Children’s Day

Prize-Giving Day

Issue 34 • Term 4 • Dec 2011

Congratulations to Ms Sharon Thia who has been promoted to Vice-Principal! She will serve

as the second Vice-Principal in our school.

Counting Our Blessing

for

2011

P6 Graduation3

Thanksgiving Mass

;70R TQ Uq ; c 3 6 x/Commemorations and Celebrations

Children’s Day Celebrations, 6 October

The theme, “Movie Bonanza” was chosen with our pupils in mind. The fantasy world of movies

was brought to life through the live performances of our teachers and parent volunteers. Our

P3 teachers danced gracefully to the music of the Wonder Girls. Next, parent volunteers came

on stage dressed as different movie characters to the delight of our pupils. Our P5 teachers

put up a melodious rendition of a Bruno Mars number while our Mother Tongue teachers

painstakingly prepared a video clip entitled ‘Potter Panda Man’. The highlight of the celebration

was watching our Principal and Vice-principal come on stage as ‘Ghostbusters’ on the hunt for

our P6 teachers who were dressed as ghouls. What a truly enjoyable celebration it was!

Deepavali Celebrations, 8 November

Deepavali is perhaps the most well-known of the Hindu festivals

in Singapore. The word Deepavali means ‘rows of lighted lamps’.

Diwali is known as the ‘festival of lights’ because houses, shops

and public places are decorated with small earthenware oil lamps

called diyas. Mr Karthik, our emcee from Crownbiz Tamil Enterprise,

went through the details of the festival and explained why Hindus

celebrate Deepavali. There was a 5-minute clip on Naragasuran, the

demon, and how he was killed. He briefly described what Deepavali

is and why it is celebrated. There was a Silambam (martial arts)

performance. Towards the end of the presentation, Mr Karthik

asked questions on Deepavali. Pupils with the correct answers

walked away with prizes.

P6 Graduation Party, 3 November

After an arduous year of preparing for their PSLE, P6 boys bonded

with their classmates and teachers on 3 November. They ‘let down

their hair’ and partied the day away. In groups, they played games

like Trivial Pursuit to test their knowledge of their alma mater of

six years, Scavenger Hunt and Do You Know the Lyrics? The day

culminated in a raucous game of Captain’s Ball pitting the 12-year

olds against the teachers. The camaraderie was palpable - a fitting

end to a day of fun and laughter.

Mr Koh, the Ghostbuster, surrounded by the P6 teachers

Pupils actively participating in the Q&A session, post-concert

Cheers to a wonderful six years in SSS!

You can count on the P5 teachers!

Watching a Silambam demonstration

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;70R TQ Uq ; c 3 6 x/Commemorations and Celebrations ;70R TQ Uq ; c 3 6 x/Commemorations and Celebrations

Prize-Giving Day (P1 – P6), 18 November

The academic year ended appropriately with the Annual Prize Presentation Ceremony

which celebrated the successes and honoured the achievements and contributions

of Stephenians. Amongst the prize winners was Jeremiah Jed Chong, recipient of the

Terence Tng Leadership Award 2011 as well as the Young Stephenian Award 2011.

Partners of St. Stephen’s School were also acknowledged for their close collaboration

and contributions. The Guest-of-honour (GOH) for this occasion was Mr Tng Hia Seng.

Thanksgiving Mass, 16 November

A Thanksgiving Mass was celebrated by Father Damian De Wind for

our school. In his homily, Father Damain explained that Almighty

God has blessed all of us with gifts and talents. We should use

these talents and gifts wisely to develop ourselves and also for the

benefit and enrichment of others. As a school, we also gave thanks

for the year that was coming to an end and asked Almighty God to

continue to bless us and watch over us in the coming year.

Mr Koh ushering our GOH, Mr Tng Hia Seng, up on stage

Fr Damian giving out communion

Presenting our prize-winners for 2011

c 3 6 x/ 5 6 7 8 9 0 , FGHv -The Buzz

Friend of Singa 2011Our school participated in the Friend of Singa (FOS) Project and was

awarded the Merit Award. 7 pupils from P4 and 5 were selected to

be FOS ambassadors to implement and champion kindness efforts

in the school. Together, they planned activities for SSS Kindness

Week with the objective of creating awareness of the importance

of kindness. The activities included an inter-class poster design

competition and “Caught”, a programme through which pupils were

recognized for carrying out acts of kindness.

