Connect with UUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

21 Choa Chu Kang Crescent, Singapore 688268Tel: 67676750 Fax: 67676751

Email: unity_ps@moe.edu.sgWebsite: http://schools.moe.edu.sg/ups11/2008

Viva Creative Lithographers • Tel: (65) 6273 8032 • Fax: (65) 6273 0385 • Email: enquiry@vivacreativelitho.com

Staff newsWith many thanks and best wishesMrs Renee IderisMiss Dewi Maisarah Miss Poh Yong See Miss Zeng Lixia

Welcome OnboardMr Jeremy Chew Mdm Chua Leng Leng Miss Cheryl Ho Mdm Huang Yan LingEve Tan Boon Siew

AdvisersMr Teoh Tiong San (Principal)Mr Eric Goh

Editorial BoardMr Bernard Foo Mdm Zahiriah IbrahimMdm Lim H K Mdm Grace Ng Miss Zunur’Ain Othman Mr Teo C S

Special Contributors Mr Hairil Akhmal Miss Chua Li ChianMrs Pat Ee Mdm HidayatiMdm Isdasusianty Ismail Mr Kelvin Ng Mr Ngeiw Chaw YeeMr Aidil Syarul Mdm Teo Seow HoonMiss Karen Woo Miss Yap Soo Ting Mr Lee Boon Cheow (PSG)Chan Wi Leen (6A) Raelynn Low (5A)Vanessa Yeo (6G)

1

Editorial Note 1Brunei study trip 2Wuhan study trip 3 Xiamen immersion pro 4San Francisco 5 Poetry slam 6Amazing machine 7 NE Show at Marina 8Racial harmony day 9P6 Fundraising 10Playwriting 11Happy Birthday Singapore! 12Dragon kiln learning journey 13Happy Teachers’ day 14-16Mid-Autumn festival 17Speech and drama 18Children’s day 19Kangoo Jump 20Sports achievements 21 Our Inspiration - Librarian 22Graduating class photos 23-33E-book Award 34

Contents

Editorial Note How fast a year passes by. We are once again at the close of the school year at press time. As usual, it has been a busy year for all and much has taken place in the past semester - there have been celebrations of events and of our pupils’ successes.

How does one measure a year? I am reminded of a song from Rent. It recommends that we measure it in love and friendship. Before you, dear reader, think that I have gone overboard with sentimentality, please indulge me, just for a little while. Do we measure a year by the amount of money we have made? By the number of deadlines we have met? Or do we measure the year by the number of people who have made a positive impact on our lives, by how many times we have been touched by events and people around us? I hope it is the latter.

As we near the end of a year and take stock of our lives, I cannot imagine how a year can pass without the company of good friends and the quiet support of family members. And

therefore I am indeed grateful to measure my year with the number of good friends and colleagues who have been through it all with me.

I want to thank everyone who has been involved in the production of this issue, all the contributors who have made what you hold now in your hands possible.

Lastly, I want to wish our graduating class well. I hope you have enjoyed your primary school life and I hope you will go on to do even better in secondary school. Out there is a big world of possibilities. I hope you will always be able to look beyond life’s little disappointments and work hard to realise your dreams.Now, sit down, relax, turn the page and see how many of these memories you remember…

Mr Teo C S

E-book Award

34

In August 2008, a team of three P5A pupils, Low Jing Wen, Sarah Foo Rui Ern and Petrina Teo Yun Zhen took part in the National N.E.W. Author Interactive Digital Book Competition 2008. The girls won the Most Popular E-book Award with their digital book on Singapore War Heroes. Their prizes include a trophy for the school, Koobits Special (Premium Version) software and a $100 cash voucher.

Text and photograph: Mrs Florence Tan

Pupils’ work

W2 Cluster study tour to Brunei DarussalamOn the 4th of June 2008, Mdm Hidayati and I, together with 13 other teachers from the W2 Cluster, visited Brunei Darussalam on a study tour. The 5-day Study Tour has enabled us to learn more about the Bruneian culture and foster closer ties with the teachers in Brunei. Mdm Hidayati and I were apprehensive at fi rst, as we did not know what to expect. Eventually, we decided to make the best of our trip and went with an open mind.

