SINDA Connections - Nov 2017

MCI (P) 120/06/2017

NOVEMBER 2017

A

I

O

N

N

S

SI

D

CONNECT

KUTTIAMMAL SUNDARASAN

NURTURING

NURSES 05

09

12

New Initiatives for 2018

SINDA Excellence Awards 2017

Keeping Children Safe in Cyberspace

Dear Friends, At the heart of all SINDA programmes is the child: our focus is on providing a holistic network of services to positively shape a child’s life. It is about sufficient upstream initiatives that address matters at their root, and a host of related programmes to follow each child on his or her journey.

CEO’S MESSAGE

That is why I am excited about the coming year. At the pre-school level, SINDA will offer enrichment programmes to children as young as three years old, to encourage active learning. For children from lower income homes, we will set up a fund they can tap for enrichment lessons that will add to their growth.

For the youth, SINDA is exploring values-based programmes that will instil in them good qualities and the right skill sets to face their life challenges. Our satellite office in Jurong will be repurposed as a hub to offer our youth an exciting mix of programmes and an opportunity to network with peers through interest-based groups.

We will also introduce new programmes for parents-to-be as they start their fledgling journey into parenthood, with baby vouchers and parenting workshops. Our digital literacy workshops, aligned with the Smart Nation movement, will ensure that more families benefit from and can leverage on the exciting opportunities that the future presents.

All of these initiatives are being carried out under the firm conviction that no child should be denied opportunities either owing to their circumstances or a lack of access. A glimpse of these upcoming programmes can be found on Page 5 of this issue and you can visit SINDA’s website in the coming year to sign up for them. Though there will be greater emphasis on pre-school, parenting and youth programmes, our focus remains on educational development.

I am always encouraged and re-energised by conversations I have with members of our community. Serving the community well, and helping it solve the challenges it faces, is at the heart of everything we do here at SINDA. The way forward in bettering our community is complex, with the demands of a changing social landscape to be met, while ensuring that no one is left behind. As a nation, as a community and as individuals, we must all work together to ensure progress for all Singaporeans.

CONTENTS 01

06–08

• June – September 2017

• Kuttiammal Sundarasan

Looking Back

Interview

02–03

09–14

• 5 Essential Tips for Parents: How to Prepare Your Children for the Future

• SINDA Excellence Awards 2017—Affirming Passion and Determination • Appreciating Our Health and Our Heritage • Big Hearts in Little India • Discovering the Leader Within • Learning How to Overcome Challenges, from a Team Singapore Athlete

Editorial

05

What’s New • New Initiatives for 2018

Event Highlights

K Barathan CEO, SINDA • Early Starts in I.T. Smarts • Nurturing at Nursery Level • Keeping Children Safe in Cyberspace • SINDA Performers at the Joint Tuition Awards 2017 • SINDA Plays Host • Parents Pick Up Precious Pointers

15

D.I.Y

• Bunny Bookmark Design

16

Quiz-O-Mania

16

About Us 17

One of Us • ITELP Co-Lead Daniel Ravindran

PUBLISHER Singapore Indian Development Association EDITORIAL TEAM Corporate & Marketing Communications Division CHIEF EDITOR Ravindran Nagalingam, COO, SINDA DEPUTY EDITOR Dhanasegaran Narayanasamy PRODUCTION EDITORS Priyaa Vasudevan, Manesh Rangarajan DESIGN & LAYOUT Green House Design + Communications PRINTER Stamford Press Pte Ltd, Licence No: L022/04/2012 TO SUBSCRIBE to SINDA Connections or inform us of a change of mailing address, send your updated home or office address to connections@sinda.org.sg.

TO CONTRIBUTE towards the SINDA CPF Fund (to start contributing or increase contributions), please contact us at Tel: 1800 295 3333, or visit www.sinda.org.sg.

HIGHLIGHTS

LOOKING BACK BREAKFAST WITH DADS

30 dads and their children spent a Saturday morning bonding over breakfast on 16 September 2017. This was part of a fun-filled, engaging workshop for dads and their children to strengthen their relationships.

LEADERSHIP CAMP Some 110 upper-primary students tried their hands at team-building activities during a 2D1N camp at Sentosa during the September holidays. The various pursuits around the island taught them to overcome their fears, build upon their strengths and at the same time, have lots of fun!

