Editor
Lilian Wu, Marketing & Communications
Design
Lauren Khoury, Marketing & Communications
Photography
• Marketing & Communications
• Contributors from across the school
“The Voice” herein refers to “The Voice of Tanglin Trust School”
All students’ year groups referenced in this issue are accurate at time of publication.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this issue.
95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299
Tel: 6778 0771
Email: communications@tts.edu.sg
Website: tts.edu.sg
by Craig Considine, CEO
2024/25 is an amazing year in the history of Tanglin Trust School. The Centenary is in full swing and there have been several and varied celebrations. This began with the launch of the Tanglin Centenary Film; included the historical exhibition in the atrium of the Centenary Building; the production of the Tanglin 2025 Gin which was infuenced by the botanicals that were part of life in the Cameron Highlands; a special keynote address from Dr Ayesha Khanna as part of the Centenary Speaker Series; and the production of 100 Tanglin Tales, a history and celebration of the events that have shaped Tanglin Trust School. These have all been joyous events and at the risk of being ‘centenaried out’, there is still much to come in the next six months.
Celebrating 100 years of excellence at Tanglin does not mean we remove our focus on the current and future education provided at Tanglin Trust. As always, we are successfully juggling many balls. The full range of school activities has
“
The Centenary is in full swing and there have been several and varied celebrations.
taken place throughout the year, and we have been delighted and proud of student achievements in many diferent areas of endeavor. Some of these are recorded in this edition of The Voice. They range from academic programme development to extracurricular successes and include a wonderful expose of the Head Team and their aspirations for the year.
Academic programme development is always at, or just below, the surface at Tanglin and this discourse is refected in excellent articles related to great teaching at Tanglin; how the curriculum makes a Tanglin education so engaging; and with a future focus, how AI is being utilised to enhance student outcomes. It is also good to report on the progress at Tanglin Gippsland and hear of preparations for the frst cohort who will be attending the campus in April 2025. It was also good to have 20 staf travel to Gippsland and undertake a fourday hike covering distances between 45 and 80 km over that time to develop a fuller understanding of what the students will experience.
Thank you to our Editor, Lilian Wu, and Designer, Lauren Khoury, for their excellent and creative work in compiling this edition of The Voice. Many colleagues have supported them by contributing articles, stories, and visual representations of what goes on at Tanglin. We look forward to continuing to make history throughout the Centenary and we look forward to all members of Team Tanglin being part of it.
What’s
been happening
Tanglin? Keep yourself up to date with these excitng stories!
Car recycling is a multi-billion-dollar industry. However, companies often prioritise shredding materials for iron – often at the cost of losing valuable metals like manganese and chromium. Mining such valuable metals creates amounts of greenhouse gases and consumes a lot of energy. Studies also show that up to 99% of the alloys we use now could have been recycled from scraps.
To address this issue, a group of Senior students (Krishiv, Isaac, Yash, Aarin, and AJ) created a computer vision AI to sort diferent car parts in real time for their winning Microsoft Imagine Cup Junior project.
A camera records a live video of the parts to be sorted passing by on a conveyor belt. This is analysed by the machine learning model that identifes all the car parts in the video. A robotic arm then sorts these parts into their respective categories. Using their database on car parts and their materials, the students then classify each part’s recyclability and value to prevent the loss of scarce alloys and valuable metals. Each team member took on specifc roles, leading to unique skill development and insights. Here is what each focused on:
Krishiv: I focused on the AI model, gaining a deeper understanding of industry terminology like overftting and probability thresholds. I developed two applications, one to decompose the video into frames, and one to pass the frames into the machine
learning model, utilising a queuing and caching system to manage diferences in task rates.
Isaac: I designed and manufactured the robot arm, optimising it for use in an industry setting. This task improved my CAD and simulation skills and highlighted the importance of spatial visualisation and quality control and assurance for accuracy and efciency.
Yash: I programmed the robot arm, learning about software-hardware interaction and the importance of uniform coding practices, which will enhance my versatility as a programmer.
Aarin: I created a website to house the input and output. I enhanced my web design skills, trying to make the app more professional and interactive.
AJ: Aside from assisting in the programming of the robot arm, I worked on integrating Redis and RabbitMQ which taught me the value of procedural abstraction. I gained insights into callback functions needed for efcient queue management.
The group explained, “Our project isn’t just about making recycling easier—it’s about revolutionising the way we think about car parts and their potential. We are not only saving resources and reducing environmental impact, but we are also opening doors for cost-efective recycling on a large scale.”
Last year, Year 13’s Krishiv created a platform, MathAdapt, to improve online maths practice for neurodiverse learners. The website adapts the delivery and style to the user-specifed learning sensitivity. For ADHD, the website ofers breaks to allow users to maintain focus. For colour blindness, the website adopts a universal colour scheme and for dyslexia, a diferent font with a greater inter-letter and interword spacing is used. MathAdapt has 800+ questions spanning Primary, Lower Secondary and IGCSE levels and covering a wide range of topics. Krishiv explained why he created the website, “I created this website as I wanted to share my passion for Maths and make the subject accessible to everyone. This was amplifed by the fact that I, too, am partially colour blind and sometimes face problems on websites with poor colour contrasts. I frst got the idea in February 2023, and I produced the frst draft around November 2023. I then asked the Learning Support department for feedback through beta testing and worked on the suggested changes. As of now, I have around 300 users from 30 schools in fve countries.”
You can now use the website for free at www.math-adapt.com.
Managed by a committee of students from local and international schools in Singapore, the 24-hour race was frst established in the little red dot in 2013. Its goal is multi-fold: raise awareness on modern day slavery, make a positive impact, and empower other young people. While not a new initiative at Tanglin, the following Senior students took on the challenge with much grit, determination, and sportsmanship.
TEAM 1: Bastien, Lucas, Will, Ivan, Jacob, Henry, Jesse, Connor, and Ryan
TEAM 2: Maddy, Chloe, Noa, Flora, Bella, Amanda, Kelly, Stella, and Frankie
Both teams won in their category with the boys’ team winning 2nd overall while Year 13’s Stella won a prize for running the longest. Congratulations and well done!
Tanglin established the annual Alumni of the Year awards in 2019 to recognise Alumni who have distinguished themselves in areas of Professional Excellence, Sports, Art, or Community Engagement.
This year, a new ffth award category – Young Alumni of the Year – was added to honour Alumni between the ages of 19 and 30, and Cameron Tweed (Cohort 2021) is the frst recipient. He attended Tanglin from Reception to Year 5 and relocated to the UK in 2012 where he continued his education. While at Tanglin, Cameron performed in three Wild Rice pantomimes and the popular children’s TV programme Mat Yoyo. In the UK, he did several voiceovers and presented for Nickelodeon and appeared in West End Live alongside students from the Sylvia Young Theatre School before taking on the lead role of “Billy” in the original production of Big the Musical with Jay McGuiness and Jessica Martin.
His dancing skills soon took him to the world stage and
Once again, Tanglin has raised the excellence bar; bringing home not one, but three, Gold Awards at the 2024 HoneyKids Singapore Education Awards! The awards are:
• MOST FUTURE READY STUDENTS
• BRITISH CURRICULUM
• INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF THE YEAR
The judges highlighted Tanglin’s award-winning Institute, new innovative education initiatives like the Highlands Programme, and the school’s unique blend of British-based education with an international perspective. A truly remarkable achievement to celebrate in our Centenary year! ■
major competitions. He is now a 5-time World Tap Champion with many successes in the Junior and Adult divisions. He has represented Team GB, most notably winning the Junior Male Solo World Champion, Adult Trio, Adult Small Group and Junior Duo. His tap dancing was also recorded and featured in Paddington the movie. Cameron impressed us not only with his tap-dancing prowess and the training that goes into succeeding at the highest level of dancing, but also how he has equally excelled in his studies.
Upon completing his A level, he was accepted to study Law at Oxford where he continues his competitive dancing regime around a busy university timetable. In addition to dance, he successfully auditioned for the university’s famous ‘Out of the Blue’ group and for the past two years has worked tirelessly with the group to raise funds for Helen & Douglas House Children’s Charity, the UK’s frst Children’s Hospice, where he is a regular visitor, performing for the children and their families at fundraising events.
Congratulations, Cameron, on being named Tanglin Young Alumni of the Year 2023.
Tanglin wouldn’t be what it is without the dedicaton of those who support it and the commitment of its students. Here are some of their Tanglin stories.
“ ‘‘ Of all the roles I have had at Tanglin, I think leading the Rights Respecting Schools initiative and becoming the frst school (outside of the UK) to receive the Gold Award has been a clear highlight.
Cameron Davidson
My wife and I joined Tanglin in the summer of 2016. I am also a Tanglin alumnus. I left Singapore at the end of Year 3 and my parents taught here. My daughter will also be starting at Tanglin next year, which is hugely exciting for us. Before arriving in Singapore, I taught in the UK (Kent) for three years as a Year 5 and 6 teacher and graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a BA Honours Degree in Primary Education. The AHOY supports the strategic leadership of a year group. As the academic lead of Year 6, a key part of my role is to ensure standards of learning remain high. This is achieved through enriching curriculum design, carefully thought-out moderations of learning as well as rigorous data analysis. The best part of being an AHOY is having the opportunity to work alongside various leaders across the school and being able to mentor new staf. Of all the roles I have had at Tanglin, I think leading the Rights Respecting Schools initiative and becoming the frst school (outside of the UK) to receive the Gold Award has been a clear highlight. The award itself recognises our commitment to ensuring that all children are aware of their rights. As a school, we have made outstanding progress and have fully embedded the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in our practice and ethos.
My friends would describe me as a ftness fanatic! From an early age, I loved playing sports, particularly rugby. Alongside that, I have always been passionate (some may say obsessed) with ftness and exercise! At Tanglin, we are fortunate to have the athletic development gym which is an incredible facility. I love starting the day with an early morning workout and I have also thoroughly enjoyed leading staf workouts. We love Singapore’s location as a travel hub to so many desirable destinations. In addition, you can be outside every day, and it has proven to be the perfect place to raise a young child. As a family, quality of life is crucial to us and Singapore ticks so many boxes. It’s hard to believe we have been here nine years - it has truly fown by!
I was born in London, moved to Singapore after turning three, and joined Tanglin at the age of seven. I’ve been an ardent debater from a young age and joining Model United Nations (MUN) in Year 6 further fuelled this interest. Inspired by the student leaders I encountered, I set my sights on leadership, a goal I am proud to have achieved serving as Secretary-General for the past year. This role has been immensely rewarding, allowing me to lead a dedicated team in delivering one of the most popular CCAs at our school. This year, we are particularly excited to host CENTMUN, our largest conference to date, in commemoration of the Centenary. Through this conference, I hope to leave a legacy that similarly inspires others.
What I’ve appreciated most about Tanglin is the wealth of opportunities it has ofered me. Over the years, I have attended numerous MUN conferences, working with students from around the world to develop innovative solutions to pressing global issues. It was through my participation in international mock courts—a more specialised aspect of MUN—that my passion for debate naturally evolved into an aspiration for a career in law. Beyond MUN, I’ve been fortunate to participate in various co-curricular activities, ranging from debating competitions to drama productions and orchestra performances. Attending the 2022 Global Round of the World Scholar’s Cup was a particular highlight, and my team coming in frst place overall has defnitely been my proudest moment so far.
After graduation, I intend to study law in the UK and pursue a legal career. While I remain open to exploring diferent specialisations, I am particularly drawn to contentious work, where I can continue to debate as I enjoy most.
Jenny Aylen
I’m a classic third-culture kid—born in Hong Kong, moved to Saudi Arabia, returned to the UK and ‘grew up’ in Hertfordshire with a northern twang as my parents are from the Wirral. When I met my husband James, we knew we wanted to work and live abroad. He had also been ‘bitten by the bug’, having lived in Norway and regularly visited his parents who had moved to Holland while he was at university.
The desire to work overseas took us to New York for what was meant to be a two-year assignment. Eight years later, after having our two daughters and living in Connecticut, we were ofered a chance to move to Singapore. I clearly remember asking a friend who had lived in Singapore what she thought about the move, and she said she’d live there in a heartbeat. With that glowing endorsement, we moved to Singapore in 2015. After having children, I shifted from Social Policy research and consulting to become a stay-at-home-mum and volunteer. I was a class rep in Tanglin’s PTA for fve years before joining the Admissions team as a Parent Ambassador in 2017—a role I absolutely loved! In 2021, I decided to apply for the FoT Executive position. I knew I had a lot to contribute, and I embraced the new challenge. So far, the role has been incredibly rewarding. Supporting and engaging new families within our community, and bringing people together is simply magical. Like any community/event management role, it can be hectic, and some days are challenging. But when I see lasting friendships being formed, smiling faces of families at social gatherings, and people coming together for a common cause, it makes it all worthwhile.
