a b i - a n n u a l n e w s l e t t e r o f e s s s

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May

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Development Award(National Education)

2009 GCE ‘N’ Level ResultsThe release of the GCE ‘N’ Level exam results last December 2009 brought much excitement and happiness to our Normal Stream students and their teachers. 79.6% of our Sec 4N students were eligible for promotion to Sec 5N this year. In addition, 100% passes were attained in 2 subjects - Malay and Principles of Accounts.

The percentage pass rates for 7 subjects surpassed the National Average. These included Chinese, Malay, Combined Humanities, Mathematics Syllabus A, Science (Phy/Chem), Food and Nutrition and Principles of Accounts.

Not only that, the Distinction rates for Malay, English Language, Science(Phy/Chem), Science (Chem/Bio), Food and Nutrition and Principles of Accounts were also higher than the National Average.

Our Normal (Technical) Stream students also came into their own with their praise-worthy achievements. We attained 100% passes in Basic Chinese and Basic Malay, Computer Applications and Design & Technology, while the percentage passes for Basic Chinese, Basic Malay, English Language, Mathematics, Computer Applications, Design & Technology and Elements of Business Skills were all above the National Average. In addition, the percentage distinction grades in Computer Applications and Elements of Business Skills were higher than National Average.

Our Top 2008 GCE ‘N’ Level Performers!The following are our top Sec 4 Normal (Academic) performers for the 2009 GCE ‘N’ Level examination:

Tan Wei Hui (4 Distinctions), Ashwynn Darshan Singh Gill (4 Distinctions), Chelsea Look Mei Ting (4 Distinctions), Chua Edwin (4 Distinctions) and Nur Amirah Bte As’ad (4 Distinctions)

The following are our top Sec 4 Normal (Technical) performers for the 2008 GCE ‘N’ (Syllabus T) Level examination:

Vivian Chew Hui Min (4 Distinctions), Ami Daniel B Mohamed A’lim (3 Distinctions), Lim Xuan Yee (3 Distinctions) and Rachel Ong Jing Min (3 Distinctions)

2009 GCE ‘O’ Level ResultsWe congratulate our batch of 2009 students for their excellent performance in the 2009 GCE ‘O’ Level examinations. The Sec 4 Express cohort attained 100% pass rate in 4 subjects - Chinese Language, Malay Language, Physics and Food & Nutrition, and performed better than national average in the following subjects: English Language, Malay Language, Chinese Language, Combined humanities, Geography, Additional mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Science (Phy/Chem), Food & Nutrition, Art, Design and Technology and Principles of Accounts. 61% of the 4E students were eligible for JC application, while 97.9% were eligible for the polytechnics. Our Sec 5N students did just as well as their 4 Express counterparts, performing better than national average in English Language, Malay, Combined humanities, Additional Maths, Science (Phy/Chem), Principles of Accounts and Design & Technology.

Our Top GCE ‘O’ Level PerformersFrom Sec 4E: Tan Wen Qi (6 distinctions), Teng Shu Wen Clarisse (6 points), Yeow Xinyin Christy (6 distinctions), Lok Yu Xuan Darren (6 distinctions).

From Sec 5N: Tan Hong Ren Toby (4 distinctions), Seow Chai Jie (4 distinctions)

A Warm Welcome to the New Principal of East Spring!As any true and worthy East Springian should know by now, we have had a recent new addition to the East Spring family this year – our Principal, Mrs Jalil-Ong Suat Eng, who is succeeding our previous Principal Mrs Sng-Ong Teck Hui. Mrs Jalil had fi rst come to our school at the end of last year, and formally addressed the school as Principal during our weekly Assembly period on Monday on the 11th of January 2010. In her inauguration speech, Mrs Jalil also reiterated the school vision, motto and R2ISE values and emphasized their potential impact in the lives of all East Springians.

The following is a message from Mrs Jalil to all staff, students and stakeholders of ESSS:

“As East Spring Secondary School enters the second decade of the 21st century, I am thankful to my predecessors - Mr Yong Kwei Leong (Principal, 1999-2003) and Mrs Sng Teck Hui (Principal, 2004-2009) - for laying the strong foundations of the school that will enable the school leadership, staff and its community partners to further promote holistic development of our students and to realise the school vision

of ‘Creative Learners, Upright Citizens, Global Thinkers’ for the 21st century.