MAGIC WORKSHOP Kyle Ravin spilling his magic secrets to participants who attended the ‘Magic in You’ workshop on 14 June 2017. The participants learnt an array of magic tricks to impress friends and family, and ended the day on a sweet note with ice kachang.

1

EDITORIAL

5 ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR PARENTS:

How to Prepare Your Children for the future In fast-paced, modern Singapore, even children as young as two are adept at using mobile devices.

With much of our interaction and entertainment depending heavily on technology, it is a tempting way to keep the young ones occupied and have them learn at the same time. However, it certainly isn’t an ideal state of affairs. Children still need to develop social, physical and scholastic skills, apart from techy ones.

So how do we ensure that amidst all the distraction from devices, our children grow up to become active learners with holistic lifestyles? How can we, as parents, help prepare them for life ahead?

Here are five essential tips that every parent should know:

1. USE GAMES TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

2. LET THEM MINGLE

While many electronic games are focused on entertainment, there are countless others that offer learning opportunities.

From learning how to count to reading along, these games offer an opportunity for your child to develop literacy and numeracy skills. According to an article published in the Official Journal Of The American Academy of Pediatrics, researchers found that gaming can improve a child’s psychosocial development. It claims, “Compared with nonplayers, children who typically invest less than one-third of their daily free time [in games] showed higher levels of prosocial behavior and life satisfaction and lower levels of conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems, and emotional symptoms.”

When children attend pre-school, they experience a change of setting from their home environment, and learn interpersonal and communication skills as they interact with their peers.

Play time, which makes up a substantial portion of pre-school, teaches them to accept one another and allows them to make friends along the way. In an early learning environment like this, they can acquire the social skills which will prove beneficial once they start primary school. They won’t then find it difficult to assimilate into a new school environment.

2

3. BRING OUT THE BUDDING ATHLETE IN YOUR CHILD Early education allows children to develop motor skills like walking, running and hand-eye co-ordination through carefully designed lessons. They will be encouraged to try new activities that might not be easy to execute at home. The children benefit as they strengthen their muscles and gain the confidence to move about on their own. Skills such as holding a pencil, putting on their shoes and using cutlery can be learnt in pre-school. It may seem basic, but this muscular activity will help them tremendously in their later years. If you’ve always wanted your child to become an athlete, develop their physical learning from an early age!

4. TEACH THEM TO BE INDEPENDENT

5. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION

Attending pre-school helps children understand that they will be away from their parents for part of the day and that it is fine. They will come to understand that school is another place where they will be safe, and that it is a routine part of life. This independence that the children develop will come in handy when they start Primary 1 and the schooling hours are much longer. The transition from short pre-school hours to longer hours in primary school will not be difficult for them, as they would have learnt some basic skills to cope.

Intellectual development plays a vital part in a child’s formative years and is associated with memory, reasoning and thinking. Hence, the pre-school curriculum is designed with the essentials for a good head start in school. Despite its importance, there are still some children who do not get to attend pre-school. To remedy this, SINDA offers a Literacy and Numeracy programme to provide children with a strong academic foundation prior to formal schooling. The programme is targeted at 5 and 6-year-olds and prepares them for primary school with a robust curriculum that is in line with kindergarten instruction.

REGISTER FOR LYNN! SINDA’s Literacy and Numeracy (LYNN) programme does all of these and more for your preschooler! Trusted by over 1,000 parents each year, the programme offers your child the perfect opportunity to develop their learning form an early age.

Don’t wait! If your child is between 3 and 6, sign up for LYNN 2018 classes now by visiting http://www.sinda.org.sg/education/lynn/ or contacting 1800 295 3333.

3

WHAT’S NEW

NEW INITIATIVES FOR 2018 Look out for these new programmes in 2018!

2 1

Digital Literacy for Everyone

In alignment with the Smart Nation movement, more workshops and seminars are being planned for preschoolers, children, youth and parents.

The young will learn to be tech-savvy and practice cyber safety, while their parents can become equally competent in using technology, in order to guide their children in navigating the Internet safely. Hence, a whole host of digital literacy workshops are in the works, for everyone in the family!

Programmes for New Parents

New parents can now look forward to receiving a baby hamper from SINDA to celebrate their new-born! Filled with vouchers and books, these hampers will help parents trim some costs, while sharing helpful resources for bringing up their babies. A series of talks, workshops and other activities will complement these hampers to ensure that parents are well-equipped with the right knowledge and skill sets to raise their children.

