The Perse Post AY23/24 T1 W5

❖ Introduction from The Principal

❖ Walky Talky Tuesdays

❖ Key Stage news

❖ Music

❖ Chinese

❖ Houses

❖ Science

❖ Arts

❖ Upcoming events

❖ Spotlight on people in our community

❖ Updates from Perse Parents Association

❖ The Perse School Singapore- In the News!

❖ News from Perse School, Singapore

❖ Parent guidance for online safety and social safeguarding

❖ Important contact information including Safeguarding update

Introduction from the Principal; NicholasBelcher

Our School, Our Community , In action!

'Walky Talky Tuesday's' – starting next Tuesday26th September with Gillian Belcher & Arabella Lambe from 8.30am - 9.30am.

A chance for a chat amongst parents and a walk-up Bukit Timah Hill.

If it's raining, we will postpone to the following week.

We are hoping to keep this as a weekly event, so do join us! If you have any questions, please email Arabella: arabella.lambe@perse.edu.sg.

Key Stage One (Year 1-3)

Caring for our EnvironmentActs of Kindness

This week, KS1 have been learning that our environment does not just include parks and nature, but also the places where we learn, play and use such as our homes and school. We feel good when everyone helps to take care of the environments we share and one way we can do this is acts of kindness!

These acts mean that we are not asked to do them, we might not be rewarded for them, but in our hearts, we feel proud that we are making our environment a safe and fun place for everyone!

Cultivating KindnessCaring for our school’s environment

This week, KS2 are on a remarkable journey learning about kindness, with a particular focus on being kind to their school’s environment. This initiative encourages them to keep their spaces clean and tidy, while being considerate towards others and the school’s cleaners.

Pupils are embarking on an exciting “The Perse Kindness Challenge” , which is an interactive way to inspire pupils to be kind towards their school’s environment. Each card contains a variety of tasks that promote responsible behaviour and caring for the environment.

Through this challenge, we hope that pupils will be encouraged to take ownership of their school’s environment and become conscientious stewards of their surroundings.

Special mention: Mehreen Waqas , Year 4.1

Over the summer holidays, Mehreen had very kindly tidied up various bookshelves around the school. In recognition of her act of kindness, the PPA had awarded her a certificate to show their appreciation towards her help. Well done, Mehreen!

Thematic Curriculum

Key Stage 3 (Year 6-8) news.

Year 7 and 8 are following a thematic curriculum design, centered around one Big ChallengeQuestion a term to buildthe school value of intellectualcuriosity. Within the Year 7's and 8's English,Science, Humanities, Art and Music lessons teachers have been incorporating skills and knowledge to help the students independentlyanswer their Big ChallengeQuestions. The chosen theme has been carefully selected to compliment the current teaching rather than to replace it, working alongsidenormal subject teaching and assessment.

For this first term the Big ChallengeQuestion is:

Year 7 - 'Have humans stopped evolving?'

Year 8 - 'Are we who we are due to nature or nurture?'

Researchhas shown that there are many benefitsto a thematic curriculum including how it:

• Providescontextto learning

• Guidesconnectedideasto followon easily

• Builds learners forthe future

At the end of each term pupilswill then present their question findings in a suitableformat such as a poster, presentation or written piece. w have humans evolved?

• Developsskillssuch as link learning,presentingfindings. and research.

A day in the life of the Science Department

Despite careful planning, sometimes ALL of the practical lessons in ALL the year groups coincide to make a busy and exhilarating day in the Science department! Wednesday was one of those days! We started our day with year 6 coming together to investigate and identify structures in a pair of lungs. This is tough for some, and we know a few students didn’t feel so well afterwards! Later saw some cell modelling with food for year 7 – such inventive ways to represent the organelles! Thanks to our parents for supporting this learning. Year 8 then investigated the muscles of the arm via a hands-on chicken wing dissection! The students carefully handled the wings and sharp dissection scissors. The ever-messy CREST club for years 3 to 5 then did an after school investigation into dissolving using our new indestructible test tubes! In between these lessons, learning continued into skeletons, movement and plants as well! There aren’t enough photos but that tends to happen when we are having too much fun!

Subject Weekly Content

Subject weekly content week 5.pdf

Attached is the link the this weeks subject weekly content for you to enjoy over the weekend!

Performance and Arts

In the Peranakan ECA we explore line, pattern, motif and shapes with colour and multicultural influences!

Physical Education

This week 6.2 were timing themselves in a running lesson learning about the rules of cross country where it's the teams lowest scores that win. Each student completed a short course while their partner timed them, they could then re attempt their run to try and score a better time. The team's times were added together and the winning team had a combined score of 101secs.

In swimming this week, we have seen our older students using the diving blocks to practice their starts and a lot of progress from all students with their kicking and timing of strokes, it's been amazing to see their progression from week 1 to now!

In the MPH we continue to practice our gymnastics skills of balancing,core strength, precision and timing. I'm excited to see how the routines students are putting together develop over the last few weeks of the unit as we move towards half term.

As year 3 participated in an afternoon tea as part of Humanitieswe tried some traditional British playground games of hopscotch, skipping and croquet!

Mrs Belcher

PE Schedule for Term 1 : Years 1 to 4 at Turf City

PE Schedule for Term 1: Years 5 to 8 at Temasek Club

"InspirationalInsights".

Thank you to those of you who have reached out to guest speakers on our behalf and even volunteered yourselves!

