Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Write a letter to the Minister of National Development, Member of Tampines GRC, Mr Mah Bow Tan, providing him with feedback about the playgrounds in Tampines and suggestions to improve them (e.g. make them more Need-sensitive). You may include findings from your Playground Project to support your points. Your letter should be about 200-250 words long and you may want to include the following:- What your project was about and your findings (briefly)- how this led you to reflect on the playgrounds in your neighborhood- your feedback about playgrounds in Tampines- suggestions on how they can be improved



390 Tampines Street21
Singapore 529400

3rd July 2008

Mr Mah Bow Tan
Minister of Nation Development
Member of Tampines GRC

Dear Mr Mah ,

LETTER REGARDING THE PLAYGROUND IN TAMPINES ESTATE
My name is Lee Jun Yi. I am a student from Pasir Ris secondary school which is located near the Tampines East. The purpose of writing this letter to you is to suggest on how we can improve the current playground to suit the disabled needs or the younger children.

The current playground are not suitable for young Children as they may get injury easily and it was not esthetically appealing too thus children with diseases or young children will not be attracted to it .So here is some points you have to take note of.

Firstly, we must look onto the safety of the children . I had seen a few cases in Tampines which young children liked to climb up and down and ended falling onto the ground. So I suggest ,instead of using concrete, we could use materials like rubber with smooth surface or cotton with a cover over it to prevent water from sipping into the cotton. Thus children who fell down will have lesser bruises and cuts.

Secondly , We should have use bright colors to paint the playground or make a play ground which is make out of cartoon character to make the children to felt happy after a day of torturing treatment who contracted with diseases. We could even add some feature to the playground , For example ,merry-go-round, colorful entrances or flying foxes , etc. So that they will be attracted to the games there , have fun and forget all the unhappy thing.


Lastly , I think that we should add shelter for the playground so that even rainy day, the children could also have fun playing the games at the playground.

After reading my suggestion , I hope you will consider my suggestion . Together, we will make a better playground environment for the resident and children staying there .

Terabithians
I was here at 10:57 PM


Pasir Ris Secondary School
Tampines Street 21
3 July 2008
Mr Mah Bow Tan
Minister for National Development
Member of Tampines GRC

Dear Mr MAH

IMPROVING PLAYGROUNDS IN TAMPINES

I am Alvin Wong Junjie from Pasir Ris Secondary School and I am writing to you to inform you about the plight of most of the playgrounds in Tampnies and how can it be improved or you can just build a new playground.

As many of us know, all of the playgrounds in Tampines are not suited for the terminally ill children and the number of terminally ill children is on the rise. Recently, a terminally ill child, desperate for the playground, climbed up the monkey bar and got stabbed by a rusty nail on it. He got poisoned and died, and in another case, this 5 year old boy, after being confirmed he will die in three months, he went to the playground to play. He did not even have a chance to live for three months as while on the 3m slide, he fell through a hole and landed on another terminally ill child and both died.

I once again beseech you to build a new playground specially for the terminally ill children. I hope that we will walk with the terminally ill children towards the light at the end of the tunnel.

Yours faithfully,
Alvin Wong Junjie

Terabithians
I was here at 10:50 PM


Pasir Ris Secondary School
Tampines Street 21

3 July 2008
Mr Mah Bow Tan
Minister for National Development
Member of Tampines GRC

Dear Mr Mah,

IMPROVING PLAYGROUNDS IN TAMPINES

I am Lee Wei Jie from Pasir Ris Secondary School and I am writing to inform you on how the present playgrounds around Tampines can be improved to facilitate the needs of the terminally ill.

Firstly, I would like to say although the playgrounds around Tampines are of decent condition and quality they do not allow children with various handicaps and especially those that are stricken with terminally illness play. The ground can be improved by ensuring that it is some what softer to cushion the impact in the event that the children playing may fall to the ground, thus reducing chances of injuries. The monkey bars should all be having rubber grips to ensure less slipping off the bars while playing.

Secondly, I would like to propose that the playgrounds utilize recyclable materials or materials that are biodegradable. One way to reduce environmental damage due to increased plastic usage is to use recycled metals and wood and reducing the usage of plastics.

Lastly, I would like to suggest some ideas that could be implemented into the playgrounds. One of the ideas can be to implement a maze into the playgrounds to stimulate the children into finding their way out of it, like the saying ‘there’s always light at the end of the tunnel’. I would also appreciate it if you could make a swing in the playground as swings are rather rare in Singaporean playgrounds.