3

4 SINDA Youth Hub @ Jurong

Jurong Point will host a new spot for SINDA’s youth to drop in and mingle with their peers in the area. A great opportunity for those living in the west to benefit from SINDA’s programmes and interest-based groups!

Life Skills Workshops

This series of workshops, paired with existing youth programmes that help build character and foster social development, will equip youths with the skills to progress in life, such as financial planning and résumé writing.

5 Career Referral Initiative

Looking to enter the workforce or planning a mid-career switch? SINDA’s got you covered! This initiative will link job-seekers with the right resources, so that they can find suitable employment.

SINDA will also fund courses for those who wish to upskill themselves to increase their employability options.

6 Tamil Fun for Pre-Schoolers

To supplement pre-schoolers’ learning, SINDA will offer Tamil enrichment lessons at de-centralised venues islandwide. These classes will offer young ones an opportunity to become proficient in the language and be better prepared for primary school.

7

Equal Opportunity Fund

This fund provides children aged 3 to 17 with the resources to attend enrichment classes that they may not otherwise be able to attend. Through this initiative, it is hoped that every child will receive an equal opportunity to benefit from programmes that will bolster their holistic growth.

More information will be available on these programmes in 2018. Look out for them on SINDA’s website at www.sinda.org.sg or call 1800 295 3333.

5

INTERVIEW

KUTTIAMMAL SUNDARASAN

ENABLING THE NEXT GENERATION OF NURSES 6

Mdm Kuttiammal Sundarasan pushed through a personal heartbreak to rally her team of nurses to ready Singapore’s first integrated hospital development, comprising Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Jurong Community Hospital.

The Chief Nurse has been pivotal in pressing the boundaries of IT in nursing care, and was named a winner of this year’s President’s Award for Nurses.

What does winning the President’s Award for Nurses mean to you?

K: This award is not just for me, it’s also for my family and the JurongHealth campus family, and our patients. It affirms what we’ve achieved together, and I am inspired to develop nursing to the next level.

How did your passion for nursing develop?

K: I grew up in a neighbourhood just across the Singapore General Hospital.

As a little girl, I would watch nurses commute to work in their crisp white uniforms. I was also inspired by my mother, who would selflessly attend to the sick in our neighbourhood every day.

She was very supportive when I chose nursing as a career.

Family life is important to you. How did you balance this as you built your career?

K: I had my first two children in the early years of my career, and it worked out very well with shift duties, as I could match my schedule to my children’s needs. My parents helped babysit the children, while my late husband was my pillar of support. He was fully involved in parenting and running the household, especially when I needed to study.

When the children were older, we had a white board on the kitchen wall that served as an important channel of communication, in the days when handphones were not yet in existence!

Returning home after a long day or night at work, I was always happy to read the words of encouragement from my family.

You had a monumental role in forming the integrated healthcare hub, from the planning and design of the hospital buildings and exhaustive workflow analyses, to single-handedly recruiting the pioneer batch of 300 nurses and growing it to the 1,800-strong nursing force today. What were some of the challenges you faced?

K: As Chief Nurse, I had to ensure the new hospitals were operationally ready for opening, besides facilitating a smooth transfer of patients from Alexandra Hospital to the new premises.

My team and I often donned hard hats and boots with our nursing uniforms to monitor the work, even while we continued caring for the patients back in Alexandra Hospital. Developing the nursing team was also a progressive effort.

However, the toughest period for me was when my husband was diagnosed with a brain tumour and given a prognosis of six months to a year. This happened at the peak of the construction and development phase, and I had to put aside my personal distress to rally my nurses as we built the new hospitals. It was a struggle for me to come to terms with his condition.

My role as a wife conflicted at times with my training as a nurse, as there were desperate moments when I would want to try anything and everything.

[Sadly, Mdm Kuttiammal’s husband passed away two years later, in 2012.]

Through the four decades you’ve been nursing, what has been your motivation to continue serving others?

K: Initially, my motivation for helping patients was seeing them get well and how grateful they were. Now, my passion remains but I have turned my focus on the nursing profession. It is a personal goal of mine to improve the way nursing care is delivered, and to improve the competence of nurses so that they are enabled to deliver care at the top of their license. Knowing that I am now in a position to influence things, I am most motivated to do so.

