Woodlands Secondary School 2022 - 40th Anniversary Coffee Table Book

WOODLANDS SECONDARY SCHOOL

ANNIVERSARY OUR PULSE, OUR HEARTBEAT, OUR SOUL.

ANNIVERSARY OUR PULSE, OUR HEARTBEAT, OUR SOUL.

WOODLAND S S YRADNOCE

Forty years ago, in the year 1982, a star was born in the northern part of Singapore. Named as Woodlands Secondary School, it was a landmark for those who followed its determined direction as it glowed brightly to guide and lead towards a purposeful destination. Woodlands Secondary School, the Northern Star, depicts a beacon of inspiration and hope to many future gifts to society.

The story of the school since its inception is unfolded in the theme: Our Pulse, Our Heartbeat, Our Soul. The theme evokes our common experience of being in a school that pulsates with life and energy throughout its 40 years of history. Heartbeat signifes the power, strength, endurance, love, passion and the ability to keep moving forward. This is depicted in how the school creates opportunities for all students and develops their talents in academic and non-academic areas as observed in students’ active engagement and passion in the various CCAs: Uniformed groups, sports and games, performing arts, clubs and societies and student leadership. Their resilience and love for society is demonstrated in the community engagement programmes where they contribute to society through Values in Action. The soul refects the distinctive signature programmes that make the northern star unique as an organisation.

The content is conceived in 8 parts illustrating the pulse, heartbeat and soul of the Northern Star. Part 1 highlights the birth of the Northern Star, Woodlands Secondary School with its unique motto, school crest, song and pupil’s creed. The various photographs highlight the

PROLOGUE

school’s foundations and its building. Part 2 features the people and their pulsating stories. Here we share the inspirational stories and signifcant moments of the visionary leaders (Principals), inspiring teachers and the loyal alumni of the school. In Part 3, we spotlight how Woodlands Secondary continues to nurture and grow the hidden talents of our students and instil values such as growth, resilience, respect, teamwork and dedication over the decades. Part 4 shares the stories of our Student Leadership Development that includes growing leaders among leaders. Woodlands Secondary’s service to the community is unfurled in Part 5. The photographs reveal stories of how students and staff have contributed to the Use Your Hands Campaign, Community Involvement Programme and the current Values in Action. Our Signature programmes that make us distinctive are illustrated in Part 6. These include our unique Integrated Curriculum, Learning for Life and Applied Learning Programmes. The dynamic and unique approach to staff learning and engagement is highlighted in Part 7.

Part 8 ruminates the enduring and lingering legacy of Woodlands Secondary to the community and all its stakeholders who believe in the vision, mission and values of the Northern Star and how it will continue to guide them. The school will carry on its legacy to yield more Gifts to Society!

This coffee table book is a nostalgic journey of WDL. A gift to you. As you browse the pages, we hope it will evoke a sense of pride in our past, glorious presence of the present and the preservation of the future.

PRINCIPAL’S FOREWORD

2022 marks the 40th anniversary of Woodlands Secondary School. We take this opportunity to honour the legacy of our school, celebrate our current stage of growth and look ahead to the future.

Woodlands Secondary has always been a hope-building school of the community since its humble inception in 1982. The school serves the needs of this close-knit community in the Marsiling-Woodlands area, and acts as a pulse of life and hope for the community. It is a school that enables success for all Woodlanders. We believe that secondary education is a journey of building abilities and creating potential. We appreciate the unique talent that each Woodlander brings to the school and we take great effort to help them discover their value and develop them into true gifts to society.

Here in Woodlands Secondary, we are blessed with dedicated staff who would go out of their way to provide the support, the hope and the care that allow our Woodlanders to fourish and grow their passions, and be their North Stars - markers that give Woodlanders direction and guidance to purposeful destinations. In the journey with Woodlanders, we see the struggles, the effort and the learning that come from each mistake, and what appears impossible slowly becoming possible. Each Woodlander knows that he or she can depend on the staff for they form part of the soul of the school.

2020 and 2021 have been challenging years with many lost opportunities due to the pandemic but we have also experienced unexpected gains. Our care for our students is the impetus to many of our innovative efforts to uplift spirits and support one another, ensure learning is as engaging as possible, connect with students and one another, and allow the school experience to be wholesome and holistic for our students. We seized the unique opportunities to learn from internationally acclaimed education thought leaders and curricular and pedagogical experts, and innovate and experiment pedagogically with applications of technology in learning to develop future ready Woodlanders. While it has been a tough two years with many struggles, we both staff and students, have emerged stronger and continued to excel at whatever we are doing. When united, the hearts of Woodlanders can truly press on to make the best of every situation.

