| ON CAMPUS August 2020 Issue |
| | Creative Campus Public Holiday Closure We will be closed on the following public holidays: - Sunday 9 August for National Day
- Monday 10 August in lieu of National Day -- classes resume on Tuesday 11 August
Should you contact us during public holidays and/or on Sundays, we will get back to you on the next working day. |
| Campus News
Phase 2: Safe Reopening
22 June marked the return of the Creative Campus team to our physical site and the resumption of in-person classes. However, your child's safety remains our priority. Hence, all students are given the flexibility to attend classes online or in-person. For more information, click here.
Appointments for Front Desk Services
To safeguard our students and manage the number of daily visitors, all front desk services at the premises will only be carried out with prior appointment during operating hours. Hence, we no longer entertain walk-in enquiries. However, we remain fully committed in assisting you via our mainline, email and/or WhatsApp messaging services.
Operating hours at our front desk - Mon to Fri - 10am to 5.30pm
- Sat - 9am to 4.30pm
Are you PSLE-Ready? |
| Class Schedule and Promotions
In-person classes continue at Creative Campus under strict safe distancing measures. |
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Th-tricky Sounds
With the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) oral examination just around the corner, this month's feature is on one of the sounds that students find the most difficult to master.
The 'th' sound
Many Singaporeans, students and adults alike, struggle with the notorious 'th' sound found in words like 'three' and 'this'. Singaporeans are not unique in this condition, as second-language learners of English also frequently report difficulty in pronouncing the 'th'.
How can we achieve the 'th' sound?
Phoneticians refer to the 'th' sound as an "(inter)dental non-sibilant fricative". Simply put:
- (Inter)dental: The tongue should be positioned either between the teeth or just behind the teeth.
- (Non-sibilant): The sound is not an 's' (hissing) sound.
- (Fricative): The sound is created as air flows through a narrow opening. So, just blow the air through your teeth!
Put steps 1 and 3 together, and you should be able to produce the 'th' sound.
"Voiced" versus. "voiceless"
There are two slightly different ways of producing the 'th' sound. The voiceless 'th' sound can be heard in words like 'thing' and 'therapy'. Like its name suggests, the voiceless sound is lighter and has less 'body' than the voiced sound.
On the other hand, the voiced 'th' sound can be heard in words like 'this' and 'although'. The voiced version requires the flaps of the vocal cords to vibrate, which naturally creates a buzzing sound. Thus, when you say the words 'this' and 'although' you should be able to literally feel the vibrations in your throat.
Test Yourself Can you tell if the 'th' sounds in these words are voiced or voiceless? (You can also practise the 'th' sound with this list)
Q1. thaw Q2. feather Q3. smooth Q4. clothing Q5. than Q6. nothing Q7. thirteen
Q8. mother
A1. voiceless
A2. voiced
A3. voiceless
A4. voiced
A5. voiced
A6. voiceless
A7. voiceless
A8. voiced
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| From 3Rs to 5: Going Zero-Waste
Many of us are already familiar with the environmental call to action in the form of the 3Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle. However, environmentally-conscious individuals also recognise that applying the 3Rs alone is insufficient.
Enter the zero-waste lifestyle, which focuses on waste prevention rather than waste management. Bea Johnson, author of a zero-waste lifestyle handbook and one of the pioneers of the zero-waste movement, modified the 3Rs to encompass 5Rs instead: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot (compost).
Johnson also intended for there to be a hierarchy to the 5Rs, so refusing should always come before one decides to reduce, and so on.
The difficulties of going zero-waste
One need only step into a supermarket to realise that going zero-waste is much easier said than done. The amount of single-use packaging, especially that of plastic, is tremendous. As consumers, it is hard to find products that have minimal packaging.
Despite the problems, it seems sensible that we do our best to reduce the amount of packaging waste that we create. After all, plastic -- the most common packaging material by far, due to its light weight and hygiene -- is notoriously detrimental for our planet; plastic pollution impacts our marine life, health, and more.
Statistics from 2016 show that single-use plastic packaging make up 40% of all plastic produced, at 142 million tonnes. Hence, taking the effort to minimise plastic packaging waste will greatly decrease the total amount of plastic waste produced.
Zero-waste corporations
According to zero-waste advocates, although individuals can and should pursue zero-waste targets, it is crucial that corporations also change their processes to become more waste-efficient. Not only is it good for the environment, but it is also ultimately beneficial to the corporation. Waste management costs are reduced and the move attracts eco-savvy customers.
Zero-waste grocery stores, one example of a zero-waste business model, have taken root in Singapore. These grocery stores sell items in bulk and do not provide packaging, so customers bring their own containers to take the items away in.
Something to Consider…
1. Would you shop at a zero-waste grocery store? Why or why not? - Yes: Reduce packaging; can control the amount you buy
- No: More expensive; less convenient (fewer stores islandwide); possibly less variety.
2. How can you incorporate more zero-waste practices (the 5Rs) into your life? |
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Have you checked out our ebooks?
Two of them are FREE! Useful for all students from Primary 3 and up, these ebooks are essential building blocks for your child to have a better grasp on the English Language.
Free Brain Booster eBook Download
Download our eBook Brain Booster for revision now.
Visit the Shop Page on our Website to get your free copy!
Click here to find out more on our website.
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| Until the next time, The Creative Campus Team |
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For more interesting articles you can use as discussion tools, do like our Facebook Page where we share them weekly.
Copyright © 2010-2020 Creative Campus: Learning with Latitude Pte Ltd. All rights reserved.
Address: 545 Orchard Road, #14-07/08 Far East Shopping Centre Singapore 238882
Mainline: 6455 3063WhatsApp (messaging services only): 88502499Front desk hours and phone lines:
* Mondays to Fridays: 10am to 5.30pm * Saturdays: 9am to 4.30pm
* Closed on Sundays and Public HolidaysEmail: chalk@creativecampus.com.sg
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