NUS High School of Mathematics and Science

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from NUS High School)

Jump to: navigation, search

NUS High School

Name

NUS High School of Mathematics & Science

President

Professor Shih Choon Fong (NUS)

Principal

Dr Hang Kim Hoo

Deputy Principal

Mr Lim Ee Tuo

Abbreviation

NUSHS

School Code

7801

Chinese Name

新加坡国立大学附属数理中学

Malay Name

Sekolah Tinggi NUS

Location

20 Clementi Ave 1 Singapore 129957

Country

Singapore

Founded

2005

Community

Urban

Type

Specialized Independent School (Integrated Programme School)

Religion

Secular

Students

Mixed

Levels

Year 1-6 (equivalents are Secondary 1-4, Junior College 1-2)

Colours

Green, Grey, White

Motto

Experiment. Explore. Excel.

Affiliation

National University of Singapore

Website

www.highsch.nus.edu.sg

Email

einstein@highsch.nus.edu.sg

The National University of Singapore High School of Mathematics and Science is a specialized independent high school in Singapore offering a six-year Integrated Programme (IP) leading to the NUS High School Diploma, which is recognized by the National University of Singapore (NUS), its parent institution. Students will also take Advanced Placement and Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) examinations in their senior years for credits for admission into foreign universities. Advanced Placement examinations may allow students to get exemption from reading Year 1 university courses.

The school offers an accelerated mathematics and science curriculum integrated with language, humanities, arts, sports, co-curricular activities, in a modular system. It is the second specialized school in Singapore after the Singapore Sports School.

1 School Logo
2 Uniform
3 School Song
4 Campus
5 School Network
6 Curriculum
- 6.1 Academic Curriculum
- 6.2 Non-Academic Curriculum
7 Staff
- 7.1 Teachers
- 7.2 Principals
8 School Demographic
9 Admissions
10 External links

The logo is made up of a test tube, symbolising science, combined with the symbol for the unique number "pi", symbolising mathematics. A third element - the "sparkle" shows the dynamism of bringing the two disciplines together and the creativity that is to be found within the school. It is also representative of the six-faceted learning model that the school adopts.

The green colour symbolises growth and a nurturing environment, whilst the grey colour symbolises the solid base upon which the institution is built.

Students wear a white Polo shirt which is matched with a pair of light green pants or skorts. The boys can choose to wear bermudas or long pants. Formal wear includes a tie and cotton shirt.

As the school flag flies up high,
Rising up towards the sky,
All our hearts rejoice singing in one voice
For our spirit never dies.

Burning passion deep inside,
With Faith, Hope and Foresight.
Scaling greater heights in one big stride,
For NUS High we fight.

Arise young minds together,
The seeds have just been planted.
In our souls the flames ignite,
As we show our might.

Burning passion deep inside,
With Faith, Hope and Foresight.
Scaling greater heights in one big stride,
For NUS High we fight. (x2)

The NUS High campus sits on 4.67 hectares of land off Clementi Ave 1, a few minutes walk from the outskirts of the National University of Singapore. The school shifted operations there from its holding site at the former Raffles Junior College in Mount Sinai where it had held classes in 2005.

The campus comprises 10 science labs, over eighty classrooms, and other facilities such as a 700-seat auditorium, a 300-seat theatrette, an observatory, and the NUS High School Residence, the school's boarding facility.

Amongst the range of research facilities available, NUS High has a Scanning electron microscope housed in a specialised science research lab called the "Dry Lab". Considering its high cost, It is rare for an institution of this size and level to have such a piece of equipment and as such it can only be accessed by teachers and students who are doing do their research experiments (AXIS - NUS High School Research Programme).

The campus has many publicised facades like the DNA nucleotides, the Nano-Tube, Math Walk, the Periodic-Table, as well as two twelve-storey blocks of hostels with an observatory for astronomy on top. Other facilities include a field with a 400m running track, one basketball court, two tennis courts, a netball court, a school hall, environmental and eco-garden features, a long and airy concourse, and a library and canteen running alongside each other under the running track.

Clementi campus of the NUS High School of Mathematics and Science.

The campus also has specialized art and music studios and CCA rooms, as well as facilities for the disabled.

There is wireless internet and network access coverage throughout the campus. NUS Computer Centre manages the school's main network. A fibre optic cable runs below ground to link the school to NUS. Students are issued with a Student ID for access to the school's network resources and facilities. As an independent department of NUS, students have access to NUS resources as well.

