Mixed-Up Words

ADMIRALTY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Connecting the community @ Admiralty

1ISSUE

2013

http://www.admiraltypri.moe.edu.sg

Page 2-3• Principal's Foreword• National Story Challenge 2013• Chinese New Year CelebrationPage 4-5• Arts@Admiralty Day • 4th Little Professor Competition• Arts Education Programme (AEP) Learning Journeys

Page 6-7• The Little Red Hen Musical• Swimsafer Programme• English Language Programmes Page 8• Educational Feature

a touche design production @ 6659 1876

Educational FeatureLEt'S USE good EngLISh!CommonLy mIxEd-UP WordS

1) What is the difference between ‘just in time’ and ‘just on time’?

The phrase you want to use is ‘just in time‘. ‘on time‘ is usually used on its own, without a ‘just’. Hence, the right sentence should be "The lift door opened just in time". In this context, ‘on time‘ refers to being punctual while ‘in time‘ refers to being some place just before the last moment or with time to spare.

2) Which sentence is correct? 'I guarantee.' or 'I guaranteed.' They’re both correct. It depends on the situation. You say ‘I guarantee it’ to mean that you are doing either of

those things continually. You say ‘I guaranteed it’ to mean that you did either of those

things in the past.

3) What’s the difference between ‘awakened’ and ‘awoken’? Is there a difference between ‘awakened‘ and ‘awoken‘? Can

they be used interchangeably? Those two words tend to both be used as past participle forms.

So you might say either ‘have awoken‘ or ‘have awakened‘. What you have to know is the different forms of the words

‘wake‘, ‘awake‘ and ‘awaken‘. Here are the present, past, and past participles of the three

words:• wake / woke / woken• awake / awoke / awoken• awaken / awoken / awakened

Source: Taken from http://www.goodenglish.org.sg/category/improve/commonly-mixed-up-words

In this issue:

8.

LINKS is published by:ADMIRALTY PRIMARY SCHOOL 11 WOODLANDS CIRCLE SINGAPORE 738907 T: 6362 0598 F: 6362 7512We welcome your comments and feedback. Please email us at: admiralty_ps@moe.edu.sg

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE 2013 Advisor: Mdm Charlotte Sng Yi-May Chairperson: Ms Carolyn Qiu Wanhui Chief Editor: Mr Calvin Tan Kiat

3.2.

EvEry SChooL, a good SChooL Our education system aspires to make every school a good school. A “good school” is one that nurtures engaged learners, enables teachers to be caring educators and helps foster supportive partnerships with parents and the community. A good school will aspire to develop a niche area that reflects its distinctive strength and one which will better meet our children’s needs.

Our efforts have paid off as the school has achieved commendable outcomes despite our relative young existence. While we capture a bit of our achievements with this publication, we are all looking forward and excited about what we want to do next to make our school a good school.

With a deeply committed staff, we are poised to deliver an even better education to our children. We

Principal's Forewordwill continue to focus on providing our children with a vast range of activities, learning programmes and opportunities to develop our children’s talents and abilities to the best of our ability and resources. We also stand firm in our mission to nurture good citizens and passionate learners. We will initiate new ideas to improve teaching and enhance learning among our children. Whilst pursuing academic excellence and making learning enjoyable, we will continue to also provide a sound and effective character and citizenship education and pastoral care programme, which has, for a long time, been our niche area.

There are many things to do in our school and many more things still remain to be done as we forge ahead in nurturing the future generations of Singaporeans. Together, the school, the parents and the community will accomplish much more than what the school might accomplish alone. While we look forward to better programmes, we want to stop to capture the past and celebrate the successes of our staff and children through this newsletter. I believe that taking time to reminisce will strongly fuel our motivation for the work ahead that remains to be done.

albert alcantaraPrincipal

natIonaL Story ChaLLEngE 2013 Six storytellers participated in the National Story Challenge 2013 organised by The Theatre Practice. This is the first time that our school managed to qualify for the final round for both the individual and the team categories.

Lam Guan Xiong from 6 Challenge emerged as the overall champion for the Individual Category. He had to challenge 34 participants during the preliminary rounds before battling 18 participants for the semi-finals. In the

final, it was a tough fight before he qualified for the grand final round.

