Pioneer Times Info... · 2018-01-19 · Tour to Kampong Glam, Little India, Chinatown and Civic District. Through this learning journey, students learned to be self-directed learners

PioneerPioneer Primary School played host to foreign educators and students

Nov 2017

Every year, Pioneer Primary School will host overseas educators and students for immersion programmes. These overseas schools expressed interests in visiting Pioneer Primary School to learn more about the school culture and education system in Singapore. It has always been a rewarding experience for both our students and teachers as we open our doors to welcome these guests.

Our students have benefitted greatly from the interactions with the students from overseas. New friendships were also forged.

This year, we are honoured to be able to host educators and students from Zhengzhou Primary School, NIE Master in Educational Administration Programme for Chongqing Province, Guan Yun Xian Primary and Secondary Schools from Jiangsu Province, Xi Bei University Affiliated Xiangshuwan Primary School from China, Fukien Secondary School Affiliated School from Hong Kong, Hou Kong Middle School from Macau, SK (P) Methodist 1 and SK (P) Methodist 2 from Malacca and Global Islamic School from Indonesia.

Foreign Visitors WelcomedTimes

01

To prepare our students adequately for the 21st century, the school has redesigned a relevant and rigorous 21st Century Competencies Project Work (21CC PW) curriculum which seeks to :

• develop critical thinking skills among our students,

• provide opportunities for our students to develop the future-ready skills and dispositions associated with foundational literacies, competencies and character qualities,

• provide authentic learning experiences which relate to real-world problems and

• develop students’ intrinsic motivation to learn.

21st Century Competencies Project Work @ Pioneer Primary School

Methodology and PracticeIn order to enable students to deconstruct and reconstruct knowledge in a way that is relevant to them, our school adopts the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) approach in the 21CC PW. This approach allows students to :

• integrate knowledge with practice,

• learn from experience, use and organise what has been learnt to understand problems,

• nurture their ability to analyse problems and deal with real-life situations,

• develop teamwork and communication skills and

• be reflective and assess their own and others’ work.

Alongside with the PBL approach, the school also takes close reference from Kolb’s Learning Cycle. The stages are summarised below :

1. Provide the students with Concrete Experience; either new or a re-interpretation of an existing experience.

2. Students carry out Reflective Observation of the new experience, paying particular attention to any inconsistencies between experience and understanding.

3. Students then develop Abstract Conceptualization where reflection gives rise to a new idea, or a modification of an existing abstract concept.

4. Finally, the students apply their knowledge to the world around them to see what results are achieved through Active Experimentation.

2

21st Century Competencies Project Work @ Pioneer Primary School To prepare our students adequately for the 21st century, the school has redesigned a relevant and rigorous 21st Century Competencies Project Work (21CC PW) curriculum which seeks to :

develop critical thinking skills among our students, provide opportunities for our students to develop the future-ready skills and dispositions

associated with foundational literacies, competencies and character qualities, provide authentic learning experiences which relate to real-world problems and develop students’ intrinsic motivation to learn.

Methodology and Practice In order to enable students to deconstruct and reconstruct knowledge in a way that is relevant to them, our school adopts the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) approach in the 21CC PW. This approach allows students to :

integrates knowledge with practice, learn from experience, use and organise what has been

learnt to understand problems, nurture their ability to analyse problems and deal with real-

life situations, develop teamwork and communication skills and be reflective and assess their own and others’ work.

Alongside with the PBL approach, the school also takes close reference from Kolb's Learning Cycle. The stages are illustrated and summarised below : 1. Provide the students with Concrete Experience; either new or a re-interpretation of an existing experience. 2. Students carry out Reflective Observation of the new experience paying particular attention to any inconsistencies between experience and understanding. 3. Students then develop Abstract Conceptualization where reflection gives rise to a new idea, or a modification of an existing abstract concept. 4. Finally, the students applies their knowledge to the world around them to see what results are achieved through Active Experimentation.

