The Voice 33

of Tanglin Trust School Vol 33 / 2020

Tanglin celebrates in style!

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MCI (P) 094/07/2019

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TANGLIN!

Foreword From Craig Considine, CEO

The editorial for this edition of The Voice was originally planned as an introduction to Tanglin’s 95th anniversary.

I was keen to report on the many and varied celebrations that took place through Term 2 with a particular focus on March 18, the school’s official birthday!

Alas this was not to be, but the content of The Voice is not diminished in its importance; it simply allows a slightly different focus.

In thinking about writing this introduction, I was reminded when passing Pepys Road that my wife has a genealogical link to Samuel Pepys, the diarist of the Great Fire of London in 1666. Considering the family literary connection and my previous focus on alliteration, I thought that any writing regarding this period in Tanglin’s history could be titled The Terrible Tyranny of Tanglin’s COVID-19 Travails! It would aptly describe the challenging circumstances we have all found ourselves in.

The key word there, “travail”, is the lack of human interaction forced upon everyone in Singapore during the current crisis. Who would have thought that our “new normal” would have included social gatherings of zero, masks worn when setting out to the local shopping malls, and closing beaches, in order to curtail the spread of the virus.

Occasions such as Easter really bring home just how lonely it can be in this dystopian existence.

We hope this edition of The Voice will allow you to immerse yourself in the great things that have taken place at Tanglin between December and March. Lifting one’s spirits through reading is part of the silver lining that COVID-19 has thrust upon us – so embrace it, and enjoy this 33rd issue.

In particular, the focus on the school’s

history provides those new to Tanglin with some fascinating insight into the early days of the school and the transformation it has taken over its 95-year history.

We will return to our celebration of the 95th anniversary of the school when we return to normal service soon.

Let us all hope and pray that this is not too far away.

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Contents

VOLUME 33 The Heritage Issue Editor

Mona Bowers, Marketing & Communications

Design Alex Ridley, Marketing & Communications

Photography

- Marketing & Communications - Contributors from across the School Content Contributors

- Caroline Patterson, Marketing & Communications - Tanglin Staff, Students, Alumni and Parents ‘The Voice’ herein refers to ‘The Voice of Tanglin Trust School’ All Students’ year groups referenced in this issue are accurate at time of print.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this issue.

https://www.tts.edu.sg 95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299 Tel: 6778 0771 Email: communications@tts.edu.sg

30 06 Tanglin Talk

Follow us! tanglintrustschool

#tanglintrust

Tanglin Trust School @tanglintrust

08 People of Tanglin

12 Innovative Education • The Importance of Play • Recruiting the Best Teachers in the World • The Evolution of Technology for Learning in the Senior School

12 52 18 Alumni News

28 The Arts

• 3 Generations at Tanglin • Memories of Tanglin • 33 Years at Tanglin

• Meet Tanglin’s New Director of Performance Music • Instilling a Lifetime Interest in Drama

22 Beyond the Classroom • A Journey Way Beyond Learning Subject Content

42 Friends of Tanglin

24 Sport

44 Tanglin Turns 95

• New Sporting Pathways for Tanglin Students • Increasing Activity Levels

48 Wildlife

• Celebration of Nations

• Around One-North

46 Did you Know • Historical facts about Tanglin

52 21 52 Book Worms • Tanglin Reading Express

54 Guess the Baby

50 For the Family

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• Singapore Recipes from our Malay, Indian and Chinese Community

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n i l g n Ta k l a T

Retirement after 27 Amazing Years!

Alumna Publishes First Book Tanglin Alumnas Sophie Aston is the author behind Aggie, a story about a seven-year-old girl who has lost someone she loved very much in her life: her mum. The book is designed to open the lines of communication with young children regarding bereavement.

When working as a teacher, Sophie taught a handful of children experiencing loss which significantly altered their emotional and academic abilities. Sophie discovered she was limited for choice when it came to finding a book that tackled this issue and so decided to write one herself.

Copies of the book are available to borrow in the Infant Library.

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Each term we recognise and appreciate the loyalty and longevity of Tanglin’s staff. Special mention goes to Mr. Wong, who has recently retired after an amazing 27 years!

Congratulations and thank you to everyone for their contribution to Tanglin.

Home Learning Thank you to everyone for pulling together to support our students’ learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was lovely to receive photos of your home schools.

Portal to the Future As Tanglin continually adapts to meet the needs of tomorrow, so must our technology.

With this in mind, the school is preparing to roll out its revamped Parent Portal. Optimised for mobile phone, tablet and laptop use, the Portal reflects the many ways in which we access information and communicate in the modern world.

In the new Portal, each child has their own “dashboard�, allowing parents a quick overview of their timetable,

class teachers, reports and attendance data, alongside quick links to their extra-curricular activities, food card balance and school bus information. As well as having a cleaner, simpler look, the new Portal is more intuitive to use, however and wherever you choose to use it.

Look out for more information about the Portal in Term 3.

Please note, specific details are subject to change before launch.

World Book Day In celebration of World Book Day, 5 March, we were delighted to see wonderful costumes and magical moments across the school as we shared our love of literature. Children took part in photo competitions where they shared photos of themselves reading in unusual places, a book themed baking competition, book swaps and buddy reading!

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People of Tanglin Members of our school community come from all different backgrounds and parts of the world, each with a story that captivates and inspires. Meet some People of Tanglin here.

Margaret Conlon Learning Support Teacher What would your friends tell us about you?

Perhaps… noisy, talkative, energetic with a very strong Kiwi accent!

Tell us about yourself I was born in New Zealand, but my parents were economic migrants from the UK. My husband is English, but his family are from Ireland! We got married in Las Vegas with an Elvis impersonator which was hilarious. We have two children who both now live and study in the UK. What did you do before joining Tanglin?

I lived in London for 25 years. I moved from New Zealand because I wanted opportunities to teach in special education provision. I also spent a year living in Spain, teaching English.

This created my total love of Europe. I arrived without a word of Spanish and left relatively fluent, an achievement I was very proud of. I love that I have lived in so many different places as it has rewarded me with friends from many different cultures and countries. Life has certainly never been dull.

What’s been the most fulfilling part of your career at Tanglin?

There are two. The first is that I get to focus on my educational passion – communication and language development. I get to support Nursery children who may find starting school challenging for a variety of reasons (communication and language, behaviour or emotional challenges, sensory impairments such as hearing or motor difficulties). The second part is teamwork - I work as part of the wonderful Learning Support team. Sharing practice, strategies and ideas are fundamental to our success and we work hard to adopt curriculum and environments within the framework of mainstream provision as well as providing support for families.

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What is your passion outside of school?

Clothing and architecture. I am very visual and love images and exploring the ways things look. This passion helps to stop me thinking about school 24/7, but isn’t always so great for the bank balance!

Hussein Hussaini Lead Technical Art & Aesthetic Executive (Juniors) What does a typical day look like for you?

Every day is different. I’m usually found preparing materials, setting up and supporting the art lessons.

Otherwise, I will be working on displays around the Junior School or doing some design work on my computer.

What’s the best thing about working in a school?

Working with children from many different countries.

What would your friends tell us about you?

That I’m creative and stylish. I’m always in the top three for the Best Dressed competition at our annual staff Dinner and Dance.

What do you enjoy doing after work?

My passion is gardening. It comes from my late dad who loved plants. Recently when my niece visited my condo, she said my balcony looks like Gardens by the Bay. I was very proud!

What are your hopes for the future?

To see Tanglin grow from strength to strength and achieve our vision of being the best school in the world.

Zakaria Mohd Noh (Zakk) Arts Faculty Technical Executive (Senior Music) What did you do before joining Tanglin?

Whilst studying for a Diploma in Music & Audio Technology I worked part-time in a restaurant. It helped me to build my confidence and made talking to strangers less difficult. Later, I served in the Singapore Armed Forces as an Infantry Subject Matter Expert, which greatly built my leadership skills. Following freelance work as an Audio Visual (AV) tech for concerts and conventions with various companies, I joined Esplanade’s Technical Theatre Training Programme where I learned advanced audio, lighting, staging and stage management. At Esplanade, I worked on music festivals, as well as local/international concerts and theatre productions. It was fun despite the hectic long working hours.

What’s been the most fulfilling part of your career at Tanglin?

I run a Music Tech Club CCA in the Senior School. I remember mentoring a student techie who was very nervous during his first concert as a stagehand. A year later, he was

my assistant stage manager for a Senior Ensembles Concert, leading the rest of the techies confidently and making sure things ran smoothly backstage without much supervision. It was heart-warming.

