Highlights:

A Note from the

Principal

General Administrative

Matters

School-wide

Programmes/ Activities

Accolades

Family Matters@

School

For detailed schedules,

please refer to the

School Calendar on the

school website.

A Note from the Principal

Dear Parents / Guardians,

Year-end Examinations

Assessment is an integral part of the entire process of learning. Besides helping the

child (and his teachers and parents) know how much he has learnt, it also provides us

with information about his readiness for the next stage of learning. Your child would

have just sat for his CA2/Preliminary Examinations. For students who have done well,

we congratulate them but for those who have not done so well, it is important for them

to reflect on whether they have put in the requisite effort and hard work. It is also a

time for us to take steps to bridge the learning gaps. Hence, the teachers will be

arranging a Bridging Programme for the primary three to five students during the

September break. Parents of the identified students will be informed accordingly and

we hope you can support the school’s efforts by reinforcing the importance of continual

learning, even after the examinations are over.

Recognition and Reward (R & R) for Exemplary Character in our Gabrielites

In June, we shared that the school is implementing a new Conduct Grading system in

the Student Report Book and Progress Cards. Under the revised system, conduct grades

will be given based on the following:

• Personal qualities demonstrated in line with school virtues,

• Record of Punctuality and

• Record of Offences, if any.

To further inculcate the school virtues and good habits in the students, these criteria

form the basis for the identification of students who qualify for the Virtues Roll and the

character awards – the Gracious Gabrielite Awards (GGA), the Gracious Gabrielite Merit

Awards (GGMA), the MOE’s Edusave Character Award (ECHA) and the EAGLES Award

for Leadership, Achievement and Service.

Do look forward to more details of our Reap the Laurels (Prize Giving) this year in

November, where we will invite you, as proud parents, to witness your child receiving

these awards.

Parent Notification

September 2015

St Gabriel’s Primary School

Ensuring your Child Starts School on Time

In line with this heightened focus on character formation, we have been encouraging your child to be punctual for

school. We have instituted a monitoring system for latecomers and also rewarded each class without latecomers

with “Gabrielite Stars” on a weekly basis. While there were some improvement, the number of latecomers was still

high for the last three terms.

I wanted to find out why the measures were not working. Hence, I asked the students about their routine in the

morning. Some of them have shared that they would really prefer to come earlier to school so that they would not

miss their lessons. Some also shared that they wished that they could contribute to the class points (stars) by being

punctual. Upon further prompting, they had shared that they could not persuade their parents to leave home

earlier or their parents had woken them up late. I understand that the traffic situation on Singapore roads in the

morning exacerbates the problem. I nevertheless urge parents to work with us, by sending your child to school

early, not just so that he can contribute to the class’ Gabrielite Stars, but also so that he will learn the virtues of

being on time. I look forward to you, as partners with the school, to role-model by example and reinforce this

message.

Prayers for our Primary 6 Students

Sister Assunta will be leading a prayer session with parents on Wednesday, 17 September from 12.30pm to

1.30pm in the school chapel. Catholic parents and all those who are interested are welcome to participate in the

session where we will be bringing up the primary 6 students’ intentions (wishes) into our prayers. For the following

14 days thereafter (17th September to 30th September), Catholic parents and their children are encouraged to join

in the Rosary at 8.00pm every evening so that we can pray for the same intention – for our pupils to do well in

their PSLE.

May God bless all our students and their families.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs Catherine Chiang

Principal

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1. Teachers’ Day Celebration

The school will be celebrating Teachers Day on 3 September 2015 . There will be early dismissal for all pupils

at 11.45am on that day. There will be no CCAs, supplementary and remediation lessons on that day. The

canteen stalls will open from 7am to 12.00pm. The school has informed the bus vendor to pick up students

on the bus line at 11.45am. For students who are on the car line and walk line, parents are to make their own

arrangements. Former students can visit their teachers from 10.30am to 12.00pm. The school will close at

12.00pm. The after-school student care centre will operate as usual.

2. School Holidays / Public Holidays in the month of September

(i) Please note that students are not to report to school on Friday, 4 September 2015 as it is a school holiday

(Teachers’ Day).

(ii) The September School Holidays are from 5 to 13 September 2015.

(iii) Information on the Primary 6 holiday supplementary lessons and the Primary 3 to 5 Bridging Programme for

selected students are on Page 6. Separate notification would also have been given to the students

concerned.

(iv) School resume on Monday, 14 September 2015.

(v) Students are also not to report to school on Thursday, 24 September 2015 as it is a Public Holiday (Hari Raya

Haji).

3. PSLE Listening Comprehension

There is no school for Primary 1 to 5 students on Friday, 18 September 2015 due to PSLE Listening

Comprehension Examination.

Ms Chua Bee Peng,

Administration Manager

General Administrative Matters

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School-wide Programmes/ Activities

Assessment & Examination Matters

1. Updates on Primary 1 Holistic Assessment in Term 4

• A copy of the Term 4 Modes of Assessment for English, Mathematics and respective Mother Tongue

languages will be given to pupils on 16 September 2015.

• The Schedule of the Modes of Assessment will be available in the school website henceforth.

2. Primary 2 – 5 Semestral Assessment Schedules

• The Semestral Assessment schedule for Primary 2 will be given to pupils on 16 September 2015.

• The Semestral Assessment schedule for Primary 2 to 5 will be available in the school website from 16

September 2015.

• The topics to be tested for Primary 2 to 5 are available in the school website.

3. Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) Listening and Written Assessments

• The PSLE Listening Examination for P6 pupils will be conducted on Friday, 18 September 2015. • The PSLE Written Examinations will be conducted from 1 to 7 October 2015. • A briefing for Primary 6 pupils on matters related to the Listening and Written Examinations will be

conducted on 14 September 2015 and 28 September 2015 respectively. • The relevant notifications will be given to pupils after each briefing. • The school will be out of bounds to all except staff, examination personnel and pupils taking the PSLE

Listening Examinations on Friday, 18 September 2015. • Primary 1 to 5 pupils are not to report to school on Friday, 18 September 2015.

Ms Palaniammal

Subject Head, Mother Tongue & CCE/ Curriculum

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“Used Books Collection Drive” by Tier 3 Leaders

For the past few years, the “Used Books Collection Drive” has been held yearly and was carried out by Primary 5

students. This year, the project is undertaken and spearheaded by a group of student leaders from the PRIDE CCA.

Selected student leaders from Primary 4 and 5 students will be going out to the neighbouring HDB blocks and the

Amaranda Garden to collect used books from the residents. Details of the collection drive are as follows:

Date: 19 September 2015, Saturday

Time: 8.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m.

Venue: Blks 301, 302, 303, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319 Serangoon Avenue 2, and

Amaranda Garden

There will be an internal collection drive and students can drop off their donated books in the school library from 8th

to 19th

September 2015. We look forward to your support!

Mrs Jessica Hoon,

Subject Head, Character & Citizenship Education (CCE)

School-wide Programmes/ Activities

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School-wide Programmes/ Activities

September Holiday Bridging Programme

Our school is committed to catering to the different learning needs of our students and we believe that your child /

ward learn best at a pace that is catered to his needs. As such, we have customised a Bridging Programme to be

conducted on 7th

and 8th

September of the September school holidays for selected Primary 3 – 5 students. Using a

customised lesson package, the selected students will be taught by the teachers in the respective levels at a pace that

is catered to their learning needs. This will allow the students to plug their gaps of learning and make the required

progress necessary for the next level of learning.

Based on the results analysis, your child / ward would be informed by his Form Teacher if he has been selected to

participate in the Bridging Programme for any of the subjects. He would have received a consent form from his Form

Teacher by 31st

August 2015. Please contact your child / ward’s Form Teacher should you have any queries.

As for the Primary 6 students, they will be having supplementary lessons from 7th

to 9th

September.

The canteen will be open to students during the breaks but do make your own arrangements for transportation. The

school bus service will not operate during the school holidays.

Thank you.

Mrs Jamie Chaw

HOD Curriculum

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Accolades

Mathematical Olympiad

Our school participated in the ASEAN Schools Maths Olympiad (SASMO) and Raffles Institution Primary Mathematics

World Contest (RIPMWC). We would like to congratulate the following students for their achievement:

Bronze Award (SASMO)

• Marvus Heng (4 Loy)

• N Juan Carlos (4 Loy)

• Nathaniel Marc Lopez (5 Sel)

• Dominic Hui (6 Loy)

Silver Award (SASMO)

• Mohammad Al Wazir (5 Sel)

• Arinn Jaay Kannan (5 Sel)

• Ryan Yang Chng Yu (5 Sel)

• Luvnesh Sunthar (6 Loy)

Credit Award (RPIMWC)

Marvus Heng (4 Loy)

Distinction Award (RPIMWC)

• Diron Chua (4 Loy)

• Mohammad Al Wazir (5 Sel)

• Ryan Ho (5 Sel)

• Ng Hong Kai (5 Sel)

• Mohammad Irfan (5 Sel)

• Ng Jin Yang, Mathias (6 Loy)

Mr Christopher Wong

Level Head, Mathematics

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Family Matters @ School

This session is complimentary.

Please kindly register with Elizabeth Tang at

stgabriel.sfe.pri@gmail.com. Your attendance

after registration is appreciated.

Parents As Coaches – Part 2

Solution-Focused Way to Building Confident &

Resilient

Children

This is Part 2 of the inspiring workshop that introduces

the concept of Parents as Coaches; the solution-focused

way. It also equips parents with skill sets for building

confident and resilient children. This solution-focused

approach in parenting is based on the notion that

children have an innate desire and wish to learn,

develop skills and be successful. Parents will come with

a desire to make a difference in a child's life and to have

a positive influence in his future.

This session will address the following concerns:

• Understanding Motivations

• Practical Coaching Skills – SURF model

by Dr. Peter Szabo

• Solution-Focused Conversations

• Closing Celebration

Notice to parents who have already registered for 5 Sep 2015 “Bolla Bola” Bonding event.

Kindly note the change in timing and the programme for the session:

8:30am - 10:30am - Parents will be attending a parenting talk on relationship- building with their children;

The children will be learning how to play Bollabola.

10:30am - 11:00am - Refreshments

11:00am - 12:30pm - Combined Bollabola Bonding Session - Children will "teach" their parents how to play.

There will also be combined family Bollabola Games.

“Bolla Bola” on 5 Sep 2015 - Bonding Session Ultimate

Fun & Learning for parent and child

Bolla Bola (Bolla is “bubble” in Italian, Bola is “ball “in

Spanish ) is a first of its kind in Singapore. In Bolla Bola

players are enclosed in a gigantic plastic bubble that

forms a protective layer around each player. This game

can be played in numerous ways. The art is how to use

the ball as a strength rather than a liability.

Through this workshop, self- discipline, teamwork and

perseverance are learned and the bonding between

parent and child is enhanced.

This event is limited to 25 pairs of participants.

Currently, there is vacancy for only a few pairs. Flyers

were given out to pupils in July 2015.

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