Newsletter November 2015 - Teck Ghee Primary School

llme flies! 2015 is soon coming to an end. For me, it seems
like I have just been posted from Punggol Secondary School
to Teck Ghee Primary School a few days ago. Transition from a
secondary school to a primary school is easy for me as I have
many friendly, dedicated and passionate colleagues and lovely
pupils.
of Education aptly puts it, "Every
School, A Good School" Being in a good school like Teck
Ghee Primary School is an eye-opening experience for me.
Our teachers and staff are committed to providing our pupils
with quality education, inspiring our pupils towards excellence,
creating a caring environment and working in partnership with
stakeholders. Our programmes and activities seek to support
these thrusts, developing our pupils in the areas of cognitive,
Our previous Minister
physical, aesthetics, social and moral and leadership. In all that
we do. values and character development is the main core of
our education system.
We have unique and interesting pupil-centric initiatives, like
Confident Communicators with Ceramics that continue to
develop our pupils to the fullest and at the same time, allow
them to adapt into a more challenging world. We strive to give
every pupil a broad and deep foundation for a lifelong journey
of learning. We also look into their emotional well-being,
teaching them to feel, empathise with others as well as learn
to see matters in different perspectives. In the spirit of SG50
celebrations, we hope that through active participation in the
activities carried out, our pupils have an enriched and reflective
experience about Singapore's nation building process.
Administration and operations are also our key processes in our
school. We continue to gather feedback from our staff, parents
and stakeholders and use them to review our processes. The
safety of our staff and pupils is paramount in all our school .
operations, and will always remain so. For example, the school
has developed the School Traffic Management Plan to provide
a comprehensive and effective plan for the staff to manage
and control both vehicles and human traffic movement within
the school compound and also to enhance the safety of all
stakeholders. We continue to raise awareness of road safety
amongst our pupils so that they can be more responsible when
utilising the roads for themselves and other road users. The
school has also worked very closely with the Land Transport
Authority (LTA) and Grassroots Organisation to install traffic
lights at the junction of Ang Mo Kio St 31 and St 32. and the
relocation of the heavy vehicles carpark entrance to reduce the
safety hazards for our pupils and stakeholders.
Being prepared for an emergency is our guard against all
emergencies. On 4 August, we co-conducted the Simulated
Emergency Exercise with the staff from Ministry of Education
Headquarters (MOE HO). Our continuous efforts for the
preparation of the External Safety Evaluation on 5 Nov further
strengthened our safety processes with the active participation
of teachers and staff, including school leaders. The threeday certified first aider course held in June has equipped our
teachers with first aid knowledge and skills, making our school
a much safer environment for teachino and learnino.
We continue to work closely witn our-partn"r, ,r"l as parents,
the School Advisory Committee, the community, and the Police
etc for the benefit of our pupils. There is ever-ready assistance
from parent volunteers in the Parents Support Group (PSG).
Coorganising Organising the Teachers' Day celebration has
brought our partnership to greater heights. We thank all our
parent volunteers for their hard work and time given for the
school.
I count myself extremely fortunate to be on this path with all of
you in Teck Ghee Primary School. On this note, I wish all
happy holidays. May it be one that you can use to
family ties while rechargino folpJbefffit'!'ear a
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Thank You and Best Regards,
Mr Khoo Thiam Huat
Vice Principal (Admin)
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This year, Teck Ghee Primary School is pleased that the
pupils have achieved the following results for International
Competition and Assessment for Schools (ICAS):
English
Mathematics
Science
Digital Technologies (Computer Skills)
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Springfietd Secondary School
During the June holidays, Tan Yu Bin, Troy Kueh, Tay Zi Kang
It was certainly a sweet victory for Teck Ghee Primary School
and Huang Zi Wen of Primary 5 Excellence picked up the
Scratch Programming language on their own in preparation
for the Code for Fun competition. Before the competition on
10 July, the pupils had an intensive training session to hone
their skills. The team emerged one of the top three, among
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25 teams sent from 4 schools, clinching the GOLD award.
when they emerged winners of the Platinum Award.