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Kimberly Beeman Head of Senior Library What would your friends tell us about you?

My friends would say that I am talkative, inquisitive and always up for an adventure!

What did you do before joining Tanglin?

I worked as the librarian at a British international school in Bangkok for four years. Prior to that, I lived in New York City for ten years, where I worked in the library at an all-girls school and spent several years as a cookbook librarian at a culinary school. Along the way, I went through a professional culinary programme, became a certified sommelier, and edited and updated a cookbook from the 1940s.

I also used to write articles about vintage cookbooks from time to time.

Tell us about your family?

I am originally from Idaho, in the western United States. I am the oldest of four girls, and I have always loved books and reading. I studied English literature at university. I am joined in Singapore by my husband and daughter. Dan is a designer and developer, and he runs a small poetry press on the side. Harriet is in Year 4 here at Tanglin. We have surprised ourselves a bit, heading into our eighth year abroad with no intention of returning home anytime soon.

What are your hopes for the future of the Senior Library?

I hope to continue my part in creating a culture of reading at Tanglin, as well as helping the students here learn how to navigate and contextualise information. In a world awash in often conflicting and confusing information, I believe that libraries have an essential role to play in preparing students to become informed citizens, readers and researchers.

Declan Martens Sports Executive, Activities & Sport Tell us a bit about yourself I am Singaporean born and raised. Growing up I went to UWC Dover where my mother is a PE teacher and Head of Year. My father is a cricket coach and does a lot of work here at Tanglin. I completed my National Service at the end of 2013 and went on to study in New Zealand for a few years before returning to Singapore and coaching full time.

What does a typical day look like for you?

My day begins with gathering and inputting the results of fixtures from the day before, then checking on the rest of the days fixtures and bus bookings. I am constantly in touch with other schools arranging and adjusting timings and venues. After a quick lunch, I prepare for the busiest part of the day which is after school when all the fixtures begin!

This includes ensuring teams get to the game venue on time, referees and opposition school teams know where to go and making sure all the equipment needed for the fixture is prepared. All the hard work is done once the fixtures begin and I get to watch the sport being played.

What is your favourite sport?

I play a lot of rugby, including for Singapore Cricket Club and Singapore too. I love to coach as well, teaching and trying to grow the game here in Singapore.

Junior Student Council When did you join Tanglin?

Most of us have been at Tanglin since Nursery or Reception, but a couple joined in Junior School.

Tell us about your hobbies?

We each have hobbies and interests outside of school (there’s quite a range!). These include swimming, playing the piano and violin, art, netball, reading, athletics, rugby and gymnastics.

Why did you decide to put yourself forward for the Student Council?

From Year 3 we saw our friends join the Student Council and felt inspired to have a go too.We want to be a big part of Tanglin, to listen to others, put ideas forward and make a difference.

What would your friends tell us about the Junior Student Council?

That we work hard and create ideas to improve school experiences. We’re lucky to be able to show parents around our school. We had to give a speech to our year group to be elected onto the Student Council, so our friends would probably say we’re brave too.

What’s been your proudest moment as a Student Council?

Showing families around the school at Open Mornings. We like answering their questions. It makes us feel like we know the school well and that we’re part of it. We also like working together as a group of students from different year groups and presenting our ideas to important people. Telling our parents about the good work we’ve done makes us feel proud.

Ollie Blakey Year 11 What are your interests?

I really enjoy thrill seeking and film. I have been the vice-captain of the climbing team over the past year and I have helped organise many internal events such as film nights and the ‘Up Cup’. I have really enjoyed this role as I have been able to give back and help create a community for my passion within Tanglin.

What is your proudest moment at Tanglin?

Placing third in a recent climbing competition despite being colour-blind.

Where does your passion for climbing come from?

The need to challenge myself on a non-academic basis. I have enjoyed climbing as it gives me a sense of pride about something I am good at.

What are your hopes for the future?

My ideal job would be working for Red Bull films. I would get to pursue my passion for extreme sports whilst also being in the film industry. I particularly enjoy editing as it gives me the ability to take multiple shots and take something that would have looked random and chaotic at first glance, into something that makes sense and conveys a meaning.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY In Greg Bottrill’s inspiring book, Can I Go and Play Now? he believes that learning is all about the 3Ms - making conversation, mark making (and reading) and mathematics. If you visit an early years’ classroom, you would be inclined to agree that these skills can be delivered in a play-based curriculum.

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We have tried to extend this approach to all our Year 1 and 2 classrooms and have observed that children are able to reach high outcomes across all subjects if they are engaged and able to maintain focus. This is not surprising really!

I often worry that children today lack focus and concentration. But if you watch children, of all ages, play for extended periods you realise they have exceptionally high levels of both. Take a moment to watch siblings at home and you could also see the odd element of conflict resolution, determination and resilience, all punctuated with proper belly laughs and joy.

Play is the way adults also learn something new. Do you get the instruction manual out to sort out your new phone, or do you ‘have a play’?

Similarly, Bottrill says that reading should be joyful, nurturing, warm,

purposeful, gripping and engaging and before we get too anxious about writing, children need quite a developed set of skills such as:

Listening and comprehension Physical core control Instant letter shape recall Sound blending Flow Wide vocabulary Speech clarity Pen grip Purpose (boys particularly need to believe that writing must have a purpose) We should offer encouragement, comfort, patience, empathy, praise, talk, modelling, stepping back and motivation.

It is clear that in order to learn new concepts, the importance of play cannot be overlooked. This is a given in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), but we believe it should go beyond that and our Infant School reflects this belief.

The Link between Physical Development and the Classroom A child’s development in the classroom and their physical development are intimately linked: they develop their physical strength and skills during PE or in the playground, whilst the classroom is the place where they learn to read, write and understand numbers. Research shows children who have more developed gross and fine motor skills have a greater ability to focus and learn, develop their handwriting faster and have a more developed sense of proprioception. The physical feeds the cognitive!

The following activities require no specialist equipment and can be done with your child.

Focus on the fun elements!

1. Animal Movements

Ask your child to think of an animal and show how they move across the floor so you can guess what it might be.

Adopting animal forms on all fours is one of the best ways of developing core and shoulder/arm strength. The England Rugby team adopt animal form movements in their training, and they reached the World Cup Final!

2. Climbing

Climbing helps to develop gross strength, grip strength and the vestibular system (which controls posture, balance, alertness, concentration and stillness). Playgrounds and even clambering over furniture at home offer ample opportunities! The many bouldering or rock-climbing gyms in Singapore also offer courses or clubs for children.

3. Painting

Ask your child to help with painting a wall for example, even just using a bucket of water and a large paintbrush.

The big up and down movements will help with their shoulder and upper arm strength.

4. Obstacle Course

Set up an obstacle course in your living room (using what you have) and time your child. By incorporating climbing, balancing, jumping and crawling through tight spaces they will have fun and develop their gross motor skills and sense of adventure.

References: Galina Doyla (2011); Connell and McCarthy (2014)

By Paula Craigie, Head of Infant School

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Recruiting the Best Teachers in the World Enrichment for every Tanglin student, including opportunities to develop life skills beyond the classroom, is an integral part of life at the school.

Part of students’ education is to encourage an ethos of distributed leadership where they get the chance to take on roles of responsibility from Nursery through to Sixth Form.

For example, in Junior School, elected Class, Year Group and Student Council representatives are crucial in ensuring the views of their fellow students are heard.

Junior Listeners and Student Librarians receive special training, and Junior Photographers and Reporters can often be

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Top 5 words used by children to describe teachers in interviews: Caring Fun Passionate Kind Authentic

seen at school events. All roles from Charity Rep to House Captain are valued.

The roles of our Junior School Class Reps also extend to supporting the recruitment of teachers. As Deputy Head of Junior School 10 years ago, I introduced this component as I felt it was necessary for our children to have the opportunity to feedback on potential candidates.

Now, as Head of Junior School, I am delighted that this process has continued since it began in 2009. Our Class Reps provide incredibly valuable, honest and refreshing insight!

They observe prospective teachers in lesson time and accompany them on tours around the school. Class Reps can interview candidates online and watch pre-recorded videos of interviews, so they have time to consider their feedback and even look at body language. We know as teachers and parents that children are honest and to the point. What we may miss, they will observe and feedback with a new and important perspective.

The qualities children consistently feedback on are the teachers who come across as caring and passionate about their job, but

who are also fun and funny! Children also positively comment on those candidates who they feel would have high standards and expectations from their class, with one child recently commenting that the teacher, ‘wants the children to have a good future.’