Here are all the participants who participated in the competition. They have all done the school proud. Zhou Wanting from 5 ChallengeSamantha Tan from 5 ChallengeBrian Ko Zheng Kai from 6 ChallengeGoh Yu En from 6 ChallengePatricia Tung Hui Ru from 6 Challenge

ChInESE nEW yEar CELEbratIonWe interviewed Mother Tongue teacher, Mr Liew Hun Hui to tell us more about the Chinese New Year celebration this year.

Us: Tell us about the character you were dressed as during the Chinese New Year celebration.

mr Liew: I dressed up as Cai Shen Ye (财神爷). In Chinese folklore, he is the popular 'god of wealth'. He brings good fortune, protects people from disasters and helps children get better results in school. He is kind and compassionate and he will answer all prayers and requests made to him. He was actually a former general in ancient China. He is in charge of the sharing of wealth and good fortune among the people.

Us: How did you feel about the celebration and your part in it?

Mr Liew: I really enjoyed playing a part in making the pupils happy on such a festive occasion. It felt good seeing so many happy and smiling faces in the crowd. I thought that the game where pupils partnered with teachers to solve a word puzzle was especially meaningful. Pupils and teachers of all races examined pieces of the puzzle and arranged them to form some Chinese words. In just a minute or so, words started appearing and when they completed all the parts of the puzzle, I happily read out the words ‘She Nian Kuai Le’ (蛇年快乐) to wish the whole school a very happy year of the Snake.

Us: Did you enjoy the performances?

Mr Liew: The pupils did a fantastic job – the emcees and the performers were very well-prepared. I could see that they put their heart and soul into their performances and made sure everybody had a good time. The performers were very focused on the performance and it contributed a lot towards the success of the celebration. This year, we had a very good mix of performances that included a lion dance and songs by the choir and the guitar ensemble.

Us: Will you don the 'god-of-wealth' costume again?

mr Liew: As long as pupils like it, I don’t mind dressing up as the 'god-of-wealth' again!

EngLISh LangUagE ProgrammES USE It! SPEak It! knoW It! SPEakErS’ CornEr and JUnIor bUzz Speakers’ Corner and Junior Buzz was launched in Term 1. Pupils from Primary 1 to Primary 6 were given opportunities to perform skits, do choral reading, poetry recitation or simply give a speech as a class in front of their teachers and friends.

The lower primary children perform on stage before assembly on Thursday afternoons whereas the upper primary pupils perform at the stage area at the bus bay during recess time.

The smiles on the pupils' faces show that they have enjoyed watching the performances. Those who prepared and rehearsed for the performances said that they had great fun in the process as they were able to learn English the fun way. There is no better way to know the English language better than to use it, speak it and know it!

Lower primary pupils, keep your eyes and ears open for more of these Junior Buzz performances in the coming months!

Upper primary pupils, look out for more of these Speakers' Corner performances and learn through the fun way during recess time. Come and give your support to your fellow schoolmates!

LEarn It! USE It! PLay It! EngLISh LangUagE rECESS gamESOur English Language (EL) Recess Games counter at the library is open during recess time. Games like Scrabble and Boggle can be loaned from the games counter. Scrabble and Boggle are popular games with our Primary 3 to Primary 5 pupils. Playing EL games is a meaningful way to spend recess time as through these games, pupils will get to put what they have learnt into good use. These games also help pupils to develop thinking skills and they may learn a word or two from their friends.

To all Primary 3 to Primary 5 pupils, come to the EL Games station with your friends or make new friends at the games station and share a game with them!

SWImSafEr ProgrammE The SwimSafer is a new national water safety programme introduced by the National Water Safety Council (NWSC) in July 2010. The mandatory swimming programme for our Primary 3 pupils covers a primer on water movements, safe entry and exit and an introduction to water survival skills.

The afternoon swimming sessions at the Singapore Sports School were well-spent. Participants not only have swimming to add on to their repertoire of activities for healthy living but also acquired valuable life-saving skills as well.

artS EdUCatIon ProgrammE (aEP) LEarnIng JoUrnEySThe Arts Education Programme (AEP) for the Primary 3 and Primary 5 was launched in January with the aim to help pupils learn to appreciate and respect their friends’ culture and heritage. Pupils learnt about different cultures through English, Art, Music, Physical Education and Social Studies. The learning journeys allowed pupils to discover first hand more about the culture they are learning about.

artS@admIraLty day Arts@Admiralty is back! Arts@Admiralty provides pupils with the opportunity to explore and express their creativity. Pupils are able to have hands-on activities at the ChalkArt corner, ArtVentureLand and Go Lego corner while being guided by Arts Leaders for this monthly event. For those who dare to display their talents in the arts by performing, Busking@the Bay is the place to be.

