temasek connection - ministry of education

13
1 Electric light bulb, storage battery, moving picture camera, telegraph, electric motor, phonograph … these are all important inventions that have helped shape the world we live in and made possible many of the things we take for granted, such as lighting, cars, movies and music players. Besides being great inventions, what else do these things have in common? They are just 6 out of over 1,000 inventions by the great inventor, Thomas Edison. Thomas Edison is a wonderful exemplar of what it means to be learner with a growth mindset. Born in America in 1847, Edison began conducting scientific experiments at the age of 10 when he built a laboratory in the basement of his home. At age 15, he was already publishing and selling his own newspaper. From a young age, he had a willingness-to-try attitude, which is an important hallmark of a learner with a growth mindset. A person cannot learn or discover anything unless he is willing to try things he is unfamiliar with and be prepared to make mistakes. Another important characteristic is to have a positive outlook. When Edison was 12, he lost his hearing as a result of scarlet fever. Nevertheless, his deafness did not bother him as he claimed that it helped him to concentrate instead. At age 67, he lost his factory, which had very little insurance, in a fire. No longer a young man, Edison watched his lifetime effort go up in fire and smoke and said, “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burnt up. Thank God we can start anew.” Without a positive outlook, a learner will not be able to see beyond his shortcomings and problems to discover and learn new and wonderful things. Most of all, however, Edison was known for his persevering spirit. He was said to have tried over 6,000 different filaments before he found success when inventing the light bulb. Edison also performed over 10,200 experiments when working on his storage battery invention. Never one to let failure distract him from pursuing success, he said, “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Temasek Connection IN THIS ISSUE: Core Subject Departments’ Key Focus Overseas Trip Key Activities Finance Matters Announcements FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK… A Publication of Temasek Primary School 501 Bedok South Avenue 3 Singapore 469300 Issue No. 1/2013 http://www.temasekpri.moe.edu.sg/ Our Vision We aspire to be the Vibrant Learning Campus where pupils learn, lead, serve and grow to become future- ready citizens rooted in values. A learner with a growth mindset knows that he needs to be persevering in his effort because success is often about reaching the 10,001st way that does work, and you cannot do this without first overcoming your earlier failures.

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Page 1: Temasek Connection - Ministry of Education

1

Electric light bulb, storage battery, moving picture camera, telegraph, electric motor, phonograph … these are all important inventions that have helped shape the world we live in and made possible many of the things we take for granted, such as lighting, cars, movies and music players. Besides being great inventions, what else do these things have in common? They are just 6 out of over 1,000 inventions by the great inventor, Thomas Edison. Thomas Edison is a wonderful exemplar of what it means to be learner with a growth mindset. Born in America in 1847, Edison began conducting scientific experiments at the age of 10 when he built a laboratory in the basement of his home. At age 15, he was already publishing and selling his own newspaper. From a young age, he had a willingness-to-try attitude, which is an important hallmark of a learner with a growth mindset. A person cannot learn or discover anything unless he is willing to try things he is unfamiliar with and be prepared to make mistakes. Another important characteristic is to have a positive outlook. When Edison was 12, he lost his hearing as a result of scarlet fever. Nevertheless, his deafness did not bother him as he claimed that it helped him to concentrate instead. At age 67, he lost his factory, which had very little insurance, in a fire. No longer a young man, Edison watched his lifetime effort go up in fire and smoke and said, “There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burnt up. Thank God we can start anew.” Without a positive outlook, a learner will not be able to see beyond his shortcomings and problems to discover and learn new and wonderful things.

Most of all, however, Edison was known for his persevering spirit. He was said to have tried over 6,000 different filaments before he found success when inventing the light bulb. Edison also performed over 10,200 experiments when working on his storage battery invention. Never one to let failure distract him from pursuing success, he said, “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Temasek

Connection

IN THIS ISSUE:

Core Subject Departments’ Key Focus

Overseas Trip

Key Activities

Finance Matters

Announcements

FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK…

A Publication of Temasek Primary School 501 Bedok South Avenue 3 Singapore 469300 Issue No. 1/2013 http://www.temasekpri.moe.edu.sg/

Our Vision We aspire to be the Vibrant Learning Campus where pupils learn, lead, serve and grow to become future-ready citizens rooted in values.