Despite being a young school of only ten years, East Spring Secondary School has much to take pride in. We have been an academic value-added school for the past 3 years, performing above expectations in terms of student performance in the national GCE ‘O’ & ‘N’ Level Examinations. We were awarded the MOE Development Awards in Character Development and National Education, the People Development Award for staff professional development and well-being, and the CHERISH Award (Bronze) for holistic health of students and staff. We were also awarded the NEA Lotus Award for our efforts in promoting a green environment and for the fi rst time, our Uniformed Groups clinched the MOE Sustained Achievement Award (SAA) with their outstanding performance in CCA. This summary of the school’s achievements is testament of our commitment to provide holistic education for all-round development of our students.

Moving forward in the pursuit of excellence and continuous improvement, the school will build on the foundation that has been laid in the fi rst ten years. We will leverage on our school niche programmes and strengths to better fulfi ll the aspirations of our students and stakeholders, as well as to attain new heights of excellence in the various domains

of student and school performance. At our school staff strategic planning workshop in November 2009, we unanimously affi rmed our commitment to the attainment of ‘Academic Excellence’, ‘Holistic Education’, ‘Professional Staff’ and ‘Organisational Excellence’ and spelt out the important stepping stones and milestone goals for getting there. One key school focus will be the delivery of academic outcomes for our students. However, we are mindful that this will not be suffi cient for meaningful and sustainable life and work in the changing and increasingly globalised 21st century landscape. Our students will also need to be equipped with the relevant competencies and attitudes to progress ahead, as well as possessing the sound character and moral values to guide them in life.

2010 will see us translating our aspirations and ideas to action. Together, as one team, the school leadership and staff will strive for quality education at East Spring Secondary School. For this endeavour to succeed, we sincerely look forward to the continuous support of our parents, ex-students and the community. At this juncture, on behalf of my two Vice Principals, Mrs Mohinder Singh and Mr Tan Kay Chia, we would like to take this opportunity to wish our staff, students and stakeholders, a fruitful and meaningful year ahead! “

Mrs Jalil-Ong Suat EngPrincipal

Holistic Education

It’s an Es-thetic World!In a bid to embrace aesthetics more holistically into our school environment here at East Spring, our Art and Music departments came together and decided that just having Art and Music lessons in our curriculum was not enough to inculcate an appreciation of the arts in our East Springians.

We are sure all the students have noticed the new additions this year in our school compound. which includes the painting of a mural depicting our R2ISE values, an initiative led and overseen by our Art teacher, Mr Mazli Said. He was the main artist and painter on the job, aided by some of our Upper Secondary students.

On the Music side, Ms Clara Sng has been in charge of recruiting musical talents in all forms and of all ages – these musicians have been serenading us every week during Assembly, and teachers and students alike have shown their appreciation over this new development. Mr Tan Wee Siang and Mr Azuan Tan are just some of our very own who have participated in this musical showcase, besides the showcases from our students like Gretchen Lim from 4N1, Lim Yan Zhi from 5N1, Ismail Hassan from 4E2 and Kenny Siow from 3E1, just to name a few.

Chinese New Year 201012th February this year was a festive day in our school indeed – it was our school’s celebration of Chinese New Year with the elderly from the Jamiyah Home and Kheng Chiu Happy Lodge. There was a huge variety of events lined up that day especially for our guests. The event started with gusto, witnessing a lion dance to mark the arrival of our special guests – a truly spectacular sight worth beholding. The action then moved to the hall where our guests were brought through the energetic and vibrant program by our enthusiastic and eloquent emcees. The atmosphere was truly charged with excitement and shared joy.

Audi Nuraini, 2E4, said, “I had fun watching the performances by our school performing arts clubs. They did a wonderful job in making the concert exciting. With the elderly from the homes, the concert was made merrier! The overall performance was just great!”

