Our lasallian mission Enabling youth in a Lasallian community to learn how to learn and to learn how to live; empowering them to be men of integrity and men for others.
Our VISION Our school’s vision is to develop each boy to be their BEST: Belief in Self Excellence in All Service to Others True to One’s Faith
Our lasallian values Our School Values are based on the values of the De La Salle Brothers, that is, Faith, Service and Community. Faith Our work is a call from God, a vocation. We believe in our ability and in the ability of others to learn and grow. We believe God will bless us with the necessary gifts for our purpose. Service Faith demands a response to serve. We give zealous service in our life, and pay special attention to the last, the lost and the least. Community We build a fraternal community, sharing a common mission and vision. We carry out our mission together and by association.
Our motto Our school motto, Ora et Labora, which is Latin for “Pray and Work” reflects the life of Saint Joseph. The motto calls upon Josephians to be in communion with, and to be guided by God through prayer, and to always work conscientiously in learning and growth, and in service to God, especially in uplifting the last, the lost and the least amongst us. This is also in line with the Lasallian Spirit of Faith and Zeal.
Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 1
Contents Principal’s Foreword Nurturing Dreams Making a Mark Beyond Abilities Till The End
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PRINCIPAL’S
FOREWORD W
e give thanks to God for the many blessings he has showered on our school in 2017 and we close the year with great pride as we recollect the efforts and achievements of our boys and staff. I am grateful to the boys, staff, coaches and parents, for their boundless creative energy in striving to bring out their BEST. I am immensely proud of our students who continue to grow in kindness and are learning to live, especially so when we see more boys being “caught doing good” this year. This is part of the positive education that we are trying to establish, and some teachers have also introduced the practice of mindfulness in their classes. We also introduced a jobs programme this year as part of our Education Career Guidance, giving our boys an opportunity to reflect on their strengths and prepare for an interview to work on jobs which are of real service to the school. On the academic front, we are happy for our boys of the Class of 2016 for doing very well at the PSLE, with Chinese language surpassing the National pass rate. This year, our boys have also done well in Debates, the Kids Literature Quiz, Spelling Bee and Plain English Speaking. Our Scouts, Chess and Robotics boys have also done very well, with the Scouts achieving the Frank Cooper Sands “Silver” award along with 7 boys attaining the Akela Award. Our boys also did well in the 2017 SYF Art exhibition. We continue to build on the sporting tradition of the school and I am really proud of the efforts and achievements of all our boys and coaches in the various Sports CCAs. I am especially proud of our Junior Badminton team for showing the spirit of perseverance throughout the badminton championships. In the final games, our “underdog” team fought really hard and came back from behind and eventually prevailed, winning the National championship for the first time in 32 years. Our football boys also reached the National Finals and emerged
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runner-up. Our tennis and athletics teams also managed to achieve National top 4 placings. Also working hard were our bowling and floorball teams which made progress in their respective championships. The school was also awarded the School Green Audit (SGA) Green Lotus Award this year, moving up from the Orchid award last year. We are also happy to have contributed to the teaching fraternity by piloting the online Student Learning Space (SLS) developed by MOE as part of the Ministry’s commitment to nurture future-ready learners. Our teachers were also invited to present at the PE conference and English Language Institute of Singapore (ELIS) Conference. I would also like to give thanks to God for inspiring many of our parents to give of their time and services. This year the PTA continues to be a pillar of the school through the Catholic activities, celebrations and festivals which they organise with great love and care. I am also grateful to Mr Stuart Palmer for his appointment to the SJI Junior as the Chairman of the School Council from 2017. This year we also bid farewell to the Novena Church community who have shared our premises for the last 3 years. Looking ahead in 2018, we look forward to building a school with Teachers of Character to bring out the BEST in our boys as we prepare them for life. The education landscape in Singapore will continue to evolve as it moves with the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world we live in today, and I sense a general anxiety about the future of our children among both teachers and parents. But I am reminded by the words of a wise mentor, that we may not know what the future holds, but knowing Who holds the future, makes all the difference. Let us keep the faith and remember that we are always in the Presence of God. Ora et Labora! Mr Timothy Goh Principal Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 5
Nurturing Dreams Whatever your work is, put your heart into it as if it were for the Lord and not for men, knowing that the Lord will repay you by making you his heirs. Colossians 3:23
PTA ACTIVITIES
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he SJI Junior Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) Management Committee was very active this year, organising many activities for the boys as well as the parents.
The first activity was the PTA BYO Dinner cum Movie Night on 4 March. The turnout was very good and the movies shown were “Remember the Titans” and “Zootopia”. The ever popular PTA Father-Son Camp was held on 20 and 21 May at Jalan Bahtera MOE campsite and the Kranji Marshes. About 100 pairs of father and sons took part in the two-day stay-in camp.
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The PTA Family Sports Fridays were also well attended with activities ranging from soccer and Frisbee in the field to water sports such as scuba diving and “flippa ball” at the swimming pool. The inaugural PTA Family Community Service Activity saw 64 participants at the Willing Hearts Soup Kitchen preparing meals for the poor and needy. The Children’s Day Recess Carnival on 5 October was another annual affair where the boys enjoyed playing many games as well as the ever-popular dunking of parents and teachers. Our teachers were not forgotten as the PTA and the Parent Volunteers showed their appreciation by giving us a sumptuous PTA Teachers’ Day Appreciation Lunch on 29 August at our Staff Lounge which decked out with decorations in line with this year’s party theme of “The Great Gatsby”. It has been indeed an eventful year for the PTA!
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1. PTA Father-Son Camp - Teambuilding Activities 2. PTA Father-Son Camp - Archery 3. PTA Father-Son Camp - Spider Web 4. PTA BYO Dinner cum Movie Night - The movie is going to start! 5. PTA Teachers’ Day Appreciation Lunch - Cake cutting time! 6. PTA Teachers’ Day Appreciation Lunch - The Great Gatsby Theme 7. PTA Family Community Service - Delivery to the doorstep 8. PTA Family Sports Friday - Frisbee Clinic supported by Sports Singapore 9. PTA Family Sports Friday - Intro to Scuba Diving Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 11
Welcome
Mr Anthony Tan
Mr Hazmi Bin Hasan
Mr Joseph Ng
Mr Mohamad Aznam Bin Noor Zaini
Mr Thomas Lee
Mrs Melissa Ng
Mrs Noeline Wong
Ms Novell Lim Si Ying
Mr Timothy Huang
Farewell
Mr Patrick Wong
Mr Ronnie Siew
Mdm Amutha
Ms Elaine Ng
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Mr Ting Seng Eng
Mr Varin Rikhraj
SCHOOL COUNCIL
Mr Stuart Palmer Chairman
Mr Timothy Goh Principal
Mrs Linda Tan Vice-Principal
Mr Winston Lim Vice-Principal (Admin)
Mr Christopher Gee Treasurer
Brother Kelvin Tan Brothers’ Representative
Mr Azhagiya Pandiyan Member
Mr Louis D’Souza Member
Mr Danny Yong Member
Mr Lawrence H L Loh Member
Mr Michael Moey Member
Mr Noel Cheah Member Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 13
SCHOOL Leaders [left to right]
Mr Winston Lim [Vice-Principal (Administration)], Mr Timothy Goh [Principal], Mrs Linda Tan [Vice-Principal]
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Steering Committee [left to right]
1 Ms Karen Tan [Year Head], Mr Timothy Goh [Principal], Ms Madeline Chang [LT Science] 2 Mrs Chitra Segar [Year Head], Ms Ang Su-Juin [HOD ICT], Mrs Harlina Rashid [School Staff Developer], Mrs Linda Tan [Vice-Principal], Mrs Sharon Gan [HOD Mathematics] 3 Ms Kuan Poey Han [Assistant Year Head], Mrs Chriel Chua [SH National Education & Social Studies], Mrs Winnie Ho [SH Mathematics], Mrs Serene Ng [HOD English], Ms Punitha d/o Elancheran [SH Discipline] 4 Mr Somasundaram Ranganathen [HOD CCE], Mr Daniel Leong [SH Mother Tongue], Mr Augustine Siew [HOD Special Projects] 5 Mr Paul Chew [SH ICT], Mr Daniel Dominic Kwek [SH English], Mr Joseph Ng [SH Aesthetics], Mr Vincent Teo [HOD Mother Tongue], Mr Christopher Cheong [SH Pastoral Care] 6 Ms Shannon Tan [SH Partnership] 7 Mr Mohamed Fazrin [HOD PE, CCA & Aesthetics (Covering)], Mr Jachin Huang [HOD Science]
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Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 15
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English language [left to right]
1 Ms Cheryl Tan 2 Mr Daniel Dominic Kwek [SH English], Mrs Chriel Chua, Mrs Serene Ng [HOD English], Ms Kuan Poey Han, Mrs Harlina Rashid 3 Mrs Stephanie Wong, Mrs Melissa Ng, Mrs Yogaes Asogan [ST English], Ms Soh Mei Qi 4 Mrs Priya Chopra, Ms Michele Fok, Mdm Aysha Farwin d/o Mohamed Iqbal, Mr Anthony Monteiro 5 Mrs Chitra Segar, Mrs Emelie Payamel, Mrs Colleen Sheares, Mrs Delphine Minjoot, Mdm Pauline Png 6 Mr Varinder S Rikhraj, Mr Jeremiah Francisco
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ENGLISH LIBRARY WEEK
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1. Boys having their quiet reading time 2. Boys looking for answers to Famous Musicians quiz
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he English Library Week was held on 28 and 29 March. The theme of the Library Week was “Famous People”. The boys had a lot of fun participating in the various activities such as identifying famous composers and sports personalities, as well as listening to a story-telling session.
Primary 3 and Primary 4 Storytelling Competition
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he Primary 3 and 4 boys gathered in the hall on the 31 March and 29 March respectively for the English Language storytelling competition. The theme this year was The 7 Habits which is a set of behavioural values our school has inculcated in our students. The participants were challenged to integrate one or more of these values into their stories. After a round of in-class selection, a maximum of 2 participants were picked from each class. The participants from each class prepared well for the competition. It was no easy feat presenting the stories in front of their schoolmates but the boys put up a good performance. Each participant went home victorious with a trophy. It was a tough decision for the judges as they streamlined the results for the top three participants in each level. The results are as follows:
Primary 3 Level Champion: Jaeden Etienne Ng (3 Patrick) 1st Runner-up: Jasdave Singh Sidhu (3 Joseph) 2nd Runner-up: Sooriyaa K Yoganathan (3 Michael) Primary 4 Level Champion: Samuel Lim Zhi An (4 Joseph) 1st Runner-up: Isaiah Yip Jin Eu (4 Joseph) 2nd Runner-up: Ashton Brandan Ding (4 Michael) Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 17
2017 RHB-The Straits Times National Spelling Championship
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1. Sam as Champion at the semi-finals of Big Spell 2017 2. Spell G-R-I-S-E-T-T-E in 60 seconds! 3. Participants of Big Spell (Preliminary Round) all geared up for the first round!
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ave you ever heard of “grisette” and do you know what “perspicacious” means? These are just some examples of words that participants of the National Spelling Championship 2017 had to spell verbally within 60 seconds, in front of an audience. Eight pupils from St Joseph’s Institution Junior took part in the preliminary round of Singapore’s signature spelling event held on 11 March. Ignatius Khoo of 6 Anthony, Keanen Ang and Sam Sheryas Joseph, both from 6 Xavier, qualified for the semi-finals. After an intense battle with 37 semi-finalists on 1 April 2017, Sam emerged as champion in the semi-finals, securing a spot in the finals! Sam took to the stage again on 22 April at the finals and made it through Round 2. Sam was very close to winning. In our eyes, he is already a champion, spelling very challenging regular and irregular words without batting an eyelid.
