Persevere vs Endeavour!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmV5fmAd_vc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihild58rQmU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CATAEXtUymQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNDzN-cgCUY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBRhEVSRCvI


EPPS Sports Carnival 2007 was celebrated in conjunction with Chrildren's Day. PSG was involved in bringing the extra cheer to the event with cheering mums branishing placards cheering the students on.

There were alot of excitement and tension between the 2 main houses- Persevere and Endeavour. Students divided between the 2 houses were participating in various sports activity at various locations in school i.e. school field, basketball courts, school hall and the parade square.

Presevere emerged as Overall Champion and Endeavour was the Cheering Champion.

Mrs Persevere aka Diana Teo and Mrs Endeavour aka Susan Koh rocked the house with their cheers along with other PSG members Lim Cheng Cheng, Karen Ann, Lilian Koh, Chiang Meng Lee, Maple Tan and Michelle Wee.

See them in action with the exuberant students on YouTube!

The Parent-Teacher Partnership ... Talking with teachers

Our experts (all teachers or school psychologists themselves) report on ways to approach teachers that will get their attention, and the ways that won't.

Find the right time to speak to the teacher. Always ask the teacher if she has time to talk at that moment, or better yet, when it might be convenient for her to do so. If a conference is not coming up soon, ask if you can make an appointment for a brief conversation. Don't expect to have an extended conversation during drop-off and pick-up. Mornings and after school can actually be quite hectic times. The teacher may appear free but she may not be.

"The teacher may have up to 40 kids in her class, and you may have only two or three at home. So don't expect her to know your child as well as you do, but respect what your teacher knows, as she sees your child function in ways you rarely will. The relationships are not equal, but each of you has something important to contribute to a picture of 'the whole child.'"
Linda Lendman, M.S.W.Guidance Counselor,Family Coordinator, Rand SchoolMontclair, N.J.

Write short, effective notes. If you want a quick response, keep your correspondence brief. Nobody (particularly teachers) has time to read more than one page, and a short paragraph will probably get the fastest response. Be specific about the issue and ask for guidance. For example, you might say, "Lucy's been having trouble with the math homework recently. She struggled for 30 minutes and then we stopped. Can we speak on the phone for a few minutes at your convenience about how to help?"

Make sure your message gets to the teacher. Handwritten notes, leaving occasional messages on teachers' voicemails or sending emails (if allowed by school policy) are effective ways to communicate. Sometimes mailing a note to the school can be the most reliable way to get information through, for parents who do not take their kids to school. But don't be upset if you don't get an immediate response. If you don't hear back after a few days, make sure your teacher got your communication, particularly if you sent it via your child.

Come prepared to conferences. Make a list in advance of what you want to discuss. Let the teacher know you have some questions and be specific: give concrete details that paint an objective picture of a problem. Instead of sweeping comments like "Denzel is having a terrible year," offer tangible data, like "at least three days a week, Denzel melts down while trying to do his math homework. He says 'I don't understand' and 'I'm stupid.'" This way you can collaborate with the teacher on solutions.

Discuss what matters most. Your teacher wants to know about how best to teach your child, so share what your child loves to learn about as well as any struggles he may have. This way, you can look at the whole picture of your child together. "Instead of focusing just on grades, focus on what your child loves, how he learns, and what he struggles with. Think of specifics you can offer the teacher to help her teach your child and listen to what he has to say," advises Michael Thompson, Ph.D. "If you have a report card to review, use it to brainstorm together how you can both support your child's learning, instead of dissecting each grade. Ask how your child functions in the classroom as a person. Does he make friends? How does he resolve conflicts?"

Supply data. Teachers will find comments from previous teachers useful, and giving this data is a non-threatening way to address issues. You might say, "Last year, Johnny's teacher noted he was struggling with attention issues. He was tested and this is how we are handling it." Or you might explain, "Betsy was put in a special reading group last year by Mr. Miller because he evaluated her and thought she needed more advanced books."

Accept your differences with your teacher. Recognize that your teacher may have a different style from you, but that doesn't make her a bad teacher.

"Some teachers will be older and seasoned veterans, others will be younger and more idealistic. There are lots of differences in styles of communication and educational philosophy. You will need to really listen to your child's teacher to get a sense of who he is," notes Dalton Miller-Jones, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Portland State University and an advisor to the Portland School district.

