More Information about Character and Citizenship Education (CCE)

1. How does CTSS motivate our students to be self-directed learners?

The school believes that being self-directed is a very important disposition that the students must possess even after they graduate from the school.

Our efforts are channeled towards developing a positive attitude and mindset of continuous learning in students. After all, learning should not stop even when the teacher is not there; neither should learning stop when students graduate from school as lifelong learning is essential. Therefore, the school focuses on inculcating in our students the school values of adaptability, perseverance and responsibility. The opportunities for explicit teaching, adult role modeling and authentic application by students include cohort camps, CCA sessions, lessons in Character and Citizenship Education and Habits for Highly Effective Youths, as well as teachable moments in the course of academic learning.

2. My son is suffering from hearing loss and he is currently hearing through his cochlear implant and hearing aid. Does CTSS have any experience with hearing-impaired students in the school? Is there any support provided to assist a hearing-impaired student in his learning?

The school has hearing-impaired students and we have experience supporting them in their learning. Your child can be supported by a Satellite Team, comprising the Allied Educator (Learning and Behavioural Support), Year Head, 1 Buddy Teacher and 1 teacher trained in Special Needs. Do contact a school staff for further discussion when your child joins us.

3. What is CTSS doing or emphasising to develop students to become Global World Citizens? How does CTSS develop the students to think from the perspective of a child to a teenager and later an adult during the course of their education in CTSS?

As with all schools in Singapore, the students will undergo Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) lessons that will take them through Values Education, Cyberwellness, Sexuality Education, National Education, Family Education and Career Guidance. To develop the students to be aware of global and local issues, the teachers will focus on lessons regarding contemporary issues where the students will be encouraged to develop healthy perspective taking skills. The added feature in CTSS’ CCE lessons is The Highly Effective Youths (HEY) curriculum. The school believes in ‘taught and caught’ character education, and the students will be guided to develop the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Youths. These lessons will be reinforced in their Co-Curricular Activity, as well as Values-in-Action (VIA) projects. The school aims to prepare the students to be caring and concerned citizens, ready for the challenges of the unpredictable world.

An integral part of our students’ educational journey is the development of critical thinking skills, global and civic literacies as well as imbibing the values of empathy and respect for others. These competencies and values put them in good stead as they progress through teenage years to eventually adulthood.

Drawing from the example of learning the Humanities subjects, students are exposed to authentic sources that educate them about the various contemporary issues that Singapore and the world are facing today. The school also teaches the students the necessary critical thinking skills needed to discern the reliability of the sources that they are reading given the prevalence of fake news outlets found on the internet today. The lessons which involve more student-centred learning tasks encourage students to be more collaborative and critical thinkers. Through the acquisition of these competencies, the students are better prepared to thrive in this fast changing world.

4. What are the help and support given to students facing emotional or social issues pertaining to school friends or school matters?

The Student Development Team (SDT) comprising CTSS Year Heads (YHs) and Assistant Year Heads (AYHs) works closely with school staff to help students who face emotional and/or social issues. This includes providing counselling and special needs support for students. A student facing these concerns will be supported by a Satellite Team comprising his/her Co-Curricular Activity Parent (CCAP), teacher whom the child can relate better with, YH/AYH, Full Time School Counsellor and/or AED/LBS. The SDT also looks into training of the teachers’ capacities to support our students’ emotional and social well-being.

5. How do you support students that have emotional and learning issues? Do you have a full time counsellor in your school?

CTSS has a full time School Counsellor as well as an Allied Educator for Learning and Behavioral Support (AED/LBS). Both of them work closely with the teachers to support students through emotional and learning challenges.

6. What are the opportunities available for students for community engagement, or contributions back to society?

All students undertake Values-in-Action (VIA) projects with their class or their CCA. They will be involved in the planning and execution of the project, followed by the post-reflection of their learning.

In addition, the student leadership groups such as Student Council and National Education ambassadors will also champion some VIA projects to reach out to the community. The school also focuses on recycling and upcycling of the environment.

Thus there are opportunities for the students to help in the communities that they care about.