Noorfaizah (2E4), Cedric (1E4), Nora (2E1), Lydia (4E5)

Save the Earth - Earth WeekFrom the 19th of April to the 23rd this year, it was a very special week indeed for East Spring – our school’s Environment Club was to host a week of games and activities for all students at the foyer after school. Announcements were made to the students and the booths that were set up at the foyer had roaring good ‘business’ almost every day! Yeo Wei from 2T1 thought that it was not a waste of time to stay back after school to support the Environment Club and its cause. In fact, he thought that it was very meaningful and when asked if he recycled on his own as the games advocated, he said that he did it rather often and even donated recycled paper and water bottles to the recycle bins located in school. Well done Yeo Wei, and all those who supported the Environment Club during Earth Week – thank you for your support!

2/3Holistic Education

NCDCC Badge Presentation It was a proud day indeed for NCDCC on the 25th of March, as the school witnessed the SCDF-NCDCC Badge presentation during our morning assembly.

NCDCC teacher-in-charge, Mr Teo Joong Jiat, was happy to announce that two of our very own East Springians were to be the proud recipients of a very prestigious badge – the SCDF-NCDCC Badge.

NCDCC seeks to create a climate where people are developed to excel. Through its programs and activities, NCDCC aspires for all its cadets to scale new heights for their units and themselves. Accordingly, such efforts must be given due recognition. The SCDF-NCDCC badge is the highest accolade given to the most outstanding cadets so that they may be role models of excellence for others to emulate.

It cannot be stressed enough that the SCDF-NCDCC badge is the pinnacle amongst all other badges. As such, the number of badges to be awarded in any one year is capped at a mere 20 awardees for the whole of Singapore at national level. It is thus a great honour indeed that our East Spring Unit this year has clinched not just one, but two of these prestigious badges. The capable and competent recipients of the badge are: -

Our Principal, Mrs Jalil, was smiling with joy and pride as she shook the cadets warmly by the hand and presented them with their hard-earned badges. To our two esteemed cadets who made the school proud, our most sincere and heartiest congratulations!

Wo Nur Azilla Bte Nazli (4E4), Wo Amos Lee Chun Ing (4E2)

NCDCC Day 12th April 2010. Monday. It was like any other morning while the school waited for the flag-raising ceremony, but for a very special group of people, this particular day was brimming with excitement, pride and anticipation. This special group of people was none other than our National Civil Defence Cadet Corps, better known as our very own NCDCC. The reason for their excitement? It was the nation’s NCDCC Day and all NCDCC members in schools were to wear their NCDCC uniform to school that day.

NCDCC teacher-in-charge, Mr Teo Joong Jiat, delivered the message by Lieutenant Colonel Philip Tham, Commandant NCDCC. It was indeed a purposeful NCDCC Day – judging by the freshly-pressed and starched uniforms accompanied by the solemn faces shining with pride as our young cadets sang the National Anthem extra loudly that day!

Scouts’ Founder’s DayFor our Oneida Scouts of East Spring this year, 22nd February Founder’s Day 2010 was not just about the traditional wearing of the white scarf to commemorate their 100 years of scouting in Singapore. This year, in particular, was of even bigger significance and held more pride than ever before – the reason being that one of their own, East Spring’s very own, had been chosen to receive one of the most prestigious awards a Scout in Singapore can ever have the honour to receive. The honour on this very special day went to former Senior Patrol Leader Martin Lim Han Wei of Secondary 4E2, who was selected to compete for the Outstanding Scout of the Year award organized by the Singapore Scouts Association in the year 2009.

The Scout’s teacher-in-charge Mr Basheer Khan highlighted that Martin’s belief in our school values and the values inculcated in him by the Oneida Scout Group won over the hearts of the judges. Mr Basheer was very proud to announce that Martin Lim was the only one out of three Scouts nationwide who was given this prestigious award by the Singapore Scouts Association. In addition, Martin has also given hope to every other school who witnessed this competition that it is possible to come from a neighbourhood school and be a winner if you only believe in yourself and believe in the power of positive thinking.

Our Oneida Scouts believe that it’s not about what the school can do for you, but what you can do for the school. What can YOU contribute today?

