June Holidays

Dear all,

I know that it has been a while since I have last updated. Since this is the time of the June Holidays, I would like to send out a few notices and thoughts about the first semester.

Parents-Teachers Meeting

Thank you parents for coming down and to update me about your child's progress at home and to offer your encouragement and improvements. I am heartened to work with each one of you and I feel that it is important to forge communication and have constant updates. We share a common goal of the welfare of your child.

Take note of the strengths and weaknesses as highlighted and work on the areas of improvement. As I have stated, a good part of the areas of improvement is to actually offer encouragement and motivation which are somewhat lacking in the students. They are not reaching their full potential and are definitely capable of doing better if they can make the extra effort to push themselves consistently. Of course, do allow time to destress and relax when needed.

For those parents who were not down, not to worry. I will look to call you soon after this busy week in school. I look forward to communicating with you.

For parents who indicated that you would like to receive the mid-year progress report/feedback through e-mail, I have already sent the first batch of e-mail out. Hope it reaches you fine. Do drop me a reply so that I can track that you have received my e-mail. Thank you!

Parents, do get your children to view the blog. I hope to make full use of the blog as a platform for them to be reminded of school work and important announcements. The blog has also been a useful tool for the students to revise certain notes being posted. As such, do read the blog regularly and to also get your children to check it on a regular basis. Many thanks in advance.

Semester 1

As we look back on Semester 1 as a family, I am glad to see the general improvement in academic results for English and Science, whether it is on a small or large scale. Always tell yourself that you can do better and work on it. Do not stop at where you are.

The general feedback for English is to improve on grammar, spelling and punctuation for most of you. These are the basics of English and without these basics, you will not be able to progress to the next level. As such, it is very important to work on tenses, grammar items, spelling and punctuation. Find some time to drill on these items time and again to make sure you remember how to use them correctly. This helps when it comes to writing, answering of comprehension and booklet B (which is the usual most difficult section of the papers in which you lost most of your marks).

For Science, always remember to drill yourself and ace booklet A (MCQs). This is the section in which I have told you time and again, that it is very important and will determine whether you can pass or score well. 30 questions, 4 options, read carefully and aim to score 40 or above. A 50 and above would help you to safely move on to an A grade if you do not do badly for your booklet B. Use Science concepts and key terms when you answer booklet B open-ended questions, especially for questions in which you have to explain.

As for progress report on classroom discipline, it still has alot to be worked upon. By now, you would be familiarized with what each teacher expects and sets in place to make sure your self-discipline is achieved. However, most of you lack the consistency to be self-disciplined at the right times, especially after the examinations. Self-discipline is the key to help you be organized in the classroom and to have a conducive environment to study well. As such, it is really important. It also applies at home when you revise and do your work. With self-discipline, you can then be more motivated to do well.
As a class, you have done well in readily getting yourself ready in lining up. That is really commendable. Please continue to work together. We need to maximize all the time we need in the classroom.

In terms of attitude in school, one area to be greatly improved! SELF-MOTIVATION! Motivation is the want and need to achieve a goal and task. You have to know what you want and to be determined to achieve that goal and not to give up halfway. There will be obstacles along the way and difficulties. But don't give up. If you are unsure, please ask. Teachers, parents, tuition teachers, relatives and siblings are all here to help you. Ask a few people if you need help in your studies. Check and check and make sure you understand and solve a problem. Many of you just want to get the answers to a question rather than focusing on how to solve the problem and what is needed to solve the problem. This is more important than just getting the answer. It is the process that will help you solve other problems.
It is already half a year gone by. Very soon, you will see your seniors taking their PSLE and wonder to yourself, "Is that me in a year's time?" This is your goal, to do well and take pride in your studies.

Important Notices

Homework on Composition Unit 7 to be done and passed up when you come back for the extra supplementary lessons on the last week or latest by first day of TERM 3!

