One of seven brand new primary schools in Singapore, the new Westwood Primary School commenced operations at 1 Jurong West Street 73 at the start of the school year. It is an exciting opportunity to build a fresh, engaging approach to primary education, says its principal in this contributed piece.
By Ng Yeow Ling
Visitors to the new Westwood Primary School located at Jurong West are greeted with the Westwood Mural, a mosaic art installation in front of the general office put together by the pioneer team of Westwood staff.
The design of this art piece draws inspiration from Westwood’s inspiration—just like the world’s most ancient sequoias, which can live up to 3,000 years and grow as tall as 27 storeys, it aims to thrive and be exceptional. Located along Jurong West Street 73, it held its first Primary One orientation on Dec. 7 before classes commenced last week.
Approximately 240 new Primary One pupils and their families set foot into the premises for the first time. Students from all eight classes began with a school tour led by their teachers, subsequently participating in a class activity where they took Polaroid photo shots with their friends and designed a postcard to be shown to their parents. It was a good session for the children to familiarize themselves with the place where they will spend much time this new year, as well as the people they will build strong relationships with.
Overall, we are off to a good start. The school team is excited about the new learning experiences that will be provided for the little ones as we work alongside the community in Jurong West. Our aspiration is to raise a generation of children with deep anchors of character, to flourish and thrive, with their hands to the nation, hearts to the community, and eyes for the future. Besides, excellence in learning, the school will strive to design and provide learning for life, to prepare our youths to be “future-ready, anchor-steady”.
Ng Yeow Ling is the Principal Designate of Westwood Primary School. The school offers a fresh approach to learning that engages deeply with its surroundings, and also makes use of Facebook to connect with parents.