Parenting Talk @Elias Park Primary School by Kenny Toh

“Parents as Coaches”, that was the title of the parenting talk jointly organized by SFE and PSG on 21st and 28th April 2007. This talk focuses on how parents can bring out the best in their children by being their advocate and mentor. The talk was conducted by Mr Kenny Toh , who is the Founder of The Coaching Academy.

The talk invites parents to look at their children from a fresh perspective in bringing the greatness in their children. How parents can love like a parent and think like a coach and turn common parenting challenges into opportunities for helping their children to grow as well as building a stronger and more meaningful relationship with their child.

The talk covers these objectives :
Introduce Parents as Coaches , a fresh perspective that will transform the way you see and experience your child.

Empower parents to play an active and fulfilling role in your child’s holistic development

Equip parents with a set of timeless principles for bringing out the best in their child

Mrs. Wong Siew Shan was there to do the opening speech and welcome the parents and Mrs Yvonne Chin, PSG Chairman was there to introduce the speaker. They were there to also provide inputs and feedback as the session progresses. This is a true reflection of their commitment to the school, the parents and students.

Response was overwhelming good, we were getting registrations right up to the eve of the talk but unfortunately some parents had to be turned away as we have exceeded capacity. The parents’ gave their feedback that they thoroughly enjoy the session and would like to school to organise more of such events to help them manage raising and nurturing their children better. They certainly benefited from the tips given out during the session as well as at the sharing session at the end of the talk.

As we thank the parents who attended for being committed to provide the best nurturing and coaching for their children. We can’t help feel a great sense of pride being in a great school with parents who would go the distance to give their best for their children.

For more details on Kenny Toh and Coaching Academy, visit the website :

http://www.coachingacademy.com.sg/

Quotes on Volunteerism

"Destiny is not necessarily what we get out of life, but rather, what we give."
--Cary Grant

Some people see things as they are and say 'why', I look at things that never were and say 'why not'.
--Robert F. Kennedy

We are all like one-winged angels. It is only when we help each other that we can fly.
--Luciano de Crescenzo

He who does nothing for others does nothing for himself
--Goethe

"Put yourself in someone's shoes" is a common phrase. But it is not a common thing that we do everyday. We are, most of the time, self-centred. Especially in this modern, fast-paced life. It is only when we stop for a moment and give our time to others, that we realise the true meaning of empathy.
--The word "empathy".Submitted by Abdul Manan Bin Hassan, ASP, PRIS DEPT, Changi, Singapore

Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.­
--Martin Luther King, Jr.

I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
- Mahatma Gandhi

It is one of the beautiful compensations of life, that no man can sincerely help another without helping himself.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference.
-- Tom Brokaw

Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others.
- Danny Thomas

Volunteering is not a choice, it's a responsibility

Hi! I am Maple Tan, I am a parent volunteer

Hi!I am Maple. People always asks me why do you want to be a parent volunteer?What are the benefits do you have? Is it because you want to enrol your kids into EPPS?

I joined the PSG when my younger daughter was in Primary 2. That was the time, I can part a few hours of my time giving back to the society to tutor & assist the weaker students on Maths & other activities run by the school. I contributed in the PSG committee as well as participate in many school activities initiated by the PSG. It makes me feel good and very happy to see my students perform better in their schoolwork. It is wonderful to know that my efforts can make a difference to someone else's life, that is very satisfying.

Today,I am able to input this message through this blog.All thanks to Ms Yvonne. She has been giving her Wednesday morning time slot to conduct the computer lessons to keep us abreast with the latest in IT. Thanks Yvonne!

Developing a Concept for Composition Writing

1. Encourage your child to read. Provide children with opportunities to read quality children's literature.

2. Have your child retell what she's read instead of having her answer specific questions about a story. Answering questions usually only requires the child to say a few words. Retelling the story requires the child to generate more language and organize their ideas. Use information provided by the child in the retelling to construct probe questions. After the retelling is completed, you may ask questions about important aspects of the story that haven't been included in the retelling.

