International Friendship Day 2020
Yangzheng Primary School commemorated International Friendship Day (IFD) on 6 April 2020. The theme for this year’s commemoration is “Beyond Borders.” In lieu of the safety measures put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IFD team curated a specially designed lesson package to introduce the diverse culture and traditions of the different Southeast Asian nations to our pupils.
Through the class assembly programme, pupils learnt about the food, costumes and famous landmarks of some of the Southeast Asian countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand) in the region. The pupils were then introduced to four other Southeast Asian countries (Brunei, Laos, Philippines and Vietnam), who are also member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in their IFD reflection booklets. From the beautiful landmarks to the popular cuisine that are well-liked by the locals, pupils were able to gain more insights and appreciate the way of life in the different Southeast Asian countries.
With Home-Based Learning kicking in on 8 April 2020 due to the Circuit Breaker measures, the IFD reflection segment was uploaded onto Student Learning Space (SLS) platform in place of the classroom reflection segment. This allows pupils to reflect on what they have learnt during the assembly programme. In line with the theme “Beyond Borders,” pupils were also informed about the various collaboration that Singapore has undertaken to strengthen the relationship between Singapore and countries beyond Southeast Asia.
After going through the series of activities, the lower primary pupils submitted their verbal responses about the different ways in which people from different countries can work together while the upper primary pupils gave their perspectives on why it is important to work together harmoniously with our ASEAN neighbours. The message of peaceful cooperation and mutual understanding was a constant feature in the pupils’ reflection, affirming the theme of this year’s IFD commemoration.
