By Jane Ng, The Straits Times, 28 Oct 2012
Crest Secondary School gets its first batch of students in January and from Day One, the emphasis will be on showing students that learning can be fun and useful.
The school is unusual because it is the first to take in only Normal Technical stream students, who include the least academically inclined.
In the run-up to opening day, principal Frederick Yeo and his team have covered all bases - from plans for brightly coloured classrooms to co-curricular activities (CCAs) and the uniform itself.
As for what it will teach, the programme will let students spend a third of their time on hands-on vocational modules which include training workshops, learning journeys and work attachments.
In two areas - facility and mechanical services - students will learn useful technical skills in basic mechanical, electrical and plumbing services. They can go on to do a related course at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) or work as technicians.
In the hospitality and retail modules, students will learn basic food preparation and customer service, and will visit retail outlets, hotels and restaurants. This will prepare them to work as service staff.
Aside from finishing school with their N-level certificate after four years, Crest Secondary students will also have an ITE Skills Certificate which will enable them to take a related course at the ITE or join the industry.
Academic lessons in English, mathematics and science have also been designed to be in tune with the vocational modules.
Academic lessons in English, mathematics and science have also been designed to be in tune with the vocational modules.
So, students will see how learning about percentages during maths class is relevant to giving customers a discount in a shop.
And when they study communication skills in English-language classes, they may practise how waiters interact with restaurant diners.
"Learning will be more fun for them when they can identify what they learn in school with what they see outside," said Mr Yeo, 41. He was previously principal of Bowen Secondary School.
For more realistic learning,situations, the school is working with industry partners and will have two retail areas designed like an actual shop floor, with grocery shelves, display stands and a cash register.
Vice-principal in charge of academic affairs Subash Lazar said: "Kids need to know why they learn something. When you make a direct link to the industry, learning becomes authentic and the engagement level will go up."
Crest Secondary is occupying the former premises of Commonwealth Secondary School at Jurong East Street 24. Four new blocks will be ready in December, housing vocational and sports facilities.
Its initial intake of 200 Secondary 1 students will come from about 5,000 children who sat the Primary School Leaving Examination and are likely to qualify for the Normal Technical stream.
The school is going all out to let students know that learning need not be dull. Each of its seven levels is painted a different shade, dashes of colour brighten the character education room and furniture can be arranged as the teacher pleases.
Students will be free to use their imagination to make their classrooms stand out, said Mr Yeo.
During roadshows at various primary schools, the school polled about 500 potential students to draw up its range of CCAs which include pop band, soccer, dance and scouts, for a start. They also helped to choose the school uniform, including a bright yellow polo T-shirt with navy-blue sleeves.
Twelve-year-old Rajwin Singh, a Primary 6 pupil at Fuhua Primary in Jurong East, said Crest Secondary will be his first choice. He takes foundation subjects, and is likely to enter the Normal Technical stream.
"When I use pen and paper, I find it boring. I would like to learn things like how to fold napkins in a restaurant and how to do housekeeping in a hotel," he said.
Crest Secondary's 17 teachers were selected from 140 applicants and include those from primary and secondary schools and the ITE.
One of them, Madam Aishah Lidon, 49, has taught Normal Technical students home economics since the stream first started in 1994. Home economics will be part of Crest Secondary's hospitality and retail services curriculum.
"Some students lack confidence because they are not good in their studies. When they try cooking and are good at it, you see them becoming more confident about themselves. That is very satisfying," she said.
Mr Sam Ho, 53, who was seconded from the ITE to be the vice-principal in charge of vocational modules, hopes to see students taste success through hands-on work.
"I always tell my students: 'You may be fixing bicycles now, but soon, you will be fixing motorcycles and motorcars and one fine day, you may be fixing an aeroplane,'" he said.
CUSTOMISED TEACHING
Crest Secondary, which opens in January, is the first of two specialised schools for Normal (Technical) students.
The other will be at Woodlands Drive 64 and will admit its first students in January 2014.
Three other schools also offer specialised subjects to engage students in the Normal(Technical) stream.
Since 2008, Bedok Town Secondary, Shuqun Secondary and Si Ling Secondary have partnered the Institute of Technical Education to offer subjects with greater emphasis on practice-based learning.
Si Ling Secondary offers retail operations, and computer and networking; while Bedok Town Secondary has retail operations, and electrical technology and applications.
Shuqun Secondary has mobile robotics.
The aim is to develop new teaching methods to enhance the quality of learning and engagement for their Normal (Technical) students.
Academic subjects like mathematics have also been customised to have a more practical approach and students do short industrial attachments or attachments at the ITE as part of the programme.
The schools have reported better performance from the students after the introduction of these initiatives.
* Normal (Tech) kids learn school is cool
Crest Secondary has mentorship scheme, among others, to give students confidence
By Jane Ng, The Sunday Times, 16 Feb 2014
Crest Secondary has mentorship scheme, among others, to give students confidence
By Jane Ng, The Sunday Times, 16 Feb 2014
Fourteen-year-old Shawn Rajoo is excited about meeting his mentor from Yale-NUS College.
