The Voice of Tanglin Trust School
Vol 03 9/2009
MICA (P) 149/07/2009
Feature: Preparing for the Future CSR: Model United Nations Showcase: Art • Drama • Music
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Welcome
Contents
04 06 10 12
Staff News Key Appointments A Tribute to Simon Hebert
Feature Preparing for the Future
Corporate Social Responsibility Model United Nations
Infant School Moving Forward
14 12
Junior School
16 18
Senior School
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The Library is the Place!
An Interview with Neil Turrell
Sixth Form Leadership and Initiative
Showcase Art • Drama • Music
Welcome to a new academic year and to all the challenges, achievements and successes – individual and collective – that it will surely bring. I would like to extend a particularly warm welcome to those 390 new students and their families joining us this term. I know you will soon be made to feel like part of the Tanglin ‘family’! We also extend a warm welcome to those 42 new members of staff joining us this year, across all disciplines and throughout all three schools. In this issue, we take a closer look at some of the key appointments that have been made this year – those faces that we expect most of you to come into contact with. We also pay tribute to Simon Hebert, who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in May. Simon had been at Tanglin for 10 years, working as Maths Specialist and latterly as Head of Year 8. His legacy is summed up by the words of his students, colleagues and friends on page 5. Also in this edition, we look at the issue of ‘home’ versus ‘overseas’ status when applying
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to UK Universities. As more and more families make Singapore their permanent home it is good to understand the impact of this decision when it comes to university applications; I hope you will find the information useful. In terms of regular features, there are highlights from each of the Infant, Junior and Senior Schools, with Neil Turrell, Tanglin’s new Head of Senior School, making his first appearance in print. We look at CSR from a student’s perspective, following her participation in the Model UN conference, held at the Anglo Chinese School last term. There is a round-up of Sports news, PTA news, book reviews, creative writing from some of our youngest students, and more. Finally, signing off this issue is alumnus John Somerville, who attended a very different Tanglin almost 80 years ago. His reflections make fascinating reading and are particularly fitting, coming as they do at a time when we are putting a lot of effort and energy into building up Tanglin’s Alumni. Once again we are making this magazine available as a digital
Sports Awards, Achievement and Pure Fun!
PTA Summer Fete
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edition and do encourage you to read it this way. Having it available electronically means the reach of The Voice is far greater than it could be otherwise – for example, Alumni and Friends of Tanglin, wherever they are in the world, can now keep in touch with our community at the click of a button. With your help we hope to significantly reduce the number of hard copies we print this year. The assessment and test results for our younger children have shown another strong performance and as we go to press we are expecting an equally successful round of A Level and GCSE results. We will of course give you full details of all our tests and examination results once we have completed a full analysis. As always, we are keen to have your feedback on The Voice: if there is a topic you would like covered, or an opinion you would like to express, do let us know. Send your comments or suggestions to communications@tts.edu.sg.
Steven Andrews, CEO
The Last Word Letter from the Past
Editor: Jacqui Edmiston Designer: CleverBird + Stacy Sharma Contributors: SJB Communications, staff, the PTA + students Printer: Oz Print Services Photography: Stacy Sharma + Phil Date
Creative Writing
Year 2 – Silly Stuff “The Voice” herein refers to “The Voice of Tanglin Trust School”
Book Reviews Check it Out!
Staff News We welcome all new teachers and staff to the 2009/2010 school year at Tanglin. Take this opportunity to get to know some of the new key staff at Tanglin. Please refer to page 16 to read more about our new Head of Senior School, Neil Turrell.
Christopher Coates, Head of Science, Seniors
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Chris has been teaching for 15 years, the last four at Overseas Family School here in Singapore, where he was Head of Science. He has also taught in Suffolk, Yorkshire and Hong Kong.
Jeffery Aitken, Head of Drama
Over the past ten years Jeff has worked in two international schools, first the International School of Penang in Malaysia and more recently the International School Caracas, in Venezuela. Jeff grew up in Canada very much enjoying the outdoors and of course theatre. He studied in Canada and later in the UK, taking part in both community and professional theatre. He met his wife Mariana and daughter Maria Clara while in Venezuela. They have recently welcomed two boys to the family, Nicholas is almost two and Alex was just born in July. Jeff is very excited to be joining Tanglin, where the School and drama department have such a strong reputation, and is looking forward to working with the talented staff and students.
Lynn Yip Fong Ling, Financial Controller
Lynn brings with her more than 15 years of work experience in the areas of Audit, Financial Management and Operations and Control. Previously, Lynn was the VP Finance of CapitaLand overseeing the finance operation for the Residential business unit in Singapore. Lynn also spent several years in MediaCorp where she was responsible for the Group’s corporate reporting and planning, as well as managing the finance teams under the Corporate Services Cluster. Lynn believes strongly in the importance of driving excellence in childrens’ development programmes and sees working in Tanglin as an exciting opportunity.
Benjamin Hur, Director of Music
Prior to joining Tanglin Trust School, Ben was at ESF King George V School, in Hong Kong. He was born in South Korea and raised and educated in Perth, Western Australia. Ben taught for nearly 20 years in Perth, including nine years at a special music school for musically Gifted and Talented high school students. He also worked as an orchestral conductor under the auspices of Symphony Australia, through whom he got to conduct most of the state orchestras in Australia.
The teachers in the Science department at Tanglin have a formidable reputation, and he is very much looking forward to working with them, and getting to know the students in the classroom and in extra-curricular activities. Chris is a keen musician, playing several instruments, and hopes to get involved in musical activities at Tanglin. He is married, and when he starts at Tanglin in September, his wife will have just had their first baby. He wanted us to point out that if he has bags under his eyes or milk stains on his shoulder that will be the reason!
Ben is married to Sarah and they have a two-year old son, Caleb. Ben is looking forward to new challenges in coming to work at Tanglin.
Mark Bradshaw, Assistant Director of Music
Mark was trained in the UK, at Sheffield University, Bath College and SOAS, and has been teaching for over 20 years. He has taught in schools and colleges in the UK, in Africa and also in Asia. He is an ethnomusicologist, a composer, arranger and performer and enjoys a huge range of music. Outside of music matters, Mark tries to play plenty of sports including football, but more recently has concentrated on distance running. He comes to Singapore with his wife, Sue and three girls, Anna, Molly and Rose and is he looking forward to watching his children grow up here. Mark is excited about meeting all the staff and students and getting involved with school life.
Linda Robinson, Head of Science, Juniors
Linda has been teaching in Manchester for seven years. Prior to this she taught in Marbella, Spain and Hull, England. She enjoys seeing the world and getting to know people from different cultures. Linda can’t wait to be a part of the Tanglin School community and is looking forward to the challenge of a new role. She is also excited about putting her passion and enthusiasm for sports into Tanglin’s range of co-curricular activities.
A book of condolence was placed in the reception area of The Point for anyone wishing to write a message or memory of Simon. This is just a small selection of those messages which lend testament to the man and the teacher he was. Simon Hebert, Head of Year 8 and Maths Specialist, died very suddenly at home on Monday 25 May. The Tanglin School community paid tribute to his life at a memorial service held at St George’s Church on Tuesday 16 June. Colleagues and students celebrated Simon’s life at Tanglin with accounts of his work at the School and the tremendous contribution he made during his 10 year tenure as both classroom practitioner and pastoral mentor. It was clear that Simon touched the lives of so many of his students, both as a Head of Year and Maths teacher. He will be sorely missed. Simon’s fellow teacher, Heather Dina, met Simon on their first day at Tanglin. Her first impressions were that “he would be a great hit with the students and the teachers. He had the right sort of sense of humour and a real determination.” Heather believes she learned a lot from Simon, who she came to know well. She describes him as a great colleague, who was always very approachable – a trait which doubtless contributed greatly to the high degree of success he enjoyed with his students. Simon was particularly good with those who found Maths difficult. As Jeremy Hodges, Head of Maths at Tanglin described in his eulogy at Simon’s memorial service: “He would support, encourage and be endlessly patient. He would take a student who was terrified of Maths and get them to enjoy it; to be confident enough to put up their hand to answer questions; to not worry whether their answer was correct but to realise trying was the key and understanding why they were wrong was actually the answer. In the end they realised Maths was a subject that anyone could do and do well”. When you read and hear what those around Tanglin have had to say about Simon, a common thread quickly emerges – a great man, a remarkable teacher, colleague and friend whose humour and kindness touched many lives.