Holistic Education

SJAB’s Annual Zonal First Aid Competition2010 has indeed been a good year for CCAs all abound. Not to be outshone by the other uniform groups, SJAB has its own fair share of good news this semester. East Spring Corps took part in the annual Zonal First Aid, Foot Drill and Home Nursing Competition held last Sunday at the St John’s Headquarters, represented by two teams competing in two different categories this year – the Nursing Cadet category and the Ambulance Cadet category.

Mr Daniel Ng, the SJAB teacher-in-charge, was very pleased to announce during the school’s morning assembly that our East Spring cadets came in 2nd Runners-up in the Ambulance Cadet category and overall Champion again in the Nursing Cadet category. They also won the Best in Home Nursing Award in the Nursing Cadet category.

In the Ambulance Cadet category, the fi ve cadets who came in 2nd Runners-up in the competition are:Fong Kai Tuck (4E2), Sim Wei Jie (4E3), Xavier Chua (4E5), Darren Chua (3E5), Danial (2T2)

In the Nursing Cadet category, the fi ve cadets who won the competition are:Evelyn Tan (3E2), Joyce Tan (2N2), Ching Yih (2E1), Jermyn (2E1), Siti Hajar (2N2)

This is the second time in the history of East Spring Corps that SJAB has clinched Champion in the Nursing Cadet category, even beating long-standing defending champions Anglican High and Yu Ying Secondary in the process to become defending champions ourselves.

In addition, as the Champions of Zone 2, our East Spring Corps will be representing the zone in the

CCA Change of Appointment CeremonyCCAs have always been a very important part of our students’ lives here in East Spring, as holistic development of each and every student is given the utmost attention. Therefore, it should come as no surprise when our school arranged for a Change of Appointment Ceremony for the CCA leaders to pass the torch on to their younger successors. The solemn and meaningful ceremony was an initiative started this year by the Student Leadership Committee. The original idea had been in circulation for awhile, as our HOD PE/CCA Mr Lance Teo and a few other teachers spoke of a need to give our student leaders due recognition.

This year, our teacher-in-charge for the Student Leadership Committee, Mr Ng Teo Heng, decided to organize and create a platform for the recognition of our student leaders. The ceremony would also raise the awareness of the importance of student leadership through the symbolic changing and taking over.

The objectives were defi nitely met, as our students were respectfully quiet and somber as our Principal, Mrs Jalil, addressed the school before the ceremony, Our students remained a respectful audience throughout the symbolic exchanging of the representative items of each CCA, as the signifi cance of the ceremony was felt by every East Springian that day. It was a symbolic day indeed as it marked and augmented the signifi cance, and responsibility, of leadership. To a new wave of leadership – may our new leaders lead us to places still unchartered by our students!

CCA Open House 2010 @ East Spring Secondary School

This year, East Spring Secondary School opened its gates to the many Secondary One students accompanied by their parents as they got to experience the school’s annual CCA Open House and Orientation. It was a chance for students, and their concerned parents alike, to familiarize themselves with all which the school had to offer. At East Spring, we fi rmly believe in the development of a child’s holistic education and this was the message that was being conveyed on 9th January (Saturday) as our young and fresh-faced Secondary Ones were led from

one booth to another, where they either learnt to scale the rock wall with the Scouts or create sonorous music with the wind instruments from our school band. “It was really fun, since I got to try activities and gain more information about all the CCAs that I was interested in.”Rush (1N2)It seems like the day was indeed fi lled with joy, excitement and anticipation, perhaps even a little nervousness about what the future may bring. However, in true East Springian spirit, we believe our students will develop the resilience to see them through their years spent here. Here’s to the next open house – ahoy mates!

National Foot Drill First Aid and Home Nursing Competition to be held in July. SJAB would like to thank our Principal Mrs Jalil, Vice-Principal Mrs Mohinder, all staff and students for their support. Let’s wish our East Spring Corps all the best – continue making us proud!

4/5Holistic Education

International Friendship DayEast Spring celebrates International Friendship Day every year and this year, 15th April, was no exception – in fact, this year’s celebrations were even more special compared to previous years as there was a spontaneous addition of a cheerleading showcase. Before we get to that, let’s start at the very beginning!

