G' Day Mate! Konnichiwa! Namaste! Sawadeeka!

Our Australian friend from Pacific Hills Christian School

I had an exciting week in early April which I had meant to share with you. I would have shared this blog earlier but I had been so busy! It was only now that I have some time to share about my first International Week in Frontier Primary School. In that week, I felt as if I was in so many different countries! What an exciting week it was! Let me tell you all about it!

This year the theme for the International Friendship Day is “Singapore in the World”. The all exciting International Friendship Week kicked off with a bang on Monday 09 April with special visitors from Sydney, Australia. My school welcomed teachers and pupils from Pacific Hills Christian School (PHCS) to join us in our celebration of IFW and celebrate we did!

Our Aussie friends joined us in our Special Assembly programme

Our Australian friends, who are much older than us, told us much about their country… they shared about the special animals which are native to their country. We learnt more about the kangaroos, koalas, wombats and kookaburras through a really engaging puppet show… Later in class, our overseas friends taught us how to create our own boomerangs out of cardboard, using aboriginal art designs …so exciting and fun!

Our Music Teacher, also shared with us a lot about Asia – the continent that our school is focusing on for IFW this year. We learnt more about the different countries in Asia like Japan, India and Thailand during the assembly talk.



We danced to the tune of a famous Aussie folk song



Did you know that even if we do not travel to another country, we have people from all over the world staying in our own homeland? There is so much that we can learn from them. It is definitely necessary for us to respect our new friends as well as the many non-Singaporeans who have chosen to make Singapore their home.

He taught me all about boomerang!

We also took part in many activities related to IFW during our Social Studies, Music, PE and Art lessons.  Our Music teacher taught us a Japanese action song “Ooki Na Kuri No Ki No Shita De”. It has the same tune as the song “Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree”. I like it!

So this is cricket!

Mr Swenson and his students from PHCS showed us how to play cricket, which we later played during our PE lessons. Now, don’t be mistaken…it’s not the insect I am talking about but a game that is really popular in India (and Australia too). This is really an interesting game! Aha!… I can now quiz Dad on the terms used in cricket like ‘batsman’, ‘bowler’, ‘fielder’, ‘wicket’ and others. I bet I can teach him a few things!

Now, my favourite is our Art lessons that week. Besides the boomerang, we also learnt to make a ‘loy krathong’ using banana leaves. Our Art teacher showed us a video clip on how to make it first before we get to make the real thing ourselves. It was the first time that I ever touched and folded banana leaves. So cool!



Our Aussie friends eating with us!



To conclude that exciting week’s activities that Friday, some of our teachers and friends were dressed in other countries’ traditional costumes. My teacher looked fantastic in the Korean outfit! There was also a skit on ‘The Little Prince’ by Drama Arts Ltd. After the skit, we actually had a Mr & Ms Frontier Asia fashion parade show! My friends on stage looked lovely in their Hanboks, Kimonos, Ao dais, Longyis and so on. During recess that day, we also got to eat sushi, pappadum and thai longans… mmm…yummy.

Our teachers also came in beautiful costumes! Aren't they lovely?

Before school dismissal on Friday, there was excitement in the air as my friends and I gathered and watched a demonstration on how the ‘Loy Krathong’ festival was being celebrated in Thailand. It was to the music of ‘Loy Krathong’ that my friends released the ‘krathongs’ that our classes had made into our school pond. It was such great fun!



My friend releasing the krathongs

I can’t wait for next year’s International Friendship Week! I wonder which continent we would ‘visit’….maybe Europe? Maybe South America? I can't wait!

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.