A learner with a growth mindset knows that he needs to be persevering in his effort because success is often about reaching the 10,001st way that does work, and you cannot do this without first overcoming your earlier failures.

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Dr Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and the author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, and her colleagues conducted research over the past several years in identifying two distinct ways in which individuals view intelligence and learning. Individuals with a fixed mindset believe that their intelligence is simply an inborn trait – they have a certain amount, and that's that. In contrast, individuals with a growth mindset believe that they can develop their intelligence over time. These two mindsets lead to different behaviours towards learning. Learners with a fixed mindset do not like effort and tend not to handle setbacks well. They may become defensive, withdraw their effort or blame others when they don’t succeed right away. On the other hand, those with a growth mindset view challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. They are also more likely to respond to initial obstacles by remaining involved, trying new strategies, and using all the resources at their disposal for learning. These differences in behaviour also extend beyond academic learning to social situations and challenges. A learner with a growth mindset tends to be more resilient and adaptable in difficult social situations. Clearly having a growth mindset not only promotes learning in the immediate situation, but also promotes a love of learning and resilience in the face of obstacles. How then can we build a growth mindset in our children? One of the most life-changing ways is to teach them timeless principles of behaviour for effectiveness and growth – principles that can guide them not just for school, but throughout life. Dr Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People are a fundamental set of principles that govern human growth and happiness, which have been internationally acclaimed and recognised. Described briefly below, the Habits cover both personal and social effectiveness: Personal Victory

1. Be Proactive 2. Begin with the End in Mind 3. Put First Things First

Public Victory 4. Think Win/Win 5. Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood 6. Synergise

Renewal 7. Sharpen the Saw

To have a growth mindset, one must be prepared for personal change and to think differently. The 7 Habits provide the guiding principles for such a change and for the development of personal leadership. Since 2000, elementary schools throughout the world have been incorporating the learning of the 7 Habits within their school curriculum. Moving into 2013, Temasek Primary will also be teaching the 7 Habits and aligning them to our character and citizenship education programme. There will be lessons to teach our pupils the Habits formally as well as platforms for them to exercise the Habits in authentic situations that will positively influence their own individual and group or class learning. We are excited about our journey ahead as we seek to grow each child to see the leader in himself/herself and to ultimately to be a leader for life. Parents too can be involved in this effort by reinforcing the Habits at home with your child. What is significant is that we all have a common language of effectiveness and growth to use that is applicable to almost every sphere of human endeavour. Edison remarked that “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” There is no substitute for hard work – even geniuses work hard. Any successful learner must be prepared to labour for success. But if you also have a blueprint for effectiveness to guide you, you are likely to be more productive in your effort and time. This will in turn encourage a willingness to try, a positive outlook and a persevering spirit – a growth mindset. I wish you all a wonderful new year of growth ahead! Francis Foo Principal