International Friendship Day is a day dedicated to the understanding of Singapore’s relations with neighbouring countries and beyond. It aims to make students more aware of the geo-political realities inherent in Singapore and the spirit of friendship and collaboration among different people from all over the world. This year our theme was ‘Our Inter-connected World’. In addition, as a build up to the celebrations on IFD itself, the PE dept spent the week teaching the students traditional games from countries like ‘Cat and Mouse’ from China, ‘Tumbang Presco’ from Philippines and ‘Kaki Tiga’ from Indonesia. I am sure the students had much fun indeed learning about how children pass their time in other countries! On IFD itself, during our SFL period, the day began with the students watching a few videos paying tribute to this special day, like a YouTube video depicting a collaboration of singers to sing the famous ‘We Are The World’ by Michael Jackson. Students also watched a video presentation of Mr New Wee Teck where he spoke of his work in a Laotian school last year. The stories and videos were meaningful indeed and the students were very thoughtful and sincere as they filled in their reflection sheets and messages for the YOG athletes as well.Next up was the YOG cheerleading static display, which many students were eagerly anticipating. The cheerleaders who had performed on Sports Day were tasked with choreographing a cheerleading display on an even bigger scale – all for a school-wide showcase on this very special day. Led by our emcees Bryan and Natasha, the cheerleaders took charge of the parade square as they let loose their talent, energy and dancing prowess to the cheers and hoots of their audience standing along the corridors outside their classrooms. The day then ended with prize-giving and recognition of our students’ efforts – Yellow House emerged as the Cheerleading champions that day while Black House outshone all as the Overall Champion House – well done and Happy International Friendship Day everyone!

Sports Day 2010 is Back!All students were seated in their Houses and from the emcee stand, the Tampines Stadium was a sea of colour indeed! Students came decked out in their finest and most creative displays to represent the various Houses – black, blue, green, yellow and red. There were pails, banners, party horns and poms-poms abound as each House tried their hardest to ‘out-noise’ the other Houses, in a bid to earn the ultimate Cheerleading Cup.

Before it came to that, the major highlight that all East Springians were waiting for was the arrival of our esteemed and accomplished Guest-of-Honour – renowned athlete Mr C. Kunalan who represented Singapore in the Olympics before. The students gave him a warm welcome with applause and cheers as he was accompanied into the stadium by our Principal and Vice-Principal.

The second highlight of the day involved the passing of the Olympic torch which had been carried all the way from East Spring by a team of runners that included Mr Ng Teo Heng and Ms Daphne Chan, together with selected sports leaders. When they entered the stadium, the torch was immediately passed to Mrs Jalil to complete the last leg of the symbolic run. Accompanied by a small group of students from East Spring Primary and the crowd’s deafening cheers, Mrs Jalil completed the last leg around the stadium and passed the torch into a waiting Mr Kunalan’s hands. What a

meaningful and poignant run indeed – to remind us of the Olympic values of sportsmanship while we proceeded with our Sports Day.

And sportsmanship values were indeed displayed that day – all the cheering done was good-natured and runners from all Houses put in their best effort to win. At the same time, they would gamely congratulate the winners if they did not win themselves. But perhaps the proudest moment for all East Springian teachers was when we witnessed our students braving the rain that had been plaguing us all day. The students were well-behaved throughout and responded well to the teachers’ instructions, in addition to refusing to let the rain bring their spirits down. They cheered above the noise of the rain and thunder for their friends, for their Houses and for the spirit of Sports Day. Ultimately, the Blue House was awarded the title of Cheerleading Champion and received their trophy from Mrs Jalil. However in the teachers’ eyes, for the resilient and tenacious values which they displayed, all East Springians were winners at the end of that day!

