Character and CitizenshipEducation

Staff Well-Being and Development

Partnership

Teaching and Learning

Student All-Round Development

Mrs A. Abraham Caring Award

Principal’s Message

President’sMessage

The Hildan HeraldSt. Hilda’s Secondary School • 2015

Student Council

CCA Achievements 2015 (as of July ‘15)

New Staff

Mdm Toh Sock HuiHOD/Mother Tongue

Chinese

Mrs Ho Yi-TinnSchool Counsellor

Mr Syed Muhammad AlkaffAED

Mr Lee Jun YiMathematics, Physics

Ms Kuan Hai ChengEnglish Language

Mdm Koh Mei Lan Diane, Jael

LH/Mathematics

Mr Koh Hoon LeongHistory/Social Studies

Mr Rames s/o PonpandenMathematics, CPA

As the President of the Student Council, I have learnt that to be a great leader, I must first humble myself to serve the school community and work collaboratively with my fellow student leaders for the common good of the school. I strongly believe that a good Christian servant-leader serves God through developing others to their fullest potential. That is why I serve to lead, and lead to serve my fellow Hildans. In life’s journey, there will be obstacles but God’s wisdom and strength will see us through, even in the darkest storm.

Written by Ryan Lemuel Yong Zhi Ying, 4H

The School Management Committee, Alumni and Parents’ Support Group congratulate the school for achieving the School Distinction Award and being recognised for the five Best Practises

Boys’ BrigadeJM Fraser Award for Excellence 2015 – Gold Award & Best Company for Senior ProgrammeFounder’s Man Award: Cheong Fu ShengLee Wei Jie SamuelSamuel Chiang Wen BinSeow Zi XiangTeo Guo Long

Girls’ BrigadeAnnual Company Award 2014 – SilverLow Guat Tin Challenge 2015 – 1 Gold and 2 Silver awards

National Police Cadet CorpsUnit Overall Proficiency Award 2014 – Gold Award & Outstanding Award (5 consecutive years of Gold Award)SPF Badge Award: Mujahid B MahamoodNurin Tijani Bte TiranaSiti Nuradilla Bte KassimNur Khairunnisa Bte Ab Khalim

National Civil Defence Cadet CorpsOverall Unit Proficiency Award 2014 – Silver AwardPinnacle Badge – Bryan Tan Wei Yi

Volleyball National Schools Volleyball Championship 2015 (‘B’ Boys) – 1st East Zone Schools Volleyball Championship 2015 (‘B’ Boys) – 1st East Zone Schools Volleyball Championship 2015 (‘B’ Girls) – 3rd

NetballEast Zone Schools Netball Championship 2015 (‘B’ Girls) – 2nd

HockeyNational Schools ‘B’ Division 11-a-side Boys 2015 – Quarter Finalist

Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation 2015Hildan Wind OrchestraSingapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation 2015 – Distinction Hildan ChoraleSingapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation 2015 – DistinctionDrama ClubSingapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation 2015 – Accomplishment Handbell EnsembleSingapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation 2015 – DistinctionGuitar EnsembleSingapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation 2015 – Commendation

Excellence is a journey for us here at St. Hilda’s Secondary. It is a journey where we set our common goal and we work together as a family toward it. Reaching a consensus on what is our common goal is therefore important lest we head in the wrong direction. Thus, for a good part of 2013 and 2014, we had conversations involving the staff and stakeholders to chart our direction.

The driving force that keeps us moving forward is the desire to achieve a culture of excellence, not as an end but as a means to help us realise our vision of ‘An excellent institution recognised for bringing up pupils with a love for God, life and learning’. Each child comes through the school gate with the potential that God has given him and we want to nurture that potential in a community where the culture of excellence is there to support it. Additionally, for Hildans to grow in excellence, a culture of care must go hand-in-hand with the culture of excellence. In other words, we care enough to support our Hildans in discovering their potential.

Some years back, we encapsulated the vision of Hildans who love God, life and learning in the Hildan Distinctive - Every Hildan A Leader, Confident, Caring and Disciplined. Building on that, today we Go Forward to develop Hildans who are Critical and Inventive Thinkers, Reflective and Self-directed Learners, and Caring and Collaborative Contributors.

