STORY PREVIEW

I adopted the FIDS (Feel-Imagine-Do-Share) template as a process-oriented tool to challenge assumptions and redefine problems to identify solutions. After brainstorming and discussion with my classmates and friends, I have narrowed down to three challenges. The first was the integration of new students into the school environment in terms of their social, and emotional well-being. The second was the transition from Primary 4 to Primary 5 where demands of the latter are higher and lastly, the considerable number of students who lost their spelling lists, causing them not to have enough time to master their spelling.

Being a Student Councillor, one of my primary roles is to listen and gather students' feedback to provide the necessary support for them. As such, I have decided to work on a project which helps to integrate the new students into our school through a fun way in the form of a friendship board game as I think games have a universal appeal. In terms of creation, it is not time consuming, and implementation is easy too. Hence, these are my main considerations for my choice.

They are the new students who have just joined the school. From the observation, these students were not able to make new friends quickly and most of the time, they were seen sitting alone at the canteen during recess. After interviewing some Form Teachers and these students, I have gathered that they were having adjustment issues as they had expressed the need to mingle with the rest.

Once I set my mind to the task, I began to do some online research and also chatted with my mentor teacher, Mrs Judy Swee, and some new students and my classmates to gain more ideas. After this, I came up with the following solutions: (1) Identify an appropriate spot in school where students can go if they feel lonely and wish to talk to someone or simply hang out. (2) Design a board game that encourages children to play together to develop social bonding. (3) Conduct ice-breaker activities to help students to connect with one another. (4) Organize guided tours round the school for students to be familiarized with the school environment.

I decided to work on creating a board game for our new students because during recess, I noticed that many of such students were sitting all by themselves without much interaction with their friends, especially during the initial weeks when school reopens. Hence, I was prompted to make a board game which would work as a perfect ice breaker. This solution does not require manpower to conduct as it was designed to be simple for students to manage by themselves. As they would be playing the game during recess, it means that there is no need to set extra time to conduct the game.

To implement the solution, I decided that I should create my project at home. I spent around a week trying my best to make the game look inviting. I also designed everything from scratch, including the instructional cards, the logo and the game board. I was also mindful to make sure that the instructions on the cards were simple enough for students to understand. To craft the questions, I had interviewed my friends to get a sensing of the type of questions that would appeal to them or that they would find it fun. I also got them to test out the game during recess and observe their reaction.

The project is still at the prototype phase. However, based on the testing, students enjoyed the game, and they were able to interact better as the questions from the instructional cards allow them to get to know one another better in a fun way. I also became more confident in terms of presenting my ideas to the students and teachers. In this aspect, I was glad that I was able to empathize with the students and do something meaningful for them.

50

“It is entertaining but would be better if there were more stations.” - Lim Yee Jie (5 Integrity) “This is a good way to make new friends and get to know them better.” - Liam Wong (5 Respect)

One of the main challenges that I faced was that I wanted the design to be original. Hence, I spent quite a considerable amount of time trying to create the artwork that I wanted. I was glad I did not give up as I was not satisfied with my initial design. With the encouragement from my parents, teachers and friends, I was able to persevere on and refine my idea along the way until completion.

7-15 Days

Good health and well being

This game seeks to promote interaction and bonding among peers. This is good for the mental well-being of the students on the whole as it offers a form of entertainment that can be immersive and enjoyable, helping students to relax and unwind. According to research, playing games can also trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. This can contribute to a positive mood and a sense of accomplishment.

As this is still in the prototype phase, I had shared my project with my P5 school mates during the Level Breakfast Chat to encourage them to play during recess. They were surprised that I had made the game and at the same time, they seemed to enjoy playing the board game as well. Moving forward, I will share the project to the whole school during morning assembly once I have firmed up the final product.

More than 100

As the board game is easy to produce, I am going to produce a few more sets to be kept in the school library, along with other games. This is so as students are encouraged to go to the library during recess too. Hence, the probability of them picking up the game to play is pretty high. I will also continue to gain feedback so that I can refine the instructions to make the game more interesting.