We Came, We Saw, We ConqueredEast Spring Secondary School is proud to announce the offi cial setting of a national record – we have successfully left our prints in school history! The school had long planed to set a national record by having the most number of people creating the ‘YOG 2010’ formation, and this record was set to be broken on the 11th February 2010. The challenge was set to be conquered in two segments. First, students were required to participate in a vertical challenge as they were tasked to ascend the staircases of nearby HDB fl ats to the top fl oor, before descending to their assigned respective levels. They had to engage in conversations with the residents to promote healthy living and the importance of Total Defence by giving

a small speech and giving our fl yers as a reference for the residences. We even had special guests from the Singapore National Book of Records, the newspaper reporters from The Straits Times and students from our sibling school, East Spring Primary School, to participate in this record challenge. Ultimately, our school managed to set a record by creating the largest ‘YOG 2010’ human formation with 1,352 participants – an epitome of cooperation and school effort indeed. This would not have been a success without everyone’s effort and cooperation. Mrs Jalil, our principal, commended the school’s performance and was very proud of the school for cooperating and working together towards

a shared goal. When Mrs Jalil personally received the certifi cation of participation from the Singapore National Book of Records, the school roared with excitement and waved at the video camera enthusiastically to express their jubilation at their recent achievement. We want to take this opportunity to thank the public for being understanding and accommodating towards our students on this day, our teachers, student leaders and of course, all East Springians who participated in this record challenge and created a glorious and historical moment for East Spring Secondary School.

Noelle (1E1), Shermaine (1E3), Rachel (3E5), Ziheng (5N2)

Welcoming Our Secondary One StudentsFor this year’s Secondary One Orientation, the teachers of the PE Department this year truly outdid themselves by going all out to organize a series of activities that took place over a few days, even including the weekend! All these activities were planned so that our young Secondary One students could be given an opportunity to forge closer relationships with their new friends and fellow East Springians. This would also be a good time for them to understand and adapt to the school culture and environment.On the fi rst day, our youngest members of the school spent the day mostly in our School Hall, where they were introduced to all our school leaders and key personnel. They were also taken on a tour of the school to acquaint them with the location of our various classrooms, special rooms and computer labs. This was so that they could not only be familiar with the school facilities, they would hopefully, at the same time, develop a stronger affi liation and sense of belonging to the school. Tuesday was another full

day of orientation for the Sec Ones as they were occupied with the ice-breaker and team-building activities all abound that had been thoughtfully planned for their enjoyment. There was much excitement that day and all of us could sense that extra buzz of activity, even as we were in our classes. Friday was essentially the last big day for our young ones before their CCA Open House on Saturday, and it was probably the most exciting for them. The reason? The PE Department had arranged a stay-over for the Sec Ones in school, one of the fi rst of its kind, where they would be accompanied by their form teachers. While our Sec Ones were participating in more team-building activities in the Hall, their parents were attending a workshop given by our school’s full-time student counselor, Ms Selena Akhbar. In other words, it was an eventful day that day for the students by the time lights went out at 2200 hrs. We hope the Sec One students had as much fun as the teachers from the PE Department had planning it. Ultimately, it was the welfare of our students that the teachers had in mind that enabled us to prepare and implement a programme that would ensure the smooth transition to the secondary school environment for our Sec One students. All aboard!

Holistic Education

Total Defence: Our Day of Independence8th February 2010 was a signifi cant day for all Singaporeans indeed. It was the nation’s Total Defence Day, as well as a memorable day for all East Springians in East Spring Secondary School. On that very special day, all students were encouraged to come clad in their respective CCA attire, be it the starched uniforms of our uniform groups or the colourful club T-shirts of our many societies. Through our photographer’s camera lens, the entire school was an explosion of colour with the students dressed in an array of uniforms, and the scene was alive with the sounds of mingling and interaction as the students buzzed with excitement.During morning assembly that day, Mr Benny Low, the teacher-in-charge for our school’s National Police Cadet Corps, delivered the national speech on Total Defence. He mentioned briefl y that we have

forgotten the true meaning of Total Defence Day and how defence has played a crucial part in our lives. In addition, he also read some of the outstanding and eloquent pieces from the collection of refl ections that all students wrote about Total Defence during their R2ISE lessons. While Mr Benny Low was delivering the speech, a handful of students from the different uniform groups simulated our steadfast and passionately loyal soldiers in war. They were dressed in full battle gear, from the full uniforms right down to their heavy weapons.When some of our students were interviewed by the student reporters, Adriannah, from 2E1, stated that ‘Total Defence Day is a meaningful day for

