26th July - St Joseph's Institution International

26 th July 2013 SJI International Newsletter2013 – Term 2- Issue 1Message from the PrincipalDear Parents,A warm welcome back after the June/July holiday. I hope that you have all had an enjoyable time over theholiday and that you have been able to spend some quality time with your children. One of the things Idid over the break was to attend a seminar for international school Head Teachers in Munich, Germany.Much of the seminar focused on the increased levels of parental anxiety being experienced by schoolsaround the globe.Open House – Saturday, 3 rd AugustWe are holding our second Open House/Pedagogical Morning of the year on Saturday, 3 rd August 2013.This is an opportunity for prospective parents and students (for the 2014 academic year) to visit theschool. Please see the copy of the advertisement that we are placing in the Strait Times (this weekend) atthe end of this newsletter. Please do tell your friends and acquaintances about this event.We expect that we will be required to close registration early aswe only have 200 places and already have 100 people registeredto attend.Interested parents can register for this event at the followinglink: http://www.sji-international.com.sg/Open_HouseSexuality Education – Workshop for ParentsPlease see the advertisement about the Parent Workshop takingplace on Tuesday, 6 th August, in the Glass Hall. This Workshopwill outline our student programme (taught in Grade 7 to 9) andwill give you some additional tools to support your child duringthis tremendous time of change. I encourage you all to attendthis important evening.Re-Assignment of TeachersAt the start of this term there have been several teachermovements. Your child may have informed you that some oftheir teachers have changed. There are a number of reasons forthis:• Leaving teachers have been replaced by new teachers.• An addition to the Science Department team has allowed usto re-schedule many of the Science classes.• Mr McGuinness is currently off school (possibly for anextended time period) – his classes have been re-assignedamongst the team pending the appointment of a coverteacher.We realise that this may be disruptive to some students butassure you that these changes are made in the best interest ofthe school and our students.Upcoming DatesMonday 29 th July:Racial Harmony DayActivities Start 15:15pmSaturday 3 rd August:Open House 09:00am - 12:30pmMonday 5 th August:Grade 12 Trial Exams startTuesday 6 th August:Parent Workshop 19:00Wednesday 7 th August:Special Violin Concert - 19:30Saturday 17 th August:PSG Meeting 09:00am - 12:00Table of ContentsNew staff - Pages 4/5Lasallian Training Camp - Page 6Biology Trip - Page 7Africa Trip - Page 8Parents Workshop - Page 9G7 Bintan Service Project - Page 10Alumni Reunion - Page 11Alumni News - Page 12First of our Uni Graduates - Page 13Lasallian Reflection - Page 14Heart Land Waste Programme - Page 15Open House Advert - Page 16SJI Concert - Page 17Golf Day - Page 18

Racial Harmony DayMonday, 29 th July, will be celebrated as racial Harmony Day at SJI International. All staff and students areinvited to wear formal traditional dress to school on this special day.Please note that this is not a non-uniform day. It is also not a day where students wear soccer or rugbytops with jeans. Those students not wearing formal traditional dress must wear normal uniform. Thankyou for your support in monitoring this. Students arriving incorrectly dressed will be sent home to change.Unauthorised Absence from SchoolI have been informed that there are an unusually high number of student absences this week, particularlyfrom those who have extended their holiday period due to participation in Summer Schools/Camps. Inmost cases, parents have neither requested authorisation to miss school nor has authorisation beengiven. This means that these students are recorded as unauthorised absences – and will be recorded onReports as such.Authorised absence is where the school has either given approval (in advance) for a student to be out ofschool or, in exceptional circumstances, has accepted an explanation offered afterwards as a satisfactoryjustification for an unexpected absence. All other absences are treated as unauthorised.SJI International expects all students to attend school as per the calendar – it is the reason we publish ourcalendar over 1 year in advance. Parents should avoid withdrawing their child from school during termtime. The school will not authorise any term time holiday unless there are exceptional mitigatingcircumstances (e.g. funeral of a relative, crisis in the family etc.). Such requests must be forwarded to theVice-Principal Pastoral (grade 7 to 10 students) or the Head of Senior School (grade 11 and 12 students).Examples of Authorised Absence include –• Illness (with medical certification)• Approved SJII educational visits/trips• School sporting events (eg. Fixtures)• Sports representation at national/regional level• Leave for exceptional mitigating circumstances eg. funeral of a relative (at discretion of Principal/VicePrincipal/Head of Senior School.We encourage parents/guardians to –Ensure their child arrives at school on time each day• Report any absence via telephone, email, or letter to the School Receptionists on the initial day ofabsence.• Provide medical evidence (certificate; prescription; doctor’s appointment card) to cover absence• Refrain from taking children out of school for non essential medical treatments.E-Waste Recycling ProgrammePlease read the important notification from the National Environmental Agency concerning e-waste recycling.Please see the poster, advertising this initiative, at the end of this newsletter.2

