PDF - SJI International School

29th April 2016 SJI International Newsletter
Term 2 - Issue 4
Message from the Principal
Dear Parents
This week’s newsletter is another bumper edition. My message includes several very important items,
which I encourage you to please read.
Thank you to the 143 sets of parents who attended the Grade 11 PTC on Wednesday evening. This
week was also a very important week for the preparations for the Hairspray production, with the first
full rehearsals (with full orchestra including visiting professionals) plus an onsite visit to the Drama
Centre. If you have not yet bought your tickets, please do pop in to buy these in the High School
Office (from Aunty Glenis).
This week saw the first ever SJI International cricket fixture. In this inaugural match we played against
Raffles Institution in a Div A fixture. We narrowly lost the game after setting a target of 130 runs (for
7) in 20 overs. RI scored 131 for 7 in the 17th over. Well done on a very good showing and
congratulations to all the boys. This is completely a student initiated and student led activity.
Wednesday was also an exciting day on the sports front! I travelled to ACS International to watch:
i) our U19 girls badminton team compete in the Gold Medal playoff (where we eventually won Silver
in a closely fought game);
ii) our U19 boys badminton team compete in the Bronze Medal playoff (winning their game to obtain
Bronze);
iii) our U19 boys rugby team compete in the annual Varsity Cup. The game was, unfortunately, called
off at half-time (due to lightning) and will be replayed in the near future (we were trailing by 2 points
in a closely fought contest).
Last weekend we participated in the International Schools Invitational Track and Field competition. I
am pleased to report that we did very well, obtaining: 11 Gold Medals; 10 Silver Medals; and 5 Bronze
Medals. We will include a detailed write-up about this next week.
Next week sees the start of the May session of IGCSE and IB Diploma examinations. This impacts only
a small number of students and subjects (those examinations that are not offered in the October/
November session). Good luck to all our students involved in these exams.
This week’s newsletter includes the following: a write-up about three of our students who have been
awarded A*Star Science Awards; exciting news about a training session our rugby students
participated in, led by the Rugby 7’s international stars; a photographic celebration of our rugby
team’s involvement in the annual Varsity Cup match against ACS International; a Report about the
service learning project that 8NBE is involved in; a write-up about the on-going parent workshops
(focused on safe online usage) being offered by our High School Counsellor; feedback about our
students involvement in Youth Seminar 2016; information about our most recent SJI International
Speaker series event; a report about the recent Garage Sale, organised by the Elementary and High School PSG; and Sports Results from the past week.
Click on the link to read:
Brother Larry’s Lasallian Reflection
Click on the link to read:
Upcoming Events and Important Dates
This week’s newsletter also includes important notification of the following upcoming events: news
about the exciting raffle prizes on offer at SINGALA II, which takes place on 9th June at the Goodwood
Park Hotel; upcoming Sports Fixtures; and the recently added Upcoming Events page.
May Day Long Weekend
Please remember that school is closed on Monday and Tuesday 2nd and 3rd May and will re-open at
08:00 hrs on Wednesday, 4th May. Then there is a 7-week uninterrupted period until the June holiday.
Non-Uniform Day – Aunty Jamaliah Fund
Yesterday you will have received an email outlining the major charity drive to set up a fund for Aunty
Jamaliah. As mentioned in this letter, collections for this fund are now open and will continue until
12th May. On 12th May we will have a Non-Uniform Day for students. Students will be encouraged to
support this event. Students wishing to participate in this Non-Uniform Day will be required to make a
minimum $5 donation towards this charity event (this money must be handed to their teacher during
lesson 1). We are, however, hoping that students will be as generous as possible in support of this
very worthy cause. We also invite all parents to consider supporting this important drive.
If your child is going to participate in the Non-Uniform day, please assist us in ensuring that your child
arrives at school wearing appropriate clothing. Clothing should not be too tight, too short, too
exposing, nor ripped and tattered.
Founder’s day - Friday, 13th May - International Food Fair
Earlier this week you received an email detailing the arrangement for Founder’s Day. This event takes
place on Friday, 13th May. This is a compulsory school day for all students.