This time, I have decided to let you try on your own after all the previous help being provided. The main aim is to let you have your own practice on your own to see how well you can write. So please put in your best effort. Parents, do take note of the advice provided to some of you during the meet the parents' session. You can help your children to break down the story into different parts to drill them and help them check on their content and mistakes before combining each part into a perfect story.

Important Events in Term 3

First week of school would be your Science practical test which marks 10% of CA2 results. We will be having intense practice during the first week when school reopens. I will post up some notes during the holidays for you to revise a little.

CA2 will take place in the 6th week onwards. Start your revision. Do not laze around. Past year topics are important, especially for Science. Go and read up.

P5 NE Show and P5 Camp will take place in July and August.

Lastly, lets' go back and revisit the rules that we hold dearly in our classroom.

5 Golden Rules 

1. We are a family.

I value the bond between the teachers and students and this first rule seeks to establish a supportive environment in which everyone can help one another and make learning interesting and fun. Just like the analogy of branches, roots, leaves, stems and shoots that make up a tree, students and teachers need one another in their walk through daily school life. As much as I hope students can learn from me, I also look forward to learning from each and every student. 

2. Listen Attentively!

The power of listening is immense. The sense of hearing is an important tool in classroom learning. It is important to respect the speaker when he/she is talking just as we hope that others will listen to us when we are talking. Thus, it is important to listen first and ask/speak later. 

3. Respect, bow and greet the principal, vice principals and teachers.

The value of respect is clearly meted out in the school rules (in the school handbook/diary) - Respect yourself, respect others and respect the environment. It is important to show respect to higher authority and to fellow classmates/schoolmates. It is an integral aspect of character development and lifelong learning.

4. Pass up all work on time. 

Work is not to burden students but to build up their knowledge and put into practice concepts learned. Students must take pride in their work to grow academically. With constant practice, students can activate their schema and drill the concepts in their mind. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. As such, it is important for students to pass up work on time so that the teacher can grade and provide feedback. 

5. Do your best in everything you do.

No one is perfect. We make mistakes along the way in our life. But it is important to put in our best effort and maximise our talent and efforts, learn from our mistakes along the way and become a better person. Likewise, students must put in their best effort to shine academically, in terms of character development or physical sports. 


Thank You,
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong

Meet the parents session

Dear all, Please do take note that Madam Ong will be on medical leave for two days and hence, she is not able to see you tomorrow for the meet the parents session. She will relay to you your child's progress via the phone. My sincere apologies on her behalf. So do ignore the timing for mathematics. If you will like to meet te Chinese teachers, mdm lily lim will be at 3G4 classroom seeing her form class. You can look for her there and meet her if she is available if not, she will give you a call. Mr kok will be at 6R6 classroom. Do bring your child along as it will be good to discuss with them about their detailed mid year progress. As the school is used as a polling station for the coming elections, it has to be cleared by 12 noon. Hence I will be providing slips of paper for you to indicate any comments or requests so that I can get back you via email or phone. With 24 parents to meet, I hereby apologise if I am not able to meet you for a longer period of time. Each parent will be allocated 10 to 15 mins. Do be punctual so that I will not hold up the rest of the parents' time. Thank you so much for your kind understanding. I look forward to seeing all of you and to work together with you for the coming semester. Sincerely, Mr Nelson Ong

Some other important reminders

Dear all, Please be reminded for those who have received your letters for the extra remedial lessons for the June holidays, please get them acknowledged and signed and returned to me by tomorrow. Dear parents, Can I seek your request for your children to be present during the meet the parents session meeting? The reason being that I hope for your child to also listen to hi progress an feedback and for him to answer any queries if possible. If there are any sensitive and private matters to be discussed, I will set up a corner for the students to be at. So rest assure. I will be analyzing their results from ca to sa, daily work performance and break down of respective components of English and science papers. Thank you parents, Sincerely, Mr Nelson Ong

Last Day of Semester 1

Dear all,

Please bring along a pail for your group and one cloth/rag for each person for 'Use your hands' Campaign tomorrow.

Also, bring your report books *that are signed* to school tomorrow to be returned.

