Parent Support Groups (PSGs) in schools are showing that giving back can be a family affair. Through school-led initiatives, both parents and children are involved in serving others – from distributing food to families in need to bringing help and joy to seniors. Find out how PSGs from these four schools provide opportunities for parents and children to bond through volunteering.
Punggol Green Primary School: Partnering parents to inculcate values
Students from Punggol Green Primary School helping to distribute non-perishable food items to families in need
Punggol Green Primary School’s collaboration with Food from the Heartbegan as a Values-in-Action project led by its Primary 5 students. These students rallied their peers to contribute non-perishable food items for families in need. These food items were also displayed on shelves for beneficiaries to redeem at Food from the Heart’s Community Shop @ Punggol.
Primary 5 students from Punggol Green Primary School working together to sort and pack food donations collected from their schoolmates
Now in its fifth year, the initiative has expanded, with participation from the school’s PSG. Parents saw the shared acts of service as a meaningful way to give back while strengthening bonds with their children. Together, they went door-to-door to distribute food packs to 50 households in Punggol and Hougang.
Ms Norhidayana Jabar, Lead Teacher/Malay Language, reflects, “This initiative shows how learning goes beyond the classroom, as students learn to be kind, caring and responsible members of the community.”
For the community, the effort provided not just essential groceries but also a sense of warmth and connection. In particular, a resident had shared how the food packs helped ease her family’s worries when they were going through a difficult month.
The students experienced the joy of service firsthand, with many taking the initiative to prepare personalized greetings to introduce themselves to the residents. Parents too were deeply moved. PSG chairperson Ms Claire Zhang shares, “The smiles you see from the residents and from your own children are truly priceless.” Creating these shared experiences allowed parents to actively participate in their child’s holistic development, reinforcing the values taught in school.
Parents and students from Punggol Green Primary School bring non-perishable food items to families in need
South View Primary School: Bringing joy to seniors
Parents and children from South View Primary had planned games together to engage seniors at the SASCO@Hong San carnival
South View Primary School has an annual social initiative called Let’s Make A Difference (LMAD) that brings families together to serve the elderly. In 2022, they were approached by the SG Cares Volunteer Centre in Chua Chu Kang to explore volunteering opportunities. The school and its PSG, South View Parent Association (SVPA), saw this as a timely opportunity to involve parents and children.
“Participating in these activities helps strengthen parent-child bonds and gives students valuable opportunities to interact with the elderly,” says Mrs Koh Yee Ling, Assistant Year Head, Primary 6.
One LMAD initiative was a carnival at SASCO@Hong San that took place in 2023 and 2024. Families planned booths and games to engage seniors. “It was fulfilling as they saw how their ideas brought joy to the seniors,” says Ms Grace Teo, chairman of SVPA.
This spirit of service has expanded too. What started as one request from a senior to repaint her flat sparked a larger effort that resulted in the repainting of nearly 15 homes. “One auntie, who wanted her gate and door to be bright pink, kept thanking us. Seeing how ecstatic she was about her freshly painted door was priceless,” recalls Ms Teo.
The experience was rewarding for the volunteering families too. “I saw a different side of my usually aloof son as he interacted well with the seniors,” reflects Ms Teo. “It reminded me how powerful it is to expose our children to volunteering at an early age.”
Parent and child from South View Primary School paint the gates of a house for a home refresh
Northland Primary School: Serving together with heart
At Northland Primary School, the strong support from the PSG also known as Caring, Helping, Affirming, Mentoring through Parent Support (CHAMPS) has created meaningful opportunities for parents and children to serve side by side.
Some annual initiatives include visits to aged homes such as Villa Francis Home, where students and parents spread joy through festive performances during occasions such as Chinese New Year, Mother’s Day, and National Day. These visits are warmly anticipated by the residents, and have since expanded to hospitals, including Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where students perform songs for healthcare staff and patients.
Northland Primary School’s parents and children bring National Day festivities to Villa Francis Home with a vibrant performance
The school also supports lower-income residents in the community through initiatives such as baking and distributing food items. Since 2022, Northland Primary School has collaborated with the grassroots network to provide sponsored daily necessities, as well as for Children’s Day Service Weeks and Carnival.
The outreach initiatives also expanded in 2021 to include migrant workers. Students initially delivered bread collected from neighbourhood bakeries to workers’ dormitories. They brought along treats they baked and energy drinks too. Over time, these efforts evolved into structured baking sessions that have deepened both student involvement and parent-child collaboration.
Parents and children roll up their sleeves to prepare treats for gifting
Ms Gesline Sim, Chairperson of CHAMPS, reflects, “We wanted the migrant workers to feel valued and respected for their contributions. Our students also learnt to show respect and gratitude towards others, including those often overlooked, and to recognise the dignity of every form of work.”
What has left the deepest impression on Mdm Chen Jun, Subject Head of Partnership at Northland Primary School, is the way students instinctively look to their parents as role models in service. “When children see their parents showing care and respect to the elderly or migrant workers, they mirror that sincerity,” says Mdm Chen.
Crescent Girls’ School: Parents’ Day sale and pre-loved drive
Since 2015, the Annual Parents’ Day Sale and the distribution of pre-loved uniforms and textbooks have been a highlight of the Crescent Girls’ School PSG calendar. Funds raised go to support other initiatives, including Racial Harmony Day activities and the gifting of graduation bears to Secondary 4 students.
Crescent Girls’ School parent volunteers at the Parents’ Day Sale Collection Booth
“Parent volunteers are involved in behind-the-scenes work like sponsoring and collating items for sale, creating a sales website and posters, packing of orders, to managing the collection and the booth on the actual day,” shares Ms Ho Kah Wai, PSG Chairperson.
Some sale items are even inspired by parent-child conversations, where the students suggest items that they believe will appeal to their schoolmates. There is a free craft station too, for students who prefer to express their gratitude through personalised appreciation notes.
Students from Crescent Girls’ School with handmade cards, ready to gift their parents
Parents say the event also offers them a chance to step into their daughters’ world, and to connect, and share parenting tips with other parents.
As Ms Ho sums it up, “Being involved in Crescent PSG activities has given me the privilege of witnessing my daughter and her schoolmates’ remarkable dedication and commitment. It is inspiring to see these young ladies confidently take on the challenges they face.”
Photos courtesy of: Punggol Green Primary School, South View Primary School, Northland Primary School, and Crescent Girls’ School