As in the past, we will follow a special celebration programme:
07:45 to 08:00 hrs:
Students arrive at school and deliver food items to Canteen
08:05 to 08:25 hrs:
Registration in tutor group
08:30 to 09:30 hrs:
Whole School Mass in the Sports Hall
09:30 to 10:15 hrs:
Founder’s Day Assembly/Ceremony in the canteen and Assembly Hall
10:15 to 11:30 hrs:
International Food Fair
One of the major events on Founder’s day is the International Food Fair. The email gives parents
more details about how the food should be prepared and delivered. Please support the school by
ensuring that your child contributes towards this event. We are also looking for PARENT VOLUNTEERS
to assist us on the day. If you are able to support us then please sign up HERE. These volunteers will
assist us to: receive food; set up the food at the stall sites; serve the food; and clear-up at the end.
You can assist by signing up for one slot or for the whole time, between the hours of 08:00 and 13:30
hrs.
11:40 to 13:00 hrs:
13:00 hrs:
Cultural Carnival in the Sports Hall
School ends.
Please note that:
a)
There are no afternoon activities UNLESS specifically arranged and requested.
b)
The school offices will close early, at 16:00 hrs, on this day.
2
Host Families for Children from Fukushima
For the past two years, SJI International has been privileged to be involved in a programme that
brings young children from the Fukushima disaster area to Singapore for a period of time. This visit
allows them an opportunity to be involved in various activities and creative sessions, run through a
charity (Today is the Day). This year the organisers are looking for host families to look after a child
or children involved in the programme. If you are Japanese speaking and are enthusiastic about
being involved please email [email protected]
Hairspray – Tickets on Sale
I am very pleased to report that we have now sold over 1100 of the 1500 tickets available for
Hairspray. If you have not yet bought your ticket, I strongly encourage you to do so and attend this
wonderful event. The students and staff are working tirelessly to put on the best show to date. This
week was exceptionally busy with the first full run through with full orchestra including the professional musicians who are assisting with the complicated musical parts. It is not common that school
productions have a live orchestra; most prefer to use backing tapes. This shows the high standard
that you can enjoy on Production nights. This week also saw an exciting visit to the Drama Centre to
meet with their technicians and our staff involved in the production.
International Leadership and Management Programme
Congratulations to Ms Amy Lee (VicePrincipal Academic), Mr Dan Brown
(Assistant Principal – Staff Development),
Mr Ed Hogg (Head of Science), Mr Patrick
Denousse (Head of Maths), and Ms
Samantha Higgins (Head of Art) who all
recently completed the International
Leadership and Management Programme
(ILMP).
This is a programme designed for senior
leaders in schools, that is focused on the
leadership of learning across their
schools.
3
This past Wednesday evening saw us host the Grade 11 Parent Teacher Conference (PTC). As per
usual, we asked all parents to complete a short Parent Survey.
The Grade 11 PTC Parent Surveys has delivered the following results:
Strengths
% of Grade 11
Parents
Area
% of parents who Agree or Agree Strongly that the PTC gave them advice on
how to help their child succeed at school
100%
% of parents who Agree or Agree Strongly that their children enjoy school
96.6%
% of parents who Agree or Agree Strongly that teachers treat everyone fairly
and with respect
95.7%
% of parents who Agree or Agree Strongly that they are given adequate feedback about my children's progress
95.6%
% of parents who Agree or Agree Strongly that the school helps students to take
on more responsibility, allowing them to become more independent
93.3%
Areas for Development
Area
% of Grade 11
Parents
% of parents who Disagree or Disagree Strongly that the time allocated for each
teacher appointment was adequate
5.6%
% of parents who Disagree or Disagree Strongly that the school seeks the views
of parents and takes account of their suggestions and concerns
5.6%
% of parents who Disagree or Disagree Strongly that the school takes account of
students' views
4.4%
Although the time slot available for interviews is still the issue with the most negative feedback, it is
obvious that parents are much happier with the 7 minute time slots allocated for Grade 11
conferences. In total, there were 31 replies where parents Disagree or Disagree Strongly, out of the
total of 1585 responses (a very small 2.0%). Although higher than the Grade 9 survey, this still shows a
very high level of parental support and satisfaction.