I am pleased to welcome four new members to our team—please read a little about them in the body ofthis newsletter. Mr Wood (Teacher of Economics and Business and Deputy Head of Senior School) will bejoining us on the 6th August—he is currently climbing Mount Kilamanjaro with his previous school.Finally, I have been speaking to several Grade 10 students – currently writing their Internal Examinations.Grade 12 start their internal Examination in one week’s time. I know that our students are taking theseexams very seriously and wish then all of the best in their preparations.Bradley RobertsPrincipalHigh SchoolSpecial Concert by world-famous Violin Virtuoso - 7th AugustTime: 19:30 pmWhere: Glass Hall - SJI InternationalDate: Wednesday 7 August Tickets - Reception - Only $15.00David Leung and Chung-Hua Weng will delight you with their virtuosity, nuance and skill. A show not to be missed.David Leung is Assistant Professor of Violin at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (one of the six LasallianUniversities in the U.S.) and Music Director of the Saint Mary’s Chamber Orchestra. He is versatile and active inevery aspect of performance as soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, concertmaster and orchestral conductor. Lastyear, he visited SJI International and gave an impromptu lunch-time concert that wowed the students and staff inattendance.Chung-Hua Weng is a graduate from the Eastman School of Music with a Master's degree in Piano Accompanyingand Chamber Music. He is widely regarded for his skill on the piano, having worked with performers ranging fromCleveland, Ohio, to Moscow, Russia. A native of Taiwan, he is currently pianist in Soochow University in Taipei,Taiwan, and is renowned as a chamber musician.3

New StaffSimeon Banks - Teacher of ChemistrySimeon is from England and studied for his BSc in Liverpool. Simeon did hisMSc in Aberdeen and his PGCE in Nottingham. Recently he completed theInternational Teacher Certificate which is accredited by Cambridge University.Simeon would like to study for a PhD, but that will have to wait until he retires.He has been living in Thailand for the past ten years and is married to Kulvadeeand they have two children Yok and Jasmine. His son has made him realise howmuch he still loves Lego and his daughter has reintroduced him to the lives ofDisney princesses.Simeon loves football and have been playing in goal since he was 11. The team he supports alwayssets new records. They were the first team to be given a penalty and score one, the first team to playunder floodlights and the first team to be relegated from the top division to the third division twice!When Simeon is not trying to help his students in every way he can, he is developing his Alta egos fortheir yearly appearances!Kellie O’Kane - Teacher of ChemistryKellie, who is British, graduated from the University of Manchester with aBachelor of Science and then completed a Post Graduate Certificate inEducation (PGCE) at the University of Huddersfield. After completing her PGCEKellie taught general Science in Werneth School in Stockport, during this timeshe taught a variety of different courses and undertook several cooperativelearning training sessions.After Teaching in the UK for three years she decided to follow her passion for travel and moved toQatar in the Middle East, where she taught Chemistry for three years. While teaching in Qatar, Kelliegained several roles of responsibly, these included Head of House, Head of Year and Head of Science.Kellie's interests outside of school include reading, films and going to the theater. She is anenthusiastic Manchester United supporter and does her best to go to Old Trafford whenever shereturns to the UK.David Tay - Admin ManagerDavid Tay, has joined us as the Admin Manager, a new position at SJIInternational.As the Admin Manager, David will assist the Chief Operating Officer(COO) mainly in the administrative management of the Tenancy Agreements(TAs), Safety and Security systems, Infrastructures, Records andDocuments, and Canteen operation. He will also oversee the Reception andgeneral administration of the central admin office.David graduated from the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM)University with a Bachelor Degree of Science in Computer Science. David haspreviously worked in the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and NTUC Club for an extended period andwas involved in the planning and implementation of many projects undertaken by theseorganisations. He was a Project Manager with the Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) LTDjust prior to joining SJI International.David is excited about joining SJI International, and eagerly looking forward to working with thecommunity to contribute to the overall administration of the School.David is single, and in his free time, enjoys body building, jogging, and swimming.4

