The Voice Issue 2

The Voice The Tanglin Trust School magazine

Vol 02 4/2009

Feature: Learning Outside the Classroom CSR: A Thoughtful Community Showcase: Tanglin Arts Festival

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Welcome

Contents

04 06 10 12

Staff News More About our Staff at Tanglin

Feature Learning Outside the Classroom

Corporate Social Responsibility A Thoughtful Community

Infant School Making a Positive Difference

14 12

Junior School

16 19

Senior School

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Learning Through the House System

Integrating Student Services

Sixth Form Life After Tanglin

Showcase Tanglin Arts Festival

Welcome to the second edition of The Voice. Following the publication of the first issue last term, we were keen to find out what you thought of our new school magazine and so conducted a survey amongst 500 randomly selected individuals from our parent body. One of the core themes in your responses concerned the distribution of the magazine, with many suggesting that it should go on-line.

trips and expeditions take place – it is fitting therefore that we focus on this important part of the Tanglin learning experience in this issue. From Infants right the way through to Sixth Form, what these opportunities offer is a hands-on appreciation of life outside the classroom, enabling our students to better understand, appreciate and enjoy the world they live in and all it has to offer.

I am happy to report that from this issue on, The Voice will be available as a digital edition. We will continue to print a reduced number of hard copies, as we believe that these still have an important part to play – for prospective parents and other visitors keen to get a feel for the school, as well as for those who still prefer to read a magazine the old fashioned way! I do encourage you to look at the digital edition though – and as ever value any feedback on it you would like to share with us.

Undoubtedly one of the highlights of last term was the Arts Festival – an event which pulled together the community in a creative and challenging way, encouraging all of us to think, see and do differently.

The Showcase on pages 21-26 gives a flavour of the scope and diversity of the programme and I would like to re-iterate my heartfelt thanks to everyone who had a part to play in making this event such a success.

As you are reading this, we are embarking on the final term of this academic year. This is traditionally a term when many

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As always we are keen to have your feedback: this magazine is for you and it is important that we get it right. Let us know what you think by sending your comments or suggestions to communications@ tts.edu.sg.

Steven Andrews, CEO

In terms of regular features, once again the Heads offer highlights from each of the Infant, Junior, Senior Schools, including a sneak preview of the fabulous new Senior/

Sports Going From Strength to Strength

PTA

Creative Writing

Book Reviews Check it Out!

Sixth Form building which will be operational from the start of the next academic year in September.

There is an update on the school’s CSR activities, sports news, book reviews (including a look at the many talented visiting authors we have had at Tanglin this term), staff news, creative writing and more.

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The Last Word

Editor: Jacqui Edmiston Designer: CleverBird + Stacy Sharma Contributors: SJB Communications, staff, the PTA + students Printer: Oz Print Services Photography: Stacy Sharma + Phil Date

Staff News Each term we introduce members of staff who have achieved something that we think deserves a mention. Some names you will know, others not; either way, the intention is to highlight the fact that it is the people who work at Tanglin – their spirit, enthusiasm and determination – who make the school what it is.

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Katie Sansom, Caring for Education in Cambodia “Education at its Best” Katie Sansom teaches Year 1 students here at Tanglin. Beyond her teaching role, Katie plays an important part in a charity organisation called Caring for Cambodia (CFC). CFC’s primary commitment is to bring education to Cambodian children through building schools and supporting the local school community. It is also active in training Cambodian teachers in order to improve the educational provision in Cambodia.

The link between Katie and CFC was established when a neighbour, who knew of Katie’s educational background, asked her to join the CFC Education Committee.

An initial visit in 2006 highlighted the need for some form of early-years education, as all of the Cambodian schools started from 6 years upwards. In May of 2007, Katie and two Singapore American School teachers embarked on a trip to set up kindergarten sections at the CFC schools and provide the very first kindergarten training in Cambodia.

The next step was to spread this handson learning approach upwards through the schools. With the backing and support of the Ministry of Education in Cambodia, Year 1 teachers from Tanglin were invited to conduct training for teachers in Grades 1 and 2. Six teachers stepped up to this challenge and in the 2007 Easter holidays, they carried out teacher training with a maths focus. In pairs, the Tanglin teachers supported teachers from a specific CFC school, guiding them through their new curriculum and showing them different ways to organise their classrooms and manage their children in learning groups.

Through generous parent donations from the TTS school community, huge amounts of maths materials for the lessons were purchased. Since then, similar materials have been sourced in Cambodia to ensure that any items the Cambodian teachers need can be obtained locally.

Over the half-term break this term, Katie, along with nine other Infant School

teachers, went back to Siem Reap to train Grade 5 and 6 teachers. The aim of this trip was to develop literacy skills, using good hygiene practices as a focus.

The Tanglin teachers trained the local teachers in how to question and draw out students’ responses and relevant followup activities and materials were provided to support their curriculum. At the end of the training, parents were invited in and given hygiene packs, which had been donated by Tanglin students and parents.

Katie and her team have shared their Cambodian experiences with Tanglin children through assemblies, contrasting a Cambodian child’s experience of education with a school day at Tanglin.

The children have also watched a video following the journey of a hygiene pack as it makes its way from Tanglin to the Cambodian schools.

Despite the considerable effort required for the preparation of each training programme, clearly the Tanglin team find working at this grassroots level, in a very different and challenging environment, a truly rewarding experience. The teachers who participated enjoyed every minute and left feeling that they had really made a difference. They are already planning their next trip!

“You must be ready to completely work as a team and know that you will be very bonded by the trip’s end. It is a very humbling experience.”

Katie Samson

Infant teachers pictured above–Back (left to right): Angela Dawson, Katie Sansom, Michelle Jennis, Diane Ayres, Janine Blundy, Estelle Hood Front: Vanessa Patel, Laura Sharp, Helen Kay, Abi Beynon

Vasugi Savarinmuthu’s (Regina) 32 Years of Service

Q & A with Ben Farr, New Infant Librarian

As of 1 March 2009, Regina has worked as a Teacher Assistant (TA) in the Infant School at Tanglin for 32 years. Regina began at Winchester School when there were only eight classes in total. In 1981, she, along with the then Headmistress, Miss Christine Crofts, and other TA’s, moved to working here at the current Tanglin site at Portsdown Road. At that time, the three Tanglin schools were amalgamated into one Infant and one Junior School, under separate head teachers; there were almost 600 students in the Infant School and about 680 in the Junior School. In 1987, the Junior and Infant Schools were combined under one head teacher and in 1996, Tanglin Trust School was formed.

Q: Where were you working before coming to Tanglin in January this year?

A: Prior to Tanglin Trust, I was at the Australian International School in Singapore. I have also taught in Sydney, Australia and Dunedin, New Zealand.

Regina remained working with the children in Reception until 2004, when she moved to Nursery. She loves being a TA working with young children, because they are “so sweet” and she loves being able to witness their achievements and watch them grow. Regina has been a TA for Deborah Pearce in Nursery for the past four years.

Q: How might you encourage parents to use the library after school with their children?

A: The library is open every day from 2pm – 3pm. Parents are invited (and encouraged!) to spend quality, shared reading time with their children or perhaps to browse and enjoy our wonderful collection of books while being surrounded by familiar faces and welcoming smiles.

When asked what she enjoys most about working at Tanglin, Regina’s reply was “Everything!” She enjoys the activities with the children because she is able to get to know them better as individuals.

Another plus is the fact that Tanglin parents are so appreciative of everything the TA’s do.

Recently, one of Regina’s students told her “You are like a clown.” She asked him why. He replied, “Because you always say things that make us laugh.”

Q: What is your background?

A: I became a teacher-librarian three years ago and prior to that I was a classroom primary teacher.

With a wonderful collection of educational games, DVDs, read-alouds, audio books and general fiction and non-fiction, parents are welcome to borrow as a supplement to their children’s weekly allowance of resources. Please ask one of the friendly library staff if you would like assistance in finding the right resource for you.

Q: Do you feel it is good for kids to be reading “anything” as long as they are reading? (e.g. the top five most popular books mentioned in the last issue of “The Voice” were from the Star Wars series!)

A: Absolutely! I think it is pivotal that we encourage children to read. I am a strong advocate for children reading in whatever form it may come (books, internet, visual, audio etc.). I believe that books such as Rainbow Magic or Star Wars often provide the “hook” that is required to capture the imaginations and interest levels of our children, especially boys! Imagine as an adult if someone told us that we were not allowed to read our preferred genre – no romance novels, no magazines, no non-fiction books – we would be horrified! I believe that children should be given the same reading rights as we have, so that they can use reading as a means to not only enthuse but also to entertain and inform – that is what

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Q: Why did you decide to become a librarian?

