Principal's Message

Dear Students, Parents, and Partners,

Happy New Year! Welcome to an exciting new academic year at Sengkang Green Primary School. This year is particularly special as Singapore celebrates SG60—marking 60 years of independence. SG60 gives us a chance to reflect on the shared values that have shaped our nation—multiculturalism, boldness, resilience, and openness. These values inspire us to work together in building Singapore’s future. Reflecting this spirit, our school theme, “Becoming a Future-ready Learner”, encourages us all to embrace growth, innovation, and collaboration as we prepare for the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Reflecting on 2024

Last year, our school focused on “Becoming a Future-ready Learner – Promoting Holistic Health”, encouraging SKGians to prioritise their physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being, alongside Cyber Wellness. These foundational aspects of holistic health remain critical as we prepare our students for the challenges of an ever-changing world.

Our Theme for 2025: "Becoming a Future-ready Learner – Learning with Technology"

Building on the importance of holistic health, we are now shifting our focus to “Becoming a Future-ready Learner – Learning with Technology” as our school theme for 2025. Technology is changing the way we learn, work, and live, and it is vital for our students to use it effectively, safely, and responsibly. This year, we aim to help SKGians develop critical, adaptive, and inventive thinking skills, empowering them to navigate challenges with confidence and creativity in a fast-paced, digital world.

At Sengkang Green, we believe that learning with technology should go hand-in-hand with building connections and fostering collaboration. These skills, aligned with our school’s mission, allow students to learn meaningfully and contribute to their communities. By mastering these competencies, our SKGians will not only enhance their learning but also be well-prepared to serve both now and in the future.

Learning Beyond Boundaries

Technology opens doors to global learning experiences and new perspectives. For example, last year, some of our students connected with peers from Ban Mai School in Hanoi, Vietnam, through online conferencing, guided by their teachers. These meaningful exchanges demonstrate how technology can help our students build friendships and learn beyond the classroom.

Harnessing the Student Learning Space (SLS)

The Student Learning Space (SLS), provided by MOE, is a platform that supports independent and collaborative learning with technology. One of its features, the Language Feedback Assistant for English (LangFA-EL), uses Artificial Intelligence to support writing skills. For example:

·         LangFA-EL provides helpful feedback, like a peer editor, guiding students to improve grammar and clarity, especially during process writing.

·         Teachers can activate LangFA-EL at various stages—planning, drafting, or revising—encouraging students to learn from mistakes without fear.

·         LangFA-EL is meant to complement and ride on existing teaching and learning practices and makes the use of writing assignments on SLS more meaningful.

Through tools like SLS, our SKGians can explore technology in a safe and enriching way, preparing them for the future.

Technology is not everything

While technology is an important part of learning, it is not the only approach. At Sengkang Green, we believe in using a variety of teaching methods to provide a well-rounded education. Technology should enhance, not replace, traditional ways of learning, ensuring that our SKGians have a well-rounded educational experience that fosters quality outcomes.

As we explore ways to better equip our SKGians with digital literacy skills, we are mindful that digital learning must be developmentally appropriate and introduced gradually. Lower primary students learn best through concrete, hands-on experiences and meaningful interactions with teachers and friends. Therefore, they do not require extensive use of devices. As our SKGians progress to the upper primary levels, the frequency of device usage increases, under the guidance and supervision of their teachers and parents to ensure purposeful and safe learning.

The Importance of Cyber Wellness

As we embrace technology, it is essential to nurture strong values and good habits in our students. This year, we will continue to emphasise Cyber Wellness, helping SKGians grow into:

·         Responsible digital citizens who treat others with respect and use technology ethically.

·         Individuals who manage screen time effectively, maintaining a healthy balance between online and offline activities.

Our Cyber Wellness programme follows a spiral approach, teaching age-appropriate content over the six primary school years. This ensures that our SKGians gain a deep understanding of how to use technology as a tool for learning while safeguarding their overall well-being.

Partnership with Parents

Parents play a key role in guiding and supporting their children’s use of technology. By creating a positive home environment that blends technology with other meaningful activities, parents help their children grow holistically. Together, we can nurture happy, healthy learners who are ready to thrive in diverse educational settings.

As we begin this exciting journey, I invite all our SKGians, parents, teachers, and stakeholders to work hand-in-hand to make this year’s theme a success. Let us embrace the opportunities technology offers while staying mindful of its challenges. Together, we can build a supportive learning environment where every student flourishes.

Thank you for being an integral part of our school community. I look forward to an exciting year of learning, growth, and achievements!

Sincerely yours,

Gau Poh Teck
Principal
Sengkang Green Primary School