How do we go about doing that? We aim for excellence in our vision-setting, strategic planning, and staff training and development to provide a holistic learning experience for Hildans. We

Mrs A. Abraham was Principal of St. Hilda’s School and later St. Hilda’s Secondary School from 1969 to 1997.  She saw the move of the school from Ceylon Road to Tampines, from one full girls’ school to two co-ed schools.  Known for her caring and nurturing leadership, she returned to the Lord on 24th Feb 2015.  In memory of her leadership and contribution, on the proposal of the Principal of St. Hilda’s Secondary, the Alumni sponsored and instituted the Mrs A. Abraham Caring Staff Award and Mrs A. Abraham Caring Student Award for both the Primary and Secondary Schools.  The first recipient of the staff award was Mr Lee Kim Seng, Senior School Counsellor.

Written by Mr Khoo Tse Horng

When I received the Mrs A. Abraham Caring Staff Award, it was also the time for me to leave St. Hilda’s Secondary School. Looking back, for me, the award was a testimonial of the changes I had helped create. A triangle of care has guided me all these years. The first vertex is the staff creed: think team. As a team, we are better caregivers and it is more sustainable. The second vertex is to take action when there is an issue. The third vertex is not to count the costs. This care triangle has always helped motivate me to guide people in better handling the situation when issues arise.

Written by Mr Lee Kim Seng

Publication Committee: Ms Wendy Chan, Mdm Caroline Wong, and Ms Kuan Hai Cheng

are happy that our constant efforts to improve were affirmed recently by MOE when we were validated and conferred the esteemed School Distinction Award, and all five Best Practices: Student All-Round Development, Teaching and Learning, Character and Citizenship Education, Staff Well-being and Development, and Partnership. We give God the glory for blessing our labour of love. I am very much humbled by my colleagues’ hard work and the support from our partners and stakeholders, School Management Committee, Alumni, Parents’ Support Group, the Diocese of Singapore and Singapore Anglican Community Services, and Tampines Community.

We have made much progress since the last validation in 2008. The progress is largely driven by our one common goal – Every Hildan A Leader, Confident, Caring and Disciplined. As you peruse this edition of the Hildan Herald, behind every printed word and picture is the passion and diligence of my colleagues and Hildans. In addition, we acknowledge the source of our motivation - the deep sense of calling given by God to raise Hildans to love God, Life and Learning.

As a family, we will hold on to what Philippians 1:6 reminds us: ‘I am sure that the One who began a good work in you will carry it on until it is completed’. ‘For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them’ (Ephesians 2:10).

Written by Mr Khoo Tse Horng

a touche design production @ 6659 1876

2014 Graduating Cohort Prom Night‘I always wondered what a perfect prom would be like. Every teenager probably has such dreams about the picture perfect night with the most important people of their school life. Last year, I had the privilege to plan this event. Initially I was cautious about the possible mixed responses from our seniors. However, all my worries were unfounded. As my seniors arrived in their dazzling costumes, manicured nails and polished shoes, it was a radiant sight. The night was filled with much laughter and music – and we knew then that we had successfully planned this significant and memorable event.

We would like to wish our seniors well as they move on to the next phase of their life!’

Written by Pooja Anilkumar Gajiwala, 4J

Cross Country2015 annual Cross Country was held at Bedok Reservoir. The objectives of this event were to inculcate the value of perseverance and promote a healthy lifestyle amongst all staff and students. There were 3 different categories catering to the various fitness and ability levels: Mass Run (non-competitive), Challenge Run (competitive) and Orienteering (competitive). For this year’s Orienteering category, SI (SPORTident) keys were issued to register each team’s timing as they navigated to each checkpoint, ensuring a more efficient time keeping system. The Cross Country was indeed a success as many participants persevered to finish the race, and the Orienteering teams worked together as a team to complete within the stipulated time.

