www.frontierpri.moe.edu.sg

iN-Touch @Frontier

January 2019

Principal’s Message

Dear Parents/Guardian

Happy New Year and a warm welcome back for another exciting and meaningful year in Frontier Primary School!

I hope that you will join me in welcoming Mrs Wilna Chai,

our second Vice Principal (Academic). Mrs Chai is an

experienced Vice Principal and I look forward to her

working alongside my 2 other Vice Principals and me to

lead and serve the school. I urge all parents to also

collaborate and work closely with the school to help forge

positive school experiences for all Frontierers.

New Staff I am also pleased to welcome the following new Key Personnel and staff in 2019:

Mdm Luk Meng Lee, Year Head Mdm Yap Huie Yuan, HOD/Math Miss Neo Jie Qi, LH/Math

Ms Norazimah Mohd Senin, Art Mrs Francesca D’armancourt, EL/SS Mdm Eileen Ong Saw Kim, EL/Math Ms Rebecca Josh, EL/Math Miss Elda Zarifah Binte Zamri, ML Mdm Qin Lingjun, CL Mdm Magdalein Goh, EL Mdm Mardiana Abdul Manap, ML Mr Nathaniel Chia, Math Ms Mainah bte Mohd Yassin, Art Mr Derek Lee, Math/Sci

May it be an enriching and meaningful year for all of us!

Yours sincerely Mrs Tonnine Chua Principal

At A Glance

Announcements

* Principal’s Message

* P3 GEP Identification

Exercise 2019

* PAL @FPS

Upcoming Events

* Chinese New Year

Celebration

* Total Defence Day

* Administration &

Operations Matters

* Safety & Security Matters

* Commitment to Quality

Service

* Pupils’ Accident Protection

Scheme 2019

* Application for Leave

during School Days

* Pupils’ Well-Being

PPC Spotlight

ICT Matters

SchoolBag

Heart 2 Heart

Do you have any feedback or ideas for iN-Touch?

Do let us know on our website at http://www.frontierpri.moe.edu.sg/our-stakeholders/iN-Touch-feedback-form

You can also view our past issues at http://www.frontierpri.moe.edu.sg/our-stakeholders/iN-Touchfrontier

ANNOUNCEMENTS

P3 Gifted Education Programme (GEP) Identification Exercise 2019

Every year, the Gifted Education Branch of the Ministry of Education carries out the

identification of P3 pupils for the Gifted Education Programme (GEP). The GEP provides

opportunities for the intellectually gifted to develop their potential in an educational environment

that is designed to stimulate intellectual growth. Pupils for the GEP are selected through two

stages of exercises: the Screening Exercise (1st round) and the Selection Exercise (2nd round).

The tentative schedule for the two stages of the GEP Identification Exercise 2019 is given below:

Both exercises will be based on the Primary 1 to Primary 3 English Language and Mathematics

syllabuses. The topics “Area and Perimeter”, “Geometry” and “Time” in the Primary 3

Mathematics syllabus will be excluded from the Screening Exercise.

There will a notification letter to parents from the Gifted Education Branch in July 2019. More

information will be provided in the letter.

GEP Screening Exercise

(English Language and Mathematics)

Shortlisted pupils will be invited to sit for the

GEP Selection Exercise

23 August 2019

(Friday)

GEP Selection Exercise

(English Language, Mathematics and General Ability)

15 and 16 October 2019

(Tuesday, Wednesday)

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 2 of 12

ANNOUNCEMENTS

PAL @ FPS

The school has a wide range of engaging Programme for Active Learning (PAL) modules to facilitate social emotional learning in lower primary pupils. The PAL schedule is shown below for your information and reference.

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 3 of 12

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Level/Term Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 Term 4

Primary One SCATA (Visual Arts)

Sports and Games DaMo (Dance and Movement)

Mother Tongue Languages

Speech and Drama

Primary Two PAL Drama (Performing Arts)

Senses In Exploration (SE)

(Outdoor Education)

RhyMo (Rhythm and Movement)

English Language Speech and Drama

UPCOMING EVENTS

Chinese New Year Celebration

The school will be celebrating the Chinese New Year on Monday, 4 February 2019. Pupils are strongly encouraged to wear their Chinese traditional costume (with black school shoes) on that day. Pupils who do not have any traditional Chinese costumes will come to school in the usual school attire. As 4 February 2019 is the eve of Chinese New Year, pupils will be dismissed earlier at 10.15 a.m. Pupils should report to school as per normal before 7.20 a.m. and will be engaged in a series of activities planned by the school to celebrate the occasion. There will be no lesson on that day. Pupils will return to school on Thursday, 7 February 2019.