Participants at the Preliminary Round: Level Name Class P4 Samuel Surendran 4 Joseph Ian Lee Ray Ming 4 Joseph Nathaniel Cheng 4 Joseph Le Shan P5 Harjas Singh Sidhu 5 Xavier P6 Sam Shreyas Joseph 6 Xavier Sng Cheng How 6 Xavier Ang En Rui Keanen 6 Xavier Ignatius Khoo Kai Rui 6 Joseph
The school is extremely proud of all the students who had diligently prepared and represented the school in the National Spelling Championship 2017! Well done, boys!
National English Writing Competition (NEW-C) 2017
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n 3 February 2017, over 160 students from more than 40 primary schools in Singapore participated in the second edition of the on-the-spot National English Writing Competition (NEW-C). We are proud to announce that Jaylen Khoo of 6 Xavier had been awarded 2nd place in Upper Primary category! We are also proud of Jaden Tee and Nathan Kerk, both from 4 Joseph, and Joshua Ling of 6 Joseph for representing our school in the competition! 18 | St Joseph’s Institution Junior Yearbook 2017
Wits and Words Debate Competition
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raining started early this year with the boys gearing up for the Wits and Words. With their wits and composure displayed during the competition, the boys found themselves cruising into the more crucial rounds progressively. Along the way, Jeremy Tan (5 Xavier) emerged as the best speaker in Preliminary Round 1, Dylan Pang (6 Xavier) clinched the best speaker title in Preliminary Round 3, Quarter Finals and the 3rd/4th placing round of the competition while Mark Heng (6 Xavier) garnered the accolade in the Semi-Finals. The team’s performance was exceptional and we were eventually awarded 4th place in the Second Division of the competition. Our boys not only learnt to make rebuttals and arguments during the competition, but through this experience, they also truly lived out the Josephian spirit. The teamwork displayed was impeccable and something for the boys to remember for a long time to come. Our entire team had an extremely meaningful opportunity participating and supporting one another throughout the various rounds and also learnt a lot from their various opponents during the different rounds of the competition. We are very proud of our Debate boys!
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1. Team SJI Junior at the 2017 Wits and Words Award Ceremony, clinching the 3rd runner-up in the competition. 2. Our speakers for Round 2. (From left to right) Mark Heng (6 Xavier), Jeremy Tan (5 Xavier) and Dylan Pang (6 Xavier)
PSDO Debate Competition
O Jeremy Tan offering a Point of Information
ur Junior Debaters comprising Harjas Singh, Horatius Koh, Asher Tay, Nicholas Koenig, Jeremy Tan (all 5 Xavier), Cranston Tan and Lucas Teo (both 5 Joseph) participated in the Primary School Debate Open (PSDO) competition on 5 August. They competed in 3 rounds of competition and they emerged victorious in 2 of the rounds. Horatius Koh (5 Xavier) was also named Best Speaker in one of the rounds. The boys put up a good fight against Nan Chiau Primary School in the 3rd Preliminary Round of the competition. Our boys lost marginally but the teamwork displayed was impeccable. Though they did not make it to the Finals, we feel that their efforts were very sincere and praiseworthy.
Inter-Primary School Debate Tournament at Raffles Institution
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ur Junior Debaters comprising Asher Tay (5 Xavier), Horatius Koh (5 Xavier), Cranston Tan (5 Joseph), Lucas Teo (5 Joseph) and Nicholas Koenig (5 Xavier) took part in the Raffles Institution Inter-Primary Debate Competition on 2 September. The competition was unlike the usual. The boys had a prepared round of debate before they were given two motions (2nd and 3rd Preliminary rounds) on the day itself to prepare on the spot. Having won 2 out of the 3 preliminary rounds, our team advanced into the Quarterfinals. Held on 8 September, our team won round after round of debates and before we knew it, we had qualified for the Grand Finals!
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Though we were edged out by our opponents, the courage and teamwork that our Junior Debaters showed throughout the competition was extremely impressive! Kudos to our Debaters in achieving 1st runner up in the Raffles Institution Inter-Primary Debate Competition! Good job, boys!
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1. One of the three rounds of debate taking place on 2 September 2. Our Debaters with their proud parents, Coach, teacher and supporters! Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 19
Kids’ Literature Quiz World Finals
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1. With the Native Storyteller Hotulke after the canoeing activity 2. Before commencing the canoeing activity 3. The boys met with the KLQ World Finals Adjudicator at the Gala Dinner, who was impressed by the team’s lead in the first half of the quiz 4. Winning the Singapore National Finals of the Kids’ Lit Quiz™ with Guest of Honour, Assoc Prof Muhd Faishal Ibrahim and Quizmaster, Wayne Mills
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his year marked the first year that SJI Junior qualified for the World Finals of the Kids’ Literature Quiz (KLQ) held in Toronto, Canada. Having emerged Singapore’s National champions after a gruelling series of heats, semi-finals and Finals, beating out 82 primary and secondary schools. A second school team comprising P5 students trained by teacher-coach, Mrs Chitra Segar, also participated for the first time. The team members comprising Sng Cheng How, Trevor Chan, Trey Zuzarte and Zachary Lye (all from 6 Xavier) had been training since last year and were more determined than ever this year to make it to the top after emerging 5th in the Finals last year. Together with the teacher-coach, Mrs Harlina Rashid and National Library Board (NLB) providing the training for the boys, the team, accompanied by English Head of Department, Mrs Serene Ng, headed to Canada to meet the other 7 National finalists from Australia, Canada, Hong
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Kong, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States. The boys gave an impressive performance and did Singapore proud by putting Singapore consistently in the top 3 position in the first 8 rounds of the competition. They did exceptionally well in the first 5 categories but were unable to extend their lead in the subsequent rounds, finally emerging fifth, tying with Hong Kong and New Zealand. The team from South Africa emerged World Champions for KLQ 2017. Competition aside, the boys had an incredible time during the six days in Canada. They attended workshops conducted by renowned authors and illustrators. Jonathan Auxier, the New York Times Bestselling author of the book “Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes”, was the guest speaker at the Gala dinner. The organisers, KLQ Canada, had also arranged for the teams to view some of the attractions in Toronto, namely the
Bata Museum, CN Towers, the famed Niagara Falls, as well as canoeing and hiking activities at a nature reserve where a Native Storyteller enlightened the participants with stories and songs about the first inhabitants of Canada. The Canadian school team also hosted the participants to a barbecue at their beautiful school where they had fun making soap carvings. It had been a priceless experience for everybody involved and it would not have been possible without the unwavering support from the parents (who also went to Canada to support the boys!), NLB officers, the school itself and of course, the boys who gave meaning to the sport of reading.
YMCA Plain English Speaking Awards
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saiah Yip (4 Joseph) and Jasdave Singh Sidhu (3 Joseph) represented the school in the annual YMCA Plain English Speaking Awards (PESA) this year. Isaiah’s love for dogs prompted him to share a story on kindness to animals in the Upper Primary Category. Despite participating in the competition for the first time, Isaiah delivered his story confidently and passionately. Although he did not qualify for the Finals, Isaiah had an enriching experience. “Even though I did not get into the Finals, it was definitely a good experience as it was a tough fight and I learnt a lot from the other participants.” Isaiah Yip, 4 Joseph
In the Lower Primary Category, Jasdave created awareness on raising funds for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ (Singapore). Jasdav qualified for the Finals with his stellar oratorical skills! For the Finals, Jasdave spoke about “Honesty”. His frank and welldelivered opinions on “honesty not always being the best policy” earned him the first position in the competition. “I won the competition because of the support from my family and teachers. I also practised during my breaks and visualised the story in my mind.” Jasdave Singh, 3 Joseph
Participants of the Plain English Speaking Awards (PESA), Preliminary Round.
We are very proud of Isaiah and Jasdave for their achievements! Well done, boys! We would also like to acknowledge the following boys who participated in the Preliminary Round of the YMCA Plain English Speaking Awards (PESA); Jaeden Ng Ryan Tan Samuel Lim Ashton Ding
3 Patrick 3 Patrick 4 Joseph 4 Michael
P1 Science Centre Trip (Poggy Frog)
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he Primary One boys went out on a learning journey to Singapore Science Centre in Semester 2 this year. The lesson at the Eco-Lab was centred on the Big Book: Poggy Frog and the Cows. The boys had fun learning about different types of frogs. They learnt the differences between frogs and toads. They ended off the lesson by doing a craftwork of a tadpole. They also observed live frogs to learn how they behave. They were able to observe the skin type, parts of the frog’s body, and how the frog reacts to sounds and lights. They had a great time at the Science Centre. Boys observing the frogs’ behaviour and skin type up close
P2s visit the Science Centre
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fter reading the Big Book ‘Slither and Slide’ in the confines of the classroom, our P2s ventured on a learning journey to Science Centre to pique their curiosity about mealworms and earthworms. Our little ones squealed in delight as the real-life specimens from the laboratory were brought out for them to observe and learn. Learning about the creepy crawlies’ life cycles and how they respond to light in an out-ofclassroom setting definitely made the experience more fun and meaningful.
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1. Our boys totally engrossed observing the mealworms responding to light 2. Learning by feeling and observing the mealworms Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 21
P1 EL Games Day
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n 29 August, the Primary Ones celebrated English learning with a P1 EL Games Day in the hall with 16 parent volunteers who came forward to help out. Every station focused on one aspect of English, thus making the games purposeful and exciting! The four stations were Story Unscramble (Sentence Construction), Describe Me (Adjectives), Past-Present Match (Tenses), Fish Scrabble (Spelling). English is indeed fun! The boys had tremendous fun and their expressions showed it all.
They were totally happy to have formed their first sentence! -Story Unscramble
P2 EL Games Day
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he Primary 2s applied what they had learnt throughout the term by playing two games. The first game was Grammar Charades which focused on words that fall into the categories of nouns, verbs and adjectives. The boys had a whale of a time watching their teachers act as they guessed the correct word. The second game was a game on Compound Words where the boys had to match the picture cards and make as many compound words as they could in 15 minutes. It was amazing to see how creative the boys were, coming up with compound words which the teachers did not expect. It was a good test of our boys’ spelling skills too! Putting their heads together
P3 EL Games Day
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Solving the clues
P4 EL Games Day
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ames are great ways to spice up the classroom and enhance the learning experience. In the last week of term 3, the Primary 4 classes reviewed the key points they had learnt in grammar and sentence construction while having some good fun at the same time. In a game called “Sentence Auction”, each group keeps a record of the ‘money’ they have on a bank ledger as they bid on sentences which may or may not be correct. The group which ‘buys’ the most number of correct sentences wins the game! The boys enjoyed the quick pace needed to evaluate the sentences and it does wonders at fixing common mistakes. Our boys do learn best when they are having fun!
22 | St Joseph’s Institution Junior Yearbook 2017
s part of the P3 EL Games Day, the Primary 3s were engaged in word puzzles and activities such as word scramble, word search and riddle-solving. One of the activities had the boys walking around level 3 of the school building, identifying and correcting mistakes in sentences pasted on the walls of that level. The activities challenged their spelling, vocabulary, thinking and grammar skills and knowledge.
