Gifts From The Heart At Takashimaya

On Friday 08 November 2019, Takashimaya Department Store unveiled an exhibition showcasing Christmas designs from 19 teams of students from Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Design.

In a first-time collaboration with Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Design, Takashimaya invited these third-year students to imagine its much-anticipated Christmas packaging for 2019, in line with the campaign theme "Gifts from the Heart". 

"It really is the thought that counts. Our theme of ‘Gifts from the Heart’ embodies that sentiment and encourages our shoppers to put thought into their gift selection, to seek out something truly special for every special person in their life. It multiplies the joy for the giver and the recipient, and makes the whole season more meaningful."

--- Yuko Shibuya, General Manager of Takashimaya Department Store ---

In the spirit of giving, Takashimaya has contributed a generous project fee that goes towards Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Design project grant set up to support Design students requiring financial assistance.

The exhibition will be situated at The Atrium, Level 1 of Takashimaya Shopping Centre, and remain open to all until 21 November, and showcases all 19 of the submitted designs, one of which has been adapted for the store’s Christmas wrappers and shopping bags.

"For students, there is no greater validation than to see their works appreciated, commercially produced and showcased. The authentic learning experience that Takashimaya has given our students will stay with them long after the Yuletide season."

--- Lim Chong Jin, Director, School of Design, Temasek Polytechnic ---

"I’m sure our students would be thrilled to see their designs on Takashimaya shopping bags and gift wrappers. For shoppers, having a fresh and youthful take on traditional Christmas wrapping will

surely add some uniqueness and fun to the spirit of giving and receiving this Christmas too."

--- Lim Chong Jin, Director, School of Design, Temasek Polytechnic ---

The opening was accompanied by the spectacular light-up of its tallest indoor Christmas tree to-date. Takashimaya’s indoor Christmas tree has become a favourite photo-taking spot for locals and tourists alike. Over the years, it has "grown' to its current height of 16.8 metres. This spectacular Christmas Tree will remain in the Atrium until Wednesday 25 December 2019.

 

Every year, a team of part-time staff are trained in the quintessentially Japanese art of gift-wrapping. It’s another small way in which Takashimaya strives to thank its loyal shoppers.Shoppers enjoy complimentary gift wrapping specially designed by Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Design students with any purchase at Takashimaya Department Store and Takashimaya Square at B2. 

The winning design encompassed the bold use of of geometric shapes gives a dynamic pixelated feel that is original in local Christmas packaging. The bright and cheery tones of the warm colour palette emphasizes the heart of the holiday season, one marked by generousity, sharing and giving....

All are invited to enjoy Takashimaya’s "Gifts from the Heart" exhibition and the must-see Christmas Tree at The Atrium, Level 1 of Takashimaya Shopping Centre. More detail can be found on the Takashimaya website at www.takashimaya.com.sg/events/promotions/.

(Source : Takashimaya)

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Avondale Grammar School - Where Positive Education Thrives

Avondale Grammar School
Phoenix Park
Central, Singapore
May 2015

Merlion Wayfarer was recently at Avondale Grammar School as part of the HeritageFest's event titled Avondale Grammar School: From Past to Present at Phoenix Park. The guided tour saw the doors of the former headquarters of the British Military and Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs at Tanglin Road opened to the public for the first time.

Offered a guided tour of an international school for the first time, Merlion Wayfarer was very impressed by the innovative educational curriculum.

Motor Skills

This handcrafted phoenix represented the original naming of Phoenix Park.
Made by 3 to 4-year-old preschoolers, the collage was formed with different-coloured rice
to signify the member countries in the Rice Talks...

What better way to teach preschoolers about shapes than to use food?

In this simple exercise, students cut out simple shapes and pasted them onto a paper plate pizza.

Besides training their motor skills,
they also learn about aesthetics, shapes and numbers at the same time.

Presentation Skills

Boys from Year 3 with their cute little mustaches role play a British Major, a Colonel and a General discussing the formation of SEATO. Despite their young age, they are able to project their voices well with clear articulation...

Cultural Understanding

In one of the Level 1 classrooms, one's eye is naturally drawn to this picture board.

"Where In The World Do You Read?" was its title.

People from all over the world are featured doing just one thing - reading. 

The School has children from over 20 nationalities. To teach them about the values for global harmony, they create an interlinked chain with coloured paper and handwritten values...

Sensual Awareness

In learning about materials, students are taught to use their 5 senses.

A pair of scissors, an example of "metal",

can be "shiny" (visual), "sharp" (kinesthetic), and can "cut things" (action)...

Language & Grammar

These were other posters found in the classrooms

How do you tell time... Using an analogue clock is very different from using a digital timepiece.

Do you know what time is a "quarter past seven"?

Without using a thesaurus, how many words and phrases can you come up with to mean "addition"?

Using animals, what does it mean to "slide" and to "flip"?

Stressing the importance of punctuation...

If you find yourself always using the same word...

Sentences are composed of these parts - adjectives, verbs, adverbs, conjunctions, nouns...

Current Affairs

Much is built into the curriculum so that the students, most of who are temporary residents of Singapore, learn more about their host country and grow to appreciate their time spent here.

How much do the students know about Singapore leaders?

