SJI News (Jan-Mar2016)

SJI News • January – March 2016 1

SJI SJI SJI NewsNewsNews Significant events at St. Joseph's Institution

January – March 2016

SJI Celebrates Results of Class of 2015

In this issue: Page SJI Celebrates Results of Class

of 2015 1

SJI Welcomes the Secondary Ones at Orientation Camp

Secondary Two Boys Bond at ACE Camp

2

Learning Together and by Association

Seniors, Welcome to SJI

3

SJI Officially Begins the Academic Year

SJI commemorates Total Defence Day

4

SJI Fraternities Battle it out at 108th Sports Meet

Josephians Score at National School Games

5

Russell Kwong Wins Top Ball Boy Award

SJI NPCC & Scouts Bond With Campus Redevelopment Workers

6

Josephians Reflect on Lenten Journey at Easter Triduum

7

New Staff 8-9

"What it means to be a Josephian"

10

Alumnus Calvin Aditya Wins Inaugural Angelico Art Prize

SJI Mourns the Passing of Alumnus Fr Robert P. Balhetchet

11

SJI congratulates its 80 International Baccalaureate (IB) students and 347 secondary boys from the Class of 2015 on their examination results on 5 and 11 January.

SJI achieved a 100% IB Diploma pass rate, with the average score being 40.7 points out of a maximum of 45 points. Four students achieved a near perfect score of 44 points. Three students were also awarded the prestigious Bilingual Diploma. Also, 36 students (45% of the cohort) achieved at least 42 points and 57 students (71.25%) scored 40 points or above.

All our Secondary boys qualified for Junior College (JC), Millennia Institute or Polytechnic, with 96% qualifying for JC. 99.7% of candidates obtained at least 5 GCE 'O' passes. SJI achieved a distinction rate of 59%, with 133 boys obtaining 6 or more distinctions. SJI celebrates two of our top scorers – Gerald Neo (FN 402) and Camagni Fabio (LE 401) who came in with low PSLE scores and have now scored 6 and 8 points respectively.

Well done, Josephians!


Secondary Two Boys Bond at ACE Camp The Secondary Two boys started their new academic year with ACE Camp at the sunny island resort on Pulau Ubin. The boys were engaged in numerous outdoor activities from cycling to orienteering, and kayaking. Many boys picked up a new skill or two, or uncovered their hidden talents. During these days away from their usual comforts of city life, they went through the 'floods and furnace' of life, as they learned to live and survive in the outdoors. Friendships were strengthened and brotherhood forged – ties that will remain with them for a long time to come. ACE Camp 2016 helped our boys to become young men, and to learn to appreciate the finer and simpler things in life. More photos at https://www.flickr.com/photos/stjosephsinstitution/sets/72157663915860282/

SCHOOL EVENTS - ORIENTATION CAMPS

SJI Welcomes the Secondary Ones at Orientation Camp So much joy for our Secondary One boys this week: they had their SJI badges pinned on their shirts for first time by their Seniors, and they participated in a "rocking" campfire to end Orientation and to welcome them as Josephians. Many parents were on their feet singing too! Truly the SJI Spirit is alive and resounding! More photos available on our Flickr album: h t t p s : / / w w w . f l i c k r . c o m / p h o t o s /stjosephsinstitution/sets/72157663715978136/


SCHOOL EVENTS - ORIENTATION CAMPS

Seniors, Welcome to SJI! By Ngoh Ye Han Mark (JC208) 31 January 2016, a date that marked the start of a brand new journey for the newest members of the Josephian family – the Year 1 students at the Senior School section. Based on the theme ʹAfresh, A familyʹ, the J1s, led by their ever-passionate J2 Orientation Group Leaders, played, sang and cheered their hearts out over five days. They participated in activities ranging from ice-breaking sessions, to the Amazing Race that called upon the J1s to display teamwork, from the House Games where the passion for their Fraternities was on full show, to the Mass Dance where the J1s danced and swayed in tune with each other.

