Nanyang Primary Newsletter - Issue 4

edu. www.nyps.moe.

缤纷

sg • August 2012

In This Issue: Principal’s Message 02 – 03 New Staff/Babies 04 – 06 MOE's Long Service Award

07 – 08

Recipients of the “Most Caring Teacher” Award

09

Floral Harmony 2011 10 – 12 CNY Celebrations 13 – 17 Total Defence Day

18 – 19

International Friendship Day

20 – 23

Singapore Huayi Festival 24 Beijing Immersion Programme

25 – 26

Shanghai Immersion

27 – 28

A Heart for the Community

29 – 31

A Heart and Mind to Serve

32 – 34

Winning the ICE challenge

35 – 37

P1 Orientation 38 – 39 P3 Cultural Camp

40 – 42

P5 Adventure Camp

43 – 45

P6 Camp 46 – 62 A Grandparent Volunteer's Reflection

63 – 66

Video Links 67

Editor's Note

The highlights of this issue include contributions from three generations of the Nanyang Family. Be inspired by a grandfather's reflection, a mother's new mission and a child's heart for the community. The song accompaniment for the bookview of this e-newsletter , "南 小 , 我 的 母 亲 " is composed by Mrs Chan Mok Sze Hui for the publication "童 声 稚 曲 3"in 2011.

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Principal's Message 校 长 的话 众 志成 城，共 建 南小 斗 转星移，岁月沧 桑 。95 年的历

的每 一 个 学 子 的成长 保 驾 护 航 !

程 里，南小 发 生了很多的变 化 ,但 唯 一不 变的是 一 代代南小人一直 坚 定

为了给孩子 创 建 一 个更 好 的学

地 将“ 培育最 优秀 的人才 ”为目标 。

习环 境，南小正在 筹 建 新 校 舍 和 翻

十年 树 木，百年 树人。南小 培育的不

新 现 有设 施。俗话 说：“ 前人种 树，

仅仅 只是 学业优异 的 栋 梁，更 是 德

后人 纳 凉 ”，还希望各 位 校 友和 家长

智 体 群 美 全面发 展的人才。希望每 一

从精神、行 动 等 各 个方面给 予南小帮

个南小 的学 子 都 能做 到尊师 重 道、

助 与支 持。今年 5月26日的南小艺 术

谦 恭 礼让、勤 慎 端 朴，成为对 社 会 有

节 筹 款 活 动 和 8月15日至18日的 95

用的人，能 够 给 他 人带 去温 暖，带 去

周年 筹 款 演 出，诚 邀 您 的参 与，为建

福气。

设南小 的美 好明天 贡 献 您 的力量!

95 年的春 华 秋 实，95 年的不断 发 展，一直离 不开校 董、校 友、各 位 家长 及教 职 员工的支 持 与贡 献。随 着 时间 的 积 淀，南小这个大家 庭在 逐 渐扩大，我 们 的力量 也更 加 雄 厚。 希望我 们 能 够日益密 切 地 联 系在一 起，凝 聚 成一 股 绳，秉 着“一 切为了 孩子、为了一 切 孩子、为了孩子 的 一 切 ”，团 结 一 致，众 志成 城，为南小

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前人种树， 后人 纳 凉

The Principal’s Message 2012 marks the 95th anniversary for Nanyang Primary School. The celebrations include a sparkling array of activities such as the Arts Carnival in May and the Fund-raising Musical in August this year.

We commemorate not just the illustrious history of the school but it is truly an opportunity for us to remember, honour and be thankful for the Nanyang spirit. This Nanyang spirit is embodied in the selfless sacrifice of all who have given or will give of themselves in one way or another to the school through the years.

Behind every success in NYPS stands the Nanyang family. We are proud to have a dedicated School Management Board which works tirelessly to help the school achieve its vision. The contributions of our vibrant alumni, parent-teacher association and parent volunteers

cut across a whole spectrum of our activities. Our resourceful teachers and non-teaching staff also play key roles in our joint successes.

In the process of giving, we are showing our children how they can make a difference. This year, the school has organized character development and parenting talks for teachers and parents to foster closer partnership in raising the children of Nanyang. We look forward to a fruitful time of learning together.

The Nanyang family represents our past, our present and our future.

Every cent donated, every minute volunteered and every effort made to benefit the children of NYPS is a step towards achieving our vision of raising generations of eminent leaders. As Mother Teresa said, “I alone cannot change the world but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.� I thank you all for your contributions.

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New Staff

Ms Judy Lee Hwei Woon (HOD-Curriculum)

Mdm Ong Hwee Yen (VP–Administration)

Mrs Ong Hui Khim (VP–Instructional Programmes)

Ms Carel Chee

Welcome our new staff!

Mrs Eileen Ng

Ms Guo Hai Ming

Ms Ho Li Ming (Jan-July)

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Mr Chan Tai Yao

Mr Alexander Ho Kok Hui (Jan-June)

Ms Carolyn Chan May Young

Mr Rahmat Bin Ramli

Mrs Sophia Christian Ang

Mr Yeo Leong Seng

New additions to the Nanyang Family!

