Frontier in the Zoo




To the zoo! Here we go!



While I usually like to snuggle on my bed in the morning, it was totally different on 19 April 2012, Thursday, I could not wait to get out of it.

We are finally going!

I was very eager to go to school as it was the day of our learning journey to the Singapore Zoo. My teacher told me that all the teachers and pupils of Frontier will go together and that got me really thrilled! When I arrived in the school that day, I could see some of my friends wearing their caps and all of us were carrying our small outing bags. Everyone looked very chirpy and excited. There were also some unique faces in our school that day and Mrs Tan introduced them to us as Parent Helpers. Wow...even the adults want to go to the zoo! It is like the whole big family is going to the zoo! Not long after that, we set off for the zoo.

One of the Many Parents who Came with us!

During the bus ride, we sang songs and guessed riddles. It was so fun. Before we knew it, we were already at the Singapore Zoo! At the entrance, we saw our friends from Australia. My teacher said that they would be joining us. We were so happy to have our Australian friends from Pacific Hills with us.

My teachers with our Australian Friends

After we entered the zoo, the first few animals I saw were the parrots, the otters, the monkeys and even the flamingos! The flamingos looked so beautiful in their pink feathers and long legs. My teacher took us to the Tram Station. There was only one other class there and I was wondering where the other classes were. I asked my teacher and she said that the other classes were taking other routes so as to prevent overcrowding.



We want to Walk, but the Tram gets us to our destination faster!



The tram finally came and we boarded it orderly. We were ready for the ride! During the ride, my friend commented that the tram was moving so slowly but my teacher said it was so that we could see the animals better. True enough, we saw the orang utans, the giraffes, the zebras and we even saw two hippos “kissing”! Well, I am not too sure if they were kissing but their mouths were together. It was such a funny sight!



Guess what we Saw!



Our first stop was the Fragile Forest. Before we went in, my teacher whispered to us and told us to be quite and minimise our movements inside as the animals inside Fragile Forest roams around freely. My teacher said that we could wait outside if we were afraid to enter.  However, all of us wanted to go in even though some of us were actually quite scared. I was scared too but my friend gave me courage. Maybe that is where the word "encourage" comes from! We held each other’s hands tightly and walked in quietly. As we entered, it felt somewhat chilly and wet as I could feel mists in the atmosphere. There were bats and butterflies flying around. We also saw a few species of birds. Suddenly my partner shouted, “Raccoons!” and my teacher said, “Shhh…not so loud please”. She told us that those were not raccoons; they were lemurs. They were very hairy and have big eyes. I think I saw such an animal in the movie, Madagascar.



Look! Even the teacher is happy in the zoo!



My teacher and the teacher from Australia!

Next, we headed to the Shaw Amphitheatre to watch the Splash Safari Show. As I reached the Shaw Amphitheatre, I saw my friends from other classes. The whole was here! Wow! One of my friends told me that he did not go to Fragile Forest but he went to Sungei Buaya so we exchanged our experiences. He told me that we can keep a crocodile’s mouth shut simply by tying a rubber band around the jaws. I was amazed to learn that!


Eyes Drawn Up in Wonderment

I was getting really hungry by then when my teacher told me to clean my hands. I began eating my food as we waited for the show to start. While I was eating my tuna sandwich, one of my classmates walked over to offer his biscuits to me. It was so nice of him to share his food with us.

Fun it may be, but it is also LEARNING in the zoo

As I was almost finishing my food, I heard the emcee speaking; the show was starting! All of a sudden, I saw a seal gliding in and diving into the pool and then jumping up again! It could also do amazing things like catch a frisbee and even clap its flippers.

Frontier Orange in the Zoo!

After the show, we headed to Australian Outback but as we were walking there, it started to drizzle and our teacher told us to put on our raincoats. All of us did so very quickly with the help of our teachers, parent helpers and Australian friends. Then we started moving again, but this time, in the light showers. Somehow, it was such a unique experience to walk in the rain, in my raincoat, with my friends.

At the Australian Outback, I learnt many interesting things about kangaroos. My teacher even showed us the distance which the grey kangaroo can leap each time. It took me 20 leaps to complete that distance. My friend took 23 leaps. Our Australian friends also told us many things about the kangaroos. It was so interesting to know that kangaroos can only hop forward and they actually have very strong tails which help them to balance.

A little rain is not going to stop us!

Then we proceeded to Pygmy Hippo Station and White Tiger station. At Pygmy Hippo station, we saw the hippo moving. I never knew hippos move this way; they tiptoed like ballerinas! The pygmy hippos were so small. It takes ten Pygmy hippos to match the weight of one Nile hippo.



I did not know the animal could do that!




You hungry? Have some but not too much!



As we reached the White Tiger Station, we saw the tigers resting at the enclosure. They were not very active but there were many interesting things to learn there! I pressed on some buttons and I could hear the different kinds of sounds that tigers make! I also learnt that tigers curl their tails when they are excited and a straight tail is their way of saying ‘hello’.

Soon, it was time to go back to school. I wished I could stay longer but we must be in school before dismissal time. I could not wait to come back again soon. I only realised how tired I was when I sat down in the bus. The comfortable seats and cool air made me sleepy. I took a short nap in the bus.  It was a tiring day but I really enjoyed myself very much. This was not the first time I went to the zoo but I really liked being there with my classmates and teachers. I also liked working with my partner on the activity sheets. We worked well together.  I am looking forward to the next learning journey.