PRIMARY
NEWS
A MESSAGE FROM OUR HEAD OF PRIMARY Junior School (Yr 3 – 6) & Pelicans (Nursery – Yr 2)
Dear Parents,
This week, I have been reflecting on the importance of parent partnerships and how valuable it is in creating a community of safety and trust for the children.
We had our inaugural International Day on Saturday, and I met with the PTA ahead of the event to discuss safety aspects within the broader context of safeguarding. It was so comforting to establish a shared conversation around how we can keep our children safe at all times: whether it is during the school day, on local transport travelling to and from school, and even at weekends during special events on the campus. We all want to establish the most robust systems to ensure community safety. We also revisited the issue of road safety around the school, and how we can educate children with consistent messages and reminders. We all have a shared responsibility and duty of care to keep them safe
More parent partnerships were evident during the preparation for our recent Japanese event. Parents volunteered their time to help with costumes and props to help create a truly memorable event. For the help and support we received – Arigato Gozaimasu! We welcome further parent involvement in upcoming events and trips, so please do look out for any messages of request from your child’s form teacher and reach out if you are interested. I also look forward to welcoming you soon to the Sports Days for Pelicans and Juniors, which, witnessing the house chant rehearsals, promises to be filled with energy, passion and teamwork. Please feel free to wear the colours of your child’s house team on the day!
Wishing you a safe weekend ahead.
Kephren Sherry
Head of Primary School
Pastoral Primary School News
MRS STELLA RAINALTER
Assistant Head of Primary (Pastoral)
Year 5 and 6 Educational Talks - Puberty and Development.
Last week, our Year 5 and Year 6 students took part in a Puberty Talk sessions led by myself and Mr Metherell, with Form Teachers joining the sessions as additional support for the students. Boys and girls attended separate sessions to help create a comfortable, respectful, and safe environment where children could engage openly and confidently. The Year 5 and Year 6 sessions were planned separately, with the depth and content of discussions carefully adapted to be age-appropriate and relevant to each year group.
The learning objectives of the session were to help students understand the physical and emotional changes that happen during puberty, recognise that these changes are a normal part of growing up, and provide accurate, age-appropriate information about how their bodies develop. The sessions also focused on supporting students in managing changes with confidence, promoting respect for themselves and others, and encouraging them to ask appropriate questions and seek support from trusted adults when needed.
The students engaged thoughtfully throughout the session and showed maturity in their participation. Many students contributed positively to discussions, listened respectfully to one another, and reflected carefully on the topics shared. To help students feel more comfortable asking sensitive questions, they were also given opportunities to write anonymous questions on post-it notes, which allowed for open and honest discussion in a supportive environment.
We were pleased to see the students approach the sessions with curiosity, respect, and maturity, and we hope the experience has helped them feel more informed, reassured, and confident as they continue to grow and develop.
JUNIOR
SCHOOL
MELANIE MEDHI
Junior School Assistant Head (Academics, Yr 3 – Yr 6)
Kodomo Matsuri —
Japanese Children's Day!
Japanese Language Specialist
On Tuesday 5th May, the school came alive with colour, movement and the beat of taiko drums from Japanese Association Singapore as we celebrated Kodomo Matsuri — Japanese Children’s Day.
From our youngest Nursery and Reception children performing their Ebikanics crab dance, to Year 1’s energetic Japanese Alphabet Ninja moves, Year 2’s charming play explaining the traditions of Children’s Day, and Years 3 and 4 with their Naruto silhouette dance and we all learnt how to do the ninja hand gestures — every year group had their moment to shine.
The afternoon culminated in a brilliant finale: Year 5-7 girls delivered a beautiful Bon Odori dance to the song “Suzume,” while Year 5-6 boys presented a wonderful large-brush Japanese calligraphy performance accompanied by live taiko drumming.
