Nov 2009 Edition - Red Swastika School - Ministry of Education
Nov 2009 Edition - Red Swastika School - Ministry of Education
Nov 2009 Edition - Red Swastika School - Ministry of Education
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Vision<br />
Caring Community<br />
Innovative Leaders<br />
Mission<br />
To nurture a community<br />
<strong>of</strong> independent learners,<br />
effective communicators,<br />
active citizens<br />
and innovative leaders.
2<br />
From the Principal’s Desk<br />
The year <strong>2009</strong> has been marked by economic challenges and a worldwide pandemic.<br />
<strong>School</strong>s have looked into ways to better support pupils whose families have been<br />
hit by the economic recession as well as to ensure that the school is a safe place<br />
to learn in the midst <strong>of</strong> the H1N1 situation. I would like to take this opportunity to<br />
commend each <strong>of</strong> you, pupils, teachers, parents and stakeholders, for playing your<br />
part in a socially responsible way that has kept the school going.<br />
In the midst <strong>of</strong> it all, we continue to see the emergence <strong>of</strong> winners in various aspects<br />
<strong>of</strong> our school life – from the arts, sciences, sports to leadership and character<br />
development. As you browse through the pages <strong>of</strong> this newsletter, join me in<br />
congratulating all our prize recipients.<br />
On the national front, besides clinching three Sustained Achievement Awards in the<br />
areas <strong>of</strong> Sports, Physical Fitness and Aesthetics for the third time, Tenpin bowling, one<br />
<strong>of</strong> our niche sports has been awarded the Programme for <strong>School</strong>-Based Excellence<br />
(PSE) together with 14 other primary schools this year. As a SAP school, our culture<br />
and overseas immersion programme has also achieved the SAP Flagship Status.<br />
We are also pleased to announce that Ms Tan Bao Jia, a former pupil <strong>of</strong> the school,<br />
is one <strong>of</strong> the President Scholars this year. Other than Bao Jia, we are pleased that<br />
three other ex-pupils have also been awarded the SAF Merit and PSC scholarships.<br />
Truly, we have seen the perseverance, commitment and dedication in our teachers<br />
and pupils in action consistently.<br />
With the announcement <strong>of</strong> the C2015 vision in 2008 by the <strong>Ministry</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Education</strong>,<br />
at <strong>Red</strong> <strong>Swastika</strong> <strong>School</strong>, we were assured that our reviewed mission statement <strong>of</strong><br />
“independent learners, effective communicators, active citizens and innovative<br />
leaders” is on the same page. It has captured all the key areas that have been<br />
addressed to prepare our pupils well for the nation’s future. It was also particularly<br />
heartening to see the congruence <strong>of</strong> our school vision with the launch <strong>of</strong> the Teacher’s<br />
Vision a week before Teachers’ Day this year. Both have included the teacher as a<br />
leader, a care-giver and an inspirer to point the way as an innovative leader for our<br />
pupils to learn to make life better for others by doing things differently.<br />
We are glad that our school strategic direction that was communicated has anticipated<br />
the nation’s broader direction well. Every great journey begins with a little step. We<br />
will continue to take steps to turn vision into reality through thoughtfully designed<br />
programmes and reviewed learning structures, particularly to nurture a community<br />
<strong>of</strong> independent learners, effective bilingual communicators, active citizens and<br />
innovative leaders. Our teachers, committed to be a part <strong>of</strong> the vibrant teaching<br />
