November 2016 · © WWPS/2016/Newsletter Issue 2

w e s t w o o d

b u z z !

2016 has been a year of many challenges, on both a global and national scale. Throughout the year, we have read reports of environmental and economic disasters, and have had to deal with medical threats like dengue and Zika. And yet, over and over again, Singaporeans have been able to

Developing Resilience, Finding Joy

Ms Tracy Tan, Vice-PrincipalMessage from

Message from Our First Head Prefect

1 Jurong West Street 73 Singapore 649188

6412 1690 6794 5084

westwood_ps@moe.edu.sg

Hi, everyone. I’m Ernest Lim from 4 Confidence. To start with, I would like to say a big ‘Thank You” to my fellow schoolmates and teachers who voted for me, giving me the honour to be the first Head Prefect in Westwood Primary School. I will do my very best to carry out my duties and dedicate myself to work in the best interest of our school. Being a leader, I strongly believe in our school values of discipline, respect, integrity and resilience. With commitment and dedication, I have confidence in leading my peers and working together with them as a team. Once again, thank you to all!

unite as a community, and respond to adversity with perseverance, and in so doing, we have managed to find joy. On a national scale, there was a moment of unprecedented joy when Joseph Schooling won our first Olympic Gold, and we rejoiced yet again in the triumphs of Paralympians such as Yip Pin Xiu and Theresa Goh, who showed us what it means to persevere against all odds.

On a much smaller scale, within our little family of Westwoodians, our students too, learnt about the joys of winning and the lessons of loss during our very first Upper Primary Sports Day. As a community, we had many moments of joy, one of which was our

first joint celebration of Mid-Autumn festival with Gek Poh Ville Community Club, where we saw so many of Westwoodian families beaming with pride at our performers’ talents and our students’ artwork.

As we continue to grow as a school and as a community, our heartfelt aspiration is that our students develop resilience, so that they will thrive and flourish even in the face of setbacks. We hope too, that we will continue to find joy together as a Westwood family, rejoicing in one another’s triumphs, encouraging one another, and finding that positive silver lining in every cloud that passes our way. May 2017 be a year of even greater joy!

“Being a leader, I strongly believe in our school values of discipline, respect, integrity and resilience.”

THRIVEOn 2nd July 2016, we had our inaugural Open House “Thriving Together” where our pupils’ various talents were showcased. In alignment with our school’s focus on Positive Education, we exhibited the school’s various programmes. These programmes are based on our THRIVE learning outcomes, with staff walking the talk and bringing out the best of each and every child through experiential and meaningful learning activities.

In Term 3, Westwood conducted our very first Head Prefect Election and Rally. The candidates were selected by their form and subject teachers based on their leadership qualities, initiative, work responsibility and compassion towards their peers. The six Head Prefect candidates went through different phases of the selection process which included rallies, voting and interviews. During the rallies, the candidates explained how they wished to contribute and serve the school. After the rallies, staff and pupils voted for their chosen candidate on Voting Day. In addition, these candidates went through an interview conducted by a panel consisting of our Principal, Vice-Principals and HOD CCE. This ultimately led to their appointment in the Prefectorial Board Executive Committee. Throughout the entire selection process, our six candidates displayed resilience, confidence and compassion, showing their worth to be a true leader of Westwood – we’re proud of all of you!

Thriving Together! Open House

Our very first Head Prefect Election & Rally

We Walk our Talk!

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In Westwood, we believe in teaching children about the concept of sustainability. On 14th & 15th September, pupils experienced a two-day awareness-raising session on types of useful plants in our Westwood Outdoor Experiential Gardens as well as the importance of sustainable gardening. As their awareness of how food goes from the farm to the table grows, they are more mindful of reducing food wastage. During P.R.A.M., they were given a talk about plants used for cooking and for medicinal uses. This was followed by a series of recess activities such as herb and spices exhibition, food-tasting sessions and Kahoot Quizzes on useful plants. Proactive children who embrace the message of sustainability, took the lead to teach others about reducing consumption, recycling and reusing items to preserve the Earth’s resources. Science monitors also acted as ambassadors for Edible Gardens and gave talks on herbs and spices to all the K2 students in the MOE Kindergarten@Westwood. These children set a positive example for others when they talk about and practise sustainability.