Julie Thompson - University CounsellorJulie completed her initial teacher training through Keele University andtaught in schools in Humberside and Kent where, she was Head of HomeEconomics, (teaching both Food and Textiles). She then moved to TheBritish School of Brussels where she worked for 24 years. Here, shewas Head of Home Economics but also taught some PSHE. Julie decidedto embark on an Open University degree and achieved a BSc whichallowed her to introduced A level Sociology to the school curriculum. Atabout the same time, she began working alongside the Head of Careersand so began her careers counselling experience.Before long she was teaching less Food Technology and more Careers University Counselling andPSHE work with the senior students. When BSB introduced the IB, to run alongside A levels, Juliealso taught IB Psychology to HL and SL.Outside of school, she became involved with the local school running group as well as the Hash andworked up to completing five 20km races. Her running days are over but she has enjoyed scubadiving over the last twenty years and has achieved PADI Rescue Diver level and completed over 200dives. Julie also assisted with the MUN for many years at BSB attending THIMUN each January.Julie moved to Qatar where she worked for four years as Head of Careers, also teaching PSHE tostudents in Years 10-13.In Qatar she was involved with the Turtle Conservation Project, taking students on beach clean upsand tagging green turtles after they had come onto the beaches to lay their eggs. She is now lookingforward to working in Singapore and meeting new colleagues and students at SJII.Elizabeth Oxley - Teacher of EnglishElizabeth who is Australian, is a new member of our English Department.She graduated from the University of Tasmania with a Bachelor of Arts andthen went on to complete a Bachelor of Teaching. She also gained a Certificatein English as a Second Language from the University of Cambridge. Aftercompleting her studies Elizabeth went on to teach at Trinity Anglican School inCairns where she taught a number of subjects and was very much involved inthe school life and the House system.Elizabeth moved to Brisbane, where she taught Senior English at All Hallows’ School and assisted thestudents in a wide array of community service ventures and projects. After Teaching in Australia fora number of years, Elizabeth moved to Dubai, UAE. She again pursued her passion for English andbecame very much involved in the IB program, gaining several roles of responsibility within theEnglish department as well as assisting students in a range of after school and sporting activities.These included Coach of the EIS Swimming Team, organising theatre trips and assisting in a range ofskills sessions with various outdoor programs.While in the Middle East Elizabeth was able to experience some amazing places and embracedifferent cultures. She also adores reading, being a very obvious choice, together with movies andmusic. In her spare time Elizabeth appreciates all forms of theatre although musicals are herweakness. She also loves AFL football, ‘Go the Hawks’ and anytime she travels back to Australia theMCG always gets a welcoming visit.5