Written by Mr Mohamed Hairi Bin Nor Azmi

Learning For Life Programme - Game for LifeSt. Hilda’s Secondary Learning for Life Programme (LLP) aims to develop the whole person through sports and outdoor education. It is aligned to MOE’s emphasis on a Student-centric, Values-driven education where LLP provides students with real-life experiential learning to develop their character and values, cultivate positive attitudes, self-expression and strengthen their people skills.

As part of LLP, our school is working towards a good PE programme with clear and consistent delivery of the new PE syllabus. The PE department is developing lessons for the new PE modules like Outdoor Education. This year’s Outdoor Education module encompasses developing navigation skills and learning outdoor cooking.

In addition, the department is working with Sport@SG and PESTA to incorporate into PE lessons the ‘Game for Life’ Toolkit. It would feature the use of game activities to instil within every individual the desired values and attributes.

Written by Mr Richard Lian

Sec 2 ArtsTreat! SG50The Secondary 2 ArtsTreat! Programme provides an opportunity for students to be exposed to and engaged in different art forms every year. In conjunction with Singapore’s 50th birthday celebrations, students created their own SG50 figurine characters. Three weeks prior to ArtsTreat!, they underwent a workshop on the process of personalizing their character profiles. Their creative pieces will be displayed

in August, to  commemorate  Singapore’s history and achievements throughout her 50 years of independence.

Written by Ms Junaidah Jumat

Sec 1 Orientation cum Hildan TorchThe Secondary One Orientation Programme significantly marks the beginning of the Hildan Journey which the Secondary One students will embark on over the next four to five years. The three days of orientation helps integrate them into the school’s culture, developing a strong sense of belonging to the school and to their newly formed class.

The Hildan Torch is one of the main events which marks the beginning of the Secondary School life for the new cohort of Secondary One students. Held on 9 January in the Multi-Purpose Hall, this significant event started with the Boys’ Brigade’s Bagpipes, welcoming the VIPs and Secondary One parents. Next, the Student Council leaders and the various CCA leaders led the marching contingent of Secondary One students into the hall. The highlight was the “lighting and the passing on of the Hildan flame” from Mr Khoo Tse Horng , the Principal, and Mr Daniel Koh, the SMC Chairman, to the Secondary One students. The Student Council President then gave a special dedication speech followed by the Student Council Vice-President leading the students in the recitation of the school code, to mark their commitment to uphold the school’s values. The event ended with the singing of the school song and school hymn. This year, the Secondary One students also demonstrated their appreciation to their parents by presenting to them “My Thank You” card at the end of the event.

Written by Mrs Alina Tan & Mr Chan Chee Keong

Sec 1 Cohort CampA burst of colours greeted the teachers at the Student Activity Centre on the morning of 26 March 2015 during the Learning Beyond Classroom week. 278 Secondary One pupils, dressed in their vibrantly coloured camp t-shirts, gathered excitedly to start their 1 ½ day camp. The camp focused on the values of Care & Discipline. It aimed to enable pupils to learn to exhibit care, work effectively as a team and build a stronger class spirit. The Sec Ones took on multiple game challenges to test their resilience and problem solving skills. The highlight of the camp was the dragon boating experience, which left a strong impression on our Sec 1 Hildans!

Written by Mrs Alina Tan

Founder’s DayOn 2 April 2015, St. Hilda’s Secondary celebrated her 81st Founder’s Day. The event commenced with a parade at the SAC, comprising the Uniformed Groups, Aesthetics and Sports CCAs. Mrs Helen Tan, President of the Alumni as well as the Vice-Chairperson for the School Management Committee, graced the occasion as the Guest-of-Honour. Mrs Tan delivered her address, sharing her perspective on lifelong learning and the importance of recognising contributions of our pioneers as we prepare for our children a future we are all proud of, and part of. In addition, Mr Khoo Tse Horng, the Principal, presented the school’s past achievements and future plans. Next was the presentation of awards and prizes, followed by the valediction by Ms Claris Cheang, President of the 12th Student Council. The event ended with a bagpipe performance by the Boys’ Brigade Company and the graceful chimes of our Hildan Handbell Ensemble. The 81st Founder’s Day celebration was indeed an evening to remember.