My friends would describe me as caring, kind, earnest and always there for my friends. And when you need a laugh, I will mix up a saying or invent my own phrase that makes no sense - but somehow, it works, and you know exactly what I mean! I love living here and I’m often in awe of its beauty, efciency, safety, the weird and the wonderful, and often say to my family “we get to live here!” and feel so grateful.
Rob Hall
Director of Music
I grew up in the UK West Country, just outside Bristol but moved to Wales for university, before getting my frst ‘proper’ teaching job in Barnard Castle in County Durham. After two years of travelling the world, I moved to Cambridge where I spent 13 happy years at The Leys School as Assistant and then Director of Music. In 2016, after getting married, my wife and I moved to Abu Dhabi where I was Director of Music at the British School Al Khubairat for six years.
I lead the strategic planning for music across Tanglin, encouraging our team of over 50 staf to work together to provide students with the best opportunities. A key part of my role is coordinating the music calendar and working alongside our music team to ofer a range of performances from casual pop-ups to major events such as the St George’s Festival, Senior Ensembles at prestigious external venues like NAFA, SOTA, or the Botanic Gardens, and Choral Concerts at Victoria Concert Hall. I also oversee the instrumental tuition outside the curriculum, ensuring that teachers provide quality instruction and feel connected to the Tanglin community. Over the past 18 months, I’ve worked with others to create the Centenary Music Scholars Programme, which was recently launched with a fabulous concert at CHIJMES Hall. I also planned the Senior Music Tour to Spain, which took place over half-term. 48 students from Years 7-13 travelled to Salamanca and Madrid to perform four concerts and experience the culture - it was a fantastic tour and hopefully the frst of many. The external concerts, tour, and Scholar’s programme are all about inspiring and motivating students to engage in Music. We bring in visiting musicians for masterclasses and recitals, where they share their reallife experiences and show what can be achieved through hard work, dedication, and persistence. The nice thing about my job is that no two days are the same. Even if I expect a certain plan, things are never that straightforward, which makes it all genuinely exciting!
Before joining Tanglin, I lived in both London and Northern Ireland though my family is from Australia originally. I attended another school in Singapore for eight years before joining Tanglin last year. Some of the things I enjoy doing include participating in drama productions, staying active through netball and ballet, and singing in my spare time. I also love lessons in subjects like English and Science because I think they are fun and interesting, especially when I am taking biology. So far, my time at Tanglin has been really positive because I enjoy my lessons, spending time with my friends and performing in concerts all year long. Some of my favourite teachers at school include Mr Hall, who has helped me greatly by giving me feedback on musical questions, and Mr Coe, my English teacher, who has never failed to make lessons interesting and fun.
Last year, in just one term, I had the chance to be a part of the Choral Concert at Victoria Concert Hall, a musical production, and the Musician of the Year Competition. I’m excited to be a part of the upcoming events during this Centenary year. I had the amazing opportunity to perform at the King’s Birthday Celebration at Eden Hall after being invited, along with other singers from British international schools in Singapore, to audition for the chance to sing the anthems at the event. I submitted my application and was fortunate enough to be selected – making it an unforgettable event! I’ve always been a musical person because I grew up surrounded by singing and musicals thanks to my Mum, who plays several instruments. I think that’s what inspired me to start singing! ■
The art scene at Tanglin remains vibrant, and our students’ creatve endeavours are fourishing. Here is what they have been up to, artstcally speaking.
By Libby Henderson, Head of Infant Art & Design INFANT
This year’s Infant School Art Week was a truly special event, celebrating the upcoming 100th birthday of Tanglin Trust School. While the week was rooted in creativity, it had a unique, cross-curricular approach that blended art with history, math, and teamwork. It wasn’t just about drawing and painting; it was a chance for the children to connect with the school’s rich history, imagine the future, and collaborate with their peers on large-scale projects.
The theme of the Centenary celebration allowed the young artists to step into the shoes of historians, looking back at photographs from the past to understand the school’s journey over the last 100 years. This provided an opportunity for them to explore how the school—and the world—has changed. They also used their imagination to design uniforms for the future, asking themselves, “What will school uniforms look like in 100 years?” It was a fantastic way to get children thinking about history while also sparking their creativity about the future.
In addition to exploring history, Art Week also brought in a splash of math. Children were given the opportunity to work together to create a large art piece using 100 decorated lollipops. This project was a fun and hands-on way for the students to combine their math skills with creativity. Counting out 100 objects, decorating them, and then assembling them into a cohesive artwork helped reinforce the concept of 100 in a tangible and visually exciting way. It also demonstrated how math and art can intersect, showing that both subjects are valuable tools for creative expression.
Art Week concluded with House Day, where children took part in a variety of artistic activities that celebrated their sense of belonging to their House. Dressed in their House colours, students created portraits, designed House badges on iPads, and decorated paper to craft a new mane for Grif. In the lower end of the Infant School, children made fags and banners by dyeing fabric and even experimented with Jackson Pollock-inspired techniques, ficking and splashing paint. The House Day events truly highlighted teamwork, creativity, and school spirit.
The entire school came together in the bus bay for a communal art project that spanned multiple year groups. With so many children involved, it was an awe-inspiring sight to see the artwork taking shape, a perfect representation of the school’s sense of unity and shared purpose.
A Special Visit from ‘Eric the Artist’ No Art Week would be complete without a visit from a professional artist, and this year, the talented Eric the Artist returned to Tanglin Trust School with a fun and ambitious challenge: to draw 100 portraits in one day. While he didn’t quite reach the 100 mark, the children were thrilled to watch him at work and to have their own portraits sketched by such a skilled artist. Eric’s visit gave the children an opportunity to see art in action and understand the dedication and talent required to make a living as an artist. They were inspired not only by his artistic abilities but also by his passion for drawing and creating.
By Peter Hinckley, Head of Junior Art and Design
This term, as part of a collective cross curricular focus on ‘belonging’ and the local environment, the specialist art lessons in Year 3 explored the integration of iPad technology in the study of a famous painter. The lessons emphasised the efectiveness of combining traditional painting techniques with digital photography to enhance the students’ creativity and problem-solving skills.
The children began this exploratory project by frst engaging with the colour wheel and experimenting with colour mixing in paint. They also explored various brush techniques such as dabbing, creating lines, and applying points of colour to the ‘canvas’. After enjoying these initial experiments, the children were introduced to the life and painting techniques of impressionist artist Claude Monet. The practical focus was on his use of dappled colours in his brushwork, as well as his method of painting plein-air, which involves painting directly outdoors at the scene.
The children were then presented with a modern scenario. Monet painted directly at the scene to capture the changing colours of light and atmosphere because the technology at the time couldn’t efectively do so digitally and of course, he enjoyed painting outdoors! Unfortunately, for practical reasons, we couldn’t have a class of 24 students carry all the necessary painting equipment for an outdoor painting session in the local environment. This, however, created an opportunity for students to blend technology with traditional painting techniques. Using their iPads, the students took a series of photos during their excursion and when they were
back in the classroom, they selected their favourite images to be printed for the next stage.
Now that they have a printed photo, the children placed an acetate sheet over it and used a fne-liner pen to trace only the key outlines. The objective was not to draw every single detail, only the main outlines as a guide. The acetate sheet was then fipped over to the reverse side and the reversed image of the photo was used as a reference for the next step in the process.
Now for the “Monet moment”! Using primary colour acrylic paints and a variety of brush sizes, the children painted over the acetate in the style of Monet’s dabbing brushwork. They were encouraged to experiment with creative dappled colours in an impressionist style instead of recreating a realistic linear painting of the scene.
The intention of plein-air is to leave the confnes of the art studio and immerse oneself in the environment by painting outdoors. In other words, we brought the outdoors into the “art studio”! Upon completion, the photos were removed, and the end results were stunningly beautiful impressionist style paintings that each refect the individual’s creative interpretation of the scene.
The project was an opportunity to integrate technology into art by bringing the outdoors into the art room. Weather permitting later this year, the students will also have the chance to paint outdoors and experience plein-air painting frsthand. In a creative twist, they may even explore a “reversed partnership” by using digital tools to capture their outdoor surroundings.
By Elizabeth Anstiss, Head of Senior School Art and Design
In some educational environments, the importance of the Visual Arts often stands a little to the sideline of more academic ‘core subjects’. A current campaign by The Royal Academy of Arts, UK urges us to acknowledge that ‘Art is a serious subject’. The value of art in our schools is immeasurable. As a leader in Art education, I accept I am biased, but in my day to day existence, I witness the immense impact that making and engaging with art has on our students.
Tanglin ‘does’ art education impressively. Our Visual Arts results at GCSE, A Level and IB are amongst the best globally. Our Senior Art department has been commended for achieving Best Mark in the World numerous times and this year our IB cohort achieved 75% of 7-6 and our A level cohort achieved 100% A*. Such consistently high results are indicative of an expert teaching team, fantastic facilities, inspired teachers and consequently, inspired learners. Such fantastic results mean the number of students selecting Art at GCSE, A Level and IB DP are increasing.
Vanessa Jackson RA recently expressed her concerns that art is all too often understood to be an ‘easy option’ and claims it’s a short-sighted society that sees art as a ‘low value subject’. Although this is seldom seen at secondary level at Tanglin, I do know this concern is sometimes a barrier when students decide not to take Arts at degree level. The misconception is that an art degree is not going to lead a student to a successful life. I beg to difer.
Fortunately, year on year we have increasing numbers of applications to art, digital design, architecture, fashion schools and art history. Many of our students have received scholarships globally to renowned institutions. In a school as academic as Tanglin, I feel it’s important that these students’ achievements are not lost in the ether of medic and economics applications. Recognising the journeys our art students embark on after Tanglin is telling of the open minded, resilient and inspired lifelong learners that we nurture. I recently attended a professional development session with Prof Dylan Wiliam, emeritus professor of educational assessment at University College, London Institute of Education. His advice to us as
Above: A collagraph piece from Renee Leung’s Visual Arts portfolio. She received a Merit Scholarship to Parsons School of Design, New York, to study for a degree in Fashion; Below: Artwork by Christiana Doe (now studying Architecture at University of Edinburgh, Scotland), which was awarded A* at A level Art and Design 2024.
educators was, we need our students to leave school with a passion to carry on learning. He went on to say that this passion was predominately if not exclusively seen in the Arts subjects. As a community of educators and parents, understanding the broader impact of visual arts on personal development, academic success, and societal contributions is vital to enable us to continue to support and value our students’ decisions to take tertiary level Arts courses and pursue careers in arts related professions. Talk about AI is saturating the world from all angles. Teachers are concerned. Parents are concerned. Students are bafed. A recent LinkedIn study showed creativity is one skill that businesses need most. Clearly this is one skill AI struggles with. DALL-E can spout out grotesque pastiches but there is no evidence of hard thinking, refned skills or fexibility in approach. Most importantly, what DALL-E (or in fact most AI generators) are only interested in is the fnal product. They don’t care about the process. Art education is focused on the process. That’s why at GCSE , A Level and IB DP we do not have examinations. Prof Wiliam also showed us an example where AI engines in some felds of medicine are now more accurately diagnosing patients than doctors!
However, AI falls short when it comes to creativity, problemsolving and personal discovery. As AI begins to take over many cognitive tasks, art education has an even more fundamental role in developing the imagination of future generations. Visual arts education plays a crucial role in fostering creativity and
innovation. Students engaged in visual arts are encouraged to be open minded, experiment with diferent mediums, and develop a clear understanding of themselves and the world around them. To develop and prepare students for an Arts degree, the Senior Art department has a comprehensive programme in place. We hold art portfolio sessions and have a multitude of visiting artists to enrich students’ learning. We are developing our relationships with art schools around the world, many of which already come to visit our students to guide them in their art college applications.
To ignite their passion for art outside of the curriculum we take every child on a national or international art trip, run events like Drawing by the Bus Bay and other whole school art initiatives. Year 12 Art prefects have opportunities for leadership within the arts, setting up competitions and organising other art events. Interpretatons@NGS, Articulation Singapore, IN (International Schools) Art exhibition have all been founded by Tanglin Senior Art department and all continue to ofer students high profle opportunities to display and talk about their art, and the art of others. Such initiatives open the door to internships and alumni networks within the arts world.
As we continue to raise our profle of Art within school and celebrate the fantastic achievements of our students, I urge us to continue to take art seriously, support our students’ creative passion to pursue arts at tertiary level and most importantly let their imagination take them wherever they dream. ■
Tanglin is set to mark a major milestone in 2025, celebratng 100 years of excellence. What excitng celebratons can we look forward to?
Anna Buset, Tanglin’s Centenary Manager, tells us more.