3. Implement a variation of the Scrambled Story strategy. Select an unfamiliar story with a traditional beginning, middle, and ending. Divide the story between paragraphs into four sections. Remove all evidence of the title and page numbers. Pictures may be included if desired. Shuffle the order of the story pieces and place in a clasp envelope labeled with the story title and author's name. Have your child read the title of the story (that is printed on their story envelope). Tell him to read each section silently and try to find the beginning and ending sections of the story. Then have him read the other sections and put them in order. When the child thinks that he has sequenced the sections appropriately, have him reread the story silently to check his work. He may rearrange story pieces as needed. When he has checked his work have him share the story with you. Probe to have your child analyze how he made his decisions. Highlight elements of story grammar in his explanations as appropriate. Keep in mind that this differs significantly from the traditional sequencing events activity. When sequencing events, children have previously read the entire story; they are simply using a literal level of comprehension to put the events in order. The Scrambled Story strategy provides a child with pieces of an unfamiliar story and requires him/her to use higher level thinking and story grammar to determine how the story fits together.

4. Implement the Macro Cloze strategy. Select an unfamiliar story with a traditional beginning, middle, and ending. Read the story and select one or two paragraphs (in different places in the story) that are predictable considering the text that leads up to the paragraph and the text that follows the paragraph. Prepare the story so that this/these paragraph(s) are omitted. Leave plenty of space for your child to write what they think happened in each spot. Implementation: Have her read the story silently and write her own paragraph for each "spot." Have her read the story to you inserting what she wrote in each "spot." If your child wishes, you may share the actual paragraphs that you had deleted from the story. Children often like to compare their paragraphs to the original paragraphs that the author wrote. This strategy involves children in meaningful silent reading, strengthens story grammars, and provides children with an opportunity to write in relation to reading.

What techniques can my child use when revising?

Revision 'dos and don'ts'
Revision techniques
Repetition
Active learning
Associations
Learning outside the textbook
Word games
Revision 'dos and don'ts'
For detailed advice on helping your child to get organised, stay motivated and keep calm, take a look at the article What can I do to help my child with revision?

Here's a summary:

Do

• Ask your child what areas/subjects she wants help with.
• Make your child feel you're there for her physically and emotionally.
  Organise some 'non-study' activities for her.
• Encourage your child with praise and rewards.
• Make your child's environment revision-friendly.

Don't
*Force your child to revise in a way you think best.
*Put any extra pressure on her.
*Keep telling your child how much better organised you were about revision when you were that age!

Revision techniques
Your child's teachers will recommend techniques for revising particular subjects and topics. There are also some general techniques which you can suggest or even try out together.

Repetition
It may be boring, but when revising your child will need to go over each topic several times to make sure she's learnt it properly. One helpful trick is to go back over a topic briefly the day after studying it in detail. Then, at the end of the week, encourage her to recap everything that's been covered.

Active learning
Learning is always that much stronger if it is an active process. Encourage your child to write notes and use diagrams to remember things. At the end of a topic it's important for your child to summarise everything she has just learnt. This will reassure her that the information has gone in and will also act as a quick recap before she starts the next section.

AssociationsIt is sometimes easier to remember things if we can make associations with things that we have an interest in. For example, a child who loves drawing could turn the key points of a scientic process into a cartoon, whilst someone who is keen on music could set some vocabulary to the tune of a favourite song.

Learning outside the textbook
Learning through textbooks is important, but extra material can be just as valuable. Books, films, visits and information from the internet can all be used to reinforce learning.
Look out for television programmes or videos linked to topics or books your child is studying at school. A visit to a museum or exhibition can bring a subject to life, too. Encourage your child to use revision websites.

Word games
There are various ways of remembering information by using words, phrases or abbreviations. Mnemonics often work well. These turn the first letters of the words to be remembered into a name or word.

Here's an example. This mnemonic uses the word PARENTS to help you remember the revision techniques suggested in this article:

Practise
Active
Repetition
Encourage
Notes
Time management
Stress management

Based on an article by A Suri , BBC. CO. UK

What can I do to help my child deal with exam stress?

The ROSE ruleSome children sail through exams with very little stress. In fact, some parents wish their children would get more stressed about exams! For others even small tests cause real anxiety.

