the Niche Website: http://www.chijourladyqueenofpeace.moe.edu.sg/ A Publication of CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace 4 Chestnut Drive Singapore 679287 Issue 35 May 2012 Principal’s Message Greetings to one and all! 2012 proved to be a great start for us here in CHIJ OLQP as we ushered in the Dragon year and successfully teed off the fund raising campaign for our Charity Golf Tournament cum Charity Dinner with zest! Not forgetting the Arts Xplosion in Nov 2011 where our pupils showcased their different talents and our renowned ceramist, Mr Iskandar Jalil, graced the occasion and donated generously his art works for the auction. All this was made possible through the sheer determination of our pupils, dedicated staff, relentless support of our parents, alumni and partners and God’s grace! We are indeed very heartened and thankful for the strong support received as we bring the school to greater heights! We applaud our pupils’ efforts in their achievements for PSLE 2011. The results are a fine reflection of their hard work and determination to excel. Supportive parents and committed teachers are key to our pupils’ successes! Our Primary 6 graduands of 2011 certainly did themselves proud by improving on the average of our school’s T-score and they were successful in getting to the secondary school of their choice. We also want to recognize the important contributions parents make toward a child’s success in school. At IJ, we believe in building a strong relationship and engaging the home and the community. The close partnership between home and school is very important; as the saying goes, “It takes a whole village to raise a child”. Our niche area is growing from strength to strength. In the sporting arena, our Netball Senior Team came in 4th and the Netball Junior Team came in Top 8 for the National Inter-School Netball Championships after coming in Champions at the West Zone Netball Championships. In our Outreach Programme to encourage environmental action, we have been awarded the Sustained Gold Achievement Award 2011 for our continuous efforts in reaching out to our neighbouring community around the school and educating pupils on the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We strongly believe that education is about nurturing the whole child. Throughout the year, the school organizes a wide spectrum of activities, ranging from art, sports, CIP to adventure camps, to develop our pupils morally, intellectually, physically, socially and aesthetically. In pursuit of our mission, we want to provide a learning environment where every staff member believes that all pupils can achieve high levels of learning, and every staff member is committed to the success of every We would like to pupil. Our dedicated teachers will continue to congratulate the following support the growth of each child in areas of staff on their recent academics and values education. promotion: As we journey towards the school’s vision a, “Learner, Leader, Lady” we will turn challenges into opportunities instilling in our pupils 21st century skills in a nurturing and stimulating environment and always being compassionate to others especially to the disadvantaged. “Simple in Virtue, Steadfast in Duty” Mdm Raihana Binte Snin (GEO 1A1) Miss Kelly Tan Hui Ting (GEO 1A1) Miss Damaria Sri Aminy Tumbuck (GEO 1A1) Mr Tan Yih Chyn (GEO 1A2) Mdm Tay Cai Fang (GEO 1A2) Mdm Kalaiselvi d/o Krishna Samy (GEO 1A3) Mdm Regina d/o Arulanandan (GEO 1A3) Mdm Chen Xujin (GEO 2A3) Mrs Tan - Lim Kim Gek Principal Mr Yap Yih Fong (MXO Gr 11) Mdm Goh Lay Kian Sylvia (SEO 1) Mdm Low York Sheng (SEO 1) Mdm Lim Meng Gek Jane (SEO 1A1) Mdm Tay Mui Tin Clare (SEO 1A1) IP Departments 2012 Top PSLE Pupils No Name Aggregated Score 1 Shang Ke 269 2 Toh Xuan Ning Jeanne 268 3 Lim Kai Yi 260 4 Kezia Eio 260 5 Toh Wen, Andrea 259 6 Abigail Anne Mok Wai Ling 259 7 Ashley Annushri Thenpandiyan 258 8 Yong En Hui, Celine 258 9 Priscilla Roshini Joseph Ravi 256 10 Lam Wan Ching, Natalie Nicole 254 11 Kelly Tan Shi Hui 254 2011 Top PSLE Pupils (from left: Shang Ke (not in picture), Toh Xuan Ning Jeanne, Lim Kai Yi, Kezia Eio, Toh Wen, Andrea, Abigail Anne Mok Wai Ling, Ashley Annushri Thenpandiyan, Yong En Hui Celine, Priscilla Roshini Joseph Ravi, Lam Wan Ching, Natalie