IN TOUCH 09/2019 - MOE · 2019. 10. 4. · IN TOUCH 09/2019 PSLE Listening Comprehension (LC) and PSLE Written Examination 2019 ... National Day Celebrations@BPPS We celebrated our

BUKIT PANJANG PRIMARY SCHOOL 109 Cashew Road, Singapore 679676

Tel: 67691912 Fax: 67637462 http://www.bukitpanjangpri.moe.edu.sg/

Future Leaders, Concerned Citizens

Mission Developing our students holistically in a vibrant and caring environment

18 September 2019

From the Principal’s Desk…

IN TOUCH 09/2019

PSLE Listening Comprehension (LC) and PSLE Written Examination 2019 A gentle reminder to all parents that the PSLE LC examination will be held on 20th September 2019. All Pri 1 to 5 students are not required to come to school. The PSLE written examination will commence on 26th September and end on 2nd October 2019. School will be as usual for all the Pri 1 to 5 students. For other dates that concern school holidays/ closure, please refer to calendar of events attached for more information. Application for MOE Financial Assistance Scheme 2020

Application forms for the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (MOE FAS) will be available in the General Office from Monday, 23 September 2019 onwards.

The eligibility criteria for MOE FAS are:

a. The family’s gross household income (GHI) does not exceed $2750 per month; or

b. The family’s per capita income (PCI) does not exceed $690 per month. (PCI=GHI divided by

number of household members)

Please ensure that supporting documents such as latest payslip, CPF contribution history, latest income

tax statement etc. are attached to the application form.

Completed forms with supporting documents must be submitted to the General Office latest by Monday,

7 Oct 2019. Your prompt submission will enable us to process your application in time to ensure that

your child receives his/her school text-books/ uniforms for the new school term in 2020.

Please email Mdm Jenny Ong at [email protected] if you have any enquiries.





Nomination for Caring Teacher Award 2020 BPPS has always been known for its caring and dedicated teachers who go the extra mile for the students. We would like to encourage parents to nominate deserving teachers for the 13th Caring Teacher Awards (CTA) 2020.

The CTA started in 1996 and is organised biennially by NIE, with the support from ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd and the Ministry of Education. It aims to celebrate school teachers who exemplify the values of caring, sharing and concern for the academic, moral, social, emotional and mental welfare of their students. For more information on CTA and to submit your nomination, please visit http://www.cta.nie.edu.sg. Nomination for CTA closes on 20th October 2019.

The school will also be setting up a nomination booth, during recess, for the students to nominate their teachers for this award. More details will be announced to the students at a later date. THE LEE KUAN YEW AWARD FOR ALL-ROUND EXCELLENCE (LKY-ARE)

We are pleased to share with you that our former student, Mohamad Irfan, was recently awarded with the prestigious LKY-ARE. The LKY-ARE is a national-level award for achievement in education that has been presented to secondary school students since 2005. It recognises well-rounded students who have excelled in both academic and non-academic spheres, and who exemplify the qualities articulated in our desired outcomes of education. To us, Irfan is the epitome of positivity and resilience who is deserving of the award. His journey in primary school education is certainly not a smooth sailing one. However, through grit, perseverance and a positive outlook in life, Irfan managed to conquer and overcome all difficulties encountered.

We are proud of Irfan’s achievement and wish him all the best in his future undertakings.

http://www.cta.nie.edu.sg/





MakeX Robotics Competition Brennan Kok, Louis Kwai and Matthew Tan from Resilience 1, together with Nikhil Manoj from Resilience 4, took part in the MakeX Singapore Robotics Competition on 14 September 2019. This competition fuelled the passion and creativity of the students through the application of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics). Needless to say, they put in a lot of efforts and dedicated their time to design and programme their robots to fulfil the mission given to them. During the process, their logical thinking, strategic teamwork and problem-solving ability were put to the test. We are proud to announce that Louis Kwai and Brennan Kok competed against 12 teams and emerged as the champion for the primary school category. It is certainly another proud moment for the school. Land Transport Authority (LTA) Best Service Partner Award (Team) We are pleased to announce that the school has been awarded the LTA Best Service Partner Award (Team). LTA’s Best Service Partner Award recognises external parties who collaborated well with LTA to deliver excellent service to the public. Since 2018, the school has been partnering LTA to spearhead Kids Smart Travel Challenge, a first-of-its-kind pilot project in Singapore using cutting-edge gamification techiques to encourage car-lite travel to school. The pilot programme was a success at BPPS and had raised the share of car-lite travel among students by 10%. The school was presented with a plaque by LTA Chief Executive, Mr Ngien Hoon Ping, during the annual LTA Service Conference on 7th August 2019.