Tracking back to the Parent Survey completed by this same cohort last year (when in Grade 10), I was
very pleased to see that while there are only 4 areas where the parent rating has decreased (three of
these by less than 2% and one by 3.8%), there are 14 areas of positive improvement.
The biggest drop (-3.8%) is in the area “I believe my child is making good progress” – this is likely to be
linked to the radically higher expectations and requirements of the IB Diploma Programme.
4
The biggest areas of improvement in the % of parents who Agree or Agree Strongly with the
statements were:
I believe that teachers treat everyone fairly and with respect (+9.1%);
I believe that the school seeks the views of parents and takes account of their suggestions and
concerns (+8.4%);
I believe the general behaviour of students at SJI International is good (+8.0%);
I believe that the school is well led and managed (+7.0%), compared to last year.
Thank you to all parents who completed the survey. It always provides us with valuable feedback to
work with.
New Drop-Off Area for High School
As you are aware, the school has always struggled to cope with the traffic entering and leaving the
school during peak times. With the planned roadworks for Thomson Road, the Board made the
decision to proactively resolve this issue. In the near future (hopefully after the June/July break) we
will open a new drop-off point for the High School. This new area will be in Toa Payoh West Road, at
the current Phillips Car Park. We are currently redeveloping this area so that it will have a separate
entrance and exit, as well as a fully covered drop-off area, and a fully covered walkway right up to the
school building.
Once completed, this will become the only drop-off and pick-up point for High School students. I will
send out more details in the coming weeks.
Hoping you have a great long-weekend. I hope you get some time to relax and also some family time
with your children. Have a great week.
Yours sincerely
Bradley Roberts
Principal High School
5
A*STAR SCIENCE AWARD (JUNIOR COLLEGE)
We are very pleased to announce that Vaarun Muthappan (11MTr) has received
an A*STAR JC Science Award. Vaarun will have the opportunity to participate in a full
-time research attachment at an A*STAR Research Institute for five weeks in
December and to participate in talks and seminars organised by A*STAR and visiting
scientists. He also receives an annual allowance from A*STAR for the duration of the
Award.
As part of the selection process A*STAR interviews shortlisted candidates. Here’s
what Vaarun says about his interview:
I was really excited and nervous as this was my first interview. I prepared for this
interview by doing a lot of research on the possible science-related questions that
they might ask me, however I was surprised (and somewhat relieved) that the questions they asked
were only based
on my interests in
scientific research such as what area I would
choose to research on if I had a choice and why I
wanted this scholarship. The interview itself was
really nerve-racking as, no matter what I said, the
interviewers would only smile and take notes.
Overall, this was an interesting new experience
and I look forward to the internship later this
year.
Our two current A*STAR JC Science Award
recipients, Victoria Lim (12CMc) and Ardon Pillay
(12VJu), completed their research attachments
last December.
Victoria says: I was assigned to the Institute of
Infocomm and Research, and we were given a lot
of flexibility to design our own experiments as
long as we used statistical methods to aid our investigation. My partner and I decided to investigate whether natural landscapes affect people's emotions, and whether
personality type will influence the extent of emotions felt. In the process, we learnt how to apply statistics to our
findings and even used a voice recognition device to detect frequency, pitch and amplitude to decipher emotions.
We managed to get our abstract accepted into the AHFE Conference in Florida while conducting our research last
year and subsequently submitted a research paper which hopefully will be published in a journal this year!
Mr Hogg (Head of Faculty, Victoria Lim, Aardon Pillay
and a representative from A*Star.
My internship at A*STAR has been enriching and thought-provoking. I am truly grateful for having this chance to
have a deeper insight into the scientific research field in Singapore. This experience has taught me to push the limits
of my creativity and has allowed me to develop new skills in statistical research and academic paper writing. More
importantly, I have grown a lot as a person; I have emerged with greater perseverance, better collaborative skills
and a stronger sense of where my true passions and interests lie.
Ardon says: During my time at A* STAR, I had a unique opportunity to explore a new field, computer science. I
covered the uses, application and self-assembly of patchy particles, a budding new extension of computer science.
