A different environment...

Balanced Education is the way to go in Hsiayun
Elementary. In this photo, the kids learn to play baseball. (Which we never ever learnt in primary
school in Singapore!).

霞雲國小在課程上非常均衡地發展。照片中的學生，正在玩棒球(這是我們在新加坡念小學時從不曾學過的!)

Lessons also include baking cookies for incoming
visitors! Here, 陳老師 leads students in a baking class.

課程還包括親手製作餅乾歡迎訪客。照片中，陳老師正帶領學生在上烹飪課。






The entire exterior of the school building is covered with beautiful bamboo slats.

整座校舍外觀幾乎都以竹片作為裝飾。

In the picture here, you can see one of the noticeboards decorated beautifully with paint and bamboo. (Done by teachers and students).

這張照片中漂亮的佈告欄，是用竹片和油漆做的。

The bamboo is obtained locally from the surrounding bamboo forests.

這些竹子都是由當地竹林所取得。

(thinking back, we never ever did decorate

notice boards in Singapore with bamboo...)

(回想起來，還真沒見過我們新加坡的哪個公佈欄是用竹子裝飾的...)

Close up view of the bamboo slats. The slats are carefully split from bamboo stems using a knife to chip down along the grain.
近看這些竹條。它們是用鐮刀，沿著纖維的紋理，小心翼翼地從竹竿上劈下來。

The dining hall for students is filled with posters on a healthy balanced diet...

學生餐廳的牆上，滿是標示營養均衡的海報。

Meals cooked in the school kitchen are balanced, and also have less oil and salt added.

學校午餐廚房供應的肉類，不但少油、少鹽，而且種類也相當均衡。

I find it very interesting that all 60 students gather together for breakfast and lunch everyday, all eating the same food from the schoo kitchen.

令我覺得有趣的是，全校60位學生，每天都聚在一起，同吃學校準備的早餐和午餐...

In Singapore, we will have about 600-800 students having lunch at the school canteen at a time, and each student buys his/her own meal... What a difference!
在新加坡，大約有600-800位學生同時在學校的小吃部吃午餐。他們自行選購自己想要吃的餐點...這真的「差很大」!