Written by Mdm Sharizah

Well-Rounded Individuals Critical & Inventive Thinkers • Self-directed & Reflective LearnersSec 2 Historical Investigation Learning Journey to Memories at Old Ford FactoryAs part of the new Lower Secondary History syllabus, a Historical Investigation package was designed on the topic of the Japanese Occupation of Singapore. All Secondary Two Express and Normal Academic students took a trip back in time as they spent an afternoon at the Memories at Old Ford Factory, a very significant place in Singapore’s history, where the British officially surrendered to the Japanese in February 1945, marking the period of the Japanese Occupation of Singapore thereafter.

Students assumed the role of junior historians, collecting relevant sources pertaining to the extent of suffering during the war, and presented their findings in the form of a historical drama. The artefacts and audio recordings certainly brought history to life and allowed Hildans to develop a sense of empathy, whilst bearing in mind to never take Singapore’s peace and prosperity for granted.

Written by Mrs Gwen Lui

Secondary 2 Overseas Integrated Learning (OIL) JourneyTo appreciate Singapore’s heritage and to provide a rich authentic learning experience, Secondary Two students participated in the Overseas Integrated Learning (OIL) journey. Students were engaged in a problem-based learning task on preserving Singapore’s heritage and they had to assume the role of a heritage society member in Singapore. Within their assigned roles,

students explored certain sites in Malacca, learning how Malacca has successfully conserved her rich and distinct Peranakan culture and heritage. Google Drive was used as a platform for online group discussions and as a shared repository. Their final product was a report where students made recommendations on how the government could preserve Singapore’s heritage sites, which incorporated Malacca’s success factors.

To equip students with the necessary skills, a Research Skills Workshop was organised prior to the learning journey. The range of skills taught included interviewing skills, the use of Google Drive as an online collaboration tool and filtering of materials from the World Wide Web. These skills not only benefitted students for this project but are also applicable across all disciplines. The level-wide OIL programme was indeed an enriching experience!

Written by Mdm Farizah

Total Defence DayTo drive the NE message home, the commemoration of Total Defence Day and the Lunar New Year Eve celebrations were held concurrently. Despite the festive mood, the day began solemnly with the blast of air raid sirens. A ‘radio broadcaster’ announced over the PA system that Singapore had fallen, re-enacting how it was 73 years ago. Teachers brought students down memory lane through videos, stories and photos, recalling the tough three years of Singapore’s history. To further re-live the Japanese Occupation period, students experienced food rationing where they had to share sweet potatoes. Teachers then facilitated a discussion on how they felt as a citizen. Through this experiential process, students learnt that peace and prosperity should never be taken for granted, and to always count their blessings.

Written by the NE Committee

Normal Academic (NA) ProgrammeSt. Hilda’s Secondary’s customised NA programme adopts the ‘Changing Lives’ approach and is driven by the vision and belief that “Every NA Class is a Good NA Class”. At the Lower Secondary level, the emphasis is on class bonding, level bonding among the NA classes and the building of strong Teacher-Student Relations. Conversely, the focus for the Upper Secondary level is on getting students to be goal-oriented in their studies, to develop study plans and have the discipline to see these through, as well as to work together as an entire class to achieve both individual and common goals. Some notable activities in Semester One this year included the Sec 1NA Amazing Race cum picnic (where groups were assigned to plan and purchase the class’ picnic dinner within a given budget), Sec 3NA TAG Archery, and Sec 5NA Dragon Boating. The activities have indeed achieved the desired outcomes of the programme.

Written by Ms Felicia Tan

The Graham White Lecture on Citizenship cum Service Learning Symposium 20152015 Service Learning Symposium (S-L) is the third that St. Hilda’s Secondary has organised since its inception, spurring Hildans to emulate our founder, Archdeacon Graham White, whose legacy is his sacrificial love and service to the Lord and the people in Singapore. Dr. Vilma D’Rozario, Associate Professor with the Psychological Studies Academic Group at the National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technology University, was the guest speaker for the Graham White Lecture. Besides being an adviser to the NIE S-L Club where she guides student teachers, she volunteers extensively in environmental and wildlife conservation projects in Singapore. In her lecture, she emphasised on building character through S-L and shared personal stories that challenged Hildans to make a difference in the community.