Primary 3 and Primary 4 Mathematics Experiential Learning Day The Mathematics Department organised activities with the aim of developing 21st century competencies such as collaborative learning, critical thinking and real-world problem skills. During Experiential Learning Day held on 6th September, the Primary 3 students explored the topic on Money through fun and non-routine hands-on activities. Students visited online shopping websites to explore the different prices and discounts offered, and worked collaboratively in groups to justify which online shopping website offered a better deal with the budget given. For the Primary 4 students, two concurrent activities were organised. Integrity 1, 2, and 3 students learnt to make kites using the concepts of Area and Perimeter and Measurement. Through this activity, students were able to make connections to the topics they learnt in school and its application in real-life. Students from Integrity 4, 5 and 6 were engaged in problem-solving skills and one of the activities involved the use of Screencast-O-Matic to capture their reasoning and communication processes in Mathematics. It was a meaningful and fun-filled day where students were immersed in the joy of learning Mathematics.

Teachers’ Day Concert 2019 On 5th September 2019, the students put up a rendition of “Aladdin The Musical” for the Teachers’ Day Concert. They showcased their talents in performing arts through their excellent acting, dancing and music skills. The concert was well-received by the teachers and students. We would like to thank all the performers for their hard work and dedication as well as the Parent Support Group and the parent volunteers who had helped with the make-up and the costume for the performers. Click to see photos. Sports Carnival (Primary 4 and 5) The 2019 Sports Carnival commenced with the Primary 4 and 5 levels on 6th September 2019.

The Primary 4 students represented their respective Houses to participate in the Obstacle Relay Races whereas the Primary 5 students represented their respective classes in an inter-class Captain’s Ball competition. Both competitions were intense and the students truly enjoyed the opportunity for them to showcase their physical and sporting capabilities.

The Sports Carnival was given a further boost when the teachers and parents from the Parent Support Group took part in the House Challenge Trophy in a game of Captain’s Ball. The atmosphere was simply amazing as the students from all the levels crowded around the parade square to support and cheer the teachers and PSG members on.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2296158680637446&id=1770831119836874





All in all, the Sports Carnival was a good closure to a hectic Term 3. The next Sports Carnival will be held in Term 4, for the Lower Primary and Primary 6 students.

National Day Celebrations@BPPS

We celebrated our Nation’s 54th Birthday on 8th August 2019. Prior to the day, there were recess activities held on 6th and 7th August 2019 for the students to know more about Singapore.

Students were also able to have their candid photos taken at the National Day Photo Booth, with the theme "Our Singapore". Last but not least, our students were also able to express their well-wishes for Singapore at the National Day Video Dedication corner.

In collaboration with the Art teachers, we also have the "Portraits of our Forefathers" Art Exhibition, at the concourse. This is a series of micrography portraits done by the P5 students, showcasing the pioneers of Singapore. As this is Singapore’s Bicentennial year, there was a special emphasis on the Contributions of our Forefathers during the National Day Concert. Our students were reminded of Singapore’s history, to appreciate what we have now as a nation and to look forward to the future. Our school’s performing arts groups - Chinese, Modern, Indian and Malay Dancers put up a rousing performance during the concert. For the grand finale, the school did Community Singing led by our school choir as well as the National Day Workout led by the PSG. It was evident that our students had a great time and enjoyed themselves tremendously.





Primary 4 Project Work In this Year ‘Towards Zero Waste’, the school aims to raise awareness on environmental issues in Singapore. The Primary 4 students took on various roles to promote reducing food waste to the school and community. Within School Together with non-profit organisation, Food from the Heart, students from Integrity 5 worked together to educate their fellow schoolmates to appreciate food as a precious resource and advocate the idea of a clean plate in the school. The students created awareness among their schoolmates about the amount of food wasted in Singapore and encouraged everyone to take only what they needed. For every clean plate/bowl returned, the students were given stickers as rewards for their efforts.

