EunosSplash

Issue 12012

A production of Eunos Primary School

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The teaching profession was not one that I even considered when I was a teenager. Like many teenagers, I had lofty ambitions. The turning point in my life came when I decided to go for a relief teaching stint

back in my own primary school. For the few months when I was anxiously awaiting my ‘A’ level results, I relief taught to occupy myself and to earn myself an income. It was then that I found myself enjoying the interactions I was having with my students immensely. I liked the spontaneous and innocent chatter of my little students and found myself learning new things from them and seeing things from a different perspective every day. The interactions I was having with the teacher colleagues made me see how important a job they were doing and how they were doing it with great passion. I was no longer seeing from the eyes of a student but that of a teacher, for her students. That experience changed my mind forever and I knew then that what I really wanted to do was TEACH!

The teaching profession is unique as it is a profession in which you are surrounded by lots of people of various ages: the teachers, the pupils and the parents. And when you interact all the time with people, you need to have your heart in it – to be able to listen, to feel, and to do what your heart tells you is right, and good.

As an educator, I am most aware of the various challenges that the youth of today face. While we may say that life is easier for them now with advanced technology, life was less complicated in the past. The youth of today have to cope with the demands of a rapidly changing world. At the ACEL Conference in Melbourne in 2008, a keynote speaker Jean-Francois Rischard, a former Vice-President of the World Bank, highlighted that for present day economy and the future, there is the need for us to be able to think globally and not nationally or territorially. By this, he meant that for our children to be future problem solvers, there is a need to have a better understanding of the future, a change in mindset, the need for a broader perspective and the learning of new skills. A child living in Singapore needs to be aware of global issues such as the effects of a tsunami, even if he is not directly affected by it. Our children must have the skills to think critically, communicate ideas effectively and be confident enough to play their part in making the world a better place to live in for all.

A pupil of mine once asked me, “Mrs Lim, was teaching your dream? Was that what you had wanted to do since you were a child?”

“No,” was my simple reply, but that question set me reflecting on my path to becoming an educator. I did not become a teacher by chance. It was a deliberate decision to quit my previous job in the finance industry to join the rest of the educators in moulding the future generation.

Teaching is my calling; otherwise I would not have survived more than a decade in this profession. When I started out as a beginning teacher, I was enthused by the daily interaction with the pupils. Stepping into class each day gave me abundant joy and energy. I was also humbled by the realisation that I have the power to influence and impact these lives and that moved me to give of nothing but my best so that these lives could be inspired and built up.

I may not have the privilege of working directly with pupils on a daily basis now, but I constantly remind myself that I can still make a difference to any pupil I interact with. Now that I have three young children of my own, I understand the importance of engaging parents to work in collaboration with the school for the benefit of each child.

Our local children are blessed as none of them is denied of an education which is crucial in shaping a better future for each individual. It is my desire to contribute not only to the education fraternity in Singapore but also to the less privileged in other nations who have no means to afford even basic education.

MdM Jay

MRS lIM-CHUa SIOW lING

On 15 dec of 2011, Mrs lim-Chua Siow ling, formerly Head of the Character and Citizenship Education department, was appointed the second Vice-Principal of the school. Here, she and Mdm Jayanthi Retnam, share their thoughts on education and educating the young.

Our NEW VISION and MISSIONThe school held extensive conversations with staff, pupil representatives and stakeholders, including the Eunos Parent Support Group and the School Advisory Committee to deliberate on a new vision and mission that would best represent the school in its journey and intended destination. Each conversation, where ideas on what the school values, believes in and hopes to achieve were exchanged, was filled with passion and enthusiasm. After many hours of dialogue and soul-searching, the following were decided on:

VISIONGuided by values, every Eunosian a happy learner, a confident communicator and a critical thinkerIt is our shared vision for every Eunosian to be guided by values in whatever he/she does. We also want to see Eunosians as happy learners who communicate with conviction and make responsible and informed decisions. We want them to ask questions and look for answers, be willing to think in new ways, solve new problems and create new opportunities for the future.

