Updates

Enhanced Professional Development Leave (ePDL)

As part of MOEs effort to promote continuous professional learning among teachers, one of the professional learning platforms is the Enhanced Professional Development Leave (ePDL) for teachers. Mrs Murlly and Mr Rolan share with us their experiences during their ePDL stint at various organisations.

Staff Movement

MARSILING CALL
A Publication of Marsiling Primary School Issue 19 March 2011

Welcome
On behalf of the school, we warmly welcome our new staff to the Marsiling family.

Principals Message
Greetings from Marsiling Primary School! I would like to extend a warm welcome to our new parents and pupils who have joined our Marsiling Primary Family. In this issue of the newsletter, we would like to highlight the schools focus and direction and the various programmes planned for the year. The school has enhanced its Strategic Plan and hence, the Strategic Thrusts (ST) of the school are ST1: Striving for Academic Excellence, ST2: Building the Character of a Marsilian and ST3: Excelling in Sports and the Arts.

Message by Chairman of Parent Support Group

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to pen a few words. I am honoured to be the Chairman of the Parent Support Group. Marsiling Primary is a strong advocate of home-schoolcommunity collaboration and this is indeed important as our children will benefit from such partnerships, especially the home-school collaboration. I cannot emphasise enough that parents play a significant role in education and we need to work closely with the school to provide a complementary and mutually influencing experience for our children. Since joining the PSG, I gained a more in-depth understanding of the running of the school and school policies. This has helped me appreciate the importance of my childs involvement in school activities. I have also learnt a lot from other parents as we sit to discuss issues and programmes pertaining to our children. Our shared experiences have helped each one of us grow and in turn, helped other parents, especially parents of new pupils who come to us for information and advice. Parental involvement in education is not achieved in one day. It takes years to attain a high level of parental involvement, lots of patience, understanding, determination and tact. My immediate task would be to convince as many parents as possible to be members of the PSG so that we can support the school in developing our children holistically, as well as creating network for parents to help and support one another. Our involvement in school will allow us to enjoy this significant journey of learning with our child; at the same time, it can boost our childs confidence towards us as parents. I understand that we are all very busy with our career or routine, but do remember that once this phase of our childs life is over, we can never reverse the time. Treasure today and be an active parent in the school. Cheers! Mr Teoh Soon Chee Chairman Parent Support Group

Attachment to Tamil Murasu

I was attached to Tamil Murasu, the Tamil Language daily for a period of seven weeks. During my attachment, I learnt how the editorial team gathered information on local and overseas events, decided on lead news, selected the relevant pictures and planned the layout of the newspaper. I also had the opportunity to conduct interviews and write articles for the main paper and the weekly student tabloid. I hope to share my enriching experience at Tamil Murasu with my pupils and staff. Contributed by Mrs Murlly (TL Teacher)

i (HOD M Mr Low Yew Fa g Ah Seng a & Mr Won Chu

er aths), Mr Jasp

We hope you could continue to support the school in being involved in your childs learning as we work together to develop your child holistically. Nothing helps a child succeed like an involved parent. In school as in life, consistent support from parents is crucial in building childrens confidence and sense of achievement. Hence, in this issue, you will also be reading more about our Parents Support Group. 2011 brings us great expectation as we forge ahead with your support and encouragement. On behalf of the staff and the management team, I would like you to join us as we continue to develop our pupils to be Self-Directed Learners, Compassionate Leaders and Thinking Citizens. Mrs Lee-Koh SC Principal

Parent Support Group

il left) with Staff of Tam Mrs Murlly (2nd from Murasu.
Mr Windsor N (FTSC) & Mdm g (AE), Mrs Rajenthiran Sonia Tan (AM )
Parents play a significant role in education. Playing an active role in the schools activities helps enhance the bond between parents and their children. Furthermore, parents who are involved in the school and who understand the schools Parent Support Group (PSG) Committee Members policies and practices can serve as a bridge between the school and the other parents. It is with these in mind that the school sets up the Parent Support Group (PSG) with the following objectives: To serve as a communication channel between the school and parents. To support the school & enhance the development of pupils through partnership. To create a more positive relationship between parents and the school. To allow parents to opt for greater involvement in school. A channel for parents to raise issues and concerns, seek clarifications and resolve problems. Hence, it is with great pleasure for us to introduce the following key members of the PSG: Chairman : Mr Teoh Soon Chee Vice Chairman : Ms Jacqueline Tay Secretary : Ms Shirin Cheong Treasurer : Ms Daphne Chan Members : Mdm Maimunah Bte Mohamad, Mdm Rosnah Tambunan, Ms Anne Lim, Mdm Zabedah & Ms Tereza Phua We would like to invite you to join the PSG in this exciting journey of partnering with the school in working towards a common goal of achieving the desired outcomes of education for our children. Registration forms can be obtained from the general office or the schools website. We look forward to this great partnership! Ms Ivy Goh Vice-Principal