fraternity in our nation, will take the lead to grow our pr<strong>of</strong>essional communities <strong>of</strong><br />
leaders and learners - rain or shine!<br />
Let me quote from Oliver Wendall Holmes - “A mind that is stretched to a new idea<br />
never returns to its original dimension”. We now see many <strong>of</strong> these ‘stretched’ minds<br />
in the school. We believe these ‘stretched’ minds will be even more ready to face<br />
greater challenges that lie ahead. It is with this confidence that we look forward to<br />
the coming year.<br />
Mr Chua Ying Hwee
S<br />
Singapore Mathematical<br />
Olympiad <strong>of</strong> Singapore<br />
(Hwa Chong Institution)<br />
80 Pr 6 pupils took part on<br />
25 Apr <strong>2009</strong> and 6 pupils<br />
attained the Bronze Award<br />
in the individual category:<br />
Brandon Teo Keng Hwee<br />
(6/1), Yeo Zhen Ning (6/1),<br />
Eunice Ng Zi Xin (6/1),<br />
Elizabeth Chin Xiao Wei<br />
(6/2), Lorraine Fong Rei<br />
(6/2) and Chan Kei Yun<br />
(6/3).<br />
ustaining Academic Excellence<br />
Our Maths Talents<br />
River Valley High<br />
Mathematics Challenge<br />
2 teams <strong>of</strong> P5 pupils took<br />
part on 15 Aug <strong>2009</strong> and<br />
came in 5th and 8th out <strong>of</strong><br />
the top 10 teams.<br />
Individual category: Gold<br />
Award: Chan Chin Qi (5/1),<br />
Silver Award: Clement Ng<br />
(5/2), Bronze Award: Seah<br />
Wen Xin and Tan Wei Jing<br />
(5/1).<br />
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National Mathematical<br />
Olympiad <strong>of</strong> Singapore<br />
(NUS High <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> Math<br />
& Science)<br />
126 Pr 5 pupils took part on<br />
9 July <strong>2009</strong> and our pupils<br />
attained the following: Gold<br />
Award: Chan Chin Qi (5/1),<br />
Silver Award: Clement Ng<br />
(5/2), Seah Wen Xin and<br />
Tan Wei Jing (5/1).<br />
Bronze Award: Grace Ho<br />
Jia Hui (5/1), Kalista Wan<br />
Yearn Yee (5/1), Kwang Yao<br />
Zu (5/1), Ong Xing Xiang<br />
(5/1), Angel Koh An Qi (5/2),<br />
Chan Kheng Hsien (5/2),<br />
Daniel Lim Shan En (5/2),<br />
Ngo Xian Yi Justin (5/3) and<br />
Ryan Jee (5/4).<br />
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ACS (Independent) Annual Mathlympic for all<br />
Singapore Primary <strong>School</strong>s <strong>2009</strong><br />
74 Pr 5 pupils participated in this competition on 28 Aug.<br />
The school received a trophy for Honourable Mention<br />
Award. There were 2 Gold Awards, 3 Silver Awards<br />
and 13 Bronze Awards presented to our pupils for the<br />
individual category.<br />
Gold Award: Chan Chin Qi (5/1) and Ryan Jee (5/4), Silver<br />
Award: Kelvin Wong Jian Quan (5/1), Tan Wei Jing (5/1)<br />
and Clement Ng Zi Qian (5/2). Bronze Award: Brandon<br />
Cheang Wei Heng (5/1), Lim Lex-xis (5/1), Lim Yong Jian<br />
Jared (5/1), Tai Wen Le Lucas (5/1), Lim Shan En Daniel<br />
(5/2), Lim You Ming (5/2), Tan Chong Wen (5/2), Toh Li Ying<br />
(5/2), Gabriel Chick Jun Ying (5/3), Aloysius Chong<br />
Jun Feng (5/4), Tan Le Xuan (5/5),<br />
Jerome Chew<br />
(5/6) and<br />
Denzel Chen<br />
Jie (5/7).<br />
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RSS clinched the Silver Award. The team designed a board game, The Electric<br />
Battle, with the theme on renewable energy. Congratulations to pupils <strong>of</strong><br />
Pr 6/1, Soh Rui Min, Tan Xi Min and Goh Jun Wei!<br />
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3
E<br />
nhancing Holistic Pupil Excellence<br />
Our Sports Talents<br />
ATHLETICS<br />
National Inter-Primary <strong>School</strong> Track<br />
& Field Championships <strong>2009</strong><br />
‘B’ Boys<br />
• 4 X 100m - 3rd Phineas Teo<br />
• 4 X 300m - 3rd Koh Yuan Zhang<br />
Lee Wen Yang<br />
Soh Kian Zhang Gerald<br />
Lee De Jun<br />
• Long Jump - 5th Phineas Teo<br />
• Long Jump - 6th Koh Yuan Zhang<br />
