2012 Issue 1 | 1

2012 Issue 1

Celebrating the Men & Women of NJC

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CONTRIBUTORS

Yong Ding Li works full time as a Science, Research and Man and Ideas teacher at National Junior College. He is passionate about biodiversity conservation and dedicates his time to the Nature Society (Singapore) where he coordinates research for its bird study group. He is currently the vice-chairman of the Southeast Asian Biodiversity Society, and a member of the IUCN Species Survival Commission.

Dorothy Chua was a student in the Arts Stream at NJC from 1991 to 1992. She was a proud member of the NJC Choir, a founder of the NJC Choir Alumni and is now teacher in charge of the Choir. She is also serving the College as Head of Department for English. Happily married is she and she has two sons.

Karen Oh is an ex-student who currently teaches GP and Literature at National Junior College. She enjoys reading and writing, with a special interest in poetry and the concept of Heroism. She is also an avid fan of Japanese manga and Mandarin rock music.

Adrian Tan was an Art Elective Programme (AEP) student during his time in National Junior College. He currently teaches AEP at NJC and is the teacher in charge of the Photographic Society. He is also an Associate Educator at the Singapore Art Museum and The National Art Gallery, collaborating with like minded art educators to encourage museum education.

ISSUE COVERThe College is as good as the people who work for, live in and contribute to it. This issue is dedicated to the young men and women from NJC and their contributions to the College and society.

EDITORS Dorothy Chua, Chua Siok Kheng PHOTOGRAPHS NJC Photographic Society, Adrian Tan DESIGN Neo Chee Peng PRINTER MOA Trading Pte. Ltd CONTACT National Junior College, 37 Hillcrest Road, Singapore 288913 , Tel 6466 1144, njc@moe.edu.sg WEBSITES www.njc.edu.sg www.njc-alumni.org ONLINE VERSION issuu.com/njconnect/docs/2012-1

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All rights reserved © National Junior College, MOE. Reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited without the written permission. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this

publication, no responsibility can be held for errors or omission. The information is correct at the time of printing.

INTE

RVIE

WS

FRIENDS

4 | NJCONNECTAthe big

SCHOOLIFE

2012 Issue 1 | 5A2011 GCE A Level Results

Our students have once more done the College proud by achieving remarkable results. The class of 2011 performed well in the 2011 GCE A Level Examinations. There was more than 9% improvement in the number of 4 H2 and 2 H1 passes.

Of these, 99 students scored 6 Distinctions or more. Overall, close to 1 in 2 students scored 3 or 4 H2 Distinctions!

More than a third of the students who offered a H3 subject also managed to score a H3 Distinction. We are proud to congratulate Victoria Lim Zhen Yi and Tan Yu Jia who each scored 8 Distinctions.

We would also like to highlight and congratulate Yuan Bo, who achieved 7 Distinctions, for being awarded the Institute of Physics, Singapore (IPS) Gold Medal for Excellence in Physics.

Apart from excellence in Science, our College has also done well in the Arts. Nandini Jayanthinathan was awarded the prestigious Angus Ross Prize by the University of Cambridge International Examinations, an award given to the best performing non-British candidate in the GCE A-Level English Literature Examination. Read the extract from The Straits Times, May 12 2012, Page B10.

Congratulations to the class of 2011 for their excellent performance!

[ ]KAREN OH

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Friday, 18 May, saw members of the Junior and Senior Student Councils, as well as a number of new faces, all excitedly seated in the College Hall in deep anticipation. Also present were our Principal, Mrs Virginia Cheng, Vice-principals, Mr Nick Chan and Ms Amy Ng, and many teachers, students and proud parents who had all gathered to witness this very special ceremony. Making a special appearance to share his experiences was Colonel Melvin Ong, former Student Council President and now a senior officer in the Singapore Armed Forces charged with charting long term directions for the military.

In line with this year’s Investiture theme ‘Inspirate: Live to Inspire’, Colonel Ong’s refreshing and inspiring speech addressed the demands of a rapidly changing world and why it is important for young people to adapt quickly to keep up with events happening all over the world. It wasn’t long before the Investiture reached its climax, marked by resounding applause: the handing over of duties of the 44th Student Council, helmed by Teresa Liew and Michael Lee, outgoing Presidents of the Senior and Junior Student Council respectively, to Paula Chiam and Isabel Tan who from now would steer the direction of the Senior and Junior Student Council respectively in the coming year. Paula and Isabel, as well as a number of the newly elected council members shared their hopes and aspirations for the Council, a moment which truly echoed the vigour and passion of the new Councillors.

The Investiture literally ended with a bang with hundreds of colourful balloons, party poppers and cheering students!

Student Council Investiture 2012

INSPIRATE

SCHOOLIFE

YONG DINGLI

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Student Council Investiture 2012

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Servicewith Honour!