I would appreciate it if you could consider my requests to improve playgrounds and make it more terminally-ill friendly, at the same time making it more eco-friendly.

Yours faithfully,
Lee Wei Jie

Terabithians
I was here at 10:49 PM


Write a letter to the Minister of National Development, Member of Tampines GRC, Mr Mah Bow Tan, providing him with feedback about the playgrounds in Tampines and suggestions to improve them (e.g. make them more Need-sensitive). You may include findings from your Playground Project to support your points. Your letter should be about 200-250 words long and you may want to include the following:- What your project was about and your findings (briefly)- how this led you to reflect on the playgrounds in your neighborhood- your feedback about playgrounds in Tampines- suggestions on how they can be improved

390 tampines St21
Singapore 529400

3 July 2008

Mr Mah Bow Tan
Minister of Nation development
Member of Tampines GRC


Dear Mr Mah,

Feedback About The Playgrounds In Tampines
I am Luke Toh Rui Qi from Pasir Ris Secondary School which is located in Tampines. My purpose of writing this letter to you is to providing you with feedback about the playgrounds in Tampines and suggestions to improve them.

Firstly, I want to tell you about the advantages of the playgrounds I have seen before. I think the thing that most people benefit from is that it is near houses and flats children can go to the playgrounds any time they want. Now, I will talk about some disadvantages. Some playgrounds are not safe for certain age groups. For example, I have seen some cases in which young children had fell down while running. I suggest that you can use materials that while not cause cuts like cement for the floors for the playground. I think that will minimize the injury of the children who fall down and will cause lesser bruises and cuts.

My group have made a model of a playground and hope that you can take it to consideration. However, I will of course demand a sum of money for copyright. The playground has targeted children with terminal illnesses as our main focus. It has features like a castle, flying fox, merry-go-round, colorful entrances, etc. I believe that there will be many children with terminal illnesses in this neighborhood and really hope that you will consider about my suggestion. I believe that not only children with terminal will visit the playground. I also recommend that the playground should only be used by certain age groups so that it will not be abused by people for illegal gathering. I hope that you would take my suggestions into consideration and reply me as soon as possible.
Thank you.

Yours sincerely,
luke

Terabithians
I was here at 10:45 PM


390 Tampines St21
Singapore 529400

3 July 2008

Mr Mah Bow Tan
Minister of Nation Development
Member of Tampines GRC



Dear Mr Mah

Feedback The Playgrounds In Tampines
I am Yong Teck Hui from Pasir Ris Secondary School and the purpose of writing this letter to you is to give some suggestions on how to improve the current playgrounds that are found in Tampines to better suit the children playing there.

Firstly, the playgrounds currently found in Tampines are close to void decks prove beneficial as little children would not be able to travel far from their houses to play as their parents would worry about their safety. The playgrounds located near housing estates currently are good as parents would be able to accompany their children downstairs to watch over them as they play so that they can feel relieved. They also have

Our project was targeted to children with terminal illnesses which may fear interacting with other children in playgrounds as they are afraid of spreading their terminal illnesses to other innocent children as we have made preventive measures such as wooden floors that causes a lot of friction of that the children will not fall easily and the rubber balls to cushion their falls into the ball pits. So, we have developed a playground to suit them with hidden meanings such as the maze which tells them not to give up and try to find the way out and even the castle which represents how strong they must be in the battle with their illnesses.

This has led us to reflect it in the playgrounds in Tampines as the children are afraid to interact with other children or may be too shy to play with them just as the children with terminal illnesses fear to interact with others. The children would not be able to enjoy themselves thoroughly and so our playground which has places with hidden meanings which is able to help the terminally ill children would be able to help the children in our neighbourhood.

I would like to recommend that we create game which can be played only by groups of children so that they would be able to know each other and enjoy themselves or a maze with clues given so that they can work to together to get out. I hope that you would take my suggestions into consideration and reply me as soon as possible.Thank you.

Yours Sincerely,
Yong Teck Hui

Terabithians
I was here at 10:36 PM


Pasir Ris Secondary School
Tampines street 21

3 July 2008
Mr Mah Bow Tan
Minister for National Development
Member of Tampines GRC

Dear Mr Mah

Improving Playground in Tampines

I am Muhammad Asyraf from Pasir Ris Secondary School. I am writing to suggest on how to improve the playgrounds in Tampines as the playgrounds are built for the normal children. Children with terminal illness would not be able to play in these playgrounds.

