TANJONG KATONG PRIMARY SCHOOL

2014 ISSUE # 2SEMESTERLY MAGAZINE

A t the beginning of the year, I shared with the student

population the quote by J. F. Kennedy, “…ask not what the country can do for you, ask what you can do for the country…”.

I also highlighted 3 youths who had stood by their beliefs and spoken up courageously. Despite their young age, they contribute in their own capacity to make the world a better place:

Mrs Caroline WuPrincipal

In Term 4, I showed the students a video ad which featured a boy who alone tried to clear the traffic jam by removing a heavy fallen tree from the road. On seeing the move by the little boy, others joined him and the log was successfully removed.

[View The Tree at https://www.google.com.sg/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=lead%20india%20the%20tree]

My hope is for TKP students to be passionate and care for the environment they live in, be it an environmental issue, the well-being of people around them or their country, and speak up courageously for what is right and contribute to the greater good, to something bigger than themselves. I urge the students to start by discovering their interests, cultivate the necessary knowledge and skills as well as the desired attitudes and use what they know to make this world a better place to live in.

As TKP continues to strive in providing a student-centric values-driven education (SVE) to our students, we hope to better engage our parents and forge greater partnerships with our stakeholders and the community. Looking back, since I took over the school, I am very thankful to our parents, especially our committed Parent Support Group (PSG), for their support, affirmation as well as constructive feedback. While my staff and I feel excited and look forward to rolling out the programmes next year and beyond, we know for certain that the efforts and outcomes will be greatly enhanced with the involvement and contributions of our partners.

Lastly, I would like to congratulate the editorial team for birthing yet another issue of semesterly magazine, one of the initiatives this year to strengthen our communication with parents and other stakeholders. As the year draws to a close, I wish all students and their families a time of rejuvenation and bonding with their loved ones during the year-end season.

Malala Yousafzai - Girl Shot in the Head by Taliban

In 2009, at the age of 11, she wrote a blog under a pseudonym for the BBC detailing her life under Taliban rule, their attempts to take control of the valley, and her views on promoting education for girls. In 2012, she was shot in the head and neck in an assassination attempt by Taliban gunmen while returning home on a school bus. She eventually recovered after intensive rehabilitation in England.

Incidentally, she has just received the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize. At 17, she has become the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Prize in any category.

Severn Cullis-Suzuki - Girl Who Silenced The World for 6 Minutes

[View Severn Suzuki’s speech at United Nations Earth Summit 1992 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZsDliXzyAY&gl=SG&hl=en-GB]

She founded Environmental Children’s Organisation(ECO) at age 9, dedicated to learning and teaching other youngsters about environmental issues.

In 1992, at age 12, she raised money with members of ECO to attend the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. They presented environmental issues from a youth perspective at the summit.

Cheang Ko Lyn - Girl Who Urged Her Generation to Have Confidence in Singapore

[Read Cheang Ko Lyn’s letter at http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/forum-letters/story/nation-not-perfect-have-faith-it-20130809]

The way her peers were putting down Singapore before National Day prompted 15-year-old Cheang Ko Lyn to write to The Straits Times Forum Page to remind them not to take for granted what we have today and to build and improve the country together.

Our Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, in the National Day Rally in 2013, said he was greatly cheered to read her forum letter and it had made his day to know that there are young people who care and believe in Singapore.

S T R E N G T H E N I N G C H A R A C T E R A N D I N C U L C A T I N G V A L U E S S T R E N G T H E N I N G C H A R A C T E R A N D I N C U L C A T I N G V A L U E S

Student Leaders' Investiture

Values in Action Programme

Celebrations in TKP

S tudent Leader Investiture was held on 13 July to inaugurate the P5 leaders into senior leadership

positions in the Student Leaders’ Council (SLC) as well as to honour the P6 student leaders. In their term serving in the SLC, the P6 leaders have cultivated social and leadership skills which they have exemplified, providing role models for the P5 leaders.

For the P5 leaders, the investiture is a reminder that SLC leaders are representatives of the student body and they should personify the best student qualities the school has to offer. Indeed,

T he school commemorated Racial Harmony Day on 25 July. This year’s theme was “Harmony from the

Heart.” The day’s programme comprised booth activities featuring cultures of the four major races, traditional games of different ethnic groups as well as class activities such as writing messages on the importance of racial harmony on paper folded hearts. The hearts were then mounted onto the backdrop banner in the school hall. This year, one of the main highlights of the concert was the skit put up by six students of different races, showcasing the significance of Hari Raya Puasa and racial harmony. The objective of the planned activities was for all students to learn more about the different ethnic groups, show appreciation and respect for differences and also to appreciate the similarities between across cultures.