SCHOOLIFE

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FUN is Backfor a third time!

FUNTASIA

SCHOOLIFE

3YONG DINGLI

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After a long wait of more than five years and after many weeks of late-night meetings and planning by the NJC Alumni, teachers from the Student Relations Committee (who happen to be alumni as well) and representatives from the Student Council, Funtasia was finally back again! Mooted by the NJC Alumni and supported by the College, Funtasia3@NJC aimed to foster closer ties among NJCians, build up the entrepreneurial and leadership skills of our students and raise funds for College and Student development. Besides our regular open houses, competitions, concerts and symposia, it was uncommon to see so many people up and about in the early hours of a Saturday morning – 21 April 2012 to be precise – putting the finishing touches to their booths.

Funtasia3@NJC was particularly memorable, not just because of the fact that it had been a long time since the last event. Funtasia3@NJC also showcased the entrepreneurial spirit of NJCians in the amazing variety of game booths that lined the Atrium and stretching into the canteen. A stroll through the booths revealed games that involved throwing angry birds at target pigs, fishing marbles with chopsticks, running loops through wires and even an inflated stage for ‘gladiators to jostle’ on. Haunted houses are usually the mainstay in many a fair and this was no exception.

The gym was revamped in a maze of decorated tables, now haunted by cloaked ‘ghosts’ and ‘monsters’ waiting to pounce on the unwary visitors, who formed snaking queues at the entrance.

Not too far away in the amphitheatre was another hotspot of excitement: the dunking machine! Many of the teachers and even the Vice-Principals became ‘bidder’s items’ for the day when they were offered up to be dunked at the highest possible bid, all in the name of good humour and fun. Many got wet, many cheered on and many more dollars were raised for the College.

Of course not all stalls were running activities and games. A closer inspection of many stalls revealed them to be selling a plethora of merchandise ranging from traditional Chinese calligraphy, 3-D paper models of world famous landmarks like Sydney Opera House, personalised badges and to top it all, there were also a number of stalls in the designated Beauty Zone offering cool cosmetic services like nail-painting, hair braiding, henna art etc.

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jaws was invited too!

SCHOOLIFE

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Somehow, we all look forward to see our favourite teacher dunked. It always draws in the crowds.

Not wanting to miss out on the fun, the Alumni and Parent-In-Action Group also set up their stalls offering a range of drinks, ice-cream, exquisitely-baked and sumptuous cakes from BakersWorld (owned by an Alumni member), laksa and mee-siam. Those familiar with Ya Kun toast and coffee were also surprised by its presence. Yes, indeed, there is an Alumni connection there as well!

Amidst the sounds and sights of Funtasia3@NJC, Minister of Transport, Mr Lui Tuck Yew, was spotted. He was the Guest-of-Honour for the Active Ageing Initiative through NJC’s Learning-On-The-Move (LOTM) that took place that same morning. Mr Lui and the active senior citizens were invited to join in the Funtasia revelry after their exploration of the Bukit Timah area with the LOTM devices. He was impressed and heartened by the efforts put in by the students and teachers and he even visited our Haunted House and took pictures with some of our students in their ghostly costumes.

By 5pm, the good day had to come to an end. Despite the tired looks and amount of packing that remained, we were sure that everyone had a good time not only because of the games played, but because of the new friendships forged and rapport built! The question posed by many to the President of the NJC Alumni after Funtasia3@NJC was, “When will Funtasia4 be?”

Two feisty young ladies!

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Our sports CCAs have performed well in the Nationals, with many finishing in the top 4 positions. In particular, the A Division boys in Shooting did us proud by becoming the 2nd runner-up for air rifle and the 1st runner-up for air pistol. Our Basketball B Division girls similarly put up a good fight and brought back the trophy as the 2nd runner-up. Our Canoeing teams have done extremely well once again. Our A Division boys ended the race as one of the top four teams. Our B Division girls won the 2nd runner-up position and our A Division girls brought home the Championship for the 10th consecutive year. Well done, NJC!

National Schools’ Achievements

SCHOOLIFE

KAREN OH

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On 24 February 2012, our College organised our annual Road Run, together with Total Defence Day celebrations. Everyone participated with great enthusiasm in the Road Run, which aimed to promote a healthy lifestyle among the College’s population. This year, the Parent-Child race was added to the Road Run. This gave parents a chance to run with their children and interact with other parents. To make the day more exciting and memorable, staff and students also had the opportunity to view military and medical exhibits from the 41st Battalion Singapore Armoured Regiment (41 SAR) and the Singapore Police Force as part of the Total Defence Day Celebrations.

As the culmination of a week-long Total Defence Celebrations in NJC (20 February to 24 February 2012), police officers from the Bukit Timah Neighbourhood Police Centre, under the Tanglin Police Division, gave students the chance to explore the Anti-Riot Vehicle and other equipment. The 41 SAR displayed their Bronco All-Terrain Tracked Vehicle used by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) medical team and their 3rd generation medical equipment. This greatly impressed our students, who were highly excited to get a first-hand experience of the medical support capabilities of the SAF.

