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Hong Kong Church of Christ in China visits Grace Orchard School
By Darryl Wang, Synod Education Executive
Sep 2014

On 18th of August 2014, 12 delegates from Hong Kong Church of Christ in China (HKCCC) visited Singapore in order to better understand the social services in our country. One of their stops was Grace Orchard School (GOS), a special needs school under the umbrella of Presbyterian Community Services (PCS) in partnership with True Grace and Providence Presbyterian Church. The school caters to children that are diagnosed with Mild Intellectual Disability (MID) and Mild Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

The children in Grace Orchard School have an Intellectual Quotient (IQ) in the range from 50 - 70. As these children often have difficulties in mainstream schools, GOS has a specialised curriculum that covers literacy and numeracy, including a strong focus on vocational education.

As GOS seeks to equip their students to be ready for work and prepared for life outside school, their vocational training curriculum is designed to be a functional and coherent educational programme. Students receive training in areas such as Baking, Food & Beverage Preparation, Food & Beverage Services, Housekeeping, Retail and Cleaning. The school has facilities such as kitchens, a mock-up hotel room and supermarket shelves that are used for training and even a small café that is crewed by the students themselves.

As with most schools in Singapore, GOS also offers Co-Circular Activities (CCAs) that the students can take up, ranging from sports like basketball and football to clubs like horticulture and bloomers, where students can learn things like flower arrangement. The school also has a small library and games room that the students can use after classes.

With the support of their teachers, special needs children are completely able to lead healthy and fulfilling lives like any normal person. GOS is definitely a labour of love that truly lives up to their mission statement – To Shape Special Lives for Significance.

If you would like to find out more about GOS or would like to support them in any way, please email darryl@presbysing.org.sg.

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