Please bring your english and science files (signed by your parents) tomorrow too.

Wishing you a good day ahead.

Thank You,
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong

The importance of filing

Dear all,

As we approach mid-week, do take note that come tomorrow, we will be issuing back your report books so do be present.

IMPORTANT!

• Sort out your files, arrange it in the correct order. Please spend some time to do so!
• Get your parents' signatures on the content page for every unit.
• Get your parents' signatures for every spelling and dictation.
• Get your parents' signatures for the synthesis and transformation test 1 and 2.
• Please indicate the DATE beside the signatures. 
• Please bring your file tomorrow without fail! 

Dear Parents,

Do help to ensure that your children have filed their files in the orderly manner according to the given content page. Help to look through and acknowledge the content page, synthesis and transformation tests 1 and 2, spelling and dictation tests by signing them. 

The files will be due for checking by the respective Heads-of-Department and Principals this coming June holidays.

Thank You,

Sincerely,

Mr. Nelson Ong.

Preparing for the last week of Term 2

Dear all,

It is approaching the last week of term 2. In a twinkling of an eye, another term has gone by. Generally, improvements have been made in English and Science. Overall passes for English has gone up to 32 passes. Overall passes for Science has gone up to 31 passes (with 7 As). Continue to improve and remember that by the end of the year, all of you should be able to pass your subjects and be ready to work towards scoring an A/A* or high B come next year for PSLE. That is your ultimate goal!

In terms of behaviour, self-discipline in all of you has slightly improved although it can still be better. You now know the urgency to be ready and to  line up quickly. I see pupils taking initiatives to quieten the class down and to get their friends to be on task. However, motivation is one area for greater improvement.

Motivation refers to the desire and the need to sustain interest and hard work to meet a target or goal.

Alot of you lack the motivation to either pass your subjects or TO REACH YOUR POTENTIAL.

It is not what you cannot do but not wanting to put in the effort to achieve what you can achieve.

If you know that you are weaker in a particular subject, the only way to pass and improve is to work harder than others, put in more effort and have a consistent revision schedule. You cannot expect to do well if you start picking up your books to study only when exams are around the corner. You need to be able to see that your future starts from primary school. Having a good foundation for your studies and character building will help you in making to a good secondary school and to the next levels. Don't regret not studying hard enough in primary school when you have to struggle in secondary school.

Everyone is capable of reaching Bs and A/A*! That I am certain!

As you enjoy the holidays, reflect on what you need to improve upon for your studies and behaviour. Having the right attitude will affect your grades too. Thus, it is not just about academics but also on your character building.

Important Reminders

• Bring all your english or science worksheets you can find at home to file in your files. File checking is done during the first week of the June holidays.
• You will be getting back your report books this coming week. 
• Bring your English 5B Workbook, Social Studies 5B Workbook and Science Systems workbook to be put into your file if you have not done so. 
• Use your hands campaign is on Thursday, the last day of school. You can start to bring pails and rags (with permission from your parents) and put in the classroom. 

Dear Parents,

Thank you for all your support and guidance in helping your child to improve. Lets' continue to work together to spur them on for the last semester. I look forward to seeing you for the Meet-the-Parents sessions this Friday. Take note of your respective timings as given out to your child. 

To those who are unable to come down, I will look to give you a call this coming week.

Thank You,

Sincerely,

Mr Nelson Ong

Reminders!

Dear all,

Please submit your exam papers for checking of parents' signature tomorrow so that I can check before we put into our files.

The schedule for the Supplementary lessons for June holidays has been given out for your acknowledgement. Give the reply slips back to Mdm Ong or me by Monday. Food will be provided during your breaks.

Please return your Meet-the-parents session acknowledgement slip by tomorrow so that I can collate and send out the timing slips to all parents.

Thank You,
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong

Week 9 - Post Exams

Dear all,

First and foremost, I would like to say that I am glad that there is a huge improvement in your SA1 grades for Science as compared to your Common Test. 7 As is a good achievement. For the rest, continue to put in your best effort and strive for excellence.