World Kindness Day13 November is World Kindness Day. Our pupils commemorated

the event by making paper daisies and “Thank You” cards for their

teachers. Some of the pupils even presented their “Thank You”

cards to the non-teaching staff to show their appreciation to them.

Presenting our FOS 2011 ambassadors

Showing our appreciation to Ms Christine Yee, our library assistant

SJIJ Cultural Day Competition, 14 October

10 of our Malay language pupils participated in the 2011 Cultural

Day Competition held in SJI Junior. The P3 pupils performed a

medley of folk songs and dance including a short skit while the

upper primary recited a poem entitled Bahasa Kita. Out of the 9

schools that participated in the competition, comprising of Christian

Brothers’ Schools and South 5 cluster schools, our boys astounded

the judges with their performances and emerged champions in both

categories.

Our boys with their beautiful handmade cards

c 3 6 x/ 5 6 7 8 9 0 , FGHv -

c 3 6 x/ 5 6 7 8 9 0 , FGHv -c 3 6 x/ 5 6 7 8 9 0 , FGHv -The Buzz

P6 Camp, 28 October

On 28 October, our P6 boys descended on Labrador Park in droves.

The PE-cum-NESS camp gave our graduating pupils a chance to

run around in a bid to get their hearts a-pumping. The boys worked

in teams as they ran around the park ala Amazing Race and at

each checkpoint, answered questions about the historical site or

performed some team-bonding games. Despite the rain, the boys

enjoyed themselves tremendously.

P2 Science Camp, 4 November

A 1-day P2 Science camp was organized to help prepare our pupils

for Science in P3. 7 different stations were set up to provide our

pupils with a hands-on approach to basic Science concepts. They

learnt the effects of static electricity, growth of a bean, magnetism,

energy, chemical reaction in limewater and animals in nature. Our

teachers and P6 volunteers assisted our P2s in the learning of

Science concepts through Process Skills required for the teaching

and learning of Science in schools today. By the end of the camp,

the boys enjoyed themselves and were equipped with basic skills

and concepts in Primary Science.

Meet-the-Parents Session 3 (P1, P2, P3 & P5), 15 November

There was a third Meet-the-Parents Session on 15 November 2011.

The purpose of this meeting was for teachers to update parents

on their child’s progress based on his performance in SA2 and

behaviour in Term 4. Parents of pupils with specific concerns had

the opportunity to meet with their son’s teachers to discuss ways

to improve his performance and behaviour.

P1 Orientation 2012, 17 November

The Primary One Orientation for 2012 was held for all parents

and children of the 7 Primary One classes. Parents were briefed

on the programmes in school. Meanwhile, the children had some

activities in the classrooms and they were also given a tour of the

school by our teachers.

One of our Amazing Race teams of the day

Learning Science is fun!

Our future P1s getting acquainted with the school

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Conflict Management for P5 Pupils, 19 September This workshop began with a skit featuring an over-the-top light-hearted story on conflict, resolution and reconciliation (apology and awareness of wrong-doing). This was followed by a classroom session where students explored effective communication tools, e.g. body language, positive words vs negative words etc.

The Buzz

Building Bonds That Last –

A Father & Son Bonding Camp,

5 November

The father-child relationship is a significant factor in the emotional

and cognitive development of a child. This workshop utilized

experiential learning methods to coach fathers to relate with their

children in a way that appeals to their nature of being fun and

active partners in parenting. With a host of interactive and fun

activities, this camp created an experience that impacted both

fathers and sons.

School Family Education (SFE) Programmes in Term 4

Parent-Child Bonding Through Rollerblading, 24 September

This session created a closer bonding between parents and

their children by enabling them to learn something new and fun

together. The child sees the parent learning something new and

learns a very valuable lesson – that learning is a life-long journey

regardless of age. Mastery of rollerblading, which seems so

difficult, is a booster for confidence. This spills over into other

aspects of family life – that if you keep trying despite the many

falls, success can be achieved.

Managing Change & Transition for P6 Pupils, 10 NovemberPupils were given some strategies on how to handle change, stressful situations and challenges in secondary school life and how to be more confident and positive. They were also equipped with the relevant skills to be effective students and armed with knowledge on stress management, emotional management, managing expectations, and building and maintaining positive friendships to prepare them for their transition into secondary school next year.