Perhaps the best tribute to the impact that Simon Hebert had on his students comes from them: • He was the best teacher anyone could ever have. • Mr Hebert was one of the cheeriest people I know. He was always smiling and no problem was ever too small. • Mr Hebert was a very happy, kind man and he helped me with a lot of my problems when I had my condition and when I was in an upset phase. • Mr Hebert always knew how to make me smile. When we went to Tioman last year, I hurt my foot and wasn’t able to do many of the activities. He stayed back at the resort with me when I couldn’t go to see the turtles. He bought some chocolates and sweets in the shop and shared them with me. This, I won’t ever forget. • I will always remember the man in the black shirt and red tie. • Last year he was my Maths teacher and he helped me gain a lot of confidence and I improved so much. He was one of the best Head of Years. I will miss him. • Even in the most serious or upsetting situations he always made me laugh by making a joke. • Even though I have dyslexia his methods in Maths helped me and he also taught me to enjoy school. • A great man who changed my life. Before I came to Tanglin I could not do Maths to save my life. Because of Mr Hebert I moved up a set and can finally do algebra. From his colleagues: • He always had a ready smile and time to talk. • I will remember his smile and continue to hear his laugh. • Many thanks to Simon for all his understanding and kind words. He was a truly remarkable person and teacher. • I have been grateful to Simon under his leadership for the past 2 years. I will always remember working with him in fundraising charity events, social nights and assemblies. • He was unfailingly positive, always smiling and a constant force for good. From his community: • ....Maths with a “rock n roll attitude”. Simon was a wonderful person and heaven has gained the best Maths teacher. I am sure he is watching over his “kids” at Tanglin. • Both of my daughters had the good fortune to be taught by Simon. He was granted the wonderful ability to just “click” with his students and was a brilliant teacher as a result. • We didn’t realise how much you meant to us all until we “misplaced” you in heaven. God bless you and I hope now the angels are looking after you like you looked after our kids.
This is how he will be remembered. This is Simon Hebert’s legacy.
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A Tribute to Simon Hebert
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Feature Preparing for the Future by Jacqui Edmiston, Head of Communications and Robert Randall, Head of Sixth Form
According to a recent article in Time Magazine, more foreigners than ever are choosing to make Singapore their home. Once lured by lucrative expat packages, these days many recognise the fact that the opportunities they have here are perhaps greater than elsewhere. The recent global economic downturn has meant that the prospects for finding work ‘back home’ are sometimes disheartening and as a result many have decided that they are better off in Singapore, even on local terms. After all, Singapore is not a hardship post, even in hard times. For 10 years in a row, it has been named the best city in the world for expats by the Londonbased advisory firm ECA, garnering high marks for its superior roads and airport, health care, low crime and decent air quality. The government makes an effort to retain foreign knowledge workers, who are viewed as vital to the health of Singapore’s small but highly competitive economy.
Back home to university?
Given all these advantages, staying in Singapore and keeping your children at school here – which judging by Tanglin’s own increased enrolment figures for 2009/10, more and more are choosing to do – makes sense. The Sixth Form at Tanglin is set to be the biggest ever this
academic year, with over 180 students in Years 12 and 13 housed in a brand new state of the art facility which is designed for future expansion. Many of those Britons who decide to make Singapore their home are however unaware of the fact that residing in Singapore for a protracted period of time may disqualify their son or daughter from obtaining what is known as ‘Home Status’ when it comes to applying for University in the UK, a destination that approximately 70% of this years graduates have chosen.
Home vs overseas status
When it comes to applying to a UK university, where you live affects the fees you pay. Although there are exceptions to this rule, broadly speaking, applicants who have been resident in the UK/EU for at least three years prior to the start of their degree programme qualify for ‘home’ status. This means that they pay a maximum of £3,225 per year in tuition fees, (2009/2010 figures) for all undergraduate courses, whether Science, Medicine or the Arts and are also entitled to financial support from the UK government in the form of student loans. Those who do not qualify for this status are referred to as having ‘Overseas’ or International status and for these applicants, fees are much higher – up to £18,000 a year, depending on the nature of the course and the university in question. In addition, overseas students are not eligible for student loans (Source: www.ukcisa.org.uk).
TIME quoted American Marc Rudajev, a 37-yearold ex–hedge fund manager whose $350 million fund dissolved in the middle of 2008 as global stock markets swooned, as one of the Singapore expats not hurrying home: “This economic crisis is affecting every country,” he says wearily. “But if there is a glimmer of hope anywhere, it’s here rather than in the U.S. or U.K.”
Examples of UK “Overseas” annual fees: • Durham University: Lab based courses (e.g. Psychology, Engineering, Natural Sciences) £13770, Class based (e.g. English, Law or Maths) £10560 • Bournemouth University: Computer Animation £10,000
Offers of university places, made through UCAS, (Universities & Colleges Admissions Service – the centralised body for applications to almost all fulltime undergraduate degree programmes at UK universities and colleges) are made regardless of where a student is currently residing, though places at medical schools for overseas students are limited. After an offer is made, it is up to each individual university to determine who then qualifies for what status. Whilst general guidelines exist, universities differ in their interpretation of these and sometimes the criteria are not always transparent. Schools’ advice can therefore only be based on past experience; dialogue with the university is personal and confidential and takes place through communication with the student/ parents and the university itself. Exceptions to the ‘overseas’ classification do exist for those based outside the UK. For example those who can prove they are based temporarily outside the UK/EU can still qualify for home status – many students at Tanglin have qualified in this way by supplying copies of the relevant parent’s employment contract(s) proving the temporary nature of their stay here. Ultimately however, the university decides; it is therefore possible that two universities will judge the same individual differently, depending on how they interpret the rules. Over the last two years, those Tanglin Sixth-Form students who have applied for home status have been asked to provide a variety of evidence to support their applications, ranging from copies of passport details (to establish nationality), to credit card statements (to establish the purchase of flights to the UK), to boarding passes (to establish the frequency of return journeys to the UK).
UKCISA
A very good source of information and advice is the UK Council for International Student Affairs website (www.ukcisa.org. uk). The ‘Fee status: Information checklist’ describes the type of information which institutions may ask students and parents to provide. Another useful website is the UK government website ‘Directgov’ (www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance).This has a wealth of information and resources on not only student finance but also on the UK University and Higher education application process.
Some universities will ask for several pages of forms, others relatively little. You can always contact the universities in advance of application and ask for their fee status forms. The following examples are typical of the types of forms a student would be asked to fill in, one from Birmingham University and one from Manchester. Scottish universities are slightly different, please visit http://www.studentsupport-saas.gov.uk for more details: http://www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/medialibrary/ student-services-centre/tuition-fees-form-noninteractive-v3.pdf http://www.bcu.ac.uk/downloads/international_students/ Fee%20Status%20Assessment%20Questionaire.pdf
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• Leicester University: Arts based £9450, Engineering £12650, first 2 years of Medicine are £12650 p.a. but last 3 years are £22900.