Here are what some of the pupils who performed had to say:

“Playing the guitar in front of people can make me nervous. After the student announcer mentioned my name, I had butterflies in my stomach. I played three songs: The Drunken Sailor, Pink Panther and Mission Impossible. The applause after the performance made me feel good and confident. I would really like to motivate others to perform and not be afraid.”

-- Harpreet Singh, 5 Challenge

“This is a fun way for pupils to express themselves. It helps us to build our confidence as we learn to overcome our fears of performing. At the end of my performance, I felt a sense of accomplishment. I felt happy that my efforts were being appreciated by my friends who clapped loudly to support me. I want to encourage pupils to take part in it!”

-- Snigdha Sri Parisha, 5 Challenge

4. 7.6.5.

4th LIttLE ProfESSor ComPEtItIon Four teams each consisting of pupils from Primary 5 and 6 participated in the Little Professor Competition held in February and March. It was organised by Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC) Science and Mathematics Council at the ACJC Campus.

This year’s theme was on “Fauna and Flora” and consisted of hands-on sessions on theoretical knowledge, report writing and presentation skills. Participants also had the chance to do research work, investigative and scientific inquiry, as well as collaborate with their team members.

flora ProjectAim: To find the differences between the green bean seed and the soya bean.

Method: To find the different factors affecting the growth of the green bean

seed – gravity, amount of water, nutrients (glucose solution) and light.

fauna ProjectAim: To find the differences between a carnivorous and a herbivorous fish.

Method: Dissect the two different fishes to compare the size of their mouths, their teeth, their organs and the length of intestines.

One of the four teams emerged as silver medal winners in a competition which pitted them against close to 100 teams. They were one of the eight teams selected for the grand final. The team members who are from 6 Challenge are Shuy Yao Kang, Yeo Shen Yong, Wu Nian Yi and Lee Yock Leng.

Harpreet Singh and Claudia Look Li Zhen from 5 Challenge received silver medals while Low Jia Li Natalie and Nur Firzanah Noorul Haqim, both from 5 Courage bagged

bronze medals for their outstanding performance in the Individual Category.

Even though this was our school's first time participating in the competition, the results are encouraging. We hope the encouraging results will be a sign of greater things to come in the future Little Professor competitions.We hope that this will also inspire our pupils to make their mark in Science at a higher level.

“It was very fun and interesting. We discovered many new things and had many hands-on activities that we never had a chance to do in school.”

-- Shuy Yao Kang, 6 Challenge

“This experience really inspired me to become a scientist and I discovered the fun in Science.”

--Wu Nianyi, 6 Challenge

This year, the rainy season again threatened to force cancellations of the journeys to Kampong Glam and Little India. However, our ever-optimistic pupils were not discouraged. With iPads in their hands, the pupils immersed themselves in a multisensory and interactive experience, soaking in the sights, sounds and scents of the Malay and Indian culture.

The Primary 3 pupils immersed themselves in the Malay culture. They visited the Malay Heritage Centre at Kampong Glam where they acquired deeper insights into the Malay culture, religious beliefs and also the rich

architectural heritage around the Kampong Glam area.

The Primary 5 pupils learnt more about the Indian culture through an experiential learning tour of the area around Little

India. This included Tekka Market, the shops that

line the streets of Little India and also through sampling the authentic Indian food at a few eateries.

thE LIttLE rEd hEn mUSICaLOur Primary 4 pupils went to the National Library to watch the musical The Little Red Hen. The Little Red Hen is a beautiful story about friendship, helpfulness and perseverance. The musical was interactive, involving the pupils in helping the Little Red Hen achieve her goals. The audience also helped in putting right her proud, scatter-brained or vain friends. Our Primary 4 pupils also learnt about how bread is made and even took part in a quick science quiz. This is what a few pupils from 4 Endurance thought about the performance.

“It was interesting and the performers acted well… Their costumes were beautiful… The mouse was clever… Overall, it was a good experience for me.”

-- Leong Wen Xuan

“I had an amazing time today! … The most awesome character was the Little Red Hen as she could bake delicious cakes and cookies… It would be the best day so far this year.”

-- Izzah ’Athirah

“It was a very happy day for me and I hope I could be the Little Red Hen because the Little Red Hen was so hardworking and she got what she deserved. I wish I could be on stage and act as the Little Red Hen one day.”

--Yong Yu Xuan, Charrise