view showcase - Singapore Memory Project

iRemember
myschoolDays
2012
S E C O N DA R Y S C H O OL & JUN I OR COL L E GE E DI TI ON
CAMP S & E XC UR S I O N S
2
FRIENDS
3
N OW & T H E N
5
REMINISCENCE
6
SCHOOL LIFE
11
T E AC H E R S
15
3
FOOD & RE CE SS
4
GA M E S & P RA N KS
6
P RI DE & RE SULTS
9
S CH OOL E VE N TS
14
S PORTS
SECTION
2
CAMPS & EXCURSIONS
I remember
my school days
C.H.I.J ST THERESA’S CONVENT:
Ong Pei Er, Peggy, Tay Yong Ying, Nicole Lum & Rizwaana Jaan Abdullah
Primary school days… It remains
in my mind as happy and
wonderful days which I enjoyed.
Part of my childhood that I can
still remember: We did a lot of silly
but fun things during classes with
friends that made us laugh and it
strengthened our bonds, leaving
us with fond memories that are
unforgettable.
“HAHAHA”! Sometimes the
teacher would be the one making
us laugh, helping us to remember lessons as interesting
and innovative, and not boring.
While the teacher jokes and play
pranks on the class, we learn
new things too. Laughter can be
heard around the entire classroom
and bright smiles would appear
on every single face. On e day, a
clown entered our class. It was
our teacher dressed up! I couldn’t
believe, and the entire class rolled
with never-ending laughter and
even those you never seen smile
started to giggle. It was almost
impossible to keep a straight face!
Actually the teachers also played
an enormous role in making
school days memorable! I miss
those days dearly!
I can also vividly remember the
time we went to Kuala Lumpur
together after out graduation.
We had to stay in groups of three
in a hotel room and we helped
each other by helping each other
with the heavy loads of each
other’s luggages and reminding
each other about personal
belongings. These little acts of
kindness remain in my heart till
today and I miss thanking each
other, screaming loudly, singing
childhood songs in the coach,
and playing pillow fights in the
hotel room. These were invaluable
memories and this trip was a
great experience for us. Good
friends’ be-came best friends and
best friends became even better
best friends.
Our relationship grew to be-come
stronger and I remember the most
exciting part of the trip. We went to
the sea on a wooden boat when it
was around midnight when it was
pitch dark, to see the beautiful
glowing fireflies, twinkling brightly
in the dark blue sky. Since it was
dark, the whole class held hands
together and carefully entered the
boat, encouraging those scared
and helping the careless friends.
Everyone was in a happy mood and
it was a rare opportunity. School
days were exciting and wonderful
at this time. Everyone feeling each
other’s warmth and everyone
enjoying themselves greatly.
Actually, simple daily activities
with my friends on normal days
are also nice. As long as we are
with our friends, anything could be
turned into a fun and interesting
activity, with a tiny touch of magic.
During discussions and group
work, jokes, chats and games
would appear all of a sudden while
doing the work assignments.
However, we still enjoy these
times and they are a large part on
how I remember my school days.
Quarrels will come out but it will
be quickly resolved. It makes us
understand that friends play an
important part in the school days
and I always think of my friends
when I think about my primary
school. It makes me feel happy
and makes me feel as if I am back
in those cheerful times where
everyone was in joy. When I think
back, I still feel that joy in my
heart that would bounce up when
I think about my school days. My
school days….. I miss you…..
At least I have unforgettable
memories to think and
dwell about…..
I R E M E M B E R M YS CHO O LDAY S 2012
S E CO NDA R Y S CHO O L & J U NI O R CO LLE G E E D ITIO N
Secondary
One
ANG MO KIO SECONDARY SCHOOL: Cairbre Bay
I remember my Secondary One orientation camp and I was going
to spend the night in school with my friends! Firstly, we were going
to Ang Mo Kio Park to play games to bond as a class. After lunch,
we had to think up of a performance for the camp fire performance
later on in the evening. So, when we decided that we would dance,
our seniors asked to pick a song and start making up dance moves.
Fortunately, some of my classmates had a flair for dancing and they
started coming up with dance moves and also taught the rest of us
how to dance. We then practiced for the rest of the afternoon till
dinner time. Many of us felt nervous as we had never performed in
front of so many people before. Soon enough, after we had dinner
and watched the other classes perform, it was our turn. In a blink of
an eye, we finished our dance and the day ended with the camp fire.
HWA CHONG INSTITUTION:
Dion Wong, Ryan Leong, Soon Jian Ming, Atticus Tay, Zhang Haoyuan
or me, the most memorable activity in Hwa Chong will be the
Sec One camp. As it is in the start of the year, it is the first major
outdoor activity for most of us and we were very nervous. But the
camp turned out to be a fun one. We played a lot of fun and class
bounding activities which we enjoyed a lot. Although our bed is
hard and our lunch is test-less, at the end of the day, we still liked the
camp. We learnt a lot of moral values that are important in life such as
trust, team-work and endurance. Once, when we are suppose to climb
up a slippery and muddy hill. It was very hard but many managed to do
it. There was this boy who just cannot do it. He tried again and again but
he only covered himself with more and more mud. But he did not give up.
I admired his persistence. When he finally climbed up the hill, all of us
cheered loudly for him. We spent such a good time at the camp, it is truly
a good memory.
SECTION
FOOD & RECESS
I R E M E M B E R M YS CHO O LDAY S 2012
S E CO NDA R Y S CHO O L & J U NI O R CO L L EG E E D ITIO N
Frog Hunting
HWA CHONG INSTITUTION: Hou Yun Han & Zhai Zihan
“In my secondary
years I played
Frogger on my
computer, but in my primary school years I played with
real frogs, yes
those green slimy creatures.”
He told me when I asked him
about his childhood.
There are loads of frogs in my
village, if you throw a net into the
river you are sure to get at least 3
to 4 frogs in your net. And that is
excluding tadpoles.
We caught frogs for many reasons,
mainly for fun, but the frogs we
caught were usually brought home
so our mums would cook us a
delicious platter of (tianji, frog)
that dinner.
The most common frogs we
can catch are one which I think
is called the Taiwanese frog.
It has dark green skin and is
about 10 centimetres long. It is
also extremely delicious: sweet,
tender, juicy, aromatic, fragrant…
(Continues for 10 minutes using
all kinds of adjectives)
(Finally comes back to the real
world)
There are many ways to cook the
frogs too, but I like the steamed
SECTION
FRIENDS
Special Birthday Bashes
in School by Jaslyne Chia
YISHUN TOWN SECONDARY SCHOOL: Irfan (Reporter)
I remember fondly the times
when we would celebrate our
birthdays in school. In the
1990s when I was in secondary
school, we used to celebrate
our classmates’ birthdays by
throwing flour, eggs and water
all over the birthday boy or girl
to make him or her as messy
and disgusting as possible. This
would happen during recess time
at the back of the school. This
was done all for fun and most
students would not feel angry or
upset. They would bring an extra
set of uniform just in case. In
fact, the teachers usually closed
an eye to our activities because
no one really complained and
they would just tell the flourcovered student to change
into a fresh uniform. I enjoyed
seeing my classmates plastered
with flour and eggs and it was
hilarious to see them in a mess.