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How do non UK universities compare? Australia:
Local International
Engineering at Melbourne University (4 years)
A$87,000
A$110,000
History at Wollongong
A$31,000
A$43,000
Textile Design at RMIT
A$48,000
A$54,000
Law at Sydney
A$99,000
A$103,000
USA: Fees range from US $25,000–$50,000 per year Contact IDP http://www.singapore.idp.com/ for information on International v Australian university fees and the US Education Information Centre http://www.useic.org/ for more details on US University fees.
Unlike many countries, Singapore does not automatically deport foreigners who lose their jobs. Expats can now apply for a Personalised Employment Pass (PEP) that allows them to look for another job for up to six months. For more information visit www.mom.gov.sg. Those who see themselves remaining in Singapore for the longer term can also apply to become Singapore Permanent Residents (SPRs) by obtaining an Entry Permit. All applications for Residency in Singapore are handled by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA).To find out more visit the ICA website (http:// www.ica.gov.sg); once you have got all the necessary documents together, the process is usually a straightforward one and application processing time is an average of 3 months. Whilst obtaining Singapore permanent residency lets you enjoy many of the benefits and rights given to full citizens, for example buying property
and contributing to the CPF (Central Provident Fund – a form of compulsory government sponsored savings/ pension scheme), it also requires commitments that could affect your personal life. Chief among these is military service. Under the Enlistment Act, all male Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents are liable to register for National Service (NS) upon reaching 16½ years old. They are required to serve 2 years of full-time NS at 18 years old, followed by 40 days of Operationally Ready National Service per year till the age of 50 years (for officers) or 40 years (for other ranks). NS-liable PRs are expected to serve NS. Renouncing or losing one’s PR status without serving or completing full-time NS would have an adverse impact on any immediate or future applications to work or study in Singapore, or for Singapore citizenship or PR status. For more information on National Service, visit the Ministry of Defence website at http:// www.mindef.gov.sg.
Many who opt for PR status do so for themselves and apply for their children to obtain student visas. As the name suggests, these only apply whilst the child is a student in full time education. Foreign students are required to surrender their Student’s Passes for cancellation ‘within seven days from the date of cessation or termination of their study.’ (Source: www.ica.gov.sg). If he/she decides to return to Singapore at a future date the relevant pass will need to be applied for at the time.
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More useful information
CSR 10
Model United Nations
‘Model United Nations (also Model UN or MUN) is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about civics, effective communication, globalisation and multilateral diplomacy. Participants research a country, take on roles as diplomats, investigate international issues, debate, deliberate, consult, and then develop solutions to world problems.’ (Source: Wikipedia) Over 90,000 students take part in Model United Nations Conferences in the United States alone. The concept of Model United Nations has grown substantially all across the world, with various third-world and traditionally non-English speaking nations now joining in. The recent Model United Nations Conference here in Singapore took place in June at the Anglo-Chinese School. A group of Year 9 students from Tanglin represented two countries this year, Croatia and Yemen, as well as acting as press officers reporting for the BBC, CNN and Fox News. (Year 12s also have the opportunity to attend a MUN conference, usually during Term 2.) The conference opened with an enlightening address from the Guest Speaker, Dr Lau Teik Soon, lawyer and politician, who put forward for debate the issue of the Israeli Palestinian dispute. The Tanglin delegates embraced this challenge with enthusiasm and also debated issues such as the Korean War, humanitarian rights, gender equality and food aid.
This year’s Model United Nations (MUN) conference was hosted and chaired by the Anglo-Chinese School. Other schools that took part were: Hwa Chong Institution, Hwa Chong Junior College, Catholic Junior College, CHIJ Toa Payoh, Victoria Junior College, Raffles Girls’ School, Tanglin Trust School, Nanyang Girls’ High School, Global Indian School (Queenstown branch), Dunman High School, NUS High School of Maths and Science, Paya Lebar Methodists Girls’ School and National Junior College. As you can see from this list, a significant slice of Singapore’s youth, from all around the country, was involved, offering great opportunities for integration between students from different schools. For the MUN meetings, selected students from the different schools are put into groups of five and each group is assigned a country. The groups are further broken down by putting all the students in one of the five different delegations: Security Council; Disarmament and Security Council; Economic and Financial; Social, Humanitarian and Cultural; Special Political and Decolonisation, and Administrative and Budget. There is also a Press Corps group – students in it are put into groups of three and allocated a news agency such as CNN or BCC and at the end of the day each agency’s reporters has to write an article about the day for the conference newspaper. Delegates are expected to look in detail into their topics and the main factors of why there is a problem. They are also expected to delve into their country’s past to learn about the politics, culture and economy. This gives the delegates a very good picture of their country and how it stands in a global context. It is also a very important factor in making people more aware of the world.
MUN’s vision
Model United Nations’ vision is very important. Through their annual meetings they wish to make “every participant a global citizen”, and their motto this year is to be the “Premier Ground for Education of Youth in International Relations.” MUN achieves this goal by opening up the delegates to learning about new countries and the problems those countries face, and in turn how these affect the world.
It is important for MUN to achieve this because they want to start to prepare young people – tomorrow’s politicians – to address important issues and to appreciate how to go about resolving them. If these skills are well implemented in the future, the hope is that it will create a better connected, more peaceful and prosperous planet. In this year’s MUN each delegation was given three different issues on which to decide a resolution. The Security Council discussed political stability in Palestine, piracy in Somalia and the problems with President Mugabe in Zimbabwe. The Disarmament and Security Council looked at problems with the Northwest frontier in Palestine, which is in conflict with Israel. They also examined illegal arms trade in the Middle East and the very current topic of the nuclear disarmament of North Korea, while Economic and Financial talked about improvements to international banking laws and sustainable development. Special Political and Decolonisation had a hard task because their issues were set in the past; the Korean War, the Cuban missile crisis and the advent of nuclear power were the group’s subjects. The Administrative and Budget delegation reviewed UN membership criteria and looked at budget contributions from different countries to the World Food Programme. The meetings took place over three days (June 17 – 19) from 9am to 5pm. Although the days were long, there was plenty to be busy with. On the first day we were greeted with an opening
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Student perspective The MUN Experience by Georgina Shippey (9.3)
speech by Dr Lau Teik Soon, who was the guest of honour. Dr Lau Teik is currently a lawyer but was previously a member of parliament for 20 years, and has participated in many conferences discussing global issues. Dr Lau was also a lecturer at the National University of Singapore, and before that he was an officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This made him the perfect choice as speaker, and he gave the delegates a very interesting talk on the Israel Palestine conflict and how he thinks the UN should deal with it in the same way they acted with the conflict in East Timor. Each day consisted of signing in at around 9am, after which debates would continue till around 12pm. Following an hour’s lunch break, the Press Corps would write their articles and debates resumed. After the press corps had finished their articles, they would head back down to their assigned delegation and write notes on it for the next day’s article. Debates adjourned at 5pm. This was a fantastic learning experience for all of us!
Infant School Moving Forward 12
by Geraldine Chandran, Head of Infant School
In their new Junior School uniforms, our former Year 2 students look so grown up. Excitement about being a member of a house, having the opportunity to participate in co-curricular activities and moving to new class groups is clearly expressed in their eyes. Progression into the Junior School is a big step and is supported by an intensive transition programme undertaken in their final term in the Infant School.
New classes
The placement of students into their new class groups is far from random. Early in Term 3, after an assembly with the Head of the Junior School, David Ingram, students are asked to nominate four people from their existing class who they believe they work well with – not just the children they have the most fun with – and would like to be with in their new class. Using a computer programme, students are then allocated into new classes. Each student should have at least one friend from their list, and no more than four former classmates, in their new class group. The computer generated class lists are then reviewed and amended by teachers and members of the learning
support team to ensure the best possible groupings. Factors considered include the balancing of ages, gender, learning needs and interests within each class. Our experience shows that students become comfortable in their new class groups very quickly. By changing the class groups at this time, we believe we allow newcomers to more effectively integrate and provide our students with the opportunity to meet new people, make new friends and accept change itself – an important life lesson. In many international schools around the world, class groups are changed each year, but at Tanglin we like to provide our infant students with as much stability as possible.
