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Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Being Malaysian With Cheeming Boey Exhibition At Sunway Pyramid Malls


Selamat Hari Merdeka! It is Malaysia's 59th birthday and a public holiday for all.

How are you celebrating the Merdeka Day? Sunway Pyramid will celebrate Being Malaysian with Cheeming Boey, author of popular book series "When I Was A Kid".

Starting with his latest book launch, Cheeming Boey will be at Sunway Pyramid to launch his latest book and hold a book signing on 31st August 2016

This will be followed by the Being Malaysian With Cheeming Boey Exhibition at Sunway Malls, continuing at Sunway Carnival Mall from 6th until 12th September and at Sunway Putra Mall from 14th until 20th September 2016.

Cheeming Boey is best known for his "When I Was A Kid" novels and illustrations on foam coffee cups. He also runs a webcomic called "I Am Boey". Below is an excerpt from the latest webcomic.

 




Tuesday, August 16, 2016

When To Switch Your Child From SJKC To International School

In the past, things were a lot simpler. Everyone sent their kids to SK and some to SJKC/T and that was it. The educational path was quite clear cut then.

Now, not only do we have to think very hard on whether to send our children to SK or SJKC/T, we also have private schools offering national syllabus, international schools, homeschooling centres plus we can opt to homeschool ourselves too. We now have more options as well as more headache.

In secondary school our options are SMK, SMJK, CIS, private or international schools, homeschooling centres or real homeschool ourselves.

Many parents plan their children's educational path well in advance because if you were intending to send to international school for example, you need to make sure they are not lacking in their English proficiency. If you plan to send to SK, then you must make sure you prepare them ahead by making sure they have a good foundation in Bahasa Malaysia.

This post is for those who are considering switching from SJKC to International Schools. When is a good time to switch? * This post is referring to switching from SJKC to International Schools with semesters beginning in the month of September. It does not refer to switching from SJKC to Private Schools doing the local/national syllabus as the start of semester is in January which is the same as that for public schools. It also does not touch on the different syllabus being offered by International schools like IGCSE, GCSE, IB Diploma etc. Only the timing for the switch is discussed.

The first thing you should ask yourself is what is the reason you put your child in SJKC in the first place? To learn Chinese? For the discipline? Whatever your reason may be, a tryout period of at least 3 years will give you and your child a chance to see if you should go all the way to Std 6 in SJKC.

Switching in Std 4

Let's say your child is not doing well in SJKC, when do you pull him/her out? There is no right or wrong, but in order for your child to be given enough time to try his best, I would say he should be allowed to complete his lower primary in SJKC first. If you find that he is still struggling and if ultimately you have intention to send him to international school anyway, then Std 4 may be the first year to consider switching.

Switching in Std 5

There are some parents who switch in Std 5. This is what happens when you switch in Std 5. The switch usually takes place in September which is the start of the school semester for international schools. The std 5 child may jump straight to Year 7 in September which is the equivalent to Form 1 in national schools. He will bypass the need to sit for the primary school assessment exams which is the UPSR. Whether he may be able to go straight to Year 7 depends on his age at the time of entry or his performance while sitting for an entrance examination if any.

Switching in Std 6

The child may sit for UPSR in Std 6 in the month of September. Implications of switching in Std 6; immediately after the UPSR, he/she starts school in September in International school with no rest in between. He may go straight to Year 8 which is equivalent to Form 2. Whether he may be able to do so depends on his age at the time of entry or his performance while sitting for an entrance examination if any.

If you are planning to switch to International School then you should make sure that your child's English is up to par. You should also involve your child in the decision making on whether to switch so that he or she is well prepared. Your support is crucial to make sure your child makes a successful switch academically, mentally and emotionally.

SK= Sekolah Kebangsaan
SJKC = Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina
SJKT = Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil
SMK = Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan
SMJK = Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan
CIS = Chinese Independent School (Chinese private schools)
IGCSE = International General Certificate of Secondary Education
GCSE = British National Curriculums
IB Diploma = International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
UPSR = Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah

Monday, August 15, 2016

Coding Classes For Kids In Kuala Lumpur

In 2015, a centre specializing in computer programming for kids & teens was opened in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Coding is a whole new area in education that is catching on very quickly in other countries like Estonia, Singapore, England, Spain, and many others believe that this is so important that they already started putting this program in the children’s curriculum. Unfortunately, we are lagging in this area.

