We wanted to inform you about some adjustments to our after school activities schedule on October 5th and 6th due to the upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences.

During these dates, there will be a temporary suspension of after-school activities, including CCAs, ACSIS Trainings, and Music Ensembles, to accommodate the conferences and ensure that teachers are available to meet with you.

However, please note that all Swimming Squads  will continue after school as scheduled on Thursday, 5th October. Additionally, the Junior Performance Squad will meet on Friday, 6th October in the morning.

Please be aware that on 5th, October after-school activity buses will not be available. If your child typically takes the activity bus, they will need to use the regular school bus service to get home.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in making these adjustments to our schedule during the Parent-Teacher Conferences. If you have any questions or need further information, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at eotc@nexus.edu.sg.

Thank you 

Education Outside The Classroom Team

What a busy two weeks we have had in Nursery! Last week, we participated in Care for World Week. We discussed the things we do to look after our environment and in Nursery that often means our immediate environment. The learners referred to how we look after the Nursery space and each other using our essential agreement. “We work together in a team and help each other” and “We share the resources and take turns”.  We joined in the school Climbathon, navigating a trail through the Nursery and Kindergarten playground. It was hard work climbing up and over the mound, and we talked about how children in Nepal have to walk a very long way to get to school. It was a very warm day, and we were all glad to have a drink of cold water when we finished. “I’m looking after my body”, one learner commented, making an authentic connection to Global Goal 3 - Good Health and Well-Being.

We finished the week by celebrating International Dot Day with the whole school community. Using mixed media, the learners worked together creatively to make a ginormous colourful dot. They all contributed by printing with sponges, cardboard tubes, glueing, and sticking collage on top. It is now on show in our dining area, where everyone can admire it.

This week we invited parents and caregivers to our first ‘Stay and Play’ session of the year. The children were excited and independently guided their visitors around the learning space. The morning was filled with fun and laughter and of course, the serious business of learning through play. We are very grateful to our wonderful, supportive families for joining us.

It’s been a busy few weeks in Kindergarten. Last week we celebrated our Care for World Movement across the school. This linked beautifully with our Unit of Inquiry where Kindergarten learners have been using their senses to explore the world around them. The learners in Kindergarten took full opportunity of the invitation to think about and be more caring towards our world and were busy in the Early Years garden.  They harvested some of the plants and flowers that had been planted last year. We were even lucky enough to be able to taste a fresh papaya that we picked from our garden. We have also been taking advantage of the free supply of mint and lemongrass outside during our daily mindfulness sessions. The adults in the environment have been supporting them in developing their sustainability principles and the children are constantly being reminded of  how their actions can directly impact the world around them. 

Kindergarten also demonstrated resilience and determination when they took part in a mini climbathon last Wednesday as part of the Care for World Movement. Inspired by the Pipal Tree Project in Nepal, We learned about and discussed some of the challenges that the children living on the mountains face each day. We completed our  Care for World week with a whole-school Dot Day Celebration where we expressed our creativity through art activities and our individuality in our dotty attire. 

We are looking forward to having our parents here very soon for the upcoming Kindergarten Stay and Play session ( September 28th) .

This week we were excited to see a seamless connection with Global Goal number 3, 'Good Health and Well-Being’ and our unit of inquiry exploring how choices influence our wellbeing. The connections made when discussing big concepts such as sustainability, equality, and our global responsibility, has been inspiring, as the learners have made pledges on how they themselves could take action to help achieve these goals. It's heartening to witness our learners embracing their roles as responsible global citizens, even at such a young age. 

Additionally, we celebrated International Dot Day, inspired by the book ‘The Dot’ by Paul H. Reynolds, which encourages the development of a growth mindset and taking risks. The learners listened to the story of Vashti explore her creativity and build confidence as she tried something new and challenging. They then went on to engage with a range of creative activities across the learning spaces. This celebration further highlights our commitment to nurturing not only academic growth but also the development of essential life skills and values in our learners. 

As we continue our journey, we look forward to our first field trip to the Jacob Ballas Children's Gardens next week! We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all those who have generously put their names forward to support this outing. Your willingness to assist is greatly appreciated, and we are excited about the experiences and learning opportunities this trip will bring to our Year 1 learners.  On Friday 29th September at 8.35 -9.05am 1B and 1G will be sharing our learning in our first assembly. Families from these two classes are welcome to join us in the auditorium. 1P and 1R will have an assembly in Term 2.

What a fantastic way to end the Who we are unit of inquiry with our Mini Exhibition this week. The learners proudly showcased their understanding of “Our choices affect our health” by showing their families some of the learning engagements they participated in. For example, the traffic light reflection encouraged learners to consider emotional, social and physicial health choices they will stop making, continue making and start making; the balanced lunch boxes, made from modelling clay, displayed their understanding of a balanced diet and the workout videos demonstrated an understanding of being active. Thank you to the families for taking the time to celebrate your child’s learning journey with them. We look forward to more events involving parents as the year continues. 

Last week the school celebrated Care for World Week, aligning with our commitment to nurturing global citizens. The Year 2 learners were introduced to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals when they participated in the Climbathon and learned more from Mr Paul during assembly. Encouraging responsibility and responsiveness at this age can be challenging, however some classes were able to think of choices they can make to help reduce consumption and donate to charities to help those in need. 