T eachers’ Day was celebrated on 4th September. This year’s theme was “Sportylicious”. The teachers were

treated to an hour of sumptuous spread of breakfast contributed and prepared by parent volunteers (PVs), who became waitresses for the day, putting on aprons and even setting up a hot waffle station.

After breakfast, the teachers proceeded to the hall to enjoy a lively and energetic concert, comprising dance, songs, skit and a drumming performance put up by the students from the various levels. The PVs led the primary 6 students in putting together a song item “In this moment” to show their heartfelt appreciation to the P6 teachers. Near the end of the concert, all teachers recited the Teachers’ Pledge and were each presented a ceramic tile, hand-drawn by our Art Club members.

L ower Primary Sports Day cum Children’s Day Celebration took place on 2 October where we saw many

of the Primary 4 to 6 students dressing up as their favourite movie characters. For the first half of the morning, the Primary 1 and 2 students played games at the multi-purpose court, parade square and netball court. The respective sports stations were manned by Primary 4 Olympism students and parent volunteers. Primary 3 students were grouped into three groups to play sports, namely, soccer, netball and cricket.

They had an enjoyable morning engaging in the various sports at the open field next to Haig Court Condominium.

All students enjoyed the splendid performances put together by our TKP teachers. The concert started with the grand marching in of the Primary 4 teachers dressed according to the characters in the movie “Frozen”. Other highlights of the concert include the Lip Sync Battle coordinated by the Primary 2 teachers and the Mini Dance by the Primary 1 teachers.

T he school commemorated our nation’s 49th birthday on 8th August. Students were dressed

up in the colours of our national flag – red and white, for the celebrations. The theme for this year’s National Day was “Our People, Our Home” to celebrate our people who have the will to stand up for our independence, and who care for one another.

The commemoration started off with the National Day Observance Ceremony, with the marching in of the National and School flags led by the scouts and student leaders. That was followed by a Recollections skit performed by Primary 2 Charity students. During the concert in the hall, the Primary 1 Benevolence students showcased their dance moves to the song “Singapura, Sunny Island”, and Primary 2 Diligence students serenaded the school with their vocals by singing “Home”.

This year, the school invited 20 senior citizens from Thong Teck Home to join us in the celebrations. They belong to the Pioneer Generation who have contributed in many ways in the building of our nation. The senior citizens received handmade gifts such as flags from our P1 students and shakers from our P2 students. Six students also went up on stage to express their heartfelt thanks to our Pioneer Generation in different dialects and Mother Tongue languages. One of the senior citizens even gave a heart-warming speech to close the concert!

RACIAL HARMONY DAY AND HARI RAYA PUASA CELEBRATIONS

TEACHERS' DAY

LOWER PRIMARY SPORTS DAY CUM CHILDREN'S DAY CELEBRATION

NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATION

T o provide a caring and supportive environment for learning, TKP adopts a school-wide approach in

engaging students and teachers in giving back to the community. The Values in Action Programme (VIA), spanning the six years of education, is planned with the school’s Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) vision in mind—A community of morally upright and socially responsible citizens. VIA serves as a platform for students to engage in various activities to teach them values and to cultivate them into active citizens. At the heart of VIA is the element of “Care” — students are taught to show care in the domains of self, family, school, community, country and the world.

The VIA programme takes the form of school-based activities, level-based activities as well as student leader-initiated

projects and co-curricular activities. At the lower primary levels, teachers facilitate the entire process, guiding students in the VIA project, whilst at the upper primary level, students have greater autonomy by initiating the projects they want to be involved in. For example, the P5 students organised fund-raising events, including a charity car wash this year. Teachers also actively collaborate with external organisations to carry out various staff VIA projects to better fulfil their role as facilitators and good models for the students.

With a school-wide approach to VIA, our students can better appreciate that they are never too young to contribute to the society.

