Pei Hwa Secondary School

Infobox Singapore School
name = Pei Hwa Secondary School
培华中学


motto = Nurturing talents
established = 2005
type = Government
session = Single
principal = Miss Chong Hoi Neng (2005- )
city/town = Sengkang West, Fernvale
school code = 3073
colours = Green, yellow
enrollment = Estimated 1400
homepage = [http://www.peihwasec.moe.edu.sg/ Link]
location =
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Pei Hwa Secondary School (培华中学) is a co-educational, government secondary school in the Fernvale neighbourhood of Sengkang New Town, Singapore. Established in 2005 ^{[http://www.moe.gov.sg/prime/dgp/sengkang/secondary_sch/pei_hwa_sec.htm]} it has some 1400 pupils as of 2008.

History & Founding of the School

Pei Hwa Public School

Pei Hwa Public School along Yio Chu Kang Road was founded around 1934 by Chinese immigrants residing in Jalan Kayu. They felt a need for a school in proximity to their villages. Back then, schools were located in the cities and not everyone had the means to send their children to and from the city. Pei Hwa began humbly as a small village school but as time passed and with financial aid and leadership from community leaders, she had become one of the largest and most complete village schools in Singapore by 1976. There were 17 classrooms and even a dormitory for the principal and teachers. The school received many awards in the areas of Chinese Art such as Calligraphy and painting. In terms of academic performance, Pei Hwa Public was known to be a school which produced students with consistently good results. Pei Hwa was ahead of its times in terms of teaching and had many “modern facilities” that complemented the teaching efforts of its teachers. Although early education approaches, as in all other school back then, more teacher-centred , Pei Hwa gradually gained the reputation for being a school which encouraged more student-centred teaching with a great deal of hands-on activities. Pei Hwa was also known for its rigor in academics and dissemination of Chinese values. As a Chinese stream school, the took Chinese as their main language together with Mathematics, Moral Education, Physical Education and Arts & Crafts. Many activities were student-led. Extra Curriculum Activities (ECAs) were started by students. The Chinese Calligraphy and Drawing Club won the most awards. There were a few annual sports events where sports representatives from various schools were invited. An eco-garden in the school was set up and some teachers grew vegetables with the help of students. Unfortunately, the enrolment for the school began to dwindle when many of the surrounding villages were relocated in the 1980s. This led to its closure eventual closure in 1990.

Pei Hwa Secondary School

However, in 2004, the idea of resurrecting Pei Hwa arose from a group of former students who had since started the Pei Hwa Foundation, a philanthropic organization founded on the principles of contribution to the community for the betterment of those living there. Today the school is located at 21 Fernvale Link, a 15 minute drive from the original site of the Pei Hwa Public School. The school was officially opened in July 2007 by then Minister of Education Mr Tharman Shammugaratnam, along with members of the Pei Hwa Foundation and the School Advisory Committee.

School Principals

Ms Chong Hoi Neng (2005-)

Current Premise

The current location of the school is at 21 Fernvale Link, which was formerly occupied by Xinmin Secondary School and Sengkang West Secondary School. The premise underwent cosmetic changes prior to the admission of the pioneer batch of pupils in 2005.

School Principles

Vision: Pride of the Community

Motto: Nurturing Talents (the chinese translation of this being Pei Hwa )

Mission: To develop global citizens who are resilient and have a passion for learning.

Values: PRIDE - Passion for learning, Resilience, Integrity, Diligence and Excellence for self and others.

Logo

[http://www.peihwa.edu.sg/images/PeiHwa_logo.jpg]

The logo is formed by the chinese charactors `Pei` and `Hwa’ which means `nurturing talents’. Central to the logo is the figure representing a resilient Pei Hwa pupil who is happy and confident even as he leaps over each obstacle. He is upright (as shown by the `li’ character at the top of the figure’s head) and grounded (as shown by the `tu’ character) in values. His education in Pei Hwa has enabled him to embrace the world of knowledge with open arms and to push beyond current boundaries.