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mother tongue language [left to right]
1 Ms Ang Su-Juin, Ms Tong Tsz Ching, Ms Claire Leong, Ms Choo Shiao Tze 2 Mr Somasundaram Ranganathen, Mr Karl Zubin, Mr Leong Lai Chun [SH Mother Tongue], Mrs Suhanthi Ise, Mrs Marimuthu 3 Ms Chia Wei Yee, Mrs Shirley Wong, Ms Tan Mei Ting, Ms Shi Hairong, Ms Pang Xi Fen 4 Mr Vincent Teo [HOD Mother Tongue], Ms Wang Xiao, Mr Christopher Cheong, Mr Xin Jia Bin 5 Mr Ng Kim Leong, Ms Chua Chai Suang, Ms Karen Ho Hui Ming, Mr Boo Choon Kwang 6 Ms Shannon Tan 7 Ms Bai Yang 8 Mdm Tan Mui Mui, Ms Salina Mohamed Yusop
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Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 23
Chinese New Year
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JI Junior welcomed the Year of the Rooster with a bang on 27 January. Prior to the celebration day, the whole school was already decorated with red Chinese New Year couplets and adorable Rooster displays. To add on to the festive spirit, many teachers and students came to school wearing traditional Chinese costumes on the day of the celebration. The day started with our boys doing lovely craftwork related to the Rooster theme, followed by students and teachers blessing one another with mandarin oranges.
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Besides the breath-taking traditional Diabolo performance and interesting skit about Nian, the school also got to watch an exciting display by the Dragon and Lion Dance troupes. A big thank you to everyone for making the whole celebration such a memorable and enjoyable one!
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1. Blessing of Mandarin oranges 2. A Happy Lunar New Year 3. Our excited audience!
Hangzhou Chong Wen Experimental School Visit
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1. Students from Chong Wen School learning coding and programming at Robotics Lab 2. Our robotics club veterans guiding their new friends in completing the tasks 3. Gift exchange session before bidding farewell to our guests
朋自远方来，不亦乐乎” is a Chinese saying used to express the joy of receiving friends coming from a faraway
place. On 18 January 2017, SJI Junior welcomed the teachers and students from Hangzhou Chong Wen Experimental School. Our P5 pupils visited them during the 2016 China Immersion Programme and it was indeed a happy moment to be able to reciprocate the warmth they had shown us by hosting their school experience in Singapore. As part of the welcome ceremony, our Principal, Mr Timothy Goh, gave a welcome speech in Mandarin, followed by a fantastic dance performance by our very own Dance CCA. An exchange of school token was made to signify the long-lasting friendship between the two schools. The pupils from Chong Wen School joined the P5 classes for lessons, including a special programme run by Mr Firdaus, our inhouse Robotics CCA trainer, who taught them basic coding and programming of robots. After a communal lunch, the participants exchanged gifts with one another before parting ways. 24 | St Joseph’s Institution Junior Yearbook 2017
Mother Tongue Fortnight
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1. Primary 5: Make and Play with Chinese Chess 2.Primary 2: Make and Play with Chaptek 3. 2 Anthony boys putting in their best effort for the Penmanship Competition 4. Principal Mr Timothy Goh telling the story entitled 《不对，不对》 (That’s Incorrect) during the P1 and P2 Recess 5. Primary 1: Bean Art
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he Mother Tongue Department organised the annual Mother Tongue Fortnight activities in Term 3 Weeks 3 and 4. Our boys took part in various cultural and language activities over these two weeks.
The P1 and 2 boys had the opportunity of showing off their performing skills during the Recitations conducted in the second week of the Mother Tongue Fortnight. The highlight of this year’s Mother Tongue Fortnight is the cultural classroom activities conducted by vendors.
To kick off the activities, the school arranged stage performances in 3 different Mother Tongue languages (i.e. Chinese, Malay and Tamil Language) for our boys. The performances kept them captivated and in awe!
Last but not least, we also invited our school leaders to do story-telling during recess! Our boys really enjoyed the stories told by our guest story-tellers!
Various language competitions like penmanship and composition writing were also organised during the Mother Tongue Fortnight to put our boys’ language skills to the test!
Dragon Boat Festival
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1. Great fun at the Dragon Boat Festival Activity Booths 2. “Try my dumplings!” 3. Dragon boat race on land 4. Looks delicious!
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ragon Boat Festival, also known as the Dumpling Festival, is a commemoration of the patriotic scholar by the name of Qu Yuan who chose to die rather than to see the downfall of his country in ancient China. To inculcate the value of patriotism in the Chinese culture to our boys, the Mother Tongue (CL) Department holds the Dragon Boat Festival Activity annually.
This year, activities commemorating Dragon Boat Festival were carried out on 24 May. Three booths were set up for the event. This included a game called “Dragon Boat Race on Land”. Our boys were also taught how to make dumplings and were shown video clips explaining the legend of the festival. Through these activities, our boys had the opportunity of understanding further the origins and the customs being observed during the Dragon Boat Festival. Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 25
CBS Mother Tongue StoryTelling Competition
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ur young Josephians did our school proud by winning the audience over with their story telling skills during the CBS Mother Tongue Storytelling Competition held on 31 March 2017. Below are our achievements:
Name of Participants
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Position
Chinese Language 1
Goh Jia Hong Peyton
3 Patrick
2nd
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Caeden Kwang Jia Sheng
3 Joseph
3rd
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Tay Kay Fong Alexander Gerhar
3 Gabriel
Consolation
4
Samuel Lim Zhi An
4 Joseph
2nd
5
Isaiah Yip Jin Eu
4 Joseph
Consolation
6
Goh Peng Yong
4 Michael
Consolation
Malay Language 1
Jasdave Singh
3 Joseph
1st
2
Karl Basil
3 Anthony
Consolation
3
Fitri Anwari
4 Patrick
2nd
4
Rosahan Panicker
4 Anthony
Consolation
5
Daniyal
4 Anthony
Consolation
Tamil Language 1
Darshan Ramesh
3 Gabriel
2nd
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Mathiyazhagan S/O Jayakumar
3 Anthony
Merit
3
Harresh
3 Stephen
Consolation
4
K Raj Karthikaiyan
4 Stephen
Merit
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K Dheena Markandan
4 Michael
Consolation
6
Sadayan Ehsan Ahmed
4 Stephen
Consolation Our boys proudly receiving their trophies
MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL CELEBRATION
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ur school commemorated the annual Mid-Autumn Festival on 20 September with lantern displays and a host of festive activities at the school concourse and Library. Our boys had fun making themselves colourful lanterns to bring home. They also played a team-building game which required them to be blindfolded. Called “Pomelo Race Game”, the boys learned the importance of trusting their friends. To sweeten the celebration, the boys were also treated to pomelo drinks.
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1. Look at the lanterns we have made! 2. Posing for a photograph before the “Blindfold Pomelo Race” 26 | St Joseph’s Institution Junior Yearbook 2017
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mathematics [left to right]
1 Ms Karen Tan, Ms Ng Siew Choo, Mrs Teong Phey Fang, Mrs May Tan, Mrs Sharon Tan 2 Mrs Sharon Gan [HOD Mathematics], Mr Callistus Chan, Mrs Ng Shu Xian, Mr Firdaus Johari 3 Mrs Christine Lee [ST Mathematics], Mdm Noraini Niat, Ms Dorothy Phng, Ms Noraishah, Ms Grace Lim, 4 Mr Lim Huang Wei, Mdm Azlinda ab Aziz , Mr Lim Siong Heng, Mr Raymond Chan 5 Mrs Winnie Ho [SH Mathematics], Mrs Agustina Lim, Mr Jason Wong, Mrs Noeline Wong, Mrs Sharon Jodi
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Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 27
P3 Math Trail
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t was the last week of Term 1 and the boys were all charged up to go for their Learning Journeys. One of them was the P3 Maths Trail to Cold Storage. Divided into groups of five, and each group armed with a ten-dollar note, the boys carried their baskets with one common purpose - to buy snacks for their snack break later that day. With the help of Parent Volunteers, these boys learnt skills pertaining to shopping, budgeting and even proper etiquette in a shopping mall.
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2
It was an enriching and heartwarming experience as the boys learnt to buy things on their own, to share the ten dollars and to make sure every group member’s dietary needs and welfare were taken care of. When we returned to school, the boys savoured the fruits of their labour with the food and drinks they bought for themselves.
3
4
1. Checking that the cashier rings up the correct value 2. Mummy always tells me to check the nutritional value before buying. 3. Wow! Did you know that there were so many brands of biscuits? 4. Could you give us a hand here, please? I think we bought too much!
P4 Coding is Fun!
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2
1. The boys concentrating on “breaking” the code. 2. Teamwork is required in building their vehicles!
E
qually exciting was the experience the Primary 4 pupils had with coding as part of Project 1-10. They learnt how to create and programme a device that will help move a vehicle. The hands-on approach which required the boys to build and dismantle the model kept them very engaged. In the process, they worked collaboratively and innovatively, to find the best solution that will enable them to programme their vehicles to reach a designated point.
28 | St Joseph’s Institution Junior Yearbook 2017
In 2017, the P4 to P6 pupils participated in the following Mathematics competitions: Primary 4
Australian Mathematics Competition
27 July 2017
Primary 5
Australian Mathematics Competition
27 July 2017
National Mathematical Olympiad of Singapore 2017
28 June 2017
Annual Mathlympics for all Singapore Primary Schools 2017
3 August 2017
Raffles Institution Primary Mathematics World Contest Open Category 2017
28 March 2017
Singapore Mathematical Olympiad for Primary Schools 2017
8 April 2017
Primary 6
The competitions aim to stimulate pupils’ interest and ignite their passion in Mathematics and to provide them an opportunity to discover their talent in the subject. The following students have done well in the competitions and the results of their achievements are listed below :
Awards
Name of Students
Class
Awards
Name of Students
Class
Honourable Mention
Noel Goh Jun Hui
5 Xavier
Sim Weilun
5 Xavier
Sebastian Tay
5 Xavier
Australian Mathematics Competition 2017 High Distinction
Mikel Liew En Jun
4 Patrick
Distinction
Chong Gene Nathan
5 Xavier
Jason Ong
5 Xavier
Annual Mathlympics For All Singapore Primary Schools 2017
Koenig Nicholas Gerard
5 Xavier
Silver
Sim Weilun
Seow Yong Ann Reuben
5 Joseph
5 Xavier
Chong Gene Nathan
5 Xavier
Teo Jun Wei, Zavier
5 Xavier
Teo Jun Wei Zavier
5 Xavier
Jaden Tee Kai Hian
4 Joseph
Aidan Chia Zhi Le
5 Xavier
Jiao Wenyao Tony
4 Joseph
Brandon Samuel Teo Hou Yang 5 Xavier
Ethan Ng Ming Jun
4 Joseph
Kerk Nathan
4 Joseph
Jason Ong
5 Xavier
Gabriel Ng Ghim Chuan
4 Patrick
Low Jing Kai
5 Xavier
Oscar Jacques Wong
4 Patrick
Sadayan Aqeel Ahmed
5 Xavier
Chua Yiheng Shaun
4 Patrick
Sim Weilun
5 Xavier
National Mathematical Olympiad of Singapore 2017 Silver
Bronze
Honourable Mention
Bronze
Singapore Mathematical Olympiad for Primary Schools (SMOPS) 2017
Chong Gene Nathan
5 Xavier
Tan Kaai Wie Caedan
5 Xavier
Teo Jun Wei, Zavier
5 Xavier
Patrick Tan Yew En
5 Anthony
Seow Yong Ann Reuben
5 Joseph
Gregory Tai Wen Hao
5 Patrick
Aidan Chia Zhi Le
5 Xavier
Raffles Institution Primary Mathematics World Contest Open Category 2017
Brandon Samuel Teo Hou Yang
5 Xavier
Distinction
Jason Ong
5 Xavier
Koenig Nicholas Gerard
5 Xavier
Liew Jun Xiang Damian
5 Xavier
Lim Sheng Kai Ethan
5 Xavier
Low Jing Kai
5 Xavier
Sadayan Aqeel Ahmed
5 Xavier
Aiden Lau Kei Hung
5 Joseph
Lye Kai Xuan Dylan
5 Joseph
Teo Shuan How, Jeremy
5 Joseph
Chao Yu Dong Kaiser
5 Patrick
Damien Lau Jia Hui
5 Patrick
Dylan Tan Chuen Wen
5 Xavier
Ignatius Tan
5 Xavier
Kong Yeong Keng Brendan
5 Xavier
Bronze
Chay Seng Tuck, Arthur
6 Xavier
David Yeong Jie Jun
6 Xavier
Shaun Matthew Wong
6 Xavier
Surendrakumar Sai Roshan
6 Xavier
James Choong Fui Jae
6 Patrick
Leong Way Iann Gabriel
6 Xavier
Michael Ng Chen Han
6 Xavier
Samuel Tan Hong Yew
6 Xavier
Evan Chew
6 Xavier
David Yeong Jie Jun
6 Xavier
Caelan Kang Tze Khye
6 Xavier
Sam Shreyas Joseph
6 Xavier
Lee Shi Han Christian
6 Joseph
Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 29
1
SCIENCE [left to right]
1 Mr George Kheng, Mrs Jenny Chew, Mdm Zarrina Begam, Mr Paul Chew 2 Mr Ling Yih Jye, Mr Jachin Huang [HOD Science] 3 Ms Punitha Elancheran, Ms Madeline Chang [LT Science], Ms Norihsani Tavant 4 Mr Owen Lau, Mrs Vithya Muraledharan, Mr Augustine Siew
3
2
30 | St Joseph’s Institution Junior Yearbook 2017
4
P3 Learning Journey to Gardens by the Bay
1
2
3
4
5
1. Many plants have special parts to adapt to their environment. Do you know what these are? 2&3. Exploring Science, and forging friendships too! 4&5. Exploring the diverse world of plants; mesmerised in the beauty of it all!