There are lots of ways to help your child deal with exam stress, from practical things like providing healthy food and helping him to getting organised to actually supporting him with revision.
This simple rule covers the four things your child will need during exam time:

• Revise and recap
• Organise time and work
• Sleep and rest
• Eat healthily
  

RevisingRevision needs to be active: reading through notes will not make them stick in your child's memory. Encourage her to make notes, to highlight key points and words and to go over each topic several times.

• At the end of each topic, suggest she makes a short list of the main points. These will be useful for last minute revision the night before each exam.
• There are plenty of websites which offer revision games and activities as well as practice papers with mark schemes. Using a variety of techniques will help all the information to sink in.
• Praise your child when she is working hard. Small rewards can be a real incentive to work, too
  

Getting organised

• Work out a revision timetable together early on so that your child allows enough time to cover all the topics she needs to revise. Ticking off each topic as it's done can help revision seem more manageable.
• Make sure your child is setting herself realistic targets. Trying to cram in too much creates stress and prevents learning.
  On a calendar, mark exam dates and get a thick pen to cross off exam days when once they're over. This will help you both feel that there is an end in sight!
• Help your child to organise her clothes, food and pens the night before each exam. Feeling organised about the little things will help to cut down on stress.
  

Sleep and RestEncourage your child to get plenty of sleep and to take regular breaks while she's revising. Remind her that her brain will work better if it's rested.

• Trying to cram in last minute revision the night before an exam is generally a bad idea. It will make her panic and might even affect her performance the following day. It's much better to have a relaxing evening the night before each exam so she can do her best the following day.
• Exercise, even a walk to the shops, will help your child to concentrate when she gets back to work. It can also help her to sleep better.
• Discourage your child from drinking caffeine-rich drinks like tea, coffee and cola in the evening as caffeine can disturb sleep.
• Make sure she has her alarm set for the next morning! Waking up in a panic or even arriving late for an exam only makes things more stressful.
  

EatingIt's important to eat a healthy balanced diet all the time, but during exam times this is vital. Eating well will help your child to focus and do her best.

• Try to discourage her from eating lots of sugary snacks, as these can actually stop her from concentrating.
• If the school allows children to take a drink into the exam, do make sure your child does so. It will help her to stay alert. This is especially true during the long exams your child will sit as she gets older.
• Exam stress can make some children lose their appetites. If this happens, encourage your child to eat light meals or sandwiches.

Adapted from BBC UK

IBU MATEMATIK- Maths parent by Rohani Matnawi in Malay

Apa khabar anda semua? Selamat berkenalan di dalam blog ini! Saya Rohani bte Matnawi dan merupakan salah satu daripada sukarelawan bersama "Parent Support Group" EPPS.

Di sini saya ingin berkongsi pengalaman dengan anda semua..... Setelah enam tahun tidak bekerja dan menjadi suri rumah sepenuh masa, saya mulai berasa bosan tetapi sejak saya menceburi kegiatan PSG di EPPS, saya berasa seperti berkarier semula.

Saya melalui hari-hari berikutnya dengan lebih bermakna dan komited. Pada setiap hari Isnin, saya mendisiplinkan diri dengan memastikan kerja-kerja di rumah siap sebelum pukul 11 pagi. Ini kerana saya akan menghantar anak saya ke sekolah untuk menghadiri latihan "Sports & Wellness Club for Junior" yang ada di EPPS.

Kemudian saya bersama teman-teman lain yang menyertai "Learning Support Programme" akan membimbing murid-murid yang telah dipilih untuk kami. Saya berasa seronok mengajar anak-anak didik saya yang masih di darjah 1 iaitu Adiro Latief dan Jeremy Mun Guo Jun. Mereka sungguh comel dan petah bercakap. Walaupun baru dua bulan dan hanya seminggu sekali bersama mereka, kami terasa rapat dan mesra sekali. Saya sungguh gembira apabila mereka mengatakan bahawa mereka suka belajar bersama saya.

