P1 (2018)

Orientation Day 16 November 2017

Mr Gau Poh Teck

Principal

Mrs Wang-Tan Sun Sun

Principal (with effect from 15 Dec 2017)

School History

Venerable Sek Kong Hiap

(广洽法师)

School History

Old Mee Toh School located along Race Course Road and adjacent to Long San Temple

School Vision and Mission

Vision Touching Souls, Challenging Minds

净化心灵, 挑战思维

Mission To maximise students’ potential and to develop in them a

passion for life-long learning guided by compassion, conscience, purity and righteousness.

School Motto

慈

良

清

直

Compassion

Conscience

Purity

Righteousness

School Motto linked to School Values

School Motto School Values

Compassion（慈） Care (仁心关爱)

Teamwork(群策群力)

Conscience（良） Resilience (坚韧不拔)

Excellence (精益求精)

Purity（清） Confidence (满怀信心)

Integrity (正直清廉)

Righteousness（直） Respect (互敬互重)

Service (奉献他人)

Buddhist Practices:

• Singing of Triple Gem song and prayer during every Monday assembly

• Teaching of values through storytelling by Venerable once a month

• Dharmaratna Festival

• Major Events: • Vesak Day Celebration on Founder’s

Day

• Examination Blessing

School Rules 1. Respect and obey your teachers,

prefects and monitors.

2. Be well-behaved, courteous and helpful at all times.

3. Keep the school clean and take good care of school properties.

4. Students are to wear the prescribed school uniform and modification to the uniform is not allowed.

School Rules

5. Students who are Singapore Citizens

must sing the National Anthem and

take the Pledge. students will take the

Pledge with the right fist placed over

the heart.

6. Keep your hair neat. Boys must be

clean shaven, and no wearing of beard

and moustache is allowed.

7. Walk quietly along the corridors.

School Rules

7. Do not engage in rough play or actions

that may lead to injury.

7. Bringing of sharp objects that can cause

harm or weapons to the school is not

allowed.

8. Do not leave the school during school

hours without permission.

School Term

• New school term begins on 2 January 2018, Tuesday

• 4 terms in a year

• All students must attend school until the end of each school term. Any request to leave Singapore for family tours or home visits to former countries during the school terms or before the end of the school terms does not constitute a valid reason.

• All levels will attend lessons in the morning

• Events for the term will be communicated through Termly School Calendar

School Hours

Reporting

Time

Dismissal

Time Recess Time

Mondays to

Fridays

7.30 a.m.

1.30 p.m.

10 a.m. –

10.30 a.m.

• Venue to report on the first day of school:

School Hall

First Day of School

• Have a good breakfast with your child before sending him/her to school

• Arrive at school latest by 7.10 a.m.

• Assemble in the school hall and sit according to the class label

• Note: P1 parents are allowed into school premises with their child only on the 1st day of school.

First Day of School

• Briefing for parents starts at 8 a.m.

• Briefing by the Year Head and HOD/Character and Citizenship Education

• Briefing by the Subject HODs

• Events for parents will end at approximately 11.30 a.m.

Buddy System • The P1 students will be paired with P4

buddies

• P4 buddies will assist the P1 students on the first 3 days of school during recess

• P4 buddies will:

- guide the P1 students to queue at the foodstalls

- remind P1 students to collect their change

- teach P1 students to bring their food to the tables safely

- teach P1 students to return utensils to the receptacles

Arrival Arrangement

Arrival during fair weather days:

• Report directly to the parade square on all days, except on Monday.

• Report to the Indoor Sports Hall (ISH) on Mondays.

• If you bring your child to school, avoid

driving your child to school if you can

Arrival Arrangement

Parade Square

Gate 2 Gate 3

1

Main Gate

Guard

House

Gate 4

Gate 5

Gate 6

Gate 7

Gate 8

School Field

BLK G

BLK E

BLK F

BLK B

5

• Possible venues to drop off students :

Access by Gate 8. Car Park near Blk 115. Entry by Edgefield Plains

2. Car Park near Blk 109. Use the service road from: a. Punggol Field b. Edgedale Plains

3. Car Park (Blk 131) Opposite the school.

4. Gate 1A to be accessed via Blk 122B.

5. The Main Gate is only accessible during wet weather.

Gate 1A

IN OUT

4

BLK 122B

2

3

3 4 5

1

2

Arrival Arrangement

Arrival during wet weather days:

• Parents are allowed to drive into the school

• Drop off their children at the layby.