A
s part of Project 1-10, our Primary 3s went on a learning Journey to the Gardens by the Bay. It was a first-time experience for many of our boys and this trip opened their eyes to the fascinating world of plants and how the earth is covered by amazing species of flora and fauna. The boys got a chance to come up close and personal with plants from many different parts of the world, study the various plant parts and their adaptations, and soak in the smells and fragrances nestled in the cool climate-controlled environment. It was indeed an unforgettable outing for many!
Thursday, 13 April 2017 On the 9th of March, our class went to Gardens by the Bay. First, we went to the Flower Dome. We saw so many flowers that we could barely count how many flowers there were. It was also so cold that we were chilled to our bones! All of us had to wear jackets to keep ourselves warm. Then we went to the Cloud Forest. There were waterfalls there too. An aunty gave us a worksheet to complete. There was also a bridge. The bridge was so high, it was almost touching the clouds! It was so fun that day! I wish some day I could go back again. Written by Joel Seet (3 Anthony)
Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 31
Visit to the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
2
1
3
4
1. Guided tour at the exhibition hall 2. Our boys viewing the exhibits 3. Lecture before hands-on at laboratory 4. Hands-on session at the laboratory
T
his three-hour museum workshop got our P6s learning about Singapore’s rich animal biodiversity and their adaptations through a hands-on practical using museum specimens such as the leopard cat, civet, mudskipper, and octopus.
This workshop introduced our boys to Singapore’s rich biodiversity and various animal adaptations exhibited by these animals. They learnt about different structural adaptations and inferred behavioural adaptations from observing features of a variety of animal specimens.
The P5s as Crime Scene Investigators!
1
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3
1. Working on our DNA samples requires teamwork, patience and an eye for detail. 2&3. After the DNA is separated, we can identify the perpetrator! I can’t wait!
W
ho wouldn’t love Science? And how much more when you apply scientific knowledge to get to the bottom of heinous crimes? That’s the journey our Primary 5 boys took at the Science Centre Singapore when they played the role of ‘DNA detectives’. Donned in bright-white lab coats and armed with high-tech micropipettes, they followed the ‘trail of blood’, collected samples of DNA and used an advanced DNA separation technique to find out whose blood was left at the crime scene. We are sure that the excitement and experience would remain etched in many of our Junior Josephians. Who knows? Many might pursue a career in crime scene investigation sometime in the future! 32 | St Joseph’s Institution Junior Yearbook 2017
1
2
3
4
physical education, art & MUSIC [left to right]
1 Mr Vincent Sagaram, Mr Yunus Bin Yusof, Mr Philip Muthiah [ST PE], Mdm Caroline Chan, Mr Gerald Ng, Mr Syed Aliff Abdullah 2 Mr Mohamed Fazrin [HOD PE & CCA (Covering)] 3 Mr Reuben Dominic Phay 4 Mr Timothy Huang Jun Jia 5 Ms Rafidah Dahri, Ms Elaine Ng, Mr Anthony Tan, Mr Joseph Ng [SH Aesthetics], Ms Abelin Cheong
5
Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 33
Art Curriculum
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2
3
4
1. A P2 student showing off his card design inspired by Henri Matisse 2. iPads were used to help students find references for their drawings. 3. Students are given the opportunities to present and share their artwork to the classmates. 4. Students are equipped with the skills to draw their self-portraits as realistically as possible.
E
very level in Term 1 had the opportunity to experience the art-making process, working on the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) theme of Artist and Space. Some of these were selected and collated for submission for SYF.
Singapore Youth Festival Art Exhibition
T
he Art department submitted 3 sets of artwork. The P5 artwork was awarded a Certificate of Recognition while P2 and P4 were awarded Certificate of Participation respectively. The former was exhibited at *SCAPE.
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2
3
4
1. Primary 2 - Textural Studies 2. Primary 2 – My School 3. Primary 5 – Preserving for the Future 4. P5 students showing off their creation at the SYF exhibition
MUSIC
A
t SJI Junior, we nurture each individual to realise his potential through music, thereby holistically nurturing our students to become 21st century citizens and upholding the 5Es (Expression, Exposure, Experience, Enjoyment and Engagement). We believe that through expression, comes exposure and experience, which entails enjoyment. With enjoyment, our boys will then be engaged. In doing so, we want to ensure that every child is a leader in his own learning of music.
34 | St Joseph’s Institution Junior Yearbook 2017
Swimming Carnival
O
n 13 February, we gathered at Jalan Besar Swimming Complex, anxiously waiting for an important event to start. We were blessed with good weather. After the School Rally and Competitors’ Pledge, we began our Swimming Carnival. 68 medals were up for grabs. It was an excellent show of athleticism from all the participants. The more seasoned swimmers provided some excitement as some events had close finishes. In the Primary 4 50-metre Butterfly event, we had two joint 1st positions. It was a very good event as everything went on smoothly, evidenced by the smiles on competitors’ faces as they cheered on their friends and classmates.
Making a splash!
Standing on the podium with smiles on their faces, the winners were honoured
with thunderous cheers and applause. Well done, boys!
P3 SwimSafer Programme
O
ur P3 students completed the SwimSafer Programme in Term 3 as part of their PE lessons. In SJI Junior, we ensure that all our boys are given the opportunity to learn swimming, not only as an essential life skill, but also a healthy sport for life.
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1. Can’t float? No problem! 2. Getting the technique right
Junior Josephian Football FIVE5 (JJF5)
T
he St Michael's Soccer Association (SMSA) organised the second edition of the Junior Josephian Football FIVE5 (JJF5) held on Saturday, 8 April 2017 with support from the school and our other community partners, SJI Junior Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and St Michael's School Alumni Association (SMSAA). The 5-a-side football tournament featured well over 300 participants and supporters from the school and the St Michael’s Soccer Academy. Once again, this muchanticipated carnival celebrated the Football spirit of the SJI Junior Family! (Photos courtesy of SMSA) Watch me shoot! Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 35
Primary 6 Camp
T
his year’s P6 Camp was held at the Camp Challenge Campsite located near Palawan Beach from 7 to 9 March 2017. The 3-day, 2-night adventure camp was designed to provide opportunities for the boys to discover themselves, work together as a team and realise their leadership potential. Activities included sandcastle building, adventure trail, rafting, the low elements and the night-walk. Perhaps the highlight of the camp was the campfire officiated by our Principal, Mr Timothy Goh. The instructors put up a spectacular performance, dancing and goofing around. The groups displayed creativity as they sang, danced and
Final Group Shot. Smile!
cheered their hearts out. It was an excellent closure to the P6 Camp. The friendship, experiences and memories
will live deep in our boys’ hearts for a long time to come.
Track Meet
T
rack Meet 2017 was held on 17 April 2017 at the PESTA stadium. The event started smoothly after the School Rally and Sportsmanship Pledge were recited. The school increased the number of participants per class from 4 to 6 for each event to allow more students to take part in the annual Track Meet. The weather was perfect and we managed to complete half of the events before the lightning alert came on. On 19 May 2017, we held the make-up Track Meet at Toa Payoh Stadium and once again, being blessed with good
1
2
1. Getting ready for the starter 2. Boys reciting the Sportsmanship Pledge
weather, we managed to complete all the remaining events. The boys
had a great time competing as well as cheering for their school mates.
A Proactive Recess – Pokethon!
T
1
2
1. I want to be the very best… Like no one ever was! 2. Not a Pokedex but even better… a Pedometer to ‘catch’ your steps! 36 | St Joseph’s Institution Junior Yearbook 2017
o encourage an active and healthy lifestyle amongst our student population, a new Recess Play programme called Pokethon was piloted to our P2 and P4 boys. In order to complete Ash’s Hero Journey in their achievement cards, boys walk, run or jog around the running oval track to clock up their steps count using pedometers during recess. Prizes and reward stickers were also given to boys who achieved milestones and overall highest steps count!
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2
3
4
5
executive & administrative staff [left to right]
1 Ms Lisa Teoh, Mdm Santha Sathivelu, Ms Dawn Koh, Ms Chui Su Fun [AM], Mrs Linda Tan [Vice-Principal (Academic)] 2 Mdm Fadhilah Hamzah, Mrs Maggie Wee, Mr Edmund Sim, Mr Andy Chew 3 Mdm Sim, Mdm Tey, Mdm Rajaswari, Ms Amutha D/O Murtusamy, Mdm Pauline Thambiiraja 4 Mdm Kalaiavani Lakshmanasamy [ICT Executive] 5 Mr Mohamad Aznam Bin Noor Zaini [TA] 6 Mr Kalimuthu Veerapan [OM], Mr Winston Lim [Vice-Principal (Administration)], Mr Timothy Goh [Principal], Mr Abdul Nasir Bin Aim, Mr Syed Aliff Abdullah, Mr Ronnie Siew
6
Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 37
Making A Mark We must never get tired of doing good because if we don’t give up the struggle, we shall get our harvest at the proper time. Galatians 6: 9
LITURGICAL AND PARALITURGICAL SERVICES CELEBRATED IN 2017
A
sh Wednesday was celebrated in our school to mark the start of the Lenten Season for the Catholic teachers and students on 1 March 2017. A time for trimming the soul and scraping the sludge off a life turned slipshod, the Eucharistic celebration reminded us to make new efforts to be what we say we wanted to be. Three weeks into Lent, on 21 March 2017, a penitential service for the Primary 4, 5 and 6 Catholic students was organised in our school’s chapel. Eight priests were invited to hear our students acknowledging their weaknesses and accepting their limitations as loving reminders to enter into Christ’s strength.