Sebagai pendidik pula, ia menjadi suatu kepuasan kepada saya melihat anak-anak didik saya menjadi lebih baik dan sempurna daripada sebelumnya. Selain daripada mengajar Matematik pada hari Isnin, saya juga mengajar Bahasa Melayu pada hari Selasa yang disebut "Malay Parents".

Oleh itu, marilah bersama-sama saya dan teman-teman lain menyumbang tenaga dan idea untuk kebaikan generasi akan datang. Kehadiran anda sangat-sangat kami hargai!

Tuesday with Fisher

If you attended the parenting talk by Kenny Toh and haven't got enough of it, you can attend his monthly talk at his cafe.

Spend a Tuesday with Fisher
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Tuesday with Fisher (TWF) is a monthly talk-cum-discussion session at Gone Fishing that invites you to explore new possibilities in your life through an insightful conversation hosted by Kenny Toh (a.k.a. The Fisher), founder of The Coaching Academy, life coach, speaker, writer and lifestyle entrepreneur, .

TWF touches on key topics related to the art of joyful living through an introduction to powerful insights, group inquiry, and free-spirited discussions. Past topics include "The illusion of Choices", "Are you being authentic?", "Joy at Work", "A Matter of Love", "From Dreams to Reality", "A Prelude to Joy" , "The Courage to Change", "Life as a Game", and "Create Your Future."

TWF takes place at Gone Fishing on the first Tuesday of every month, from 8 to 10 p.m. Admission is FREE, and reservation is strongly recommended.

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P A R E N T S
W A N T E D
Coming up next on 1 May 2007 ...

The MISTAKES Parents Make!

This month, in celebration of Mother's Day, we invite parents and parents-to-be to join us for an eye-opening examination of the common MISTAKES that parents make, often in spite of loving intentions and genuine desires to give their children what they believe is 'the best'.

Expect to SEE parenting in a new light, understand how your decisions and actions can affect your children's well-being, and clarify your doubts on any controversial parenting tip you might have come across.

Don't miss this special edition of Tuesday with Fisher that may have a profound impact on your children's lives. Uncover the pitfalls to be avoided in your journey as a parent this coming May Day so that you don't have to go "MAYDAY! MAYDAY! MAYDAY!" someway down the road.


See you at Gone Fishing on May Day, 8-10pm. Admission is FREE.
For reservation contact: kenny@gonefishing.com.sg or 9853-5200

For more details, check out their URL :
http://www.gonefishing.com.sg/tuesdaywithfisher.htm

SFE Build Life Sessions by Karen Ann

BUILD LIFE is a series of informal sessions where parents come together to learn ways to build and strengthen relationships with their family members. Short presentations of various parenting topics would be shared. This gives parents the platform to share experiences and find the sources of support through their interaction with one another.

The Build Life sessions at ELIAS PARK PRIMARY were held for 4 consecutive Fridays in March. Parents came together to share their concerns and worries mainly about their child’s journey in school.

It was not surprising to find that we, as parents share the very same kinds of challenges albeit coming from different backgrounds, race and religions.
This was a wonderful avenue to forge racial harmony sentiments at the very least!

Topics of discussion were relevant to the challenges facing us parents and our
children.

How to develop positive behaviors in our child and helping our children cope with stress were some of the topics shared.

The sessions were facilitated by the school’s Family Education Counselor. At the end of the session, parents were more informed of the various tools and methods that could assist them in the daily challenges of family life.

Talks and topics were as follows in months of Feb and Mar 2007:

Developing Positive Behaviors In Our Child - 23 Feb
Communicating with Our Child - 2 March
Helping Our Children Cope w. Stress - 23 March
Helping Our child cope with Peer Pressure - 30 March

All on fridays,..... 11-12pm or 12.30 - 1.30 pm.
BUILD LIFE also has programs on Character Development specially designed for children. These sessions inculcate good character habits and strengths by teaching good values through hands on activities.

SFE also ran a Character Development Program for Pri.4 students at the library. Students attended an interactive story telling session that was based on the character value “ Attentiveness”. They were taught the importance of being attentive at all times and how it will enhance their self-being and eventually their progress in society in the future.