Most of the time, the students
who had changed would still
have traces of flour or egg yolk
on his or her hair. It gave us a
sense of satisfaction to see that
we had really succeeded to make
a mess of the student. In fact,
no birthday celebration would be
complete without going through
this rite of passage. When it was
my turn, everyone waited for
me during recess and they were
ready to give me the mess of a
lifetime. However, before they
could successfully do that, I ran
away to an open field, leaving my
food behind. I ran there because
I did not want to be embarrassed
going to class in a smelly mess.
However, my friends were very
sneaky. After school just as I
walked past the school gates,
my friends pounced on me
and emptied bags of flour and
water on me. There was a lot of
screaming and laughing as I tried
to run away but I did not mind
getting messy because I was
going home anyway. Those were
the days that I would
never forget.
ones best. I always have to fight
with my siblings for the really
tender frog legs!
I loved frog catching as it is really
exciting and most importantly,
it helps to bond our friends and
siblings together.
By the way, frogs taste like
chicken, just that they are much
more tender (Especially the legs,
probably because they hop a lot)
3
SECTION
4
GAMES & PRANKS
I R E M E M B E R M YS CHO O LDAY S 2012
S E CO NDA R Y S CHO O L & J U NI O R CO LLE G E E D ITIO N
TEACH YOURSELF:
FIVE STONES
VICTORIA JUNIOR COLLEGE:
Neo Wen Jing, Pan Wanqing,
Regina Ekaputri, Zhang Haoran
FIVE STONES was a popular game in the past. The game is played by 2
or more players, using 5 small triangular cloth bags filled with rice, sand
or saga seeds. The object is to complete a set of eight steps. The winner
is the one completing a set the most number of tries. In this issue of The
Memoirs, we would like you and your friends to try this out, for the sake
of nostalgia. This game is pretty simple, and fun to play, so why not try
this and teach yourselves how to play? Here are the steps.
FIVE STONES: THE STEPS
1. Throw all five stones. Whilst throwing a stone, pick up one stone and catch the stone in the air before it falls to the ground. Do this for each of the stones on the ground.
2. Repeat step 1 but pick up two stones at a time.
3. Repeat step 1 but pick up a combination of three stones and one.
4. Throw all five stones. Pick up four stones whilst one stone is in the air and catch the later before it falls to the ground.
5. Whilst throwing one stone, place the four on the ground. Throw
one stone up again and catch it whilst picking all four stones on
the ground.
6. Throw all five stones on the ground. Pick two stones. Throw one
in the air and exchange the other with one on the ground. Do the same with the remaining stones on the ground.
7.
Throw the two stones held at the end of Step 6. Pick up one stone and then catch the two falling stones separately in each hand.
Do this until there is three stones in one hand and two in the other. Throw the two stones and catch it separately. Throw the remaining stone and catch it with the hand that has all the stones.
8.
Throw all five stones on the ground. The opponent selects a stone to
be thrown in the air. The player has to pick this stone without
moving any others. The player throws the stone in the air and picks the remaining on the ground in one clean sweep.
If at any point of time the player fails to complete this set of eight steps,
he/she will have to forfeit his turn to his opponent. Upon his opponent’s
failure to complete, he will return to the incomplete step, starting from
the very beginning of that step.
Pranks the common sinister
joy across generations
CLEMENTI TOWN SECONDARY SCHOOL: Samuel Gan
A classic prank of flipping the
chair, simple but effective.
Pranks. Whether used against
friends or enemies, most of us
would agree that pranks were a
pig part of the humour in school
life. Even being either the victim
or the mastermind behind the
prank, at the end of the day, we
all would have had memories that
were etched in our memories after
playing the prank. But what is the
limit for a prank to go too far, and
cause pain and sadness instead of
joyful laughter? Behind the scenes
went out to interview various
students and ex-students on their
take on pranks.
“There was once where me and
my friend were in the toilet while
he was urinating, I took the
opportunity to shake my friends’
waist, thus causing him to miss
the urinal.” Rich Lo shared on
his past experience. “I felt a little
bad after the prank, but still told
myself that it was just meant as a
funny act.”
“I think that pranks should not
be made with ill intention.” Ms.
Ivy Lam Hui Ling, an English and
Art teacher stated in an interview.
“I witnessed a prank done by my
male friends during my days at
National University of Singapore.
They took a picture of one of their
friend while he was in the toilet
cubicle, and then flashed the
picture in front of the whole group
of honours students who were
working on a project that night.”
Lam related that the victim is a
close-knitted group, therefore that
prank was not hurtful, but done
solely in the name of fun.
A victim, Victoria, shared with us
her story. “It was after Physical
Education lesson, and we had to
take our weight, thus we had to
take off our shoes. While putting
on my shoes, I heard a cracking
sound, and then a few of my
classmates were snickering.
It was only later when I took
my shoes off that I discovered
that there were a cockroach in
my left shoe. I was angry at my
classmates, but I know there
was nothing I could do. I think
sometimes, pranks have gone too
far and that will lead to conflicts,
most of the time however, people
will just let it aside.
As a student, I have experienced
a scene in the toilet where a male
student was in one of the cubicles.
His friends then switched off
the lights in the toilet and then
proceeded to spray water onto
the boy using toilet’ water hose.
The victim rushed out of the toilet,
and fight ensued between them.
Seeing this scene reminded me
that some people might actually
take prank seriously and would
respond in a violent manner.
Pranks are definitely humorous
especially on a mellow or boring
day. However, pranks must not
cross a line that result in the
decine of the victim’s self-esteem.
SECTION
GAMES & PRANKS
I R E M E M B E R M YS CHO O LDAY S 2012
S E CO NDA R Y S CHO O L & J U NI O R CO L L EG E E D ITIO N
Baiting Crocodiles & Catching Spiders
CRESCENT GIRLS’ SCHOOL: Pheelicia Chan
One of the fondest memories a
child has of his/her childhood
is probably the games that
they played with their friends.
My grandma is no exception.
However, she did not have the
privilege of having toys. So, she
found her own way to having fun.
Mainly, catching spiders. She
would climb tall tress with her
siblings and friends and haunt
for spiders. Then they would
keep them in little containers
and whoever caught the most
was the winner.
After their little game, they would
then release the spiders back
into the wild. When asked why
did she release them and not
keep them as pets, she said,
“We should always return what
we took. Moreover, the spiders
would survive better in their
natural habitat.”
Like all of us, she had an
adventurous side of her, this part
being more dominant than the
rest of her personality. She used
to bait the crocodiles in the river
with a dead chicken.
She would first hold the chicken
on one side and when the
crocodiles take the bait and start
to swim towards it, she would
throw the chicken to her friends
and the poor crocodiles would
start to swim towards the bait
again. After rounds of a wild
goose chase for the crocodiles,
she and her friends would finally
get tired and throw the dead
chicken into the water.
Isn’t it dangerous? Of course it
was! However, them being young
and immature, they did not even
know that crocodiles could kill
people. My grandmother said
“Ignorance is a bliss, if not for
ignorance, how could we have
had so much fun tricking the
crocodile?!!”
SECTION
NOW & THEN
Sources of The past
My aunt who was an ex - student
of Presbyterian High School who
is 40 years old this year told me
about her school days.
One of the many differences
between now and the past was
the allowance given during the
school days. It used to be $1 a
day during her time. However, we
receive about $2-$4 during the
present days. This would be mainly
because the food was cheaper
back in the good old days. Thus,
there was no need for that much
money.