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Staff Baby Photos

l, H a nn a h 's ba by gir t ia K g in M r Ta n Y

Mr F e i Me ng's b a by

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gir l, J ing To ng

MOE Long Service Awards

2r5s y

MRS LILY LEE, 25 years in service

The long service award goes to ...

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2r0s y

MR PANG KIA KENG, 20 years in service

10

y rs

MS NG HUEY FERN,10 years in service 8

Most Caring Teacher Award

MRS NANCY LUM

MS CAITLYN HUANG

MRS DIANA WANG

MS YVONNE PUN

The most caring teacher award goes to...

MDM CHUA DEAK HER

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9th Floral Harmony 2011

By Mdm Lau Hwai Bing and Mdm Mok Sze Hui Since 2003, our school has been partnering closely with our PTA to organise the intra-school and interschool floral art competition. Last year, in conjunction with the World Orchid Conference (WOC) held at the Marina Bay Sands, we also invited international participants to take part in the floral art competition. A total of more than 100 pupils from 14 schools took part in the competition.

Judges and visitors to the WOC were impressed by the quality of the arrangements produced by the pupils, some as young as seven years old. It is our pride and our joy to showcase our pupils' floral art talents.

8月15日，南小 庆 祝校 庆 之际见证 了校 史 另一 个 新 的里 程 碑 。 在 南洋 学 校 历史 的长 河里，李 光 耀 资 政与其已故 贤内 助 柯玉 芝 女 士早已落 下他 们 的足 迹。他 们 俩 眼 光独 到，早 在 五十年 代 就 把 三个 子 女：李显 龙 总 理、F& N 主 席―李显 扬先 生 及中央医院 脑 神 经 科董事 主 席―李 伟 玲高级专 科医 生 送 入南 洋 小 学 接受 教 育。从 此，李资 政一 家与 南洋 学 校 结 下了不解之 缘。当 时，南小建 校 艰辛，李资 政 慷 慨 解 囊， 多次以私 人名誉 捐Tommy 款给我 校。 Nicole Cheok, Megan Hong, Tay, Jed Goh came in First in the Under 13 - Floor 至今， 李资 政仍 是南小 名誉 顾问， arrangement. Their arrangement won a Gold Medal in the WOC Class Standing Floor 这实在 是我 们的 极 210: 大 荣幸！ Arrangement, Under 13s (Team)

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Siow Lih Jiang, Sean Wee, Alexandra Egan, Vivien Sim and Serena Lee Oh received a Merit Award for their arrangement in the Under 13 - Floor arrangement

Participants from other schools working on their floor arrangement

Participants from other schools working on their floor arrangement

Intra-school Lower Primary Yung Chien Corey (‘Gold’)

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Judges at work

Mrs Lee presenting a token of appreciation to GOH, Mrs Joy Balakrishnan

Mrs Lee and our distinguished guests 12

Intra-school Upper Primary Nera Mok Yun Yan (‘Gold’)

祥龙贺岁迎新春 —活动花絮 黄慧芬师

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新 春 佳节临 近了。1月13日上

声，充 满了浓 浓 的春节气氛。升旗

午，一 群 热 心 的家长 义 工们 特 地 在

礼 过 后，掀 开序幕 的是 一 场 精 彩 的

学 校 礼 堂 设 起一 个 个 的小 摊 位，为

舞龙 舞 狮 表演。接下来 便 是 一年一

学生 示范 新 年 糕 点的制 作。她 们 除

度的 挥 春比赛。全 体 四年 级 的学生

了耐心 地 向学生们 讲 解 并示范各种

在 广 场上 准备就 绪后，挥 春比赛 便

糕 点的制 作 方法 外，也慷 慨 地让学

开始了。只 见 四百多名学生同 时 专

生们 随 意品尝成品。学生们 都 吃 得

心 致 志 地 把“春回大 地 ”这四个字

非常开心。这项 活 动 不但 能 让 孩子

一 笔一 画 的勾画出来，场面非常 壮

们 通 过食 物 加深 对农 历新 年的认

观。

识，也 能 让他 们 感 染 春节 的气氛， 可说 是 一 举两得 。 1月2 6日大年 初 四早上，大家都

在 挥 春比赛 进 行 的同 时，礼 堂 传来了阵 阵 悦 耳 的贺年 歌曲。原 来 是小一、小 三 和 小 五各班 的 代 表 正

带着 愉 快 的心情回到 学 校 一同庆

在台上向校 长、副 校 长 以 及老师 们

祝 新 春。校园里 处 处 都 可 听 到 祝 贺

拜 年。同学 们 个 个手上 握 着两个橘

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子，在一片欢愉 的 歌 声中向师长 们 献 上他 们 的 祝福。拜完年后，便 是 观 赏 精 彩节目的 时 候了。首先，来自 南小武 术 校 队 的十四名队 员为大家 呈 现了一段 充 满 朝 气 和活力的集 体 和 单 练 项目的演 出。接 着，南小古 筝队 和 华乐团也为大家演 奏了三首 动 听 的曲子，博 得了全 场 热 烈 的掌 声，而幽 默有趣 的 相 声表演 — —

新 年 快 乐！ 祥龙 贺 岁 迎新春!