Road Run and Total Defence Day CelebrationsKAREN OH

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As with most gatherings today, ours started with mass email. And as with many mass email exchanged between working adults today, correspondents replied from different corners of the world. But the convergent point for the auspicious gathering for the 20th Anniversary of the 91-92 OAC was Singapore, at The Dew, the cozy abode of Ban Kiong and Gina. The former was the QM and the latter the Secretary of this batch of OACians.

This was not the first gathering for the 91-92 OAC. But what distinguished this gathering was the presence of the OAC Shield. The idea of getting the 80cm tall and 60cm wide OAC Shield for this gathering was borne out of Ban Kiong’s effort in digitizing his old OAC photos of yesteryears. In the numerous group photos showing all the playful and fun-loving formations the OACians were in was the consistent presence of the made-in-1981/82 OAC Shield.

The presence of the OAC Shield at our gathering brought much joy to the OACians present. Indescribable joy to be specific. Amidst the food, the updating and the friendly teases were talk and reminiscences inspired by the Shield. The Shield became the focal point of this gathering. This would not be possible if it was not for the help of the middle-persons, Swee Kiang and Ms Dorothy Chua and the kind loaning of the Shield from the current OAC teacher in-charge Ms Jessica Gao and the current OAC President, Eunice.

91-92 OAC CNY Gathering on 21 Jan 2012

BFFDOROTHY CHUA

ALUMNINEWS

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The 91-92 OACians taking a photo with the beloved OAC Shield and our wonderful teacher in-charge, Mr Steven Tan, in 1992.

And here is another group photo with the OAC Shield for the 91-92 OACians. Just this time round, we included the super junior OACians. Thanks to Lin Kiat for the photograph and thanks to him too for initiating and inviting the OACians to this gathering.

 

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ProfessorHO PENG KEE studied in National Junior College in

1971 and 1972 before going on to earn a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the National University of Singapore (NUS), and a Master of Laws (LLM) from Harvard University. He was the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Law, NUS, before he entered politics and served as a Member of Parliament in the Sembawang GRC (1991 – 2001) and Nee Soon East SRC (2001 – 2011), and as Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs. Even though Professor Ho has retired from politics, he continues to support important causes he has advocated for the past 20 years in public service, in particular, nurturing the spirit of volunteerism in Singaporeans.

INTERVIEWS

CHUA SIOK KHENG

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What were the most memorable experiences you had as a student in NJC? There were many memorable moments as I had a great time at NJC. I was in the Social Committee of the 3rd Students’ Council helping to organize and emcee for events such as the Hush, Hunt & Hootenany that brought the whole school together. I captained the school football team and a boys’ team that sparred with the state netball team on Saturdays. I also did the high hurdles in the school athletics meet even though I was no more than 5 ft 4 and a half inch then! I won the Best Actor Award in our school drama festival. I made many wonderful friends and had a few very close ones with whom I played and studied together in the library, in the lecture rooms and on a table at the back of the hall. I also enjoyed my conversations with the then Principal, Mr Lim Kim Woon. What more can I say, except that it was amazing I went through and enjoyed so much in such a short time!

What are your main takeaways from your work as an academic in NUS and as a politician? Grasp the opportunities to do good, especially to impact lives positively, as they present themselves. Be true to yourself, especially your core values. Enjoy whatever you do and always give it your best shot. Live life passionately. Never put people down. Never be proud.

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independent, responsible lives in my 18 years of full-time politics (but we always had our annual 2-week vacation overseas when great family bonding took place while driving around the United States, Australia, Europe etc. on our own). Last and certainly not least, God for coming into my life in 1976 and giving me a strong moral compass that ensured that my youthful passions and energies were properly channelled. What do you usually do in your free time? Whilst in politics, I did not have much “free time”. Then, I enjoyed my family, especially when my kids were young. We enjoyed travelling together. We are also a very sporting family with the 5 of us, in total, playing 6 games competitively, i.e. soccer, basketball, netball, softball, touch rugby, athletics and badminton for school, college, university etc. We also cycled often. Now, in retirement from politics, I promote and support worthy causes such as sports, voluntarism and youth development. I am now more active in church and also spend more time reading the Bible and Christian literature. I am likely to return to teach part-time at the Law Faculty of NUS at the end of 2011.

