Socio-Economic Learning & Dyslexia

3 March 2007

Special Needs Officer and Dyslexia

We are privileged to have a special needs officer, June Yeo, who would help us work with dyslexic children in the school and help support their educational needs. Our previous partnership with Genesis School (School for autism) and special needs officer staffing positions us to be in a privileged position to support the learning of students with special needs. To empower teachers, there was also a briefing on the symptoms of dyslexia and how the special needs officer would be able to help in this area.

SEL Framework

We also had a briefing on the Ministry of Education's SEL frameork (Social-Emotional Learning Framework) See http://www.moe.gov.sg/guidancebranch/sel.htm#3 for the diagram

1. Values. Essentially, values are the heart of the matter. They guide and provide the purpose for everyone’s behaviours.

2. Competencies & Skills. The daily challenge is to provide an education which give our students the skills, knowledge and dispositions that will help them acquire these values through teachable moments, structured programs and infusion of these competencies into the curriculum.

There are 5 core competencies which both teachers and students must have:

A. Self Awareness - Know Thyself
B. Social Awareness - Know Thine Environment
C. Self Management - Manage Thyself
D. Relationship Management Skills - Love Thy Neighbour As Thyself
E. Responsible Decision Making. - "Do somethings" are not moved by the criticism of "do nothings".

The teacher's role is to role-model these 5 competencies.

3. Character and Citizenship - Once youve got the competencies and values right, all else falls in place - Good character and good citzienship.

Montfortian Experience

All our level camps, values education lessons, NE components, sexuality talks etc are based on the SEL framework. At Montfort School, Character Development and Values come first and they are structured through a framework which the PCCG / Pupil Development HODs have worked out.

Broadly speaking, it is based on a psychologist and writer, Dr Thomas Lickona, who attempts to study, describe and perhaps devise a system to develop character.

http://www.character-education.info/Articles/stages_of_moral_development.htm - for details
http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4429 - for interview with Dr Thomas Lickona.

The simple version is that: We Know; We Feel; Then We Act.

Keep this paradigm in mind.

CCA Results

We smashed Sports School yet again to emerge B Division Championship on 28 Feb. There was a mass celebration in the hall on Thursday, 1 March. We were also given a half day to celebrate their success. We Know - We Feel - We Act and Celebrate.

All students go through a short stint with the Uniformed Groups on Friday. Their form teachers are with them. The purpose is to provide the knowledge and skills on how to properly behave on the parade ground and in front of the state flag. If every male is going to perform national service and feel proud to donn the national colours of red and white (for some, camouflaged green), it's about time that students have the basic skills, knowledge and positive attitude on basic national pride, respect and etiquette.