“Now I know that there is no such thing as too small an act of kindness. Every act of compassion, be it big or small, makes the world a bigger place.” - Muhammad Khaleil bin Kamarul Ariffin (P4 Olympism)

the ceremony serves to remind us all that entering the journey of student leadership remains both an honour and a responsibility.

We wish our leaders the very best as they strive to meet the challenges that the future brings.

“This opportunity is humbling and I will strive to put words into action.” - Joshua Nanik (P5 Alturism), 2014/2015 SLC President.

“I am glad to have served the school and I believe that Joshua will continue to be the voice of the students in TKP.” - Monica Aulia, (P6 Empathy), SLC President 2013/2014.

Monica Aulia, handing over the SLC Symbol to her successor, Joshua

Joshua Nanik, our newly elected president of SLC leading the Student Leaders in the Leaders’ Pledge

Skit put up by students of different races, showcasing the importance of Hari Raya Puasa and racial harmony

Primary 3 pupils enjoying a game of netball at the field next to Haig Court on Lower Primary Sports Day

Teachers and students welcoming the senior citizens from Thong Teck Home during the National Day Celebration

A joint performance by teachers and pupils

Mrs. Wu, Mr Imran and teachers (Level Managers) cutting the cakes in celebration of Teachers’ Day

Omega Challenge 2014

I n June 2014, 32 P6 students and six teachers embarked on a 8.5 km trek to conquer Southeast Asia's highest

mountain, Mount Kinabalu. This is part of a special programme designed for the student leaders and sports leaders of the school. The main objective of this programme is to develop independence and interdependence amongst the students in a fun, supportive and challenging environment.

Despite being well on track to reach the summit, challenging weather conditions prevented the group from doing so. The team reached the last checkpoint at 3668 metres before turning back. In spite of the setback, the students had an enriching experience.

"It was a fun journey and we learned a lot of valuable lessons. Everyone had different reasons for going on this trip but one common target; to reach the summit. Although that did not happen, we were happy that we made it to the last checkpoint. I am really grateful that I was able to go on this trip." - Leandros (P6 Olympism)

"This trip taught me to persevere and to never give up. I also learnt that not everything will go exactly as planned and that I should always be well-prepared. This is definitely the best experience that I have ever had." - Sanjeevani (P6 Empathy) All smiles despite the tiring and gruelling trek - This cheerful and

postitive attitude kept everyone going throughout the entire trip.

En route to the summit of Southeast Asia's highest mountain

Primary 6 pupils making Reading Cards to accompany the books for their student VIA Project

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D E V E L O P I N G O U R S T U D E N T S H O L I S T I C A L L Y D E V E L O P I N G O U R S T U D E N T S H O L I S T I C A L L Y

Maths and Science Trail

NE Show 2014

P1 Learning Journeys

Primary 2 Art Neighbourhood Walk

P2 Petz Day

O ur P3 students visited the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden as part of the Math and Science Trail. The aim

of this trail was to engage our students in team building, relating knowledge to reality, building on their personal mastery and social skills as they go about Mathematics and Science-related activities. Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden also provided many spots for the children to have hands-on experiences.

Topics like Time, Graph, Addition and Subtraction from mathematics, as well as plant parts and their functions from Science were integrated across activities.

All our students had a tiring, yet fun-filled learning experience!

T he National Education (NE) Show is an annual affair held for Primary 5 students, in conjunction with

the National Day celebrations. Dazzling

performances action from the SAF and SCDF and the well-organised parade on The Float at Marina Bay were all highlights much anticipated. The P5 students were equally inspired and engaged by the creative performances and the sing-a-long sessions of familiar National Day songs.

The NE Show not only conveys the message of national identity and the importance of civil, economic, psychological, social and military defence through displays of the latest army vehicles, fire trucks and police equipment, it also reminds our students that unity in diversity is the only way for a

multi-racial nation to progress. We believe that after watching the NE show, our P5 students would forge a stronger sense of national identity and pride, hence, be empowered to contribute to Singapore’s future, upon its strong foundation built by

our pioneers.The P5 students’ exuberant faces were a

testament to the fun and joyous atmosphere soaked in. Coupled with the deafening roar of the F-15 fighter jets and the colourful fireworks that illuminated Marina Bay, it was obvious that both teachers and students alike were having a whale of a time.

O n 12th of August, Primary 1 students, accompanied by their form teachers and parent

volunteers, went for a walk in Marine Parade as part of their Social Studies field-based learning. The neighbourhood walk aims to create a meaningful and interactive experience for the students to learn the concepts of ‘Identity’ and ‘Place’.