福

“ 黄鼠狼 给鸡 拜 年”则 把 大家逗得 捧 腹 大 笑。庆 典 在全 体师 生 捐 献 爱 心 红包 的活 动后圆满 结 束。

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Total Defence Day

By Asfalinda Binte Asmawi

Our Macho Presenters

Good job, Mr Ting!

We commemorated Total Defence Day on 13th February 2012, with an interesting ‘Soldier Talk’ by an ORD officer, Mr YH Lim. Mr Sapiee also recounted his life as a soldier to the pupils. A video was screened to the pupils about the life of soldiers in camps. Then, we were further enthralled by the star appearance of Mr Wayne Toh who appeared in full army attire with a fully camouflaged face. He shared about the features and the purpose of the attire. The NE drivers then gave a short talk about the importance of Total Defence in Singapore. During their recesses, the pupils visited

the Camouflage booth manned

by Mr Oh Chee Siong assisted by Mrs Rebecca Goh, Mr Ting Huat Seng and Ms Teo Chiang Yen. The pupils tried painting their faces with camouflaged cream. Classroom activities were planned for the pupils in their respective levels and conducted during Social Studies classes. The Primary 5 pupils had a special activity where they tasted tapioca and sweet potatoes. These were food which were given out during the war. On 15th February 2012, the actual date for Total Defence Day, we had our first fire drill in school.

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Commemorating Total Defence Day on 13th February 2012..

Wow‌ pretty face!

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International Friendship Day 2012

By Mdm Yee Yin Mei

We commemorated International Friendship Day on 9 April 2012. The theme for this

year is ‘Singapore in the World’. On that

day, we encouraged our pupils to interact

with our new citizens as well as the many

non-Singaporeans who have chosen to make Singapore their home. They bring with them different perspectives, vibrant cultures and

exciting ideas which will enrich our lives. Our teachers, Mdm Joanne Ang and Mdm Sharon Chen, shared on the cultures of Japan,

Korea and Philippines with the Primary One

and Two pupils. Our three young speakers – Brandon Norton of P4E, Heather Bell of 4F and Mei Togawa of 5B presented during the

Upper Primary Assembly on the cultures of

Australia, Scotland and Japan respectively. One of our teachers, Miss Bai Qiong, also provided

an insight into the culture of her homeland, Xi An province in China. It was a meaningful and enriching day for all of us.

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d Me i Tog aw a of 5B , He at he r Be ll of 4F an 4F of n rto No don an Br Our 3 young spe ak ers –

Happy International Friendship Day!

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Pupils in e th nic c ostume s

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ume s hnic c ost t e in d e r e ss s we r e d Te a c he r

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Singapore Huayi Festival

By Mavis Tan

Our Principal, Mrs Lee and our Chairlady, Mdm Wee posing with our Primary 4 pupils

Forty-five of our P4 pupils took part in ‘Melodies of Classic Virtues: San Zi Jing and Di Zi Gui’ at the Esplanade on 4th February 2012. The concert is one of the many performances for the Chinese Festival of Arts (Singapore’s Huayi Festival). Our pupils recited Di Zi Gui (Standards for being a Good Student and Child) in the concert accompanied by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. This is in line with our school’s Civics and Moral Education curriculum which focuses on the recitation of Di Zi Gui for the Primary 1 and Primary 2 pupils and understanding and applicating the values they have learnt for the Primary 3 to Primary 6 pupils.

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北京 —西安浸濡活动 卢嘉庠老师

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五月廿 六日，卅四个小 五的孩

舞“ S i n g a p o re F a n t a s y ”，并且

子 们 还 沉 浸 在南洋艺韵嘉 年 华 会 的 赢得了热 烈 的掌声。 欢 乐气氛中，第二天 一早，他 们 便 揉 着 惺 忪 的 睡 眼，随同四位 老师， 坐 上了前 往 北 京的飞 机。 在 史 家小 学浸 濡 的 5 天 里，同 学 们 体 验了中国五年 级小 学生 的课 程 和 生 活。除了华文、数 学 和 科 学 等课 程 外，他 们 也 上了茶 艺、造 纸 和 做 工艺品等文化艺 术 课，前所 未 有的 体 验 让他 们意 犹 未 尽。另外， 同学 们 还 结 识了可爱 热 情 的小伙 伴，建 立了深 厚的友情。 在 史 家小 学 的儿 童节庆 祝会 上，南小 的同学 们为北 京的师 生们 表演了代 表 新加坡四大 种 族 的 歌 26