Mdm Kuttiammal checking for defects during the construction phase of the hospital.

Photo: Ng Teng Fong General Hospital

7

How has the role of nurses evolved over the years?

K: Nurses are now tasked with an even wider range of healthcare responsibilities, and today’s nurses are rising to meet these challenges. Nurses are not just caring for the sick; they are leading care teams, working in collaboration with social workers and doctors and hospital administrators to deliver holistic care, to improve patient outcomes and reduce the cost of care for patients. Advanced nursing education is empowering nurses to lead the way. The field is growing, and so are the opportunities for nurses, as they become Advance Practice Nurses and nurses with PhDs, Nurse Educators and Nurse Researchers.

At the same time, nursing is not only hard work but ‘heart’ work. Anyone wanting to be a nurse must have a love for people and a passion to serve. These never change.

You are a firm believer in continuing education and training.

What do you do to keep yourself up-to-date in the medical field?

K: From qualifying as an Assistant Nurse in 1979, I have continued through the years with my nursing education, up to completing my part-time Bachelor’s degree programme in 1998 and my Master’s degree in Health Science (Management) in 2008. I continue to attend short courses, seminars and conferences both locally and overseas, to keep abreast of developments in the international healthcare scene. I also read medical journals extensively.

8

Mdm Kuttiammal with her President's Award for Nurses.

What would you like to say to fellow nurses and future nurses?

K: I’d say that the opportunities are limitless when you have the right attitude and knowledge. I would encourage them to continue to enhance the patient experience and make changes where necessary.

Today, we can leverage on technology and innovation for better patient care, and harness the opportunities to attain professional autonomy. Nurses can now demonstrate their professional competence and sound knowledge with confidence and courage. We are able to work both independently and with good working relationships with other healthcare professionals.

There is no better time than now to join nursing.

Sep 2017

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

SINDA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2017— AFFIRMING PASSION AND DETERMINATION “The success of each one of you, is the community’s shared success.” SINDA’s CEO Mr K Barathan’s words succinctly explain the celebration that is the SINDA Excellence Awards (SEA).

This year, the 26th annual ceremony was held on 23 September at ITE College Central to honour 485 Indian student achievers who have distinguished themselves in academics, sports or the arts. Ranging from PSLE success stories to driven undergraduates, the youngsters also include 26 medallists from the 2017 Southeast Asian Games.

Mr Ng Chee Meng, Minister for Education (Schools), Second Minister for Transport was Guest-of-Honour at the event, with Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Chairman, SINDA, and Ms Indranee Rajah, President, SINDA also in attendance. Educators, community and grassroots leaders and parents made up the rest of the 1,400 guests for the ceremony.

Recipient in the Polytechnic Diploma category, 25-year-old Vanessa Zavir embodies the spirit of the awards. Having nursed a passion to read law since her teens, Vanessa faced a setback when her A-Level results in 2010 did not qualify her to do so in a local university. Instead, she charted a different path towards her goal, enrolling in 2014 for a Law diploma at Temasek Polytechnic. Last year, she graduated top of her class, and as valedictorian for her cohort. To top it off, her commitment saw her make the Director’s List, too. She is now pursuing her dream as a Law undergraduate at the National University of Singapore.

Like her, every award winner had overcome personal hurdles or difficult life circumstances to realise their aspirations.

Among them, in the Special Mention of Outstanding Achievements category, are a President’s Scholar and 2017 SEA Games medallists.

Ms Indranee interacting with Vanessa (in saree) and other award recipients.

Dignitaries with some of the 2017 SEA Games medallists at the awards ceremony.

9

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Sept 2017

Oct 2017

PROJECT GIVE BOOTH AT THE DEEPAVALI BAZAAR It was that time of the year again, when SINDA set up a booth at Campbell Lane for the Deepavali celebrations, part of our year-long fundraising campaign Project Give.

This year, the festive atmosphere was heightened with fun activities for young children over the weekends, while their parents got to know more about SINDA’s various programmes and services.

APPRECIATING OUR HEALTH AND OUR HERITAGE 400 Singaporeans descended upon Little India’s varied attractions during a health walk organised as part of the community’s efforts to raise greater awareness of diabetes among our Indian community.

