Newsletter August 2016 · 2020. 10. 26. · Mr Lim’s grandfather was World War II hero Lim Bo Seng, a resistance fighter who was eventually captured, tortured and killed in Malaya

ACS (International)

August2016

• FromthePastor’sPen

• StaffNews

• RevisedSchoolTuitionFees

• FeesSummary2017

• OpenHouse

• DirectSchoolAdmission

• SchoolClosed

• Deepavali

• HariRayaHaji

• Year4/6Parent-TeacherMeetings&IBDPInformationBriefing

• Parent-TeacherMeetings&IGCSEInformationBriefing

• Term3ReportsPublishDates

• 8thASEANSchoolGames

• SingaporeMathematicsOlympiad

• BarrettMusicCompetition

• ChoicetoRun

• InternationalYouthFloralArtCompetition

• JapanExchangeProgramme

• HongKongStudentExchangeProgramme

• Inter-House

• UpcomingEvents

DearParents,StudentsandFriends

Happy Birthday, Singapore! On Tuesday 9 August Singapore celebrates 51 years ofindependenceandnationhoodgrowththat is theenvyofmanycountriesaroundtheworld.Birthdays are times tohave a party; times to look back and remember all that has passedsincetheoriginalbirth-day;andgivethanks.LikemostbirthstheprocessofbirthingSingaporewas not easy – conflict within theMalaysian Federation between the state government inSingaporeandtheKualaLumpurgovernmenteventuallyledtoSingaporebeingexpelledandhavingtosurviveonitsown.

Times of adversity help forge an individual or a nation’s character. The conflict with theMalaysian Federationwas one time of dealingwith adversity in the birthing of Singapore’scharacter.WorldWarIIandtheinvasionofSingaporewasanotherperiodoftimethathelpedforgeresilience,braveryandstrengthofcharacter.

ThefamilyofourNationalDayGuestofHonourBrigadierGeneral(Retired)LimTeckYinknowallaboutresilience,braveryandstrengthofcharacter.MrLim’sgrandfatherwasWorldWarIIhero Lim Bo Seng, a resistance fighterwhowas eventually captured, tortured and killed inMalayain1944.Hiswifeonlyfoundoutabouthisdeathafterthewar.

BrigadierGeneralLimTeckYinhimselfalsoknowsallaboutresilience,braveryandstrengthofcharacter.AsasoldierandasaneliteathletewhowonsevenSEAGamesgoldmedalsandanAsian Games bronze medal, all in water polo, Mr Lim has achieved enviable success. Inaddition,hisskillsandexperienceledtohimbeingappointedCEOofSportSingaporein2011.His testimony is that success comes through a mixture of failure, trials, perseverance,determination,aswellasachievingsuccessfulmilestonesalongtheway.HealsoattributeshisschoolingatACSasasignificantfactorinhisallroundgrowthanddevelopment.Hisstoryisaninspiringone.

Thisnewslettercontainsamixofnews,studentsuccessesandcomingevents.Italsocontainsdetailsofthenewschooltuitionfeesfor2017and2018.

Bestwishes

RobBurrough

ACS(INTERNATIONAL)NEWSLETTER INTHISISSUE

You can click on each item in the contents page to get to each article

NEWSLETTER|August2016 2

FFrroomm tthhee PPaassttoorr ’’ss PPeenn……

Remembering Ms Kathleen Manley

On 11/7/16, Ms Kathleen Manley, Vice Principal of ACS International passed away after a long battle with cancer. Raised by her grandmother at childhood, she developed grit and perseverance – traits evident in her dedication as a teacher and as VP to the school.

We will miss her dearly and our prayers are with her many friends, across continents, whom she leaves behind.

The memories of the Chaplains and Christian Ministry Staff are briefly listed below:

PPss JJooeell : “Kathleen pressed on, with grit in everything in life. Even though she leaves this life, her faith in God, testifies that ‘..the Best is yet to be.’ She rests with our Father in Heaven.”

PPss NNooeell :: “Her devotion to the school and students shone through, overriding her physical limitations & inspiring me.”