When we receive our report book
for the term, what we would fear
most is seeing an underline at
the marks we obtained for that
particular subject. What awaits
us would most likely be a harsh
scolding from our parents for
obtaining such results. In the past,
however, it would be circled in red
ink. Red ink still scares us but not
as much as in the past. After all, a
red ink does not mean a failure but
can also mean a good result.
If you want to complete your
education quickly, you better
make sure that you work hard. In
the past, failing the examination
during primary 3 would spell
disaster for those who want to
start working quickly. If they failed
the examination, they would have
to take 2 more years in primary
school before taking the Primary
School Leaving Examinations
(PSLE)
I sure am glad that that was in the
past. Having our future decided in
primary 3 is just way too early.
Back in the old days, there was
no such thing as overseas trip.
Instead, there were free learning
journeys. I guess that it is only
fair that we have to pay for the
overseas trip. It is a great way to
enrich our leaning and it teaches
us with valuable life lessons.
All in all, I conclude that the past
is really different from the present
and I hope that the government
would continue to work hard and
improve our quality of life through
education.
“Food was cheaper back in the
good old days”
ANG MO KIO SECONDARY SCHOOL:
Alicia Bey
The Teaching
styles, now
and then…
INFORMATION OBTAINED BY: Lim Jia Yin, Sarah
CRESCENT GIRLS’ SCHOOL: Ho Wei May
In the PAST, students were fearful of teachers as they were extremely
strict. When you failed to hand in your homework, you needed to stand
outside or on the chair or get hit on the hand with a wooden ruler or
a cane. In some cases, you had to pull your ears or stuff a chili into
your mouth. Now, these sorts of punishments do not occur, no matter
how serious your mistake is. The teachers are much more lenient
now, and we do not hesitate to clarify doubts with them. Besides, one
obvious change is that the school system has changed rapidly. We are
much more exposed now.
Field trips then used to be extremely rare. At the very most we went
only to nearby places like the zoo. Now our field trips even include
overseas trips. Schools now also have more titles for budding leaders.
For example, there are school ambassadors and peer leaders. It used
to be simply monitors and prefects. The increase in the number of
titles now boosts the confidence of pupils.
5
SECTION
6
PRIDE & RESULTS
I R E M E M B E R M YS CHO O LDAY S 2012
S E CO NDA R Y S CHO O L & J U NI O R CO LLE G E E D ITIO N
Selling Newsletter – To Earn or to Learn?
EVERGREEN SECONDARY SCHOOL: Isaac Tan
To many students, writing newsletter is merely limited to English
lessons. However it is a different situation for Ms Noriati and her friends.
In the spirit of entrepreneurship, Ms Noriati and a group of friends took
the initiative to create entertainment newsletter titled “BOMB” during
her first year in secondary school. These newsletters were sold to friends
and teachers for a minimum of $1.00. In order to promote the newsletter,
freebies such as posters of popular artistes (collected from LIME and
TEENS magazines) and chocolate were given for the first 10 readers
who ordered.
According to Ms. Noriati, the idea of the newsletter came about when
she and her friends were sharing articles in a magazine. They wanted
to be a journalist for an entertainment column and decided that they
should try it out in school. When asked why the title of the newsletter
called “BOMB”, she said “There was no reason behind it. It was a merely
random idea as we thought of the word “BOMBASTIC and wanted shorter
word so that it would be easier to place it on the front page.
The newsletter move was supported by their relatives. They were
recommended for being creative and entrepreneurial. Moreover,
they were later approached by their Malay teacher to make another
Malay version.
SECTION
REMINISCENCE
Watching the tides
of change
CHUNG CHENG HIGH SCHOOL: Zheng Yuting, Li JingZhe,
Teo Kai Heng Katty, Lin Shiau Yu & Shu Xuan Yu
AUNTIE SAI CHAO IS STILL WORKING FOR
CHUNG CHENG AND IS A CHERISHED
MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
For almost 40 years of my life, I
have been working in Chung Cheng
as a cleaner. The job was much
tougher in the past. Firstly, the lack
of manpower caused problems
because there were only around
10 cleaners and the compound of
the school was really big for us to
clean. Not only do we have to work
on weekdays, we also had to work
on Saturdays. There were mud
along the paths within the campus
and many rubbish bins to clear.
The rubbish bins of the past were
adorned with metal rings and were
very heavy.
Whenever there was heavy rain,
flooding would take place. The
lake surged up to part of the campus grounds and even the fishes
were swimming near the students! The students were very delighted
and even tried to fish amid the floods. Our workload increased during
those moments. I remember that we had to clean up the wet areas and
it was difficult for the canteen vendors to cater to the students. Aside
from cleaning duties, I had to do the work of a carpenter by fixing the
wooden chairs and tables in the classrooms. In those days, Chung
Cheng there were not as many classrooms but even then, the chairs
and tables were quite tough to repair. Right now, the cleaning jobs are
outsourced and my job is easier with the specific job scope.
The school has changed through the different stages of time. The
physical changes are the most obvious. In the past, there were only two
basketball courts but now, there are four basketball courts. Originally,
there were only two classroom blocks with two stories each next to the
Ionosphere building. In between the classrooms’ blocks, there was a
small canteen with temporary stalls. The tables and chairs were all
made of stone. The current classroom blocks and the canteen are now
much bigger and in a better condition. However with all the changes,
the lake should definitely remain as it is very iconic. I hope that Chung
Cheng students will also protect the conducive learning environment
that they are blessed with now.
SECTION
REMINISCENCE
I R E M E M B E R M YS CHO O LDAY S 2012
S E CO NDA R Y S CHO O L & J U NI O R CO L L EG E E D ITIO N
When I was
young…
YISHUN TOWN SECONDARY SCHOOL:
Hezlin Lim
Jamariah Bte Salleh was born in 1948 in Singapore. Her family
comprised her parents and 14 siblings. She was the fourth child and
her family lived in a hotel quarters alongside families of different
races. There was a common toilet which resembled today’s toilets and
a common kitchen. They did get some electricity and even had a radio.
There was a very strong camaraderie among neighbors and people
were always looking out for each other. In 1963, her family moved to a
village in Bedok. Life there was very different from the hotel quarters.
Very few places had electricity and the toilets were nothing more than
raised platforms with a hole in the middle and a bucket beneath to
collect waste.
Life was very simple. As education was not compulsory, not all
children went to school. Jamariah was more fortunate as she got
to attend school. She received her primary education at Fowlie
Primary School –a co-ed English school. Students studied using the
blackboards and chalk which they brought to school. They also used
manuscript pens and ink bottles to write. These were hard to use and
they often left ink blobs on their papers. Ballpoint pens were available
but were less commonly used.
Bookworm
BOON LAY SECONDARY SCHOOL:
Clarence Chan, Chan Jun Xiang, Kenric Tan & Siti Maisarah
One of our teachers, Ms Azlina, talked about her primary and secondary
school life. When in primary school, she remembered brushing their
teeth by the drains in school. “Öur class will be squatting along the
drain and we would brush together. It was really fun! And we were given
pink tablets for our mouth. I can’t remember what they were for but we
loved them because our tongue would be very pink after that!” She also
remembered vividly when Sharity Elephant came to visit. “It was huge,
cute and friendly! We were encouraged to donate. Any amount will do.