Students painted Perse School Values, making the moment truly special. They also visited the Yatai food stall in the foyer, offering a tasty glimpse of a Japanese festival market and creative a wonderful immersive experience.
We are incredibly proud of every student who performed, created and celebrated.
5月5日の子ども祭りにご参加いただきありがとうございました。子どもたちの歌、踊り、劇、そして書道のパフォーマンスは、子どもたちを始め、皆様にとっても忘れられないパースでの特別な思い出となることを願っております。
“Thank you for joining us for Kodomo Matsuri on 5th May. The singing, dancing, drama and calligraphy made it a truly unforgettable day and a special memory at Perse that will be with you for a very long time.”
ありがとうございました。また来年！ Thank you, and we will be back again next year!
The Bullpen – Year 6
Entrepreneurs showcase their ideas Shark Tank Style!
Yr 6A Form Teacher
The Bullpen is The Perse School (Singapore)’s flagship Year 6 entrepreneurship showcase. Students pitch original business ideas to a panel of judges in a high-energy, Shark Tank-style environment. Working in teams, students identify real-world problems, develop creative solutions, and present their ideas with confidence, research and professionalism. More than just a business competition, the Bullpen develops communication, teamwork, critical thinking and resilience — giving students the chance to take ownership of their ideas and step into the role of young entrepreneurs.
It is always a highlight of the school year and a brilliant celebration of student voice, creativity and ambition.
Our judges faced a tough decision!
And the awardees were:
1st – Izzy, Immy, Amie, Charity, Emma (Atlas Dining)
2nd – Olivia, Lora, Rumaisa, Pauline, Isla (Style Pets)
3rd – Christian, Yuna, Naohiro, Adam, Candy (Highlights)
Well done everyone for participating, putting your ideas forward and presenting!
Year 4’s packed their bags for
a retreat to Pasir Ris!
Primary School Teacher Yr 4A Junior School Science Lead Yr4 Lead Teacher
Last week, our Year 4 students packed their bags and headed to Pasir Ris for their overnight camp at TeeSide Chalet — and what an adventure it was.
From team challenges to moments of quiet independence, the two days were packed with experiences designed to help students grow in confidence, build friendships and discover a little more about themselves along the way.
We couldn’t be prouder of every single one of them. Here’s a glimpse of the camp through their own eyes.
1. What was the most exciting activity at camp and why?
Anna, 4B – Decorating a hat because you can add patterns and you can draw anything you like. Rayansh, 4C – Rafting, I loved it because I got to go to the beach and I love the beach. Arthur, 4A – Rafting, because it made me more creative. Zoe, 4D – I like the stations at camp on day two when we got to take photos on the polaroid camera, play in the playground, and I even got to play a little game of volleyball. I really enjoyed it because I had fun!
2. Did anything surprise you or turn out to be harder than expected?
Anna, 4B – Yes, rafting turned out more harder than expected because tying knots were hard. Arthur, 4A – Yes the rafting because building it was almost impossible and I knew it would be fun. Rayansh, 4C – Yes it was the rafting because to make a good raft you need to press on the tyre to tie it to the pole and the tyre was hard. Zoe, 4D – I thought that paddling the raft would be pretty easy but it was actually really hard to paddle.
3. What is one thing you learned about yourself at camp?
Anna, 4B – I enjoyed and learned about making new friends because you can play with them. Arthur, 4A – That I am creative. Rayansh, 4C – Rafting, I love rafting. Zoe, 4D – I learned that I can’t tie a knot properly when it came to building a raft and that I am not that good at the game Trivia questions.
4. What would you tell a friend who is nervous about going to camp next year?
Anna, 4B – I would tell them to pretend it is their home. Rayansh, 4C – Don’t be nervous it’s fun. Arthur, 4A -That it might sound scary but it is very relaxing. Zoe, 4D – I would say it’s ok to be nervous. I was really nervous when I had my first sleep over too.