PPss CCllaarreennccee :: “She was a woman of strong will and determination who would press on with every ounce of energy she had left for the excellence of the school.”

MMss JJeell iinn TTaann:: “She was independent as a person yet wholly dependent on God.”


STAFFNEWS

AttheendofJulywefarewelledthefollowingfourteachers–MrsJoanneFord(ESOL)totheAustralianInternationalSchool;Miss Kim Biggs (Biology) to a promoted position as Head ofScience at an international school in Japan; Mrs VictoriaSargent(English)toNexus;andMrsFrancesJones(Physics)toapromoted position as Assistant Principal at an internationalschoolinDubai.WealsofarewelledRevNoelGohasoneofourChaplainsfromHollandVillageMethodistChurchwhoistakingearly retirement. We are sorry to lose their services as eachwas fully involved in the life of the school but we sincerelythankthemfortheircommitmenttoACS(International)duringtheirtimewithusandwewishthemwellintheirnewroles.

AsreplacementswewelcomeMsCeriSinnett(ESOL)fromtheUK; Miss Emma Murray (English) from the UK; Mrs GarciaAnaliza Policarpio (Physics) from the Philippines; Miss AmyWoolloff(Biology)fromtheUKandRevLorettaLim(Chaplain)fromACS (Independent) and LivingWatersMethodistChurch.Wearepleasedwiththequalityofournewcolleaguesandwewishthemanenjoyableandrewardingtimewithus.

RevisedSchoolTuitionFees2017–18

Asadvisedbyseparateemailletterearlierthisweek,theBoardofManagementhasapproveda10%increaseintuitionfeesfor2017and2018.Schoolfeeshavebeenheldwithoutchangeforthepastthreeyears.However,itisnecessarytonowreviseourfeestructureinlightofincreasedcostsandnewstaffcontracts.TheBoardhasundertakentokeepthetuitionfeesunchangedforthenexttwoyears.

To give parents clarity concerning the other various coursecostspayable(egexternalexaminationfees,endofyearcamps,PEAKSpsychometricassessmentetc)adetailedFeesSummary2017isattachedtohelpwithadvancedplanning.

FeesSummary2017The chart gives an indication of the various fees and costspayable for different year levels in 2017. All are compulsory,exceptwhereotherwisestated.


1. School Deposit S$6,000. The Deposit is held assecurity to cover damage or loss to school property,expenses and fees not otherwise collected. TheDepositmustbepaiduponregistration.TheDepositisa one-time only payment unless the Deposit is fullydiminishedbydeductionsduringthestudent’stimeatschool.

Year5and6:InYear5afullS$6,000Depositisrequired.ContinuingACS (International) students are only required to paythedifferencebetweentheremainderoftheirYear1–4DepositandtheS$6,000DepositrequiredforYears5and6.TheYear5and6Deposit isheldassecuritytocover damage or loss to school property, expenses,andfeesnototherwisecollected.

Any Deposit balance remaining is refundedautomatically by cheque three months following thecompletionoftheIBDiplomaprogrammeandafteralldeductionshavebeenmade.

TheDepositwillnotberefundedwhenanyYear5or6student leavesbeforecompleting theentire two-yearIB Diploma programme (even if sufficient notice ofwithdrawalhasbeengiventotheSchool).

2. AdministrationFee S$770perannum ispayablewiththeSemester1tuitionfee.

3. IGCSE Examination Fee Approximately S$2,000 –depending on subjects, payable with the Semester 2tuitionfeeforYear4students.

IB Diploma Examination Fee Approximately S$2,400forregistration,invigilation,andsubjectfees–payablewiththeSemester2tuitionfeeforYear6students.

4. ParentSupportPartners (PSP) StudentEvent Fund –S$50 per annum (GST exempted) payable with theSemester1tuitionfee.

5. PEAKS Psychometric Assessment Fee – S$481.50payablewiththeSemester1tuitionfeeforallYear1/1Bridging,3,and5 students.Detailed reports coveringPEAKS personality, leadership, learning styles andacademicpositionerwillbegeneratedandprintedforstudents.