The J1s also learnt about SJI through the Heritage Trail, visiting stations to learn about SJIʹs values, as well as the significant people and events in the rich history of the school. They were introduced and taught about SJIʹs culture of service, and why and what it meant to be Lasallian. Special time, too, was allocated for the J1s to consolidate all that they had learnt and experienced with their Tutorial Groups in Peer Support Sessions. The Nightwalk was a time of serene and meaningful reflection of their growth during Orientation, as well as a sharing of their hopes and dreams for the upcoming two years. Senior School Orientation 2016 culminated in a campfire, in which thunderous cheers and singing filled the air. The orientation camp is not the end but the beginning of

a wonderful journey for the J1s as they continue to bond with their seniors and batch mates alike, whilst experiencing the Josephian community, and discovering for themselves what it means to be Josephian.

Learning Together and by Association

Our Secondary 3 boys and teachers spent three days at the annual Camp TABA (Together and by Association) during the first week of the new school year. They got to know each other and their teachers, learnt about themselves, appreciated nature and built community. An excellent start to a new school year! View more photos at https://www.flickr.com/photos/stjosephsinstitution/sets/72157664507319762/


SCHOOL EVENTS Secondary School SCHOOL EVENTS Secondary School

SJI Officially Begins the Academic Year The Inaugural Service is the first formal school assembly of the new academic year where the entire school community gathers together to celebrate its sense of being in a Lasallian community. To mark the beginning of the school year, the SJI community officially welcomed the newest additions to the school – students from both Secondary 1 and JC 1, and members of the teaching and non-teaching staff at the Inaugural Service.

The school also officially acknowledged all the student leaders who have been appointed to formal leadership positions at the same assembly. The Lasallian Awards were also presented to the following boys from Secondary 2 in 2015: Goo Jia Ming Tristan Paul (LE203) Rovin Thomas (FN203) Ezekial Tay Wei Harnn (MN203) Yeo Chee Wei Brandon (ML201) Bhojwani Yash Manoj (MN202) Basil Tan Song Sze (ML202)

Fr Adrian Danker reminded the school that all it will do this year will be in Godʹs holy presence. All have the task of celebrating this truth by sharing the gift of themselves with each other. The Inaugural Service concluded with a traditional lion dance performance and blessing of oranges, as part of the Lunar New Year celebrations. More photos on our Flickr album: h t t p s : / / w w w . f l i c k r . c o m / p h o t o s /stjosephsinstitution/sets/72157664117806030/

SJI commemorates Total Defence Day SJI commemorated Total Defence Day on 12 February, with the theme "Together We Keep Singapore Strong". We are proud that Colonel Mike Tan, an old boy, was present to share his experiences and views of Total Defence and its importance. He shared about being stationed in Indonesia in 1998 during the May riots, and how it relates to our Total Defence. The whole school enjoyed his sharing during assembly. It was a privilege to have Colonel Tan to spend time with his alma mater on this day.


SCHOOL EVENTS

Josephians Score at National School Games

The boys have done well in several zonal and national sporting events in the new academic year. These are our achievements till date (in alphabetical order): Badminton (C Division): 4th in South Zone Canoeing (B Division): National Champion Canoeing (C Division): 2nd in National Football (B Division): 3rd in South Zone Gymnastics-Trampoline (B Division): 3rd in National Gymnastics-Trampoline (C Division): 4th in National Hockey (B Division): 4th in National Sailing (B Division): 4th in National Sailing (C Division): 4th in National Table Tennis (B Division): Top 8 in National and 2nd

in South Zone Table Tennis (C Division): 3rd in National and 2nd in

South Zone Well done, Josephians!

SJI Fraternities Battle it out at 108th Sports Meet Josephians turned up at Bishan stadium on 4 March in their bright house colours and with their mascots to represent their fraternities at the Annual Track and Field Championships. They ran, they jumped, they threw. They cheered, they smiled, they got tanned. They had a great time at the SJI Sports Day!