‘B’ Girls<br />
• High Jump - 2nd Hoong Yan<br />
• High Jump - 5th Kwek Jie Yi<br />
• 200m - 6th Goh Sze-ying, Natasha<br />
• Shot Put - 6th Angeline Tan Qiao Qi<br />
• 80m Hurdles - 7th Kwek Jie Yi<br />
‘C’ Boys<br />
• 100m - 3rd Delsario<br />
• 100m - 5th Dylan Wong U Fai<br />
• 200m - 8th Dylan Wong U Fai<br />
‘C’ Girls<br />
• 300m - 2nd Tan Lyn-ru Sarah<br />
• 600m - 7th Tan Lyn-ru Sarah<br />
‘D’ Boys<br />
• Shot Put - 1st Kang Jun Jie<br />
• Shot Put - 4th Tan Ming Yi<br />
‘D’ Girls<br />
• 300m - 2nd Chantel Yang Ting Huan<br />
• 200m - 3rd Chantel Yang Ting Huan<br />
• 4 X 100m - 3rd Ong Ruei-lin, Amanda<br />
Chantel Yang Ting Huan<br />
Neo Xi<br />
Shen May Kuan, Nicole<br />
Lee Pai Joo, Yvelle<br />
• Shot Put - 5th Ong Yu Qin<br />
• Long Jump - 4th Neo Xi<br />
• High Jump - 6th Shen May Kuan, Nicole<br />
BOWLING<br />
8th National Inter-Primary <strong>School</strong><br />
Tenpin Bowling Championship <strong>2009</strong><br />
Junior Boys<br />
• Doubles - 2nd Han Ming Xuan<br />
Shaun Chua Kai Kiat<br />
• Overall <strong>School</strong>s - 3rd Han Ming Xuan<br />
Lim Yong Jian Jared<br />
Shaun Chua Kai Kiat<br />
Dylan Tan Zhan Yi<br />
Senior Girls<br />
• Singles - 3rd Charmaine Lim<br />
• Overall <strong>School</strong>s - 4th Lorraine Fong Rei<br />
Charmaine Lim<br />
Khong Kai Wen<br />
Nurul Elissa Gonzaga Bte A A J<br />
SWIMMING<br />
50th National Inter-primary <strong>School</strong><br />
Swimming Championships <strong>2009</strong><br />
4 X 50m Medley - ‘B’ Boys<br />
• 4th Yeo Zhen Ning<br />
Chan Kei Yun<br />
Han Zhao Jie<br />
Chong Wei Siang Bryan<br />
Dai Liang Qi Boris<br />
Hooi Shao Wei<br />
Lee Wen Hong<br />
100m Butterfly - ‘B’ Boys (Individual)<br />
• 7th Chong Wei Siang Bryan<br />
50m Breaststroke - ‘B’ Boys (Individual)<br />
• 8th Yeo Zhen Ning<br />
Road Safety Champ<br />
RSS emerged champion in the<br />
29 th Annual Shell Traffic Games.<br />
The challenge trophy is ours to<br />
keep...this being the final year for<br />
this competition.<br />
4<br />
TABLE TENNIS<br />
East Zone Inter-primary <strong>School</strong><br />
Table Tennis Championships <strong>2009</strong><br />
- Senior Boys 3rd<br />
National Inter-primary <strong>School</strong><br />
Table Tennis Championships - Top 8<br />
Chan Jay Ko<br />
Cho Xiu Heng<br />
Shawn Ng Yong Han<br />
Koh Yan Pei, Timothy<br />
Koh Zhi Yuan<br />
Lim You Ming<br />
Hoe Chong You<br />
Chee Zi Kai<br />
Gay Ding Yi, Ethan<br />
Neo Rui En, Wayne<br />
WUSHU<br />
National Inter-primary <strong>School</strong>s<br />
Wushu Championships <strong>2009</strong><br />
Group Quanshu<br />
• 3rd Lim Wee Boon<br />
Jeff Neo Yu Xuan<br />
Lee Zheng Jie Marcus<br />
Tan Jia Song Felix<br />
Dave Tan Jingwei<br />
Chia Jue Yi<br />
4-duan Sword<br />
• 4th Denise Lee Wenn Li
Our<br />
Art Talents<br />
Children <strong>of</strong> the<br />
earth’s club<br />
Isabella Tan Yi Lin <strong>of</strong><br />
Pr 5/1 received the<br />
Children <strong>of</strong> the Earth’s<br />
Club Award (Japan) in<br />
the 19th Poster Contest.<br />
There were altogether<br />
65 036 international<br />
participants.<br />
Thumbs up, Isabella!<br />
The 15th Kanagawa<br />
Biennial World<br />
Children’s Art Exhibition<br />
A Certificate <strong>of</strong><br />
Distinction was awarded<br />
to Ng Joong Hwee <strong>of</strong><br />
Pr 5/1. 20 723 pieces <strong>of</strong><br />
artwork were submitted<br />
from 84 countries. Only 2<br />
pupils in Singapore were<br />
awarded certificates and<br />
we are indeed proud that<br />
Joong Hwee was one <strong>of</strong><br />
them. Congratulations!<br />
P2 to P5 Prefects<br />
Leadership Training<br />
Are leaders made or born?<br />
Put this age old question to the test for this batch <strong>of</strong> young leaders.<br />
What do you think the answer is? Make a guess. (Sorry, no prizes.)<br />