After engaging Hildans at the head and heart level, they visited the various exhibition booths set up by twenty-one organisations. This authentic S-L experience broadened their perspective on the wide-ranging needs in the community. The partnership has indeed enriched their learning, making it more holistic, as they are equipped to carry forward the Hildan Legacy, becoming Caring and Collaborative Contributors of Singapore.

Written by Mr Seow Whei Jie

Chinese New Year Celebrations2015 Lunar  New Year  programme started off with the Hamper Donation Drive. To spread the festive joy, classes contributed hampers to the elderly in the community. The Environment and NE Champs represented their classes and enthusiastically delivered these goodies to the Evergreen Circle Seniors Activity Centre. 

On Chinese New Year eve itself, the classes followed the traditional practice of having the Lo Hei session in their classrooms. The celebration concluded on a high note with songs and dances performed by talented Hildans in the annual  Hildans Got Talent concert.

Written by Mr Lin Zhengchang

Caring & Collaborative Contributors

Geographical Investigative Fieldwork at Tampines EcogreenStudents from Secondary One Express and Normal Academic went on a learning journey to Tampines Eco-green to investigate if the water quality of the water bodies was affected by human activities. Students adopted an enquiry approach which encompassed observing the various human activities and conducting water quality testing. Students then analysed the results before arriving at a conclusion on the water quality of Tampines Eco-green.

The learning journey was a resounding success as students not only gained the knowledge and skills relevant to Geographical Investigation, they also became more aware of the water issues present in the community; hence as active citizens, they realized that they have a part to play in caring for the water bodies in Singapore.

Written by Mrs Khoh Siok Lian and Ms Hazel Lim

Applied Learning Programme – iTHink: The Hildan Approach to English Language LearningAt the beginning of this year, St. Hilda’s Secondary embarked on the Applied Learning Programme (ALP) – iTHink: The Hildan Approach to English Language Learning. The ALP initiative by MOE entails connecting academic knowledge and skills with the real world, and its emphasis is on the application of thinking skills. St. Hilda’s Secondary has selected to focus on English Language as the means to develop critical thinkers and effective communicators. By actively engaging the students to co-construct their learning of new knowledge, to acquire 21st century competencies and inculcate the desired disposition, Hildans will be future ready.

As part of the ALP-iTHink programme, students are instructed explicitly and given various platforms to apply the skills taught. The intended outcome is developing Hildans who are able to craft well-informed and well-thought out viewpoints. To further equip students to be confident communicators, core level

programmes are emplaced; for instance, the Secondary Ones’ key programme is training students in public speaking which incorporates the skills of

toastmasters.

In view of the extensiveness of this programme, this year, the launch of the programme affects only the Secondary One Express and Normal Academic level. Next year, the reach will be extended to include 2016 Secondary Two Express and Normal Academic, and 2016 Secondary One Normal Technical classes. The following year, the reach will be further extended.

Imbuing Hildans with the essential 21st century competencies through English Language would certainly translate to the realisation

of the Hildan Distinctive of a Confident, Caring and Disciplined Leader.

Written by Mdm Caroline Wong

Synergy Festival 2015Synergy Festival 2015 was a culmination of performances by our Performing Arts CCAs and student talents in Dance and Drumming. It was held on 21 March 2015 and the evening performances were held at different venues within our school premises. The Blackbox, the Library and the Multi-Purpose Hall were specially selected to enhance the listening pleasure of the audience, without the need for microphones. The performances by the Hildan Chorale, Guitar Ensemble, Handbell Ensemble and Hildan Wind Orchestra, supported by the Drama Club and Student Councillors in backstage and logistics, showcased the talents of our Hildans in these CCAs.

Besides parents and friends who attended the performances, the Alumni took time off to support their peers. The Alumni complimented the various Aesthetics groups for a marvellous performance and were all praise for them. The audience were indeed treated to a delightful evening.

Written by Ms Lam Mei Lan

School Life

Photo by Radhika, 3APhoto by Najmul Huda, 1A

with an appreciation for healthy living and the arts