In brief, parenting is the most challenging “full-time occupation” for all mums and dads! The years with our growing children are all too precious to squander so let’s make the most of this precious time and learn to understand our children better before we can manage them successfully

Active Recess for the Sporty Parent

It's sweltering hot! At 3.00pm in the afternoon, the temperature soars to 35degrees C on some days, under a huge umbrella you see a parent giving out balls and discus to very excited children to run around the school field. The children aged 7 to 8 had no issues about the sun but poor Active Recess parent.. is melting under the umbrella.

Armed with a whistle and stern voice whenever necessary, these parents direct the children not to hurt themselves or other children and to share their ball. Remind the children to have their food first, wash their hands, drink water etc.

Some days there will be no incidents, some days someone get hurt or they bicker but all in the name of play, the children get over their differences very quickly especially when there's only 30 mins at recess time, every single second counts. Why argue when you can play!

The next day, another parent will come and do the same in the sweltering heat. These parents are fearless! Not the sun or the heat will deter them from performing their Active Recess duties. Admirable indeed!

Our sporty Active Recess parents are :

Monday :

Tuesday: Diana Teo

Wednesday: Sharon Teo

Thursday: Vathana Raj

Friday : Lim Cheng Cheng & Angela Ong

We need more Active Recess moms and dads, if the heat and sun doesn't deter you, you love hyperactive children (lots of them at once) and you have time to spare between 3.00pm to 400pm on weekdays, contact us at epps.psg@gmail.com and give us your details. We will definitely call you!

Just don't forget the sunblock!

Learning Support program-Malay Parents by Zubaidah Othman

Hello, my name is Zubaidah and I am one of the parent volunteers we call, “Malay Parents” under the Learning Support Program.There are four of us, including me. Mdm Jurianah teaches Saef Ali Basha (1 K ) and Shania Shahirah (1 D ).Mdm Rohani teaches Md Afiq (1 D).Mdm Rahimah teaches Nur Aqilah (1 U) and Ahmad Sidqi ( 1 W). I teach Melissa (2 L) and Sharifah Nurul (2 W ).

We teach for an hour every Tuesday in one of the classrooms. It’s been going on for 4 weeks and so far everything has been smooth sailing. The students are cooperative and are always punctual.

I feel great that I was given a chance to teach not only my children, but also these other students who are in need of some extra guidance. I enjoy being around children and I feel I can make a difference in their lives. I especially like it when they greet me outside of school with their affectionate smiles.

I’ve been a Malay Mum since last year and I’ve been teaching the same 2 students. Since then, I’ve seen some major improvement and their response has always been positive. This gives me great pleasure and it drives me even further to continue volunteering my time for the school.

Learning Support Program -Maths Parent Program by Michelle Wee

The math parent programme welcomes all the mums and dads to come forward to give a helping hand to those students who are weak in mathematics. All you need is to guide them to understand the concepts that the teachers had taught. One parent will be assigned to two students. Lessons will be conducted once a week from 11.30am to 12.30pm. You will make use of the manipulative in the math room to let the students have a better understanding of the math concepts.

I was a math mum before for two years. Words just can't describe my feelings when I saw improvement in the students under my care. The students are very attentive and eager to learn. Though I can't continue this year, but being the coordinator for this programme, I urge you to join in as one of our family. Presently, we have a group of seven parents in our programme. They are Rohani Matnani, Anisah Bte Taleb, Jaslyn Sim, Maple Ang, Noor Eiza B.M.Sharif, Susan Koh and Dolly Ng. There are a total of 14 students under their guidance.

If you are interested to be part of the Maths parent program, please write to us at epps.psg@gmail.com attention to Michelle Wee, giving us your contact and email details.

Parenting Talk@Elias Park Primary School by Kenny Toh

A joint effort by Elias Park Primary School, Parent Support Group and School Family Education






Parents-as-Coaches

A Fresh Perspective for Bringing Out The Greatness in Your Child

What do parents and coaches have in common? They both share the intention to bring out the best in someone. For the coach, that ‘someone’ is the called the ‘player’ and for you, it’s none other than your child. As a parent, don’t you wish to give your child the best that you possibly could? Do you feel, at times, under-equipped to handle some of the challenges that you face in the course raising your child? Are you overwhelmed by the multitude of parenting tips and advices available from various sources such as books, internet and other well-intending parents? Don’t you wish for a more JOYFUL and PEACEFUL way for being a parent and to bring out the best in your child with greater CONFIDENCE and ease?