In August, students and staf came back to school refreshed after their summer break to fnd displays and artefacts in the exhibition telling the story of 100 years of Tanglin Trust School. The Centenary celebrations have well and truly got underway, and we are excited to share some of the stories and look forward to what is still to come.
Each school has been inspired by diferent aspects of the Centenary.
• The Infant School are taking inspiration from the many photos we have in our archive, looking at the school’s buildings, how they have changed over the years, and creating artwork inspired by these pictures.
• The Year 6 team has woven the topic into their history lessons focusing on our founder and her time in Changi Prison during WWII. The children are researching Miss Grif’s time in prison and the remarkable things she was able to achieve while confned, including setting up a school for the children imprisoned alongside her and stitching secret messages in blankets for the wounded soldiers.
• The Senior School’s History Society, under the mentorship of Robert Gulston, has been exploring the concept of legacy—why it matters and what Miss Grif’s lasting impact might be. This has also helped to inform the students’ research for the TEDx Speaking competition, which is centred around the theme of “Legacy”.
At the beginning of term, we had the privilege of welcoming Miss Grif’s great-nephew, James Morton, to tour the newly created exhibition. He left with a deep sense of pride and expressed his gratitude in a heartfelt message, “Thank you so much for taking the time to share the Centenary Exhibition with me. It really captures the history and shows so well what has been accomplished in 100 years. [To go] from fve to 2,850 students is amazing, as is the plan for the future. I think Aunt Nancy (Miss Grif) would be pleased with, if a little astonished, at her legacy.”
“The Exhibition has been a great source of interest and inspiration, and it is wonderful to see so many visitors stopping to have a look.”
The Exhibition has been a great source of interest and inspiration, and it is wonderful to see so many visitors stopping to have a look. As the word spreads, we’ve gradually received more historical artefacts from our Alumni. These include old yearbooks, project books (something that Tanglin Junior School children of the 90s will fondly remember), school reports and even bus passes. Our archive now holds so many “treasures” that the exhibition will get a refresh over Christmas, so look out for new items on display. If you are an Alum reading this, what “treasures” might be tucked away in your cupboards or attic? We’d love to see them, and if you are willing to lend them, they could become a highlight in our exhibition. One alumna, Janet Sparks, did just that, and her contributions are now featured in the “Uniform Through the Ages” display. It includes a Weyhill dress and gym knickers, still with the original name tags sewn in. She is currently living in the UK and works as a freelance journalist and presenter for the BBC.
It feels like we have only just begun the celebrations, with so much more still to come. Plans are well under way for a very special Birthday Celebration for the whole school on Friday, 21 March 2025. This will be an exciting day of crossschool activities with children from all year groups coming together to collaborate on a special project. This is going to be a wonderful example of how well Tanglin embraces its huge school population and encourages the students to work together whether they are in Reception, Year 5 or Sixth Form. Two of our stand-out events will take place in Term 2: the
Gala at the Cliford Pier (The Fullerton Bay Hotel) and the concert at The Esplanade in April 2025. Both events promise to showcase our talented students and foster a sense of community.
The Alumni network strengthens every year; being part of the Tanglin community stays with you forever and the sense of pride and belonging is very strong. In fact, the London Alumni event in November is a sell-out! Everyone, even those who have moved to the UK want to celebrate Tanglin’s legacy.
No matter how you choose to celebrate our Centenary— whether by attending an event, refecting on our history, going to the concert at The Esplanade in April or just getting your hands on one of our Centenary chocolate lollipops (look out for them during the Christmas Fair), you are part of an incredible year of commemoration, and for that, we should all be proud. ■
Capturing a century of educational excellence in just a few minutes was no small feat. Any video created to commemorate Tanglin’s 100th birthday would need to be pretty special. Tanglin Trust School’s Centenary video had to refect the school’s rich past, dynamic present, and future, while also resonating with students, staf, families, and alumni alike. The result would be a flm that encapsulated Tanglin’s unique legacy, honouring its historical foundations in Singapore, and how it has remained true to its original founding purpose of providing quality British-based education for its students.
Discussions for the Centenary video began a year before production. The vision was to create a flm that highlighted the school’s long history and how its unique heritage inspires generations. Given this ambitious vision, the school collaborated with Filming in Progress, a video production agency that impressed the Marketing & Communications team with a concept using the classic “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, a timeless song that resonates with all ages and paints Tanglin as a place of sun-soaked childhoods, nostalgic dreams, and aspirations for its diverse community.
Every detail in the flm was carefully thought through in order to capture real moments across the school and its vast holistic oferings. Scheduling was a massive undertaking as once each scene was fnalised, staf members had to be onboarded with the plan, students’ participation agreed upon, and then on the actual day we had to make sure that we stayed on schedule. Pre-production happened across Term 1 and 2 with flming dates confrmed for Term 3 of the 23/24 school year. Although it was a particularly busy time for Tanglin, it was necessary to capture the Year 13 Graduation ceremony as well as the outdoor education scene, which was actually shot remotely in the Himalayas during the Year 12 trip to Ladakh - with only a storyboard as a guide for the local production team! To manage flming logistics, a comprehensive spreadsheet coordinated students, locations, and timing across various departments, ensuring everyone - from parents to staf - was aligned.
Each shoot day began early, well before the arrival of the buses, with Patrick, Head of Security and his team receiving a thorough briefng beforehand. The 24-person crew skilfully
Curious about what went on behind the scenes of Tanglin’s Centenary Film? Amy Anderson, Tanglin’s Content Marketer from the Marketng & Communicatons team, gives us the inside scoop.
manoeuvred heavy camera and sound equipment around the school’s campus. The journey from the Forest School to the Aquatics Centre in the Centenary Building is normally a straightforward walk, but this time you needed to remember which route had ramps, and the best time to attempt it –defnitely not between lessons!
The video’s Alumni section also required a lot of coordination and logistical planning. It was important that the Alumni scenes at the end captured the diverse age range and broad talents of our Alumni. These scenes were intended to show that “Dreams Really Do Come True”! Once we had identifed our featured alumni, we reached out to them with instructions on how to shoot their scene using their iPhone. Sounds simple but they are all busy people. For example, Charlotte Harris (Cohort 2009) was just about to start her Pacifc rowing challenge when I contacted her, and I had to wait until she got safely to dry land in Hawaii (breaking the world rowing record in the process). Let’s just say I was tracking her progress quite regularly! Sean Hudspeth (Cohort 2012), on the other hand, was back in Singapore after fnishing a summer season of car racing in Europe. We actually flmed his scene at his childhood karting track in Kranji.
The process underscored the school’s sense of teamwork and community spirit. Departments across Tanglin, from Music to Outdoor Education, Drama, and Sports were pivotal in bringing the flm to life. A casting call through In Touch led to Florence (Year 2) being chosen to sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” after a rigorous audition process overseen by Rob Hall, Director of Music. Her performance was recorded in one of
Tanglin’s state-of the art recording studios, where our musicians, producers and teachers collaborated with Home Ground Music Studios to craft the signature track to accompany the video.
The involvement of our stellar alumni community illustrated Tanglin’s continuity over generations, with graduates ranging in age and achievements. It was a wonderful moment to capture Rosie Montefore and her brother who both attended Tanglin in the 1940s and are part of Tanglin’s fourth generation family originating from Dr Charlie Wilson (one of Miss Grif’s fve original students), alongside recent graduates.
My memorable moments? So many! I have a whole new appreciation for our excellent teaching staf! Working across the diferent age groups was a great learning experience. Maintaining a fast-paced schedule was especially important when working with younger students while coordinating the busy, independent Seniors in one location presented its own set of challenges.
However, as soon as the cameras started rolling, each student’s performance was impressive and memorable. I feel very lucky to have participated in such a special flm. The talent, efort and ability of our students is something to behold. It was a privilege to engage with students of all ages across each school and I was continually impressed by their easy-going confdence. I also enjoyed the diferent energy and humour each age group brought to their particular scene.
I hope the fnal video captures the essence of Tanglin’s history and uniqueness, from its iconic Tanglin tartan to its evolving heritage. Each generation has contributed to the school’s growth, and the Centenary flm celebrates this rich tapestry in all its historic glory. ■
As Tanglin is gearing up for its Centenary celebratons, Tanglin Gippsland is also quietly working behind the scenes for its unveiling in April 2025. Head of Campus, Mark Cutchie, updates us on its progress.
Considerable progress has been made at the Gippsland campus over the past few months with a number of important projects coming to fruition. While these have been signifcant milestones, unfortunately most of it has been ‘behind the scenes’ and one could be mistaken for thinking not much has been done when looking at the campus.
At the end of September, we submitted our application to the Victorian Registration and Qualifcations Authority to become a registered boarding school. This application required us to write nearly 40 policies and just as many supporting procedural, governance and fnance documents. As these had to meet the Australian standards, it was not possible to simply
rebadge Tanglin policies, however, we were fortunate to have considerable help from other local schools who provided advice and templates.
Part of the registration process involved preparing detailed emergency and bushfre management plans, and a big part of this process is making sure the signifcant number and size of the trees onsite are safe. An arborist was consulted to assess the health of the trees and document the size, species and value of the larger ones. Work will soon begin to remove some of the unhealthy or dangerous ones, but we will be trying to salvage as much of the timber as possible for habitat, landscaping projects, frewood, and mulch for the gardens.
The building works have already started, with renovations on
Want to find out more about the programme? Then scan the QR code to read the brochure.
the Head of Campus’s house completed in early November. The broader campus renovation and building plans have also been fnalised and the tendering process has now closed. At the time of writing, we anticipated our building constractor to have started by the end of October, with the expected completion at the end of March – just in time for the frst Highlanders to arrive in April.
Mr Seal (Head of Senior School), Mrs Russell (Deputy Head of Senior School – Academics) and Ms Sugaya (Director of People) also visited Gippsland for the frst round of staf interviews. We received a signifcant amount of interest from all over the world due to the unique nature of the campus and our focus on experiential learning. These got the attention of a lot of teachers who were keen to be a part of this new initiative,
and we hope to make appointment announcements before too long.
In late October, we had 20 staf from the Singapore campus join a hiking expedition that is part of Tanglin’s Centenary celebrations. The group hiked the frst section of the Australian Alps Walking Track that starts very close to the campus. While this frst staf group hiked up to 80km, it represents only a small portion of the overall 650km track. Our plan is to hike the whole track with groups from Tanglin so keep an eye out for future trips that will be open to other groups within the school community.
To learn more about what is happening on the campus, please follow the Tanglin Gippsland Instagram page @tanglingippsland. ■
NORMAYATI SALLEH, LEAD STLA (JUNIORS)
“My favourite memory was camping on Mount Baw Baw, enjoying the nature and fresh cool air. My nature highlight was defnitely the scenic view of every climb.”
During the half-term break, a group of ft and adventurous Tanglin staf visited our new Gippsland campus, and set out on a four-day trek of the Australian Alpine Way, experiencing the stunning natural beauty of the area frsthand. Here are some of their refectons.
DELPHINE HASTWELL, HEAD OF INFANT MUSIC
“My highlight of the trip was seeing a possum and her baby walking into the campsite and eating some of our snacks. It was a real highlight after spending four days camping and it felt so special to be really at one with nature.”
POPPY FENWICK, YEAR 2 TEACHER
“I was thankful I had my woolly socks when it got cold at night. Seeing my frst snake in the wild was a nature highlight and on hindsight, I wished I had packed more snacks. Walking 17km a day is hungry work!”
ISABEL CLANCY, TEACHER OF ART AND DESIGN (SENIOR SCHOOL)
“The Gippsland site and the surrounding highlands are rich in fora and fauna. The birdlife in the highlands, especially the Kookaburras, Galahs, Rosellas, and Rainbow Lorikeets, are abundant and seeing them up close was a highlight for me!”
CRAIG CONSIDINE, CEO
“It was good to spend time at Tanglin Gippsland over the term break. A group of 20 staf journeyed south to experience the Victorian high country, providing the chance to share fellowship with colleagues, and experience what our students will undertake in April next year.
A four-day adventure along the Australian Alpine Way opened our eyes to just what lies ahead of Tanglin Year 9 students in the Highlands Programme. The walking was demanding; the pack was heavy; the hills were steep (both uphill and downhill); the company was inspirational; and the scenery majestic. Walking in bright sunshine, meandering through the snow gums, cozying up inside a sleeping bag, and waking to snow (!), was just what we needed after a term of solid work.”
JENNIFER MARTIN, HEAD OF OUTDOOR EDUCATION
“When we were out in the mountains it’s all about the team, looking after yourself and the beauty and challenge of the path ahead. Going through those experiences together creates a deep connection and that’s what happened, in just one weekimagine fve of those!”