Part of learning lies in exploring new places and creating unforgettable experiences. At Westwood, the Primary 1 pupils embarked on a learning journey to the SEA Aquarium. They were greeted by a monumental shipwreck with schools of fish cruising through the waters. Everyone squealed when they saw the giants of the sea, Hammerhead Sharks and Manta Rays, swim idly past them. Their euphoria was elevated as they marvelled at dolphins and squirmed at the sight of the Clown Fish, undoubtedly every child’s favourite. The Touch Pool stole the show as our little ones had the opportunity to touch sea stars, getting a tactile feel of marine animals. Indeed, they had a whale of a time! As a keepsake, pupils were given a Young Marine Explorer badge. Now that’s one step towards inspiring conversation about marine life. At Westwood, we believe that the stewardship of the environment is everyone’s responsibility. As such, we aim to educate the young minds to value the rich diversity of marine life and the pressing need for conservation.

P1 Learning Journey to SEA Aquarium

Edible Gardens@Westwood

On 13th July 2016, our Primary 2 pupils embarked on an exciting and enriching Amazing Race at Changi Airport as their learning journey curriculum for Term 3. The Amazing Race took the form of a Mobile Trail, using relevant Mathematics and English Language applications on the iPad. It spurred pupils towards greater self-directed learning and encouraged collaboration and interaction through the integration of technology. As they worked towards a common goal, pupils also learned about the importance of having a resilient mindset and teamwork. Pupils also learned interesting facts about Changi Airport and its attractions as they completed the given tasks at various stations. With parent helpers leading the groups of pupils as they ran this Amazing Race, it was indeed heartening to watch the spectacle of parents bonding with pupils through a fun and fruitful activity, well spent in one morning. At the end of the race, three groups of pupils, which completed all the tasks at the stations within a stipulated timeframe, were awarded prizes based on their accuracy and speed. Congratulations to P2 Confidence Group 6, P2 Gratitude Group 6 and P2 Gratitude Group 1 for emerging as the Top 3 teams!

P2 Learning Journey to Changi Airport

THINKING MINDFULLYSelf-Directed Learning

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The pioneer batch of Primary 3 and 4 pupils participated in Westwood Primary’s first Inter-House Sports Day at Jurong West Stadium on 23 Sep 2016. The pupils and staff were grouped according to the 4 Character Strengths – Passion for Community, Future-ready Confidence, Heart of Gratitude, and Resilient Mindset. Through the combined effort and dedication put in by the pupils and staff during the 5 House Practices held from June to September, our school’s 4 Character Strengths, represented by the houses: Care Cats, Future-Ready Foxes, Grateful Giraffes and Resilient Rhinos, came shining through. Through the track events, cheers and banner competitions, pupils learned important values like friendship, camaraderie, resilience and determination. For all we know, the next Singapore Olympian may be in the making and he/she is from WWPS!

Westwood pupils were given a Children’s Day treat to a puppet skit performance entitled “The Four Puppets” by Morph Theatre. Besides learning about the importance of using different virtues and strengths to bring about goodness, pupils were also entertained by our talented teachers who put up a magic show and performed a modified version of the Bhangra dance, a Punjabi Folk Dance from India. The concert ended in a special and meaningful way, with the Prefect Exco going on stage on behalf of all Westwoodians, to express their appreciation and gratitude to those who had made this day special for all of them!

This year, Lower Primary Sports Day for Primary 1 & Primary 2, which has been more meaningfully renamed as Level Fun & Fitness Games Day, was held in the school hall on Thursday, 6th October 2016. The event began with Hannah Inarah from 2 Gratitude, leading the participants in reciting the participants’ oath in committing themselves to the spirit of sportsmanship. 32 Parent Helpers turned up to help out at the event and their involvement ensured that the event ran smoothly. A total of 212 medals were also given out to the winning pupils, parents and teachers who took part in the different events. Worthy of note are the sportsmanship and excellent performance put in by all the participating teams. Kudos to the teams who have performed well!

Pro-Teach pupils enjoyed a week of their June holidays participating in a day camp. Pupils were given opportunities to showcase their leadership abilities and team spirit as they competed against one another in the Challenge together. It ended with a splendid campfire and special guest appearances by several fathers who took time off just to spend the day with their children to celebrate Father’s Day!

Not giving up even when facing various challenges.

Upper Primary Sports Day Children's Day Celebration

Lower Primary Sports Day

Pro-Teach

HEALTHY COPINGWe Can Do It!

KidsExcel

Appreciation session for Hwa Chong mentors at Hwa Chong Institution on 30th August 2016.