This explores how minuscule particles can be used to self-assemble structures, such as the shape of a virus. Learning
how to rapidly adapt to a new field was one of my major take-aways from this experience, a skill that I believe will
be very valuable when I enter the working world. It was definitely a very interesting experience, learning about a
field that I would have previously taken no interest in, but now have become very invested in. The placement also
opened my eyes to the large role imagination plays in shaping science, because one needs to be able to imagine a
new, creative way of doing something to further the pursuit of knowledge in the Natural Sciences. After all, Albert
Einstein himself said, "Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere”.
6
7’s Rugby World Cup Comes To Singapore and SJI International!
The World IRB 7's flew into Singapore for the first time last weekend and SJI International boys and girls
rugby squads got in on the act, being coached by players and coaches from England, Canada and Spain.
The highlight for the students was meeting England 7's star Dan Norton who has just become the 3rd
highest try scorer in 7's history - he kindly signed autographs and had photographs taken with the both
squads.
Students thoroughly enjoyed their experience and being coached by World Rugby's Elite Players and
Coaches was an experience they'll remember for a long time.
Mr Oliver Brown - Rugby Coach
7
Rugby Match against ACS International
An exciting game against ACS International School took place on Wednesday 27th April and at half time
saw the SJI International boys 5 to 7. Unfortunately lightning stopped play and the game has had to be
postponed until a later date.
8
Service for 8NBe
Over the past few weeks, our class has been fortunate to participate in helping the children of Jalan
Whampoa have fun and enjoy themselves on Thursday afternoons. We have learned many valuable
lessons. Firstly, we had to put others first and think about what the children wanted to play and what
we had brought with us. We had to be organised and plan what to bring three days before leaving on
the excursion. On our first service trip, we made the error of not planning ahead about what to bring
and therefore the trip was not successful. It was chaotic as children were running around everywhere
and we could not control them as no one had brought any games. Fortunately we learnt from our
mistakes and planned ahead for our future trips. We were split into two groups. This was so we did not
overcrowd the void deck where we were based. Not many children came by themselves, so we had to
go door knocking. We created a poster that we hung around the HDB complex inviting children to
participate in our activities. Door knocking was fun as we had to use some of our basic Chinese to
communicate with some of the families there. When playing with the children we had to think not only
about ourselves but also about the children around us. As many of our games were sport based, we had
to provide some water and cups to keep us hydrated and energetic. Soccer, badminton, frisbee and
netball were a few of the games that we played with the children.
In conclusion, I think that these past service expeditions were worthwhile and we can't wait to pass it on
to Grade 8BWo. As a class, we became closer as we needed to talk about our plans and trust each other
to bring the correct equipment. The children at Jalan Whampoa challenged us to be the best we could
be and we are extremely lucky to work with the them; we have definitely learnt many valuable lessons.
We encourage this service activity to continue throughout the years to come.
Jenna Van Ginkel 8NBe
9
Navigating the digital world with our children
We have just concluded the series of April group sessions for parents, focusing on the use of the internet,
digital devices and cyberbullying. This month, a total of 83 parents joined us and the number of fathers
doubled from last month! There are 7 timeslots to choose from, so if you are keen to join us, please do
sign up at http://tinyurl.com/SJII-mothers or http://tinyurl.com/SJII-fathers. The topic in May will be
“supporting your child in his/her friendships, social issues and bullying”.
During our sessions, I shared about the importance of establishing boundaries for the use of the internet
and digital devices. It is important for parents to be firm and consistent in their approach, and work
within the principles of developing skills and personal responsibility to navigate the digital world. Parents
are urged to find out more about what teenagers do online, how they interact with others online and why
they like to go online. We often attach negative connotations to using the internet but there are many
advantages, positives and opportunities if we use it well. In order to manage screen time, our children
need to have a range of hobbies and activities, which they can engage in to enjoy themselves and cope
with stress. We have to remember that our goal should not be to control our teenagers and keep track of
everything they do online, but to build a good relationship so that we can have open communication with
each other and be able to have conversations about difficult issues when they arise.