Attachment to Spore Sports School & Heulab

I attended my ePDL in Term 4 2010. At the Singapore Sports School, I participated in the schools assembly, observed academic and sports lessons and had conversations with all the sports managers from the different disciplines in the Sports School. My next stop was at Heulab, a computer company which provides educational software and hardware support to both the private and governmental educational agencies. I had the opportunity to see their end-to-end processes of completing a software. My experience as an educator was put to good use as my views were sought when they were completing the software. Finally, I attended an Outdoor Conference held in the School of the Arts (SOTA). Various papers were presented by both local and overseas speakers. My ePDL has been both enriching and empowering. I gained new insights to subjects beyond our school curriculum. I would therefore encourage all staff to take up the ePDL as it provides a platform to widen our mindset and knowledge. Contributed by Mr Rolan (HOD PE/CCA)

Highlights...
01 Highlights
Principals Message Parent Support Group (PSG) PSG Chairmans Message

05 School Programmes
Internationalisation Trips Pupils Learning Journeys

Miss

Tan Ai Ling Hasina & Mdm

Our sincerest thanks

We take this opportunity to wish the following staff all the best in their future endeavours: Mdm Chua May Inn and Mr Christer Tan Contributed by Mdm Catherine Lim (ST)

02 School Programmes
Primary Education Review and Implementation (PERI) Speak Good English Project Sustained Support for Mathematics(SSM) The Learning Garden

06 Pupils Achievements
Math Olympiad Singapore Junior Reporters Competition: Cheers YOG 2010 ML National Primary Creative Writing Competition

03 School Programmes
Speech & Drama, Public Speaking ICT Skills Chit Chat Sessions Form Teacher Guidance Period (FTGP) MPS APPLE Booklet

07 Pupils Achievements
PSLE Results Top Pupils Direct School Admission (DSA) CHERISH Award 3R Award

Editorial Team
Mr Nick Chan Hong Wei (Advisor), Mdm Chua Mei Ling, Mdm Rashidah Yaacob, Mrs Rosalind Koh and Mdm Zubaidah Md Yusoff

08 Updates
Enhanced Professional Development Leave (ePDLl) Staff Movement Editorial Team

04 School Programmes
Community Involvement Programme (CIP) LEGO Art Programme

08

Every Marsilian is a Self-Directed Learner, a Compassionate Leader & a Thinking Citizen

Every Marsilian is a Self-Directed Learner, a Compassionate Leader & a Thinking Citizen

01

School Programmes
Primary Education Review and Implementation (PERI)
In October 2008, the PERI Committee led by Ms Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Education, was formed to study ways to enhance primary education. The proposed changes seek to equip pupils with the content knowledge, skills and values to thrive in a fast-changing and globalised future. Education is about developing the whole child. Assessment is an important aspect of learning and teaching and it should be effectively used to support the holistic development of our pupils. Hence, our assessment practices need to move beyond summative evaluation and towards holistic assessment (HA). In 2011, our Primary 1 and 2 pupils will undergo HA in the classroom. HA refers to the ongoing gathering of information on different facets of a child from various sources, with the aim of providing qualitative and quantitative feedback to support and guide the childs development. HA informs teachers of their teaching practice and guides them in the design and delivery of pupils learning. It also enables parents to support their childrens development and growth. Contributed by Mr Nick Chan (HOD English)

School Programmes
Mother Tongue Language (MTL) Department
Speech and Drama 2010 was an exciting year for the Primary 3 pupils. After having gone through the Speech and Drama Programme, they showcased their talents with great confidence in a stage performance. The programme enables pupils to use words to express themselves and communicate with confidence. In addition to promoting teamwork and interaction between pupils, the Speech and Drama programme has ignited the passion for MTL and drama amongst the pupils. In 2011, the Mother Tongue Department will continue to conduct the Speech and Drama Programme for our Primary 3 pupils. Public Speaking Our school will also be conducting a 10-session training workshop for the pupils. The training is organised to achieve the following objectives: build pupils self-confidence and minimise their fear of public speaking; equip pupils with basic public speaking skills; and improve pupils presentation skills.

Th Pupils busy at

activity. umb Printing

Pupils performing con

fidently!