6. International Student Pastoral Care Fee S$495 perannum, payable with the Semester 1 tuition fee forstudents who require a student pass. For studentswho join the school in Semester 2, a fee of S$300 ispayableinstead.

7. Overseas Trips – Voluntary trips to Asia, WesternAustralia, UK, USA and Africa during the schoolholidays range fromS$1,500–S$5,500dependingonlocation.

Year 1 – 3 End of Year Camps These 3 to 5 day outdooradventure trips are compulsory for all students. Year 3studentshaveachoiceofa3daytripora5dayoverseastrip.ThetripcostsarepayablewiththeSemester2tuitionfeeforallYear1,2and3students.

8. IB Enrichment and Induction Fee S$1,000 payablewith the Semester 1 tuition fee for Year 5 students.This covers a two-year diploma programme forworkshopsonEE,ToK,CriticalThinking,Research,ToKandEEHandbooksandsomeCASactivities.

9. OtherCosts ParentsorGuardians are responsible forthe payment of uniform, school bus, meals, schoolbooks and other special co-curricular activities atschool.

Allfeesare7%GSTinclusiveunlessotherwisestated.Theabovefeesaresubjecttochange.

YearLevel Venue Length ApproximateCost

1 CampChallenge(Local) 3days S$350

2 CampChallenge(Local) 3days S$350

3 Local/Overseastrip 3to5days S$400to

$1,400


NewWithdrawalandRefundProcedure

RefundofTuitionFee

• 100% refund if notice is receivedmore than 30 daysbeforecoursecommencement

• 50% refund if notice is received less than 31 daysbeforecoursecommencement

• 25% refund if notice is received 1 – 60 days aftercoursecommencement

• NO refund if notice is received 61 days after coursecommencement

RefundofDeposit

• If duenotice is given– full refundofDeposit; coursefeesarenotrefundable

• Ifnonoticeisgiven–NOrefundisapplicable• Notice of student withdrawals within each academic

yearmustbegiveninwritingtotheschoolby:31October:forstudentsleavinginDecember31March: forstudents inYears1–4 leaving inTerm3; there is no refund for early withdrawal for IBstudentsinYears5or6.

• Studentswithoutnoticeofwithdrawalwillbedeemedtobeprogressingtothenextacademicyear,andshallpaycoursefeesaccordingtothetermsoftheStudentContractand/orofficialinvoice.Placeswillbereservedonlyuponreceiptofcoursefeeswithinthestipulateddeadline.

• Thedeposit,lessdeductions,isrefundedbychequetothe original payee three months after the student’slastdayatschool.

• Transcripts and Testimonials are not prepared if theaboverequirementsarenotfulfilled.

• All refunds are net of any outstanding administrativecosts(e.g.endofyearschoolcamps,examinationfees,andanylossesorbreakagesofschoolproperty).

PaymentProcedureandConditions

Paymentsaretobemadeonlyeitherincash,cheque,cashier’sorder or inter-bank transfer. No credit card facilities areavailable.

All payments from overseas by cashier’s order or telegraphictransfer are to be made payable to ACS (International) withapplicant’snamelisted.

Allbankchargesmustbebornebytheapplicant.

All cheque payments are to be crossed andmade payable toACS (International) with the applicant’s name written at thebackofthecheque.

All fees are payable one month in advance beforecommencementofeachsemesteronahalfyearlybasis.

Astudentcannotcommenceorcontinueschoolingwhilst feesareunpaid.

AccountDetailsforCashier’sOrderofTelegraphicTransferNAMEOFBANKDBSBankLtd,SingaporeADDRESS12MarinaBlvdLevel3MBFCTower3S'018982BANKCODE7171BRANCHCODE033SWIFTCODEDBSSSGSGBENEFICIARYNAMEACS(International)ACCOUNTNO033-900959-8

WedorealisethatanACS(International)education involvesasignificant financial commitment but we also believe that weprovide excellent value formoney comparedwith the fees ofotherinternationalschoolsinSingapore.