Then we would take photographs!” In secondary school, she recalled
her Science practical lessons. In secondary one, the fire lighter was not
used yet. So they had to use matches! “I don’t know how to light the
bunsen burner using the match. I was very scared! I always had to put
up my hand to ask for my teachers’ help to light the fire. I was so happy
when my school introduced the lighter to us in Secondary Two! No more
help from teachers! Another memorable yet funny incident was when my
parents had to come to my primary school for my poor grades in Science.
I still remember the marks. It was 66 ½ /100. They then found out about
the cause of my poor grades. It was “Archie”! I like to read this comic
book called “Archie”. It was very popular back then. Every time during
revision at home, I would put my text book on the table but I would read
“Archie” by putting it in between the pages of the books!”
She only learnt her mother tongue, Malay in Primary Five when Mr.
Yusof Ishak became President.
Most students back then, according to Jamariah were malnourished
due to the prevalent conditions of poverty. While expanding waistlines
are becoming increasingly difficult to combat today, teachers then
were often at a loss over how to get their young charges to gain weight
reach healthy weight levels. Students were generally more physically
and played games like bean bags, pass the baton, sack race and eggand-spoon relay.
Teachers were at the forefront of the strict enforcement of discipline
and children were meant to be seen and not heard. They meted out
harsh punishments such as standing on tables, caning and writing
many lines when a student did something wrong.
Looking back on the period of her life as a carefree schoolgirl,
Jamariah felt that life was more relaxed and stress-free compared
to what her 15-year-old grandson, Khairulamirin is going through.
She hardly had homework and if she did, it was never demanding or
time-consuming. Remedial lessons and extended school hours were
unheard of as students would get promoted to the next academic level
as long as they passed their English examinations.
She enjoyed her school days of which she has many fond memories.
As the interview came to a close, Jamariah chuckled as her eyes
caught sight of an old photograph of her as a bright, cheery-faced
14-year-old. A chuckle that defied age and the test of time….
bee gees
CRESCENT GIRLS’ SCHOOL:
Chua Bing Huan
I used to be obsessed with the Bee Gees. Every cent I had was spent on
collecting more memorabilia and adding on to the ever growing pile of
collectables I already had. Although I had plastered these “trophies” all
over the walls of my house, my parents never said anything to discourage
me, believing that there were worse things that I Could get addicted to. I
also came from a wealthy family, so we could afford this expensive habit.
At the same time, I had gotten to know one of my classmates. Knowing
that she was also a huge fan of the Bee Gees, I tried to impress her by
inviting her over. She was delighted at finding someone with a similar
hobby. We started a conversation and eventually became friends.
However, I lost interest a few years later and ended our friendship. It did
not end well, as we fought and argued over our hobby.
Although we do not keep in touch anymore, she managed to make my
school life much easier as I had few friends. Despite all these, Is All
managed to ace the exams, while she dropped out of school to help her
family manage their stall.
7
SECTION
8
REMINISCENCE
I R E M E M B E R M YS CHO O LDAY S 2012
S E CO NDA R Y S CHO O L & J U NI O R CO LLE G E E D ITIO N
Boys will be boys
CHIJ KATONG CONVENT (SECONDARY): Jansen Daryl-Ann, Tamana Suresh, Daniella Nicole Andriesz,
Nina Alvinur & Alano Michaela Antonia Milan
Many a time, when you ask someone who has
walked the corridors of St. Patrick’s school as
a student about what they remember about
their time in school, they normally respond with
stories that revolve around them being playful,
having fun, chasing girls, making friends, and
getting in trouble. Tamana Mulchand interviews
Mr. Suresh, father of a current KC-girl, on his
recollection of his interactions with Katong
Convent girls as a student of St Patrick’s School.
Boys being boys in Mr. Suresh’s class photograph
in St. Patrick’s School, taken in 1988. Classes were
usually rowdy as they were filled with boisterous
boys but lessons still managed to continue.
“One thing I can
remember very clearly
is the history of St.
Pat’s boys, and KC
girls. It was inevitable
that we’d always end
up together.”Mr. Suresh
said as he remembered his
mischievous days fondly. “Behind
the KC bus stop, there was a fish
and chips joint called Piccadilly
Fish & Chips. The St. Pat’s boys
would go there on the pretext of
studying. And so would the KC
girls…but that never really ended
up happening.” he said, flashing a
cheeky smile.
FRIENDLY BANTER ALL AROUND
“And of course, in the momentum
of ‘studying’, a little bit of flirting
would happen.” He also explained
the norm when it came to liking
KC girls “Normally, when you
like a KC girl, you probably had
a cousin or a sister in KC. And
whenever those girls would go
to Piccadilly or Jackie’s bowl,
bold comments would be passed
around,” he said, eyes full of life as
he reminisced the memories.
GENIUS AT WORK
When asked how he would try to
get the attention of these girls,
he said, “In the past, there was
no such thing as Caller IDs, and
there was no such thing as hand
phones. All calls were made using
the house phone. Most of the time,
what we’d do is play the girls’
favorite song in our house, call her
house, but not say anything. That
way, even if her parents picked up,
they wouldn’t suspect anything.”
MISCHIEF, MISCHIEF
Mr Suresh revealed that the boys
would play tricks on their own
friends. “We’d call up our guy
friends and play their favourite
songs, but not say anything”. The
boy who had received the call
would tell all his friends that he
thought he had a secret admirer
and all who were in cahoots would
play along and pretend to be
shocked that he had got the call.
“It was hilarious, really!” chuckled
Mr Suresh as he recounted this.
It seems life in the school right
across the bridge from ours was
also just as exciting as it was in
Katong Convent.
My Chinese High Experience
– Mr Ng Lian Seng
HWA CHONG INSTITUTION: Goh Kai Jie, Ho Song Thye, Johnathan Tan Wei Ern,
Louis Lim Jun Ren & Benjamin Peck Ern Chuen
My Life in a Chinese High was a memorable one. I could remember
the time when I was studying in a primary school just besides Chinese
High School and dreamt of coming to this school one day. Chinese
High, at the time was one of the only renowned schools I knew of in
that area and I really envied the students for studying in such a good
school, with such a big campus, but my hard work paid off, and soon, I
was studying in the mega sized school. As far as I remembered, school
life in Chinese High was all about fun and laughter.
If one was to ask me if I remembers any of the teachers then, I will be
able to recall all, but by their nicknames! Not sure if the teaches like
the nicknames we had given them, but for me and my classmates,
we surely enjoy giving them their own “unique names”. I remember
this teacher whom we called “Egg teacher”, not because his head is
bald like an egg, but because he is a businessman as well and was
quite famous for his profitable egg business. However, his lessons
were always boring. Nobody enjoyed it. Everyone escaped through the
backdoor once he stepped into the class, and go out to the field to play
soccer. Thinking back, my class was indeed very boisterous.
The most significant things I remember about Chinese High is its
big campus and its rich history, something that everyone is proud of.
My classmates and I enjoyed playing in the big grass field, in which
the current Hwa Chong is small in comparison. The schools’ sports
team were so strong at that time, and we often clinched champions in
many different competitions, particularly basketball and ping pong. I
remember students going down to support the school, and how proud
we were to be students of Chinese High. Chinese High has played an
important role in my life, and will always be. I truly hope that its rich
history will be passed down to different generations, and carry on it
tradition of being a power house in both academic and sports area.