We were greeted with a warm welcome at the airport and by lunchtime, we were already chatting as if we had known one another all our lives. During our stay, we visited local schools to learn more of their curriculum and also experience how school life is in Brunei. Mdm Hidayati did not pass up the opportunity to take photographs with the local pupils.

For recreation, we were also brought to tourist attractions like the Royal Regalia Museum, the Handicraft Centre and the Kampong Ayer. I especially enjoyed our trip to Temburong Park Nature Park. The sampan ride and the hike through the nature reserve reminded me of my school days. After the hike, my aching muscles reminded me that those days were long gone.

This trip has really opened my eyes to the richness of the Bruneian culture and I have grown to better appreciate and honour my Asian traditions and heritage. I hope the pupils who will be participating in the Brunei Immersion Programme will share the same enriching and fruitful experience that Mdm Hidayati and I had.

2

Text and photographs: Mdm Isdasusianty Ismail & Mdm Hidayati

3 Text and photographs: Mdm Teo Seow Hoon

4

Xiamen Xiamen Immersion Immersion

Trip TripOn 19 May 2008, a group of 30 Primary 5 pupils and 4 teachers embarked on a 9-day Xiamen Immersion trip. The purpose of the trip was to arouse pupils’ interest in the learning of the Chinese language and to provide an opportunity for our pupils to understand the Chinese culture in greater depth.

The trip comprised different activities, such as visiting museums and exhibitions, tasting the local delicacies and famous tea, and most importantly, attending lessons with local pupils at Qian Pu Nan Qu Primary School. Pupils were separated into different groups of threes and fours, to join the local pupils for lessons. They attended full day lessons and shared books and reading materials with the local pupils. They also played with their new friends during recesses, and even exchanged gifts before they left.

From the feedback gathered from the pupils, they are glad that they have been involved in this fi rst overseas immersion programme organised by the school. They have been exposed to a new learning environment and lifestyle during their stay in Xiamen. Pupils were also impressed with local pupils’ learning attitude, and in some ways, have been inspired by them.

I believe this Xiamen immersion trip has left a very huge impact on our pupils and they have returned with wonderful memories.

Text and photographs: Mr Ngeiw Chaw Yee

5

Unity Primary School (UPS) adopted Houghton Miffl in Literacy Programme (HM), a US-based literacy programme, for its Primary One and Two pupils in 2006. After implementing it for more than two years, the school decided to send a team of teachers to two elementary schools in San Francisco. The objectives of the visit were to observe and learn how HM is conducted and how pupils with special learning needs are supported in a HM classroom.

The four teachers, Mr Eric Goh, Mdm Zahiriah, Mdm Suelasteri and Miss Fatimah left for San Francisco on 25 May 2008. The overseas learning journey lasted till 4 June. The itinerary included visits to two local elementary schools, Gordon J. Lau and Francis Scott Key. The two schools were selected as the pupils have similar socio-economics background as pupils in UPS. They are also learners of English Language. It was hence easier to make comparisons on the effects of the programme.

The team sat in HM lessons and interacted with the pupils and teachers in order to observe how HM was conducted. The observations and conversations with the teachers and other learning support personnel provided the team with more insights on the programme. The team also took the opportunity to establish contacts with the counterparts in the US.

Besides the school visits, the team of teachers also learnt more about the history and culture of the city. Places visited included the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and Muir Woods National Park. Did you know that the Golden Gate Bridge is not painted red but it is that colour due to the metal used in its construction? Alcatraz, otherwise known as ‘The Rock’, used to be a prison for notorious criminals and was said to be very diffi cult to escape from. Can you guess why Alcatraz is nicknamed ‘The Rock’? And being in Muir Woods, standing among the majestic trees which have stood through the changing times, really made us more conscious of the impact we have on our fragile nature.

All too soon it was time to head home, but the team left satisfi ed that they had completed their tasks and had visited one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world!