This delicate balance is evident throughout their feedback and demonstrates that whilst children want their teachers to love what they do, be approachable, considerate and have a sense of humour, they are not afraid of hard work and expect it! I would call that a win-win.

On page 34, you can read more about professional development for our teachers.

As we look towards 2020/2021, our strategic direction, ‘One School, Exciting Futures’, will continue to ensure that both new and experienced staff are respected, supported and ultimately proud to work

at Tanglin. Thank you to our Junior School Class Reps and the leadership role they play in helping to achieve this.

By Clair Harrington-Wilcox Head of Junior School

The personality and character of a teacher is not always the only thing that is noticed.

On one occasion one of the children enthusiastically commented that the teacher had a ‘a cool beard and he’s not that serious. It sounds like his lessons are going to be really fun and he wants his students to be happy’.

At Tanglin, our aim is to recruit and retain the best teachers in the world.

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The Evolution of Technology for Learning in the Senior School

Leaving Tanglin this summer after 18 years, Steve Morgan was Director of Modern Foreign Languages from 2002 until 2011, when he took the helm of the Technology for Learning Faculty. As he prepares to depart Tanglin and Singapore, we invited him to reflect on the evolution of technology over his time in the Senior School.

2002-2011 From Worksheets to YouTube

A decade of bewilderingly rapid changes in technology in the outside world was mirrored at Tanglin.

Classrooms moved from old-school overhead projectors, whiteboards and TV/ VCR combos to PCs and digital projectors, interactive smartboards and suites of student computers. Teachers went from

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delivering lesson content through writing on the board and using textbooks and photocopied worksheets, to using PowerPoint and sourcing teaching material and interactive tasks from the internet.

YouTube went from being banned in school to being the go-to platform for finding educational materials.

The internet itself evolved from being a place of consumption to a platform for

collaboration and creation and so, with the arrival of Wi-Fi, tools like GoogleDocs became popular with students and teachers alike for co-authoring documents online whilst Edmodo enabled teachers to publish resources and homework requirements that were visible both to students and parents. Media formats seemed to change overnight: Cassette tapes became CDs then MP3s. Video tapes became VCDs then DVDs and then

streaming media. By 2011, Senior School students were all carrying smartphones and had a laptop at home, but only Sixth formers could bring a device to school.

focussed on promoting tools that reinforced the Approaches to Learning and on delivering continuous professional development for teachers.

Alongside the rapid changes brought about by internet access, the adoption of the IB Diploma alongside A Levels meant that pedagogy was evolving, too. We established 5 Approaches to Learning, with the objective of shifting from being predominantly grade and results-focussed to fostering lifelong skills of collaboration, independence and problem-solving.

By 2015, all students in the Senior School had a personal learning device.

Beyond Tanglin, Microsoft launched the Surface 3, an iPad-sized and priced tablet running full Windows, with a kickstand, detachable keyboard, trackpad, expandable memory and, intriguingly, a stylus. With so much of our learning content now being digital, the potential for students and teachers to be able to annotate with a stylus was very exciting. We consequently conducted an extensive Surface trial involving teachers and students from different year groups and visited schools in Australia that had adopted this pen-enabled technology.

2011-2020 The Decade of Devices By 2011, it was clear that all 5 Approaches to Learning would be significantly enhanced if students had access to their own devices in school. We wanted portability, all-day battery life and audio/ video recording capabilities, so we settled on Apple’s iPad. We specifically rejected laptops as we did not want typing to replace handwriting.

Between 2012 and 2015, we incrementally rolled out iPads to students between Years 7 to 11, regularly sharing examples of the positive impact this had across the curriculum and running sessions for parents on “Living with the iPad’’ to foster discussions around appropriate home use.

The newly-created Technology for Learning Faculty, supported by staff ‘champions’ from core curriculum areas, stayed

In addition, Microsoft launched a piece of free educational software called OneNote Class Notebooks, digital ring binders in which teachers could deliver learning content accessible to students on any device. Uniquely, with each student having a private work area in the notebook that was nonetheless visible to the teacher, we suddenly had a one-stop solution for digitally distributing and collecting assignments and giving highly personalised pen or voice feedback. We selected a small group of teachers from different subject areas to trial this software and their enthusiasm triggered massive adoption

across the school. Now in its fifth year, OneNote has become the solid core of how teaching, learning and feedback is conducted in the Senior School.

In light of the positive trial feedback from students, teachers and Governors, we became a BYOPED (Bring Your Own Pen Enabled Device) school. Students could choose an iPad or Windows device, provided it had a keyboard and stylus. We also replaced teachers’ desktop PCs with a Windows pen-enabled device, allowing seamless workflow, editing of work in real time, delivery of bespoke lessons and improved communications between staff and families.

2021 and Beyond…

We will continue to constantly review our provision. In the short term, the Senior School will complete the process of moving its learning ecosystem into the Microsoft cloud, replacing Edmodo with Microsoft Teams, a fully integrated file, assignment and communication platform. Beyond that, we are likely to see more augmented and virtual reality use-cases for education and will certainly hear much more about Artificial Intelligence and the power of Big Data. Whatever the future holds, Tanglin’s teachers and students are confident and creative users of technology, and will, no doubt, continue to embrace those tools that enhance teaching and learning.

By Steve Morgan, Technology for Learning

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Generations at Tanglin

It’s not often that you meet a relative of one of the first five students to attend Tanglin School when it was founded at the Tanglin Club in 1925.

So, when Rosie Montefiore, daughter of Dr. Charles Wilson, attended our Singapore Alumni Event in October 2019, we were keen to find out more.

Tell us about your father?

My father was born in Kuala Lumpur. His father was a civil servant who moved to Singapore as a local magistrate. They lived on Goodwood Hill in a beautiful black and white house. My father went on to become a General Practitioner and returned to Singapore in 1947 after World War II. He retired in 1978.

What do you remember of Tanglin’s founder, Miss Griff?

Her hairstyle. She always wore it in a bun.

In 1958 when she retired, my father and Laurette Shearman, two of the original five students, presented her with leaving gifts.

I was also delighted to present her with a bouquet of flowers.

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Above: Rosie and her siblings in 1957 Right: Rosie and Miss Griff in 1958

You also attended Tanglin. What are your some of your fondest memories?

I started at Tanglin School on Holland Road when I was three years old. The school was based in army barracks near the Botanic Gardens towards Holland Village. It was a small school with just one class per year group. We wore a brown and yellow uniform.

In the 1950’s the school rapidly expanded and opened a temporary second campus at Orange Grove Road. It was so much fun.

We had wonderful times playing outside in the great weather. In 1961, most of the students moved to new premises in a splendid black and white bungalow called Matheran on the corner of Tanglin Road and Jervois Road.

After school we would regularly visit the Tanglin Club for swimming. I took part in

many competitive races. On Sundays we would enjoy a curry lunch at the Tanglin Club which was followed by film showings on the open verandah in the early evening.

My three brothers (John, Patrick and Alan) all attended Tanglin School too, however, they moved on to boarding school in

Above: Rosie and her brother, John, at Orange Grove Road England at age 8 years as was usual for boys in those days.

Every two years I would return to Scotland for six months and I recall being told I was further ahead in my studies than the other children. At 12 years old I moved to Cheltenham Ladies College to complete my school education.

Why did you choose to return to Singapore?

In my early twenties I returned to Singapore as my parents were still here. My son attended Tanglin Infants from 1982-84.

He was one of the first third-generation Tanglin students ever! We then moved to Korea, the UK and Hong Kong. When, in

1996, we had the opportunity to move back to Singapore with my husband’s job, there was no doubt in our minds whatsoever.

What does Tanglin Trust School mean to you?

Quality, fun and amazing memories.

“Loving the actual learning is much more important than just plain studying...”

What major changes have you seen at Tanglin?

I went to school by mule and now you have air-conditioned buses. The school has expanded greatly, and the uniform has changed a lot.

What did you do after Tanglin?

In 1999, four Tanglin students were fortunate to interview Dr. Charles Wilson when he visited the school. Here’s a snippet from his interview.

What was Tanglin like in 1925?

There was one classroom initially with five children and we quickly went up to eight. Our uniform consisted of white shirts and khaki trousers. The day ended much earlier, around noon.

I went to Prep School in Belfast, Ireland, and then I studied Medicine at Trinity College, Dublin. I joined the Navy in World War II and also learnt to fly.