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The vision of the English department is to nurture ‘Future global citizens who are articulate and effective users of the English Language’. This is in alignment with our school’s student learner outcome of ‘Effective Communicator’ and the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) C2015 student outcome of ‘Confident Person’. To achieve our vision, the English Language department will focus on enriching the curriculum through our key programmes as follows: Reading Programme Reading IS the foundation for effective language literacy and acquisition. In Temasek Primary, pupils are expected to engage in silent reading before the start of each school day. The Media Resource Library (MRL) is periodically re-stocked to provide a wide variety of books for borrowing. Pupils are strongly encouraged to visit the MRL to obtain their reading materials. To further instil a love for reading among the pupils, the department has initiated the IREAD Programme whereby each class is assigned an IREAD box containing various titles of books for borrowing in the classroom. Temasek Book Flood, a book charity drive organised to create a pervasive reading culture in the school, was introduced in 2012. The storybooks collected thus far have been displayed on bookshelves positioned in the canteen and outside the school hall and are readily available for borrowing by the pupils. The English Language department will continue to adopt the Little Red Dot (LRD), a SPH publication, as a resource material for use in our P3 and P4 curriculum. The LRD comes with the Tuesday edition of The Straits Times and is focused on English-language learning, news and current events, with elements of social-emotional learning, values education and National Education. STELLAR (STrategies for English Language Learning And Reading) STELLAR, an MOE initiative to develop children who love reading and have a strong foundation in the English Language, will be implemented at the P1 to P5 levels this year. Through STELLAR, the department aims to focus on oral communication and enjoyment of the language by introducing pupils to a variety of print and non-print resources as well as literature texts to promote appreciation and usage of the language. LiT (Literature in Temasek) LiT is a customised school-based curriculum differentiated to meet the needs of the P3 to P6 pupils in Temasek Primary. Pupils are actively engaged in various activities such as character analysis and comparison, role play and debate to promote an appreciation of English Literature and a love for reading. Through a critical reading of the text, pupils identify values and leadership attributes that are aligned to the school’s eight core values. STAGE IT (Share and Talk about Anything in Good English In Temasek) To fulfil the school’s student learner outcome of ‘Effective Communicator’, the pupils engage in ‘STAGE IT’ where they work collaboratively with their parents and teachers on their speech before presenting to their classmates. Feedback from the teacher and peers is then given through the use of rubrics. The P3 and P4 pupils also have the opportunity to practise their speech using NewsMaker, an ICT tool, which allows them to self-evaluate and reflect on their presentation. The P3 and P4 pupils will also undergo ‘Drama in Action’, a 7-session drama programme conducted during supplementary lessons in Semester 1, to help develop confidence in oral presentation. Writer’s Workshop (WW) Writer’s Workshop (WW) is a pedagogy where pupils are respected as writers and equipped with good writing skills and attitudes. This year, WW will be extended from the P1 and P2 levels to the P3 level to further develop a love for writing in our pupils. Assessments In line with PERI’s (Primary Education Review and Implementation) Recommendations, the P1 and P2 pupils will continue to undergo various forms of formative and summative assessments in the five critical areas of ‘Listening and Viewing’, ‘Reading and Viewing’, ‘Speaking and Representing’, ‘Writing and Representing’ and ‘Language Use and Comprehension’. Alternative modes of assessment have also been put in place at the P3 to P6 levels to assess the pupils’ learning outcomes. To stretch the higher-ability pupils, identified P5 and P6 pupils will sit for a ‘Special’ English paper testing higher-order thinking skills in Comprehension, in addition to the Mid-Year and End-of-Year examination papers.

Core Subject Departments’ Key Focus

English Department

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Mathematics plays an important part in almost all aspects of our life. It is an excellent vehicle for the development and improvement of a person’s intellectual competence. In Temasek Primary, the vision of the Mathematics department is that every pupil will become a self-directed and competent problem solver who is effective in thinking and mathematical communication. Mathematics Curriculum The Temasek Mathematics Curriculum is designed to develop mathematical thinking, build problem-solving capability as well as to nurture a passion for Mathematics. It advocates the concrete-pictorial-abstract development of concepts and adopts a spiral approach to the development of concepts, skills and processes. The table below lists the concepts, skills and processes to be acquired.

