Children will face many challenges as they grow, whether it is transition into school, dealing with people or their studies. The ability to make decisions and solve problems develops as your child learn to cope with daily challenges.
At Greenwood Primary School, as part of the school’s WHIZZ programme, students learn to tackle problems, learn to be aware of issues and trained to have an open mind to creative solutions towards life’s problems so that they can contribute to the local and global communities.
Recently, the students participated in “Celebrating O.W.L.E.T.S,” a project that encourages them to use their creativity and skills to raise funds for a good cause and “Enchanting Experiences,” a programme that encourages students and parents to visit museums.
“I realised and learned that being patient towards others and the need to give others a chance to contribute their ideas is important,” said Xinyi, a Primary Four student who was part of a team of seven students who were involved in the “Celebrating O.W.L.E.T.S” fundraising carnival.
The students did their research and chose to set up a Skeeball game stall as it was a popular game. Working in teams to manage a project was not easy for them. They experienced difficulties such as managing in a less-than-ideal location and dealing with building issues. Despite the setbacks, they remained resilient, continuously worked together and learned valuable lessons.
At the end of the carnival, like Xinyi, Ying En too felt that they learned how to accept other people’s ideas and be patient with each other. The team also learned how to encourage others to share their ideas bravely which is an important skill to take into adulthood, where sharing of ideas is critical. Their efforts paid off as they were able to raise more than S$10,000, which was donated to the Sree Narayana Mission Home.
“They worked well together and didn’t give up when the situation got tough,” said Ms Victoria Lee, teacher-in-charge of the fundraising.
An educational journey to the museum
Primary Five students designed a learning day for Primary Three students and parents for the “Enchanting Experiences” programme at the Asian Civilisations Museum which aims to create meaningful and interesting activities that parents and children can enjoy together.
Primary Five students learned to develop lesson plans that encourage active participation in the museum. Through this, they had to work with teachers and parents to get ideas and feedback.
One of ways was through the creation of Jali Screens cards where they used stencils to create the artwork for both students and parents. The students also used suitable apps for creating the patterns during the activities.
Mr Seenivasulu Naidu, a father who attended the programme said, “We enjoyed attending the programme with our children. It is definitely a good way for family bonding and to improve our communication as a family. The experience enriches all involved.”
Through the skillsets acquired in the WHIZZ programme, the students became more confident, and understood the importance of teamwork.
