New School on the Block – Riverside Primary School
21 Jun 2013
Barely half a year since Riverside Primary School opened its doors to its first batch of pupils in January 2013, the school has been actively engaging parents, even on social media. The Riverside Primary School Facebook page has so far garnered about 400 fans since it was set up in August 2012. The school currently has 240 Primary One pupils.
Programme for Active Learning (PAL) modules do not merely inject fun into learning, the activities are often linked to other subjects, such as English and Art.
‘Facebook is a platform that is easy to manage, and it also provides a meaningful two-way interaction between the school and parents. Many parents are on Facebook now, so this avenue helps parents to find out what their children are doing in school and at the same time, allows us to disseminate important information to them. It also helps all of us (parents and teachers) to build up a common understanding,’ said the Principal of Riverside Primary, Mrs Sharon Siew.
Parents have been kept abreast of what’s happening in school, with updates such as what different classes are doing during and after curriculum time. Activities such as class photo-taking, curriculum snippets, library periods and excursions are also updated on the school’s Facebook page.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
To make learning engage for its pupils and enable them to discover new interests and skills, Riverside Primary School goes beyond the four walls of a classroom. The school makes it a point to integrate Programme for Active Learning (PAL) modules into its curriculum. Pupils are exposed to interesting hands-on learning experiences such as phonics, educational gymnastics as well as activities to increase their environmental awareness.
PAL modules do not merely inject fun into learning, as the activities are usually linked to the purpose of exposing pupils to a variety of skill sets, such as teamwork, aesthetics appreciation and creative writing.
For example, Primary One pupils are led to explore the Diversity Garden, an outdoor learning area that comprises different gardens and an eco-pond to nurture a sense of awareness of the natural environment. This is followed by an English Language lesson where pupils have to share their experiences by co-writing a class piece. Children are also encouraged to identify examples of art elements, such as shapes, colours and patterns from the plants in the garden.
‘We hope to give Riverians the opportunity to discover their talents in different areas, such as the aesthetics and sports. Providing such exposure makes learning fun, and teachers can also get to understand the strengths and abilities of each child better,’ said Mrs Siew.
The Diversity Garden is an outdoor learning space that exposes children to the natural environment. This is part of the Programme for Active Learning (PAL) module for Primary One pupils in Riverside Primary School.
The school has kick-started several interesting initiatives such as the Buddy Reading Programme, PAL Educational Gymnastics, language acquisition using technology and conducted learning journeys to expose the pupils to varied learning experiences.
Make a visit to Riverside Primary School’s Facebook page and find out more about their activities!
