February 2009 Archives

A Star Performer

February 27, 2009

The star of the moment, Mr Loo, with his colleagues.

Teachers aren't the only ones who can make a difference in schools. Mr Loo Sin Yew isn't a teacher, but at Balestier Hill Secondary School he's earned the admiration of both colleagues and parents for his willingness to go beyond his regular duties.

This was topped by his receiving an Excellent Service Award from SPRING Singapore in 2008, one of just seven award-winners from schools who received the award at Star level. Yet the modest corporate service officer says, "I was wondering what I had done to earn a nomination. I feel that all I've done is just part of my duty." It took some cajoling on our photographer's part to convince the quiet, reserved man to have his pictures taken.

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Thanking Your Lucky Stars

February 24, 2009

Balancing discipline with education is all part of a day's work for Mr Ganesan.

Mention 'student discipline' in school and you'll immediately get a reaction from students. In fact, they'll probably make every effort to avoid anything to do with the term.

So when Mr Ganesan Arumugan, Discipline Master at Northland Primary School, heard he had been awarded the 2008 Excellent Service Award from SPRING Singapore, he could hardly contain his incredulity. Moreover, he was one of seven award-winners from schools who received the award at Star level.

"I never thought I'd get something like this because I'm the Discipline Master," says a bemused Mr Ganesan, who is also the Head of Department for Pupil Development. "I thought parents wouldn't like me because I'm firm when I'm dealing with them, or that students will hate me because I'm always telling them off."

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Helping Special Students Integrate Better into Society

February 20, 2009

Ms Wong teaching students in a satellite classroom located in neighbouring school Chong Boon Secondary School.

When Ms Wong Geok Choo started teaching students with special needs, she came from a different background than most special education (SPED) teachers: she had been teaching Physics at a junior college for six years before she joined Pathlight School in 2005.

"Before joining the teaching profession, I was already interested in SPED," she explains. "But I wasn't sure if I would be able to cope as a teacher, let alone as a SPED teacher," which she felt would be even more challenging than teaching in a mainstream school. "I decided to try mainstream teaching first and see how I liked the job of a teacher and if I could cope."

As it turns out, she did more than "cope" - Ms Wong not only enjoyed teaching in a mainstream school and took the plunge into the SPED field, in 2008 she also received the MOE-NCSS Special Education (SPED) Award, which recognised teachers for their outstanding contribution in the field.

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A New Love for Teaching through Special Education

February 17, 2009

Teaching pupils with special needs gives Ms Chui a sense of satisfaction and fulfilment.

When Ms Chui Kit May migrated to Singapore from Hong Kong 15 years ago, it not only marked a change in geographical location but also a change in her teaching trajectory. And what a fortuitous change it was.

"Joining the special education field has rekindled my love for teaching," avows Ms Chui, now a teacher at Chaoyang School and recipient of the MOE-NCSS Special Education (SPED) Award in 2008. "It gave me a sense of fulfilment I did not experience when I was teaching in the mainstream in Hong Kong."

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Getting Down with Total Defence

February 13, 2009

This year, Nexus (the Central National Education Office) is commemorating 25 years of Total Defence by exploring the question, "What will you defend?" Come down to Suntec City and check out the slew of music, entertainment and games that's been lined up.

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Thinking Hard about the Youth Olympics

February 10, 2009

Dr Teo-Koh Sock Miang speaking to Nanyang Girls' High School students about the values of Olympism.

"Is it possible for the Olympic values to exist alongside competition, which is fundamentally what the Games are about?"

"Many research studies have proven that such fierce competition for youths aged 14 to 18 may be detrimental to their health as well as future as an athlete because they may burn out too early. What are your views on this?"

These were some of the questions that flew fast and furious on 28 October 2008 at Nanyang Girls' High School. The school had invited Dr Teo-Koh Sock Miang, Principal of the Singapore Olympic Academy and Elected Executive Committee Member of the Singapore National Olympic Council, to speak to Sec 3 and 4 students about Olympism. These students would soon be embarking on overseas trips, and the school wanted to give them a better understanding of how to engage the international community before they left.

After the talk, students had the chance to pose questions to Dr Teo-Koh and think about what Singapore can offer in the international arena. They certainly didn't mince their words when it came to questioning the rationale behind hosting the Games.

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Row, Row, Row Your Boat

February 5, 2009

A jubilant Team Singapore after their debut at the Asian Junior Rowing Championship.

There's a first time for everything and for the Singapore Rowing Team (Junior Squad), 4 November 2008 marked their first time participating in an international competition - the 14th Asian Junior Rowing Championship, held in Hong Kong. Representing Singapore were 20 Fairfield Methodist Secondary School students from the school's National Cadet Corps (Sea) unit, led by their coach Mr Raihan bin Omar and team manager LTA(NCC) Heng Choon Pooh.

On the first day, the team reported at the rowing centre - and were shocked and intimidated by the size of the participants from the other 16 Asian countries.

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My Father, My Hero

February 3, 2009

A little gift for dads who brought their children to school on the first day.

On the first day of school, it's common to see many parents holding their children's hands as they accompany them to school. This year, Ngee Ann Primary School had a little something special for those fathers who showed up: a badge that says "You Are My Hero", which their children could pin on them.

Call it a small way of thanking dads for spending a little quality time with their children before the day's activities whisk their attention away. It was part of the Back to School with Dad project, an initiative of the school's Centre for Fathering. While most people think that mothers take the more visible role in their children's school matters, the Parent Support Group (PSG) at Ngee Ann Primary School has seen fathers stepping up as well - and would like to see more of it.

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