More photos available on our Flickr album: h t t p s : / / w w w . f l i c k r . c o m / p h o t o s /stjosephsinstitution/albums/72157663411689804

Photo credit: RedSports.sg


SERVICE

Russell Kwong Wins Top Ball Boy Award During the BNP Paribas WTA Finals held in Singapore last October, 42 ball children aged between 12 and 18 were officially inducted during the programme. Russell Kwong (MN 301) was one of them. He was selected from 200 applicants, after a selection process and a compulsory training camp. Russell was also a ball boy at the SEA Games in June. A good ball kid working at an event of this level must have several characteristics such as agility, speed, accuracy, and above all, character. They must be committed to serve the players first. They must be able to roll the ball smooth and accurately and should not lose focus. They should also be cognisant of the movement of other ball kids on court. Russell was recognised for having these. With perseverance and determination, Russell went on to win the prestigious Top Ball Boy Award. He represented Singapore as a ball boy in the Australian Open from 8 to 22 January. Our warmest congratulations to Russell for winning this award! (Top photo: Russell (in the back row) with the other ball children. Bottom photo: Russell serves at the Australian Open)

SJI NPCC & Scouts Bond With Campus Redevelopment Workers By Tan Yi Long, SJI NPCC Station Inspector (ML402 ) The SJI NPCC Unit and Scouts Unit collaborated and embarked on a hike from SJI (Bishan) to SJI (Malcolm Road), where they interacted with the workers who are helping to renovate our school campus.

The intention of the hike was to foster the spirit of community between the boys from the two Uniformed Groups. The values-in-action (VIA) component was to give the boys a platform to serve the people who are serving us: the workers who are renovating our school. For the VIA activity, one student was paired up with one worker. They ate and talked with the workers, lending their ears to them.

The interaction with the workers held a very special meaning for everyone. During the hike, many of the boys struggled under the hot sun, walking a total of 6.1 km to SJI (Malcolm Road). The VIA activity made us realised that no matter how hard the hike was, it could never compare to the workers' struggles; waking up as early as 5am to come to work, and carrying heavy construction materials for more than 12 hours everyday.

Strangely, during the conversations, the workers did not complain but instead seemed very thankful for what they have earned, no matter how little or how hard they had to work for it. They were extremely selfless, sending back money to their homes even when they probably did not have enough for themselves. They may not have been in a Lasallian school, but they surely live our three core values. Faith: in things to turn out well and hopefully their families will benefit from their hard work. Service: although the intention of the VIA activity was for us to serve them, the workers served us instead, opening our eyes and minds, as they shared with us their personal experiences and teaching us so much more than we can ever give to them. Community: the workers did not know our students at

the start, but they conversed and interacted with an open heart, allowing our boys to hear parts of their lives.

Mr Andrew Martin, our teacher in charge of scouts, shared this quote with the boys before the start of the activity, which I personally feel resonated with this event: ''We are not a man for others, until we step up and decide to help another in need.''


SCHOOL EVENTS Secondary School SERVICE

Josephians Reflect on Lenten Journey at Easter Triduum On the eve of Good Friday (also known as Maundy Thursday), the SJI community came together to commemorate the Last Supper of the Lord. The Thursday morning assembly began with an unusual sombreness, as Josephians witnessed the humbling act of the washing of the feet of students by the school leaders. This was to remind us of the humble act of love and service by Jesus to his disciples at the Last Supper before his crucifixion. The Catholic boys then continued their reflection of the Lordʹs Passion in the evening at the Eucharistic Mass and washing of the feet by Fr Adrian Danker, SJ. This was followed by visitations to various churches around Singapore. Many of the students were grateful for the church visits as some of them have never visited the churches beyond their usual parishes. The boys also camped overnight till Good Friday morning, where they walked the Stations of the Cross, before ending the vigil with a service.

The school community rejoiced on Easter Monday morning, as they gathered to celebrate the Lordʹs Resurrection, with songs, blessings of holy water and Easter eggs, a symbol of new birth, new life. Alleluia! The Lord is Risen! During the Lenten season, the students from Sec 1 to 4 embarked on different service projects, as part of their Religious, Moral, Social Education (RMSE) programme. This helped them to learn to be men for others. The Sec 4 boys met with the families of the one-room HDB flat dwellers living in Toa Payoh Lorong 6. The boys rendered their services by cleaning these homes and providing essential foodstuffs, bringing much joy to these families during the Eastertide.