During his National Day Rally this year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong described diabetes as a major concern for Singaporeans, especially so amongst the Indians. Walking is an excellent, easy first step towards taking care of our own health and what better place to start than in our own heritage district? Did you know, for instance, that the area boasts not only Hindu temples, but also mosques, churches, and Jewish structures? Participants that day, of different races and faiths, were thrilled to discover this and many other interesting facts as they soaked in the surprising blend of cultures along the walk.

The event was organised in partnership with Narpani Youth, the Tamil Representatives Council, Indian Heritage Centre, Hindu Endowment Board, Singapore Kadayanallur Muslim League and the Health Promotion Board. Ms Indranee Rajah, President of SINDA, said, “Our health is really a savings bank— every effort we put into caring for our health builds up over time and we reap the rewards later in life. So, by caring for ourselves, we’re really investing in our own future.”

45 minutes of exercise each day, in any form, is what we need. Let’s make a conscious effort to live healthily and keep diabetes away!

10

Many people took the time to visit the booth and donate generously as they remembered the less fortunate during the festive season. Even Singapore’s first female President, Mdm Halimah Yacob, visited barely weeks after her inauguration. Over the course of the month, several Members of Parliament, including Mr S Iswaran and Ms Sim Ann, accompanied their GRCs as they brought donations. Minister for Home Affairs and Law, Mr K Shanmugam, who is also a Life Trustee of SINDA, also spent time at the booth to meet and mingle with the many donors and community partners who have contributed significantly to SINDA’s work in reaching out to those who need our assistance.

Our chief mission—to uplift the educational performance of Indian students—resonates deeply with our supporters. $10 million a year, or over half our annual expenditure, goes towards subsidising students’ STEP and Project Teach tutorial programmes and providing educational bursaries and study awards.

For the close to 6,600 students who benefit from these initiatives yearly, the donation drive brightens the prospect before them.

Jun 2017

DISCOVERING THE LEADER WITHIN When a mix of students from Junior Colleges, ITE and polytechnics come together, you can be sure of a diversity of fresh perspectives and innovative ideas being raised.

This certainly was the case at the 7th annual SINDA Youth Leaders Seminar (SYLS). The 3D2N residential seminar was held over 9-11 June this year at the Prince George’s Park Residence at the National University of Singapore.

The annual event saw 106 post-secondary students from various institutions gather to learn more about community issues and leadership. In a significant shift from previous years, participants were led on a journey of self-discovery, from where they can be in a better position to translate their potential into action for society.

Co-Programme Lead Sarabjeet Singh Shaun described it as “a camp by youth for youth to develop the skill sets and confidence to become youth leaders”.

At the closing ceremony, Key Speaker Mr Ravi Menon, Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, said of the students’ presentations, “I’m inspired by their sense of social awareness… it says a lot about the potential of our youth.”

Jurong Junior College student Laavanya d/o Veeramani ventured, “As the younger generation of our society, we need to take the responsibility of understanding issues surrounding us and be the agents of change.”

The SYLS ended on a high, but not before participants each penned their personal commitment to making a difference within their own spheres of influence. These “Because I said I would” promise cards will be mailed back to them at the end of the year as a reminder of their commitment. Until then, the youths will be spending the rest of the year furthering their development and leadership skills through other SYC programmes.

LEARNING HOW TO OVERCOME CHALLENGES, FROM A TEAM SINGAPORE ATHLETE

Jul 2017

What’s in the way of you achieving your goals? 46 Primary 4 to Primary 6 students learnt how to meet challenges head-on, right here at SINDA on 22 July.

Inspiring them to push ahead was guest speaker Mr Ameer Jumabhoy, part of Team Singapore for SEA Games 2017, and winner of multiple Polo Championships. Sharing positive thinking strategies plus pointers on enlisting their families’ help and how to encourage themselves, Mr Ameer quickly won over the children.

Yashini Rebecca, 12, from Fernvale Primary School related, “Not only did Mr Ameer encourage and motivate us not to give up in challenging situations, he also gave us tips on how to improve in our studies by constantly asking questions and clearing our doubts.”

The children took away with them a fresh belief in themselves and their abilities—a winning mind-set!

11

EARLY START TO I.T. SMARTS EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Are you ever too young to get ready for the smart nation of the future? No, we say! In fact, with the rapid pace of development, it’s even essential. Here’s what we’re doing to help our next generation become technologically savvy:

Jun 2017

Aug 2017

STARTING EARLY AT NURSERY LEVEL

KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE IN CYBERSPACE

Learning through play is the best way to do it, and who plays better than a pre-schooler? SINDA introduced 125 four-tosix-year-olds to Lego WeDo Robotics sets during the school holidays. Over 16-18 June, eager little hands explored building a variety of simple robotic models which produced sound or movement, to the children’s delight.

