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SPARK Certification for Pre-schools

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:01:00 +0800

SPARK-certified pre-schools can display the SPARK logo in their centres and on their publicity materials. Each certification is valid for three years.

The search for a suitable kindergarten or childcare centre is no elementary matter for parents, who might consider issues such as teaching standards, class size and programmes, cleanliness, safety and how well the school is managed. To help parents with this process, in November 2010 MOE launched SPARK, or the Singapore Pre-School Accreditation Framework. This is a quality assurance framework aimed at raising the standards of local pre-schools and giving parents an objective guide to the island's pre-schools. There are now 69 SPARK-certified kindergartens and childcare centres, which have been endorsed by MOE after a rigorous assessment of their programmes and facilities. The external appraisal is carried out by qualified assessors who are experienced educators well-trained in early childhood education. Pre-schools which meet the mark are awarded SPARK certification, which is valid for three years.

Igniting the Fire for the English Language

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:00:01 +0800

Mrs Shirley Teo endeavours to make every English lesson a meaningful session and listens to her students' feedback.

Together, they have more than half a century of teaching experience. But Mrs Shirley Teo and Mrs Lee Poh Lin, both winners of this year's Inspiring English Teacher Award, will readily tell you that it takes more than the right techniques and tools to ignite a love for English and help students master the language. Having taught for 24 years, Mrs Teo of Teck Whye Secondary School is convinced that establishing a connection with students and showing a palpable interest in what they think and feel, precedes the teaching of the nuts and bolts of the language. "When the students feel that I know where they are coming from, half the battle is won," she explained. Similarly, Mrs Lee, who teaches at Montfort Secondary School, believes in the value of a genuine heart, a pair of listening ears as well as ample doses of fun and laughter, all of which her students in various schools have enjoyed for some 30 years.

Promoting Values through Play

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:01 +0800

The Pride for Play programme in Jurongville exposes students to many sports, including floorball.

Food just tastes better with company. "When I was in Secondary 1, I was so quiet and would sit in one corner," recalled Lau Xin Wei of herself just a year ago. But joining Pride For Play at Jurongville Secondary School changed all that. Now, Xin Wei relishes the opportunity to break out of the confines of the classroom for 30 minutes of skips and jumps before recess daily. A programme to promote healthy living during physical activity, Pride For Play or P4P adds camaraderie to keeping fit; teachers, dubbed "Class Mentors", join the students to stretch their limbs and share lighter moments over a fitness routine, and later, over a meal in the school canteen. "Now, during recess, we'll eat together with the Class Mentor and we can talk about anything under the sun," enthused Xin Wei.

Values Pop Up In Hip Hop Moves

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:01 +0800

Wilson (centre) and Andi Putra (extreme right) tickle the audience with their "Gatsby" pose.

You may have no idea why terms like 'locking' or 'popping' inspire pupils of Yishun Primary School. But it only takes a few minutes of watching the school's Performing Arts Club show of how they 'pop' and 'lock' to realise the infectious power of hip-hop street dance moves. A genre of modern dance that is constantly evolving and absorbing new ideas, hip hop features slick routines known as 'breaking' and 'locking'. It may appear fluid and spontaneous, but the dance demands discipline and concentration if the performer wants to make an impression and say it from the heart. "The Performing Arts Club allows the students to express themselves through music," explained Mr Sahir Mohamed Tauhid, Head of Department for Aesthetics. This goal is evident in the elated faces of the young dancers as they freeze in their final pose and breathlessly take in their audience's reaction. "Dance is about the happiness we bring to other people," enthused Primary 6 pupil Patricia Ann Torres. "When we dance and people smile, that makes us happy too!"

Thinking Minds and Engaged Hearts Create a Positive School Environment

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:01 +0800

Feeling comfortable with one another in a Nano group.

A heart-to-heart discussion with your teacher and classmates; playing and inventing games - these activities and more are part of life at Nan Hua Primary School, where children are encouraged to be curious, thoughtful, confident, co-operative, empathetic and expressive individuals through the school's Thinking and Nano Programmes. Introduced in 2009, the two programmes arose from a desire to develop thinking minds and engaged hearts in every pupil, focusing on both mental development as well as their emotional well-being. The Thinking Programme uses games, debates and questions to spark off intellectual curiosity, while in the Nano Programme, a teacher becomes a mentor and confidante to a group of students over a sustained period, providing them with a sounding board and safe environment to share their thoughts and feelings about life in school.

Making Sense of Grammar Through Online Mind-Mapping

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:01 +0800

Pupils at North View Primary look forward to the interactive nature of the mind-mapping tool; with them is Mr Rizal.

