www.frontierpri.moe.edu.sg

iN Touch @Frontier

January 2017

Chinese New Year Celebration The school will be celebrating Chinese New Year on Friday, 27 January 2017. Pupils are encouraged to wear their Chinese traditional costume (with black school shoes) on that day. If they do not have any traditional Chinese costumes, pupils will come in school attire. As 27 January 2017 is the eve of Chinese New Year, the school will be dismissed earlier at 10.15 a.m. Pupils should report to school as usual by 7.20 a.m. Pupils will be engaged in a series of activities planned by the school to celebrate the occasion. There will be no lessons on that day. Pupils will return to school on Wednesday, 1 February 2017.

At A Glance

Announcements

* Chinese New Year Celebration

* Trekathon 2017

* PAL @FPS

* P3 GEP Identification Exercise

2017

* CCA Matters

Upcoming Events

* Total Defence Day

* E-Learning Day (P1 to P4 only)

* Experiential Day 1 (P1 to P4 only)

* P5 Outdoor Adventure Camp

* P6 Special Programmes

* English Workshops for Parents

Admin & Operations Matters

* Safety & Security Matters

* Commitment to Quality Service

* Pupils’ Accident Protection

Scheme 2017

* Pupils’ Well-Being

PPC Spotlight

ICT Matters

SchoolBag

Heart 2 Heart

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Do you have any feedback or ideas for iN Touch?

Do let us know on our website at http://www.frontierpri.moe.edu.sg/our-stakeholders/iN-Touch-feedback-form

You can also view our past issues at http://www.frontierpri.moe.edu.sg/our-stakeholders/iN-Touchfrontier

Trekathon 2017 The school has organised an annual fund-raising project since 2012 that all members of the staff undertake for a good cause. In 2016, we decided to raise funds for HCA Hospice Care, VIVA Foundation for Children with Cancer and Singapore Disability Sports Council as part of our efforts to contribute to the community. We thank all our stakeholders for the strong support for our efforts.

This year, the school has decided to continue raising funds for organisations doing good causes for Singaporeans. We are happy that MK@Frontier is also joining us in this endeavour. We will going to the Singapore Civic District for our Trekathon in 2017.

The chosen beneficiaries for 2017 will be:

i) HCA Hospice Care

ii) Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS)

iii) Art Outreach Singapore Limited

We believe that all of us, in our small ways, can make a difference to the community. We hope that you will support us in this worthy endeavour.

PAL @ FPS

The school has a wide range of interesting and engaging PAL (Programme for Active Learning) modules planned for our lower primary pupils. The PAL schedule and module objectives are shown below for your information and reference.

Level/Term Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 Term 4

Primary One

Dance and Move-

ment (DaMo) (Dance)

Stories Come Alive Through Art (SCATA)

(Visual Arts)

Sports and Games

Speech and Drama

Mother Tongue Languages

Primary Two

Rhythm and Move-ment (RhyMo)

(Dance)

PAL Drama (Performing Arts)

Senses In Exploration (SE) (Outdoor Educa-

tion)

Speech and Drama English Language

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 2 of 13

ANNOUNCEMENTS

P3 Gifted Education Programme (GEP) Identification Exercise 2017

Every year, the Gifted Education Branch of the Ministry of Education carries out the

identification of P3 pupils for the Gifted Education Programme (GEP). The GEP provides

opportunities for the intellectually gifted to develop their potential in an educational environment

that is designed to stimulate intellectual growth. Pupils for the GEP are selected through two

stages of exercises: the Screening Exercise (1st round) and the Selection Exercise (2nd round).

The tentative schedule for the two stages of the GEP Identification Exercise 2017 is given below:

Both exercises will be based on the Primary 1 to Primary 3 English Language and Mathematics

syllabuses. The topics “Area and Perimeter”, “Geometry” and “Time” in the Primary 3

Mathematics syllabus will be excluded from the Screening Exercise.

There will a notification letter to parents from the Gifted Education Branch in July 2017. More

information will be provided in the letter.

