Dear Primary Families

Term 2 is well underway now.

Thank you again to all the families who attended our Nexus Digi 101 workshop last week. As we continue to explore appropriate digital citizenship, it's important to create a shared understanding. The home-school relationship plays a pivotal role in fostering digital citizenship, providing a foundation for children to navigate the complexities of the online world responsibly and ethically. Parents and educators working together can create a supportive environment where children learn to use technology safely, critically, and creatively.

Some Key Steps for Home

• Model responsible digital behaviour: Even our youngest children can learn from our example.

• Set guidelines: As children get older, establish clear rules for online behaviour. Consider using a Family Online Usage Essential Agreements as a starting point (we can help with this).

• Monitor internet usage: If you need help adjusting your child's device settings to limit internet access, please reach out to our Primary Digital Coach, Ms. Stephanie Thompson.

• Limit messaging contacts: More info below.

Linked to this final point is a message I have shared before but believe it’s worth repeating. We continue to see concerns and issues coming from social media and messaging applications or services. 

We don't recommend that primary learners have access to any social media or unmoderated messaging applications. 

It is very easy for conversations online to filter back into school and have a significant negative impact on the learners involved. Both Apple's family sharing and WhatsApp have tools for you to manage your child's contacts list and we can help you set these up.

We recommend that you limit your child's contacts to ensure that they are not able to join large group chats, which is where we observe many online problems occurring. If you want to start a conversation about the use of social media with your child, we've found these sites, The Smart Talk  and Common Sense Media, to be useful resources.

We're committed to strengthening our connection with parents in this area. Please don't hesitate to share your thoughts or ask questions. Ultimately, the home-school relationship is a partnership that can equip children with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to thrive in the digital age. By working together, I hope we can help children become responsible, ethical, and engaged digital citizens.

In our News from the Year Groups this week, our teams have shared some of the ways they reinforce the need for responsible use of devices and digital skills, while keeping our learners relevant in todays digital world - please take a look.

Have a lovely weekend

Warm regards

Ms Fiona

Head of Primary

In Nursery and Kindergarten, we responsibly and meaningfully incorporate technology and digital skills to enhance children’s learning experiences in an age-appropriate way. The transdisciplinary nature of our learning allows us to deliberately and sequentially expose children to relevant digital life skills. We document the children’s learning through photographs, videos and voice recordings, which are shared through the Seesaw platform as ‘a window’ into the classroom. This generates authentic connections and conversations about learning between home and school.  We begin to teach the learners how to take photographs, thinking about subject and position. Learning to take photographs and record voices not only introduces technical skills but also provides opportunities for children to express their thoughts, ideas, and emotions in a meaningful way. For example, sharing their home learning on the interactive boards and presenting to an audience.  Later in the year, the learners are introduced to pre-code conceptual thinking through hands-on physical play experiences with code-apillars and beebots. In the environment, the children can experiment with a range of technological resources such as torches, telephones, cash registers and keyboards. In Nursery, we follow the children’s interests and use the iPads to find out more information, building on their prior knowledge. Most recently in Kindergarten, the learners voiced a digital retelling of the story by Michael Rosen's ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’. 

As part of our commitment to the 3 Rs—Relevant, Resilient, and Responsible, we are thoughtfully integrating digital tools into our Year 1 curriculum. Our goal is to build essential digital skills while nurturing responsible device use in our young learners, connecting their learning journey with meaningful technology. In class, this is using educational applications tailored to our Year 1 goals. Each application has been carefully selected to complement our curriculum while fostering specific skills. 

Todo Maths: supports number work in an engaging interactive format, grasps foundational maths skills and develops their confidence in counting, addition, and subtraction. Reading Eggs: provides a structured approach to reading, focusing on sounds, letters, and word recognition.
Epic: a digital library tailored to each child’s reading ability. With diverse topics and reading levels, learners can explore stories, non-fiction, and picture books suited to their interests and skill levels, fostering a love of reading. In addition to using these applications, our class is learning about responsible digital behaviour. We emphasise the importance of balance and respect while using devices, helping learners to understand that technology is a tool to enhance their learning experience. 

We also encourage self-management where they learn to manage their screen time and take turns with devices. Through structured activities and routines, they understand when to engage with technology and when to participate in other forms of learning. This balance helps cultivate self-discipline and awareness of responsible technology use. We believe that by developing both digital and personal responsibility, learners will become confident, and self-disciplined knowing how to  use technology meaningfully and thoughtfully.

Save the date for our Sustainable Christmas Exhibition: Thursday, 5th December.

Year 2 learners use technology in a variety of ways. At the start of the academic year, Ms Stephanie, our Primary Digital Learning Coach, visited each class to discuss the acceptable use of iPads, linking to the 3Rs: Respectful, Responsible, and Reflective. With these principles integrated across all areas, learners are developing their digital skills and fluency. In Language Arts and Units of Inquiry, tools like Pebble Go and EPIC support research skills, encouraging learners to safely navigate digital resources and explore topics independently, in small groups and with teachers. Learners recorded videos and took photos as they interviewed members of the school community, ensuring they sought permission first. Reading Eggs aids in phonics and reading development, while TODO Maths boosts number knowledge in engaging, interactive ways. Through Seesaw, learners reflect on their learning and complete activities, building digital responsibility as they share their progress with families and teachers. During the first unit of inquiry, learners reflected on balancing screen time by analysing the daily activities of Nexus Bear and persuading her to reconsider her screen time use.