About 100 leaders were ‘made’ out <strong>of</strong> the series <strong>of</strong> training that spanned over 3<br />
months. Hear what some <strong>of</strong> them have to say:<br />
Seetoh Ray Fon (2/10):<br />
I have learnt that<br />
teamwork is better<br />
than working alone.<br />
Walter Tong (3/3):<br />
I have learnt a lot<br />
from this training.<br />
I have learnt what<br />
I have to do as a<br />
Prefect.<br />
Chen Weihan (4/6):<br />
I have learnt how<br />
to become a better<br />
leader.<br />
Singapore Art Show <strong>2009</strong><br />
Organised by National Art Museum<br />
Lower Primary Category<br />
• 1st Prize Andre Seah Hao Xiang (3/8)<br />
Freedom Challenge National T-Shirt Design Competition<br />
(Global S<strong>of</strong>tware Academy)<br />
• 2nd Prize Zhang Xun (6/1)<br />
International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit<br />
Trafficking <strong>2009</strong><br />
- Anti-Drug Banner Competition<br />
• Merit Award Hoon Wei Ting (4/2) & Koh Sze Yen (4/2)<br />
Way to go!<br />
Vivien Kwan (5/1):<br />
I must keep on<br />
trying to improve<br />
to set a good<br />
example for<br />
P5 Leadership<br />
Adventure Camp<br />
This year, the school worked with Camp<br />
Challenge to organise a 3-day 2-night<br />
leadership adventure camp for the<br />
Pr 5 pupils. The camp was carried out<br />
at Camp Challenge, Sembawang, from<br />
28 - 30 May <strong>2009</strong>.<br />
others. 5
6<br />
E<br />
nhancing Holistic Pupil Excellence<br />
Growing an Innovative Community<br />
Some Pr 6 Prefects “made life better” for the school<br />
community through their Yellow Box Project to increase<br />
canteen safety.<br />
Have you noticed the bright yellow boxes in the canteen?<br />
The Prefects not only help to maintain discipline<br />
but have also produced this good idea <strong>of</strong><br />
ensuring proper queuing at the food stalls.<br />
The yellow boxes help to ensure a smooth fl ow <strong>of</strong> pupils<br />
being served and order is maintained. Good job, Prefects!<br />
CCA<br />
Day<br />
Science Club<br />
members making<br />
their notice board<br />
more noticeable.<br />
“Making life better” at CCA meetings<br />
Various Pr 4 Project Work groups have been working in<br />
their CCA groups to make life better ….for themselves<br />
and for others.<br />
Regardless <strong>of</strong> the size <strong>of</strong> their projects, they have made<br />
a difference to the life <strong>of</strong> at least one person in our<br />
school.<br />
Hear what Mother Teresa says: We sometimes feel that<br />
what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean, but the<br />
ocean would be less because <strong>of</strong> that missing drop.<br />
So keep it up, RSS<br />
innovative champs! Well<br />
done, stay cool, stay<br />
innovative!<br />
Ballet dancers proudly<br />
displaying their “safe<br />
box” to provide maximum<br />
protection for their<br />
belongings during their<br />
training sessions.<br />
It was a day for Pr 2 pupils to<br />
shop around for prospective<br />
CCAs to join. It gave them the<br />
opportunity to pluck a string<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Guzheng, a time to ask<br />
questions and a time to think<br />
about their CCA for next year.<br />
Talent Identification Day<br />
A day was set aside to select the best <strong>of</strong> sports talents for athletics, badminton, tabletennis<br />
and wushu among the Pr 2 pupils. From spotting potential record-breakers<br />
in sprinting events to<br />
picking prospective<br />
best strikers, there<br />
was no lack <strong>of</strong><br />
enthusiasm from all<br />
– pupils, teachers<br />
and coaches. Great<br />
going!
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Friend <strong>of</strong> Singa Award, <strong>2009</strong><br />
Congratulations to our team who has won the Merit Award.<br />
The prize winners Chan Chin Qi, Tan Wei Jing (5/1), Tan<br />