Academics

As of this writing (July 2008), there are no official records of the school's GCE Ordinary and Normal Level results, as the pioneer batch of students have yet to partake in the examinations.

Achievements

A nationwide initiative by the Ministry of Education , Co-Curricular activities(CCAs) are intended to enrich the school life of students by exposing them to various experiences. Pei Hwa Secondary School offers 17 CCAs to its students. New groups are being added according to the demand for them. Besides core CCAs, the only other special group in which members are awarded CCA points is the Student Council. Students are free to take up whichever CCA they wish to. The Outdoor Activity Club (ODAC) is a niche CCA to the school.

The more notable achievements from the school have come from the Robotics Club and Multimedia Club CCAs, both placing their mark on the national and international circuit.

Robotics Club

The Robotics Club is the first CCA to have won the school's first award, it winning the Robo Grand Prix and Micromouse awards in different category. With more than a dozen national awards under its belt, the club is already proving to be a formidable team in the competition circuit. Details on their awards will be updated shortly.

Multimedia Club

The Multimedia Club was formally joined together with the Robotics Club, before disbanding as the club was expanding. Before and after the separation, the club has participated in various competitions, with almost all of their entries ending up with awards. The first award that they have garnered is the "Anti-drug abuse Flash Animation" organised by the [http://sana.org.sg Singapore Anti Narcotics Association] in 2005-2006.

The second notable award is from the [http://panasonic.com.sg/kwn Kid Witness News] competition organised by Panasonic. In 2006, it was nominated for all the eligible categories available, and clinched 3 of them, including the Top News Production Award, which allowed the school to represent Singapore in the regional rounds, against nations such as Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. In that round, the school was awarded "Best Script" for its documentary work.

In 2007, the school participated in the competition again, and its work was named "Best Script" for the second time in a row in the national rounds.

Art Council

This unique CCA was formed in 2006 with the goal of making art accessible to everyone, and has adopted many approaches to making it fun and exposing it to everyone in the school.

The council participated in the Love the Earth Lantern Making Competition in 2006 organised by MediaCorp. It was awarded 1st Runner-up, and won a total of $1388 in cash prizes.

Others

Many other CCAs have played no small part in garnering achievements and participating in various activities in the name of the school, a few examples includes the ODAC's successful climb to Mount Ophir and Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia, the Sports CCAs' participation in inter-school and national competitions, as well as the Student Council's involvement with many important leadership conventions, such as the Singapore-Malaysia Student Leaders Camp, and the yearly Student Leaders Convention organised by the Hwa Chong Instituition.

Co-Curricular Activities (CCA)

Listed are the CCAs which are currently offered in the school, as of 2008.

Sports

•Basketball (2005)
A popular CCA with the male population of the school

•Table Tennis (2006)
Another popular CCA, drawing casual sport-enthusiasts.

•Badminton (2005)
The most popular sports CCA group in the school.

•Wushu (2005)
A martial arts group that focuses on discipline.

Uniformed Groups

•National Police Cadet Corps(NPCC) (2005)
The most favoured of uniformed group CCAs in the school.

•National Civil Defence Cadet Corps(NCDCC) (2006)
Formerly the St. John's Ambulance group.

•National Cadet Corps(NCC) (2005)
Training and codes parallels that of the Singapore Armed Forces

Clubs & Societies

•Robotics Club (2005)
Award wining club specialises in the Micromouse, Robo Grand Prix and Lego Mindstorm robots

•Outdoor Adventure Club (ODAC) (2005)
The school's niche CCA which participates in a range of activities.

•Pei Hwa Art Council (PHAC) (2006)
This arty CCA has brought art to the forefront of the school's environment.

•Multimedia Club (2005)
Previously merged with the Robotic Club, this CCA specialises in digital media

•Library Club (2005)
This CCA is responsible for the welfare of the school's library and literature programs.

•Pei Hwa Times (2007)
The CCA which produces the school's only newsletter, the PHACTORS.

