REAL PROGRAMME

Our students embarked on the REAL (Relevant, Engaging, Authentic Learning) Programme between 24 and 26 March. This programme was named after Brother Real Perreault. Brother Real was born in Canada on 7 October 1922 and became a Brother of St. Gabriel in 1939. He was a kind and approachable person whom everyone loved. Brother Real devoted 36 years of his life to the service of Boys’ Town.

The REAL programme is unique for each level with every level having a signature theme that epitomises one of Montfort’s stories.

Dinan Programme (Secondary 1)

For Secondary 1, the students were part of the Dinan Programme. When Montfort was in Dinan, he carried a sick man to his own room, laid him on his back and spent the night nursing him. Similarly, our AssumptionKnights developed their sense of charity and compassion by understanding the 5 Love Languages and completing their Values in Action Project. This instils in them the mandate to serve the last, the lost and the least in our community whenever they can. They also designed and decorated a recyclable tote bag for their parents and loved ones. In return, their parents wrote them notes of love and encouragement which were compiled prior to the programme by their Form Teachers.

Rennes Programme (Secondary 2)

The Secondary 2 AssumptionKnights embarked on the Rennes Programme. In Rennes, Montfort saw a poor student mobbed by a number of mischievous boys. Montfort declared himself the poor student’s friend and managed to get the help of the richer boys to donate some money to make clothes for his friend at a tailor. Though the money was not enough, the tailor was impressed by Montfort’s efforts and made not one, but two sets of uniforms for the poor student. The Secondary Two students learnt from Montfort’s determination and sincerity by planning and hosting cultural booths of various countries that culminated in a showcase at the end of the third day. They also had a virtual exchange with students from Thailand, a study skills workshop, and a financial literacy workshop.

Poitiers Programme (Secondary 3)

On the first two days, the Secondary 3 students went through team-building games through a gamified concept where they completed missions to earn resources and points for their team. For each mission, they rotated roles to allow them to see how they can collaborate in a team. On the third day, the students were engaged with an Ageing Simulation Exercise where they experienced hearing impairment (wearing cotton balls in their ears), loss of touch sensitivity (wearing of gloves) and visual impairment (wearing of safety goggles). With these reduced senses, the students had to carry out daily activities like buying groceries from the wet market, filling in application forms at the job agency, folding origami at the National Silver Academy, etc. These activities helped them work together and better understand the physical challenges the elderly face in their daily lives, preparing them for their class Values in Action project with Ren Ci Hospital this year.

Cesson Programme (Sec 4 & 5)

All our graduating students go through their rite of passage with the Cesson Programme before they graduate from AES. Their form teachers and level supervisors put together several programmes like team-building games, financial literacy, personal grooming workshops, portfolio preparation, industry talks, individual mock interviews, aspirations wall activity, etc. All these programmes equip them with a broader understanding of their educational pathways and career guidance in one way or another so they can be better prepared to work towards their goals.