VOL. 23/2 Jul 2012 - Methodist Girls` School

to master to grow to serve
VOL. 23/2
Jul 2012
MGS Cheers Children
It is July, and school is in full swing;
it is a good time
indeed, to take stock of our accompli
shments and note
the challenges that we must address in
the months ahead.
The first half of the year has been mem
orable in many
ways. The spirit of giving continues
to thrive among
both students and staff. The Secondary
Three girls are
generously promoting the legacy to brin
g cheer to the
underprivileged children in the North Wes
t district; the
Class of 2012 befriended the elderly
residents of St
Luke’s Hospital and raised funds to help
meet their
needs, and our little ones in the Primary
school made
use of their talent and music to supp
ort a worthy
cause championed by NCCS. The staff
meanwhile
played their part in the community
by taking the
elderly folks from three Family Service
Centres for an adventure in the Bird
Park; and throughout the rest of the year
, the Voices of Hope at MGS will pers
ist in
making life brighter for others.
We are just as proud of our students’ man
y accomplishments in sports, the perform
ing
arts and in the classroom. Our girls are
articulate and confident young ladies who
are
never afraid to confront change and the
rigour of meeting high standards. At hom
e and
abroad, they show that they are equal
to practically ever y challenge that they
encounter
in their learning journey. At the Singapo
re Youth Festival they have made their
mark
with aplomb and dignity; in the world
of sports, Team MGS is acknowledged
not
just
for their team spirit but often for their skills
and talent. At MGS, learning and teac
hing
are our primary concern, but we do valu
e sporting and cultural activities in nurtu
ring
self-worth, character and the sense of
belonging.
It is tempting to sit back and revel in refle
cting on our success in many fields, but
there
is still more to be achieved. And MG
S looks forward to a dynamic future,
with an
abundance of opportunities for the com
munity To Master To Grow To Serve!
On Friday 11 May, MGS played host to about 150 children from the Sweetlands Children’s Centres in Woodlands;
the children were accompanied by ten teachers.
From two in the afternoon until the sun set, the children were entertained by the Secondary Three girls who had the
privilege of adding value to the MGS Cheers Children @ North West community service project.
MGS Cheers Children was an initiative of MGS and the North-West CDC
to bring joy to children, especially those under the Centre-based Financial
Assistance Scheme for Child Care (CFAC) at the Sweetlands Children’s
Centres.
The theme for that afternoon in May was simply Colours; this was a timely
reminder that “there is no colour in this world that is not intended to
make us rejoice” [John Calvin]
Visit to
Sweetlands Centres
The Secondary Three classes have been taking turns to visit the
Sweetlands Children’s Centres in Woodlands to bring cheer to the
children.
Different activities are planned for each visit to ensure that the
programme remains vibrant and continues to excite the young ones.
Whatever the activity, the children are always thrilled; without
reservation, they socialize with the MGS girls, play games and
exchange High 5s. It is always heartwrenching for the MGS group to say
goodbye and return to school.
Mrs Shirleen Ong
Principal
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The Rhythm of Love ...
A Day At THE Bird Park
BAND [AGE] 4, a charity concert in aid of St Luke’s Hospital, took place on Saturday 10 March. At the
helm was the Class of 2012, doing their part in enhancing the legacy of previous graduating classes.
Since 2008, the graduating class at MGS has taken on the responsibility of organizing BAND[AGE]
as a means of reaching out in support of the community.
BAND [AGE] is in fact an inter-school competition where students aged 13-18 are invited to showcase
their talent in music and at the same time help raise funds to meet the needs of the elderly patients at
St Luke’s Hospital.
On Monday afternoon, 21 May the staff of MGS were away at
the Bird Park in Jurong. They were in fact realizing a significant
dimension of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) –
promoting the quality of life of their elderly friends from three
Family Service Centres in Toa Payoh and Ghim Moh.
The Class of 2012 sold tickets and merchandise for the concert, decorated the venue, provided the
technical assistance where possible, and promoted the arts and community service, both of which are
highly valued at MGS. The funds, raised in March 2012, is currently estimated at $85,299.11.
The theme for BAND[AGE] 4 was “The Rhythm of Love, the Beat of Recovery”. The message was simple:
music is the language of love and of healing; music is the language that BAND[AGE] advocates to
encourage and help heal the elderly patients at St Luke’s Hospital.
BAND[AGE] 4 featured the following bands: Rocket Pencil, Fancy this Progression, God Speaks,
Come What Mayhem and Dice. The Guest Bands included Grace and the Hot Chicks, The Rubber
Bands and The Barbaras.
The celebrity judges were Mr Jeff Long, Mr Jonathan Chong and Mr Seth Chen; Ms Tham Pei Wen and
Mr Reiner Leong were the judges for the audition of participating bands.
In the News
Kow Xiu Yi (Sec 4G) made the news on Sunday 18 March when
she performed a violin solo at a concert entitled ‘In Sonata Form’
at the Mrs Lee Choon Guan Concert Hall, ACS (Barker Rd).
Xiu Yi who was performing with the Singapore National Youth
Sinfonia Orchestra, played the first movement of Saint-Saens Violin
Concerto No. 3 in B minor. Her “accomplished performance”
was highlighted by Marc Rochester in a news article in the Straits
Times which commended the young violinist for her “confidence”
and “technical brilliance”.
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At three in the afternoon, it was show time, and
they were entertained by a regiment of flamingos
and a squadron of pelicans, all moving
impeccably to instructions; they thrilled to the
antics of Barry the Macaw, and were awed by
Sassy the Cockatoo who delivered tokens to
the audience; and there was Amigo, probably
the only bird in the world, who sang Rasa
Sayang!