Community In collaboration with National Environmental Agency, students from Integrity 1 and 3 visited Bukit Panjang Hawker Centre to encourage patrons to reduce food waste as well as the use of disposable plastic. The students worked in groups and spoke to the patrons to do their part to save the environment. The outreach was well-received by the public and helped boost the esteem of the students in public speaking. In addition, students from Integrity 6 visited two preschools in the neighbourhood to share with them the importance of practising 3Rs - Reducing, Recycling and Reusing. The students created games, prepared colouring materials and also read a story to the pre-schoolers on saving the environment. It was a good learning experience for the students as they showcased what they had learnt and developed

confidence in speaking.





The school will continue to partner external organisations to provide richer learning experiences for the students. We believe that given such platforms, students will blossom to become future leaders, concerned citizens. Sharing Learning to Let Go (Taken from schoolbag.sg)

What would you do if your 11-year-old went to school without his/her wallet and phone? Panic? Tee Hun Ching tells you why she decided to do nothing.

When my son entered Primary 1 in 2014, there was a line in the orientation handout that struck me as particularly wise: If the students forgot any items that were required for the day, we were "strongly discouraged" from acting as their couriers.

This, the school explained, was to instil a sense of responsibility in the kids. Three years later, when my daughter hopped onto the academic ladder at a different school, I was given a variation of this reminder, along with others that encouraged us to give our children room to find their feet and learn from their mistakes instead of swooping in at the first sign of trouble.

With these sensible pointers lodged in my mind, I’ve managed to stop myself from flying to my children’s aid over the last five years when they are in a pickle.

‘Walletgate’

Once, my son forgot a bag that contained materials for an art lesson and props for a class presentation scheduled for that day. I fought the impulse to drop the bag off and he was rightly ticked off by his teacher.

He learnt to scrawl reminders to himself on sticky notes that day, but continues to pay for his absent-mindedness today. My resolve to stick by the ‘no-rescue policy’, which advises withholding help in cases of repeated forgetfulness or laziness, was sorely tested earlier this year when he left his wallet and mobile phone at home. With neither his student concession card nor money for his bus fare, I wondered how he would make his way back.

I decided against delivering the items to him but considered asking his form teacher to relay a message. In the end, I settled for waiting for an SOS call, which never came. My 11-year-old made it home by cobbling together money for his bus fare from kind friends.

He confessed to feeling panicky at first, but said (somewhat smugly) when asked why he didn’t call me: “I can handle it.”

It takes iron willpower to sit back and not lift a finger when you see – or imagine – your kids stumbling. But I’m glad I’ve stuck it out so far.





With each episode, my son learns that his careless attitude comes with consequences. And with each experience comes an opportunity for him to grow in maturity, resourcefulness and resilience.

Dialling up resilience

Not long after ‘Walletgate’, he got lost on his way to a tuition class. It was a bus journey he was familiar with, but a road diversion had thrown him off course that day. He alighted one stop earlier and took 10 minutes to regain his bearings.

"Why didn't you call?" I asked when he recounted the incident a week later.

"I didn't think you would be able to help even if I did," he replied. "Anyway, it was faster to figure my own way out."

I took this as further proof that, to build independence and a positive outlook, one first has to weather negative experiences. Resilience, the ability to bounce back from negative events or cope with adversity and changes, has been touted by parenting and mental health experts as a precursor to success in life. By success, they are concerned not so much with wealth and power but the confidence to navigate life’s ups and downs and stay the course.

Like stamina, resilience is built up day by day, step by step. It is not, as a contributor to Forbes magazine put it, “a light switch that you can flip on but rather a dimmer that you can proactively dial up with practice”.

The onus, then, is on us to give our children all the practice they need through the daily challenges they face before the stakes get too high. Yet being hands-off goes against the grain of today’s overprotective parents. We see it as our duty to shield our kids from failure and frustration, so we push, meddle and go all out to clear obstacles in their path.

But ‘snowplough’ parents have been accused of spawning an emotionally brittle generation that clings to their sides for far too long.

