Primary NEWS Week 8

PRIMARY
NEWS

MESSAGE FROM HEAD OF PRIMARY

KEPHREN SHERRY

Dear parents,

Somebody said to me this week, ‘primary teachers love a dress-up day’ and I couldn’t agree more!

Maybe it’s to share the joy of learning or to encourage reluctant learners; it could be to create collective memories for the children or to bring learning to life. Whatever the reason, dressing up to celebrate special days in school becomes a shared experience and strengthens our community. As the highly successful and engaging Science Week draws to a close, we conclude the week by dressing up in Science-themed costumes to celebrate our learning.

Moving into the new week, we continue our extended curriculum opportunities by inviting Neil Humphries into school to launch Book Week. Mr. Humphries is a children’s author based in Singapore and will be presenting to the children on Monday. He then returns to sell and sign his books as part of our Book Fair on Tuesday and Wednesday. The children are also invited to submit their ‘Book in a Box’ creations and bring them into school to take part in a competition. Last year, the creativity and innovation were highly impressive and I eagerly look forward to seeing the entries again this year. And of course, we finish Book Week by dressing up as our favourite book characters, because we love a dress-up day!

Kephren Sherry

Head of Primary School

JUNIOR
SCHOOL

MELANIE MEDHI

Assistant Head of Academics (Primary)

Year 3

Year 3 has had a fantastic week of Science learning! Students have explored the playground during a science scavenger hunt, spotting real-life examples of what we have been learning in class. Many classes have also been working collaboratively on “trash to treasure” projects, creating impressive masterpieces linked to topics from this year. A common theme across Year 3 has been habitats, with some brilliant ideas and creative outcomes. Some students also enjoyed lunchtime activities such as mini volcanoes, slime making and magic milk. We were also treated to an exciting science show on Wednesday, and some classes welcomed senior school visitors for in-class experiments!

Year 4

During Science Week, Year 4 became material scientists, investigating what makes the best hankie when you have a cold. The children compared a range of materials, including cotton fabric, newspaper, crepe paper, cotton wool and tissues, focusing on both absorbency and strength. They carefully controlled variables as they dripped coloured water onto each sample, then observed, measured and recorded how well each material soaked up the liquid and whether it tore. After analysing their results, the class agreed on the most effective “hankie” and discussed why real tissues are often designed to be used once and then thrown away.

Year 5

In Year 5 we are currently exploring animals, their habitats, how they adapt to environments and the relationships between animals. In our own classrooms, we will be finding out more about predator vs prey relationships, what changes over time have occurred for animals in certain environments and we will study Charles Darwin’s Galapagos Finches – seeing how their competitive environments meant they needed to evolve to survive. We have enjoyed a wonderfully planned science week, including nature walks, healthy habits, learning and transforming trash to treasure.

Year 6

Year 6 had an exciting and hands-on Science Week, exploring scientific ideas through practical activities. A highlight was designing and building solar ovens, where students investigated how sunlight can be used as an energy source. They also enjoyed watching senior students carry out live experiments, which inspired curiosity and deeper thinking. In addition, students created imaginative junk models using recycled materials, demonstrating creativity and engineering skills. A range of engaging presentations further broadened their understanding of science in the real world. Science Week encouraged students to think like scientists: asking questions, testing ideas, and learning through discovery.

PELICANS

ALEXANDRA SOUTHWELL

Pelicans Coordinator

The Pelicans have loved every minute of Science Week! Throughout the week, they enjoyed exciting lunchtime experiments with their teachers, transformed everyday trash into something truly amazing, and investigated fascinating questions through hands-on enquiry. It has been wonderful to see such fantastic collaboration across the classes – even Bertie Bee was very impressed!

Our Nursery and Reception students also had a fantastic time visiting the Oceanarium on Friday. They were amazed by colourful tropical fish, graceful rays gliding overhead, shimmering shoals moving in perfect unison, and even some impressive sharks cruising past the glass. The visit brought their learning to life and sparked lots of curiosity and excitement.

We also saw some incredible Science-themed costumes from both students and staff – thank you for all the creativity and effort. We are now looking forward to Book Week next week, with another dress-up day on Friday!

Thank you to everyone who has responded to the Phonics Showcase morning on Tuesday 3rd March. We are excited to share how our children learn to read and to explore ways you can continue to support their reading journey at home.

Here’s a sneak peek into what’s been happening with your little ones at school this week!

Nursery

The Nursery students arrived to a wild surprise in the classroom! There were muddy footprints and a huge mess leading all the way to our fruit basket. An apple had a big bite taken out of it, and some oranges had been peeled. Who could it be? The children quickly put on their detective hats and discovered that the footprints belonged to animals. To make things even more mysterious, there was a poster in the classroom announcing that some animals had escaped from the zoo! The Nursery students excitedly searched around the school for clues, working together to solve the mystery. It was such a fun and engaging investigation — and the perfect entry point to our new unit on Animals!

Reception

Reception children explored hands-on experiments, including creating their very own robot hands and investigating how they move. They were captivated by an engaging science show that sparked curiosity and lots of thoughtful questions. During our scavenger hunt, the children worked together to observe, problem-solve, and search for hidden scientific clues around the school.

We ended the week with our water-themed Oceanarium trip, where the children immersed themselves in learning about marine life and ocean habitats, deepening their understanding of the world around them.

Nursery/Reception Bilingual

Science Week – Floating Boats Challenge

This week for Science Week, our class explored the big question: “How do we keep a boat from sinking?” Inspired by the story Who Sank My Boat?, the children began thinking like young scientists.

Using recycled and “junk” materials, they worked creatively to design and build their own boats that they believed would stay afloat. Before building, the children shared their ideas, made predictions, discussed their hypotheses, and even did some simple research to support their thinking.

Each child created a boat they felt confident would float—and now it’s time to put their ideas to the test! On Friday, we will be conducting an experiment to see which boats stay afloat, and we look forward to testing their hypotheses together with parents.

It has been wonderful to see their curiosity, problem-solving skills, and teamwork shine throughout this exciting challenge!

Year 1

This week, Year 1 students explored the concept of money, examining a range of currencies in both notes and coins. They carefully observed the different features, including symbols, images and security markings, and learned how to identify which country the notes were from. They were especially surprised to discover that many of the coins were older than they are!

We also took a closer look at the currency used in Singapore, identifying the different notes and coins in circulation. The children enjoyed comparing sizes, colours and designs, and are becoming more confident in recognising and talking about money in the world around them.

Year 2

This week, children have been busy exploring all things Science-related! They have explored activities hosted by the Junior School students as well as experiments with other members of staff. A firm favourite was the frozen rescue challenge, where children tested different ways to melt the ice and save the animals!

Year 1 & 2 Bilingual

Year 1 – This week we play card games to help us with flexible maths thinking. Playing games like this also helps us practice turn taking, playing by the rules and being a good loser. We also loved all of our Science Week activities.