NOTICES

OpenHouse

ThankstoeveryonewhoattendedorparticipatedinourannualOpenHouseon themorningof Saturday31 July.Any familieswho missed the Open House are welcome to contact theAdmissionsDepartmentforinformationand/oraschooltour.

DirectSchoolAdmission

WenowofferDirectSchoolAdmissiontoYear1(Secondary1)students, offering a confirmed place on the basis of our ownadmissionstests,ratherthanwaitinguntilPSLEresults.Primary6pupils areable to sit ourownentrance tests and successfulapplicantswillbeofferedaguaranteedplacein2017regardlessof theirPSLE scores–as longas theirPSLE scoregrants themsecondary school entry. Entry tests are held every Monday.PleasecontactAdmissionsforfurtherdetails.

SchoolClosed

Monday8AugustisaschoolholidayandTuesday9Augustisapublicholiday.

Deepavali

TheHinduAdvisoryBoard(HAB)hasconfirmedthatDeepavaliwill fallonSaturday29October,andthatfrom2016onwards,thedateforDeepavaliwillnolongerbesubjecttochange.

For more information, see http://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/~/link.aspx?_id=8E26A53EF07E409EBF046DA564F6D9A8&_z=z.

HariRayaHaji

ThisPublicHolidayisonMonday12October.Pleasenotethattermdatesfor2016arelocatedontheschoolwebsiteathttp://www.acsinternational.com.sg/acs-calendars/term-dates,orontheschoolintranethttps://intranet.acsinternational.com.sg/api/calendar/?view=month#.

TheexternalexaminationcalendarforIGCSEandIBexaminationsmaybefoundathttps://intranet.acsinternational.com.sg/api/subwebs/?id=37.

Parent-TeacherMeetingsandIG/IBInformationMeetings

We wish to draw parents’ attention to the following twoimportant PTMs and associated IGCSE and IB DiplomaInformation meetings to be held this month. Students arerequested to accompany their parents to the PTMs and theInformationMeetingsinordertomakethemeetingsasusefulas possible. Separate email reminders will also be sent toparentsatalaterdate.

Year 4 / 6 Parent-Teacher Meetings and IBDP InformationBriefing-4.30–8.30pm,Thursday18August2016

This year we are combining the Year 4 and Year 6 Parent-TeacherMeetingswiththeIBDiplomaInformationBriefingforYear4parentsandstudents.Thiscombinedprogrammewillbeheld on Thursday 18 August in the Sports Hall from 4.30 –8.30pm.

TohelpcurrentYear4parentsandstudentspreparefortheIBDiplomaProgrammeandalsohelpwiththeirsubjectselectionwe are holding the annual IBDP briefing session at 4.30pm intheChapelfollowingwhichtheyarefreetojointhePTMintheSports Hall. After an initial overview by the Principal and IBCoordinatortherewillbeashortbriefingonindividualsubjectsbythefacultyheads.

Parent-TeacherMeetingsandIGCSEInformationBriefingThursday25August2016

ThenextwholeschoolParent-Teachermeetings (PTM)willbeheldonThursday25August intheSportsHallatthefollowingtimes:8.30am–12.30pmand1.30pm–4.30pm.

TohelpcurrentYear2parentsandstudentsprepareforIGCSEand alsohelpwith their subject selectionwe are alsoholdingtwoIGCSEbriefingsessionsduringtheday.Year2familiescanchoose to attend either 8.30 – 9.30am or 1.00 – 2.00pmfollowingwhichtheyarefreetojointhePTM.

Term3ReportsPublishDates

• Years 4 and 6 - prelim grades are published on 10Augustat2.00pm.

• Other Year Groups – Term 3 grades published on 24August.


STUDENTSUCCESSES

8thASEANSchoolGames–2MedalsforCharity!

Thisyear’s8thASEANSchoolGameswereheld inChiangMai,Thailand, with 179 Singaporean athletes competing. Out ofthese, 2 of our students, Charity Lien (1LSG), andRyanWong(5OLD)competedinswimmingandgolfrespectively.

