MI Bulletin Issue 1 (2022)

MI Bulletin Issue 1 | 2022

Highlights

4

MI in Pictures

9

Release of Alevel Results

10

Interview with Ashvini D/O Annathurai

16

CCA Spotlight: Millennian Stage

17

In Our Own Words

In this issue 4

MI in Pictures

6

Chinese New Year Celebrations

8

PU1 Orientation

9

Release of A-level Results

10

Interview with Ashvini D/O Annathurai

12

Interview with Mr Guo Hefang

14

Interview with Mr Shawn Ang

16

CCA Spotlight: Millennian Stage

17

In Our Own Words

Contributors: Students from New Media Club and Youth Literary Society.

MI Bulletin Issue 1 2022 | 2

Staff Movement MI wishes the following staff all the best in the future endeavours.

Designation

Ms Chen Qinglun,

Mr Goh Jianrong,

Ms Lee Koon Har Angela,

Mr Tan Kwok Wai,

Ms Tan Siew Hong Annie,

Teacher

Teacher

Administrative Manager

Teacher

Year Head

Mr Tan Zong Neng,

Mr Tay Guan Wei Bernard,

Mr Tay Yong Sng,

Mr Tan Wei Boon Thomas,

Teacher

Teacher

Teacher

Teacher

MI welcomes the following staff into our family.

Mr Guo Hefang,

Ms Jascelyn Ang Qian Lin,

Mr John Mo,

Mdm Low San San,

Teacher

Year Head

Administration Manager

Corporate Support Officer

Mr Mohd Fuad Bin Salim, Subject Head/ Malay Language

Mr Ong Yong Yang,

Mr Twang Fuu Tze Alfred,

Ms Vemalathevey Manikiam,

Teacher

Teacher

Teacher

MI Bulletin Issue 1 2022 | 3

MI in Pictures Staff Hamper-making Activity As part of the Chinese New Year celebrations this year, the school staff took time out from their busy

schedules

to

make

hampers

for

the

beneficiaries

under

PPIS

(Persatuan

Pemudi

Islam

Singapura or the Singapore Muslim Women's Association). The staff had a great time bonding with each other while supporting a good cause!

Teachers from the humanities department with their hampers.

Teachers from the business department folding tiger origamis.

Teachers from the mother tongue languages department proudly posing with their tiger origamis.

MI Virtual Open House 2022 The MI Virtual Open House this year was held on 13 January 2022. The event was hosted by our student emcees, Montoya Danylle Hanz Mendoza (21MI01)

and

Gloriana

Judith

Rini

Augustine

(20MI07). The Open House consisted of two live dialogue sessions for potential students and their parents to interact with the school leaders and key personnel to learn more about MI and the opportunities

that

it

offers.

Members

of

the

alumni, Ms Tan Soo Ching and Ms Nicole Teo, were

also

present

to

candidly

share

their

MI

experience with the virtual guests.

MI Bulletin Issue 1 2022 | 4

Sports Fiesta The physical education department, house committee, and students from the Amethyst Talent Program collaborated to organise this year's Sports Fiesta. The activities were held on four Thursday mornings. A variety of games were available, including non-sports games like chess and

Scrabble.

Even

though

the

entire

school

was

unable

to

participate

in

the

activities

collectively due to prevailing safe management measures at the time, it was encouraging to see that the participants had a great time as they engaged in healthy competition with their peers.

Students playing Chase Tag, a game

created

by

the

Sports

Fiesta planning committee for this year's event.

An intense basketball match.

Resumption of Mass Morning Assembly On

11

April

resumed following further school

mass the

2022,

the

morning

school

assembly

announcement

resumption activities

can

of take

that

certain place

from 21 March 2022.

MI Bulletin Issue 1 2022 | 5

Chinese New Year Celebrations Andrea Lee Enhui (20MI06) and Jennifer Hannah Ng (21MI05)

This year, the school welcomed the Lunar New Year of the Tiger with celebrations on Zoom. The event kicked

off

with

significance of

a

dance

video,

followed

by

a

segment

where

students

learned

more

about

the

Chinese New Year. A fun Kahoot quiz then followed as students' knowledge about the

Lunar New Year was put to the test.

Emcees Andrea Lee (20MI06) and Aisyah Saniah (22MI04) hosted the event remarkably. The technical issues that they had experienced during the event did not deter them; they remained poised and performed their emcees duties with composure. Andrea shared, “Albeit the distractions and the worry, my partner, Aisyah, and I were rather calm as we reassured each other that we would be able to get through the unexpected difficulties and manage our emcee duties well. The teachers were also very encouraging as they gave us advice and reassured us of our work.”

