The inquiry

 As an IB school in Singapore we adopt an inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning, with a heavy emphasis on play in the early years. An inquiry approach places emphasis on “…students finding their own information and constructing their own understandings,” (I.B., 2017, p.14).

Art With Heart is a project initiated by the student's desire to paint as a form of pleasure, fun, and therapy. The act of painting is kinesthetic and allows the children to express their feelings, create, and share their stories. Other important benefits of painting in the early years include the development of fine motor skills, gross motor skills, eye-hand coordination, visual perception, spatial attention, and the expression of emotions. Since the start of this new academic year, painting in class was always their favourite activity.

If just one person in a child’s life is consistently supportive, a child is much more likely to overcome difficult circumstances...

Just one person who is enthusiastic about the child...

Just one person who lights up when the child walks into the room…

In a world that is becoming ultra-connected, it is important to get a good education so that you can be knowledgeable about the world around you. Today, schools play a crucial role in equipping students with the right tools to succeed in the future – and in the same vein, parents are also on the lookout for a school that will provide them with the best learning opportunities.

Take a peek into any school event at Chatsworth International School and you will see a sea of green, yellow and red. Adorned by students – and sometimes teachers and other staff, this myriad of colours signify the school house system. Established across primary, lower secondary and upper secondary levels, this arrangement is a unique and invaluable aspect of student life at Chatsworth.

Education is not always limited to studying from textbooks. Outside of school, the world is a classroom which holds an expanse of valuable lessons and life experiences. For students, a wholesome curriculum can help them become responsible and respectful individuals – and one of the best ways is through service learning.

In essence, service learning is deeply rooted in community building. For example, activities are centred around encouraging civic-centric engagement such as community outreach theatre and recycling programmes. 

Not long ago, art education was considered as a leisure activity – something to be enjoyed as a hobby or to while away time. Today, art has become an important part of our everyday lives. We see it in the clothes we wear, the dishes we tuck into, and the technology we use.

Over the course of my career teaching the visual arts I have come to be more judicious about telling students to “draw with your eyes, not with your hand”. One must be mindful of direct translation, especially in a non-native English speaking environment.  What I am trying to convey to students is to draw what they see, not what they think they see. In other words, to ‘draw’ with their eyes, not with their minds.

What does the future hold for us all? People who asked this question in the early 1900s certainly did not do too well with their predictions. Answers such as moving sidewalks, living in floating airships and tomatoes becoming square fell very wide of the mark. When we are asked to give our predictions of what the future holds for our children/students we are also likely to be as incorrect as the people of the early 1900s.