PRIMARY
NEWS
A MESSAGE FROM OUR HEAD OF PRIMARY Junior School (Yr 3 – 6) & Pelicans (Nursery – Yr 2)
Dear Parents,
Walking through Singapore over the weekend, I found myself pausing by a sculpture that many of us will recognise; the boys leaping into the river, in a moment of laughter and carefree joy. While the world our children are growing up in looks very different from that of Singapore’s past, there is something reassuring in the similarities between them. Childhood, at its heart, should still be filled with curiosity, playfulness, and a sense of freedom. In school, we hold a significant responsibility to protect that sense of joy whilst nurturing a deep and lasting love of learning.
The term ahead offers a wealth of opportunities for our students to explore, question, investigate and discover. They will be encouraged to take risks, developing both confidence and resilience along the way. This speaks so clearly to our value of Breadth and Balance. Through a rich and varied educational journey, we are not only supporting academic growth but also shaping well-rounded individuals who are ready to embrace the future, whatever path they take.
This week’s visit from colleagues at The Perse School, Cambridge, further strengthens this vision. It provides a valuable opportunity for professional dialogue, ensuring that our partnership continues to enhance the educational experience for all of our students, both in Singapore and in the UK.
As always, it is a privilege to see our children learning, growing and, importantly, enjoying the journey along the way.
Kephren Sherry
Head of Primary School
PASTORAL
NEWS at
JUNIOR
SCHOOL
MRS STELLA RAINALTER
Assistant Head of Primary (Pastoral)
House Points
We would like to congratulate the Pelican students who have achieved their Bronze certificate for reaching 25 House Points! These certificates were proudly presented during assembly, making it a special moment of recognition for their consistent effort, positive attitude, and commitment to doing their best each day.
Junior Student Council News
As we gear up for Sports Day and House Fun Day, excitement and House spirit are building across the Primary School! Last week, our Teacher House Leaders organised for the House Captains and Vice Captains to come together to practise their House cheers, so that they can confidently lead and teach the rest of the school. The energy, teamwork, and enthusiasm shown by the students have been fantastic to watch.
We have also recorded each House cheer and shared the videos via Seesaw so that families can join in and children can continue learning and practising the cheers at home. The words to each cheer are below and are on Seesaw, and we encourage families to take some time to watch the videos together and help children become familiar with their House cheer.
Next week, the Junior students will gather in their Houses to practise the cheers as they prepare for our very first House Cheer Competition during House Fun Day on May 18th. We cannot wait to hear the cheers ringing across the school!
Junior and Pelican students can wear their PE uniform on Monday 18th May too.
Singa – Red House Cheer!
HOUSE LEADERS: S-I-N-G-A!
ALL: S-I-N-G-A!
HOUSE LEADERS: HEAR US ROAR, LOUD AND PROUD! ALL: HEAR US ROAR, LOUD AND PROUD!
HOUSE LEADERS: STAND UP TALL, LEAD THE CROWD!
ALL: STAND UP TALL, LEAD THE CROWD!
ALL TOGETHER: SINGA LIONS, BRAVE AND STRONG,
WE FIGHT FAIR AND WE BELONG!
FAST AND FEARLESS, HERE TO PLAY –
SINGA HOUSE ALL THE WAY!
HEAR US ROAR, LOUD AND PROUD!
ROARRRRRR!!!
Harimau – Yellow House Cheer!
H-A-R-I-M-A-U
HEAR US ROAR, WE’RE COMING THROUGH
CLAWS OUT, READY—FEEL THE POWER,
HARIMAU LEADS EVERY HOUR!
FIGHT, WIN, STANDING TALL
HARIMAU WILL BEAT THEM ALL!
GARUDA, GA-GA, GARUDA! LISTEN UP!
WE ARE GARUDA! (YEAH!)
WE WORK TOGETHER! (YEAH!)
WHEN WE COMPETE! (YEAH!)
WE’RE HERE TO BRING IT ON!
GARUDA, GA-GA, GARUDA! HERE WE GO!
(STOMP STOMP CLAP THROUGHOUT)
(STOMP STOMP CLAP)
WE ARE, WE ARE GARUDA!
(STOMP STOMP CLAP)
WE ARE, WE ARE GARUDA!
WINGS UP HIGH, WE STAND AS ONE,
HELPING EACH OTHER, GETTING THINGS DONE
GREEN TEAM STRONG, WE WORK AS ONE,
GARUDA SPIRIT HAS JUST BEGUN
WE ARE, WE ARE GARUDA!
(STOMP STOMP CLAP)
WE ARE, WE ARE GARUDA!
AHHHHH, GARUDA!!!