Le Xuan (5/5), Joshua Sim Cheng Yang (5/2) and Ng Hui<br />
Si Megan (5/9) mobilised all staff and pupils to spread the<br />
message <strong>of</strong> kindness, even beyond the Kindness Month.<br />
They also crafted a Kindness Pledge for the school. Keep<br />
it up, Friends <strong>of</strong> Singa!<br />
Character Development<br />
The fi ve Holistic Report Card (HRC) qualities…honesty, respect, helpfulness, responsibility<br />
and teamwork are core qualities in the development <strong>of</strong> good character in our pupils. The<br />
personal quality <strong>of</strong> Respect was the focus for Term 3. Opportunities abound for pupils to<br />
explore what it means to respect one another. <strong>School</strong>-based activities were conducted<br />
for all the levels during pastoral care lessons. Respect mobiles and Respect pockets<br />
were two examples <strong>of</strong> creative displays which Pr 2 and 4 pupils did respectively. Look out<br />
for more next year - character building is the ‘in-thing’! Don’t be left behind.<br />
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew in his Parliamentary Speech on 1 <strong>Nov</strong>, 1994 stated:<br />
Singapore must get some <strong>of</strong> its best in each year’s crop <strong>of</strong> graduates into government. When I say best, I don’t mean just academic<br />
results. His ‘O’ levels, ‘A’ levels, university degree will only tell you his powers <strong>of</strong> analysis. That is only one third <strong>of</strong> the helicopter<br />
quality. You’ve then got to assess him for his sense <strong>of</strong> reality, his imagination, his quality <strong>of</strong> leadership, his dynamism. But most <strong>of</strong> all,<br />
his character and his motivation, because the smarter a man is, the more harm he will do to society.<br />
National Day Celbration<br />
Young active citizens<br />
pledging their allegiance<br />
to Singapore with all their<br />
heart. One <strong>of</strong> the greatest<br />
takeaways for that day<br />
was an appreciation <strong>of</strong><br />
the education opportunity<br />
in Singapore. Way to go,<br />
young Singaporeans!<br />
7
E<br />
nhancing Holistic Pupil Excellence<br />
Not Forgetting their Alma Mater<br />
On 31 August, four ex-RSS pupils returned to celebrate<br />
Teachers’ Day and to express their appreciation to their<br />
primary school teachers. They were President Scholar, Ms<br />
Tan Bao Jia, 19, PSC Scholars, Mr Choo Jun Quan, 24, and<br />
Ms Cao Lie, 19, and SAF Merit Scholar, Lt Chen Jingkai, 20.<br />
Chloe Chua, Meredith Wan, Charmaine Kho, Rachel Cheang<br />
and Daphne Chiew from Pr 6/1 were pleased to interview<br />
Bao Jia, who is reading Economics at Peking University,<br />
Jun Quan who is<br />
majoring in chemical and<br />
biomolecular engineering<br />
and is in his fi nal year at the<br />
NUS and Cao Lie who is<br />
studying Natural Sciences<br />
at Cambridge University.<br />
Jing Kai is pursuing<br />
physiology and psychology<br />
at the Oxford University.<br />
How did <strong>Red</strong> <strong>Swastika</strong> play a part in your excellent<br />
academic results?<br />
Jun Quan: <strong>Red</strong> <strong>Swastika</strong> certainly helped me lay the<br />
foundation to be where I am now.<br />
Bao Jia: Agree. Among the several essential values, RSS had<br />
inculcated in me are integrity, trying my best and striving to<br />
achieve my goals. I remember trustworthiness as one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
most important values and I feel it has a great part in helping<br />
me to get to be where I am today. I was and am much loved<br />
by the teachers and have the utmost respect for them. They<br />
also helped me to cultivate my interests.<br />
8<br />
Ms Tan, as one <strong>of</strong> the 10 out <strong>of</strong> 87 scholars heading to<br />
China this year, what do you think your friends might say<br />