Lasallian Leadership Training Camp AFrom the 13 th to 16 th June, 35 Grade 9 students, took part in the Singapore Lasallian Youth Commissionheld at St Joseph’s Independent. The following account has been written by Low Han Wei.What, does it mean, to be a “Lasallian leader”? This question never really crossed my mind before theLasallian Leadership Training Camp. The four day course brought together potential Lasallian leaders of SJIand SJI International. The camp organisers motivated us to strive towards endeavours which seemedimpossible. However, surpassing our own belief, we rallied together and overcame them as a team. Theypushed us to our limits through rigorous runs, exercises and games and forced us to rely on eachanother‘s strengths and push on. Camaraderie became our saving grace as the camp went on and welearned the true meaning of being “Lasallian”.In service to others we found the real importance of helping others and exposed ourselves to the dailyrealities of the truly misfortunate. In faith and community, we learned to trust each other and depend onone another during the rope climbing exercise. Similarly, during dragon boating, we realized the merit ofteamwork and communication where a simple chant made an unbelievable differences. Our seniors andteachers taught us the difficulties that many face in this world such as hunger, poverty, and disease. Whenit was all said and done, those who participated were better people, better Lasallians. Better able to aidsociety in the future and, in time, we will pass on these ideals to the next generations. Together we beganto understand the world that Saint John Baptist De LaSalle envisioned hundreds of years ago and, by theend of the camp, it became a common vision.At the end of the day, to answer the question of what it means to be a “Lasallian leader”, simply put, itmeans to share the spirit community and to serve them selflessly; to have faith for a brighter future; andto understand the plight of the less fortunate. Whether the journey to the world that we envision behundreds and thousands of years later, so long as the Lasallian spirit remains, we push for a brighterfuture together. Written by Low Han Wei (SJII, Grade 9)6

IB Biology and Environmental Systems Trip to TiomanFrom 12 th to 16 th June, 90 students, accompanied by 5 teachers and a nurse, travelled to Tioman, Malaysiafor the yearly Grade 11 Biology and Environmental Systems fieldtrip. Although the main aim was to collectdata for coursework, the week also included rainforest trekking, night-time nature walks, and snorkellingthrough mangroves and coral reefs. Each day’s activities were followed up with evening presentations bythe Ecofieldtrips staff. Although the days were long, the students were all enthusiastic and worked hardthroughout, which resulted in a really enjoyable experience.Ms Tully - Head of Biology7

Africa: A journey like none otherThe summer break, to many representeda much-needed rest after a long semester, forothers like myself, a unique opportunity toembark on an adventure, the destination?Africa. This was not part of the curriculum, butan initiative to explore & immerse in newplaces & cultures. Twenty-five students acrossgrades 11, 12 together with threeaccompanying teachers were involved in theeconomics-centered trip.“What was spectacular was seeing the smiles widen on[the faces of the] kids… that was the best experience in theworld,” Ong Sean, 17.The trip was, as cliché as it sounds, a once in lifetimeopportunity; as we may never have another chance to visitsuch a rich & diverse place many call the Motherland again.John Lee - Grade 12The trip encompassed visits to twocountries, firstly South Africa then Botswana,over a period of 10 days. If it wasn’t thegorgeous food or the breathtaking backdrop ofthe veldt, it must’ve been the warmness of theAfrican people & their qualities of sincerity,passion & zeal towards students & tourists alikethat was the real highlight of the trip.For the students like myself, we gained agreater sense of appreciation for culturediversities by embracing the different culturesin all aspects of life in Africa, from the languageto the accommodation to the lifestyle.Without a doubt, we were also engagedin the sightseeing of wildlife that Africa isfamed for. There was a wonderful immersionexperience with a local school in South Africaover a period of a couple of days that wasprimarily focused on fixing up the school,gardening & teaching. Lastly we resided by thebanks of the Limpopo river (over 1700km long!)in Botswana that was both tranquil yet teemingwith wildlife.8Waterburg: Sunrise at Bush Pigs center, 220km Northof Johannesburg