SECTION
REMINISCENCE
I R E M E M B E R M YS CHO O LDAY S 2012
S E CO NDA R Y S CHO O L & J U NI O R CO L L EG E E D ITIO N
Reminiscing Our
School Days
PAYA LEBAR METHODIST GIRLS’ SCHOOL (SECONDARY): Gionnieve Lim
My school days… the days that
come to mind are those when
I was in my alma mater, Paya
Lebar Methodist Girls’ School
(Primary).
In primary school, with just four
subjects to focus on, every day
was relaxing and repetitive: Wake
up, dress, go to school, study, eat,
play and go home. Although it
felt boring then, I really treasure
those times now.
To me, it was those days that I
could sleep more that school
ended earlier that I could go
running and fooling around that
I could make friends and play
together with them during recess.
It was also the days where
I started learning to be
Independent and responsible, as
a class monitor, a Co-curricular
activity (CCA) leader and more
importantly, as a pupil of the
school. I remembered the many
occasions when I had to keep the
class in order when there was no
teacher, to teach and rehearse
the music scores with my CCA
members when we were given
a new piece to learn and, as an
individual, to ensure I adhered to
the school rules and maintained
good discipline.
felt extremely sad and horrified
at her ‘new’ look. A year later,
in 2000, the school decided to
abolish the school rule and when
I asked tier If she was glad about
it, she replied that. Since she
had already cut her hair, she felt
nothing about it.
Even though that was one bad
memory she had about PLMGS
(Pri), she had many good
memories too.
fact the entire class would go.
Regardless of how well they did.
What struck me as funny is that
the teacher even purchased a
toy hammer that produced a
squeaky sound which she used
to hit the table whenever the
class started losing their focus on
studying. Apparently, the constant
squeaking sound so annoying that
the class would rather go back to
studying than hearing the sound
of it.
When I asked my sister about
her school days, she told me that
she would never forget what she
had to do in Primary One. It was
the year 1999 when she entered
PLMGS (Pri) and was told that
her hair had to be above her
shoulders. Back then, she had
long hair and really treasured
it and when she had it cut, she
She said that she liked her form
teacher. Although she cannot
remember the teacher’s name,
she remembered that her teacher
was one who never gave up on
her pupils. After an exam, the
teacher would hold extra lessons
for those who wanted to study
after school. My sister would
always go for those lessons. In
This school contains six years
of our memories and it is very
special to us. We are glad to
have been in this school and will
definitely treasure and remember
everything that was taught to
us. We hope that this school will
continue to do well and that more
graduates will think of PLGMS
(Pri) as their favourite school.
SECTION
SCHOOL EVENTS
Walking Down the Memory Lane
In secondary two, a talent time
competition was organized.
After much persuasion from my
friends, I decided to give it a shot
to participate for the audition.
Unfortunately I did not get to go
through the next round due to my
nervous system acting up.
WOODLANDS SECONDARY SCHOOL: Isabella Rosalin Bte Faizal
I started singing the wrong lyrics
and was not following the tune and
everything just went haywire, my
mind went blank. From that day
onwards, I was very embarrassed
because people started making
fun of me and i was the joke of
the month.
Well, that is part of secondary
school right? It was such a joyous
event for all of the students as
they get to see their friends
singing abilities. I also participated
in the Hari Raya Celebration
event when I was still a secondary
three student. It all started when
I joined the Malay LDDS club
which involved drama, singing
& acting. The teacher in-charge
asked all the members of the club
if they want to join the Hari Raya
Celebration Event. There are a lot
of participants that want to do a
performance for that event but
after much consideration, we were
chosen by our teacher in-charge!
We were so happy and thankful
to her.
From that day onwards, every
single day we spent most of
our time discussing about our
upcoming performance. Came the
day of the event, we have choose
a Malay songs titled `Bila Larut
Malam’ by the late Malay Primadonna singer named Saloma. It
was a famous song back during
the 60’s. I wore a purple colour
shirt with black leggings while my
friends wore the same style as me
but different colours of shirts. It
was a exciting performance that I
had made so far until I forgot the
feelings of nervousness. I really
miss my school days whenever
I see my daughter wearing the
same school uniform I once wore.
I hope she will enjoy her school life
the same as I did.
9
SECTION
10
SCHOOL EVENTS
The Odyssey – Bowen 30th
Anniversary 2012 :
The story of Odyssey
I R E M E M B E R M YS CHO O LDAY S 2012
S E CO NDA R Y S CHO O L & J U NI O R CO LLE G E E D ITIO N
CLDDS
CHUNG CHEN HIGH SCHOOL (MAIN): Chen Yan Nan, Luo Qui Feng, Soh Jia
Xuan, Clara, Ng Yu Rong, Jazzi, Ng Siew Chin
BOWEN SECONDARY SCHOOL: Huang Shi Ying
As a performer for the school’s 30th anniversary celebration, I really
enjoyed every bit of the process, from the very first day of rehearsal
till the last second of the event. I can still remember the first dry run
of the event is at the school hall, which looked very different from
the stage of the Kallang Theatre (place of actual performance). Time
ticked by. The date for actual performance inched closer. However,
our performance is still quite not up to standard, until, we had some
personal talk with the out-going seniors.
Through the talk, we realized the importance of the event and
decided to do our seniors proud, not only because it was their last
performance, but also to boost the confidence of the whole choir.
Soon, it was the actual day of performance. We had all the time to
rehearse in our own choir room, till the performance at 7pm. We had
another talk again. This time, it helped us reduce our nervousness.
The choir’s teacher had thoughtfully bought cookies for the hungry
choir members and it had touched many of our hearts. I guess, it is an
unspoken decision that, each and every members decided to do their
very best to do our choir teacher and conductor proud, to let them
know that their effort will not be wasted. At the back stage, seniors
were all cheering for the juniors, hugging the sec 1 member as a form
of encouragement. The holding area was filled with the anticipation as
well as excitement of every member. Soon it was our turn to perform,
and we paced ourselves up the stage… The performance ended at the
blink of my eyelid. Soon after, we were back at the choir preparation
room again. Seniors were taking photos of their last performance.
They were hugging, crying, and majority had red noses. Flash of lights
illuminated the room consecutively. We were up for the Grand Finale,
and that marks the end of the celebration.
I really enjoyed the performance and wished that I can take part in
the public performance again, though it is not possible anymore as
by then I would have graduated from Bowen. The 30th anniversary
performance allowed me to learn more about stage performance
and it have taught me to appreciate the journey that Bowen has gone
through for the past 30 years to reach where it is today. All
the aesthetics performances portrayed the school as well as
Bowenians’ journey.
In addition, we were treated to a spectacular opening ceremony, the
first every indoor speech day parade of all 5 UGs lead by the National
Civil Defence Cadet Corps (NCDCC) who was the Guard of Honour
Contingent. The parade commander, Warrant Officer Chan Chee Wai
left a very good impression for our guest-of-honour, Mrs Lim Thian
Loke, Zonal Director, Schools North. The UGs also showed us how
disciplined and patient they were as they stood at attention smartly
while awaiting the arrival of Mrs Lim. As a school, we were proud of
the many achievements of the uniform groups for instance, the first
ever Gold Unit Overall Performance Award achieved by NCDCC.
I graduated from Chung Cheng High School (Main) during the 90s.