A: To help engage children with good quality literature and also to foster an environment that is a “safe place” for children to read and enjoy books.

I believe reading is all about. A mustread book about this is ‘The Rights of the Reader’ by Daniel Pennac, which showcases his belief that readers have rights: to read what, how, where and when they want, and (if they so choose) the right NOT to read.

Q: Why is reading so important for young readers?

A: To entertain; to educate; to escape from the realities of everyday life.

Q: What authors do you like?

A: As far as children’s authors go, I like Roald Dahl (George’s Marvellous Medicine) and also Pamela Allen (Belinda).

Some favourite adult authors are Khalid Hosseini (The Kite Runner) and Bryce Courtney (The Power of One).

Q: How have the children in the Infant School received you so far?

A: They always have lots of smiles, waves and greetings!

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Feature Learning Outside the Classroom

by Jacqui Edmiston, Head of Communications Ever wondered who decides where your child is going on a school outing? How the destination is chosen? What the learning objective is? To find out more about this important aspect of learning at Tanglin, read on…

UK Government body OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education) recently published the results of a survey of UK schools which concluded that well organised activities outside the classroom contributed much to the quality and depth of learning inside the classroom.

The study concluded that the first-hand experience gained through a school trip or a practical exercise not only helps to make subjects more vivid and interesting for pupils and enhances their understanding, but can also contribute significantly to pupils’ personal, social and emotional development. In some cases, it can also help to combat underachievement.

Further evidence of the positive impact that learning outside the classroom can have on achievement comes from pupils themselves. Learners of all ages involved in the OFSTED survey said that they found working away from the classroom ‘exciting’, ‘practical’, ‘motivating’, ‘refreshing’ and ‘fun’. They made comments such as: • ‘You see rather than listen.’

• ‘We learn in a fun way.’

• ‘We like learning by doing.’

At Tanglin, the benefits of learning outside the classroom are well understood and opportunities exist for children from Nursery right the way through to Sixth Form. Because they are carefully planned and thoughtfully linked to the curriculum, visits are highly motivational and inspire quality work. Educational visits – even at their most basic – start preparing students for life in an increasingly mobile and ever changing global community.

Learning objectives

Throughout Tanglin, day and residential visits are carefully planned to build on what has been learned in class and a sharp focus is kept on learning objectives and examination requirements, as well as on individuals’ personal development.

Talking about the value of the programme of offsite activities on offer for Junior students, Tanglin’s Head of the Junior School, David Ingram, commented: “These visits are important because they add value and enrich the curriculum as well as providing students with a range of opportunities for personal growth.

For example, visits to Kranji, Fort Siloso and Malacca quite literally bring history alive, providing students with a tangible context for understanding what they have been learning about. Visits to Sentosa (compass work) or the Science Centre (pond dipping) provide them with the opportunity to develop, enhance and apply practical skills which comprise a significant element of the curriculum.

“Just as important is the opportunity for students to develop independence – particularly on residential visits – and the chance to practice life skills (packing for yourself, organising your study pack, being at the right place and the right time). It is wonderful to see how much confidence Year 4 students gain from the residential visit to Pulau Ubin and how this is developed in Malacca and Sarawak.

Our aim is to provide students with a strong and secure base from which they can access Senior School visits and extra curricular opportunities.”

An important element underpinning all of the excursions at Tanglin and one which also enhances the school’s social responsibility programme, is the desire to develop students’ knowledge and appreciation of Singapore as our host country, together with the wider region of South East Asia. The majority of the trips which Tanglin students are involved in have a strong focus on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), as the table on page 8 illustrates.

For older students, learning outside the classroom can make an important contribution to pupils’ future economic well-being, preparing them for the next stage of their lives. Practical experience is more and more a requirement of certain study programmes, as is the ability to demonstrate and develope leadership and management skills, such as working in teams, communication and problemsolving. Exposure to well-managed risks can help young people to learn important life skills, including how to manage risks for themselves. The kind of trips that older senior students get involved in offer all this and more.

At Tanglin, senior trips, most of them residential, usually have more than one learning objective. For example the Year 7 trip to Tioman island, off the west coast of Malaysia, helps to develop a greater appreciation for the environment and among other lessons, has taught students the importance of preserving the biodiversity of our planet. Students learn about the complexities of a primary rainforest ecosystem and observe its unique flora and fauna. There is also a strong conservation theme; before going to Tioman, students form an enterprise group to raise funds for the ongoing protection of the Melina Beach turtles, then visit the hatchery as part of the trip.

There is a clear CSR element to these senior experiences – from as basic as building awareness of other cultures and situations to a direct involvement with those in need. In 2008 a small number of Year 9 students travelled to tsunami ravaged Meulaboh, in Aceh province in Indonesia, where Tanglin’s fund raising efforts have helped rebuild an orphanage.

During the six days they were there, students lived, worked and played with the orphans, learning first hand of the suffering the Acehnese people endured during and after the tsunami. On their return, each student commented that the trip had been a life-changing experience.

Fund raising

Each year, Year 11 students are set the task of raising funds to support their visit to Cambodia. The subsequent trip is no holiday – students work hard at providing practical assistance by firstly building housing for Cambodian villagers and then making various improvements to an orphanage south of Phnom Penh.

Similarly, Year 12 students travelling to the high altitude destination of Ladakh in Northern India will use the funds they raise in advance to assist Lamdon school

and its community. This trip – which is a test in mental and physical endurance – also requires students to participate in planting trees in the vicinity of the school, as part of a carbon-offset project.

A balanced view

At Tanglin, assessing risks is a vital part of planning any off-site trip, particularly when it comes to travelling overseas.

Considerable resources are put into risk assessment, taking into account a multitude of factors, including staff to student ratios (1:10 maximum), the activities students will be involved in, modes of transport being used, equipment needed, level of interaction with local people, weather conditions, advice from local providers – in short the school tries to anticipate everything.

In addition, emergency plans are subject to continuous assessment and improvement. However as Lynden Astill, Tanglin’s trips co-ordinator points out, there is a necessary balance between the first priority of keeping students safe and allowing them to gain the kind of ‘real world’ experience and adventure that these trips are designed to offer.

At the end of the day, this kind of experiential learning is about developing the individual as a whole and different experiences will appeal to different people. Whether that development is inspired by witnessing poverty first hand, camping in the wild, meeting students from other schools or simply spending time with your own peer group, depends on the individual. What is clear is that learning outside the classroom is a powerful support to a broad and balanced curriculum and is an integral part of a Tanglin student’s development.

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Life experience

“You get to learn new stuff, but in a fun way.”

(Year 4 student, on Pulau Ubin trip)

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School Excursions – Highlights Year Group Trip Objective Nursery Labrador Park Fun trip for socialisation Chinese Gardens Knowledge & understanding –

transport & travel Reception Cold Storage/Wet Market Maths/literacy focus + CSR (recycling) Underwater World Literacy/knowledge & understanding – water Zoo Knowledge & understanding – animals Year One Houses on Portsdown Rd Humanities focus Holland Village and Duxton Hill Humanities focus Sungei Buloh Science focus Visit to Jamiyah kindergarten CSR – community links Year Two Zoo Science focus Year 2 choir – Christmas songs CSR caring in the community at St. Joseph’s Home Images of Singapore Humanities focus Visiting Yuhua Primary School CSR – community links Year 3 Bukit Timah Science (food chains, invertebrates) Sentosa Humanities St. Joseph’s Home Community links Year 4 Bedok Reservoir and Newater Humanities Pulau Ubin/Pasir Ris Humanities Vivocity Fair trade Year 5 Sentosa – Team Building CSR – communication skills Asian Civilisation Museum Humanities (heritage of Singapore) Malacca – residential Humanities (legacy of the colonial era) Science Centre Pond Dipping (living things) Year 6 Kranji War Memorial Humanities Fort Siloso Humanities Sarawak (residential) Humanities Year 7 Tioman Island, Malaysia (5 days) Bio-geography, science, CSR Year 8 Margaret River, WA (7 days) PSHCE, independence, team building (replaces India 2009) Year 9 Thailand Hill Tribes (7 days) CSR, global issues, geography Year 10 Vietnam (7 days) Humanities, experiential learning,

global issues Year 9/10 Aceh, Indonesia (6 days) PSHCE, enterprise, CSR Year 11 Cambodia (7 days) PSHCE, enterprise, CSR Year 12 Ladakh PSHCE, enterprise, CSR Chiang Rai A-level geography field trip Sedili (Malaysia) A-level biology field trip

Student perspective South East Asia Mathematics Challenge 2009

by Hilary Samuels (10.2) After much preparation and practice, six students were recently lucky enough to go to Bangkok Patana School for the South East Asia Maths Challenge (SEAMC). This competition was made up of 70 different teams from 10 countries, who all competed in the two-day event, which included an individual round, an activity round, a pass-back round, a relay round, a team round and also an ‘amazing race’ type round at the Ancient City. For some of the rounds, our teams from Singapore were split up and we were put into other groups, which was difficult at first, but ended up leaving us all with some really close friends. We were also able to have dinner at the Royal Dragon Restaurant, which has a Guinness World Record for its capacity and staff numbers, and on our final night we had a gala dinner where prizes were announced and we had our last meeting with all 210 students.

