NET Scheme News 2023 Spring issue 43

T h e P o w e r o f H o p e : Children’s voices filled the air as they skipped down the corridor singing the song from the Song Campaign. Their spirits were high as they waved their leaves in the air,their destination the Reading Room. They oohed and aahed when they entered and saw the Tree of Hope. One student blurted out excitedly,“It’s amazing!” The Week of Hope highlighted our school’s effort to promote positive values and attitudes. It aligned with our concerns to build a positive motivational state in our students: a lack of interaction during the suspension of classes was a possible factor.The key strategies were the Song Campaign and the Tree of Hope. We employed a cross-curricular approach, collaborating with the music and visual arts panels for the former, and using a whole- school approach for the latter. We decided on a song campaign because our students love to sing. We utilised a cross-curricular approach owing to its benefits. First, the interplay between music, visual arts, and English is reciprocal.The language learned in the English lessons from song lyrics got recycled through the arts, which inspired students’ creative expression in drawings and colours. Second, for primary students, ‘hope’ can be abstract. We made it more tangible through art forms. The fans that the students creatively decorated personified hope. They could feel hope; they could grab hope! To cultivate positive values and attitudes, the children have been learning positive affirmations like,“Believe in yourself,” “I try my best,” and “I can do it!” through daily routines. The children decorated the leaves with these messages to further spread positive vibes. Our story is about the power of hope. Hope gave us the determination and the motivation to keep going despite the difficulties and challenges. 12 NET Scheme News Issue 43 Week of Hope