Concepts Skills Processes

Numerical

Algebraic

Geometrical

Statistical

Probabilistic

Analytical

Numerical calculation

Algebraic manipulation

Spatial visualisation

Data analysis

Measurement

Use of mathematical tools

Estimation

Reasoning

Communication

Connections

Thinking skills & heuristics

Application & modelling

The Mathematics programmes for the different levels are as follows:

Programmes Level Type

SPACE (School Parent Acing Children’s Experiences) P1 – P4 Core

Mental Sums P1 – P4 Core

STEMS (Striving Towards Excellence in Mathematical Skills) P1 – P6 Core

Daily Problem Sums P1 – P6 Core

Speed Tests P5 – P6 Core

Mathematical Olympiad Training Programme P3 – P6 Enrichment

To help our pupils lay a strong foundation in Mathematics, the Enhanced Learning Support for Mathematics programme is implemented for P1 pupils identified under the Singapore Mathematics Achievement & Reasoning Test (SMART) and Early Numeracy Indicators (ENI). In addition, small group parallel teaching for the P2 to P6 pupils are also conducted to better meet the learning needs of our weaker pupils. Pedagogies Pedagogies such as Co-operative Learning, Experiential Learning, Model Drawing and Heuristics are greatly emphasised to provide pupils with a variety of learning experiences to help them develop a deep understanding of mathematical concepts, and to make sense of various mathematical ideas. Manipulatives, mini white-board and technological aids are also used to enhance the teaching and learning of Mathematics. Assessment In line with PERI Recommendations, some modes of formative assessments have been put in place at all levels to assess pupils’ learning outcomes. All pupils will be assessed on at least one piece of journal writing and one performance task. In addition to Semestral Assessments 1 & 2, a special ‘S’ paper will be offered to all P5 and P6 high-ability pupils to further meet their learning needs and to maximise their potential.

Mathematics Department

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The vision of the Science department is ‘Do & Discover’. Teachers and pupils are encouraged to conduct hands-on experiments where they will experience the scientific process first hand. Through careful observation and the use of data or evidence, pupils are taught to make thoughtful inferences and communicate their findings.

Pupils engage in inquiry-based learning using the BSCS (Biological Sciences Curriculum Study) 5E model. The 5Es stand for Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate. Pupils engage in activities that allow them to ask questions that relate to their daily lives and the environment. As they explore, they collect relevant data or evidence that lead them to discover scientific facts and concepts. After exploration, pupils formulate and communicate explanations based on scientific knowledge and principles. They then elaborate on the scientific concept learnt by making connections to their own lives and the environment in which they live. Teachers then guide them to review and assess what they have learnt.

Life Sciences Programme The Science department has designed a comprehensive programme to involve pupils in life sciences from a young age. The programme leverages on the advancement in Science and Technology and the importance of life sciences in the 21st century to heighten pupils’ curiosity about their environment and the applications of scientific principles and technological advancement in the real world. Pupils are given opportunities to engage in hands-on activities, and make predictions and observations. Thereafter, pupils present their hypotheses and explain their observations. Use of ICT in Science The Science Department will conduct outdoor learning trails using iPads for the P3 level. The objective of the mobile learning is to make the learning of Science more authentic as the pupils can observe the living organisms in their natural habitat and their interactions with the environment. Data logger, a data collection tool, will be used by P4 to P6 pupils for investigative work. With the use of data loggers, pupils are able to gather real-time data and analyse evidence collected. They will evaluate the results to draw a conclusion to the relationship between variables. This provides opportunities for them to engage in higher-order thinking. Young Scientists Cards By engaging in the activities in the Young Scientists Cards which complement the learning of Science, pupils are given the opportunity to do research and work in small groups. Pupils will also learn more about Science beyond the textbooks. Assessments The P3 cohort will embark on the PERI Holistic Assessment for Science in 2013. The assessment will comprise Journal Writing, Performance Tasks and a Practical Test. These components will be carried out throughout the year. Other than Semestral Assessments, the P3 to P5 pupils will sit for a practical test where they will be required to apply their process skills to a hands-on activity.

