NUS High School of Math and Science
|
| |
| Name |
NUS High School of Mathematics & Science |
| President | |
| Principal |
Dr Hang Kim Hoo |
| 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: Secondary 1-4 / Junior College 1-2) |
| Colours |
Green / Grey / White |
| Motto |
Experiment. Explore. Excel. |
| Affiliation | |
| Website | |
The National University of Singapore High School of Mathematics and Science is a prestigious, 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, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and the Singapore Management University (SMU). 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.
School Logo
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.
Attire & Appearance
Uniform
Students wear the formal attire, a white collared shirt and light green long trousers (male) or skorts (female), together with the school tie on Wednessdays, Assemblies, Public Speeches, school functions, and any events where the students represent the school. Student Leaders, on special occasions or school functions, and students who represent the school for any competition or events, may be required to don black blazers on top of the formal attire, together with black shoes (male) or low heels (female). On other days, students are allowed to wear their informal attire, a white polo shirt, together with either light green bermudas or long trousers (male), or skorts (female).
Badge
Students must wear their badges prominently at all times. Student Leaders are given special Student Leader badge that indicates their Student Leadership Board below the school logo.
Shoes & Socks
Sport/Track shoes or white canvas shoes are allowed, but only limited to dark colors. Furthermore, shoes cannot have any flashy or gaudy designs and colours. Socks should be clean and above or at ankle level.
PE Attire
During physical education, students are required to wear the dri-fit dark green school PE shirt, together with shorts (male) or FBT shorts (female).
Campus
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.
NUS received an Honour Award from US-based DesignShare Awards programme for the innovative design of its affiliated NUS High School. The award is given to projects that exemplify "best practice innovation from around the world in designing for the future of learning".
The campus comprises of 11 science research 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 School has a Scanning electron microscope housed in a specialised air-conditioned 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 Research Programme).
NUS High also has a specialised physics lab, called the "Wet Lab", where specific physics experiments and research are done there.
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 an olympic size 400m running track, one basketball court, two tennis courts, a netball court, a badminton court, an air-conditioned multi-purpose hall, environmental and eco-garden features, a long and airy multi-purpose exhibition concourse, and a library and canteen running alongside each other under the running track.
The campus also has specialized art and music studios and CCA rooms, as well as facilities for the disabled.
NUS High School is currently undergoing an upgrading programme for the school's campus to enhance the teaching and learning environment of the school. Some of these upgrading works include improvement works for the NUS High School Residence (Boarding School); expansion of the current administration office; construction of new stores, CCA rooms, and Science Labs; construction of the 6th storey to include new Science Research Labs and Seminar Rooms; construction of more learning/self-study corners around the school; air-conditioning of the main Hall; and air-conditioning all the classrooms (To be completed by end of 2008).
Currently, 12 classrooms are air-conditioned, and the school had completed installing air-conditioning units in the hall on April 2008.
School Network
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. All students and staff are issued with an NUS network account for access to the school's internet/network resources and facilities. As an independent department of NUS, students have access to NUS resources as well.
Curriculum
Academic Curriculum
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 advanced curriculum topics on science include quantum mechanical atomic models of matter, relativity (Newtonian & Einsteinian), quantum physics, particle physics, and cosmology in Year 2; nanotechnology, superconductivity, Buffon's Needle and the elementary constants, and genetics in Year 3; the theory of evolution and a four-hour per week calculus course held in Year 4. Examples of accelerated curriculum on mathematics 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.
Non-Academic Curriculum
Like other secondary institutions in Singapore, NUS High School students also take up a co-curricular 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 mathematics, physics, biology and chemistry : 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.
A holistic education is encouraged and recently, the uniform groups have started to display results with NCC (Land) Corporals receiving 6 out of 12 Honour awards in the Specialist Course 2008 Phase 1.
AXIS Research Programme - NUS High School Research Programme
The school also particularly emphasizes on research. Besides a satisfactory academic and CCA performance, the graduation requirement also includes a full-scale research project in math or science. This research emphasis is represented in the AXIS programme which all students are required to go through.
In Years 1 and 2, students participate in various activities that stimulate creative thinking. These include the Innovation Programme and Future Problem Solving. In Years 3 and 4, students take part in Independent Research Studies, which are structured to give students flexibility in conducting research. Students are required to complete a Research Methodology module and a small research project under the guidance of a teacher-mentor. The option of linking these projects to external research programmes such as the Science Mentorship Programme (NUS), Nanyang Research Programme (NTU/NIE), Young Defence Scientists' Programme (DSTA), National Weather Study Project, Moot Parliament Programme and the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Programme (NUS) is also given to the students.
In Years 5 and 6, students must embark on an Advanced Research Project in an area of math and science. This research project is the culmination of the entire AXIS programme and counts towards a student's graduation requirement. Typically, a graduation research project will take nine to eighteen months to complete, depending on the research topic, and it usually comprises at least two weeks of full-time research. Research projects may be mentored by in-house teachers, or, more frequently, linked to external partners including universities, research institutes and statutory boards, and conducted within the partners' premises. Once a student has completed a graduation research project, he or she can opt to do another ARP, this time in any field, not limited to math and science.
Older students are encouraged to present their projects outside school. This can range from local presentations such as the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair and the Singapore International Science Conference, to international research congresses in countries all over the world, and even having research work published in journals, as was the case in 2007 for a group of three students.