Have you met the student leaders of this year’s Head Team? Like their predecessors, they have been contributng to the community in various ways. What are their hopes and dreams for the new year? We catch up with the Head Team to fnd out more.
If there is one common theme within our Head Team, it’s the emphasis on gratitude for the many opportunities they had received at Tanglin. Rohan (Lead Student) explained, “During my time at Tanglin, I’ve been very fortunate to experience a lot of diferent opportunities, from academics to the arts and school trips. With just one year left at school, it’s important for me to give back to the community and do my part to ensure Tanglin remains a place where all students can fourish and thrive as individuals.”
His fellow Lead Student, Vittoria, couldn’t have agreed more. She said, “Since I joined Tanglin four years ago, I’ve had the fortune of experiencing numerous invaluable memories and activities. Once I reached Sixth Form and was presented with the capacity to do so, I decided to run for the Head Team to give back to the community that has provided me with so many opportunities.”
For others like Olivia (Student Welfare), the inspiration came from seeing the dedication of previous Head Teams. “I have always admired the Head Team, even when I was a Year 1 student sitting on the foor and watching them lead assemblies.” Olivia told us, “When I found out I could be a part of it, I was determined to give it a go.”
And give it a go, she did. As the Lead for Student Welfare, Olivia is deeply committed to promoting wellbeing. She explained, “I’m passionate about spreading this mindset throughout the school. My goal for Student Welfare is to foster a culture of gratitude and positivity, while balancing academic focus with the pursuit of personal passions.”
Unlike most teams that follow a top-down hierarchy, Tanglin’s
Head Team has embraced a more collaborative structure. To put it simply, it allows everyone to focus on their own areas and develop expertise. However, that didn’t mean that each member is limited to specifc projects. The team elaborated, “Each of us brings unique responsibilities, interests, and knowledge to the table, which helps us create ideas that address deeper issues and have meaningful impact. We also frmly believe that ‘there’s no such thing as a bad idea’. Collaboration is key and we’re committed to fnding solutions that make a genuine diference across the school.”
This approach has also extended to other student leadership groups from Year 7 to 11 with clear benefts. Diverse perspectives on various challenges help ensure that the Head Team makes decisions that positively impact the entire community. The team also recognises that their infuence reaches beyond Senior School, so they regularly engage with students in Infant and Junior School
With just one year left at school, it’s important for me to give back to the community and do my part to ensure Tanglin remains a place where all students can fourish and thrive as individuals.
to amplify their voices. For example, the Head Team met with the Year 2 student council to discuss their favourite parts about the Tanglin campus and areas for improvement. Their feedback was subsequently shared with the school leadership.
The Head Team is frequently seen around campus, engaging with their peers and staying actively involved in the school community. This active involvement is vital to their mission, as they value the voices of the student body. “Open communication and representation are aspects that we want to work hard at throughout our term,” the Head Team explained, “we strongly feel that simply getting out there and talking to our peers is an efective, tried and true method for understanding students’ opinions.”
That being said, serving on the Head Team does come with its own set of challenges. Sustainability, for example, was a challenge that Krishiv (Sustainability) foresaw. He explained, “I anticipate challenges in helping students understand the value of a sustainable campus. It’s crucial for them to remain receptive to new ideas and willing to adopt small, positive changes in their daily habits. I have established a Sustainability CCA to give students dedicated time to develop and implement their own ideas, ultimately making sustainable choices a natural part of everyday life on campus.”
Another challenge was the limited time the team had to implement their plans, especially given the scale of their proposed initiatives. Annya (Digital First) noted, “Some of my initiatives involving AI will require a lot of time and efort to execute. My main focus is to quickly build traction and start making progress. Additionally, I need to ensure these initiatives appeal to all students as technology might not interest everyone. To address this, I aim to develop projects that cater to diverse interests and support areas like sports, music, art, drama, and DT.”
Despite the inevitable challenges along the way, the team remains enthusiastic about bringing their plans to life. Aiseece (Team Tanglin), for one, is keen to create a supportive environment so students can thrive, express themselves, and cultivate their talents – just like what her previous captains and leaders have done for her over the years. “My team and I will work closely with the Heads of various Art departments and coaches to ignite students’ passion for art and ofer opportunities for students of
all skill levels to express themselves artistically – whether on a sports pitch, art studio or on stage. I’m also excited to introduce more inter-school competitions among diferent year groups and explore the possibility of forming parent teams at Tanglin.” Dishan (Academics) shares this enthusiasm but focuses on identifying opportunities to expand academic programmes and resources. His eforts include organising workshops and competitions as well as creating initiatives designed to foster a love for learning. He said, “I’m also looking forward to working with Mrs Brandon-King at The Institute, which has hosted incredible professionals from organisations such as the World Health Organisation, Monetary Authority of Singapore, and Microsoft. I hope to enhance its presence and signifcance within the student community, creating an even more vibrant, inclusive, and dynamic learning environment at Tanglin.”
On a school-wide level, Tanglin is celebrating its 100th birthday and that means Annalise (100 Years of Excellence) has a lot on her plate. However, she’s embracing the challenge –driven by her goal of fostering stronger connections throughout the community. “Given the scale of our Centenary celebrations, time management could be a challenge,” Annalise explained, “I plan to address this by closely collaborating with my teams and the Heads of the school to ensure every project stays on schedule.”
All things considered; it seems that our Head Team has everything well in hand. We can’t wait to see what they’ll accomplish this year! ■
Jo Osman, Deputy Head (Academic) at the Infant School, explains how Tanglin elevates teaching by leveraging the ‘Model for Great Teaching’.
As a high performing school with a tradition of excellence, based in a country that people aspire to live in, we are incredibly fortunate to attract high calibre colleagues from across the globe. However, as lifelong learning is scribed into our mission statement, we specifcally search for refective educators who never rest on their laurels, always looking for ways to enhance their professional skills and improve learning for the children they teach. After a year of research by the school’s academic leaders in 2023, we identifed a model that could unite the three parts of the school under one umbrella of learning, giving us a shared language and ensuring high quality self-driven professional development matched to our high expectations.
Last academic year, all teaching staf were introduced to the ‘Model for Great Teaching,’ and its linked Great Teaching
Toolkit (scan the QR code on the following page to read all about it), devised by Evidence Based Education, as mentioned by John Ridley (Director of Learning) in his Refections article earlier this school year. This valuable resource is based on a summary of the best available research evidencte on the things teachers do, know and believe that have the biggest impact on children’s learning. Teachers and TLAs (Teaching and Learning Assistants) self-selected an area of study they felt would beneft their practice and worked their way through the chosen course over the academic year. They applied their sustained learning to their daily practice in class and shared with colleagues through collaborative group discussions and peer lesson observations. These headings were also applied to our monitoring of teaching and learning throughout the school, which involves leaders dropping into lessons, scrutinising children’s work and talking to colleagues and children about the learning, all
There are four evidence-based dimensions within the Model for Great Teaching:
• Understanding the Content
• Creating a Supportive Environment
• Maximising Opportunity to Learn
• Activating Hard Thinking.
Scan the QR code to find out more about the Great Teaching
recorded on a secure database. As well as supporting individual staf development, we are also able to identify areas of strength across the school from 3-18, as well as next steps to review and improve. The Infant School was the frst to pilot our new database last academic year, recording 153 individual lesson drop ins carried out by the Head and Deputies, while 46 learning walks, book looks and pupil voice surveys were completed by our Heads of Year and Heads of Curriculum in their respective subject areas, informing their action plans.
Closing the refective loop on this process was linking our performance management conversations to the four dimensions of the Model for Great Teaching. Colleagues were given the opportunity to individually discuss their professional learning throughout the year, demonstrate how they had applied it in their teaching and celebrate the impact on children’s outcomes.
This year, our holistic, research-enriched, and collaborative learning cycle continues to be embedded across the Infant, Junior and Senior Schools, ensuring colleagues feel valued and supported as they strive for the highest quality teaching and learning. ■
How does the Infant School incorporate technology in a developmentally appropriate way? Kate
Cornes, Head of Integrated Technology for the
Infant School, explains.
When you think of Infant School, technology might not be the frst thing that comes to mind. Yet, as technology continues to evolve globally, it has become more important than ever to integrate it into our children’s education—even in the Infant School. With that in mind, how does Tanglin incorporate technology into the Infant curriculum in a way that supports developmental milestones?
Katie explained, “We focus on developmental milestones to ensure that each digital interaction aligns with children’s physical, cognitive, and social growth stages. This involves understanding their developmental needs before introducing technology. By designing technology experiences that complement these stages, we support curiosity and learning in an engaging, purposeful, and age-appropriate way. Technology is integrated throughout the Infant curriculum to enhance and transform learning, with Digital Citizenship woven into our Life Skills and Technology
areas. This enables children to apply this understanding across subjects.”
the right educational tools
Real-world connections are essential, which is why Katie carefully evaluates the educational tools that empower children to explore independently within a safe, controlled environment. This includes age-appropriate apps and platforms that are not only educational and safe, but also free of ads and pop-ups. As such, technology with intuitive elements that build children’s confdence and provide a sense of achievement as they engage in self-directed activities is the most efective choice. Simple interactive tools like apps and toys also encourage children to explore cause and efect relationships creatively. For example, Nursery children enjoy remote control toys and “on/of” switches while Year 2 children thrive on problem-solving and creativity in LEGO robotics. Game-based apps such as bubble-popping
activities support motor skill development through repeatable actions and early problem-solving. Interactive maths games further motivate children to recall facts they can apply in realworld situations.
Katie went on to elaborate, “With my experience as both a teacher and a parent, I observe frsthand what resonates with children. This perspective allows me to critically assess new tools and trends to explore and use to enhance education. Exploration and experimentation are essential to my approach. I regularly test new tools with colleagues or even with my own children at home, gaining direct insight into their efectiveness before introducing them to children. It is also crucial to carefully analyse new trends, assessing risks and managing resources mindfully. We review data and best practices to refne our approach when trialling new technologies. I stay committed to ongoing research, reading articles and national frameworks to keep informed on emerging technologies and pedagogical advancements.”
Introducing technology at the right time
We know that technology is an integral part of our world, so what is the right age to introduce it to young children? According to Katie, when used in moderation, technology can signifcantly enhance early learning. By ensuring that digital interactions are safe, age-appropriate, and balanced, we can ofer children a secure, purposeful way to engage with technology as a tool for learning. Recognising the risks of technology is the frst step to fostering a healthy relationship with screens. For instance, Katie uses a visible fve-minute timer to help children manage their screen time and encourages them to take breaks for real-world interactions. After all, screens are just one tool in the learning process and should be used in moderation alongside tactile, interactive learning.
Working in partnership with parents and teachers At Tanglin, digital citizenship and online safety are collective responsibilities. By building a strong partnership with parents, we empower everyone to guide children in becoming safe, responsible digital citizens. This comes in the form of interactive ParentWise workshops where families learn about digital citizenship and online safety alongside our educators. In addition, Tanglin utilises SeeSaw to share learning activities and foster family discussions about digital citizenship at home. Parents gain insight into classroom activities related to online safety, which allows them to connect with and reinforce their children’s learning.
Efective technology integration requires dedicated training, hands-on practice, and continuous support. Teachers are encouraged to explore technology to enhance learning and build their confdence, competence, and creativity with digital tools. Katie conducts regular workshops to introduce educators to new technologies, which allows them to see tools in action, trial them frsthand, and discuss classroom applications. This supportive environment fosters teacher innovation and experimentation, mirroring the curiosity we encourage in our children.
Katie said, “We also promote knowledge exchange through classroom observations, connections with international schools, and professional discussions. Additionally, we ofer pathways for formal certifcations on educational platforms like Common Sense Media Educator, SeeSaw Ambassador, and Apple Teacher.”
And there you have it! At Tanglin, we help Infant children become responsible digital citizens by using technology as a tool for learning and discovery. This is made possible through the strong collaboration between teachers and parents, using carefully curated apps and platforms that support our children’s growth, exploration, and creativity. ■
Rachel Turpin, Deputy Head of Junior School, explains.
With our 3-14 Curriculum embedded, the focus has shifted towards the context through which the milestone statements are delivered. Many of the milestone statements across the whole curriculum are delivered through topics. These topics are integral to levels of engagement and motivation for every child and, by choosing topics that pose relevant, thought-provoking questions, the children can develop their inquiry skills of collaboration, creativity and creative thinking alongside the knowledge and understanding that the curriculum provides. It also allows us to weave through the themes of STEAM, sustainability, service, diversity and enterprise so that our curriculum is relevant to the context of today.
