Values in Action (VIA)
Values in Action (VIA) are learning experiences that support students’ development as socially responsible citizens who contribute meaningfully to the community, through the learning and application of values, knowledge and skills. VIA fosters student ownership over how they contribute to the community and cultivates the desire to serve the community, society and the country.
OUR GOALS
In our school, our goal for VIA is to develop the students to become caring leaders who contribute actively to society and demonstrates social responsibility. The school also hopes to:
- instill in the students the awareness of the need of others and the willingness to help
- equip the students with the skills to help others.
OUR APPROACHES
To achieve the goals in developing caring learners, the school provides various platforms for the students to care for the environment and the community. Every VIA activity is accompanied by a pre-VIA briefing that provides students with more information regarding that particular societal issue. Upon completion of the VIA activity, students would also be given time to reflect on the VIA activity that they had participated in so as to get them to think about how they could have contributed better. Each class of students would then be provided with a platform to share about their VIA experience with the rest of the school. This approach is aligned with the learning outcomes and domains under MOE’s Character and Citizenship Education Curriculum.
OUR PROGRAMMES
Secondary 1 (Care for Environment)
Our Secondary 1 students attended pre-VIA learning journeys to Senoko Waste-to-Energy Plant, Tuas incineration plant and Eco CC @ North West to understand more on the issues of littering and be aware of environmental issues in Singapore.
Thereafter, they adopted a few HDB blocks under Bright Spots @ NorthWest scheme and were scheduled to do area cleaning in some afternoons.
Secondary 2 (Interaction with Elderly)
The school VIA team arranged a Pre-VIA workshop for our Secondary 2 students. The objectives of Youth Caregivers Programme “Touch of Love” workshop conducted by volunteers from HCA Hospice Care are to raise our students’ awareness about eldercare issues.
Students took time to plan and design activities suitable for the elderly before they spread some love and happiness during their visits to Jamiyah Nursing Home, Singapore Christian Home, Sunshine Welfare Action Mission and Sunlove Marsiling.
Secondary 3 (Care for Needy)
To enable our students to learn the importance of empathy, Ageing Simulation Workshop was conducted for all Secondary 3 students.
The school participated in HDB Project Sphere, where students can interact with elderly in Senior Activity Centres at Sembawang and Marsiling. Some classes also helped to enhance the living environment of the elderly by spring cleaning their homes.
Secondary 4 and 5 (Student-Led Initiatives)
The Secondary 4 and 5 classes were guided by their Form Teachers to reach out to various community needs. Each class discussed and identified an area of concern, did their own research and planning before the actual VIA. From beach cleaning, packing of goodie bags to home visits, our beneficiaries included Singapore Cancer Society, Swami Home, Bright Vision Hospital and Singapore Christian Home.