The MGS guests had tea before they took a stroll
around the park to learn more about the different
communities of birds.
At the end of the ‘learning journey’ each elderly participant was
given a bag of goodies and dinner to take away. They confided
that they really appreciated the opportunity to socialize and to
experience an outing at an unfamiliar destination; it would be
nice to have more opportunities such as this!
Everyone was happy, that was obvious.
MGS welcomes to the Primary School, Mdm Ng Kim Ling, Ms Chin Pey Ying,
Miss Pu Lu, Miss Tarika Cai Deyu, Miss Nasuha Ghaffar, Miss Andrea Quah
Shi Qi, Miss Rachel Chiam Li Ming, Miss Nur Eva Binte Jailani and Miss
Priscilla Lim Siew Fen.
In the Secondary school, MGS welcomes Miss Tania Tang, Miss Malisa Bay,
Miss Krystal Ong, Miss Caren Ng, and Mr Jay Cheong.
MGS appreciates the enduring contribution of members of the staff who are
moving on to another calling – Mrs Lily Ng Pook, Mdm Aida Rahayu binte
Suliaman, Mrs Tracy Yong-Chua Jia Jin and Miss Desiree Lau.
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Road to Discovery
At the end of the school term in May, the Secondary One classes went on the road
to discover their heritage. It was an experience in connecting with the reality outside
their classrooms (ROCs).
The girls had to complete three trails which took them to the Civic District, the Old
School and MacRitchie Reservoir. On each of the trails, they were assigned tasks
which they had to accomplish in a team.
In the Civic District they discovered the nation’s historic structures, parks,
monuments and learnt about how the trading centre flourished in the 19th century
and progressed to become a modern, vibrant city.
On the trail to the Old School, the girls visited the three former sites of MGS. Here
they read accounts from Principals and former students who told of what school
was all about 100 years ago, when the classic uniform – the so-called sailor suit –
was introduced in 1922, and why the rapidly growing population at MGS made
it necessary to move to Blackmore Drive in 1992.
At MacRitichie Reservoir, the girls explored the nature trail and then in their different
teams, brainstormed for ideas on how to develop the area as an attraction for
tourists.
To preserve their learning for posterity, each team had to publish a journal to share their thoughts
and findings and to display their best photographs.
MGS observed Earth Hour on Friday 30
March. In the full school, all lights, fans
and air conditioners were turned off for
an hour on that day.
Then it was Earth Week, commemorated
with a special event on Wednesday
25 April. At Assembly, Dr Chang
Chew-Hung, who is the Associate
Dean, Professional Development, Office of Graduate
Studies and Professional Learning, and Associate Professor, Humanities and Social Studies
Education Academic Group National Institute of Education, shared his expertise on Climate
Change.
He explained that we all have a part to play in helping to reduce our carbon
footprint so as to ‘slow down’ climate change and to reduce its adverse impact.
The girls from Secondary 2E performed a skit to promote ‘green activities’
like reducing, reusing and recycling. Their friends from Secondary 2T
produced a short video clip to be broadcast for a week and to urge the
school to reduce the disposal of waste and the consumption of electricity.
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The school was encouraged to take part in an ‘eco-quiz’, conducted
over three weeks, to learn more about caring for the environment. The
quiz and Dr Chang’s address on environment issues were among some of
the activities organised to celebrate Youth for the Environment Day (YED),
an NEA (National Environment Agency) platform to engage the young in
promoting the well-being of the environment; YED 2012 had as its theme the
affirmation: “I Think, I Care, I Act.”
The MGS Heartbeat
It was Open House at MGS on Saturday, 19 May.
Open House was a celebration of all that is unique
and outstanding about the MGS brand of education.
This was the opportunity for girls from schools
in Singapore to find out more about MGS, its
heritage of godliness and love, its mission To
Master To Grow To Serve!
The visitors learnt about the Integrated
Programme, the niche areas in Sports and
CCAs, and the culture and spirit of Team
MGS in the Secondary school at MGS. They
were taken on a guided tour of the school, and
into the classroom to attend micro lessons in
various subjects; they found time to chat with
MGS students and friends with a similar interest
in MGS. They had questions, which the teachers
and students from MGS readily answered.
Open House was indeed a great way for all to
appreciate the MGS Heartbeat: Hear It, Feel
It, Live It!
Friday 13 April was International Friendship Day (IFD).
MGS celebrated ‘Singapore in the World’ with a
number of activities that deepened the understanding
of Singapore’s relations with its neighbouring countries
and the rest of the world.
In both the Primary school and its Secondary
counterpart, there was a concert to promote a grateful
and gracious society. The girls appreciated the need
to cultivate the spirit of friendship and collaboration at
school, in the community, and at
the international level.
The visitors from
Mount Carmel
School in Delhi, India contributed an
item at the concert in the Primary
school to enhance international
understanding.
And in their Art class, the little girls
from Primary One created IFD dolls
to explain the need for international
friendship.
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P4 Adventure Camp
On Wednesday 23 May, about 200 girls from
Primary Four arrived at the East Coast Campus
of Outward Bound Singapore for an adventure
camp. The girls were welcomed by enthusiastic
and encouraging instructors and immediately took
to the rustic charm of the east coast.
In the course of their stay – three days and two nights
– at OBS, the girls participated in activities such as
finding their way through the tunnel-cave maze,
abseiling, and taking on the challenge of the flying
fox and the rope course. They pushed themselves
to the limit at each activity; they overcame fears,
displayed great courage and determination, and
cultivated confidence, independence and leadership
skills.