We are continuing to add to our schedule so if you missedthis last week or have had time to think about what you can offer to our life long learners programme, please do fill in

Inspirational Insights registration form

Music

The Year 1 students enjoyed exploring the Violin and Er Hu, listening and understandinghow the sound of the instrument is produced. They also observed the materials used to make a Violin and Er Hu as well as the different parts of the instrument. During their favouriteMusic and Movement activity, they excitedly dance and played on different percussion instruments expressing the inner rhythm in them. Well done Year 1s! Ms. Sara

Mid Autumn FestivalActivities in Chinese Class

To introducethe Mid-Autumn Festival to our pupils, the Chinese Language teachers began by sharing the significance of this widely celebrated occasion.Pupils learn about the legend behind this occasion, to traditionsof familiesgathering for dinner on the day of full moon and enjoying deliciousmooncakes, which symbolizes reunion and unity.

Year 2 pupils had the opportunityto recite a short rhyme that revolves around the moon and the “moon boat” while learning some new vocabulary.They also engaged in a creative activity by drawing their own moon boat and labellingthem with the correct characters.

To make it even more exciting, some of the Year 2 pupilswill be reciting this rhyme on the Mid-Autumn Celebration evening on Friday, 6 Oct to a group of parents and pupils!

Spotlight on people in our community

Greetings! I'm Jason, your approachable IT Executive.

My primary role involves aiding school staff and teachers in handling various IT matters. This includes troubleshooting, managing email and software accounts, overseeing equipment, and offering support to both staff and students on an as-needed basis.

Beyond my professional life, I find joy in activities like hiking, cycling, and playing soccer.

To sum it up, I'm a motivated and seasoned professional whose enthusiasm for IT aligns perfectly with my career. I strive for excellence and maintain a curious mindset in every facet of my life.

Lantern Making Competition

Important notes:

1.Bring your lantern to the school from 25th to 2nd October. Place them neatly on the tables at the foyer.

2. Make sure to label your lantern with your name and class.

2.Judging day 2nd October 2023.

Prizes:

1.One house point if you bring your own lantern.

2.Rainbow house point if you win the competition!

House points have reached the 1000 point!

Special mention to Amaira in 3.2 for getting 50 house points for Nomads. I think your efforts really helped your house secure their winnings this week.

Upcoming events

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important Chinese festival. It is celebrated as a day of reunion and for families to spend time together. This year, we’d like to welcome families to join us for an evening of fun activities and our first ever lantern walk!

Scan the QR code below to register your interest by 22 Sep 2023.

Alternatively, you may also click on this link: https://forms.office.com/r/ww1rJKiPCH

Attendance

Now that we are five weeks into the term , we are starting to analyse attendanceand late registration.

This is a vital part of school review to ensure that all students are accessing the learning availableto them. As parents and guardians, you can assist us by ensuring that your child gets to school for their 8.30 registration time.

Those appearingafter 8.45 must sign in at the front desk in the atrium for safeguarding purposes.

If students are unwell,please inform the form tutor if they are not attendingschool, where possible please make appointmentsand holidaysoutside of school hours and term time.

A chart and its equation to learning hours in school which may be of interest is on the following page.

Attendance

We are lucky to have a wonderful team of PPA members (Perse Parent Association).

If you would like to become a member please contact our Head of PPA Sumbal Waqas, she and our other members would love to grow our team. Sumbal's email is: sumbal.waqas237@.com

Academic Year 22/23

Yearbook

We are very excited to announce that our 2022/23 Yearbook is finallyhere and availableto purchase as a hard copy or free of charge here as a soft copy.

If you would like to purchase a hard copy as memorabilia,please email our Student Services team: student.services@perse.edu.sg. The cost is $25 per book. Please click on the link below to take a look: https://bit.ly/theperseschoolsg_yearbook_ay22-23

Parent guidance

Do you know what your child is saying?

It might seem a strange question but as students get a little older or speaking with their siblings, we can find that those of us in Gen X, Y, Z , Boomers or whoever we may be , can often be caught unawares when our children are talking.

"Lingo and jargon has been around forever of course, but it has taken a slight turn in recent years with the helping hand of global internet gaming, social media and trends which last quicker than you can say "Mr Beast".

Sites such as Family education.comcan of course point those of us caught unawares in the right direction but do take plenty of opportunity to sit down, discuss origins and purpose of words you see or hear your child using either spoken or in text to ensure that the new vocabularybeing used is a) appropriatein meaning or b) not something which gives a darker context.

Important information

There are two days set for parental communication of whole school information. These days are set to Tuesdayand Friday at 16.00. The purpose of this is to ensure efficiency of key information and clarity for your parent inboxes!

. . .

For classroom information, 'lost lunch boxes' and key updates/events which will help teachers and your child please contact the classroom teacher directly via email.

For an appointmentwith the Principal, please use admin2theprincipal@perse.edu.sg so that a convenienttime can be allocated to ensure we can give you the full attention which it deserves.

Please may I ask that student issues are firstly communicated with the form tutor and key stage tutor to ensure full pastoral care before 'escalating' to the Principal , Deputy Principal or Assistant Headteacher. As educatorswe have regular communication channelsto share appropriateinformation. . . .

Please find our parent handbook by clicking on the link Parent Handbook

Contact Information

Phone No.: +65 6971 8210

Admissions: student.services@perse.edu.sg

General Queries: questions@perse.edu.sg

Safeguarding: safeguarding@perse.edu.sg