The rules of grammar can easily make neither rhyme nor sense to English Language learners. But like many journeys, it's possible to avoid confusion by using a map - specifically a mind-map. In essence, a mind-map charts words, ideas and other related information, stringing them together with spiderweb-like links that originate from a central theme. Because each branch represents one key idea, its nodes clearly show how one arrives at different forms of a verb or sentence structure. For this reason, North View Primary School has turned to mind-maps to teach the rules of English, but with a twist. Instead of using the whiteboard, the pupils log in to an online collaborative mind-mapping software that allows them to post ideas, check and edit each other's work, even as they generate a virtual map of their study topic.

Moving From Page to Stage

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:01 +0800

The legend of Redhill brought to life.

Raucous applause and delightful cheers erupted as the stage curtains closed on the island-hopping adventures of Sang Nila Utama, the tragic tale of the boy of Redhill and the self-sacrificing turtle of Kusu Island. There was clearly a hunger to know more about these stories. Sensing the curiosity, Mrs Christina Chung, a parent volunteer with Anglo-Chinese School (Junior), took to the microphone with a clear message, "These are just some of the many stories and legends of Singapore. Find out more at the library, boys!" Taking the curtain call in this latest act by Dramazing was a cast and crew of parents, pupils and teachers, who worked together on a creative arts programme integrating speech and drama with the teaching and learning of English.

Allied Educators Add Life Experience to Learning

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:01 +0800

Bringing their life experiences to school are Allied Educators (from left to right) Mr Abdul Hadi Bin Baharudin, Mr Richard Ooi, and Mr Melvin Au.

A retired police officer, a former IT professional and a former football coach - what are they doing at Yu Neng Primary School? Coming from different walks of life, Mr Richard Ooi, Mr Abdul Hadi Bin Baharudin and Mr Melvin Au, have brought their specialist experiences to Yu Neng Primary as Allied Educators. Their duties span from teaching in class to overseeing the safety and character development of the pupils. Introduced in 2009, Allied Educators are key members of the school team, and they work with teachers to nurture and develop every child in school.

Catching Pupils in the Act of Doing Right

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:01 +0800

Catch Them Doing Right helps pupils to develop their behaviour in line with the school's six core values.

We often speak of catching people doing something wrong - but Telok Kurau Primary School has turned this phrase on its head with its Catch Them Doing Right initiative. As the name suggests, the scheme aims to "catch" pupils, teachers, non-teaching staff, parents and even pupils from other schools in the act of doing something right, and recognise these efforts accordingly. Catch Them Doing Right has been a cornerstone of the Telok Kurau Primary experience since principal, Mr Wilbur Wong, came up with the idea after he joined the school in 2005. As Primary 6 pupil, Shameelia, summed it up, "It makes us feel good and satisfied when we do good deeds. I remember teachers appreciating me with little tokens when I helped to mentor other pupils in Maths. It's not about the tokens, but it's to show that when you are kind and helpful, people will remember you for what you have done." That said, Catch Them Doing Right is more than a 'Gotcha!' moment for unsuspecting do-gooders. The programme is grounded in the understanding that teachers and pupils can work together - throughout the year and from Pri 1 to Pri 6 - to make school life a kinder, gentler place for all.

Helping with Heart and Healthy Ideas

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:00:01 +0800

Mrs Susan Tan, an active volunteer with the Parent Support Group at St Margaret's Secondary School, with her daughter, Rini, and husband, David.

It was simple gratitude that led Mrs Susan Tan to join the Parent Support Group (PSG) at St Margaret's Secondary School when her daughter, Rini, was in Secondary 2. "My daughter has dyslexia, but the school never gave up on her even though she was failing or barely passing subjects," shared Mrs Tan. "Without this support, Rini would never have done so well for her 'O' levels last year with eight points for five subjects." Rini had already graduated from secondary school in 2010, but Mrs Tan is still a regular face at the school, where she continues to volunteer as a PSG alumni member. "It's more than just showing my heartfelt appreciation," she explained. "I've also realised that when parents work closely together with the school, these collaborations bring about so many benefits to the students."

Making Their Mark in Water Conservation and Education

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:01 +0800

The simple idea of placing a two-litre plastic bottle inside the flushing cisterns helped the school save up to 8,000 litres of water every month.

