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.

I don’t take a photograph, I make it!

Wow! Four weeks flew by so fast. It felt that I had my first photography enrichment session just yesterday! I have always known what a camera is but my parents have never allowed me to use it.

For the first session, Miss Mon and Ms Gladys taught us the different parts of the camera. The camera consists of the lens, the power button as well as the zoom button.

There was also a strap that I need to tie around my wrist so that I would not drop it and damage it. It would have been expensive if it was damaged! My parents would not have been too happy if that had happened.

Getting the angle correct ...

One of the first lessons I learnt was about the zoom function. It did not seem that difficult once I tried it out. Ms Mon and Ms Gladys allowed my classmates and I to take many different shots of ourselves, the school as well as the things around us. It was fun!

Would my photograph be interesting?

Getting the right perspective

An elevated view

Full of Concentration...

I don't mind being uncomfortable to take a great shot!

Lying down to get a good shot~!

I took a photo of my friend

Besides the places in school and the things around, I also managed to take the faces of my happy classmates at work. They were more than happy to pose for me, with their pearly whites.



I took this photo thru a hole in the chair...  I will think out of the box to get the best shot



Even my stationery can be interesting though my lenses

Besides learning how to handle the camera properly and knowing how to use the zoom function, I also learnt something called the ‘Rule of Thirds’. This meant that my focus object or objects must form at least two-third of the whole photograph. In other words, the photograph cannot be too ‘cluttered’.

Finally, I learnt how to take photographs in various angles too. It was definitely interesting to know that I could do that!

This is how my class looks like in photography lessons

I definitely had fun and learnt many new things!

As an added bonus, I was one of the chosen ones to go to the Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden. This was because Ms Lee and Ms Rozi had signed some of my friends and I up for a photography competition. How exciting!

Applying the lessons learnt



Budding photographers of Frontier Primary School!



To me, you don’t take a photograph, you make it. :)

Besides being able to take photographs, I learnt a few new things about the nature too!

I had fun and will definitely put all the things I have learnt in the photography enrichment lessons to good use!

I hope I can get to show Mum and Dad all the photographs that I had taken. I am sure they would be so proud of me! Maybe next time, they will let me use the camera to take photographs for them. I have been trained! I don't just take a photograph, I make it!

Character Development Modules on Mondays

Follow the Leader

You know what? I like Mondays! There is always something interesting on Mondays!

We started on our Character Development enrichment modules on Monday 23 April. We will be participating in 2 modules - Leadership (2 sessions) and Nurture through Nature (2 Sessions) for the next 4 weeks.

P1 Care, Resilience, Innovation and Responsibility started with Leadership module "I can Lead, so can You". We had great fun! We played games like "Follow the Leader" and we learnt that as leaders, we need to influence others. Some of our classmates did some challenging moves like jumping left to right and we followed their moves.

 

Teamwork is important

I got it right after much practice!

We also played "Stacko". It was difficult. But we learnt to be resilient - we did not give up even when we failed. We also learnt that everytime, we try again, we get better at it and we became more confident!

For P1 Creativity, Confidence, Joy & Respect, we started with "Nurture through Nature" Session 1. We learnt to plant different types of vegetables using hydroponics and soil. We also found out that vegetables can be grown from seed, stem-cutting or from roots. We got our hands dirty and we enjoyed the learning with our friends. It was hard work!

Grow...spinach...grow

Making sure I scoop enough soil to cover my sweet potato

Learning about plants in class

I have so much fun preparing the soil for planting!

I am bringing my "precious" home to take care!

We were asked to bring the plants home. Taking care of the plants will be our responsibility for the next two weeks. We sure hope they will grow well under our care. We must develop good habits and remember to water them daily. It is important to be diligent in taking care of the plants and seeds. We cannot wait to bring it back 2 weeks later to show our classmates.We must also remember to update our Learning Log with our reflections for the 2 weeks.

Hey! I can do hydroponics using bubble tea cups!

It is important to prepare the soil by mixing it well!

 

Can you see the sweet potato, spinach and ginger I am growing?

The Day My Best Friend Became a Class eLF



There is an air of excitement in the Assembly Area!



“What is happening?  Where is my class?  Why are there more rows than usual?"

I was surprised when I walked into the school compound that Tuesday (27 March 2012).  I could not find my class as the setup in the assembly area was different. Fortunately, my classmate saw me and called out to me.  I quickly walked over and as I sat down, my classmate told me that we were about to witness Frontier's first ever Class eLF Investiture.  The front part of the assembly area was reserved for the Class eLF. Of course! My best friend had been telling me about the investiture all week. Now, I know why the setup of the assembly area was different that morning! 

The Mark of a Leader!

We are committed to do our best as eLFs!

A proud moment!

As I was sitting down, my classmate turned around and asked me what Class eLF stands for. I knew the answer because I had paid attention during the assembly programme. In fact, Ms Lee had shared with us about eLF. Oh yes! eLF stands for exemplary Leader@Frontier. There are two levels of leadership. The Class eLF serves at class level while the Student eLF serves at school level. All Class eLFs are nominated and appointed by the class teachers and all of them have to go for training sessions. I remembered how my classmate was appointed a T.A.C. (Technology.AVA.Cyberwellness) Leader. He was rather afraid; in fact he felt lost at first as he was not quite sure what he had to do. However, after he came back from the training session, he became very confident. He could help the teacher switch on/off the projector. He even taught some of us the 6 steps that Ms Lee had taught him. He also told us that there would be another training session in Term 2 for T.A.C. Leaders and he was looking forward to it.

My best friend is a Class eLF so she had to sit in the front rows.  I was very excited and curious to find out what this Investiture is about.  There were tables and chairs lined up at the sides with the class labels on it.  As the minutes went by, the number of Class eLFs increased.  There were so many of them.  I managed to catch the attention of my best friend.  I quickly waved to her and she waved back.  I could see the broad smile on her face.  How I wish I could be a Class eLF too!

The Investiture finally started.  Ms Lee made announcement for the different groups of Class eLF to receive their wristbands and contract.  What on earth is a wristband?  I could not wait to see the one my best friend had just received.  The eLFs also had a contract done which they commit to do their best with their thumbprint imprinted onto the important document. The form teacher also signed this contract. Very soon, we came to the end of the Investiture.  The Class eLFs raised their right hand and they recited the Frontier's Class eLF Pledge.  I could tell that the Class eLFs took the Pledge very seriously.  There was this moment of solemnity during the Pledge recitation. What a proud moment for my friend!



To be the Best that We Can Be!



Together, we serve our class!

Oh yeah!  My best friend finally came back to our class.  I finally saw the wristband.  It was really very nice.  Every role had a different coloured wristband and for the Mother Tongue classes, their wristbands come with a white tape across.  Nice!  Ms Lee told us we would get our chance to be a Class eLF next Semester.  I could barely wait for it.  I wonder which role my teacher would nominate me for. I also want to serve my class and school!





The First Class eLFs in Frontier's History ... and Proud of It!