What piece of advice would you give to our students?

I really enjoyed Tanglin because I think the whole learning experience instilled in me a great love of learning. Loving the actual learning is much more important than just plain studying, and it will make life at school much easier and very enjoyable.

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Memories of Tanglin

Above: Aged 3 years

It’s always nostalgic and interesting to hear from our Alumni who went to the Cameron Highlands School set up

by Anne Griffith-Jones in the 1930s. Most of our Alumni who went to the school then are now settled in various parts of the world and sadly we have lost touch with a few.

But occasionally when we do hear from someone who went to school then, we make a huge effort to reconnect and where possible have them share their memories of Tanglin. Therefore, it was a wonderful surprise when Alumnas, Dorothy Weigel (Webber) reached out to us through a family that have children at Tanglin - to not only contact us but deliver by hand a whole file of her original drawings, photos, letters and school reports from her time at Cameron Highlands!

Now based in Sydney, Australia, Dorothy is 85 years old. In the file was a note to us, recounting the time she spent at the school. She remembered how as a 5 year old, her parents sent her to the boarding school. She took the overnight train from Singapore to Tapah, Malaysia (some 500km away) where she and other children were met by teachers and taken by coach to Cameron Highlands, another 60km away.

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Left: Aged 6 years at Tanglin Nursery School Below: Aged 5 years with her mother and sister

Along the winding road up the hills, the children were wary of indigenous men hiding amongst the trees with blow pipes!

We are thrilled Dorothy offered to share this and her personal artefacts with us.

We will certainly archive these precious memories so they can be shared with the community of Tanglin in years to come.

33 Years and Counting

Several of Tanglin’s bus uncles and aunties have been supervising our children’s travel to and from school for many years. We were delighted when Mr Tan shared a photo of his first job as a school bus driver. Following in his father’s footsteps, a bus driver at Tanglin between 1977-2000, Mr Tan has covered similar routes across the island over the past 33 years. The best bit of his job is feeling a part of the school community, forming bonds with families and especially seeing children progress all the way from Nursery to graduation.

Top: Mr Tan, pictured today, started driving Tanglin’s buses at age 21. Above: A snapshot of Mr Tan’s bus from 1987.

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A Journey Way Beyond Learning Subject Content

From Nursery through to Sixth Form, we embed service into students’ experience. In every students’ journey, there are opportunities for meaningful engagement with the local community and the world beyond. The school’s CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) programme in Sixth Form is one such example, where students participate in independently managed, experiential learning beyond the curriculum.

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“

There is a journey that takes place away from defined subjects and lessons in school. A journey that is focused on: developing new skills; challenging yourself physically; offering your time and energy to serve others; planning and embarking on adventurous journeys; knowing when to lead and when to follow; knowing when to collaborate, and when to call upon your own reserves and resilience. Our annual Beyond the Classroom Awards ceremony gives us the opportunity to recognise and celebrate this learning.

Allan Forbes, Head of Senior School

”

Lakeside Student Care Saloni, Year 13

“Helping students at Lakeside with their homework, playing games with them, and organising small workshops and activities for them has brought me immense happiness. While an extremely fulfilling experience, it was challenging. We needed to adapt our approach (and increase our patience levels) to engage and improve some students’ participation. By the end of the project we felt we had connected with each student – they helped us grow as much as we helped them.”

2020 English Project Suprita, Year 13

“The ability to communicate confidently is very important to me. I chose to invest my afternoons in the 2020 English Project, an initiative to bridge the language gap for housekeeping staff at Tanglin. Initially I was a bit overwhelmed as I had no prior experience in teaching. With input from my teachers I created simple and meaningful lesson plans.

As I slowly progressed, I could see my increased enthusiasm being met by active participation. While I taught her English, she in turn taught me valuable lessons of life: grit, simplicity and compassion. Choosing 2020 English for my CAS service this year has been the most enriching experience. Filled with immense gratitude, I can say that there is nothing better than finishing my day knowing that the one hour of English I’ve taught has made a positive difference in someone else’s life.”

Each year CAS students: • Work with over 30 local organisations • Commit 20 hours minimum to each CAS project.

Helping Hand Kae-Rene, Year 13

“I led the Helping Hand project for over a year. This school-based initiative provides migrant workers with the support and resources they need to pursue their hobbies. We organised fundraising events, including a successful book drive, and we worked with the wider Tanglin community to promote the initiative. I learnt to balance my studies with the project, splitting workload with teammates, regularly communicating progress and managing deadlines. The project enhanced my perception of the employer-employee relationship. After talking to the workers, I discovered that the relationship is one of care and trust. This was extremely moving for me. It made me question my assumptions and realise the importance of gaining alternative perspectives.”

Gurkha Project, Amy, Year 13

“I wanted to show thanks for the sacrifices the Gurkhas make, so I supported ten children with reading and adjusting to life in Singapore, by teaching origami. My interactions with the Gurkhas have changed my perspective; I have seen their impressive toughness and their overwhelming gentleness – to their children and me. My experience encouraged me to always have different cultures around, socially and professionally. I learnt more from them about integrity and fun than I have taught.”

Bridge Project, Heddwen, Year 12 “In November 2019, we collaborated with 10 inspirational students from the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Education Institution (TSWREI) to host an evening of inspiration and innovation, ‘Our Ripple in the Ocean’, in collaboration with the Bridge Institute, aimed to create an interactive platform for discussion on how to tackle poverty and plastic consumption.

Seventy business leaders from global corporations attended. We introduced them to the work of organisation Head Held High, who educate 18 year olds within 6 months, to near graduate level capability, giving them employable skills to support their families. This 1-for1 programme ends with setting up the person with a professional job in one of India’s blue chip organisations. It was an amazing night full of fun challenges and motivational stories and it felt incredible knowing that I had played a small part in a significant change.”

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New Sporting Pathways for Tanglin Students As part of the continued focus to raise the standards of skills and performance across sport at Tanglin, new Heads of Football, Netball, Touch and Rugby have been introduced.

Their roles will be to design, manage, lead and implement world leading programmes that support the development and performance of all students at Tanglin from 3-18 years.

Work is also underway to create the strategic development of recreational, development and performance (competitive) talent pathways for all students at the school. This is to ensure that Tanglin has a succession of talented sports players in the future who are continually developing to reach their full performance potential. An all-inclusive programme will enable students to participate and learn in the appropriate pathway so that each individual will experience the physical, social and psychological enrichment that each of these sports has to offer along with their

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personalised developmental journey.

As a result, Tanglin can implement a more integrated and aligned sport, athlete and coach development framework across each of these sports. This will also ensure a higher level of quality assurance in our coaching delivery as seen through the improved learning and performance of our athletes.

Additionally, the strategic whole school focus on improving individuals’ ‘athletic development’ improves an athlete’s capabilities to participate and excel to be their best.

These improvements are accompanied by increased opportunities to engage in playing sport and to perform through new purpose driven competitions that underpin the development of our Tanglin athletes.

In Netball, Singapore National Coach Lin Shuangru and ex National player Li Ling

ran a high-performance netball skills clinic to our U12/14 Netball girls as part of a fourweek programme in the Senior School.

High levels of intensity are needed by players to learn and perform during these dynamic sessions. The purposeful nature of the clinic encourages players to practice their skills under game pressure. The intent to perform and improve is evident. At the end of the sessions, all players are mentally and physically fatigued having made many decisions and netball actions. Further skills-based clinics with high performance development coaches will be introduced for Football, Rugby and Touch. These sessions raise new expectations of what is possible if we practice purposefully and with intent.

Players are engaged and their commitment to be the best they can be is evident when they are in the right environment.

By Richard Shuttleworth, Sport & Methodology Director

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Increasing Activity Levels

Teachers are faced with making hundreds of decisions a day. To do this well, decisions are informed by knowledge – gained over years of experience, engagement with learning theories and the general principles of good teaching practice.

BUNNY HOP BENCH

BALANCE BEAM

MATS

START

Activity 4

Hall 2 Tues & T at 12:30p

BUNNY HOP BENCH

S I D E

SIDE-STEP TO FINISH LINE

D O O R

CROCODILE CRAWL

FINISH

START

Activity 3

YR1 CT FMP PLAN 1

TIP-TOE TO FINISH LINE

FINISH

D O O R

New Plan

Hall 2 Tues & Thurs at 12:30pm

MONKEY WALK

FINISH

S I D Activity 2 E

START

The picture above shows the old and new plans side by side. The old plan on the left was highly structured. Children waited to have their turn on the traffic light spots and only the catching activity at the bottom had all children participating at the same time.

