Update on the new school year

After a week plus of orientation, Kai's lessons finally started on 13 January. How pleasantly surprised we were to hear that he likes secondary school! Coz the teacher taught fast and the classmates didn't talk all the time. Hmmm...

Unlike in primary school, he seems to have more homework these days. He's quite independent and can do his own work until he faces difficulties. Then it's "Papa! Papa!" or "Mama! Mama!" from his room, regardless of where we are...

His first major assignment was a writeup for LNY, in preparation for Chinese WA. It was a nightmare in general knowledge, organisation and expression. Told him he couldn't just copy whole passages from his research. So he translated that into English, and back-translated into Chinese instead of using his own words! Must applaud his ingenuity but please, really work on expressing yourself in Chinese!

Kai also started having English tuition after a trial on Saturday, 11 January. It was at Bishan Central but in the end, we chose the Monday evening slot at the Junction 8 branch instead. It turned out that we had to change to Saturdays for two weeks in January due to his camp and a reunion dinner...

Happy with a kabab roll from pasar malam after tuition

The brothers had their usual "Care Week" and started lessons same day as Kai. But I think they started on some lessons here and there before that...

This year, they come home on their own Monday to Wednesday as Kai's day ends at 2.30 pm for those days. So I also cook less lunch coz Kai would have lunch in school at 2.30 pm. I wonder why they don't give a lunch break and end school later. The lunch timing is really bad... In fact, with such a late lunch and with recess also late at 11 am, I started making breakfast for Kai. Then his brothers wanted breakfast too so I think I end up cooking way more *.*

They sent me a photo taken with the smart watch while waiting for the bus home one day

We started drilling working with Yang every day after school. Sito would go through all subjects except Chinese, to reinforce what he has learnt that day. I was pleasantly surprised that he took all this in his stride. I mean, he complained a great deal last year when doing papers... But for the past few weeks, he has been listening to Papa and doing his work. 

As for Chinese, he really doesn't like it... But no choice, especially when he just came back yesterday with 10/40 for a compo! We went through the relevant topic and he even told me the whole story based on the pictures one day before the class assignment. But he hardly wrote beyond the first two pictures in the end. He said he was thinking what to write until he ran out of time. 

Sito told him to describe each picture again before doing his correction, which was to copy out a model compo. Wasn't well done. I think he didn't know how to write the words and couldn't express himself properly in the language... He's away at camp now. Will work with him later...

Yang also started English tuition yesterday evening. After our experience with Kai, we decided to take the plunge and start Yang early. Hope this can help improve his English - he still has a spelling issue but at least need to nail his grammar and S&T and compre etc.

Sito sent him and waited for him there. The tutor said he was very active in class! When I asked him about it, he said he couldn't sit for two hours, Jialat! But this social butterfly had already spoken with all six or seven boys, but not the two girls... So free in class?! 

Good big brother to his only DiDi

As for Yu, he had his first HCL extra class on 9 January. Then he regretted taking HCL coz more time in school, haha! Too late, my dear. Must take whole year before I allow you to drop!

As we focus more on Yang, Yu hasn't had much to do so far. Anyway, he is more like Kai, can do his work independently. So when he has nothing to do, he sleeps or plays with soft toys or helps me with housework.

Bia-ing homework at AhMa's place on Sunday coz he forgot to do earlier

Washing grapes

They all need to choose their CCA. More on Kai's separately as trials are still ongoing...

Yang wanted to join badminton again so that he could be with his best friend but we knew from his P3 experience that it was too crowded so we dissuaded him. He wanted art then but we had then learnt more about secondary school CCAs so we encouraged / persuaded / psycho-ed / convinced him to pick something that he could continue in secondary school. 

But we let art be his second choice, after track and field. Next two choices are basketball and robotics but art would definitely have a slot if he didn't get into track. When we received notification that he got into track and told him, he wasn't happy. He said he chose it coz of us :( Just try and see how...

During our recent fortnightly Sunday visits, Yang and Yu played badminton with AhYe downstairs. So Yu also wanted badminton. But too late :p And for the same crowdedness reason, we rather he didn't. He put robotics as his first choice. As a P3 CCA first timer, he had a good chance to get in. Next are track, chess and art. Indeed, he got into his first choice and was very happy to hear about it.

Both Yang and Yu will start their CCA next Wednesday. All the best!