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 4 of 12

UPCOMING EVENTS

Total Defence Day

Frontier Primary School will commemorate ‘Total Defence Day’ on Monday,

11 February 2019. This marks the British surrender of Singapore to the Japanese during

World War 2 on 15 February 1942. This year is also the Singapore Bicentennial (SB) year as our

nation commemorates the 200th anniversary of Raffles’ landing in Singapore, a turning point in our

history.

The objective of commemorating this event is to remind our pupils that every Singaporean has a

part to play in the defence of Singapore, and that our nation is defensible and worth defending.

The theme for this year’s campaign is “Together We Keep Singapore Strong”. In line with the

theme, meaningful activities will be planned for pupils. Each level will adopt a pillar of Total

Defence and further expand their learning of the pillars through the activities.

On 11 February, the school will commemorate Total Defence Day with an assembly programme.

On that day, our canteen vendors are also lending their support to the event by selling some

staple food which were consumed during the Japanese Occupation. Pupils are strongly

encouraged to buy these food items from the canteen during their recess time.

Other than the above mentioned, the pupils will be having Social Studies and Music lessons

related to Total Defence. Through these activities, it is hoped that Frontierers will feel that they can

play a part in the defence of Singapore, despite their tender age.

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 5 of 12

ADMINISTRATION & OPERATIONS MATTERS

Safety & Security Matters

(i) Pick-up and Drop-off By Car

Parents may drive your cars to the school porch to drop-off your children when you send them to school.

After school dismissal, parents may drive in to pick up your children at designated times.

The buffer of 20 minutes after school is necessary to enable school buses to leave the school premises quickly and safely.

The school will NOT allow parents to drive into the school compound during school dismissals outside the timings indicated

above. This is due to safety considerations, especially with over 1,400 pupils being dismissed and school buses parked

inside the school compound.

(ii) Reporting Time by Pupils

Pupils are advised to be at school between 7.05 a.m. and 7.20 a.m. The school does not encourage pupils to be at school

earlier than 7.05 a.m.

(iii) Reporting to Security Guard Post by Visitors

The school takes the safety of our pupils seriously. Hence, all visitors are required to report at the security post located at the

main gate. Parents should not send your child’s books, files, stationery, water-bottles etc to school as this will make it difficult

to deter unauthorised persons from entering the school. We hope you will work with your child/ward to cultivate the

importance of responsibility for their own belongings by packing their bags daily.

For the purpose of visiting the school bookshop, parents are only allowed to enter the school via the security post from

2 p.m. to 2.30 p.m.

(iv) Gates for Dismissal

Only Gates A and B, will be used for mass school dismissals at 1.30 p.m. (on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays)

and 1.15 p.m. (on Wednesdays). Parents are advised to arrange with their children regarding the gate for pick-up

(v) Jaywalking

The school would like to remind all pupils and parents to make use of the traffic lights located near the school gates when

crossing the roads and not to jaywalk.

We thank all parents and guardians who have been the role models for our children.

Day Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Time parents can drive into

school to DROP

OFF children

7.05 a.m. to 7.20 a.m. only

School Dismissal Time 1.30 p.m. 1.30 p.m. 1.15 p.m. 1.30 p.m. 1.30 p.m.

Approximate Time

Parents can drive into school

to PICK UP children

1.50 p.m. 1.50 p.m. 1.35 p.m. 1.50 p.m. 1.50 p.m.

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 6 of 12

ADMINISTRATION & OPERATIONS MATTERS

Commitment to Quality Service

Frontier Primary School is committed to serving our stakeholders and adhere to the service

standards set by the Singapore Civil Service.

If the query is straight forward, the school will respond to written queries within 3 working days. If

the query is more complex and more investigation is needed, the school will respond within 7 to 14

working days.

Pupils’ Accident Protection Scheme 2019

The school has arranged for an insurance policy to insure our pupils against accidents. A

hardcopy of the summary of the insurance policy has already been provided to all pupils by their

Form Teachers.

In the event of any queries or claims, parents can contact NTUC Income Insurance Co-operative

Limited directly at their hotline 6332 1133 or their West Zone representative, Cary Pang on

9639 0136 or email cary.pang@income.com.sg.

Application for Leave during School Days

Parents are reminded that taking pupils out of school during term time interrupts teaching and learning and can disrupt educational progress. Hence, except for absences due to medical reasons (medical leave or medical appointment), parents are required to submit a Leave Application form, together with all supporting documentation, at least 7 working days in advance via your child’s Form Teacher.

Each application will be considered individually by the school for approval.

The leave application form is available online at the school website http://frontierpri.moe.edu.sg/our-stakeholders/letters-and-forms/ or in hardcopy from the school ’s General Office.