这 几 天 里，同学 们 还 参观了华 丽 的天安门 和 辉 煌 的 故宫，爬 上了 陡 峭 的长 城。 六月二日，同学 们离开北 京，飞 抵 充 满历史气 息 的古 都西安。在 那 里，他 们 领 略了城 墙 的古老，陕西 历史博 物 馆里 陶艺品的 精 致 和 世界 八 大奇 迹 之一兵 马 俑 的 壮 观。 六月五日，南小师 生一 行人依 依 不舍 地 踏上归 途，期 待下次有 机 会再访中国。

Shanghai Immersion

By Miss Jayla Tan

The Science Learning Journey Portfolio of Heather Bell

On 6 March 2012, a group of forty pupils and four teachers visited Shanghai for the annual Aerospace Immersion Programme. Once again, we were warmly welcomed by our Shanghainese counterparts from Fudan-Vanke Experimental School.

Our pupils had an enjoyable stay at the homes of their hosting buddies

and families. This is an especially meaningful year as it marks our fifth year in collaboration with Fudan-Vanke and it also serves as a testimony of the strong friendship forged between the two schools.

The highlight of this immersion programme was a day-trip to Su Zhou, a place that is known for its scenic gardens and hills. Our pupils’ learning throughout this trip was recorded in a learning portfolio, which is a purposeful compilation of their understanding, efforts and reflection. This is the first year that every pupil is allowed to keep a learning portfolio and it has proven to be a great success in charting their learning!

A completely new life opened its doors to me.

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Our pupils waiting eagerly to fire their rockets

Waiting eagerly to fire the rockets!

Our little astronaut at the rocket launching simulation centre

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A Heart For The Community

By Claire Li Ker Shin, 5M

Service Trip to Cambodia

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It had really been an eye-opening experience!

The rainy season in Cambodia often results in floods in Koh Rokar village, the village where we were heading for community service. That explained why houses on stilts could be seen everywhere! Floods had subsided when we arrived but the remnants of the damage caused by the flood could still be seen.

Walking on the uneven ground dotted with splatters of cow dung, I marvelled at the broad expanse of farmland and the simplicity of life. People there live with the bare minimum, with almost no furniture in their houses! At night, stars illuminate the night sky, providing the source of light on the road for the villagers as they make their way

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home. It was a scary (for I was afraid to fall into the river) albeit thrilling experience to walk in the night with only the starlight as my guiding light when I switched off my torchlight!

My fellow schoolmates and I assisted our parents or any teacher who needed an additional pair of hands during the two to four hours of English lesson a day. When we arrived at the school, the children were seated attentively at their desks and all of them had enthusiastic expressions on their faces. Every lesson, the children were taught to make a simple handicraft relating to the topic we had taught them that day. We could see most of them waving their handicraft as

they went home. I felt that they really appreciated what we had taught them. In my opinion, children in Singapore are very fortunate.

While we get to choose how many and what kind of pen we want, the children in the village only have one pen each and that is their only stationery! They do not have

laughter and joy to us all.

any fans or electric lights in their classrooms. While their classrooms are partitioned, teaching instructions and students’ responses from the other classrooms could be heard distinctly. Yet amidst the heat and cacophony of sounds, I was surprised that they could still concentrate on the lesson.

to better appreciate what we have in Singapore. It had really been an eye-opening experience for me and I would really like to go and serve them once again.

It was a trip I yearned to stay on for many more days. Though we did not have the luxury of the comforts of home, I learnt the importance of adapting to a new environment and making the best of a situation, respecting each other’s culture and

To be of service to others, one should get to know them better.

Not really knowing where to start, I tried holding the children’s hands and reciting numbers with them in both languages. It was easier than I expected! Although the children were a little shy at first, they soon included me in their games. Playing the games with them brought much

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A Heart And Mind To Serve

By Sandra Thum (Mother of Claire Li)

To learn beyond the four walls of a classroom in a third world country is an atypical opportunity for a primary school student studying in Singapore. Thus, it became my motivation and that of many parents who went on this service learning trip to Cambodia.

All of us had set off on this trip with a heart and mind to serve. Koh Koul Primary School was the school in 32

which we carried out English lessons for 7 to 13 year-old children. Due to the recent flood, the floor of their classrooms was caked in mud.

It was an impossible task to clean the classrooms with the school’s limited manpower and lack of tools. The teachers had to conduct the lessons outdoors. So, on the first morning, with the principal’s blessings, we, adults and children, took to the cleaning task like a team

which we carried out English lessons for 7 to 13 year-old children. Due to the recent flood, the floor of their classrooms was caked in mud.

It was an impossible task to clean the classrooms with the school’s limited manpower and lack of tools. The teachers had to conduct the lessons outdoors. So, on the first morning, with the principal’s blessings, we, adults and children, took to the cleaning task like a team of busy bees, armed with shovels and brushes! The camaraderie of our teachers, parents and students shone through as we all worked tirelessly together.