Present Playgrounds in Tampines are not suitable for children with disabilities as they may get injured very while playing on the playground. The physical state of the playgrounds is really very dangerous. Most of the playgrounds are made with metals. I would suggest the metals were to be wrapped with a softer material such as rubber. The floors should be in rubber and it should be wheel chair friendly so the wheelchair bound children would be able to maneuver around the playground easily. Handles should also be good for children who cannot walk by themselves. High elements are quite dangerous so try to reduce on high elements, maybe a maze would be fine. Maybe a pit of soft balls would be good to place in the playground.

These are my ideas of the playground that are suitable for disabled people. I hope you would consider my playground ideas in future playgrounds for Tampines estate. With this I conclude my letter.

Yours faithfully,
Muhammad Asyraf

Terabithians
I was here at 10:33 PM

Friday, April 18, 2008








Where do we get our marks from?










Judging Criteria for:
a) 3D Model (Total marks- 30m)
- Creativity (10m)- Craftsmanship/ Aesthetic appeal (10m)
- Function and Feasibility (10m)
b) Blog (Total marks- (70m)
- Proposal (description of playground features: eco-friendliness? How is the design/concept linked to the novel? How does it meet children's special needs?) (30m)
- Organisation and planning (10m)
- Research (10m)- Visuals and Sketches (10m)
- Teamwork (10m)










OUR GROUP MEMBERS:











some designs that we found and are inspired by :





why do we use castles and mazes?












We decided to use the maze as a part of the playground as it represent how a forest look like and you can lost easily in it. At the same time it respresent how lost jess felt when leslie died .











A castle would be to show the stability of life and how people should try their best and stay strong although they are facing a terminal illness. Just as how a castle which would not be shaken easily even by strong winds. The people also will be very unhappy about their illnesses so when they found the castle through a maze it will be like a lost person who found millions of dollars on the floor and will be very happy









average cost of materials:





Plastic:





Plastic sheets 2m x 4m at $5





Brick:





$214 per square metre





Earth Berms:





$51 per square metre





Concrete:





$198 per square metre





Wood:





$155 per square metre





Metal:





Limited use of precious metals such as platinum which can cost in the range of about $30.00 per square foot ($323.00 per square meter)
Links:
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Campus/5361/chlorate/leaddiox/us4040939.html

http://www.mesoamerican.org/pdf/Characteristics.pdf







introduction of playground













some research on the terminal diseases :(part1)






1) eopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis












- a disease that inflicts the lungs







-fills up air sacs with fibrotic tissues







-tissues become denser and prevents the transfer of oxygen into the bloodstream as time passes by







SYMPTOMS:







-shortness of breath







-feeling of discomfort in the chest







- loss of appetite







- exhaustion







- weariness







-a dry irritating cough.







Presently there is no specific cure for this disease. There is no specific treatment for the disease as the drugs are still in the experimental phase







2)lung caner







-termed as another terminal disease







-cannot be treated with chemotherapy unlike other forms of cancer







-tendency of being diagnosed in its later stages, rather than in its earlier stages







-slim chance of living for a long time







- one of the causes is exposure to the radioactive element Radon, or the silicate referred to as asbestos







SYMPTOMS:







-frequent coughs







-constant and unbearable chest pain







-shortness of breath







-weakness in physical strength







-significant weight loss and a loss of appetite







3)Hepatitis B







-Known as a disease which disrupts the function of the Liver







-100 more times more infectious as compared to the AIDS virus







-destroys the liver for a permanent period of time, until inevitable death occurs







-usually transmitted through the use of unhygienic medical syringes, or through the transmission of bodily fluids of infected individuals







-can prove fatal if the immune system cannot fight off the disease







-may result in the evolving of the more serious disease such as liver cancer or cirrhosis, and finally death of the individual







SYMPTOMS:







-nausea







-vomiting







-fatigue and severe unbearable pain circulating around the liver







physical needs of people with terminal illnesses:







• A routine for sleep and rest.







Lack of sleep may be caused by the number of visitors, discomfort, fear of not waking up, restlessness, or day/night confusion. Keep a night light on and/or a bell or intercom available so the patient will know where he/she is if awakened and confused. A clock is also helpful.