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MISSIONnurturing every child in a caring and vibrant environment to achieve his/her personal best and contribute actively to societyWe shall invest in every child’s character, and help him/her build up a set of sound values that will put him/her in good stead in the face of temptations and life’s inevitable setbacks. No child will be left behind. We are committed to helping every child find his/her talents and providing a caring and vibrant environment in which every child always gives of his/her best to achieve excellence and grows up into a confident young adult who is an effective communicator and serves the community actively.

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At the conference opening ceremony

EmpOwErinG pEOplE tHROUGH ENGlISHMdm Haslindah Bahrom and Mrs Rosvinder Sidhu were proud to represent Eunos Primary School at the annual 16th English in South East -Asia Conference. The conference was hosted by the Sanata Dharma University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia and was held from 8 to 10 December 2011. The theme for the year was ‘English for People Empowerment’. The purpose of the conference was to bring together and showcase research case studies and projects from the ASEAN countries pertaining to the teaching of English.

The two teachers presented a paper on formative assessment in the ‘Write on Target’ programme in Eunos Primary School. At the session which was attended by participants from across the region, Mdm Haslindah and Mrs Sidhu also learnt the difficulties faced by neighbouring countries in the teaching of English to non-native speakers.

The audience of teachers and lecturers

Traditional Javanese musical instruments

That’s Gunung Merapi!

ExCEllENCE IN SERVICEThe school is proud to announce that Miss Khadijah Aron was given the MOE Service Excellence Award (MSEA) 2011. Someone who readily goes the extra mile for her pupils, Miss Khadijah is truly deserving of this award.

It has been said that the quality of a school cannot exceed the quality of its teachers. acknowledging this, the school actively seeks learning opportunities for its staff, even going beyond Singapore’s borders for

conferences where our staff present school programmes which have been tried and tested, while learning from experts in the field from all over the region.

STaFF EXCEllEnCE

Answering questions during the presentation

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5Th inTErnaTiOnal FOrum On tEaCHING aNd lEaRNING Of CHINESE

In Hong Kong, Mdm Zheng Yingjiang and Miss Wong Jie Ying participated in a Chinese Conference held on 3-4 December 2011. Mdm Zheng shared with participants how lesson study is used as a tool to promote professional learning among the Chinese language teachers in Eunos Primary. Mdm Zheng and Miss Wong agreed that it was an honour to be able to learn from the other participants who shared on different perspectives of the teaching and learning of Chinese language.

Some of the participants

Making new friendsMdm Zheng sharing at the forum Miss Wong and Mdm Zheng

lEarninG FrOm prOFESSiOnalS abrOadMdm Elisha Jaafar has been selected to go for a Malay Language Immersion Programme. This programme, conducted once every two years, is a joint effort between Malaysia and the Academy of Singapore Teachers to enrich and enhance Malay Language teachers’ pedagogical practices. Mdm Elisha will have the opportunity to experience teaching Malay Language in selected primary schools in Malaysia and also learn from professors in renowned universities there. The school wishes her all the best for a meaningful and fruitful learning experience.

STaFF EXCEllEnCE

32 Primary 5 and 6 pupils went on an 8-day literature experience journey to the United Kingdom in March. On this eye-opening experience, pupils learnt about great writers who have influenced and contributed greatly to English literature such as William Shakespeare, Beatrix Potter, Roald Dahl and William Wordsworth. At Rydal Mount, where William Wordsworth spent a large part of his life, pupils got to see for themselves the study where he wrote and the beautiful places that inspired him to pen such exquisite literary works.

Pupils also visited William Shakespeare’s birthplace at Stratford-upon-Avon and the Globe Theatre, where many of Shakespeare’s plays are still being performed today. At the Globe Theatre, they learnt how the present theatre has maintained much of its predecessor’s construction structures to demonstrate how the challenges faced in the past were overcome through innovative solutions. The pupils were also amused by how all the performers used to be male, so female parts were taken on by boys!

London was the final stop. The highlight of the London trip had to be the poetry session by the talented and engaging poet, Jacob Sam-La Rose. Making poems so easy to write, Sam-La Rose managed to inspire his audience of young talents to not only create, but also present with confidence, their own poems.