For the four days that we were there,

we did some manual labour at a construction site but spent most of our time conducting English lessons through an eclectic mix of handicraft, flashcards, songs, games and the good old blackboard. The synergy of our energy and expertise brought about a very warm and giving atmosphere. The students, with their earnest and humble attitude, were enthusiastic and eager to learn.

While many of the parents of these students view education as one way to break the poverty cycle, we understand that there is still quite a number of children who miss school as their parents need them to help out in the farm – a labour-intensive 33

intensive job in a land where modern farm machinery is almost non-existent.

Thus, we were pleasantly surprised at the above average attendance of the students even though the principal had extended the school hours and had asked the students to turn up for school on Saturday.

At the end of the trip, what we learnt was so much more than what we had given. To be able to participate with our children in a meaningful endeavour, guiding them towards the principles we believe in, is indeed very gratifying. It certainly was not an end but the beginning of many more community service trips for some of us.

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The success of a community service and school building project lies in its continuity and accountability. I look forward to Nanyang Primary School’s continued involvement and support of the school building project in the village of Koh Rokar.

What a meaningful endeavour....

Winning the ICE Challenge

By Jarrett Lee (P6 2011, Green Club Chairman)

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What an enriching experience!

IDEAS On the 12 November 2011, I took part in the ICE (Innovative, Creativity and Enterprise) Challenge organized

by Spring Singapore in conjunction with the Global Enterprise Week.

It was held at the new Changi City Point Mall.

During my Green Club sessions, our CCA teachers engaged vendors from The Money Tree to instruct us on entrepreneurship.

After the training sessions, the trainers decided to choose two brilliant ideas and submit them for the ICE competition. We did our presentation and the trainers felt that our idea of eggshell fertilizer was quite interesting. Therefore, our team and another team working on kinetic fans were selected to move onto the next round, which was the semi-finals.

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On the day of the competition, we arrived at Changi City Point Mall, feeling extremely nervous.

We needed to set up our table with the mock-ups of our products displayed alongside the tables of other ten secondary and ten primary schools. The judges, who were managers and directors from several companies, came around to all the teams and we were required to do a presentation for them. It was an eye-opener presenting to the panel of expert judges. We impressed one of the male judges so much that he offered to buy a bottle of our mock-up product, the egg fertiliser.

We were more than happy to offer him a bottle for free, but due to competition rules, he gave us a token of appreciation to us instead.

He was our very first customer.

By mid-afternoon, the results were released and we had sailed through!

There were a total of four teams from the Primary School Category.

We prepared ourselves for the final round in which we would have to go on stage and present to another panel of judges. The Guest-ofHonour, Mrs Jessica Tan, MP for East Coast GRC, was also present in the audience.

We presented and gave our best shot. The final moment came when they announced the results and the popular MC, Mervin called for the winning school. “The Eggcillent� which was our product was the winning entry and we were too surprised to acknowledge that we were the champions! We shedded tears of joy as this was an epic journey that took us so far and

we gained many valuable lessons from it. It was a milestone in my schooling experience, and I am more motivated than ever before to excel in future research projects as a result of this victory and enriching experience.

In addition, I am very thankful to my CCA teachers, Mdm Yow, Mdm Serene Leong, Mrs Rebecca Goh and Ms Jayla Tan for giving us such a good learning experience and The Money Tree trainers for their sharing. Together with my wonderful teammates, we had gained much!

Working together as a team to form the "production line" for the Odourless Egg Shell Fertilizers

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小一迎新日 李友璋老师

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么排 队 买食 物，也带着 他 们 参观 校 园，让他 们 熟 悉 学 校 的 环 境，知 道 一 些 重 要场所 的 位 置，如 礼 堂、庭 院、厕所等 等。 由于校园很 大，第二天，学长 们 继 续 带着 学弟学 妹 们 参观 校园，给 他 们 介 绍更多的 地方，如办公室、 图书馆、牙科诊所等。他 们也在体 开 学 的首三天 是 迎 新日，学 校 特 地 安 排了一系列 的活 动，让一年 级 的学生能 在 最 短 的 时间内适 应小 学 的生 活。 开 学 第一 天，整个校园沸沸 扬

育老师 的带 领 下，玩了几 项 益智 游 戏。 最 后 一 天，校内 的牙科医 生与 孩子 们分享保 持口腔 卫 生 的重 要 性。为了向家长 义 工们 表 达 谢 意，

