PALS started the day on 28 July 2017 with students
and teachers clad in different traditional costumes of
the various ethnic groups.
Launched in 1997 as part of the National Education
programme by the Ministry of Education, the day
reminds us of the importance of maintaining racial
and religious harmony in Singapore’s multicultural and
multi-ethnic society.
With thehelpof volunteers fromSMU’sSlightlyScarlet,
the students learnt and interacted with conversational
phrases of the fourmain languages used inSingapore.
The highlight of the celebrationwas when the students
and the volunteers strutted down the catwalk together.
Costumes that were being showcased included the
cheongsam, baju kurung and Hanbok – a traditional
attire of theKoreans.
The students posed confidently and went home that
day, gaining awareness of the multi-ethic and multi-
cultural environment that we live in. Thank you Slightly
Scarlet for organising the fun-filled celebration!
Racial HarmonyDay
Ever wonderedwhy theMerlion has a head of a lion and a
body of a fish? The head represents Singapore’s original
name, Singapura, or “lion city” in Malay, while the body is
a symbol of Singapore’s humble beginnings as a fishing
village named Temasek which means “sea town” in old
Javanese.
SMU’sSlightlyScarlet volunteerswere inPALSon4Aug for
a National Day celebration. They sketched out pictures of
theMerlion for the students to fill in the colours.
Students formed into four groups to represent the fourmain
ethnic groups in Singapore – Chinese, Malays, Indians
and Eurasians. Alongside Slightly Scarlet volunteers, the
students arduously painted each section of the Merlion
that they were tasked with. And when pieced together, the
Merlion transformed intoa vibrant art piece.
The students also learnt about the components of the
Singapore flag and what they represent. The red on the
top half of the flag symbolises “universal brotherhood
and equality of man, while the white on the bottom half
symbolises “pervading andeverlasting purity and virtue”.
Thecrescentmoon representsSingaporeasa “youngnation
on the ascendant” while the five stars stand for Singapore’s
ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justiceand equality.
The students went home with their beautifully handcrafted
Singapore flag and a deeper understanding of the nation’s
history. PALS would like to thank volunteers from SMU’s
SlightlyScarlet for their time and effort to put a smile on the
children’s faces!
Tohelp studentsat PALSmake informeddecisionswith
their resources and learnhow tomanage their finances
effectively, volunteers from Deutsche Bank Singapore
heldaFinancial Literacyworkshop on 7 July 2017.
The volunteers came to PALS with a set of ordinary-
looking Monopoly board game. But what was different
about itwas that it hada list of learningobjectives for the
students to achieve, for example, investing on property
and calculating the returns.
The students adopted different strategies during the
game. For example, one of the students chose to save
money, whileanother preferred to invest inproperties –
until he ranout of cash to pay off his debts and rents!
The volunteers hadwanted the students to understand
the importance of wise investments. And hopefully, in
time to come, the students’ perception of money will
be more than just a medium to purchase goods and
services. It is equally important to secure their futureby
making smart financial investment decisions.
Abig thankyou to thestaff ofDeutscheBank formaking
time to conduct the session at PALS!
Financial literacyworkshop
National Day celebration
PALS
7
