Student Development Team

Overview

The Student Development Team, comprising the Student-Well-Being Committee, CCE Committee and Discipline Committee has the mission of “Moulding Character, Shaping Lives” to support the realisation of the school’s vision and key strategic thrust of Character and Citizenship Education through its approach of explicit teaching and experiential learning. (Refer to the Kent Ridge Co- Curricular Framework.)

CCE Curriculum

Character and Citizenship Education Curriculum
Explicit Teaching

1. Character and Citizenship Education Lessons
Lessons are taught weekly with the aim of achieving the four enduring CCE 2021 goals. With CCE 2021, we aim to develop our students with:

• Good Character: anchored in sound values, be able to think critically, ethically and to make discerning judgments and take responsibility for choices and actions
• Resilience and Well-Being: to remain resilient when facing challenges and are able to form healthy relationships and have a sense of gratitude which will contribute to their well-being
• Active Citizenship: students stepping up to contribute to people around them and the nation as well as
• Future Readiness: students having a sense of purpose in their lives and to be equipped to take on the challenges of the future

The CCE Curriculum Content is based on the three big ideas of Identity, Relationships and Choices. It comprises the learning of core values, social-emotional competencies, and citizenship dispositions, with a focus on developing a sense of purpose in our students. These fundamentals are woven across content areas of National Education (NE), Sexuality Education (SEd), Mental Health (MH), Education and Career Guidance (ECG), Cyber Wellness (CW), and Family Education (FE), in ways that are age-appropriate and meaningful for our students.

2. Education and Career Guidance
Education and Career Guidance is a developmental process which facilitates the acquisition of knowledge, skills and values needed to make informed decisions at key education stages to successfully transit from school to further education or work. Through ECG, social emotional competencies and qualities of proactivity, adaptability and resilience are developed to prepare students for the demands of the future workplace. The ECG curriculum focuses on exploration and helps students understand themselves better and guide their exploration of different education and career pathways.

Students learn to:

• Be more aware of their skills, interests and abilities.
• Manage relationships with people who have influence over their decisions.
• Explore relevant courses of study.
• Understand careers in different sectors.

The ECG curriculum is delivered as part of the Character and Citizenship Education syllabus. Students will receive at least four hours of ECG lessons each year.

Organised ECG Programmes include:

• ECG counselling by ECG counsellor

• Class/cohort-based ECG workshops by ECG counsellor

• DPA, DSA, PFP, EAE talks for graduating classes by Institutes of Higher Learning

• Learning journeys to Institutes of Higher Learning

• Learning booths by Institutes of Higher Learning

• Career Talks by industry professionals

3. SHINE KR! Programme
SHINE KR! is a holistic student development programme which aims to S_trengthen the relationship between Normal Course (NC) students and teachers through Teacher-Student Interaction, Form Teacher’s Period and Breakfast Programme. Service to school activities Highlight the positive traits of NC students so that they develop self-confidence. There is Intentional effort to communicate the rationale of the programmes so that there is greater buy-in amongst students. To Nurture the NC students to be leaders of their own lives, opportunities are given to develop social emotional competencies and leadership skills through the Taster Elective Modules for Lower Sec,  Elective Modules for Upper Sec and responsibilities within school. To E_mpower and build self esteem of NC students, they actively contribute in the school’s collaborative projects with partners such as PAP Community Foundation and the Surabaya Village School.

Experiential Learning Opportunities

1. Values in Action Programme
The school’s Values in Action (VIA) Programme is 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. As part of VIA, students reflect on their experience, the values they have put into practice, and how they can continue to contribute meaningfully.

The school-wide VIA programme – KR Hands-On Day provides students with the experiential learning opportunity to live out their values, skills and SE competencies through a range of differentiated VIA level activities.

Sec 1 – Lend a Hand, Save the Earth
Sec 1 students participate in beach cleaning at East Coast Park to appreciate the importance of conserving the environment.

Sec 2 – Lend a Hand, Save the Earth. Students visit the homes of residents in the Clementi neighbourhood to collect recyclable paper and old clothing from residents. They aim to save the environment through their recycling efforts. The funds raised through their endeavours are donated to Children’s Cancer Foundation.