Are you looking for coding classes for kids & teens in Kuala Lumpur?

Currently, there are not that many enrichment centres offering coding for kids & teens in a structured and modular approach and mostly offer short ad hoc courses only. However, recently we found one centre which offers comprehensive computer science classes combined with Math and Science for kids & teens.

Located at Solaris, Mont Kiara, KidoCode offers courses in Python programming, Electronics & Robotics, Mobile App Development, Game Development, Web Development, and activities that equip logical, analytical, and computational thinking skills to kids age 6 to 18.



KidoCode Courses for Kids & Teens
Children will get to learn different courses in computer programming like:
Python Programming in Math where students will learn how to write Python codes combined with IGCSE and IB Mathematics and a very child-friendly manner.
Students will also be able to create hands-on activities in Mobile App Development using the MIT App Inventor and be able to create their own applications.
Electronics & Robotics will provide skills by using Arduino and be familiar with different sensors, how they work, and program it.
If your kids are keen to developing their own website, then Web Development is for them where they will learn how to write HTML codes, be creative in designing, and know how this can be published for the world to see.
Students are encouraged to stop playing games and create their own games in Game Development.

Flexitime, Dynamic, and Individualized Learning for Parents' Convenience

Students will learn and consume Hours of Code (HoC) training at their convenience. KidoCode is open from 10am to 10pm from Monday to Sunday. You can choose to drop by at any time that is convenient for you within the opening hours. One hour, half a day, or whole day? It is up to you! You can set your own date or time to fit your child's schedule.

A K-Box containing all the materials needed throughout the course will be provided to students who will register under the Starter Pack. This box includes a smart phone modified for educational purposes, a Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Breadboard, an electronic kit with wires, sensors, and LEDs, and other KidoCode merchandises. The students will get to build 3-6 mobile applications, assemble 3-6 electronics projects, learn to write codes in Python programming, create their own website, and more!


Students can access to their own account in the K-Portal while being guided by a team of personal trainers that include expert software developers and university lecturers. All students and parents also have remote access to the student portal so they can continue to work on their assignments at home too.



Everybody will have the opportunity to enhance their talent through their creativity in different hands on activities, meet other children with the same passion and interest in various group activities, and boost their confidence by having presentation skills.




The learning environment in KidoCode is like a home away from home. Children can learn at their own pace and have a break at any time for a rest or snack at the cozy K-Cafe. Parents have a warm and welcoming place to wait for their kids too. The atmosphere is relaxed, casual, and perfect for out-of-the-box learning experience.


KidoCode is offering a 3-Hour FREE Trial Class for everybody who wants to have a glimpse of the courses and the system. During the Free Trial Class, they will get to learn the introduction to computer science, have activities that will test their logical and analytical thinking, try writing Python codes flavored with Math, understand Electronics, and even create their very first mobile application! So register now at www.kidocode.com/freesession to schedule your own trial class.


KidoCode is located at
Suite L-2-3A, Solaris Mont Kiara,
Jalan Solaris, Off Jalan Duta Kiara,
50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Contact Nos:
 +60364110968
Facebook: KidoCode
Instagram: KidoCode
Website: http://www.kidocode.com/

Friday, August 12, 2016

Subjects Your Child Will Be Learning In Standard One In 2017 Under The KSSR Review



This is an update to our earlier post on Subjects Your Child Will Be Learning Under The KSSR Syllabus.

KSSR (Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah) was first introduced in the year 2011. It has been 6 years now since it was introduced and the first batch of students learning this new curricular will be sitting for the new UPSR this year. 

Next year, 2017, there will be a KSSR Review or KSSR Semakan where certain subjects are tweaked by combining them etc. 