Science Department

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CHINESE LANGUAGE

为了达到良好的教学与学习成果,淡马锡小学的华文部门安排了一系列促进学习的活动。

阅读活动

除了采取高效的教学法,华文部也致力于阅读的推动。我们深信建立良好的阅读习惯是建立语文基础,

提升能力的有效途径。因此,在新的一年里,华文部将致力于阅读的推广。不管是在学校还是在家里,

都希望学生养成阅读的习惯。根据观察,我们知道一些学生因为缺乏书籍而无法进行阅读,一些则是不

晓得如何选择适合的书籍,而耽搁了阅读。为此今年每个班级都会有一系列的班级图书,供学生借阅。

此外,部门也在食堂和礼堂放置一个书柜,让学生自由借阅。当然,阅读要推广成功,除了学校的推

动,家长的配合也很重要。因此,我们希望家长可以协助督促孩子进行每日 20 分钟的阅读,并将他们

的阅读记录填写在学生手册提供的阅读表内。让我们共同努力,帮助孩子养成阅读的好习惯。

浸濡课程

为了让学生放宽视野,走出教室,我们每年都举办语文浸濡活动,让语文能力优秀,对语文学习充满热

忱的学生参加,老师带着学生走入外国的课室,与异国学伴共同学习语文,在异地感受文化的熏陶。

母语双周

在三月份,母语部门会举办母语双周活动,让学生通过一系列的活动接触语言,学习语言,认识文化。

学生会在老师的带领下,一同完成特定的活动项目。除此之外,我们也安排了为为期一天的文化营,让

学生在这个文化营里学习阅读,写作和加深对华族文化的认识。在过去的文化营,我们发现学生特别喜

欢参加一些与文化相关的小手工活动,并把个人的制成品和家人朋友分享,别具意义。

学习回馈

针对性的回馈(形成性评价)有助于能力的提升。因此,我们会在高年级继续提供作文评量表,帮助学

生和家长了解孩子的学习进度以及在语文学习方面可以改善的地方。我们也会在其他年级利用《借题发

挥》的活动,为学生提供形成性评价方式的平台。

在新的学年里,我们希望淡马锡小学的学生在老师们的细心教导下,能够取得优异的成绩,成为一个充

满自信,善于表达,委身服务大众,时刻为他人着想的好公民。

Mother Tongue Department

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MALAY LANGUAGE

The Malay department aims to nurture our pupils to excel in the Malay language to the best of their abilities. This will be done by providing a conducive learning environment in which pupils are exposed to the language and culture, and designing activities to stimulate and arouse their interest in the language. The highlights of the department:

a) Active adoption of cooperative learning strategies during lessons for effective teaching and learning; b) Application of the 7 Habits into the curriculum; c) Formative assessments for lower primary through PERI to boost their confidence in social and oral skills; d) Extensive Reading Programme which allows pupils to help each other in improving their oral and aural skills as

well as promoting care and camaraderie amongst Temasekians; e) Infusion of IT into lessons to enhance pupils’ learning; and f) Development of a creative and inquisitive mind through enrichment programmes, learning journeys and

experiential learning activities.

TAMIL LANGUAGE P1 & P2 – Enrichment during silent reading P1 and P2 pupils from Non-Tamil-speaking home background are taken by the teacher during mother tongue silent reading programmes on Mondays and Tuesdays and given enrichment activities to improve their conversational skills. The teacher reads stories to pupils and pupils answer questions based on the stories. Pupils also play language games such as charades and jigsaw puzzles with the words they have learnt. This programme will commence in Term 2 of 2013. P3 & P4 – Boosting pupils’ reading skills In line with MOE’s focus on enhancing pupils’ reading skills through reading portfolios, the department will be embarking on a reading project for P3 and P4 pupils. P5 & P6 – Tamil News Media Pupils will be exposed to the news media by listening to Tamil radio news and reading Tamil newspapers during lessons. They will be assigned to write reflections on Tamil newspaper articles and write journals on the Tamil news heard over radio. This will enhance their reading, listening and writing skills in the Tamil language.