<strong>of</strong> you choosing China over other prestigious universities<br />
especially when you have been <strong>of</strong>fered a place by Wharton<br />
University in the States?<br />
Bao Jia: When choosing a university, you look at what you<br />
want and the area you would like to work in future. Though<br />
Wharton is a good business school, Peking University is<br />
better in economics which is the area I plan to work in after<br />
my graduation. As Singapore needs to stay relevant, it is vital<br />
for us to go to China where opportunities are abundant and<br />
understanding the people there is vital.<br />
What are the qualities one should possess to become a<br />
scholar?<br />
All (unanimously agreed): We must have integrity,<br />
commitment to the organisation and humility. We need<br />
to learn how to invest our time wisely and stick to our<br />
decisions.<br />
Have you aspired to receive a scholarship since young or<br />
did the good news come as a surprise?<br />
Jun Quan: I actually applied for a scholarship only halfway<br />
through my education. I was afraid that getting the<br />
scholarship would make me “pr<strong>of</strong>i t driven” and prevent<br />
myself in focusing on my goal <strong>of</strong> making a difference in life.<br />
Bao Jia: I only applied for a scholarship in my fi rst JC year<br />
due to the indecision <strong>of</strong> whether I was ready for the level<br />
<strong>of</strong> commitment to serve the government. As a President<br />
Scholar, receiving that prestigious scholarship came as a<br />
really sweet surprise!
Cao Lie: Like them, I was somewhat hesitant to apply for<br />
one. As I was not invited to tea, I thought I did not have<br />
a chance at all. Of course, I have learnt to give my best in<br />
everything I do. Even if I had not clinch the scholarship, I<br />
would never give up and feel disheartened.<br />
Mr Choo, we heard that you went on an exchange<br />
programme in France. Can you share with us some <strong>of</strong><br />
your experiences?<br />
Jun Quan: Wow, it certainly was an enriching and enjoyable<br />
experience. At fi rst, I found it hard to adapt and it took<br />
me a month to settle down but the trip taught me how to<br />
appreciate Singapore and let me see things from a different<br />
perspective.<br />
What do you miss most about <strong>Red</strong> <strong>Swastika</strong> <strong>School</strong> and<br />
how has secondary school life changed you?<br />
Bao Jia: The food (laughed). I miss a lot <strong>of</strong> things such as<br />
the carefree lifestyle, my friends, and the childish pranks I<br />
used to play on them. The six years I had here were simply<br />
amazing. Dunman High made me more independent. It<br />
taught me to be more hardworking and to manage my time<br />
wisely.<br />
Cao Lie: Yes, me too. I miss the enclosed space, the<br />
ambience that made the school so cozy and welcoming.<br />
President Scholar<br />
Ms Tan Bao Jia<br />
“Whenever I get my results<br />
back, my parents would not nag<br />
at me if they were not ideal. It<br />
was always about ‘did you try<br />
your best?’ and I feel this has<br />
made a difference in my life.”<br />
–Bao Jia<br />
Jun Quan: When I was a pupil at <strong>Red</strong> <strong>Swastika</strong>, I felt very<br />
happy coming to school. I would always wake up in the<br />
morning, anticipating another RSS day. Of course, I also<br />
miss the light workload which was a far cry from secondary<br />
school life.<br />
Are there special so called ‘benefi ts’ <strong>of</strong> being a scholar?<br />
Can you share some thoughts on this?<br />
All (unanimously agreed) : When we receive a scholarship,<br />
we are identifi ed by the organisation which will be investing<br />
effort and money in us. We have no lack <strong>of</strong> opportunities<br />
to learn more things. But above else, our performance<br />