Celebrations via Zoom.

Preparing the materials for the hamper-making activity.

During the Kahoot segment.

Students working together for the hamper-making activity.

MI Bulletin Issue 1 2022 | 6

Ms Jamaliah, a teacher in charge of the emcees, expressed her satisfaction for how the emcees handled the situation, saying, “I'm proud of the emcees for dealing with the changes in their stride. Despite having to do multiple sound checks, use different equipment, and even having to shift to different rooms, both Aisyah and Andrea tried their best to maintain their cheerful dispositions throughout the event.”

As part of the celebrations, students participated in a hamper-making competition. They had a lot of fun making the hampers as they interacted with their friends. Anna Soh from 21MI06 reflected that the activity had allowed

福

her to bond with her classmates and even forge new friendships in the process. Students and teachers also tried their hand at Chinese calligraphy and learned to write the word ‘

’, which means blessings or good fortune.

Our principal, Mrs Tan, marked the close of the celebrations by sharing her well wishes for the year. Even though we

were

not

able

to

gather

as

a

school

to

celebrate

the

Lunar

New

Year,

this

year's

celebrations

were

nevertheless meaningful as students enjoyed the celebrations in the company of their classmates. May we all embrace the challenges of the year with strength and courage, just like the tiger!

Students and their beautiful hampers.

Mr Christopher Tay trying his hand at Chinese Calligraphy.

MI Bulletin Issue 1 2022 | 7

PU1 Orientation

Cheryl Kaur (20MI06) and Hannah Hua (20MI06) This year’s orientation for Pre-University 1 (PU1) students

was

certainly

different

from

that

in

2021. After gaining some experience last year, members of the Planning Committee (PC) as well as the Orientation Group Leaders (OGLs) were more

confident

and

eager

to

create

a

meaningful and memorable experience for this year's

batch

of

PU1

students,

also

known

as

Orientation Group Members (OGMs).

The

theme

Exordium.

for

One

this of

year's

the

main

the

OGMs.

orientation objectives

programme, various dances,

the

activities and

Throughout

OGLs such

cheer

the

creatively as

of

was the

to

five-day

conducted

icebreaker

practices

variety of games that the participants got to enjoy, which

added

fun

and

excitement

to

the

entire

experience. The mass game, Sherlock Homies, was by

far

the

amongst

most

the

interesting

OGMs

and

and

OGLs.

popular Apart

game

from

the

games, the participants also enjoyed learning and performing

the

mass

dance

as

well

as

the

MI

cheers.

orientation was to cultivate a sense of belonging among

A highlight of this year's orientation was the wide

games,

engage

All

in

all,

the

orientation

had

certainly

been

a

memorable experience for everyone involved. We hope

that

themselves

the during

PU1 the

students orientation

have and

enjoyed we

wish

them the best as they continue to forge ahead in their journey in MI!

the

OGMs. However, they faced several obstacles, particularly

boredom

amongst

some

of

the

OGMs. To address this, the OGLs interacted with the OGMs on a personal level to get to know them better. They had to improvise and think of creative ways to engage the OGMs for future activities.

From

this,

the

OGLs

learned

that

things might not go always go according to plan; they had to be ready to quickly adapt to the situation in order to achieve their intended goal.

The Planning Committee and OGLs during a debrief session.

OGMs during the mass game, Sherlock Homies.

Practising the mass dance.

OGMs playing one of the station games.

MI Bulletin Issue 1 2022 | 8

Release of A-level Results Youth Literary Society

The 2021 A-level results were released on 22 February 2022. Much like the previous cohorts in the last two years, the cohort of 2021 gathered in their assigned classrooms for a virtual address by our principal, Mrs Tan Wan Yu, before receiving their results. Last year, our seniors had to contend with the challenges that were brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite that, they remained steadfast and resilient throughout their journey and experienced tremendous growth as a result of that. Ms Jamie Shen, who taught the 2021 batch last year, was proud that her students overcame their challenges by supporting one another. She truly admired their tenacity and optimism in spite of the trying circumstances in which they found themselves.

Many of our seniors achieved strong A-level results and qualified for admission to various courses offered by local autonomous universities. Apart from their academic progress, our seniors were grateful that they forged strong bonds with their peers during their time at MI. In a video that was featured in the school’s Instagram page, @peopleofmillennia, Ashvini D/O Annathurai, whose Alevel journey was particularly trying due to her personal circumstances, expressed her heartfelt gratitude for the support given to her by her family, peers, teachers and school leaders. She also encouraged the current batch of PU3 students to persist despite the setbacks that they face and emphasised that there is always a solution to the problems that they are experiencing. We would like to congratulate the cohort of 2021 for their results and we wish them all the best for their future endeavours. May we all draw inspiration from our seniors’ success!