The two Tanglin teams unfortunately did not win any prizes, but we learned a lot!

The Ancient City round was probably the most interesting as we had the chance to see monuments and temples from the Thai culture, whereas the other rounds were more demanding mathematically.

Overall, one of the best things was the friendships we made – in icebreaker activities and also generally throughout the competition – people who we will never forget. The competition was extremely tough and demanding, but it was definitely worth it, for the fun we had and the people we met. I would encourage students in Year 9 to work hard at maths to get the opportunity to take part in this amazing experience – apparently next year’s competition will be held in Disneyland!

Student perspective

by Alex Prior-Wandesforde (6.1) Unstoppable It’s starting again.

Spilt blood is still drying, Yet the pages of time will be stained once more.

Student perspective My Visit to St. Joseph’s

by Luke Gregory (3.3) First we went on a bus to St.Josephs.

When we got there we all waited for Fred and his ‘girls’, two lovely dogs that help the people at the home. When we got into the home, we got some biscuits that we gave to the old people to feed the dogs. After that we got up on a kind of stage and sang some songs to the old people. They had to be loud because some of them have bad hearing.

Silently recollecting the past; the future.

Though time has harmed the pages, The message stays the same.

The unending horrors of war will strike, Once again.

(Inspired by Kranji War Memorial Trip)

I cannot imagine what it would be like to have lost a leg or an eye, which is what I saw some of the people missing. It must have been terrible for them. I feel very sorry for them and fortunate that I can live a happy life.

All of the old people were in wheelchairs, so we helped to push the wheelchairs to where they wanted to eat after we had finished singing. After that we took the bus back home feeling happy.

Student perspective Thailand Trip, The Lisu Village

by Elaine Chiu (9.3) During the Year 9 excursion to Chiang Mai, many said that the visit to the longneck village was the highlight. However, my personal favourite of the trip was visiting the Lisu Villages, in Nam Rin. Though the visit was short, it was a very meaningful experience that I’m sure none of us will forget.

Whilst at the Lisu Village, we were allowed to see the classrooms of the children, and it was very inspiring to see the smiles on their faces when they saw us. Though their school did not have the best facilities, the children seemed to be

having a lot of fun learning new things.

This helped me appreciate what we have in Singapore even more, and reminded us that we do not need materialistic items to be happy. At the Lisu Village, many people also bought souvenirs such as colourful hand-woven bracelets, pencil cases and small bags with patterns that were similar to their colourful ‘costumes’, as a memoir of our visit.

At the Lisu Village, we had a chance to interact with the children for a little while and this was a great experience for us to see even a glimpse of what life was

like for them. Before we left, we walked through the village, and though it was full of life, it was also very calm and serene, and the village was not polluted by sounds of air-con or TV. What made me love the Lisu village the most, was that in the school, some of the older kids would teach the younger kids, and everyone supported each other, like a big family.

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In the middle of a table, a lone diary lay.

CSR

A Thoughtful Community 10

by Graham Worthington, CSR Co-ordinator One of the many aspects of Tanglin Trust School’s CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) position is ensuring that students across all three schools experience a thoughtful community engagement programme.

This aim is pursued in part through a programme of student excursions, both within Singapore and to more distant regional communities.

Engagement with communities beyond our own is an important element in developing in each student a sense of social responsibility. As the previous article explains, ageappropriate visits beyond the school gates play a major role in supporting student development.

In addition to ensuring there is a humanitarian aim to most, if not all our trips, CSR also encompasses global issues, with the protection of the environment being a key focus.

At TTS there are a growing number of environmental initiatives being developed and strengthened. For example, the Year 7 Eco Monitors have assumed responsibility for ensuring that effective energy conservation and recycling practices are both implemented and maintained throughout the Senior School. Eco Monitors have been instrumental in

encouraging teachers and students to turn off lights and screen projectors when rooms become vacant. This active group also oversee the use of recycling paper bins in each classroom throughout the Senior School.

An enterprising group of Year 6 students have become Energy Monitors and have taken responsibility for similar energy conservation initiatives in the Junior School. The Infant School has also introduced two Eco Monitors per class whose voluntary duties have included the usual day-to-day

activities of closing doors, turning lights off, checking that the air-cons are set at 23 degrees and recycling drives.

Other initiatives include eco monitoring The Point building, putting photos of the Eco Monitors in action next to switches and appliances and distributing recycled notebooks to our CEO and management team. This complements the work being done by the Infant School CSR committee, consisting of Infant School teachers who co-ordinate the termly events and strategic timeline of all Infant School CSR involvement.

Recently, the Energy Efficiency Group surveyed all TTS staff to gain information on attitudes and practises that would inform the group about how energy conservation measures should proceed.

One of the most successful energy conservation initiatives trialled to date has been the fitting of movement sensors in a number of toilets, and now also in selected classrooms.

An energy audit group has been engaged to provide advice on how larger energy gains can be realised. Some of the suggested measures to reduce energy expenditure across the school are to progressively replace current lighting tubes with more efficient tubes, to progressively upgrade air-conditioning units, to install movement sensor lighting in all suitable areas and equally important, to educate staff and students on how easy it is to become more energy conscious and have good energy habits.

Through these energy conservation measures, we are confident we can reduce Tanglin’s carbon footprint, while also making significant savings in our energy expenditure.

Student perspective Year 1 carried out some eco monitoring at The Point on 18 March 2009.

They spotted many good things which they shared with their classes: Outside doors are shut • Envelopes are recycled and used again • Paper is recycled • Photocopier goes to sleep if it is not in use • Printer cartridges are recycled • Lights are off if rooms or offices are empty • Air-cons are set at 24 or above, which is excellent news except in two offices where they were set at 19 or 21.

We will check those again next time, but we have changed the temperature already.

•

Our next job is to make two recycling boxes. We have also adapted LOTIO (Last Out Turn It Off) for the Infant School and we have put photos of Eco Monitors in action next to the appliances around the school (eg. light switches and air-cons in halls) to help everyone to remember.

The infant Eco Monitors were interviewed for the ‘5 Minutes With’ feature in the March Infant newsletter on the TTS website.

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The TTS Energy Efficency Group, whose all-adult membership comes from all quarters of the school, is engaged in reducing the school’s carbon footprint and is actively surveying and implementing both hardware installations and practises that will produce significant gains in energy conservation across the whole school, now and into the future.

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Infant School Making a Positive Difference

by Geraldine Chandran, Head of the Infant School and Paula Craigie, Director of Quality Assurance, Infant School A disco mirror ball beams sparkles of light through the Year 1 “Golden Theatre”.

Dotted around the four infant floors are colourful recycling bins and plans are in place to establish a compost facility for lunch waste. These and other projects are outcomes of the work of the Infant Student Council (ISC) and the school’s efforts to encourage even our youngest students to think of ways to make Tanglin an even better place for all.

The election follows a special assembly led by the outgoing reps, who outline the work of the ISC and give their tips on the voting process (see box).This is followed by a talk from the class teacher who explains what the position entails – collecting suggestions from the class that are placed in a suggestion box, attending fortnightly working lunches and representing Tanglin when meeting with children who are invited to the school.

From Year 1, each class votes for one boy and one girl to take on the responsibility of being their representatives on the ISC.

The children are very sensible in their choice of class reps, usually voting in confident and articulate young leaders.

Elections are held every six months, so that we can offer this leadership experience to 64 students each year. We find that the children need six months in the role to allow time for bonds to be formed and projects completed.

Throughout the year, every Infant student is encouraged to put forward their ideas and be involved in the process of continually improving the school.

Once selected, the reps are presented with an ISC folder that is used for holding meeting agendas and minutes, a distinctive blue hat with red brim (a

“Checking that the lights are turned off is helpful.”