matters the most and we are judged by that.<br />
Ms Tan, as the President <strong>of</strong> the Student Council at Dunman<br />
High, can you share with us your experience on being a<br />
leader?<br />
Bao Jia: As a leader, you need to be receptive to people.<br />
When someone says something, there is probably logic<br />
behind it. Don’t overestimate yourself. You may be a leader<br />
but no one can know everything. You listen, build a rapport<br />
with others and understand their personalities so that you<br />
know where to deploy them. You also need to be receptive<br />
to criticisms and allow people to tell you things.<br />
Our teachers’ pride and joy<br />
“Try. Don’t wait to<br />
be invited. Seize<br />
and create your own<br />
opportunities.”<br />
- Cao Lie<br />
“Not getting into your<br />
choice school is not the<br />
end. Continue to work<br />
hard for your future.”<br />
–Jun Quan<br />
9
10<br />
N<br />
urturing Staff Innovative Leadership<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Learning Community<br />
Drawing inspiration from Richard DuFour’s article on ‘What is a “Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Learning Community”?’, collaborative teacher<br />
conversations must quickly move beyond “What are we expected to teach?” to “How will we know when each student has<br />
learned?”<br />
In a pr<strong>of</strong>essional learning community, it is not only important to collaborate and build team camaraderie, it is crucial to ensure<br />
that efforts result in pupils learning. One teacher said, “If my pupils did not learn, I have not taught.” What a good reminder<br />
to teachers who strive continuously to ensure that every pupil learns, including those who have diffi culty in learning.<br />
In the same article DuFour also shares that strategies to help those who have diffi culty learning must be timely, intervention<br />
as soon as possible rather than relying on some planned remediation courses, and directive, not invitational.<br />
Do pr<strong>of</strong>essional learning communities exist at <strong>Red</strong> <strong>Swastika</strong>? Yes! We are known as the Learning Circles. There are ten<br />
altogether. We welcome you to travel with us on our learning journey at some Learning Circles as you read the rest <strong>of</strong> the<br />
article.<br />
My greatest takeaway from my Learning Circle this year is<br />
being able to work with a team <strong>of</strong> dedicated Pr 6 teachers.<br />
The whole team shares common goals and there is a spirit<br />
<strong>of</strong> camaraderie as we work together to deal with issues<br />
pertaining to the level from teaching and learning strategies<br />
to character development.<br />
– Ms Tan Chwee Peng<br />
The P5 teachers are ever willing to take part in discussions<br />
to share their teaching practices and ideas especially those<br />
pertaining to topics that are relevant to the level. We also<br />
share how our pupils fare in that particular topic. This allows<br />
us to not only learn new ways <strong>of</strong> teaching a topic effectively,<br />
it also gives us a sense <strong>of</strong> the ability <strong>of</strong> the cohort.<br />
– Mdm April Sobrielo<br />
We GROW as a TEAM!<br />
Group tacit knowledge gathered<br />
Rigorous analysis <strong>of</strong> pupils’ assessment and learning based<br />
on collated data<br />
Opportunities for sharing intervention strategies and learning<br />
from one another<br />
Work together for the benefi t and well-being <strong>of</strong> all Pr 4<br />
pupils.<br />
– Mdm Sandy Lim<br />
Children’s Day Celebration<br />
Children’s Day Celebration –RSS turned into the land <strong>of</strong> the Oz. The theme for the<br />
celebrations is Nobody But You. The pupils were entertained with a skit put up by the<br />
teachers where determination and believing in oneself<br />