1
On Maundy Thursday, we celebrated the Lord’s Supper in which the Eucharist and priesthood were first instituted with our focus on our Lord’s mandate to love one another as He has loved us. Expressing a concrete action of humility in service, our principal, Mr Timothy Goh, together with representatives of leadership in our institution, washed the feet of parent volunteers and pupils. We thank Mother Mary on the Feast of Her Assumption on 15 August 2017 for having gone ahead and pointed to us the rewards of our efforts and exhorted her to pray for us to be faithful in order to reach our heavenly home. Our school’s traditional PSLE Mass, co-organised by the RME Committee and parent volunteers, was held on 21 August to pray for the graduating cohort. It gave our P6s an opportunity to tell our Creator in song, that despite the difficulties they may face in their preparation for the PSLE, there are ten thousand reasons for their hearts to find to bless the Lord and worship His Holy Name. It was time to thank teachers who, in the words of educator, Henry Adam, affect eternity. The para-liturgical Teachers’ Day Thanksgiving Service on 30 August saw glory, honour, thanksgiving and praise being returned to our Father Almighty in the tradition of the various faiths.
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1. Father Simon anointing the communion ministers on Ash Wednesday 2. Students waiting in line to get anointed during the Ash Wednesday Mass 3. Our principal washing the feet of a parent volunteer during the Maundy Thursday Service
Camp Lasalle
C
amp Lasalle is a Lasallian Leadership Camp for Primary 5 student leaders. It is jointly organised by La Salle Centre Singapore and St Patrick’s School. The objectives of Camp La Salle are to foster an awareness of the values exemplified by St John Baptist de La Salle in fulfilling his mission for education, to practise Lasallian Leadership skills in varying situations faced by student leaders and to interact with student leaders in the wider Lasallian family.
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1. Our boys presenting their ideas at the camp 2. Our boys interacting with participants from other schools 40 | St Joseph’s Institution Junior Yearbook 2017
This year, SJI Junior sent a group of 13 prefects to take part in the camp. During the camp, leadership quality was instilled in student leaders. Our boys worked in groups, taking turns to take charge of individual segments of the activity, thus cultivating teamwork and fostering friendship in the process. Our student leaders learnt that leadership was not just about executing duties and delegating responsibilities. Our boys were grouped with students from different schools to do the assigned activities. They had the opportunity to exchange and view matters from different perspectives. At the end of the camp, the students were then regrouped with their fellow schoolmates at the camp with the task of coming up with a project to improve the school environment.
Inaugural Service
I
t has been a tradition for the school to inaugurate new teachers, non-teaching staff and students into the school. This year, the Inaugural Service commenced with the ringing of the bell as the new batch of Primary 1 students entered the school hall. The ringing of the bell was symbolic, signifying the start of school and in this case, the start of the Inaugural Service. The hall was filled with warm applause as the older boys welcomed these young Josephians into the hall.
1
During the reflection of the reading by Brother Collin, the boys were reminded of a line in their school rally. He urged the boys to reject all that were vile and he encouraged them to do good. He also emphasised that the call of teaching was more than just teaching the syllabus as he urged the teachers to mould the boys into individuals who would contribute to society. After that, new teachers and non-teaching staff were invited on stage to receive their welcome token. A Primary 1 boy from each class was also invited on stage to receive the welcome token. The service ended with the newly inaugurated joining the rest of the school in singing the School Rally.
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1. Mr Kwek ringing the bell to signify the start of the inaugural service 2. The new batch of Primary 1 boys led into the school hall by their Primary 5 buddies
Founder’s Day Prayer Service
O
ur school celebrated Founder’s Day by paying homage to our Founder, St. John Baptist de La Salle and his legacy with a Gospel reading, interfaith prayers and both Teachers’ and Josephian pledges. The simple prayer service was interspersed with Lasallian hymns such as “Glorious Patron” and the crowd favourite, “We are Lasallian”.
Student and teacher representatives saying the Josephian pledge
De La Salle’s legacy lives on and will continue to do so for generations to come! Ora et Labora!
Prize Giving Day
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3
1. Mr Stuart Palmer receiving a token of appreciation from our Principal, Mr Goh 2&3. Our band and choir boys featured during Prize Giving Day
P
rize Giving Day is always an occasion where the school gets together just like attending a family function. Held in conjunction with Founder’s Day on 6 April, Mr Stuart Palmer, Chairman SJI Junior School Council, graced the event as our Guest-of-Honour. Our former teachers, all our stakeholders, our current teachers and boys also added colour to an unforgettable day. The Band, Choir and Dance CCA groups captivated our audience with their spellbinding performances. With the top achievers in the field of Character Development, Academics and CCA honoured, there could be no other happier day for the recipients than the Prize Giving Day. Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 41
founder’s day awards recipients PRIMARY 2 (2016) Name
Class
3rd in Level
Name
Class
Best in Chinese
Lucas Thia Kai De
2 Stephen
2nd in Level Sooriyaa K Yoganathan
2 Raphael
1st in Level
Caeden Kwang Jia Sheng
2 Joseph
Christopher Lloyd Wong
2 Joseph
Best in Malay Language Karl Basil Bin Karl Zubin
Caeden Kwang Jia Sheng
2 Joseph
Sooriyaa K Yoganathan
Best in English Dylan Gabriel Tan Jun Aik
2 Raphael
Best in Tamil Language 2 Raphael
2 Gabriel
Best in Mathematics Yau Zhi Xun, Bryce
2 Gabriel
Ethan Sheh Jurn See (Xie Junxi)
2 Gabriel
Gabriel Khoo Ken Jin
2 Michael
Soh Koen
2 Anthony
Caeden Kwang Jia Sheng
2 Joseph
PRIMARY 3 (2016) Name
Class
3rd in Level
Name
Class
Best in Chinese
Ethan Gabriel Yu
3 Patrick
2nd in Level
Ong Hong Xiang
3 Stephen
Best in Malay Language
Emmanuel Justus Tan Yee Kiat
3 Anthony
1st in Level
Fitri Anwari Bin Roslan
3 Michael
Best in Tamil Language
Shachin Ganesan
3 Joseph
Best in English
Shachin Ganesan
3 Joseph
Good Progress Award
Shachin Ganesan
3 Joseph
Best in Mathematics
Choo Yan Rui Zephyr
3 Patrick
Gabriel Foo Hui Xiang
3 Stephen
Shachin Ganesan
3 Joseph
Morgan Alexander Toon
3 Stephen
Jaden Tee Kai Hian
3 Anthony
Nathaniel Griffin Lim Jun Hao
3 Michael
Neo Zhi Ren, Lucas
3 Anthony
Pateloo Ashokan Teegan
3 Stephen
Best in Science Joshua Ethan Chew Wei Xuan
3 Stephen
PRIMARY 4 (2016) Name
Class
3rd in Level Koh Zer Ray, Ansley
P4-Joseph
2nd in Level Koenig Nicholas Gerard
Tan Kaai Wie Caedan
4 Anthony
Harjas Singh Sidhu
4 Anthony
Best in Tamil Language 4 Anthony
Best in English Tan Kaai Wie Caedan
Class
Best in Malay Language 4 Anthony
1st in Level Tan Kaai Wie Caedan
Name Best in Chinese
S Patrick Raj
4 Stephen
Best in Higher Chinese Language 4 Anthony
Best in Mathematics
Bian Gede
4 Michael
Good Progress Award
Teo Jun Wei, Zavier
4 Joseph
Ethan Cheng Rong Zheng
4 Joseph
Bian Gede
4 Michael
Ian Tan Ming Feng
4 Gabriel
Koh Zer Ray, Ansley
4 Joseph
Jeremiah Noel Lee Weijun
4 Patrick
Loh Yen Kye, Coen
4 Gabriel
Zachary Ilyas Ang
4 Michael
Best in Science Liew Jun Xiang Damian 42 | St Joseph’s Institution Junior Yearbook 2017
4 Michael
PRIMARY 5 (2016) Name
Class
3rd in Level Ong Ding Yao, Freeman
5 Xavier
2nd in Level Dylan Pang
5-Xavier
1st in Level Leong Way Iann Gabriel
Name
Class
Best in Chinese Khoo Jaylen
5 Stephen
Loh Boon Hon
5 Michael
Best in Malay Language Muhamad Ali Bin Manaf
5-Xavier
Best in English
Surendrakumar Sai Roshan
Ang En Rui Keanen
5 Xavier
Best in Higher Chinese
Khoo Jaylen
5 Stephen
Loh Boon Hon
Ong Ding Yao, Freeman
5 Xavier
Best in Higher Tamil
Leong Way Iann Gabriel
5 Xavier
Surendrakumar Sai Roshan
Best in Mathematics
5 Patrick
Best in Tamil Language 5 Xavier 5 Michael 5 Xavier
Good Progress Award
Goh Yi Cheng Nicholas
5 Xavier
Christian Chan
5 Anthony
Surendrakumar Sai Roshan
5 Xavier
Evan Chew
5 Anthony
Theodore Tan Jun Rong
5 Patrick
Yahn Alexander Anesrif
5 Michael
Amos Tan
5 Stephen
Best in Science Leong Way Iann Gabriel
5 Xavier
Best In Foundation Chinese Chow Sherwin
PRIMARY 6 (2016) ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN PSLE Name Linus Lim Jun Wey
5 Michael
Name 6 Xavier
Good Progress Award
Leong Guang Shian
6 Patrick
Matthew Seet Xin An
6 Anthony
Lim Tia Kiat
6 Xavier
Isaac Chew Yee Kah
6 Stephen
Ayush Jayakrishnan
6 Xavier
Isaac James Chee
6 Anthony
Marvin Ng Wen Jie
6 Xavier
Yeo Jian Wen Jame
6 Anthony
Benedict Chua Wei An
6 Xavier
Chin Yew Tong
6 Stephen
Loke Ji Han, Ethan
6 Joseph
Lee Leo
6 Patrick
Joshua Lim Xue Rui
6 Xavier
Koh Ren Wei Ivan
6 Xavier
M Dhivyyarajan
6 Xavier
Lau Tsz Ho Sean
6 Xavier
JOSEPHIAN JUNIOR AWARD 2016 Lim Keng Siong Reuben (6 Xavier) Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 43
THE ST MICHAEL’S EXCELLENCE IN CCA AWARD
Name Nicholas Khoo Wei Jin
CCA Art Club
Class 6 Michael
Name Gabriel Ian Ong Qianzhong
CCA Football
Class 6 Michael
Mowe Zachary Elijah
Art Club
6 Joseph
Travis Wong Jia'an
Football
6 Anthony
Wong Yeh Teng Elliot
Badminton
5 Patrick
Darius Gabriel Wong Chuan Kai
Infocomm
5 Patrick
Madhaik Pratyush
Badminton
4 Michael
Low Zhen Yuan Darius
Infocomm
5 Stephen
Mark Wong Kai Ji
Badminton
4 Patrick
Jonas Chen Hong En
Infocomm
5 Stephen
Tan Jin Xu, Asher
Badminton
4 Patrick
Huang Junxi
Infocomm
5 Patrick
Sin Tze Kit Asher
Badminton
6 Joseph
Liew Jun Xiang Damian
Robotics
4 Michael
Kishan Silvanus S/O Vijay Kumar
Badminton
6 Michael
Asher Jireh Tay Ler En
Robotics
4 Joseph
Maximus Lum Guan Ting
Badminton
6 Anthony
Chong Gene Nathan
Robotics
4 Michael
Alexander Seah Min Rui
Band
6 Joseph
Timothy Tai Wen Yang
Robotics
6 Xavier
Ryann Cheah Ui En
Band
6 Joseph
Khoo Kai Jun Aloysius
Scouts
6 Xavier
Kieran Axl Chuang
Band
6 Joseph
Alexander Chen Ka Keong
Band
6 Michael
Muhammad Seifullah Giri Bin Serfly Scouts Razalee Giri
6 Stephen
Lester Ng Xian He
Bowling
5 Stephen
Robert Samuel Nonis
Scouts
6 Gabriel
Howell Tay Haoyu
Bowling
6 Joseph
Luke Patrick Chan
Scouts
6 Michael
Scouts
6 Xavier
Josia Cephas Lim