Affiliation To NUS
NUS Non-Graduating Programme
Only NUS High School students are entitled the priviledge of being eligible for the NUS Non-Graduating Programme. Under this programme, NUS High School students are allowed to read and take up any NUS modules and courses from Faculty of Science (Including Office of Life Sciences), Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (Literature, History, Geography and Economics), and School of Computing (CS1101S - Programmimg Methodology), provided that students meet the minimum academic competency level or requirement as deemed by NUS High School. Gifted students with high talents in a specific subject may be able to be exempted from NUS High School modules and accelerate to take up NUS courses and modules from various faculties (Not limited to the above mentioned faculties). Completed NUS modules are reflected in the student's NUS High School Progress Report or Transcript but they are not included in the computation of their CAP for the NUS High School Diploma. These students are considered to be under the NUS Non-Graduating Programme. But, should these students be admitted to NUS after graduation from the NUS High School, the module grade and module credit associated with the completed NUS modules can then be included in the computation of their NUS graduation degree/certification requirements and components.
NUS Libraries
Students allowed to visit and utilize the various NUS Libraries and their facilities for their research and studying purposes. In fact, the library at NUS High School is actually an NUS Library, where it shares the same loaning, transaction and catalogue system as any other NUS Libraries. NUS High School teaching staff may also request or reserved any books located at any other NUS Library and have them transited to the NUS Library in NUS High School.
NUSNET
Being part of the NUS campus, NUS High School's IT network is in fact an NUS network (NUSNET). NUS Computer Centre manages the NUSNET network. Staff and students have access to both NUS and NUS High School network facilities and resources, and are issued with an NUS network (NUSNET) account. The NUSNET account is used to login to the computer and the NUSNET network; access and use the NUS e-mail system; access file and print servers within NUS or NUS High School; login and access the Intranet Portal; access various resources and services in the NUSNET networking environment. Even when NUS High School students visit any NUS campus (Kent Ridge/Bukit Timah/Duke-NUS/University Town@Warren), they are able to connect to their network and access resources and facilities just as they would at NUS High School. Even NUS students may access the NUS network at NUS High School. NUS and NUS High School students and staff share the same domain.
Boarding
The NUS High premises includes a boarding school (NUS High School Residence), open to scholars studying in the school and outside. This hostel also serves as the site for the school's boarding programme. Students are required to live in the boarding school for their duration of their Year 5 academic study if they are not already living there. This is to inculcate independence in students and to allow them to devote more time into their research. Also, as the bulk of graduation research is done in Year 5, causing students to spend long hours in the laboratory, living in the boarding school cuts travelling time and costs. NUS High School Boarding School (Residence) boarding fees had been subsidized for Year 5 students by MOE recently.
Departments & Faculties
Departments
- Administration
- NUS High School Residence (Boarding School)
- Office of Research, Innovation & Enterprise (AXIS Research Programme)
- Student Development & Affairs
- Estate
Faculties
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics & Engineering
- Mathematics, Statistics & Computing
- English Language
- Mother Tongue & Foreign Languages
- Humanities
- Music
- Art
- Physical Education
Staff
Teachers
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 experts 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.
Principals
- 2004—2007: Associate Professor Lai Yee Hing
- 2007—Present: Dr Hang Kim Hoo
School Organised Events
National Mathematical Olympiad of Singapore
The National Mathematical Olympiad of Singapore is a national mathematical olympaid competition organized by NUS High School of Math & Science in partnership with Ministry of Education and Singapore Mathematical Society. Through this competition, the school would like to instil a love and generate greater interest in Mathematics among Primary school students, to provide an avenue of showcasing students' mathematical abilities, and to identify and nurture mathematical talents in youths.
NUS High School Annual Research Congress
This annual research congress organised by NUS High School Office of Research, Innovation and Enterprise is held in collabration with the NUS High School Research Programme (AXIS Programme). The school aims to demonstrate the school's commitment towards the AXIS Programme via this annual event. Every year, parents and special guests from highly reputable research organisations (Such as A*STAR, DSTA, DSO, NIE, NUS, etc) are invited to this event where selected student's research works are showcased.
Singapore International Mathematical Competition
This is the first time Singapore is starting to host this international mathematical competition. This competition is held and organised by NUS High School. This is an annual international competition where mathematical talents from around the world visit and stay at NUS High School for a one week period in May to sit for a mathematical competition paper, and to showcase their mathematical projects to a pannel of judges as well. The school is also selecting its top mathematical talents to compete with these international mathematical talents.
NUS High School National Primary 4 Mathematics Carnival
In collaboration with MOE Gifted Education Branch, NUS High School organizes the Primary 4 Math Camp annually. It aims to instill a love and generate interest in Mathematics amongst Primary school students and to identify and nurture mathematical talents in our youths. It also helps to promote the school to be the premium school in Singapore for learning mathematics and science. Annually, around 2000 Primary 4 students from all primary schools around Singapore participated in this Carnival. The theme of the Carnival is “Math Alive!” where the use of mathematics is highlighted in the various sciences, as well as in our everyday lives. Various hands-on activities was organized for students to explore on the use of mathematics. A Mathematics Project Competition was given to all schools who participated in the Math Carnival. The objectives of the Competitions are to encourage pupils to carry out innovative and creative work in Mathematics, to encourage pupils to explore Mathematics in their daily life, and to provide opportunities for pupils to associate Mathematics with other disciplines by finding the relations among them.
School Demographic
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 via the PSLE admission phase are mostly in the 264-285 range. Those admitted through Direct School Admission have PSLE scores ranging from 250-285. [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.
Admissions
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 70 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. Students applying for Year 1 and Year 3 admission are not to exceed the age of 14 and 16 respectively at the point of applying for DSA.
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)
- Interview
- Awards/Prizes/Certificates in Mathematical and Science competitions
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.
External links
- NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
- NUS High School Parent Support Group Forum
- NUS High School eSpace (IVLE)
- NUS High School WebMail (NUS WebMail)
- National University of Singapore (NUS)
- NUS IVLE
- Ministry Of Education (Singapore)
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