Parents Workshop‘Beyond the Birds and the Bees’We would like to invite you to a H.E.A.R.T. parenting workshop 'Beyond the Birds and theBees: Understanding your teen’s world and communicating effectively with your teen aboutlove, sex and life' on Tuesday, 6 August at 7:00pm in the Glass Hall.All Grade 7-9 parents are encouraged to attend and learn about the character-based sexualityeducation program that will be presented to Grade 7 - 9 students during Term 2. In PSE, we willbe studying the physical, social and emotional changes of the teenage years. The workshopswill give you an insight into how we will be approaching this sensitive topic with your child andthe type of material we will be covering. Through the parent workshops, parents are informedof the adolescent make-up and social world, increasing their understanding of the needs oftheir adolescent children.Pedagogical tools are introduced to parents, helping them in the upbringing of their children.Parents will feel better able to communicate with their teens, increasing their ability topositively influence them.If you would like to attend please email me at cerys.jones@sji-international.com.sg9

Bintan Service Project Fund-raising UpdateDonation of Gifts for the Bintan Service Project.Our Grade 7 students continue to dazzle me with their commitment and generosity to the BintanService Project. Students are donating gifts of musical instruments and soft-toys to the boys andgirls in our five link organisations on Bintan, Indonesia.Guitar-tastic!Ashley Gan and Amber Sim, from 7PRa have beencollecting guitars. They have managed to convincefriends, neighbours, siblings and music retail outletsto donate guitars and a ukulele. The collection willundoubtedly grow, and the girls intend to use theseinstruments to give guitar lessons to the children inthe Al Jahir Orphanage at the end of the year.A Life Without ToysNatalie Wong has also been very busy deciding which of her favourite soft-toys she wanted todonate as gifts to the children in Bintan. Natalie’s decision was motivated by her desire to share:“What would life be like without toys?” she exclaimed as she handed over an enormouscollection of teddy bears, pooches, kittens and other cuddly classics. All her treasured teddies willbe shipped to an orphanage in November.Finally, Bintan Week is nearly upon us! During the week of The 19th August, the Grade 7 TutorGroups will be tombolaring, playing games, sponging teachers, Rat-Whacking and selling goodiesof all sorts during break & lunchtime. All HS students will be encouraged to spend, spend, spendduring this fun-filled week, and all the proceeds will be going towards the Bintan Service Project.Watch this space!Mr Fantom - Head of Grade 710

Alumni Reunion 2013On the 13 th of July, more than 80 Alumni students gathered around the SJII Swimming Pool to reconnectand have an evening of fun with their friends from the “good ol’ SJII days”.As the Alumni started to trickle in, one by one, their faces lit up as they saw their friends whom theyhadn’t met in a year or two. There were hugs and squeals (from the girls, of course!) as friends werereunited.The sun was shining brightly down on us, providing us with the perfect weather to relax by the pool withgood food and good company. There was a lot of catching up to be done as the Alumni chatted away.Photographs were, of course, an important part of the evening as new memories were created andcaptured.As the evening ended, the ex-students reluctantly returned home with their newly issued Alumnimembership cards and memories to last till our next reunion!This event was organised by the SJII Alumni Association (part of the Development & CommunicationsOffice.11

