Earlier this year, Ms Rachel Chua-Wilson, our Assistant Head of Primary, set out to organise an event which would support our Year 6 and 7 girls as they go through a key milestone: transitioning to secondary school. She asked if there were any learners who would like to join a committee to organise the event. The rest, as they say, is history, with 13 learners from Years 6 and 7 putting themselves forward to create the first Girls in Motion at Nexus (GIMAN) event.
Bringing Girls In Motion to Nexus International School (Singapore)
What is Girls in Motion?
Girls in Motion was first created in 2012 by Ms Rachel when she was working in Canada as a school principal. She shares that the event was designed to “empower girls through a community of sisterhood and self-worth” and for learners “to feel inspired to be strong, confident and compassionate citizens in the company of their peers.” Ms Rachel was “incredibly proud” to bring the event to Nexus in her first year as Assistant Head of Primary and develop the initiative here.
The event itself invites girls from Years 6 and 7, along with a parent or guardian, to come together and explore some of the physical, intellectual and emotional challenges of being a girl, whilst creating a safe space for our learners to express themselves creatively and artistically with the help of senior learner mentors, staff members and invited guests.
This year’s motto, chosen by the girls, was Our Voice, Our Future. The committee organised workshops including Bollywood fitness, yoga, badge creating, and team games with the themes of motivation, creation, mindful practice and enjoyment at the top of the list. We were also honoured to welcome our keynote speaker, Nora Lam, Chief Marketing Officer from The9 Limited – a NASDAQ-listed company focused on digital innovation and Web3 technology. Nora is passionate about lifelong learning and women in leadership and shared her insights with our community.
For the learners and parents that joined, Girls in Motion offered a chance to spend some quality time together with friends whilst taking on new challenges and meeting new people. Julia, a Year 6 learner, shared “I loved Girls In Motion, it was like having a big sleepover with our friends from different year groups and our moms and dads. The Bollywood dance was amazing. Everyone brought so much energy to it!”
Creating Positive Impact Beyond Nexus
In addition to the benefits for our own learners, the GIMAN committee wanted to make sure they also gave back to the wider community and created a positive impact outside of our school community. This is why they chose to fundraise for Star Shelter, a crisis shelter for women and children in Singapore. The committee shared that they hope “that even a small donation will make a difference to women who have survived domestic abuse.”
The Motion Continues
After a successful debut for Girls in Motion at Nexus, we are already looking forward to next year and the momentum throughout the year as we continue to build our strong community of learners, parents and staff.
A special thank you to Ms Rachel and the committee of learners who organised this very special first edition of Girls in Motion, and to the teachers and support staff who helped make it such a huge success. We can’t wait for GIMAN 2027!