Let us invite you to experience Parents-as-Coaches, a fresh perspective for bringing out the greatness in your child. Find out what it takes to love like a parent and think like a coach, and turn common parenting challenges into opportunities for helping your child grow as well as building a stronger and more meaningful relationship with your child. The objectives of this talk are as follow:-

• Introduce you to Parents-as-Coaches, a fresh perspective that will transform the way you see and experience your child
• Empower you to play an active and fulfilling role in your child’s holistic development
• Equip you with a set of timeless principles for bringing out the best in your child
  
  
  Date : 21st or 28th April 2007
  Time : 2.30 p.m. – 4.30 p.m.
  Venue : Elias Park Primary School
  AVA Room,4th Level.
  Speaker : Kenny Toh, Founder, The Coaching Academy

About Kenny :
Kenny Toh is the founder of The Coaching Academy and the International Network for Parents as Coaches (INPaC). He is a professional life coach, parent coach and speaker. As a leading advocate for Parents-as-Coaches, he currently shares his work on this fresh perspective to parenting through talks, workshops, parent-coaching and writing. He has spoken at parenting events throughout Singapore, including the Joyful Parenting Seminar 2006, NTU, MINDEF, NJC, and various secondary, primary and pre-schools. He also writes for the Parent Coach column in Family Magazine and the Life Lessons segment in Strait Time’s Mind Your Body. For details, visit www.parentsascoaches.net




Register online :
Send email to epps.psg@gmail.com
State title as " Parents as Coaches" and please give your name, your mobile and residence numbers by 16th April 2007.
Hurry, seats are limited. Based on first come first serve basis.

Parent workshop on 12 March 2007 by Diana Teo

Yvonne have asked me to contribute a write-up about the Parent workshop during the last March school holiday. I thought it that this is the good time to share with you my experience.

I learn alot during the workshop.It was a very educational experience for me. The teachers were trying their best to let us -parents have an inside view of the present system and stategies of the P5's English, Mathematics and Science so that we could better guide and support our children with their schoolwork. The only glitch was that I felt that the time allocated was too short. Maybe the school can work out a better one in future, say an additional hour would be good.

Our Chairman Yvonne was on a family vacation, I was elected by the committe to give the speech on the Parent Support Group. It was quite a harrowing experience for me!

I had to represent PSG and speak in front of almost 120 parents in two sessions. Yvonne said to me that you must do something at least once in your lifetime and this is it for me! That was the first time that I delivered a speech in English in my life. There were moments, I forgot or just don't know how to read and pronounce the words properly. I just froze and was tongue tight. Horrors! I don't even dare to look into the parents' eyes. The only pair of eyes I was noticed was this lady with the warm smile that sat in front of me encouraged me to go on with my message. She's my guardian angel.

Time moved so slowly as I tried completing my highly charged emotional prepared speech but soon enough, it was over and I survived! Did I move anybody? Did I make them think about the importance of being involved in their chidlren's lives.. maybe. Most importantly, I climbed that mountain and I conquered! That made me feel so good!

Total Defence Day event 15th Feb 2007

Elias Park Primary School celebrated Total Defence day with a lively presentations and exhibition by Red Cross Society and Mercy Relief. The PSG and EPPS worked closely to put the show together.

We were very fortunate to have these organisations came to our school and shared with our students their experiences and vision in serving the less fortunate all over the globe.

With special focus on the recent tsunami incident in nearby Indonesia, India and Thailand, Red Cross and Mercy Relied shared with us what they did to help victims of the calamity cope and manage with the situation. They showed the students pictures of victims, the ravaged towns and cities. They shared with our students their rescue efforts and the things they did to help tsunami victims rebuild their lives. They also showed us how the volunteers adapted to adverse living conditions but were still soldiering on nonetheless.