P5 is not an entirely easy level with lots of adjustment. This is your first step in preparation for your PSLE. Always remember your end goal. You need to do well for your P5 topics to lay the foundation for your PSLE next year. Half a year has gone by and in a twinkling of an eye, you will be in P6.

Always remember the tips I give you. They are for you to do well.

Today's Traffic Games is cancelled as a result of the torrential rain and lightning risk. Although the rain may have stopped, the weather forecast over at East Coast Park is not ideal. Most important is your safety and as a result, the traffic games has been cancelled.

There will be supplementary lessons for all during the last week of the June holidays for English, Science and Maths (for Mdm Ong). This is to help you to improve and for you to revise through your work. For Mdm Ong, she will looking to start on the topics in the syllabus, so do turn up as far as possible.

I will identify a few of you who need huge improvement in your academics for English and Science to turn up for a revision session with me. Letters will be given to these people identified.

[ Reminders ]

• Please bring whatever worksheets or notes that you have left at home to put into your files for English and Science for both TERM 1 AND TERM 2. 
• Travel Declaration forms to be submitted to me.
• Meet-the-parents' Session acknowledgement form to be submitted to me. 

[ Lesson of the Day ] 

Even if examinations have ended, it does not mean that it is entirely play time. You still have to get your discipline right. I noticed that most of you are in your 'holiday mood'. Studying and revision does not stop here. Seriousness does not stop here too. You need to be self-disciplined and to consistently revise through your work. Like I said, consistency is the key to self improvement. Please work on that. 

Thank You,

Sincerely,

Mr. Nelson Ong

Post Exam Reminders

Dear all,

Hope you had a good break after working hard for the exams. We play hard and we work hard too. Please do not forget about your studies totally. Remember to look through your work from time to time and do some assessment books or practice papers as part of your revision. Practice makes perfect! Consistency is the key to doing well.

Hope you have also settled into your new groups.

Important reminders

• Please bring your English (both yellow and red) files and Science files on Monday, 14 May. 
• Traffic Games acknowledgement slip must be handed in by Monday, 14 May if not you will not be able to attend the traffic games. 
• Please help to sort your own file, file every worksheet and go through your corrections. Parents, I will seek your help into ensuring your child organizes his/her own file and to bring it on Monday. 
• There will be no supplementary lessons until next term. Extra supplementary lessons for the June holidays will be announced again. 
• FTGP Book money of $1.50 to be paid by next Friday, 18th May!

Parents' Teacher Meeting 

Dear parents, with the Hougang by-election taking place on the 26th May, Saturday, the parents' teacher meeting will take place on the 25th May, Friday. I will be calling each and everyone of you first to provide feedback and address any concerns. In this way, this can be one avenue for us to converse if you do not feel the need to come down. If you still have any strong concerns and need to come down to meet any of the teachers personally, you can let me know.

Anytime you have any concerns, just feel free to e-mail me or call the school so that I can get back to you.

Activities for the June Holidays

Check out the Harry Potter Exhibition coming to Singapore from 2 June onwards.

Harry potter Exhibition

Thank you,

Sincerely,

Mr Nelson Ong

Science Revision Notes

Dear all,

[Additional key points for Science]

P3 & P4 Revision

Light

• Light travels in a straight line. 
• A shadow is formed when an opaque objects block out the light path.
• Black and dark colours absorb heat very well while bright and lighter colours do not absorb heat very well. They reflect heat away. 
• Frosted glass, tinted glass are some of the objects that only partially block out light. 

Magnets

• Aluminium and copper are two of the metals that are not magnetic. 
• Steel and iron are two magnetic metals. 
• However, aluminium and copper allows magnetism to pass through it, so if you put a piece of aluminium sheet in between a magnet and a steel nail, they will still attract each other. 
• Magnetism is the strongest at the two ends of the magnet (Two poles).
• It is the weakest at the middle of the magnet. 
• There are three ways to form a magnet for magnetic materials - Electrical current, Stroking, Attraction (Touching) method. 
• Magnets can be found in items like telephone, radio, iron, rice cooker, etc. 