Mathematics Department
Sustained Support for Mathematics (SSM)
Since 2008, the school has embarked on the SSM pilot project. In 2011, Primary 1 to 4 and Primary 6 classes will be adopting this programme to improve the teaching and learning of Mathematics. Teachers will provide learning activities that emphasise thinking skills and heuristics. These help the low achieving pupils meet their learning needs. Teaching aids and resources that support the learning activities are employed to enhance the understanding of Mathematical concepts and skills. Simple assessment tasks are used to help teachers monitor pupils learning processes in acquiring knowledge and skills in Mathematics. Contributed by Mdm Ng SH (LH Math)

Based on the feedback received in 2010, teachers saw many Marsilians improving and mastering their presentation skills! Contributed by Mdm Goh SM (ST) & Mdm Rohana (ML Coordinator)

English Department
Speak Good English Project
The Speak Good English project aims to encourage all Marsilians to speak Standard English. Posters on some common errors that are made by pupils in their spoken or written English and the corresponding correct usage are put up on the notice boards in the canteen. This is to help pupils who are weak in the language to be more aware of the wrong usage of the English Language and recognise the importance of speaking Standard English. It is a call for everyone to make the extra effort to ensure they use the English Language accurately and correctly. Contributed by Mdm Catherine Lim (ST)

ICT Skills
The IT Department supports all the other departments by providing a solid infrastructure for IT-based learning. The department strives to develop all pupils to become IT savvy individuals. At the end of their six years of education, pupils will have acquired a basic set of ICT skills. The school has the following programmes in place: Level P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 Programme Keyboarding & Word Processing Keyboarding & Basic Powerpoint Advanced Powerpoint and Use of Digital Storyboarding and Video Production Web Designing Use of Spreadsheet Learning Outcome Pupils learn keyboarding & word processing using MS Word. Pupils continue to reinforce their keyboarding skills & learn basic presentation skills. Pupils learn how to use the advanced features in MS Powerpoint to do presentations. Pupils learn how to create a storyboard and capture video. Pupils learn how to create a web page using Dreamweaver. Pupils learn how to collect data and create tables and graphs using MS Excel.

Science Department
The Learning Garden
As the previous Science Garden went through a transformation, the pupils waited in anticipation. It was well worth the wait as the The Learning Garden provides an extension of the learning for the pupils. There are different learning stations in the Garden where pupils are able to explore to extend their learning. The garden was opened on 19 Nov 10 by Mr Jimmy Tan, Deputy Director, School Appraisal Branch, Ministry of Education. Mr Tan planted the Averrhoa Carambola (Star Fruit) tree. This tree holds much meaning to every Marsilian. Like the tree, every Marsilian is nurtured and nourished with tender loving care and in time, will realise their potential, bear fruits and be a star! Contributed by Ms Natasha (LH Science)

As part of the Life Skills Programme, pupils will also have acquired skills related to ethical and legal as well as safe and responsible use of ICT, which is aligned to the Cyberwellness Framework. Contributed by Mr Yamalasamy (HOD ICT)

Pupil Management Department

Chit Chat Sessions
In line with PERI, the school has established new structures to better support the social-emotional development of our pupils. The key objective of having one-to-one Chit Chat sessions is to create opportunities for the teachers to get to know their pupils and develop a better understanding of their pupils background so that they are able to help them better manage their studies. It is hoped that these sessions would build quality teacher-pupil relationship through in-depth knowledge of every pupil. Teachers will also be able to better identify pupils needs and nurture positive character traits and attitudes. During the sessions, pupils are guided to set personal academic and non-academic targets. have a more structured environment for class and peer interaction, understand their emotions and needs and have more conversations with their teachers. We hope that with the new structure in place, our pupils will grow to be individuals who are confident and have the resilience to overcome future challenges and achieve success. Contributed by Mdm Herianti Abu Shah (HOD PM)

MPS APPLE Booklet

As part of developing our pupils to be holistic individuals, the school has come up with the APPLE (All Pupils Playing and Learning Effectively) Booklet. The booklet aims to provide information and recommend activities to inculcate a healthy lifestyle amongst pupils and their families. Pupils are also given the opportunity to become Health Ambassadors of the school to encourage their families to live a healthy lifestyle. Contributed by Mdm Aidah Hosni (HE Coordinator)

Form Teacher Guidance Period (FTGP)

The FTGP is another platform in line with PERI. The school will introduce FTGP from Primary 1 to 6 in 2011. The FTGP serves as an additional platform for Form Teachers to build better rapport with the pupils so as to enable them to identify the needs of the pupils and provide better support for them. Through FTGP, pupils will