During my school days in Chung Cheng, I was involved in Chinese Drama
and Basketball. However, my most memorable times were in Chinese
Drama. I had always been inspired by actors and actresses on television
at a young age and knew that I wanted to act as a career. Hence, I joined
Chinese Drama without any hesitation.
There were two parts in Chinese Drama - the writing group and the
acting group. I immediately chose to join the acting group as I really
wanted to act. To date, I never regretted this decision. In fact, I was
thankful for the opportunities offered in Chinese Drama back then which
developed my character greatly.
There was a year when Chinese Drama had a play during an anniversary
at the Victoria Theatre. Though the process of preparation for the
performance and rehearsals drained us of our energy, it was extremely
memorable. We felt that we were doing something for the school and
really live together as a community. I could still recall the laughter we
shared, tears we shed, and of course, the resounding applause. We
may have some mistakes during the performance but the audience’s
applause encouraged and motivated us to do better the next time round.
After this performance, I felt truly like a member of the school, and the
sense of camaraderie was wonderful.
With such activities in Chinese Drama, I learnt about time management.
When performances and competitions were around the comer, we
had to stay up late to prepare the props and the costumes, as well as
rehearsals. In the end, we had lesser time for homework and play.
Despite the constraints I learnt how to manage time well and complete
assignments on time. I remembered too that teachers would guide us in
how to better express ourselves in the various functions. For example, I
took part in many reading competitions where the teachers helped me to
read with more expression and fluency.
Being in a position of leadership in Chinese Drama, I had learn to be
more confident and responsible. I was initially a reserved and softspoken person. At times, I did not dare to speak up and voice out my
opinions. However as a leader, I was presented with many opportunities
to lead others and over time, I became more outgoing.
Chinese Drama provided me with many platform that developed
my competencies and confidence for my acting career. Without the
memorable experiences, I would not be where I am today. As alumni,
I hope to share my juniors of Chung Cheng that they should take up
opportunities and activities that come their way so that they can develop
to the best that they can be. If given the chance to go back in time, I
would want to participate in Chinese Drama with greater vigour and
enthusiasm. Treasure these time, valuable times spent in Chung Cheng
and live your secondary life to the fullest! – Evelyn Tan, a part time
actress, also home schools her children.
SECTION
SCHOOL LIFE
What’s
in a Bag?
VICTORIA JUNIOR COLLEGE:
Angeline Cheng En Ci
One cannot deny the fact that
school bags take up a memorable
role in our school lives. It is not
just a carrier for our books, it
also represents the generation
we live in, reflects our style and
might also reveal the most “in”
type of bag back then. We might
find it a weight on our backs
every morning as we grudgingly
pick it up, but for some others it
acts as the best cushion to rest
our heads upon during break
times, the perfect object to hug
for a sense of security. It causes
hearts to pump wildly when it is
found missing, hearts to break
when a scratch or an eyesore
mark appears mysteriously on it,
and it is constantly accessorized
by the owner, as seen from the
numerous dangling key chains and
badges attached to it.
Throughout the years, though the
significance of the schoolbag has
remained relatively unchanged,
the appearance and the usage
have tweaked slowly, to fit the
changing lifestyle of students.
Somehow most of the best
memories of school life come from
the primary and secondary level,
so the observations here are also
taken from that time period.
1980s:
The school bag was
light, plain-looking
and casual without
many accessories.
One of the most
common forms was the shouldersling type, and somehow it
contained games such as skipping
ropes and rubber bands for the
game Zero Point, the amount of
books carried was comparatively
much lesser than that of the 21st
century.
1990s-EARLY 2000s:
Due to the school life becoming
more intense academically, the
amount of school materials grew.
To reduce the weight on schooling
kids and to assure parents that
their children are not bogged down
by the appalling weight they carry
to school every day, trolley bags
became the next norm. They had
favourite cartoon characters on it,
such as the ever-popular Barbie,
I R E M E M B E R M YS CHO O LDAY S 2012
S E CO NDA R Y S CHO O L & J U NI O R CO L L EG E E D ITIO N
Disney princesses, Power Rangers
and Transformers.
21ST CENTURY:
As technology and
research became
more advanced,
school bags
specifically designed
to support the back and meet the
needs of growing primary school
kids came into light. These bags,
commonly known as ergonomic
or SPI bags are structured and
compartmentalized, everything
aspect of it has a beneficial reason
and it is equipped with mini belts
inside to hold books together, so
much so that it looked like a box.
WEAR IT RIGHT
Is slinging your school bag over
one shoulder an instinctive habit?
Do you let loose your bag straps
to look “cool”? Well, as cool as
these habits might seem to be,
they are actually health hazards
especially to your growing spine
and overall well-being. Many adult
back pains and spinal disorders
may be the result of negligence of
carrying the bag well when they
were still students. School bags
should be a very important health
aspect to pay attention to as we
carry our school bags everyday
and it is usually heavy with books
and notes. The ideal limit on the
weight of the bag is no more than
10 percent of your body weight,
which is estimated to be 4-5 kgs
for a 40-50kg student.
Apart from the weight, the type of
bag and the way you carry it can
also pose as a health threat. These
are some of the guidelines to keep
yourself (and your dear bag) in
check:
• Make sure the backpack is sturdy and appropriately sized
– no wider than the chest.
• Put comfort and fit at the top
of the priority list, above good looks.
• Choose a backpack with broad,
padded shoulder straps.
• Use both shoulder straps –
never sling the pack over
one shoulder.
• Use waist straps attached –
they are there for a good reason.
• Don’t wear the backpack lower
than the hollow of the lower back
• Don’t overload the backpack –
use school lockers and plan homework in advance
• Place all heavy items at the
base of the pack, close to the spine for a better distribution
of the weight.
11
Remember, health before style!
Taken from: www.chirosoloutionsgroup.com
With changing preferences and
tastes, pencil cases have also
changed over the past decades.
One of the most popular type
of pencil box alongside with the
usual zip kind, is the Japanese
compartmented pencil box,
trending ever since the 1990s.
These pencil boxes fascinate a
child by having many buttons and
functions, with different dividers
to contain different types of
stationery. With interesting and
varying designs for each pencil
box that captures the attention of
schooling children, it is no wonder
that every primary school kid
would yearn to own one and that’s
it is still favoured up till today.
How can one forget the times
when everyone gathered around
the small dustbins in the
classroom to manually sharpen
their pencils? One can never
understand fully the satisfaction
that comes when a traditional
wooden pencil is sharpened
perfectly, and the disappointment,
slight frustration that comes
whenever a part of the lead
breaks due to over sharpening or a
lousy sharpener.
Top: The famous Chung Hwa pencils
that can be founding almost every
student’s pencil case.
Primary school days will always
hold the memories where
homework and academics did not
inflict such a heavy toll on us, and
our bags contained games which
would be taken out during breaks.
These games are usually one
that involves many participants,
encouraging healthy competition,
an unofficial approach to class
bonding. The country flag erasers
(especially for boys) double up as
a collection and a game object.
It is commonly played like the
childhood game kuti-kuti in the
1980s, where one would try to flip
his eraser over the opponents
to claim it as a possession.
Another way of playing it would
be attaching stapler bullets to the
bottom of the eraser for spinning,
and this technique requires skills
and experience for the eraser to
spin for the longest possible time.
Spinning and
collecting
country flag
erasers used to
(and still is) a
popular pastime
between lessons.