They put up a lively and interactive presentations to the students which captivated the students. Students are encouraged to participate and get involved in the presentations. Red Cross and Mercy Relief also put up an exhibition for students to have a look at more pictures showing their various rescue and rebuilding efforts in the affected countries.

We attempted to impart the values of service to others, empathy, compassion, volunteerism, adaptibility and love to our students by showing what sacrifices volunteers make to help other people in difficult and trying circumstances. We showed them how rewarding it is to be able to help others and also to be appreciative of what they have and never to take anything for granted given the stability and security of the Singapore.

Also, the need for us to be ready and steadfast as a nation to face any challenges and external threats. That is the essence of Social and Civil Defence.

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What is Total Defence?

Total Defence about the different things that we can do everyday in every sector of our society to strengthen our resilience as a nation. When we take National Service seriously, participate in civil emergency exercises, upgrade our skills, build strong bonds with different races and religions, and feel the pride of being Singaporean, we contribute to Total Defence.

Introduced in 1984, the concept of Total Defence was adapted from the experience in Switzerland and Sweden. There are two reasons why we adopted it. First, as a young nation with a small population, we cannot afford to maintain a regular armed forces. Thus, we need to involve every Singaporean to multiply our defence capability.

Second, the nature of modern warfare has changed. Wars are no longer limited to the battlefield. Instead, potential aggressors can strike in less obvious, non-military ways. But if you think that Total Defence is a defence strategy or plan that is rolled out only during times of war, read on. Total Defence is more than that.

Total Defence provides the framework for a comprehensive and integrated response to deal with all kinds of threats and challenges. Whether it is a security threat such as global terrorism, or a national crisis like SARS, Total Defence brings together all relevant government agencies, private sector organisations and all Singaporeans in a total effort to deal with threats and challenges to Singapore's continued survival and success.

To help Singaporeans understand how they can be involved, Total Defence is divided into five aspects -

*Military Defence
*Civil Defence
*Economic Defence
*Social Defence
*Psychological Defence

When we take National Service seriously, volunteer in civil defence exercises, help to keep the economy going, build strong ties with one another regardless of race and religion, and stay committed to defend the country, we are doing something in every sector of our society to strengthen Singapore's resilience as a nation.

For more details, check out the following URLs :

http://www.totaldefence.sg
http://www.mercyrelief.org/
http://www.redcross.org.sg/

And the award goes to...... Parents Award, Nov 2006

Parents awarded by Mrs Wong Siew Shan, Principal, Elias Park Primary School

On the last day of school in 2006, Nov 18th , it was the Awards day. It's a special day as students who have been performing were rewarded for their hardwork and dedication. Parents came to show their support for their children. It was a heart warming sight as you see students and parents beaming with pride.

As parents, we celebrate every single one of our children's success regardless whether it big or small. It is our responsibility to inspire and support them.

There are parents who went beyond helping and supporting their own children and actually gave time and effort to help pther people's children by giving extra tuition and enrichment classes. The school showed their appreciation to the parent support group by awarding them with a special PSG award. It's is indeed an very honourable thing to do. Most parent volunteers will tell you that they get alot of satisfaction from doing it.

Most times, they get satisfaction from their charges thanking them and showing appreciation. Other times, their charges' parents thank them for their help. It take a special person/s to want to give their time to help others.

We lead a very fast paced lifestyle in Singapore, many a times, we are too busy with our lives to think of other people. Most people say they are too busy but these parent volunteers without expecting any rewards or personal gratifications still continue to teach, support and motivate other people's children. They deserve our respect.

P2 Special Project 2006 by Yvonne Chin

This project will be as special to me as it is with the 7 boys I spent 3 months ( Sept to Nov 06) with. They are Gavin Ong, Zon Liew, Adriss Shah, Lee Yi Yang, Noel Lim, Isaac Tan and my very own son, Brendon Chin. They are energetic and bouncing off the walls. It was challenging just to get them to listen but we managed.. somehow.

The objective of the project was to build a model of Singapore acording to scale. For a start, we needed a huge map as a reference which we did. The students started the project by working on quizzes given to them. They are required to search for answers from 2 main websites. Each week, they are given 20 to 30 questions to answer.

