Mastering Situational Writing

Dear all,

Today's key learning points

Situational writing is not about copying the poster / planner / advertisement / notice word for word. Rather, look at the points and answer the question in complete sentences.

Many of you simply give your answers in point form or incomplete sentences. Remember for english, we need to form complete sentences.

Treat the questions as answering comprehension questions. Write them out by the side in complete sentences and link them together to form your main body in the situational writing.

If you can get all your points right, 6 marks is yours. Don't waste the 6 marks!

Comprehension Open-ended

Always remember to highlight key words and look out for what the question is asking you. Write down the correct tenses!!!

Unit 2: What A Character

We began a new topic by looking at characters in the Wizard of Oz. Characters are important in every story. They form the centrepiece of the story through their actions, looks, thoughts and feelings. Even in writing your composition, you can write better if you develop your characters well. Describe in detail. Use adjectives to talk about his feelings, looks, actions, etc. Characters can make your story much more elaborate.

You can visit these websites if you would like to know more about Wizard of Oz.

http://www.fantasybooksandmovies.com/wizard-of-oz-characters.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn-F24i0uDQ

Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Nelson Ong

Start of Week 5

Dear all,

Homework for today

- English composition for Unit 1

Remember to always proof read your work. Check your tenses and spelling.

Introduction
Main body of events / plot
Problem / Complication
Solution & Conclusion

English composition to be passed up tomorrow (31/1/2012)

Reminders

- Please put on your P.E attire for your health screening tomorrow.

Supplementary lessons begin this week. Please inform your subject teachers and me if you are unable to turn up with a valid letter.

Thank You,
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong.

Thank you for the feedback

Dear parents,

Thank you all for your feedbacks. Feedbacks do help me improve on communicating with you and the students. They also help me improve as an educator. As much as the students are learning from me, I, too, am learning from them and all of the parents every single day.

Be rest assured that I will do my best to update the blog at an earlier time. I do apologize for the late updates (which are sometimes unavoidable because of the after school work that teachers are involved in).

The timetable is mostly fixed for now and I will be printing a copy for the students.

Lately, I have noticing that many of the students have been forgetting to bring their books. Do ensure that your children follow the correct timetable and bring their books for lessons as we need to refer to the books for learning.

Dear students,

Health Check up and screening takes place on the 31st Jan (Tue)at 8am. Do come in your PE attire even for those who are unable to take your P.E on that day.

Have a good weekend ahead,
And there is no homework for this weekend,
But get ready to do alot of work come next week,
Sincerely,
Mr. Nelson Ong

Week 4 ends and Week 5 is beginning

Dear all,

Happy Chinese New Year week. Hope you have enjoyed the festive season.

Learning points of the day

- It is important to plan for your composition. Do not rush to start writing. Think about the setting, plot, characters, place, time, problems and solutions. With these points in mind, your composition will be more structured.
Check out this blog here, http://compophrases.blogspot.com/

- We have come to the closure of unit 1: unit of life for science. Do pay close attention to the summary notes and take note of the spelling.
Key points:
1. Definition of cells
2. Microscope as the instrument to look at cells
3. Parts of a plant cell
4. Parts of an animal cell
5. Differences and similarities
6. How to draw and label the parts
7. Cell division and budding
8. Single cell organisms as some examples
9. Multi cell organisms

There is dictation test tomorrow for unit 2. As I will be on course, the relief teacher will administer the test to you! ENGLISH MONITORS, please remind the relief teacher if he/she forgets.

Supplementary lesson starts next week. Do return all reply slips by tomorrow.

Task for tomorrow:

1. Do drafting for composition, introduction and plot.
2. Dictation unit 2
3. Science worksheet for unit 1

All to be passed up to the relief teacher or put in locker no. 10

Dear parents,

Do note that I am trying to provide more guidance for the students in the classroom and thus, i will be looking to complete the class work in the classroom rather than bringing back as homework. I believe that it is important to guide them and go through the worksheets in the classroom so that I can assess their learning at the same time.

