Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

[Tookies]

Hi, my child is eligible to for HMT and foreign language and he is keen to do both. We want to try for ACSI lP with 1 pt away from COP. Wish to find out if it will be too hard to cope esp when the school requires 2 CCA in Yr1-4?

[Estéema]

Tookies\" post_id=\"2004857\" time=\"1606454345\" user_id=\"124548:

Hi, my child is eligible to for HMT and foreign language and he is keen to do both. We want to try for ACSI lP with 1 pt away from COP. Wish to find out if it will be too hard to cope esp when the school requires 2 CCA in Yr1-4?

Congratulations to you & your son, Tookies!
:congrats:

DS took Japanese & HMT. He switched to take German as a private student for time Mgt purposes & still doing Yr 4 HMT.

In Year 3, only students fr the Express stream will sit for CL exams whilst those on the IB track were not expected to do CL as they’ll just complete one HMT exams in Year 4. IB students will in Year 5 & Year 6 expected to be exempted fr Chinese. Some boys dropped HMT, fearing difficulty in managing time for pushing up their core subjects. This is really a choice thing, as DS prefers to be relieved by Year 5/6 fr HMT or any CL, to focus at a later stage to score well for core IB subjects & projects. To me, it’s perspective, individual ability to manage & balance his plate. From my u’stang, MOE designed curriculum to prepare our future leaders to engage a growing China economy, so the curriculum & sch exams might be tougher than the actual national HMT exams. Students are ONLY required to get a pass to earn that HMT. DS is looking fwd to be free of doing chinese language in Yr 5/6 & syllabus B shld be a beeeze for him. He’s hoping to offer German.

Let yr child try them out if he’s keen. Let him make his decision & own it. Just guide him to pros & cons. If u see him struggle with 3rd language by 2nd year, he has the option to drop it. I wld suggest if he picks up HMT, he shld keep up in earning his HMT recognition. But he’ll be the best person to know how far he can get himself pushing the limits. However, with CCAs, it is a compulsory commitment owise he’ll not gain the extra points towards tertiary admission. I’ve previously shared at length my perspective on keeping the young fit with CCAs & they'll feel fresh & energetic to hit the books. All work & no play makes a dull chap. I believe CCAs helps them release emotions, release endorphins fr their brain & keep physically fit to boot. As for parents, I see it as a safe time & place (most CCA time are spent in sch & under supervision) in a constructive manner rather than having extra time on hand, holed up in room at home on screen activities. They won’t fight us coz it’s the school rqmts. 😉

DS had enjoyed balancing studies, 3rd language, HMT, IP/IB project work & 2 CCAs. It’s comforting to see how he grows to keeping discipline. If kids see it as an exciting new life going into Secondary school, then it shld be sth they can manage in stride.

Hope you consider letting him choose & own his time and interests in secondary school life.

[Tookies]

Estéema\" post_id=\"2004917\" time=\"1606463472\" user_id=\"66413:

Tookies\" post_id=\"2004857\" time=\"1606454345\" user_id=\"124548:

Hi, my child is eligible to for HMT and foreign language and he is keen to do both. We want to try for ACSI lP with 1 pt away from COP. Wish to find out if it will be too hard to cope esp when the school requires 2 CCA in Yr1-4?

Congratulations to you & your son, Tookies!
:congrats:

DS took Japanese & HMT. He switched to take German as a private student for time Mgt purposes & still doing Yr 4 HMT.

In Year 3, only students fr the Express stream will sit for CL exams whilst those on the IB track were not expected to do CL as they’ll just complete one HMT exams in Year 4. IB students will in Year 5 & Year 6 expected to be exempted fr Chinese. Some boys dropped HMT, fearing difficulty in managing time for pushing up their core subjects. This is really a choice thing, as DS prefers to be relieved by Year 5/6 fr HMT or any CL, to focus at a later stage to score well for core IB subjects & projects. To me, it’s perspective, individual ability to manage & balance his plate. From my u’stang, MOE designed curriculum to prepare our future leaders to engage a growing China economy, so the curriculum & sch exams might be tougher than the actual national HMT exams. Students are ONLY required to get a pass to earn that HMT. DS is looking fwd to be free of doing chinese language in Yr 5/6 & syllabus B shld be a beeeze for him. He’s hoping to offer German.