Bowling
6 Michael
Koh Cheng Xiang
Isaac Yap Guan Teng
Chess
5 Stephen
Lim Keng Siong Reuben
Scouts
6 Xavier
Swimming
6 Xavier
Ng Minfa
Chess
5 Joseph
Christian Low Tze Hang
Sng Cheng How
Chess
5 Xavier
David Yeong Jie Jun
Tennis
5 Xavier
Julien Christian Tremolieres Xiangkai
Tennis
5 Patrick
Low Siew Fong Anthony
Tennis
5 Joseph
Matthew Wen Jun Johnstone
Tennis
6 Xavier
Brian Tan Zhi Hao
Tennis
6 Patrick
Andrew Lui Ming Jie
Tennis
6 Patrick
Senthilkumar Hariharan
Track & Field
6 Anthony
Sia Ming Cheng
Track & Field
6 Anthony
Tiernan Patrick O'rourke
Track & Field
6 Patrick
Aidan Mark Ong Jie Cheng
Choir
5 Anthony
Ian Tan Yong An
Fencing
P6 Xavier
Muhamad Ali Bin Manaf
Football
5 Patrick
Ng Yi Yong Jeremiah
Football
5 Joseph
Christopher Shane David
Football
5 Joseph
Chew Jia De, Xander
Football
4 Stephen
Tristan Wong Jian Le
Football
6 Patrick
Sean William Smart
Football
6 Xavier
Jakdeev Singh
Football
6 Stephen
Yeo You Shang
Football
6 Patrick
THE DE LA SALLE EXCELLENCE IN CHARACTER AWARD
Name Matthew Goh (Wu Yonghan)
Class 2016 1 Michael
Yee Zheng Xi, Samuel
Class 2016 5 Anthony
Ng Zhi Heng , Shaun
1 Michael
Muharmad Fhrvez Khan
5 Gabriel
Raphael Chan Tiang You
1 Patrick
Ng Minfa
5 Joseph
Dexter Ng Kai Ler
1 Stephen
Edmund Wong Chun Kiat
5 Michael
Caeden Kwang Jia Sheng
2 Joseph
Raphael Low Keen Wai
5 Patrick
Heng Xian Shi Joel
3 Gabriel
Mishael Lee Hansheng
5 Stephen
Shachin Ganesan
3 Joseph
Isaac Yap Guan Teng
5 Stephen
Ethan Gabriel Yu
3 Patrick
Khoo Jaylen
5 Stephen
Javier Yeo Jue Chong
3 Patrick
Leong Way Iann Gabriel
5 Xavier
Jarrod Koh Jie En
4 Gabriel
Ang En Rui Keanen
5 Xavier
Adam Daniel Nomanbhoy
4 Gabriel
Tomoaki Sugai Ler
6 Anthony
Kieran Matthew O'rourke
4 Gabriel
Bazil Bin Bohari
6 Gabriel
Ian Tan Ming Feng
4 Gabriel
Loke Ji Han, Ethan
6 Joseph
Dylan Tan Chuen Wen
4 Joseph
Matthias Elijah Fernandez
6 Michael
Aiden Lau Kei Hung
4 Michael
Leong Guang Shian
6 Patrick
Jarrad Kan Jun Jie
4 Michael
Tiernan Patrick O'rourke
6 Patrick
Jeremiah Matthew Ng
4 Patrick
Kynan Joseph Arokiasamy
6 Stephen
Gabriel Seet Wen An
4 Stephen
Lim Keng Siong Reuben
6 Xavier
44 | St Joseph’s Institution Junior Yearbook 2017
Name
PARTNERS AWARD S/N Name 1 Mr Daniel Nomanbhoy
President
Designation
Organisation 2016 PTA Executive Committee 2016 PTA Executive Committee
2
MrAndrew Lim
Vice-President
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Mrs Jenann Tan
Asst. Hon. Secretary
2016 PTA Executive Committee
4
Mrs Sandra Marie Lim
Committee Member
2016 PTA Executive Committee
5
Mr Fidelis Pang
Hon. Auditor
2016 PTA Executive Committee
6
Mrs Florence Smart
Committee Member
2016 PTA Executive Committee
7
Mdm Peggy Yee Phang
Committee Member
2016 PTA Executive Committee
8
Mr Alrick Dorett
Honorary Treasurer
2016 PTA Executive Committee
9
Mrs Corinna Yip Tan
Committee Member
2016 PTA Executive Committee
10
Mr Perry Lim
Hon. Auditor
2016 PTA Executive Committee
11
Mr Brendon Khoo
Committee Member
2016 PTA Executive Committee
12
Mr Devasagayam Joseph
Committee Member
2016 PTA Executive Committee
13
Mrs Delia Ong
Committee Member
2016 PTA Executive Committee
14
Mr Wong U-Yun
Committee Member
2016 PTA Executive Committee
15
Mr Mark Chin
Chairman
SJI Junior School Council
PARTNERS AWARD S/N Organisation 1 Xin Yuan Community Care 2
Church of St. Alphonsus (Novena Church)
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Archdiocesan Commission For Catholic Schools (ACCS)
4
St Michael’s Soccer Association
5
St Michael’s School Alumni Association
LONG SERVICE AWARD S/N 1
Mdm Chui Su Fun
Name
Years 5
S/N 11
Name Mdm Shirley Ong Shilin
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Mr Sim Hui Yeow
5
12
Mr Anthony Noel Tan Thong Min
15
Years 10
3
Mrs Zarrina Begum d/o Seeni Mohamed
5
13
Mr Boo Choon Kwang
15
4
Pauline Thambiraja
5
14
Mr Lim Siong Heng (Lin Xiangxin)
15
5
Mr Francisco Jeremiah Luke
5
15
Mr Ng Kim Leong
15
6
Mdm Noraishah Binte Abdul Rahim
5
16
Mr Karl Zubin Bin Jumairi
15
7
Ms Salina Binte Mohamed Yusop
5
17
Mr Chew Han Hee, Andy
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8
Mdm Sim Cheow Eng
10
18
Mdm Christine Wong Moi Eng
25
9
Mdm Chan Siam Lee Winnie
10
19
Mdm Santha d/o Sathivelu
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10
Mdm Kuan Poey Han
10
DE LA SALLE AWARD S/N Name 1 Mr Mohamed Fazrin Bin Mazlan 2
Mdm Shirley Ong Shilin
3
Mdm Lim Huei Hsia Grace
4
Mdm Ong Suat Ling Sharon
5
Mr Siew Wai Khong Ronnie
Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 45
josephian junior award
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uest-of-Honour, Mr Stuart Palmer, esteemed guests, Principal Mr Goh, Vice-Principals, Mrs Tan and Mr Lim, parents, teachers and fellow Josephians. Good morning, and Happy Founder's Day. It is a privilege to have been invited back to my alma mater for such a special occasion, and it is with great honour that I stand before you today to receive the Josephian Junior award. Over my 6 years in the school, SJI Junior has become a second home to me. As I walked through the front gates of the school, my mind flooded with many fond memories, which I will forever hold dear to my heart. It feels like it was yesterday when I entered the school as a new, green primary one student. I was small and scrawny, with a slightly oversized uniform hanging off my body, carrying a school bag which probably weighed as much as me. On one of my first few days of school, I got out of my mother's car, enthusiastic to start a new school day. I believe gravity was just as excited as I fell straight backwards and landed on my bum. Little me was struggling on the floor like a turtle flipped on its back, but fortunately,
a teacher who passed by stopped and helped me up from the pavement. Just like how this teacher helped me up from the ground, all my teachers in SJI Junior have helped make me who I am today. They are a group of passionate, encouraging and patient teachers, who helped me up when I fell and held my hand through the toughest of school days. Their motivation gave me courage, and brought out the best in me. Like every preteen boy, friends were of high importance and my journey here would not have been the same without my friends. Shoulder to shoulder, we've been through hardship and happiness, always having each other's' backs. Surviving the immense pressure during my last year in SJI Junior would not have been as enjoyable if not for the fun times we shared. I truly wish that we could spend another year here together, but all good things must come to an end, and life must go on. And of course, I would like to thank my parents, who have been my biggest cheerleaders my whole life. They have moulded me into who I am today, as a son, brother and student, and their undying love, support and encouragement have definitely pushed me to do my best in everything I set my
mind to. If not for them, I would not be here today addressing you. I may be the one receiving the award today, but I would like to dedicate it to all who have helped me in my first journey of education, allowing me to grow as a true Josephian in a school built upon the virtues and values of St John Baptist de La Salle. And lastly, to my fellow Josephians, I might only be a few years older than you, but if I could just give a bit of advice - Work hard, pray hard and play hard and remember to enjoy your time here before it’s too late as no other school will be quite like St Joseph’s Institution Junior. Ora et Labora! God bless and thank you.
RECESS BUDDY PROGRAMME
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t SJI Junior, we offer our Primary 1 and Primary 5 students a programme called ‘Recess Buddies’. This programme has been running a number of years. It is one of the many ways SJI Junior helps our P1 boys assimilate quickly in their new environment, as well as developing leadership skills in our senior students.
For the first 3 days of school, the P5 students accompanied their P1 buddies during recess. The senior boys helped their buddies buy food from the canteen, show them the correct way to queue and return their cutleries to the correct stallholder’s receptacles. The P5 boys also played with them and showed them around the school grounds.
46 | St Joseph’s Institution Junior Yearbook 2017
Hong Bao Presentation
DPM Teo, SMS Alumni Fund Committee, parents, students and teachers
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t was that time of the year again when Chinese families all around the world celebrate Chinese New Year by visiting relatives and married couples giving children Ang Pows (or 红包, pronounced ‘Hong Bao’ in Mandarin). In SJI Junior, we had something similar. Our school’s former students who graduated in the sixties from the then St Michael’s School returned to their Alma Mater on 17 January 2017 to give back to the community. Together with our very own old boy, DPM Teo Chee Hean, the St Michael’s School Alumni Fund Committee came forward to give back to the less fortunate within our SJI Junior community, so that these young Josephians and their families could have a more meaningful Chinese New Year celebration. In our Lasallian schools, our students “enter to learn and leave to serve”. These former Michaelians are a testament to that and we hope and pray that our Junior Josephians learn from them and remember to serve when they leave SJI Junior.
Total Defence Day Observance
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1. End of a hard day’s work 2. Thank you, Mr Police Officers! 3. Where are the car keys? 4&5. Our future law enforcers?
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rom its inception in 1984, Total Defence has celebrated 33 years of continual contribution to the peace and stability in Singapore and SJI Junior joined in by commemorating Total Defence Day (TDD) on 15 February this year. Through a brief yet thought-provoking presentation, our P6 National Education Ambassadors did a splendid assembly sharing based on the theme ‘’Together We Keep Singapore Strong” which focused on ways we can put Total Defence into action in our everyday lives. The highlight for TDD was the visit by the Singapore Police Force. Not only did our boys have the chance to try out the equipment used by the police for controlling riots, they also got to experience what it was like to be in police defence vehicles. In class, the boys wrote thank-you cards to show their appreciation to the police officers and the people they wanted to thank. A meaningful day indeed! Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 47
Project 1:10 Social Studies Learning Journey
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his year, our boys had the privilege of embarking on enriching learning journeys to several places.
