Tag Archives: raising a son

Majlis Anugerah Pelajar Kolej PERMATA

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Alhamdulilah, Ee managed to secure a CGPA of >3.6 upon completing Asas 1. This is not to say that students with pointers less than mentioned are not smart. They are equally smart, only that they are excelling more at non-academic aspects of their education.

The Majlis Anugerah Pelajar (MAP) ceremony was held at the UKM Bangi campus. It was less than a 20-minute drive from my hotel. However, parking spots were scarce. This is expected as we have parents from all levels of study coming to celebrate their children’s success. The phone connection here was equally bad. It was so hard to get a signal. Or maybe the hall was built with a system that intercepts all forms of phone signal. If that is the case, I am not surprised, as this is a centre of high-performing academicians. Apart from giving out scrolls and plaques, there were also performances from students, like singing and dancing.

My husband was not able to attend MAP as he had ongoing work commitments in Bangkok. The ceremony was completed by noon. We headed straight to the highway after that to Melaka. On the way, we stopped at the new RNR Seremban for prayers and lunch. The surau was so beautiful. There were loads of restaurants and food trucks. Ee wanted to eat A&W’s coney dog, so we ordered that. Then, we bought Boost Drinks to sip on in the car on our way home.

Once we reached Melaka, I changed into a more comfortable attire. The plan is to walk over to my MIL’s house, which is within walking distance, to pick up my daughter. She had to sleep over at her cousin’s house the night before since she still had school. The next day, I brought them out to dinner at this fantastic new cafe. That will be another blog post.

Presentations and group work at KPPN

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I realised that at KPPN, Ee’s learning methods hugely adopt the use of digital technology and presentations. Laptops are super useful. My husband bought him a Dell that is useful for coding works considering that Ee is in the Digital Innovator Programme (DIP). The subjects are slightly different from the Pure Science Programme. Printers are nice to have. Ee does not have a printer but Ee has his A4 papers. So if he needs to print something, he will use his dorm-mates printer and pay him based on what they agree on (for using ink).

Ee has been exploring how to use Canva and other website-building tools. I’ve noticed his vocabulary improving through his WhatsApp conversations with friends, especially during group work discussions. During the last school break, he asked for my help in shooting a video for their group presentation. He already had a clear idea, and I simply assisted with the execution. Ee explained that he needed to create the video first as an example or template for his team members. He was also supporting his friend, the team leader, who is naturally a bit quieter. Interestingly, the tutor intentionally selected quieter students as leaders this time, so Ee stepped in to lend a hand. He’s also learning to navigate disputes among team members—a tricky skill, but I’m letting him figure it out on his own. It’s all part of the learning process.

It’s the exam season at the moment. His last paper is next Monday. I hope he has been keeping up with his studies. He only has himself and his friends to remain disciplined in his studies. It’s easy for a 13-year-old to be enticed by the freedom to do whatever they want such as gaming or watching movies, considering they have access to laptops and internet access. I cannot wait to see him for the upcoming end-of-year school holidays.

Me helping him to shoot his video in our backyard

Celebrating Ee’s Birthday at IOI Mall

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We celebrated Ee’s birthday recently during his weekend outing at IOI Mall Putrajaya. He really wanted to eat Nandos because of the well-seasoned chicken and the bottomless yoghurt. Haneem shared the quarter chicken meal with me because she was in a bad mood. But I did order extra Yuzu chicken wings on the side. We also shared a glass of bottomless soft drinks.

Before that birthday lunch, we had pastries at La Boheme Cafe.

I asked Ee if he wanted anything else for his birthday. A new T-shirt or underwear, or something. He said he didn’t need any.

He did ask me to bring the Mahathir biography book and the Lat comic for his group project. They are doing a skit on “Idols”. I suggested a more contemporary and young figure like Khairul Aming but it seems that the members are keen to proceed with Tun M.