Nicole and Kelly Tan Shi Hui) National Environment Champions (ECs) Training Workshops At CHIJ OLQP from 12-13 March 2012 The Environment Champions Programme (Primary) is a capacity building programme to equip students from primary schools with the relevant knowledge and skills to spearhead and implement environmental programmes. With the support of National Environment Agency, our school hosted the 2-day workshops for about 100 selected pupils in Singapore to equip them with the: understanding of the NEA’s educational materials and presentation skills to deliver the content as talks in their schools relevant skills to be able to develop and act out skits in support of antilittering messages to their peers in schools, in a fun and engaging manner. Our pupils have benefitted a lot from the training, made new friends and enjoyed themselves. It was indeed a great experience for everyone! Our selected En vironment Scien ce club members are re ady for their tra ining! ers for the training Joining our club memb ools sch are pupils from other games? Queuing up for g s busy helpin ent Champion Our Environm ration counter gist out at the re Mdm Reddy gracing the sessions with her welcome speech Workshop at one of the le arning statio ns meal after our Let’s have a sumptuous training! r4 up of ou y the gro b e n o d tion Presenta , Preethikrupa pil Hope pu Our trained Environment Champions receiving their certificates from NEA officer! r g to you ou Presentin t en m n viro young En , Champion Hope) Arthena (3 IP Departments Science Department Green for Hope@Primary School Recycling Outreach Programme In 2011, our school took part in the Green for Hope project organized by CapitaLand. This project aimed at raising greater awareness about the importance of recycling among our pupils and staff and also supporting the less privileged pupils in the school. Our efforts paid off and we were awarded $11000 by CapitaLand for the needy pupils in our school. Well done everyone! Our pupils diligently empting the waste paper into the recycling bins. We are proud to receive the Sustained Gold Achievement Award for Recycling OutReach Programme for another year. This programme aims to involve schools in reaching out not only to their school community but also their neighbouring residents, to encourage environmental action and awareness towards minimising waste and recycling. This year, our school clinched the Sustained Gold Achievement Award for our continuous efforts in reaching out to our neighbouring community around the school and educating the pupils on the 3Rs: Reuse, Reduce and Recycle. We are proud of our service to the school and community. Our school took part in the Tetra Pak School Recycling Competition between 15th Aug 2010 and 15th July 2011 and came in 1st Runner Up. Our staff and pupils’ effort in collecting post-consumer drink cartons in school for recycling was commendable. We are doing our little part to collect the tetrapaks for recycling. Science Workshop on Process Skills for Parents The Science Process Skill Workshop, conducted by our Senior Teacher (Science) Mrs Ong York Sheng, was organised on 24 March (Saturday) to share some teaching and learning points with parents and raise awareness of process skills in primary science. We are glad that many of our parents made the effort to turn up for the workshop. Feedback from parents was encouraging and positive. We enjoy working together to save the Earth. IP Departments English Department Term 2 Assembly Performance on 30 March 2012 On 30 March 2012, some of our pupils from Primary 1 to 4 put up a fantastic assembly performance which enthralled the audience. The first item ‘Walking through the Jungle’ performed by 1 Love was a choral recitation performance in which pupils brought the animal characters to life by showcasing their intricate handmade costumes and masks as well as mimicking the animals through speech, expression and actions. Thereafter, 1 Peace sang a song, teaching the pupils to love and protect our environment by observing the 3Rs – Recycle, Reuse and Reduce. Then 2 Love put up a hilarious performance ‘The Chicken Rice’ about how a plate of chicken rice was passed from one hand to another, before finally reaching the hands of the chicken which had a bad shock