As students gathered information about various features of a neighbourhood, they got to understand what makes a neighbourhood and its importance. Points of interest along the walk included banks, hawker centre, clinics, post office and a multi-storey carpark. Parent volunteers also accompanied the various classes to assist teachers in ensuring a safe and smooth walk.

I n July this year, the Aesthetics Department organised an experiential learning journey for our Primary 2

students. They went on a walk around the Katong area to explore the unique Peranakan culture and architecture. They observed typical features of a Peranakan shophouse, from its wooden windows to the colourful mosaic tiles mounted on the walls and pavements. At a shop specialising in all things Peranakan, the students viewed traditional attire and antique everyday appliances. After the experience, they created mosaic windows inspired by the ones they saw during the walk. The students expressed their excitement towards the entire

session:Such programmes not only provide rich

cultural experiences for the pupils. They also help develop the pupils’ keenness in observing the elements of art in their environment.

A s a closure to the English STELLAR theme of animals for term 3, the primary one students went to the

Singapore Zoo for a field-based learning journey on 18 August 2014. The trip served to provide hands-on experience for the students as they studied and observed real-life animals. They would then present the information gathered in the subsequent Creative Writing lessons. The animal show at the end of the trip was a favourite among the students as they got to watch the adorable animals perform dazzling tricks.

W ith the company of nine dogs, four cats, some terrapins, rabbits, turtles, fish, hamsters, a

guinea pig and a gerbil, it was no wonder that TKP was a hive of activity for the P2 students on 18 August. As part of the Primary Two English STELLAR curriculum, Petz Day is a yearly event based on the Big Book, The Best Pet. As the name suggests, students are encouraged to bring their pets to school.

The pets-themed event saw students enjoy a dog parade where some of their schoolmates did a show-and-tell about their pet dogs. There was also a presentation on being responsible pet owners given by a Cat Welfare Society representative. The highlight was probably when students got to visit the pet booths where all the different pets were showcased, evident from the

endless squeals of delight among the young ones as they got up close with the animals.

Students having a go at The Magic of Photosynthesis

Eyes on m..my dogsSimple joy of being with the furry animals

Tireless efforts of parent volunteers who helped make the trip a success

Our stop at the antique Peranakan shop!

The fun part - making our own mosaic windows!

A pit stop at the post office

Suspension Timber Bridge –fun and excitement on the hanging bridge

Sensory Garden - observe and experience plants through smell and touch

Tree House - built around an Indian Banyan trees with slides, ladders and nets

The Magic of Photosynthesis -interactive exhibit on the way plants make

food with sunlight

“I enjoyed Petz Day very much because I got to see many different kinds of pets. I also learned many things such as how to take care of pets. My favourite part was when I could vote for the best pet…it was nice to see those animals getting prizes on the stage!” - Shayan Bontha (P2 Grace)

“Petz Day was an eye-opener for many of the students. Most of them do not have pets and it was their first time being this close to these animals. They also realized that there are many different species of dogs. Petz Day also helped them in their subsequent writing lesson - they could remember and write about every detail of the event…learning objective met!” - Mdm Fahimah (Form Teacher of P2 Charity)

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD WALK

THE ZOO

“I enjoyed the walk with the children…the overall experience was really good.” - Mdm Tiffany Chin, Parent Volunteer.

“Seeing the animals also reminded me to take care of nature because if we don’t, the animals will be extinct.” - Ann-Marie Banas (P1 Empathy)

“I saw many special things like the gramophone and the clothes. I especially liked the beaded shoes. I also shared with

my parents what I had seen.” – Frederick Wadeley-Lim (P2 Faith)

I learned about culture and history, like how the tiffin used to be steel unlike the plastic ones now. I like the art activity –my mosaic

window was colourful!” – Kimaya Bhuta (P2 Altruism)

Stand up for Singapore! 山羊喜欢吃青菜

7月11日那天，小二学生参观了农市中心。

到了那里，农市中心的负责人先跟学生讲解中心里各种动物的习性，过后，他提供饲料，让学生轮流喂食中心里的各种动物，如兔子、山羊、鱼儿 、 乌 龟 、 牛 蛙 等 。 能 够 近 距 离 接触，并亲手喂食不同的小动物，学生都感到格外高兴。学生也有机会当场品尝新鲜的鹌鹑蛋，每人还可以带一盒鹌鹑蛋回家，与家人一起品尝。