Year 3
Adventures of Discovery
Year 3 children will embark on a journey of self-discovery and an exploration of the year group’s diverse cultures, to foster appreciation for inclusion and diversity. They will then delve into the adventures of the Vikings, uncovering how their early travels helped shape the world we know today.
of Wonder
This topic compares signifcant rivers worldwide, examining their formation and progression through various stages. We will explore the impact of rivers on human and physical landscapes, as well as how these environments infuence the rivers in return. Additionally, we will address real-world concerns such as fooding, drought, pollution, and the necessity of water conservation, ultimately asking: will our rivers ever run dry?
The frst part of this topic explores prehistoric geology and the study of fossils and animal skeletons, revealing insights about ancient life. We then shift to modern history, examining the past century through primary and secondary sources, focusing on concepts of time, change, and legacy, and speculating on what might endure 100 years from now.
Year 4
Year 5
Uncovering The Ancient World
A discovery of the Ancient World will spark a love of history and support our developing inquiryskills approach. Year 4 will immerse themselves in ancient history, exploring and comparing the Shang Dynasty and Ancient Egypt, considering the impact of these incredible eras.
Could humans thrive on another planet?
Year 5 will embark on an exploration of our solar system, discovering the unique features of each planet. They will investigate various planetary surfaces and examine the Space Race, culminating in their own space exploration project which will consider whether humans could thrive on other planets.
Pristine Planet?
Year 4 will study the world’s biomes and the impact of human activity on the environment, examining both positive and negative consequences. Through our study and trip to Pulau Ubin, we will explore whether our planet can still be considered pristine.
Journeys: an exploration into migration
Through map work and scientifc study, children will thoughtfully explore the concepts of migration and displacement for both humans and animals. Through the text Boy at the Back of the Class, the children will refect on friendship, empathy and the experiences of refugees, to discover the importance of kindness and understanding in our diverse world.
How do we harness the power of mother nature?
Children will explore Singapore’s climate and examine how we harness nature through innovative architecture and sustainable practices. They will then design a future-ready home that refects their learning and embodies the principles of sustainability.
What did the Ancient Greeks do for us?
Through the thought-provoking question, “Would you rather be a Spartan or an Athenian?”, Year 5 pupils will journey back to Ancient Greece to explore its rich cultures. They will refect on their personal values and draw connections to those of ancient societies, continually returning to the central question.
Year 6
World War Two:
perspectives and peace
Year 6 will have the opportunity to learn about the sequence of events leading to the Second World War, with a focus on both Europe and Asia. We aim to ofer diverse perspectives on World War II, highlighting the experiences of soldiers, women and children from diferent cultures and religions to foster empathy, and an appreciation of hope and peace, to help shape our children as global citizens.
The rich tapestry of South American culture
Following in the footsteps of past explorers, the children will delve into the geography and history of this vast continent. They will explore the indigenous cultures, the natural environment, and the impact of European settlers, examining trade and the rich blend of infuences that shape South America today. This journey will help them appreciate the continent’s vibrant cultural landscape.
Reaching the Summit
In Year 6’s fnal term, students will explore their own skills, abilities, and strengths as they prepare for Senior School. They will hear inspirational stories of determination and bravery throughout the curriculum, refecting on the skills they can draw upon to overcome challenges and thrive, no matter what obstacles life may present.
The following new topics are just two examples from those above, developed by a small group of staf over the last academic year. I am thankful for the creativity, time and enthusiasm that was needed as we collaborated to produce an inspiring curriculum for the Junior School children. »
“How Can We Harness the Power of Nature?” was launched for Year 4 last year. Following an immersive assembly featuring live news and weather reports, children were tasked with designing a home of the future that could withstand Singapore's tropical weather. Working collaboratively, they created structures using the same resources and timeframe, demonstrating their engineering skills through careful consideration of shape and form to survive exposure to the elements.
After a weekend of heavy rain and heat, Year 4 evaluated their creations that were left on the top of the Nixon building, identifying successful design choices. They then had a presentation on the design of the Centenary Building and found out that Tanglin's architecture efectively harnesses Singapore’s climate and has sustainable features like building orientation and fewer windows. A local walk allowed the children to observe architecture around one-north, noting features that address extreme weather, such as storm drains and solar panels. This feldwork encouraged them to refect on local innovations before revisiting their initial task and designing a future-ready home. Through exploration and examination of local architecture and renewable energy solutions, Year 4 experienced a geography topic that integrated STEAM and sustainability, preparing them to be thoughtful global citizens, capable of efecting positive change.
“Reaching the Summit” was developed to celebrate the successes of our Year 6 children, encouraging them to face new challenges, take risks, and to inspire them with real and fctional stories of adventure. It successfully pulled together the Geography, English and LifeSkills curriculum.
A highlight of the topic was the visit by local climber and explorer David Lim, leader of the frst Singapore expedition to Everest in 1998. Despite being paralyzed from the eyes down due to a rare nerve disorder after his ascent, David fought against the odds to continue his expeditions. The children were captivated by his tales of success, decisionmaking in the wilderness, and overcoming challenges.
During our residential trip to Sarawak, Borneo, the children faced their own adventures with daily expeditions that required critical thinking and teamwork. They navigated dark caves, steep climbs, and challenging kayaks, sleeping in a traditional Iban longhouse, where organisation and perseverance were essential. The skills learned in Sarawak inspired the children to refect on their ambitions. Our “Speak Up” public speaking competition provided a platform for them to share their thoughts, with winners speaking at our graduation ceremony.
Humanities lessons developed geographical skills, focusing on mapping mountains and learning about Nepalese sherpas. LifeSkills lessons identifed key skills for success, emphasising friendship and organisation. In English, we introduced Tolkien’s The Hobbit , challenging the children to write their own stories inspired by the text. The culmination of our “Reaching the Summit” topic was the graduation ceremony; a chance to celebrate the successes of their Junior School journey before embarking on their adventure into Senior School. ■
Saturday 22 March 2025
7:00pm – 11:00pm
~ Cocktails and food with a British-Singapore twist ~ ~ Dancing and live music entertainment ~ ~ Free-fow drinks* ~ Theme: 1920’s inspired
SCAN THE QR CODE TO PURCHASE TICKETS
*Free-fow drinks will include red and white wine, beer and Tanglin 9 5 Gin
How does AI infuence and impact
Tanglin students? John Ridley (Director of Learning) and Alex Bosch (Assistant Head of Senior School) tell us more.
These are exciting times in education. When technology takes a big leap forward, as it has with the rapid development of Artifcial Intelligence (AI) and Generative AI (Gen AI), powered by Large Language Models (LLMs), we are thrown into a situation where teachers are very much learners. As these tools continue to evolve quickly, so does our understanding of their potential and limitations. Here are a few examples of how this is impacting our students.
Age limitations apply to many of Gen AI tools, so that only Year 9 students and upwards would be able to use them in school directly. However, our younger students are getting exposure to AI in other ways. In the Junior School, students in Year 4 to Year 6 are using a platform called Century Tech. This uses more ‘old school’ AI to monitor a student’s responses to short assignments and suggest next steps based on their performance as well as giving instant feedback to the student so that they can learn from mistakes.
In the Middle School, teachers have been using Gen AI in lessons to show students educationally sound examples of how to use such a powerful tool. For example, in a Year 7 science lesson, students researching echolocation and ultrasound were able to ask Co-pilot iterative questions using the teacher’s computer.
Also in the Junior School, the humanities team have been experimenting with the ‘Chat with a Historical Figure’ feature on the LessonLabAI platform, where both teachers and students can interact with historical personalities in a dynamic, conversational format. For instance, Year 6 students recently engaged in a thought-provoking dialogue with Anne Frank and WWII evacuees during humanities and reading lessons. Meanwhile, Year 5 students used the platform to interview space pioneers like Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin as part of their space exploration unit. AI made these learning experiences more interactive and personal, allowing students to dive deeper into historical contexts and scientifc discoveries. It not only boosted engagement but also fostered a sense of inquiry, helping students develop critical thinking skills by posing thoughtful questions and refecting on the answers.
What about our older students? We want them to access authentic tools that they will have access to in the real world. How do we educate them when tools are evolving so quickly and when we as professionals need to ensure tools are safe and educationally sound? How do we guard against the temptations for misuse?
We have held sessions for Upper School and Sixth Form students on the use of AI in their learning and its connection to academic integrity. These sessions have taken the form of assemblies for some, while others engage in themed events such as the Principled Learners’ Day with IB Year 12 students. These have allowed us to explore Tanglin’s principles on AI from both a student and teacher perspectives. It is key that students understand that our approach to AI applies to the whole Tanglin community and not just them.
We want our students to understand the power and limitations of AI and use it in ways that enhance their schoolwork without compromising its purpose. In our sessions, we explained what AI is, how it works and how rapidly it is evolving. Like with our staf, we encouraged students to focus on how AI can support their regular school tasks rather than getting distracted by the latest applications. We also examined the many grey areas AI introduces, guided by Tanglin’s AI Principles and our Academic Integrity Policy.
A powerful exercise for students was to consider an upcoming major independent project such as a piece of coursework in Upper School or an Internal Assessment in Sixth Form. They were encouraged to break down the steps involved and identify where AI could be useful and where it should be avoided. The exercise allowed us to explore the purpose of those tasks, which, as in any school endeavour, is learning. Also, we discussed where using AI is appropriate and how it can streamline resource fnding very efciently and as a consequence help us select sources. However, any step that requires students’ input in the actual choice of content, refection or use of ideas to make their own point are steps where AI should not be used as that piece of work would not be considered as their own work.
We also worked to destigmatise the use of AI, addressing the perception that it is often “wrong” to use it. We discussed the many grey areas surrounding AI and emphasised that as long
as students’ use of AI is aligned with Tanglin’s principles, it can be appropriate and benefcial. To illustrate this, we explored examples of how AI can be used efectively in a learning context. Most examples we used revolved around the use of LLMs (Large Language Models) like ChatGPT or CoPilot in the following ways:
■ Support student engagement with content: Students can upload a resource such as a pdf created by a teacher and have AI ask them questions, help them retrieve and therefore learn the content.
■ Feedback on student responses: We discussed how AI can provide a useful ‘middle ground’ between their work and the feedback of their teacher. By uploading specifications, AI can be used to give preliminary feedback. However, students are reminded to share any AI feedback with their teacher and not pass any work created by AI as their own.
■ Create personalised revision timetables: This helps students manage their study time around specific content and track their understanding through generated questions and self-marking tools.
■ Summarise sources: This is particularly useful for students in Sixth Form students working on EPQs or Extended Essays. AIgenerated summaries allow students to save time and focus on deep reading of the most relevant sources.
■ Impersonate historical figures: AI can stimulate conversations with historical figures and provide a useful tool for students who want to test their factual knowledge.
As AI technology evolves, we will continue to experiment with its applications to enhance student learning at Tanglin through examples of appropriate use but also through directed teaching in academic lessons or the Lifeskills programme. All of these will be guided by our AI principles to ensure that we model responsible use for our students. In doing so, we aim to help them understand how to harness the power of AI while upholding their academic integrity. ■
Everyone has their proud Tanglin moment. What do some of our Cohort 2024 Graduates have to say?
on an original song and performing it with my friends at
What university ofers have our 2024 Cohort received, and from which insttutons?
Let’s take a look at the university ofers by the numbers:
6% from Canada including: University of Britsh Columbia University of Toronto
39% from the UK, including: University of Oxford University of Cambridge
36% from USA including: Yale University
Cornell University Dartmouth College
9% from Europe including: University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands) Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
4% from Asia including: Tsinghua University
OFFERS FROM 177 INSTITUTIONS LOCATED ACROSS 21 COUNTRIES
85% ATTENDING UNIVERSITY
6% from Australia & New Zealand including: University of Sydney University of Canterbury
11% ENTERING NATIONAL SERVICE
4% TAKING A GAP YEAR
From school trips to saving snakes, Mr Robin Stewart is a teacher you’d never forget. Even though it’s been over 30 years since he lef Tanglin, his impact remains unforgetable. We catch up with him to fnd out what he’s been doing since then.
What were your fondest memories from your time at Tanglin?
Undoubtedly the children and the adventures we had together. The trips to Taman Nagara, climbing Mt. Kinabalu, and travelling by ship to Brunei, and the reactions of the students were real highlights. I was working with 9–11-year-olds and was amazed at how well all these experiences turned out - many of them were frst visits by school groups of primary school aged students to these places. Introducing snakes to the school in an efort to prevent so many being killed at home was particularly satisfying, and I am convinced that as the children conveyed the conservation message to parents, we saved the lives of many an innocent snake. I still have contact with some of those students and ‘Mr Stewart’s snakes’ appear to be well remembered.
What have you been up to since leaving Tanglin?