and ran off in fright. Next was a performance by 2 Peace. They narrated ‘How The Hen Got Her Cluck’ and had the audience begging for more! The audience rolled with laughter when 3 Peace and 3 Love presented ‘Falling for Rapunzel’. It is a tale of silly misunderstanding but all turns out happily ever after in the end. Finally, 4 Love and 4 Peace recited the story ‘Three Little Bears’ in such a groovy manner that they soon had the audience joining in with them as well! The pupils did indeed put in a lot of effort in staging their best and they have surely wowed the audience with their impressive acting and oratorical skills. Math Department Seminar for Primary 1 to Primary 3 Parents on ‘Solving Primary Mathematics Word Problems Using Model Method’ 14th April 2012 The Math department organised the above seminar for parents on 14th April 2012 .The seminar was facilitated by Dr Joseph Yeo who is an Assistant Professor in the Mathematics and Mathematics Education Academic Group, National Institute of Education (NIE). Dr Yeo highlighted the reasons for using model method to solve word problems. He also shared ideas and approaches on how parents can prepare their children to solve word problems involving model method. IP Departments Chinese Language Department 农历新年庆祝活动 喜 气 洋 洋 贺 新 春 正华小学的学生为我校表演的舞狮节 目,喜气洋洋,热闹非凡。 二年级学生表演的舞蹈——《新年旋律》 钢琴曲委婉动听,如 潺潺流水。 汉语拼音工作坊 鼓声“龙龙”庆佳节 本校华文部为小一家长开 办“汉语拼音工作坊”,由周 淑君老师主讲。此工作坊通过 生动活泼的方式,帮助家长认 识汉语拼音,并提供一套有趣 的方法,让家长协助孩子掌握 和巩固汉语拼音 。 文化营的学生表演的短剧《十二生肖》,活 泼有趣。 家长们呈献的精彩表演博得了阵阵掌声 紧张激烈的灯笼制作比赛 Malay Language Department Pembelajaran Di Luar Bilik Darjah Pada penggal pertama yang lalu, murid-murid darjah satu telah berpeluang melakukan aktiviti membuat salad buah-buahan. Aktiviti membuat salad buah-buahan itu dijalankan di kantin pada waktu sekolah. Melalui aktiviti itu, murid-murid diajar tentang kata kerja seperti memotong, menggaul, menyenduk dan mengelap. Pada pelajaran sebelumnya, murid-murid telah didedahkan kepada peralatan dapur seperti sudu, mangkuk dan senduk yang akan digunakan pada hari itu. Nilai-nilai seperti kerjasama dan menjaga kebersihan turut diajarkan kepada mereka. Pada pelajaran yang seterusnya, murid-murid telah menghasilkan karangan mengenai pengalaman mereka membuat salad buahbuahan dengan menggunakan kata kerja yang telah Kami sibuk mem mereka pelajari. otong buah buahan! Tamil Language Department - Inilah salad buah-buahan yang kumpulan kami buat! Kami tidak sabar untuk makan salad ini! Celebrations MOE Long Service Award s of uard G h c e pe Outs tand oH of G ing C ontrib G i v e z i n i r g P Day d n a ution Awar d 201 The fruitful year of 2011 drew to a resounding end with the Speech and Prize Giving Ceremony. The guest-of-honour, Ms Cecilia Lim, who was our former principal, presented the awards and prizes to the deserving staff and pupils from the graduating classes. Following the presentation of prizes and awards was a concert put on by our aesthetic CCA groups namely, Choir, Tap Dance, Fusion Dance and Chinese Speech and Drama. 1 S ur – Hono al Arriv ce man Choir perfor Our Top 2010 PS LE pupil Fusion Dance – Stars of Hope al mn Festiv tu e Mid-Au gend of th Le – a m and Dra CL Speech P6 Acad em ic Prize Winners Tap wn On Do – Ease Dance ad the Ro Arts Explosion cum Art Auction 2011 Celebrations On 18th November 2011, we were very fortunate to have Mr Iskandar Jalil in our school to demonstrate pottery to our pupils, staff and parents. The session was very engaging as Mr Iskandar Jalil shared his experiences and skills in pottery. Our pupils and teachers’ artworks as well as artworks donated by local artists were auctioned on that day. Charity Golf 2012 On 9th March 2012, our school, together with our Parent Support Group, organised our inaugural CHIJ OUR LADY QUEEN OF PEACE CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT. The tournament was held at the The Palm Course of Raffles Country Club. The aim of the charity tournament was to raise funds to upgrade and improve our school facilities – the air-conditioning of the School Hall and the new Performing Arts Hub cum Library. The new Performing Arts Hub cum Library will provide our girls with a venue to showcase their diverse talents and dynamic vibrancy. All pupils, staff, parents, the community as well as our friends supported