Charitywonasilvermedalforthe100mWomen’sBreaststrokeeventandabronzeinthe4x100medleyrelaywhichweretwoof the 3 medals brought home by Singapore for swimming.CommiserationstoRyanandtherestoftheSingaporeanteamwho were unable to best the Thai and Indonesian golfers.Regardless, we are sure that their hard work and theexperiencetheygainedwillservethemwellforfuturegames.

SingaporeMathematicalOlympiad

TheSingaporeMathematicalOlympiad(SMO)isthelargestandoldestmathematics competition inSingapore.The top35%oftheparticipantsreceiveanAwardCertificate(Goldfortop3%,Silverfornext12%andBronzefornext20%).

On 31May and 1 June 2016, 18 students (years 1 to 6) fromACS(International) tookpart inSMO2016.The listofwinnersforACS(International)isgivenbelow.

SingaporeMathematicalOlympiad(SMO)2016Results

ACS(INTERNATIONAL)SINGAPORE

SMO(Junior)Results

NAME DIVISION INDEXNUMBER

CERTIFICATE

AarthyNarainyRavichandran

YEAR2 5413 BRONZE

JasperVanSelm YEAR3 5396 BRONZE

JustinChengMingHearn

YEAR1 5411 BRONZE

OhJaeBom YEAR2 5415 BRONZE

ChiaFuiRupert YEAR1 5399HONOURABLEMENTION

SooHwanOh YEAR2 5398HONOURABLEMENTION

VanshRomeshGoel YEAR2 5409

HONOURABLEMENTION

SMO(Senior)Results

ZhangRuiyang YEAR3 5401 SILVER

NicholasGoei YEAR5 5412 HONOURABLEMENTION

WangHaiyang YEAR3 5407 HONOURABLEMENTION

SMO(Open)Results

ShiBingQing YEAR6 5414 HONOURABLEMENTION

ZhangHaoxuan YEAR5 5404 HONOURABLEMENTION

Charity(farleft)andfellowmedalistswiththeirASGmascotsouvenirs

Charityreceivinghersilvermedal


BarrettMusicCompetition2016

The annual Barrett Music Competition was held to muchacclaimon29July.Weareveryproudofourstudents’skillandtalentintheirareas;andthejudgeswerelikewiseimpressed.

Thewinnersofeachcategoryareasfollows:

WindCategory:FirstPrize: XiongJiaNan(2THO),FluteSecondPrize: UiOgino(Year2CKS),FluteThirdPrize: RemusWong(6CKS),Trumpet

VocalCategory:FirstPrize: RuthR.Mathews(5TCT),VocalSecondPrize: LimWeiJun(3OLD),VocalThirdPrize: CelynaPeck(5THO),Vocal

PianoCategory:FirstPrize: SarahNg(6SVM),PianoSecondPrize: TanLiYi(3TCT),Piano

StringsCategory:FirstPrize: TeoKaiHui(4TKK),ViolinSecondPrize: TanRuiYi(2TCT),Violin

BestOverallPerformance:TeoKaiHui,(4TKK),Violin

"I was very glad to experience the diverse musical talents atACS (International), they all displayed a lot of potential. It iscertainly not easy to jugglemusic and schoolwork, as I knowverywellfrommyownexperience.

The proliferation of social media has reduced our attentionspans,causingourtendencytocelebratesensationmorethansophistication. In this context, learning music is increasinglynecessaryasapursuitof refinementof theself, trainingus tothinkdeeperandpaymoreattentiontodetail.

Classicalmusicmay not always evoke “wow” responses fromaudiences,butitisanintellectualandemotionalexercisewhichgreatly benefits the practitioner.On this note, Iwould like tocongratulate the winner Teo Kai Hui for her meticulousrenditionof two violin classics, aswell as all participantswhodiligently practiced their craft and mustered the courage topresenttheirmusictotheschool."