Here are some resources, which you may wish to check out:
A book by Gary Chapman & Arlene Pellicane entitled “Growing Up Social: Raising Relational Kids in a
Screen-Driven World”
A TED talk by Sherry Turkle on “Connected, but alone?” (https://tinyurl.com/parents-internet1)
A TEDx talk by me on “Serenading Technology” (https://tinyurl.com/parents-internet2)
Michelle Koay, High School Counsellor, [email protected]
10
Youth Seminar 2016 @ Raffles Institution Malay & Indonesian
Grade 11 & 12 Students, Saturday, 23rd April 2016
We would like to thank Cikgu Su’ad for taking the time and
effort to arrange for us to attend the Youth Seminar 2016 at
Raffles Institution. The seminar was on the topic of “Breaking
the Walls of Malay Stereotypes”. We had a great
opportunity to gain insight into the reactions of the Malay
community on certain stereotypes and it was inspiring to
hear the conviction of the speakers: Mr Amrin Amin,
(Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs), Puan
Haslinda Ali (Executive Producer/Director, ScreenBox Pte Ltd),
Encik Mohammad Asri Sunawan (Head, Strategic Communication, Government Agency), Encik Dhojan Abdul Rahman (Lead
Teacher and Cultural Activist) dan Encik Abdul Halim Ali Akbar
(Graduate, Imperial College London (Aeronautical Engineering)
who encouraged the students to debunk stereotypes - in
particular, Mr Amrin’s encouragement to students to truly be the
best that they can be so that they can challenge assumptions and
stereotypes.
After the seminar, we had the opportunity to speak with Mr
Amrin, and we asked about how non-Malays such as us could
help combat these stereotypes, especially if we may be totally
unaware of them. He encouraged us to be “Cultural
Ambassadors” for the Malay community by learning to speak the
language and appreciate the culture, especially when we are
living in a multi-racial society.
Kata-kata Encik Amrin yang sungguh bernas telah menyedarkan
kami bahawa bukan stereotaip yang menentukan kecemerlangan
hidup kita tetapi ketekunan dan daya usaha diri sendiri yang
menentukannya.
Jocelyn Wee (12GYR), Alexandra Moosa (12ATu) and Sofia
Fernando (11BCh
11
Our students engaging Mr Amrin,
Parliamentary Secretary,
Ministry of Home Affairs
SJI International Speaker series 2016
Run your own learning journey - Vanessa Yap
(Halogen Foundation)
On Wednesday 27th March, we welcomed 25 year old Vanessa Yap to the
SJI International Speaker Series. Vanessa is a certified Youth Trainer and
Facilitator for the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship Programmes
and the Student Leadership Challenge Workshops for the internationallyregarded Halogen Foundation.
As a young Singaporean who joined Halogen when she was just 17,
Vanessa’s experience is quite unique and students felt able to engage
with her in a more informal setting. Vanessa began her talk by sharing her
experiences at school, her poor performance at primary school, the pressures of a very successful sibling and her various failed attempts to take advantage of leadership opportunities at secondary school. She commented that only four leadership positions were available to her at
school and was impressed that SJI International and the IB Diploma offered students so many opportunities to lead.
Vanessa’s poor behaviour at school and a series of unfortunate incidents resulted in her developing a
reputation for being irresponsible, loud and destructive, so she gave up and dutifully played this role.
However a chance encounter with a dear friend who turned up at her door to deliver McDonald's had a
profound impact on her as, when questioned about her job, her friend said I couldn't do anything else, I
never learnt to listen because that’s what you taught me. Vanessa realised at that moment that even
though she didn’t have a badge, she was a leader, and unfortunately she had unintentionally become a
negative one.
Vanessa wanted to help others and to put her leadership skills to a good use, so with a fresh perspective
and the support of a teacher who saw her potential, she began her learning journey. She became a class
monitor and a ‘closet mugger’, working very hard at home whilst sleeping all day in school. She pushed
herself to unleash her potential, applying to Halogen as a trainer after earning a Diploma in Applied Drama and Psychology from Singapore Polytechnic. Vanessa stressed the importance of being not just a
leader but being a good leader, and creating a legacy through a consistent approach to sustainable Service.
Vanessa has worked at Halogen for 7 years and talked at length about the impact of her work on the
community. Her main aim is to encourage young people to think creatively and innovate through targeted leadership opportunities and encouragement. Often partnering with Singaporean and international
businesses, Halogen strives to give unique opportunities to young Singaporeans from disadvantaged
backgrounds, students and youth leaders. Their work is both groundbreaking and inspirational.