返回学校后，学生在教师的指导下，完成“学习之旅”的活动小册子。他们也在“演演说说”的活动中，与班上同学分享他们参观农市中心的所见所闻、心得和感受。

二年级学生的“学习之旅”

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P A R T N E R I N G S T A K E H O L D E R S F O R A S T U D E N T - C E N T R I C E D U C A T I O N

National Library Board (NLB) Programme@TKP

TKP Staff Retreat Kuala Lumpur Immersion Trip

Family Life Education Programmes

T his year, the English Language (EL) department has once again worked in partnership with NLB to organise a

series of activities as part of Read@School 2014. These activities aim to introduce different genres of books to students and make books more accessible to them, as well as to build the capacity of our reading ambassadors.

The EL library programme began with the Reading Ambassadors’ Workshop in January to equip the respective reading monitors with the relevant knowledge on the different types of books and simple storytelling strategies amongst other reading activities that can promote reading.

For the first time in TKP, we also invited speakers from NLB to share on Raising Readers and The Wonderful World of Storytelling with parents at the Learning@TKP 2014 event in February.

To bring the world of books closer to our students, the school also collaborated with NLB to run Read, Swap, Share for Primary 1 students and the Books-2-Go programme which comprised a mass borrowing exercise and storytelling session for lower primary as well as a book review session or Book Buzz for P3 to P6 students which aim to pique students’ interest in the books shared and encourage them to borrow the books from the library during the mass borrowing event.

The EL department hopes to continue its partnership with NLB to develop more innovative and interactive reading programme in its effort to cultivate the habit of engaged reading and develop ardent readers who are always learning to read actively.

T o strengthen teamwork and promote staff bonding, all TKP staff went on the Amazing Race@

Joo Chiat/Katong on 27 June. Groups of staff took different routes on the heritage trail but were heading in the same direction with a common purpose in mind - to have a better understanding of the Joo Chiat/Katong heritage in order to think of ways to help our students appreciate the heritage and work with the community to preserve that.

The staff was simply intrigued by stories of how roads in the vicinity were named after pioneers of British, Chinese, Jewish, Eurasian, Portuguese, Dutch, Sikh and Peranakan origins; how the pioneers have had such a strong influence in our multi-racial diversity today and why certain buildings and vicinities are of conservation status.

The other highlight of the trip was the ICT-infused lesson-planning session over sumptuous high-tea at Village Katong Hotel. The excellent food was definitely fuel for the teachers to generate many more authentic and meaningful ICT-infused lesson ideas related to the Katong heritage.

These lessons ideas were then shared with all staff through the Edmodo portal. Overall, the staff had a very enriching and memorable experience.

A s part of the Malay Department’s efforts to promote the Malay culture and values to the

students, a group of 20 P5 students embarked on a school immersion trip to Kuala Lumpur (KL) from 21 to 23 May. During the three-day two-night trip, the students had the opportunity to mingle with students from the Sekolah Kebangsaan Convent in KL to learn more of their school life and also visited places of interests, thereby enhancing their understanding and appreciation of the Malay culture.

Some of the places of interests the students visited included the P. Ramlee Museum, ‘Karyaneka’ as well as the KL

museum where the history of Malaysia was brought to life. Students also had the opportunity to visit the Petronas Twin Towers.

The experience on the whole, had been an enjoyable and memorable one. The students have benefitted much from the trip as they have learnt more about the Malay culture and its heritage in KL.

C lose to 60 parents took time off on a Saturday, 23 August, to attend the concurrent parenting

workshops that the school organised with the support of FamilyMatters@School. These programmes aim to equip parents with skills to nurture positive family relationships.

The topics, ‘How to Help Your Child Beat Exam Stress’ and ‘Parenting By Design - Different children, Different Needs’ were well-received, with some parents requesting for re-runs for 2015. The speakers struck a chord with one parent who remarked, ‘Good parenting tips are definitely useful in coping with my kid’s issues – exam stress.’

Another parent mentioned, ‘Thank you for bringing this to the parents. Very often, we need timely reminders like this.’

From the positive feedback received, the Parents Engagement Team will continue organising these programmes to help equip parents with the necessary skills to build positive family relationships.

