Monday, January 27, 2020

DSA

Insider’s Story on Direct School Admission (DSA): 
DSA INTERVIEW
Direct School Admission Interview Top Secret 
The DSA interview may seem daunting at first, but with preparation and confidence, your child should be able to ace it.
Q1. Does every school require interviews?
  • Not all schools will require interviews. There are other means of assessing your child’s suitability, such as admission tests and camps.
  • There are two types of interviews: the solo interview and the group interview.

Q2. What are some interview questions to expect?
  • You can expect routine questions
    • the applicant’s strengths, weaknesses, personality
    • the applicant’s portfolio/academic track record/achievements
    • the applicant’s potential to contribute to the DSA school based on applicant’s experience and opinions
    • the school’s programmes and motivation for choosing the school
  • Non-routine questions
  • the applicant’s reasoning process
  • the applicant’s ability to think on the spot and handle surprise
  • General knowledge, current affairs question
  • Questions about general knowledge and whether applicant can apply them
  • Questions about social issues and current affairs
  • (For group interviews) Interviewers also look out for the interactions between the applicants and problem-solving skills.

Q3. If my child applied DSA based on his or her exceptional talent in mathematics, will there be math theory related interview questions?
  • This would depend on the school. Some applicants were asked math-related interview questions. However, some were asked about current affairs issues that were not related to math.

Q4. What do interviewers expect from their applicants?
  • Interviewers may be looking out for: strong communication skills, confidence, ability to adapt to unexpected events and whether applicant can value-add to the domain he or she specialises in.
  • Body language is also important: your child should sit up straight, maintain the right posture and maintain eye contact with interviewer.

Q5. In a group interview, how vocal/outspoken my child should be?
  • when it is your child’s turn, he or she should answer with confidence.
  • When it is not your child’s turn, do not attempt to answer the question unless the student cannot handle the question and the interviewer has indicated the rest of the students in the room can answer.
  • Being overly aggressive may create the impression that your child is not a team player.

Q6. How can we prepare our child for the interview?
  • For routine questions:
    • Draft a short pitch and get your child to memorise.
    • Keep practicing until it becomes natural.
    • Don’t focus on something too cliché or common. For example, many applicants do play the piano or have activities such swimming. Instead of providing too much details about your general achievements, you should highlight something unique about you to distinguish yourself from others.
    • For non-routine questions:
    • Exposure to current affairs is crucial. You can engage your child in current affairs by having light conversations over dinner or reading newspaper articles with them.

Q7. Do we need to enrol our child for any special DSA preparation programmes found in the tuition centres?
Gifted and Talented Education offers programmes such as Classroom to Boardroom which focuses on communication skills and critical reasoning process. We also conduct DSA interview camps to help students manage the interview process effectively.  The DSA Interview is likely to be the first interview in your child’s life.  Sufficient preparation and warm up exercises will make a huge difference.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Group A questions 
Routine questions about the applicant’s strengths, weaknesses, personality, related to the profile of the applicant
  • What is one of your best characteristics? 
  • Why are you special? 
  • Describe yourself. 
  • What are your hobbies?  
  • What was the last book you read? 
 The applicant’s portfolio/academic track record/achievements 
  • What is the achievement that you are most proud of? 
  • What projects have you done in primary school, and which one are you proud of? 
 The applicant’s potential to contribute to the DSA school based on applicant’s experience and opinions  
  • How do you think our school can support your interests? 
  • How do you manage your time if you have frequent school trainings (for sports/music DSA)? 
  • Would you compromise on your interests or passion because of a busy study schedule? 
  • What is the math theory which interest you the most (for Mathematics DSA)? 
  • What are the changes would you like to see to the science curriculum? (for Science DSA)? 
  • Are there any events or people you remember the most during your 3 to 6 years of CCA? 
  • The school’s programmes and motivation for choosing the school 
  • Why should we choose you for DSA? 
  • Why do you like to play Badminton/tennis…? (for Sports DSA) 
 Group B Questions 
Non-routine questions about the applicant’s reasoning process and the applicant’s ability to think on the spot and handle surprise 
  • If you are the Prime Minister of Singapore, what will you do to make this country better? 
  • If you are only allowed to bring one item to Mars, what will you bring? 
  • Which part of a car would you like to be and why? 
  • Look around the room and find something that best describes you.  
 Group C Questions 
General knowledge, current affairs questions; Questions about general knowledge and whether applicant can apply them 
Questions about social issues and currents affairs  
  • Is there any discrimination in Singapore? If you are the Prime Minister what will you do to prevent discrimination? 
  • What do you think about education system in Singapore? 
  • What makes you proud of living in Singapore? 
  • How do you look at the news of MRT breakdowns? 
(For group interviews) Questions related to teamwork. Interviewers also look out for the interactions between the applicants and problem-solving skills. 
  • Who should we choose out of all the applicants in this room? 
  • Is your primary school the best? 

