For those who remember our struggle ...

[Pupsiecola]

DS2 (year 6) who had a hellish time in Singapore a couple of years ago, last week scored 83% in his maths test and got effort level 1s for all his subjects :-)

[MadeinBelfast]

Just saw this in unanswered posts. I don't remember your thread I'm afraid but great work DS2! Sounds like he's doing really well.

[NotMoreFootball]

I do remember thr difficulties you all went through in Singapore and wanted to say Congratulations!!!
Are you staying in the UK?, I seem to remember you mentioned Canada or the States a while ago?

[Pupsiecola]

Awww thank you! Have you changed usernames notmore? I don't recognise you. We are in the UK for the foreseeable. DS1 is in year 8 and doing very well. DS2 as stated is also doing great and will join his big brother at secondary in September (yikes!). They are both very happy and settled with lovely friends. I've been very fortunate to make friends locally - not always easy when you move with older kids. DH and I still hanker after moving but the reality is we don't want to unsettle the kids, especially considering our previous experience. We won't be here long term and we're not emotionally invested in our area at all which is a blessing and a curse lol. We talk about moving to London/near London when the DS are at uni/starting out in their careers. We'd also consider an international move at that point too. Feels good to be able to be open minded about it and have a "let's see what happens" approach. It's taken a lot, emotionally, to get to that point though.

At the end of the day, the kids are happy. And whilst you can't live your life for them it's hard to feel content yourself when they're struggling as badly as my little trooper was.

[NotMoreFootball]

I have changed names since you were in Singapore but I now live in the States and I'm sure we had a discussion on 'perfect places to live'!
I agree with how much harder it gets as the kids get older. We moved here 4 years ago when DS was just 7, now at 11, he considers himself American and we find it very difficult and a huge culture shock to move away.
I also understand not being invested in the local area when you have no sense of permanence, it's come as a relief to know we are staying here and can put down roots. I have avoided the expat community here as it's just become too hard to make friends them have them leave a couple of years down the line.
I'm so glad your family is happy and thriving but some expat postings can be fabulous so I do hope you have more success if you decide to try again in the future!

[Laptopwieldingharpy]

Great news!
I remember! We were going through the same with DS!
So glad he's doing well and happy.
Our former school is now going down drain with huge governance problems, which in retrospect explains A LOT! All the top admin and teachers have left,loss of CIS accreditation and IB accreditation up in the air too.
Feeling vindicated.

[Pupsiecola]

Gosh laptop. Doesn't it just suck to have your child be a victim of this kind of crap? I know the lady we dealt with left within a year of us (others had complained about how she dealt with things too, and I had written to the Minister for Education in Singapore and the head of IB Worldwide).. I'm pretty sure the head is leaving this year. It's unbelievable looking back, the things they had us do. This batty woman they sent us to was totally bonkers (but loaded of course). One exercise we had to do was have DS sit on a chair curled up in a ball with eyes closed. We had to tap him, randomly, on his head or body 6 times. When he felt it he had to spring open. WTAF.

You're right, it feels good to be feel vindicated. Are you still in the same country?

[Laptopwieldingharpy]

Argh! Don't want to think about those nutjob school counselors anymore! Nor their network of "outside resources" who thrive on their referals!
I know i'm making a sweeping comment here. We've had wonderfull help when we took the matter in our own hands. I just can't get past the normality of prescribing psychiatric drugs to a child on a first appointment. And the school counsellor strongly encouraging to wash their hands off. Shudder. That's when we decided to homeschool for the remainder of the term.

We are still here. New school no problem AT ALL, overnight. It is a trust, not for profit, slight religious influence, amazing pastoral care and sport coaching. The adult mentoring and parent community are very involved. Huge difference!

Anyway, rant over! I'm so glad to see that we have both put trust in our kids and they have shown resilience and are happy!

[Pupsiecola]

Are you in HK laptop? Hoping to visit next year - a friend is relocating there for 4 years this Summer.

I'm off to Singapore in a month, all by myself. Looking forward to it but it will be odd going back!

[MyFriendsCallMeOh]

Great news pupsie, so pleased for you and your ds.

[Laptopwieldingharpy]

Yes still here. It is 5 degrees today with gale force northerly winds blowing away the usual pre-chinese new year production ftenzy pollution. Frost warnings and all! It's like another christmas!
Bliss!
Singapore has changed a lot but still same same.
When we moved here, i left a business behind and travelled back twice monthly for a couple of years. It was great being a returning "insder" everytime. It's been a full 5 years now and last trips back left me frustrated as it was with the family in tow.
So many new energised grassroots areas now & still most of your favorites still in place! Enjoy!
It is very therapeutic

[justonemorethread]

I think I may have lurked on your thread back then, but not sure if it was you. Always good to hear of a happy outcome though, well done to your Ds!
Were the problems related to being in international school? My dcs are currently in an international school in Africa and I am stressing, oldest will come back to UK for yr 6 and they have done so little basic maths and literacy, I really hate the way in which they are implementing this pyp curriculum. There is such a vague approach to learning, it actually makes me appreciate ofsted!
All the teachers are basically nice, decent people, but there is such a lack of structure and planning in the academics.

Still vaguely hoping I'm the one in the wrong and my dcs will come back to the UK system as these maverick free thinkers, but somehow strongly doubt it!

[Laptopwieldingharpy]

I'm totally with you. I am anti IB but for entirely non politically correct reasons.
I think the idea of IB is great to achieve principled, involved citizens of the world bla bla bla. But it stiffles all creativity and tunnel vision that make a passion worth pursuing. it is delivered by people who are Certainly not turn of the century humanists,Who are not schooled in greek and latin, who barely know the culture they live in to be able to make the connections the curriculum requires them to research, nor can they stretch to connect to the stem field and often simply do not have the breadth and width of knowledge and periheral vision to deliver the curriculum promised.
But hey ho, your kids will be 'independent' thinkers!

[scottswede]

I remember your wows pupsicola
I'm so happy that your son is doing well in school after everything you went through in in the IB school.
I remember you because my children were just starting at an IB school and I totally freaked out reading your posts. I wasn't sure whether the IB program would work for me ( or the kids)
Glad to hear the head was a total nut job though and hopefully not the IB norm

[Pupsiecola]

Ahhh sorry if I worried you scotts. I think we were in a tiny minority. It's funny as in our road there are three boys who the age DS was when we moved (7). They look so young and diddy (especially compared to my 13 and 11 year olds ('tis lovely - they all hang out together and the younger ones adore my boys)). But I look at these three boys and I think wow, we plucked DS out of a 90 child village school and put him into this huge 2000 pupil school with a completely different system etc. and he was so tiny :-(

Anyway, I hope it is working out for your kids scotts. I can't remember where you were then - are you still there?

[scottswede]

Thanks Pupsi The children love the school, which is the main thing. They have good teachers, friends and enjoy the work. I feel the basics are glossed over and haven't decided if it's the best way forward yet.
We will be here for the foreseeable so I'm trying to work with what I have.