They fostered team spirit and love for the environment
through an ‘Eco-challenge’ activity and the
‘Seashore Life Programme’ where they formed food
chains, picked and sorted litter found at the beach;
they learned to resolve conflicts and enhanced
their group dynamics. And they were creative in
developing posters on ‘How to care for our shore
lines’.
It was an unforgettable experience for the girls to
sleep in either the tree hut or the tent they had
pitched.
When the camp finally drew to a close on Friday
25 May, the girls were reluctant to say ‘goodbye’
to OBS and the instructors.
MGS
WRITERS FESTIVAL
The MGS Writers Festival on Friday 2 March featured three of
Singapore’s illustrious writers – Ms Josephine Chia, Ms Adeline
Foo, and Ms Ovidia Yu.
In her workshop, Memoirs of Old Singapore Stories that Make Us
Unique, Ms Josephine Chia, who has won several literary prizes in
UK, showed her young audience the art of crafting words to evoke
a certain setting or period. They learnt that in writing they could
create a world of their own, a world through which their voice is
heard and appreciated.
Ms Ovidia Yu, award-winning novelist, short-story writer and
playwright, shared the three most important ways to engage
the writer’s audience, and the three types of responses that the
playwright should draw out from her audience. Then the students
formed small groups to write a skit each, putting into practice the
techniques of writing that they had acquired.
Ms Adeline Foo, best known for The Diary of Amos Lee, allowed
her audience to work in groups to create a ‘layered’ character
who would face a conflict, an underdog who would triumph over
adversity. In working with their mentor for the day, the students
also learnt the importance of identifying the trigger that would
stimulate their imagination and inspire writing.
At the end of the day, the students were quick to testify that the
MGS Writers Festival had enhanced their passion for writing, and
that they had enjoyed themselves thoroughly.
The Student Leaders in the Upper Primary classes at MGS enjoyed themselves
thoroughly at a leadership training camp in mid-March 2012. On Wednesday
14 March they spent the first day at the East Coast Park where they built sand
castles and reinforced the team spirit.
In the next chapter of the camp at MGS, the student-leaders stayed at school
for one night; and until Friday 16 March, they were engaged in activities to
cultivate leadership skills, especially the capacity to work together to achieve a
common goal. The activities were conducted by professional leadership trainers.
The teachers were the facilitators who made it easy for their students to process
the skills and achieve the goals of learning.
Performing Arts
Festival 2012
The MGS String Ensemble and the Handbell Choir
were invited to perform at SHOWCASE: Performing
Arts Festival, organized by the Ministry of Education.
SHOWCASE was a four-day music and dance
extravaganza which took place in mid – March, at
Ngee Ann City; the two performing arts groups from
MGS took to the stage on Thursday 15 March.
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Discover Jesus Day
On Thursday 5 April, Dr Keith Yu-Ching Goh was the distinguished
speaker at the annual Sophia Blackmore Lectures@MGS (SBL). In the
Kwa Geok Choo Auditorium, the renowned neurosurgeon delivered
an informative and insightful lecture on Stem Cell Therapy. In 2009,
Dr Goh had made history for being the first in Asia to successfully
administer treatment, using cord blood stem, for cerebral palsy.
At MGS, Dr Goh shared on the therapeutic potential of stem cells
and drew attention to the challenges of providing the gift of life in
stem cells therapy.
Students from various schools in Singapore were invited to attend the
SBL and to engage in an exchange of knowledge, information, ideas
and even their dreams for the future. It was obvious from the Q & A
session that these students were thirsting to learn more about issues
pertinent to their education and experience. They fielded numerous
questions on the various aspects of stem cell therapy, the ethical
issues involved, and the future of stem cell technology. And Dr Goh
readily shared his hopes for stem cell therapy to flourish and inspired
his young audience to explore the life-saving potential of stem cells.
Tuesday 22 May was Discover Jesus Day in the Primary school. At the M E Lau Hall, the girls in
the Upper Primary classes listened attentively as Mr David Leong from Scripture Union delivered a
message on God’s Love; his theme verse for the day was: But God demonstrates his own love for us
in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.[Romans 5:8]
Mr Leong used the acronym AGAPE to remind the girls of God’s Love which is All-encompassing, the
Greatest, Amazing, Powerful and Everlasting!
The girls then watched a video clip that reinforced the message of a Father’s love for all; they saw
how a father, a drawbridge operator, sacrificed his son’s life to make it possible for a train to proceed
safely across the bridge and that all passengers were free from harm.
On Monday 26 March, Pastor Reuben Ng and the
Youth Worship Team from Paya Lebar Methodist
Church arrived at MGS to help the girls in the
Secondary school discover Jesus. From Monday to
Wednesday, the girls were inspired by Pastor Reuben
who shared his life experiences and engaged them
in worshipping God.
The SBL 2012, which is aimed at enhancing the students’ awareness
of current and global issues, was sponsored by Great Eastern, a
well-known and established life insurance group in Singapore and
Malaysia.
In the Wits & Words 2012 Inter-Primary School Debate
competition, Team MGS was the novice that made an
impact in the debate circuit. The team did not proceed
beyond the preliminary rounds, but in all those rounds,
the Best Speaker was from Team MGS which was
ranked 20th among the 60 teams which took part in the
competition. This certainly was no mean achievement
for the new kid on the block.
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Discover Jesus Week (DJW) at MGS was dedicated
to praising God for blessing mankind with his neverending grace and love. The theme for the week was
from John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than
this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
Young Author
Team MGS, which included Catherine Liew (P6.6),
Melanie Chuang (P6.6), Nadya Tan (P5.6), Renaeta
Wang (P5.6), Sonia Wong (P5.6), were trained by
Miss Amaris Lee from the Class of 2009 and a top
MGS debater. Miss Lee was assisted by Tan Jing Min (Sec 2S), Natalie Yeo (Sec 2T) and Anabelle Lim (Sec
2O), who also helped the debaters write their speeches.