“Always keep your personal “Don’t forget to keep your art belongings at home, in your tray apron at School.” or in your bag, because you Selena Magimay (3.2) might lose them.” Caroline McLean (3.2)
New experiences
classrooms, touring new learning areas, learning new routines such as which staircase, toilets and water fountains to use, attending special assemblies and where possible meeting with their new teachers, are practiced throughout the Infant School when students move up to the next year group. We are expanding this to ensure that students spend more quality time in their new learning spaces and, if possible, with their new teachers before the end of the academic year. For example, we are giving students more time in their new computer suites and staging story telling sessions in their new classrooms.
Knowledge is power
As we look ahead further into the 2009/2010 academic year, it is reassuring to know that our young people have been well prepared to face the challenges and opportunities presented. We wish them all the best as they move onwards and upwards!
Towards the middle of Term 3, Year 2 students experience ordering a meal from the canteen menu and two weeks later collecting and eating it in the junior canteen. This dining experience takes place during the key “Transition Week”. During this week, students visit a Year 3 class and are taken on a tour of the Junior School. Coupled with Year 3 students, the infants can ask questions about life in the Junior School and where things are. They stay to eat their snack and play outside during the break time. They also visit and borrow books from the Junior Library.
Before the end of the academic year, the students are told what house they are in and attend a special house assembly. They also know what class group they are in, where this class is located in the Year 3 unit, and who is in the class with them. In new class groups, they spend time in the Year 3 unit in their new classroom during the last week of term. This knowledge, together with their familiarity with the Year 3 unit, equips them for a positive experience in the Junior School from day one. Parents are also invited to tour the Year 3 unit during the Year 2 Open Morning, where they can meet the Junior School co-curricular activity team and even have the opportunity to taste the canteen food!
Seamless curriculum
The seamless transition in the English National Curriculum from Key Stage 1 to 2 further supports the move into the Junior School. The children begin a special literacy project in the final term of Year 2 that they continue in the first two weeks of Year 3, ensuring that work is familiar in the first weeks in the Junior School, whilst at the same time introducing some key Junior School strategies. While we are confident in the effectiveness of our transition programme, we aim to continually review and refine it – and the Head of Year 2, Joanna Williams (joanna.williams@tts.edu.sg) welcomes feedback and suggestions. Practices at the core of the programme, such as students meeting with children in the older year group, visiting their new
Transition tips • Name everything. (It is easier for a child to keep track of his or her belongings if they are named.) • Make sure a child has all the equipment and uniform items they need ahead of time. • Organise play dates with new class mates. • Support the ‘Class Mum’ in organising events for the children and parents. • Encourage independence at home and responsibility for personal belongings. • Talk positively about new opportunities – CCAs and House Days. • Discuss meal selection if ordering from the canteen. • Talk about CCAs with your child before you sign them up. • Every night, ask your child what is on the next day and what they need to pack.
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Advice from older students: “Make new friends, write neatly, learn your way around the Junior School and read your diary every night.” Tara Bella Halai (3.2)
Junior School The Library is the Place! 14
by Barbara Philip, Junior School Teacher Librarian and David Ingram, Head of Junior School
Once upon a time, there was a library and the people thought it was a good library because it had a sizeable collection of reasonable, yet slightly dusty books. Here ends the fairytale! Times have changed! Today’s fabulous libraries, like our Junior School Library, are a hub of activity and offer our internetsavvy children, their parents and the community a vast array of resources and support. In this on-line modern world, with access to great resources at your fingertips, it is helpful to know what the Junior Library can do for you!
Resources
In addition to some 16,000 well-managed books evenly divided between fiction and non-fiction titles, the Junior Library has 12 computers, a collection of audio books, DVDs and a range of cool magazines. It also holds subscriptions to several computer-based digital resources. These include: Tumblebooks, where students can see a book and hear it being read; Encyclopaedia Britannica; Newsacademic, an on-line newspaper for kids; and the Weblinks database, which recommends good websites on topics being studied within the Junior School. There are also other resources that support the development of literacy, including a delightful collection of puppets, a giant box of lego and new
“talking pens”, which allow a student to hear a story being read as they point to the words with a pen. During the 2008/2009 academic year, almost 2,000 items were added to the Junior Library’s collection, reflecting Tanglin’s belief that the core purpose of the School is facilitating quality learning. In the near future, we see the inventory including other items such as MP3 players so students can download audio books to listen to at their leisure.
Support from the NLB
Very occasionally, a student may request a title that is not in our collection or we may have only a few copies of a title in high demand. In this case, we use the support of Singapore’s National Library Board, which kindly lends each library
at Tanglin up to 2,000 titles as part of its Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) programme coordinated by Judy Kong at the Bukit Merah Public Library.
“This all sounds great,” you may say. “But where do I find a recommended reading list for my child or information on mountains?” It’s true that while there is a vast array of resources for students and parents, often people don’t know what to look for or how to look for it. To meet this need, we have developed reading lists on Tanglin’s on-line Library Management System, which is called Oliver. All Junior School students have access to the on-line library website (http://library.tts.edu.sg/oliver), and by entering their user name and password they can access the catalogue and the reading lists anywhere, anytime. Parents who would like to be able to do this and borrow resources, simply need to become members of the Junior Library. Simply call in and bring your FIN card for registration purposes. Through Oliver, students and parents have access to a wide range of information on events, serial and magazine lists and award winning books. A new feature is the inclusion of some promotional book trailers, and notes, which can be viewed by clicking on “more information” on a resource listed in the catalogue. Early in Term 1 this academic year, we will continue to run a series of workshops in the Junior Library for parents on “How can we help our children with their homework.” Topics to be addressed will include the use of Oliver, analysing topics to enable efficient web searchers and the use of Weblinks. These will be supplemented with general library introduction sessions.
A place to be
A library is not just a place for resources. It is a place for people! As well as weekly visits by class groups to exchange books, the library is open before and after school (7.30am to 4.30pm) and at break and lunch times for borrowing and the library space itself can be used until 5.30pm. Most lunch breaks would see more than 100 students use the Junior Library for a variety of reasons. After school, the Junior Library hosts up to 50 students who attend the “3.00pm Club” while waiting for a co-curricular activity to start. Our student librarian programme also continues to run throughout the Junior School and involves very regular visits by these children.
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Support
Special events
Special events, such as PTA-funded author visits, puppet workshops and book readings during our Book Week, help to bring people into the library. We also feature storytelling in Chinese, twice weekly lego@lunchtime sessions, and fortnightly Friday lunchtime film viewings, which also attract many students. This year, we will continue our very popular “Battle of the Books” competition, that saw teams of students compete against each other to recall details from popular books. A fun way to promote careful reading!
Parents welcome
We encourage parents to come to our library and to model for our students the use of the space for research, reading and borrowing. With more than 20 resources for every student in the Junior School, a very high ratio considering the School Library Association (UK) recommends 13 to 18, a friendly and professional team of library staff and so many activities, the Junior Library really is the ideal setting for a modern fairytale, where students thrive, are truly engaged with learning materials, and are empowered with ability to source the information they need to live happily ever after.