Ee has always been a quiet boy. Lately, I can see that he is also growing smarter ( they should, right?). He can solve his problems better nowadays. I think Mr Husband was surprised that he did not bring his laundry basket during his latest outing. He said he was able to wash them all. Even I was surprised. Of course, this is probably one of those rare occurrences but it is still good to know that he knows how to manage his time. He is also doing the workbooks that my husband bought. It is something to keep his mind going and prepared for SPM (in 4 years). There is still doubt that KPPN will be able to address this particular concern raised by the parents since they are quite hooked up in ‘theories’ and ‘ideas’ of genius upbringing. I mean, it is fine if you have a unique pathway for the students but if you are still going to put them in the same pool at the university level, there is nothing special about KPPN after all.

It’s like you made the effort to send your child to Genius Aulad for a headstart and yet choose to send the child to mainstream schooling. Might as well keep up the momentum to private school or send the child to a less expensive kindergarten in the first place.

KPPN’s Hari Keusahawanan – A commercial exercise

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My son just completed his exams recently. He said Biology was challenging which prompted me to encourage him to read and ask more questions. Even then, despite the multiple subjects he had to learn and engage in, alhamdulilah, he still did well. I am sure the other students scored well in their studies as well. I have no qualms over their intellectual ability as these kids are like super Scrub Daddy sponges. Given the right guidance, they could learn anything. In fact, they have a tight and comprehensive timetable to follow. I like that the kids are made to go for exercise in the evening. At least now Ee enjoys playing handball and football.

An example of their timetable

I just hope that alongside their academic growth, other aspects of their youth could be consolidated as well. Meaning that their emotional intelligence, athletic agility, religious observance and soft skills are equally groomed to form them as an all-rounded individual.

Recently, KPPN organised Hari Keusahawan with an 80s theme. Apart from the banner, the only thing that is relevant to the 1980s era is probably the parents. Everything else had a Gen Z vibe. Or is it Gen Alpha now? Hahaha. Still, it was a commendable effort. I feel that teamwork is something that the kids need to work on. Well, even adults undergo the same struggle. I’m not sure how well they interact with each other in class but knowing tweens, they tend to be defiant for no reason yet competitive at the same time.

My daughter enjoyed buying her jellyballs at the stalls. The food was appropriately priced but the coupons somehow finished earlier than expected. It’s either insufficient or the students/parents have immense purchasing power.

I look forward to other events they have at school. We parted ways with Ee after spending roughly 90 minutes there. We don’t want to be caught up in traffic heading towards Melaka. On a final note, it was astonishing to meet a young gentleman, who read my blog there as well. I hope he excels in his studies too.

KPPN – Iftar break

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Just two weeks into his registration, the students of KPPN were allowed to have an Iftar outing with their families. Since Ee’s roommates were living nearby, they were already going home by 9am on the day. Ee had to wait for us till we arrived from Melaka. We told him that we would leave the house just after Asar. We reached there by 6pm and as a safe choice, we had our Iftar at the nearby Pizza Hut. We are to send him back before 930pm but we got him onto campus earlier. He needed time for Maghrib and wanted to join the congregational Isyak/Terawih prayers.

While waiting for us, he visited his friends in other rooms, mainly non-Muslims who were not going out for Iftar. I am glad that there are no reports of bullying and that the Aras 1 students are getting along well with their Aras 2 seniors. I asked him what he had for Sahur and the menu sounded good. Much better than the ones I prepare at home. There were also days when he woke up late and only had cookies and water for Sahur.

They were sitting for an exam the day before the Iftar outing. It is an assessment to determine whether these students will be joining the Pure Science or the Digital Innovator Programme (DIP). Ee is in the DIP programme. To be honest, we have yet to understand what the DIP stream encompasses but it should be an interesting learning curve for both Ee and us as parents. He has already received his textbooks and there is a very early leap into studying Chemistry and Physics at Form 4 & 5 level. There will be lots of group work and presentations in class. Therefore, Mr Husband has bought him a new laptop for his use.

An Aras 2 senior sharing knowledge and experience with the Aras 1 juniors.

Ee seems to demonstrate an interest in being part of the committee members and I am surprised that he volunteered to become the Imam for the Terawih prayers. Each imam gets to lead 2 rakaats. That to me, is a sign that he is happy and can flourish in such an environment.