New opportunities new possibilities JC1 28 Feb 2014 Website: Email: nyjc@moe.edu.sg

new opportunities new possibilities

JC128 Feb 2014

Website: www.nanyangjc.org Email: nyjc@moe.edu.sg

Agenda• About Nanyang JC

• JC curriculum• Discussion:

–University admission

– JC1 promotion criteria• What roles can our parents play in JC

education?

• Some important dates

• Dialogue with parents

Desired profile of a NYJCian

• Obtains credible ‘A’ Level results

• Is a good role model• Is confident

–Is knowledgeable–Is articulate–Is independent, flexible and street-smart

IP schools vs JCs

Efforts (IP Schools -Intensive vs JCs - double the intensity)

Scope (GCE ‘A’ Level Exams)

Timeline (IP Schools - 4 years vs JCs - 21 mths to prepare for ‘A’ Level exams)

• Revised JC curriculum• Lecture - Tutorial system• Lecture notes vs textbooks• Learning strategies and skills• Timetable and free periods• CCA involvement• Leadership and self-management• Service-learning projects• Global awareness and current affairs

JC vs Secondary School

• Leadership development @ JC– Communicating, influencing & strategising

• Life-skills development @ JC– Problem-solving & decision making– Personal management and effectiveness– Networking

• How would parents position themselves with regard to supporting and monitoring their young adults?

JC vs Secondary School

Possible conflicts…• Students who had good ‘O’ Level grades or

L1R5 scores may not necessarily do well in their ‘A’ Level exams

• Learning methods that worked for ‘O’ Level exams may not work for ‘A’ Level exams

• The college systems and practices will not be the same as secondary school systems and practices

• The roles played by JC teachers are different from secondary school teachers

• The JC’s learning environment is different from the secondary school’s

Roles of parents• Collaborate with the college through

meetings with, and phone calls or emails to the Civics Tutor or College Admin– Share information– Give/Receive feedback/suggestions

• Help the young adults to help themselves in:– problem solving– decision making– time management

Uniquely NYJC

• Official starting time: 8.30 am• Two-week block timetable to cater to

more than 80 sets of subject combinations

• Attendance taking through the bio-metric system

• Four dress-down days: From Tuesday to Friday

• Consultation slots open to students

Uniquely NYJC• Open 24/7

– Students use bio-metric key to the side gate of the college

– Students are welcome to study in the college during weekends and public holidays

• Privilege to use college facilities• Covered walkway to Lorong Chuan

MRT station• High element adventure stations and

team building stations

How strong is NYJC?

• Singapore Quality Class (SQC) (2009-2015)• School Distinction Award (SDA) (2009-2015)• Sustained Achievement Award (SAA)

(Academic Value-Added) (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013)

• Sustained Achievement Award (SAA) (Aesthetics) (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013)

• Best Practice Award (BPA) (Staff Well-being) (2009-2015)

• Academic Value-Added (Silver - 2007, 2008, 2010 & 2013); (Gold – 2009 & 2011 and 2012)

• Choir, Symphonic Band, Dance, Chinese Orchestra, Guzheng Ensemble and Chinese Cultural Society (Chinese Drama) took part in 2013 SYF Arts Presentations– All of them were awarded

Certificates of Distinction

How strong is NYJC?

How strong is NYJC?

National Schools ‘A’ Division Championships

VolleyballBoys – 1st

Girls – 2nd

Table TennisBoys – 4th Girls – 3rd

JudoBoys – 3rd

Girls – 3rd

Basketball Girls – 3rd

Culture of care

Drive

Maximise Potential

Responsibility Inventiveness

Empathy

Culture of learning

Organisational excellence

Quality staff

Enhanced Character

development

Uphold values

VALUES

CULTURE

Shared

vision

Enhance life-skillsMissio

n

Culture of Excellence

Desired profile of NYJCians

Quality learners

A leading college serving the nation with

Integrity

• Life-skills– Holistic curriculum– Including non-academic activities– Develop values and skills to take NYJCians

through life as responsible and active citizens– Life-skills programme (Self-awareness,

personal management, personal effectiveness and aesthetics / interests)

– Through CCAs, NE, PE, PCCG, service-learning, leadership training, Civics programme, and MSLO programme

Revised JC curriculum (from 2006)

• Knowledge skills–Develop thinking, process and

communication skills through thecontent-based subjects

–GP and PW

JC curriculum (from 2006)

How General Paper (GP) is learnt?

• GP is not about English language• Personal commitment is key

– Reading widely to gain different perspectives

– To form own perspective upon reading– To articulate that perspective clearly

through writing and sharing– Master the essay and comprehension

skills

Some examples from the 2013 A-level GP exam

• Discuss the claim that in the modern world people should care more about international than national issues.

• Why should we be concerned with current affairs when most of them will soon be forgotten?

• How far, in your society, should unpopular views be open to discussion?

• Content-based subjects– Languages– Humanities and the Arts– Mathematics and Sciences

– At least one contrasting subject from Humanities and the Arts or vice versa

– A contrasting subject helps provide a broad base of learning.