Mdm Cann Yong Pau Khim
Subject Head - ICT
Next, the pupils and the teacher-in-charge, Mr Rosli,
to prepare for their presentation for the
Platinum Award whch was set at a later date. Desoite
facing competition from St Joseph Institution and Rosyth
had to work hard
Primary, the pupils did not feel intimidated. They confidently
presented their ideas and handled questions well. Getting
votes from participants was also part of the scoring for the
Platinum Award. Troy Kueh even came up with the idea of a
Top Scorer Award for those who tried out their game. With
perseverance and ingenuity, the team tipped the scales to
their favour.
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Ten pupils from Art Club took part
in the
Singapore Youth Festival
(SYF) competition held at Raffles
City Shopping Centre from 10 to 19
July. Based on the theme 'Artist:
Past. Present. Future', the
and teachers worked together to
create a trendsetting work of art
comprising different layers of mixed
pupils
media.
As part of the development of the
21st century skills, the pupils were
trained to be docents to present
their works confidently during the
openrng ceremony.
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Viewers gave positive feedback as they everyone to learn and talk about art
were drawn to the pupils' confidence and
enthusiasm. The pupils were also seen Mdm Sumathi
engaged in meaningf ul conversations Art Club
with their peers from other schools.
It was a great Iearning platform for
Teacher-in-charge
Primary 2 Learning Journey
Annual School-
"Uncle William has a farm... E-l-E-l-O!"
based Tamit
Language
Competitions
The Annual School-based Tamil
Language
Comoetitions were held in the first two weeks
Mother
In Term 3, Primary 2 pupils visited Farmart Centre located at Sungei
Tengah Road. Uncle William, the farm tour guide, gave a fun and
educational talk about the animals on his farm. The pupils learnt about
the life cycle of the different fowls and how to pronounce names of
some animals in four different languages. After the talk, pupils fed the
goats, rabbits, fishes, guinea pigs and bull frogs and also observed these
animals at close proximity.
At the end of the learning journey, each pupil was delighted to go home
with a complimentary packet of chicken eggs.
of Term 3 in conjunction with the
Tongue Language Fortnight. The pupils
taking Tamil Language from Primary 1 to 6
participated in various competitions such as
singing (Primary 1), Show-and-Tell (Primary
Mrs Amanda Koh
Primary 2 Level Manager
2), story-telling (Primary 3), role-play (Primary
41, advertisement (Primary 5) and poetry-
recitation (Primary 6). These competitions
helped to motivate pupils to speak in Tamil and
be creative in their presentations, thus giving
them a platform to showcase their talents.
Mrs Stella Philips
Tamil Co-ordinator
Primary 4 Learning Journeys to River
Safari and Kampong Gtarn
In Term 3, Primary 4 pupils went to River Safari where they learnt about
the different endangered species for their Interdisciplinary-project work
fiPW).
Following that, the pupils went to Kampong Glam where they were taken
to different locations. From the various streets and buildings there, they
learnt about the early settlers' contributions to Singapore. Both learning
journeys provided rich learning experiences for the pupils.
Mdm Anushia
Primary 4 Level Manager
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MTL Fortnight
Learhing the Language the Fun Way
Tamil Language
On 6 July, Primary 3 to 6 Indian pupils participated in the
Tamil Language Camp 'Read and Act'workshop.
A cultural carnival was also organised for Primary 4 and 5
Indian pupils in conjunction with Mother Tongue Language
Fortnight 2015 held on 13 July. The pupils enjoyed
and Crosstalk to the appreciation of story-telling and bookmaking. During the Primary 3 Cultural Camp, pupils did bean
art and rod puppets based on stories from different Chinese
festivals and the classical novel, Journey to the West. Book
fairs were also held on different days to sella wide selection
of Chinese books to the pupils.
participating in pot Painting, henna drawing, and rangoli. This
carnival helped to increase their awareness of the Indian
Culture in the community.
The pupils showed great enthusiasm and active participation.
The MTL Fortnight and cultural camp activities which
provided pupils authentic opportunities to actively use the
Mother Tongue languages and understand the culture so as
Malay Language
to experience these 'living languages'.