The curriculum of the NUS High School is built on a 2-2-2 structure, with the first two years being the Foundation Stage, the second two the Advancement Stage, and the final two the Specialization Stage. After each semester, students will be awarded a preliminary Cumulative Average Point (CAP) score based on their semestral results, with a final CAP score calculated at the end of every stage.

Actual studies are based on a modular system similar to NUS, where core modules are compulsory, elective modules help deepen the student's knowledge and may be compulsory for a major in a particular subject, and enrichment modules are purely for the student's interests.

The school offers an accelerated curriculum of mathematics and science. Students are also exposed to humanities and the arts, where the flexible modular system allows for a sampling across this discipline. Mother Tongue is compulsory in the school, and complies with the Ministry of Education's guidelines and curriculum, and the English curriculum teaches students practical skills such as reading, writing, and public speaking effectively.

For able students, acceleration in mathematics and science is permitted - where students may skip a module of their level and take up a higher level module instead. NUS High School students also have the privilege of reading NUS modules from certain faculties if they have the required foundation knowledge, thereby allowing students exemption from these modules if they enter NUS in the future.

Examples of the advanced curriculum include topics not usually covered in the mainstream curriculum for the students' respective years when they take them. These include such as quantum mechanical models of matter being introduced in Year 2, a four-hour per week calculus course held in Year 4, the introduction of genetics in Year 3 and the theory of evolution in Year 4. Examples of accelerated curriculum include sections on solutions of equations and coordinate geometry held in Year 1 and 2 respectively, rather than in Year 2 and 3 in other schools.

Like other secondary institutions in Singapore, NUS High School students also take up a co-curricula activity (CCA). CCAs in NUS High include performing arts, uniform groups, sports & games, and clubs & societies. In addition to this, NUS High School places every student in one of four houses named after an outstanding person in the fields of math and the sciences: Fibonacci, Faraday, Fleming and Nobel. These activities aim to foster healthy relationships within the student body outside academic areas. There is also the ACE (Affective & Character Education) programme where the school develops appropriate character of students and to instill appropriate moral values.

The mathematics department is staffed mainly by teachers formerly from other independent schools or junior colleges in Singapore. Science teachers are mostly fresh NUS research program graduates with others from IP (Integrated Programme) schools, mainstream schools or junior colleges. Humanities, Chinese language and physical education teachers come from mainstream schools while music and art teachers are mostly professionals in their own fields. The English department comprises teachers from junior colleges, mainstream schools and the media industry. At least half of the school's staff do not hail from the National Institute of Education. More than half of the teachers hold at least a Masters degree in their respective fields of teaching, giving them the necessary knowledge to conduct their classes proficiently.

2004—2007, Associate Professor Lai Yee Hing
2007—Present, Dr Hang Kim Hoo

The school also has a large Chinese majority with a significant Malay and Indian minority, reflective of the demographics of Singapore. The Primary School Leaving Examination scores of students admitted from primary school through the examination are mostly in the 250-270 range, with some having 270-285 while others dipping to about 235.^{[citation needed]} There are also many foreign students mostly from Vietnam or China from Year 3 as the school hopes to have a 20% foreign enrollment. There are more boys than girls in the school; the ratio ranges from about 3:2 in Year 1 and 2, 2:1 in Year 3, 3:2 in Year 4, and roughly 1:1 in Year 5.

NUS High admits students at the Year 1 and Year 3 level, with a maximum Year 1 intake of 170 (145 by DSA-Sec exercise and 25 by the results of the PSLE) and a maximum Year 3 intake of 100 at any given year. Entry requirements include completion of formal education equivalent to the Singaporean education level a year preceding the intake years of Year 1 and Year 3 (Primary 6 and Secondary 2 respectively).

The school uses a stringent admission criteria for all applicants. Prospective students are generally assessed on:

Academic performance in previous school, especially, but not restricted to the areas of Math and Science
Teacher recommendations (One teacher of each applicant has to teach Math and/or Science, while the other teacher can teach any subject)
Performance in the Math and Science selection test administered by the school
Performance in activities during the Math and Science Camp conducted by the school
Results in the PSLE (or its equivalent)

The 2005 intake (i.e. pioneer batch) was admitted through the following three methods:

Entrance Test
Interview
Math and Science Camp

Prior to any of the above, the student was required to submit a minimum 500 word essay describing his or her passion for math and science and the reason for joining NUS High School, along with two recommendations by former educators.