How can plastic bottles filled with two litres of water each result in savings of up to 8,000 litres of water every month? That is just what Bendemeer Primary School has done. By placing a filled bottle inside its flushing cisterns, the school has been able to reduce the amount of water used for each flush. The bottle displaces water in the tank, causing the cistern to use less water each time it refills. Needing no sophisticated gadgetry or expensive retrofitting, this simple solution for saving water won the school the 'Best Suggestion of the Year' award for the South cluster from MOE in 2010. This year, Bendemeer Primary went on to bag the Watermark Award from the Public Utilities Board (PUB) for its outstanding efforts and commitment to water conservation and education. Introduced in 2007, the Watermark Award honours individuals and organisations that take ownership of Singapore's water resources and contribute to sustainable water usage.

Teachers with Conviction, Creativity, and Care

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:01 +0800

Mdm Choo at a Maths Learning Corner where students can have hands-on experience with implements such as weighing scales, thermometers and clocks that reinforce their maths lessons.

Mdm Choo Pee Ling started out as an administrative staff at Katong School. But within a year, she was so won over by the students that she chose to apply for a teaching position. Fifteen years later, after putting in two year's worth of evenings in pursuit of a part-time degree in Special Education, she serves as the school's Head of Department for Maths and Life Skills. On the other hand, Ms Wong Wai Sian had a different route to special education. Having volunteered with the intellectually disabled since her freshman days, it was second nature for her to become involved in helping those with special needs after graduation. Today, she teaches at Tanglin School, where she leads the students in Mathematics, making music and even helps them to give back to the community. With creativity, a deep sense of care and a strong belief in their students, Mdm Choo and Ms Wong were the recipients of the MOE-NCSS Outstanding Special Education (SPED) Award this year.

Teaching English, As It Is Spoken

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:01 +0800

Ms Gladys Ng has been using activities promoting creativity to teach English at River Valley Primary School for 18 years.

Teaching English can be challenging in Singapore's multilingual environment. But don't say that to Ms Gladys Ng or Ms Pamela Kiew. Both teachers, who received the Inspiring English Teacher Award on 11 October 2011, would gladly dispel the notion with a wealth of examples of how they have motivated their pupils to learn and love the language. From empowering their pupils with using technology to encouraging them to speak in public or even improvise with props in a performing arts studio, the two teachers have hatched a diverse set of strategies to hook their pupils' interest while helping them beef up on their grammar, writing and speaking skills. Exposing their classes to how English is used in the real world is also a priority. "People need to understand that the usage of English goes beyond the classroom and we use it widely as a means of communication and instruction," said Ms Ng, who has taught at River Valley Primary School for 18 years. Ms Kiew, who is Head of Department for English Language at Bukit View Primary School, stated, "It is important that English is relevant and interesting to the students. I strongly believe in providing my students with authentic learning experiences."

Bonding with Dads for Life

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:01 +0800

Bonding over badminton: The first Dads for Life event at Swiss Cottage Secondary School. Photograph courtesy of Ho Kin Kee.

It was a smashing time at Swiss Cottage Secondary School. Big boys were serving up a storm at the school, but these were no troublemakers. Better yet, they were fathers who shared badminton courts with their children and battled other father-child teams in a "Dads for Life" Badminton Challenge on 10 September. Fun and fitness aside, the event kicked off the school's collaboration with Dads for Life, a national movement that seeks to inspire and mobilise fathers to play an active and positive role in their children's lives. Given the camaraderie and cool running of the show, with family members standing by ready to water the players and doubling up as cheerleaders, few would have guessed that the school's Parent Support Group (PSG) was introduced to the movement only a mere three weeks earlier.

Going on a Life-changing Trip

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:01 +0800

Not your usual vacation: mixing cement to help build a school wall.

It was "a lesson of perseverance, love, hope and life." Recalling what she took home from a trip to Cambodia earlier this year, Pinchanok Ling confessed that she used to be selfish and uncaring. "I thought my life and the people around me were not important," said the Secondary 3 student of Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School (Secondary). "After the trip, I realised that I had taken many things for granted, especially my mum." Another Sec 3 student, Elsa Lim, found herself on a "life-changing trip" in a small village near Klang, West Malaysia. "I gained a lot of valuable experiences, like realising how fortunate I was and how so many people out there needed help", said Elsa. Her levelmate Cara Loh, who ended up in Yangshuo in China, expressed a similar sentiment, stating, "The experience has taught me to appreciate what we have." Cara, Elsa and Pinchanok were not the only students to spend a week of their mid-year holidays in a journey that opened eyes and transformed minds. In fact, the school's entire cohort of Sec 3 students, numbering 278 girls, took off from 28 May to 5 July on an overseas community involvement programme (OCIP) that led them to rural schools and villages in five locations across three countries.