Widening Our Horizons

Enriching students’ minds with new unique learning experiences beyond the classroom.

The Power Of Musical Theatre

“It’s the circle, the circle of life…”

Such is the power of musical theatre to move and to entertain, that AI students filed out from the Mastercard Theatre still humming and singing the songs from The Lion King musical. Each year, our Secondary 3 cohort is treated to an unforgettable experience at the Musicals. The excitement begins to build even before the day, when students learn about musical theatre, concert audience etiquette, and plan their journeys to the theatre. On the day of the show, classes of students arrive all dressed in their best smart casual attire, take photographs with their friends, and eagerly await the start of the performance. They laugh, cry, and cheer, then emerge from the theatre with a new-found appreciation for the arts. Who knows, some might be inspired enough to someday write their own musical, or even take up a career in theatrical production!

Chinese Heritage On Stage

What is your dialect group? How much do you know about your heritage? What does being Chinese mean? These were questions that put the Secondary 3 Chinese students in deep thought after their theatre experience this year.

In AI, every Secondary 3 student has the opportunity to watch a Chinese theatre performance handpicked for them as part of the school’s Chinese Arts & Culture Appreciation programme. It was their first Chinese musical for many of them. Watching Sometimes Moon （有时月光）at Victoria Theatre opened students’ eyes to the struggles of our forefathers and the rise and fall of a 100-year-old clan association in Singapore, among others, imbuing a newfound appreciation for and curiosity about their heritage.

We hope that this glimpse of Chinese theatre has brought students’ lesser known ethnic histories to life, and will continue to grow their interest in Chinese heritage.

SOUND WELL AT THE SOUNDWELL!

Imagine a school filled with students milling around before school, at recess time, and after school. Now imagine that instead of just footsteps and voices, you hear music and singing wafting from a corner. Your pace quickens slightly, you find your head bobbing in time, and you are irresistibly drawn to the source of the music – the Soundwell. Here, at the bottom of a cool-looking stairwell with colourful furniture, a group of students are playing the piano, guitars, ukulele and cajón, belting out their favourite tunes while appreciative audience gather round.

Here is also where talents are spotted for AESPIRE concerts or other performances. With little inhibition, the students play and sing to their heart’s content, before it’s time to go back for lessons or head for their CCA practice. We certainly think that our lives are much better with music, especially when we can share it with our friends!

STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD - THE AI ACD WAY!

Ever wondered what prompts a designer to create his or her product a certain way? What problems can be solved with the creation of new products? In AI’s Aesthetics & Craft Department (ACD), Design Thinking is fundamental in Design & Technology (D&T) and used by teachers to teach product design. Students have created display stand holders and wooden toys for children using this approach. Upper Secondary students have also been given real-life themes such as Preservation to come up with authentic problems and solutions to develop them into creative thinkers. Meanwhile, AI’s Art department has been working to enhance visible thinking through our art programmes. In this year’s Art Camp, students spent 2 days and 1 night living and breathing art. From observing their subjects to transferring complex ideas onto paper, our art students got the opportunity to apply creative thinking to their craft.

MATHS – NOT ALL WORK AND NO PLAY

“Cher, why do we need to learn this?”

“Cher, when will I ever use this formula in real life?”

These are common questions that Mathematics teachers are faced with in their day-to-day teaching. Hence, for our post-exam activities, the teachers from the Mathematics Department crafted two activitiesMathematics Modelling, for our Secondary 2 students and Mathemazing Race, for our Secondary 3s - to allow students to see that Mathematics is applicable everywhere and to have a hand in applying the Mathematics concepts that they have learnt in the classroom.

It was the first time that the department held the Mathemazing Race for the Upper Secondary students. From the various stations that the Secondary 3 students had to visit during the race and the high energy level demonstrated by the students, we were able to debunk the myth that Upper Secondary Mathematics is all work

SCIENCE CARNIVAL!

How else to make science fun if not through a carnival that promises endless entertainment and mind-boggling discoveries?

The annual AI Science Carnival allows students to discover how science can be interesting, entertaining and yet seriously educational. Students were able to explore scientific concepts beyond the curriculum by visiting various learning stations to try out different activities through collaborative investigation.

Can students design the best ‘plasti-boat’ to hold the weight of marbles? Can they remove the gases found in leaf discs?

The activities are designed to enhance scientific skills such as observation, designing experiments, applying concepts and communication. Through the integration of these scientific skills in the activities, students’ learning experiences become richer and more meaningful.

Academic Excellence