The Primary 1 boys went to Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden where they explored the different types of plants that can be used for cooking, making furniture and preventing diseases. Meanwhile, the Primary 2s went to the National Orchid Garden to learn about orchids. Through these experiences, our lower primary students learnt to appreciate the beauty of the parks and practised being mindful of their surroundings.
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Our Primary 3 students made a trip to the Hort Park, where they discovered the wonders of nature through their five senses and learnt the importance of environmental conservation. The P5s made their way to the Asian Civilisation Museum where they learnt about the creativity of the people from ancient China and India and the influence it has on their way of living today. They were provided with the opportunity of interacting closely with the artefacts in
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1. P1 Raphael boys at Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden 2. P2 Anthony pupils ready for a photo! 3. P3 boys at Hort Park
the museum. It was apparent through our boys’ expressions that they had truly enjoyed their learning journeys.
Their excitement was also shared in the journal entries which they wrote.
PRIMARY 4 LEADERSHIP CAMp
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he SJI Junior Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) Department organised a 2-day, 1-night Primary 4 Leadership Camp on 8 and 9 March 2017. This is a milestone programme for every Primary 4 cohort and the students had a funfilled and enriching experience. On the first day, the participants were brought to Sentosa for their activities and they returned to school at night to sleep. On the second day, all activities were conducted in school. The objective of this camp was to equip participants with leadership skills. This involves the boys discovering one another’s potential, leading through servant leadership and applying the learning to their lives as a student.
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In tandem with the 7 habits of highly effective people, leadership skills such as teamwork, motivation, initiative, problem-solving, planning and communication were taught and emphasised during the camp. Every participant was given a chance to lead a group to achieve missions in fun but challenging situations. The reflection sessions after each activity enabled the participants to sharpen their leadership competencies. 48 | St Joseph’s Institution Junior Yearbook 2017
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1. Friends! Please guide me! 2. Jumping for joy!
Prefects’ INVESTITURE
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n 30 June 2017, the SJI Junior community thanked our outgoing P6 Prefects for going the extra mile and providing dedicated service to the school. We then invested 30 new Prefects and reappointed our current P5 Prefects. The Investiture was a momentous and delightful moment for the parents. They were invited to put on the Prefect ties for their children who were newly-appointed as Prefects. In addition, we welcomed 5 new Executive Committee members who will lead the Prefectorial Board for the years 2017 and 2018. We also welcome 2 Deputy Head Prefects, Dylan Tan and Nicholas Koenig of 5 Xavier, and Horatius Koh of 5 Xavier as our Head Prefect. We would like to congratulate all our Prefects on their appointments!
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1. Prefects 2017 2. Head Prefects, Deputy Head Prefects of 2016/2017 and the newly-appointed successors 3. EXCO handover ceremony 4. Our Principal putting on the Prefect’s tie for our new Head Prefect 5. The Prefect Exco processing in Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 49
Prefects reciting the Prefect’s Pledge
HEAD PREFECT’S INAUGURAL SPEECH
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very good morning to Mr. Goh, Mrs. Tan, Mr. Lim, Teachers, Parents and fellow Josephians.
My name is Horatius Koh and I would like to thank my teachers, members of the school staff, friends, family and God for all their guidance and support that has led me to this point. I am grateful for all their time and help in working with me to be a better version of myself. I also want to thank outgoing Head Prefect, Isaac Yap, Deputy Head Prefects, Arthur Chay and Shaun Wong, the Executive Committee and the team of Primary 6 Prefects for all their contributions to the school and the leadership they had displayed throughout their appointments. You will be missed! I would like to share with you a story of teamwork and leadership that has inspired me. In the year 670BC, near the city of Rome, a large army had invaded and was about to cross the only bridge above the river Tiber into Rome. All that stood in its way were a small band of Roman soldiers. The leader of the soldiers told his troops to begin dismantling the bridge while he alone stood in front to hold off the invading army and to give his troops as much time needed to do the work. Enemy after enemy, the Roman leader held back the invading army while his troops worked hard at dismantling the bridge behind him. Over time, the soldiers managed to do this and the leader, on seeing that the 50 | St Joseph’s Institution Junior Yearbook 2017
bridge behind him had been dismantled and knowing that his soldiers and Rome would be safe from the invaders, jumped into the river and swam away. This story to me is about a leader who saw what needed to be done, mustered the courage and convinced his team to do what was difficult but necessary. Equally important was the contribution and hard work of each member of the team and the teamwork involved. Incidentally, the name of the Roman leader in this story is Horatius Cocles. A great leader once said that to be a leader, is to be the captain of the team. Whether the team scores resounding success, it does not depend on the Captain alone. Each member of the team has a decisive role to play, and no team ever wins without good teamwork. The great leader who said this is none other than Mr. Lee Kuan Yew and we all have seen what great teamwork can achieve. Hence, to the newly appointed Deputy Head Prefects, Dylan Tan and Nicholas Koenig, Executive committee, Prefects and each and every one of us in this hall and in this school, I ask for your support and contribution in working together as a team to build a better Josephian community. It is always easier to think only about ourselves, rather than the community, to judge rather than to understand and
do what is easy rather than what is right. When we do fail to be a better version of ourselves, take comfort and guidance from the words of Pope Francis, who pointed out that even though St. Peter committed one of the greatest sins, he was shown compassion, became remorseful and was chosen to be the first Pope. Inspired by this, I ask each and everyone one of us here to help one another to be better versions of ourselves by working with one another with gentleness and kindness, with compassion and empathy. We do this, not for our own sake, but for each other, for the school, the community and the people we come in contact with every day. To achieve this difficult but necessary way of life, we look towards our school motto, Ora et Labora. Thank you.
Green and VIA Committee activities
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he Green Committee and VIA Committee carried out a variety of programmes to promote environmental awareness. At the start of the year, all students from Primary 2 to Primary 6 cleaned up their own classrooms. Some Primary 5 students were selected by their teachers to help clean the Primary 1 classes during their orientation day. To facilitate the Canteen Cleanliness Programme, two students from each class were rostered to take charge of cleaning their class table in the canteen during recess weekly. All students were instructed to clear their tables of the food scraps after they have finished eating. Earth Hour was conducted on 14 July 2017 to encourage the students to take positive actions towards energy conservation. Lights and fans were switched off for the first two periods of the day. Students watched videos to create awareness on the importance of conserving energy during pre-assembly, participated in mini-quizzes and wrote reflections in their I+journal during their Social Studies period. In Term 3 from 10 July 2017 to 14 July 2017, students were encouraged to sort and collect old newspapers, magazines, unwanted papers and books. Students then brought them to school for recycling. Parent volunteers also helped in weighing and bundling the paper-based waste materials that were collected. Certificates were awarded to the classes with collection amounting to 4 kg, 6 kg or 8 kg. Besides this, the staff were encouraged to recycle waste paper in the recycling bins placed in the Staff Room, HOD Room and General Office. As part of the Values-In-Action programme, the Primary 1 and 2 students cleaned up their own classrooms. The Primary 3 pupils visited Hort Park to know more about Singapore and learn about plants and gardening with the context of urban Singapore in mind. The students also learnt about the vast possibilities for Singapore and to do their part to keep it clean. Primary 4 students grew and harvested hydroponic vegetables in school under the Primary 4 Science programme. They
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1. Working together to keep our beach clean! 2. In a queue to weigh waste paper for a good cause 3. What better way to appreciate a garden than surrounding yourself in one 4. Ready with their harvest 5. Listening to the instructions for harvesting hydroponics vegetables 6. Students exploring how gardening can take place on walls
collaborated with Xin Yuan Community Care and delivered the vegetables they have harvested to the elderly staying in the one-room flats in Toa Payoh. The Primary 5 students picked litter at the East Coast Park beach followed by a written reflection in their I+ Journal. To assist the cleaners at the hawker centre and food court, the Primary 6 students helped to return trays as part of their post exam activity. To help reduce electronic waste, students and staff were encouraged to bring discarded electrical and electronic items such as wires, mobile phones, printers, computers and batteries to school and place them in an electronic waste (e-waste) bin located in the school. The programme was part of a collaborative consumer-driven environmental effort
between DHL, StarHub and TES-AMM to help individuals in Singapore to responsibly dispose of their e-waste. As part of the school’s efforts to encourage the pupils to be mindful of the poor, a donation drive was carried out to collect funds for Xin Yuan Community Care, a non-profit organisation, committed to providing regular financial assistance and other forms of therapeutic, health and educational support to elderly and underprivileged children. A donation drive for old and used clothing was also carried out in term 4 to assist the needy. Through all these activities, the school aims to instil in the students a lifelong commitment of care to the community and a sense of awareness of the environment that they live in. Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 51
Green Week
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s part of the school’s effort in teaching our boys to live responsibly, it was the time of year again to promote awareness in environmental conservation by reducing, reusing and recycling of materials.
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In Term 3 Week 3, students were encouraged to sort and collect old newspapers, magazines, unwanted papers and books to be brought to school for recycling. On numerous occasions, parents even drove in and brought in paper from their offices. It was great watching the parents chip in where they could to help their son’s class achieve awards. A very big thank you to the amazing Green Committee members, Parent Volunteers and Green Repreentatives who were very efficient in helping to bundle, weigh, record and collate all the collected paper. We amassed a total of 8374.68 kg. Congratulations also to the following classes of 2017 for achieving their awards: Bronze (4kg per pupil): 4 Anthony, 5 Xavier, 6 Michael Silver (6kg per pupil): 3 Patrick, 3 Anthony, 4 Joseph, 4 Michael, 5 Patrick
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Gold (8kg per pupil): 2 Patrick, 2 Gabriel, 3 Gabriel, 3 Michael, 4 Patrick, 6 Joseph
1. Green Representatives keeping the recycled materials neatly in the holding area 2. A lot to recycle!
Electronic Waste Recycling at SJI Junior
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-Waste is short for electronic waste. This refers to discarded electrical and electronic items such as wires, mobile phones, computers, batteries, etc. It is a collaborative consumer-driven environmental effort between DHL, StarHub and TES-AMM to help individuals in Singapore responsibly dispose of their electronic waste (e-waste). Rapid changes in technology, shorter life-cycles before a product is obsolete, changes in media (tapes, software, MP3) and falling prices have resulted in a fastgrowing surplus of electronic waste around the globe. According to the International Environmental Technology Center of the United Nations Environment Program, only about 20% of discarded electronics worldwide are recycled. Electronic waste contains valuable and scarce but also highly hazardous materials. These hazardous materials include mercury, sulphur and cadmium. The release of such poisonous materials into the environment poses many pollution and health problems.
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Therefore, only certain items can be recycled and deposited in the Recycle Bin include cables, hard drives, keyboards, laptops, modems, mobile phones, printers, telephones, MP3 players, etc. Our boys and the school staff were encouraged to bring in the above electronic wastes for recycling purpose. This programme will continue till the end of the year and the E-waste bin will be placed in school for the boys to participate in the recycling program. Everyone plays an important role in keeping our environment safe and free of pollution.