WangChenwei(oneoftheadjudicators)


ChoicetoRun–Forthosewhocannotrunawayfromhunger

Choice to Run was an event organised by the StudentAmbassadors. Volunteers received pledges of donations foreach laptheyran.Therewereobstaclestationsalongthewayto challenge them, and to provide a bit of fun. During theevent, there were also games and musical performances, aswell as food stalls that sold snacks to supporters. TheAmbassador teamhas done a fantastic job, and haveworkedhard to achieve their fundraising goal.We congratulate themonasuccessfulandfulfillingfundraisingeffort.

Thefollowingisareflectiononthefundraisingexperience:

Fourmonths – four hours. Since the beginning ofMarch, the5thand6thAmbassadorsBoard initiatedanambitiousprojectto raiseawarenessand funds towardsaworldproblemwhichshouldn’texistinthe21stcentury–hunger.

Since its conception, the aptly named event “Choice to Run”wasafarcryfrompastcommonfundraisingprojects;ithelpedinspire participants to raise funds for the World Visionorganisationinacreativeandentertainingway.

It started outwith a small team, butwith the ever-increasingscaleoftheevent,therun involvedmorethan150volunteersandparticipants.Choice toRunwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithout the extreme generosity and support of the SeniorLeadershipTeamand theParent SchoolPartners.Whatmadethe event so different and so enjoyable was theoverwhelminglypositiveatmospherethatpervadedeverythingthatwedid.

The daywouldn’t have been completewithout the three livebands–TheAfterthoughts,TeamLitandDoHyungperformingtheircaptivatingnumbers.

Oneof the things that truly amazedmewashow so many months of preparationculminatedinfourshorthours.Insomeways,I wish that the whole process could havelastedjustalittlebitlonger.

With its closure, the event left me withbittersweetmemoriesandtaughtmeagreatdeal. Teamwork, sacrifice and humility weresomeofthequalitiesIencounteredalongtheway,preparing for theevent that tookplaceon23rd July.Choice toRun isnowover.Butforthe6thBoard,thisisonlythefirststeponthe path toward doing all that we can tomake the world a better place. As JohnBinghamoncesaid,“Thereasonweraceisn'tsomuchtobeateachother,...buttobewitheachother.”

ACS(International)BeatsHungerTogether.

LimMunYiang(5-SVM)HeadofLogistics

6thBoardAmbassadors

TheOrganisingCommittee


InternationalYouthFloralArtCompetition

CongratulationstoGraceCheng(6LSG)onbeingawardedthebronzemedal in theUnder-21TableArrangementcategoryatthe International Youth Floral Art Competition. This is anannual competition where students from both local andinternationalschoolscompeteintheartoffloralarrangement.ThepastfewcompetitionshavebeenheldinconjunctionwiththeSingaporeGardenFestivalfrom28–31July,andhavebeengreat opportunities for students to stretch their creativemuscles. Grace also won the bronze medal in the samecategorylastyear;awell-deservedawardforhercreativity.

NTUTouchAttack–Champions!

It was a good end to themonth of July for our Touch Rugbygirls.Theybeat15otherteams intheU18divisionon31July,emergingas championsof the tournament.We laud them fortheirexcellentperformanceandteamwork.

JapanExchangeProgramme

Our school hostedour second annual group of students fromYamateGakuin in Japan from 25 July to 5 August. Similar toour visitors from Hong Kong, the Japanese students followedour students for classes and other activities. Here are somereflections made by our student, and one of the Japanesestudents(quoteshavebeeneditedforclarity):

“Doing a study exchange programme was an unforgettableexperience forme.Wegaineda lotwithin these2weeks,notonly in theprogress thatwemade instudying,butalso in thebuilding up of our friendships. Although I encountered someproblems in the beginning due to the language barrier, wemanaged to overcome it and became close friends with oneanother.During these twoweeks,mybuddy and I have beentogether all the time. We went to the same classes, atetogether, andwrotepostcards toeachother. Shealsohelpedme with my Japanese and I helped her improve her English.Throughalltheselittlethings,ourfriendshipdeveloped.Itwasa very goodopportunity for us to learn, tomake friends, andalsotoexperiencedifferentcultures.Ireallyhopethatwecancontinue to keep in touch with the students from YamateGakuin,andthatourfriendshipwilllastforever.”