So, for parents whose kids will be starting standard one in 2017 here's what to expect in terms of subjects your child will be learning in Standard One in 2017 under the KSSR Review. This is a really exciting time, so don't be anxious. Enjoy it. 

KSSR 2011 Subjects for lower primary

Bahasa Malaysia (BM)
Bahasa Inggeris (BI)
Bahasa Cina/Bahasa Tamil (BC/BT)
Matematik
Dunia Sains Dan Teknologi
Pendidikan Islam/Pendidikan Moral
Pendidikan Seni (Art)
Pendidikan Muzik
Pendidikan Jasmani
Pendidikan Kesihatan

KSSR Review 2017 Subjects for lower primary

Bahasa Malaysia (BM)
Bahasa Inggeris (BI)
Bahasa Cina/Bahasa Tamil (BC/BT)
Matematik
Sains
Pendidikan Islam/Pendidikan Moral
Pendidikan Kesenian
Pendidikan Jasmani dan Kesihatan
* These subjects are for lower primary. For upper primary there are some additions to these which will be covered in another post

In addition, from January next year, computational thinking skills will be integrated into the curriculum for Standard One, Form One and Form Four students.

Points to note:
  • Pendidikan Seni and Pendidikan Muzik are combined into Pendidikan Kesenian
  • Pendidikan Jasmani and Pendidikan Kesihatan are combined into Pendidikan Jasmani dan Kesihatan 
  • Dunia Sains dan Teknologi will now be just Sains (which was what it used to be before it became Dunia Sains dan Teknologi)


Tuesday, August 09, 2016

Project Merdeka Deal From Books Kinokuniya Malaysia Webstore

It's the Merdeka month and that means lots of deals! August is the time to go shopping in Malaysia. That includes online shopping too.

Being one of the supporters for Project Merdeka, Books Kinokuniya Malaysia Webstore is offering 10% discount of ALL books. Book Lovers will surely rejoice to know that the discount is for ALL Books and not just a few selected books. Now's the time to buy the book you've been eyeing at 10% cheaper!

The Project Merdeka Deal from Books Kinokuniya Malaysia Webstore is on from 8th to 21st August 2016. Just use the coupon code MERDEKA upon check out to claim your 10% discount.

Use the Code MERDEKA to order at Books Kinokuniya Malaysia Webstore
Below are some of the current best selling new books. Perhaps you missed the preorder for Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. You can now get it at a discount. Just use your MERDEKA discount code.

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Parts One and Two


#1 NYT Best Selling Author Nicholas Sparks Books List
Alibaba The House That Jack Ma Built
An Author's Odyssey, Land of Stories BOOK 5 by Colfer, Chris
Ben-Hur Now A Major Motion Picture




Monday, August 08, 2016

Application For SMK

The above notice was recently handed out to parents with kids in Std 6 in year 2016 for SK/SJKC/SJKT in Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.

There are a couple of things to note here.
  1. Kelas Peralihan is mentioned in this notice. Many are still confused whether remove class (Kelas Peralihan) still exists. Since it is clearly mentioned in this notice, it obviously still does.
  2. There are two forms of application for secondary school. They are (i) White and (ii) Yellow/Blue/Green. The white one is to be completed by all and is application for normal secondary schools while the coloured one is only to be completed by those who are interested to apply for Control schools. Control schools refer to Sekolah/Kelas Kawalan/Kelas Rancangan Khas (KRK)/Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA)/Sekolah Agama Bantuan Kerajaan (SABK) and Kelas Aliran Agama (KAA). In some states application for control schools is now to be done online.
  3. Appeals - Once you have received your school allocation, appeals can be made during confirmation of placement at the offered school. Time frame for appeals = 14 to 25 November 2016. To be done online. Results for appeal can be checked from 5 to 9 December 2016
Interestingly, on the white school application form, you can fill in 3 choices of school. The first two must be feeder schools that are listed on the form. The third school can be any other school you prefer which must be located in Wilayah Persekutuan also. 

SJKC/SJKT students are also required to fill in your child's BM Pemahaman and BM Penulisan results for Std 4, 5 & 6.



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