Every year, five pupils from Primary 4 are selected to take part in
The Young Author’s Scheme (YAS) created by Janus Education to
train young authors from as young as eight years old.
The debate challenge was organised by the Gifted Education Branch (Ministry of Education) in collaboration
with Debate Association (Singapore) and Raffles Girls’ School.
Natalie Angie Lim (P6.2) won a special award for having the best
cover illustration for her story “The Puppy Project”.
The Young Author’s journey culminated on Sunday 27 May at the
National Book Development Council of Singapore’s Asian Festival
of Children’s Content.
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Mount Carmel School
Fourteen students, accompanied by two teachers from
Mount Carmel School, New Delhi, arrived at MGS on
Tuesday 10 April; the children, aged 8-9 years, were on
a Singapore Exchange Programme until Wednesday 18
April. On this international adventure, the children were
encouraged to ‘widen their horizon’, and to appreciate
the array of cultural differences.
At MGS the children attended
lessons for Physical Education,
Art and Science, and spent
time in the library to read
and better understand the
need for learning resources.
Their MGS buddies showed
them around the school and
On Monday 2 April, a team of girls,
accompanied by their teachers,
from Wesley Girls’ High School
paid a visit to MGS.
They were at MGS to reinforce
people-to-people ties and enhance
understanding among the students
and staff of the two schools.
The visitors enjoyed the learning experience in the
classroom and were delighted with the excursion
conducted by their buddies in Secondary 3. The MGS
girls who played hosts readily affirmed the benefits of
their interaction with the visitors. That they were happily
conversing in Mandarin with their new-found friends
was heart-warming indeed.
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introduced them to other pupils; at the school canteen
they tasted cuisine uniquely Singapore, and even took
time off to complete some of their school work.
They did not just attend lessons with their new-found
friends in Primary Three, but were also with them at
the rehearsal for the Primary Three Musical Theatre,
and they shared the stage for the colourful musical
extravaganza on Friday 13 April.
Their learning journey took the children from the
classroom to Chinatown, Mustafa Centre, Sentosa, the
Night Safari and the Science Centre.
For Ms Susan William and Ms Ginni Kalra, the
teachers from Mount Carmel, the learning experience
at MGS “has been a leap forward in our ever-growing
friendship”.
On Friday
30 March,
fifteen students
from RomainRolland
Gymnasium
(Schule), Berlin
were at MGS
for a short
visit; they were
accompanied
by their
teachers, Ms Kerstin Deutshmann and Mr Karsten
Moebius. From 7.40am, the students, aged 13-17,
attended lessons for Biology, Language Arts and
Physical Education.
In winter 2011 a team of sixty-two girls, led by Mrs Janet
Ng were on the ROCs 3 trip to Eastern Europe when
they visited Romain-Rolland Gymnasium (Schule); eight
of these girls were therefore delighted to reciprocate the
hospitality that had warmed them a year ago in Berlin.
The girls, now in Secondary Four, played host to their
European friends in the classroom and at the canteen
before taking them to the Board Room where they met
the Principal.
After learning more about MGS through a Q & A session
and watching some corporate videos, the visitors from
Berlin took their leave at 10.30 am.
On Tuesday 17 April 2012 at the SYF
Central Judging for Handbell Choirs, twentyeight girls from the Primary school displayed
to advantage their techniques in ringing the
handbell and earned the Silver Award; the event
took place at the Republic Cultural Centre (Republic
Polytechnic).
In March ten girls from the Upper Primary classes were selected
to represent MGS at the RHB-Straits Times National Spelling
Championship 2012, organized in collaboration with the Ministry
of Education, and supported by the National Library Board and the
Speak Good English Movement. The objective of the competition
was to develop a greater appreciation of the importance of
spelling for literacy development among pupils in Primary 4, 5
and 6 in Singapore.
In the preliminary round there were about 1200 participants;
Team MGS included Victoria Teo (P4.4), Hoong Jun Ray (P4.6),
Rachel Cheah (P5.5), Renaeta Wang (P5.6), Sarah Ng (P5.6),
Celestine Suah (P6.2), Samantha Seet (P6.2), Han Xin Yi (P6.4),
Faith Tammy Wong (P6.6), and Alicia Seah (P6.6)
Faith, Alicia and Renaeta
qualified for the West Zone
Championship Round where there were 108
participants from 51 schools. From here, Faith went on
to compete at the Grand Finals, held at the Raffles City
Convention Centre on Saturday 28 April. There were 29
finalists from 18 schools in this round.
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For the first time in its history, MGS sent a string
ensemble from the Primary school to take part
in the Singapore Youth Festival 2012; and in the
Instrumental Ensemble category MGS earned a
Gold Award!
At the SYF Central Judging held on Thursday 29
March at the NUS UCC Hall, MGS won GOLD for
Chinese Dance. In all there were 140 schools which
participated in this event.
It was truly an exciting journey for the girls, parents,
instructors and teachers. The parents, many of whom
are themselves accomplished musicians, gave of their time
and expertise to help the girls master their pieces; and the girls in
response gave their all to memorise the music and put up a sterling
performance at the SYF.
MGS was awarded GOLD at the SYF Central Judging
for Choirs which took place on Thursday 12 April at
the School of the Arts. The MGS Choir has 74 members
under the baton of Ms Lim Bee Na.
The SYF Central Judging 2012 for International
Dance took place on Tuesday 3 April, at the NUS
Centre For the Arts, University Cultural Centre (UCC)
Hall.