Shana Thurley (1.6)

suggestion made by last year’s ISC), and a large red badge that identifies them as an ISC member. Photos are taken for the ISC notice board, which is located opposite the school’s operations department on level 1. These young people are also trained in playground activities and children who feel left out or who can’t find a friend are encouraged to find someone in a blue hat who can then initiate a simple group game.

the ISC and showed which environmental initiatives were being acted on and which ones still needed improvement.

Considering all suggestions

On every meeting agenda is the careful consideration of ideas placed in classroom suggestions boxes. This academic year, students have been asked to think about healthy living and suggestions have included installing a mirror ball for performances in every classroom, having an Infant School lost property box, giving each year group a different uniform, boosting recycling efforts, building a swing, serving hot dogs at lunchtime and tropical fruits as a Friday snack. Reps are guided in their discussion to think about the practicality and cost involved in each suggestion before a vote is taken and a decision presented to Mrs. Chandran. The reps have also had the opportunity to meet with the school’s CEO Steven Andrews to ask questions and discuss ideas.

Saving the environment Reflecting on their achievements, the outgoing ISC members, who all received a certificate for participation, said they were proud of their efforts to save the environment. Playing the role of “eco detective” at the end of meetings they would walk around the school, checking that lights and air conditioners had been turned off in vacant rooms, paper and cans delivered to recycling bins and doors closed so as to avoid letting hot air enter cooled rooms.

With the support of ISC reps, class teachers filled in an environmental survey on behalf of their class and the results were analysed by the Year 2 ICT activity group. This data was then shared with

“I saw someone alone in the playground and I asked them to join in our game.”

Nikki Stonham (2.5)

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“I am nice to everyone. I think that’s why I was elected.”

Harry Moore (1.4)

Beyond the school

The ISC looks beyond the school and helps local communities in need. Reps were trained on greeting people and asking questions to prepare them to serve refreshments and chat with guests from various children’s homes, who were invited to see our Year 1 or 2 Christmas concerts. They also helped sort gifts donated by the Tanglin community and tag them with recycled cards made by children in Year 2. They then delivered them to the Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home and chatted with those who had come to Tanglin to see a Christmas show.

Rewards and empowerment

Our ISC reps were rewarded for their efforts last term with a membership to the Nature Society of Singapore. This term, an Oxfam “Funusual” gift of a desk and chair for a school in Africa was purchased on their behalf and they were presented with the Oxfam card that thanked them for their support.

We believe it is important to empower children at the earliest possible age with the responsibility to care for their

ISC’s Voting Tips • You can’t always be picked

• To be on the ISC you

have to care about the environment • You have to be a good listener, be kind, have a good memory and speak confidently environment and improve the world around them. It is vital that we instill in our infants the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle, caring for others and making a constructive contribution to the community. Delighted to dance under a shared mirror ball, our Tanglin infants understand that you are never too young to make a positive difference.

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Junior School Learning Through the House System

by David Ingram, Head of the Junior School and Jon Cannell, Junior School Head of Houses If you ask Infant School students what they are looking forward to the most when they make the transition into Year 3, joining the Junior School house system is definitely raised as a highlight. Being a member of Elang, Singa, Beruang or Harimau, which mean eagle, lion, bear and tiger respectively in Malay, offers students a range of learning experiences far more significant than the simple fun that they obviously have at swim galas, sporting events and special house days.

Each week, house points earned in every class are added up and a year group house winner is announced. The positions of the houses in each year group are then collated and the overall Junior School result is announced in the weekly junior newsletter. The sum of the weekly results determines the winner of the House Cup each term. In addition, children can earn other honours for their houses, such as the chance to wear the house hat or to be presented with house iron-on badges.

Tanglin’s house system lies at the core of the Junior School’s pastoral ethos that emphasises inclusion, teamwork and a sense of pride and responsibility. Students are awarded house points by teachers and assistants for displaying considerate behaviour, good manners and kindness to others, as well as excellence in their work.

The acquisition of points for their houses motivates children to behave well and exceed expectations in many areas.

Teamwork

When designing activities for any house event, an important aim is to foster teamwork and to provide opportunities for young people to both provide support to others and be supported. We want children to be able to work effectively as group members to solve problems and to achieve something that they couldn’t on their own. We often pair a student from Year 5 or 6 with someone from Year 3 or

4 and sometimes, to the surprise of many, we find that it is the younger students who are better at certain creative tasks than the older ones. The key point is that they learn from each other and develop confidence in the process.

We have been fortunate to have several professional groups provide unique teambuilding exercises to our students at no cost to the school. These have included Centre Stage, which facilitated a fun drama workshop, Wicked Aura, a group that taught creative drumming, Stix, an organisation that usually works in the corporate sector, and Nickelodeon, the company that transformed the astroturf into a range of “It’s a Knock Out” style physical challenges. We are very grateful for the input from these groups and we welcome other contributions from organisations that can provide our students with fun teambuilding experiences.

Outline of Junior House Day – Term 2 House meetings Making a rubber band roller buggy Team building and problem solving activities Group lunch Designing and making beaded placemats Tidy up and meetings

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The students also work together to raise money for charity. Our fund raising house day is usually held in term 1 and this year students have raised money for the Acres animal rescue centre, the Children’s Cancer Foundation and I-India, a charity that teaches street children in India skills that enable them to earn a meagre living.

Making and designing “I liked doing the beads on house day because you had to co-operate with your partner and learn about them.”

Katherina Naesheim (4.2)

House days also allow us to provide learning experiences which complement skills developed in the art curriculum.

Students take great pride in making something tangible, such as a gecko key ring, a rubber-band powered roller or a mosaic. Feelings of belonging to Tanglin are reinforced when the object made is displayed at the school for all to see.

We also believe in developing life skills not covered in the curriculum. This year, students in Year 6 had the opportunity to learn to cook a healthy well-balanced two-course meal. Skills taught to street kids in India as part of the I-India project have also been taught to Tanglin juniors on house days.

Social interaction

Possibly the most important objective of house-based activities is to provide opportunities for students to meet with those from other classes and other year groups. Friendships formed during house days make changing classes in Year 5 an easier transition as students have already made friends outside their class.

House days in term 3 often take place offsite at locations including the Singapore Zoo, the Temasek Recreation Club, the Jurong East Sports Complex or the Science Centre. Children rise to the challenge of making new friends when undertaking hands-on experiences in a setting outside the school.

Staff

Enriching house days can only be planned and implemented thanks to a team of excellent staff who serve as Heads of Houses. David Brennan, Matthew Hastwell, Martin Stevens and Dean Scott bring vital energy and contagious enthusiasm to their positions and have themselves undertaken some of the teambuilding exercises run by external providers. They work closely with the Junior School’s very resourceful and supportive class teachers.

More than marks

Success in life cannot be guaranteed by outstanding academic results alone.

People need to be able to get along with others and work empathetically and effectively as a team member. It’s for this reason house days are an important part of Tanglin’s Junior School calendar. And they truly are great fun!

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• • • • • •

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Senior School Integrating Student Services

by David Woods, Head of the Senior School The construction of Tanglin’s new Senior School building, incorporating the SixthForm centre, will be complete by the start of the 2009-2010 academic year.

It will provide Tanglin senior students with new learning spaces, larger art and design facilities, a contemporary common room, expanded facilities to research careers and university courses, and access to a spacious and wellresourced Senior School library.

Part of the third floor of the new building has been designed as a “one-stop shop” for student services. With facilities for counselling, personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) curriculum development, and careers information, advice and guidance (CIAG) located on one floor, synergetic communication between these departments, as well as with our Lead Nurse, will bring direct benefits to students. The new student services area, which will feature private

rooms for counselling, will be linked by an internal staircase to the Sixth-Form common room located on the fourth floor and the library on the second (see panel on next page).

Information needed

The integration of student services will allow those health and counselling professionals we have on staff to have direct input into weekly PSHCE sessions, covering important topics such as smoking, the use of alcohol and drugs, and coping with stress.

The Head of PSHCE (Senior), Sally Gordon, emphasises the need to have specialists conducting certain parts of the PSHCE curriculum, such as sex education, healthy eating and communication workshops. Giving an example, she said, “All students in Key Stage 3 and 4 will have basic CPR training taught in PSHCE classes – we

“Young people today may not want to listen to advice, but they are willing to take in information that can guide them in making their own decisions.”

Steve Kay, Director of Counselling Services

couldn’t do this without the involvement of our nurses.” Issues that Director of Counselling Services, Steve Kay, and Lead Nurse, Sarah Le Grice, identify as needing to be addressed for all seniors can also be quickly placed on the PSHCE agenda.