扬 的，礼 堂 里 挤满了学生、家长、老

每 一 班 的 级 任 老师 派 选一名学生表

师 和 家长 义 工。钟 校 长与老师 们 都

演 节目，答谢 家长 义 工们 这 三天的

热 情 地 迎 接 新 生 的到 来。钟 校 长 和

帮 忙 和 照 顾。孩子 们 各显才 华，表

孩子 们亲 切 地 交谈，各班 的 级 任 老

演十分 精 彩。最 后，孩子 们也都送

师 也 和 孩子 分享“ 苹 果”的 故事。

了一 份自己制 作 的手工作品给 这 些

所 有的孩子 也 和五年 级 的学

家长 义 工们。

长学 姐 配 对；休 息 时，这 些 学长学 姐 陪 在学弟学 妹 的身 边，教他 们怎 39

小三文化营 小兴和小文（匿名）是三年级的学生。 三月六日这一天，他们坐在食堂里聊天。 陈丽平老师

小文：小兴，你知 道吗？我 们明天不

用上课。太 棒了！

小兴：是 啊！陈 老师叫我 们 第一节

课 到 礼 堂去集 合，还说我 们

明天 会 进 行 一 些 有趣 的活

动。听 说 还 有画 画 课，是吗？

我 最喜 欢 画 画了。

小文：对，是 C h i n e s e Pa i n t i n g，

老师 说 还 有C h i n e s e k n ot 呢！

小兴：哦…. . 老师 说 过 要讲 华 语，我

要 去告 诉 老师 你讲 英语。

小文：好 啦，对 不起 啦！ 小兴：其 实 C h i n e s e Pa i n t i n g 是

中国水墨画，C h i n e s e k n ot s

是中国绳 结。我曾经 在电视 上看

过 人们 示范中国绳 结，挺有趣

的 哦！

小文：你 看！陈 老师来了。我 们去问

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问他明天 还 有什么有趣 的活 动 吧！

小兴：

陈 老师 早安！

陈 老师：

同学 们早！

小文：

陈 老师，明天的文化营 除了

水墨画 和中国结 外，还 有

什么活 动 ？

陈 老师：

你们 会 通 过 服 装 来认识中

国历史，还 有 机会 认识我

们 新加坡华人 的不同的 籍

贯 的习俗和 食品哦！你们

吃 过“红龟馃 ”吗？

小文：

老师，我 吃 过！它里面 有 花

生碎 和 糖，香 香 甜 甜 的，很

好 吃！

小兴：

我 没 吃 过……

陈 老师：

没 关 系，明天 你 就有 机

会品尝了！明天 你们 还会

学“ 扯 铃 ”，那 就 像 是 在耍

杂 技一样，挺 好 玩 的，你们

一定 要试一 试。

小文 和 小兴： 好 啊！我 们真 的很 期 待

呀！

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小 三 文化营 班 级表 现 奖。。

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P5 Adventure Camp

By Miss Marie Lim

Hooray! We managed to get our fire started to cook our dinner.

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Camping is an integral part of our school programme. As we hope to develop our pupils to be versatile and all-rounded, two 3-day residential camps were held at the Bukit Batok Home Team NS Clubhouse for the Primary 5 students during the month of February 2012.

For many, it was their first experience sleeping in tents, kayaking and starting a fire from scratch! The spontaneous cheering, teambuilding games, high elements and kayaking were some of the highlights

Together we can!

of the camp. The camp ended with a blast with engaging performances by the Primary 5 students during the campfire night. Despite being physically tired and weary-eyed, the Primary 5 students cheered their classmates on during the campfire night as they were still reeling with excitement from the shared experience and bonds forged over the course of the camp.

Camp Alpha and Omega was indeed one of the most memorable events for the Primary 5 cohort of 2012.

Yes, I made it right to the top!

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The Fivers and their beautiful smiles for the camera!

Yes, I made it right to the top!

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P6 Star Camp

By Mdm Jean Lai

A band of brothers

46

o . g . . . e w e r e H

The camp was held on 9 and 10 February 2012. The camp is sixth year in its running. It was a 2-day camp, planned for all P6 pupils to achieve the following objectives: • Help pupils set realistic personal goals, acquire effective and practical homework and study skills • Promote team spirit among pupils and teachers • Instil discipline • Enhance pupils’ Social Emotional Learning • Enhance National Education (NE) through food and other cultural experiences • Enhance NE learning and experience through visiting places like Maritime Experiential Museum

..

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Amazing Race here I come!

On the first day of the camp, pupils were treated to a number of icebreaker games to help them mingle well with their group mates. They were also involved in coming up with a group name, mascot and group cheer to promote team spirit amongst group members.

On that same day, pupils were whisked off to Sentosa for the Amazing Race challenge. Each group, led by one facilitator and one teacher, set out to accomplish a series of tasks that were planned to inculcate values such as 48

- Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, Integrity, Compassion and Harmony.

In one task, for example, the group was expected to approach some tourists to do a dance or to say a line in Chinese. Pupils had to learn to ask politely and should they be turned down, they had to be resilient to continue to approach other willing tourists to join in the fun. Many pupils had fun interacting with the tourists at Sentosa. They also felt a great sense of satisfaction when they succeeded.

Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, Integrity, Compassion and Harmony

A picture with our friendly tourist

Amazing Race, here I come!