Singaporeans as it recalls the day that we broke free from the clutches of the British.’ How true. Adriannah’s words should also serve as a reminder to all Singaporeans that we ourselves are responsible for defending Singapore, our homeland. On that same day during the weekly assembly, some of the members from the uniform group also painstakingly took time to perform a skit for the school. They shared with us their lasting and meaningful experiences from their various overseas expeditions with the intention of educating us with regards to the diversity and variety of the defence systems in other countries. We believe that Total Defence is essential to make Singapore a more independent country and to, in turn, help us maintain the freedom of Singapore.Everybody has a role; what’s yours?Noelle (1E1), Shermaine (1E3), Rachel (3E5), Jane (4E5)

Prefects’ Investiture 2010On 17th January 2010, East Spring held its annual Prefects’ Investiture during the Monday assembly. Newly-appointed prefects finally received their prefect badges after their probation period of six months. During the six months, the prefects were observed by teachers who would later judge and provide feedback if they could potentially withstand the rigour of upholding their moral values as responsible Prefects.Clearly, the Prefects could – the Investiture was a roaring success. The Head Prefect, Grace Goh from 4E1, lit a candle and led the Prefects in the recital of the Prefects’ pledge. The entire hall watched in awe as the solemn and proud event unfolded before their eyes on stage. At the end of the pledge, the Prefects all wore smiles on their faces as they descended from the stage.

Dialogue Session with the School LeadersEvery fair and just country is ruled by a government in touch with its people’s needs. The same goes for an organization as huge as a school, which is why the Journalism Club was indeed honoured when we were given the chance this year to sit in and cover a series of four dialogue sessions between our school leaders, Principal Mrs Jalil and Vice-Principal Mrs Mohinder, and our student leaders. The first session with the CCA leaders started off with clear objectives that the students could relate to. Mrs Jalil and Mrs Mohinder both made it clear that they were most interested to use these sessions as platforms for the leaders to represent the student body and voice their opinions, as well as for the leaders to develop confidence in public speaking that would hone their leadership qualities. Our school leaders also hoped that through the discussions, new ideas would be sparked off on how to improve existing school procedures.A big thank you to our school leaders, for taking the time out of their busy schedules to listen to the voice of the student body – here’s to the birth of a bigger and better era for our school!

East Spring Secondary Turns 11!16th April 2010 was a red letter day for East Spring Secondary School this year – we were celebrating the school’s eleventh anniversary, and this time it was even more special because we were celebrating it for the first time with our Principal, Mrs Jalil. Our Guest-Of-Honour for this special occasion was our former Principal and current Principal of Compassvale Secondary School, Mrs Sng-Ong Teck Hui. There was thus added motivation for all East Springians this year to put their best foot forward and present their best side, so as to receive Mrs Sng with the most impeccable hospitality.The theme for the celebration this year was ‘Burning Bright’. It symbolizes the school’s passion in helping East Springians to burn bright with passion, potential and talent. It also encapsulates the school’s strong belief that all East Springians have the potential inside them to shine, and that it is our creed to nurture the students so that when they finally graduate at the end of their journey, it will be as a fiery jewel and not a dull rock. Needless to say, the programmes arranged for this very special day were created to emphasize and showcase all the bright talents in East Spring. After giving out the prizes for the students who topped their standard from Secondary One to Three as well as the special awards for our graduating students, the buffet of performances commenced – ready for all to feast their sights on.Another highlight of the evening was the official opening of the newly renovated Star R2ISE Terrace. The school had turned what used to be an open and bare area into a covered room built to resemble a mini theatre, with a proper staggered audience pedestal. Meanwhile, the parents and other guests who had had graced the event were entertained by a magnificent display of unity from the Uniformed Groups in the parade square. The event truly ended with a bang amid the excited squeals and shouts of the uniformed groups.