17 Communication skills

In a new initiative introduced this term, Year 12 students volunteered to participate in a mentor programme, which is overseen jointly by Steve Kay and Sally Gordon. Selected students in Years 7, 8 and 9 have the chance to regularly meet with their mentors to discuss current issues affecting their lives or just to enjoy supportive friendship. This is another example of the exciting outcomes that can result from the integration of student services. This more holistic approach means that the vast pool of skills and talents that exist at Tanglin can be better harnessed and used to advance student well-being.

Beyond school

Tanglin graduates study at top universities all over the world and with the introduction of the International Baccalaureate Diploma in the Sixth Form in September, which will run alongside A-level studies, we expect the number of those seeking places at universities outside of Britain to increase. The new facility provides more space for the provision of information about careers, universities, courses and entrance procedures, along with workspace where students can do their own career research.

The Head of Careers, Isobel Barclay, believes that the new building will allow an increased amount of careers-related resources to be better shared. She also envisages a boost in student awareness of careers education, given the location of student services near the library in the new building.

An Exciting New Facility...

Basement: Car Park Level 1: Elevated Courtyard Level 2: Library Level 3: English Dept./Student Services Level 4: Sixth Form Common Room Level 5: Art & Design

In creating the new Senior/Sixth-Form centre, we have tried to look not just at how students learn now, but at new methods they may have at their disposal in the not too distant future. The result is an inspiring use of space that is designed to motivate and accommodate all, incorporating the latest thinking in space planning and learning methods.

Arranged over five floors, an entire level (1000 m 2) is dedicated to state-of-the-art library space incorporating the very latest in on-line and multimedia learning services (and yes, books), as well as discussion spaces, a cafe and a designated Quiet Zone for study, which includes an outdoor area.

Elsewhere the emphasis is on flexible teaching space designed to be used in a number of different ways. Breakout areas contain informal seating to encourage discussion and interaction amongst students, whilst other spaces are dedicated to more formal group presentation work. There are consultation rooms, a student-designed Sixth-Form common room and on the top floor, a dedicated art-anddesign facility that makes the most of the natural light that floods through the floor to ceiling windows.

These are learning facilities at their finest.

Turn the page for a preview...

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Sixth Form Life After Tanglin Student Perspective

by Isla Smith, (Head Girl 2007/2008) The following excerpt is taken from Isla’s account of her first few weeks into life as an undergraduate student at Oxford University.

So far my life at Oxford has been a hectic, full-paced and chaotic extravaganza.

Try as I might, nothing could quite have prepared me for the shock of the complete independence at university, the expense, the difficulty I would have sorting some crucial administration out and the skills required to effectively juggle work, sport and socialising. I’m learning as I go along but hopefully this account will give you some insight into what university life is really like (and will help you prepare yourself for the time when you will have to leave).

When I first arrived in the UK I had a couple of weeks to travel around, see family and friends and, so I mistakenly thought, sort out my National Insurance number so I could get a loan, open a student bank account and get my money out of my building society. This ended up being far from straightforward and as a result I arrived at Oxford, loan-less, bank-less and short of a very crucial nine digit number. Imagine my dismay when they then presented me with a battel (an Oxford-ism for bill) for £996 due at the end of the first week. After four weeks of stress and battling with bureaucracy, I was finally sorted and I have learned to remain resilient when it seems that nothing more can possibly go wrong; everything will sort itself out in the end if you keep trying, be polite and honest and don’t let the set-backs get you down.

With my administration all sorted I could now turn my attention fully to starting my life as an Oxford student. After being here less than 24 hours I had already

received a reading assignment for the next day and two essays for the following week. So much for easing you in gently.

Balancing the work with being a fresher is difficult. Managing deadlines, sport and socialising as well is a careful juggling act but one that is not impossible if you stay on top of work and remain organised.

Falling behind is not an option here so it’s crucial to stay focused on what’s important and not give in to peer pressure when you have an essay due and you haven’t quite finished the 45 hours (I wish I was exaggerating) of reading that accompanies it. It’s also important to give yourself breaks though; I’m not a person who can work for ten hours straight or not go out during the week, but so long as I work hard, these are rests which I need to give myself or I know I’ll burn out.

The expense of university life is something else I was not quite prepared for. My attempts to save some money by getting a job in the summer proved futile as all of that money had to be spent on kitting out my wardrobe for the climate here. Oxford is an expensive university; I pay £15 per day for accommodation which is much more than my sister did in Scotland but I don’t get any meals with it like she did.

Therefore I’ve found it really important to devise a budget and to adhere to it. I do a food shop once a week and so far I’ve managed to not go into the red. Whether that will remain true for the foreseeable future is questionable but I’m making a conscious effort to monitor my spending and not go wild on the High Street. If I was doing a degree in self-restraint, I think I would already have the credits for a first.

Something else I was not quite prepared for was the sense of independence that embraces you at university. It’s really

strange to not have your parents there to set a curfew or tell you to tidy your room and, whilst these elements are quite nice, I found I got a lot more homesick than I thought I would, especially in the first few days when nothing was going right.

Coming from a close family I am finding the time difference and not being able to call (and be welcomingly received) any time of the day hard, but Skype has been a Godsend for little chats in the middle of the day and by keeping myself busy I am finding myself thinking of home less.

It’s still very strange to not see my family every day but I am starting to enjoy the independence and the freedom that accompanies it.

Rather strangely one of the things I was worried about before coming to Oxford has turned out to present the least problem: meeting people. On my first day here I moved into my room and the two girls living on either side of me came to say hello. They’re also doing Law and we’ve been an inseparable trio ever since.

By getting involved in all the Fresher’s parties, talking to people on my staircase and hanging out in the common room I’ve established a good group of friends who are really easy going and fun to be with. It’s great having friends that do my subjects as well, as they have the same deadlines as me and so we don’t feel quite so bad if everyone else is going out and we have to work.

My time at university has been one of mixed experiences, both good and bad, but I’m glad I had them all as I feel like I’ve taken something away from each of them. I just can’t wait to see where this new phase of my life is going and I’m going to try my very hardest to embrace all the challenges that get thrown my way and live my new life to the fullest.

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Showcase Tanglin Arts Festival Visual Arts co-ordinated by Rob Le Grice, Head of Senior Art and Deirdre Dunstan, Head of Infant and Junior Art

The Pillar Project ...

The concept of the Pillar Project was to complement the main theme of the Arts Festival – that being CHANGE. Classes were allocated their own pillars, which were covered in white vinyl to enable painting/colouring/gluing/to take place without damaging the current paint work. Recycled materials were used wherever possible.

Infants and juniors Teachers and students were given free creative reign with the focus on changing the pillar. There were no preconceived ideas as to how. Everyone was encouraged to think out of the box! The result was a highly imaginative mix of ideas, themes, colours and textures, which completely transformed the walkways around the school!

Seniors Each student in Years 7, 8 and 9 hand-crafted an envelope, designed to emulate a Chinese ‘hong bao’ or red packet, containing a wish, a dream or a message. According to Thai tradition, each day of the week is represented by a colour.

Students therefore coloured their envelopes according to the day of the week they were born on (Monday – Yellow, Tuesday – Pink, Wednesday – Green, Thursday – Orange, Friday – Blue, Saturday – Purple, Sunday – Red). A ceremony was held to mark the hanging of the finished envelopes on the pillars lining the Senior School walkway, closely linking this project to the Senior Artist-inResidence projects, with the theme of ritual and ceremony.

“Take me to a place where I’ve never been before, where I can think differently, see things differently, do things differently.”

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Extract from the 2009 Arts Festival manifesto

We encouraged students to question, envisage what might be and explore ideas.

We aimed to capture students’ interests and fired their imaginations.

Thanks to the resident artists who inspired us all to see, think and do differently: Babette Whitaker Kelly Reedy Dominic Fonde Nina Ayres April Ng Ella Magee Justin Lee

Drama

by Simon Veness, Head of Drama

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One Act Play Festival Students were invited to take part in Tanglin’s inaugural One Act Play Festival as directors, actors and writers. Seventy four students responded to the invitation to do things differently, think differently and see things differently, our Arts Festival manifesto.

We wanted students to take the next creative step to be responsible for a production; the drama staff would provide the technical support, guidance, advice and rehearsal space but the management and vision of the piece would belong to the students.

