Growing Greener: Valour Primary School's Commitment to Sustainability
Written by Teo Jia Xin
Go Green SG involves hundreds of partners organising sustainability-related events to engage the community. Schools are an important partner too! While their events are usually meant just for their own students and communities, they nevertheless have an important role to play in inculcating good habits in students and teachers.
One such example is Valour Primary School (VPS), which is fostering a culture of sustainability in and out of the classroom. In Social Studies lessons, students learn about the 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, and VPS is walking the talk by introducing a recycling corner in all classrooms. Every week, students will deposit the collected recyclables in the canteen’s jumbo bags.
“If we recycle, we will not need to extract natural resources to make new products. Recycling also reduces the amount of waste sent to Semakau Landfill,” says Primary 3 student Kim Hyeon-A, referring to Singapore’s only landfill which is in danger of filling up by 2035. VPS students are taught how to clean and sort recyclables correctly to avoid contamination.
In VPS, students are taught practical tips for sustainable living too. They are also encouraged to develop good recycling habits, like using reusable bags and water bottles, and to be mindful of waste management practices. In their Science curriculum, as part of the STEM Playground Challenges, students have also upcycled materials into creative and innovative forms like boats, cardboard chairs and even pinhole projectors. These STEM Playground Challenges are jointly organised by Science Centre Singapore, James Dyson Foundation and the Curriculum Planning & Development Division of the Ministry of Education. In one of the challenges, students were tasked to make prototypes for cotton reel tanks.
Primary 5 student, Rizky Rafael Bin Mohamad Helmi (third from left) found inspiration for his prototype tank through Google and YouTube, and added his own creative twists to improve the prototype’s performance. Sourcing materials from his father’s workplace, Rizky enhanced his prototype to increase friction and potential energy. Through the project, he demonstrated resourcefulness and innovation, transforming readily-available materials into a functional and visually appealing prototype.
VPS staff are also modelling the way by adopting green practices during school events. When VPS had staff-bonding activities, participants were told to bring their own containers for activities such as baking and coffee-brewing. During staff meals, reusable crockery and cutlery are used instead of disposables.
Such environmental consciousness is also introduced to students, many of whom bring their own containers and cutlery for school events such as the P4 Adventure Camp. They are taught the importance of being friendly to the environment as they go about their learning.
VPS teachers shared valuable insights into collaborative efforts with external organisations such as Stridy and North East Community Development Council (NE CDC). Ms Stella Goh, teacher in-charge for the Outdoor Club, shared that the club collaborated with Stridy for litter-picking sessions in Punggol, for members to develop a better understanding of how urban waste impacts the urban environment. Through the litter-picking sessions, the Outdoor Club members experience first-hand the impacts that waste has on the environment, and she hopes that the students are inspired to launch their own projects for environment sustainability.
Ms Tan Yan Lin, a teacher at VPS, also shared that the school has implemented programmes such as TerraQuest and AquaQuest. In TerraQuest, students made their own terrariums to learn the importance of plants in the ecosystem. AquaQuest meanwhile saw students collaborating with NE CDC, with facilitators leading students through an immersive adventure set in the future, where Earth becomes inhabitable due to water pollution.
Ms Tan shared that when NE CDC reached out to schools for collaboration to curate programmes for students, VPS was motivated to take part due to their shared commitment to environmental sustainability and community improvement in northeastern Singapore. They also felt that combining resources, expertise and network with a programme designed specifically for primary school students can make sustainability initiatives more effective. With these programmes, VPS wants to empower students to be eco-stewards of sustainability, inspiring positive change to the people around them.
Through comprehensive educational initiatives, collaborative partnerships, and hands-on activities, VPS continues to lead by example in promoting sustainable living and nurturing future generations of environmentally aware citizens.