How did your time in NJC influence your decision to be an academic and politician? NJC brought home to me in a real way its motto, Service With Honour. It gave me a great platform to hone and sharpen my leadership skills. Its many activities, especially the sporting and outdoor ones taught me resilience, social skills and independence. An active and energised bunch of students drawn from so many schools all over Singapore enjoying relative freedom in a “college” setting, we were really like stones sharpening one another. Incidentally, my family holds the record of having 5 siblings enrolled in NJC in consecutive years, i.e. the first 5 years of the College’s establishment. I had great teachers too who taught with passion and humility and who treated us as young adults; Mr Lim Chin Tok, Mr Subramanian, Mrs Pearl Goh, Mrs Mok Chin Hoe, Ms Kwa, Mr Ravindran, Mr Twang Peck Ee, Ms Sion, Mr Lim Kai Huat, Mr Balbir Singh, Mr Seah Lye Huat, Ms Rebecca Mok and Mrs Dutt (my apologies if I have omitted anyone!)

How do you think NJCians can play a more active role as citizens in our society? There are already many NJCians making their mark in politics, the civil service, businesses, the arts and sports etc. I’m proud of this fact. I suggest that the NJC Alumni can play a more active role in channeling the energies and resources of younger NJC

alumni towards worthy causes. This is especially pertinent as more and more of the early batches of NJCians have begun to take on a slower pace in life. For instance, we can initiate a series of informal talks or “fireside” chats where some of us can share our experiences and so on.

Who and/or what would you attribute your successes in life to? I am thankful for parents who provided very well for me materially and emotionally. My father did not share very much quality time with me (the oldest son with 5 elder sisters and a younger brother and a younger sister), but when he died prematurely after a 6-month struggle with cancer in 1973 (I was in NS then), he had taught me enough life lessons from his quiet, determined, responsible lifestyle to last me a lifetime of reflection that continues to motivate me up to this day. My mother soldiered on and ran the family business after my father’s passing despite her being a housewife all the while. That is also an inspiration in determination to me. My wife and 3 daughters (now 29, 25 and 20 years old) supported me by leading

INTERVIEWS

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This book recounts how, in 1969, the first batch of students and teachers in the National Junior College built up from scratch every aspect of college life, paving way to a new approach to pre-university education. Guided by a dedicated principal, Mr Lim Kim Woon, and working with committed teachers, the student pioneers carved out a philosophy of teamwork and determination, leaving behind a legacy for others to follow as well as learning life lessons that prepared them for years after.

Most importantly, it is a book that celebrates youth, love, friendship and honour.

If you would like to purchase a copy, please contact the College at 6466 1144.

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Ms Tung Soo Hua (second row 5th from the left) and Mr Edward Chia (second row 2nd from the left) for being awarded The Outstanding Young Alumni Award in December 2011. This award recognises National University of Singapore alumni aged 40 and below who have distinguished themselves for their contributions in their chosen field, their alma mater or the alumni community, exemplifying the best attributes of youth in today’s world. The award ceremony was held on 4 November at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House, NUS.

Soo Hua and Edward certainly epitomize our NJC motto Service with Honour!

Heartiest Congratulations to our NJC Alumni,

ALUMNINEWS

We are shouting out for ex-AEPians who are designers or architects; working in advertising, film, video or photography industries; working on the software, computer games and electronic publishing; involved in music, the visual and performing arts or publishing, television or radio.

Are you an ex-AEPian working in the arts or creative industries? We would like to start a discussion with you.

Drop us an email if you are keen on engaging with current AEPians, establishing collaborations with the current students (internships, apprenticeships or assignments) or simply sharing your experiences with us!

Email: adrian_tan_peng_chai@moe.edu.sg

*The NJC Art Elective (AEP) programme was established in 1985 and has been a successful programme for artistically inclined NJCians.

SHOUT-OUTS

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SHOUT-OUTS

As an e-magazine sent to all alumni, NJConnect aims to bring you news of what is happening in NJC. We would like this to be an avenue for alumni to reconnect with the school, friends and school mates through stories of joys, victories, life journeys, passions and interests. We want it to be fun, enjoyable, inspirational and for it to bring smiles, laughter or even surprises to the readers as they flip through these few pages.

We are therefore calling for your contributions on any of the following:

PASSION

Share with us your passion for anything, it can be work, business, community projects or hobbies. Let the alumni know what you are up to and you might be able to find people who share your passion or require your expertise.

LIFESTYLE

Share anything here! It can be your travel journal, not-so-secret recipe (since you can’t exactly share a secret recipe), experiences working or living abroad, or just your favourite haunts in Singapore.

NJC SHOUT-OUTS

Update your friends and alumni on any thoughts or events happening around you, like finding the love-of-your-life or to thank someone who has helped or inspired you. Or you can tell your friends that you miss them!

Stay connected with NJC on the webNJC Website www.njc.edu.sg

NJC Alumni Website www.njc-alumni.orgNJC Facebook search “NJC Alumni”

Please send your stories, write-ups, journals, shout-outs, etc. together with pictures (at least 300 ppi) to njconnectnjc@gmail.com. Queries may also be directed there.

We’d love to hear from you!

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