MGS won the Gold award for its dance entitled
H.A.P.P.Y. RADIO.
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The annual MGS cross-country run took place at West Coast
Park on Thursday 12 April .
Jackson House was the Champion House 2012.
The top three long distance runners for each level included:
Lisa Peh Jiaxian (Sec 1I/ Jackson), Radiance Chun Ying
Challander (Sec 1I/Lee) and Faith Gan Yufei (Sec 1O/Jackson)
53 National Inter-Schools
Swimming Championships
rd
Meagan Lim (Sec 4H) broke the 100m Butterfly (B Division) record at the 53rd
National Inter-Schools Swimming Championships which took place on Tuesday 24
April and Wednesday 25 April, at the Singapore Sports School.
Meagan also won GOLD in the 100m Backstroke (B Division) event. The other
GOLD medalists from MGS included Marina Chan (Sec 3I) in the 200m Freestyle
and 400m Freestyle (B Division) events, Lim Jia Enn (Sec 2H) in the 50m Breaststroke
and 100m Breaststroke (C Division) events, and Deborah Ho (Sec 2D) in the 200m
Breaststroke (C Division) event.
Chloe Ariana Collins, (Sec 2H/ Olson), Deborah Ho Yan Lum
(Sec 2D/Jackson) and Ashley Teo (Sec 2M/Jackson)
Geraldine Ang (Sec 3O/ Lee), Sabrina Lim Su Ping (Sec 3M/
Jackson) and Kyrene Kaur Gill (Sec 3M/Blackmore)
Meagan Lim Shen-Hui (Sec 4H/ Blackmore), Grace Chua
Hui Zhen (Sec 4S/ Blackmore) and Christabel Chai Juan Yi
(Sec 4E/Olson).
Alethea Toh (Sec 2M), Bernice Chew (Sec 3E), and Christabel Chai (Sec 4E ) were
ranked among the top 3 swimmers in their respective events. In the relay events,
Team MGS won 2 SILVER medals and 2 BRONZE.
Team MGS was the first runner-up in the team competition in both the B and C Divisions.
Mr Oon Jin Gee, Secretary-General of
the Singapore Swimming Association,
was the Guest-of-Honour at the 47th
MGS Swimming Championships held
on Friday 30 March at the Toa Payoh
Swimming Complex.
Chua Wei Lin (Olson) – Division I
Hannah Chay (Jackson) and Charity
Lien (Olson) – Division II
Ang Jia Min (Lee) – Division III.
In the Secondary school the champions
Tan Jing-E (Olson House) set a new were
record for the 100m Butterfly Stroke
(Division I) and Marina Chan (Olson) Alethea Toh (Blackmore) C Division,
for the 100m Freestyle (B Division). and Marina Chan (Olson) B Division.
Jackson was the Champion House in
The Individual Champion in the
the Primary school, and Blackmore in
various divisions in the Primary
the Secondary school. Jackson was
school included:
also the Champion House in MGS!
At the 53rd National Inter-School Cross Country Championships held on Wednesday
21 March at Bedok Reservoir, Chloe Ariana Collins (Sec 2H) was the 4th runner in
the B Division to reach the finish line. Her team-mates Sabrina Lim Su Ping (Sec 3M)
and Hannah Chua Hui Zhen (Sec 4O) were among the first fifty runners to complete
the course; Hannah was the 34th and Sabrina the 38th in rank.
Team MGS was ranked 8th among the schools participating in the B Division, and
14th in the C Division.
Team MGS was the runner-up at the 19th National-Schools Tenpin Bowling
Championships 2012. In the team event for the B Division, Kristin Quah
(Sec 4I), Darolyn Tan (Sec 4O), Stacey Tan and Kimberly Becker (Sec
4D) were ranked 3rd; Tracey Lin was 4th in the singles event; Darolyn and
Stacey were placed 4th in the doubles event while Kristin and Kimberly
were placed in 5th position. In the overall event, Kristin, Tracey, Kimberly
and Darolyn found themselves among the top 15 in rank.
Kristin and Tracey proceeded to the Finals of the Master event; ranked 2nd
in this event, Kristin then took part in the Stepladders where she retained
her position as runner-up.
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The other members of Team MGS (B Division) are Deborah Fung (Sec 4E), Bianca Lai (Sec 4S),
Bridget Hsu and Astrid Teo (Sec 3D), Erica Tai (Sec 3S), Jamie Ong (Sec 3M) and Desiree
Duranni (Sec 3O).
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On Sunday 25th March, the MG Sizzlers participated in the 3rd National Cheerleading Championships
2012 at the Pasir Ris Sports and Recreational Centre; the competition was organized by the Singapore
Sports Council (SSC) in collaboration with the Federation of Cheerleading, Singapore.
On Saturday 17 March 2012, the Girls’ Brigade Singapore held a national cheerleading competition
and was the first uniform group to ever do so. The 1st Company at MGS, sent two teams to compete
against teams from 35 other schools.
The MG Sizzlers competed in the Secondary and Junior Colleges Division of the Competitive Team
Category and won the Championship title; this was indeed a fitting 7th in the Sizzlers’ collection of
championship trophies so far.
Supernova from the Primary school, achieved the Silver award, and Hypernova, from the Secondary
school clinched the Gold award and the title of Champion of the competition. Hypernova was
subsequently invited to perform at the Second South-East Asia Cheerleading Open (SEACO),
televised on Super Sports.
The GB cheerleaders spent about three months in intensive training before showcasing their skills in
a two-minute performance before the judges.
Team MGS from the Primary school also took part in the 3rd National Cheerleading Championships;
and they won two awards. The Senior team won the Silver award and the Junior team, the Bronze.
