8 November 2021.
With the year coming to an end, we would like to make some announcements about the changes that are coming up in 2022 for everyone in Forest School Singapore.
1. Closure of Antelope Friday & Albatross Friday
The Friday Afternoon Forest School sessions have been around since the beginning of 2020 and it started off as a prototype in 2019 on Wednesdays to cater to school-going children who are keen to join us after their school timings. We never had any afternoon program from 2016 till 2019, for the afternoon heat and weather can be quite challenging. But with the advice of our Orang Asli fellowship and avid-FSS parents, we tried a timing where the sun was not at the hottest (3.30pm-6.30pm), and where the darkness of the evening arrived gradually. We began having Afternoon Forest School sessions from then on. The weather and rhythm at the hour was good but we soon found ourselves facing a different set of challenges.
First, we struggled to ensure there are enough FSS coaches who are able to do a Friday Afternoon every quarter and compared to other sessions, we noted that there are relatively more behavioural issues arising in our Friday Afternoon sessions. You can read the article below to understand our observations and thoughts:
https://forestschooleducationseries.wordpress.com/2020/11/17/our-childrens-mental-health-little-steps-that-will-change-education/
To better understand such a phenomenon when it first arose, we spoke to public school teachers as well. They shared with us that they don’t run programs on Friday afternoons because children do show up with more challenging behaviours after a week of schooling. They would, at the most, have leadership programs on a Friday Afternoon.
With all the above reasoning and understanding, we have decided to close the Friday Afternoon Weekly sessions. We hope that instead of attending programs after a long week of pressure, our children and parents can just go home, rest, do their own thing, and unwind. After the recharge, our children can come back again on Saturday or Sunday or the Holidays. At FSS, we may run some ad-hoc events and workshops on Friday Afternoons to cater to the demand, but it will not be a program that would require a weekly commitment.
For all the children and families who are currently in the Antelope or Albatross sessions, we will be inviting you all to the other FSS weekly sessions, with priority given to you to select the class which fits you and your child’s timing.
You can visit the form below to assist you in your transition: https://forms.gle/x8tUQfDjH8QsoWL19
2. Weekly Session will only have TWO enrolment periods
From 2022 onwards, we will only have 2 enrolment periods for FSS Weekly sessions. This is in light of our previous experiences with the insufficient notice period for graduation and enrolment during March and September enrolment. March and September holidays are too short for us to optimally transit and enrol our children and parents. We do not wish to rush this process, rather, we wish to assimilate our new joiners patiently with space, time and readiness, and support our graduations journey ahead.
Here are the dates of the enrolments (assuming no unforeseen circumstances happens)
2nd Semester 2022 (First Week of Session 1-3 Jul 2022)
Registration Open: 31-MAY 2022 (Tuesday)
Registration Close: 13-JUN 2022 (Monday)
1st Semester 2023 (First Week of Session 6-8 Jan 2023)
Registration Open: 29-NOV 2022 (Tuesday)
Registration Close: 12-DEC 2022 (Monday)
3. Change in Registration Formats
Currently, payment is made via PayNow or Bank Transfer which means everyone would have to leave the page during the registration to do so. In addition, there is currently no confirmation email for the registrations made. We have received feedback to upgrade our system to make the registration process more seamless for our parents. Hence, we have upgraded our website and registration process to the following:
This shift will benefit our community since they can make payment using saved credit card details, making the payment process more convenient. Additionally, it will also help the administrative team to increase efficiency since everyone will now receive a confirmation email automatically once registration form is made and the payment is submitted.
4. Policy Update to changes in Workshop Bookings
From 2022 onwards, all changes to the booking for Forest School Singapore’s Workshops and Holiday Camp will be administered with the following condition:
SGD$41 per application to change date/s
SGD$21 per application to change participant/s
All changes will only be executed upon completion of the Change of Booking form with payments. The change of booking form will be found on our website.
Form for Changes to Booking: https://forms.gle/PJiLbfwobKFD1bse9
All the above information is only applicable to Holiday Camp and Workshops and they will be added to the Terms & Conditions
The rationale for the introduction of this policy is due to the large amount of changes that have been requested throughout the past years. The Administrative team has to make extra effort for all the changes to the different workshops’ date/s and participant/s. After much consideration, we have decided to introduce this policy to ensure that there is an awareness about the value of our effort and time. This is also to validate and be fair to the Administrative team, for the multitude of changes that they have to manage on the administrative end.
5. Leaving of Vice-Principal, Germaine Kho
Our Vice-Principal & Enquiry Manager, Germaine Kho will be stepping down from her active roles in Forest School Singapore on the 31st Dec 2021. She will transit to an Alumni Coach and an Associate-Consultant of Forest School Singapore from 2022.
Germaine is stepping down after 6 years, to move on in her career to endeavour that which challenges and inspires her growth. She has always been interested in personal growth and we are very proud of her and her decision to move on. It takes wisdom and awareness. She has been one of the key leadership and decision makers throughout the past 6 years. We believe she will carry on the wisdom and awareness into her career and life.
Many of you would have engaged with Germaine via email. But not many would know her story in Forest School Singapore…
“Story of Germaine: The Brain Of FSS”
Click here to Read the Story
6. Joining of NEW General Secretary, Zoe Xu
In January 2022, we will be welcoming into our leadership and coaching team, Zoe Xu, our new General Secretary. She will be taking over a big part of the Principal routine managerial roles on top of the administrative work in Forest School Singapore.
Zoe has been a preschool educator for 12 years (From My First Skool to Etonhouse). She pretty much has seen it all from the high end to the public sphere of education in the early years. Her practice in the Reggio Emilia and Inquiry Approach is one of her greatest strengths, paired together with her ability to be the balanced view in a room. In her recent years in the early years, she has endeavoured into the work of curriculum and the administrative backbone of an education establishment.
We welcome Zoe into our Team in the coming months and we hope that everyone can support her in her transition.
7. Exciting Development of 2022
- Bukit Timah Fire Station
(Partnership Establishment) - Rainforest City
(Board Game) - Action for Green Town
(Community, West Coast Town Council)
- Friends of Clementi & Dover Forest
(Community, NPARKS) - Rifle Range Nature Park
(Re-Opening)