GEP Screening Exercise

(English Language and Mathematics)

Shortlisted pupils are invited to sit in the

GEP Selection Exercise

23 Aug 2017

(Wednesday)

GEP Selection Exercise

(English Language, Mathematics and General Ability)

19, 20 October 2017

(Thursday, Friday)

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 3 of 13

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CCA Matters

(i) Primary 4 CCA Selection As indicated in the letter to parents on 12 January 2017, Primary 4 pupils will select their CCA from 18 January to 22 January on the school’s LMS i.e. MC Online . Pupils will be informed of the CCA he/she has been allocated to on Wednesday, 1 February.

(ii) Commencement of CCA for P4 to P6 pupils Do note that CCA for P4 to P6 pupils will commence in Term 1 Week 6. After taking into consideration the availability of venues to conduct CCAs, and to ensure optimal engagement of pupils during CCA sessions, P4 to P6 CCAs will continue to be conducted on Mondays and Fridays in 2017.

Monday CCA sessions will commence on 6 February 2017

Friday CCA sessions will commence on 10 February 2017

Consent forms will be issued to parents by respective CCA teachers.

CCAs on Mondays

CCAs on Fridays

Softball Badminton (Group 2)

Badminton (Group 1) Scouts

Library Club Red Cross

Media Club Chinese Dance

String Ensemble Rugby (Boys only)

Art Club

Choir

Basketball (Boys only)

DanzWhiz (By invitation only)

Sport Climbing

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 4 of 13

ANNOUNCEMENTS

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 5 of 13

UPCOMING EVENTS

Total Defence Day Total Defence Day (15

th February) marks the British surrender of

Singapore to the Japanese during World War 2 in 1942. This annual

event reminds us that the task of nation-building is full of difficulties, and

all of us have a part to play in defending our country. This year Frontier

Primary will commemorate Total Defence Day on Monday, 13 February

2017.

The theme for this year’s campaign is “Together We Keep Singapore Strong”. The school will

commemorate Total Defence Day with an assembly programme and a canteen sale of food

items associated with the war. In addition, the pupils will be having activities in the canteen, and

during Social Studies and Art lessons which are related to Total Defence. Through these

activities, it is hoped that pupils will feel that they can play a part in the defence of Singapore,

despite their tender age.

E-Learning Day (P1 to P4 only) The school will be having e-Learning Day on Thursday, 16 February 2017 for P1 to P4

pupils only. The purpose of the e-Learning day is to develop in all Frontierers the qualities of

self-directed learning and resilience, while increasing their proficiency in ICT-facilitated learning

via the online tools on the school’s Learning Management System (LMS). This also prepares

our pupils for home-based learning in the event of emergency school closures.

The P1 to P4 pupils will not report to school on that day. The bus vendor will be informed

of this arrangement. The pupils are expected to complete all online tasks assigned to them by

the teachers on the school LMS portal from home at https://www.mconline.sg/. A letter with more

details will be given to the parents, in addition to a briefing by the teachers, nearing the e-

Learning Day. Related announcements and guides will also be put up on the school website for

easy reference.

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 6 of13

Experiential Day 1 (P1 to P4 only) The school believes strongly in providing all our pupils with an experiential approach to their

learning. All Frontierers go on learning journeys every year. For this year, the P1 to P4 pupils will be

heading for their learning journeys on Friday, 17 February 2017. The school hours will remain the

same as per normal school day.

The Learning Journeys for the different levels are as follows:

Primary 1— River Safari

Primary 2— Changi Airport

Primary 3— Singapore Discovery Centre

Primary 4— Singapore River

A separate letter with more details will be been given to parents closer to the date.

P5 Outdoor Adventure Camp The school is organising a 2-day 1-night Outdoor Adventure Camp 2017 for all Primary 5

pupils. It will be held on 16-17 February 2017 (Thursday and Friday) at MOE Dairy Farm

Outdoor Adventure Learning Centre. The objectives of the camp are:

To educate pupils on appreciating and respecting the outdoor environment.