Performing Arts

•Concert Band (2005)
The quintessential CCA group in any Singaporean school

•Dance (2005)
This CCA experiments with different forms and styles of dance

•Choir (2007)
The singing voices of the school are joined as one in this CCA

Student Leadership

•Student Council (2005)
The Student Council represents the cremé dé lá cremé of the student population, nurturing the leaders of tomorrow. The Student Council has been responsible for organising many of the School's activities most notably the Teachers' day concert. They also frequently conduct surveys that are aimed at improving the quality of school life for the students. Annually, the Student Council hosts its investiture. This year's (2008) batch of Student councillors is the larges known student council batch since the start of the council in 2005.

More information about the respective CCAs can be found [http://www.peihwa.edu.sg/cca.html here]

Community Achievements

True to the mission of the school, it has taken many steps in being a participant of various zonal and community events.

Official Opening of Fernvale Point

The school was an active participant of the opening of Fernvale Point in 2006, a neighbourhood commercial center for the nearby residents, in which the school participated in the staging of a concert, as well as a setting up of a publicity booth, which was visited by the guest-of-honour, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and members of the public. The event was a huge success with the help of the school and the parent volunteers.

Racial Harmony Day @ NLB Sengkang

In 2006 the school, in collaboration with the National Library Board, held an exhibition at the Sengkang Library featuring the artworks, projects and booths by the students and teachers. The main aim of this project was to promote racial tolerance within our society, and the event was a big success, drawing crowds from all walks of life.

Balestier Special School

In 2005/2006, a group of students were involved in volunteering long term at the special education school. Through weekly activities, the students from both sides bond and share experiences together, broadening their horizons in the way they see the world. The volunteers have also helped prepared the students for the Special Olympics in 2006.

Peer Reading Program

In 2006/2007, several peer reading programs have been launched to help younger children nurture a habit for reading, or to simply help them to read a story. These programs were made in conjunction with the National Library Board and Fernvale Primary School.

Jalan Kayu Heritage Trail

The school's most ambitious community project to date. Completed in 2007, this Heritage trail features the many aspects of the small neighbourhood just a short distance away from the school. Teams covered the historical, scientific and the scenic aspects of Jalan Kayu, documenting information through various mediums. This massive collaboration between students, teachers, residents and ex-military servicemen have been hailed to be a hallmark for the community, allowing generations to look back into the past of this famous area. Currently, tours are being offered to those interested in learning about Jalan Kayu. The [http://jalankayutrail.edu.sg official site] is a consolidation of the work put in by the various groups, and the [http://jalankayutrail.blogspot.com blog] is a historical archive of the information found along the way.

Other community projects

The school actively participates in many other community projects. More details on such projects and activities can be found [http://www.peihwa.edu.sg/community.html here] .

School Groups

The school groups are essential to the growth of the school, and at times make decisions that will affect the way the school is run. Listed are the groups that work alongside the school.

Parent Support Group (PSG)The Parent Support Group was established in 2005 and its members include the parents of students currently studying at Pei Hwa Secondary School. Through these PSG meetings, the school aims to work hand-in-hand with the members to provide a holistic education for its students in school and at home. The group meets up on a termly basis, and also before major events in which the school require their assistance.

Pei Hwa FoundationThe Pei Hwa Foundation was the very reason why Pei Hwa Secondary School exists today. Founded by alumni members of the old Pei Hwa Public School, the Foundation is a philantrophic organisation that focuses on contributing to the community, as well as the other affiliated school that they have connections with. Most of its members are also on board the School Advisory Committee, with Mr Alan Soh chairing the committee. The foundation also gives out scholarships to new students who have scored well for their PSLE results, and also gives out bursaries to affiliated schools. Their headquarters is currently located at Jalan Kayu.

External links

* [http://www.peihwasec.moe.edu.sg/ School website]
* [http://app.sis.moe.gov.sg/schinfo/SIS_SearchDtls.asp?strCode=3073 School information service profile]
* [http://www.jalankayutrail.edu.sg/ Jalan Kayu Trail]