While teaching at Tanglin, I had also built up a good relationship with the curator and staf at the Singapore Zoo. This led to us starting a Junior Zookeepers’ Club whereby I took a group of students to the zoo on weekends where they worked with the keepers. It was the success of this little project which, on my
return to New Zealand in 1980, led me to seek a job where I could work with children and animals in an educational setting. The frst possibility that came up was a position at Marineland in Napier. Although my position was ofcially Assistant Superintendent, and my main job was working with the animals (dolphins, sealions, seals, etc.), I spent as much time as I could visiting schools and guiding school groups around Marineland. It was generally most satisfying, but there were things going on at Marineland that I found increasingly difcult to justify. I eventually left and returned to teaching in 1986. I taught ‘special needs’ classes for ten years or so before the chance came to move into international education. I became the international director at a high school here in Napier, a position I held until my retirement at the end of 2023. The position involved marketing the school to high school students from overseas and generally ensuring their care and education while they were enrolled at the school. The school was not large - a student roll of around 500, but during my time as director, we hosted nearly 800 students from over 30 diferent countries. I was pretty humbled when I was invited to Auckland to receive an award, presented by the International Education Business Association of New Zealand, for ‘Services to International Education’.
Why did you decide to become a teacher and how did you end up at Tanglin?
The reason for becoming a teacher was simple. I enjoyed my own schooling so much (in a small country school) that I did not want to leave. A visiting careers advisor suggested teaching. It sounded like a good idea, so at the tender age of 16, I found myself enrolling at Dunedin Teachers’ College at the beginning of 1963. Apart from the few years at Marineland, I have been in a classroom more or less since I was fve years old. Before taking up the position at Tanglin Preparatory School in 1976, I had been teaching in Borneo for six years. I frst went to Brunei as a volunteer teacher (St Margaret’s, Seria) in 1969. During this time, I married a Brunei girl. We returned to New Zealand (1971 to 1972) before moving back to Brunei for another two years and I became the frst appointed principal at the newly established Kinabalu International School in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. It was on the way back to New Zealand at the end of my two-year contract at K.I.S. that I called in for an interview with the then Secretary of Tanglin Trust on the of-chance of fnding a job. To my great delight, I got a message three weeks later, while working in the shearing sheds of my brother-in-law’s farm in New Zealand, asking if I could start at Tanglin Preparatory School the following week. The rest, as they say, is history.
How has your experience at Tanglin infuenced your career choices or life?
Undoubtedly my ten years of teaching experience in Southeast Asia, and particularly the four years at Tanglin, greatly infuenced
the rest of my life. My time at Tanglin led directly to my seeking the Marineland position. When that didn’t work out, I discovered that my overseas teaching experience had prepared me ideally for a position in international education.
What are some projects or initiatives you are currently working on?
Having retired some time ago, I have no particular projects on the go at present apart from trying to adjust to retirement. It is not easy and I do miss working with students. We are not entirely out of the picture as my wife and I still host international students as homestay parents. We currently have a boy from Germany and a Japanese boy who recently arrived.
As we approach Tanglin’s centenary, is there anything you’d like to share with the students and staf of our school?
Tanglin - 100 years. Wow!! I am very proud of having been associated with the school for just a small fraction of those 100 years. I visited the school a few years ago and was amazed at the transition. Our own two boys attended Weyhill School when it, along with Raeburn Park, was operating on the site where the huge school now stands. I have followed the school on Facebook over the last few years and never cease to be amazed by the wonderful adventures and achievements undertaken by the students. Administrators, staf and students, past and present, must be congratulated for what the school has now become. I look forward to hearing all about the celebrations. ■
Whenever we hear from former Tanglin members, it feels like reconnectng with a cherished family member. Amanda Dufy, who once served as a TLA at our Infant School, is one of those familiar faces. Now a children’s book author, we caught up with her to learn more about her journey since leaving Tanglin.
Tell us briefy about yourself. What did you do before Tanglin?
Before moving to Singapore, I lived in London where I designed knitwear. I later followed my husband’s career to Tokyo and Shanghai, where I taught English, before we eventually settled in Hong Kong. It was there where we, as part of the expat community, witnessed the handover of sovereign soil to China on 1 July 1997 – watching and wondering if change would come quickly. It was an exciting and buzzing time to be in Asia. My frst primary school experience was when I took up a position as a Teacher’s Assistant at Kellett School. Two years after the handover, our daughter, Elizabeth, was born at the Matilda hospital. I then started my creative journey by making wild and wonderful costumes for school plays, which expanded to fairy and pirate costumes for expat children in our very small apartment block in Tai Tam. I sourced the fabrics and worked with machinists in China to bring these creations to life.
When did you move to Singapore and start your Tanglin journey?
Our Singapore journey started in 2005 when our daughter was only fve years old. Elizabeth started Year 1 at Tanglin Trust School with Miss Susan Whitmarsh, whom she adored (please note she loved all her teachers through the next 12 years). We lived on Belmont Road in a beautiful colonial house that was surrounded by an array of tropical fruit trees. It was a contrast from my hometown in London and the other Asian cities we had lived before. We embraced the tropics, outdoor lifestyle and lived a full and happy life within the Tanglin community. I set up an Art business called ‘Amanda’s Art Box’, which quickly became popular with Tanglin students attending after-school art classes. When Elizabeth (now Lizzy) started Senior School at Tanglin, I applied to be a Teaching and Learning Assistant at the Infant school to contribute the skills I had developed as a parent and help guide the learning journey of our young students. It brings me great joy to be part of this process.
I fondly remember working with Sharon Giblin and we were dubbed the ‘dynamic duo,’ as we believed the children thrived under our energy. Our motto was ‘Reach for the stars every day’. We would often make it clear to the class that the children had blown our socks of, yet again! We had a lot of fun and this enthusiasm made teaching and learning easy. During my
time, I was naturally drawn to art, role play, performances and could feel and embrace the creativity oozing from the walls of Tanglin. My fondest memory is a fairy-tale performance of song and dance. The children dressed up as red riding hoods, wolves and dancing bears that pranced around the stage having the best time, performing in front of their parents. It was emotional watching my own daughter going through the ranks of performances, but I can truthfully say, I felt the exact same choked up emotion watching our own class singing at the top of their lungs with maximum efort. Infant School was a magical time at Tanglin for us and the children. There is a gazillion more memories: sports days, the famous Summer Fete, trips to the zoo and nature parks. It was an absolute dream of a job and a rich experience for children, staf and parents. I felt that being a staf member and parent of a Tanglin student was a privileged time and will forever hold it close to my heart.
Sadly, children become big kids, then young adults and eventually after university, they fy the nest to carve out their own careers.
However, without the foundations that Tanglin gave our daughter and myself, we wouldn’t be doing what we are today and for that I am eternally grateful. Since leaving Singapore in 2018, Lizzy graduated, and I was of course left an emotional wreck. Waving her of to university, I decided to go back to education and trained as an SNA (Special Needs Assistant). This enabled me to work at a rural village school in County Mayo, Ireland, assisting Children with Special Needs. It was a huge contrast to Tanglin’s bustling corridors.
During this time with lots of rainy weekends thrown in, I started writing children’s stories. Desse’s Big Day is my frst publication, and I was inspired by many years of being in school environments and the children I have met.
My book, Desse’s Big Day, is about celebrating our unique diferences and recognising the universal challenges that children face when starting school for the frst time. The star of the book is a shy and sensitive dragon called, ‘Desse,’ who takes the reader on a journey through his frst day at school battling various emotions and from fearing his diferences to embracing them.
How did your experience working at the school shape your perspective and approach to writing?
I know inclusivity is core to Tanglin’s values and celebrating every child is key to success. This book will resonate with children, parents and educators alike. My next book is very diferent, it’s called Pampered Pandora and it is about a very spoilt cat called Pandora, who lives with her loyal pug, Hamish. Unfortunately, the friendship hits rock bottom because of Pandora’s bossy ways. Will Pandora win back her friendship? What do you think makes a good friend?
As we enter our centennial year, is there anything you’d like to say?
My message to all current and retired teachers, support staf and current children, and ones who have passed through the vaults of Tanglin Trust School, is to never give up on your dreams. It’s never too late to try something new. Only you know what that new thing is. Once you fnd it, you will reach for the stars and blow everyone’s socks of! ■
Amanda’s books are available online on her website at https://amandadufy.ampbk.com or Amazon.
Planning on playing football at a university in USA? Then Charles Heth (Cohort 2023) has some tps for you!
Charles has always been passionate about football. After graduating from Tanglin with a football scholarship, he is now attending Springfeld College where he majors in Physiotherapy – combining his love for football with a commitment to helping athletes perform at their best. Now that he is doing what he loves, he wants to give back to the school community by sharing how Tanglin has helped him achieve his dreams. But frst, let’s start from the beginning!
WHAT’S YOUR TANGLIN STORY?
My Tanglin story began at the beginning of Year 12. I was born and raised in Singapore until the age of 14 when I went of to attend boarding school in Surrey, England to pursue football as well as an education. I spent two years at Tanglin, which turned out to be the two best years of my life.
WHY FOOTBALL?
Football was the only sport I grew up playing. It brought me joy and I noticed that I had a talent for it around the age of nine.
WHAT WAS YOUR UNIVERSITY APPLICATION PROCESS LIKE? WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS THAT YOU THINK GOT YOU THE OFFER?
My application was somewhat complicated. Attending an American university as an out of state student came with signifcant costs. But playing football gave me an edge, allowing me to apply for a football scholarship. My international background, along with strong A levels and GCSE results, defnitely helped me stand out among the average American students.
HOW DID TANGLIN HELP WITH THE PROCESS?
My passion for football was nurtured by the supportive environment. Ms Zoe Williams, the Head of University Counselling, guided me through the scholarship application process, while having an agent proved invaluable in connecting me with college coaches. Playing on the Tanglin football team provided me with great experience and exposure, which ultimately helped me secure a football scholarship. I also used a lot of footage from my Tanglin games (especially SEASAC) in my CV to receive more visibility and strengthen my application.
ANY ADVICE FOR YOUR PEERS?
I would defnitely recommend creating a highlight tape that showcases your full potential. Consider hiring an agent too, as they have strong connections with college coaches and can help you get the right exposure. One of the best aspects of being a student athlete in
USA is the range of competition levels. There are Divisions 1, 2, and 3, with Division 1 being the most competitive while Division 3 ofers a less intense level of play.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS AFTER UNIVERSITY?
I plan on becoming a physiotherapist after university. As I mentioned earlier, my love for football inspired me to study physiotherapy and I hope to use the knowledge to become a physiotherapist and help others in future.
ANY THOUGHTS ON TANGLIN’S CENTENARY?
I would just like to thank Tanglin for the incredible education I received there as well as the friendships I made for life. I hope I am able to come into Tanglin and give a more in-depth talk on what it is like being a student athlete. ■
When our students venture into the wider world, fate ofen has a way of bringing them back together – much like how a group of Tanglin Alumni met at the 2024 Touch World Cup in July.
WALES
Jaaziel Job, Alumni Executive, said, “It is incredibly heartwarming to see so many Tanglin Alumni continue their passion for Touch many years after their time at Tanglin. Many of these players began their Touch careers at Tanglin, and it has been phenomenal to see them play on the world stage representing their individual countries. We were also pleased to see that, despite playing for diferent teams and spanning almost 10 years of cohorts, our alumni made the time and efort to gather for a group photo. We are so proud of each and every one of you. GO LIONS!”
What do our Tanglin Alumni have to say about their serendipitous meeting? We catch up with them to fnd out:
LOULYA MEKKAWY (COHORT 2019)
Meeting my fellow Tanglin alumni at the tournament was such a special experience! There was a mix of excitement, friendly competition, and a shared understanding of our roots that made the tournament all the more meaningful. I was also very grateful to see some of my Tanglin alumni friends who were there supporting all of us.
What has Loulya been up to?
Since graduating from Tanglin in 2019, I completed my Undergraduate Physiotherapy degree at Cardif
Taylor Thompson (Cohort 2018)
Loulya Mekkawy (Cohort 2019)
Bronte Sykes (Cohort 2016)
Charlie Thompson (Cohort 2016)
Marcus Chung (Cohort 2017)
Emily Crowe (Cohort 2015)
Anna Crossley (Cohort 2022)
Grace Burton (Cohort 2017)
Phoebe Oruche (Cohort 2024)
Nina Donaldson (Cohort 2024)
University. Since then, I have been working as a specialised Paediatric Physiotherapist in one of the largest trauma centre hospitals in the UK.
CHARLIE THOMPSON (COHORT 2016)
It's always amazing to see other Tanglin alumni at such signifcant events. Touch rugby was such a big part of the culture and my social life at school, so seeing fellow alumni at the tournament brought back a lot of great memories. It’s especially impressive to witness current students playing at such a high level.
What has Charlie been up to?