TYS

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P1 Sports & Games module

P2 Jive Dance module P2 Visual Arts module

P1 Outdoor Education module

Programme For Active Learning (PAL) for Lower Primary pupils

P1 pupils support one another and keep everyone safe as they cross a ‘river’ using ‘planks’.

Pupils working ‘hand in hand’ to measure the dimensions of the school’s Eco-aquarium.

Pupils engaged actively in playing games.

Pupils engaged actively in playing games.

Pupils have a better understanding of their physical selves through creating simple self-portraits based on their friends’ descriptions of their features.

PAL teacher facilitating a session on how to measure a much bigger playing area.

Pupils enjoy Jive dancing through the performing arts module in the PAL programme.

Pupils learn how body language can relate emotions and tell others how they feel.

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Hari Raya Puasa Celebration

Racial Harmony Day

Teachers' Day Celebration & Lunch

National Day Celebration

RELATING WELL"Building Strong Communities"

Westwood Primary School celebrated Hari Raya on 11th July 2016. Besides a heartwarming concert, pupils participated in Malay cookies sampling and a Kahoot quiz during the various recesses. Many Malay pupils put on their favourite baju kurung or baju Melayu on that day. Classroom activities were also carried out for Primary 1 to Primary 4 pupils prior to the mass celebration in the hall. Pupils had much fun on that special day!

This year, we commemorated Racial Harmony Day on Monday, 18th July 2016 with the theme ‘Our Cultural Heritage’. Taking pride in one another's cultural heritage strengthens our collective identity. This contributes to building a resilient community which is vigilant and in times of crisis, not only responds decisively, but also recovers quickly and emerges stronger as one people. The pupils were engaged in a series of exciting recess activities to expose them to the different traditional games while the classroom activities served as platforms that stimulate discussions and reflections. Through the activities, pupils learnt the importance of making friends with people of other races and religions, as well as the need to appreciate the different cultures that make up Singapore.

To commemorate Teachers’ Day this year, pupils wrote notes of appreciation and put them up on the Appreciation Tree erected in the school canteen for their teachers. On the day of the celebration, pupils showcased their talents by performing song and dance items for their teachers. The concert ended on a high note with a cake-cutting ceremony and PSG performance. All teachers and staff were also treated to a well-deserved high tea. It was indeed a great time for relaxing and bonding after all the hard work put in!

This year’s National Day Celebration marked the 51st anniversary of Singapore’s independence. As we took time to celebrate what Singapore had achieved over the past many years, we also encouraged all our pupils to look forward and ponder the future Singapore that they would like to create for themselves and how they could each play their part, to the best that they could, to prepare for the future. National Day Celebration at Westwood Primary always ends on a high note, where pupils sing and dance to their favourite national day songs and look forward to another year of success in their lives as Singaporeans!

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Mid-Autumn Celebration@Gek Poh Ville Community Club

P4 Science Workshop for Parents

P3 MTL Writing Workshop for Parents

Westwood Primary collaborated with Gek Poh Ville Residents’ Committee to organize a Mid-Autumn Festival Carnival which was held on 10th September. Our staff worked in teams to set up the area, tend the booths and lead pupils in their performances for the residents. Max Wan from Primary 1CL4 even won a prize for his lantern that was made completely out of recycled materials. It was also voted the favourite lantern by residents that evening!

Westwood believes in the need for strong partnerships between schools and families to educate children and support learning. It is vital for parents and teachers to communicate effectively with one another for holistic support of a child's development, and each can play a more effective role when information is shared. Hence, a Science Workshop for parents of Primary 4 pupils was conducted on 15th July 2016 in the anticipation of the new Science syllabus as well as to share current Science learning strategies. Such initiatives ensure that both schools and homes are on the same page, responsive to pupils' unique learning needs and therefore support our children's overall development.

The Mother Tongue Language Department organized an ‘Oral and Composition Workshop for Primary 3 Parents’ on 22th July this year. The workshop was conducted both in Malay and in Mandarin. The aim of the workshop was to equip parents with the knowledge of how to help their child in preparing MTL oral and composition at home, so as to bring out the best potential in their child. Our teachers also shared with parents on the new PSLE MTL oral examination format, the various resources available for parents’ use, as well as the different ways of building their child’s vocabulary at home. The workshop was very well received by the parents who also expressed their appreciation to the school for organizing the talk.