Let yr child try them out if he’s keen. Let him make his decision & own it. Just guide him to pros & cons. If u see him struggle with 3rd language by 2nd year, he has the option to drop it. I wld suggest if he picks up HMT, he shld keep up in earning his HMT recognition. But he’ll be the best person to know how far he can get himself pushing the limits. However, with CCAs, it is a compulsory commitment owise he’ll not gain the extra points towards tertiary admission. I’ve previously shared at length my perspective on keeping the young fit with CCAs & they'll feel fresh & energetic to hit the books. All work & no play makes a dull chap. I believe CCAs helps them release emotions, release endorphins fr their brain & keep physically fit to boot. As for parents, I see it as a safe time & place (most CCA time are spent in sch & under supervision) in a constructive manner rather than having extra time on hand, holed up in room at home on screen activities. They won’t fight us coz it’s the school rqmts. 😉

DS had enjoyed balancing studies, 3rd language, HMT, IP/IB project work & 2 CCAs. It’s comforting to see how he grows to keeping discipline. If kids see it as an exciting new life going into Secondary school, then it shld be sth they can manage in stride.

Hope you consider letting him choose & own his time and interests in secondary school life.

Thank you for sharing!! Yes he is heavily involved in his school selection. It’s good to hear from personal experiences!

[zeemimi]

Regarding the 2 CCA policy, of which one is a uniformed group: the load on the students is equivalent to those taking 1 CCA from other schools. So that is not an issue.

[Tookies]

zeemimi\" post_id=\"2004950\" time=\"1606468457\" user_id=\"15896:

Regarding the 2 CCA policy, of which one is a uniformed group: the load on the students is equivalent to those taking 1 CCA from other schools. So that is not an issue.

👍👍 Thank you!

[Estéema]

Tookies\" post_id=\"2004927\" time=\"1606464759\" user_id=\"124548:

Thank you for sharing!! Yes he is heavily involved in his school selection. It’s good to hear from personal experiences!

Always happy to share. In the ACS Spirit of sharing. We had the privilege to know when we keep in touch & connected with students fr Barker & even those fr other neigbourhood schools & church mates, hence was able to share confidentially without much else revealed besides personal experiences.

[autolycus]

zeemimi\" post_id=\"2004950\" time=\"1606468457\" user_id=\"15896:

Regarding the 2 CCA policy, of which one is a uniformed group: the load on the students is equivalent to those taking 1 CCA from other schools. So that is not an issue.

It does depend on what the other CCA is, though. Good to assess each student in terms of their ability to manage time and interactions with other people. Some students find it tough, some don't; some spend a lot of time on their CCA of choice out of enthusiasm and occasionally, overcommitment.

[Estéema]

autolycus\" post_id=\"2005026\" time=\"1606481279\" user_id=\"16143:

zeemimi\" post_id=\"2004950\" time=\"1606468457\" user_id=\"15896:

Regarding the 2 CCA policy, of which one is a uniformed group: the load on the students is equivalent to those taking 1 CCA from other schools. So that is not an issue.

It does depend on what the other CCA is, though. Good to assess each student in terms of their ability to manage time and interactions with other people. Some students find it tough, some don't; some spend a lot of time on their CCA of choice out of enthusiasm and occasionally, overcommitment.

@ autolycus

Tell me abt overcommitment!

Met a young chap during open house some years back. He was very enthusiastic sharing tt he took up 3 CCAs of his choice, one of which is astronomy. He scored a perfect 44. Today, he’s with Oxford I heard. My DS wld not be able to do that much as tho he’s always enthu abt most things in school. 😆

So every child is diff in managing time.

[zeemimi]

Estéema\" post_id=\"2005090\" time=\"1606487709\" user_id=\"66413:

Tell me abt overcommitment!

is that a ACSI trait? :lol: The number of commitments seem never to be enough.

[zeemimi]

autolycus\" post_id=\"2005026\" time=\"1606481279\" user_id=\"16143:

zeemimi\" post_id=\"2004950\" time=\"1606468457\" user_id=\"15896:

Regarding the 2 CCA policy, of which one is a uniformed group: the load on the students is equivalent to those taking 1 CCA from other schools. So that is not an issue.

It does depend on what the other CCA is, though. Good to assess each student in terms of their ability to manage time and interactions with other people. Some students find it tough, some don't; some spend a lot of time on their CCA of choice out of enthusiasm and occasionally, overcommitment.

i heard those who are in band only need to take up 1 cca.

based on DS experience, most of his friends were in 2 CCAs, plus prefects / council, plus other commitments outside school, e.g. music etc. Not that it was easy, but it was manageable and enjoyable on the whole.