At best, 15 children would be moving at the same time with nine sitting and waiting. The plan on the right allows for 12 children to be constantly moving around the outside of the space completing movement challenges. The space left in the middle is for the other half of the class to work on hand/foot-eye coordination challenges.

Therefore all 24 children can be active at any one time.

Activity 1

YR1 CT FMP PLAN 1

START

Whilst on a learning walk earlier this year, I had a chance to watch a PE lesson developing fundamental movement skills (FMS). The class teacher was doing a great job, carefully following the plan that had been provided and the children were performing a variety of skills and movements that are beneficial when building the foundations of athletic ability.

The issue was that in the time they had, the children were spending a large proportion of it waiting for their turn. Therefore, the challenge was to see what changes could be made to increase the amount of time the children spent active during the lesson.

I sat down with the teacher to redesign the lessons ensuring key FMS remained whilst also improving overall time spent being active.

Old Plan

FINISH

What I am working on

HOP TO FINISH LINE HEAL TO TOE

PMP BOXES

CROSS PATTERN WALK BALLOON THROW & CATCH

Activity 5 D O O R

D O O R Notes For Joe:

areNotes insufficiently active. With limited space For Joe: STATION 1: Please use anti-sliphere mats under ladders and high rise living in yellow Singapore, the STATION 2: If no beam, please use an up-side-down bench STATION 3: As plan we live in is not as conducive environment STATION 4: As plan STATION 5: Please leave spot with each balloon ball to children being physically active in their free time, therefore, it is imperative that we make the most of the time we have here in school.

Impact on learning

What the research says

To support this redesign, I sat in on two classes and recorded the time spent active and inactive in both lessons by monitoring one child from each class. The sample size is obviously very small, however it was clear to see the changes had a big impact on the amount of activity taking place.

It’s no secret that in general, activity levels are on the decline. WHO statistics suggest over 80% of adolescents and young people

Incredibly, with the old style of lesson plan the children were almost inactive for half of the lesson. This dropped to just less than a

Extra equipment:

x balloons quarter12 thanks to the changes in design.

12 x balloon balls 12 x dodge balls

What I’ve noticed Just through observations the differences were clear. The children were out of breath, sweating and completing far more repetitions of the hand/foot eye coordination challenges. As a bonus, because there was less waiting around, they were also more engaged and focused during the lesson. We have now adapted all the previous plans to maximise activity levels during the class teacher PE FMS lessons and it’s great to see how a small change in design can have a big impact on the amount of physical activity.

By Joe Moriarty, Head of Infant PE

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Meet Tanglin’s New Director of Performance Music He’s an opera-loving, Harlequins’ rugby fan who believes music is for everyone. Meet our new Director of Performance Music, Michael Holiday.

What experience will you bring to Tanglin?

Having worked at The Perse School, Cambridge; Trinity School, Croydon; and City of London School for Boys before that, I have high aspirations for all students, as well as a reasonableness and acknowledgment that no part of school life can stand aside or above another. I think the key feature of a school’s co-curricular programme is that it should be visionary and ambitious, alongside being practical and seeing itself as part of a bigger picture involving academic study, pastoral care and of course social time. It is imperative that these areas aren’t seen to be in competition with one another, with students caught in the middle and consequently suffering. Most research and anecdotal evidence tell us that young people who have passions and interests beyond academic study are often happier, more fulfilled and ultimately more

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“Music is for everyone. In its own right it is a great source of joy and creative possibility, but it also has the potential to lead to many great things both inside and outside of music.”

successful. Crafting space in a busy and dynamic school for all these passions and interests is about working collaboratively across the school, ensuring all students have breadth and balance in their education. Tanglin is a vibrant environment that follows these principles, yet there’s no harm in regularly reflecting on these ideas and constantly striving to improve; children and young people should have a broad set of passions during their time at school, enabling them to develop into the best version of themselves.

You mentioned ‘breadth and balance’.

How can this be achieved in practice?

Students at Tanglin are academically engaged, and are also encouraged to participate in the arts, sport, and cocurricular activities. Any student should be able to benefit from making music whatever their ability, and the school must ensure that the most able are constantly challenged and motivated by working at the highest level. Inevitably there will be pinch points at various times, where one area must take priority, and we have a responsibility to ensure that children aren’t overloaded. Working closely together as a team across disciplines, staff can support individuals. Having said that, pressure should not be seen only as a debilitative force to be avoided at all costs, but also harnessed and used as learning opportunities so that students feel prepared for whatever faces them in the future.

The Director of Performance Music position is new to Tanglin - can you explain more?

I aim to build on lots of great music that is already happening at Tanglin. Music is a gift to a child and should be extended to as many of our community as possible.

Music is also not just about playing an instrument or singing in a choir as it plays a key role in developing transferable skills to be used across subjects and beyond school life: joy, self-expression, creativity, teamwork, presentation, discipline, grit, confidence and organisation.

I’m looking forward to working with children from 3-18 years and exploring how we can build on the trajectory of music throughout the whole school.

We currently hold 485 instrumental music lessons each week.

What is your vision for the programme going forwards?

I would like to gradually expand our instrumental music programme. Your school years are the perfect time to expose yourself to new things; one person may only play an instrument for a relatively short period of time, whereas another could find an interest for life. So, yes, I would like to open more opportunities for more students to potentially find and then develop their passion in music.

This is your first overseas posting.

What are you most looking forward to?

The different environment of an international school – there’s a wider variety of cultures, but most of all working with a bigger age range and helping to lay musical foundations at an early age.

Fast Facts: Born: Douglas, Isle of Man. Most recently lived in London First job: A summer job as a furniture removal man Favourite instrument: Voice. it is definitely an instrument!

Favourite piece of music: Often changes, but currently Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony Other interests: Rugby (more watching than playing these days), opera and hosting dinners.

Can you tell us one change that we can expect in the coming year?

Hopefully there’ll be even more students singing across the school, be it in music lessons, assemblies, choirs and of course performances.

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Instilling a Lifetime Interest in Drama 30

The theatrical experience is evanescent, it is a momentary, shared, live encounter. Theatre exists in a precise moment in space and time where the relationship between the audience and the performer can never be repeated.

door to a range of theatre styles, practitioners, and traditions from all around the world.

Dr Jennifer Hartley, is a playwright and specialist of ‘Theatre of the Oppressed’. She introduces Year 12 students through their Confessions performance, to an experiential performance where the traditional divides of actor and audience are broken to create an immediate, urgent and sometimes intimidating experience.

“Working with Dr Hartley has really spurred me into performance mode so early in the A Level course. She really helped me with expression and to perform using audience participation.” Amelia, Year 12 Another regular visitor has been Mark Hill, a physical theatre expert, sharing his knowledge through practice of Anne Bogart’s Viewpoints and Tadashi Suzuki training methods as well as sharing his expertise from his time with the Australian theatre company, Zen Zen Zo. “Mark has brought the drama class together as an ensemble through communication and awareness. We learnt how to kinaesthetically respond, listen to each other, work, cooperate and support one another through his physical exercises.” Justine, Year 12 During their week in school, Gecko Theatre worked with nearly 100 students from Years 10 and 12, making new work and expanding students’ devising techniques.

Reflecting on what she had learnt from the visit, Chyna, Year 12 concluded:

Students performing coursework for the first time can be disappointed by small mistakes such as lost lines or missed timing. However this is not what teachers are assessing - we are assessing live performance skills, not memory skills.

Did students reveal they had missed a line or did they carry on sustaining their character and use the mistake positively to enrich and empower themselves in their roles to tell their stories passionately? The adrenaline created by this ‘liveness’, with actors thinking in the moment, creates a very special energy for both performer and audience.

This is especially true when we invite visiting artists into school to work with students. Every year, we experience amazing opportunities to work with so many visiting theatre professionals. They shape the high standards, creativity and versatile expertise of us all by widening the

• • • • •

Don’t doubt yourself Be brave Think outside the box and work with more abstract physical theatre Listen to other people’s thoughts, ideas and interpretations The more outgoing and approachable you are, the more likely you are to build stronger relationships with others, and therefore produce better theatre.

Visiting artists have also aided our school productions. Last year, the cast of We Will Rock You spent two days with Noel Sullivan and James Bennett, both West End performers. As Angus, Year 11 said: “Our rehearsals helped us transform our school show into a West End production.

Their choreography sessions and one-toone sessions enabled me to play Galileo to the best of my ability and gave us all the skills we needed to make the show amazing.”