The boys from Legion of Mary at Church of The Holy Family

The boys walking the Stations of the Cross

The washing of feet before the Eucharistic Mass The Young Christian Society at Queen of Peace Church


NEW STAFF

The SJI family welcomes several new staff at the beginning of this term, and we have included a short introduction of

some of our new members in this issue of SJI News:

An old boy from the Class of 1991, Mr Alan Chan teaches Mathematics and heads SJIʹs Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) Dept. He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) with Distinction and a Masters in

Education (Mathematics Education).

Ms Beatrice Cho teaches IB Mathematics in the Senior School section. She previously taught at Raffles Institution and has worked on education policy and programmes at Student Development Curriculum Division, Ministry of Education.

Mr Firmin Silvester Lee teaches History in SJI. Upon graduation from the National University of Singapore, he went to Thailand to teach History and Geography, in both English and Thai, in two independent schools and stayed there for 5 years. The strong Catholic ethos in SJI attracted him to

join the school. He enjoys spending time with students as he believes that that is when education of the heart takes place.

"I always tell my students not to expect me to be the best teacher in school, but to be a better teacher than yesterday."

Ms Ang Swee Choo joined SJI last November as our new Bursar. She is a Chartered Accountant. She started her career as an auditor with Ernst & Young and spent 4 years there. She then spent the next 21 years in the consumer goods industry working in MNCs as a Financial Controller -

11 with Maxxium Singapore Fine Wines and Spirits Pte Ltd and 10 with Groupe Seb Singapore Pte Ltd. She brings with her a wealth of experience in financial planning, financial control and reporting.

Ms Denyse Beh is a Laboratory Technician at the IB Senior School Science Labs. Her first job at Science Centre Singapore sparked her interest in educating the public about Life Sciences.

Mr Frankie Ng heads the Facilities Department in SJI, where he and his team looks after the cleaning, security, equipment upkeep, repairs, vector control, building upkeep. An old boy from Class of 1983, he has gone a full circle by returning back

to his alma mater to work. He is grateful for the opportunity and hopes to bring with him the industry's best practices and process to complement and enhance the facilities operations of SJI.


NEW STAFF

Ms Iolanda Micco teaches IB Chemistry in the Senior School section. She has a Diploma in Teaching, a Degree in Medicinal Chemistry from University of Pisa and a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Siena. She has been working as researcher in drug

discovery process for about 10 years in a Medicines Research Center (Siena Biotech) in Siena (Italy), where she played the role of medicinal chemist and project leader of research programs in neurodegeneration area. She has two lovely kids, who are enjoying the beautiful life of Singapore.

Mr Kelvin Seet teaches IB Economics and CAFFE in the Senior School section. He has taught 'A' Level Economics previously before joining the Ministry of Education as an Economics Curriculum Planning Officer.

''To be a LaSallian educator - allows me to not only focusing on academic excellence but more importantly to grow in faith and community with my fellow colleagues and students. To be able to share my love for Economics with my students and guide them towards appreciating how this discipline allows them to view interactions between economies and peoples as more than just a way of life.''

Mr Paolo Macario is an Economics and a Theory of Knowledge (TOK) teacher in the Senior School section. He was born in Tilburg (Netherlands) and raised both in the Netherlands (Mother) and Italy (Father). He has a Master of Science (MSc) diploma in Economics from

Universiteit van Amsterdam, a MSc diploma in teaching Economics from Leiden University and a MSc diploma in teaching Business and Management from the Vrije Universiteit. He has been teaching for the past 6 years, 4 of which in The Netherlands and 2 in Singapore. He is pleasantly surprised by the can-do attitude of the staff he had been involved with so far and the general level of energy that hangs in the air at SJI.

Ms Wong Yee Lin teaches chemistry in the secondary school. She has 15 years of teaching experience in chemistry subjects. She has previously taught at Catholic High School.