Publicly Presented Product

Feedback &

Revision

Student Voice & Choice

21st Century Skills

Inquiry&

Innovation

Driving Question

orChallenge

Needto

KnowPBL

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21CC PW

21CC PW

Through the 21CC PW journey, our students in Primary One are more aware of the environmental issues and how they can play a vital role in protecting the environment after a learning journey to Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden on 27 April 2017. At different checkpoints of their 21CC PW journey, the students made observations, worked collaboratively in their Project Work teams and also reflected on their learning experiences. They created an upcycled artefact with their parents during the Annual Principal’s Briefing on 14 July 2017, as part of the efforts to save the environment.

In the course of the 21CC PW, the Primary Two students made a healthy salad for their family members in appreciation of their care and support for the family during the Parent-Child Activity on 14 July 2017. The students learnt the nutritional values of vegetables and fruits through their learning journey to Oh Chin Huat Hydroponics Farm in April 2017. They learnt to draw up a list of healthy ingredients to create a salad recipe.

Despite the busy work schedule, many parents made time to join their children for the Parent-Child activities which were very well received as they enjoyed the bonding session with their children. The celebration of the students’ success in the 21CC PW journey goes beyond the learning within the classroom. It is about equipping the students with the necessary skills, knowledge and attitudes in our 21st century VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) world. The authentic real-life situations will prepare them for future challenges.

P1

P2

03

The school embarked on a pilot programme of mediated learning experience to our Primary Three students this year. This programme aims to raise our students’ level for “cognitive consciousness” and developing in them the intentional use of skills and strategies in thinking and problem-solving. Teachers actively engage the students in focusing on how they organise information that is gathered, use language to reason logically and drawing inferences.

Through regular experiences of mediated learning, students become habituated to thinking critically and creatively regardless of the topic or content

On 8 July 2017, our Primary 5 students had the opportunity to celebrate our Nation’s 52nd Birthday by attending the National Education Show which was held at The Float @ Marina Bay. Decked in red and white, our students were captivated by the magnificent display of military prowess, the return of our parachuting of our Red Lions and the all-time crowd favourite dynamic display of fireworks.

Mediated Learning Experience (MLE)

NationalEducation Show

P3

P5

of learning. The development of such cognitive competencies is crucial in the 21st century.

The outcomes of mediated learning in our students would be for the students to exercise self-control to the extent that they can sustain attention and persevere when faced with tasks or challenges in learning. They will become resilient learners who demonstrate confidence in exploring different or new ways when approaching problems. They will use language to think, discuss possible solutions and be willing to explore strategies to solve problems, instead of being preoccupied with or having an over-reliance on learnt procedures or solution paths.

04

Motivation ProgrammeP3 & P4

CampP5

Earlier this year, our P5 students left their textbooks at home and ventured outdoors for a 3 day 2 night camp at the MOE Changi Adventure Centre. The camp experience was a first for many of the students who learnt new skills, developed character and fostered new bonds between their classmates. They engaged in challenging yet meaningful land and water activities, outdoor cooking and science inquiry activities.

In Term 2, we conducted the iAM workshop as part of the P3 and P4 level motivation programme with the objective to develop our students to be confident and motivated individuals, inculcating in them a sense of commitment and responsibility to do their best.

As setting targets helps in short-term motivation and supports the development of long-term vision, Ms Wong Liyun shared with the students steps to identify their own targets as well as develop and commit to an action plan, in addition to encouraging students to practice daily what they have set out to achieve.

One of our teachers, Mr Sophea, shared about his education journey in Cambodia. One key highlight was how different things were run in Cambodia and the many challenges along the way. Yet, Mr Sophea was able to overcome them with clear school values in action and eventually achieving his goals.

As reflection is a powerful tool for growth and improvement, our students were encouraged to reflect weekly by jotting down in the student handbook, goals they have achieved, things they want to improve and learn at the end of the iAM workshop.

In closing, our students have learnt more about target setting to achieve their goals as well as our school values in action to overcome challenges. We hope that our students have benefitted from the programme and be committed to do their best in their future endeavours!

05

Earlier this year, our Primary 6 students had a level bonding activity during the Form Teacher Guidance Period. The activity created an opportunity for students of different classes to communicate and work together to achieve a common goal. They sure had a fun time bonding with their peers.