January France, Senior Drama teacher has been at Tanglin for 12 years. In that time, she has worked with many theatre innovators, artists, actors and directors.

“Our Artists in Residence inspire students, widening the door to a range of theatre styles, practitioners, and traditions from all around the world. I strongly believe that it is these experiences that also help to shape the high standards, creativity and versatile expertise of the drama department.

In an international setting, it has been exciting to connect to our cultural roots here in South East Asia, bringing in local artists. We have had the honour of Wayan Kulit Dalang, Nanang Hape, from Yogyakarta visit us for five years running.

Wayang Kulit means “shadow from hide” and the Dalang manipulates carved leather figures, traditionally from the Ramayana or Mahabharata, using a flickering lamp to bring shadow characters to life.

Nanang performed and conducted puppet workshops informing us of the religious, cultural and historical context. Students were in awe of the idea of a performance running for 10 hours beginning at 9.00pm and ending at sunrise, and the multi-skilled Dalang, who not only acts like conductor of the gamelan, but must change his vocal qualities instantaneously as he is the voice for up to 30 characters.

When I reflect on Nanang’s time at Tanglin, it is the small things I cherish the most.

Seeing our Indonesian students’ eyes light up, nod knowingly as they make wonderful connections to their own culture and family traditions, and acting as translators for the rest of their peers!

By having practitioners join us from around the globe, students can appreciate and understand the wonderful diverse world around them, encouraging our young students to develop empathy, appreciate and accept differences whilst being inquisitive about theatre.

By Kate Edwards, Head of Drama & January France, Senior Drama

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A suicidesafer community At Tanglin, we constantly seek to reflect on and build the capacity of our staff, students and wider community.

Sometimes this means giving thought to topics that are uncomfortable, like suicide.

direct talk about suicide reduces the risk of suicide.

We began delivering regular training in the internationally recognised SafeTALK and Suicide is an issue which touches most ASIST programmes (by LivingWorks), which of us in our lifetimes through the loss of aim to build a community of alert helpers family, friends, or acquaintances; celebrity who can intervene to help keep a person at suicides, media footage, books or TV shows risk of suicide safe. SafeTALK is a half-day about suicide; directly witnessing suicide training, which supports people to become incidents; or having thoughts of “suicide-alert helpers” and connect people suicide ourselves. with thoughts of suicide with ASIST-trained caregivers. ASIST is a two-day workshop Thoughts of suicide are common; designed to equip caregivers with skills to approximately 5% of the population (1 in recognise and help people having thoughts 20) will experience thoughts of suicide in of suicide. any one year, and up to 80% of adults will experience thoughts of suicide in their Our training and expertise has been shared lifetimes. We knew we wanted to create a with teachers and support staff in all three suicide-safer community both in our school schools, and also with business support and in our wider network, and that this staff, parents, students, and colleagues started with de-stigmatising discussion and from other international schools in training. Research tells us that open and

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Singapore, and across our international schools network in the Asia-Pacific region.

Evaluations are overwhelmingly positive, and many participants report using the framework with family and friends as well as in their professional roles.

12.2% of our staff and 15% of our Sixth Form students are SafeTALK trained Comments from workshops have included: •

“Bringing this topic into the school community is another fantastic proactive idea by the school and I am delighted to be aware and prepared for this subject should I come across anyone in the community or beyond that I can help.” (Parent)

•

•

“I feel much more empowered to be able to have a dialogue with somebody with suicidal thoughts. It was extremely effective and built my awareness and confidence levels.”

(Staff) It has helped me overcome my own stigma regarding talking about suicide openly. It has also enlightened me with identifying people in need of help. I think it was very informative and this programme should be integrated in more school curriculums.” (Student)

18.6% of our whole school community are trained in ASIST Comments from ASIST workshops include: •

“It prepared me for helping a person

•

at risk and gave me access to the correct procedures and language to use. This has definitely increased my confidence in my ability to help people at risk. The trainers were really helpful and allowed for a safe environment to practice the procedures and discuss the issues.”

“I haven’t really considered what /how I would approach such a situation before. The training was immense and intensive and brilliantly delivered and I feel so much more equipped to help.”

Due to the nature of the workshops it is not surprising that sometimes people who attend are seeking help for themselves. On some occasions, it has been necessary to perform a suicide intervention with a participant who was having thoughts of suicide. We know therefore that simply running the courses has saved lives.

Traditionally the topic of suicide has been taboo. In Tanglin we are challenging that; because open and direct conversation about suicide safeguards both adults and children. We are confident that we have created, and continue to strengthen, a suicide-safer community.

If you are having thoughts of suicide, please look for the green sticker around school which shows someone is ready, willing and able to talk about suicide.

Additionally, Samaritans of Singapore offer a 24hour confidential service on 1800-221 4444.

Suicide.org gives international helpline information so you can get help wherever you are in the world.

By Clare Lancaster, Educational Psychologist

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Living Heritage Professional Development at Tanglin Trust School.

What is a living heritage? In 2003 over 150 countries signed the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Prior to 2003, much of UNESCO’s protection of heritage had been focused on buildings, gardens and artefacts. However, heritage is more than just a window into the past, it is also about how we understand and find meaning in our present and future. UNESCO calls this a ‘living heritage’ which is transmitted through practices, expressions, knowledge and skills.

I love this idea of a living heritage, that our identity as a community is strengthened not by continuing what we have always done, but by learning from and building on what has come before and reimagining it in response to the present. For me, a central part of Tanglin’s living heritage is ‘Our People’ a staff body including a diverse range of roles from teachers and technicians to administrators and housekeeping that embody our school values, who learn and grow alongside our students.

A Dynamic Learning Community The Tanglin vision states that ‘We aspire to be the best school in the world with a dynamic learning community which nurtures and inspires every individual to be the best they can be.’ It is no accident

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“This heritage provides communities with a sense of identity and is continuously recreated in response to their environment.”

UNESCO, 2003

that the vision does not include a specific reference to children or students. Part of our living heritage is a culture of learning that applies to every single person in our community, we want everyone to keep learning!

The final part of the school strategic plan, ‘Our School, Exciting Futures’ focuses on the development of ‘Our People’. My role as CPD Director is to work with teams across our school to make sure that every member of staff has access to opportunities to learn and grow. Our students are better learners because we strive to be better learners.

One of the challenges we face is balancing the needs of the individual with the needs

of the school. One of the ways we have been able to achieve this is through the Support for Further Education Programme.

This enables staff to apply for grants and time to support courses and study that are not directly linked to their specific roles in school, yet develop their interests, skills and experience which inadvertently contribute to school life. This year, applications included funding to support delivering research at international conferences, music production courses and time to complete PHD research. We were also able to provide funding and study leave to seven members of staff completing master’s degrees with topics as diverse as Global Challenges and Sports Coaching. We want to support all staff who commit to the process of lifelong learning.

to success (Michael Fullan, 2015).

Whether it is the introduction of a peer performance coaching programme for teachers, trialing the use of artificial intelligence in the classroom, or running pilot studies on harnessing long term

memory, we constantly use professional development opportunities to learn from each other and forge our own path that respects and builds upon what has come before.

By Benyna Richards, CPD Director

Forging Our Own Path In a 2014 study of especially effective organisations in Business, Education and Sport, it was found that highly successful organisations learnt from the success of others but never tried to imitate what they did. Instead they found their own pathway

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SHOW On Tanglin’s 95th birthday, Year 2 students stepped back in time to learn more about Tanglin’s rich heritage through the use of precious archive material. Using photographs of historical Tanglin locations, they sketched their own interpretations of the old buildings.

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WCASE

Junior School children designed heart-warming thank you cards to send their appreciation to those who have been working tirelessly to keep us safe, both within school and the wider Singapore community, during the COVID-19 outbreak.

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SHOWCASE

Yubin

Grace

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Danielle

REVOLUTION was an outstanding collection of artwork by six graduating students on the IB Diploma Visual Art Course. The breadth of materials and concepts reflects the considerable talents of these young artists.

Asmita Grace

Capucine

Yubin

Kate Capucine Kate

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Head Team Hits As they come towards the end of their tenure the Head Team share some of the things they have achieved.

1

Play Me Piano Project

As one of the Head Team initiatives is promoting arts and creativity through the school, Ingrid and Sophie secured a generous donation from the TTS Foundation to purchase a second-hand piano: “We want students to have an outlet where they can showcase their talents as well as establish a positive environment for creative expression.”