A London city tour led by award-winning guide Sean Simpson ended the journey. This tour took the group to iconic places like London Bridge and St Paul’s Cathedral.

This learning journey brought out the confident communicators and self-directed learners in our pupils. At all the places visited, the pupils were actively seeking answers from the guides or reading information boards to find out more about the people and places. It was also clear that the learning journey has broadened their horizons. Moving through England, they learnt about and to appreciate a culture and a country whose rich history has shaped what it is today. This learning journey will always be remembered for the memories and experiences that only the UK can offer.

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ThE EunOS YOunG liTEraTurE EXpEriEnCE in ThE uK

Preparing for our poetry presentation

Listening for tips

At Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre

At Warwick Castle

The Globe Theatre where Shakespeare’s plays are still being performed

How people might have been punished inthe olden days

A peaceful moment at Rydal Mount

Our guide telling us about police on horses

At the entrance of Rydal Mount

That’s a princess in a castle!

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EXCElFEST SCIENCE tRaIlThe school Science Trail was selected from over 250 proposals, to be featured to MOE stakeholders during the recent ExcelFest on 30-31 March. This trail is unique in that it infuses values education in the teaching of Science. Confident young presenters introduced the school Science Trail to other MOE staff as well as members of the public. True to the school vision of developing confident communicators, pupil-presenters received compliments from impressed visitors to the Science Trail exhibit.

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MatHEMatICS and SCIENCE wEEKWhat does Angry Birds have to do with Mathematics and Science? A lot, it seems. During the Mathematics and Science Week, Angry Birds shoot-outs were used to demonstrate elastic potential energy and how the angle of the catapult will affect the distance an object travels. These and other hands-on activities were used to teach mathematical and science concepts during the week where a theme was assigned for each day.

On Animal Day, the Singapore Zoological Gardens brought live frogs and gave a short presentation on endangered species. Some pupils even brought their own pets to school such as hamsters and rabbits for the show-and-tell session to their friends from other classes. It was truly a memorable week for the pupils. Science and Mathematics will never be the same again!

Here goes my Angry Bird!

Learning about speed

Tracing the life cycle of a frog

My “handster”

ONly GOOd ENGlISH aCCEPtEd HERE!“Do you like to talk?” was the question posed as a teaser to pupils to introduce them to Babble and Speak, the highlight of the Eunos English Experience. And talk, the participants did, on a range of topics that included responding to whether the Earth was sick and one-word topics like ‘resilience’ and ‘changes’. Babble and Speak, which aims to build confident communicators in the school, saw participants delivering a prepared speech, as well as an impromptu one. The impromptu section displayed the participants’ ability to think on their feet. The judges were impressed by the quality of speeches and the talents that surfaced during the competition. At the Results Show, not only were winners awarded prizes, but even teachers who coached the winners were acknowledged.

The Eunos English Experience, which started with a skit ala The Noose performed by teachers to demonstrate the importance of speaking in good English, also featured story-telling sessions by Ms Sheila Wee, a well-known storyteller. Pupils also played language games including Teamword. The pupils gave positive feedback on the experience and are looking forward to the next Eunos English Experience!

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baSKETballIt was a first

for Eunos. C a p t a i n e d by Antonio Romanelli of

Primary 4/2, the junior boys were placed second in the East Zone finals after beating some formidable opponents. The journey was long and at times, very tough, but the boys always showed grit and determination, staying true to the school value of resilience and excellence. In addition to their East Zone success, the team’s recent wins against Fernvale Primary and First Toa Payoh Primary cemented their position as one of the top 8 junior basketball teams in Singapore.

SEpaK TaKrawThe school has much to be proud about in Sepak Takraw as well. In the East Zone Competition, the senior and junior boys emerged fourth after many rounds of gruelling matches. In addition to that, Putera Aiman of Primary 6/3 was named Most Valuable Player of the entire tournament. Congratulations to all players for showing resilience, care and unity throughout the tournament.

EunOS HaS talENtSWe are only approaching the end of May and already, the school has much to celebrate. Here, again, are our achievements for 2012 so far, with more to come, we hope.

