September 2008 Archives

Priceless Lessons from a Flea Market

September 30, 2008

Lelong, lelong! Who doesn’t love a good deal and the pleasant surprises of a street bazaar? Well, bargain hunters were in luck this August, as 300 enterprising students from Millennia Institute (MI) held their first-ever flea market at Plaza Singapura.

With 30 stalls brimming with street wares from Bangkok’s legendary night markets, MI Mart welcomed more than 70,000 curious onlookers who snapped up handmade jewellery, personalised handphone accessories and electronic gadgets at irresistible prices.

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Re-balancing for a More Holistic Education in Primary Schools

September 26, 2008

CCAs extended to P1 and P2 students to better develop leadership qualities and mould their characters. Innovative pedagogical approaches both in and out of the classroom to develop lifeskills and values in the young. Single-session primary schools that allow creative and flexible time-tabling within the curriculum, and schools possibly starting the day slightly later.

These were the broad directions of the review at MOE’s annual Work Plan Seminar on Thursday, 25 Sep 08 where Minister Ng Eng Hen said more could be done to inculcate lifeskills and values in the young, starting from primary education.

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Educating Junior, Hand-in-Hand (Part 1)

September 23, 2008

If you’re wondering how your involvement makes a difference in your child’s school life, switch on the TV next month and find out what other parents are doing. Educating Junior, Hand-in-Hand is a two-part series about how parents’ involvement in school affects the learning experience of their children. Episode 1, which focuses on parents with children in primary school, will air on the following channels:

• Channel NewsAsia - Wed, 1 Oct, 9.30 p.m.
• Channel 8 - Sat, 4 Oct, 10.30 p.m.
• Suria - Wed, 8 Oct, 7.30 p.m.
• Vasantham Central - Thurs, 9 Oct, 7 p.m.

Here’s a sneak preview of what you can expect in Episode 1.

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Motivating Minds with Maths

September 18, 2008

Step into Mrs Eileen Ong-Chua Li Ling’s Mathematics class and you can expect a life-changing experience. For apart from helping pupils make sense of numbers and equations, Mrs Ong (as she’s known to her colleagues and pupils) peppers her lessons with anecdotes from real life that drive home lasting values and formulae for a fruitful future.

Mrs Ong’s winning blend of maths and motivation has touched so many lives that the Haig Girls’ School teacher was named one of three recipients of the 2008 President’s Award for Teachers. This annual award honours teachers who have demonstrated outstanding passion, innovation and dedication, and is based on nominations by students, parents and fellow teachers.

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Learning Chinese - a Fresh Approach to Reading and Writing

September 16, 2008

This is the fourth article in Schoolbag’s series of 10 features on the primary school Chinese Language curriculum. Read the previous ones here.

An earlier version of this article was published in Lianhe Zaobao on 10 April 08. For a Chinese version of this article, click here.

“Look, Ma! I can write ‘hand’ in Chinese! Today, Mrs Lee also taught me to recognise the characters that form the word ‘homework’. It’s so easy to remember just by learning the parts that make up each character!”

Hands up, all who’d welcome such enthusiasm from your child after school everyday. Thanks to the new Primary 1 and Primary 2 Chinese Language curriculum, such scenes could be happening in homes already. For primary school children, even those from English-speaking homes, learning Chinese can now be both easy and exciting, as well as an experience that they truly relish.

So what’s changed?

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English as it is spoken, by LSP pupils

September 12, 2008

In some fairy tales, dreams do come true. At the LSP (Learning Support Programme) Fest on 22 August, the student playing Goldilocks stood up with bold assurance to address her schoolmate playing Little Bear - who would’ve thought that this budding young actress had not been able to read at all when she started primary school a year ago? Likewise, no one would have guessed that the Bee who engaged the Ant in a chirpy chat was played by a once shy and withdrawn little girl who rarely uttered a word.

As they brought their favourite stories to life with colourful costumes, lively acting and a palpable sense of enthusiasm, these Pri 2 pupils exuded confidence and verbal fluency in English. Their achievement on stage during the LSP Fest is a tribute to the success of the LSP, which provides specialised support for Pri 1 pupils with weak English speaking and literacy skills.

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About a Boy: Teachers Help a Student in Trouble

September 9, 2008

Some say it takes a village to raise a child. At North View Primary School, this adage certainly rings true: the school’s teachers and staff have in the past year opened their hearts and showered care to a young boy who was teetering on the brink. Through their dedicated efforts and devoted attention, the boy has turned from a life of truancy and is taking his first steps towards a brighter future.

Andrew (not his real name) is 11 years old. When he was a young child, his parent separated and he has been living with his father. His father remarried, but both his stepmother and father work very long hours and are not able to spend much time with Andrew.

As a result, Andrew spent his time cycling around his neighbourhood until late in the evening when his parents returned home. Last year, when he was in Primary 4, he started to play truant from school.

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Learning Chinese - Every School Can Do It Differently

September 4, 2008

This is the third article in Schoolbag’s series of 10 features on the primary school Chinese Language curriculum. Read the previous ones here.

An earlier version of this article was published in Lianhe Zaobao on 3 April 2007. For a Chinese version of this article, click here.

Vive la différence! Why should all schools be the same? Every child is unique and would learn more avidly if his or her education is tailored to draw out his or her full potential.

The good news is that primary schools now have more flexibility when it comes to teaching the Chinese language. The new Chinese Language curriculum not only brings changes to key learning processes and outcomes (as we saw in previous articles), it also allows schools to adapt part of the curriculum to the specific needs of their students. Depending on how they best learn, students might find themselves poring over colourfully illustrated guidebooks, exploring the flavours of rare Chinese herbs or pursuing a story as a student reporter.

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When School Becomes a Second Home

September 2, 2008

On the fourth and highest floor in Sembawang Primary School is a surprising little haven. The walls are lined with eye-catching wallpaper, covered with gothic-inspired motifs, and there’s a cosy feel to the whole place.

This is the school’s Student Care Centre, where pupils get to learn, work and play together, before or after school. Run by Cambridge Educare, it opened its doors in January this year and offers a range of educational programmes in an environment that the pupils can call home.

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