We combined these plays with a range of GCSE and A-Level work that reflected the consistently high standard of performance and creativity within the department, which sometimes goes unnoticed due to constraints of the assessment process. Following each performance there was an opportunity for the audience to discuss the work with the actors and directors, which provided tremendous feedback prior to examinations next term.

National Theatre Discovery Project ‘…first-division playwrights queue up to write for New Connections’ (the Guardian) and so it is no surprise that Tanglin’s Drama Department should again become involved in the National Theatre’s Discover : New Connections programme of new plays written specifically for young people.

In November, Tanglin’s Hilary Smith attended a workshop in the UK where she was able to explore the chosen play ‘Blackout’ with the playwright, Davey Anderson. The play is a piece of verbatim theatre, which is about how a young man is bullied, fights back, tries to make a name for himself, turns vicious, does something stupid and loses everything, but eventually finds his way again. It was performed during the last week of term.

One Act Play Festival Weeks 10, 11 and 12

Gents Spies The Man Who Closer The Bacchae Year 11 GCSE students presented devised work in progress National Theatre Discovery Project 2009 Blackout

by Davey Anderson

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Us and Them Street of Crocodiles 4:48 Psychosis Family 2.0 Fault

Music 24

by Darren Jones, Director of Music

The Music Department at Tanglin is always a hive of activity and term 2 was no exception with so many different events and concerts taking place. The Tanglin Arts Festival saw a Senior Ensembles concert in the Berrick Building Performance Hall with a wide range of styles of music being performed, from the cool Latin sound of the jazz band directed by Richard Curran, to the toe tapping Celtic sound of Double Scotch led by Richie Baxter.

The concert also featured the school’s Symphony Orchestra and some wonderful vocal work by Six-of-One, the Senior Chamber Choir, with the Camerata and the Senior Choir combining to sing Faure’s Requiem.

Whilst the seniors were preparing for the concert, we had small groups every morning arriving early at school to busk at the entrance gates. Well done to all the students that busked and a huge thank you to Kim Kelly and Austin, the department technician, for organising all the buskers.

The music examination board’s visit in term 2 is for some students a very stressful time, while others seem to take it in their stride.

All students and instrumental teachers should be congratulated on the time and effort given to the preparation for these exams. I hope those efforts are rewarded in the exam results.

Next term will see several wonderful events happening, including the Junior Young Musicians in Concert at the Orchestral Hall, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, and the Year 4 concert at the Victoria Concert Hall. Our range of CCA activities will continue as usual.

25 Arts Festival Buskers

Senior Ensemble Concert

Y5/Y6 Concerts Both year groups performed their concert over two nights. Year 5 entertained their audience with a colourful, toe tapping celebration of songs from the musicals, from Oliver! to We Will Rock You, Cabaret to Stomp. The year 6 ‘Forties to Noughties’ concert, offered an evening of song and narration, as they performed songs from across the decades.

Sports

Going from Strength to Strength 26

by Emma Calcutt, Director of Sports and Activities

SEASAC for seniors

Schools that compete in SEASAC events include the British International School (Jakarta), Bangkok Patana School, Surabaya International School (Indonesia), the United World College of South East Asia (Singapore), the Alice Smith School (Malaysia), the Canadian International School (Hong Kong) and others.

In February, senior students were involved in three SEASAC events. Our U18 rugby players returned from Kuala Lumpur after playing some excellent rugby at the Alice Smith School. They were placed third after beating the Patana School.

Our basketball squads faced some tough opposition in Bangkok in matches hosted by The New International School of Thailand. All players put in strong performances – congratulations to the girls’ team for reaching the quarter finals. Our boys’ team displayed superb teamwork and were nominated twice for sportsmanship.

Finally, our young team of seven tennis players put in two days of long hot play at the Patana School, Bangkok and played some excellent tennis.

In March, the SEASAC boys’ and girls’ swimming teams competed in the meet at the Surabaya International School and our boys’ and girls’ badminton teams played in Singapore at the United World College. In swimming, many personal bests were recorded. The badminton tournament was a great experience for our young teams, who all performed commendably.

International Invitational Netball tournament

On the weekend of 14 and 15 February, Tanglin hosted the Under 13 and Over 15 International Invitational Netball Tournament. 24 Schools from Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia participated in the event. Tanglin entered five teams altogether. Congratulations to the U13A team on reaching the final and playing a

superb game against the very talented players from the Singapore Sports School.

Other opportunities for seniors

Tanglin entered its first volleyball team in an inter-school competition this term and we are looking forward to the further development of this sport at the school. We have also offered our seniors early morning swimming training every Tuesday and our first ever “Tanglin Record Breakers” swimming event, that took place in late January, resulted in 21 Tanglin swimming records being broken!

On the same day we held our first water polo competition for students in Key Stages 3 and 4.

Our senior cross country team produced some excellent results at the Cross Country Championships on 11 February.

Congratulations to all involved.

The famous Singapore Slingers attended basketball training sessions at Tanglin in Term 2. They have made a huge impression on our students and passed on excellent playing tips.

We had a sharp rise in the number of seniors playing cricket in Term 2. The new cricket nets behind the Berrick building have enabled us to develop this sport.

Senior Sports Day

Senior Sports Day took place on 4 March at the Singapore Polytechnic. There was a mix of competitive sporting events and fun house events to encourage both excellence and participation in sport.

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More Tanglin students than ever before have competed in sporting matches against other international schools in the region this term. This is the first year that Tanglin has competed in events organised by the South East Asian Student Activities Conference (SEASAC) and our students have benefited not only from the increased number of competitive sporting opportunities but also the social and personal learning experiences that come from travelling abroad with their teams and meeting students from other parts of Asia.

Junior news

The junior house orienteering competitions held on a Friday have been a huge success. All year groups have had the opportunity to take part in team orienteering challenges and students had to work together to get the best results.

Our junior cross country runners were ready for the championships at MacRitchie Reservoir on 24 March, but due to rain, the event was postponed.

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U10 rugby training has been going very well and players are looking forward to starting matches next term. Mini-tennis sessions have also been very popular with students, who have been split into groups, working on different court sizes and using different balls. The end-of-term tournament was an exciting event and students performed well in their first inter-school fixtures.

Our junior cricket players have also been making use of the new cricket nets to improve their game and we have had over 40 juniors attending T-ball sessions on Tuesday evenings.

The Year 3/4 Junior House Swim Galas was a tremendous success, with great participation from each house and students involved in a number of different races, including freestyle events and the tyre relay. The Year 5/6 Fun Swim Gala was cancelled due to bad weather and will now take place in term 3.

The Year 5/6 Mini Olympics was held at Clementi Stadium on March 23 (see pictures right). Years 3/4 Sports Day will take place towards the end of term 3. Congratulations to overall winners Harimau!

Our junior climbers have been making the most of the bouldering wall this term and students have shown great improvement. Junior dance has also continued to grow this term. Cheerleading, hip hop dance and dance moves have all been popular.

Another full term of sport at Tanglin!

What’s new for infants?

For the first time ever, our Year 2 students have had the opportunity to take part in an infant sports session on a Friday afternoon to introduce them to sports that they might choose to play when they make the transition into the Junior School.

Students have taken part in football, t-ball and gymnastics this term, and have demonstrated great enthusiasm. They have also enjoyed their PE classes and preparations for their end of term sports days.

PTA 29

by Frances Beretta, PTA President

Pictured above from left to right: Suki Ubhi; Jennie Hughes; Suzy Grant; Maxine McMahon-Brown; Bev Smith; Jill Byles; Frances Beretta; Tracy ter Kuile; Alison Shannon; Reepa Patel; Susan Peters-Berg. Seated behind on right is Aly Kiggel and standing on far right is Alison Holland who is the outgoing Treasurer (not pictured: April Czolak and Kathy Lane).

At the Extraordinary General Meeting of the Parent Teacher Association of Tanglin Trust School on the 19 March, a new PTA Executive Committee was elected which will hold office until the Annual General meeting in October. A number of new members were nominated and elected – the committee consists of parents and teachers who represent all three schools.

As President of the PTA, I am pleased to welcome the new members of the committee on board and sincerely thank those members who were re-elected for their support and commitment. I know that I will enjoy leading this committee and I look forward to working with such a dynamic and talented group of people, who gladly volunteer their time and enthusiasm. My family has been part of Tanglin for 6 years – our daughter will be moving up to the Senior School in September and we are excited about getting to know the Senior school as well.

As a committee, we are looking forward to meeting more of the parents and children in the community and we hope to strengthen the community spirit of Tanglin by arranging various events which will appeal to both parents and children. It is always a challenge to organise functions which everyone will enjoy, given the range of ages and interests across the three schools! Please feel free to contact the PTA (ptaoff@tts.edu.sg) if you have suggestions and ideas which we can develop.