Victory smiles

Coach Tim preparing the boys

Aiman and his proud mum Intense concentration Receiving the team trophy

The Senior team

The captain Antonio Romanelli

pub waTEr CONSERVatION VIdEOEunos Primary submitted a video for the PUB Water Conservation Video Competition in October 2011. Our video, entitled ‘Water Conservation’, emerged joint first place. The pupils were presented their award by President Tony Tan himself. It was truly a memorable occasion for them.

The video was put together through the efforts of Lin Shusen, Samantha Lois N. Naig, Nurul Fadillah Mohd Anis and Solaiy Meyapan, currently of Primary 5/1. They were guided by Mr Helmi and Mr Ahmad, from the Infocomm Club. During the judging process, members of the public voted for their favourite video online. To the pupils, parents and staff who voted for Eunos Primary, we would like to say a big thank you!

A proud moment with President Tony Tan

Group shot with teachers

The award! Our trophy!

SINGaPORE lyRIC OPERa wElCOmES a EunOSian!One of the school’s choir talents, Qistina Farisha Safrani Bte Mohamed Faizal of Primary 3/1, has been awarded the Singapore Lyric Opera Children’s Choir Scholarship. The school is very proud of this achievement and wishes Qistina all the best in her journey with the Singapore Lyric Opera.

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All Standard Subjects

Poh Xuan Qing Dong Hai Ping Yu Ming Min Muhammad Haziq B Razeli

In terms of quantity passes, the school has done well. For MT Chinese Language, not only did the school achieve 100% quantity passes, but we also had 95% quality passes, meaning that 95% of pupils who sat for the Chinese Language examination in 2011 obtained an A or A*. There was also great improvement for Mathematics, with 31% of pupils getting an A or A*, up from 16.8% the previous year. Congratulations to the following top pupils:

The recent SYF Central Judging sessions started off gloriously for Eunos Primary. The Chinese dancers wowed the judges with their precision and grace, earning the school a Gold with Honours, the highest award.

SinGapOrE YOuTh FESTival(SYF) CEnTral JudGinG

ThE rOarinG rEd CrOSS linKS!

For the Eunos Red Cross Links, 2012 started with a bang! We clinched six awards in four months, a wonderful affirmation of the excellent effort put in by the members and the teachers. In addition to supporting local and international humanitarian efforts, we were also involved in green projects to create and raise awareness on environmental issues.

CCA/ Subject Name of Competition Achievement (2012)

Basketball East Zone Tournament 1st Runner Up

National Basketball Tournament Top 8

Sepak Takraw East Zone Tournament 4th Place

National Sepak Takraw Tournament Quarter Finals

Red Cross Excellent Unit Award (2011) Gold

Community Service Award (2011) Silver

Red Cross Youth First Aid Competition 2012, Link Category East District Champion

Red Cross Youth First Aid Competition 2012, Link Category Overall 2nd Runner Up

Fundraiser East District Top Fundraiser, 2nd Top Overall Fundraiser

Chinese Dance SYF Central Judging Gold with Honours

Malay Dance SYF Central Judging Silver

Indian Dance SYF Central Judging Silver

Guzheng SYF Central Judging Bronze

Choir SYF Central Judging Silver

Info Comm Club PUB Water Conservation Competition First Prize

Science 3R Award 2011 (NEA) (Primary School Category) Gold Award

3R Competition (Organised by NEA) Sustained 3R Achievement Award

Recycling Outreach Programme (NEA) Sustained Achievement Award

Environment Champions Workshop (NEA) Best Group Presentation

3rd Little Professor Competition Hanson Seah - SilverYap Zi Chen - SilverRen Guanpeng - SilverSalman Khuzema Shakir - Bronze

MT (ML) National Oratorical Competition (ML) Second Place and Fourth Place

Music/ Art “The Sweetest Gift” Contest Grand Prize

“Visual Art Competition” at International Indian School First Prize

Others “Design Your Own Sweet Dreams” Contest Winner

PSlE 2011

All Foundation Subjects

Kian Heydari Marvi

Chinese Dance (Gold with Honours)

Choir (Silver)

Indian Dance (Silver)

Guzheng (Bronze)

Malay Dance (Silver)