“My favourite moment of the entire trip was when we went to the 86th level of the Petronas Twin Towers!! We took lots of pictures to remember that moment.” – Layla Nadirah, (P5 Altruism).

Teachers and students taking a shot with the Petronas Twin Towers as the backdrop.

Facilitator, Mr John Kok, explaining how parents can help their children with stress

D E V E L O P I N G O U R S T U D E N T S H O L I S T I C A L L Y

Our Achievements Damawisata ke Zon Kesihatan (Hospital Besar Singapura)

P ada tanggal 11hb Julai 2014, murid-murid Bahasa Melayu Darjah 2 telah melawat pameran

di Zon Kesihatan di Hospital Besar Singapura.

Melalui lawatan ini, murid-murid meraih pengetahuan mengenai makanan-makanan sihat dan cara-cara menjaga kesihatan badan. Mereka berpeluang membaca dan melihat gambar-gambar yang dipamerkan di pameran tersebut. Pameran itu mengetengahkan pelbagai jenis makanan sihat, jenis-jenis penyakit, kesan-kesan merokok dan cara-cara untuk menjaga tubuh dan organ-organ kita. Murid-murid juga diajarkan tentang piramida makanan dan makanan seimbang oleh seorang pakar pemakanan. Sungguh informatif!

Keghairahan jelas terpancar di wajah murid-murid ketika mereka mencuba bermacam-macam jenis permainan seperti bola keranjang, bola sepak dan aktiviti panjat tembok. Di akhir lawatan, setiap murid dihadiahkan sepaket susu sebagai langkah untuk menjaga kesihatan. Kini, mereka sudah pastinya lebih pakar dalam menilai kadar kesihatan bagi makanan yang dimakan. Malah, mereka juga boleh berkongsi maklumat yang diraih bersama ahli keluarga yang lain.

Murid-murid seronok mempelajari dan bermain aktiviti-aktiviti yang berkaitan dengan kesihatan

“Inilah kali pertama saya pergi ke Zon Kesihatan. Saya sangat suka tempat ini. Saya dapat bermain bola keranjang seperti di ‘TimeZone’ dan dapat juga belajar bagaimana untuk menjaga kesihatan. Seronok sekali!” – Ishar Iszroy, 2 Diligence

Junior Hockey boys – Top 8 in National Championship

Senior Netballers – Top 8 in the National Championship

The P4 Developmental Hockey boys - 'Plate' champions in the East Zone Centre of Excellence Hockey Carnival

CCA

FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL

HOCKEY

HOCKEY

HOCKEY

NETBALL

NETBALL

SCOUTS

SCOUTS

Junior National Championship

Senior National Championship

Junior East Zone Championship

Junior National Championship

East Zone Centre of Excellence Hockey Carnival

Senior National Championship

Junior National Championship

Frank Cooper Sands Award

Akela Award 2014

4th place

Top 8

1st Runner-up

Top 8

'Plate' Champions

Top 8

Top 16

Gold

Timothy Ham (P6 Diligence) Gordon Tan (P6 Charity)Matin Ansari (P6 Charity)Deanna Lawther (P6 Diligence)Sheryl Goh (P6 Faith)

CATEGORY/DIVISION RESULTS

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Teachers listening attentively to our guide at the Eurasian Community House

Congratulations to our Primary 6 cub scouts who have been awarded the highest Cub Scout Award - Akela Award 2014. The 5 awardees are Timothy Ham (6D), Gordan Tan (6C), Matin Ansari (6C), Sheryl Goh (6F) and Deanna Lim (6D).

Junior Footballers – 4th in the National Championship

P A R T N E R I N G S T A K E H O L D E R S F O R A S T U D E N T - C E N T R I C E D U C A T I O N

TKP Open House 2014East Zone Centre of Excellence for Teaching and Learning – The Art & Craft of Teaching

Dare to Dream, Dare to Fly

4 June saw the school hold an open house for members of public to get an insight into the life of a TKP student.

Only 130 places - targeting parents with children entering primary school - were made available, most of which were snapped up quickly when registration began in mid-March.

Our Principal, Mrs Caroline Wu, kicked off the event in the school hall with a brief welcome speech followed by an introduction to the school’s history, culture and life in general of a TKP student. Parents also got to hear from Mrs Maggie Chia, a representative from PSG Executive Committee, shared her account of her child’s journey as a TKP student.