Parent-Teacher DialogueThis year on 13 March 2010, parents of our Secondary Two and Four students were invited to a dialogue session with the children’s form teachers and form tutors, where the parents were updated on the progress made by their children by the end of Term 1 in the various subjects. While most schools only distribute result slips twice a year, East Spring makes sure to keep the parents constantly aware of their children’s progress throughout the year and not just after exams. Besides speaking with their children’s form teachers and tutors, parents of our Sec 2 students were also provided with information on the Sec 2 Streaming Exercise to be conducted for our Sec 2 students at the end of the year. This was done via a video screened for all the parents as they were held in the waiting room before meeting the teachers. The school believes in working closely with the parents of our students so that they may use the information shared during the dialogue session to provide timely advice and encouragement for their children. After all the hard work put in by the school leaders, teachers and assisting prefects, the school was heartened to receive the feedback that the parent-teacher dialogue was very well-received by the parents. Most parents felt that the session was indeed enlightening as their children’s form teachers and tutors highlighted the various strengths and areas for improvement of their children. The teachers were also glad that they got a chance to share the quality traits of these students with their parents. It was held on the first day of the school holidays but the teachers were happy to assist as they noted the pride and delight in many parents’ faces. It was indeed humbling for everyone involved to see the pride and happiness that a few words could bring on that meaningful day.

6/7Organisational Excellence

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Acknowledgement:Journalism Club

Teacher Advisors:Ms Cheong Mei XiMs Yap Qiao Lin

Members:Charmain Tan Si YingNg Xin YuJezebel YeoJane Lee Wan TingLee Yan Ru JojoLydia Lim Kit Wai

Editor:Mdm Noreha Nordin

We thank all staff and students who have contributed towards the publication of this issue.

Professional Staff

Toward a Healthy LifestyleAny self-respecting teacher should know that “Health is Wealth”, since our well-being and physical health help ensure that we give the students the best of ourselves. And what better way to achieve health than through exercise? Add in the entire teaching staff of East Spring and a designated timeslot into the formula, and we had ourselves a disciplined and new exercise regime! All this was thoughtfully and lovingly arranged for all teachers by the PE Department and the school’s Staff Well-Being Committee, just to make sure our teachers are not only preoccupied with lesson-planning and marking, but also have a chance to exercise regularly toward a fi t and healthy lifestyle.

Many thanks again to our PE Department and SWB Committee for their effort, and here’s to many more rolling good times!

Staff CIP – The Run for Water!As part of the teachers’ staff CIP this semester, the Staff Well-Being Committee (SWB) facilitated the sign-up for the well-advertised run, Live Earth Run for Water, in a move to do our part for Earth Week and to raise awareness about the global water crisis in countries where people had to walk an average of six kilometers to get clean water.

The Live Earth Run for Water initiative consisted of a series of 6km run/walk events taking place on the same day in 192 countries featuring Live concerts. A handful of very own teachers decided to participate as a group representing East Spring Secondary School, yours truly included.

It was an extremely meaningful day for the teachers who participated and we thought the great turnout was an excellent display of empathy indeed, one of our own R2ISE values. Ultimately, a picture speaks a thousand words, so relive our experience by feasting on all the pictures that have been provided!

Ms Cheong Mei Xi

Staff Bonding – Birthday Celebrations and Yu Sheng galore!It is usually a common sight in classrooms to see a list of the birthday babies for each month that year, so that everyone’s birthday can be celebrated by the class in an effort to build class unity and bonding. Ever wondered if the teachers, our serious-faced and dignifi ed teachers, did the same thing?

They do indeed! This can all be attributed to the efforts of our Staff Well-Being Committee yet again. Not a single teacher is forgotten in the list of birthday babies painstakingly compiled by the committee and they also ensure that all teaching staff are present when these birthday celebrations are carried out. A cake and even personalized cards are usually prepared beforehand so that each teacher can personally receive something from the Principal and the Vice-Principal.

Besides the regular birthday celebrations, our newly-appointed Principal, Mrs Jalil, graciously initiated a post-CNY Yu Sheng celebratory get-together for all the teaching and non-teaching staff of East Spring. As Mrs Jalil had thoughtfully ordered halal Yu Sheng, even our Malay teachers were there to join in the post-CNY festivities. It was an eventful session indeed, with shouts and cheers surrounding all teachers as they tossed the Yu Sheng with exuberance aplenty. Here’s to a good new year ahead, everybody!