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Athletics Immersion Trip to Australia On 15 November 2012, twelve P5 and P6 pupils in the Track and Field team left for Perth, Western Australia, for the Athletics Immersion Trip. The 5-day trip gave our pupils the opportunity to compete overseas and to have a school immersion experience in an Australian elementary school. The whole trip included a half-day informal competition with the Western Australia Little Athletics and a whole-day School Immersion Programme at Boddington Primary School. Although it was an informal competition, our athletes did very well and made new friends along the way. Our athletes presented a skit on how Singaporeans use Singlish in their daily conversations during the assembly at Boddington Primary School. They put up such an interesting performance that the pupils at Boddington enjoyed themselves tremendously. Our pupils also had the opportunity to experience a farm stay at Springhills Farm. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many of them. They had much fun feeding the farm animals, romping across the hay barn, and learning how sheep shearing was done. They also visited the Western Australia Institute of Sports to interact with elite athletes on the rigour of their training to learn how they prepare themselves to compete internationally. It was an eye-opener for our pupils and they benefitted a lot from the sharing.

Overseas Trip

Competing at Western Australia Little Athletics

Lunch at Springhills Farm

Enjoying a game of football at Boddington

Lessons at Boddinton Primary School

With Grade 7 pupils of Boddington Primary School

At Western Australia Little Athletics Competition

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P1 Orientation 2012 and First Day of School 2013 The P1 pupils attended the P1 Orientation on Friday, 23 November 2012, to familiarise themselves with the school environment. The pupils and their parents were welcomed by the teachers and members of the ParentConnection Committee. The pupils got to know their Form Teachers, made new friends and had a tour of the school.

Key Activities

P1 pupils looking forward to school Parents listening intently to the Principal

Excited parents on P1 pupils’ first day of school Making friends

Our Parent Volunteers

A P1 pupil with a P2 buddy buying drinks

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Temasek Starts Right Temasek Starts Right was put in place for the first two days when school reopened with the intention of getting the year to a good start for the teachers and their pupils. It was also meant for teachers and pupils to renew relationships after the holidays; establish expectations, rules and routines; and to create the motto aligned to the habit assigned to the class for the year. The activities for the two days were also designed to engage pupils in student leadership and in discussing the values and habits that will shape their class community.

Reflections

I liked making the class motto poster because we got to draw our handprints and colour them. The motto is “Think Win-Win” and I like it because I learnt how to help others and myself to WIN. I know my classmates better when we introduced ourselves and talked about our hobbies. I am excited for 2013 because I am going to learn new subjects. I hope I will make new friends and hope my lessons will be interesting and fun.

- Lisianne Chan, P3D

On the first two days of school, my classmates and I discussed the class rules that we should have. Class rules are important so that the classroom will be a peaceful and orderly place. I feel happy and proud to be a Peer Leader as I get to help my Primary 1 buddy. As my buddy is a Muslim, I showed him the food stalls that sell halal food and accompanied him to the assigned table during recess.

- Muhd Irfan Bin Rafi, 2C

I made many new friends on the first day of school and learnt many interesting things about them. I was very excited when it was my turn to tell my friends about myself. It was a very fun day.

- Harendran S/O Sivaguru Nathan, Pri 1A

On Wednesday morning, I was excited and anxious to start school. I was eager to meet my new teacher and classmates. I enjoyed playing the ice breaker game where I learnt more about my new classmates and interacted with them. I was very enthusiastic about establishing my class rules as it gave me a sense of belonging. I am looking forward to this year as we will be introduced to the 7 Habits.

- Amanveer Singh, 4E

Working together on class rules Designing the class banner Decorating the class motto

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Parents Meeting The Parents Meeting was conducted for the parents to provide them with a better understanding of the school's direction and focus for the levels as well as the expectations of the form teachers and Mother Tongue teachers.

Day 1 The school started the year with the 7 Habits. The 7 Habits were also printed in our pupil planner. My form teacher explained what each Habit meant and I find that it has helped me be more organised and responsible, plan ahead, and respect others. I also understand the importance of teamwork. Our teachers also talked to us about why this year is important to us – Exams! Then, we discussed our class motto to be featured on a banner. Day 2 After deciding on our class motto, we had to think of ideas on how the class banner should look like. Each group was provided paper to design plan (draw, colour and design), and we will be working on a fabric banner to be put up outside the class. I am looking forward to working on the banner!

