Interactive Science Clips

Hi children,

This is the link that I used for Properties of Materials. Remember the experiment about how strong a material is? You burst out laughing when the glass broke. Yes, this is it.

This link has many other interactive clips that you may want to try out on your own.

Have fun!

National Day 09 Pictures

A sea of red

Our children

(For some reason, the picture is not rotated when I post it up)

Teachers who are in red ...

Mr Zaccheus with David and Wilmer

Children in the hall watching a puppet show

Jin En decided that his fingernails are more interesting than the show

The big heart and map of Singapore pieced together by our students using the collage method

Preparing to sing 'What do you see?'Sophia and Ze Kang, our friends from 3 Persistence, looking good and cute

That's all, folks!

PESA Storytelling Competition Update

Today, Min Yi went for her Semi Final Round of Storytelling Competition. The competition was keen and she, despite putting in good effort, did not make it to the Finals.

Nevertheless, it has been a fruitful journey for her, as well as for me, being my first time in training a child for a storytelling competition.

It was a good exposure and experience to watch children from other schools telling stories. The standard of storytelling was indeed very high. The children had to vary their tone, pitch and pace as they impersonated different characters and resumed their role of storytellers at different times. Some stories were amusing and tickled the funny bone of the audience. One of the stories was a sad one and the audience could feel the sadness and guilt of the storyteller for putting through her teddy bear through various pains by not taking good care of her teddy bear.

Some pictures to share:

Before we started on the journey

Min Yi and her mother
Other storytellers:

A beautiful peacock in waiting ...

'A woman's wit'

The audience

Min Yi the witch-and-Gretel rolled into one

Min Yi and her supporters

Min Yi and her parents

Min Yi and me

Min Yi, Ms Chia and me

The supporters among the audience during the break

Going home ... "Smile, Jennifer!"

It has been a rewarding, albeit arduous, journey as we prepared for the PESA Competition. A lot of time and effort was committed to brush up the pronunciation of words, coming up with actions and gestures for the lines, refining the actions and the impersonation of various characters and varying the tone and pace of the storytelling. On many occasions, we had to rack our brains to think of how to make the characters come across as really evil, sad, shocked or puzzled etc. We deliberated on the props, facial expressions, the kind of voices the characters would use, right down to how Min Yi's eyes should look.

I'm quite glad of the outcome. Like I said in my earlier post about the Competition, it is already a feat for Min Yi to enter the Semi Final, given that she does not have as much support as the other PESA competitors in terms of the environment. She has come a long way to where she is. From someone who is not a natural when it comes to dramatisation, Min Yi has indeed put forth her best in the Competition.

I will say it one more time - Well done, Min Yi!

PESA Supporters

Dear children,

I hope some of you are reading this now.

I just received a reply from PESA (storytelling organiser) saying that I'm able to bring along quite a number of supporters for Min Yi for her Semi Final that is coming in two days' time.

I would like to bring along 5 supporters from our class.

If you're keen to know how the PESA Storytelling Competition is like and how artful the storytellers are at the Semi Final Round, and may want to take part in the PESA Speech Competition (for the Upper Primary) in future, when you're in Primary 5 or 6, do ask your parents if they would allow you to go to the Semi Final as Min Yi's supporters.

The details are as follow:
Venue: YMCA Orchard
Date: 6th August 2009, Thursday
Time: 1.30 pm to 5.30 pm

We'll take a mini van there from school at about 1 pm and come back to school at about 6 pm.

To be fair, I'll ask the class if anyone is interested in coming along tomorrow and it'll be good if you already have your parents' consent. I'll also give out the consent forms tomorrow.

Definitions of Class Names

I've had the experience of children asking me what the various class names mean, and some children gave their own meaning to the class names. For instance, children from Conscientious classes thought that 'conscientious' means 'clever'.

So that inspired me to provide definitions of the class names:

Persistence - the act of continuing to do something, although it is difficult.
Conscientious - showing a lot of care and attention (to work).
Commitment - the hard work and loyalty that one gives to an organisation or activity.
Creative - producing or using new and effective ideas.
Determination - the ability to continue trying to achieve what you have decided to do even when this is difficult.
Diligence - hardworking, careful and thorough.
Innovation - a new idea, method or invention.
Inspiration - to make someone feel encouraged to be as good and successful as possible.
Reliable - can be trusted or depended on.

(Source: Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English)

Do enlighten your friends if they do not know what their class names mean. :)

Have fun!

Best Group of the Month (July)

Red Clownfish!

Sony Creative Science Award Roundup

These are the children who submitted toys for Sony Creative Science Award. They were given a Certificate of Participation each as an acknowledgement of their good effort.

Xiang Qi received Sony product vouchers worth $600 for winning the Second Prize