Principal’s Message

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the Parent Support Group of ACS (Primary)! I would like to especially extend a warm welcome to our new Parent Volunteers.

Recently, I read about zebras and ostriches travelling together in Africa. They seem to be unusual companions. However, both animals are vulnerable prey to animals such as lions and depend on each other to avoid predators.

Ostriches have very good eyesight. Their eyes measure about 5 centimetres in diameter and are bigger than the eyes of any land animal. They can see predators even when they are at a great distance away. However, they are hard of hearing and have a poor sense of smell.

In contrast, zebras have an exceptional ability to hear. As they are able to turn their ears in almost any direction, they can locate the source of a sound easily. They also have a good sense of smell.

These two have formed a symbiotic relationship by communicating and warning each other of danger. Together, they are able to successfully protect themselves from predators. Living together, they can hear the faintest of sounds, see for miles and smell predators from afar. They can avoid predators more successfully than if they were alone.

This relationship between ostriches and zebras reminds me of an effective home-school partnership. The school needs the parents, and parents need the school. We do not try to do each other’s job, but we complement each other and tap on each other’s strengths.

The work of the school is to provide holistic education to our boys. We have trained teachers, Allied Educators and support staff who receive continuing professional development so that we can engage our boys in meaningful ways. By that, I am referring not only to the academic areas, but also in the affective, cognitive, social and physical domains.

Parents have a different role. In fact, parents are a child’s first teachers. Our children are constantly watching how we speak and act at home. The values and attitudes that children bring to school are largely learnt from their parents. The values education that we carry out in school will have limited impact if parents do not believe in those same values and role-model them at home. Parents can share with the teachers their child’s strengths, interests and abilities so that together they can bring out the best in the child.

When educators and parents develop a strong partnership built on trust and mutual respect, we create a caring environment for our boys to grow up in to become gentlemen of character, capability and creativity.

To each and every of our Parent Volunteers, thank you for your commitment and dedication to serving the ACS (Primary) community. As we travel together in our boys’ educational journey, we will be able to bring out the potential in every boy to the fullest and guide him for the life ahead, more successfully than if we were alone.

Mrs Leong-Ho Hil May
Principal