The Secondary 2 student from Crest Secondary, a specialised school for Normal (Technical) stream students, is one of 10 high- potential students picked for a mentorship programme.
He has been paired with first- year undergraduate Daniel Soo, and they will meet for the first time on Wednesday.
"I don't know anybody in university so I hope to be motivated by my mentor. I want to study in a polytechnic and university," said Shawn, a school prefect.
Crest Secondary, which opened last year with 200 students, hopes the undergrad mentors will inspire its high-potential students. The undergraduates will meet the students weekly, help them academically or give them moral support through activities.
This is one of the talent development programmes introduced by the school which takes in the academically weakest students in the Normal (Technical) stream.
It hopes to help every student find something he is good at, to be confident about his capabilities, said principal Frederick Yeo.
"We realised that our students may have missed out on many opportunities, not just in primary school but also at home. We wanted to create opportunities to support their social and emotional development, make them feel good about themselves, and to try new things," he said.
Shawn's mother, Madam Rajes Catherine Michael, 40, a part-time accounts executive, found the change in her son nothing short of amazing. "He tells me he wants to work hard, go to polytechnic and university. The school and teachers must be doing something right," she said.
Apart from the mentorship programme, 35 students who performed well in Secondary 1 will take higher-level Normal (Academic) English and/or mathematics.
In non-academic areas, the school has identified students with potential.
A group in the arts and event management CCA learnt to be emcees and host the weekly school assembly programme and school visitors confidently. "Many of them never had the opportunity or courage to go on stage in primary school," said Mr Yeo.
Five members of the new media club took part in a hackathon competition to develop an app and won an award, beating older students from top secondary schools.
In sports, Crest has trained a group with strengths in specific areas such as soccer.
All students were challenged to acquire new skills in everything from in-line skating to playing the guitar, graffiti art and dance. "While some did less well than others, the more important learning point for everyone is that it's OK to try new things, and if you fail, try again and improve," said Mr Yeo.
If school attendance is a gauge of students' enthusiasm, Crest did well in its first year, with an attendance rate of 97 per cent, and absentees were mostly covered by medical certificates.
Secondary 2 student Muhammad Farhan Abdul Malik, 13, lives in Hougang and takes 90 minutes to get to the school in Jurong East, but he does not mind.
A soccer player and school prefect, he never held a leadership position in primary school. "Last time I was naughtier. When the teacher was teaching, I would talk to my friends. Now that I'm a prefect, I focus and pay attention in class. I want to get good results. I want to go to university. I don't want to make my parents sad," he said.
Lyonel Chin, 15, said that since joining Crest he has fixed a leaky toilet bowl at home and cooked fried rice for his parents - both skills learnt as part of the school's vocational modules.
Lyonel, who was part of the hackathon team, said he enjoys school because "my friends are encouraging, teachers are understanding, and I get to create things and dismantle things".
The teachers say they try to make language lessons interesting by using songs, movie clips or personal stories.
Tamil teacher Usha Krishnasamy, 35, used drama and got her students to create, film and narrate a story using Lego blocks. They enjoyed the process so much, it did not feel like an oral assessment.
She wants to help weaker students who are unmotivated and disengaged. "They are like that because they don't have someone who believes in them. When they fall off the tracks, they need someone to continuously pull them back on track. I'm not perfect but I can do that little bit for them," she said.
Physical education teacher Mohamed Fahmee Buang, 35, tries to be a friend by learning his students' lingo. "Once you win them over, you bring up your expectations and they will listen to you," he said.
He will measure his success by how his students do later in life. "I hope to see my students successful in life, not in terms of dollars and cents, but being able to do something meaningful in life, having formed an intact family, enjoying a good quality of life," he said.
Taking time to listen
"When a child is late for school, it is not always a discipline issue. Many of our students play many roles at their young age. Some have to take their younger siblings to school, some take care of family members. Unless you hear them out, you may never find out the real reason."
TAMIL LANGUAGE TEACHER USHA KRISHNASAMY, on what teachers can learn from listening to their students.
* Crest scores with combo approach
School's Normal (Tech) mix of academics and vocational training sees 98% pass rate
By Yuen Sin, The Straits Times, 20 Dec 2016
When Crest Secondary School began in 2013, it had difficulty convincing parents that the school was a viable option for their children in the Normal (Technical) stream.
Their lessons would focus on application in a real-world context.
Said principal Frederick Yeo: "There wasn't a specialised school before this and it was a challenge helping them understand a curriculum that combines academics with vocational training."
With the release of the 2016 N-level results yesterday, Crest Secondary proved its students can still do well academically even when they learn through an applied approach. Ninety-eight per cent of its 198 pioneer students passed the N-level exams, higher than the 97.1 per cent pass rate for the national cohort of 5,470 students in the N(T) stream.
All of its students will be able to join a Nitec course at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).
School's Normal (Tech) mix of academics and vocational training sees 98% pass rate
By Yuen Sin, The Straits Times, 20 Dec 2016
When Crest Secondary School began in 2013, it had difficulty convincing parents that the school was a viable option for their children in the Normal (Technical) stream.