Our Koi Pond

02

Every Marsilian is a Self-Directed Learner, a Compassionate Leader & a Thinking Citizen

Every Marsilian is a Self-Directed Learner, a Compassionate Leader & a Thinking Citizen

03

School Programmes
Community Involvement Programme (CIP)
The school will continue to move towards a more structured and holistic CIP in 2011. CIP in Primary 1 to 3 will focus on the importance of personal hygiene and school ownership. Collaboration with external organisations will create opportunities for the Primary 4 to 6 pupils to reach out to the community. Primary 4 pupils will participate in the Seashore Life Programme whilst Primary 5 pupils will plan and carry out activities in the various Homes around the neighbourhood. The Primary 6 pupils will participate in the various fundraising activities hosted by external organisations. Besides involving pupils in CIP activities, staff are also involved in community projects. Contributed by Mr Chin TS (CIP Coordinator)

School Programmes
Internationalisation Trip for Pupils to Wuxi, China
In line with the schools continuous efforts to provide a holistic educational experience, the school has been sending Primary 5 pupils on an overseas learning journey to China. The trip serves as a platform to learn about the Chinese culture. About 30 pupils will spend a few days immersing in schools to experience and understand how learning takes place in the classrooms in Wuxi, China. They will have an unforgettable experience. Through this overseas experience, the school hopes to increase the pupils knowledge of the world and sense of belonging to our country. Contributed by Mr Yamalasamy (HOD IT)

Internationalisation Trip for Pupil Leaders to Brunei

To extend pupils learning overseas, the school will be bringing selected Primary 5 Pupil Leaders to Brunei. These pupil leaders will be visiting the local and private schools. They will be involved in various team building and confidence building activities with the pupil leaders from Brunei. Contributed by Mdm Aidah Hosni (HE Coordinator)

Learning Journeys
We believe in giving Marsilians a broad-based experience through the learning journeys during our Childrens Day celebrations, National Education (NE) and Interdisciplinary fieldtrips. The learning journeys are designed in such a way that each year, pupils will get to visit a different place so as to widen their exposure to various platforms of learning. This will give them an opportunity for authentic learning experience and develop their social-emotional skills. As for our NE learning journeys, pupils will get to know more about Singapore, her people and their culture. Level P1 P2 P3 Childrens Day Jurong Bird Park Singapore Zoological Gardens Jurong Bird Park Singapore Discovery Centre Singapore Science Centre Sentosa Island National Education Around the School Around the Neighborhood Kampong Glam Little India Chinatown Civic District Interdisciplinary Singapore Philatelic Museum Jacob Ballas Childrens Garden Butterfly Garden and Hydrophonics at OHs Farm Seashore Life Programme At Sembawang Park Internationalisation Trips Sungei Buloh

LEGO Art

Seashore Life Programm

e.

Our H looks lik e a twin tower.

Pupils having

their classroo

m experience.
P4 P5 P6

A colo

urful

le

. tter J

LEGO Art Programme

Pupils from P6Caring 2010 had the honour of being the first Marsilians to create Art using LEGO bricks. They spent three days creating the sentence Hello Mr Jimmy Tan to welcome the Guestof-Honour during last years Annual Prize Presentation Ceremony. A smaller group of pupils from the same class also created the phrase Art & Music for the Aesthetics booth display which was put up for the Annual Celebration of Learning in Nov 10. In 2011, this programme is included in the Art syllabus. Marsilians will get the chance to build 3-D sculptures using these bricks. Contributed by Mr Airwan (SH Aesthetics)

Internationalisation Trip for Pupils to Malacca, Malaysia

Another overseas learning journey planned for Primary 5 pupils is Malacca, Malaysia. Malacca is chosen for its rich historical background on the Peranakan culture and also for its historical influences from the Dutch and Portuguese heritage. Through the trip, the pupils will learn how to take care of themselves, work with others and have a chance to find out more about the culture of their neighbouring country. Contributed by Mr Rolan (HOD PE/CCA)

Contributed by Mdm Herianti (HOD PM)

Food Dri

art! ve Food From The He

At Jurong Bird Park. nce? Isnt this a great experie

School Visit

Pupils touching

fishes!