Our Alumni Continue to ShineNational Service – Basic Military Training (BMT)“POP Loh!”And with that cheer, over 3000 recruits from the BMT batch of 02/13 threw their jockey caps in unison into the air,signifying what was the end of their BMT, and the beginning of their life in the Singapore Armed Forces. As you mayor may not know, all this happened on Sunday, 14 th July 2013 at the Marina Bay Floating Platform during the SAFBMT Graduation Parade. The sheer numbers of the recruits present, as well as the even greater numbers of parentswas already an amazing thing in itself. What made the event even more memorable and remarkable was the factthat the recruits had been marching their 24km route march non-stop since late evening the day before all the wayuntil Sunday morning. Each recruit had to march in his Full Battle Order, carrying a heavy field pack, helmet, vest andrifle. The Chief of Army, MG Ravinder Singh, and the reviewing Officer, Mr. Sitoh Yih Pin, MP for Potong Pasir SMC,were present to oversee the parade. Among thousands of recruits were the boys from SJIInternational’s graduating batch of 2012, serving their country proud.The boys had to go through either a 9-week or 19-week BMT course (depending on fitnesslevels) in which they were trained up from standard civilians (affectionately known as ‘AhBoys’) to trained soldiers, men whom we could rely on in times of crises to defend ourcountry. During the course they went through numerous runs and physical trainingsessions, rifle shooting, hand-grenade throwing, jungle training, urban training as well asthe dreaded IPPT (Individual Physical Proficiency Test) and SOC (Standard ObstacleCourse) sessions. Among all of the recruits, several were also awarded special recognitionas well as awards due to their outstanding contributions during BMT.Nikhil Choudhary from 1 st Coy, of the SJI International graduating batch of 2012, wrote abrilliant essay titled “My Defining Moment” about the one moment in his trainingwhich stood out for him. You can check his essay out at the MINDEF website by Nikhil Choudhary, whosefollowing the link below. Nikhil Choudhary’s Defining Moment Essay:essay was published inhttp://www.mindef.gov.sg/army/bmtgraduation/page/essays/0113-4-1.htmlMINDEF websiterecognising the best writing.Ryan Dennis Matthew Lim from Taurus Coy and Ferenc Kohsuke Ishikawa Gutaifrom Falcon Coy, of the SJI International graduating batch of 2012, both won individualPlatoon best and Company best awards respectively as well.We are proud that we are serving National Service and it is an honour for us to take onthe role of defending the country.Written by Ferenc Ishikawa Gutai ( SJII Class 2012).Ryan Dennis Matthew Lim, therecipient of the Taurus CompanyPlatoon Best Award.Ferenc Ishikawa Gutai receivingthe Falcon Company Best Award.Link to the individual recruit photos:http://www.mindef.gov.sg/army/bmtgraduation/legion0213/view.aspLink to the best recruit photos:http://www.mindef.gov.sg/army/bmtgraduation/page/best-recruits-0213.html12

John Ooi Sen Ven - Class of 2009One of our first University GraduatesWe received a visit from John Ooi, one of our very first University Graduates who was also from ourfounding IB cohort of 2009. John was awarded a Scholarship from United Overseas Bank (UOB) and LeeFoundation to attend SJI International. He received two awards when he graduated, the distinguishedService Award and he was the Malay Language Award.Following SJI International, John attended (UOQ), The University of Queensland, Australia from 2010 to2012. John has achieved the following at UOQ.1. Recipient of The University of Queensland's Economics Scholarship2. CGPA of 7.0/7.0 (All High Distinctions) for Bachelor of Economics degree3. Recipient of The University of Queensland's Summer Research Scholarship4. Recipient of The University of Queensland's Study Abroad Scholarship for exchange at TheUniversity of California, Los Angeles. Achievement: CGPA of 4.0/4.0 (All A's)John visited the Development Office and Mrs Susi Teo recently to share his success with his alma mater.He wrote the following “SJI International’s holistic education has provided me with the necessary skills toachieve academic success, adapt quickly to foreign situations, and work well in internationalcommunities. I learnt the benefits of these skills when I had to adjust quickly to new experiences andcultures in Australia and America while maintaining my academic scores, and even workingsimultaneously as a research assistant to two of my Professors. I personally find that these skills arehighly valuable in today's globalised world, and are the reasons why my university has provided me withthe numerous scholarships that it has done in my three year degree. I am very grateful for thescholarship opportunities and academic success that SJII had opened for me through its education, andwould like to thank my teachers and sponsors for making all this possible”.13

