new opportunities
new possibilities
JC1
28 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
Scope (GCE ‘A’ Level Exams)
Efforts
(IP Schools -Intensive
vs JCs - double the
intensity)
Timeline (IP Schools - 4 years vs
JCs - 21 mths to prepare for ‘A’ Level exams)
JC vs Secondary School
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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?
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)
How strong is NYJC?
• 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?
National Schools ‘A’ Division Championships
Volleyball
Boys – 1st
Girls – 2nd
Table Tennis
Boys – 4th
Girls – 3rd
Judo
Boys – 3rd
Girls – 3rd
Basketball
Girls – 3rd
Desired profile of NYJCians
Maximise
Potential
Mission
Shared
vision
Enhance
life-skills
Uphold
values
A leading college serving the nation with
Enhanced
Character
development
CULTURE
Quality
staff
Quality
learners
Organisational
excellence
Culture of Excellence
Culture of learning
Culture of care
VALUES Drive Responsibility Integrity Inventiveness
Empathy
Revised JC curriculum (from 2006)
• 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
JC curriculum (from 2006)
• Knowledge skills
– Develop thinking, process and
communication skills through the
content-based subjects
– GP and PW
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?
JC curriculum (from 2006)
• 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.
Recommended subject combination
• 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
H3 subjects
• 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
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
Grading for H2 and H1 subjects
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
Begin with the end in mind
• Why JC?
• University admission criteria
• University admission indicative
grade profile
• Upcoming institutions
• JC1 promotion criteria
University Admission Criteria
• Based on three H2 and one H1 contentbased 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 (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
AAA
A
Medicine
AAA
A
Dentistry
AAA
A
Architecture
AAB
C
Industrial Design
BBB
C
Real Estate
BBB
C
University admission (some examples)
NUS (10th percentile)
3 H2
1 H1
Engineering
BBC
C
Chemical Engineering
AAB
C
Civil Engineering
BBC
C
Electrical Engineering
BCC
B
Ind & Systems Engineering
ABB
B
Mechanical Engineering
BCC
B
Pharmacy
AAA
A
University admission (some examples)
NUS (10th percentile)
3 H2
1 H1
Science
BBC
B
Business Admin
AAA
B
Accountancy
AAA
A
Arts & Social Sciences
ABB
C
Arts & Social Sciences
(mother-tongue related)
BBC
B
University admission (some examples)
NTU (10th percentile)
3 H2
1 H1
Medicine
AAA
A
Chemical & Biomolecular
Engineering
AAB
B
Computer Science
BCC
D
Environmental Engineering
BCC
B
Biological Sciences
BBC
B
Mathematical Sciences
CCC
B
University admission (some examples)
NTU (10th percentile)
3 H2
1 H1
Mathematics & Economics
BBB
C
Accountancy
AAB
A
Business
AAB
C
Communication Studies
ABC
C
Economics
BBB
C
Psychology
BBC
B
Sociology
BBC
C
University admission (some examples)
SMU (10th percentile)
3 H2
1 H1
Accountancy
AAB
C
Business Management
BBB
B
Laws
AAA
A
Economics
BBC
C
Information Systems Mgt
BCC
C
Social Sciences
BBC
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)
About JC1 …Computation of Final
Mark for each subject (except GP)
•
•
•
•
JC1 Block Test (July): 10 %
Continual Assessment: 25 %
End-of-year Exam: 65 %
Final Mark: 100 %
About JC1 … Computation of
Final Mark for GP
•
•
•
•
•
Individual Research Assignment: 10%
JC1 Block Test (July): 10 %
Continual Assessment: 20 %
End-of-year Exam: 60 %
Final Mark: 100 %
JC1 Promotional Criteria
• 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
–
What’s next?
• 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 contentbased subjects in JC2 based on availability
and their capabilities
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
•
•
•
•
Sciences
• Understand concepts
• Participate actively in
discussions
• Master application skills
• Ask questions, seek
consultation
Understand concepts
Practise, reflect, practise
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
1 Jul – 4 Jul
7 Jul
8 Jul – 11 Jul
14 Jul
1 Aug (from 5 pm)
4 Aug – 30 Sep
JC1 Block Test (H1 GP)
JC1 Block Test
School Holiday: Youth Day
Special Timetable (pm: PW)
Independent Learning Day
Meet-the-parents Session
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
30 Oct – 6 Nov
H1 CL/ML/TL ‘A’ Level Exams
PW Oral presentations
12 Nov
Release of JC1 Exam results
14 Nov
Last day of school
Dialogue with parents