ʹʹThe learning of chemistry is more than knowledge and facts. The challenge is to understand the relevance of chemistry in the real world.ʹʹ

Prior to teaching lower secondary science in SJI, Mr Jerry Tai taught physics and general science in secondary schools. Currently he is in the process of completing his M.Ed (Science) at NIE. He is thankful to have a lovely wife, two beautiful children, wonderful parents and in-

laws who treat him like their own son. When he is not teaching, he spends time with his family. Occasionally, he creates stationary waves on his guitar.

Ms Lee Yee Wei teaches Chinese Language and has a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese from Nanyang Technological University. What she likes about what she does at SJI: the holistic education that focus on character education as well as academic results.

Ms Judy Liew graduated from NUS with a BA in Arts and Social Science (Geography) in 2010. She received her PGDE from NIE soon after and went straight into teaching. It's been about four years now and sheʹs still loving it. She teaches Secondary 3 Geography in SJI.

Mdm Vimaldevi Venkhatesham Pillai teaches Tamil Language. She has a Masters in Tamil Literature at Madras University. She loves the SJI environment and working with nice colleagues, and the boys are responsive and eager to learn.

Ms Wong Kah Yan graduated from NUS with a degree in Electrical Engineering. She teaches Sec 2 Science and Sec 3 Physics. She had previously taught in two other schools before joining SJI.

Ms Yasmine Chan teaches art at lower sec, upper sec and JC levels. She also teaches the ArtScience programme. She graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Architecture. Yasmine was previously teaching in her alma mater - National JC, in the Art Elective Programme for 8 years.


"What it means to be a Josephian"

As part of the new Secondary One cohort's induction, SJI called upon its alumni to share what it meant to them to be a Josephian. 16 alumni rallied to this call and returned on 4 February 2016 to speak to the Secondary One boys who were eager to receive their wisdom and to hear their stories about SJI. The following is a reflection written by one of the speakers, Ian Monteiro (Class of 1984) on his experience at the first of such sessions: ʹʹ ʹAll through our college, a voice is resounding, Promptly respond to your dutyʹs sweet call.ʹ Dramatic license aside, the voice that was resounding was actually an old schoolmate on the phone requesting if I would join a group of Old Boys in making a short talk to the Secondary One cohort of this year. The talk was to share with them what it meant to be a Josephian, what the school spirit entailed, and what memories we might dredge up that could possibly mean anything to this new generation. It would have been easy to say ʹI would love to, but...ʹ. The truth is that my schedule was indeed tight, work was piling up, I had enough stress on important deadlines; and really, I was hardly spending enough time with my own kids, what more trying to connect with those of strangers! I had better, more productive things to do. But, it struck me that generations of Old Boys often bemoan the sad demise of the school spirit, of how visits to the alma mater were a dis-spiriting affair, of how the good old days were just a distant echo. So, what were we doing about things aside from sighing into our beers at alumni meetings? ʹDutyʹs sweet callʹ? This was a spur to put aside the ambivalence and ennui and actually try to make a difference. So off I went, digging through dusty shelves and dustier memories for mementoes of a journey through an angst-filled and eventful chunk of the teenage years. A few photos were all I could salvage, although thankfully memory lane was more forthcoming. And indeed, as the years rolled back, as I compared 48-ish year old faces on Facebook with teenaged versions in faded gloss, as incidents hilarious, sad, exciting, and mundane swirled through the mind, it was more than mere sentimentality that gave me frequent pause on this memory trip. This was indeed such a big, huge part of my life. In four short years, I had found friendship, kinship, travails, triumphs, and meaning that shaped the man I was to become. Suddenly, this wasn't just about an hour spent reading off some text about what the school crest meant, or sharing tales of the madcap antics we pulled off. I could just make out the almost-forgotten, much younger (and chubbier) boy-self who wanted to show a new set of boys what a ride he had gone through, what an enviable, defining dash they were in for. What I would have given to relive those years again, to live that journey again as one of them. So there I was, facing the class assigned to me. I started talking, and listening; hearing how and why they ended up here. As I casually told them it didnʹt matter how they ended up here but that they were going to be brothers before this ended, that being in SJI as a fulfilment of a personal or paternal goal or as an alternative to a path they couldn't take was immaterial, they were going to learn so much more than the texts they would go through, I felt a bittersweet sting - a throwback to my own rite of passage. I also felt pride and certainty that many of them would be feeling this same way before they left these gates. The wide open eyes (and mouths) as they wondered if this old geezer really pre-dated even the Malcolm road campus, the interest in the old tuckshops, the fights, the camaraderie, the trials we put the poor teachers through, they resonated. The precious, half-forgotten incidents that forged bonds of brotherhood seemed reflected in enquiring eyes even as they were recounted; one hopes that they will engender bonds anew in generations anew. And, although prepared by instruction they may be, cliched and corny they may be, the thank you cards prepared for the Old Boys by the new ones touched many of us geezers. One day theyʹll know why maudlin things like a hand-drawn badge and old school facade with a ʹʹWelcome Backʹʹ and ʹʹOnce a Josephian, always a Josephianʹʹ will pull at heartstrings one would never have known existed. Speaking for myself now, thank you LE102, for reminding me why I once wanted any sons I had to follow my footsteps into SJI as I did my father, and why I hope again that my sons will be Josephians one day too. Thank you for letting me share my stories with you.ʹʹ