Text and photographs: Mdm Suelasteri Text and photographs: Mdm Suelasteri and Miss Fatimahand Miss Fatimah

San FranciscoI left my heart in I left my heart in

Our winning entry:

The Footprint.The deepest scar left on Earth

Belongs to our footprintThe day we humans were given birth

Earth’s terrible future beganThe fi rst toe led to the forest

Drunkard trees and fallen leavesAnimals and insects dying of thirst

The forest is a messThe second toe led to the Arctic

Icebergs melting like butter in the sunPolar bears and penguins falling sick

The Arctic’s disappearing fastThe third toe led to the ocean

Where coral reefs lay bleached like askeleton

A most dire situationThe ocean – a graveyard full of bones

The fourth toe went deep into the jungleWhere tribes perished of drought

and famineDead bodies like a mass of rubble

Tribes are gone foreverThe last toe was yet the worst

Where the destroyers grew and thrivedTechnology went and went and went and

BURSTThe city destroyed the landThe Apocalypse will comeUnless we wake up now

Hear the beating of the drumAnd save our only home!

Slammin’Slammin’Poetry!Poetry!

Five Primary Five pupils did our school proud when they garnered the 3rd prize in the W2 cluster Poetry Slam Competition. They are Sarah Foo, Raelynn Low, Nicholas Baey, Petrina and Lim Jia Yi, all from 5A.

Our aspiring poets came up with an upbeat poem that had the audience enthralled. While the subject matter (environmental awareness) was a serious one, our team used creative foot stamping rhythms and profound words that had the judges (various principals and Mr Chris Mooney from Word Forward) smiling while nodding their heads in delight.

The creative process was memorable. The students had to memorise the poem before deciding what actions to include as part of their performance. This required courage but with the encouragement of the trainer, Mr Chris Mooney, and their teacher, Mr Foo, they overcame their initial fears.

All the performers spoke of their problems with stage fright and pre-performance nerves but agreed that they prevailed over these during the performance.

Petrina, for example, said that she was very nervous on stage at fi rst as she was afraid to embarrass herself by forgetting her lines or actions. But slowly, she began to relax and she began to enjoy performing on stage. She feel that it was an exhilarating experience and hoped to have a chance to perform on stage again. Sarah added that she was so tense that she nearly stumbled over her lines. However, everything turned out all right. Perhaps Raelynn summed it up best when she said that all of them gave it their best shot and they were all glad that they came in third!

6

Text: Mr Bernard FooPhotographs provided by: Raelynn Low, 5

7

Singapore Amazing Singapore Amazing

Machine Competition Machine Competition

On 5 July, the Primary 5 pupils assembled in the school hall, high-spirited. They were waiting to collect their dinner before boarding the SMRT train to Raffl es Place MRT station to watch the NE show at Marina Bay. Although there was a slight drizzle, the moods of the pupils were not dampened the slightest.

The theme for the National Day Parade 2008 is ‘Celebrating the Singapore Spirit’. The NDP 2008 logo captures our people’s celebration of the Singapore Spirit. The children are reaching for the stars, striving for excellence, determined to succeed and confi dent of a brighter future ahead. They are dancing in step with one another as a show of unity and graciousness.

When the pupils arrived at Raffl es Place MRT station, the sky cleared. After collecting the funpacks, made from the highly recyclable Tetra Pak, the pupils were ushered to their seats. The pre-parade segment had already started. Even though, they had missed some of the activities, the pupils were still excited and eager to watch the remaining items. They were just in time to view the freefall display by the Red Lions, highly trained Commando Parachutists. The pupils were also awed by the Black Knights’ performance. Performing for the very fi rst time at Marina Bay, the Black Knights made their triumphant return to the National Day Parade celebrations

Celebrating the Singapore Spirit!since their performance in NDP 2000’s Carnival at Marina South. The Black Knights featured the full team of six F-16C Fighting Falcons. The pupils were captivated by the magnifi cent performances by the aerobatics team.

One of the traditions for NE show is the singing of the theme song. The pupils did not have many opportunities to practise the theme song for this year’s parade. Nonetheless, they were able to sing along to this melodious and catchy song performed by Hady Mirza and Cai Chun Jia. Led by the parade motivators, the pupils had a chance to do The Singapore Cheer, newly introduced this year for the purpose of cheering on our athletes and fellow Singaporeans at sporting and other competitions.

For the rest of the evening, the pupils were treated to visual spectacles, one after another. Just as the crowd could not get enough of the excitement, the pupils were elated when the fi rst spark of the fi reworks lit the night sky. As the fi reworks burst into the night sky, amidst the backdrop of the city lights, the pupils waved their Air Gloves in the air, soaking in the atmosphere of celebration.

