Welcome 2013! - A Chairperson's Retrospection

Dear Parents,

We are now entering the second week of another school year and I’d just like to extend a warm WELCOME BACK to all of you!

There were plenty of new faces as our primary one students started school. Some looked nervous while others were excited to make new friends. This also marks the start of a new chapter for our primary one parents who were anxious to see their kids settling in (and some who weren’t quite ready yet to let go!). It was also quite heartening to see our primary two parents in school to ease their kids’ first day jitters.

Our darling P1 kids being matched with their
P4 & P5 buddies. 

Our P1 kids looking confident on
their first day of school. :)

This year, once again, PSG members have been asked to help the teachers out in the P1 classrooms. This programme first started in 2011 where 1-2 PSG members assisted P1 form teachers in class in order to ensure that our new batch of 6 year olds settled comfortably in their new classrooms. And for the first time this year, we even had father volunteers in the group! 

In the morning, some fathers were stationed at the gates to welcome other fathers who walked their children to school, ready with goodies in hand. 

We, PSGs, were given the ever-important task of orientating these new P1 children to toilets nearest to their classrooms, the Art room, Music room and library. During recess, its organized chaos - with anxious parents standing around the canteen area to see what food is being sold in the school canteen. Smiles from the canteen holders greeted these kids.

The buddy system seems to work well for the school. In the first week, each P1 child has been matched with a P4 or P5 buddy during recess  whereby the ‘big brothers’ and ‘big sisters’ were made busy showing them around the school and helping them fit in to the new school environment. Kudos, P4 and P5 students! We are proud of you!!

Getting closer with 'big brother'. 

Showing the P1 buddy how to fit
in the busy recess crowd.

Keeping their buddies company. 

This year marks my third year of volunteering on the first day of school. As I moved around the school carrying out my duty, I couldn’t help but noticing the faces on some of the new P1 parents. They were mirror images of mine, as a first-time parent then, when my elder son, Daniel, entered primary school back in 2009. I experienced a mixture of emotions - nervous, anxious, worried, concerned, excitement.

Nervous - will my child fit in.

Anxious to see how he handled first day in a school with more than 1,000 children. Worried - will he be able to buy his food for the first time during recess.

Concerned for his well-being with another 29 children in his class – afterall, it’s a big school – will he be able to find his way round the school compound.  

Excited for a new chapter in his school life.

Things may be a little rough at first but everything will work out in the end. It may take a week or two for both kids and parents to get used to the new environment. Like I always tell these new parents, our kids are in good hands.

And once again, on behalf of TPS PSG members, I would like welcome you to the TPS Family!!

Juliana

Chairperson of PSG TPS 2013