ART CAMP JAMILLA ART ON THE STREETS AND IN THE STUDIO

“I never knew how difficult it was to produce nice batik! I will never complain that real batik is expensive ever again,” exclaimed Art teacher Ms Michelle Lim as she worked hard to use her canting (a pen-like tool used to apply liquid hot wax) neatly. The aroma of hot wax enveloped the lively and colourful studio, as 30 Secondary 3 Art students laboured over their creations.

This year’s annual AI Art Camp, Art Camp Jamilla, transported students to Goodman Arts Centre for an afternoon with batik artist Kamal Dollah. There, they learnt about the history and art of batik painting. They also experienced creating their own batik artwork, applying hot wax and vibrant colour gradations on their works depicting flora and fauna.

Over the two days at camp during their September holidays, the students also visited the historic enclave of Kampong Glam. There, students practised their perspective drawing by documenting the beautiful historic 2-storey shophouses and the mosque along Kandahar Street, during the hot and humid morning hours. They also dropped by the Malay Cultural Centre to appreciate Malay customs and traditions.

Coupled with the comfortable hostel, buffet dinner, games and reflections, it was certainly a fun-filled experience for all.

From Aspiring Artistes To Dynamic Leaders

“Nope, that was lacking impact. I think you need to sing a little louder. Once more from the verse, please…” Such a refrain is commonly heard during some of our AESPIRE rehearsals, which are occasionally led by a select group of student leaders, also affectionately known as the AESPIRE Ambassadors.

Since the inception of the AESPIRE concert series in 2016, many of these Ambassadors have been active as performers, but yearned for a much deeper and extensive involvement beyond that. Hence this year, a few talented and passionate students were identified to form a team of student leaders.

As Ambassadors, they have played a pivotal role in bringing the concert series to greater heights, taking on responsibilities such as conducting auditions, mentoring, publicity, and emceeing and stage management duties.

With students’ willingness to learn and venture into the unknown, AESPIRE has transformed from a performance platform to one that provides multiple opportunities for students to develop myriad skills that boost both their confidence and competence.

Ml Cultural Trip Pulau Langkawi

Planting Seeds of Love for the Malay Language and Culture in the Jewel Of Kedah

“I am speechless! The paddy fields and the island view from this airplane… this sight is almost magical!” quipped Harith Syafiq from 3N1, after our plane landed on Pulau Langkawi. Through the 5D4N trip, students were exposed to the rich cultural heritage of this island that was once a vassal of the ancient kingdom of Thailand.

At Laman Padi, a rice museum, students learnt how the very grains that they normally take for granted involves heavy toil in order to produce. At Mardi Agro Technology Park, a modern fruit farm, students were treated to a tram ride around the fruit plantation, and feasted on a buffet of local fruits. Students also forged new bonds when they interacted with their local peers from Sekolah Menengah Kampung Ayer Hangat, through a friendly match of traditional kampong games and a chit-chat session.

This trip planted seeds of change and nurtured love for the Malay language and culture in our students, opening windows of opportunities for them to widen their horizons.

Charting My Postsecondary Pathway

Fancy using your brainwaves to control the movement of a cartoon character on screen? Tan Hng Teck from 4E2 did just that at Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) when our Secondary 4 Express and Normal Academic classes experienced a taster into life as a polytechnic student into 2 courses of their choice.

This exciting experience was followed by an Early Admission Exercise (EAE) portfolio preparation workshop. NYP was roped in to conduct this workshop where they provided guidance and insights to students in preparing their portfolio. These experiences helped students to make informed and intelligent academic decisions about their study in post-secondary institutions that suit their intellectual, professional and personal goals. It is instrumental to motivating students towards success in their national examinations and plays a vital role in raising students’ aspirations through the overall learning experience.

Making Common Sense Common Again

Using the appropriate voice tone in different situations, asking for help, disagreeing appropriately – how often do we take these social skills for granted? In order to further develop our students into the AI young gentleman and lady, Secondary 1 to 3 teachers underwent the Social Skills training programme to help make sense of such skills in the classroom. Students were able to try out various activities such as role-playing and writing complimentary notes for their friends when learning the different skills. With consistent practice, we hope our students will be able to master these skills in order to improve their self-management and develop stronger peer relationships.

Exploring Our Strengths

As the saying goes, ‘Tell me and I will forget; teach me and I may learn; involve me and I will remember.’ Through roleplaying real-life experiences, our Secondary 1 students had the chance to learn more about their own strengths and find out more about the practical applications of their strength. There was also great joy in learning about their peers’ strengths as they now know how to better communicate and understand each other.

If one thinks that recalling one’s strengths well is not easy, a new tool was given to help students easily recall their strengths – a personalised ‘My Top 3 Strengths’ card which lists the student’s Top 3 strengths. These cards are durable and small so that students can easily store them in their wallets to refer to whenever necessary.