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 7 of 12

ADMINISTRATION & OPERATIONS MATTERS

Pupils’ Well-Being

(i) School Bags

The school has collected most of the pupils’ workbooks, files and materials, and placed them

in the classrooms. Pupils should use their timetable to guide them in packing their school bags so

that they can better manage the weight. We seek your assistance in guiding your child/ward in the

matter. We trust that our collective efforts will ensure that our pupils’ school bags are not too

heavy.

(ii) Snack Breaks

The school permits pupils to have a 10-minutes snack break in the classroom at the following

period for the different levels on Mondays to Fridays.

If pupils wish to have a snack break during this period, they are to inform the subject teacher. In the

event that the snack break period is a Physical Education (PE) lesson, the PE teacher will

communicate with the subject teacher before or after that period to allow the pupils to have their

snacks.

Pupils can bring along their own dry snacks such as biscuits and energy bars. Pupils are permitted

to consume the dry snacks during lessons with the consent of the teacher. Sugared drinks and

other food will not be allowed due to potential hygiene issues in the classroom.

Levels Time

P1, P2 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

P3, P4, P5 & P6 8.45 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 8 of 12

PPC SPOTLIGHT

Introduction to the PPC The Parent Partnership Community (PPC) aims to build strong parental

collaboration between the school, parents and pupils. PPC also provides a channel for parents to

play an active role in their children’s school.

We look forward to the support of more parents to make the children’s life more meaningful at

Frontier Primary. If you are interested to join our PPC, do visit our website at

http://ppc.frontierpri.net to find out more.

Upcoming Event : Fund-Raising Sale of Chinese New Year Goodies Once again, Frontier’s Parent Partnership Community (PPC) is looking forward to our

annual fund raising event for the pupils. To celebrate the coming Chinese New Year, the PPC is

organising a sale of Chinese New Year goodies from 29 January to 1 February 2019 during

recess. Goodies such as cookies and love letters will be sold at $1 per packet. There are

halal and non-halal goodies, indicated clearly, prepared for all pupils. The booth will be located in

the school canteen. Do support this fund raising event generously!

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 9 of 12

ICT Workshop for P1 Parents - Familiarisation to MC Online

and Koobits

The ICT department will be conducting a workshop for P1 parents on our school’s Learning

Management System (LMS), MC Online and the Mathematics learning portal, Koobits.

Objectives:

To understand how to monitor your child/ward’s learning tasks on MC Online and Koobits

To be familiar with the various functions that can enhance your communication with the

school

Opportunities for a hands-on session on MC Online and Koobits

Details:

Date: Monday, 21 January 2019

Time: 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.

Venue: Digital Den Blue (Take the lift to Level 3)

Registration:

1. Go to the link https://tinyurl.com/y8xcloyv OR 2. Scan the QR code below.

Registration will close on 16 January 2019.

You will receive an acknowledgement email upon confirmation.

ICT Matters

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 10 of 12

Cyber Wellness

The world today is highly VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and full of Ambiguity).

Parents now face the challenges of instilling in their children the skills and aptitudes needed to

thrive and keep pace with the changes.

Here is a good read on how you can keep your child not only relevant but also safe online. The

document can also be saved for future reference on tips and guidelines on the use of media in

the digital world. You can also use the QR code below for easy access on your mobile device.

https://www.betterinternet.sg/-/media/Resources/PDFs/Parents-Guides/Safe-and-Smart-

Online-Parent-Guide.pdf

You can also access the link or QR code below to gauge how safe your child is online.

http://home.bt.com/tech-gadgets/internet/internet-safety-quiz-are-you-keeping-your-

children-safe-online-11364118697600

Take the first step to help your child stay safe in a VUCA world!

ICT Matters

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 11 of 12

SchoolBag

How to help your child ace the first week of school 3 Jan 2019

The first day of school is a memorable experience especially for the pupils and their parents. While it is exciting, sometimes pupils and parents can find it overwhelming too. Parents can play a crucial role in helping their children manage their needs and expectations in school. Here are some tips to help your child ace his/her learning in school.

Guide your child to handle money and manage his expenses during recess. Prepare a healthy breakfast to start the day. Create a checklist and guide your child to pack his/her own school bag. Practise greetings and encourage your child to greet his/her teachers and friends. Have a routine established to help your child familiarise with school life.

To find out more about how you can help your child adapt to the new routine and school

environment, visit

https://www.schoolbag.sg/story/how-to-help-your-child-ace-the-first-week-of-school

Is praising children a good idea? How do we praise them? And how much should we do

so?

Research shows that praising our children effectively can help to increase their

confidence, motivation and engagement in learning. Conversely, inappropriate praise

may affect children’s self-esteem, create excessive pressure or hinder their growth.

How we praise our children matters. Find out more tips on giving praise effectively.

Watch a video and learn more about effective praise at https://www.schoolbag.sg/

story/how-do-you-praise

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 12 of 12

Praise Children. Do it right.

Do it well.