Thank you for your understanding,
Yours Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong

I

HAPPY CNY!

Dear all,

Happy Chinese New Year! Hope all of you had a great time and have collected lots of red packets.

It is back to school time!

Please be reminded that we will be having our celebrations for CNY tomorrow, 25th Jan (Wed) from 10:30am - 12:25pm.

Lessons will be as per normal from 7.25am - 10.25am. Please bring your books for the lessons.

Tomorrow, we will be having Science from 8.25am - 9.25am. Do bring your science textbooks!

See you all soon!

Yours Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong

Supplementary Schedule 2012

Dear all,



(Click on the photo for a larger image)

You can find a copy of the schedule of supplementary lessons for the class here. Do note that supplementary lessons are important to help strengthen your children's understanding and knowledge.

Attendance is compulsory.

Thank you,
Sincerely,
Mr. Nelson Ong

Anticipating the start of CNY

Dear all,



Hope that you find that this version of the timetable is clearer. Once it is finalized, I will print a copy for you.

What we have learnt for Science

- Parts of a plant cell and its functions.

- Plants need sunlight, carbon dioxide and water to make food (this process is known as photosynthesis). In turn, it gives out oxygen and sugar.

- Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll which is a green pigment responsible for trapping sunlight to help the plant make food.

- In the stem, there are the water carrying tubes (Xylem) and food carrying tubes (Phloem)

*Please note the spelling for these key words:
1. Photosynthesis
2. Chlorophyll and Chloroplast
3. Cell membrane
4. Nucleus
5. Cytoplasm



You must be able to draw a plant cell and label the parts.

That's it for now. I will be updating very soon!

Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Nelson Ong

Timetable Version 2 (With effect from 16th Jan)

Dear all,

As promised, here is the updated version of the timetable (may be subjected to further changes).



Sincerely,
Mr. Ong

Monday Monday Monday

Dear students,

It's the beginning of week 3! Time flies.

Reminders

- Check your updated timetable (My apologies for not being able to upload the timetable to the blog for today. It will be done tomorrow. So do check back)

- If you have not brought your english and science files, it is time you bring them! We are going to do filing soon.

- I will require you to bring an extra brown exercise book for journal writing.

Classroom Management

- Please observe the class rules at all times. It is important to stay consistent and keep it up.

Lesson of the day

- An individual has the ability to affect the world as exemplified through Adolf Hitler in World War 2. Likewise, we have the ability to make a difference to others through our actions, so be positive and do good!

A big thank you

- to Van Dean's and Terry's groups for doing their duty consistently after school. Well done!

- to Brinda and her team for decorating the class without fail after school each day. You have done a wonderful job in decorating the class. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong

Homonyms and homographs

Dear students,

New information for the day

We learned about homonyms and homographs for today's english lesson.

A quick recap.

Homonyms are words that spelt the same but have different meanings. E.g 'Duck' 'Duck', when used as a noun, refers to the animal.



However, 'duck' when used as a verb, means the action to avoid.



Homographs refer to words that are spelt the same but have different meanings and are pronounced differently.
E.g Rebel.

Science

We recapped about cells and parts of the microscope. Remember to revise the parts of the microscope and their functions as this piece of information is extremely important.

Reminders

- Science files and English files to be passed up.
- English dictation is tomorrow (13th jan)

Learning point of the day

- There can be more than one meaning to a word. Read the sentence and fit the correct meaning to the context. Do not be too quick to assume that one word has only one meaning.

- Remember, we are in this together. We will motivate and spur one another along, be it in studies or character building.

Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong

Looking at cells through the microscope

Dear students,

In today's science lesson, we covered the parts and functions of a microscope. It is extremely important to be able to label the parts on the microscope and to identify the functions of the parts. Please take note.

We have also have hands-on experience in using the microscope to view some small samples of cells. Next week, we will look at a range of plant cells in detail and finish up the activity book.



Homework for today

- Science worksheet on microscope, questions 2 and 3 only! Pass up tomorrow (12th Jan)

Today's shout out

- A very happy birthday to Li Ying.

