National Day

Innova Primary School was a vibrant hub of patriotic spirit and unity on August 8th as it joyously celebrated National Day. The entire school community, both students and staff, embraced the patriotic theme by wearing red and white tops, symbolizing their pride for the nation. Under the overarching theme for National Day 2023, 'Onwards As One,' the celebration kicked off with a captivating marching contingent that paraded in the school's parade square. The recollection was accompanied by the heartfelt rendition of 'My People, My Home,' a patriotic anthem that resonated deeply with everyone present. Led by dedicated school prefects, Brownies, and Red Cross members, the marching contingent, bolstered by the participation of CCA leaders, embodied the essence of unity and togetherness.

The celebrations reached new heights with a creatively engaging classroom activity: the Upcycling project to Make Your Own (Tote) Bag (MYOB). The school community, including the Parent Support Group (PSG), joined hands to guide and assist young minds in crafting their tote bags from recycled T-shirts. This initiative seamlessly aligned with the National Day theme, 'Onwards As One,' by promoting sustainability and contributing to the vision of a Zero-Waste Nation. A remarkable achievement was recorded in the school's annals as they proudly documented the creation of 1,022 T-shirt tote bags, showcasing the collective commitment to progress and environmental responsibility.

As Singapore marked its 58th birthday, Innova Primary School's celebration continued to resonate with meaning and enthusiasm. A concert featuring different CCA groups added artistic flair to the event. Students not only showcased their talents but also paid homage to the country's history by singing past National Day Parade (NDP) songs. The grand finale encompassed a captivating rendition of the classic game 'Don't Forget the Lyrics' and the spirited National Day 2023 Dance. Undoubtedly, the students were immersed in a day filled with fun, patriotism, and cherished memories, encapsulating the essence of unity and progression that is integral to the spirit of National Day.

This year, our school celebrated National Day (ND) on 8 August with both staff and students donning on red tops. This year's theme is Stronger Together, Majulah!, a call for all Singaporeans to forge ahead as a united and strong people towards a better future. “Stronger Together” reminds everyone that unity in diversity is what makes all of us stronger.

This year, we had a face-to-face celebration, packed with meaningful activities, after 2 years of hosting the ND celebrations via Zoom. The staff and P1- P6 students gathered at the parade square to witness our own marching contingent formed by the CCA leaders, the Red Cross members, Brownies, and P5 EXCO prefects, led by the Parade commander, Mr Joel Chien.  It was followed by the recollection of how Singapore gained independence and our students, Josiah Chew, Chloe Choi and Celeste Choi leading “My People, My Home” song.

As part of the celebration, we included the Lockdown and Evacuation Exercise to heighten the awareness and importance of being prepared in times of emergency. These safety measures help teachers and students familiarize themselves with emergency procedures and it allows students to understand the procedures so that they can evacuate in a quick, calm and orderly manner.

To further hype up the celebratory spirit, a series of concert items were presented in the school hall with the staff, students as well as our Parent Support Group (iPSG) as live audience. The ND concert included the various SYF performances - The Harmonica CCA members playing the song, Di Tanjong Katong, followed by the Chinese Dance and Malay dance. We also had sing-a-long session led by our students and staff for the past NDP songs and the 2022 NDP dance led by the PE leaders. We ended the ND celebration with a pop of colourful confetti. Every student went home with 2 ND gifts from the school – a personalized tote bag and a fun pack consisting of mini Singapore flag, tattoo stickers and light sticks.

To ensure continual learning after the ND celebration, the students penned down their pledge for Singapore - work as a team to achieve a common goal and show care for the environment, during Social Studies lessons in the following few weeks. These pieces of jigsaw were fixed and displayed outside their classrooms. IPS staff, students and iPSG have made the ND celebration a fun and meaningful one. Through words and deeds, our Innova family had indeed demonstrated the ND theme this year: Stronger Together, IPS!

This year, our school celebrated National Day (ND) on 6 August based on the theme “Together, Our Singapore Spirit”. The theme highlighted our strength in supporting one another as we celebrated our second ND in IPS during the pandemic. 'Together' evokes our common Singapore identity and Singaporeans coming together as one united people. With the unity of Singaporeans and the Singapore Spirit, we ‘do not fear (and we) do not lose heart’ as ‘Singapore will not falter in its onward march’ (as stated by PM Lee in his National Day speech in 2020). 

We had the honour of hosting the ND celebration 2021 via Zoom with the students and teachers from Nanhai Guicheng Foreign Language School, our parent-support-group, parents and IPS students at home on SHN. The celebration began with our own virtual marching contingent by the Red Cross members, Brownies and prefects. It was followed by a video of the recollection of how Singapore gained independence through the hard work of our forefathers. 

To further hype up the celebratory spirit, a series of concert items were presented with the Harmonica CCA members playing the song, There’s a Part for Everyone. We also had our own Music Video by our students for the 2021 NDP song and a video compilation of different classes doing the 2021 NDP dance – Dance of the Nation, during their PE lessons. 

As part of the classroom activity, the students penned down birthday wishes for Singapore, which were then displayed outside their classrooms. Despite the challenges due to the pandemic, IPS staff and students made the ND celebration not only possible but also meaningful and we live up to the ND theme: Together, Our Singapore (and Innova) Spirit.