TangShiyu(Jenny),4CKS

“When I was in this school, I learned a lot of things. Forexample, I was inspired by the lessons. I tookmany kinds ofclasses in two weeks. I was surprised at the classes’atmosphere. Most students in Japan feel nervous whenconveyingtheiropiniontotheirteachers.Buthere,ifstudentshave anything they want to say, they will ask their teacherloudly during class. As a result, all the students in class canunderstand more clearly. I think it is very important forlearning.

I was especially amazed by my new friends. They studied sohard every day, and their writing skills were very good. Theycaneven speakmore than two languages.Weare almost thesameageaseachother,buttheylookmoreabletocopewiththe world. Some of the older students in the group receivedequal treatment as us younger students, so nobody felt leftout.

After this trip to Singapore, I realized just how importantEnglish is as a tool for communication. Simply polishing mygrammar skills is not enough. I also have to improvemy oralandwritingskills,andshouldparticipateinclassmore.Thankyouforhavingushere. Imadea lotofnewfriendsandhavememoriesofthisvisitthatIwillneverforget.WhenIgetback to Japan, I’ll continue to study English and try to goabroad during high school. I am thankful for the chance ofbeingoneoftheexchangestudents.I’lltreasurethisforever.”

ErikaShinabaga JapaneseexchangestudentfromYamateGakuin


HongKongStudentExchangeProgramme

From25Julyto5August,ourschoolhostedstudentsfromoursisterschool,HongKongMethodistCollege.Theywerepartofanimmersionprogramme,andspenttheirwholedayatschool.Our students proved to be excellent ambassadors for ourschool; along with our teachers, they made it a memorableexperienceforourvisitors.TheyattendedclassesandCCAs,aswellasschooleventssuchastheInter-Housegames.Itwasthefirst time some of our students were exchange studentbuddies,butoverthecourseofthevisit,theyfeltthattheyhadmadegoodfriendswiththeirpeersfromJapanandHongKong,andlearnedmuchalongtheway.Herearesomeexcerptsfromstudent reflections – they have been edited for clarity andlength.

“…theytaughtmealotfrompersonalitytothewayofcaringofothers aswell. I’m really slowat getting close tonewpeople,and I remembered that in the first day when they came toSingapore,Iwasreallyafraidtotalktothem.However,astheykepttalkingandintroducingthemselvestome,Istartedgettingcloserandclosertothem.I’mreallygratefultothemandnowwe are friends. Besides, by the first few days they came toSingapore,Ineededtoshowthemwheretotaketheschoolbusfrom, etc. This is the first time Iwas a buddy to an exchangestudent.Althoughit’snotperfect,thiswasareallygoodlessonformetoreflectupon.”

TanWengTong(Tiffany),4TCT

“During the program, I learned some new knowledge andaboutSingaporeanculture,andalsothoughthowamazingandhow big the world was… …I saw the students ask teachersquestionswhentheyencounteredsomethingtheydidn’tknow.I think it is a very good learning habit that I should put intopractice.”

YuHeiManNicole

“Ifeltthatthisprogrammewasawesomeinmanyways. Iwasglad that Batsy (her buddy) loved our school life. She keptsaying,"Ohthisschoolissonice!”ShetaughtmesomeChineseand I taught her some Korean. She also made lots ofinternational friends here. Sometimes she had difficulties inunderstanding during lessons because they were a yearyoungerthanus,Itriedtoencourageherandsheovercamethedifficulties.Welearnedalotthroughthisamazingexperience.”

JoungJaewon(Kalista),3TCT

“I felt very honoured and happy that I could be one of thestudentstogotoSingaporetobeanexchangestudentasthisisthefirsttimebeinganexchangestudentinSingapore……Ithinkthe Ambassadors and students in ACS (International) are sopassionate.Theyalwayssmiledandsaidhitouswhentheysawus! I was so surprised about it. I studied in Year 3 in ACS(International); some lessons went so fast and I couldn’tunderstandthem.MaybeitisbecauseIamstillinSecondary2

in Hong Kong, so I couldn’t catch up with them, but theteachers in the school are so nice. Not only did they askmewhether I understood, but they also patiently answered myquestions! Thank you so much! I expected to make morefriends in ACS and learn about the culture in a differentcountry, as well as from the other international studentsstudyingthere……Myfavoritething inACS(International)wasthe huge garden (referring to the Science Terrace) near theGeneralOffice.Thatplace is sopeacefulwith lotsofgreeneryand I could even heard birds chirping! A big thanks to allteachers,buddies,ambassadorsandstudents.IhopethatIcanhaveachancetobeanexchangestudentinACS(International)again.”

