I drove pass Bartley Road last week and I noticed a banner with words “Open House 29 Oct 2011 9am to 12noon” at the school gate of Maris Stella High School.
I was so excited. I told V that we must attend the Open House. It’s a great opportunity for us to understand the school better and at the same time, our boy can get a feel of the school environment. Oh, have I mentioned that Maris Stella is our preferred primary school for Little Edison?
So, we woke up at 8am on Saturday, had our breakfast at home and drove to MSHS at 9am. But to my dismay, I realized that the open house is for Secondary School only (Primary School is not involved). Nonetheless, since we were already at the school, we decided to proceed with our visit.
Just like his Dad, Little Edison loves to wear sunglasses
Some parents gave us a “weird” look. They must be wondering how “kiasu” we are to attend the Open House when our boy is still in pre-school! I asked the security guard on-duty for information pertaining to the Open House for Primary School and her answer was “No Open House for Primary School”. I wonder if that’s true.
Frankly, I was very impressed by their innovative MACbook learning system and a well-balanced mix of extracurricular activities. The school environment is clean and well-maintained. We also took the opportunity visit the Primary School, which is just beside the Secondary school.
Maris Stella Primary School
The School’s Mission Statement
One big advantage of Maris Stella Primary School is its close proximity to my parents-in-law’s house and my office. My parents-in-law, whose house is just a stone throw away from the school, will be picking up our boy from school every day. So, it will be minimal travelling time for all of them.
The school is also within 1km from my office. So, it’s convenient for me to send him to school and get to work after that. School starts at 7:10am, this means I’ll be in my office before 7:30am! Good or bad, in year 2014, I’ll start work even earlier than the security guard in my office.
Maris Stella Primary School has a proven track record of outstanding PSLE results. In addition, the school has also done well in non-academic areas. Being a SAP school and having an affiliated secondary school are among the other advantages of the school.
The close link between the affiliated primary and secondary school means that our boy will enjoy a sense of familiarity and easier adjustment as he progresses to his secondary education.
In time to come, we would be in the shoes of those parents who went through the dreaded balloting process. Little Edison does not qualify for Phase 1, 2A1 or 2A2 because 1) he does not have a sibling studying in that school, 2) his father is not a former student of the school, 3) his parents are not in the school management committee, and 4) his parents are not staff of the school.
To increase the possibility of enrolling our boy in this school, we will be using our parents-in-law’s address which is within 1km from the school. In order to do this, we need to make a statutory declaration at MOE. Luckily, we fulfill the eligibility criteria where 1) both of us are working full-time, 2) Little Edison is under the full time care of his grandparents, and 3) his grandparents are not employed.
We should also start thinking of a backup plan in case we fail to enroll him into Maris Stella Primary School. What should we do?
