Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
The school organised a Virtual Overseas Immersion Programme (VOIP) to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for our P5 students on Wed, 8 Mar 2023 with the following objectives:
- To expose our students to the culture of the local school through virtual interaction in school programmes.
- To inculcate the appreciation of the Vietnamese Language & culture in an experiential manner.
- To promote cross-cultural sensitivity & understanding in our students by having the opportunity to experience being student ambassadors of Singapore.
The 6-h programme involved a virtual tour of places of cultural & educational interest in Ho Chi Minh City and virtual interactions with students in a local school. Students learned about the famous Water Puppets and had a look behind the scenes of the show. They also picked up basic Vietnamese vocabulary and practiced using the language communicating with the Vietnamese counterparts. A representative of Unity Primary School had the privilege of sharing about life in UPS and Singapore. The virtual interaction allowed many students, both from Singapore and Vietnam, to share on their experiences during the pandemic, and the daily routines of Vietnamese primary school students during and after school. They also tried out a Vietnamese delicacy, Bahn Minh, to help them experience & appreciate the beauty of the Vietnamese culture. The students appreciated the difference in lifestyles given the different contexts of the two nations.
The day culminated in a hands-on activity where our students applied their new-found knowledge of Vietnam where they painted flowers, animals and other items symbolic of Vietnam on the nón lá (leaf hat), a perfect circular cone which tapers smoothly from the base to the apex.
After the activity, our students completed a reflection on what they cherished about being in Singapore and shared with one another. All in all, the students had an enjoyable and beneficial experience.