The Singapore spirit was felt as the pupils sang the national anthem with pride and gusto towards the end of the parade. It was defi nitely a memorable night!

8

Text: Mrs Pat Ee and Vanessa Yeo (6G)Text: Mrs Pat Ee and Vanessa Yeo (6G)Photographs: Mr Teo C SPhotographs: Mr Teo C S

9

Racial Harmony DayRacial Harmony Day

Text: Mrs Pat Ee and Vanessa Yeo (6G)Photographs: Mr Teo C S

Lelong! Lelong! Lelong!Lelong!

10

Chan Wi Leen from 6A did our school proud when her play script – All That Glitters is not Gold - was selected as one of the fi nalists for SRT’s The Little Company’s The Write Stuff playwriting competition, presented by the SPH Foundation. The competition drew about 150 entries from both secondary and primary school srudents. With the help of experienced directors and actors, she saw her script come alive before her very eyes in front of an appreciative audience.

This is what Wi Leen has to say herself about her experience.

I enjoyed the experience of watching the play and making new friends. Interestingly, I discovered many new aspects of my personality through this.

I was excited when I knew that I was selected. Just when I was wondering what would happen next, I found that I had to go for a few workshops to learn how to improve my script. It was very enriching.

The director, Michael Corbridge, and the assistant director, Sue Tordoff, taught me many useful skills and tricks of the trade. I am deeply indebted to them and the actors for the time and effort they have put into coaching me.

When the big day came and my play was fi nally staged, I felt that it was better than expected. But most of my time was spent trying to hide under the chair. Despite my protests, the director introduced me as a playwright and suddenly everybody was looking at me. I was overwhelmed by all the stares and tried my best to hide my face!

Text and photographs: Mr Bernard Foo, Chan Wi Leen (6A)

11

The Write Stuff!The Write Stuff!

You gotta love my costume!

Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Singapore!Singapore!The Write Stuff!

12

On the last week of Term 3, the Primary 4 pupils went on a learning journey to Thow Kwang at Dragon Kiln village off Jalan Bahar. The learning journey was part of the pottery module carried out during the Holistic Development (HD) programme. The pupils saw the processes of making ceramic works. They were also introduced to the history of ceramic fi ring via a video documentary on the Dragon Kiln.

During the visit, pupils who had gone through the pottery programme in school had a chance to make use of the skills they had learnt. They made slabs and vessels using techniques such as coiling, pinching and scoring. For pupils who did not attend the pottery lessons during HD, they had a ‘preview’ of the skills that they would learn in school.

Besides the hands-on session, pupils toured the kiln and saw how ceramic wares were fi red. They were very much impressed by Mr Tan, a ceramist, who used the traditional wheel throwing technique to make a vase within minutes.

Although the pupils would get their masterpieces back after their works had been fi red, some were eager to bring home souvenirs from the workshop. It was an engaging experience for everyone - the opportunity to create their masterpieces from their imagination gave them a sense of joy and satisfaction.

Primary 4 Learning Journey Primary 4 Learning Journey to Dragon Kiln to Dragon Kiln Text and photographs: eRic Goh

13

Text: Miss Zunurain Othman

Teachers’ Day was celebrated in Unity on the 29th of August this year. During the morning of the celebrations, Unity teachers came dressed in their PE attire, to do the yearly ACES Day workout. After that, the teachers made their way to the staff room to change for the much-anticipated concert. The pupils, with the help of the Parent Support Group and prefects, set the mood for the concert by closing all the doors surrounding the hall to darken it and then lighting up candles to make it look like the teachers were attending a dinner party.

Teachers’ Day Teachers’ Day Celebrations at UnityCelebrations at Unity

The concert started off with the teachers taking the Teachers’ Pledge on stage, led by Mr Teoh, and then it was the cake-cutting session. The teachers then returned to their seats to enjoy their cake and that signalled the beginning of the concert.As usual, Unity pupils proved that they are a multi-talented bunch. Performances for the concert ranged from a piano recital to songs and dances. All in all, the teachers had a great time and were very appreciative of the efforts that the pupils had put in.

