iSTEM (Green)
Introduction
Dunman Secondary School’s Green Club has been serving the school for many years and will continue its mission to empower our students to promote environmental awareness within and beyond the school community through trainings and involvement in community projects and events.
Our members serve as green ambassadors not just for the students and staff of the school but also for the community. They strive to bring the school and community closer together. The club has started many initiatives to help to reduce the amount of food waste generated by the school. It started collecting some of this food waste and converting them into compost. Over and above that, we have started an eco-pond which provides an excellent opportunity for students to learn about nutrient recycling. The waste water from the pond is also used to water the plants and hence reducing water wastage.
The club also embraces and celebrates the school’s past achievements. Dunman Secondary School was one of the first Integrated Schools in Singapore, and it was the first with triple integration. To showcase this milestone, the club has designated a multi-racial garden where herbs and spices commonly used by the three majority ethnic groups of Singaporeans are planted and showcased. Some of these plants include chili, chives and ginger. To honour Singapore’s first police commissioner whom the school was named after, the club has also dedicated a portion of the garden as an English garden where English herbs and flowers are grown.
The club realises that it is integral to include the community to help to spread the message of the importance of conservation. Hence, the club regularly engages its partners in helping to spread these messages. In 2019, the club members taught the children at My First Skool kindergarten the importance of recycling and how to make a self-watering flowerpots using recycled materials. In 2018, the club also went to the All Saints Home to help cheer and teach the elderly how to fold paper flowers using recycled paper. These activities are in line with the club’s mission of forming valuable partnerships to create a green and sustainable environment in Dunman and the community.
Members of Green club, will be able to learn many new skills. In addition to learning horticulture skills such as plant propagation and care, they will be allowed to choose the enrichment activities that they can partake. Some of these activities include paper origami, flower pressing and making a table lamp using recycled materials, just to name a few. All these experiences ensure that the students are learning beyond the classroom and at the same time, learning how to make Singapore a greener place.
Achievements
Members of the Green club will also be given the opportunity to represent the school in many competitions such as the Sembcorp Greenwave Competition. The Community In Bloom Award by NParks and the Biannual Singapore Garden Festival Gardeners’ Cup.
Listed below are some of the achievements that the club has obtained over the past few years.
1 Biannual Singapore Garden Festival Gardeners’ Cup
2012: National Champion & Biodiversity Award
2016: Biodiversity Award
2016: Best Eco Award & Peoples’ Choice Award
2018: Biodiversity Award
2 Community In Bloom Award by NParks
2012: Silver
2014: Silver
2016: Silver
2018: Gold
2021: Gold
Trainings
Training is conducted every Thursday, from 3.30pm to 6pm. During training sessions, students will not only help to maintain the school garden but also work on projects that will help them spread the message of conservation to the school. Most importantly, members will also get to make new friends and bond with one another, hence, enriching their time in Dunman Secondary School.
Dunman Secondary School’s Green club aspires to continue to make the change we want to see in this world and will strive to achieve this mission!
Teachers In Charge:
1. Mr. Jeffrey Gafar (Jeffrey_jefferson_gafar@moe.edu.sg)
2. Mrs Toh Nguan Keow (tay_nguan_keow@moe.edu.sg)
3. Mrs Florence Lee (lee_bak_hong@moe.edu.sg)
4. Mdm Norlinda Ishnin (norlinda_ishnin@moe.edu.sg)
5. Ms Adeline Yong (adeline_yong_yean_pin@moe.edu.sg)