Ref: https://www.gifted-school.com/dsa-story-3/


PARENTS HELP

You helped your child applied for DSA (Direct School Admission) and you are jumping with joy when your child receives an invitation from the school to go for an interview.

Good interview performance plays an important role in clinching a place in the coveted school. Preparation is key to acing the interview.

First, read up on the desired school with your child so he or she knows what the school is about and how to answer the questions appropriately.
Second, coach your child to prep for the interview questions and how to answer them. The answers should be based on the child’s opinions so it sounds natural to the interviewer. You may want to check out “Success Strategies for Direct School Admissions (DSA)”, a book by Jackeline Carter. In this book, Jackeline has compiled over five years of research and experience coaching students through this often daunting process. The purpose of writing this book is to level the playing field for all students who are interested in studying in an Integrated Programme school, no matter their financial background.

In this post, I have also compiled some commonly asked DSA Questions for your reference:

Personal Interview Section

Students are asked to talk about themselves — share the following info: name, age, school currently attending, any hobbies, likes, dislikes etc.
  • Tell me about yourself?
  • In one sentence, introduce yourself.

Maturity and Reasoning

Questions to determine why you pick the “desired” school and demonstrate the reasoning skills — share reasons to support your points.
  • Why do you want to come to our school?
  • Why did you apply to our school / programme?
  • Why do you wish to come to our school?
  • What are the things you like about our school that other schools do not include?
  • How many schools have you applied to and which school is your first choice?
  • Did you apply to other schools?
  • Are you applying to our school because it is a branded/ elite school?
  • What is a good school?
  • Why should we accept you among all the great candidates /applicants who apply?
  • What are the problems of accepting students to a school based on their exam results?
  • Tell us what you enjoy doing when you are NOT attending school

Tell Us About Your Ambition

Whatever ambition you have, state reasons why you chose it and what your plans are for the future.  For example: If your ambition is to be a scientist, give reasons why being a scientist attracts you so much and what innovations that you wish to bring to humankind.
  • Who is the greatest influence in your life or who do you admire the most?
  • What do you think about Steve Jobs and iPhone?
  • Tell us about an event that is significant in your life?
  • What is your goal for life?
  • What are your strengths?
  • What are your weaknesses? How do you overcome them?
  • What is your favourite subject? Coach your child to support his/her answer with some reasons even though it sounds like a straight forward question.
  • How do you think you can help the CCA achieve greater heights?
  • Do you have any question about our school?
  • What questions would you like to ask us?
The above questions were compiled from the following sources:

On the DAY of Interview:

  • Make sure your child is relaxed and well rested the night before the interview.
  • Wake up with a clear mind when you head for the interview.
  • Try to arrive early (30 minutes) BEFORE the interview begin so your child does not feel rushed.
  • Last, but not least, encourage your child to believe in him/herself.