- Chloe Chong, P6G

What I liked the most about the first two days of school was that we could interact and get to know each other better. We also came up with many class mottos before finally deciding on one – Everything is possible. Nothing is Impossible. All in all, the first two days of school were FUN!

- Nur Natasha Bte Rafi, P5C

My son enjoyed his first two days in school very much. He was sharing with us about the 7 Habits he learnt and the banner they did in their classroom as a team.

- Dilhani Rajoo, Parent of Shannen Rajoo, 3F

Teachers communicating their expectations of the pupils to the parents

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7 Habits Training for Parents of P1 and P2 Pupils The school organised the 7 Habits Workshop for many of our P1 and P2 pupils’ parents on Saturday, 12 January 2013, to introduce to them the 7 Habits so that they, too, could reinforce the 7 Habits among their children at home.

Temasek Leader for Life The school has embarked on an exciting school-wide journey of involving our pupils in the learning and application of the 7 Habits through the Temasek Leader for Life programme. The programme is aligned to the school’s leadership based vision and the Temasek Leader Framework. We want our pupils to develop the essential life skills and characteristics pupils need in order to thrive in the 21st century. We intend to create a common language within our school, built on proven principle-based leadership skills found in Dr. Stephen R. Covey’s best-selling book, The Leader in Me. A special curriculum has been developed by a team of teachers from the Pupil Development department and the lessons commenced on 15 January 2013. The lessons, anchored on the Habits, have been carefully designed and there is a deliberate integration with school’s core values and the NE messages. The Temasek Leader for Life Programme is delivered using the Learn, Lead, Serve & Grow Approach. Our pupils are Educated, Equipped, Engaged and Evaluated (4Es) on their development and inculcation of the habits and school’s values.

Workshop participants learning the 7 Habits language

Pupils working on the habit of the month – Habit 1: Be Proactive

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Finance Matters Pupils with financial difficulties may apply for financial assistance through the following schemes: 1. MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (MOE FAS)

To qualify for financial assistance, the pupil must be a Singapore Citizen and satisfy one of the following:

Gross Household monthly income not exceeding $2,500.00

Per capita Income of the household is $625.00 or below. (Per Capita Income is derived from the Total Household Income divided by the No. of Household Members.)

Benefits: *100% waiver of Standard Miscellaneous fees ($6.50) *Free Textbooks and School Attire *75% subsidy of PSLE examination fees

2. Financial Assistance Scheme by the School Advisory Committee

This is given to pupils who fail to qualify for the MOE FAS. The nature of this assistance varies. It could be the provision of free textbooks, or assistance in payment of fees or school related expenditure.

How to Apply Application forms are obtainable from the General Office and the school website.

TEMASEK STAR (Show your appreciation to our Temasek Staff) In Temasek Primary, we have a set of Temasek Staff core values (Open-Mindedness, Responsibility, Collaboration, Honesty, Innovation, Dedication), forming the acronym ‘ORCHID’. If you know of a Temasek Staff who upholds, through his/her actions and words, any of the Temasek Staff values, we would like to encourage you to visit the school website and locate ‘TEMASEK STAR’, which is on the section on the right of the homepage, to pen your words of appreciation to the Temasek Staff. Your words of appreciation will serve as an encouragement, motivation and positive affirmation of the good work of the Temasek Staff. Showing your appreciation, gratitude or even saying thank you is really easy and anyone can do it! School Physical Upgrading The physical upgrading originally scheduled to begin in December 2012 has been delayed pending decision from the Tenders Board. We will provide you with an update again once there is a decision from the Tenders Board. Road Safety Pupils are strongly advised to use the pedestrian crossing in front of the school when crossing the road.

Finance Matters

Editorial Team:

Mdm Noor Hayati Yusof and Mrs Josephine Raj

Announcements