Once the research was completed, we started building the map from scratch. Tracing the map off the main map, making miniature trees and papier marche for the landscape.

After tracing, we started building the landscape with papier marche and when its dry, we paint the sea and land surface while making miniature trees and labels. While waiting for the model to dry, we started making buildings off styrofoam and clay.

Once the paper marche is set, we painted all the surface, start placing the labels and building and start building the roads, highways and MRT tracks. Once all this was done, we started preparing for the presentation to the school.

Most times the boys argue non-stop. Other times I would lose my cool. Overall, we just managed to get alot done despite all the bickering. There were many sweet and memorable times too. During quieter time with one or two of the boys who would tell me things abt themselves . As they warm up to me, they told me things they would only tell their mothers. So sweet.

I remember we went cutting twigs for the miniature trees and I said to Zon that the twigs he snipped off was very good and I called him a darling. He was smiling ear to ear and beaming. He said, " You called me darling!" Awwww. So sweet.

Aldriss told me one day that he loves his mommy very much. I told him I am sure his mommy loves him just as much. I was so touched.

Gavin would rather not eat at recess time but come by and help me build the landscape with papier marche or he'd eat really quick and come in to help me. He even told my son not to call me mommy in class as I am THEIR teacher!

Yi Yang and Noel builds the smallest islets and were so focused, I was so astonished by their commitment and interest. They worked quietly and industriously and before you know it, they have made all the southern islets by themselves!

Isaac makes the most beautiful buildings among all the boys. He made beautiful small houses out of clay.

Brendon was the best speaker during the presentation and try not to compete with the rest for my attention during lessons as per my instruction. He helped me with all the research work, source for materials and make papier marche at home. He was so happy and proud to be working with me on this project. This is something he will remember for a very long time.

As they start treating me like second mom, it 's almost time to present and that will be the end of this project. The boys did well and I am very proud of them. Just like a mother would. I felt a tinge of sadness when the project ends.. one of the boys asked me earnestly.. " So Mrs. Chin, when will be our next class?" I was almost moved to tears.

Beautiful starfish painted by our talented Karen Ann

The central theme of our Teacher's day performance in 2006 was the starfish. Karen one of our committee members lovingly painted each and every one of these little starfishes given to the teachers.

They turned out so beautiful. It took our breathes a way. What a beauty! What a talent. Karen certainly has the eye for details and aesthetics. Wow.

Teachers ' Day performance- Sept 2006

After months of rehearsals, the PSG finally get to showcase their "Saga of Bukollah". Based on a little boy's search for his lost cow through so much difficulty and challenges, he was able to overcome them and in the end, he was once again reunited with his beloved cow.

The moral of the story is that one should never give up regardless how difficult the going maybe. This story serves to remind the children that growing up is a long ardous journey and as they grow, they will face challenges and obstacles but they will have to learn to persevere and focused on their goals and ambitions.

The staging of this play was just as challenging as the PSG headed by Norsiah Kamil to get amateur actors to get into character, build a stage and backdrop and costumes for the actors. It is by no means an easy feat to complete but she did with much success. That is why it is so memorable. We worked as a team and really stretch ourselves to the absolute limit to make it happen.

Apart from the play, we had performance from other students through dance performances, movies specially created for their beloved teachers and musical performances as well.

It is certainly a day to remember. For some, memories they will be take with them for a lifetime.

Our Vision

“Education is a joint responsibility, a shared adventure. To achieve full results, we need to change the mindsets of our teachers, students, parents and the the community. Close collaboration between school, home and community will be essential. “
-President Nathan ( The Straits Times, Oct 5 1999)


OUR VISION

With synergistic effort between the school, parents and community to unleash the best potential in our students. Serving with passion and relentless commitment to make Elias Park Primary School a great place to learn, live and play.

OBJECTIVES

•To establish a shared vision and goals between school, parents, students and community

•To strengthen home-school collaboration and partnership

•Promote parental involvement on school programs and activities

•To enrich our pupils’ lives with more diverse range of activities and exposure

•To help pupils to achieve their individual personal best

•Provide opportunity for parents to network and work together