It is the 3rd year of our participation in the SSDB event and once again, we wanted to reach out to the elderly with our ‘Creative Hands * Loving Hearts’ project III in order to bring companionship and happiness to them. As such, we planned to invite the elderly from Lions Befrienders to our school to celebrate the Dragon Boat festival with us.
SSDB Launch
Prior to the launch, parents and children got together to make creative ‘Declaration Placards’ and pen their thoughts on what is kindness and how they can help the elderly. Children were also guided by parents to make a speech during the Launch.
On the day of the launch on 18 April 2019, pupils presented their placards proudly and expressed their thoughts on how they can show kindness in various ways. They also role played different scenarios and tested one another’s responses to show care and kindness. The pupils proved that they had good acting skills and the dramas were filled with emotion and thoughts. The launch came to a close with pupils pledging to be kind stars with our “Creative Hands and Loving Hearts” cheer.
Preparation for the Event
To prepare for the event, all pupils participated enthusiastically in songs and dance practices, making of craft works and planting of peppermint plants for the elderly. Our parents also contributed generously with gifts for the elderly and pupils were put in charge of grouping and packing. The stage has now been set for the event on 31 May 2019.
A Great Day with the Elderly from Lions Befrienders
The much anticipated day has finally arrived. Pupils lined up and waited anxiously for the arrival of the elderly with poms poms. They sang the ‘Welcome Song’ with zeal as the elderly stepped into the school and greeted the pupils with delight.
After a greeting and introduction, pupils kicked off the event with three performances, the “Seaweed Dance”，”Rasa Sayang” and “A bottle of Love”. The performances earned loud applause and thumbs up from “ah gongs “ and “ah mas”. Next, our pupils played games related to the festival with the elderly. They cheered and clapped for the elderly and presented prizes to the winners. It felt great to see the elderly participate keenly and smiling broadly when they won! After the games, it was time for the elderly to enjoy a happy meal served by the pupils.
Finally, it was time to say goodbye. Pupils gathered together to present their gifts and food packets to the elderly and bid them farewell with a finale song. The elderly were most curious about the little peppermint plants in the gift bags and we sincerely hope the refreshing smell of peppermints will bring them fond memories and smiles.
Our SSDB event 2019 was a success! Thanks to the effort and teamwork of our teachers and pupils as well as support from our parents, we have brought laughter, happiness and enjoyment to our invited group of lively and fun loving elderly. It is now time for our pupils to engage in meaningful reflection so as to nourish the growth of the seeds of kindness in our pupils!