Please take the time to read the PTA Highlights each week to keep you informed of what the PTA is planning and the various services available. Our costume service is really taking off now and photos of costumes are available on the website. The classifieds section has been renamed “Marketplace” and this is a very useful resource – advertising here is currently free of charge.

The recent PTA Quiz Night was a huge success and my thanks go to Reepa Patel who arranged the event with various members of the committee – well done to everyone involved in this event.

Saturday 6 June heralds the return of the Tanglin Trust School Summer Fête (previously known as the Family Fun Day) – a much anticipated event for one and all. This is the culmination of many months of planning and hard work by

the Fête sub committee, which is being led this year by Jill Byles and Bev Smith.

Parents are already aware of the event and we are really looking forward to pulling out all the stops again to make this a superb and enjoyable day – so mark the date in your diary now!

We were unfortunately not able to go ahead with the Ceilidh this year – we did our best to look at various dates, but it is not possible to hold a Ceilidh without a caller for the Scottish dances. Don’t despair fans of this event – it will be repeated again!

Thank you for your support – the committee and I are looking forward to seeing you around school. We are also pleased to welcome new families to Tanglin and sad to say goodbye to those of you who are leaving at Easter.

Junior Creative Writing How the Peacock Got His Feathers

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Many moons ago when everything was almost in the right places there lived a peacock named Azul Poki. He was dowdy, lazy, fat and very hot! He lived in the jungle - the one next to Sentosa.

One day the peacock was strolling in the jungle when he came across a leaf that looked like a fan. He decided to use it to cool himself (as normally he was very hot) except it was too BIG to hold and it kept falling from his hand! So he walked on. After a while of walking around he found some long grass. He picked it up and wove it into a fan. Then he lay the fan on the ground to admire his handy work.

The only trouble was it unravelled as soon as he lifted it off the ground! He was very angry so he lay under the shade of the Togog tree to sob!

The Togog tree was an interesting tree – it had leaves that were like feathers with eyes at the end that stare at you!

The eyes scared all the other animals so no one went near the Togog tree. The Peacock wasn’t afraid of it though as it had lots of shade. Almost a minute after that the Peacock was sound asleep.

High in the branches was a BIG beehive.

Soon there came along a naughty Monkey called Tutu who had spied the glistening honey in the beehive. Now Tutu

Window of Reflections was a bold and brave Monkey who was not afraid of the feathers on the Togog tree. He climbed the tree confidently seeking the honey. The bees did not like this so they stung the Monkey! “Yow,” said the Monkey in a big scary tone and he jumped with fright. Because he was jumping up and down on the branch the honey came gushing down and Bullseye!

It stuck on the Peacock’s bottom!

Meanwhile Tutu the Monkey started to jump up and down in the branches. All the leaves of the Togog tree floated down gracefully and stuck to the honey on the Peacocks bottom! At this moment the Peacock woke from his sleep and realized that he had a spread of leaves on his behind. He shook furiously to get them off but the leaves didn’t budge and were acting like a fan! He loved the cool breeze that was forming around his bottom. He decided to keep it for ever more. And that is why from that day to this you will always see Azul Poki The Peacock strutting around Sentosa waving his tail in all his splendour!

That is the END of the tale – or is that tail!

Alice Woods (3.1)

These windows. The last thing I want to ever see. Being here is the most important thing. In my life, my death and when I gaze down from the Lord’s arms I will always feel at home.

Sometimes I sit. My whispering mind leaping through time. Though my life is as ordinary as yours; I still believe life may have chosen a silent, special moment for me. The decrepit memories of the past, present and future flash through my innocent eyes like a never ending, secret photo album. I have seen birth, death and much more. I wish that the constant rhythmic beat of immortal time would just slow down. Though life is still strong for me, I always feel the undying truth catching up steadily. Life must close and when it does, me and many people have something to say though it’s never heard.

The life has its good times; reflecting back just leaves us behind. Life continues and though I have not seen much I do believe that many more people have something to thank it for.

This window. The greatest teacher I ever studied from. A single, lone rain drop forms and slides steadily along the glistening pain and suddenly it falls silently to the floor creating a pathway for others to follow. I learnt the meaning of life here and shall never forget. Hopefully; like the one raindrop, others will follow my path.

George Henderson (6.1)

Frances Badcock (5.8)

Book Reviews Check it Out! Infant School Library Book Reviews Top 5 most popular books Star Wars: Beware of the Dark Side by Simon Beecroft Children’s First Cookbook: Have fun in the Kitchen! by Annabel Karmel Star Wars: Galactic Crisis! by Ryder Windham The Magic Book by Jane Bull The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

The Gruffalo is an excellent book about a mouse who meets a strange creature in the forest, called a Gruffalo. I don’t think it’s a scary book, but little kids might think it’s very scary! The book is very funny and has beautiful pictures.

The Gruffalo is a big, hairy creature with purple prickles, big sharp claws and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose. The mouse tricks all of the forest animals into believing that the Gruffalo is the scariest creature because the mouse is very brave and clever. Every time the animals see the mouse and the Gruffalo together they run away in fright, but the Gruffalo thinks this is because the mouse is so frightening. At the end of the story the Gruffalo is tricked by the mouse and runs away as well!

Julia Donaldon is my favourite author. I love her books so much and I have read lots of her books before.

Ella Shaw (1.5)

Star Wars: Podracers, Go! by Simon Beecroft Do you like fast cars?

Would you like to see the fastest race ever?

A Podrace is the fastest race you will ever see!

I love this book because it is really cool. Star Wars books have lots of awesome pictures and information from the movie.

A Podracer is a type of machine that flies really fast, like a plane. During a Podrace many people come to watch and scream and shout, but it’s very dangerous to ride a Podracer as many of them crash and die. Podracers also cheat to win by doing dangerous things.

I love the Podracer pilots. They look so weird. Some have four legs and others have lots of eyes on their head.

This book is great for boys and girls. I give it five stars.

Trystan Austen (REC 8)

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Thanks to Tanglin’s librarians, Jacqui Makselon (Senior), Barbara Philip (Junior) and Ben Farr (Infant) for collating these lists.

Junior School Library Book Review Top 5 most popular books Year 3: Crush-tastic! (Hannah Montana series) by Beth Beechwood Year 4: Deep Waters (Zac Power series) by H.I. Larry Year 5: Introducing Kyla May miss.behaves by Kyla May

(Kyla May series are top 3 books in Year 5) Year 6: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke Non Fiction - Guinness World Records 2009

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Deep Waters (Zac Power series) by H.I. Larry

This story is about Zac Power going on his first solo mission. On the mission he goes underwater to find out about a new and maybe dangerous submarine that has been built. Zac’s mission is to find out who has built it and why, then to destroy it if necessary! I think people would like this book because it is very exciting plus Zac is only twelve so he still has school to get through as well as being a spy. I think it can be read by a 7 year old to a 9 year old. This book is quite short but there are a lot of books in the series. I also think it can be enjoyed by a boy or a girl.

Luke Parsons (4.2)

Senior School Library Book Reviews Top 5 most popular books Blood Ties by Sophie McKenzie Airman by Eoin Colfer Sleepwalker by Robert Muchamore Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers

Blood Ties by Sophie McKenzie Theo lives with his mum and is quite poor but he goes to a very expensive school and has a bodyguard! He doesn’t understand why he needs protecting and his mum won’t explain but Theo thinks it has something to do with his father who died when he was small.

Rachel is rich and lives in a big house but she feels her parents consider her second best to Rebecca, a long dead sister who was everything Rachel isn’t – clever, beautiful and good at sports.

Though their lives are very different the two teenagers’ paths cross following a very unusual turn of events when Theo sets out to find his father who isn’t dead at all! Before long, Theo and Rachel find themselves under attack, in a web of lies and on a dramatic search to find out who they really are.

This is a fantastic book that captivates the reader from start to finish. A must read, a real thriller!

Dominic Reeves (8.3)

Airman by Eoin Colfer

Airman is set in the 19th century and the main character is Conor Broekhart, a boy who is literally born to fly (as he was born in a hot-air balloon.) Conor is 14 and lives on the Saltee Islands where he is taught the science of flight by his tutor Victor Vigny who is equally obsessed with the idea of building a flying machine.

Conor’s life changes dramatically when he is accused of being an accomplice to the murder of the king of Saltee. He is sent to prison where he is made to work in terrible conditions in a diamond mine.