Primary school is when curious children start to discover the digital universe, but they need guidance to explore it safely.

It’s a whole new world out there, and they may meet dubious characters online or encounter unsuitable content.

Now these budding little innovators can add sequential programming to their résumé, even before they hit school.

12

Not taking cyber wellness for granted, SINDA organised a Digital Quotient (DQ) Impact programme for seven-to-twelveyear-olds on 20 August. The 55 participants learnt how to navigate the internet safely and responsibly, using DQ World™, a free self-learning online platform. Not only did they pick up new skills but they now know how to lower their risks in cyberspace.

Aug 2017

Sept 2017

SINDA'S WINNERS AT THE JOINT TUITION AWARDS 2017

SINDA PLAYS HOST

It was a proud day for students around Singapore who had their academic efforts lauded at the 14th Joint Tuition Awards on 26 August at Nanyang Polytechnic.

Held since 2004, the ceremony brings together the four SelfHelp Groups (SHGs), comprising the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC), the Eurasian Association, Yayasan MENDAKI and SINDA, to celebrate the academic improvement of their tuition students. Every year, these students who achieve improved results at the milestone PSLE, GCE N- and O-Level examinations are recognised for their hard work.

This year, some 743 students across all four SHGs received awards totalling $91,800 in value.

We recently welcomed two different groups of young people to SINDA: a class from the National University of Singapore (NUS), and a party of children from Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home (CSLMCH).

Sharing our work SINDA’s efforts to uplift Singapore’s Indian community were the focus of some 30 students from the NUS University Scholars Programme on 19 September. The visit included a question-and-answer session with our Chief Operating Officer Mr Ravindran Nagalingam. Dr Mustafa Izzuddin, a Lecturer with the NUS University Scholars Programme, who organised this learning journey to SINDA, remarked that “The students took away with them a number of very useful learning points in better understanding the ethnic identity of self-help groups, and the important and diverse work that SINDA does for the benefit of Indians in Singapore”.

Guest-of-Honour at the event, Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) & Second Minister for Defence, noted how the Collaborative Tuition Programme (CTP) established in 2002 by the four SHGs provides students access to affordable tuition classes island-wide.

The CTP is still active today, having grown from 11 centres then to 83 now.

It is through such combined efforts by the SHGs that more students are able to benefit from the help available.

Among the 743 awardees, 14 students were selected to receive the Best Overall Academic Performance Award.

Citing these students as good examples, Mr Ong urged others to continue working hard and to have the courage and determination to make their dreams come true.

Sharing our lives It was a joyous Deepavali for 13 children and youth from Chen Su Lan Methodist Children's Home and the SINDA staff who spent an evening with them on 13 October. A scrumptious early dinner was followed by a cheery time painting Diyas (traditional oil lamps). Even more exciting was a trip to the Deepavali Bazaar at Birch Road to soak in the festive atmosphere. The children and youth got their hands painted with henna and bought snacks to bring back to their friends. The evening concluded with both our staff and the young ones playing with sparklers before bidding a warm farewell to each other.

“Our children enjoyed the activities planned by the SINDA staff and look forward to future community activities,” said Ms Elbina Joyce, Senior Social Worker, Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home.

13

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Sept 2017

USEFUL POINTERS FOR PARENTS OF PRIMARY ONE KIDS Every milestone event in our children’s lives has a special place in our hearts—that’s why as each one approaches, our anxiety levels start to peak. In education-centric Singapore, one such stress-inducing milestone is the advent of Primary One. Although it’s an exciting time for the family, there are inevitable worries for the parent: Have I done enough to prepare my child for primary school? What do I need to know? How do I support my child through the next few years?

Enter SINDA’s P1 Starters Series, a three-hour programme targeting all such parental fears. This annual workshop for parents of K2 pupils is facilitated by educators and specialists, in order to help parents be ready for this new phase of their children’s lives. This year, 88 parents gathered at the Singapore Science Centre on 30 September to hear from the experts.

School leaders introduced the primary school curriculum, besides explaining the current educational landscape to the parents. They also offered critical advice on the social and emotional well-being of the children.