Participants were then led around the school on a guided tour to view some of the facilities and exhibitions put up by the teachers.

As the tour was facilitated by teachers and parent volunteers, participants were able to find out even more about the school as they interacted with the facilitators and viewed the exhibits of the students’ works.

Certainly, this event will remain an integral part of the school’s calendar of events, as it continues to enrich its potential stakeholders with greater awareness about life in a primary school and in particular, TKP!

H aja Amir Rahman (P4 Empathy) was one of 18 primary school students who had a chance to mingle with

the Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) Red Lions parachute team. These newly minted Junior Red Lions were chosen from a contest where they had to write about Singapore’s pioneer generation and share how they can play their part to celebrate Singapore. Haja had a taste of what it takes to be a Red Lion as he went for training at the SAF commando camp. He even got to experience the thrill of parachuting with some indoor skydiving training where he executed basic flight moves in airspeeds of up to 300km per hour.

How did you feel when you found out that you were selected?Haja: I was very excited and ecstatic of course! What were some of the challenges faced?Haja: During one of the training camp activities, I had to jump down from a five-storey building on a harness. It was scary for me, but very memorable. How did you overcome that?

Haja: I told myself to just go for it!Do you think you have gained from this experience? Haja: Yes. I have learned not to be afraid of things that I’ve not pursued before. Even if it’s something new, I have to try my best. Writing about my grandfather has also made me realise how fortunate I am and I should be happy with what I have.What would you advise to your friends if they want to pursue a similar endeavor?Haja: Don’t be fearful of the unknown. Try your best and be grateful for what you have!

O n 4 July, three groups of our teachers - the English, Mathematics & Mother Tongue

(Malay) professional learning teams presented their projects at a zonal event at Dunman High School.

The English team, comprising Mdm Chen Seow Huey, Mdm Cindy Wong and Mr Joshua Tan, shared how they had embarked on action research to find out if the explicit teaching of the Five Traits of Good Writing would improve P4 students’ content and language use in the Writing Process Cycle (WPC) in STELLAR. Relevant ICT tools were used to engage students as well as enhance learning in writing.

For Mathematics, Mrs Tang-Song Shu Fang, Miss Ng Li Ping & Mr Gerald Say shared how they made use of a problem-solving structure adapted from George Polya’s 4-step problem solving strategy to guide students on “how to think” when solving word problems. The team employed the use of Math Talk with the modified Polya Structure to allow students’ thinking to be made ‘visible’. These strategies allow students to express their mathematical thoughts and elaborate their reasoning to

their peers and teachers.For Malay, Miss Nur Ashikin Tahir and

Mdm Nur Uzaimah shared strategies on inferential skills and explicit teaching of reading comprehension. The first strategy was coined the acronym ‘FBI’. These are steps taken to tackle word to sentence inference – ‘Faham soalan’ (to understand questions), ‘Baca teks’ (to read the text) and ‘Intisari’ (to provide summary). The second strategy was coined the acronym ‘CSI’ – ‘Cari bukti’ (to find evidence), ‘Serlahkan bukti’ (to highlight relevant details) and ‘Isi jawapan’ (to write down the answers from what they have inferred). Inferential skills were instilled throughout the steps as an active cognitive process.

This platform not only served to celebrate the spirit of professional development but was also a proud moment for all our presenters.

Participants viewing exhibits

Joining the Red Lions to greet the nation on National Day

Editorial Team: Ms Sheena Lai (SH/Special Projects), Ms Arlinah Arsad (SH/Malay Language), Mdm AnissaFerdaus (HOD/English), Mr Mohammad Ghazi (SH/PE/CCA), Mrs Eunice Lee, Mrs Vijay, Mr Mohamad Nizan, Mrs Ella Ong, Ms Phang Shiak Chien, Mrs Chen Seow Huey, Mdm Shairah Bte Sulaiman, Mr Mohamed Faizal, Ms Khan Chen Yee, Ms Cheng Hsing Mei

Special Thanks: All staff and students for their contributions to this publication.

10 Seraya Road Singapore 437259 T: 6344 4728 / 6344 1489 F: 6344 5370 E:tkps@moe.edu.sg

Ms. Ng, Mrs. Tang and Mr. Say from the Mathemathics team

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