Principal's Message
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” - Abraham Lincoln
Creating a Future of Hope, Growth and Purpose
Happy New Year to all! A very warm welcome to our new P1 students and parents. To all fellow HGPians, past and present, welcome home!
At HGP, we strive to develop our students into future-ready thinkers with a heart for others. The rapid changes around us have provided us with added impetus to equip our students with the mindset, skillset and toolset to not only overcome the challenges that will lay before them, but more importantly, create an exciting and empowering future built on the tenets of Hope, Growth and Purpose, or HGP in short.
1. Future of Hope
Over the years, our education system has evolved significantly to embrace all learners and recognise their diverse strengths. Today, there are multiple educational pathways catering to the different learning needs and interests of our students. At HGP, we provide all our children with a strong foundation so that they can better capitalise on the educational opportunities at the secondary and post-secondary levels. For students who may require more help in their formative years of schooling, we also offer a wide range of programmes to address their needs and enrich their schooling experience. Apart from comprehensive literacy and numeracy support at the different levels, our in-house after-school engagement and talent development programme for some P3 to P5 students, as well as the KidsRead programme in collaboration with Anderson Secondary School for a selected group of P1 and P2 children, are recent examples of how the school continues to help our students enjoy their learning and stay hopeful about the future.
2. Future of Growth
To future-proof our students, it is imperative that they grow their learning beyond tests and examinations. Coupled with the changes in the PSLE scoring system, the removal of mid-year examinations for all levels has freed up more time and space for students to both deepen their understanding in the various subjects as well as broaden their horizons through CCAs, learning journeys, cohort camps, enrichment programmes in school, and many more. Many HGPians have done well in their respective CCAs, as shown in their achievements in the various competitions, including the national school games. Since the end of the pandemic, students in the performing arts CCAs have also had the opportunity to showcase their talents at both school and community events.
During their weekly Independent Learning Periods (a dedicated white-space in the timetable), HGPians have demonstrated their ability and willingness to learn new things outside the textbooks (and for some of them, mobile devices), such as drawing comics, writing calligraphy, and even speaking a new foreign language. The ability to stay curious and take ownership of their learning will enable them to not only confidently navigate a VUCA world, but also proactively chart a future of continuous growth for themselves.
3. Future of Purpose
Ultimately, we want every HGPian to grow up leading a life of purpose and contributing to the community. This is encapsulated in our school vision, which espouses the importance for our students to have “a heart for others”. The new Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum encompasses a wide range of carefully curated learning experiences across domains such as cyberwellness, education and career guidance as well as mental health. Collectively, they seek to instill values in our students and build their socio-emotional competencies. Besides the CCE lessons, both our Applied Learning Programme (ALP) on Science and Learn for Life Programme (LLP) on Outdoor Education seek to build character in students by strengthening their sense of responsibility to the environment through different sustainability efforts. As a school, we look forward to making a greater impact on our community, with the upcoming expansion of our school to include an MOE Kindergarten in 2025. Aimed at providing families access to quality and affordable pre-school education, MK@Hougang will enable the school to go even more upstream in moulding the future of our nation.
In 2023, the above artwork by our students was not only selected for the Singapore Youth Festival Art Exhibition, but also featured in the invitation card for the official opening of the event. Entitled Small World Big Memories, it captures the priceless childhood memories of our young. Together with my team of caring and committed colleagues, I endeavour to empower our HGPians to build on their beautiful memories in school to write a future filled with hope, growth and purpose for themselves and the people around them. On this note, wishing everyone a hopeful, growth-oriented and purposeful year ahead!
Jason Goh
Principal