were the essence that would get the characters out <strong>of</strong><br />
the fi x in which they were in; anything is possible as<br />
long as you believe. It was a day for pupils to see how<br />
their teachers let their hair down with their creative<br />
and humorous entertainment and a time to laugh…..<br />
Happy Children’s Day!<br />
“As teachers, we<br />
must constantly improve<br />
schools, keep working at change,<br />
experimenting and trying until we have<br />
developed ways <strong>of</strong> reaching every child.”<br />
- Albert Shanker<br />
It is a good platform for Pr 3 teachers to share teaching<br />
ideas and discuss problems faced by the level, for example,<br />
helping pupils with learning diffi culty. Personally, I have<br />
been greatly encouraged by the level as we work relatively<br />
well together as a team, sharing our ideas, resources and<br />
`trials’. This has made me feel that I have been accepted as<br />
one <strong>of</strong> you, a valued member <strong>of</strong> the school community.<br />
- Mdm Jenny Lee<br />
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trengthening home-school-community<br />
collaborations<br />
Teachers’ Day<br />
Celebration<br />
Imagine this.<br />
Appreciation notes from parents poured in. Parent representatives from the<br />
Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) rolled up their sleeves to collaborate with our<br />
young student leaders (P4 & P5 Prefects) to put up a simple yet heart-warming<br />
celebration. The entire student population wrote heart-felt messages <strong>of</strong> love and<br />
appreciation and presented them to their teachers in recycled handmade gift<br />
boxes.<br />
Someone said: Indeed a refreshingly innovative way to honour our teachers this year!<br />
Lim Jia Yi (6/1), Assistant Head Prefect said: It’s the best in 6 years!<br />
Special commendation: It certainly was a mammoth task for our Pr 4 and Pr 5 Prefects. Their predecessors did not come<br />
this way. They were certainly fearful at the mention <strong>of</strong> this assigned task. But they made it. Three cheers for our ‘historymaking’<br />
Prefects. Hip, hip, hooray!<br />
<strong>Education</strong> Forum Series for Parents<br />
As part <strong>of</strong> the school’s continual effort to collaborate with our stakeholders<br />
in nurturing our pupils, the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) <strong>of</strong> <strong>Red</strong><br />
<strong>Swastika</strong> <strong>School</strong> launched a series <strong>of</strong> education forums and workshops<br />
for parents.<br />
The fi rst <strong>of</strong> this series specially organised on 26 May for parents <strong>of</strong> our<br />
Pr 3 to Pr 6 pupils was a Forum with Principals. The theme for the afternoon<br />
was ‘Insights and Perspectives on Secondary <strong>School</strong> <strong>Education</strong>’.<br />
Hosted by our Principal, Mr Chua, we were privileged to have Mr Sng Chern<br />
Wei , Principal, Dunman High <strong>School</strong> and Mr Lee Yan Kheng, Principal,<br />
Tanjong Katong Secondary <strong>School</strong> to be our speakers. All would agree that<br />
it was a meaningful afteroon spent learning from these young and dynamic<br />
school leaders.<br />
Staff Well-Being<br />
The Staff Welfare Committee organised a health talk for the staff on posture care<br />
and <strong>of</strong>fi ce ergonomics by Mr Philippe Steiner CEO & Senior Physiotherapist <strong>of</strong><br />
Kinesis during the June vacation.<br />
In Term 4 on-site health screening service was also provided for all staff in the<br />
school.<br />
“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces <strong>of</strong> gold and silver.”<br />
– Mahatma Gandhi<br />
Mr Sng Chern Wei Mr Lee Yan Kheng<br />
11
12<br />
E<br />
xtending Partnership With Overseas<br />
Learning Institutions<br />
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