BatsyChoy(Jaewon’sexchangebuddy)

“Thewholeexchangeprogramme……wasaveryfunandfulfilling2weeks.ItwasveryenjoyableattendingmyclasseswithTwinky,mybuddy,andalthoughitwashardforhertoparticipateintheclassworkasshehadn'tstudiedthesamethingsaswehave,Ithinkwecanbothsaywelearntalot.”

JamieHo,3GHK

“ACS(International)wassodifferentfromhowIhadimaginedit. No matter the subjects, environment or the students,students are allowed to use their cell phones in the schoolduring the lesson and the school provides a high degree offreedomfor students……The teachershere impartknowledgethrough an interactive way. They are kind to students andhumorouswhichmakesthelessonfullofdelight.EnglishisthesecondlanguageforpeopleinHongKong,sobeingatACSgaveme more opportunities to speak English in class and withothers. The schoolwork requires students to deliberate bythemselves.Ihavelearnttothinkdeeplybymyselfandnotjustlistentotheteacher'swords.”

YuenHiuChingTwinky(Jamie’sexchangebuddy)

“WhenI first joinedtheprogramme, Iexpectedtomeetmorepeople so I could stop being the shy girl Iwas andwidenmyhorizon.ButwhatI’velearntinACSismuchmorethanthat.AtACS, you have to put yourself out there, whether it is foracademicsorsocializing. Ihadtostepoutofmycomfortzoneandgivemyselfachanceinordertolearn.Itwasnotassimpleas it seemed. I sometimes felt homesick but my buddy Mio,always reminded me that I wasn’t alone and had friendsaround.Icouldn’tbemorethankful……Thefreedomallowedtostudents,theactivities,andtheinteractionsbetweenteachersandstudentsweremyfavouritepartsofACSlife……Iespeciallylikedtheinteractionsbetweenteachersandstudents-theyarelikefriends-andstudentscaneasilyapproachthem. Itgaveafamily-like vibe to the school. I enjoyed the immersionprogramme somuch, andwill definitely recommend it to thestudentsattheMethodistCollege.

LawChiYuBeverly(Mio’sexchangebuddy)


Inter-House

The Inter-House basketball and touch rugby competition washeld on 28 July 2016. It was a successful event, and thestudentsplayedtoaveryhighstandardwithanexcellentshowofteamworkfromallHouses.

Theresultsforthefourcompetitionscanbefoundbelow:

JuniorBoysBasketball JuniorGirlsTouch1st-THO 1st-CKS2nd-SVM 2nd-SVM3rd-LSG 3rd-LSG4th-OLD 4th-THO5th-TCT 5th-TKK6th-GHK 6th-OLD7th-TKK 7th-TCT8th-CKS 8thGHKSeniorBoysBasketball SeniorGirlsTouch1st-GHK 1st-THO2nd-TKK 2nd-SVM3rd-TCT 3rd-TCT4th-THO 4th-CKS5th-CKS 5th-TKK6th-LSG 6th-GHK7th-OLD 7th-LSG8th-SVM 8th-OLD

Inter-HouseBoysBasketball

Inter-HouseGirlsTouchRugby-SVMinpossession

Inter-HouseJuniorBoysBasketball

Inter-HouseJuniorGirlsTouchRugby-ChampionsCKS


UPCOMINGEVENTS

Documents

Newsletter August 2016 · 2020. 10. 26. · Mr Lim’s grandfather was World War II hero Lim Bo Seng, a resistance fighter who was eventually captured, tortured and killed in Malaya