ALUMNI

Simon Seow & Dr Jeremy Netto with boys from FN102

Ian Monteiro talking to the boys at Class LE102


ALUMNI

St. Joseph's Institution Holding Site: 21 Bishan Street 14, Singapore 579781

Phone: 6250 0022 Fax: 6253 3640 Email: [email protected] Website: www.sji.edu.sg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stjosephsinstitution

SJI Mourns the Passing of Alumnus Fr Robert P. Balhetchet SJI mourns the passing of our alumnus, Fr Robert P. Balhetchet, a diocesan priest in Singapore. Fr Balhetchet passed away on 15 March 2016, at the age of 77. An old boy of SJI, he completed his secondary education in 1954, before he was enrolled in the Minor seminary in the same year. He was ordained on 26 January 1964. After his ordination, Fr Balhetchet was appointed Assistant Rector of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. He was awarded his doctorate on ecclesiology at the age of 37 and was sent to teach at his alma mater, College General in Penang. Fr Balhetchet played an important role in Singapore Education. He was instrumental in the planning and conceptualisation of moral education in Singapore schools. In October 1978, the late Dr Goh Keng Swee, then Minister for Education and Deputy Prime Minister, convened the Moral Education Committee in response to concerns about the state of moral education in Singapore. At age 39, Fr Balhetchet was put in charge of preparing the curriculum and teaching materials for a revised national moral education programme, which resulted in the introduction of the

"Being & Becoming" programme and also led to the Good Citizen (好公民) programme for primary schools. While working on the same programme, he returned to Singapore in 1980 to serve as the Rector of the Cathedral. He was also a member of the planning committee behind the building of the St Francis Xavier Major Seminary in Singapore, and the chaplain of the Carmelite Convent. Fr Balhetchet celebrated his Sacerdotal Golden Jubilee in 2014 at the Church of Our Lady Queen of Peace. May eternal rest grant unto Fr Robert Balhetchet, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.

Alumnus Calvin Aditya Wins Inaugural Angelico Art Prize

The youth category of Singapore's inaugural Catholic art prize, the Angelico Art Prize, was won by alumnus Calvin Aditya (Class of 2014) on 26 February. Fellow alumnus Anthony Halim (Class of 2014) also exhibited his painting, "Conflict". The Angelico Art Award is the first thematic Christian art prize in Singapore. It seeks to promote creative endeavours through the integration of art and faith. The theme for the 2016 art award is ʹWho do you say I am?ʹ (Matthew 16:15). The 2016 Angelico Art Award Exhibition was held at Triple.Two Artspace at Queen Street from 27 Feb - 6 Mar 2016. Calvin has generously donated $400 from his prize money to SJI, in appreciation to his alma mater which had played an immense role in his development as an art student.

Top: Calvin with Fr Adrian Danker and Mrs Vivian Tan (HOD, Arts), in front of his winning entry, "Ascension". Left: Winners of the Angelico Art Award

IN MEMORY

SJI News (Jan-Mar2016)

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Transcript of SJI News (Jan-Mar2016)