Registration for Primary One 2012 - Angel

These few days, I was busy searching and visiting schools preparing for Angel's Primary One registration which started today 1 March 2012 until 31 March 2012. The registration was intended for kids was born in year 2007. So here I am, the big day for registering my little girl for her primary one finally :)

As a first timer, I felt a little panic because I was not aware that the registration process will starts so soon. I didn't even know which school to choose for her. Distance vs Pressure vs Workload vs Learning vs Playtime are all important to me! Maybe I was exposed too much on the teaching method of International schools while we was in Shanghai and Bangkok, feeling that the kids in Malaysia are overloaded with school work and heavy school bag. I wanted to choose a school which is different, interesting, less pressure, more interactions in class but yet not left behind in learning what they are suppose to learn at their own age too. But at the end, I know I don't have much choice if I were to enroll her into a Chinese Kebangsaan School. Welcome back to Malaysia I told myself, take it or leave it!

Angel is a little girl who loves to go to school everyday! She would cry if I told her she can't go to school today! If she were to choose between going for shopping and to school, she would answer me:

"Mommy, can I go to school and then only goes shopping later?" ya, she interest in school is as interesting as going to shopping!

I just do not have the heart to 'unintentionally' kill her liking for school! I am glad that so far I could maintain her interest in school! That's not an easy task and it's something very precious to me and for her too ..... in order for both of us to walk further, walk longer in her lengthy journey of learning and progress together till I see her getting into the society. I have to accept the fact that we were living in such condition, nothing good or bad but only learning how to control and minimise the impact from it.


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1. The A school

^ ^ A very green school!
First impression was quite good, very green and the school have a decent amount of tress and greens. It has around 900+ students currently. As I walked into the school, I saw the construction of new building blocks was still on going around 100 meters away from the classes. I was thinking will the kids be breathing in dust every day in school and will their attention be distracted due to the construction? The teachers say the impact is minimum though.


^ ^ New building blocks


^ ^ Existing Classrooms. White board behind a window? Can the kids see clearly with the flare from the morning sunshine?

It's good to have new classrooms, honestly the setting of the old classrooms is very unfavourable and conditions are pretty worn out. However I was told that once they moved into the new classrooms which is sometime this year/ next year, the old classrooms will be demolished! So is that mean construction will takes another 2 year or maybe 3?


^ ^ The 'padang' up up on the hill!!!! It should be a "fun" place for the kids :P

When I inquire about the teachers in the school, they told me it's sufficient and well trained! Oh well, how silly I am for asking such question!


^ ^ I kind of worry about the not so level-out steps and bumpy walkways throughout the school though .... maybe it's not an issue for most parent but I have my own reason to worry, I will blog about it later.

Overall, I liked the school and even will love it more if the new classrooms were ready for use + the construction work is all done! I can sent pipping hot lunch to Angel almost everyday too if she were in this school, it's near my place. The padang is a miss for most parents but for me, it's a plus! But the bumpy walkways ........ I would give it a miss. You will know my worries when I blog about Angel is her previous kindergarten :'(


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2. The S School


^ ^ A very well maintained and wide open 'Padang'! Very nice school and I certainly love the environment and classroom in the school!

This is a so call top of the top school in KK! The amount of students is around 1,700++ and is still expending! Everything is top in this school, sports, academic, speech, etc!!! Even the amount of homework is also consider 'champion' among all!! I can understand that though. We must worked harder to achieve what we want, no pain no gain! However is that well-taken by my little Angel, I am not saying anything as yet.


^ ^ The school are so considerate!! They even provide a water machine for the students to purchase drinking water!! What a brilliant idea!


^ ^ Trophies and Trophies and more Trophies!!! The school and its' students must be doing very well in whatever they do!

I heard that everyone was fighting to get into this school and I am very lucky to meet one of the teachers there. When I asked her whether I should enroll my girl into this school,

she asked: Does your kid loves homework?
Me: Errrr .... she loves to go to school but when it comes to homework, not really, unless it's something not involving copy write or very academic homework.

She reply: Then better don't!!!! It will be too pressure for both the kids and the parent!
*she shakes her head profusely, aiikkss!!!*

I wonder will anyone answer "YES" to that ................??

After walking around the school, I met a mom in the canteen and when I asked about his son in school, she said the workload is still 'manageable' because her son is in the 'smart class' and he will do his own homework without being told to and he is very hardworking. *envy loh*

"During recess time, he will eat his bread while writing his homework. So normally when he reached home, only a few more that he need to complete, that's all." She says.

Well ..... I don't think I want nor my Angel will eat her bread + doing her homework at the same time :( Primary one will not have extra afternoon classes but those who are 'not so good' academic wise might be asked to 'stay back' after classes in the afternoon for extra classes.

The school will be having 6 exams or tests per year too which means every other month, they will be sitting for test or exams. I think we mum would certainly be very stressed out throughout the year!!! I know I would .....


^ ^ A very nice canteen! They even selling self-boiled herbal tea for RM1.00!! I asked, no gassy drinks? They told me not allow to have gassy drinks n junk food selling in school canteen anymore! I am sooooo please!!!

And when I left, I saw few students, doing their homework outside the principle's office. They were those who refused to do their homework therefore being put there to complete it after school!!! So must remember if your kids were here, must rajin-rajin to do homework lo .....

Hubby likes this school a lot and says, it's the perfect school for Angel to make her work harder, do more works and learn more things! *hhhhmmmm .....* But this school is very hard to get in as too many people are fighting over this school. After all, it's an excellent school in whatever they do.