Rule #1
We are a family!
We support and motivate one another without fail!

Have a good evening ahead.

Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong

The Unit of Life

Dear students,

A quick recap of today's lessons.

Science

We learned about cells. Cells are the smallest unit of life. They differ in shape, size and function. Cells are important as they play a major role in helping us to survive and go about our daily activities.

cells --> tissues --> organs

There are organisms with only one cell and others with many cells. An example of an one-cell organism is yeast. An example of a many-cells organism is an elephant.

In addition, cells division helps cells to reproduce.

Social Studies

We learned about a major event which marked the turning point in the history of Singapore - the Japanese Occupation of Singapore.

The main important lesson to be learned is that we must ourselves defend Singapore and no one owes Singapore a living.

In all,

We learned about knowledge in Science and also knowledge for national education and citizenship education. It is important to be well versed in both aspects in order to be a complete student. Do not forget what you have learned today.

Important Reminders

- An exercise book to record new and difficult vocabulary words by THURSDAY (12th Jan)
- Red and yellow files for English by FRIDAY (13th Jan)
- Dictation test for Unit 1 on FRIDAY (13th Jan)

Quote of the day

"There is a reason for everything we do and learn. Look at how we can apply our knowledge that we picked up in schools to our daily lives. What we learned must never be forgotten. Practise, revise and perfect it."


Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong

Useful websites on poems

Dear students,

Here are some useful websites on poems in which you can explore at your own leisure time. Do take a look.

http://www.poetry4kids.com/

http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poetryfun/poetryfun.html

Have fun learning about English!

Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong

Learning about Poems

Dear all,

This is to recap about today's lessons. For english, we are introduced to the genre of poem.

Poem refers to "A verbal composition designed to convey experiences, ideas, or emotions in a vivid and imaginative way, characterized by the use of language chosen for its sound and suggestive power and by the use of literary techniques such as meter, metaphor, and rhyme."

(http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Poems)

Poems describe a person, an event, an idea, a setting or actions.

Why do we learn poems? How is it applicable to our lives?
-Poems is a part of the english curriculum. Poems can be found in our daily lives when we come across songs. The lyrics found in certain songs are in fact, poems. However, do note that you should be aware of reading the proper lyrics. Lyrics that contain profanity should be avoided and is not considered a good piece of poem. Good poem uses proper, standard english.

Poems also contain messages and lessons to be learned. In today's lesson, you learned about the poem titled "The Walrus and the Carpenter' teaches us about the importance of thinking before you act and the value of trust.

Reminders

1. Do bring a exercise book (brown) by tomorrow (10th Jan) to record down key vocabulary words taught in English and Science lessons. You need to look through the words and remember their meanings and spellings. It will go a long way in improving your command of english.

2. Red and yellow files for English has to be submitted by Friday (13th Jan).

3. If you have yet to pass up your letters, please do so immediately.

Dear parents, do supervise and help remind your children about the reminders. I value the importance of bringing the textbooks and exercise books for lesson. I hope to seek your understanding that if you child should fail to bring their materials for their lessons, punishment will be meted out. Constant reminders will be given beforehand. This is to ensure that each child can follow the lesson and learn key concepts.

Thank you,
Sincerely,
Mr Nelson Ong.

Top 5 Rules of 5SD3

Dear students and parents,

To ensure the smooth transition of carrying out lessons in the classroom and to maximize learning for every pupil, it is important to have rules implemented and constantly reinforced. As such, I have my own set of rules which I hope that the students will adhere to in the classroom and in school. These rules are gone through in class and are hung up for display for the students to look at and remember.

5 Golden Rules

1. We are a family.

I value the bond between the teachers and students and this first rule seeks to establish a supportive environment in which everyone can help one another and make learning interesting and fun. Just like the analogy of branches, roots, leaves, stems and shoots that make up a tree, students and teachers need one another in their walk through daily school life. As much as I hope students can learn from me, I also look forward to learning from each and every student.