On 22 May 2015, Primary 3 Malay pupils attended a Malay
Language and Cultural camp conducted by an external
vendor, Wira Budaya. The pupils were taught the Malay
Mdm Zeng Xin Xuan, Mdm Samra and Mrs Phillips
Teachers-in-charge
martial arts such as silat, tarian zapin and permainan
tradisional.
For Primary 4 Malay pupils, they learnt about the various
types of silat and also the making of the Wau. Prior to the
Wau-making workshop, they were introduced to the history
and mechanics of the traditional way of Malay kite-flying.
Last but not the least, Primary 5 Malay pupils attended
workshops on kompang and Malay traditional games.
This year, our school celebrated Racial Harmony Day (RHD)
and Hari Raya on 20 July. The combined celebration was
known as Harmony Raya The celebration began with a
Hari Raya light up by Mdm Chua, Mr Singh and Mr Khoo.
The
signif
icance
of
commemorating both occasions
was shared. After which, prizes were given away to the
classes with the most number of pupils wearing traditional
costumes. The concert ended with a fashion parade.
During recess, the pupils played traditional games such as
zero point, capteh, and batu seremban (5 stones). fhere
was also a photo booth at the NE gallery To reinforce the
message o{ racial harmony, form teachers and mother
tongue teachers also conducted activities in class.
Children's Day was celebrated on B October 2015. The
ouoils were first treated to a mini-concert which included
performance bv "The Rubber Band" (TGPS talented
teachers, parent volunteers and staff). All pupils then
took part in a Sports Carnival which included bowling,
archery and wushurobics. For their efforts, all pupils were
rewarded with a certificate of participation and some
pupils also received "limited edition" well done cards and
gifts. Selected Primary 6 pupils also had the opportunity
to pit their basketball skills against a team made up of
teachers and oarent volunteers.
Mr Andy See
Chairman
Children's Day Celebration Committee
Mdm Samra Dewi
Vice-Chairperson of Harmony Raya Committee
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On 1 1 July, the Primary 5 pupils attended the
highly anticipated NE Show. These pupils and
accompanied teachers took the MRT and walked
to the Padang, passing by iconic structures and
heritage sites along the way. They were awed by
the emotive performances which were especially
put up to celebrate the nation's Golden Jubilee.
There was also an emotional moment when a
tribute was made to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
Despite the fact that the sun rays were glaring
into their eyes, the pupils clapped and cheered
spontaneously throughout
the NE Show.
The
twinkle in their eyes was evidence that they
would remember this event in the vears to come.
Mdm Lee Limin
Primary 5 Level Manager
2015 is a very specra year because t rs tlre year we celebrate 50
years of nat onlroocl To nrark th s spec al year, Teck Ghee Prir.nary
Sclrool preserted Mortage SG50 Eclrtror to al pLrp s as a gift
on Chilclren s Day. Tlris arnLra conrp at on of the pupils' artistic
ra ent arcJ flarr for the anguage s a rotch h gher than the Ltsual. lt
rs ore tlrart the pLrpi s car ook back or ard see lrow far S ngapore,
orr horte, lras conre anc.r r'rrlrat they hope ior in the years ahead
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From 24 to 28 May, 20 Primary 5 pupils together with 3 teachers
went to Sarawak for an overseas study trip. The objective of this
trip was to provide an opportunity for pupils to learn the cultures,
customs and lifestyle of the Sarawakan.
Durrng the trrp, pupils visited lhe Annah Rars Bidayuh Longhouse.
They learnt how to mal,e beaded bracelets, participated in the
traditional ceremonial dance, had a go on the musical instrument
known as sapeh, experienced hands-on cooking with the longhouse
folks and savoured the dishes after that.
The trip would not be complete without visiting the 'Living
Museum' aka the Sarawak Cultural Vilage. Pupils vis ted repl ca
houses of the seven nrajor ethnic tribes.
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It was an enrcnrng experence
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Mr Khoo TH, Ms Soh ST, Ms Amy Wong and Mdnr L m SY led 20 Prrrrary
5 pupils in the Twinning Programrre f rom 24 Io 30 May. They had lesson
inrmersion for Chinese, Mathernatics and Wushu in Taicang Experinrenta
Prinrary SchooL In additron, they enjoyed tl're agricultura experience in a
f
arm.