“The programme allowed us parents to gain insight into various key areas that we have to pay special attention to,” said a

14

reassured Mdm Kalpana Kanderaju, 35. Her son, Sudarshan Saravanan, starts school in 2018. She added, “It will help our children have a smoother transition when they enter Primary 1!”

At the other end of the primary school journey is another big milestone that keeps parents awake at night—the PSLE. On 27 May, SINDA roped in Focus On The Family Singapore to offer sound counsel to parents of children in Primary 5 and 6: Do PE! That’s not Physical Education, though, but Praise and Encouragement, shown to be the fastest and most effective way to bring about positive change in our children. The 97 parents who attended this workshop were coached on how to use their everyday interactions with their tweens to motivate them and build a healthy self-esteem in them. For some parents, it was eye-opening that even in cases of failure, encouragement rather than scolding can bring about a good outcome for a child.

D.I.Y.

BUNNY BOOKMARK DESIGN

MATERIALS NEEDED

One paper clip per bunny

White card (slightly thicker than printing paper)

Coloured paper for decorating the bunnies

A little cotton wool for the bunny tail

Decorative/coloured paper for the eggs (If you don’t have any, use white paper and draw your own designs)

String or ribbon

Glue

Scissors

Tape

A black pen

LET’S GET GOING! BUNNY

1.

2.

3.

Start off by sketching your bunny – you will need two ovals, a smaller one for the body, but wide enough to hold a strip of tape to secure the paper clip; and a bigger one for the head. Then add ears. Look at our pictures for inspiration!

When you are happy with your design, cut out two bunny shapes the same size.

Add facial details on one bunny.

You may use the coloured paper to decorate the bunnies.

4.

5.

6.

On the second bunny, glue on a tuft of cotton wool for a tail.

Tape your paper clip onto the reverse side of the second bunny with the tail. Make sure enough of the paper clip sticks out so that it will fit over your book later.

Glue the reverse sides of your two bunnies together, with the paper clip in between, and hold in place until the glue dries.

7.

8.

9.

While the bunny dries, cut out four Easter eggs.

If you have coloured paper, you may use that for your eggs. If not, use white paper and colour it!

Cut about 25cm of string (or as long as the length of a book) and loop it through your paper clip.

Glue one end of the string between two eggs and do the same for the other end of string.

EGGS

Credit: https://www.redtedart.com/bunny-bookmark-design-for-easter/

15

Read everything in this issue of SINDA Connections without skipping a page? Let’s see how well you know its contents!

Quiz-O-Mania

Answer the questions below and simply submit your answers together with your particulars, to SINDA Connections Contest c/o SINDA Corporate & Marketing Communications Division, No. 1 Beatty Road, Singapore 209943. Your entries have to reach SINDA by 31 December 2017.

This contest is only open to primary and secondary school students who are Singaporeans or Permanent Residents. Three correct entries will win a $50 voucher each.

The winning correct entries will be picked in a draw and the judges’ decision is final.

Winners will be contacted by SINDA to collect their prize and the winners’ names will be published in the next issue of SINDA Connections.

Name:

IC/BC No.:

School:

School Level:

Contact No.: Email:

Address: Select one answer for each question: (You can find the answers in the articles in this magazine)

Winners of the previous contest –

Question 1 Where is the new SINDA Youth Hub, opening in 2018, going to be located? a) Northpoint Shopping Centre

b) Jurong Point Shopping Centre

c) AMK Hub

Question 2 How long has Mdm Kuttiammal been a nurse for? a) 25 years

b) 30 years

1) Gurusamy Karthikeyan Raghav Montfort Junior School 2) Mohamed Mubeen Mohamed Raseem Teck Ghee Primary School

c) 40 years

Question 3 SINDA provided ‘Lego WeDo Robotics’ sets to a group of people to explore and build robotic models. Which was the group that received it?