Conor has an escape plan however and whilst smuggling diamonds out of the mine he works on designing and building a flying machine.

Read the Airman to find out how Conor finally escapes and turns vigilante to

put right all the evil effects of Marshall Bonvilian – the bad guy in the book!

Overall this is a VERY good read and I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Eoin Colfer or of action, adventure books Michael Dorman (8.1)

Visiting Authors

by Barbara Philip, Teacher Librarian, Junior School

Dr Chua Ee Kiam http://www.simplygreen.com.sg Dr Chua (pictured top right) visits Tanglin each year to talk to Year 4 students as part of their study of Pulau Ubin. An award winning nature photographer, he won the Singapore National Book Award in 1994 for his first book, “Nature in Singapore – Ours to Protect”. Dr Chua’s passion for nature conservation led to the publication of “Pulau Ubin – Ours to Treasure”, where his photographs disclose the many natural wonders of this small island, along with the fast-disappearing lifestyle of a bygone era.

Shoo Rayner http://www.shoorayner.com/about_shoo/about_shoo.html Prolific British author and illustrator Hugh Rayner (pictured second on the right), who writes under the first name of Shoo, has had a hand in several popular series for early readers. He is the illustrator for Rose Impey’s long-running “Animal Crackers” books, and as both author and illustrator, he created the “Dark Claw,” “Rex Files,” and “Ginger Ninja” series. These series have very different themes— but despite their different subject matter, all of Rayner’s books are designed to be both easy to comprehend and entertaining for children who are just learning to read on their own.

Karen Wallace http://www.karenwallace.co.uk/about.htm “I was born in Canada and grew up in a log cabin in Quebec. It was a wonderful wild time and in many ways is the source of all of my writing. I write books for children from five to fifteen years old. In many of my books, like ‘Think of an Eel’, ‘Imagine you are a Tiger’, or ‘I am a Tyrannosaurus Rex’ l reflect on my own sense of wonder exploring the woods and the river around me when I was a child. Years later, I wrote about this childhood in my first novel ‘Raspberries on the Yangtze’. When I am asked whether I always wanted to be a writer, I say, yes. Making up stories is something I’ve done all my life!”

Kate Forsyth http://www.kateforsyth.com.au Australian fantasy novelist and poet Kate Forsyth (pictured fourth on the right) is the best selling author of the six-volume “Witches of Eileanan” series, which includes the novels “Dragonclaw”, “The Cursed Towers”, and “The Fathomless Caves”. In addition to these novels, several of which have also been published in the United States, Forsyth has published poetry as well as the 2003 novel “Full Fathom Five”, under her maiden name of Kate Humphrey.

Shamini Flint http://www.shaminiflint.com/ Tanglin parent Shamini Flint lives in Singapore with her husband and two children. She began her career as a lawyer, travelling extensively around Asia, before resigning to be a stay-at-home mum, writer, part-time lecturer and environmental activist, all in an effort to make up for her ‘evil past’ as a corporate lawyer! Shamini writes children’s books with cultural and environmental themes including “Jungle Blues” and “Turtle takes a Trip” as well as the “Sasha” series.

Nick Toczek Nick is a best-selling author, a full-time professional writer and performer who works variously as a poet, magician, storyteller, puppeteer, novelist, creative writing tutor, and journalist. He has published over thirty books and has made about 40,000 public appearances. His poetry books alone have sold around half a million copies.

As a writer in schools, he’s worked with pupils from around 5,000 schools. He also performs at festivals and family events, in libraries and prisons, on radio and TV and in colleges. On March 31, he delighted his Tanglin audience with his ‘Million-Miles-AnHour’ show!

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This term we have been fortunate to host several visiting authors at Tanglin, working across all three schools, inspiring children to read and write. Author visits are extremely important motivational opportunities, with students’ enthusiasm for reading and writing reaching new heights after each visit. Every Junior School class attended a workshop with one of the authors and every Junior School child had the opportunity to meet all of the authors in the library during their visits. The libraries are extremely grateful to the PTA for financially supporting the visiting author scheme.

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Reflections from juniors on the visiting authors Dalia Benjamin (5.8) – Kate Forsyth is a talented Australian author who we were lucky enough to have talk to us this term.

She taught us many things to make our own writing the best that it can be. She told us stories about when she was a child our age and loved to write stories.

Every day her teacher was delighted to read them! She has inspired me and many other children to do what she does so well; write. She takes inspiration from the things around her every day, and I have learnt that even the smallest things can be valuable in so many ways.

Tanglin’s Book Week Book Week was a whole school event for a full week immediately after the half-term break, which tied in with World Book Day celebrated on 5 March. There were different activities happening in each school, including students dressing up as book characters, competitions and book readings.

I like Shoo Rayner (pictured below) because when he came he drew pictures and he reads his books in funny ways. His stories are full of surprises and are very easy to read. I think that Shoo Rayner should come again, I really like him.

Tom Parsons (4.6)

Extracts of work that children have been inspired to write since meeting our visiting authors: Taranveer Rana (3.6) ...“The tall trees are swaying and the dark green leaves are rustling. You can hear the stream rushing past the river bank into the crystal blue lake, next to the evergreen forest.

But there’s one special thing about this forest, you can also hear Beethoven’s music travelling from the forest into your ears. Who is making this beautiful music?”

Florrie Knell (4.1) ...“Unfortunately, I am not the Captain; however, I am not the cleaner either; I am the lookout. I stand at the very top of the ship with my expensive telescope and watch out for rocks and other ships.”

The Last Word Tanglin Memories 35

Each term we ‘hand the mike’ over to a different member of the Tanglin community, offering him or her the opportunity to air their views on a particular subject or simply to talk about something that is close to their heart. In this issue, Sixth-Form student Erin Lavelle shares her 15 years of student experiences at Tanglin.

My first memory of anything “Tanglin” is of me watching my brother get on the school bus as I hid behind my mother. I was attending Winchester School at the time – Tanglin had no Nursery then – and I wanted more than anything to be wearing one of the red-andwhite checked dresses (even the uniform has changed!) and to start at the new, exciting school. This school, which I joined a year later, would be almost impossible to recognise compared to the current Tanglin Trust School. The Infant School, then just newly built, is the only building which still stands today. There was no real Senior School – simply a few porta-cabins for the handful of students which made up the first Year 7 class and the Junior School was old, dark and fairly dingy.

My main memories of the Infant School involve teddy bear picnics and races out on the field, getting ICT lessons for the first time and generally just enjoying school.

Junior School meant actually getting homework (very annoying), my first male teacher (very scary) and lots of dress-up days.

The main hall in the old Junior School had no air-conditioning, something which could make P.E. lessons particularly tiring. The library was in a porta-cabin, and getting to it in the rain without getting wet was impossible. There were only two levels (something I now miss dearly when having to walk up four flights

of stairs countless times a day) and getting to the girls’ changing rooms involved a slight jungle trek. The new, shiny Junior School, built when I entered Year 6, was certainly a refreshing change. The introduction of armed gurkha guards the same year, following 9/11 and the Bali bombing, was not.

My first year of Senior School was a big year for Tanglin – the Sixth Form Centre had just been built and students were entering Year 12 for the first time. I was more concerned about just finding my way around. It was during my time in the Senior School that I realised how special Tanglin is. It’s a place where students are pushed to work hard, both by their teachers and by themselves. There’s an undercurrent of community, and of school spirit, which is indefinable but definite. It’s the only school I’ve heard of where every student sings at the end of year assembly – corny, but fun!

smallest year group in the school, and it means I know every one of my peers. The new Sixth Form, I’m sure, is going to be incredible, but I love the small, cosy one we have now.

Tanglin is a school which is determined to expand, an aim which has obvious benefits. With the introduction of IB and the opening of the new senior building next year, the quality and choice of education is going to be phenomenal. But I’ve had the benefits of the personal education that comes from having less than 70 students in a year.

As the school’s facilities become more amazing and the breadth of education is increased, I’m glad I’ve had the benefits of another Tanglin – a small school. Year 13 is the

No matter how much Tanglin grows, however, I think its central core will always stay the same. Even with new buildings, new teachers, new students, something about Tanglin, some sense of spirit and community has always managed to remain, and I don’t think that will be easily removed. Having never been to another school, I definitely can’t give a balanced opinion, but over my fifteen years here, I’ve come to realise that Tanglin is a truly unique place, and I’m very glad I’ve had the opportunity to study here.

95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299 www.tts.edu.sg Tel: 6778 0771 Fax: 6777 5862 Email: communications@tts.edu.sg