On Friday 2 March, Team MGS – C Division won the title
in the West Zone Inter-School Netball Championships
2012. The team led at every quarter of the match, but
by only a slim margin; the players worked hard to
increase the difference in goals, and managed to score
27–20 to claim the title.
Having earned the privilege to participate at the
National level, Team MGS was drawn to compete,
with all the powerhouses, in
what might be termed the
group of death. Dauntless,
they fought their way to the
semi-final stage from where
they were left to fight for 3rd
or 4th placing.
At the Toa Payoh Sports Hall
on Friday 20 April, Team
MGS in the C Division, was
placed in 3rd position at
national level.
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Tennis
Champions
Once More
On Thursday 12 April, Team MGS was once again
acclaimed Champion at the National Inter-school Tennis
Championships. For the 6th year in a row, the C Division
team has excelled on the courts; Joanne Koh (Sec 2O)
won in the singles event, Daryl Wang (Sec 1T) and
Genevieve Ang (Sec 1H) in the doubles event, and
Rebecca Loy (Sec 2T) and Deborah Theng (Sec 2S) in
the second doubles event.
National Primary School
Also in the Champion team are Ruhi Kamdar (Sec 1I),
Tiah Jeng Yen (Sec 1D), Natalie Chieng (Sec 2O), Vera
Koh, Hilary Tan (Sec 2O), and Felicia Thng (Sec 2S).
The Junior Team, comprising Joelle Goh Yi Min (P4.6), Rachel Tan (P4.3), Sin Suwen (P5.3), Hannah Lee Jia Hui (P5.2), Lim En Tong (P5.1), Jeovanne Canace
Poernomo (P5.4), Natasha Loh (P5.1) and Nadine Loh (P5.1), scored 3-0 against
their opponents to secure the top spot on the podium.
Team MGS won three of the five games to secure the
Championship title for 2012.
Champions in B Division
On Wednesday 7 March, Team MGS competed against the
team from Singapore Chinese Girls’ School at the National
Inter-Schools Tennis Championship 2012.
At the Kallang Centre, the girls won all of the five matches,
and were duly rewarded with the Champion’s trophy in the
B Division.
The girls were exhilarated with the victory; for a few of
them, in Secondary Four, this was the fourth year running
they had triumphed at a national tennis tournament. When
they were in Secondary One in 2009, they helped the team
win the Champion’s trophy for the C Division; in 2010 they
won again, and in 2011 when they were in Secondary
Three, they were the key members of the B Division team
that won the same title.
Tennis Championships
Team MGS – both the Junior Team and Senior Team – won the Championship title
at the National Primary School Tennis Championships 2012 held on Thursday 12
April at the Farrer Park Tennis Centre.
The Senior Team too scored 3-0 to win the Championship 2012. The team included Amanda Chong Li-Wen and
Sarah Teoh Ning (from P6.2), Charmaine Seah, Ashley Yim and Effie Kelana Chia (from P6.3), Erica Kylie Leung
(P6.5), Janelle Goh Yi Xin and Gwyneth Ng Weng Yi (both from P6.6).
Synchronised
Swimming Champions
At the 3rd SSA Inter-School Synchronised Swimming Championships 2012 held at the Toa
Payoh Swimming Complex, on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 March, Team MGS from the
Primary school triumphed in both the B and D Divisions; MGS was once again acknowledged
the Champion in the synchronised swimming fraternity.
The girls who achieved success included Christine Mok (P5.4) who was placed 2nd in the Solo event for Division C,
and Miya Yong (P6.2) and Tay Aik Fen (P6.2) who were ranked first and second respectively in the same event in
Division B. Miya and Aik Fen also won the top prize in the Duet event.
Christine Mok (P5.4) and Claire Tong (P5.4) were ranked first in the Duet event for Division C while Gabrielle Guo
(P4.1) and Teo Mou Wen (P4.5) earned the third placing in the same event for Division D.
Team MGS in the secondary school also won a number of awards: In the Duet, B Division, Joyce Christina Cheung
(Sec 4I) and Teng Shue Li Sheryel (Sec 4E) won the Bronze award; Joyce, Sheryel and their team-mates, Zhao Yue
(Sec 3H), Chua Ying Xian Joy-Ann (Sec 3S), Chong Alicia Li-Yan (Sec 2H), Lim Shyen Ai Sheryl (Sec 2S) won Silver.
In the C Division , Alicia Chong Li-Yan (Sec 2H) & Lim Shyen Ai Sheryl (Sec 2S) were awarded Silver in the Duet
event, and in the Solo event, Alicia also won Silver.
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Team MGS competed in the National Inter-Primary Schools Gymnastics Competition
held at Bishan Indoor Sports Hall from Wednesday 18 April to Saturday 21 April.
The team in C Division Elite Stage 2 were the Team Champions. In the Individual
Apparatus Final Competition (IAF) for this division, Lynette Lam Yin (P3.4) was ranked
4th for Vault, and 5th for Beam & Bars; Hanna Safiyyah (P4.1) won the 1st position for
Floor, and Arielle Lynn Huang Jingyi (P5.1) was 1st for Vault, 2nd for Floor, 4th for Beam.
On Monday 16 April, Yap Lishuen (P6.1) and some of her schoolmates showed with fist and
foot the way to keeping fit and defending themselves. At the Toa Payoh Sports Hall they
competed in the Poomsae event at the National Inter-school Taekwondo Championships
and won several prizes. Lishuen was ranked 1st in the Senior Division Blue Belt; Soon
Chuan En (P1.6) was 2nd and Jolene Leong Ee Hsin (P4.2) was 4th in the Junior Division
Blue Belt. Isabel Felipa Rivas (P2.7) was ranked 4th in the Junior Division Poom Belt.