Group photograph of the top-performing students and the School Leaders.

MI Bulletin Issue 1 2022 | 9

Interview with Ashvini D/O Annathurai Youth Literary Society

"Having spent three years here, I have met so many peers and teachers and have shared beautiful memories with them.

Although my classmates were different each year, the bonds that we shared were equally warm."

The

Youth

Annathurai,

Literary the

Society

valedictiorian

interviewed of

Class

Ashvini

2021,

to

D/O

find

out

more about her A-level journey and if she had any words of advice for her juniors.

Ashvini with her mother (left) and former Home Tutor, Ms Zaibah (right).

Q: How did you feel upon receiving your A-level results?

A: It felt like a really surreal experience, because the papers were so tough that year (especially H2 Chemistry), and I wasn’t confident that I would get straight As for my H2 subjects! I also felt really grateful to my teachers and the school for supporting me in my endeavours to perform well at the A levels!

Q: Are there any study methods that you highly recommend to your juniors?

A: Definitely! The biology students would already know that I prepared for biology by making chapter-bychapter mind maps, as I donated all my biology notes to the biology department. Sadly, I lost my chemistry mind maps and wasn’t able to provide these to MI. But still, I can advise current chemistry students to also do chapter-by-chapter mind maps! This study method has been my secret to getting an 'A' in every science subject at both the O and A levels. Remember to make each mind map yourself instead

of

copying

the

mind

map

from

others,

because

making

them

yourself

will

reinforce

the

information. For mathematics, there is only one way to success: practice. You have to practise as many questions

as

possible!

MI’s

mathematics

department

has

definitely

covered

all

the

common

(and

uncommon) types of questions in each chapter. This is what differentiates an 'A' student from the rest in mathematics. It all boils down to how well-versed you are in the different types of questions that can be tested.

Q: What were the main challenges you encountered in your A-level journey?

A: To be honest, I’ve faced obstacle after obstacle since I entered MI. As I come from a humble background, I actually had to juggle studies while working part-time at Starbucks when I was in PreUniversity 2. But nothing compares to the obstacles that I faced during the gap year that I had to take in between Pre-University 2 and Pre-University 3. It was the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced in my life.

Thankfully, I had so many people around me who loved and supported me through this period that I was able to get through childbirth and even return to school as a young mother. It was truly through the grace of the people surrounding me, and God, that I was able to accomplish such a feat.

MI Bulletin Issue 1 2022 | 10

Q: What are your fondest memories of MI? A: MI is unlike any other school in Singapore. While some may laugh at us, ridicule us, and judge us (unfairly), nothing can trump the fact that MI is a school built on second chances. I have never felt a greater sense of belonging to any school I’ve attended thus far than MI. While the students who come here may not be the best in academics, they, as well as the teachers and staff here, have hearts of gold. My fondest memories are infinite in number. Having spent three years here, I have met so many peers and teachers and have shared beautiful memories with them. Although my classmates were different each year, the bonds that we shared were equally warm.

Q: What is some advice or words of encouragement you would like to share with your juniors in MI? A: To my juniors, I would like to tell you this: don’t let go of the opportunity to study at MI. I have seen a fair share of my fellow batch mates, juniors, and even seniors, leave MI midway to pursue a polytechnic diploma (or explore other pursuits). I can understand if you do not enjoy the A-level curriculum. That’s a valid reason for leaving. But to those who are on the fence, or who are thinking of leaving due to personal circumstances or a lack of academic support, I urge you to rethink your purpose for being in MI and see if you can persevere. MI can give you a great shot at university if you make full use of it. There is an abundance of caring teachers and staff here at MI who would be willing to go the extra mile for you to continue your studies here. They are the reason that I made it to graduation.

Ashvini with her former classmates and biology tutor, Mr Adrian Tan (second from left).

Ashvini with her former schoolmates and chemistry tutor, Ms Shirley Ng (right).

MI Bulletin Issue 1 2022 | 11

Interview with Mr Guo Hefang Bellina Teo (20MI01), Liew Jin Rui (21MI02) and Yeo Jun Wei, Jeremy (20MI08)

"In life, we all face many demands – be they from family, work, business, study, or friends. As a normal human being, I, too, am limited by time, resources, and capabilities. I thus have to learn to prioritise the demands and accept the duties and responsibilities that come with the prioritisation."