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A Tribute to Kobe Bryant




Kobe Bryant, NBA superstar and future Hall of Famer, is dead at 41







(CNN)It's hard to believe NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, whose prodigious talent and win-at-all-costs spirit made him one of the most famous and decorated athletes in history, is gone.
He was the rare celebrity who didn't need a last name. Oprah. LeBron. Beyonce. Kobe. Everyone knew who you were talking about.
Still youthful at 41, Bryant -- who died in a helicopter crash Sunday in California -- looked like he could suit up and drop 30 points on a rival NBA team. It doesn't seem that long ago that he was scoring 60 points in his final NBA game, soaking up the cheers of Los Angeles Lakers fans who worshiped him for two decades as one of the city's favorite sons.
    After his 20-year NBA career -- all with the Lakers -- Bryant is all but assured of being a first-ballot inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame later this year.
    "He was a fierce competitor, one of the greats of the game and a creative force," said fellow NBA icon Michael Jordan.
    An 18-time All-Star, Bryant was known for his remarkable scoring ability -- his turnaround jumper was nearly unstoppable -- and his championship pedigree. He teamed with fellow All-Star Shaquille O'Neal to win three consecutive NBA titles from 2000 to 2002 and later won two more rings, in 2009 and 2010.
    Known as the Black Mamba -- a nickname he gave himself -- Bryant twice led the NBA in scoring and won the league's Most Valuable Player award in 2008.
    Bryant's daughter Gianna, 13, was with her father on the helicopter and was also killed in the crash, a source with knowledge of the situation told CNN.
    "Kobe was so much more than an athlete, he was a family man. That was what we had most in common," O'Neal wrote on Twitter Sunday. "We love our families. Whenever we got together I would hug his children like they were my own and he would embrace my kids like they were his."
    "The NBA family is devastated by the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna," said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in a statement.
    "For 20 seasons, Kobe showed us what is possible when remarkable talent blends with an absolute devotion to winning. He was one of the most extraordinary players in the history of our game with accomplishments that are legendary ... But he will be remembered most for inspiring people around the world to pick up a basketball and compete to the very best of their ability."

    He entered the NBA at age 17

    Bryant was born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents, Joe and Pam Bryant, gave him the namesake after seeing a type of steak on a restaurant menu. Kobe beef is from a species of cattle, Wagyu, raised in the Kobe region of Japan.
    He lived in Italy from the age of six to 13 while his father played professional basketball, and he spoke Italian fluently. In one of his final interviews before he died, Bryant told CNN how he developed a love of soccer in Italy but also witnessed racism before moving back to the United States.
    "When I was growing up in Italy, I've obviously witnessed it firsthand going to certain soccer matches and things of that nature," Bryant told CNN's Andy Scholes. "My parents have taught me and educated me on how to deal with those sorts of things."
    Bryant played high school basketball at Lower Merion in Pennsylvania.
    "This is a difficult day for everyone in our school community," said Amy Buckman, a spokeswoman for Lower Merion School District.
    "Mr. Bryant's connection to Lower Merion High School, where he played basketball prior to joining the NBA, has raised the profile of our high school and our district throughout the world. Our school community will always be grateful for his ongoing generosity to his alma mater, including his dedication of our Kobe Bryant gymnasium and his support of our girls and boys basketball teams."
    Bryant went straight from high school to the NBA, drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th overall pick of the 1996 draft, making him the youngest NBA player in history at age 17. Bryant was then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for veteran center Vlade Divac.
    He soon became one of the most decorated players in NBA history and also won two Olympic gold medals for USA men's basketball, in 2008 and 2012.
    Off the court his dazzling smile sold everything from Nike shoes to McDonald's hamburgers.
    There was controversy, however, when Bryant was accused of sexual assaulting a 19-year-old Colorado hotel worker in 2003. Bryant insisted the encounter was consensual. The criminal sexual assault charge was dropped in 2004, and the accuser agreed to settle her civil lawsuit against Bryant in 2005.