In March, our Primary 6 students went out on a Heritage Tour to Kampong Glam, Little India, Chinatown and Civic District. Through this learning journey, students learned to be self-directed learners and concerned citizens. They also gained a deeper insight to the contributions of our early settlers to Singapore and understand how these contributions are reflected in the places and street names of Singapore today.

Level Bonding Session

Heritage Site Tour

Motivation Talk

P6

P6

P6Mr Kenneth Sng, our new School Advisory Committee member on board, met about fifty Primary 6 students on the 15 August 2017 to share his fond memories of Pioneer Primary School when he was a student here, and how he overcame challenges during his school days. This just-in-time talk before PSLE aims to boost our students’ confidence and raise their aspirations. Our students were highly motivated and inspired after the talk. They expressed their willingness to strive for greatness, just like Kenneth!

06

The Happy Holiday Kit was given out to all students during the

June holidays. It was meant to keep our students meaningfully occupied during the holidays by engaging them in activities that not only develop their lifeskills and thinking skills but also their 21st century competencies which will prepare them to be future-ready. Furthermore, the Happy Holiday Kit allows for more time for students and family members to bond.

By completing the tasks in the Happy Holiday Kit and collecting at least 20 stars, they stood a chance to spin a wheel to win attractive prizes which include an ice-cream party, a buffet lunch, a bumboat ride, a visit to S.E.A. aquarium and Gardens by the Bay.

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Happy Holiday KitThe activities range from language, numeral and scientific activities to arts and craft. In addition, students are also encouraged to pick up new skills and start new hobbies.

It is hoped that through these fun activities, not only will our students be able to spend their holiday productively, they will also grow into accomplished individuals who will contribute to the community and country.

07

Boys’ BrigadeJ M Fraser Award for Excellence 2016 - Bronze

Girls’ BrigadeCompany Award - BronzeLow Guat Tin Challenge Award - Silver for 2 Teams

West Zone Inter–Primary School Rope Skipping ChampionshipJunior Boys – FirstJunior Girls - FourthSenior Boys - SecondSenior Girls - First

National Inter-Primary School Rope Skipping ChampionshipJunior Boys - FirstSenior Boys - ThirdSenior Girls - Third

National Track and Field CompetitionA Division Girls Overall - FourthD Division Boys High Jump - FourthC Division Boys High Jump - FourthA Division Girls 100 m - FirstA Division Girls 200 m - First

Infocomm Club (IT Media)7th National Primary School Photography CompetitionRajkumar Ashmikha (5C) – First Runner Up

Singapore Youth FestivalArts & Crafts - Certificate of Recognition

West Zone Football Championship 2017Junior Division – Top 4

National Football Championship 2017Junior Division -Top 8

West Zone Netball Competition 2017Junior Girls - Top 4

National Netball Competition 2017Junior Girls – Top 8

NUS High School Oratorical Contest 2017Ivan Kipling Tung – Finalist

National Mathematics Olympiad of Singapore2 Silver, 6 Bronze & 3 Honourable Mention

RI Primary World Mathematics Contest5 Distinction & 7 Credit

Singapore and Asian Schools MathOlympiads2 Gold, 7 Silver & 6 Bronze

Singapore International Mathematics Olympiad Challenge (SIMOC)Maths Olympiad Contest – Gold

Hua Xia Cup3 Silver & 16 Bronze

3rd Singapore International Wushu ZiJin Cup Championship3 Gold, 3 Silver & 1 Bronze

SEC-StarHub School Green Awards (SGA) 2017Lotus Sustained Achievement Award

Highlights of Recent Achievements

AcknowledgementsEditors: Mrs Cheng Huey Teng, Mrs Elis Ang and Ms Rosita

Contributors: Mdm Nur Ain, Mrs Lynnette Tan, Ms Hairozan, Mr Desmond Lee, Ms Shajirah, Ms Wong Liyun, Mr Terence Ang, Mr Ahmad Fairuzi, Mrs Jamie Lim, Mr Nelson Nai, Mrs Thomas-Tan, Mr Samuel, Ms Pauline Ng and Ms Yvonne Ng