• Changes in elimination.







Changes in elimination may also occur with a seriously ill or dying person. Diarrhea, constipation, and incontinence are all possible. Care should be given to provide the individual with a clean environment. It is also important not to embarrass or humiliate a person that has recently become incontinent (unable to control the bowel or bladder).







• Skin care.







Skin care may also be a concern. Nutritional status, elimination problems, and immobility can all cause skin breakdown and/or pain. Infection may likely occur in this situation. The decision to use antibiotics can be discussed with the physician.







• Respiratory changes.







Respiratory changes may occur from pneumonia, narcotics, or the progression of the disease. Often, patients will feel they are unable to "catch their breath." Air hunger, as this is often called, can be frightening. Decreased oxygen in the bloodstream may also cause a seizure. Oxygen supplied through the nose or by a mask may be needed simply for comfort.







• Nasal symptoms.







Secretions from the nose, mouth, and throat may be difficult to manage with a terminally ill person. Suction devices are available, or simply repositioning the patient may help drain the excess secretions.







• Pain management .







With someone who is dying, one of the greatest fears is pain. Every measure should be taken to eliminate pain from the dying process. Pain control options and management plans should be discussed before the person experiences significant pain. Fear of addiction to narcotics is common among families. It is important to understand, however, that the ultimate goal is comfort, which means taking appropriate measures to assure that the patient is free from pain. Pain is a sensation of discomfort, distress, or agony. Because pain is unique to each individual, a person's pain cannot truly be evaluated by anyone else. Pain may be acute or chronic. Acute pain is severe and lasts a relatively short time. It is usually a signal that body tissue is being injured in some way, and the pain generally disappears when the injury heals. Chronic pain may range from mild to severe, and is present to some degree for long periods of time. Medicating pain before it becomes too severe is advised. If pain medication is not given for a long period of time, it may not be as helpful. With chronic pain, long-acting pain medication may be given on a regular schedule over a 24-hour period.Many people believe that if a person has been diagnosed with a terminal illness they must be in pain. This is not necessarily the case and, when pain is present, it can be reduced or even prevented. Pain management is an important topic to discuss with your physician.







some research on the terminal diseases: (part2)







Definition of leukemia:







Cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of blood cells to be produced and enter the bloodstream. Estimated new cases and deaths from leukemia in the United States in 2008:







New cases: 44,270







Deaths: 21,710information got from: http://www.cancer.gov/cancer_information/cancer_type/leukemia/













Definition of kidney cancer:







Cancer that forms in tissues of the kidneys. Kidney cancer includes renal cell carcinoma (cancer that forms in the lining of very small tubes in the kidney that filter the blood and remove waste products) and renal pelvis carcinoma (cancer that forms in the center of the kidney where urine collects). It also includes Wilms tumor, which is a type of kidney cancer that usually develops in children under the age of 5. Estimated new cases and deaths from kidney (renal cell and renal pelvis) cancer in the United States in 2008:







New cases: 54,390







Deaths: 13,010information got from : http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/types/kidney/







Definition of lung cancer:







Cancer that forms in tissues of the lung, usually in the cells lining air passages. The two main types are small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. These types are diagnosed based on how the cells look under a microscope. Estimated new cases and deaths from lung cancer (non-small cell and small cell combined) in the United States in 2008:







New cases: 215,020







Deaths: 161,840







information got from : http://www.cancer.gov/cancer_information/cancer_type/lung/







Definition of skin cancer:







Cancer that forms in tissues of the skin. There are several types of skin cancer. Skin cancer that forms in melanocytes (skin cells that make pigment) is called melanoma. Skin cancer that forms in basal cells (small, round cells in the base of the outer layer of skin) is called basal cell carcinoma. Skin cancer that forms in squamous cells (flat cells that form the surface of the skin) is called squamous cell carcinoma. Skin cancer that forms in neuroendocrine cells (cells that release hormones in response to signals from the nervous system) is called neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin. Most skin cancers form in older people on parts of the body exposed to the sun or in people who have weakened immune systems.Estimated new cases and deaths from skin (nonmelanoma) cancer in the United States in 2008:







New cases: more than 1,000,000







Deaths: less than 1,000







prostrate cancer:







The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system located just below the bladder (the organ that collects and empties urine) and in front of the rectum (the lower part of the intestine). It is about the size of a walnut and surrounds part of the urethra (the tube that empties urine from the bladder). The prostate gland produces fluid that makes up part of the semen.Prostate cancer is found mainly in older men. As men age, the prostate may get bigger and block the urethra or bladder. This may cause difficulty in urination or can interfere with sexual function. The condition is called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and although it is not cancer, surgery may be needed to correct it. The symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia or of other problems in the prostate may be similar to symptoms of prostate cancer.







information got from: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/prostate/patient/allpages/print

we decide to make a flying fox and let them drop at a place with all this balls




spiral slide and all the balls - $5,000



castle - $128,400
floor $376,400
flying fox $100,000
animal statues – 1,5000
maze – $30,000
entrance - $10,000
merry-go-round - $5,000(2,500 each)
bridge and sand-pit - $5,000
surveillance camera, chair, toilet, sick-bay - $125,199
construction - $200,000



some pictures of us doing the model (we are some how shy and decided not to appear in the photos)



























OEE assignment

luke

we reused most materials like cardboard,ice-cream sticks,twine and water which is used to wash the materials and some plastic from alvin spoilt art file.



It is mostly made of wood and terabithia is in a forest where lots of wood can be found.there is also a maze in which people can be lost easily in it just like Jess when he found out that Leslie was dead.there is a castle and it represents a country just like terabithia.there are statues of animals and toys of animals in the maze "accompanying" the children just like how prince terrian did to jess and leslie.

there is a castle in the maze.Represents people finding hope after being lost.We will put some encouraging words in dead ends of the maze to make people feel that there is hope although they are lost.There is a castle so the children can rest inside since they need ample restas stated in the needs of the children.We also have a first aid room so we can give them first aid if they need it like when they get sudden asthma attacks







Jun Yi



How is my project eco - friendly?...





How is the concept of the project related to the novel "bridge to Terabithia"?





How is the playground meet to the special needs of the people ?





Why are we doing all this ?










wei jie




it is made of natural materials like ice cream sticks, toothpicks which is made of wood and we use small amount of plastic which is better for the environment




there are castles in playground based on the castle which appeared in Terabithia and the it is forest themed which is based in a forested area; Terabithia.


the wide maze allows easier maneuverability around maze for wheelchair bound children and the brightness ensures that the children would not be bored by dull colours.



Alvin



the playground has a lot in store for the children such as the graffiti walls where the children can vandalise the walls of our playground,though not on the artificial animals and other highlights of our playground.the main objective of the walls is to let the children express their emotions on it, the children are limited to one spray can and and a paint brush.Buckets of paint can be found at each end of the walls and will be refilled every day.The paint will be bought with donations and the remaining funds.next we have the flying fox,in the story, leslie helped jess to overcome his fear of swinging across the trench and this helps the children to overcome their fear and when they jump only to find themselves landing gently on the sea of balls,having known there is no danger, the children will repeat the challenge, overcoming their fears,this applies not only in the playground but also to life.after playing, we will give them a souvenior and hope that the humble playground will teach them to look on the bright side.





Teck Hui



The target of our playground are children who have terminal illnesses. These children are feeling left out just because they have terminal illnesses and that is why we chose some games that normal children play such as slides and swings to make them feel like normal children and interact with one another. The maze we have is used to describe how strong Jess became when he finally accepted Leslie's death, the slide for the twists and turns in their life when they met, the animals which represent those that could have been found in their kingdom of Terabithia as it was a jungle and the walls of the maze can be used by children as a graffiti corner so that they have the chance to express themselves through drawing like Jess did. The model is quite eco-friendly as we used recycled ice-cream sitcks,plastic and toys to make it as it would be too costly to buy new materials while safer to use recycled materials. Furthermore, very few of the models are made of plastic which is non-biodegradeable.



asyraf



It is made of wood. Minimal plastic is used.Wood can easily decompose.



There is a bridge. The playground is like Terabithia. Pictures and figures of the characters would be in the playground.



The kingdom of Terabithia as of told in the novel would be shown in the playground.



Wheel chair friendly. SafeThe maze is big enough so that wheelchairs can maneuver around it safely. The ground is soft so that the kids won’t fall and break the bones. The kids would be happy and would forget about their terminal illness.


Terabithians
I was here at 6:50 AM