To expose pupils to outdoor adventure activities such as zipline, rock wall climbing, and

abseiling.

To build character by engaging in developing bonds, strengthening friendships and

managing self.

More information will be provided in a separate letter.

P6 Special Programmes

As our P6 pupils grow up to be teenagers, they need to acquire the knowledge, skills, values

and attitudes which will allow them to develop healthy and responsible relationships and make

informed and responsible decisions. Thus P6 pupils will be embarking on Sexuality Education

lessons on Thursday, 16 February 2017 with trained teachers in school. Activities and materials will

engage the pupils in meaningful and interesting discussions on the topics to be covered.

On Friday, 17 February 2017, P6 pupils will be going through a comprehensive academic programme as part of their preparation for PSLE.

The school hours will remain the same as per normal school day for P6 pupils on 16 –17 February 2017. More information will be provided in a separate letter.

UPCOMING EVENTS

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 7 of 13

UPCOMING EVENTS

English Workshops for Parents

i) Digital Storytelling Workshop (for P3 parents only)

As part of Holistic Assessment, the P3 pupils will be engaged in storytelling for both their English and Mother Tongue Language classes which incorporate the use of digital storytelling software. The school will adequately prepare pupils for this through training workshops. P3 parents who are interested may also attend a workshop on the use of the storytelling digital software. Parents can expect to get hands-on training on the various features and functions of the digital storytelling software.

Day/Day: Friday, 10 February 2017 Time: 3.00 pm – 5.00 pm

ii) Comprehension and Writing Workshop (for P5 and P6 parents only)

The English department will be conducting a Comprehension and Writing workshop for parents of P5 and P6 pupils. The workshop will cover the following areas:

Types of comprehension questions Strategies for answering comprehension questions Strategies for planning and developing a story (There will also be a short segment on Situational Writing and Oral Examination during the workshop.)

The details of the workshop are as follows:

Day/Date: Friday, 24 February 2017 Time: 3pm – 5.30pm

Due to space constraint, we are only able to allow one parent per child to attend each workshop. Both workshops are limited to the first 100 registrants only. Please go to the following websites to register

your attendance by Sunday, 5 February 2017.

P3 Digital Storytelling Workshop: http://bit.ly/2iBJO8M

QR Code:

P5/P6 Comprehension and Writing Workshop: http://bit.ly/2jnf8cp

QR Code:

We hope that these sessions will give you some ideas on how you can support your child in his/her learning. Thank you for partnering us as we work together to help the pupils succeed in their academic pursuits.

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 8 of 13

ADMINISTRATION & OPERATIONS MATTER

Safety & Security Matters

(i) Pick-up and Drop-off By Car

Parents may drive your cars to the school porch to drop-off your children when you send your chil-

dren to school. After school dismissal, parents may drive in to pick up your children at designated times.

The school will NOT allow parents to drive into the school compound for school dismissal outside the timing indi-

cated above. This is because of safety considerations, especially with over 1,400 pupils being dismissed and

school buses parked inside the school compound. The buffer of 20 minutes is also necessary to enable school

buses to leave the school premises quickly and safely. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation in

the matter.

(ii) Reporting to Security Guard Post during Visitation

The school takes the safety of our pupils seriously. Hence, all visitors are required to report at the secu-

rity post located at the main gate. We hope that parents will refrain from sending your child’s books,

files, stationery, water-bottles etc to school as this will make it difficult to deter unauthorised persons

from entering the school. We hope you will work with your child/ward to appreciate the importance of

responsibility for their own belongings in packing their bags daily.

For purpose of visiting the school bookshop, parents are only allowed to enter the school via the securi-

ty post from 2pm to 2.45pm. Thank you for making the school a safer place for our children.

(iii) Gates for Dismissal

We would like to remind parents that with the increase in school population in 2017, Gate C (near HDB

Block 656) will also be open for pupils’ dismissal besides Gates A and B. Parents are advised to ar-

range with their children on the correct gate for pick-up.

(iv) Jaywalking

The school would like to remind all pupils and parents to make use of the traffic lights located near the

school gates when crossing the roads and not to jaywalk.