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P1 Keyboard Music Module

P4 Ceramic Art Module

P1 EL Speech & Drama

IN THE MOMENTWe love learning!

P1 pupils getting into their characters and bringing them to life!

Thinking mindfully about balance and form while shaping the clay with their hands.

Glazing the ceramic pieces with focus and concentration.

Listening – an important skill in Speech & Drama.

P1 pupils enjoying their keyboard lessons.

Learning how to play “Hot Cross Buns”.

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School Exchange Programme

English Fiesta Arts Fiesta

Recce for Overseas Learning Journey in 2017

The English Fiesta is an exciting annual event in Westwood Primary School. This year, it was held from 16th to 20th May 2016. The theme was “Find Out”, with the objective of inculcating in pupils the importance of cultivating a sense of curiosity about the language. The pupils had an opportunity to hear from the authors of ‘Sherlock Sam’ about how the series were created. The authors also shared how they could investigate language to make stories more fun and interesting. Pupils’ knowledge was put to the test as they took part in fun-filled language-based activities during lessons as well as recess breaks. Various engaging learning tasks were conducted for every level. It is hoped that through such programmes, pupils will understand the importance of reading widely.

On 19th and 20th July, Westwood hosted staff and pupils from Baptist Lui Ming Choi Primary School, Hong Kong. The objective of the Programme was to bring together pupils and staff from the 2 schools to foster understanding, co-operation and networking. Led by our teachers and pupils, our visitors were brought on a school tour and had the opportunity to participate in various activities and lessons to learn more about the culture of Singapore schools. Our pupils also benefitted from the sharings by the visitors as they learned more about the different living and schooling experiences in Hong Kong.

In preparation for next year’s Overseas Learning Journey (OLJ), Mr Chin and Mr Rafik conducted a recce visit to Hong Kong from 28th to 30th September. They visited two schools, Baptist Lui Ming Choi Primary School (BLMCPS) and Tai Po Old Market Public School (TPOMPS) who will be hosting the immersion programme for our pupils. In addition, they stayed at the hotel that will be booked as accommodation for our pupils and teachers and were able to inspect the nearest medical facilities and other safety elements such as the drop off points near the hotel as well as other venues such as the History and Science museums that the pupils and teachers will visit. They were warmly received at the schools and we are excited for the inaugural trip that selected pupils will make in 2017.

The Arts Fiesta was held in the last week of Term 3. The objective is to inculcate a love of the Arts in our pupils and to expose them to various genres of the arts. The pupils were treated to an entertaining beatboxing assembly show and various exciting recess activities such as constructing interesting objects using Strawbees and creating musical instruments using recyclable materials. A new addition to the Fiesta this year, were the piano recitals during recess. The pupils enjoyed listening to their friends’ performances while having their food. The Arts Fiesta culminated in a concert where pupils displayed their talents in music and dance.

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Congratulations Green Club presenting at CHIJ Sports & Environment Symposium

Our SYF Teams

VALUES-DRIVENACTIONS Be Inspired!

Malay Dance (Distinction)

International Dance (Accomplishment)

Chinese Dance (Accomplishment)

Choir (Accomplishment)

Our heartiest congratulations to our Vice Principal (Admin), Mr Humphrey Chin for having successfully completed his Master of Science in Communication Management! Back in 2015, he applied for the SMU Warriors Scholarship to pursue a Master of Science in Communication Management and was one of the oldest students in the class after retiring from 30 years of service with the SAF. Mr Chin’s achievement surely serves as an inspiration to us all in championing the spirit of lifelong learning!

Our school is proud to announce that our Vice Principal, Ms Tracy Tan has been awarded the National Day Commendation medal! The commendation medals are given to recognise outstanding officers including teachers, principals and administrative staff who have displayed competence and dedication in their duties. We believe that Ms Tan will continue to be an asset to the education fraternity and that our pupils will benefit from her dedication!

Our Green Club was invited to participate in the CHIJ Sports and Environment Symposium. The club members were proud to showcase our winning entry for the Greenwave Environmental Care Competition 2015, Aromatic Bookmarks. Together with that, they also showcased our other current competition pieces, ‘Multi-purpose Centrepiece’ and ‘Aromatic Egg Diffuser’. The presentation was well-received by the crowd and they were very interested in the process involved. Pupils also participated in the Environment games which were created with solely recyclables. At the end of the day, they left with immense knowledge gained from the experience at the Symposium.