Next week…
The SJI International Speaker
Singaporean Piano prodigy.
Series
welcomes
a
Megha Joshi (G12)
SJI International Speaker Series Team
“SJI International students are risk-takers, willing to seek
challenging experiences that will facilitate their personal
growth”
12
SINGALA II – 1001 Nights: An Arabian Extravaganza
For the Live and Silent auctions that will be a part of SINGALA II, the Committee is working hard to secure
a fabulous array of irresistible auction items. Last year the auctions raised a massive $300,000 – so our
hopes are high that they will again raise a substantial sum for our Scholarship fund.
Do you fancy a holiday in the Philippines? Where would you like to stay – Manila… Cebu… Boracay…
Come along and bid for one (or more) of the following, generously donated by the Shangri-la:
Makati Shangri-la, Manila
Two nights weekend stay in a Deluxe room with breakfast buffet for
two at Circles Event Café.
Mactan Resort and Spa, Cebu
Two night stay in a Deluxe room for two persons with daily buffet
breakfast at the Tides Restaurant.
Edsa Shangri-la, Manila
Two nights stay in a Tower Wing Deluxe room inclusive of breakfast
buffet for two at Heat Restaurant.
Shangri-la's Boracay Resort and Spa
Two nights stay in a Deluxe room with breakfast buffet in Vintana Restaurant and roundtrip land and
speedboat transfers from Caticlan for 2 adult and 2 children below 12 years.
Shangri-la at the Fort, Manila
Two night stay in a Deluxe room for two, inclusive of breakfast.
Don’t forget to book soon: SINGALA II – 1001 Nights: An Arabian Extravaganza, Goodwood Park Hotel –
Thursday 9 June at 6.45pm. We’d love to see you
there!
For booking forms please go here
13
Sports Results and Fixtures
Date League Team Sport
Apr. 24
ACSIS
HS Invitational Track & Field
Apr. 25
ACSIS
19u Netball C
Apr. 25
ACSIS
Apr. 25
Time
Opponent
Scores
Various International
Schools
Full Results in next
Newsletter. 11 Gold
Medals, 10 Silver
Medals and xx
Bronze Medals.
4:30 PM
UWC East B
Lost 5 - 12
19u Netball A
4:30 PM
Marlborough College Ma- Won 28 - 15
ACSIS
19u Netball B
5:30 PM
Marlborough College Ma- Lost 4 - 28
Apr. 26
ACSIS
19u Netball C
4:30 PM
Overseas Family School B Lost 12 - 13
Apr. 26
ACSIS
19u Netball B
5:30 PM
Overseas Family School A Lost 1 - 39
Apr. 26
ACSIS
14u Boys Basketball D2
4:30pm
UWC East B
Won 58 - 27
Apr. 27
ACSIS
14u Girls Basketball D2
4:30pm
NPS International
Lost 18 - 37
Apr. 27
ACSIS
19u Netball A
4:30 PM
Australian Int'l School 2
Lost 26 - 27
Apr. 27
ACSIS
19u Netball B
4:30 PM
Anglo Chinese School A
Lost 50 - 2
Apr. 27
ACSIS
19u Netball B
5:30 PM
Canadian Int'l School A
Lost 34 - 4
Apr. 27
SSSC
A Boys Basketball
4:45 PM
Pioneer Junior College
Lost 18 - 42
Apr. 27
SSSC
U18/U16 Rugby
4:45 PM
Anglo Chinese School Int
Apr. 28
SSAC
19u Girls Football
4:30 PM
AIS
Apr. 27
ACSIS
MS Track and Field
4:30pm
Pre-lim 2
Cancelled due to
rain
Apr. 28
ACSIS
19u Netball C
4:30 PM
AIS 4
Draw
Apr. 28
ACSIS
19u Netball C
5:30 PM
TTS E
Won 21 - 17
Apr. 28
SSSC
19u Div A Cricket
2:00 PM
Raffles Institute
Lost by 3wkts
May 4
May 4
SSSC
ACSIS
19u Div A Cricket
19u Boys Badminton D3
2:00 PM
4:30 PM
ACS Independent
UWC Dover
May 4
SSAC
19u Girls Football
5:00 PM
German European
May. 5
ACSIS
14u Girls Basketball D2
4:30pm
Tanglin Trust School B
May. 7
ACSIS
MS Track and Field
8:00am
Championships
May 9
SSSC
19u Div A Cricket
2:00 PM
Victoria Junior College
May 16 SACAC
19u Girls Football
5:15 PM
German European
May
17th
SSSC
19u Div A Cricket
1:00 PM
Semi TBC
May
19th
SSSC
19u Div A Cricket
1:00 PM
Final/3rd TBC
14
confirmed- will
play for Bronze
PSG Notices
Garage Sale (held on 23rd April)
A collaboration between Elementary and High School PSG teams, this repeat event saw an encouraging
turn out this year and the 40 participating stalls certainly brought an interesting array of gently used and
pre loved items for sale. Many thanks to Juliette Smythers from HS PSG (also G8 Grade Rep) who did a
marvelous job putting everything together.