the event and it was a huge success. It was a fun charity tournament indeed! The 18-hole System-36 Stableford Format gave our golfers players of all abilities a fun-filled day of golf! Our school had the privilege of many supportive sponsors. Our main sponsors were Wearnes Automotive Pte Ltd and TOTE Board. Many other sponsors came forward and made the event a truly meaningful and successful one for us. Our Guest of Honour, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, together with our Principal, Mrs Tan, Vice-Principal, Mdm Reddy, our PSG Chairman, Mr Tony Tan, our Vice Chairmen, Mr Daniel Soh and Mr Tom Tan, and some members of the school Exco. The day closed off with a grand dinner graced by our Guest of Honour, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Grassroots Advisor to Cashew GROs, MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources. Some of our golfers in action. The many happy golfers just before the tee-off. Character and leadership development Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) @ CHIJ OLQP CCE @ CHIJ OLQP is about developing pupils in the acquisition of values, knowledge, skills and competencies to help them become useful and responsible citizens of good character. ASSEMBLY TALK AT CHIJ OUR LADY QUEEN OF PEACE ON 2nd MARCH 2012 Our Principal, Mrs Tan and Vice Principal, Mdm Reddy, warmly welcomed Jeremy Lim to the school. Jeremy Lim is a victim of brittle bone disease but he does not give up hope as he believes he can do many things and that he can achieve success. He encourages others by capitalizing on his strength, influencing people through his gift of speech. Through the example of his bravery, Jeremy teaches us that we can choose to live life to its fullest by giving our best and helping others. Jeremy Lim took time off from his busy schedule to come to CHIJ OLQP to conduct an assembly talk on resilience for the pupils and staff. It was such an inspiring assembly talk. It was a good reminder to everyone about the importance of resilience. His support to the school is greatly appreciated and we wish him all the best in all his future endeavours. Pupils listened attentively to what Jeremy Lim has to say about his life struggles and how he persevered on in life and learnt to appreciate what he has. At the end of the assembly talk, pupils queued in line to ask for Jeremy Lim’s autograph and to have a chance to talk to him. A COLLABORATIVE SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT WITH SMU STUDENT LEADERS TO ORANGE VALLEY NURSING HOME ON 3rd MARCH 2012 Community Involvement Project (CIP) The CIP department collaborated with a group of student leaders from Singapore Management University (SMU) to conduct a Service Learning workshop for our pupils on the 2nd and 3rd of March 2012. The student leaders were given the opportunity to share their knowledge of Service Learning with our 16 P5 pupils. Our pupils attended the workshop and visited the Orange Valley Nursing Home. ively to what the Pupils listened attent ut Service Learning abo say to has r speake ut. abo all is and what it It was heartwarming to see how the pupils responded so actively and enthusiastically throughout the workshop. The pupils have benefitted from the workshop and have learnt more about the different aspects of how to plan and gather resources for future community service projects. Our pupils put up a perform ance for the residents at Orange Valley Nursing Home. e visit g ideas on th Brainstormin g Home. in rs Nu y lle to Orange Va A group photo taken with SMU student leaders and our teachers-in-charg e, Mdm Soh Kim Kian and Ms Celin e Teo. n fts as a toke ing some gi s. nt Pupils prepar de n for the resi of appreciatio Character and leadership development CHIJ OLQP HOSTS STUDY VISIT FOR A GROUP OF VIETNAMESE DELEGATES FROM LIEN AID’S ON BEHALF OF RESTROOM ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE Our school was approached by Restroom Association of Singapore to host a study visit for a group of Vietnamese delegates on 24 February 2012 to showcase our Happy Toilet Programme and STAR (Sustaining Toilets As Restrooms) Awards Programme for schools. The delegation went on a restroom tour around our school as we were awarded the Platinum and Gold Stars for our participation