Their lessons would focus on application in a real-world context.
Said principal Frederick Yeo: "There wasn't a specialised school before this and it was a challenge helping them understand a curriculum that combines academics with vocational training."
With the release of the 2016 N-level results yesterday, Crest Secondary proved its students can still do well academically even when they learn through an applied approach. Ninety-eight per cent of its 198 pioneer students passed the N-level exams, higher than the 97.1 per cent pass rate for the national cohort of 5,470 students in the N(T) stream.
All of its students will be able to join a Nitec course at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).
The second specialised school for N(T) students, Spectra Secondary in Woodlands, will see its first batch sit the N levels next year.
At these schools, the four-year N(T) programme leads up to the N levels, as it does in other schools. The difference is that students also learn vocational skills and can graduate with an ITE Skills Certificate in one of four areas - facility services, mechanical servicing, retail services or hospitality services.
At these schools, the four-year N(T) programme leads up to the N levels, as it does in other schools. The difference is that students also learn vocational skills and can graduate with an ITE Skills Certificate in one of four areas - facility services, mechanical servicing, retail services or hospitality services.
Thirty-four of Crest Secondary's graduating students have accepted offers from ITE.
Mr Yeo said one of the school's goals is to help students regain their interest in studying, so they find going to school an enjoyable experience. The school takes in pupils with PSLE scores ranging from less than 100 to 140. Some of them have special needs such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
"In primary school, frequent failures were the norm for many of them, so we try to get them to see school in a different light," he said.
For example, learning English or mathematics is not restricted to a classroom. At one of the school's specially constructed facilities, such as a bistro, students can practise language skills by playing the role of a waiter. At its mini-mart, they learn maths and geometry by measuring the dimensions of items.
Crest Secondary is looking to strengthen its partnerships with primary schools to give their pupils more information about it.
One its students, Goh Kai Xin, 16, intends to study business at ITE.
She said of her time at Crest: "My friends in other schools always studied but they didn't have as much fun as we had... We had taster modules in areas like retail or hospitality and did more hands-on work."
He discovers 'natural talent' thanks to school's approach
By Yuen Sin, The Straits Times, 20 Dec 2016
When Ryan Ang was in primary school, his mother used to get calls from his teachers all the time because of his disruptive behaviour in class.
The Crest Secondary School student, now 16, did not take his studies seriously and also struggled with subjects because he is dyslexic. It was hard to spell long words, and he would mix up the letters d and b.
When he scored 121 for the Primary School Leaving Examination, putting him in the Normal (Technical) stream, Ryan decided to join Crest Secondary as he thought that its hands-on approach suited him better.
"I'm not very strong in academics but I'm good at hands-on work."
At Crest, he decided to change his behaviour and took school more seriously after failing maths in his first year.
"I didn't want to give my teachers a hard time any more, and I wanted to be more mature."
He said he enjoyed his time at Crest because of how lessons were not just about theory, but also included opportunities for experiential learning and interactive activities.
Even before the N-level results were out, Ryan, who scored Cs for the two N(T) subjects that he took, received an offer from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) to study mechatronics because of his good grades in mechanical servicing, a course he took up for his ITE Skills Certification. He hopes to go to polytechnic after ITE and eventually enter university.
Some people may dismiss N(T) students as not being smart, said Ryan, but a comment that his principal Frederick Yeo jokingly made about how N(T) also stands for "natural talent" stuck with him.
"Don't look down on us. Even though we are N(T), we can still make a difference."
By Yuen Sin, The Straits Times, 20 Dec 2016
The Crest Secondary School student, now 16, did not take his studies seriously and also struggled with subjects because he is dyslexic. It was hard to spell long words, and he would mix up the letters d and b.
When he scored 121 for the Primary School Leaving Examination, putting him in the Normal (Technical) stream, Ryan decided to join Crest Secondary as he thought that its hands-on approach suited him better.
"I'm not very strong in academics but I'm good at hands-on work."
At Crest, he decided to change his behaviour and took school more seriously after failing maths in his first year.
"I didn't want to give my teachers a hard time any more, and I wanted to be more mature."
He said he enjoyed his time at Crest because of how lessons were not just about theory, but also included opportunities for experiential learning and interactive activities.
Even before the N-level results were out, Ryan, who scored Cs for the two N(T) subjects that he took, received an offer from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) to study mechatronics because of his good grades in mechanical servicing, a course he took up for his ITE Skills Certification. He hopes to go to polytechnic after ITE and eventually enter university.
Some people may dismiss N(T) students as not being smart, said Ryan, but a comment that his principal Frederick Yeo jokingly made about how N(T) also stands for "natural talent" stuck with him.
"Don't look down on us. Even though we are N(T), we can still make a difference."
Related
New school to offer N-levels and ITE certs
Creating Student Transformation through Multiple Learning Pathways
Authentic Learning Experience at Crest Secondary School
New school to offer N-levels and ITE certs
Creating Student Transformation through Multiple Learning Pathways
Authentic Learning Experience at Crest Secondary School
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