• Children will use the covered linkway to go to the assembly area.

• No car is allowed to stop at the porch

• This facilitates the fast flow of traffic

• P1 students report in the ISH level 4

On raining days, drive

in and alight

students only at the

layby.

On raining days, drive

in but do not alight

students at the porch.

Traffic Issues

• School is part of the community

• Avoid using the multi-storey and service road at Blk 109

• High volume of traffic in the morning and during dismissals caused inconvenience to the residents

Dismissal Arrangement

• P1, P2 and P3 students will be

dismissed from Gate 2.

• P4, P5 and P6 students will be

dismissed from Gates 1 and 6.

• P4, P5 and P6 students with siblings

at P1, P2 and P3 will pick up their

younger siblings from a designated

place (siblings corner) near the

canteen and only exit via Gate 1 or

6.

Dismissal Arrangement

Dismissal during fair weather days:

• All P1 students will be dismissed class by class. Teachers will show a placard showing the class to be dismissed.

• Teachers will bring students to Gate 2.

• P1 parents are to wait outside the Gate 2. Please make way for the students to be dismissed.

Dismissal Arrangement

Dismissal during fair weather days:

• Students taking school bus will be given a coloured ribbon indicating the bus number

• Indicate bus queue number or Gate number on temporary nametag

Dismissal Arrangement

Dismissal during wet weather days:

• All P1 students will still be dismissed from Gate 2.

• Parents are to wait outside Gate 2.

Bookshop Operating Hours

Day Operating Hours

Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.

(for students)

School Terms (2018)

• Location: Gate 2

• Train your child to make purchases from the

bookshop on their own

• Parents who need to make purchase from the

bookshop will enter from Gate 2 only from 2

p.m. to 4 p.m.

School Bus Transport

• Bus Operator: Sunday Coach Services Contact Number: 9873 8227 (Mr Ang)

• Registration for school transport is available in the canteen today from 3.30 p.m.

• Indicate bus queue number on temporary nametag

• Your child needs to know the bus number he/she will be taking

School Uniform & Name Tags

• All students are required to purchase Mee Toh School uniform from school uniform supplier

• You may purchase your child’s uniform after the briefing from 3.30 p.m. onwards

• Name tag is part of the uniform, and to be sewn on the school uniform and PE T-shirts

• Place orders for name tags during purchase of school uniform. Each child will need about 8 name tags throughout the 6 years. Buy more if you need. Recycle the nametags when your child changes to a new set of uniform.

Seatbelt Rules

• Since 1 January 2012, all school children

and passengers travelling on board *small

school buses shall be required to wear the

appropriate child restraints or seat belts.

• Ensure the safety of school children

• Mandatory installation of retractable seat

belts

• Wearing of seat belts will be mandatory and

enforced

* Small buses refer to buses with seating capacity for 15

passengers or less, and with maximum laden weight not

exceeding 3,500 kg

Seatbelt Rules

• The safety of children is a shared

responsibility

• The children need to cooperate with

the school bus drivers

• Prepare your child mentally and

train your child to belt up for

safety at all times

http://www.lta.gov.sg/content/ltaweb/e

n/roads-and-motoring/road-safetyand-

regulations/road-regulations.html

General Information Absence from school

• students’ absence from school must be covered with either a medical certificate

• Home trips, visits or family tours during term time are not considered valid reasons

Visitors to School

• For the safety and security of our students, all visitors are required to sign into the log book at the guard post before proceeding to the General Office

• Visitors are required to display ‘Visitor’ pass at all times

• Visitors are not allowed to loiter in the school

General Information

Permission to Leave Early

• For students who are unwell, parents are required to come to school to bring them home

• Parents are required to acknowledge in the ‘Permission to Leave School Early’ Form’ in the General Office.