04

Every Marsilian is a Self-Directed Learner, a Compassionate Leader & a Thinking Citizen

Every Marsilian is a Self-Directed Learner, a Compassionate Leader & a Thinking Citizen

05

Pupils Achievements
Math Olympiad
Congratulations to Denise Lim from P6Adaptable who was awarded the Gold Award for her participation in the Singapore & ASEAN Schools Math Olympiad 2010. She was ranked 99 out of 4024 ASEAN participants. Three other pupils, Lee Yen, Kelvin Chew and Edmund Woon were each awarded the Silver Award while Muhammad Hidawi, Lim Zi Qi and Vanessa Lim received the Bronze Award. In the NUS High National Mathematical Olympiad of Singapore 2010, three pupils from P5Adaptable, Wong Chun Hao, Yong Chi Kei and Kishendran Vendar Kon received the Bronze Award. Well done Marsilians! Contributed by Mdm Sabariah (Math Teacher)

Pupils Achievements
ILING PRIMARY SC ARS SLE RESULTS 201HOOL M

TOP 10 PUPILS

Direct School Admission (DSA)

Last year, under the Direct School Admission - Secondary Exercise (DSA-Sec), 80 secondary schools selected some of their 2011 Sec 1 students earlier using criteria other than the PSLE results. As such, the school would like to inform parents the possibility of our students to gain admission to a school of their choice based on their ability and competency in their CCA. The following CCAs which are considered by some secondary schools for DSA are available in Marsiling Primary:

Singapore Junior Reporters Competition: Cheers Youth Olympic Games (YOG) 2010
Ten Marsilians were transformed into reporters as they covered and reported events in conjunction with the inaugural YOG hosted by Singapore in Aug 10. The young reporters interviewed teachers and pupils who participated in YOG activities in and outside school and went to stadiums to report highlights of the table tennis and track and field events. Our Marsilian Reporters did the school proud with the write-up of Shen Xu of P5Caring, who represented the school in the torch relay. The Chinese Language article, which was jointly reported and written by Koh Yi Ting Joelin and Lin Jia Hui from P5Caring, Sim Ci En and Candice Wong Yi Fang from P5Diligent and Wong Chun Hao of P5Adaptable won the Silver Award in the Graphic News Category. A job well done, Marsilians! Contributed by Mr Wong WT (CL Teacher)

, Shu Yi Denise rn Xuan, Lim Edmund, Lim nessa Lim Ve Siang Right: Va , Woon Chin Yen* From Left to i B Norazman n Yun Ru, Lee ammad Hidaw mar, Qiu Ruihong and Ta Muh O a Bte Zi Qi, Siti Aish eng Yang* and Chee Zh
e *Not in pictur

Uniform Group Rugby Dance Environmental Education Badminton Basketball Performing Arts With this in mind, we hope pupils will give their fullest commitment so that they can gain a higher level of competency and excellence in their CCA. With this knowledge, they will be eligible to go to a secondary school of their choice via the DSA. For parents and pupils who are interested in the DSA programme, they can visit http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/ admissions/dsa-sec/ for further information. Contributed by Mr Rolan (HOD PE/CCA)

CHERISH Award
Proud Marsilians with their prizes!
The CHampioning Efforts Resulting in Improved School Health (CHERISH) Award was launched to give recognition to and encourage schools to establish comprehensive health promotion programmes for pupils and staff for the purpose of fostering good physical, social and emotional health for optimal learning. Modelled after the recommendations of the World Health Organisations Health Promoting School initiative, the CHERISH framework uses a whole-school approach towards health promotion. Our school has embarked on the journey of health promotion since 2008. The school was awarded the Bronze Award at the bi-annual CHERISH Award for 2008-2009. Contributed by Mdm Aidah Hosni (HE Coordinator)

Malay Language (ML) National Primary Creative Writing Competition

Thirteen of our pupils from Primary 4 to 6 took part in the ML National Primary Creative Writing Competition and have done well. They achieved 7 Gold Awards, 5 Silver Awards and 1 Bronze Award. Amongst them is Nur Dianah Juri from P5Caring who attained the 23rd position among more than 200 entries. Kudos to a job well done, Marsilians! Contributed by Mdm Rohana (ML Coordinator)

3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) Award

The 3R Award Competition is organised annually by the National Environment Agency (NEA), Nan Hua High School and Singapore Environment Council (SEC). The objective of the award is to educate pupils on the need to work towards zero waste by practising the 3R. Our school achieved a Silver Award this year. In attaining a Silver Award, it reflects that the school, through the various programmes and activities, is promoting and encouraging the staff and pupils to be more conscious in the part that they play towards saving the environment. Contributed by Mdm Sharifah (Green Coordinator)

Our environment cha mpion conducting a recycling project during recess.

inners! Our Proud W

Our Champion!

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Every Marsilian is a Self-Directed Learner, a Compassionate Leader & a Thinking Citizen

Every Marsilian is a Self-Directed Learner, a Compassionate Leader & a Thinking Citizen

07