We held our 2nd annual Pathlight Learning Festival (PLF) for Campus 2 Primary over the final week of Semester 1. Pathlighters had fun learning through the various multi-disciplinary activities and learning journeys.
The on-campus activities Pathlighters participated in were varied and challenging, such as an escape room that required students to tap their creative minds and use what they have learnt in class to escape with the prize. They also participated in an inter-cohort spelling bee challenge.
For their learning journeys, Pathlighters explored one of Singapore's public libraries and the Singapore Sports Hub. They familiarised themselves with the library’s services and practised library etiquette. At the Sports Hub, students discovered Singapore’s sporting achievements and learned about the Hub’s critical role in promoting healthy living and sporting excellence.
The festival ended on a high note with Pathlighters and educators singing along to our very own PLF theme song, in costumes inspired by motifs related to the disciplines of English, Math, Science, Daily Living Skills, and Citizenship and Character Education.
The enthusiastic participation by all involved – Pathlighters, educators and staff, made this festival of Fun and Learning a resounding success! We look forward to the next Pathlight Learning Festival at Campus 1 in July.
Our Primary 3 to 6 Pathlighters celebrated Hari Raya Puasa in advance with their Muslim friends and teachers in May, just before the school holidays. Through a 2-day celebratory programme, Pathlighters learned about the significance of the festival celebrated by the Muslim community.
Pathlighters watched a cultural performance on the origins of Hari Raya Puasa, and played games such as matching traditional costumes and identifying dishes that were commonly eaten during the celebrations. They even tried their hands at making the Hari Raya staple – the ketupat, by scooping uncooked white rice into woven leave packets. To liven up the celebratory mood, students came dressed in their ethnic costumes!
Through celebrating the many festivals of the ethnicities that make up our student body, we hope our students gain a better understanding of the different cultures and ethnicities, as well as understand the importance of maintaining religious harmony in our multi-racial and multi-religious country!
Pathlight’s vocational track students often embark on industry visits as part of their exposure to different job industries and functions, to better prepare them for work in future. In the month of May, Pathlighters visited Jumbo Seafood Restaurant and Fairmont Singapore and shadowed staff going about their daily tasks.
At Jumbo Seafood Restaurant, Pathlighters got a foretaste of what it was like to work in Singapore’s busy restaurant scene as they performed various hands-on tasks such as setting the tables and folding napkins. Another group of students were introduced to the various job functions in the hospitality industry at Fairmont Singapore.
Beyond the classroom, our students were able to apply the work habits they learnt in an authentic workplace setting and had fun in the process too!
Primary 4 Pathlighters headed out to Pastamania for a Mathematics Learning Journey that combined learning, food and fun in May!
They applied the Mathematical concepts that they learnt in class at a pizza-making workshop, where they got to customise and bake their very own pizzas. Our students calculated and measured the ingredients required, and placed them according to fractions of the pizzas. They also learnt about the origins of pizzas, and got a glimpse into the workday of a pizza chef as well as what goes on behind the scenes in running a restaurant.
At the end of the workshop, students enjoyed their handmade pizzas and practised their dining etiquette. Buon appetito*, Pathlighters! We hope the workshop sparked our students’ interest and appreciation for the Mathematical concepts which can be applied to our everyday lives.
*Italian for enjoy your meal
Secondary 4 and 5 Pathlighters participated in a “Wonders of Science” workshop at the National University of Singapore (NUS) in May. They were given a guided demonstration on scientific concepts such as Static Electricity, Density and Sound at the NUS Faculty of Science. While the topics were not new to Pathlighters, the hands-on demonstrations allowed our students to witness these scientific concepts being applied in real-life situations, which broadened and deepened their understanding of them. They even had the chance to construct homopolar motors and mini geodesic domes from everyday materials! We look forward to the day when Pathlight produces some of Singapore’s most visionary scientists!
Secondary 1 students doing Food and Consumer Education visited Citizen Farm in May to learn about food sources and understand the importance of sustainable agriculture. The local urban farm grows sustainable and pesticide-free vegetables. The farm also partners with Autism Resource Centre to provide job opportunities for those on the autism spectrum.
During the farm visit, Pathlighters learned about the different food sources, nutrients and methods of agriculture cultivation. They even got to taste and learn about various vegetables, herbs and spices, and how they can be incorporated into delicious, healthy and nutritious meals.
Pathlighters were particularly intrigued by the black soldier flies on the farm, their life cycles and how their waste is used as fertiliser for the vegetables. They also enjoyed feeding the farm’s many pudgy, free-roaming chickens. It was indeed a fun and insightful learning journey on sustainable farming.
Our student leaders had a glimpse into their distant future recently when they visited Science Centre’s “Dialogue with Time - Embrace Ageing” exhibition in May.
Through a series of exhibits and simulations facilitated by senior guides, Pathlighters gained a better understanding of the most inevitable process of human life: growing old. Our students experienced the physical and sensory challenges that seniors may face such as blurred vision and shaky hands, and engaged in discussions with the senior guides, who shared their thoughts and experiences on ageing with our students.
Pathlighters learnt important values such as empathy and understanding for seniors, as well as the importance of positive, active and happy ageing. Seniors can still engage in meaningful activities such as volunteering, gatherings with family and friends, and be healthy, contributing members of society.
Pathlight’s Artist Development Programme (ADP) student artist Irfan Mus Effendi did the school and his family proud with his artwork submission for the “She Is More” Global Youth Art Competition! Dedicated to the most important woman in his life, Irfan’s portrait of his mother, titled “My Mother” emerged as one of 25 “Judges’ Favourites” out of more than 300 works from around the world.
His drawing was also one of 50 artworks selected for exhibition at Sundaram Tagore Gallery (Singapore). Organised by IIX Foundation, a non-profit organisation that puts women at the centre of all of their work, the competition aims to celebrate the spirit of everyday women. The artworks were assessed based on technique, presentation, creativity, and message.
The exhibition was just in time for Mother's Day, making it a doubly meaningful Mother’s Day for his family and all of us at Pathlight. Here’s to all the wonderful mothers out there! You are your child’s most important woman in his/her life!
Our Secondary 3 and 4 Humanities students embarked on an eye-opening learning journey to Semakau Landfill – Singapore’s first man-made offshore waste disposal area in April. As part of the Social Studies curriculum, students learnt first-hand about the waste management process and the importance of ensuring a sustainable environment.
At Semakau Landfill, Pathlighters were given a talk on sustainable land development and guided through an exhibition detailing the history of the landfill since its inception in 1999. They were then given a tour of the island and were pleasantly surprised to see how clean and tranquil the place was.
This learning journey drove home the importance of Semakau Landfill to Singapore’s waste disposal management. The trip also impressed upon our students the need to be responsible citizens and practise proper waste disposal, so as to ensure that our land is sustainable for our future generations.
Our Primary 4 pupils had a wonderful experience learning all about frogs at the Jurong Frog Farm in April. They were thrilled with the opportunity to get up close to the American bullfrogs raised at the farm, as they observed and touched the frogs.
Our students picked up some toad-ally amazing facts about frogs, such as how to tell a male from a female frog, its life cycle, as well as its natural habitat. Through this experiential learning, Pathlighters were encouraged to play their part in caring for our environment so that all animals can coexist with us harmoniously.
Pathlight School is the first autism-focused school in Singapore to offer the national curriculum together with life readiness skills. It caters to students on the autism spectrum with related conditions, aged 7 to 18 years, who are cognitively able to access national curriculum but require additional support such as smaller class sizes, special accommodations and teaching staff trained in autism.
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