of the Great Chinese Novels (kid's version, 3-4 pages full of words) such as 三国演义 as one book given its rich content and each chapter can stand out as a story.

I have sought advice from an education specialist (teaching education in CU) who told me that the reading campaign may be just the school's objective to develop the kids' reading habit.  She also advised to do what we can (at both parents and kids level) and to read in a relax mode as quality is more important than quantity.

Don't put a lot of pressure on yourself.  Reading is fun.  Finish reading 40 books in 2 months time is tough.  Let's try our best la.

monkeydad

HKQQbaby,

I finished reading two books for my boy - one Disney story and the story of Helen Keller (the blind and deaf writer / social worker).  The Disney story is relatively simple and I taught my boy to recognize the words while the story of Helen Keller is a bit difficult in context of relatively lengthy content and I taught him the success of that Great Lady.

You are right.  It is quite time consuming (on parents) as he is not yet able to read by himself.  I will try my best la.

monkeydad

HKQQbaby,

Mr Gaffney has written dictation on his homework diary.  

He said that there is dictation again on the 20 words they already dictated but he does not know when will it take place.  Is that because he did most of the words wrong that he has to re-do again?  I am very puzzling as he did most on those correct on Sunday???????????

monkeydad

HKQQbaby,

I just found he missed the GS writing.  I was out for dinner.  I checked the intranet before I left at 18:30 but this was not posted yet.

He also told me he did not write two words (I thought it was face and dark per his performance on sunday).

I did call Mr Gaffney at around 16:30 but could not reach him.

原帖由 HKQQbaby 於 08-10-9 18:55 發表
Monkeydad

My girl said your son could not write two words only (special & shower). Why will he re-do dictation again? I think you should phone Mr Gaffney directly for the reason tomorrow.

monkeydad

HKQQbaby,

Did you note of the two stickers on the back of the homework diary?  These are the passwords for entering into two on-line homework sites - one is for Chinese comprehension and the other is for English.

The school has less writing and copying but quite a lot of  optional "qualitative" homework - reading, on-line exercises...  It is not an easy task to follow all la.

I finally talked to Mr G.  He told me that my boy made 8 out of 20 for the first time and thus had to re-do.  He made 19 correct then.  Interesting - I revised the words with him on sunday and he got almost all correct but made 8 on Monday.  I had not done anything last night but he made 19 correct today (5 days from the last revision).

monkeydad

pink-l,

I think the assessment is on-going.

School handbook indicates first term break in mid Nov.  Thus, I would expect there may be regrouping afterwards.

monkeydad

HKQQbaby / sara,

I know about English and 每日一篇 and have managed to complete on time.  My boy is quite interested in doing these.

I am not aware of PTH exercise.  When do we have to start and what is the volume?

This is quite a lot to us (my boy and me) in addition to the Chinese reading program.  I learnt from BK that there will be the English reading program too - 15 books + reports by Dec.