06.02.2013 Views

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

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 />

������������<br />

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 />

��������������������������<br />

���������������������������<br />

��������������������������<br />

������������������������������<br />

��������������<br />

���������������������������<br />

���������������������������<br />

��������������������������<br />

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 />

����<br />

���� ������� ���� ����<br />

��������<br />

���<br />

���������<br />

��������<br />

����<br />

����������<br />

����������<br />

����������<br />

����������<br />

����������<br />

����������<br />

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 />

����� �����<br />

���<br />

�����<br />

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!


���������<br />

�������������������<br />

�������������<br />

��������������<br />

��������������<br />

�������������<br />

��������������<br />

��������������<br />

��������������<br />

����������<br />

�������������<br />

��������������<br />

�������������������������<br />

�������������������������<br />

�������������������������<br />

�������������������������<br />

�������������������������<br />

�������������������������<br />

������������������<br />

�������������������������<br />

�������������������������<br />

��������������������������<br />

���������������������������<br />

���������������������������<br />

�������������������������<br />

����������������������������<br />

���������������������������<br />

��������������������������<br />

��������������������������<br />

�����������<br />

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 />

LC������������������������<br />

������������������������<br />

��������������������������<br />

����������������������������������<br />

���������������������������<br />

���������������������<br />

�������


S<br />

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 />

��������������<br />

� ����������������������������������������������<br />

���������������������������������������������<br />

�������������������������������<br />

� ������������������������������������������<br />

��������������������������������������������<br />

��������������������������������������<br />

� ������������������������������������������<br />

����������������������<br />

� ������������������������������������������<br />

����������������������������<br />

������<br />

������������<br />

���������<br />

����<br />

��������<br />

�������

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!