14

One new segment which was included in the concert this year was an award presentation ceremony for the teachers. Awards such as the “Most Humorous Teacher” and “Smiley Teacher” were given out to teachers from each level. The winners were determined by the votes which the pupils had cast a few weeks prior.Teachers’ Day celebrations have always been a joyous occasion in Unity, one that every teacher looks forward to every year. However, the 2008 teachers’ day celebration will be the last for a particular teacher in Unity. Mrs Chai Siow Yen will be leaving Unity at the end of the year, moving on to MOE HQ. For Mrs Chai, her tenure at Unity all these years has been anything but an unfulfi lling journey. She has kindly agreed to share her thoughts on Teachers’ Day and her moments here at Unity in this issue which you can read below.

We wish Mrs Chai all the best in her future endeavours and hope that she will not forget her friends here in Unity.

Teachers’ Day is one of the events in the school that I look forward to each year. It is a day for which we are reminded of the important role we play in educating the next generation when we take the pledge on stage - a pledge that all teachers will proudly uphold in front of all pupils and parents.

The other element which I look forward to is the performance put up by our dearest pupils. Over the years, the quality of performance has gone up tremendously and it is evident that the pupils are gaining more confi dence on stage. They showed their creativity in choreographing dances and putting together skits with minimum assistance from the teachers and committee in charge of the event. This is indeed different from when the school fi rst started, but the intent of showing their appreciation to the teachers has defi nitely not changed.

In addition, the active involvement of parents in the preparation of the event in recent years has taken the celebration to a higher level which make the teachers feel like VIPs on that day.

There are a few that really tug at my heart strings and I would say the one that is most unforgettable happened this year. It took place after the teachers’ day celebration and my class, 6A, actually presented me with a glass bottle fi lled with 40 notes / well-wishes written by each and everyone in the class. I was very touched. The class has matured over 1 ½ years and the gift will serve as a great memento of my time with them. Though they did not

know then that I am going to leave the school, their gift is so appropriate and I took more than 2 hours to open and read every note. This also happened to be the year when almost all the boys from my class in 2004 came to visit me. They have grown, and I am very glad that they still remember me. I was very touched. And I believe that I have made the correct choice in following my childhood dream to become a teacher.

Unity is my fi rst school and I have spent nine years in this beautiful environment, learning to refi ne my craft of teaching together with a group of professionals. Having interacted with colleagues of varying working styles and pupils with diverse learning styles, I have learnt to manage my expectations and view each task as a learning opportunity for my self-development.

The leaders have been encouraging, promoting a culture of care and trust. I have grown to appreciate the process rather than to focus on the outcome. I have also learnt to look deeper within myself, to understand my inner thoughts and not let minor setbacks disturb me.

I would like to extend my thanks to the very fi rst Exco team which included Mr Lim YB, Mdm W Koh, Ms Wong YY, Mrs N Kee and Mrs Tan-Chong, as they had taken time and patience to guide me along in the planning and running of a department. Colleagues in Unity have also been very patient with me, for I am known to be extremely frank in expressing my opinions. Their passion for teaching and their devotion to this profession is a treasure that they have shared with me and that, I will never forget.

15

Teaching has been my ambition since young. I am very fortunate to have very inspiring teachers who had played a part in shaping my character. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to my dearest coach in secondary school who passed away on my birthday, after we had won our tournament. He was 80 years old and he volunteered to coach our team as he was a student from the fi rst cohort of the school. We started to doubt his ability to coach us when he could hardly jog, but he soon gained our respect for his commitment and selfl ess sharing of expertise and experience, to make us not just a better player, but a better person in life.

With this, I fi rmly believe that a teacher’s passion has a great impact on the next generation. Our words and actions stay in the memory of our pupils. When we remain truthful to our set of principles and share them, our pupils will be provided with different perspectives that would enable them to make better decisions in life.

A caring teacher is one whom a pupil will remember and I am sure all teachers in Unity have left imprints on the pupils they have taught. I wish that the PASSION for teaching will help teachers stay focused despite the heavy workload and tight schedules. And lastly, the passion to teach and learn together with a child, holistically, nurturing our next generation – just as the content of the Teachers’ Pledge, will keep burning in Unity Primary School.