We also celebrated International Dot Day, coming to school dressed up in dots and spots! This is an important annual event as it boosts confidence and encourages creativity, inspired by Peter H. Reynold’s book, “The Dot”. We spent the afternoon being creative with dots in a variety of ways and celebrating uniqueness as well as mistakes. 

Well done to the Year 2 learners for participating in the Fun Run event on Tuesday. It was HOT and all the learners put in a great effort whilst also linking to our UOI about being active and hydrating our bodies. 

As part of Care for the World Week, Year 3 had an action-packed week that culminated in a fantastic celebration of International Dot Day, where our learners looked absolutely amazing adorned in their dots. Additionally, the Climbathon proved to be a resounding success, with our students demonstrating their determination and commitment by completing as many rounds as they could to support the Pipal Tree Charity.

The most exciting highlight from Year 3 this week was the Cultural Festival, which took place on Monday. This event was a pivotal component of our new Unit of Inquiry (UOI), titled 'Cultures are Reflected through the Arts.' Parents were warmly invited to participate in this special occasion, sharing their diverse cultures with our eager learners. This served as a thought-provoking experience, igniting the curiosity of our learners about various art forms from around the world. Each learner carried a 'passport,' which they had to get 'stamped' at every country they visited. It was an absolute blast, and our parent volunteers went above and beyond to ensure our children had an unforgettable learning experience.

Looking ahead to next week, Year 3 is gearing up for an exciting visit to the Asian Civilisation Museum, where they will delve deeper into exploring different cultural art forms. Armed with the knowledge and experiences gained, our learners will be well-prepared to take action in the second half of the unit as part of their own inquiry.

Over recent weeks Year 4 have inquired into the Central Idea of 'informed choices support wellbeing'.  This led us to explore 5 aspects of the 'wellbeing wheel', one element being 'environmental wellbeing'.  Learner discussed how their own wellbeing was impacted by the environment around them.  Points raised by our Year 4 learners ranged from how much they appreciate a safe environment; how some yearned for more natural countryside and felt sad when visiting beaches that are littered with plastic.  Care for World Week has given us the opportunity to explore ways that we take action in order to make a difference. Learners were challenged to take some simple sustainable actions such as picking up litter, turning off lights and air-con when a room is not in use and using paper thoughtfully - little actions that can go a long way.

Recently we welcomed four Year 11 learners to our pod who gave a great presentation about issues brought about by food waste. They left us with the challenge of reducing our food waste at lunch time. This gave us food for thought.

During the week we had some great examples of more innovative actions such as a learner who decided to set up his own library in order to share his love of reading by lending our his own books! A fantastic initiative.

We hope Year 4 learners will continue to develop ways to successfully manage their own wellbeing alongside taking small action to support the wellbeing of the planet. 

Care for World Week complemented our unit of inquiry, 'Peace and Conflict exist within and between communities'.  Engagements have encouraged application of creative and critical thinking skills, as learners have designed conflict scenarios, communicating a range of strategies that anyone could use to solve a conflict. Examples include: being calm first, ignore or walk away, find a win-win solution, share or take turns, use an i-message, compromise, ask for help, listen with an open heart, say words that mean no and apologise. Our goal is to actively use these strategies to maintain peace in the different communities that we all belong to. 

A group of Year 11 learners visited some of our Year 5 classes this week. They were participating in action, by advocating for less food waste. This is a problem in some countries and communities. We are now more aware of how we can make thoughtful food choices that reduce waste and increase sustainability. 

Recently 5P led a special assembly connected to Gratitude. The purpose of their presentation was to spread awareness of what gratitude is, how we can demonstrate it and how it makes us feel. Being grateful and giving thanks to each other, are ways we can show compassion to others. We encourage our Nexus community to spread gratitude world wide, by connecting with others in our global community.  

The 21st September was both Gratitude and World Peace Day. Through conversations and discussions Year 5 connected their understanding of how peace is encouraged and supported internationally. The United Nations are an example of an organisation who take action in ways that support peace, security, better living standards and human rights. Year 5 encourage everyone to extend these celebration days, into each day. How can you show others that you are thankful or grateful? You could: say thank you in person, make them something special, give of your time by helping, write them a card, note, email or letter. This would make someone smile and feel appreciated. 

It's been a fantastic week as Year 6 continues to delve into 'Where We Are In Time and Place.'  Last week we had the opportunity to engage in a number of external providers with Orca Nation and the Green Collective where we explored Life below Water and Life on Land. We learnt how educational outreach programmes allow all of us to take action and change our lifestyle choices for better.

This week we were fortunate enough to have some Year 11 learners share with us concerns and ways to more forward relating to cultural diversity. As we explore our own inquiries, we have found that in the past, different people have been treated unfairly over time. To find ways in which to make positive change, we are now shifting our focus to action and the design process to put our newfound knowledge into practice. Language Arts lessons are aligned with our Unit of Inquiry. Students are exploring both chronological and non-chronological reports, enhancing their communication skills while delving deeper into the historical context of our unit. In mathematics, we're sharpening our mental addition and subtraction strategies. Our learning are discovering the power of numbers, learning to choose the best strategy for each situation. 

As we continue our Year 6 journey, we appreciate your ongoing support to develop our learner profile attributes and approaches to learning which will allow us to succeed throughout the course of the year.