3) Ramachandran Dharun Logesh Tampines North Primary School

a) Pre-schoolers b) Teenagers c) Adults

About Us VISION To build a strong and vibrant Singaporean Indian community together MISSION To build a well-educated, resilient and confident community of Indians that stands together with the other communities in contributing to the progress of multi-racial Singapore VALUES Respect, our culture Integrity, our foundation Service, our promise Excellence, our pursuit

16

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Term Trustees Ms Indranee Rajah Patron Mr Ravi Menon Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Mr R Jayachandran Mr Girija Pande Chairman Mr Gautam Banerjee Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam Mr Ravinder Singh Life Trustees Justice Judith Prakash ​Prof S Jayakumar Mr K Kesavapany Mr S Dhanabalan Mr Viswa Sadasivan Mr S Chandra Das Mr Shabbir Hassanbhai Mr J Y Pillay Mr Timothy Chia Mr Sat Pal Khattar Mr Piyush Gupta Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam Dr Sudha Nair Mr K Shanmugam Advisors Dr N Varaprasad Dr Vivian Balakrishnan Mr S Iswaran Mr Vikram Nair Mr Murali Pillai

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President Ms Indranee Rajah Vice Presidents Mr Shekaran Krishnan ​Mr K V Rao Secretary Mr Sarjit Singh Treasurer Mr R Subramaniam Iyer Members Dr Joshua V M Kuma Mr R Chandra Mohan Mr K Ramamoorthy Mr Sarbjit Singh Mr T Thambyrajah Mr Darryl David Mrs Rathi Parimalan Mr Mohamed Nasim Dr Rakhee Yash Pal Mr Ramesh Narayanaswamy

IN HIS WORDS

ONE OF US

What is one piece of advice you have received that you would like to pass on to others?

Daniel: “Never be afraid to make mistakes, and always learn from them.

It’s not so much about the outcome but the journey—how much you learn and grow, so enjoy the process!”

ITELP CO-LEAD

DANIEL RAVINDRAN Participating in the 2015 ITE Leadership Programme (ITELP) so inspired Daniel Ravindran that the third-year Singapore Polytechnic Electrical and Electronics Engineering student squeezed out time from his full-time studies to return as a mentor in 2016 and back again as programme co-lead this year.

Time well spent, is how Daniel sees his journey with ITELP. “ITELP gave me a sense of direction and taught me a lot about being responsible and caring for the community,” he says about his stint as a participant three years back.

“It changed me from being someone very quiet and easily distracted to someone who’s able to set goals and chase after them.”

One of his goals was to help other youth—something he feels he has achieved as a co-lead for ITELP 2017, seeing new teams and individuals

progress. Although it was a challenge to juggle his time, Daniel says he is grateful for the opportunity. Being part of the annual five-month leadership programme for ITE students, twice in different capacities, has afforded him new perspectives and made him more adaptable, he notes.

“I recommend ITELP to ITE students as it is a great place to learn and meet youths from other campuses, who share a passion to serve the community,” Daniel urges. “It’s a place where you will really see a change in yourself.”

17

C

M

Y

M

MONUMENTAL DECISIONS FOSTER SUCCESS. At MDIS, we nurture and amplify the potential of our students while encouraging them to become lifelong learners. For more than 60 years, we have fostered professionals capable of carving out exciting careers and positively impacting society.

Y

Y

MY

K

School of Engineering

MDIS Business School • Accounting & Finance • Accounting & Financial Management • Banking & Finance • Business Administration • Business & Marketing • Business Management • Business Studies & Finance • Human Resource Management • International Business • International Marketing • Management Studies • Public Administration • Public Administration & Management • Public Service Management

• Electrical & Electronic Engineering • Engineering Management • Mechanical Engineering • Project Management

School of Fashion & Design • Fashion Design • Fashion Design & Marketing • Fashion Marketing & Branding • Fashion Product & Promotion

School of Health & Life Sciences

School of Media & Communications • Broadcast Media Production • Mass Communications • Media, Culture & Communication

School of Nursing • Nursing

School of Psychology • Psychology

School of Technology • Information Technology

• Biomedical Science School of Tourism & Hospitality • International Tourism & Hospitality Management • Biotechnology • Professional Cookery • Health Sciences (Management) • Safety, Health & Environmental Management • Tourism & Hospitality • Tourism, Hospitality & Events Management • Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Management

MDIS Merit Scholarships (Local)* available *Terms and conditions apply

Contact us, or visit our website today to find out more about our globally recognised programmes, full learning facilities and vibrant student life.

Management Development Institute of Singapore Reg. No. 201001793H 20 May 2014 to 19 May 2018 CERT NO.: 97-2-0767 ISO 9001 : 2015

THINK SUCCESS. THINK MDIS. 6247 9111 / 6372 1000 etc@mdis.edu.sg www.mdis.edu.sg