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Taekwondo

Jack Deven Potts

• awarded the Grade of

1st POOM by the Board of

Examiners of Singapore

Taekwondo Federation

Celebrating Our Achievements in Term 4

S/No Name of Pupil Class Age Category Awards

1 Adriel Tan Jun Yi P5-E 11 years old (Year 2000) 1000M 9th Position

2 Ezekiel Ang Zi Wei P5-I 11 years old (Year 2000) 1000M 3rd Position

3 Jared Ng Yue Han P5-I 11 years old (Year 2000) 1000M 4th Position

4 Ramasamy Periakaruppan P5-I 11 years old (Year 2000) 1000M 1st Position

5 Justin Lim Tock Khiang P5-N 11 years old (Year 2000) 1000M 11th Position

6 Jon Patrick (Reserve) P5-A 11 years old (Year 2000) 1000M Participation

7 Gabriel Eli Lim Tze Jiunn P4-P 10 years old (Year 2001)800M 8th Position

8 Lee Sheng Hao P4-N 10 years old (Year 2001)800M 4th Position

9 Alastair Leighton Clark P4-P 10 years old (Year 2001) 800M 1st Position

10 Ang Rui An, Ryan P4-P 10 years old (Year 2001) 800M 2nd Position

11 Seiya Anthony Van Huizen P4-H 10 years old (Year 2001) 800M 3rd Position

12 Luke Dominic Pereira (Reserve) P4-I 10 years old (Year 2001) 800M Participation

Our Stephenians have brought glory to the school, excelling in various sports, aesthetic, oratorical and co-curricular activities in Term 4. We thank our coaches, teachers and parents for their guidance and encouragement. Congratulations boys!

Track & FieldParks Festival Kids Run 2011 organized by the Singapore Athletic Association

CricketNational Inter-Primary

School 11 A-Side Cricket

Tournament 2011

• Silver

Soccer3rd U10 EZ COE Sports

U-10 Soccer Development

Tournament (Junior Boys)

• 4th

SPSSC/FAS National

U11 7-Aside Soccer

Championship 2011 (Senior

Boys)

• 8th Position

Dance21st Century International

Arts Festival 2011@Genting

International Convention Centre

• Silver

; c 3 6 x/ 5 6 7 8 9 0 , FGHvStaff PageWe warmly welcome Mdm Frances Goh (HOD/EL)

to our Stephenian family.

Envisioning Exercise @ URA 2011, 21 November

Both teaching and non-teaching staff came together for an envisioning

exercise cum learning journey to the Urban Redevelopment

Authority (URA) at Maxwell Road. We were joined by some of our

SPARK parents and Bro Collin Wee who came to share some of their

valuable perspectives and insights. After a hearty breakfast, staff

engaged in a series of team-building

activities and discussions focused

on establishing and refining clearer

goals for the school. Staff also had

the opportunity to learn more about

the work that URA does through a

tour of some of the exhibits as well

as through a presentation delivered

by their corporate communications

manager, Ms Sabrina Khoo.

FarewellWe would like to thank Ms

Jean Lee, Mr Kelvin Lim Hern

and Mdm Mah Huimin for

their dedicated service to the

school and wish them well in

their future endeavours.

Wedded BlissCongratulations to Ms

Nurhidayah Bte Mohd Abd

Aleem and Muhd Azhari Bin

Khabir who recently tied

the knot.

WorkshopsMalay Language Professional Sharing 2011, 28 October

The MOE Malay Language Unit (MLU) extended their invitation to

Mdm Suriani Sokran to conduct professional sharing on organizing

theMother Tongue (MT) Fortnight and Language Camp activities

this year. This was the first year MT Fortnight was piloted in all

schools. There was also a discussion on how to heighten the quality

of MTL Fortnight and

Language Camp activities

in schools. Teachers found

the session productive

and meaningful as they

exchanged ideas as how

to conduct MT Fortnight

effectively.

National Project Work 2011 Seminar, 28 October

The inaugural seminar held at Academy of Singapore Teachers

provided an avenue for our teachers to showcase our best practices

in Project Work. The Project Work team worked collaboratively

with the Science Department to share with the nation what our

school did for our P4 Science

Project. Feedback from the

participants was encouraging

as they had something

worthwhile to take away with

them from the seminar.

Our budding artists painting their masks

Teachers discovering URA through an interactive exhibit

Long Service AwardCongratulations to Mdm

Chien Chia Yuh on her Long

Service Award for 36 years in

the teaching profession.