A Year after the First Day of School

First Day of School

One Year after my first day of school

Far from the jittery girl she was in P1, Abhinayya (middle) loves being in school with her friends!

Now that I have been a student of Teck Whye Primary School for one year, I would like to share about my amazing experience in Primary One!

I learnt many different things and had a whale of a time making new friends in school. Although I was a little nervous at first, the warmth of the teachers and kind parent volunteers made it easier to settle in.

It felt great to be treated as a bigger child and given the chance to do things independently.

Warm and Loving Teachers

I was elated to have a very warm and loving English teacher, Mdm Farhanah, along with other subject teachers whom I love.

During lessons, our teachers always plan many group activities to spark our interest and make learning fun. Learning is not monotonous as they use creative ways, such as stories and games, to teach us. For example, during Tamil lessons, we demonstrate our knowledge through playing Kahoot, which is very exciting. In English, we dress up as some of the characters in the stories during reading sessions. Once, we even made origami boats to go with a story. I made one successfully with a little bit of help.

Enriching School Programmes

One of my favourite activities in school is PE because we get to move around a lot. My PE teacher, Mdm Mari, taught us different exercises to keep ourselves fit and I enjoy the games we play.

Besides PE, I also enjoy Art because we learn many different art techniques including painting and drawing. I also like Music because we get to sing, listen to rhythms and play unique instruments like Boomwhackers. Learning how to read musical notes motivates me to explore more. I would like to pick up how to play the violin on my own.

During my year in Primary 1, I experienced Speech and Drama as well as Show and Tell during my language lessons. These opportunities helped me to speak in front of an audience, making me more confident and giving me the courage to perform on stage.

Our class getting ready for the Speech and drama performance!

Adapting and Growing in Primary School

One challenge I faced last year was having to wake up much earlier than when I was in kindergarten. It took me a few weeks to get used to the new schedule. After I entered Teck Whye Primary School, I think I became more independent and motivated. I was no longer afraid to approach my teachers for help whenever I needed it.

My language lessons also strengthened my reading skills and expanded my vocabulary. My family and relatives noticed that I used a wider range of vocabulary when I spoke to them. Besides learning in school, I also gained exposure to the world outside of school during our learning journeys to the theatre and the Singapore Zoo.

Pursuing my Passion

When I was in kindergarten, I developed an interest in writing and wrote poems and stories. Since I came to Teck Whye Primary School last year, Mdm Farhanah has always encouraged me to write as creatively as possible. She taught us various writing techniques and always gave me helpful pointers to improve. There was also daily reading time in school to promote reading and further develop my interest. At the end of last year, I also had the honour of having one of my poems published in the school newsletter!

When I wrote my first book, titled “The Never-ending Steps”, my form teachers and Ms Wong, our school principal, were very supportive. The encouragement I have received in Teck Whye Primary School made me want to write more and keep writing for the rest of my life. In fact, I am currently working on a sequel to my book!

Advice for Students Joining Primary 1

After my experience, I can share this: “As long as you are willing to learn and try, you will do great! Make sure you have fun and enjoy your learning in school.” This is the same advice I give to my brother, Arjunan, who will be joining Primary 1 next year!

Written by:
__Abhinayya Saravanan, Primary 2-4 (2020)
__Teck Whye Primary School

A note from Abhi’s Mom, Ms Menaka

I was very happy when Abhi adapted to the new school very quickly. She enjoyed, and in fact, still enjoys every day of school. I could also see her confidence build and she gradually became more outspoken. It was an amazing growth owing to the wonderful teachers in school.

We are very happy that Teck Whye Primary School nurtures their students to build life skills as well. Abhi started to strictly adhere to the rules and display values taught in school. As a parent volunteer, I was also very impressed by the great efforts the school takes to ensure that all the kids are doing well emotionally, physically and mentally.

In addition to this, Mdm Farhanah, Abhi’s form teacher, gave Abhi opportunities, such as getting her to support her friends who had trouble adapting to the school environment by accompanying them during her recess. That had a positive impact on her as well – at home, she started to guide her own brothers whenever they faced any troubles.

Thank you,Teck Whye Primary!

Abhi and her mother, who was a volunteer at her class’ Speech and Drama programme