We thank all parents and guardians who have been the role models for our children.

Day Monday Tues Wednesday Thursday Friday

Time parents can drive into

school to DROP

OFF children

7.00am to 7.20am only

School Dismissal time 1.45pm 1.45pm 12.45pm 1.45pm 1.45pm

Approximate Time

Parents can drive into

school to PICK UP

2.05pm 2.05pm 1.05pm 2.05pm 2.05pm

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 9 of 13

ADMINISTRATION & OPERATIONS MATTER

Commitment to Quality Service

We are committed to serving our stakeholders and adhere to the service standards set by the

Singapore Civil Service.

If the query is straight forward, the school will respond to written queries within 3 working days. If the

query is more complex and more investigation is needed, the school will respond within 7 to 14 work-

ing days.

Pupils’ Accident Protection Scheme 2017

The school has arranged for an insurance policy to insure our pupils against accidents. A hard copy of the summary of the insurance policy has already been provided to all pupils by their Form Teachers. In the event of any queries or claims, parents can contact AVA INSURANCE BROKERS PTE

LTD directly at their hotline 6535 1828 or email them at claims@ava-ins.com

Pupils’ Well-Being

(i) School Bags

The school has collected most of the pupils’ workbooks, files and materials, and placed them in

the classrooms. Pupils should use their timetable to guide them in packing their school bags so that

they can better manage the weight. We seek your assistance in guiding your child/ward in the matter.

We trust that our collective efforts will ensure that our pupils’ school bags are not too heavy.

(ii) Snack Breaks

As announced last year, the school permits pupils to have a snack break in the classroom at

around 12 noon on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

If pupils wish to have a snack break during this period, they are to inform the subject teacher. Pupils

can bring along their own dry snacks such as biscuits and energy bars. Pupils are permitted to con-

sume the dry snacks and plain water during lessons with the consent of the teacher. Sugared drinks

and other food will not be allowed due to potential hygiene issues in the classroom.

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 10 of 13

PPC SPOTLIGHT

Introducing the PPC Executive Committee

The Parent Partnership Community (PPC) was established with the objective of enhancing the experience of our children in Frontier by supporting school-initiated events. PPC also aims to provide a channel for parents to play an active role in their child’s school. We would like to thank our outgoing PPC 3rd Executive Committee (Exco) team who has served us diligently in the year 2016. They are: Mdm Mary Heng (Founding member) Mdm Lim Pei Pei (Founding member) Mdm Josephine Ng (Founding member) Mdm April Lin Mdm Ee Suat Sian We welcome the following parents who have volunteered to sit in the current PPC 4th Exco team to take on the duties for the year 2017: Mdm Ang Hwee Mei (Chairperson) Mr Eric Liau (Vice-Chairperson & Communication Coordinator) Mdm Jacqueline Ang (Secretary) Mdm Dorothy Goh (Treasurer) Mdm Shafeza (Parent Support Activities) Mdm Lim Mei Che (Student Support Activities) The Exco team provides leadership to the PPC which has over 200 members to date. Parents who have demonstrated the passion to serve are invited to sit in the Frontier PPC Exco team to ensure the continuity of the parent and school partnership. We look forward to the support of more parents to make the children’s school life even more meaningful at Frontier Primary. If you would like to join us, do register at http://tinyurl.com/fps-ppc PPC Exco ( Email us at: ppc@frontierpri.net or visit our website at http://ppc.frontierpri.net )

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 11 of 13

Learning Management System

Frontier Primary has engaged Marshall Cavendish as the vendor for our Learning Management

System (LMS). The LMS supports IT-infused teaching, collaborative learning, formative assessment

and mobile learning. With the online-based repository of curriculum-based digital content, teachers

and pupils can access high quality educational resources. Below are some examples of how the

school leverages the LMS .

We strongly encourage all parents to download the MC Online App into your smart phones using the

following steps to be more involved in your child’s learning.