JC curriculum (from 2006)

• Three H2 content-based subjects – (3 x 2 units)

• One H1 content-based subject (1 unit)• At least one is from a contrasting discipline• H1 Mother-tongue language (1 unit)• General Paper (H1 level) (1 unit)• Project Work (H1 level) (1 unit)• Total: 10 units

Recommended subject combination

• Subjects with diverse learning opportunities for in-depth study (e.g. advanced content, research papers, university module)

• Must also offer the corresponding subject at H2 level

• Students will be invited to take up 1 or 2 H3 subjects at the end of the year based on their JC1 academic performance

• 1 H3 subject = 1 unit• Grading: Distinction, Merit, Pass and

Ungraded

H3 subjects

H2 and H1 Grading Scheme

Grade Mark(s)

A 70 – 100

B 60 – 69

C 55 – 59

D 50 – 54

E 45 – 49

S 40 – 44

U 0 – 39

H2

(University pts)

H1

(University pts)

A 20 pts 10 pts

B 17.5 pts 8.75 pts

C 15 pts 7.5 pts

D 12.5 pts 6.25 pts

E 10 pts 5 pts

S 5 pts 2.5 pts

U 0 0

Grading for H2 and H1 subjects

Begin with the end in mind

• Why JC?• University admission criteria• University admission

indicative grade profile• Upcoming institutions• JC1 promotion criteria

• Based on three H2 and one H1 content-based subjects (at least one has to be a contrasting subject)

• General Paper • Project Work• A minimum of ‘S’ grade in Mother-tongue

language• Attempted all subjects in the same sitting

at GCE ‘A’ level exams

University Admission Criteria

University admission (some examples)• GP – at least a ‘C’ grade (NUS, NTU, SMU)• PW – at least a ‘C’ grade (NUS, NTU, SMU)

NUS (10th percentile) 3 H2 1 H1

Law A A A A

Medicine A A A A

Dentistry A A A A

Architecture A A B C

Industrial Design B B B C

Real Estate B B B C

University admission (some examples)

NUS (10th percentile) 3 H2 1 H1

Engineering B B C C

Chemical Engineering A A B C

Civil Engineering B B C C

Electrical Engineering B C C B

Ind & Systems Engineering A B B B

Mechanical Engineering B C C B

Pharmacy A A A A

University admission (some examples)

NUS (10th percentile) 3 H2 1 H1

Science B B C B

Business Admin A A A B

Accountancy A A A A

Arts & Social Sciences A B B C

Arts & Social Sciences (mother-tongue related)

B B C B

University admission (some examples)

NTU (10th percentile) 3 H2 1 H1

Medicine A A A A

Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

A A B B

Computer Science B C C D

Environmental Engineering B C C B

Biological Sciences B B C B

Mathematical Sciences C C C B

University admission (some examples)

NTU (10th percentile) 3 H2 1 H1

Mathematics & Economics B B B C

Accountancy A A B A

Business A A B C

Communication Studies A B C C

Economics B B B C

Psychology B B C B

Sociology B B C C

University admission (some examples)

SMU (10th percentile) 3 H2 1 H1

Accountancy A A B C

Business Management B B B B

Laws A A A A

Economics B B C C

Information Systems Mgt B C C C

Social Sciences B B C C

Singapore University of Technology & Design (SUTD)

• High-end, research-intensive university

• To advance knowledge and nurture technically grounded leaders and innovators to serve societal needs

• In partnership with MIT and Zhejiang University

New possibilities

• Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine• Yale - NUS College• Singapore Institute of Technology

(SIT)• UniSIM (Private university, partially

funded by Govt)

• JC1 Block Test (July): 10 %• Continual Assessment: 25 %• End-of-year Exam: 65 %• Final Mark: 100 %

About JC1 …Computation of Final Mark for each subject (except GP)

• Individual Research Assignment: 10%

• JC1 Block Test (July): 10 %• Continual Assessment: 20 %• End-of-year Exam: 60 %• Final Mark: 100 %

About JC1 … Computation of Final Mark for GP

• Must have obtained:– at least a pass in GP, two H2

passes and one H1 pass in the content-based subjects

– This excludes H1 Mother-tongue language

• Pass = At least a ‘E’ grade

JC1 Promotional Criteria

• Students who do not meet the promotional criteria are expected to re-do their JC1 in 2015

• Students who read 4H2 content-based subjects but do not obtain an average ‘C’ for these subjects are expected to downgrade one of the subjects to a H1 level

• Students who excel in the exams may be invited to read one or two H3 content-based subjects in JC2 based on availability and their capabilities

JC1 Promotional Criteria – What’s next?

How to study?

GP, Economics, Humanities, ELL, CLL/MLL/TLL

• Read widely and critically• Understand concepts and

issues• Form perspectives• Participate actively in

discussions• Write with clear perspective

and be able to substantiate your views

• Ask clarifying/probing questions, seek consultation

How to study?Mathematics • Understand concepts

• Practise, reflect, practise• Master application skills• Ask questions, seek

consultation

Sciences • Understand concepts• Participate actively in

discussions• Master application skills• Ask questions, seek

consultation

About CCA• Strongly encouraged• More than 40 CCAs & student interest

groups• Objectives of CCA

– Leadership development– 21 Century Competencies & character

development– Service-learning opportunities– Building a credible portfolio and SGC

• Time frame – from now to May 2015

About Scholarships …• Know what to expect

– Participate actively in Service-learning– Take up Leadership positions and focus on

leadership development– Engage in activities that would bring about

positive impact on community and beyond– Ensure credible academic performance– Read H3 subject(s) (for PSC Scholarships)– Do well in psychometric assessments (for PSC

Scholarships)– Master interview skills

Some dates to remember

30 May JC1 Block Test (H1 GP)

1 Jul – 4 Jul JC1 Block Test

7 Jul School Holiday: Youth Day

8 Jul – 11 Jul Special Timetable (pm: PW)

14 Jul Independent Learning Day

1 Aug (from 5 pm) Meet-the-parents Session

4 Aug – 30 Sep Night Study Programme

Some dates to remember

25 Sep – 26 Sep Study leave

29 Sep – 10 Oct End-of-year Examinations

13 Oct – 24 Oct Special timetable

27 Oct H1 CL/ML/TL ‘A’ Level Exams

30 Oct – 6 Nov PW Oral presentations

12 Nov Release of JC1 Exam results

14 Nov Last day of school

Dialogue with parents