Grade 1

Dear Parents and Students,

A warm welcome to Grade 1! In Grade 1, we strive to create an environment where all children feel safe, secure and valued, where learning is an enjoyable and meaningful experience, and where everyone has the chance to realise their full potential. We aim to establish a ‘Community of Learners’ in the grade, where the children have opportunities to collaborate across the classes and where parents work in partnership with teachers to promote learning.

We have an exciting year of learning ahead of us. Our first Unit of Study is titled ‘Communities: Our Responsibilities’. The children will inquire into their classroom community. They will investigate ways in which they can make a positive impact on the wellbeing of both our Infant School community and the residents of our Local Service collaborating organisation, Happy Lodge. The children will be learning about effective ways to communicate so as to enhance their friendships.

Some of the many highlights of the Grade 1 calendar include Uniting Nations Day, Forest Adventure, ‘Love Your Lungs’ PE Challenge Day, Student-led Conferences, Learning Shares, Infant Aquatics Day and, of course, the Arts Festival, not to mention a number of interesting learning-focused field trips throughout the year.

Service is imbedded into the learning in Grade 1 and children participate in several ongoing Service projects. Through regular visits and interactions, we build a strong relationship with the residents of Happy Lodge, a home for the elderly in Tampines. The collaboration is extremely valuable and rewarding for all and the residents thoroughly enjoy our visits, particularly when we deliver our ‘Shoebox Project’ gifts at Chinese New Year! Reaching outside of Singapore, the Grade 1 children learn all about the Kuma School in Cambodia and how they can support this wonderful initiative.

For many children, the highpoint of Grade 1 is the sleepover, which takes place in Term 3. All the children sleep in their classroom for a night, along with the teachers and Teaching Assistants. The purpose of this event is to celebrate the (hopefully!) successful year and to give the children their first experience of Outdoor Education at UWCSEA and promote independence in this area.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time during the school year if you have any questions or queries, no matter how small.

Warm regards,

Karen Maheshwary
Head of Grade 1