I graduated from Tanglin in 2016 and went straight to the University of Exeter to study Medical Sciences. After completing my degree, I moved to London, where I currently work in marketing for the Heineken Company.
EMILY CROWE (COHORT 2015)
I was so impressed with Tanglin's representation at the World Cup. It was lovely to meet fellow alumni and bond over having Miss P as our coach.
What has Emily been up to?
Since leaving Tanglin, I attended Loughborough University and took a gap year. During that time, I worked as a sports intern at Tanglin for six months, followed
by a ski season in Val-d'lsère. I lived and worked in London for four years before moving to Vancouver with my work. I’ve been here for nearly a year!
ANNA CROSSLEY (COHORT 2022)
It was great to reconnect and catch up with the other alumni and hear what they had been up to since leaving Tanglin. I am in regular contact with some players, but there were so many others - some playing for other countries and others working as physios. Seeing everyone also added to the sense of community at the tournament.
What has Anna been up?
I fnished my schooling in Chester, England and then took a gap yearworking in Australia and travelling in Southeast Asia. I then started at The University of Manchester studying Biomedical Sciences.
NINA DONALDSON (COHORT 2024)
Phoebe and I played for the Singapore Women’s Opens. It was really inspiring to see Tanglin Alumni competing at the Touch World Cup and how the school has shaped so many talented athletes. Being part of that community was very exciting and I loved hearing about everyone’s diferent journeys that led up to the tournament. ■
Our interns are typically recent graduates but this year, we welcomed returning alumni who lef Tanglin afer Junior School and have now come back as interns! We caught up with two of them to fnd out what they’ve been up to.
Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Singapore in 2005. After attending nursery, I joined Tanglin in Reception in 2010. After leaving in 2016 at the end of Year 6, I went to a prep school and then Winchester College. From there, I got into Oxford to read Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and I am heading into my second year of studies.
How did you fnd out about the internship programme?
I first came across the opportunity to intern at Tanglin while studying at Oxford, and it stayed in the back of my mind when my family decided that we should do a trip back to Southeast Asia since I hadn’t been back to the region since before COVID. When the Tanglin Alumni team advertised the internship, I jumped at the chance. The languages I study at university, Sanskrit and Urdu, are not taught at Tanglin, but it would be nice to get my A Level languages (French, Latin and Spanish) back into action.
What are your thoughts about the internship?
Being in an immersive teaching environment with backto-back classes in different languages has proved to be extremely fruitful and enjoyable. It has been very reassuring to see how concerned and aware every teacher is. Having been a student not too long ago myself, I can’t help but be impressed by their empathy toward students facing academic, pastoral, or behavioural challenges. When teaching language and conducting speaking classes, I often emphasised to my students that confidence can take them a long way – self-doubt is the greatest barrier to success. Every time a student thanked me for their newfound knowledge, it gave me one of the most rewarding feelings in life. The teachers I’ve worked with had been enthusiastic about having me on board, and many had provided valuable feedback throughout my time here. One memorable experience was having to teach the second half of a Latin class right after having back-to-back French lessons and suffering from a sore throat. Trying to explain adjectival agreements with neuter nouns in a croaky voice is less than ideal, yet many teachers I’ve met do it every single day.
How different is Tanglin since you left?
I like to think that I’ve changed more than the school has. Despite Tanglin’s nearly unrecognisable skyline and the fact that I now spend time with Senior staff and students, the school has preserved a familiar atmosphere I hadn’t felt in years. Its community spirit is both international and deeply committed to nurturing everyone’s potential. I recall how many of my friends came and went, staying at Tanglin for just a year or two, yet a strong sense of community and positivity toward the school always remained. The seeds of an international and diverse mindset were undoubtedly planted at Tanglin, where it inspired my ambitions and shaped my global perspective. It remains a cherished place filled with priceless memories.
Tell us about yourself.
I’m half Spanish and half English but I was born in Singapore. I speak both languages fluently and I speak a bit of German too. I joined Tanglin in Year 4 and left in Year 6. Before I rejoined this school as an intern, I had just graduated IB in my school in Spain.
How did you fnd out about the internship programme?
The school had sent me an email about the internship programme, and I thought it’d be a great experience to rejoin Tanglin as an intern. It’d a special opportunity for me as an old alumna to return to the Tanglin world and learn lots of new things as well as observe how a school operates.
What are your thoughts about the internship?
I really liked the internship. At first, I didn’t really know what to expect so I went in with no idea of what I’d be doing. I enjoyed the new environment, although it was a big change from what I was used to since I went from being a student to a teacher in a matter of days.
How different is Tanglin since you left?
My perception of the school hasn’t changed much. I still find the atmosphere and expectations to be the same. However, now that I had done the internship, I see the amount of hard work and effort that the teachers put into the smallest activity or class.
What would you say to Tanglin Alumni who want to try an internship at Tanglin?
I would say that it is a great opportunity and that you should definitely try it out. Even if you are unsure, it is a chance to make the most out of your position as an alum and helps to strengthen your connection with the school. ■
As Tanglin nears its 100th anniversary, we’re thrilled about the upcoming celebratons. How did the school mark its 80th and 90th milestones? Let’s walk down the memory lane.
Tanglin celebrated its 80th year in 2005 with a concert and solo performance by the inaugural winner of
It also created a time capsule to commemorate “the ethos and essence of the school community during its 80th year”, according to Dr David Porritt (Head of Juniors, 2003-2008). In 2005, this included Nokia ringtones, CD-ROMs, fashion trends, samples of student’s work, the business card from the Head of Juniors, and various items refecting the cultural and technological landscape of the time. Today, it’s on display across from the Junior School Ofce so be sure to check it out!
For Tanglin’s 90th birthday, former CEO Peter Derby-Crook wrote this in the T90 anniversary booklet, “T90 is a wonderful opportunity to refect on our heritage, celebrate our achievements, give back to the community and also to inspire our students to make a diference. Throughout 2015 we will be celebrating T90 with a range of events and activities which demonstrate the breadth of experiences and enrichment opportunities enjoyed by our students, as well as our strong community focus. A few T90 highlights include a heritage expedition to the Cameron Highlands and thank you event at The Tanglin Club in January, our Anniversary Day in March when we celebrate as a community, the whole school ‘One Voice’ concert, inspirational performing poets and speakers throughout the year and the return of Scottish Opera in October.”
What type of work does a social worker do in an internatonal school? We catch up with Wendy Ang, Tanglin’s School Social Worker, to fnd out more.
I joined Tanglin in 2022 after several years of supporting children, youths and adults with diverse needs in my work as a Counsellor and Social Worker in various social service agencies, which are nonproft organisations typically established as societies, companies limited by guarantee or trusts and are dedicated to serving the community in Singapore. I was drawn to Tanglin because it ofers me the opportunity to step into the shoes of people from diverse cultures and help build a bridge of mutual understanding.
I realised that I was always drawn to working with children and youths in education and had started providing private tuition to students during my university days. One of my tutees who was probably was about nine years old often looked very gloomy and would not lift her pen no matter how I tried to coax her. It got me thinking about the importance of emotional wellbeing and how it correlates to academic achievement. There was not as much emphasis on mental health and its importance then.
Fast forward to my counselling internships, I had a great opportunity to train both at a social service agency specialising in supporting at-risk youths and at a local secondary school. The Vice Principal and the team of Teacher-Counsellors made me feel exceptionally welcomed even though I was just an intern. I counselled students and their parents on various concerns that ranged from social-emotional support to school refusal and risktaking behaviours.
Upon graduation, I worked at one of the most established social service agencies in Singapore where I received rigorous training and had worked on challenging cases. There was an occasion where I probably got home close to midnight after an intensive session during a home visit to a boy and his family. Years later, I bumped into him and he shared that he was doing better. I was glad that I could make a diference in what would have been a challenging phase for him as well as his family.
As Tanglin celebrates its Centenary, I was delighted to learn that our founder, Anne Grifth-Jones had worked as a Welfare Ofcer during World War I and had continued with social work after her retirement. Despite being from a distinguished family where her father was a successful lawyer, she had compassion for the British expatriate children that gave her the impetus to start Tanglin in Singapore. I believed she understood the importance of parental presence during a child’s critical developmental years rather than sending them to a boarding school.
Similarly, I am heartened when I see the parent-child relationship strengthened in the course of my work and am humbled that I am part of a very experienced pastoral care team that is working towards a common goal of fostering a positive school experience. I wish that more will view seeking and receiving professional help not as signs of weakness - in fact, it demonstrates strength of character as it shows self-awareness and great courage to work towards change.
Unlike most social workers in the UK who are employed by the local government, the vast majority of social workers in Singapore work in non-governmental organisations and in public services such
as hospitals and schools. This means that most social workers in Singapore are not sent by the government and do not hold any statutory powers. Instead, we seek to work collaboratively with our clients and their family.
Whilst school counselling is well-established in education systems in at least 62 countries; school social work is a growing specialty with school social workers practising in over 50 countries around the world. According to a UK government article, 140 social workers were placed in over 21 local authorities in England’s schools since 2020 to facilitate better relationships with families.
Likewise, the role of Tanglin’s School Social Worker was born out of a desire to provide an additional layer of pastoral care to the Tanglin community to holistically support students and their family.
We pride ourselves on the exceptional care that we provide to our students. It often entails working with the signifcant people in their life in what is known as a systemic approach in social work. It is a versatile role and can entail one-to-one counselling with students, sessions with parents, home visits, collaborating with teachers, school leaders and other helping professionals both in school and externally with the aim of improving the social and emotional wellbeing of students and their family. It takes a villagewhen everyone around the child is better equipped to support the child, better outcomes are to be expected. As an integral part of the Pastoral Care and Coordinated Wellbeing Services teams across the school, my collegues and I ofer a wide range of workshops to Tanglin parents with the aim of increasing parental insight and empowering them to better support their children. Parenting is one of the most challenging jobs, and we are keen to journey with parents in that respect.
We are a high-achieving school. Whilst academic pressure is not necessarily detrimental, it takes self-awareness, acceptance and empathy towards self and others to understand that everyone is unique with diferent abilities and strengths. Healthy competition can be motivating for some but too much comparison can breed insecurity and lower one’s self-esteem, which can be further exacerbated by social media and peer pressure.
Parents can be intentional in developing grit and resilence in their children from an early age by not rescuing them from each setback. It will go a long way if parents can seek to understand their child’s struggles and experiences and validate their feelings before jumping into a problem-solving mode. When children feel heard and understood by their parents, chances are that they would be more inclined to share their joys, sorrows and frustrations down the road.
Through active, non-judgmental listening, parents are demonstrating for their children what it means to be a kind and compassionate person. It may not come intuitively, especially when we live in a fast-paced, quick fx society, where slowing down may feel incomprehensible. The way we consistently interact with our children will speak louder than any advice that we give. It is our deep connection with our children that will set a frm foundation from which they can be equipped to weather the storms of life. ■
Tanglin has been making strides in sustainability and it recently partnered with Metanoia to measure its carbon footprint. Krishiv, Student Lead of Sustainability, tells us more about this initatve.
I’ve been a core member of Tanglin’s Sustainability Committee for the past few years, and it has been inspiring to see our school really pick up momentum in its eforts over time. This is extremely important to our 100-year legacy: we have a responsibility to the community that hosts us. As Singapore has set its sights on net-zero by 2050, so must we, and we have already taken the frst step in this process by measuring our emissions according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
To do this, we worked with a company called Metanoia to conduct an environmental audit of our school. Representatives from the company came to Tanglin in March, and together with the students, they measured food waste and general waste, interacted with the Operations & Procurement teams, carried out a uniform and commuting survey, as well as analysed energy consumption data to piece together a comprehensive image of our carbon footprint.
Tanglin emitted 9,573 tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2023, with the largest contributors being electricity (specifcally for cooling, ventilation and lighting), supply chain emissions from purchased
goods and services and school trips. Amidst the 7.2 million kWh of electricity used in 2023, perhaps the most surprising fnding was that 40% of our school’s electricity consumption occurs outside of school hours, and on weekends and public holidays. The committee is raring to investigate this as we strive to bring down electricity consumption to reach Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority Green Mark “Super Low Energy –Platinum” benchmark for schools.
Our supply chain emissions are efectively in the control of the producers of what we buy as a school. The best thing we can do to reduce these is to adopt a sustainable procurement policy, where we choose suppliers with clear emissions reporting and targets. The food waste measurement recorded an average of 16 kilograms of waste per student which indicates the need to reduce portion sizes and increase our composting eforts.
Keeping all this in mind, Metanoia produced a personalised roadmap to net zero by 2050, which sets key targets like a 63% emissions reduction by 2035 and a 90% reduction by 2050. The
fnal 10% of emissions will inevitably consist of sectors like school trips, which are impossible to cut beyond a certain extent. This can then be ofset through aforestation and carbon capture technologies.