The highlrghts of the trip included visits to the Zhenghe Memoriai Hall,
Shaxi Ancient Town, Master of Nets Garden, Shanghai Science and
Technology Museum and the newly opened NatLrral Museum
The pup ls had three nights of nrenrorable honre-stay in Taicang They
erpelenced t re c.lll rral dif fere tues belwee r Tairar,q a'rd S rg.oo'e a'rd
yet able to bul d strong friendships with their Taicang buddies
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The whole programme was an eye-opening and enriching exper ence for
the pupils and teachers
Ms Soh Shr llng
Teacher-in-cha rge
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The school organised a three day two
night residential camp for all Primary 4
pupils from 31 August to 2 September. A
total of 213 pupils experienced their first
out-of-school camping experience at Jalan
Bahtera Adventure Centre, located in the
rustic settings of Lim Chu Kang. The pupils
demonstrated high levels of teamwork and
perseverance as they overcame numerous
challenges such as team building games,
abseiling, rock climbing and high element
obstacle course. Indeed. it was a valuable
experience for all.
Mrs Esther Lee
HOD PEICCA
ADVE}JTIJRE
CAMP
South 5 and South 6 Learning Support
Programme (LSP) Spelling Challenge
was held in Teck Ghee Primary School
on 28 August. The event was jointly
organised by Ministry of Education
Reading Unit f rom the Curriculum
Planning and Development Division
(CPDD) and English Department. The
National Library Board sponsored
copies of "The Tale of the Missing Tail
and other Original Singapore Stories"
to all oarticioants. A total of about 285
pupils, 50 parents and teachers from
12 different schools came together to
take oart in it.
The event aims to provide a
LSP Spelting Challenge
promote greater collegiality in the
platform family.
LSC Many of the
rnr nrrnilc in rho ISP to showcase
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parents left the venue
feeling proud of their children who had
bravely stood on stage to attempt the
spelling challenge.
their spelling skills. lt also serves as a As the finalists took part in the various
valuable opportunity for the Learning rounds of spelling challenge, the pupil
Support Coordinators (LSCs) involved audience was not left alone. They were Mdm Loh
to deepen their professional knowledge given the opportunity to win
attractive
LC
Learning Support Coordinator
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Cyber Wel[ness cum Technology Day
This year, the Cyber Wellness cum
Technology Day was held on 6 July.
The day started with an assembly talk
on the iZ HERO which emphasised
on values, R.E.S.PE.C.T. lt was an
their fellow schoolmates learn more
about cyber wellness in a fun way.
During recess, pupils played board
games like TGPS "Cyberpoly" and
Pupils from 4 Aspire, 4 Bravery, 5
Asnire and 5 Fxcellence had the
privilege of going on the IDA Lab on
Wheels to use a Microsoft visual
programming language known as
Kodu to create games. Kodu makes
it easy for pupils to master the basic
"Snake and Ladder". They also played
concepts of coding a game.
engaging way for the pupils to learn the
positive online values and behaviours.
the "C-Ouest" game using Samsung
tabs. The ICT ambassadors were
Mrs Julie Lai
mobilised to man these booths to helo
Teacher-in-charge
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We would liks to extend our urelcome to
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Mdm Oarvarti into our Teck Ghee familg.
Congratulations
#ft fa-l JasaS
Lee and husbandj
Year 2015 Promotion for
Education 0fficers and Attied
Ed u cators
congratulations to the eleven Education
Our heartiest
Officers and two Allied Educators in the 2015
oromotion.
They are Mdm Lei Min, Ms Koh Hui Ling, Ms Alia Aziz Alkaff,
Ms Jasamine Lee, Mdm Neo Chaw Tee, Mdm Chea Lee
Khiang, Ms Priscilla Pan, Mrs Lata Rajan, Mdm Nurazeela,
Ms Zeng Xinxuan, Mr Edmund Lim, Mrs Christine Kelly and
Ms Lim Lee Tze respectively.