• The school requires all parents to update the school whenever there is a change in address or contact numbers

General Information When teachers need to be away from school:

• They are sick

• They need to attend to important family matters

• They need to attend training or briefing

• They are away on maternity leave

Duration of absence may vary

School will need to arrange for relief teachers to take charge of their classes either internally or externally.

School Canteen • Pocket money of about $2.00 each

day

Variety of food items sold:

• 5 stalls selling Chinese food & 1 stall selling Vegetarian food

• 1 stall selling fresh fruit juice, cut fruits

• 1 stall selling hot drinks and snacks

• 1 halal food stall

• Some stalls operate from 6.45 a.m. to 7.05 a.m. to allow students to have light breakfast

Snack Break

• Taken into consideration of students’ well-being that some of them may not get to have lunch until they reach home after 1.30 p.m.

• Optional for students to bring healthy snacks during a second break from 11.55 p.m. to 12 p.m. for P1

• Examples are biscuits, energy bars, an apple or a banana.

Student Handbook

• The student handbook is important and students are expected to bring it daily.

• The handbook acts as two way communication tool.

• Parents who wish to communicate with the teachers can do it through the handbook.

• Parents need to call in advance to make an appointment with the teacher or school personnel if they wish to meet up with them.

Mobile Phone Policy • Strongly discourage students to bring mobile phones to

school.

• Mobile phones allowed to be used only in canteen.

• Loss of mobile phones will not be investigated.

• Mobile phones will be confiscated for any misuse and return a week later to parents.

• Submit a request form to apply for the approval of use in

school.

• 2 public phones are located near the bookshop.

• The phones at the General Office are only for use in cases of emergency.

• The school encourages parents to allow their child learn independence in the school.

Important Advice • Parents are advised to label child’s

personal items such as water bottles, files, school bags

• Teach your child to pack and organise his school bag everyday. Bring only what is necessary.

• Do not carry heavy school bags to school. (Bag should not exceed 3.5kg)

• The use of trolley bags is not encouraged as these are bulky and students find it difficult to pull it up and down the stairs.

Safety And Security

• Teach and role model by making use of the pedestrian crossings and traffic lights when crossing the roads.

• Due to the limited space, parents are not allowed to drive into school to drop off their children

• Please follow traffic rules and instructions of Operations Manager and Protection Officers. The school works with the traffic police.

• Show consideration when public car parks and facilities near the school

Financial Matters

• Financial Assistance

• Student Insurance

Financial Assistance (FA)

• Students with financial difficulties may apply for Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS).

• Students on MOE FAS pay only 2nd tier Misc Fee, ie. $6.50.

• Parents of students under this category may opt to use Pupil Fund to pay the 2nd tier miscellaneous fee.

• You may approach Admin Manager (AM) in the General Office if you need assistance

Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) Benefits under MOE FAS may include:

Standard Miscellaneous Fees

Full waiver of $6.50 per month

Textbooks Free textbooks

School Attire Free school attire

Transport

Students taking School Bus: 50% of school bus fares Students taking public transport: $120 transport credit per annum

School Meals Programme

Students in on the MOE FAS will receive subsidies for seven meals per school week. Students in primary schools will receive subsidies of $2 per meal.

Student Insurance

• All student will be covered under Group Personal Accident (GPA) by MOE.

• Information of the coverage will be given to the parents in Term 1.

• Parents are encouraged to top up with their personal insurance if they feel the need to.

Health Matters

• The following health services are provided to your child free of charge in school

Dental Health Check Immunisation Health Assessment

• More details will be given during the talk presented by the school dental therapist/HPB personnel.

Getting Your Child Ready

• Build some habits at home • Display good manners – saying

‘please’, ‘excuse me’ and ‘thank you’

• Toilet etiquette – closing toilet doors, flush after use and drying their hands

• Handwriting - write his/her name right with appropriate spacing and capital letters

• Bring the plates to the sink after meals

• Keeping the study table neat after use

• Start visiting the National Library to build the habit of reading

• Parents’ role in bringing forth a holistic

education for their children is equally

important.