There are many
levels to this game
of zero point, which
level were you at
before?
The multi-functional pencil box since
the 1990s with a creative edge from
Japan. There are many different types
of compartments to store different
stationery, including the timetable.
Left: Into the
21st century,
mechanical
pencils are
becoming more
cutesy and eyecatching with little
accessories to it.
Bottom: The Pilot mechanical pencil,
who can ever miss them?
Left: Stacking
point pencils more
commonly found
in the 1990s, it
becomes nonfunctional if you
ever lost one of
the leads.
Educational subscriptions such
as the Singapore Scientist,
relevant to primary school
students in the 80s and the Young
Scientist, meant for the students
in the 21st century are commonly
read by students in their
generations. A smart move by
the education system to cultivate
interest towards the science and
the environment in young students
and one could always recall the
articles which had the interesting
visuals and content that sparked
off a certain curiosity.
Top: The Singapore Scientist published
by the Science Centre in the 1980s.
Top Right: The Young Scientist
magazine, filled with many interesting
comics about science.
SECTION
12
SCHOOL LIFE
I R E M E M B E R M YS CHO O LDAY S 2012
S E CO NDA R Y S CHO O L & J U NI O R CO LLE G E E D ITIO N
A United, yet
Mischievous Class
NANYANG GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL: Tessa Ng
What are friends for? That’s a
question that has many answers to
it. For Miss Tania Ng, a university
student, friends are people who
stick together to share weal and
woe together. Friends are also
one of the most important people
in her life. Friends had brought
joy to her especially during her
secondary school life.
She recounts that during her
secondary school life in Crescent
Girls’ School, she had many
friends. During that time, she
and her friends were very close to
each other as they were in
the same class. “Just being
with my friends is my fondest
memory of my secondary school
life,” Miss Ng said.
Some of the experiences she
had with her friends had been
etched in her memory. One of
them is when the whole class
was punished together as they
were mischievous during lesson
time. They were constantly
throwing paper balls at each
other whenever the teacher turns
her back towards them. Despite
being caught and were warning
were given, they still persisted.
However, they were still glad to
be punished together instead of
an individual. As the saying goes,
“one for all, and all for one”.
Miss Ng also vividly remembers
the time, when she and her
classmates were going around
school, during recess, scaring
their juniors. They hid in corners,
waiting to ambush the ‘prey’
that has yet to arrive. They had
a wonderful time, seeing the
expressions of their juniors faces
change when they jumped in on
them. Also, after every scare, they
would dash off, leaving the startled
junior in confusion.
However, it was not only Miss Ng’s
friends that gave her meaningful
memories. It was the loving,
caring and friendly teachers in
the school too. Once, Miss Ng and
her twin sister, Miss Trina Ng,
came up with a mischievous idea.
They were planning to confuse
the teachers with their identities,
as the teachers were unable to
differentiate between both of
them. After succeeding in the
plan, the teachers were not angry.
They just laughed to themselves
for falling into the twin sisters’
plan. This playful plan had left
them a wonderful memory
worth remembering.
Crescent Girls’ School had
definitely left a deep impact on
Miss Tania Ng’s life. Despite being
separated for more than 2 years,
the friendships that she made are
still as strong as ever. From time
to time, whenever she’s free, she
and her friends would still return
back to the school to visit and
hang out with their teachers.
The Bonsai
– Hua Yi’s
iconic symbol
HUA YI SECONDARY SCHOOL: Wayne Lee Shang, Keat, Chua Jing Wen,
Chue Li En Charis, Melodie Edith James & Carrie Mun Ji Yi
The Bonsai is of symbolic
significance to the Hua Yi family.
They are the miniatures tress
being grown in pots, kept small
by the use of skilled pruning.
It signifies the physical and
spiritual strength of nature
which embodies the traditional
spirit of Hua Yi.
All students are taught to
appreciate the bonsai culture.
The school has a 30-year-old
bonsai garden in the campus
which is known to be the pride of
the school. It is integrated into
the School’s Character Education
program so as to cultivate
the values of patience and
perseverance in the students
Liking back to the beginning of
1979, the school focused greatly
on activities so as to learn
beautify the school environment.
Some of them were gardening
which included the planting and
growing of Bonsais.
cultivation, artistry, styles and
techniques. All these activities
were conducted by professionals
with extensive such as Mr. Liew
Siew Lit and Mr. Kweh Yew Meng.
During the “Horticultural Show
and Competition” in the year
1984, Hua Yi was awarded the
first prize in the Bonsai (Big
Category) and third prize in
the Bonsai (Medium –sized
category). May teachers
contributed to the achievement.
Some of them were Mr. Tan Kee
Kit, Mdm. Chung Lih Fong and
Mr. Sim Cher Kheng.
The presence of the Bonsai
garden brought the glory
and success of students as
it provided the space for the
students to learn about the
history of the Bonsai plant and
also of Hua Yi Campus. Not only,
it has also brought out many
memories and spirits of previous
students in Hua Yi.
Students of Hua Yi attended
many seminars, lectures and
demonstrations so as to learn
more about Bonsai and its
The Splitting of Pants
HWA CHONG INSTITUTION: Loy Yoke Yue & Sim Yang Zhi
In the Year of 1979/80s, when I
was in secondary school 1/2.,
there was once when my wallet
dropped out of my uniform’s
breast pockets. Naturally, I wanted
to pick it up and in my course of
bending down to pick it up, the
back of my pants split with a very
loud “pop” sound. The feeling you
get when you know something
embarrassing happened is
indescribable.
I knew there and then that the
back of my pants has split open
and my underwear was for
all to see. My face turned red
instinctively, thinking that there
were already people around me
already laughing at the corner.
Thank fully, no one was around
and the loud sound did not cause
any attention at all. I thanked
my lucky stars. To avoid further
embarrassment and letting others
know of this incident, I tucked out
my uniform and used it to cover
the split.
I thought I’ve managed to hide that
unglamorous moment of mine,
however, to my horror, tucking out
my shirt did not help cover it up
but instead, made it much worse!
A teacher spotted me for my
“rowdy” school attire and scolded
me for not adhering to the school
rules before I returned to my
classroom. However, I explained
myself to the teacher what had
happened and was pardoned.
Almost everyone in class knew
about it when I went back and I
wanted to dig a hole to hide so
badly! Thankfully, I still had a
pair of PE pants in my bag and
wore it the whole day until I
reached home.
SECTION
SCHOOL LIFE
I R E M E M B E R M YS CHO O LDAY S 2012
S E CO NDA R Y S CHO O L & J U NI O R CO L L EG E E D ITIO N
13
Co-curricular
Activties
(CCA) & Ye Fun
VICTORIA JUNIOR COLLEGE:
Zhang Ling, Kang Tha Yang, Le Vinh
Loc, Khoo Lih Yui
My
Awesome
Friends
MAYFLOWER SECONDARY SCHOOL: Koh Shi En
Thinking back, one year ago, it was my first time stepping into Mayflower
Secondary School after graduating from my primary school. The
environment, teachers, friends, everything were so unfamiliar. New faces
were seen everywhere and everything seems to be so strange, hoping
that school would not be boring without any friends here.
Everyone was very shy in the beginning, but soon after so many bonding
sessions, I made many new friends. Now we are all close-knitted and
united as one. A lot of events happened in school, such as Chinese New
Year mascot making, hamper wrapping and classroom decorations.