2. Listen Attentively!

The power of listening is immense. The sense of hearing is an important tool in classroom learning. It is important to respect the speaker when he/she is talking just as we hope that others will listen to us when we are talking. Thus, it is important to listen first and ask/speak later.

3. Respect, bow and greet the principal, vice principals and teachers.

The value of respect is clearly meted out in the school rules (in the school handbook/diary) - Respect yourself, respect others and respect the environment. It is important to show respect to higher authority and to fellow classmates/schoolmates. It is an integral aspect of character development and lifelong learning.

4. Pass up all work on time.

Work is not to burden students but to build up their knowledge and put into practice concepts learned. Students must take pride in their work to grow academically. With constant practice, students can activate their schema and drill the concepts in their mind. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. As such, it is important for students to pass up work on time so that the teacher can grade and provide feedback.

5. Do your best in everything you do.

No one is perfect. We make mistakes along the way in our life. But it is important to put in our best effort and maximise our talent and efforts, learn from our mistakes along the way and become a better person. Likewise, students must put in their best effort to shine academically, in terms of character development or physical sports.

With these golden rules in place, students know what are expected of them. Rules help to establish classroom routines and provide a supportive tone of environment for learning. They are meant to be followed, not broken. I hope that parents can also constantly advise students on the rules, if applicable to the home setting, as much as possible.

Thank you for taking the time to read through these rules once again.

Sincerely,
Mr. Nelson Ong

1st Week of School

Dear all,

It's the end of the first week of school. Hoped you have settled down and ready to start lessons next week. Put in your 100% effort and do your best. It is important to do well to set the tone for your PSLE come next year.

Important Reminders:

- Please bring your books according to your time table.
- Those without name tags on your uniform and PE uniform, please purchase and get them sewn on by the end of week 2.
- Please bring your thermometer next week as we would still be taking our temperature on Monday(9/1/2012) and Tuesday (10/1/2012)

Forms to be passed up:

- First school letter (Parents' Acknowledgement) dated on the 5th January 2012. This is to be passed up on Monday, 9th January 2012.

- Personal introduction form (Parents' Acknowledgement) dated on the 6th January 2012. This is to be passed up on Monday, 9th January 2012.

- Personal particulars form to be passed up on Monday, 9th January 2012.

Have a pleasant weekend and see you all on Monday.

Sincerely,
Mr. Nelson Ong

Welcome 2012

Dear parents and students,

A very warm welcome to each and everyone. I am delighted to embark on my 2012 teaching journey as the form teacher of class 5SD3.

My teaching motto is that "Every child deserves the utmost chance to be nurtured academically and in terms of character development." I value the importance of helping each student to strive for excellence in their academics and in the process, help them to acquire the essential skills and values for lifelong learning outside the classroom too. It adds up to developing a child holistically.

In ensuring the welfare of each child, I also value the roles that each parent play in nurturing the child. i sincerely wish to work together with each parent in helping your child to strive for excellence and to help them enjoy their school experience. Each parent is an integral component of a teacher's life. I will be working closely with each parent to provide updates and progress of the students. I will post important news and reminders on this class blog for each child to have an additional avenue to take note of important messages and also for parents to be constantly kept in the loop of the happenings in class.

Therefore, this class blog is established with the main aim of providing an additional avenue for parents to be updated with important reminders in their child's class and to also provide any comments or questions for me so that I can get back to you with regards to your queries or requests. You can post your comments or queries at the comments link found at the bottom of each post or alternatively, you can contact me at ong_yong_hui_nelson@moe.edu.sg

It is also important to note that this class blog is not a medium for arguments or for any profanities. I hope to create a supportive tone of environment to aid the progress of students and parents in their school journeies at HIPS.

Once again, thank you for taking the time to read through my introduction message. Through the class blog, I hope to work closely with each parent in the development of your child's learning journey in school. :)

I will subsequently be relaying my expectations and classroom rules in future posts for clarity of my teaching in class.

Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Nelson Ong