OH, WE’RE FROM NAGA HOUSE,
A MIGHTY FORCE, OH WE’RE FROM NAGA HOUSE,
IN ANY CHALLENGE YOU WILL SEE US RISING STRONG,
STANDING PROUD AND LONG,
IF WE FALL WE RISE AGAIN,
WE’LL FIGHT AND FIGHT AS ONE.
OH WE’RE FROM NAGA HOUSE,
WE NEVER WEAKEN TILL THE FINAL CALL IS GONE,
LIKE THE NAGA OF OLD,
WE’RE STRONG AND WE’RE BOLD,
OH WE’RE FROM NAGA, BLUE AND THE BEST
OH WE’RE FROM NAGA HOUSE.
JUNIOR
SCHOOL
MELANIE MEDHI
Junior School Assistant Head (Academics, Yr 3 – Yr 6)
Conversation Café’ sessions are proving a hit! Our EAL students have been partaking in small group discussions where children can practise speaking and listening in a relaxed setting with an adult.
Here are some snapshots of the sessions.
PELICANS
ALEXANDRA SOUTHWELL
Pelicans Co-ordinator (Nursery to Yr 2)
This week, I have spent time in classrooms observing how children are engaging with the environments thoughtfully set up by their teachers. We are delighted to have introduced continuous provision in our Pelicans classrooms and have already seen a noticeable increase in children’s independence, confidence, and problem-solving skills.
Continuous provision is an approach where children have access to a range of carefully planned learning areas throughout the day, such as construction, creative play, reading, writing, and role play. These areas remain available over time, allowing children to revisit activities, build on their ideas, and deepen their understanding. During the school day, children are encouraged to make choices about their learning, moving between different areas based on their interests. Teachers play an important role in guiding this learning, observing, asking thoughtful questions, and introducing new challenges to extend thinking. This approach nurtures curiosity, creativity, and resilience, while supporting children to develop essential skills in a way that is engaging, meaningful, and tailored to their individual needs. It has been a pleasure to watch the children embrace the opportunities in each classroom.
Best Regards
Alexandra Southwell
Pelicans Co-ordinator
Nursery
The Nursery friends made lemonade to learn about the letter and sound /l/. We boiled sugar and water to make a sweet syrup, then all of us had a chance to squeeze the juice out of the lemons. We stirred the sugar syrup, lemon juice, and water together to create the most refreshing lemonade! Delicious!
Reception
This week’s focus on being a party planner encouraged children to explore the elements that make a party enjoyable, with special attention to games and food. The session began with reading a book about party games, which sparked discussion and allowed children to share their own experiences, preferences, and feelings. They reflected on questions such as their favourite games, what makes a game fun, and whether they had ever created their own games. To bring these ideas to life, the children played Musical Mats. As they played, they practiced listening carefully, following instructions, turn-taking, and managing emotions while having fun together. The children listened to stories about Christmas and discussed the types of food commonly enjoyed during the celebration. Gingerbread cookies were a popular favourite, which led to a hands-on baking activity. The children worked together to make cookies using a simple recipe, taking turns to mix ingredients and follow instructions. During the process, they were encouraged to recall and think about quantities, such as how many cups of flour or brown sugar were needed. This helped them make connections to their numeracy skills in a real-life context.
Nursery/Reception Bilingual
Planning a Party: Songs, Treats and Gingerbread Fun This week’s focus on being a party planner encouraged children to explore the key elements that make a party enjoyable, with special attention to games and food. The food and celebration aspect of parties were a focus through a Christmas-themed activity. Children listened to songs and guessed the celebration, sang along, and shared their experiences of attending Christmas parties. They discussed what typically happens at such events, including the people, the types of food served, and the activities involved. This was followed by a creative activity decorating a gingerbread man, allowing children to express their creativity while connecting food with festive celebrations.
Year 1
The children learnt how to make no-cook play dough by carefully following the ingredients provided in our Culinary Lab session. They explored different textures and colours whilst working collaboratively with their group members to mix and create the dough together.
In Mathematics, the children are learning to understand that a whole can be split into two equal parts (halves) and to identify when a set is half-and-half using Numicon, manipulatable objects, and everyday objects. They have also been applying the concepts of halving and doubling in a variety of practical and engaging ways. As part of the activity, students built their own “half-and-half animals” using cubes. They counted the whole, split it into two groups by colour, and checked whether both groups were equal.
Year 1 & 2 Bilingual
In Year 1 CEB, the children have been joyfully learning about the importance of kindness and how small acts can make a big difference. They have been busy writing thoughtful kindness notes for their friends and feeling excited as they receive kind messages in return. This beautiful exchange has filled the classroom with smiles. It has been wonderful to see the children spreading cheer and making one another feel valued and appreciated.
CONTACT US
The Perse School (Singapore)
58 Chestnut Drive S679301
office@perse.edu.sg
+65 6233 2183
www.perse.edu.sg