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Senior School An Interview with Neil Turrell With effect from the start of this new academic year 2009/2010, Tanglin has a new Head of Senior School. Neil Turrell joins us from Maidstone Grammar School in England, where he has been Head for the past 17 years. Neil has had a long and distinguished career and brings to Tanglin a wealth of experience gained in both the state and the independent sector. At Maidstone he successfully steered through the introduction of IB into the Sixth Form and he is known for his strong and charismatic leadership. Neil visited Singapore in June to begin the process of familiarisation with the school and the senior team and to look for a new home! The Voice caught up with him to ask him to share a little of his background and his vision for Tanglin going forward:
Q. Tell us a little about yourself I was born in England, but most of my schooling was in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia). My higher education encompassed physics, mathematics and, later, education. Before teaching, I experienced military service with the British Army and worked as a research physicist. I have taught in five schools, all quite different, and been the headmaster in two of them. I am a keen sportsman, having played rugby and cricket in the main, but now concentrating on golf. I read as much as time allows, enjoy a broad range of music as a listener and am
looking forward to the travel opportunities arising from living in Singapore. I am a Rotarian and have been proud to support fund-raising efforts to help people at home and abroad. My wife, Trish, is also a teacher and works in Special Educational Needs. I have two children, Ben and Nancy. Ben is a lawyer and has just moved to New York. Nancy works in Corporate and Social Responsibility for Nestlé in the UK, but will move to Singapore in July to join her husband who is in advertising here.
Q. What attracted you to Singapore and to Tanglin? I was considering consultancy work for the next stage in my career, since this would have been a natural extension of the work I do in supporting school senior management teams at several schools in Kent. However, the possibility of working in a highly achieving school in a country as diverse and stimulating as Singapore pushed the consultancy prospect firmly into second place! Actually, as alluring as Singapore is, my decision had more to do with the possibility of continuing to work in the front line of teaching and learning. The start of the IB at Tanglin was another attraction. It is a qualification I admire for its breadth and challenge. We (at MGS) have taught it alongside A levels since 1995, so it is now seems an old friend. My mother and sisters live in Australia and I will enjoy the opportunity to visit them more often. Q. After heading up Maidstone Grammar School in England and overseeing the introduction of the IB there, what have been some of the key things you have learned? About the IB, that it’s an excellent qualification but not necessarily the right one for everyone. That is, one needs to
have a number of routes through the Sixth Form to cater for the different needs of our students. More generally, that learning is a lifelong process and as the world around us changes we must have the means to respond effectively to that. That is, we have to keep pressing the ‘refresh’ button!
Q. Your last school was just for boys. What additional challenges or issues do you foresee in running a co-ed school? Although most of the pupils at MGS are boys, we’ve had a substantial number of girls in the Sixth Form for many years. Also, four of the five schools I’ve worked in have been mixed, so I’m familiar with the strategies and accommodations one must employ to deal effectively with girls as well as boys. In my experience, girls respond just as enthusiastically as boys to challenges and high expectations. You ought to ask my daughter this question anyway; she’s one of my former pupils!
Good. The pupils I’ve met were articulate, friendly and happy to be at school. Governors, staff and parents, too, have been welcoming and keen to explore my views on a variety of matters. The most recent Ofsted inspection, in 2008, painted a healthy picture, as does the Senior School’s own monitoring data. The new building, which I visited recently, is a very exciting development that will inspire staff and students alike. I’m really looking forward to exploring the School in detail.
Q. What is your vision of an excellent Senior School? I would like the School to be an exciting and vibrant place where pupils and staff have the opportunity to realise their potential and ambitions.
Q. In what areas of Tanglin’s Senior School would you like to make the greatest contribution? I would like to increase the range of activities and opportunities available to everyone within the School in order to make a positive impact on personal development.
Q. What messages would you like to emphasise to our Senior School students? My students have always been my first priority and Tanglin will be no different. You will see a lot of me and soon realise that what I look for is for you to have high expectations of yourself and those around you. This is not just about exams either, but in all your activities and in the contribution you make to the life of the School.
Q. What message do your have for parents of Senior School students? In my visits to the Senior School over the last couple of months, I have been impressed with the professionalism and dedication of the staff I’ve met. I’m excited at the prospect of leading this professional team as we work to realise your child’s potential at Tanglin. I am also of course looking forward, to meeting you all in due course!
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Q. What are your impressions of Tanglin’s Senior School at this point?
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Sixth Form Leadership and Initiative Head Boy and Girl 2009/2010 Following a rigorous application system and interview process, the new Head Boy and Girl and Deputy Head Boy and Girl for the next academic year have been selected. A total of nineteen Year 12 students applied to be the senior prefects for 2009/2010. From the eight boys who wrote letters of application four were called for interview. From the eleven girls, five were selected for interview. Both the Sixth Form students and the Senior School staff were also asked to indicate their preferences. At interview, David Clegg (Director of Education), David Woods (Head of Senior School) and Robert Randall (Head of Sixth Form) put the nine candidates through their paces. The students were asked to give a presentation to the panel on a whole school initiative they would like to introduce in their first term of office and then answer a series of questions. Broadly speaking, as well as strong leadership skills, the candidates were expected to display a high level of maturity, confidence and trustworthiness. They also needed to illustrate the desire to get involved, to show initiative and to possess the confidence to represent Tanglin – and all that the school stands for – when required. After much deliberation and discussion, the panel made the following appointments for 2009/2010: Head Boy – Sebastian Hughes joined Tanglin Trust School in Year 8 after living in Malaysia and Vietnam and is the 3rd of three sons to experience the Tanglin Sixth Form. With the advent of enlarged and enhanced facilities for the Sixth Form students, Seb’s belief is that the role of
Head Boy should be commensurate with a world class Sixth Form, and a world class school. One of his initial ideas is to instigate a ‘Tanglin Initiative Award’, open to the whole school, from reception to Year 13, for any students who have shown exceptional commitment and dedication to CCAs, studies, charity work or any area of school life. He is looking forward to fulfilling the role of Head Boy this year, and has pledged to give his full commitment to bettering our school. Head Girl – Priyanka Venkataraman joined Tanglin in Year 5 and has a sister in Year 6 and a brother in Year 4. Having discussed her siblings’ experiences, Priyanka is keen to promote greater interaction between the younger and older students at the school. She believes that younger students should see their older counterparts as figures they can aspire to, yet who are approachable and helpful. She believes that encouraging better communication across the year groups can do much to help the Tanglin community to grow together. Deputy Head Boy – Warwick Forman has been at Tanglin for 6 years and Deputy Head Girl – Grace Smith, like Priyanka, for 8. Warwick spoke of wanting to increase the profile of the Head Boy/ Girl roles, with a view to becoming better known throughout the School and therefore, he hopes, more accessible. Grace wants to offer real opportunities for different age groups to work together and has some great ideas, including developing a student newspaper, produced by students for students, or coordinating teams of mixed age students to work together on events around the school. All candidates spoke of wanting to reinforce a sense of pride in Tanglin – a school where each individual can be a success, no matter where their interests lie.
Student Perspective Year 12 Travel & Adventure Week by Stephanie Ng
Travel & Adventure Week is offered to Year 12 students as an alternative to the Ladakh trip, and takes place after AS Level exams at the end of the school year. Students get into groups of 3-6 and we get to choose where in South-East Asia we’d like to travel to. Many destinations such as Cambodia, Vietnam and Nepal have already been covered. For the first time this year, we added the Philippines. The entire trip had to be planned and prepared by us. It has to be said that it’s the preparation that requires the most work. There are flights and accommodation to be booked, charities to contact and raise funds for, and activities to plan. We split tasks amongst ourselves but raised money together through many bake sales and a bowling social for the Year 7s. Two then Year 4 girls, (Nicole and Eva), made our day when they braved the Sixth Form Centre to find us and offered to do their own bake sale at their condominium to raise money for the Philippine Christian Foundation (PCF), our elected charity, whose mission is to free every Filipino child and their family from the effects of poverty. The girls’ initiative was incredible and we’ve no doubt that children in the poverty-stricken dumpsites of Manila are benefiting from their unselfishness. Our shoe drive was also extremely successful; thanks to all the Tanglin familes that made a contribution and the generous donation of 89 new pairs of trainers by New Balance.