We recently welcomed to the Institute a new Geography teacher, Mr Guo Hefang. The Youth Mr Guo at the Great Ocean Road's Twelve Apostles,

Literary Society invited him for a chat to get to

Victoria, Australia.

know him better.

Q: What made you want to become a teacher?

A: When I first came to Singapore in early 1999, I gained entrance

into

Greenview

Secondary

School.

In

the

school, which has since merged with Loyang Secondary School in 2018, I was under the care of a team of highly dedicated

teachers

and

staff.

Even

the

principal

offered me opportunities to study in an unoccupied airconditioned room in the General Office and additional English improve

Language my

(EL)

English.

reading I

still

resources

recall

for

fondly

Ms

me

to

Lau’s

mathematics lessons, how she had to shout at the top

Q: What is a quote you live by and why does the quote resonate with you?

A: The quote that I live by is an ancient quote

刘

from a famed Chinese scholar and founding

伯温

politician of the Ming Dynasty, Liu Bowen (

). He said, “How it is possible to satisfy

岂能尽如人意，但求无 ，

all demands; so long as I have done to the

愧我心

best of my abilities” (

w

ǐ

- q néng jìn rú rén yì

ǒ xīn).

dàn qiú wú kuì

of her lungs to conduct her lessons over a boisterous class, Mr Johnson’s heart-to-heart talk that helped me to stay focused on my goals, and Ms Junainah’s afterschool EL coaching that boosted my EL scores. There were

many

other

teachers

and

staff,

and

even

classmates who had showed me kindness while I was adjusting with great difficulty to a foreign environment with a language that I could barely understand and

In life, we all face many demands – be they from family, work, business, study, or friends.

As a normal human being, I, too, am limited by

time,

capabilities.

I

thus

have to learn to prioritise the demands and accept

the

come

best Those four years in the school left an indelible mark on Despite

and

duties

with

and

the

responsibilities

prioritisation.

that While

acknowledging my shortcomings, I will do my

speak.

me.

resources,

having

worked

in

the

private

sector

in

banking and tuition centres, my heart has always been with being a teacher and working in a proper school

for

demands

I

have

decided

to

be

worthy of my time and effort. So even if I do not

perform

too

well

in

fulfilling

certain

demands, at least I know that I have tried my very best and I will keep on trying.

environment. I applied to be an MOE teacher three times before finally being accepted in June 2012. Since then, I have never looked back.

MI Bulletin Issue 1 2022 | 12

Q: What was your most memorable moment in 2021?

A: For me, the most memorable moment was the birth of my son, Axe, in January 2021. By right, he should have been out on a Friday through a planned C-section. However, he decided to be born on his own terms by breaking his mother’s water two days earlier and was subsequently born on Thursday, a day before the planned birth date. He did not cry as much during the first few days. Oh, how I miss those days of quietness!

Q: What was something that you struggled with in 2021, and how did you overcome it?

A: While my son’s birth was unplanned, I did plan and eventually completed a one-year full-time educational master’s at National Institute of Education (NIE). Juggling between schooling and taking care of a newborn was generally a blessing – except during the weeks when my assignments were due.

During that period, I had to continuously work on my assignments till the wee hours of the morning, while still having to attend lessons the next day and having to take care of the family. With the help of my wife, my in-laws, a domestic helper, and my assignment group members, I was able to fulfil my responsibilities. Now, looking back, I am very much thankful to them. Without them, I would not be able to manage all the demands simultaneously. Indeed, it takes a village to raise a child.

Q: Do you have any words that you would like to share with the staff and students of MI? A: I really enjoy the MI's welcoming staff culture as well as the positive interactions that I have had with MI students thus far. I am still new and I have lots of learn from everyone. Jiayou*, everyone!

*Jiayou is a common Chinese expression of encouragement and support.

Mr Guo with students and colleagues during the CUBE Challenge in November 2021.

Mr Guo with colleagues from the humanities department.

MI Bulletin Issue 1 2022 | 13

Interview with Mr Shawn Ang Recipient of Outstanding Teacher-Coach Award Anamika Murkoth (20MI01)

As subject head of the physical education department at Millennia Institute, Mr Shawn Ang believes in utilising fitness and sport as teaching tools. His exceptional efforts were recognised when he was conferred the Outstanding Teacher-Coach Award (OTCA) by the Singapore Physical Education Association. The aim of the award is to recognise the outstanding contributions made by teachercoaches to student-athletes in their respective sports or games and to encourage teacher-coaches to elevate their level of coaching practice. Only up to six people can receive the award each time it is given. To be considered for the award, nominees must demonstrate good professional knowledge in

coaching

and

assessment

methods

that

enhance

student-athletes’

performance,

establish

a

supportive and trusting culture in the team, engage in regular self-reflection, and produce verified achievements and positive outcomes.