We encourage families to reinforce these skills at home by discussing how to be respectful, responsible, and reflective when using technology, fostering habits that build lifelong digital citizenship skills.

In Year 3, we are focused on developing the 3Rs—Respect, Responsibility, and Resilience—particularly through responsible and meaningful technology use. Learners are learning to approach technology thoughtfully, discovering how it can be a valuable tool for creativity and learning.

Learners are also currently crafting their own myths and to enhance their writing process. Learners have been using an AI tool as a creative assistant, discovering how it can inspire and support their storytelling ideas. This integration of AI has added an exciting, modern dimension to our myth-writing project, empowering learners to use technology in new and imaginative ways.

A recent highlight was our visit from The Finger Players Puppet Theatre, where learners learned about using puppetry to tell powerful stories. This hands-on experience has sparked excitement, especially as the learners will have the option to publish their final myths through puppetry, bringing their stories to life in a uniquely expressive way.

We encourage families to discuss how technology can be used as a tool to help enhance learning and how they most enjoy using it in class.

Finally, Year 3 are excited to see families on Wednesday 13th November at our Year 3 Cultural Performance in the MPH!

Our Primary Years Programme is a fantastic platform for the 3 Rs—Relevant, Resilient, and Responsible, to be explored and developed. Our current Unit of Inquiry is focused on the migration of people. Learners have recently interviewed their families and are now writing a diary from their parent's perspective. The information they have gathered is relevant to them and helps them to appreciate the journey their family members have experienced.

At Nexus, we know that making mistakes helps us to learn and become more resilient. In Maths, learners have been developing their problem solving skills as they calculate elapsed time and interpret questions, tables and calendars. This has encouraged them to think critically as they apply strategies and check to see if their reasoning and answers make sense.

Collaborative learning helps us to learn successfully and develop social and communication skills. It requires learners to take responsibility for their role in a group and consider how they can contribute to the overall outcome. Last week, Ms Serene shared tips and tricks for efficient note taking. In pairs, learners then analysed a text identified the main idea and details together. This required identification of keywords, listening, discussion and writing of their notes. Everyone became expert note takers and learnt more about the migration stories of other people. 

A growth mindset and never give up attitude is an important part of our 3Rs too. Learners in Year 4 are supported as they embrace challenge, persevere and celebrate their journey and successes. 

'It's not that I'm so smart,  I just stay with problems longer.' ~Albert Einstein

Throughout the year, we have focused on developing with learners the importance of the 3Rs—Respect, Responsibility, and Readiness—especially in their use of digital devices. We are integrating digital skills into daily learning, encouraging learners to balance screen time, use technology responsibly, and practice safe online habits. Reinforcing these principles at home will help learners develop a healthy approach to technology that supports both academic and personal growth. This has been supported by our resident tech expert, Ms. Stephanie, who has driven our ability to use technology both creatively and responsibly. Please continue these conversations at home, as this is where the most meaningful discussions happen.

Upcoming Events

On the 28th and 29th of November, our visit to Parliament House and Fort Canning Park will offer learners insight into governance and history, connecting directly to our Unit of Inquiry on civic responsibility and people’s rights. Please review the Parliament House Visit Information and complete the Permission Form.

In the Classroom

In Maths, learners have been exploring different types of graphs through interactive workshops, developing skills in interpreting data through line, bar, and pie charts. In our Unit of Inquiry, “How We Organise Ourselves,” learners are discussing people’s rights and examining forms of government, preparing to design their own systems of governance as part of their exploration.

Finally, thank you for attending the Loola Residential Information Session yesterday. It was wonderful to see so many parents both online and in person. This is an exciting trip to look forward to! Please refer to the Loola Camp Information Slides, which include links to the website, payment link, and camp booklet for your convenience.

Thank you for your continued support. We have had a fantastic year so far and look forward to sharing all of the exciting activities with you over the next few months.

Year 6 learners have been focusing on the importance of the 3Rs—Respect, Responsibility, and Readiness—particularly in their use of digital devices. Through discussions and activities, they are learning how to manage technology responsibly, respecting both themselves and others online. We are guiding them to develop good digital habits and understand the impact of their online actions, so they can become responsible digital citizens. We encourage you to continue these conversations at home. 

We are excited for our upcoming field trip to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve on Wednesday, 13th November 2024, as part of our ‘Sharing the Planet’ unit of inquiry. This trip will help students appreciate nature and understand the human impact on the environment. The excursion will depart from Nexus at 8:45 am and return at 2:30 pm. Students should wear their blue PHE uniforms and bring sunscreen, a hat, water bottle, snack, lunch, rain jacket or umbrella, and insect repellent. 

Year 6R and 6W did a fantastic job at this week’s assembly, sharing their understanding of the transfer of energy through food chains. They presented insightful and practical ways we can take action to protect the environment, demonstrating not only their knowledge but also their commitment to making a positive impact. Their thoughtful presentation was a great reminder of the importance of caring for our planet and the role we all play in preserving it for future generations. Well done to both classes for their hard work and enthusiasm!