Downloading of Parents MC Online App

Install the ‘MCO Connect’ app from Apple App Store / Google Play Store.

Select a ‘User Type’ – Student, Teacher, Father, Mother or Guardian

Enter Login ID, School ID & Password (for Parents & Guardians, please enter the child’s Login ID,

School ID & Password)

Click Register

MC Online Login

Website: www.mconline.sg

Student's login account:

Parent's login account:

*Please change password after first logging in. Password needs to be changed every 90 days.

Student Teachers Parents

Acquire knowledge and critical skills

Work on projects individually or col-laboratively

Learn at their own pace, anytime and anywhere

Create, share, find and re-use contents

Customise lessons based on learning styles and abilities

Capture results and track individ-ual or class progress

Manage, monitor and report on online learning

Handle many other administrative functions

Monitor your child’s online assignment

View announcements posted by teachers

Can take survey posted to you by the school.

Username :

fps (Last 6 characters of BC Number) example: BC Number of pupil : T1012345Z Username for LMS: fps12345z

School : fps

Password : 2017fps1

Username p_[child’s username] (Example: p_fps12345z)

School fps

Password parent01

ICT Matters

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 12 of 13

“How Many Times Can I Fail Before I’m Considered a Failure?”06 DEC 2016 Sher-li Torrey, a career coach by training and a mother of two, shares her views on failing. She says parents should allow their kids to take risks and let them experience setbacks early in life. The fear of failure is something that Sher-li Torrey often encounters in her conversations with stu-dents. The Founder and Director of Mums@Work, a career portal that offers flexi-work solutions for mothers, says, “If the first, second or even third job you have isn’t what you’re looking for, it doesn’t mean that they’re failures. You have to think of how each job has developed your skills and helped you discover what you value. I always see them as learning points in life.” This is the advice that Mrs Torrey wants students to walk away with at the end of the Education and Career Guidance (ECG) talks she conducts in schools. Mrs Torrey is no stranger to the idea of “failure” and self-doubt. In her mid-20s, she had left her job at IE Singapore to head to northeast Japan to teach English to high school kids. She didn’t speak any Japanese, but had decided to take the plunge to gain exposure to other cultures. Her father was against her decision and at times, she had doubted her move, particularly when she heard from her peers who were moving up the ranks in their careers.

It’s not failure; it’s time to try something new “When people say something is a failure, it’s when they think they are stuck,” Mrs

Torrey says. She remembers a Normal Technical student who asked her whether he would get a job and have a successful career. He wasn’t hopeful about his future at that point in his life. Mrs Torrey’s advice to him was that he should think about the goals he can work towards instead of focusing on what he didn’t achieve. “If you’re feeling stuck, ask yourself, ‘Am I really stuck or I just think that I am?’” Mrs Torrey says. What if you shift your mindset and start looking for an opportunity to move out?”

Flying without fear of failure What can parents do to nurture kids who are ready to bounce back after failure? Mrs Torrey likens

the challenge of parenting to flying a kite. If you want the kite to fly high, you need to loosen the string. When the wind chang-es, the kite may dip but you can always pull back to prevent it from falling. While finding the right balance is not easy, says Mrs Torrey, who has a daughter in Primary 2 and a four-year-old son, here are some of her suggestions for nurturing kids who are resilient and not afraid to fail:

Allow your kids to experience setbacks or missteps early in life. As parents, it may be hard for you to watch your kids struggle, but you’re doing them a favour. Kids who learn to overcome challenges at a young age grow into resilient teen-agers and adults. Mrs Torrey recalls how her daughter had to make an impromptu presentation in Chinese class and it was a “nightmare”. Some parents wanted time for students to prep for these presentations to protect their children from embarrass-ment. But Mrs Torrey decided to speak with her daughter more frequently in Chinese at home. Over time, her daughter’s Chi-nese improved and she was able to make impromptu presentations with confidence.

Recognise that it’s their life not yours. Parents are too quick to tell their children what to do. “When my daughter told me she wanted to play the piano, I told her to pick up the violin as it was something I would have done.” One way to avoid falling into this trap, Mrs Torrey says, is to think of your own career path and what you would have done differently. Ask yourself: Are you imposing your dreams on your child?

