Getting Students Wild about Well-Being

August 26, 2010

At Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School (Primary) (PLMGS), the Grow in Faith and Truth (GIFT) programme was is designed to promote desirable values through games, story-telling and songs, and is carried out by parent volunteers. It is just one of the programmes at PLMGS to promote better physical, social, mental and emotional well-being in the school community. The school's efforts have garnered them the Platinum CHERISH (CHampioning Efforts Resulting in Improved School Health) award from the Health Promotion Board.

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Inspiring Students through PE and More

July 20, 2010

Ask Outstanding Youth in Education Award (OYEA) recipient Mr Muhammad Fadylla Rashiman what he believes, and this is what he'll tell you: "I see the kids as opportunities for growth. We need to provide them opportunities to experience success, and school is the main platform to do this, given that they spend more than half a day at school." As a PE and Track & Field teacher, Mr Fadylla's approach is to give his pupils at Boon Lay Garden Primary School a taste of success, so as to encourage them to strive harder to achieve success again.

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Giving Every Pupil a Chance to Swing the Clubs

June 17, 2010

Every pupil at Naval Base Primary School gets a chance to swing the clubs, thanks to the school's Tiger Cubs Golf Programme, which is integrated into the Pri 1 PE curriculum. And those who show a bent for the game have continued to excel on the green and grown in character through the values and discipline demanded by the game.

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Eat Greens Drive Bears Fruit

May 4, 2010

Pupils at Pasir Ris Primary School are acquiring a taste for food that tastes great and does good for their health. Through an annual festival called Fruittie Veggie Bites, the school motivates the pupils to make healthier choices in their diet, both in the canteen and at home with the support of their parents.

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PE gets a Running Start into the 'O' Levels

December 22, 2009

Most of us are familiar with the usual 'O' level subjects such as Mathematics and Chemistry. But what about an 'O' level subject in Physical Education (PE)?

Believe it or not, that's just what about twenty students at North Vista Secondary School sat for this October in a very special examination. For the school, it was also a major milestone as this was the first time that the students were taking their 'O' levels in a subject that develops and challenges both their physical and mental prowess.

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Sports Meets Music at Yuying Secondary School

July 21, 2009

Picture this: head-thumping music, flashy "aerial" moves and the thunderous roars of a several hundred-strong crowd, all cheering wildly around a games court.

A rock concert? Nope. It's a relatively new sport called bossaball, which is making huge waves around the world with its clever combination of volleyball, soccer, acrobatics and music - all while players try to maintain their balance on a large, bouncy inflatable court.

At Yuying Secondary School, this unusual sport has also made its way into the PE programme as part of the school's Yuying Olympic Gala. Judging from the way students rush towards the courts during recess, bossaball is definitely one PE activity that students don't want to miss.

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Hitting the Floor to Score

July 9, 2009

It's no mean feat to score an entry in the Guinness World Records. But students at Pasir Ris Primary School have achieved this - not just once, but twice!

They sealed their place in the record books by slugging it out in two of the longest floorball matches ever played worldwide. But it's not just about endurance, for come October, the school team will enter the lion's den in Sweden to pit their skills and speed against players from the heartland of floorball.

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JSAs Court Young Talent for Smashing Results

June 16, 2009

Some say patience is a virtue.

Not for Yvonne Tan Hui Juan. For within the short space of one year and defying all expectations, the Pri 6 student from Yew Tee Primary School smashed her way from obscurity to be selected for training with the Singapore Badminton Association Junior Squad.

It's no mean feat, as Yvonne was the last participant to join the first batch of players from the MOE's Junior Sports Academies (JSA) programme in February 2008. But how this rapid rise in the court rankings occurred is itself a series of serendipitous events well worth telling.

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Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle through STARRS

May 8, 2009

Here's one way to get teenagers out of bed on Monday morning, even those who may not usually be interested in physical activity: tempt them to school with the option of inline skating, tchoukball or chambara. Tchoukball is a non-contact team sport that combines elements of volleyball, handball and basketball, while chambara (also known as chanbara) is a form of martial arts.

These sports are the highlight of Yuying Secondary School's STARRS (Students Trained As Resilient & Responsible Sportsperson) programme. Sure, novelty is part of the draw, but the important thing is that these activities will get the students' pulse racing and the adrenaline pumping for the school week ahead.

So what do students participating in the STARRS programme have in common?

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Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle through STARRS

May 8, 2009

Here's one way to get teenagers out of bed on Monday morning, even those who may not usually be interested in physical activity: tempt them to school with the option of inline skating, tchoukball or chambara. Tchoukball is a non-contact team sport that combines elements of volleyball, handball and basketball, while chambara (also known as chanbara) is a form of martial arts.

These sports are the highlight of Yuying Secondary School's STARRS (Students Trained As Resilient & Responsible Sportsperson) programme. Sure, novelty is part of the draw, but the important thing is that these activities will get the students' pulse racing and the adrenaline pumping for the school week ahead.

So what do students participating in the STARRS programme have in common?

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From Flab to Fit, and It Takes Only a Sharp Eye

July 14, 2008

From flab to fit, from spectator to skipper - had it not been for the sharp eye and constant encouragement of his secondary school PE teacher, Mr Quek Swee Nee would have likely grown up overweight, introverted, and, in all probability, a bystander in life. “I was a little overweight in secondary school, but I could complete the 2.4-kilometre run in 10 minutes. My teacher was quick to spot my potential and encouraged me to join the cross-country team,” he remembers. And while he did not make the school team, his teacher’s support opened his eyes to new opportunities. Today, Mr Quek is the Head of Department, Aesthetics/PE/CCA at Bukit View Primary School, with a string of sports-related achievements under his belt. The latest feather in his cap: winning the Outstanding Youth in Education Award (OYEA).

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Let’s Talk About Sex

December 5, 2007

Could a girl who has not yet had her first period get pregnant? Are two condoms better than one? Is it safe to play with a schoolmate who has HIV? These questions and more were posed to the audience at the COMPASS (COMmunity and PArents in Support of Schools) Convention 2007 on 3 November.

Raised during a presentation on “Love Them, Talk About Sex”, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) tackled the topic of teenage sexuality and parents who worry that telling the truth could open the way to youthful temptation.

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OYEA 2007: Lessons about Life, through Sports

November 7, 2007

An interview with OYEA 2007 winner, Mdm Huang Yiyan

Teaching PE isn’t only about ball games and having a good time in the sun. For Mdm Huang Yiyan at CHIJ Katong Convent, the challenge was to motivate her students to take an interest in healthy living. So even for something as potentially mundane as training for the 2.4 km NAPFA run, she jazzed up PE lessons with an improvised orienteering run, Amazing Race-style.

The students had fun - and ran well! But the more important lesson Mdm Huang hopes they will remember are the lessons in life and values that PE can teach them. “Sports teach us life lessons, like learning to persevere and focus on the

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Learning Amidst Nature

August 1, 2007

Take in a lesson together with the fresh air in a park - That’s what our pupils from North View Primary School have been doing since we adopted the Nee Soon East Park, conveniently located just 20 metres away from our doorstep. Whether during a language lesson on vocabulary about plants or a Science lesson drawing out botanical concepts, our pupils have drawn closer to nature and have the opportunity to come face to face - or maybe even eyeball to eyeball, if they need to scrutinise something! - with what they’re studying.

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