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3. The C School


^ ^ The basketball court cum padang of the school

The C school is my previous primary school and also consider one of the 'reputable' schools in town. This is the largest school of the 3 with over 2400+++ students and it's an very old school. The school didn't changed a bit, only more buildings were build and I can see some new classrooms was fully furnished with air con too!


^ ^ The school hall, hasn't changed a bit since those days!!!

The school compound was very clean although it doesn't look that new anymore. However, it's very well maintained including the classrooms are very tidy and clean. Not much green area in the school due to the fact that the school is in the middle of the urban city hence, what would I expect?


^ ^ The classroom, bright and wide.


^ ^ Open concept classrooms! Feels great during hot days and I liked it.

For me, the only drawback from this school is that it's a bit far from where we stay comparing the previous 2. if Angel were to get into this school, we will have to travel a long way which means waking up very early in the morning during her 6 years of primary school life. She starts around 7am! Poor kid .... I can't even send her lunch everyday as I would love to too :(

The same as School S, the school will have 6 test or exams every academic year too :( However after asking around, I find that School C has lesser homework comparing to the School S (for the time being).


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After much consideration, I have picked 1 school and submitted my enrollment form on the 1st March. I do not need to queue up at all when handing up the forms as I was the last person to enroll that day! :P

We do not know which school that she will be allocated just yet. I was told to return to the school and check it out from the notice board myself!!! No letter, phone call or notification to us parents even when the list it out earlier than that!! Ok, ok then.

However, Fingers crossed that the Jabatan Pendidikan will granted me the school of my choice la :P

Finally I can have a good night sleep after so many days! Hurray!!!!!



^ ^ Hurray!! That means Angel has successfully being registered to her first primary school!
Which school?? Shhhhh ..... It's a secret :P :P :P *fingers crossed*


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note:

Registration date: 1 March 2012 - 31 March 2012

The documents needed for registration varies among schools but the most comprehensive listed I have gathered so far was as below:

i. I.C - both original and photocopies for both mother and father
ii. Birth certificate - both original and photocopies
iii. Marriage certificate of parents - original and photocopy
iv. Passport size photo for the kid - 2 copy
v. Electricity bill showing house address
vi. Salary slip - for parents showing house income (varies among school)

additional:~
vii. 2 self addressed envelop with RM1.00 stem EACH (for those registered online)
, i.e. Selangor.

For some states in West Malaysia, you need to register online at www.moe.gov.my/jpn before submit it to the respective school. For the rest, in my case Sabah, no online registration required, just registered ourselves to the school of our choice and filling in forms handed out by respective school.

Fun For Kids - School Hunting?

The school semester officially started in September over here and we are busy school hunting for our little Angel who is ready to enter kindergarten. So I told her we would visit one of her school tomorrow which makes her very excited.

In the morning, she woke up in a jolly good mood and dressed herself up automatically ready to get going (I just wished that she could keep that up forever!) and before we left, she asked me for her toddler backpacks that everyone is carrying to their classes. I told her that this is just an unofficial visit so she doesn't need one and luckily, she didn't pressed for it further.

I am happy that she didn't zip her lips tightly just like before and happily talking and responding to the teacher's questions :)

The very nice classrooms with a very big interaction board as shown above which is a very huge interactive touch screen.




The small library with some reading materials and toys for the kids. The school also have a computer room and a movements and musical room for kids to have their classes conducted accordingly.




This is the area where the kids taking their naps. I think it look tidy and clean. If Angel were to take her naps there, I will certainly brought along her cute pink turtle nap mats which will makes her feeling as cosy as home. We both loves her nap mats!




The school actually looks great and the teacher was very friendly too. Angel enjoyed herself so much that she took off her shoes and jackets while running around wanted the teacher to chase after her @_@

And of course, she did it again. She was so happily running around and locking all doors preventing the teachers to come in and finally locked herself up in the main entrance of the school building. The 2 teachers who have the keys tried to unlock the door but the electronic door just won't open up. And the other person who has the master key to the door was on leave! So all of the teachers on duty starts panicking calling on the phone asking for help while I was standing at the door telling Angel we are playing a rescue game so don't go anywhere while I saw her nodded her head and peeping out from the little space in between the door smiling happily (yes, she is still smiling) waited to be rescue.

So after 15 minutes and with Angel starting to feel hunger and asking for her Stephen Joseph water bottle and lunch box, the teachers were still calling around asking for keys! I asked one of the teacher is there an alternative way instead of using the key only then they told me there was actually a switch beside the door but too high for Angel to reach. Sigh .... should have told me earlier!! So I told Angel about the switch and true enough, she can't even reached it and then suddenly, she put her index finger near her head just like how we used to play our thinking game and said, "Err, let me think ..... AHHHH HAAAAAA!!!!"

She quickly moved herself into one of the teacher office and pushed out a big and heavy chair (I am glad that I feed her well :P) and then climbed on top of the chair while my heart bounced so fast ...

CLICK~~~!!! the door suddenly open up and everyone was shouting with joy and Angel stepped out of the room saying, "Yes, We did it!!!!" and give me 5 @_@ She must have thought that she is Dora in one of Dora's great advanture!

So finally we left the school with this little naughty girl Hero wearing a big great smile on her face! She is so happy that she has rescue herself from the locked door telling me, "Mommy, the school is so much fun!!!!" *gulp* with me still wiping my sweat away from her 1st mischievous in her 1st day in school.

I am sure that our 'fun time' is just a beginning .... *double gulp*