Lasallian ReflectionFrom Br. George Van Grieken, FSCBrother President“We are built for the infinite, Grand Canyons without a bottom.Because of that we will, this side of eternity, always be lonely,restless, incomplete, still a virgin – living in the torment ofinsufficiency of everything attainable.” (Rolheiser, The HolyLonging, Pg. 157)This is one of those quotations that starts off really well and endssomewhere else. Both sentences appear to be true, but where one is rather noble and grand, the other israther depressing. It’s nice to think that we are built for the infinite. But if that means that we will be“living in the torment of insufficiency,” the whole thing doesn’t sound so desirable.Of course it’s not a new notion in the world of serious, honest, and sincere reflection. For example, SaintAugustine said “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”Bhuddha used poignant images: “If you sleep, desire grows in you like a vine in the forest. Like a monkeyin the forest, you jump from tree to tree, never finding the fruit – from life to life, never finding peace.”The Bagavad Gita says “The mind is restless and difficult to restrain, but it is subdued by practice. … Thepeace of God is with them whose mind and soul are in harmony, who are free from desire and wrath, whoknow their own soul.”We are all conscious of a certain restlessness that is part of who we are as human beings. It’s the thingthat gets us to start new projects, go on vacations, check out restaurants, seek the latest gadgets, explorethe neighbourhood, play games, and even gamble. All of those things are outside of ourselves and bringsome vestige of satisfaction. The activity of pursuing them provides ongoing assurance that there must be“something” that will bring completeness and full contentment. It’s not true.Anything finally worthwhile and truly fulfilling comes from the inside rather than from the outside.Nothing new here either, except perhaps for the curious fact that we hear this again and again, and it’ssomething we generally agree with, but it’s also something we don’t actively pursue, generally speaking,as much as we pursue those toys of contentment. Young children know about what’s important intuitivelyand older people simply after long years of experience. The important things are all about what happensinside of ourselves. This is what defines our relationship with the world around us and other people. It’salso the great adventure of life, that inner journey of discovery, informed by our experiences,circumstances, and community of life.Every once in a while, I visit a large and impressive forest or Redwood grove. Standing there, surroundedby these massive living plants that are hundreds or thousands of years old, I’m silenced and awed by theirsheer presence, fully alive and yet totally immovable, rooted for centuries and yet connected to thevibrant web of life in which they dwell, intimately vested in nature’s cycle and yet bearing a solidindependence that is inarguable. It makes you think about the ground of our own being during our brieftime of life. It reminds me to worry more about the important stuff than less about the unimportant stuff.It might even make me stop checking my email as often as I do, or surf the internet in a sort oftechnological equivalent of restless insufficiency.The solution is not easy, but it is close at hand. Very few of us genuinely do not know the better way. Wejust have to start with a trickle of good habits. Even the Grand Canyon started out as a small trickle ofwater, and look at what became of that.14

Save The DateCharity Golf Day & DinnerWed 6 th November 2013Tanjong CourseSentosa Golf ClubSJI International is excited to announce our inaugural Charity Golf Day and Dinner. This will take placeon Wednesday 6 th November 2013 at the Tanjong Course, Sentosa Golf Club. The dinner will be at theSerapong Pavilion. We extend a warm invitation to you and your friends to be part of this exciting event.Our Guest of Honour is former President of Singapore, Mr S.R.Nathan.The money raised will enable SJI International to offer scholarships to deserving Singaporean studentsfrom disadvantaged families, enabling them to empower their lives and make a difference to theircommunities. The target sum is $150,000.Please support this event by playing in the golf tournament or through sponsorship of prizes or cashdonations. All donations will receive a 250% tax deductible benefit.If you are interested in taking part, attending the dinner or sponsoring this event in anyway, pleasecontact any of the following committee members:Mrs Lyn Sen - lynsen666@hotmail.comMs Gracie Wee - onlygracie@gmail.comMs Simone Yeo - simone.yeo@gmail.comMs Fiona Yap - fionayaplee@gmail.comMr Vincent Anandraj - vincent.anandraj@sji-international.com.sgMrs Janette Roberts - Janette.Roberts@sji-international.com.sg18