“I had this idea of doing something for charity which I had never done before and would like to do it again.” Nicole Allin (4JC) “I’d like to try it again for a different charity!” Eve Jalinoos (4JC)
The contrast between rich and poor was really thrown into our faces during our three days at the PCF. We left the comfort of our host families and their multiple cars, helpers and drivers to be exposed to the true living conditions of those surviving on US$2 a day. Over 1000 families sort rubbish amongst flies, putrid smells and unidentifiable black filth – we could only be thankful it didn’t rain.
In this, the PCF is a true oasis. The concrete beneath our feet, the dulled smell and, above all, the friendly curiosity of its beneficiaries made us realise what a magnificent thing Jane Walker, its CEO, had done. There was no sense of bitterness from those we met who she has set out to help the crazy 5 year olds swinging from our arms like monkeys or the adults at the sewing desks, working to make wonderful and practical bags (of which we bought many!) out of recycled materials as a source of income. The foundation is in the process of constructing a school made entirely from recycled shipping vans, large enough to offer education to every child who is currently working on the dump site, making child labour a thing of the past for these children. To hear about it was one thing, but to see the full scale of the project in front of us was breathtaking, and we plan to visit again when the project is complete. Charity work aside, our host families from the British School Manila graciously brought us shopping, to parties and out for dinner. The latter three days of the trip also saw us flying to Cebu for the more relaxed, beach-holiday half of our week. “Eye-opening” is a clichéd phrase that won’t suffice for the lasting effect Travel and Adventure Week has had on us; we can’t help but think of six year olds sorting plastic when we throw wrappers away. Yet despite the bleak situation, the PCF not only showed us that there is hope, but also highlighted the resilience of those faced with the situation, as well as the important role that we can play by lending our support. The Philippine Christian Foundation: http://pcf.ph
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Travel & Adventure – what’s that?
Showcase Art • Drama • Music Summer Art Exhibition 20
co-ordinated by Rob Le Grice, Head of Senior Art
Summer Art Exhibition A collection of artworks by GCSE and A Level students graduating in 2009
PAINTING ISN’T EVERYTHING EVERYTHING ISN’T PAINTING
Drama This term we welcome Jeffery Aitken to Tanglin as Head of Drama (see staff pages). Jeffery takes over from Simon Veness, who left Tanglin in July after heading the Drama department for the past eight years. Here students pay tribute to his teaching and reveal the impact that studying Drama at Tanglin has had on them.
During my four years of Drama at Tanglin, no subject has demanded more of me. At times it can feel like the hardest thing to do, but personally, it is one of the greatest feelings when you get to perform a piece that is one of a kind, and know that it is your hard work and ideas and collaboration that created it. Andrina Wolff, Ex Year 13
2003 The Royal Hunt of the Sun
2004 Teechers
2005 The Crucible
Drama has helped me learn so much more about my character, and what I, as a person, am capable of, emotionally and physically. Drama demands so much from your mind, body and soul that it teaches you about who you really are, and causes you to look inside yourself and make harsh judgments. For this I am, and forever will be, devoted to Drama as a subject, and thankful in ways I cannot express in words to the Drama department in Tanglin. Laura Chapman, Year 12, 2008 There is no other subject in school or area in life which gives you the freedom and the opportunity to explore and be as creative as you can be. Sebastian Hughes, Year 11, 2008
2006 Shut Up
Drama is feeling emotions that you may often shy away from. It is thinking about everything and getting your opinion across. Drama is about trying your best to take a risk. Drama is understanding everything. Year 8 student ... the Drama department at Tanglin... helped me discover a more creative and imaginative side of myself and definitely sparked an interest to do more. Without Drama at Tanglin I would not be fulfilling my talents and love. Mike Totton, East 15 Drama School, June 2008 I’d always enjoyed drama but it wasn’t until Mr Veness joined Tanglin Trust School that I truly began to appreciate it. He gave us the opportunity to study and explore some wonderful plays whilst also opening our eyes to different art forms from all over South East Asia. I was lucky enough to take part in ‘Living With Lady Macbeth’ which we took to ISTA in Melbourne. The experience of meeting other drama students from different parts of the world, as well as participating in theatre workshops, was invaluable. If it hadn’t been for the Drama department at Tanglin, I doubt I would now be finishing a Drama Degree at the University of Manchester. Lisa Gill, Manchester University, June 2008 I have been inspired to pursue a course in English and Drama in my tertiary education, to develop my keen interest in the creative arts and theatre. I owe a big thanks to my teachers for their support throughout my time at Tanglin, and I haven’t worked with a better group of people than the Drama department. My special thanks to Mr Veness for inspiring me to pursue Drama from GCSE through to tertiary education. Anahita Forughian, Year 13, June 2009 I came to Tanglin at the end of Year 9 and have been learning and discovering drama here ever since. Through the rough transition of moving from one country to another, which threatened to affect my grade at times, the teachers were there to guide and support like none of the other teachers I’ve ever known. Drama at Tanglin has definitely shaped my life for the better. Looking back at the journey I’ve gone on, it’s hard to imagine a life without drama. Though challenging and life consuming at times, I know I wouldn’t have it any other way. Jennifer McTaggart, Year 12, June 2009
2007 Disco Inferno
2008 Fourteen Songs, Two Weddings and a Funeral
2009 Us and Them
Music 22
by Darren Jones, ex-Head of Music
This year’s Summer Concert took place on Tuesday 30 June in the Berrick Hall. There were two performances for parents to attend. The concerts included a range of performances from the Infant School through to the Senior School: Senior Orchestra, Beginner Brass, Beginner Woodwind, Camerata, Y2 Choir, Training Strings, Experimental Guitar Group and Crossed Wires, Junior Recorder Ensemble, Junior Choir, Junior Gamelan, Junior Chamber Choir, Jazz Band, Guitar Group and Double Scotch.
Junior Young Musicians in Concert finalists
Forty students took part in the preliminary round of the Junior Young Musicians in Concert competition. The day took the form of a series of mini master classes. Each student performed a piece for Mr Jones and Mrs Kelly and were then given feedback about the positive aspects of their performances and suggestions as to how they could improve. We heard a wide range of instrumentalists from percussion to violin, saxophone to piano, who all seemed to enjoy the informal atmosphere. Fourteen students were chosen to perform at the concert at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music where they played music in a wide range of genres from blues to classical and Britpop to Baroque. Prior to the concert the students had a talk about concert etiquette and learnt about technical rehearsals. The standard of performance was very high and the students enjoyed playing in such a prestigious venue. Perhaps in a few years time they might actually be students at the Conservatory of Music themselves.
Sports Awards, Achievements and Pure Fun! 23
by Emma Calcutt, Director of Sports and Activities
Lots of Fun for Infants All infant students from Nursery to Year 2 participated in swimming lessons in Term 3 and they had great fun in the pool. The students learnt a range of age-appropriate skills with the emphasis placed on safety and developing a love of water. Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive with comments including that the most enjoyable part was using equipment like paddles and floats and jumping off the blocks. It was wonderful to see young people having such fun in the water.
Students from Ms Hood’s nursery group said: “I like jumping off the blocks.” “Jumping high is fun.” “We like using our paddles to get along.” “Swimming is great.”
Year 2 students have been enjoying special sporting Friday afternoon activities to introduce them to the range of sports they can participate in as co-curricular activities after entering the Junior School. They have been taking part in gymnastics, football, rock climbing, t-ball and folk dancing. The class groups have been mixed for these activities and students have enjoyed making new friends while learning and playing new sports.
Special Events for Juniors Mini Olympics
The Mini Olympics events took place for Years 3 and 4 on 15 June and for Years 5 and 6 on 23 March, both at the Singapore Polytechnic. Students took part in a number of events including the 600 metres, the ball throw, tug of war, the 75 metre sprint and shuttle relay. The winning house for the Years 3 and 4 Mini Olympics was Beruang and for the Years 5 and 6 event, Harimau.