Ask what you can do to help. When discussing a problem your child may have, ask your teacher for specific ways you can help at home. Ask her to define what your role should be in the problem-solving partnership, making sure the teacher, parent, and child all play important roles.

Adapted from PBS Parents Guide, PBS Kids

Chairman and Vice Chairman- Rohani Matnawi's point of view!

The multi-talented Rohani is at it again...... this time, she gives you her impression of the PSG Chairman and Vice-Chairman. You be the judge!

Message from Mrs. Wong Siew Shan

It was around mid-morning on 30 August 2007 when I met Yvonne at the General Office. She told me that Karen and a few PSG members were putting up the stage decorations in preparation for the Teachers' Day Performance the following day. I got myself invited to go and have a peep!

I can't accurately describe the thrill and wonderment I felt when I set my eyes onthe yet-to-be-completed jungle scene that Karen, Meng Lee, Maple, Diana andMichelle were piecing together. The animals seemed so real that I expected them to step out of the wooden panels any time! We really have some highly gifted artists amongst our parents.


When Eliasians streamed into the hallfor the Teachers' Day performance on 31 August 2007, I could almost hear their collective gasps as their eyes feasted on the beautiful stage setting!


On behalf of all staff and Eliasians, I would like to thank the PSG for demonstrating such passion, love, creativity and above all, thoughtfulness in the preparations and execution of the Teachers' Day celebrations, under the excellent leadership of Yvonne, the chairperson of the PSG.


• From auditioning pupils for the Teachers' Day performance to overseeing the rehearsals;
• from sourcing for and preparing the sale items to manning the Teachers'Day Fair;
• from making the beautiful hand-designed Teachers' Day Card to presentingthem to the teachers with the lovely teddy bears;
• from capturing the joyful faces of Eliasians, to framing them, to presenting me with the most beautiful and meaningful Teachers' Day gift I've ever received;
• from designing the spectacular stage decorations to intricately cuttingthe life-like pieces to climbing up the ladder to painstakingly piecingtogether the jungle scene;
• from making the huge attention-grabbing placards to the facilitation of audience participation;
• from baking beautiful cupcakes to presenting them to the non-teaching staff so that every staff member was included in this day of appreciation; the PSG looked into every minute detail for the Teachers' Day celebrations.


I am very sure that apart from the above that I was aware of, there would have been a myriad of other time-consuming and equally important activities that went into the planning of Teachers' Day 2007 that I may not have been aware of.


Thank you for making all of us feel so special and for being an inspiration to us. My colleagues and I have lots to learn from the PSG about audience involvement.

I believe the National Day Parade organizers would have given their thumbs up too to our PSG for succeeding to create such an electrifying atmosphere of anticipation and building it to such a deafening crescendo with enthusiastic audience participation and unabashed appreciation for the talented and exuberant performers, that it motivated them to surpass themselves in performing for such an appreciative audience.


And just as we thought the Teachers' Day performance has ended on the highest note, three huge 'Happy Teachers' Day'’ banners lovingly painted by a grandfather, fell from heaven (He! He! Actually it was from Level 2 ofthe school hall!). We are extremely privileged and thankful that in Elias Park Primary School, we not only have parents who actively partner us intheir children's education, we also have grandparents who actively support us in our endeavours.


The messages on the banners read, 'You're my guiding light!', 'You inspire me!' and 'You're a class above the rest!'. My colleagues and I pledge to be the guiding light for all Eliasians, to inspire them to be scholars, sportsmen, artists, citizens and leaders, and to do that, we'll continue striving to be a class above the rest!

Thank you, PSG, for putting all our ELIAS Values in action through the many programmes and initiatives you undertake throughout the year. The Teachers' Day celebration was a platform that presented Eliasians with many opportunities to demonstrate the values of Excellence, Love, Integity,Adaptability and Service. Thank you, PSG, for helping Elias Park Primary further her mission and vision of providing a holistic education where potential becomes a reality!