Find a middle path. What if your child’s dream seems unrealistic to you? A polytechnic lecturer told Mrs Torrey that he was discouraging his son from wanting to be an opera singer because “he can’t sing for nuts”. Mrs Torrey’s advice is that parents strike a balance between their desires and their kids’. Encourage children to pursue varied interests instead of telling them what’s not going to work out. “So, if opera singing doesn’t work out, he’ll have a backup path. Or he could prove you wrong and succeed.”

It’s not always about getting the answers right. Before becoming a full-time “mumpreneur”, Mrs Torrey was head of the postgraduate team at the Office of Career Services at the Singapore Management University (SMU). She shares that at group interviews, some students would be so fixated on giving the right answers, they would not speak up unless they were sure. This didn’t work in their favour. As Mrs Torrey points out, employers are looking for candidates who can think on their feet, are not afraid to try something new, and who have tenacity and can bounce back after a setback.

Know when to step in. When Mrs Torrey’s daughter came home with a score of one out of 10 for her Maths test and wasn’t even bothered by it, she knew she had to talk to her. Her daughter said that she had no interest in the subject. Instead of mak-ing her daughter do more practice questions, she found ways to teach her Maths through games and puzzles. Mrs Torrey’s advice is that before you jump into solving the problem, talk to your kid and find out what the issue is.

Don’t feel guilty about letting your child fail. You are not pulling the rug out from under their feet. You’re allowing small are-as of risk-taking in their growing-up years so that they’re able to better identify and assess what’s at stake when they make decisions later in life.

But are there failures that you can’t afford? “There’ll be ones that are very painful,” Mrs Torrey says. “But I have seen that suc-cessful people are usually the ones who find the strength in them to say, ‘I’ll find a way to pick myself up.’”

SchoolBag.sg

Activities for Children's Emotional and Social Development by Susan Revermann

Your child’s social and emotional development starts as soon as he is born and continues to develop for years after. According to The American Academy of Paediatrics, early social-emotional development “is a fundamental part of a child’s overall health and well-being.” Help your child build a strong foundation by planning some activities to encourage this development. Dramatic Play - When children are involved in dramatic play, several components of social-emotional development occur. They use verbal and nonverbal communication as they play. Vocabulary and language skills are strengthened as they interact. The children learn to appreciate each other's feelings as they share space and work together to create the play scenarios. Since it is an open-ended type of play, the children can try on different roles and be anyone they choose. A bin of dress up clothes, puppets, dolls and flannel boards all fit into this dramatic play category. Games - Children’s games are not just for entertainment -- they can be educational, too. Games that require kids to take turns and share help develop their social development. They must co-habitate the play space and decide on what rules to follow. When a child loses or accidentally gets his feelings hurt, he must learn how to accept the loss or demonstrate emotional self-regulation. Age-appropriate board games, puzzles, field games, races or tag are all examples of games that can help your child mature socially and emotionally. Art Projects - Art is an excellent means of providing an emotional and creative outlet for a child of any age. If you pair two or more children together to do a cooperative art project, you also tie in the social aspect. When the children have to work together, they must determine how to distribute the supplies evenly and share the art space to complete the task. Creating a large painting, gluing together an ice pop stick birdhouse or mixing up a batch of homemade modelling clay all require the kids to collaborate and brainstorm how to complete the task, as well as learn the valuable lesson of give and take. Modelling Love and Care - There are simple activities or actions that you can do to make a major difference in his life and development. One of the best things you can do for your child is to model appropriate behaviour. He learns a lot from just watching you -- so set a positive example. Make sure to hug, kiss and praise your child often to let him know how valued and special he is. Spend quality time with him every day, even if it is only an assigned 15-minute block per day. Engage him in conversations, read to him and cuddle. All of these activities will help strengthen his self-image and allow him to develop a healthy view of the world.

iN Touch @ Frontier Page 13 of 13