Text: Mrs Chai Siow YenText: Mrs Chai Siow YenPhotograph: Mr Teo C S

16

由我校家长会筹划的小型中秋晚会于9月6日（星期六） 如期在校园内举行。

从下午四时开始，许多家长已偕同子女，陆续出现在原本寂静的校园里。精心布置的游戏摊位、月饼制作示范等，都吸引了不少人驻足观赏，尤其是猜灯谜的摊位，更是挤满了人。

晚上七时，礼堂里的文娱表演开始了。有歌唱、相声、武术表演等。舞台背景上的一轮明月，更点出了这次庆祝会的主题。同学们落力的表演，给大家留下深刻的印象。与此同时，筹委会也邀请我校校友陈新恩，到来介绍她的新书《生命的崛起》，希望大家在欢庆中秋的同时，也给这个年轻人一定的鼓励和支持。

美中不足的是，由于时间不早，加上天气恶劣，筹委会不得不取消户外提灯笼的活动。

中秋晚会在晚上十时半结束。虽然节目的安排并非尽善尽美，但我们可以肯定的是，参与活动的人都是带着满心的欢喜离开了校园。

The school’s PSG organised a mini mid-autumn festival carnival on the 6 September, Saturday.

Participants of the carnival started streaming into the school at around 4 in the evening – they patronised the colourful game stalls and also tried their hands at making mooncakes. The ‘lantern riddles’ stall was particularly well-visited.

At 7pm, the mid-autumn variety show started in the school hall. There were songs, cross-talk performances and even wushu demonstrations! The pupils’ enthusiastic performances left an indelible impression on everyone that evening. The organising committee also invited former pupil, Charmaine Tan to introduce her book – Pick Me Up. The committee hoped that this would encourage Charmaine in her future writing endeavours.

Due to rain, the lantern-carrying activity had to be cancelled, much to the disappointment of all. The entire carnival came to and end at 10.30 in the evening, and everyone left, bringing with them a sense of joy.

Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrations中秋晚会中秋晚会

17

Text: Mdm Lim H K & Mr Teo C SPhotographs: Lee Boon Cheow, PSG

Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrations

Speech and Drama of the Holistic Development programme seeks to provide all Primary 3 pupils, through the instrument of creative drama, with the opportunity to imagine and to explore; to experience and to express. From helping pupils develop confi dence and communication skills to promoting cooperation and teamwork, the culmination saw every class put up a rousing assembly performance to the delight of the afternoon audience.

Primary 3C and 3D ended a year of Speech and Drama with captivating plays “Goldilocks” and “Don’t Wake the Baby” respectively. As ecstatic Amalia Seri Umairah of 3C, the lead actress of “Goldilocks” put it, “I am very fortunate to be given a chance to be the main actress. I like the story and I am happy to be a part of it.”

Chua Jiasheng, Jovan of 3D echoed similar sentiments, “Although I was nervous, I was also excited. We have to cooperate to make a performance successful.”

Ultimately, the collaborative process of putting together a play cultivates pupils’ respect for diversity, which is one of Unity Primary’s goals towards a gracious and caring society.

Speech and DramaSpeech and Drama

18

Text and photographs: Miss Karen Woo

19

The pupils in Unity Primary School had a fantastic day on 29th September 2008 - we celebrated Children’s Day with lots of presents, games and a concert put up by our beloved teachers. It is indeed a joyous occasion!

On that day, the recesses were extended by 30 minutes and there were game booths, free popcorn, drawing competitions and even an ‘MTV Dedication’ programme! The teachers’ performances were most entertaining and hilarious. All pupils enjoyed themselves and they sang the Children’s Day Song, ‘Semoga Bahagia’ too. Everyone also received a hand-powered mini dynamo torch from the school.

As we celebrated Children’s Day, pupils were encouraged to think about the less fortunate children who live in countries that have been affected by natural disasters. It was a wonderful day for all!

Text: Mdm Grace Ng B LPhotographs: Aidil Syarul

Children’s Day Children’s Day at Unity!at Unity!

20

Boing!Boing!

The Sports Education Programme (SEP) is a collaborative partnership between Singapore Sports Council and the Ministry of Education. The SEP advocates the importance of sports education and aims to encourage sports participation in schools and increase sporting opportunities for the young. It also serves as an integrated and structured approach to link sports service providers with schools to ensure that innovative and quality sports programmes are delivered (http://sep.ssc.gov.sg/).