Mdm Cindy Poh
Administrative Manager
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Appreciating Teachers
The school organised Teachers' Day Celebration on 3
September. A meaningful and heart-warming concert
was held to honour and appreciate the efforts of the
teachers. Besides presentation of handmade gifts by class
representatives, teachers were given a treat of performances
ranging from piano recital, magic show by students to a
'High School Musical 'dance from members of the Parent
Support Group (PSG)! The surprise special appearance of
the Vice-principal (Admin) and Administrative Manager with
the PSG in one song and dance items respectively made
the session even more memorable. No doubt. the teachers
had a whale of a time!
Mdm Cindv Poh
Administrative Manaoer
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Teachers' Dav lunch was held in the school hall
on 3 September to show our appreciation to our
pioneer educators and teachers for their unwavering
dedication.
out in their best retro
outfits, were treated to a wide array of snacks. To
further hype up the mood, there were mini lucky
draws. The teachers, together with the pioneers, also
spontaneously participated in games such as 'Don't
Forget the Lyrics' where they belted out excerpts of
Teachers and staff, decked
evergreens such as 'Top of the World'.
The highlight of the event was the photo booth which
provided unlimited instant prints. Everyone had their
photographs taken with the use of wacky props.
It was truly a memorable afternoon and everyone had
a blast!
Miss Koh Hui Ling
SWC Chairoerson
Teck Ghee Primary School hosted 18 pupils and 3 teachers from
Taicang, Suzhou from 12 July to 17 July and another 42 pupils and 4
teachers from different schools of Guizhou on 21 Julv.
The guests were impressed with the beautiful school environment
and good mannerism of Teck Ghee pupils. They enjoyed the lessons
conducted by the teachers. The pupils have definitely learnt much
from our visitors from the different provinces of China through active
interactions.
Miss Lim Poh Khim
Head
of Deoartment
Mother Tongue Department
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The Security and Emergency Planning
Office (SEMPO), Ministrv of Education
, conducts the School Emergency
Trainino and Exercise for schools to
epare them for emergencies. This
mergency exercise aims to train staff,
teachers and pupils to be prepared
for any emergency in the school
premises and to be familiar with the
fety and evacuation procedures
was well executed. Our heartfelt appreciation goes to all
staff, pupils and parents for the
conduct of the
SEMTREX (Exercise Rhino). The
from other
schools and MOE Headquarters (MOE
'thumbs-up'. We displayed
throughout this
exercise. .a
We have gained
prepared for any
and aG befter
tht sa{ety
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consideration first at afl
ara arror roadrrl
The massive planning began
in
January and ended as a table top
exercise on 4 August. The exercise
Nationa[ lnter-School
Kindergarten Learnin g Journey
Poetry Writing Competition and
How big is a primary school? How do I buy food at the school
canteen? What does a classroom look like? These questions
were answered when 530 Kindergarten 2 (K2\ pupils, their
n^rpntq And toA.hefs
Prize Giving Ceremony
in our annual
Kindergarten Learning
Teck Ghee Primary School hosted National Inter-Primary On-The-
participated
Spot Chinese Poetry Writing Competition on 22 May,. A total of
11 1 students from 23 participating schools participated in this
competition. In celebration of Singapore's Golden Jubilee, the
theme was Appreciating our SG50 Nationhood.
Journey from 7 to 15 July.
Besides the usual tour of the
school, the pre-schoolers
were guided to buy food
of their choice. The Drama
Club members wrote and
Zhang Yaoye from Primary 5 Excellence won the third place in
category A. The winners received the awards from the Guestof-Honour, Mr Chean Cheng Sun, and their winning entries
were showcased at the Prize
Giving Ceremony on 24 July.
Spectacular perf ormances
were also put up by the
Chinese drummers
Mr Khoo Thiam Huat
Vice-principal (Admin)
presented their own stories
to the little ones while the
Green Ambassadors guided
them through craft work
and
using recycled materials. lt
dancers during the ceremony,
winning the applause of the
invited guests.
was a fun experience for all
involved.
Miss Chee Oiu Xia
Mdm Selina Lim
Teacher-in-cha rge
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