Teachers' Day Special Effects Team

Bouquets for Teachers' Day Concert

From Mr. Jeremy Ang
"Hi Yvonne and all other parents from the PSG,
Must say that this year's Teachers' Day Celebrations was one of those very memorable ones for us teachers at EPPS! Thanks for all your efforts of love and time spent in the deco, in training the pupils etc. It shows the tremendous support from the parents and is an encouragement to us that we can always count on the PSG as one of our very supportive partners in education. regards, Jeremy"

From Mrs Pat Ng
" Thank you for organising such a wonderful concert. So much effort put into details and preparations. We really enjoyed the show."

From Mdm Aini
" Thank for the great concert! Wow! The PSG has really put in so much effort in details and creating the atmosphere. Good job!"

From Mdm Melati
" It was very heartening to see our parents putting so much effort to say thank you to us for teaching their children. We are so grateful and appreciative."

From Mr. Sim Soon Huat,
" Thank you Mrs. Chin and PSG members for putting up such an interesting concert."

From Mr. Ang Swee Chong,
" We're impressed that the PSG were able to engage the students in such a positive and vibrant manner to show appreciation for their fellow students' performances and their teachers' efforts. Also, we love the creativity and thought put into making the show more interactive and captivating by using placards and banners. "

Teachers' Day Concert presented by Parent Support Group

After months of preparations, PSG was finally ready to showcase the Teachers' Day Concert on the 31st August 2007. PSG started conceptualising and planning as early as June 2007. The plan was to have an interactive concert which involves the participation of the audience. After much deliberation themes, PSG task force members unanimously agreed on an " Animal Kingdom " theme as it will great fun for all.

Once a theme was decided, we have been busy putting our plan into action, placards were made, stage cut out of animals and weeds, dance practises, cloth banners painted and concert rehearsals were in full swing. We were very careful not to miss even the smallest of details.

The result was a well executed and highly entertaining concert with full participation of the audience. Mrs. Yvonne Chin, Chairperson of PSG with MCs Pratyay and Foo Yong Qi hosted the event.

Mrs. Wong opened the concert with a speech and a special song, " You raised me up", specially dedicated to teachers and students. There was a special mention for Mr Jeremy Ang for making it to the Top 12 finalist for the President Award for teachers. Well done, Mr. Ang!

The audience were put into 4 animal groups : Siberian Tigers, Mandarin Ducks, Chimpanzees and Rams. They were highly participative and gave the loudest cheer they can muster. The noise was deafening! The PSG members were assigned each group to lead the animal groups into action.

Animals chiefs for day were Jenny Mak for Mandarin Ducks, Faizah Ab Rahman for Chimpanzees, Karen for Siberian Tigers and Cheng Cheng for the Rams.

The stage was elaborately design and decorated with life size animal prints meticulously hand drawn by Karen Ann. Working together with Meng Lee, they put up the most spectacular stage setting in synch with the " Animal Kingdom" theme. Helen Chee put her artistic talent in producing the most interesting animal group banners. A PSG grandfather painstakingly handpainted the huge banners for the finale surprise for the teachers.

PSG member Rohani Matnawi sang a Japanese Folk song specially dedicating it to our teachers. Check her out on YouTube!http://rbm18260.multiply.com/journal/item/8/Teachers_Day_Performance

Diana Teo and Susan Koh were the audience managers giving cues to audience to applause or make animal noise after each performance. Diana did a fantastic job at entertaining and controlling the crowd's responses. Grace Choo and Zubaidah Othman were the backstage managers to ensure the performers are ready on cue. Phyllis Wong was backstage supporting choreography. There were altogether more than 30 PSG parents actively supporting the event!

The performers were very motivated by the applause and cheers they get from the audience gave their best performance on that day. The "Guess the Teacher " game was well received and students were all so excited about which teacher is hiding behind the cloth. It was a lot of fun for everyone.

The highlight of the concert would the exuberant performance by theP2 students. They were dancing to the song, " We're all in it together", from the High School Musical which was very meaningful to all teachers and students. Mrs. Lynn Kirk took them under her wing, 2 weeks before the concert and brought out the very best in them. It was very heartening to see the young ones perform with so much zeal and enthusiasm.

The best is yet to come, on cue by Mrs. Chin, huge banners measuring 3 metres by 1 metre rolled down from the left side of the school hall with special greeting and wishing our teachers a very " Happy Teachers' Day!"

Spectacular indeed!