EDUN N11-11-020 Vol 1 Embargoed for Publication till after 22 February 2012 16 February 2012

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION NOTIFICATION (General Information) GIRL GUIDES WORLD THINKING DAY 2012 MESSAGE

Girl Guides Singapore will celebrate World Thinking Day 2012 on Wednesday, 22 February 2012. All Girl Guides and Brownies in schools will wear their Guide/Brownies uniform to school on that day.

The message from Mrs Joy Balakrishnan, President of Girl Guides Singapore is attached. For schools with Girl Guides and Brownie units, the message is to be read out at school assemblies on Wednesday, 22 February 2012. This message is embargoed until after delivery on that day. The message can also be found on the MOE Intranet.

For clarification, please contact: Ms Poon Mei Xian CCE Officer, Uniformed Groups Character & Citizenship Education Branch Tel: 64609890

Originator Distribution

: :

Student Development Curriculum Division All Primary and Secondary Schools

GIRL GUIDES WORLD THINKING DAY 2012 22 FEBRUARY 2012 MESSAGE FROM MRS JOY BALAKRISHNAN PRESIDENT GIRL GUIDES SINGAPORE Dear Brownies, Guides, Young Adults and Guiders
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Each year on the 22nd of February, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts all over the world commemorate World Thinking Day and celebrate the friendships we have forged through Guiding. On this special day, we are reminded of our core mission to change lives and build a better world for all women.

Our theme for World Thinking Day 2012 is We Can Save Our Planet. True to our mission, we are concerned with the global issue of our time: the increasing pace of climate change. Many people around the world are already being affected by climate change. Numerous individuals, especially in the less developed countries, are going hungry due to this and other reasons. We believe girls and young women in Guiding can play an active role to care and advocate (meaning speak up in support of) for the environment.

You may ask: How can I save our planet? Although climate change is a global problem, many of its causes are due to individual lifestyles choices. Daily choices we make will have different impact on our environment. We can start by learning how our daily activities contribute to climate change. With greater awareness, we can then take positive actions to be more environment-friendly.

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One of our Guiders, Azriana, has created a Facebook page titled World

Thinking Day 2012 Green Pledge. I encourage you to make a green pledge on this Facebook page. Use it to share your personal commitment and affirm the positive

actions by others in caring for the environment. Beyond the personal level, you can be an advocate, just like Azriana, by working with your fellow Guides to spread the message, to your school and local community, on the importance to care for the environment. 5. At Girl Guides Singapore, we will support your efforts by working more closely In the area of environmental awareness, we have formed a

with the community.

new partnership with National Parks Board. Guides are trained to educate others about the wide range of plant species in Jacobs Ballas Childrens Garden. Our girls have also learned much through the Recycling and Outreach programme, held in collaboration with the National Environment Agency and Bishan Town Council. This year, we will be looking forward to more exciting programmes such as the Biodiversity Challenge Badge for the Brownies and the Mass Coastal Cleanup event by the South Division. 6 On this note, I would like to thank school leaders for your encouragement and

support; and Guiders for giving of your time and energy to nurture the girls under your charge. Your inspiration and leadership have seen the growth of Guiding in our schools and ensured that the Guide Movement remains dynamic and relevant as we prepare the girls to be contributing citizens and confident leaders for the 21 st Century. 7 May I wish all of you a meaningful World Thinking Day 2012.