A wide range of sports programmes is offered under SEP, and this year, our school has selected three sports, namely Wushu, Tchoukball and Kangoo Jumps, to be introduced to our pupils. Tchoukball and Kangoo Jumps were chosen as they are relatively new sporting events that many Singaporeans would not have even heard of before. That was enough to excite the participating pupils. The look of anticipation on their faces when they were informed of their chance at trying out the sports was incredible.

Kangoo Jumps, which originated from Switzerland, are rebound “sport shoes” that reduce impact on the foot and add bounce to your step. It has been proven to provide a wide range of health benefi ts and was brought into Singapore just last year. It is said to promote ideal postural alignment and cardiovascular health, and also improve balance. Our P6 pupils had the opportunity to try out Kangoo Jumps as part of their post-PSLE enrichment activity. They had a fabulous two-hour workout on the Jumps and they enjoyed every minute of it. In the beginning, all of them were quite jittery about taking their fi rst steps with the Jumps. Barely minutes into it, they were happily jumping around and could even run in the “shoes”. The pupils even learnt how to walk up and down the stairs and played team games with the Jumps on! At the end of the activity, they were all exhausted but defi nitely were looking forward for more.

Boing!Boing! Boing!Boing!

Text: Miss Chua Li Chian Photographs: Mr Teo C S

Unity sports boys and girls were kept busy in the fi rst half of the year. This is when most of the zonal and national competitions were held.

Our Junior Division soccer boys did us proud by coming in second in the West Zone Inter-Primary School Tournament and fourth in the Nationals. The soccer boys demonstrated that they were undaunted by the likes of the usual soccer powerhouse schools.

However, experience played a crucial role in the semi-fi nals as the boys were edged out by Kranji Primary after a hard fought game. The boys’ unprecedented accomplishment won the praises of Mr Suib, Mr Fok and Mr Soifuddin, their teachers-in-charge. Mr Soifuddin said, “The national competition provided the boys with valuable experience as the competition kicked into a higher level of intensity. I’m proud to say that this achievement would not have been possible if not for the hard work that the boys and Coach Ramesh had put in. Well done!”

Among them, Muhd Syalihin Bin Sazali of 5G was called up to represent Singapore Primary Schools’ Sports Council in the 2nd ASEAN Primary Schools Sports Olympiad in Jakarta. On a similar note, Md Farhan Bin Supian of 6E from the Senior Division team has been selected to join the Singapore Sports School next year. The boys have indeed done our school proud!

Meanwhile in Netball and Basketball, the senior division teams came in third and fourth respectively in the zonal competitions. Both teams have trained long and hard for their competitions. Kudos to them for their perseverance and determination! Both teams are now looking ahead to next year’s competitions under the guidance of their coaches and teachers-in-charge. Onward Unity!

In Track and Field, two of our athletes, Daniel Goh and Deborah Goh, both from 6A, managed to qualify for the fi nals in their respective events in the 49th Inter-Primary School Track and Field Championships. Daniel, in the 800m and 1500m, and as for Deborah, in the 800m. What is more, Daniel’s passion for running helped him to earn him third placing in a separate event, the Cold Storage 1.4km Kids Run.

Sports Sports competitions competitions

and major and major

achievements achievements

20082008

21

Text: Mr Hairil Akhmal Photos: Mr Hairil Akhmal, Mr Ngeiw Chaw Yee

22

Our InspirationInspiration

The InterviewThe Interview

• my husband. He has been my mentor and the reason behind who I am today. Throughout our married life together, he has always been supportive and understanding. He has motivated me to become more outgoing and to upgrade my skills and stay relevant in the working world.

• spend more time with my family. I would also like to travel to the United States to visit my sister who is residing in Texas.

• making my house beautiful as that is where I spend most of my time with my family.

• ...seeing my son grow up well and to become a useful citizen in society. It also means that I continue to be a person my husband and son can always look up to.

• ...is by the seaside, with the wind gently blowing in my face.

• I enjoy working and being with young children.

• I was a library assistant in a Secondary School.