Sec 3 – Lend a Hand, Save a Child.
Students set up class stalls during Sec 3 Entrepreneurship Fair on KR Fiesta to raise funds for MINDS Lee Kong Chian Gardens School.

Sec 4 & 5 – Lend a hand, Serve a Senior.
Sec 4 and 5 students pack food hampers and interact with the elderly living in various Homes for the Aged in the South West CDC district.

2. Overseas Service Learning trips
Overseas service learning trips to neighbouring countries are organised to nurture a spirit of serving the global community and to gain insights into the lifestyle of students in other countries, beyond Singapore.

3. Student-Initiated VIA
To develop students to be Gracious Citizens and Active Contributors, students can champion a community cause or seek out opportunities to volunteer for VIA projects.

GEAR-UP @ KR
To support the School’s Key Strategic Thrust 1 of Holistic Development of Students, the school has an extensive GEAR-UP programme which targets different segments of students with varied profiles, interests, strengths and needs. GEAR-UP @ KR aims to engage Kent Ridgeans in meaningful after-school engagement programmes to develop useful core skills and competencies, build positive relationships with their peers, mentors and teachers while deepening their passions so that they can strive towards achieving their aspirations. GEAR-UP @ KR adopts the SOAR (Skills, Opportunities, Achievement, Recognition) approach to engage students in meaningful activities. They are:

(a) KR Lighthouse The programme aims to

• provide a conducive environment for engaging students in school after curriculum hours;
• allow opportunities for befriending and relationship-building among students, peers, adult volunteers, school personnel and with KR Lighthouse staff; and
• provide opportunities for learning of social and life skills.

(b) STARChef The programme aims to

• engage and challenge students through an energising after-school culinary skills training;
• deepen students’ keen interest in culinary skills
• develop students to be confident individuals who are conscientious of their own strengths and capabilities.

(c) D’Strykers Girls The programme aims to

• utilise football as a platform to impart life skills to students;
• constructively engage the students after-school in a healthy interest; and
• encourage positive relationships between the students as a team.

(d) Youth COP The programme aims to

• enhance youths’ awareness and knowledge of laws and crime prevention and
• raise youths’ resiliency with life skills and competencies.

Leadership Development

Overview

Student Leadership in KRSS is guided by the philosophy of “Every Kent Ridgean A Leader. Every Student Leader a Peer Support Leader”.

Teachers carefully mentor students through experiential learning programmes to develop resilient leaders who lead self, peers and school/community. The school adopts the Kouzes and Posner’s Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership model to differentiate the programmes for the different segments of students. Student Leaders are provided with explicit teaching and experiential learning opportunities to hone their leadership skills. Student leaders who go through the programmes reflect on their learning and are assessed by their peers and teachers.

Explicit Teaching

Briefings, leadership training programmes and bonding activities are customised for the different tiers of student leaders to equip them with the relevant leadership knowledge and skills.

Experiential Learning Opportunities

1. Experiential Week
   Experiential Week with its identified focus for every level provides every student with the opportunity to acquire leadership skills. During the E-week level camps, students put what they have learnt into practice. Teachers share their observations, conduct debriefs and provide feedback to their students.

2. School Operations, Events and Celebrations
   Student Leaders are given experiential learning opportunities to develop their leadership potential by planning and managing school celebrations with their respective leadership group teachers’ in-charge.

Student Support Programmes

Social and Emotional Well-being
Student support structures in this aspect include Counselling Support, Secondary 1 Transition & Engagement Programme and Secondary 4 Stress Management Programme.

Physical Well-being
The Student Health Advisor (SHA) Programme allows the SHA to play an active role in supporting our students’ health and nutritional needs. The SHA’s key roles include:

• Providing health advice for individuals or small groups of students who approach the SHA directly or are referred to by authorised school personnel.
• Advising/Counselling students with existing chronic medical conditions.
• Providing advice on health issues which include smoking, substance abuse, chronic disease management etc.
• Working with Health Promotion Board (HPB) or other relevant agencies to mount suitable health education/promotion activities for students, school staff and parents.

Financial Assistance Programmes
Financial needs of students are identified and supported through various schemes and bursary applications.

Special Educational Needs Support Programme
Learning and Behavioural Support for students with Special Needs are provided in the form of formal/informal assessment, in-class support and individual/small group intervention support. The team also partners stakeholders for case management and resource management discussions.