Heat

• Heat causes items to expand while cooling an item will cause it to contract. 
• Hot air rises, cold air condenses. 
• If two glass cups are stuck together, you can separate them by: a) putting one cup into hot water so that it expands or b)putting ice into one cup so that it contracts. 
• Boiling and evaporation are two processes which uses heat. 

Life Cycle

• Animals reproduce to ensure continuity of their own kind. 
• Animals with three stage life cycle - Grasshopper, Cockroach, Cricket, Frog. [ Egg -> Nymph -> Adult]
• Animals with four stage life cycle - Mosquito, butterfly, mealworm bettle, housefly. [ Egg -> Larva -> Pupa -> Adult]
• All mammals give birth to young alive with the exception of the anteater and the platypus which lay eggs.
• Amphibians can live both on land and in water, e.g Frog, Crocodile, tortoise. 

Additional P5 Revision notes

In addition to the notes I have gone through with you just now, here are some extra notes:

• All mammals fertilize internally except the platypus and anteater which lay eggs. 
• The womb is also known as the uterus. 
• DNA, genes and traits which are passed down from generations to generations, are stored in the nucleus of a cell.
• Note the functions and parts of a microscope!
• Certain plants cling onto poles, fences or branches of other trees for support as they have weak stems. This enables them to grow upwards to reach for sunlight. e.g morning glory.
• Overcrowding of plants means that plants will compete with each other for nutrients, water and sunlight. They grow very tall to compete for sunlight. 
• Remember that plants will grow towards the direction of the sunlight so even if i put a plant inside a clear glass box with a hole at the right hand side, it will still grow upwards vertically and not towards the hole!!!
• Only chloroplast/chlorophyll is present in the leaves of the plant!!!
• To make food, plants need sunlight, water and carbon dioxide and in turn, they give out glucose (sugar) and oxygen!
• Remember that in the day, plants take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen but at night, plants give out carbon dioxide and take in oxygen.
• When there is no light, plants cannot photosynthesize and they take in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide. 
• Seeds need air, warmth and water to germinate. It does not need sunlight!!! Do not mix up with warmth with sunlight. 

And please read through my notes for you, your revision paper, topical worksheets and workbook!!! Look at the questions! 

Please highlight and use science concepts to answer your questions. Use scientific words like expand, contract, condense, evaporate, air can be compressed, definite shape, etc. This is what Science is about! Scientific concepts and words to answer your questions! Go for 40 and above / 60 for your MCQ! MCQ is where you can make a huge difference to your grades! Ace it and you will be on your way to pass and achieve a good band! 

All the best and please highlight key words!

Thank You,

Sincerely,

Mr Nelson Ong

• 
  

English Paper 2

Dear all,

Hope you are in the midst of revising hard for your examinations.

Do look through the notes for the synthesis and transformation section. Take note of the words to change in the given table.

For given facts, we do not change the tenses. Remember that! e.g "The moon is a light source," said father.
Father said that the moon is a light source. 

Highlight key words and clues for your grammar cloze, comprehension cloze and comprehension open ended. Even for the rest of the sections, do highlight for the clues. Check your tenses and whether the word chosen should be singular or plural.

All the best for English paper 2 tomorrow!

Dear parents,

I will be looking at conducting extra supplementary lesson for Science on Thursday in preparation for the students' Science paper on Friday. As such, there will be no supplementary on Friday. Thursday's supplementary lesson will run from 1pm - 3pm with a lunch break from 1.30pm - 2pm.

Thank you,
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong

Online Revision Part III

Dear all,

[ Important Reminders ] 

Your Composition should be at least 150 words long. Please write more than that if you can as it would mean that you have more details. But do take note of your language, especially on spelling and grammar.

Take note of your punctuation when you have a conversation.

Peter said, "Take care of yourself."


"You must go and wash up first," said Peter. 