We hope those who came went home happy and those who sold went home even happier!
Regards
Sarah & PSG Team
15
Lasallian Reflection
Lasallian Reflection
Br Lawrence Humphrey, FSC
De La Salle Brothers. Christian Brothers. Brothers of the Christian Schools. La Salle Brothers. Who are
these men connected with our school called “Brothers”, and what does it mean when we say that St
Joseph’s Institution International is A School of the De La Salle Brothers?
Many people, Catholics as well as those of other faith traditions, have heard of the Franciscans, the
Benedictines, the Dominicans, and the Jesuits. But many people have never heard of the De La Salle
Brothers, unless they have been associated with one of the Lasallian schools as a student or parents of a
student. The groups mentioned are sometimes referred to as religious orders, and their members are
called religious. In this case, religious is a noun – a religious is a man or woman who, in response to God’s
call, has made a profession of the vows of the Church. It has nothing to do with whether or not they are
devout, pious, or holy. The usual vows of a religious are poverty, chastity (celibacy), and obedience. In
addition to these vows, the De La Salle Brothers profess an additional vow to serve the poor through
education.
In Singapore, there are four groups of religious Brothers: the Brothers of St Gabriel (Gabrielites), the
Marist Brothers, and the Brothers of Mercy – in addition to the La Salle Brothers.
When De La Salle brought together his first teachers, and they ultimately decided to form themselves
into a religious community, they made the conscious decision to call themselves “Brothers” to describe
the quality of their relationship with one another, united in their commitment to the education of
children, but also to describe their relationship as older brothers to their students. The official title of the
community founded by De La Salle is the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. (The letters
FSC that often follow a Brother’s name are the abbreviation for the Latin version of this title, Fratres
Scholarum Christianarum.) Through the years they came to be known as the Christian Brothers. Because
a separate group was later founded in Ireland, sometimes called the Irish Christian Brothers, in many
parts of the world we came to be known as La Salle or De La Salle Brothers. I suspect De La Salle would
not have approved of such a title, but it does remind us of the vision and mission that he gave to this
community that honours him around the world as Founder.
Brothers are laymen, and as “lay” religious they are not priests. Brothers are never ordained priests
because the purpose of their ministry is not to preside at liturgical services or to administer the
sacraments, but to educate their students in religious and secular subjects. De La Salle reminded the first
Brothers that they should see the child Jesus in the faces of their students. Through his profession of
vows, the Brother has decided to make such a commitment in order to put all his powers at the
educational service of these children and young people. This is the mission and charism of the De La
Salle Brothers. The vow of service to the poor through education compels us to not only serve the poor
directly, but to make sure that students at schools like SJI International come to know and reach out to
the poor and advocate for those suffering from injustices. Some groups of Brothers are dedicated to
other kinds of service in the Church, like the Brothers of Mercy, whose ministry is focused on healthcare.
The Brothers live together in communities with other Brothers. In Singapore there are eight De La Salle
Brothers, four in the SJI community at Malcolm Park, and four Brothers in the St Patrick’s community in
the East Coast. In community the Brothers pray together, share their meals with one another, and seek
to live with one another as brothers.
