Mayflower Primary School recognised for its arts—in—education efforts

SINGAPORE: Mayflower Primary School attained the National Arts Education (NAE) Glow Award in 2012. The award is in recognition of the school’s efforts in promoting arts as part of holistic education to its students.

The NAE Award has been restructured this year into three new award categories — Spark, Glow and Blaze — to recognise schools at different phases of their arts education journey.

Mayflower Primary School received a Certificate of Participation in 2005 and a Bronze Award in 2007.

Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, the Information, Communication and the Arts Minister, who visited the school recently, was treated to the fruits of the school’s hard work.

Every student in Mayflower Primary has the opportunity to develop his or her talent in four areas of the arts — dance, drama, music and visual arts — through the school’s holistic arts education programme, called ACE@Mayflower (Aspiration, Cultivation and Expression).

Talented students are then encouraged to pursue that particular area of the arts through the eight Co—Curricular Activities (CCA) offered by the school. The CCAs are the Art Club, Chinese Dance, Malay Dance, Indian Dance, Guzheng Ensemble, String Ensemble, Choir and Cultural & Aesthetics Club.

In September 2012, the school will also be organising dAnCE Steps, a yearly dance camp for students from North Zone primary schools, with the aim of promoting dance education in primary schools.

Madam Maiza Sulaiman, a Malay Language teacher as well as a parent of a Primary 5 student in the school, is happy with the arts education that her daughter is receiving.

"Initially she’s a very shy person, she doesn’t talk much. But with exposure to the arts, which requires her to express and reflect on many things, I find that she has opened up. Being expressive (with) her thoughts, her feelings. I think it’s a bonus for me," said Madam Maiza.

Mrs Valarie Wilson, Principal of Mayflower Primary School, said: "In our school, we believe that every pupil is an artist. I think arts provide a very different way of thinking, of seeing, of looking, of doing. And I think that promotes creativity and allows pupils to really open up their perspectives, and really builds their inventive and critical thinking."

—CNA/ac