The piano is currently undergoing a makeover as Sixth Form art students work with the Head Team to choose a design. Keep an eye out for the piano which is located outside the Well Bean Café and feel free to stop and play!

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2

Academic Enrichment Revision Sessions

Over the course of the academic year, Ana and Yash have spoken weekly to the Year 11 cohort to discuss considerations during what would usually be the year group’s (I) GCSE year. They shared their perspectives and experiences, top tips and - most importantly, perhaps – provided a great deal of reassurance for students beginning the process. These sessions proved to be a great success amongst the students and – despite the disruption faced to the exam season – it is a project the Head Team will look to pass on, since it encouraged conversation between the year groups and provided comfort to the Year 11s.

Sixth Form Winter Formal

The Head Team organised the first Winter Formal for the students and teachers within Sixth Form. The evening was full of traditional Christmas food, drinks and various musical performances from our talented students themselves. Hopefully in the future this will become an event that younger students will look forward to attending and a way for the Upper and Lower Sixth to mingle! It was an amazing evening to kick off the Christmas festivities for the students and staff, whilst giving everyone a break from the looming pressure of post-Christmas mock exams.

4

Head Boy and Head Girl Reflections by Ryan & Sophie

“As our tenures as Head Boy and Girl come to an end, it’s important to reflect on all the incredible initiatives the Head Team have driven this year.

Under the key term of ‘respect’, we decided to focus on three key aspects: respecting our environment, respecting our entire school community, and respecting our passions as an individuals. As a team we are extremely proud of what we have achieved so far, including our Senior School leadership lunches, the first inaugural floodlit touch tournament, the Sixth Form Winter formal and the dance showcase, to name a few. We agreed that attending the Student Leadership Conference with many other international schools in Singapore was memorable for both of us. This valuable event opened our eyes to new ideas that we could implement at Tanglin, as well as develop our own leadership skills. Another significant experience for us both was having the privilege to attend meetings with the CEO and the governors of the school. This highlighted to us both the importance of student involvement in decision-making within the school and how welcoming Tanglin is of student leadership and voice. Despite a few challenges over the past year, the entire team have supported each other as we balance and navigate the pressures of Sixth Form.”

5

The New Head Team

In March, 16 Year 12 students took part in the annual Hustings to be chosen for next year’s new Head Team! We have been very impressed by the candidates who applied.

The new Head Team will be announced in Term 3. The current team says, “We look forward to working with them to pass on our initiatives and discuss the longevity of our projects.”

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Celebrations of Nations Since its foundation in 1925 Tanglin Trust School has undergone huge change, not only physically but in its cultural landscape too. Originally intended to service the need of expatriate families for a British-style education, the school now houses a uniquely diverse community in which, amazingly, there are 51 student nationalities.

In order to celebrate the range of nationalities and cultures at Tanglin, we asked six parents to share how they bring their own heritage to life.

Patty Burr, Peru

What makes you proud to be Peruvian?

Peru is rich in natural beauty. We have a beautiful coastline, and the Andes Mountains where the Amazon river starts. It is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, with a large variety of plants and animals. The ancient Incan ruins at Machu Picchu have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Peruvian culture is full of colour, music, dance and delicious food. There is no party in Peru without food and dancing!

How would you bring your culture to life?

• Colourful textiles • Some of our best-loved food: ceviche (fish marinated in lime juice), Papa a la Huancaina (potato in a creamy and lightly-spiced sauce) and Suspiro a la Limeña (a dessert of caramel, egg yolks and meringue made with port wine) • A popular dice game known as Perudo • Pan pipe music.

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Kimberlee Gao, China

What makes you proud to be Chinese?

I am proud of China’s long and beautiful history. Our vast terrain offers diverse biota, climate and geology. China also has eight distinct culinary cuisines (Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Szechuan and Zhejiang) and amazing street food. We are resilient, kind, hardworking, happy and optimistic people. We cherish the strong bonds within our families and communities, and we are always ready to help each other.

How would you bring your culture to life?

• Prints of Chinese natural wonders • Beijing Opera masks (京剧 脸谱) • Kick Shuttlecock & Table Tennis Paddle Set • Four Treasures of the Study (文房四宝): Calligraphy Brushes (笔), Ink (墨), Paper(纸), and Ink Stone (砚)

Sofia Coombe, Portugal What makes you proud to be Portuguese?

Katy Rodgers, England

What makes you proud to be English?

England is rich in history and tradition. I am proud of our fairy tale-like royal weddings, spectacular castles such as Windsor and Warwick, and magnificent stately homes. I love the diverse elements of the British culture, our vibrant music festivals (held come rain or shine), and our dedication to sport! Our unwavering politeness ranges from opening doors for people to saying hello to everyone we meet.

How would you bring your culture to life?

• Delicious food: Perfectly cooked roast beef served with a crispy Yorkshire pudding and a smidge of gravy, followed by homemade scones with clotted Devon cream and jam • Traditional games such as conkers, marbles and hopscotch • Music from the Beatles, Adele and Ed Sheeran.

Everything in Portugal is warm, from the people to the weather and the amazing beaches to the famous custard tarts!

How would you bring your culture to life?

• Our food: Pasteis de Nata (custard tarts), bacalhau (codfish), azeite (olive oil), chouriço (cured, smoked sausage) and marisco (seafood) • Memorabilia of worldfamous Portuguese football player, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Deepika Kothari, India

What makes you proud to be Indian?

Nobuko Crawford, Japan

What make you proud to be Japanese?

We have a unique culture, a long history and healthy food. Japan’s natural beauty is made up of volcanoes, mountains, hot springs and rice paddies. Our seasons are very different; spring gives us cherry blossoms, while summer brings heat and humidity, autumn affords clear skies with beautiful colours and winter provides snow for skiing.

How would you bring your culture to life?

• Matsuri, a summer festival that features traditional Kimonos and games • Taiko, a barrel-shaped drum • Traditional Japanese Sweets • Mochi (a sticky rice cake) and Maki Sushi (Sushi Roll).

There are so many things to be proud of my cultural heritage is more than 5000 years strong. India is an emerging leader in the sciences and technology, and is uniquely diverse; every heart delivers the same hospitality because of the love that exists between our people.

How would you bring your culture to life?

Traditional accessories and delicious delicacies, of course.

But really, there are too many to mention. India has many treasures in many parts of the country.

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Tanglin Turns 95!

On 18 March, 1925, the school was founded by Anne Griffith-Jones OBE in the grounds of the Tanglin Club to provide high quality British education to children of expatriate families in Singapore.

Beginning with just five students, the school quickly went from strength to strength.

In 1958, the British European Association (BEA) bought the school, forming Tanglin Trust School Ltd. Miss Griff was awarded an OBE for her services to education and in 1962, the Sultan of Pahang bestowed on her the Pingat Jasa Kebaktian for meritorious service to education.

During Term 2, we marked Tanglin’s 95th birthday with a celebration on our Portsdown Road campus. The field was adorned with bunting and everybody got into the party spirit by dressing in red, white and blue. Teachers used precious archive materials to help students learn about Tanglin’s rich heritage - uniforms, copy books, class photographs, and special days captured in yearbooks from the 70s, 80s and 90s, helped bring the past to life.

Pictures of historical Tanglin buildings also inspired our young artists to create some beautiful sketches.

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While these activities proved a hit, a good party demands good music and happily, Tanglin delivered. From the Senior Band’s musical welcome, to a whole-school singing of Happy Birthday - and a dance-off set to 95 years of music - both staff and students ensured toes were kept tapping all day long.

Students capped off the day by feasting on delicious party food with their friends, while staff received a scrumptious 95th birthday-themed cupcake.

The day was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on our heritage and to celebrate our achievements as the oldest British international school in South East Asia.

How proud Miss Griff would be to see how her beloved school has grown.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey. As the school moves towards its centenary in 2025, we have a clear direction for the school which honours the past, embraces the present and aspires to the future.

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Did You Know?

Since Moving to Portsdown Road in 1981, Tanglin has seen many changes to its campus and facilities. Here are some facts you might be surprised to know.

Many buildings and rooms are named after former governors and staff: • Berrick Building after former Chair of Governors,

Sandra Berrick

Anne Griffith Jones

• Nixon Building after our interim Chair of Governors,

Dominic Nixon

• Griffith Jones Hall after Tanglin’s founder,

Anne Griffith Jones

• Chandran Hall after former Head of Infants,

Geraldine Chandran

Tanglin’s campus is set on

4.6 46

Hectares

Geraldine Chandran

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Solar PV panels are installed on the roof of the West Wing building - capable of yielding 69.02 kWp.