On Tuesday 17 April, for the Kyorugi event, Eden Caitlin Consigliere (P6.4) was placed
2nd in the Senior Division Poom Belt.
Team MGS was the 2nd runner-up in the Senior Female Division.
Arielle did the school proud when she was acclaimed All-Around Champion in the C Division
Elite Stage 2.
The team in C Division Developmental Level 2 was ranked 5th among the teams at the competition.
Chia Hsim Yi (P6.5), the Vice-captain of Team MGS put up a stunning performance and clinched the Individual
All-Around title in the A Division Optional Event. She was ranked 1st for three events – Bar, Beam, and Floor, and
was 2nd for Vault.
In April, Ashlee Tan (P6.6) represented
Singapore at the Macau International
Diving Competition 2012, and won
the top prize in the 1m Spring Board
Synchronized event; she was placed 3rd
in the 1m Springboard event. Ashlee was
in the C Division team which competed
against participants from Hong Kong,
Malaysia, China and Macau.
Introduced to diving only about 12
months ago, Ashlee is currently with
the Singapore National Developmental
Squad.
Megan Chew Ky-Li (P6.6) competed
at the National Inter-Primary School
Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships
2012, held on Wednesday 28 March
at the Jurong East Sports and Cultural
Centre.
Janine Khoo (Sec 3T) and Cheong Su Yen
(Sec 4T) represented Singapore at the Korean
Racing Authority Cup CSIJ Seoul 2012, held
from 18 to 23 April. Twelve countries, including
Australia and New Zealand, participated at the
international show jumping competition.
She performed in the Hoop and Clubs
event for Level 3 of the B Division, where
there were 65 other participants, and
was ranked 3rd.
In spite of the extreme cold, and the wet
and windy weather conditions, Su Yen
and Janine, put up a strong performance.
Janine riding Monte Cristo was placed
fifth in the CSIJ Sponsored competition.
Su Yen on Die Bean won the silver medal in the CSIJ Individual Final.
Dr Melanie Chew, President of the Equestrian Federation of Singapore, was
present at the competition to applaud the girls.
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Chess
Champions
Danelle Tan (P2.3) was the Champion in the Girls
Under-8 category of the 64th National Schools
Individual Chess Championships 2012, organized
by the Singapore Chess Federation. In the
competition which took place from 14 to 16 March,
several members of Team MGS were ranked among
the top ten achievers in five categories; these players
were selected for the National Junior Squad.
The list includes:
Danelle Tan (Pri 2.3) Champion, Girls Under – 8
category
Eunice Hng (P3.5) – Girls Under – 9 category – 10th
Emmanuelle Hng (P5.3) Girls Under – 11 category
– 5th; Rachel Sim (P5.4) – 9th
Joyce Gao (Sec 2E) Girls Under – 14 category – 7th; Michelle Chan (Se 2T) – 9th
Rachel Lim (Sec 3G) Girls Under – 15 Category – 9th.
Tanya Aw ( Sec 1O) was ranked 11th in the Girls under – 13 Category.
P3-P6 Inter-House Games
The Inter-House Games for the classes from Primary 3 to Primary
6 were conducted in the last week of the term ending on Friday
25 May. At each level the girls competed in a specific team
game, and every pupil was placed in a team representing her
House.
The Games helped strengthen the House spirit at each level
and were an opportunity for every girl to relish the experience
of actively representing her House at a competition.
The Primary 3 classes played Captain’s Ball where Team 1
from Lee House overwhelmed all the other teams; and at the
Primary 4 level, Olson 10 won at Bucket Ball. The Primary 5
Tee Ball game was won by Team 1 from Blackmore House,
while Team 3 from Lee House won at Basketball.
For four days during the March break from school, twentysix girls from Secondary Three braved the strong winds and
rain in Kuantan to gather field data at six different beaches,
facing the South China Sea. Their evenings were spent in the
hotel’s seminar room where they were taught the techniques
of field work; they had to analyse and present their field data as well as
explain the marine processes which have shaped the coastal landscapes at
Kuantan.
The girls, supervised by their Geography teachers, Mrs Chong Swee Kim
and Mrs Lim Yin Yoke, also observed and recorded the land-use of Cherating
Village where they interviewed both local and international tourists at this very
popular beach. Armed with the data they gathered, the students participated
in a simulation exercise where each group was a stake-holder involved in the
re-development of Cherating Village into a high-end resort.
The girls had their share of fun and excitement where they not only acquired
fieldwork skills in the study of Geography, but also experienced how the
coastal landscape could change dynamically.
The girls enjoyed themselves thoroughly, putting into practice the many skills they had learnt during
Physical Education lessons. And they appreciated sportsmanship and the value of team spirit in their quest
to outdo one another.
the last four weeks of the second Term at school, the girls in Primary Two were
P2 Ingiven
twelve intensive sessions in the pool, where they learnt all about safety in the
water. The first two lessons were conducted at the CCAB pool, and the rest at the
Aquatics ACJC pool. The girls built their confidence as they honed their skills in swimming,
and became more aware of the need to be independent to survive in water.
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The girls from the Malay Language and Tamil Language classes in the Primary school went on
another learning journey on Wednesday 16 May.
At noon, they left school for River Walk Tandoor to enjoy a buffet of North Indian cuisine. After lunch
they took a walk down memory lane in Sentosa; at the Images of Singapore they learnt about how
Singapore was transformed from a fishing village to a modern metropolis. Subsequently, they moved
to the Imbiah Lookout where they participated in several activities to learn more about the history
and multi-racial culture of Singapore.