The New York Times reported in March that parents are known to apply for jobs on behalf of their children, lobby their employers for a raise and even attend job interviews with them. We tend to forget that a key responsibility of parenting is to train our kids to take responsibility for themselves.

Step in or keep out

Whenever I find my resolve wavering, I recall this piece of parenting wisdom: Our job is not to help get them out of trouble, but to help them devise solutions to their troubles. We can be their guide but not their lifelong fixer.

So when my kids get into a fix, I would first ask myself: Is this something they can handle on their own? If so, I will leave them to it.





If they miss a project deadline or forget to complete a piece of work, say, they know it’s their job to speak to their teachers and buck up. If they appear out of their depth, we would discuss what they could do and I would check in to see if follow-up was needed.

When my daughter, then seven, was having trouble with a classmate, who kept raiding her pencil case and disrupting her work, we came up with a few ways to deal with the girl. I told my daughter I would speak to her form teacher if she wanted me to, but that she should first give herself – and her friend – a chance to work things out.

None of my suggestions – remind the girl to pack her own stationery; be polite but firm with her; alert the teachers if need be – seemed to work though. My daughter still came home daily with a furrowed brow and a litany of complaints about her friend.

But in the weeks that followed, she learnt to stand her ground and tune out the classmate’s antics without me having to bother her teacher.

Resolving issues on their own builds self-confidence. And experts recommend teaching kids a standard approach to problem-solving as they grow older and life gets more complicated.

Vicki Caruana, a professor of education at Mount Saint Mary College in New York, offers a handy four-step process: 1) Define the problem; 2) Evaluate all possible solutions; 3) Develop a plan of action; 4) Adjust plans when necessary.

After all, as Julie Lythcott-Haims, the former dean of freshmen at Stanford University who wrote ‘How To Raise An Adult’ put it: "The point is to prepare the kid for the road, instead of preparing the road for the kid."

Which path would you pick?

Tee Hun Ching, a mother of two, is a copy editor and freelance journalist who was previously an editor with The Straits Times.

Thank you.

Bucktha Seelan Principal A child who is allowed to be disrespectful to his parents will not have true respect for anyone ~ Billy Graham





Bukit Panjang Primary School Calendar of Events for Term 4, 2019

Date Event Remarks

20 September PSLE Listening Comprehension (LC No school for P1 to P5 students

26 September PSLE – EL (Paper 1 & 2) School as usual for P1 to P5 students

27 September PSLE – MA (Paper 1 & 2)

30 September PSLE – MTL (Paper 1 & 2)

1 October PSLE - SC

2 October PSLE – HMTL* (Paper 1 & 2) *No school for all non-HMTL P6 candidates

3 October Sports Carnival (Lower Pri) Children’s Day concert

4 October School Holiday – Children’s Day No school for all students

7 October SA2 – P3 – P5 Paper 1 (EL)

8 October SA2 – P3 – P5 Paper 1 (MTL)

9 October SA2 - P3 – P5 Listening Compre (EL & MTL)

10 & 11 October SA2 - P5 MTL eOral Exam (after school)

14 to 17 October PSLE Marking No school for all students

18 October SA2 - P5 EL Oral Exam (after school)

21 October SA 2 - P3 EL & MTL Oral Exam (after school)

22 October SA 2 - P4 EL & MTL Oral Exam (after school)

23 October SA2 - P5 HMT Paper 1

24 October SA2 - P3 – P5 EL written exam

25 October SA2 - P3 – P5 MA written exam

28 October Public holiday - Deepavali No school for all students

30 October SA2 - P3 – P5 MTL written exam

31 October SA2 - P3 – P5 SC written exam

1November SA2 - P5 HMT Paper 2

2 November P1 Orientation For 2020 P1 students

8 November Admin Day No school for all students

14 November Community and Discovery Day More details will be given at a later date.

15 November Achiever’s Day Only prize winners and selected performers to attend

16 November – 31st Dec 2019

Dec School Holiday No school for all students

2 Jan 2020 First Day of School

Documents

IN TOUCH 09/2019 - MOE · 2019. 10. 4. · IN TOUCH 09/2019 PSLE Listening Comprehension (LC) and PSLE Written Examination 2019 ... National Day Celebrations@BPPS We celebrated our