5. Did you make any new friends or discover something new about an old friend?
Arthur, 4A – no. Anna, 4B – Yes, I have made new friends and I discovered my friends were much braver. Rayansh, 4C – Yes, some of my friends hate sand because it goes into their shoes and irritates their feet. Zoe, 4D – I made friends with the people in my chalet. They were really nice to me, they even asked if I wanted to play a game of tag.
6. If you could add one an activity to camp next year, what would it be and why?
Zoe, 4C – I think a game of tug. Anna, 4B – It will be a disco party and then we could put music on. Rayansh, 4C – Tug of war because it teaches us teamwork. Arthur, 4A – Banana boat because they are really fun.
PELICANS
ALEXANDRA SOUTHWELL
Pelicans Co-ordinator (Nursery to Yr 2)
As we move further into this term, it has been wonderful to see the enthusiasm and engagement across Nursery to Year 2. The children have approached their learning with curiosity, confidence and growing independence, and we are incredibly proud of the progress they continue to make each day.
This week, the children have completed a range of assessments which will help us celebrate their achievements and identify the next steps in learning. These assessments are a valuable opportunity for us to provide targeted support and give every child a strong final push as we move towards the end of the academic year. We look forward to sharing and celebrating their continued success with you.
A gentle reminder that, after school, teachers are engaged in ECAs, meetings and other school responsibilities and are therefore unable to supervise children on the school grounds. Once children have been collected, we kindly ask that parents continue to supervise them closely and encourage them to make their way home promptly, rather than remaining on site to play with equipment or run through corridors.
Thank you for your support in helping us maintain a safe and calm environment for all.
Best Regards
Alexandra Southwell
Pelicans Co-ordinator
Nursery
Our Nursery friends practised their jumping skills while learning about the letter j. They jumped up high to grab the letter j pegged onto a rope and then practised jumping over the “sleeping snake” to retrieve the letter j cards!
Year 1
English
The children explored the world of fantasy stories and discussed the difference between places that are real and places that are imaginary. Through shared discussions and storytelling activities, they discovered how authors use their imagination to create magical and exciting settings.
The children then worked together to create and label maps of their own imaginary lands. They brainstormed creatively as a class and came up with many imaginative names for their fantasy places, inspired by magical forests, hidden kingdoms, sparkling rivers, and mysterious castles. The activity encouraged the children to develop their speaking, listening, and creative thinking skills whilst sharing ideas collaboratively with their peers.
Maths
This week, students explored the concept of halves through fun and hands-on activities using interlocking cubes. The children created “half-and-half” animals using different coloured cubes and learned how to divide a whole into two equal parts.
Students first counted the total number of cubes and then split them into two groups by colour. They carefully checked whether both groups were equal, helping them understand that half means two equal parts.
To further develop their understanding, students used small objects such as bees and beehives to solve simple word problems. Through these activities, they practiced finding halves of quantities in an engaging and meaningful way.
The children enjoyed learning through play while building their confidence in early math’s concepts.
Year 1 & 2 Bilingual
Our Y1 CEB children have created a wonderful Farmers’ Market role-play area just outside our classroom, with fantastic support and teamwork from the Y2 CEB children. Using scrap paper, recycled materials, and tape, they carefully designed and made their own fruits and vegetables, along with colourful posters to bring the space to life.
This meaningful learning experience beautifully connects with our class project as well as our science learning about alive, once alive, and never lived. It has been wonderful to see playful learning in action, with children taking ownership of their ideas, developing their writing skills, collaborating as a team, and most importantly, having fun while learning.
The children also took part in a fresh food tasting session, exploring raw carrots, cucumber, and celery. They used their senses to describe and record what the vegetables looked like, smelled like, felt like, and tasted like. There were lots of thoughtful observations, curious conversations, and plenty of smiles along the way.
CONTACT US
The Perse School (Singapore)
58 Chestnut Drive S679301
office@perse.edu.sg
+65 6233 2183
www.perse.edu.sg