It was 6.30 pm when they returned to school. For the girls, the Cultural Heritage Tour 2012 was
more than an adventure in learning; it made them more aware of the ethnic differences in their
community and of their role in preserving peace and harmony in Singapore.
On Friday 9 March 2012, the pupils from the Malay Language and Tamil Language classes came
together for an extraordinary learning journey. They actually went on a language trail which started
at Sungei Buloh and wound its way to the Singapore Flyer, and from there to the Singapore River
for a leisurely cruise.
On the trail, the girls from the Primary school learnt about Singapore’s natural heritage and ecology,
and about the impact of modernization. In the process, they were made aware of the importance
of language and its application in a dynamic community and an environment where change is
constant.
The journey took about eight hours, and when the girls returned to school at 5.30 pm, they were
eager to play their part in caring for the natural environment.
In the week of Wednesday 16 May to Thursday 24 May, the families and
friends of the girls in Primary One and Two had the pleasure of watching the
little ones in action at various Speech and Drama Concerts.
Having completed a 14-week programme of Speech and Drama lessons,
conducted in both the English and Chinese languages, the girls were more than
happy to showcase their skills on stage. In the course of the week, each class
had to perform a play in English and two in Chinese.
On Friday 20 April, the girls from Primary One, and Primary Four
to Six showcased at a concert, what they had learnt during Music
lessons. They sang and danced; they played various instruments like
the ukulele and the guitar, and they even made use of the timbre of
plastic, metal and wood to create a lively percussion.
They delighted the audience with their rendition of Waltzing
Matilda and I’ve got Peace like a River, and the much-loved Malay
folk songs, Rasa Sayang and Chan Mali Chan.
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At their Music Extravaganza
on Friday, 13 April, the
Primary 3 girls and their guests
from Mount Carmel School New
Delhi, India, held their audience
spellbound with the magic of music theatre.
Each class staged their rendition of a popular fairy
tale. There was Aladdin; and there were Molly and The
Tourists, Hansel and Gretel, Jack and the Beanstalk and
Cinderella.
The Music Extravaganza was the climax of an eightweek theatre course which prepared the girls for the
bright lights and the glamour on stage; classes in music
theatre allowed the girls to develop self-confidence,
creativity, communication skills and literary awareness.
Thereafter the girls readily gave of their time and energy
in rehearsal after rehearsal to refine the art of performing
and to captivate their audience. Mr Andrew Wilkinson
and Mrs Margaret Wilkinson, their instructors, were with
them all the way, encouraging and inspiring them to
shine on stage.
All proceeds from the sale of tickets were donated to
National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS).
The Outstanding All-Rounder Student (OARS) Awards
are presented to outstanding students studying in
schools within the North West District; these are
students who have excelled in the academic field
and in co-curricula activities, community service and
leadership roles.
The awards presentation ceremony for OARS 2012 was held on Tuesday 22 May at
the Grassroots’ Club in Ang Mo Kio; MGS received five awards given at school level.
Road Less Travelled
The first group of girls left Singapore on Thursday 17
May; subsequently other groups followed and were in
Kuching, Sarawak until Friday 25 May; the Secondary
Two classes were on their ROCs 2 learning journey.
Each class stayed four days in Kuching to learn of its
heritage and way of life. They visited the Malaysia
Pepper Board where they witnessed for themselves the
storing, processing and weighing of pepper, the Sarawak
Museum where they saw the natural history collection
and specimens of Sarawak’s fauna, and the Sarawak
Cultural Village where they learnt about Sarawak’s
different ethnic groups like the Iban, Melanau, Bidayuh
and Orang Ulu.
The learning experience at the Santubong Fishing
Village, was rare and unique, so too the experience at
the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre for wild animals.
At the Bidayuh Long House they observed how the
people lived under one roof and followed the traditional
communal way of life, untouched by modern civilization.
The last stop on their itinerary was at the Kek Lapis
Factory. The girls not only had the chance to help bake
the cakes, but they could also buy some to take home.
The Student Leaders who received their awards from the Guest of Honour,
Ms Sim Ann, MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and the Grassroots Adviser,
were Catherine Liew (P6.6), Sabine Wong (P6.4), Clara Lim (P6.4), Rachel
Loy (Sec 4S), Stephanie Chee (Sec 40) and Darolyn Tan (Sec 40). Rachel
was one of 24 students who receieved the OARS award at CDC level.
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MGS sent 11 teams of 3 each to participate in the World Scholar’s
Cup held at Nanyang Girls’ High School in the weekend of 21-22
April; in all there were about 300 participants from Singapore,
Vietnam, India and Brunei.
The World Scholar’s Cup is a tournament where teams explored
through debate, writing and quizzes, six topics from biotechnology
to the global economic crisis. The theme for 2012 was “A World
in Flux.” The top teams qualified for the global round held in
Bangkok in June, and these included all eleven teams from MGS
which made their mark in practically every event.
In the team event for persuasive writing, MGS swept the top two
awards; the team comprising Sarah Lu (sec 2T), Stephanie Kee
(Sec 3T) and Valerie Seah (Sec 2T) took the top award while
Lim Qi Min (Sec 3G), Anthea Chua (Sec 3G) and Chloe Liang
(Sec 3T), the second. A third MGS team was ranked 5th.
Sarah Ng (Sec 3H) was specially selected to participate in the Debate Showcase.
In the Scholar’s Bowl, Team MGS was ranked 3rd; and in the Scholar’s Challenge,
Anthea Chua captured the 3rd position in the individual category for both Literature
and Special Area : Post-modern Metropolis.
In the last week of the school break, the thirty-three girls travelled to Bangkok for the
Global Round.