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1. E-waste bin placed in school 2. A list of things to recycle
52 | St Joseph’s Institution Junior Yearbook 2017
Games Day by Eco-Champs
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n 19 May, our Eco-Champs shared about the 3’R’s (Reuse, Reduce and Recycle) with the school during morning assembly. In alignment with the first ‘R’ (Reuse), toys and games made by reusing plastic bottles were introduced. Our boys even got to play with them during the recesses that day!
Our Eco-Champs comprise: 1. Kenneth Wang (4 Joseph) 2. Javier Yeo (4 Michael) 3. Theodore Koh (5 Joseph) 4. Kaven Koh (5 Patrick)
The Eco-champs’ ideas were very well-received as everyone had a great time playing!
Cyber Wellness Week
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he digital environment has brought about benefits, convenience and opportunities but it has also presented risks and pitfalls for those who are unaware of the Internet’s operating environment. Our cyber wellness programme aims to promote a culture of safe and responsible use among our students when they navigate in cyber space.
The Cyber Wellness Week 2017 was held between 27 March and 31 March. The cyber wellness programme included an assembly talk on cyberbullying and a roadshow to help our students understand cyber wellness issues faced by the world today. Lower primary and upper primary students were tasked to design anti-cyberbullying ribbons and create anti-cyberbullying pledges respectively. During the week, C-Quest, a mobile application, was launched for our boys to access various cyber wellness topics through the games. To enhance our boys’ learning experience, the ‘Better Internet on Wheels’ mobile truck was brought into our school on 20 April. During the half-day event, they learnt about the different cyber wellness issues.
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1. Our boys accessing C-Quest in the library 2. Facilitators explaining to our boys the various cyber wellness topics Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 53
International Friendship Day
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JI Junior commemorated International Friendship Day (IFD) between 3 and 7 April 2017. This year, the focus of IFD was ASEAN. A series of activities were lined up to allow our boys to appreciate cultural diversity and reflect on their roles in embracing others from diverse backgrounds. Our students had the opportunity to immerse and find out more about the culture of ASEAN countries through pre-assembly talks, classroom activities, and activity booths during recess. Through the commemoration of IFD, our boys fostered the spirit of friendship and collaboration with their international peers.
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1&2.Recess activities! 3. Products of the classroom activity 4. Want to play?
Visitors from La Salle Green Hills, Philippines
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1. Look at our sgraffito masterpieces! 2. Mr Joseph Ng conducting an art lesson for our visitors 3. The visitors carefully and skilfully putting the seedlings in place 4. “We’ve planted our very own hydroponics vegetables in SJI Junior!”
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JI Junior welcomed distinguished delegates from La Salle Green Hills School in the Philippines from 18 to 20 January 2017. Our guests were received warmly by our principal, Mr Timothy Goh. During the visit, the delegates attended lessons with our Primary 5 boys. Some of them showed our guests around the school and even shared with them what was good in the canteen. This allowed
54 | St Joseph’s Institution Junior Yearbook 2017
our delegates to get a feel of school life in Singapore. In addition, the La Salle Green Hills students had a chance to try out hydroponics planting, engage in a funfilled Robotics lesson and a mini robotics competition as well as an art lesson of sgraffito where the delegates made drawings by scratching through surfaces.
In the afternoon, the visitors were treated to learning journeys to the Singapore Museum and a ride in the Duck Tour that brought the visitors up close to Singapore’s famous skyline, historical landmarks and gorgeous bay view. The delegates truly had an enjoyable and memorable experience in SJI Junior.
HONG KONG CULTURAL IMMERSION PROGRAMME
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1. The boys having a go at planting vegetables at the Eco-Farm in Hong Kong 2. English Oral lesson in La Salle Primary School 3. The boys having PE lesson with their new friends
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group of 4 teachers and 15 students from Primary 5 and 6 went on a Cultural Immersion Programme to Hong Kong between 24 and 27 June 2017. The objective of this trip was to cultivate skills and values like self-reliance, independence, bond with fellow teammates and foster team camaraderie, to provide opportunities to visit or live in a foreign school environment and to give the boys an opportunity to be aware of and understand the world beyond Singapore. Hong Kong was chosen as an ideal destination primarily due to its rich tradition and historical background. The teachers and students had the opportunity to experience an enriching cultural experience throughout their stay. Their stay included the Morning School Experience and Immersion Programme in La Salle Primary. They also visited the Science Museum, Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Bruce Lee exhibition, Harbourfront Promenade with Symphony of Lights and the Kat Hing Walled Village. Teachers and students also took part in hands-on activities in the E-farm and participated in the Educational Programme at the Marine Mammal and Research Centre at Ocean Park. They also took part in activities like bread-making and learning about organic farming. The teachers and students found the trip to be meaningful and they certainly gained a better understanding and insight into the history of Hong Kong.
Visit by Chang Jia Xiang Elementary School, China
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7 July was a special day for SJI Junior as we hosted new friends from China, LanZhou Shi to be exact. Chang Jia Xiang Elementary School (畅家巷小学) was on an overseas learning trip and decided to pay a visit at our school to learn more about schools in Singapore. Needless to say, we warmly welcomed the visitors, starting with an opening address by our Vice Principal, Mrs Linda Tan. Soon after that, the students were ushered to the Robotics lab to attend a short workshop by our in-house Robotics trainer, Mr Firdaus. While the students were having fun learning how
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1. Exchanging of souvenirs between the two school leaders 2. Students having an engaging Robotics lesson
to complete basic tasks using robots, the visiting principal and teachers were given a tour around the school.
The two schools exchanged souvenirs after the short 2-hour visit. It was truly a memorable experience for both schools.
Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 55
Racial Harmony Day
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1. Can I escape from the tiger? 2. Understanding the process of making first 3. What’s next?
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n collaboration with the Mother Tongue Department’s Mother Tongue Fortnight, the theme for this year’s Racial Harmony Day Commemoration is “Understanding Our Culture and Traditional Snacks”. With our supportive parent volunteers, the students were able to learn and experience various traditional games, and also taste a variety of traditional snacks during their respective recesses. Traditional games include pick-up sticks, hopscotch and marbles. Some traditional snacks which our boys tasted include tutu kueh, vadai, abok abok and many more. As this is the first time some of our boys got to taste various traditional snacks, they held on to their coupons excitedly while they queued up to redeem their share.
National Education Show
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he Primary 5 students were treated to a spectacular National Education Show on 15 July at the Floating Platform in Marina Bay. This year’s theme was #OneNationTogether. The # (pronounced ‘hashtag’) bore semblance to the four interlocking arms depicted on this year’s National Day Parade (NDP) logo, a reflection of our multi-cultural, multi-religious society.
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To kick off the special day, the emcees taught the spectators the mozzie-clap, a choreography segment where we had to clap in sync to the beat to “eliminate” the mosquitoes. This was meaningful as it is symbolic of our Nation’s collective effort to wipe out the mosquito threat which was acute in 2017. Following that, there was an awesome display of army vehicles from the Singapore Armed Forces, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and Republic of Singapore Navy. This mighty display signalled how well-defended Singapore is. The spectators were also thrilled by the simulated terrorist attacks, both on land and in water! It was indeed an eye-opener for most of us. With such a robust defence system in place, we can be assured that terrorists will never be able to invade our country. Later in the show, when the sun had set, the spectators were captivated by performances by students and various organisations. The key message of these performances was the progress Singapore has made by working together.
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Closing yet another chapter of NE Show 2017 was a spectacular display of pyrotechnics that lit up the Marina Bay skyline to inspire our Nation to look ahead with confidence and excitement. We went home that night, happy to have learnt that much more about our Little Red Dot! 3
1. The emcees starting off the show 2. SAF soldiers in action 3. Pyrotechnics show 56 | St Joseph’s Institution Junior Yearbook 2017
Contributed by: Calvin Tan, Caedan Tan, Nicholas Koenig, Andreas Tan, Zachary Lien and Horatius Koh (all 5 Xavier)
National Day Celebration
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1. Left, right, left, right, here we go 2. Our boys dancing along with the instructor 3. Our choir boys leading the school in this year’s National Day song 4. The group of elderly joining us in the celebration 5. Mr Goh, our principal, giving out NTUC vouchers donated by the staff to the elderly 6. Mr Daniel Leong posing for a picture with the elderly after breakfast 7. Primary 1 boys writing down their hopes for future Singapore 8. Primary 6 boys engaged in building their balloon tower 9. 2 Luke posing for a picture after arranging the Singapore pledge 10. “Singapore! My country!”
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ur school commemorated our Nation’s 52nd birthday on 7 August 2017. We started our celebration with a march pass by our Primary 5 Scouts, followed by the National Anthem by our SJI Junior Brass Band. Our male teachers also put on their army uniforms to celebrate NS 50 this year. The boys were in high spirits, waving their handheld flags in the air as Mr Timothy Huang and Mr Gerald Ng led the boys in singing “Home”. Our boys were then engaged in a mass workout and they danced to this year’s National Day song, “Because it’s Singapore”, led by Sports Singapore. The boys also had fun in the classroom playing some team bonding games. While most of the students were enjoying the games in class, a group of 20 prefects, NE ambassadors and 38 elderly from Toa Payoh East – Novena constituency were engaged in some activities. This year we were privileged to have this group of pioneer generation with us for our celebration. The ambassadors played traditional games such as pickup sticks and five stones with the elderly. Finally, we proceeded to the school hall for the final sing-along led by Ms Karen Tan. Our SJI Junior choir also led the boys in the singing of this year’s National Day song. The boys sang with pride and waved their flags to the music. The elderly were also invited to the concert and they joined in by clapping and swaying to the National Day songs. It was a wonderful and meaningful celebration! Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 57
Teachers’ Day Concert
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n 30 August, the EXCO and P5 prefects put up a fun-filled and wonderful concert to celebrate Teacher’s Day. As emcees, Harjas Singh (5 Xavier) together with Wesley Thng (5 Joseph) started off the celebration by inviting Horatius Koh (5 Xavier), our school’s Head Prefect on stage to give a speech on behalf of his peers. The teachers were then treated to 3 exciting games: “Guess the teacher”, “Architecture” and “30 seconds to solve it!” Other performances included an energetic dance routine by our school’s Dance Club members and a hilarious skit prepared by the prefects. To end off the celebration, two of our most Senior teachers, Mr Kheng and Mrs Sheares were invited on stage to cut the cake.
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1. Teachers playing “30 seconds to solve it!” 2. Dance club members performing their dance routine 3. Teachers building a structure using country erasers 4. Cake-cutting ceremony 58 | St Joseph’s Institution Junior Yearbook 2017
Children’s Day
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1. Having a go at the Archer Angel Bible Verses Quiz station 2. Candy Floss Station by the P6 PVs 3. Ping the Pong by the P5 PVs 4. Putting his aiming skills learnt in PE lesson to good use 5. Gift redemption counter 6. The dedicated Mums and Dads who made the event a success!
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n celebration of Children’s Day on 5 October, our boys were treated to an extended recess where they had fun at the Children's Day Recess Carnival organised by the PTA and supported by the Parent Volunteers!
Organised for the 5th year, the 2017 Children's Day Recess Carnival was a joint effort by the PTA and parent volunteers from all the six levels! The love and dedication that went into the planning and setting up of game booths ranging from Bowling, Shoot Out, Pokémon: Gotta Shoot ‘Em All, GOOAALL, Ping the Pong, Archer Angel Bible Verses Quiz, and of course the Candy Floss treat for our boys, was very heart warming! The Dunking Machine, which remained the hot favourite with our boys, was made possible by our School Leaders, PTA Dads and PE teachers who were extremely sporting! Once again, our boys had a memorable Children’s Day celebration this year! Yearbook 2017 St Joseph’s Institution Junior | 59