Most of us were enthusiastic and participated passionately in these
events. As a class, we wrapped our hamper together, and our mascot
won the ‘most creative mascot award’.
There was a sense of achievements and we were all elated. Trying hard
to achieve more, some of us stayed back after school to decorate the
classroom, it was a fun time thinking of ideas, decorating, and doing
some silly stuff to make the atmosphere funny. Recalling all those
moments and looking back at those photographs, it was really hilarious
and I’m glad to have all the awesome friends with me!
AFTER SCHOOL HOURS:
Since students in the past had
more free time, they could
obviously enjoy their daily overdose
of happy hour, if it existed during
then. But if you think all they did
was kick marbles and played hideand-seek all day, that’s absolutely
an under-statement. No,
Singapore was not a poor village
where farmer kids rode buffalos
to school. On the other hand,
common famous past-times were
riding around the neighbourhood
on bicycles, playing pranks on
random people and just chilling
in random places, rather than
drowning their sorrows on online
games in LAN shops or shopping
sprees. There even existed a “past
time” where students liked to aim
and throw ice cubes at the heads
of bald old men sitting along
roadsides. What a nasty joke! One
common activity we often take part
in, is the all-time favourite “class
outings” or “level outings”, where
classes organise after-school
outings for a meal or even a movie,
in order to foster class bonding.
For those in the past, they mostly
just hung around void decks or any
open spaces.
CCA:
Co-curricular activities in the
past were not as widely ranged as
today. Most of them were actually
sports or uniformed groups,
which definitely was a perfect
way to segregate the geeks from
the cool kids. Unlike us, they
did not have the luxury of clubs
and societies, where they could
pick up an interest or develop a
talent. In addition to this, while
CCAs of today are direly trying to
promote themselves for students
to choose them, and while we are
even more desperately trying to
propose new CCAs, our parents
were instead selected by the CCAs
or roped in by their teachers to
the extremely limited existing
ones. Furthermore, they did not
receive the privilege of attending
concerts held by performing arts
CCAs in school, such as orchestral
performances and theatrical
works. Our parents sure did miss
out on a whole lot of good stuff!
SECTION
14
SPORTS
I R E M E M B E R M YS CHO O LDAY S 2012
S E CO NDA R Y S CHO O L & J U NI O R CO LLE G E E D ITIO N
The
Soaring
Eagle
EVERGREEN SECONDARY SCHOOL:
Abha Belwal
Evergreen has its own legends and one of them is our Rugby Captain, Zuffrie from 5 Thinking. His most
memorable achievement is when he led the school team to the Plates Finals in 2010. Even though they did not
win the finals, Zuffrie still feels that he will never forget this event because of the thrill and pride he felt
at being able to represent the school at that level.
“It was nerve-wrecking as for the first time almost half the school was there watching us play. It was the team spirit and the commitment of
the team that led us to the finals!”
“I think that it is because of our coach that we were able to reach the finals. He managed to bring us to where
we are today even though some of us did not have any experience in playing rugby.”When he first joined the
Rugby team he was this small chubby boy who did not like sports and in primary school he would do anything
to skip PE lessons. “Rugby changed my mindset.” I really struggled at first to catch up with the others and I had
to work out a lot to be fit again.
However, beside all the hard work and the pressure before the matches, rugby is also about funny memories
for Zuffrie. During a game against Unity Secondary School one of his team-mates, this tall, well-built fella
tripped and fell head-long on his way to the starting line. It was just hilarious as “I saw this hulk-sized guy fall
down like Humpty Dumpty falling off the wall”!
Evergreen was definitely a turning point for him. His years in the school helped him grow from a fledgling bird
to a soaring one. “In secondary one, we were really playful. After three years in school, the school managed to
raise us as the mature people we are today.” He conceded that this change certainly did not happen overnight,
but it is the result of all the experiences he has been through as an EVGian.
Shazrul
Bin Md
Fawzi
TEMASEK SECONDARY SCHOOL:
Siti Nur Syakirin Puteri, Joel Tan
Cong Han, Tan Zheng Yong, Chua
Khy Teng & Wee Shi Xuan Felicia
It is a game that is played
by two teams consisting of
nine players each. It is not
as popular as soccer or
basketball. But to Shazrul Bin
Md Fawzi, a graduate from
Temasek, it was the sports
that he is interested in. So
he was a softball member
when he was a student in
that school. He said that his
softball seniors were like his
family. They made him feel
like Temasek was his second
home when he was with
them. They went through the
tough trainings together and
faced all odds and therefore
it helped to bond the softball
team and make them feel like
a family. It is every student
dream that when graduate
from their school, they would
leave a lasting memory or
achieve an award for the
school and make them proud.
After all the hard work they
put into training for the
competitions, Shazrul and his
softball members managed to
do just that when they clinched
the second place for C division
in softball for the first time in
his life. He said it was his most
favourite moment in Temasek
as it was the first award that
the softball team had won in
the history of Temasek and it
made the softball members’
hearts swell with pride. Being
in school has helped students
to bond with their friends and
make them feel like they are
like family and they also help
make their students feel proud
of themselves for achieving
something.
SECTION
TEACHERS
I R E M E M B E R M YS CHO O LDAY S 2012
S E CO NDA R Y S CHO O L & J U NI O R CO L L EG E E D ITIO N
In The Nest
– #TeacherTypes
CLEMENTI TOWN SECONDARY SCHOOL: Tan Wenqi
There are hundreds of teacher personalities, but in this article, a handful of teacher types
are highlighted and described.
THE MONOTONE
This is the type of teacher who
drones on and on, his voice
like quicksand· slowly sucking
students into the clutches of
sleep. Although he has a dreary
voice, similar to “The Aged”, the
Monotone is still very much aware
of his surroundings.
THE SERGEANT
This teacher can make the most
innocent comment sound like a
death threat. The best way to avoid
her physical punishments is to
sit straight as a ruler, not utter a
word, and complete every single
assignment perfectly and on time.
There will be that rare moment
where she slackens just slightly,
but once you step out of line, the
Fuhrer returns.
THE AGED
With age comes wisdom, but age
also brings hearing problems,
seeing problems and the urge
to wear pants higher. The Aged
does not seem to notice that half
his class is using their phones or
even missing, spits saliva when
he speaks, and occasionally gets
whisked off into his own world of
memories past. There will be an
odd one or two who love teaching,
but the others just preach about
how their grandchildren are so much better behaved.
THE YOUNG
That one teacher, who comes into
class, cheery and fresh faced, and clearly not yet broken, energized at
the prospect of opening a world of
education to a bunch of rebellious
teenagers. This is the fun and
favoured teacher who genuinely
seems to care about interacting
with his students. He is mostly,
if not all the time, seen with a
bright smile on his face while
waving “hello” to his students. The
teacher who shares fun stories with the class, and makes
lessons interesting. But, beware,
this perky smile may fade the
longer the teacher is exposed to
students, and he may soon begin
to resemble less desirable teacher
types described here.
THE NUTTY
The Nutty is an older version of
the much-loved Class Clown.
She is always cracking jokes at
her own expense and laughing
hysterically after, students often
laughing at rather than with- her.
Such a teacher is hard to come
by, but when she does, it is sure
to be an eventful year. Treasure those lessons because they are
sure to go by lightning-quick.
15