in the STAR Awards Programme. The delegation was also provided with handy information about our school’s active engagement in our restroom decorations. After the school’s visit, the delegation visited a 5-star toilet at the Chinese Garden and engaged in active conversations on the prerequisites for meeting the 5-star standard. CLIMB Class Corner CLIMB (Character Lives In My Behaviour) is CHIJ OLQP’s character education programme that develops our pupils’ 8 Strengths of Character. In every class, a CLIMB corner has been set up to teach and remind pupils on the different values taught throughout the Terms. In Primary 5 Hope, we have a beautiful Peace Loving Tree in our CLIMB corner. Everyone contributed their ideas and effort, including our Form Teacher, Mdm Jessica Kho, to decorate the Tree in our own unique style. We also wrote our CLIMB targets on speech bubbles, specially made by Mdm Kho. One of my classmates, Melodee Chia wrote: My goal is to be more talkative (in a smart way!) 5 Hope’s CLIMB corner grows a beautiful Peace Loving Tree. Isn’t this a great way to learn values – Teamwork and Joy in Service, which is constantly practiced in CHIJ OLQP. Contributed by Ashley Ng (5 Hope) CLIMB Wall of Cheers Since the setting up of CLIMB Wall of Cheers in 2011, it has received many positive responses. In Term 1, pupils were tasked to pen and submit their ‘Goal and action of Initiative’ during CLIMB Meeting. All submissions were displayed on the CLIMB Wall of Cheers. CLIMB News and Stories Do you know our pupils enjoy reading the CLIMB Stories and CLIMB News? CLIMB Stories and CLIMB News help pupils to understand more about the different values of the weeks. “I find it fun; spending time thinking of what I want, and I’ve gained more knowledge on how to achieve my goal. I’ll do my best to attain it.” Natalia Malquer from 5 Hope, commented. “I enjoy reading CLIMB News and Stories as it is interesting and entertaining,” shares Grace Lim from 5 Hope. Besides sharing our goals and plans, we can also support our friends by encouraging and reminding them to follow through their goals. After all, helping each other to be Good and Smart is what CHIJ OLQP girls do, isn’t it? Through general feedback, we found that pupils prefer reading comic strips and poems. They also hope to read more interesting stories. Most importantly, pupils look forward to learning more CLIMB values from stories and news articles contributed by their peers. Contributed by Nicole Woo (5 Hope) Pupils were overjoyed to see their hand-writt en cards displayed on the CLI MB Wall of Cheers. ld iends to en my fr the nine wh n d o u d lo e c y n la “I was o y goal was disp eng (5 Peace) m nice Ch u E me that – .” Cheers Wall of Character and leadership development CLIMB Carnival On 15th February, the CLIMB Carnival received great responses from all pupils. Mdm Reddy, Ms Heng, Mr Hor and several other teachers took part in the CLIMB Carnival, too! It was an interesting and fun experience, especially so for the Primary Ones, as they revisited CLIMB values and Citizenship values through games and reflections. The P5 and P6 CLIMB Mentors had a great time helping out at the carnival, too. They have learned a lot from this experience. It was a memorable day for all. “I am definitely looking forward to the next CLIMB Carnival! I’m sure it will be just as fun and meaningful!” commented some pupils. Pupils having a go at the Anagram Whiz station. Mr Hor scoring 1 for Singapore It’s My Turn: Mdm Reddy and pupils share their thoughts on with his agile football skill! how we can create a better Singapore. Brownies On 18 February, the Brownies took part in World Thinking Day celebrations held at *Scape Park. They took part in various competitions held in conjunction with the celebrations. The competitions were: Making a Scrapbook Page, Digital Photography and Wearable Fashion (making a dress out of recycled materials). One of our entries for Digital Photography, produced by Deandra Limandibhrata of 4 Peace, clinched the first prize. Waiting patiently for the Awards Ceremony to begin Viewing the winning entries for the various competitions Deandra receiving a certificate of appreciation from Mdm Reddy. In the background is a picture of the winning entry. On 16 March, a group of brownies