• when I see how well the pupils of Unity Primary are now able to use the library. After putting in the work of reorganising the library together with the Library Ambassadors, the moment came when the library had again become more conducive and accessible to anyone who wishes to use it.

• when the library became unbearably noisy caused by pupils during recess.

• That they achieve good results and have good character.

• To perform the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.

• Caring, loving and positive

• I am grateful for my work here in Unity Primary School. I have colleagues and student helpers who have been supportive of my role in Unity, and I would like to thank them for making my stay in Unity a fruitful experience.

- Librarian- Librarian

33

Staff newsWith many thanks and best wishesMrs Renee IderisMiss Dewi Maisarah Miss Poh Yong See Miss Zeng Lixia

Welcome OnboardMr Jeremy Chew Mdm Chua Leng Leng Miss Cheryl Ho Mdm Huang Yan LingEve Tan Boon Siew

AdvisersMr Teoh Tiong San (Principal)Mr Eric Goh

Editorial BoardMr Bernard Foo Mdm Zahiriah IbrahimMdm Lim H K Mdm Grace Ng Miss Zunur’Ain Othman Mr Teo C S

Special Contributors Mr Hairil Akhmal Miss Chua Li ChianMrs Pat Ee Mdm HidayatiMdm Isdasusianty Ismail Mr Kelvin Ng Mr Ngeiw Chaw YeeMr Aidil Syarul Mdm Teo Seow HoonMiss Karen Woo Miss Yap Soo Ting Mr Lee Boon Cheow (PSG)Chan Wi Leen (6A) Raelynn Low (5A)Vanessa Yeo (6G)

1

Editorial Note 1Brunei study trip 2Wuhan study trip 3 Xiamen immersion pro 4San Francisco 5 Poetry slam 6Amazing machine 7 NE Show at Marina 8Racial harmony day 9P6 Fundraising 10Playwriting 11Happy Birthday Singapore! 12Dragon kiln learning journey 13Happy Teachers’ day 14-16Mid-Autumn festival 17Speech and drama 18Children’s day 19Kangoo Jump 20Sports achievements 21 Our Inspiration - Librarian 22Graduating class photos 23-33E-book Award 34

Contents

Editorial Note How fast a year passes by. We are once again at the close of the school year at press time. As usual, it has been a busy year for all and much has taken place in the past semester - there have been celebrations of events and of our pupils’ successes.

How does one measure a year? I am reminded of a song from Rent. It recommends that we measure it in love and friendship. Before you, dear reader, think that I have gone overboard with sentimentality, please indulge me, just for a little while. Do we measure a year by the amount of money we have made? By the number of deadlines we have met? Or do we measure the year by the number of people who have made a positive impact on our lives, by how many times we have been touched by events and people around us? I hope it is the latter.

As we near the end of a year and take stock of our lives, I cannot imagine how a year can pass without the company of good friends and the quiet support of family members. And

therefore I am indeed grateful to measure my year with the number of good friends and colleagues who have been through it all with me.

I want to thank everyone who has been involved in the production of this issue, all the contributors who have made what you hold now in your hands possible.

Lastly, I want to wish our graduating class well. I hope you have enjoyed your primary school life and I hope you will go on to do even better in secondary school. Out there is a big world of possibilities. I hope you will always be able to look beyond life’s little disappointments and work hard to realise your dreams.Now, sit down, relax, turn the page and see how many of these memories you remember…

Mr Teo C S

E-book Award

34

In August 2008, a team of three P5A pupils, Low Jing Wen, Sarah Foo Rui Ern and Petrina Teo Yun Zhen took part in the National N.E.W. Author Interactive Digital Book Competition 2008. The girls won the Most Popular E-book Award with their digital book on Singapore War Heroes. Their prizes include a trophy for the school, Koobits Special (Premium Version) software and a $100 cash voucher.

Text and photograph: Mrs Florence Tan

Connect with UUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

21 Choa Chu Kang Crescent, Singapore 688268Tel: 67676750 Fax: 67676751

Email: unity_ps@moe.edu.sgWebsite: http://schools.moe.edu.sg/ups11/2008

Viva Creative Lithographers • Tel: (65) 6273 8032 • Fax: (65) 6273 0385 • Email: enquiry@vivacreativelitho.com