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A number of School records were broken during these games; congratulations to the record breakers listed below. Record Breaker James Young Jack Pogson Eve Crawford Ayisha Jose Amelia Bell Georgia Clarke
Event Year 3 Boys’ 75m Year 4 Boys’ 75m Year 4 Girls’ Long Jump Year 3 Girls’ Long Jump Year 6 Girls’ 600m Year 5 Girls’ Long Jump
Junior FOBISSEA
Our 36 strong squad of athletes represented Tanglin honourably in Kuala Lumpur from 18 to 21 June at the Junior Games organised by the Federation of British International Schools in South and East Asia. The students took part in full training sessions in all four sports involved in the tournament – swimming, football, athletics and basketball. Everyone performed very well and coped admirably with the stress of the competition and concerns over the outbreak of H1N1 in one of the opposing teams. Many personal bests were recorded and Tanglin came home with an impressive collection of medals – 29 gold, 35 silver and 27 bronze medals. Tanglin performed particularly strongly in athletics. Congratulations to all team members!
New time 11.98s 10.9s 3.45m 2.9m 2.03.00mins 3.44m
Fun Swim Gala
On 9 June, more than 200 students from Years 3 and 4 took part in a Fun Swim Gala. The students made up team names as imaginative as Disco Gummy Rock Stars and Super Sonic Swordfish. They then swam in fun events, including tyre and raft races to accumulate points for their team. The children organised themselves superbly with the help of parents and class teachers, and the atmosphere and spirit was terrific.
Senior Sports First Sports Awards Evening
The function was compered by Tanglin’s new Head Boy and Head Girl, Sebastian Hughes and Priyanka Venkataraman, and we were very pleased to welcome Olympic badminton doubles players, Nicole Gretha (Germany) and Charmaine Reid (Canada), who demonstrated excellent badminton play and gave an inspiring speech about how they made it to number 16 in the world at badminton. Congratulations to the winners of awards listed below.
Senior FOBISSEA
Congratulations to our U15 FOBISSEA squad of 22 athletes who took part in the FOBISSEA games in Bangkok in February. Tanglin dominated in a number of sports, with the girls taking first place in basketball and second in football. The boys secured first place in football and there were some outstanding individual performances in swimming and athletics. Tanglin athletes took away 6 gold, 19 silver and 6 bronze medals and swimmers won 16 gold, 7 silver and 3 bronze.
Laura Williams David Ranford Amy Williams Angus Munro Amy Williams Marc Nelson Benjamin Franks Calvin Fung Oliver Wilson Katelyn Johnson Andrew Benyon Chloe Retief Matthew Mason Laura Williams Max Remington Laura Williams Samuel Zijderveld Holly McNaughton
Sportswoman of the Year Sportsman of the Year Outstanding Sportsmanship Outstanding Sportsmanship Netballer of the Year Rugby Player of the Year Cricketer of the Year Male Tennis Player of the Year Male Swimmer of the Year Female Swimmer of the Year Male Athlete of the Year Female Athlete of the Year Male Footballer of the Year Female Footballer of the Year Male Basketball Player of the Year Female Basketball Player of the Year Male Badminton Player of the Year Female Badminton Player of the Year
CCAs
We continued to offer a wide range of sports as co-curricular activities (CCAs) to junior and senior students in Term 3 and we look forward to the start of our new CCA programme in Term 1 of the new academic year. Popular CCAs in Term 3 included rugby, gymnastics, swimming, dance clubs, t-ball, rock climbing, football, tennis, dodgeball, sailing, badminton, volleyball, cricket, basketball, cheerleading, circuit training, athletics and scuba diving. Term 3’s sporting calendar was filled with thrilling events and we continue to promote participation and a love of sport, while encouraging everyone to aim for personal bests and excellence at the competitive level. Check the sports pages on the Tanglin website to see our exciting competitive sports programme as well as our recreational sports programme for 2009/2010! If you have any queries, just let us know!
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Tanglin held its first ever Senior Sports Awards Evening on 12 June in the Sports Hall of the Berrick Building. It was a tremendous evening that recognised the dedication and talent of our Key Stage 4 and 5 students. Congratulations to David Ranford and Laura Williams who were named Tanglin’s first Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year respectively. Their names will be the first to appear on the School’s Sporting Roll of Honour, located outside the Berrick Building.
PTA 26
by Frances Beretta, PTA President
The marquees were up, the sun was shining, the PTA team and staff from the various operations departments were all scurrying about adding last minute touches. Then, to the swirl of the bagpipes, the Gurkha Pipes and Drum Band marched on to the Astroturf in their tartan regalia and it all began – the much anticipated PTA Summer Fete had finally arrived! Our sincere thanks to His Excellency Mr Paul Madden, British High Commissioner and Mrs Madden, for being our guests of honour and declaring the fete officially open. It was an absolutely wonderful day and Tanglin community spirit was in evidence everywhere. It was a delight to see such enjoyment on the faces of students and so many happy smiles from parents and teachers. I have asked a number of children what their favourite stall was – and it seems the “dunking stall” was an outright winner. No doubt something to do with the searing heat! A huge thank you to class reps for your efforts in regards to the stalls allocated to your classes and to parents and teachers for their time in staffing the stalls – the Fete is not possible without your help! We had such a wonderful response to our request for teddies, beakers, sweet bags, books and second toys, and such delicious cakes – thank you everyone for your generosity. To Jill Byles and Bev Smith, the coordinators of the Summer Fete, to PTA committee members and parents, and staff of all the operations departments,
who all worked on this project – you deserve accolades for a job well done. The PTA has a number of events planned for Term 1, the first of which will be a Quiz Night which is planned for Friday evening 16 October – an advance date for your diary! Talking of diaries, we will be producing a PTA diary for the new academic year and these will be on sale in the school shop and from PTA committee members in September – so remember to add this to your shopping list. Junior discos will take place again in September and early October – these are so popular with the children, how could we not repeat them? Many thanks to Susan Peters-Berg who co-ordinates the discos and to the many parents on whom we rely when it comes to running these events. We start Christmas a little early this year with the Book and Gift Fair and Christmas Event happening in mid-November. The school calendar is so full in the first term, it’s rather difficult finding venues for all the school’s events! These are all much anticipated days and we thank everyone in the Tanglin community for your support of the various functions we have planned. To the new students and their families who will be joining our community in September – we extend a warm Tanglin welcome! To my wonderful committee, who have worked so hard this year, I’m sure everyone joins me in wishing you all a very happy and restful summer – I look forward to seeing you in September!
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PTA Summer Fete 2009
Infant Creative Writing Poetry in Year 2 – Silly Stuff!
The following pieces of poetry were written by students in Y2JW. All students in Year 2 have been working on poetry this term. After reading ‘Auntie’s Making Dinner’ the classes discussed and highlighted rhyming words, looked at the use of second line end rhyme and tried to find alternatives for rhyming words. Finally they were asked to write an alternative verse themselves.
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The learning objectives for the lessons were: • to recognise and create lines with humorous language • to listen to, respond to and perform poems • to understand how to play with interesting and inventive language choice to create or continue humour • to know how to go about writing a humorous poem of their own • to write a simple poem of their own, playing with interesting and inventive language choice in order to create or continue particular patterns And it was all linked to our school topic ‘Healthy Eating’. Well done Year 2!
Book Reviews Check it Out! Thanks to Tanglin’s librarians, Jacqui Makselon (Senior), Barbara Philip (Junior) and Ben Farr (Infant) for collating these lists.