also participated in a Day Camp planned and conducted by their teachers-in-charge. In the morning, the brownies played some team-building games. This was followed by an outdoor cooking session where the brownies learned how to cook their own lunch in a mess tin. After lunch, the brownies tried their hands at sewing a bookmark for their pen-pals in America. See how we peel our potatoes and carrots 10 These are the bookmark we are sewing for our pen-pals. Character and leadership development National Education / Social Studies Department Total Defence – It’s Our Turn! Total Defence Day which is observed on 15th February marks the British surrender of Singapore to the Japanese during World War 2. Our school’s commemoration of this day was true to its theme, “It’s Personal. Play Your Part.” The week leading up to it saw every pupil submitting her entry in a comic drawing competition depicting how she can do her part to defend Singapore. The NE/SS committee engaged the school with the story, Little Red Dot, and by rousing the pupils in passing beach balls to one another; it highlighted how team effort and creativity can enable communities to overcome adversities. The school also showed its commitment and readiness in civil defence in a fire drill, with every member assembling speedily at the school field. Recesses were abuzz with carnival activities. The joyful chatter of pupils could be heard as they participated delightfully in obstacle courses and meaningful games that reiterated values like loyalty and resilience. These events were closely followed by an assembly programme comprising a skit put up by our spontaneous teachers and pupils, a talk and a quiz, instilling the importance of protecting Singapore through the five pillars of Total Defence. Eager pupils with outstretched hands, trying to deliver the ball to the back of the hall in the quickest time possible. Our Principal, Mrs Tan, briefing the school on the importance of the fire drill exercise. Our Vice-principal, Mdm Reddy, clearing the hurdles and giving a perfect shot for Total Defence. s? ious item ic ith susp we do w What do lls us all. te This skit 11 hoop! Our girls Aim far and reach for the obstacle the in fully participated glee breaks. course during their recess Staff Matters Staff Welfare Activities The Staff began the year with a wonderful time of bonding during our annual Chinese New Year “Lo Hei cum Potluck” session. Everyone interacted over food and drinks and we even had the privilege of sharing this part of the Chinese culture with two teachers from York, under a teacher exchange programme set up between our school and Robert Wilkinson Primary School in York. After feasting during the New Year, the Staff Welfare Committee ensured that everyone stays healthy by organizing a “Health is Wealth Day” whereby the staff members were provided with the opportunity of either going for health talks such as “Losing Weight the Right Way” and “Eating Right for your Heart”, or playing badminton, volleyball or attending a Yoga session. In March, the SWC organized a “Work Life Excellence” Customized Workshop, conducted by Jill Lowe International, addressing the topic of “Personal Image: Appearance Branding Strategies & Visual Confidence”. It was an enjoyable afternoon with much humour and the talk was extremely engaging and insightful. Enjoying the “Lo Hei” with our two visitors from the United Kingdom Ms Jill Lowe demonstrating how the height of one’s pony tail can reflect one’s energy level. Having fun because… Health is Wealth! We would like to welcome the following staff: Mrs Gloria Paul (Teacher) Mr Murugesan (Teacher) Mdm Chen Xujin (Teacher) Mrs Stella Chong (HOD English) Editorial Team Advisor: Mrs Tan-Lim Kim Gek We would like to congratulate Mdm Wendy Lye on her wedding last December. Teachers-in-charge: Ms Ponni, Mrs Iris Booth Student Writers (5 Hope) Gabrielle Ong, Isabelle Xinyue, Boojha, Sophia Ng, Natalia Maluquer, Mikayla So, Melodee Chia, Khoo Wan Ching, Ang Xi En, Nicole Goh, Ñicole Woo, Ashley Ng, Clara Or, Victoria Lock We would like to congratulate the following staff who have added a new member to their family: m Aileen Ng Md Ba by oh Celine S m Elicia Tay Md Ba b y y Ethan Ta M 12 Shermin Pan g dm Bab y C ad e nc e m Ng Yinghan Md Baby aiah Is