• Parents’ actions are the best lessons for children because: – Parents are the children’s first teachers

– Home is the children’s first school

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4guIU0yEOg)

• Parents should not underestimate their importance in teaching their children values

Schools Cannot Do It Alone

Relationship Between School

and Parents • Parents are not our

customers

• Parents are our

partners in the

holistic education of

the children

• Our common interest is

the child

parents

students

school

Partnership between School and Parents

Guiding Philosophy

Quality Relationships

A mindset of partnership, collaboration and mutual support

Anchored on Mutual Trust and Mutual Respect

(Guided by the school ethos)

A no-blame culture

Clarity of Communication of School Directions and Standards of Service

Mee Toh School is committed to deliver quality education to

all our students, provide quality service to our partners and at

the same time, care for the well-being of our teachers and all

who work here.

We will do our utmost to serve you with courtesy and respect

and we expect that you treat us with the same respect

that you would like to be accorded.

Please let us know if our efforts fall below your

expectations. Your feedback and words of appreciation will

inspire us to continue to deliver our best.

Thank you for working with us, making Mee Toh School

Community a gracious one, and the school a place conducive

for learning, growth and work!

SERVICE QUALITY STATEMENT

1. Always work with your child’s teachers first

as they are the ones who know your child

best

• Write your queries in the Student

Handbook

• For non-urgent matters, the teacher will

respond within 3 working days

2. If you need to meet up with your child’s

teacher, make an appointment first before

coming to school

3. Do be patient with the teachers as they

are teaching many children.

Communication with School

From former Education Minister Heng…

“If parents do not show graciousness to others and respect

for rules, our young will not do so either. Soon, discipline

will be eroded, the tone in our schools will deteriorate, and

the tone in our society too. Good people will be deterred

from joining teaching.”

“Once the ethos in a school is lost, it is hard to recover. It is

already happening in many schools around the world. Who

suffers? Our students, and future generations of students,

who just want a good education.”

“We must take a firm stand against unreasonable

demands.”

Debunking some myths…

“Mee Toh School is a Buddhist

School. When I send my child to the

school, I will expect him to naturally

become good.”

Debunking some myth... School Response

•Character Development is at the heart of the school’s

programme.

•Other than Civics and Moral Education lessons,

Assembly Programme, the school works with partners

like Tzu Chi Organisation, Fo Guang Shan to augment

values education in school.

•Tzu Chi Organisation runs the “ 大 爱 妈 妈 ” programme that emphasises positive attitudes and

good habits on Wednesday

•Fo Guang Shan runs Dharma Lessons on Saturdays

for students and parents

•Parents role as partners in shaping positive values

and attitudes are as important as the school

Final Words of Advice

1. Every Child is an unique individual, each teacher

has 30 unique individuals in the class -- Teachers

need time to get to know your children, understand

how they learn best, what excites them.

2. Joyful learning engages the mind, body, heart and

enhances learning.

3. Allow your children to make mistakes and space to

learn to be resilient.

4. Train your children to be able to relay information to

their teachers.

Parents’ Support matters…

1. Your support will make a difference to the teachers

(Support them so they can teach your child well.)

2. Teachers may engage students in some form of e-

learning along the way, do support your children

when the time comes. It is also an opportunity to

share good cyber habits with your child.

3. Ask your child happy questions at the end of each

school day e.g. It must be a really exciting day.

What did you do in school today? -- Frame

their minds so that they see it a joy to learn in

school. This joy for learning stays with the children

for life.

• Distributed to students in the classrooms

• Parent-Child Activity Booklet • ‘Let’s Learn Together’ Activity Book

- A colouring book cum storybook depicting the school core values

• 2017 Primary One Orientation Booklet

• Booklist for 2018

• Slides will be uploaded onto the school’s website

before 25 November 2017.

Orientation Package

Adventure Booklet • To promote parent-child bonding

• Prepare the child for first day in school

• Activities planned in the books are more

meaningful when parents do it with the child

• 10 tips for parents – help you and your child

adjust smoothly to primary-school life

• Focuses on setting good routines, inculcating

values and building social emotional skills

• There is no fixed order in completing the

activities

Adventure Booklet

Adventure Booklet • Getting familiar with routines and good habits

• Being punctual

• Parents, the child’s first teacher at home.

Adventure Booklet

• Engage your child through conversations and

games

• Foster parent-teacher partnership

Adventure Booklet

Thank you for

your attention!