The

Youth

Literary

Society

(YLS)

interviewed

Mr

Ang

to

learn

more

about

his

experiences,

his

teaching approach, and why he strongly believes in integrating fitness into one’s educational journey.

Q: What made you interested in physical education?

A:

Physical

education

because

it

offers

another

person’s

appeals

me

a

life

through

to

chance

me to

their

greatly improve health.

Moreover, it helps others attain a good measure of

self-confidence

when

they

see

themselves

reaching their goals.

Q: What motivates you to put in your best effort for your students every day?

A: I am motivated by seeing my students feel a sense of fulfilment and find success in their own passions/interests.

Q: What is your most memorable experience from your years as a teacher-coach?

A:

The

most

memorable

moment

would

be

helping the team attain a fourth-place finish in the

‘A’

Division

Football

championship,

our

highest ever in the Institute’s history.

Mr Ang with his award.

MI Bulletin Issue 1 2022 | 14

Q: What are some important lessons you have learnt from being a football coach/teacher?

A: Humility and patience are two lessons I have learnt: humility by listening to my players and always learning from them and patience by trusting in the process of training and learning, even if it means failing many times initially.

Q: You believe in uplifting the lives of your students through sports. What do you mean by that?

A: Sports offer us an opportunity to improve and become better people—either by persevering through learning a new skill or embracing sportsmanship during a game.

Q: What are some obstacles that you have had to overcome to get to where you are now?

A: Learning when to embrace self-care. I’ve been trying to learn how to have a good balance between work and play.

"Trust the process of whatever you’re involved in and never give up. Always work hard to be a better person you’d be proud of in the future."

Q: What single piece of advice do you have for Millennians?

A: Trust the process of whatever you’re involved in and never give up. Always work hard to be a better person you’d be proud of in the future.

Mr Ang playing a game of soccer with his students.

Mr Ang with colleagues from the physical education department.

MI Bulletin Issue 1 2022 | 15

CCA Spotlight Millennian Stage Siti Hadirah Binte Johari (21MI10)

The Youth Literary Society was given the opportunity to observe a session of Millennian Stage's training.

During the training, each member’s talent and dedication shone through. With the razor-sharp focus and quick mind needed to keep up with the rigour of training, it is only through the mutual support of every member that they are able to get through the long CCA hours.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our actors have faced multiple stumbling blocks. During rehearsals, the masks they were required to wear forced them to work doubly hard to ensure their facial expressions were seen, emoting more through their eyes. Their masks also reduced the clarity of their speech, making enunciating words much tougher. Not only that, most stage productions had to be held online because of the pandemic, rendering the spirit and impact of the performances more mildly felt than they would be at a live setting.

Every member took their roles seriously, accepting criticism with grace and overcoming obstacles quickly, studiously taking note of feedback in order to improve their performance.

Such passion and zeal from each member, steadfastly contributing to the production in order to ensure it was performed to the highest standard achievable, is cause for a standing ovation. Millennian Stage members agreed that while the work is hard and often demands much of their time and energy, they would not trade it for anything else; they feel the most alive in the spotlight.

May the spotlight shine bright on each and every actor as they take on their next performance!

Aspiring actors in action.

Millennian Stage during their training session.

MI Bulletin Issue 1 2022 | 16

In Our Own Words I wish for more wishes Lim Yi Jie (20MI04)

i wish to be happier in soul and health i don't want to wake up from nightmares i don't want to lose you to distance and time i don't want to have heartaches again on the next juncture of life, let us please stop at

for more wishes i will wish to be affluent and strong to whatever life will throw next over wealth, with all the bungalows and sports cars i just want to tower over and i'll never lose ever again i'll have the speed to win all the races and so, my heart shall have its fortress and then, i will be strong enough

Green Eyes Claire Chua (21MI02)

Try to hide my greatest vice But a flash of emerald in my eyes Overpowers my good nature Instantly turns me immature In my mind is an incessant itch That I can hardly help but scratch What they have is what I want Pride blinds me with hateful taunts Under my smile and touch is a monster Feeling ill knowing I'm an imposter A kind heart poisoned by angry thorns Offering flowers while I hiss with scorn On their head I place a crown Hoping by its weight they'd go down Eyeing, waiting, to claim the throne Guiltily, greedily, for my own

MI Bulletin Issue 1 2022 | 17

Website: www.millenniainstitute.moe.edu.sg Instagram: @peopleofmillennia