FROM
January next year, Methodist Girls' School will offer a unique
and customised scholastic programme for its upper primary and
secondary school students. MGS to launch scholastic programme
Sophia Blackmore Class
tailored for the more
talented students
FROM
January next year, Methodist Girls' School will offer a unique
and customised scholastic programme for its upper primary and
secondary school students.
This programme is tailored for the intellectually gifted and builds
on the proven strengths of the MGS education, which is well known
for its emphasis on all-round development, character training
and Christian education.
Called the Sophia Blackmore Class (SBC) - after its founder, Miss Sophia Blackmore - the programme has been developed and tailored by MGS educators for their more talented students who would benefit from a more challenging academic curriculum.
The school has received help from the Gifted Education Branch
of the Ministry of Education and the teachers have undergone training
by Dr Sandra Kaplan from the University of Southern California,
a leading figure in the field of gifted education.
While adopting the broad framework of the Gifted Education
Programme (GEP), the SBC is unique in that it taps on the distinctiveness
of the MGS education and culture. Seeking to empower, enrich and
excite exceptional young minds, the programme will address the
needs of students who may have a different pace and learning profile
from most of their peers.
The curriculum
The SBC offers a differentiated curriculum that extends the
core curriculum in depth and complexity. A unique feature is the
out-of-school learning that will be introduced. It will include
interdisciplinary fieldtrips, attachments, exchanges and summer
school programmes.
Community service will be an important part of the SBC and the
girls will be given the chance to use their creativity and capabilities
to serve a wider community.
Students who opt for this programme will also engage in project
work aimed at helping their creativity flourish, sharpening their
thinking skills and providing them avenues for innovation, self-expression
and exploration.
While the SBC caters to a smaller group of students, teachers
are mindful that the Sophia scholars remain part of the mainstream
student body. Therefore, much of the enrichment activities will
be fitted into curriculum time so that they are not overloaded
by after-school SBC activities. This will allow them to join their
other friends in school-wide activities, such as CCAs, and remain
active within the school community.
Getting started
Come January 2005, the SBC option will be offered at Primary
4 and Secondary 1. The primary school SBC will start with one
class of 35 students, while there will be two Secondary 1 classes
of 25 students each.
Entry into SBC at Primary 4 will be based on the results of the
GEP screening test, school results and teacher recommendations.
Secondary 1 students will be invited to take the Higher Ability
Selection Tests, developed by the Australian Council for Educational
Research, on logical reasoning, abstract thinking, mathematics,
science and the humanities. Their PSLE results, school results,
teacher recommendations, personal statements, academic and non-academic
achievements will also be considered.
There will be no change in school fees for the first year, but
students in the SBC at secondary level can expect to pay additional
fees the year after. However, no girl who qualifies for the SBC
will be denied a place just because she cannot afford the fees.
Benefits
Miss Kon Mei Leen, the Principal of MGS, said: "The investment
of resources in the SBC will extend beyond the programme to the
whole school. Good and innovative ideas generated for the programme
will flow over to the rest of the school.
"The higher level of intellectual activity and the drive
for excellence that we can expect of the Sophia scholars will
have a positive effect on their peers not in the programme."
QUOTE:
SOUND INVESTMENT
'The investment of resources in the Sophia Blackmore Class will
extend beyond the programme to the whole school. Good and innovative
ideas generated for the programme will flow over to the rest of
the school.'
-- MGS Principal Miss Kon Mei Leen.