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Infant School Library Book Reviews Top 5 most popular books/series Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Battle Begins by Rob Valois Beast Quest Books Star Wars: Galactic Crisis! by Ryder Windham Star Wars: What is a Wookiee? by Laura Buller and Kate Simkins Where’s Wally? by Martin Handford
Beast Quest books
I love the Beast Quest books because they have loads of wow words! They are also very interesting. There are lots of adventures in them. They have lots of different openers. It’s very exciting! In Beast Quest books they have loads of very fierce beasts! The books also describe the beasts. I like the Beast Quest books because they are very different from other books because they also have action cards. They have exciting stories and each beast is very different. I always try and guess how they will be stopped.
Star Wars books
I like the Star Wars books because they are very interesting and they are fascinating and fun. They are full of amazing information about different characters. They are also full of fabulous pictures and exciting writing. Nicola Wilson (2.8)
Junior School Library Book Review Top 5 most popular books Year 3 – Pirate School: Where’s that Dog by Jeremy Strong Year 4 – Blabber Mouth by Morris Gleitzman Year 5 – Toro! Toro! by Michael Morpurgo Year 6 – Inkheart by Cornelia Funke Non-Fiction – Books on Baby Animals borrowed on inter-library loan from NLB
Toro! Toro! by Michael Morpurgo
I have read this book at home many times and have enjoyed it. I would recommend this book to children of an age of 8-10. They would enjoy this book because although it is sad, it is a tale of friendship between man and beast torn apart by war. The bull, a fearsome creature, was destined from the day it was born to die in the bullring. Antonito tries to save the bull by releasing him into the wild, but while he is releasing him into the wild, his house is bombed and the Spanish foreign legion comes and puts the surviving villagers against the wall and shoots them down like dogs. Antonito escapes and rides for many days on his sole friend (Chica, his horse) and wakes up one day in his uncle’s arms. This story is a message on the bond between man and animal; and how to be persistent and never give up even when the times are hard. I thoroughly recommend this book and maybe you will then want to become a competitor in the bullring. James Yun-Stevens (5.1)
Review of Star Wars R2-D2
R2-D2 is a clever machine called a droid. He plugs a special tool into the computer to talk to it. R2-D2 can fly as well. I love these books because I like lots of action and adventure. Felix Badcock (2.8)
Senior School Library Book Reviews Most popular books
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KS3 Most Popular Reads Airman by Eoin Colfer Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray Empty Quarter by Julia Golding The Falcon’s Malteser by Anthony Horowitz
KS4 Most Popular Reads Black Rabbit Summer by Kevin Brooks Taylor Five by Ann Halam
Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce Cosmic is a brilliant book that is very inventive and shows great use of imagination. The main character is a boy called Liam, who at the age of 12 is already six feet in height, has facial hair and is frequently mistaken for an adult.
Liam is in love with roller coasters so when he wins the chance to go and test a new theme park in China he jumps at the opportunity. His father, however, refuses to let Liam go but this does not deter him, he just pretends to be an adult and takes his friend Florida along as his ‘daughter’. His own parents believe he is going on a school trip to the Lake District. When the pair arrive in China they find the theme park is actually a space facility and they are to be sent into space. Once launched, the rocket goes off course and they are faced with the problem of finding a way to get back home. You have to read the book to find out how they get back to earth safe and sound! Tim Baark (7.2)
Pete, who tells the story, is invited by Nicole to get together with the rest of the old gang for a night at the fairground. Pete is unsure about going but decides to go anyway, taking with him his friend Raymond who has a pet rabbit called Black Rabbit. Raymond thinks his rabbit can speak and gives Pete a warning from the rabbit about going to the fair. Despite this, the two boys still go, but at the end of the evening, Raymond and a girl called Stella go missing and Pete finds himself considered a key suspect by the police. Black Rabbit Summer has a very complicated plot and can be hard to follow. It is a book for older readers because it contains strong language and sexual and drug references. It is not to everybody’s taste but has been shortlisted for the Carnegie award 2009! Rachel-Jane McGuinness (8.2)
Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray
Black Rabbit Summer by Kevin Brooks
This book is about 4 teenagers who have grown up and grown apart but who meet up again with devastating consequences.
This is an amazing book which includes many twists and turns as well as laughter and tears. Blake, Kenny and Sim are devastated when they hear the tragic news that their best friend Ross has been killed in a traffic accident. Their anger and grief is made worse by the fact that they do not feel he has been honoured at his funeral in the correct way. This leads
them to steal his ashes so that they can take him to Ross, a town in Scotland, a place he always wanted to visit. The trio are chased by the police and their families every step of the way, they are also constantly reminded about the fact that Ross isn’t coming back and throughout the entire journey you share the emotions of the three boys. The reason I like this book is that it is easy to relate to the teenage characters. Keith Gray really thought about his characters, their personalities and their deepest thoughts and creates people you would like to know in real life. Although you don’t get to meet Ross, by the end of the book you feel that he is just as much alive as the other three boys. The author uses clear and simplistic language without making it sound childish. Another aspect of the book I enjoyed is that although it deals with a sad topic, Keith Gray understands that if he fills the book with sadness it would not appeal to a younger audience so he manages to create a mixture of emotions by including laughter and humour. This book has a plot that makes you never want to put it down, and you feel sad once you have reached the end. The title is intriguing; it was this that first attracted me to the book. What you don’t know until you read it is that the title is more than just a cool name. What the book is really saying is that the characters have to get their heads out of the sand if they are to move on with their lives. Catherine Jack (8.2)
The Last Word Letter From the Past A long time ago – nearly eighty years – I was at Tanglin, between six and nine years of age. Looking at the last issue of The Voice, your life today is very different but not unconnected with the one I had. The school in those days was housed in the Tanglin Club. We used the ‘Ballroom’ upstairs as the assembly room and for classes. The 1932 picture of the whole school was taken there (see below). From the Ballroom, down a slope, led a covered pathway with rooms to the right, each of which was used as a classroom. School took place in the mornings only, and soon after midday we were sent home with a lot of homework. I hated French and disliked the teacher, who was French, and often did not do my ‘prep’ or did it poorly. One day in exasperation, she took me to Miss Griffith-Jones, the Headmistress, who ‘sent me down’ a class. This meant I had a desk in the Ballroom, near but not with a junior class – being in ‘purdah’ I could not sit with them. ‘Griff’ was tough on
discipline! I did not bother to tell my parents. One day my mother met Griff and brightly asked how I was getting on, and it all came out. I served my sentence of a month and was restored to the class... and did better with my French homework! From the Ballroom a long covered staircase led to the road and at the end of the schoolday a long procession of cars would draw up to collect the children. I lived nearby so my ‘amah’ would collect me and we would walk home or take a rickshaw if it rained. Our old house at 11 Gilstead Road still stands, now an annexe to a new hospital. We played games on a field near the school – it might have been where the tennis courts are now. Miss Griffith Jones taught us cricket – how to hold the bat with the left elbow forward and how to play various strokes. Griff used to bowl as well, even ‘overarm’ if I recall correctly. Her forte was leading the forward line up and down the field in football lessons, passing the
John Somerville
ball to the left and then the right. Those were the days of the 5-3-2 formation as the 4-4-2 and other formations had not been invented. Every year we had a paper chase on Bukit Timah Hill. The whole class would follow a trail of scrap paper over the hill, leading to a bungalow where a friend of Miss Griffith-Jones would serve cakes and Coca-Cola. In the school there was much taught about the ‘Empire’ and its history. In my few days in Singapore this year I was delighted to learn more about Singapore and its history. It seems to me Singapore is cherishing more of its past and is rightly proud of it. I felt that the beauty of Singapore, its greenery, and its wonderful architecture, its order, combined with liberty, and its great educational facilities (and yours at Tanglin) are outstandingly rich, combining to make Singapore an ‘Athens of the East’. You are so lucky to be growing up where you are, and I hope you take great pride in your country and your school.
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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, Tanglin Alumnus, John Somerville, shares his memories as a Tanglin student from nearly eighty years ago.
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