Our housekeeping teams use ozone water for periodic cleaning of our premises as it is antimicrobial, removes grease and smell, does not require the use of detergent and is residual free.

958

seats across two performance theatres

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There are over

220

educational spaces across the whole campus

Operations support assistants

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Housekeeping assistants

7

Technicians help maintain the campus

Past, Present, Future

Aerial view of the campus 2019

The Gate C development

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Wildlife

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As Singapore gets more developed, it’s really important that we learn how to coexist with our natural neighbours. With One North Park, the Wessex estate and the Green Corridor right on our doorstep, we are so lucky to enjoy the company of some of these lovely plants and animals on and around our campus.

Top: Students watching a plantain squirrel in One North Park.

Below: Garden fence lizard or changeable lizard. There are at least two pairs of these that live around the Astro.

Above: Rose Ringed parakeet nibbling a peacock flower.

Below: Oriental Whip Snake.

Above: Taken on Portsdown Road – a hammerhead flatworm, also known as a rubber band flatworm.

Below Left: Common Bluebottle.

Below Right: Blue Pansy (male).

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Recipes

Traditional Singapore recipes from our Malay, Indian and Chinese Community

Quick Cook Chicken Biriyani Sangeet Patel, Activities and Sport Ingredients for chicken: • Boneless chicken breast – 5 chicken breasts chopped into bite-sized cubes • Onion – ½ medium onion • Capsicum – ¼ medium capsicum • Garlic x 2, ginger small piece, (chillies – optional) • Fresh coriander - handful • Spices - salt, pepper, turmeric powder, cumin & coriander powder, roasted cumin powder, tandoori powder • Plain yoghurt – 4 tablespoons • Onion – 1 sliced onion shallow fried until medium brown, keep aside in a bowl Ingredients for rice: • Rice - 3 cups • Cinnamon stick - 2 • Whole cloves - 4 • Whole cardamom - 4 • Cumin seeds – ¼ teaspoon • Ghee – 2 tablespoons • Garlic – 1 clove finely chopped • Saffron – small pinch Cook chicken as follows: Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a wok/pan and stir-fry the marinated chicken until cooked. Add a few spoons of crushed tomatoes. Add chopped coriander & majority of the fried onions – stir and cover, turn off heat.

Cook rice as follows: Soak saffron strands in 2 teaspoons of warm water - allow for colour to infuse. Heat ghee & add cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom & cumin seeds - allow to cook 30 seconds. Add crushed garlic – fry for 10 seconds. Add washed rice - stir & add water (water is twice as much as rice). Add salt to taste.

When nearly cooked, add the saffron & water to colour the rice (rice shouldn’t all be the same colour). Continue until fully cooked. Once rice is bit cool, layer the biriyani in a dish.

Can decorate the top of rice with the remaining browned onions, tomato slices & dried coconut powder.

NOTE: The same chicken recipe can be used for tikka chicken wrap with salad, by omitting the tinned tomatoes and browned onions!

Braised Vegetables with Red Fermented Beancurd Fiona Aw, Housekeeping

“This is a traditional Chinese New Year dish passed down from my mother-in-law who came from China. She taught me how to cook this dish.

Since she passed away, I have been cooking this dish for my family.”

Ingredients: • Long cabbage x 1 • Red fermented bean curd x 2 pieces • Chinese mushrooms x 300g • Black fungus x 3 pieces • Vermicelli x 2 bunches • Dried bean curd x 4 pieces • Sugar – 2 tsps • Black moss or Fat Choy x 10g • Ginger x 3 pieces Preparation: Long cabbage- Cut the cabbage into sections about 1 – 0.5 Inches wide Red fermented bean curd- Put the fermented bean curd cubes in a bowl, mix with sugar and set aside.

Chinese mushrooms- Soak the mushrooms until soft. Then cut the stems away. Cook the mushrooms in a pot of fresh water until they are soft and tender. Save the soaking water for mushrooms. Will need it to boil the dish later.

Black fungus- Soak the fungus until it is fully opened. Cut away the centre stem.

Pluck the black fungus into smaller pieces and set aside.

Vermicelli-Soak till soft. Drain and set aside Dried bean curd- Cut the bean curd in strips, fry with oil till crispy and set aside Black moss- Soak the black moss until it expands. Drain away the water.

Add a little cooking oil onto the black moss and rinse it under running water to get rid of the soil and set aside.

Ginger- Peel away the ginger skin.

Smash the ginger and set aside.

Heat up the wok with cooking oil. Add in ginger, sauté ginger until aromatic. Add in red fermented bean curd cubes, fry till fragrant. Toss in cabbage, stir fry slowly.

Add in the mushroom and black fungus.

Pour the mushroom soaking water into the wok and bring to boil. Cover and cook until all ingredients turn soft, stir occasionally.

After the cabbage is cooked, add in the vermicelli and black moss.

Finally add in the fried dried bean curd.

Ayam Masak Merah (Spicy Tomato Chicken) Wardah Rashid, Infant Office

•

Ingredients: • *2 Large Red Onions • *5 Cloves of Garlic • *1 Handful of Dried Chilies • 1 tsp Tomato Puree • 1 tsp Salt • 100ml Water • 1kg Chicken • 3 Stalks Kaffir Lime Leaves (Deveined and crushed)

• •

1 Stalk Lemongrass (cut and bruised) 1 Small Tin of Green Peas or Small Cup of Frozen Peas 3 Fresh Tomatoes (cubed)

*Ingredients to blend into a paste Preparation: In a heated wok, add in the blended ingredients*, lime leaves and lemongrass, and stir until it is fragrant.

Cook until it is cleared of its moisture and has oil rising above it.

Mix in the tomato puree, tomatoes and salt.

When it has started boiling, add in water and chicken.

Cook for at least 15-20 mins before adding the green peas.

Cook for a further 5-10 mins before serving.

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Book Worms

Tanglin’s Reading Express 52

Janine Murphy, Head of Junior Library, is often asked by parents and children to recommend classic books. So along with Dan Visel, a Tanglin parent, they came up with the Tanglin Reading Express: an MRT-style map of muchloved books, poems and authors to help children understand and read more classics. These stories are a wonderful gift for our children and part of their literary heritage that can be cherished and read over time.

The Tanglin Reading Express map is in the upstairs section of the Junior Library, along with all the beautifully illustrated classic books that go with it. Children simply select a line colour – each one representing a different genre – and off they go! These treasured books can then be borrowed from the Junior Library collection.

If you wish to see more, you can visit the interactive website at tanglinreadingexpress.com, or view it on the Junior Library website and Junior Library Firefly.

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Guess the Baby Currently there are more then 150 members of staff who have been at Tanglin for more than 10 years! Nine of them have kindly shared photos of themselves in their younger years - can you guess the baby?

Match the staff members’ profile pictures to their photos.

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Dave Roberts, English Specialist, Senior School 2003

Cindy Ong, Outdoor Education Co-ordinator 2008

Richie Baxter, Head of Arts Faculty, Senior School 2006

Mark Andrews, PE Specialist, Junior School 1999

Chris Rawlings, Head of Junior PE, Junior School 2002

Dean Pearce, Head of Year 7 / English Specialist, Senior School 2002

Louis Rajoo, TLA, Infant Nursery 1977

Andrea Hawthorne, Head of Enrichment, Junior School 1998-2004, returning in 2006

Sulastri Foo, Library Officer, Infant School 1982

55 A: Chris Rawlings B: Dave Roberts C: Sulastri Foo D: Cindy Ong E: Andrea Hawthorne F: Richie Baxter G: Mark Andrews H: Dean Pearce I: Louis Rajoo

F I C E B

D

A

H G

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TIME TO

ENCOU N TER MAKE IT EXCEPTIONAL

There’s no present like time – and at Scott Dunn we really understand that your holiday time is extra precious.

It’s why we’ve always made it our priority to be great listeners. Because we believe that only by getting to know you can we create the magical moments and timeless memories that will make your encounter truly exceptional.

When you make time for what matters most, we make it exceptional. Visit scottdunn.com or call +65 3165 4050.

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S TAY CO N N E C T E D O N B OA R D AND OFF

Edinburgh, Scotland

M A D E BY B R I TA I N B O O K N O W AT B A . C O M

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95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299 www.tts.edu.sg Tel: 6778 0771 Email: communications@tts.edu.sg CPE Registration No.: 196100114C CPE Registration Period: 7 June 2017 to 6 June 2023