Campfire is burning

During the Amazing Race, pupils also had to learn to be creative and resourceful in order to complete the tasks assigned and acquire the points to win the challenge. Many pupils had fun playing the numerous games that required each member to work in harmony to achieve the desired outcomes.

Apart from the games, pupils also had the opportunity to visit the Maritime Museum. This is where numerous artifacts from Asian countries such as Vietnam, China, India and Malaysia pertaining to

shipping and trading as well as the cultural aspects of each country are housed.

On the second day of the camp, our pupils attended lectures on how to set realistic goals for study. They also learnt various study techniques and skills along with effective planning.

There were also a series of team building games for pupils to build better relationships with their classmates. Each game was specially designed to help pupils realise the 49

Drawing for one another

importance of working harmoniously as a team. Pupils had fun playing the games using simple props such as towels, ping pong balls, pipes, hoola-hoops and many others.

lanterns. Pupils also learnt some simple stances in the Malay martial art of Silat and played traditional games.

On the whole, the P6 STAR, though

Not forgetting the cultural aspect, pupils were also treated to a series of hands-on activities in the Culture Quest segment. Pupils learnt simple Malay dance called Dikir Barat; designed rangoli; observed the making of the traditional Malay delicacy- Putu Piring, and tasted them; learnt Henna drawing; tied Indian saris and made Chinese 50

short, was a fruitful one for teachers and pupils as we concluded the second day with a campfire where groups got to showcase what they had learnt during in the Culture

Hand in hand

Having nasi briyani for our dinner

P6 STAR Camp was fun!

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Le t 's hear it from the STAR S...

“The camp is fun and I have learnt good values from it and I have also learnt to be independent.”

“I loved the Amazing Race which allowed my class to bond together as one.Cheers of ‘HYPER! Go!’

Toh Pei Qi 6F

were heard along the way. Also, we are extremely grateful to the spontaneous tourists who helped us on our tasks. The cheers really boosted our morale.”

“I really enjoyed the Amazing Race at Sentosa on the first day. Our class worked together as one. Getting the tourists to do the ‘chicken’ dance with us was pretty funny! :) We came home dragging our feet but happy.

It was a job well done! I also loved the campfire. I had a lot of fun cheering for my class. Thank you NYPS, for organising this fun team building camp for us! :)” Chelsia Low 6L

“I think the STAR camp was very educational and fun. I enjoyed the Amazing Race and I learnt about the Malay and Indian cultures too.”

Ian Chia 6D 52

Celeste Ng 6L

“I loved the Amazing Race.

I loved the class cheer. I loved how spontaneous we were. Most of all, I loved the STAR camp and how it allowed all of us to shine in our own ways. To all P6 pupils: May the STARS in your hearts continue to shine for the WORLD to see.”

Rachel Rina Cheong Wen Xiu 6L

“The P6 STAR camp was really great!

I really enjoyed the campfire night!

Although it was pretty strenuous

“I thoroughly enjoyed the P6 STAR camp. My favourite activity was the Amazing Race as it helped me to

on the first day, our class bonded throughout the Amazing Race.

Thank you, NYPS for giving us this opportunity to have this camp! :)"

interact with more friends and get to know them better.”

Beverly Fu 6K

“The camp was very fun and enriching. The Amazing Race taught us teamwork and how to cooperate with others. In all, the camp was brilliant!”

"The camp was very interesting, entertaining and educational! I like the teambuilding games as I learn the importance of teamwork.”

Jeric Teo 6J

“The camp has taught me about teamwork. My favourite was the campfire. I remember the part when our class won the hoola hoop competition. It was a wonderful to taste success. The camp was really memorable for us!”

Celine Foo 6G

Gwyneth Chua 6J

“The P6 STAR camp left a deep impression on me. The Culture Quest has increased my knowledge of other cultures. I had a wonderful time!”

Kene Woon 6J

Kum Jia Xuan 6G 53

Awesome! !

Exciting! Crazy ace R The Amazing e and the campfir t! were the bes

“Awesome! Exciting! Crazy! The Amazing Race and the campfire were the best!”

“The camp was enjoyable and exciting. My favourite was the campfire.”

Soon Da Ren 6I

Yeow Jun Hao 6J

“The camp was fun and interesting.

I learnt a lot about different cultures through the games we played. I hope to have such a camp again.”

“I learnt the importance of teamwork through the camp and I had great fun too! Campfire was the best out of all the acitivities.”

Jason Loi Wen Han 6H

Jarell Co 6J

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Photo Gallery

Hercules in the making

Henna drawing

Here comes the ball

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Henna drawing

Hear us ROAR

Lantern-making

Lantern-making is fun!

Dinner is served!

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My classmate and I

On our way to pit stop

Our awesome volunteers

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Our friendly volunteers

Our STAR S at SILOSO

Our YOGA gurus

Say Cheese

See how we balance

Seeing STAR S

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The team

V for victory

We are the STAR S

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This is how to make the putu piring

We are buddies!

