Our Primary 1 Pathlighters answered the calls of the wet and wild in August, when they fearlessly came face-to-face with fauna as diverse as peaceful giant manatees, razor-toothed tiger fish, fearsome electric eels and even a pair of lovable Chinese giant pandas.

All these and more, made the field trip to River Safari an informative and enjoyable learning journey. The inclusion of both mathematical and scientific concepts in this outdoor experiential class had our students exercising their knowledge on graphs, ordinal numbers, shapes and patterns, as well as classifications of animals. They also took the opportunity to practise putting their best foot forward in the community.

From analysing the Indian Gharial’s teeth to feeling the grooves of bamboo shoots that giant pandas feed on, students explored the wonders of wildlife creatures and the world around them. Besides analysing and handling specimens, students also documented their learning and discoveries in an e-book. This experience showed our students that knowledge gained in the classroom is more than facts and figures on a board; they are as alive and complex as the world around us.

As part of Pathlight’s transition support to prepare our students for life post-school, Pathlight organises Job Shadowing and Work Exposure programmes to expose students to various job opportunities available.

Vocational Track Pathlighters embarked on Job Shadowing programmes to TMF Singapore, Ya Kun Kaya Toast and Pan Pacific Hotel Group, as well as a work exposure programme at Fairmont Hotel in September.

Pathlighters were immersed in real work settings and even had the opportunity to try their hand at completing actual tasks that employees do. They also experienced snippets of working life – joining the peak-hour crowd as they took public transport to “work” and having lunch outside.

We hope these experiences will help them make informed decisions about their future education and career choices, and motivate them to work towards their desired vocations.

Secondary 1 and 2 students from the STEM Cub embarked on a Learning Journey to Kok Fah Technology Farm in September. Our students went there with a special mission – to learn about hydroponic farming and translate it into designing their own hydroponic systems that they have been working on using the design tool TinkerCAD.

Through a tour of the hydroponics farm, our students learned how space can be maximised to grow vegetables sustainably, as well as the hard work and stages involved in the production and sale of these vegetables. They also learned about the advantages and disadvantages of the hydroponic farming method, and better understood the importance of self-sustenance and independence.

On 25 August, 9 Primary 4 and 5 students (Jaedon Lo, Wu Zining, Chia Jay, Gareth Ong, Caden Liang, Royston Chew, Bruce Lim, Tan Guan Qi and Lee Hao Hong) teamed up with Townsville Primary floorball girls’ team to participate in the Play Inclusive Unified Floorball competition. The largest unified sports festival in Singapore aims to promote inclusion through shared sports training and competition between individuals with and without special needs.

Pathlighters showed conviction and determination to hone their skills despite having only nine training sessions before the competition. They improved by leaps and bounds under their coaches’ guidance and were well-prepared for their competition.

On the day of the competition, they stood their ground against opponents who were taller and bigger than them, and showed courage and confidence when playing against them. They also exemplified great sportsmanship by cheering their teammates from Townsville primary on and congratulating their winning opponents.

Well done Pathlighters and Townsville students for taking up the challenge and exemplifying how sports can bring people together, regardless of abilities!