Metanoia’s report helped highlight some of the environmental hotspots in our school community, and it is now our duty to address their fndings through action. On 17 August, I kickstarted the process by presenting our fndings to the school’s Governors during Strategy Day, when they were planning Tanglin’s longterm future. Tangin students have also been participating in a new CCA where they will work in teams on projects of their choice to address these hotspots.
Finally, the importance of continuing to measure our progress against these metrics over the next few years cannot be overstated. Tracking our movements towards our targets is half the battle in terms of guiding our decision making. For now, our strategy is to make practical but impactful changes so that we can look back with pride on what we’ve achieved together. ■
What happens when a family boasts not one, not two, but THREE siblings who have each carved their own niche in the entertainment industry? Meet the Hall family – Tyler, Sadie, and Isla.
I was born in Singapore, then moved to Switzerland for four years before my family moved back. I started Year 3 at Tanglin in 2014. My dad introduced me to the metal and rock genre early on with bands such as Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, and Pink Floyd, as they were some of his favourite bands. I play four instruments - bass, electric guitar, piano and drums - and have always been described as a fairly musical person. My passion for music has always stemmed from my enjoyment as an audience member and appreciating the creativity and expression of artists. Over the years, my biggest inspirations have evolved but my earliest infuences include Periphery, Opeth, and Landmvrks.
The frst song I ever wrote was in Year 7 at a Tanglin songwriting workshop hosted by Songwork International, titled “Through the Frame”. The inspiration for that song came from being in a new environment and transitioning from one chapter of my life to another. I had just graduated from Junior school and entered Senior School when I wrote that. When I released my frst song on Spotify, it was a very surreal and an amazing experience. Friends were streaming it, some were blasting it, my family friends were spreading the word on social media - it was almost comical! I was proud to have learnt how to “metal scream” in the song. It’s an interesting and unique skill!
One challenge during production was defnitely trying to feel more comfortable in my own skin. If there is little or no emotional connection between the lyrics and me, the end results tend to be quite lackluster. I also had to get used to performing and recording my own vocals, which isn’t my strongest skill. Being vulnerable in that situation was a big hurdle I had to overcome. After the workshop, I continued writing more songs and eventually connected with a producer. Between Year 7 and Year 10, I played in three diferent bands and even performed twice in the Battle of the Bands. It was an awesome experience! To date, I’ve produced seven songs – fve of which are available on Spotify and have gathered about 8000 streams. My most recent unreleased song is sort of like a rap, very diferent from what I’ve created in the past. While I’m currently focusing on my A Levels, I look forward to exploring other genres in the future.
I’ve been in Tanglin since Year 1. I was born in Singapore, but I lived in Switzerland for four years before starting at Tanglin. When I was younger, I wanted to be a fashion designer. I had a little notebook that had all my design doodles so I thought it would be fun to be a model and play dress up. I mentioned it to my mom one day and we decided to sign up for a modelling programme. At around fve years old, I signed up with an agency and participated in runway shows, editorial shoots, and commercials. My sister and I even had a modellingthemed birthday party back then. I loved it, especially getting dolled up backstage, doing fttings, and all the fun that came with it.
I was recently invited to be part of the runway show at Pink Fest and I was really grateful for the opportunity. Runways are really fun and supercharged. I will get to walk the runway again for a charity event soon and I’m looking forward to that. I also travelled to New York and spent time with Canadian fashion model Coco Rocha at her modelling bootcamp. It was intense but incredibly fun. I learnt so much about poses, the catwalk, industry practices and maintaining mental stability. Tanglin has been very accommodating in the past when I needed to miss lessons for work. My teachers would email me the day’s lessons so I could catch up. I’m also thankful to my friends who kept me updated on homework and school events.
The current youth/teen market in Singapore is relatively small compared to the US and Europe so casting calls are infrequent. My agent advised me to wait until I’m at least 17 before I can be actively pitched. Although it’s a long wait, I stay motivated by doing sports, staying ft and doing test shoots to keep my portfolio updated. I also learnt how to pose as posing as a child model is very diferent from posing as an older model. I love jewellery and accessorising so the chance to work with brands like Tifany & Co. or Van Cleef & Arpels would be a dream! The chance to work with any jewellery brand will be great. My favourite designers are Prada and Dior but that feels so out of reach! I hope to be a well-rounded model as I think that is the key to being successful.
Like Sadie, I was born in Singapore and joined Year 1 at Tanglin when I was fve. Before that, I lived in Zurich (Switzerland) for four years. I started modelling when I was fve and that later evolved into acting. I started with commercials and then scored roles in local productions. I was also involved in theatre productions outside of school. During COVID, a manager from L.A. reached out to me via social media and asked if I wanted representation in the US. I signed with him and started to audition for TV and flm roles in the US. When I get an audition, I usually start by researching the projects, including the producers, directors, writers. This helps me understand the tone and style of the show or movie. Next, I delve into the character breakdown and memorise my lines. If I’m playing the younger version of an existing character, I would study their performance beforehand. Then just before self-taping my audition at home, I would go over my lines with a family member. Over the years, I’ve learnt several acting techniques and methods, but I fnd them most useful when I can apply my own life experiences to the scene or character.
In the movie Joyride, which came out last year, I played the younger version of Ashley Park’s character. Although I had a small role in the flm, I felt very privileged to be invited to the premiere in Los Angeles. This was my frst movie premiere (I previously attended a TV premiere that was on a smaller scale). The best part about the red-carpet prep was picking the outft and makeup looks for the event. A car was sent to pick us up from home and once we got there, it was a lot to take in! I took
“ The hardest part of acting is the audition process. Since most auditions are submitted via self-tapes, you often don’t hear back from the casting directors unless you receive a callback.
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photos on the carpet, signed autographs and did interviews. Watching the flm for the frst time was very exciting because you don’t know what to expect, although I never really like watching myself on screen. The after-party was super cool. I reconnected with the cast and the director, Adele Lim, who also wrote the screenplay for Crazy Rich Asians. I also got to meet a lot of actors and directors, so going to this premiere was defnitely one of the highlights of my career so far! The hardest part of acting is the audition process. Since most auditions are submitted via self-tapes, you often don’t hear back from the casting directors unless you receive a callback. It can take days, weeks and sometimes months to get a response. After I fnish a callback (which is usually a live Zoom audition with directors and producers), it’s another period of silence and I don’t know if I am moving on to the next round. If I don’t hear back after a week, I usually assume it’s over. Making plans are also tricky. While on vacations, I have to make time to flm my auditions. If I book a job, we have to cancel holidays that have already been booked. It involves the support of my whole family.
Almost all our work is online at Tanglin, which has helped a lot when I had to travel overseas for weeks at a time. When I’m on set, I had teachers who help monitor my work and answer any questions. But most of the time, I was able to reach out to my schoolteachers for help. Tanglin is very supportive whenever I had to travel for work. All my teachers keep me up to date with the syllabus so when I returned to school, I am all caught up. This support from Tanglin allows me to balance work and school and I really appreciate it. This past summer, I got through four rounds of auditions for a Netfix series. I was asked to fy to L.A. for an in-person callback while I was on vacation. Devastatingly, I didn’t book the role. Acting is extremely competitive, even for young actors. I was told that on average, an actor books one job out of every 100 auditions, even for top tier actors. When I don’t book, I know it’s not personal. There are so many factors involved in casting - the right look, who the rest of the cast is, even your height. After doing this for three years (in the US), I’m used to it and have learned to handle it better by moving on and keeping myself busy with activities and school. You just get stronger with each setback. ■
What is sextorton and how can you, as a parent, help your child safely navigate the perils of the digital world? Clare Lancaster, Whole School Safeguarding Lead & Educatonal Psychologist explains.
extortion is a form of online blackmail where perpetrators manipulate victims, often children and teenagers, using explicit images or videos of that individual. Perpetrators threaten to release the images/ videos unless the victim complies with demands for money, more content, to meet up, or to carrying out criminal acts. This type of exploitation typically occurs on social media, messaging apps, online gaming, or video-sharing platforms.
Sextortion usually begins with the predator building trust with a child online, by posing as a peer or friendly stranger. They may send friend requests to whole friendship groups, so it looks as if there are connections in common with the victim. They groom the victim with fattery or by pretending to share common interests to build a relationship that feels genuine to the child.
Once trust is established, the perpetrator requests explicit images or videos, often presenting it as harmless fun, or a sign of afection or love. The perpetrator may share explicit images frst, pretending they are their own. After receiving images/videos from the victim, the perpetrator begins threatening to release the material unless the victim complies with further demands - for money, more content, personal meetings, or criminal acts. Fear of exposure traps the victim in a cycle of compliance and silence.
Using AI to fake content
A particularly alarming development in sextortion involves the use of artifcial intelligence (AI) to generate realistic explicit images/videos. Perpetrators create fake content »
that appears authentic, even without the victim’s involvement. AI can manipulate existing photos or videos of a child (from their social media profles) into explicit material that is nearly indistinguishable from real content. A child can now be targeted even if they’ve never shared explicit content, as perpetrators can fabricate it with AI and use it to blackmail the victim.
The emotional toll on victims is devastating, with intense feelings of guilt, shame, embarrassment, and isolation. Many children feel too ashamed to talk to anyone about the situation, believing that they are responsible for what’s happening, or fearing punishment. This can lead to social withdrawal, academic decline, anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts and behaviours. As a parent, there are several ways you can protect your child from sextortion:
Have regular, non-judgmental conversations with your child about online safety, explaining the risks of sextortion and AIgenerated images/videos, the importance of keeping accounts private, and never sharing personal images with people they’ve met online, even if they feel they trust them. Make sure your child knows that if someone online asks for inappropriate content, they should never comply and should tell you or another trusted adult immediately. Reassure them that they won’t be in trouble if they make a mistake — the goal is to keep them safe.
• Be sceptical online: Even if someone looks the same age or seems friendly, they may not be who they claim to be. AI can be used (even on live video calls) to pretend to be someone else – there’s no way to guarantee someone online is who they say they are. Explain the dangers of engaging in private conversations with people they don’t know in real life, especially if those conversations turn personal or inappropriate.
• Be cautious about sharing: Encourage your child to think carefully before sharing personal information, photos, or videos with anyone online, especially images with their face or full body or anything that could be seen as provocative, as all these things make it easier for a predator to manipulate images with AI to turn them into explicit images/videos.
Ensure your child’s accounts on social media and messaging apps are set to private, meaning only approved friends or followers can see their posts. This can help limit exposure to predators who often target children by browsing public profles. Regularly check privacy settings together, and discuss the importance of
keeping personal information, such as full name, location and school, private.
While it’s important to respect your child’s privacy, especially as they grow older, there are ways to monitor online activity without being intrusive. Use parental control software or apps that can help track what sites they visit, who they talk to, and what kind of content they engage with. Many apps allow you to set age-appropriate restrictions and get alerts if something concerning happens.
Teach your child to think critically about people they meet online. Encourage them to question the motives of strangers who ask for photos, try to make or keep chats private, or make them feel uncomfortable in any way. Let them know it’s okay to block or report these people, and that they should always trust their instincts and tell a trusted adult.
If you discover that your child is being targeted, remain calm and take action:
• Reassure your child they are not to blame. Show empathy and avoid reacting with anger or judgment. Your child needs to feel safe coming to you for help.
• Do not pay or comply with demands as this rarely solves the problem. In most cases, demands simply escalate.
• Take screenshots of messages and any other relevant information to pass to law enforcement if you report the incident. Do not delete any chats or content that could be used as evidence, but do not engage in any further chat.
• Report the crime to the police – you can lodge a report online*.
• Report the user - websites, apps, and social media platforms typically investigate and remove accounts reported to be involved in sextortion.
• Reach out for help through school support systems or external therapists/counsellors (your school can help signpost you).
• Have images removed. If your child has shared an image of themselves, Takeitdown* (or StopNCII* for over-18s) creates a hash (so you do not need to share the photo any further) that works across a range of providers to trace and remove the image from their sites (including Snapchat/TikTok/Instagram/ Pornhub/OnlyFans etc).
Check out the Online Safety Hub* for more information and look out for ParentWise workshops through the school portal, including the opportunity to attend a screening of the documentary Sextortion: The Hidden Pandemic on February 12 during Safer Internet Week. ■
*Scan the QR codes below or visit the school portal at https://myportal.tts.edu.sg/document/2012.
Keep
Keep your child safe
100 Tanglin Tales, written by staff, Alumni, students, and parents is a beautiful, limited edition coffee table book that celebrates the vibrant history of Tanglin Trust School.
100 Tanglin Tales will be available to buy from the School Shop. The book retails at $50 and will make the perfect gift for anyone in the Tanglin community.