Tied toge ther

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Where is the match?

We are buddies

We are connected

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Wow! what BIG fee t I have!

We are United as ONE!

United as ONE

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回忆 以下的诗絮表达了我这个老牧人在伴随着这批自 2006年进南小后的学生在南小茁壮成长的六年岁月的 回忆。在他们毕业的那一刻，我心中充满了既喜悦又依 依不舍的离别情。我想以这首诗勉励他们今后不忘母校 的恩情和校训，勤奋努力地学习和端正朴素地做人。

《 勤 慎 端 朴 伴 你长 》 ‘U n c l e S e e’的 感 触。。。。 回眸当年进 南小，活 泼可爱 蹦 蹦 跳，兴 奋 疑 惑 无 人晓。 随 师兄 姐 勤于习，朝 暮 书声从不息，义务照 顾 无 空隙。 六 载 小 学 眨 眼毕，快 乐 相处 终 须 别，相别依 依 难离舍。 今 朝 孙儿学业 成，老朽心中乐开 怀，喜悦 热 泪由衷 来。 离校 别忘师 生情，回报 父母必用心，铭记 校 训 答 师长。 勤 慎 端 朴 伴 你长，勤于学习慎 择 友，品 德 端 正朴 须 有。

63

A Grandparent Volunteer's Reflection

By Mr Jack See Tian Min, grandfather of Daryl See

The year 2006 was the beginning of years of joy after I retired. At 69, I became a grandparent volunteer at Nanyang Primary School. For 6 years that followed, I watched fresh batches of kindergarten graduates join NYPS and attended as many Graduation Ceremonies. This last year 2011, however, was particularly significant. It was the graduating year for my eldest grandson and the commencement of Primary 1 in NYPS for my second grandson.

At my eldest grandson’s Graduation Ceremony, scenes of his first day at NYPS flashed back. Like the 400 other fresh kindergarten graduands, he ran about excitedly without a care and struggled to queue in a canteen packed with parents while PTA volunteers and P5 ‘buddies’ who guided their P1 charges around the school campus helped them settle in.

Parents were out in force, capturing 64

those precious moments on film while grandparents like me, looked on enviously at the youthful energy that flowed through the children. At that moment in time, I did wish I was one of them.

Not long after, the school administration asked for parent volunteers to assist the teachers in taking care of the lower primary pupils during recess; to guide them, manage them, and keep them from harm in the canteen and playground.

In the beginning, I hesitated, but I gave it a chance and volunteered.

From that day on, there was no stopping for me.

Year after year, the lower primary pupils got more physically active and seemingly difficult for me to keep up. Although it was tough to manage the relentless jumping and running about, I was glad I was able to keep them in check.

Little did I know that since then, my life gradually took on a new meaning; from a leisurely pace and humdrum routine of post retirement, to a fast-paced and meaningful one.

Each day I looked forward to going to school to ‘shepherd’ and interact with the children. Each day, they would have a new story to tell me or a riddle or two to let me solve and jokes or a new toy to share with me.

The schedule was just packed.

Apart from daily canteen duties, I often assisted the teachers during outings to the Zoo, Botanic Gardens, neighbourhood walk, Science centre and parks visits, museum, Chinatown tours, dragon boating, Maths trails etc. During the weekends, I would volunteer at the NYPS Boys’ Brigade.

It was like being one of the boys again as I accompanied them on wild adventure camps in Malaysia and Sabah, climbing mountains, trekking in jungles, sleeping on canvas beds, swimming under waterfalls, boating in white waters, abseiling, flying fox etc.

meaning for me. The cheers and ‘claps’ faded, and as my ‘buddies’ sang the graduation song that filled the air, I knew it was time to say “adieu” as I tried to hold back my tears of joy.

Till we meet again, God bless you 'friends' forever!

This graduation ceremony of the Class of 2011, holds a special 65

“In sound of joy, I ‘relived’ my childhood amongst you.

We ‘grew up’ together through your primary school years.

And, with great joy and love, I shepherded the ‘flocks’.

I watch you learn, I watch you play, I watch you grow and graduate, In glee, albeit reluctantly, I bid you farewell.

Now, that you have graduated and going your separate ways, I wish you well, as your familiar silhouettes hurried away.

I will surely miss you all dearly as always.

In God I trust, you will be blessed, as you have been in NYPS, May you be joyful in school of your choice, as you have been in NYPS, Forget not, D P R S, the Motto of NYPS, For they are: Diligence, Prudence, Respectability and Simplicity, 勤慎端朴 Till we meet again, God bless you ‘friends’ forever.”

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Video Links

A Grandparent Volunteer's Reflection

(The original version as penned by Mr Jack See) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4jl2CJRKxg&feature=youtu.be

Primary 6 Graduation 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClrnLhLasOk&feature=youtu.be

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