Introduction (1 paragraph)
Plot / Event (2 paragraphs)
Conclusion (1 paragraph)
*You can have more paragraphs too if you want.

Go and read through vocabulary phrases/words that describe these scenarios:

• Car accident
• Fire 
• Bully
• Robbery / Theft 
• Crime Scene 

Describe your characters and include feelings for them. Have build up and description for your events leading up to the main event. Tell me what was happening before the main event occurred. 

For those who are not confident in your language, please stick to simple sentences and language. Get your spelling and grammar correct first! This is more important than trying to use flowery words/sentences but  getting them wrong. 

For your Situational writing,  do take note of the different formats, especially on Report Writing! Apart from that look through e-mail, note and announcement too! 

Make sure you construct all the points in complete sentences. Do not miss out on the points. Formal english to be used!

All the best!

Sincerely,

Mr Nelson Ong.

PS: Thanks for all the wishes! Happy birthday to Yi Lin too!

Online Revision Part II

Dear all,

Hope that you had a fruitful session today for the supplementary. Remember to really go through your compositions and situational writing that you have done for term 1 and 2. Look through your mistakes and do not make the same mistakes again.

[ Sample and Practice ]

Write a note to your cousin, Ben, to inform him of the warehouse sale and to arrange a day to go down together with him.

Include the following points:

- Name of the sale
- What items are sold in the sale
- When the sale is
- Where is the sale held at
- How to get to the place
- Arrange a day to meet Ben to go to the sale together

[ Points to note ] 

Formal english to be used. Construct your answers in complete sentences. Do not write ' SALE'! This is not formal english. Make sure you write normally in small letters and not all in capital letters! Answer the points and have paragraphing.

[ Sample answer ] 

Dear Ben,


       How are you? There is a warehouse sale which I would like to tell you about. It is called Timberland Warehouse Sale. Footwear and apparel are sold in this warehouse sale.  The sale is from 29 April to 8 May 2011. The time is from 11a.m. to 8p.m.


       The venue of the warehouse sale is at Safra Yishun Country Club's main lobby, 60 Yishun Avenue 4. To get to the place, we need to take bus number 812 (Yellow Plate) from Yishun Bus Interchange. I would like to arrange a day to meet you to go down to the sale together.


Yours truly,
Harry 


[ Sample and Practice ]


Question:
It was on the 14th August 2012. A theft had just taken place in the Chinese Orchestra room at 12.05pm. Five wallets and two handphones were stolen. As the chairman of the Chinese Orchestra Club, write a report to your principal, Mr. Fong, to report the details of the matter.


Scenario (conversation between you and your friend):
Derek: "I was packing some instruments when I saw a young boy sneaking into the room. He said that he was helping a friend to take his bag. I then returned to packing my items. I heard some zipping sounds and thought nothing of it. Within five minutes, the boy had left the room."


Me: "What else did you notice about the boy?"


Derek: "He was from the orange house and he has a deep scar on his left hand. I should have questioned him further and not let him get away with the theft. Sorry!"


Me: "It's okay!"

Include the following in your report:
- Where the incident happened
- What item(s) were missing
- Who was at the place when the incident happened
- What was he/she doing when the incident happened
- Why did he/she not stop the thief
- How the thief looked like

[ Sample Answer ] 

Date: 14th August 2012


Time: 12.05 p.m.


Dear Mr. Fong,


Report On A Theft In The Chinese Orchestra Room


A theft happened in the Chinese Orchestra room at 12.05p.m. Five wallets and two handphones were stolen. During the theft, my friend, Derek, was in the room packing some instruments. 


He saw a young boy sneaking into the room. Derek thought the young boy was in the room to help a friend take his bag. Therefore, he thought nothing of it even when he heard some zipping sounds. He then returned to packing his instruments before the thief left the room within five minutes. The thief was  from the orange house and had a deep scar on his left hand. 


Reported by: Peter Tan
Chairman of Chinese Orchestra Club


***Note: Make sure you underline the title and capitalize the first letters of each word.


Thank You,
Sincerely,
Mr. Nelson Ong