Quite a lot - as shown from this running slide show on Lee Kuan and profiles of prominent Singapore politicians pasted on the doors of key rooms in the school, such as this one of Professor Jayakumar at door to the music room.

Visual cues like these provide reminders for the assimilation of knowledge.

In this map by Year 5s, the students researched the history of the local area surrounding Phoenix Park. Using this information, they wrote newspaper reports about the interesting facts uncovered...

 

With old photographs of Orchard Road, students drew what they thought Orchard Road was like in the past...

In the above project, the Year 5s learnt about research skills, writing techniques, article formatting, while at the same time, practiced their sketching and understanding of perspective.

Values

Colour-coding to inculcate correct classroom behaviour...

How do you contribute to a team/community/family? Are you a hog that delays everyone due to your own agenda? A log that is slow to move and holding everyone up? A cog that does the work? Or...

Hobbies

Year 4 students are provided with a camera to photograph the architecture of Phoenix Park. In this activity, in addition to camera angles, they learn about organic and geometric shapes so that they can be creatively incorporated into their photographs.

A QR code is included below every framed photo with a description of it...

Appreciation of art with a poster of art pieces in the Musee du Louvre in Paris...

Environment

Of course, the environment matters too. Quality furniture is a must for students in their growing years.

An ergonomic classroom chair...

Positive Education is taught at Avondale Grammar School through the Bounce Back programme created by Dr Toni Noble and Helen McGrath. Positive Education is exactly as its name suggests: a pastoral learning programme that teaches children the skills and attitudes they need to promote resilience and guide them along the pathway of well-being. In school, students not only experience a positive school culture and environment, they are also taught skills in how to enhance their well-being, deal with life’s challenges, live a life of meaning and purpose, strengthen their relationships with others and strive for their dreams. Positive education lessons and activities emphasize the benefits of a growing and optimistic mind and a grateful heart. The programme also prepares children for life’s challenges by strengthening their problem-solving skills and resilience. Such lessons set students up for lifelong learning and flourishing beyond the school gates. 

Celebrating life in colours - Snapshots of the students in school activities...

|  "HeritageFest - Phoenix Park"  |

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HeritageFest - Phoenix Park

Avondale Grammar School

Phoenix Park

Central, Singapore

May 2015

Many of the secrets of heritage site Phoenix Park were today brought to life for the public by Avondale Grammar School as part of HeritageFest 2015. The fully-subscribed event titled Avondale Grammar School: From Past to Present at Phoenix Park saw the doors of the former headquarters of the British Military and Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs at Tanglin Road opened to the public for the first time. 

Students of Avondale Grammar School took more than 100 visitors around the site as guides and recreated meetings as actors. The 11-stage programme highlighted the unique hexagonal architecture of the main building and historical significance of Phoenix Park. 

Phoenix Park then and now, students show the structural changes over the years...

In this map by Year 5s, the students researched the history of the local area surrounding Phoenix Park. Using this information, they wrote newspaper reports about the interesting facts uncovered...

 

During colonial times, the sprawling 14-acre hilly terrain along Tanglin Road used to be a golf course owned by the Singapore Japanese Golf Club before it was taken over by Kay Siang Camp, which housed the Commander of the Royal Engineers.

Subsequently, Governor-General Malcolm MacDonald put up a proposal to construct an office complex at the site to meet the British Administration's need for office  space.

Designed by architectural firm Messrs Palmer and Turner, the complex was completed in 1949 and called "Phoenix Park" as the emblem of the British's South East Asian Command featured the mythical bird.

Phoenix Park played host to some of the region’s most important strategic meetings in the mid-20th century, including what are believed to have been Asia’s first intergovernmental meetings on food security – dubbed the ‘Rice Talks’, and meetings which helped bring into force the first regional defence organisation, the South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO).

Boys from Year 3 with their cute little mustaches role play a British Major, a Colonel and a General discussing the formation of SEATO...

The regional Consultative Committee on Rice (or Rice Talks) were held at Phoenix Park from 1951 to the 1960s, and involved representatives of 24 governments around the region attempting to secure the trade of rice at a time of widespread food insecurity. Taking inspiration from these historical talks, Avondale Grammar School students highlighted that many of the same food security challenges still remain by re-enacting the 2012 launch of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR).

The handover of Phoenix Park from the British to the Singaporean Government was marked by a student playing the role of British Defence Secretary Denis Healey...

With old photographs of Orchard Road, students drew what they thought Orchard Road was like in the past...

  A running slide show on Singapore's founding father, Lee Kuan Yew,
and his achievements to the national and global arena...

Other Singapore politicians are showcased on the doors to key rooms in the school -

Professor Jayakumar's profile is here on the door to the music room...

As visitors go past the corridor, the students' photographs of Phoenix Park were showcased...

The final stop was the Hall with cultural performances from the children...

(Photo Credit : Avondale Grammar School)

"As the current custodians of this heritage site, we are delighted to welcome the Singaporean public to Phoenix Park to experience the site’s historical and architectural significance.
This building played a critical role in Singapore’s security before and after its independence, and
we are honoured to help share that story as part of HeritageFest 2015.
I couldn’t be more proud of the students today for leading groups as guides and re-enacting
what were complex strategic events through their own interpretations."

--  Avondale Grammar School Principal Ms Helena Sobulis --

|  "Avondale Grammar School - Where Positive Education Thrives"  |

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