16
Lasallian Reflection
Lasallian Reflection
Br Lawrence Humphrey, FSC
Today there are about 4000 De La Salle Brothers around the world. Our governance structure has us
divided into Districts, and in Singapore we are part of the Lasallian East Asia District (LEAD), which also
includes Japan, Philippines, Hong Kong, Thailand, Myanmar, and Malaysia. The leader of the Brothers in
each District is called the Brother Visitor, and Br Edmundo Fernandez is the Visitor for LEAD. The
international centre of the Brothers is in Rome, and the worldwide leader is called the Superior General.
Br Robert Schieler, presently Superior General, visited Singapore and SJI International last year.
At the present time we are two Brothers at SJI International, Br Ignasius and me, and we look forward to
the arrival of an additional Brother, Br Kenneth Martinez, in July.
I invite you to visit the international website of the Institute, www.lasalle.org to learn more about the De
La Salle Brothers and the worldwide Lasallian family.
17
Upcoming Events
Teamie Parent Calendar
I am pleased to report that all parents can now view important dates on the Parent Teamie calendar icon
at the top of the Parent Teamie page
This calendar will always be the most up-to-date calendar for upcoming events.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Venue
Time
Grade 10 (incl. 10FIB)
Date of Parent/Teacher
Conference
th
24 May (Tuesday)
Assembly Hall
4pm to 8pm
Grade 7
2nd June (Thursday)
Assembly Hall
4pm to 8pm
th
Assembly Hall
4pm to 8pm
Grade
Grade 12
8 June (Wednesday)
All parents will receive an email, about one week before the PTC date. This email will include a link to
sign-up for the booking slots to see teachers.
Reporting Dates
Grade
Grade 10 (incl. 10FIB)
Grade 8
Grade 12
Grade 10 IGCSE May Examinations start
(Malay, Chinese and Drama)
Grade 12 IB Diploma May Examinations start
(only Hindi B and Thai A (self-taught))
Date
Reports available on Teamie on
Sunday 24th April
Reports available on Teamie on
Sunday 15th May
Reports available on Teamie on
Thursday 19th May
Tuesday 3rd May
(Please see examination timetable in Teamie)
Wednesday 4th to Thursday 5th May (Please
see examination timetable in Teamie)
Please see the Examination lesson page in Teamie for dates and timetables of upcoming internal and external examinations.
To find the examinations page please click in the
icon at the top of the page and select
any of the classrooms listed. Once this Classroom opens, please click on the
Examination Icon (on left-hand side of page) where you will find all the
internal and external exam data.
18
School Events
Event
May Day Long Weekend
G10 Service celebration
Date of Event
th
rd
29 April (Friday) to 3 May
(Tuesday)
4th May (Wednesday)
th
Venue
Time
Holiday
No school
Assembly Hall
6.30pm to 9pm
Founder’s Day Dinner
[Investiture of new Senior
Council]
Founder’s Day
12 May (Thursday)
Assembly Hall
7pm to 9pm
13th May (Friday)
School
NYAA Practice Expedition
(Silver and Gold Award)
Hairspray (Opening Night)
14th and 15th May
In Singapore
8am to 1pm [school
ends early]
tbc
19th May (Thursday)
7.30pm to 9.30pm
Hairspray (2nd Night)
20th May (Friday)
Hairspray (Closing Night)
21st May (Saturday)
Spring Formal G10/G11
27th May (Friday)
Singapore Drama
Centre
Singapore Drama
Centre
Singapore Drama
Centre
Assembly Hall
Rock Night
3rd June (Friday)
Assembly Hall
7pm to 8.30pm
Grade 8 Expedition
5th to 11th June
Tioman
tbc
Blood Donation Drive
7th June (Tuesday)
Assembly Hall
12pm to 5pm
Singapore University and
Scholarship Fair
8th June (Wednesday)
Indoor Sports Hall
3pm to 5pm
SINGALA Fundraising Dinner
9th June (Thursday)
6.45pm
NYAA Practice Expedition
(Silver and Gold Award)
11th and 12th June
Goodwood Park
Hotel
In Singapore
Hair 4 Hope
14th June (Tuesday)
TBa
3pm to 6pm
End of Term 1
17th June (Friday)
7.30pm to 9.30pm
7.30pm to 9.30pm
7pm to 10pm
tbc
1pm
19