We are committed in providing opportunities for our students to explore and develop their natural sense of curiosity in a responsible and conducive environment. As such, the Science Department aims to provide our students with experiences which build on their interest in and stimulate their curiosity about their environment.

Through our engaging and content-rich programmes, we want our students to appreciate how Science influences each of us and our environment.

Applied Learning Programme: Environmental Science

Through our ALP at YPS, developed in the area of Environmental Science, we want to connect academic knowledge and skills with our students’ real world. The emphasis is on the application of thinking skills, connecting knowledge across subject disciplines, stretching imagination and applying these into our authentic society and world we live in.

1. OUR KEY / SIGNATURE PROGRAMMES

1a) Plant Tissue Culture (PTC) Programme

We are proud to be one of the few schools in Singapore to have PTC facilities in the compound. Over the years, we also cultured a few hybrids successfully.



Orchid hybrids created by students

PTC is widely used to produce clones of a plant in a method known as micropropagation. It is a collection of techniques used to maintain or grow plant cells, tissues or organs under sterile conditions on a nutrient culture medium of known composition. The PTC programme at YPS is an extension of our Science curriculum on flowering plants. It is designed to train our students on orchid hybridization and the basic skills of aseptic culture using orchid seeds. They gain an insight on how humans can also contribute to creating diversity in living things.


Seed germination on a nutrient culture medium under sterile condition


Planting of young orchids

As an extension to the PTC programme, our students also produce hand-crafted glass coasters using orchid flowers as they study the structures of the orchids. On top of that, these glass coasters were used as a source of funding to help the less fortunate.

As an act to serve the community, we approached Singapore General Hospital (SGH) as a partner to help their needy patients. Our School Advisory Committee supported the school’s efforts in this programme and our students were told of how their creations had meaningfully helped the less fortunate in SGH.

Our Principal (Mrs Yee-Toh Gek Khiaw)
with SGH Director (Ms Amy Gay)

1b) Integrated Farming System (IFS)

Our IFS is a sophisticated infrastructure in our school that brings about the design of an eco-friendly and sustainable farming system. It is powered up using solar energy during the day and the trapped energy powers the pumps in the system. The system encompasses the use of vertical landscape planting, food fish rearing and vegetable farming. The IFS acts as an excellent resource and learning hub where our upper-primary students learn about the conversion of different forms of energy as they engage in the studies of Environmental Science.


Food fish rearing activity at the IFS

1c) Hydroponics

This programme allows our students to enjoy the process of growing their very own vegetables using the hydroponics system and at the same time, learning the advantages of using this system as compared to the traditional method of soil farming. At the end of each cycle, different batches of students are always excited to harvest and feast on their fruits of labour!


Students queuing up to do the transplanting process


Students and Parent Volunteers harvesting their fruits of labour

1d) Soil Farming

Soil Farming is an experiential programme where our students have the opportunity to grow and harvest vegetables the traditional way. They observe the day-to-day plant growth and gain deeper understanding of the life cycle of a flowering plant. They also learn to be more responsible and appreciate the challenges of pest control along with weed management.


Students watering and measuring their plant growth

Students harvesting their Kang Kong vegetables

1e) PTC for Nepenthes & 3D Craft Work

This programme uses our very own unique Bog Garden, which houses exciting plants such as the Nepenthes pitcher and venus fly traps, for the study of carnivorous plants and their adaptation to nature. We train and develop our students’ technical skills in growing pitcher plants and engage them in creative learning by involving them in hands-on activities and the opportunity to learn about the preservation techniques for colours and forms of pitchers to use different materials to create their own plant-themed ornaments, such as 3D paper weights.


Seed germination on a nutrient culture	Learning the propagation techniques


Students’ creation; end product (3D paper weights)

2. OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS AND COMPETITIONS

2a) School Green Awards (SGA)

The School Green Awards (SGA) serves as a platform for our students to develop and showcase their environmental efforts, through customised activities which will help them gain better understanding of the environment. In 2017, the focus is on the role of advocacy by students, who are required to initiate and lead their own environmental outreach project.

Our school is pleased to have achieved the highest-level award, Lotus Award, for the 4th consecutive years in 2017. Having achieved the award is secondary, SGA serves as a platform for our students and staff to compliment our green efforts for our environment.

2b) Green Wave Environment Care Competition

Our school has been participating in this competition since 2012 and has won several awards. The Green Wave Environment Care Competition is an environmental care and protection project organised by Sembcorp Marine. It aims to involve the community at large, particularly the students to participate in learning about caring, protecting and positively utilizing our environment to contribute towards the conservation and improvement of our environment for Singapore's sustainable development.


Award Presentation Ceremony in February 2017. Students presenting their 2016 project “Our Carbon Footprint” to Minister for Education (Schools) and Second Minister for Transport, Mr Ng Chee Meng

Yishun Primary School participated in the Green Wave Environmental Care Project for Schools 2017 organised by Sembcorp Marine. The objective of this competition is to develop creative and innovative ideas in the area of environment care and protection and thus contribute towards the conservation and improvement of our environment. We submitted 4 projects and obtained the following results:

Our P4 pupil-participants receiving their team’s First Prize Award from the GOH, Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources on 2 February 2018 at Marina Mandarin Singapore.


The team presenting their project ‘Bamby Stand’ to the Guest-of-Honour, Mr Masagos Zulkifli.	Mrs Yee with the team who achieved the Encouragement Award for their project ‘Citrusy Peel Fresh’.

2c) Youth for Environment Day (YED)

YED is held in the month of April annually in our school. It provides opportunities for our Green Ambassadors to lead, organise and participate in environmental programmes. “Let’s Digest Waste” and “Love your Food” activities were organised in 2017 to ensure that our students minimised food waste by guiding them to segregate the fruit peels into a different bin.

We are proud to have been an award winner for seven consecutive years since 2010, by the Organising Committee.

2d) Mini-Science Fair

An annual in-house event in which an environmentally-themed Science Fair is organised for our Primary 4 and Primary 5 students, to work on projects that can help in environmental problems such as food wastage, global warming and pollution. Students work in their groups to come up with their novel ways and ideas to reduce the impact of these problems to our homes, community and country. Types of certificates awarded to classes include “Most Innovative”, “Most Interactive”, “Best Presenting Team”, “Best Presentation Content”, “Best Teamwork” and “The Perseverance” awards.



Mini-Science Fair P4 Science Project (Self-watering Systems)



Mini Science Fair P5 Science Projects (Green School Models)

2e) Creative Toy-Making Competition

This competition promotes innovation and entrepreneurial spirit among our students and provides a platform to learn Science beyond the classrooms in a fun and enjoyable way. An environmental theme is weaved into the design of their toys, using recycled materials. Student winners get to do a “”Show-and-Tell” to showcase and explain their toy creations.


P2 Students with their winning toy creations	Display booth for the creative toys

2f) Outreach to the Community on Food Waste Minimisation (Chong Pang Community Club)

Our school reached out to the public on food waste minimisation. This initiative was aligned with NEA’’s Waste Minimisation Challenge. The objectives are to raising awareness and educating the community on food waste and encourage residents in Yishun town to take action in reducing food waste. We sent our Green Ambassadors to Chong Pang Community Club and they shared with the members of public about the effects of food waste and how they can recycle organic waste for their plants.


Our Green Ambassadors educating the public with brochures and samples on the importance of food waste minimisation at the booth

500, Yishun Ring Road, Singapore 768679 Tel: +65 6257 7461 Fax: +65 6755 4198 Email: yps@moe.edu.sg