Our four performing groups, International Dance, Malay Dance, Chinese Dance and Choir took part in the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) 2016 for the very first time. The theme for this year’s SYF was YOUTHforia! Our performers had practised hard for the festival since last year and they put up beautiful and vibrant performances that wowed the audience. All their efforts paid off and they made the school proud with the following results:

Well done, boys and girls!

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Danial Haziq from P2 Diligence saw a girl having difficulty in finding a seat at the table which she had placed her bottle. None of the boys who occupied the table was willing to give up his seat and the girl was left standing there, not knowing what to do. Haziq, upon seeing what happened, quickly gestured to the girl to take the seat next to him, which he was reserving for his friend. It was a tough decision for an 8-year old to make --- to give up a seat which he had wanted and to help another person who was in need.

Ket Loon from P2 Confidence helped to pick a wrapper outside the rubbish bin during recess and threw it into the dustbin, all on his own initiative!

Nadelynn from P2 Confidence and Edison from P3 Confidence saw a pupil drop a bundle of pick-up sticks on the floor and they stopped in their tracks to help the pupil pick up the sticks.

As part of our school’s effort to promote “Passion for Community” and in conjunction with our Art department's outreach programmes to the community, we were very pleased to collaborate with Ms Nanette Zehnder from Mosaic Workshop, as well as other schools and community partners, to co-create a beautiful ceramic mosaic art wall

‘Catch Me Do Good’ Highlights

Reaching out to the community through Art

10th National Inter-Primary On the Spot Chinese Poetry Writing Competition

2016 Primary Mathematics Project Competition

Our Primary 4 pupils, Dai Xinruo from P4 Synergy and Wang Wanting from P4 Teamwork, did exceptionally well in the 10th National Inter-Primary on-the-spot Chinese Poetry Writing Competition and were awarded 1st and 2nd prize respectively in the junior category. There were a total of about 110 pupils from 21 primary schools who participated in the competition held on 25th May. This good achievement by our pupils reflects the great strides made in Chinese Education in Westwood, thanks to the effort of the teachers and pupils in the past years.

Congratulations to Alicia Lim of P4 Teamwork and Kendra Chua P4 Confidence for achieving the Outstanding Award in the 2016 annual national competition jointly organised by the Gifted Education Branch and NUS High School of Mathematics and Science! The girls presented their winning entry “Travel Smart” at the 2016 National Mathematical Olympiad of Singapore Exhibition with great confidence and pride. We look forward to greater participation from other Westwoodians in future competitions.

for Ng Teng Fong General Hospital at the start of this year. The wall has been completed and recorded in the Singapore Book of Records as the Largest Ceramic Mosaic Art. In appreciation of our school’s contribution, a plaque was presented to our school at the opening ceremony of the JurongHealth Arts&Health Festival @ Ng Teng Fong General Hospital on 31st August 2016.

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Positively Parenting! By our guest parent-writer, Mr Raymond Tan (father of Rainnie Tan of 3 Confidence)

Positively PSG!

Making Memories that Last…

Rainnie & I had the opportunity recently to attend a meaningful workshop organized by FamilyMatters@ School.

During the workshop, we played games to better understand each other and learned how to share our love with one another in the family. With the surge of dual working parents in today’s society, these workshops that focused on family bonding serve us as timely reminders that we must make time for our kids as we are after all, the best role model for our children.

Parent Support Group (PSG) Appreciation Ceremony

It was with thanksgiving that we commemorated PSG’s 2nd anniversary in May this year. We would like to show our appreciation to all our 57 invited PSG members as we are thankful that they have been with us every step of the way in partnering with the school.

Our PSG members are our key partners in developing our pupils to be flourishing contributors of tomorrow. Importantly, the PSG serve as a vital link between the school, parents and the community. PSG’s efforts have helped to foster closer relationships, a deeper understanding and clearer communication between parents, pupils and the school. Thank you, PSG members, and we look forward to more opportunities in building meaningful connections and relationships, impacting families together.

EMOTIONS OF POSITIVITY Be Positive!

Mr Raymond Tan, parent of Rainnie Tan Xin Ning

Through these workshops, we learn to be better parents and how we can advocate the strong love message to our children in the family.

After all, money cannot buy time and in order to be in your children’s memories tomorrow, we have to be in their lives today. Quality time is the most valuable gift parents can ever give to their children. We have a lifetime to work but our children are only young once, just once and there is never a U-turn to go back.

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