    LeBron James: 'Kobe is a legend, that's for damn sure'

    At 6 feet, 6 inches, Bryant could run the point or play shooting guard, even though his position was small forward.
    One of the most memorable games in NBA history came on January 22, 2006, when Bryant scored 81 points in a Lakers' 122-104 win over Toronto. Only Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962 tops this performance.
    And in his final game of his career in 2016, the Black Mamba did it his way, dropping 60 points -- on 50 shots -- in a Lakers win against the Utah Jazz at a frenzied Staples Center in Los Angeles.
    Bryant finished his NBA career with 33,643 points. A day before he died, he was passed by another Laker and superstar, LeBron James, on the league's all-time scoring list. James accomplished the feat in -- of all places -- Philadelphia, against the 76ers.
    Bryant took to Twitter after James passed him, writing, "Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother."
    James, who had "Mamba 4 Life" and "8/24 KB" in gold marker on his sneakers before Saturday's game, talked after the game about Bryant's influence on him.
    "The story is just too much," James said Saturday night. "It doesn't make sense. ... Now I'm here in a Lakers uniform, in Philadelphia, where he's from... it's surreal."
    James -- who, like Bryant entered the NBA straight out of high school -- said Bryant was someone he looked up to when he was in grade school and high school.
    "Seeing him come straight out of high school, he is someone that I used as inspiration," James said. "It was like, wow. Seeing a kid, 17 years old, come into the NBA and trying to make an impact on a franchise, I used it as motivation.
    "He helped me before he even knew of me because of what he was able to do. So, just to be able to, at this point of my career, to share the same jersey that he wore, be with this historical franchise and just represent the purple and gold, it's very humbling and it's dope.
    "Kobe's a legend, that's for damn sure."
    Another Lakers legend, Magic Johnson, posted a series of tweets on the loss of Bryant, including one showing a picture of Bryant with his two different jersey numbers -- 8 and 24 -- being retired.
    "Kobe and I shared so many special conversations about life and basketball," Johnson wrote in one tweet. "We had so much in common off the court. I used to love talking to him about Lakers basketball, being fathers and husbands and how much we loved Italy. I will miss those conversations and him so much."

    He coached his daughter, Gianna

    Bryant married wife Vanessa in 2001. They had four daughters: Natalia (born in 2003), Gianna (2006), Bianka (2016) and Capri (2019).
    He and his daughter Gianna were expected at the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks for a basketball game scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Bryant was to coach his daughter's team in the game.
    Bryant said that he had watched little basketball after retiring -- in 2018, he won an Oscar for best animated short for "Dear Basketball," which was based on a poem he wrote -- but Gianna's love of the game sparked his interest in coaching her team.
    The two were seen together at numerous NBA games recently, and videos of Gianna's basketball skills went viral despite her just being 13.
    Bryant described Gianna -- who had WNBA aspirations -- as "hellbent" on going to the University of Connecticut, the alma mater of Diana Taurasi and Maya Moore, two players Bryant recently told CNN "could play in the NBA right now."
      "The best thing that happens is when we go out and fans will come up to me -- and she'll be standing next to me -- and be like, 'Hey you've got to have a boy. You and V gotta have a boy and then have somebody carry on the tradition, the legacy,'" Bryant once said in an interview with ABC's Jimmy Kimmel.
      But, Bryant added, Gianna would then pipe up, saying, "I got this."
      CNN's Brandon Griggs contributed to this report.
      Ref:https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/26/us/kobe-bryant-obituary/index.html

      My thoughts:
      The world has yet again lost another great and inspiring man in his prime years. The events in the world lately have taught me a very realistic lesson about life - life is indeed short and unpredictable. We must treasure to the fullest each day we have because we may not have a tomorrow. I need to be grateful for each breath I take, for the peace I have, for the loved ones I have, for the friends I have, for every little thing before it is gone in a flash. Shall we embrace life a little more and not take it for granted? Life is indeed a special gift and being able to be alive and have our love ones still around us is something we should be thanking God for each day. 

      What are some thoughts and insights you have gained from these tragic events? Share it in the comments.
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