In this celebratory year, we pay tribute to our previous Principals, former colleagues and Woodlanders for their contributions to our school and for laying the foundation for our growth and development. We also salute thousands of Woodlanders who have found meaningful purpose, who have developed a disciplined mind and an enduring heart that treasures the school’s motto of Wisdom and Truth.

The 40th Anniversary theme “Our Pulse, Our Heartbeat, Our Soul” emphasises the pulsating journey Woodlanders, past, present and future, have taken or will take in their lives. Woodlands Secondary is the beacon of inspiration and hope where all our students’ aspirations and dreams are realised.

We look forward to a bright future for Woodlands Secondary with optimism, hope and gratitude. Wishing Woodlands Secondary many more good years!

Mrs Tay Yang Fern Principal

THE NORTHERN STAR

Birth of the Northern Star:

Woodlands Secondary School was established in 1982 with 205 students and a pioneer batch of 13 staff as a Government co-educational school to cater to the growing population in Woodlands and Marsiling area. It was initially sited in Si Ling Secondary School’s premises. In 1984, the school relocated to its current premises at 8 Admiralty Road, and was offcially opened on 20th September. The school has the distinction of being the northernmost school in Singapore being just a stone’s throw away from the Singapore-Johore Causeway. Currently, it serves about 1000 students.

The Classroom Block

The Main Entrance

The Science Block

Laying the Foundations

The Workshop Block

School Crest

The overall blue tone refects the setting of the school near the sea. Blue represents harmony, serenity and a closeness to nature.

The six-pointed golden star encompasses the total development of the individual’s academic, physical, social, emotional, aesthetic and moral aspects that will be strengthened to a fneness represented by the points of the star.

The stylised W is designed as a soaring bird representing purity of spirit and ambition to reach greater heights. It is the focus of loyalty and aims to foster a sense of belonging and pride in the school.

School Motto

WISDOM is what one attains as a result of knowledge and learning. It shows itself in good judgement and an enlightened approach to one’s thoughts and actions.

TRUTH is a concept linked with honesty, sincerity and integrity and is associated with the moral person.

The motto synthesizes the virtues of the learned man and the moral man.

Our Vision

Every Woodlander a Gift to Society

Our Mission

Nurturing Enduring Hearts and Creative Minds Ready to Serve Society

Our School Values

GR2EAT

• Growth

• Respect

• Resilience

• Empathy

• Appreciation

• Trustworthiness

School Song

Woodlanders stand tall and proud

Honest in word, thought and deed

Pursue truth, knowledge, excellence

Persevere with dedication

Oh strong at heart are we Woodlanders

Loyal to school and country

Making Wisdom and Truth our goal

Our alma mater to cherish evermore

Sharing in sincerity

Forging bonds of friendship

Come on one and all let’s strive and strive

For the honour of our dearest school

Oh strong at heart are we Woodlanders

Loyal to school and country

Making Wisdom and Truth our goal

Our alma mater to cherish evermore

Pupil’s Creed

I know there is something inside of me

It’s what I call ability

And I know I could do my best

In everyday life’s a big big test

And when the going gets tough

And everything just seems so rough I know that I’m not alone

Chorus

I believe we can conquer dreams

I believe we can reach for greater heights

I believe we can do anything as one Woodlanders are the best when we unite

I feel there is freedom in my heart

I put pride in the freedom that I have With this freedom, I won’t lose respect

That I feel for each and everyone

Never stray from the ray of wisdom

Achieve our goals through lifelong learning

OUR PEOPLE AND THEIR STORIES

OUR PEOPLE AND THEIR STORIES

Life for most people is a journey of self-discovery –fnding out who we are, what we are best at, and how can we make a difference in this world. This is a life lesson that many experienced while in Woodlands Secondary School. Part 2 shares the anecdotes of the various visionary leaders, the pulsating and inspirational moments of the inspiring staff and the fond memories of the loyal alumni of the school. Be inspired and inspire others in your own journey of self-discovery!

OUR FORMER PRINCIPALS

Mrs Jayam Narayanaswamy (1982 – 1986)

Mrs Rita Tong Hoi Chak (1986 – 1991)

Mr Richard Dawson (1991 – 1995)

The Late Mr Leong Kah Chong (1996 – 2001)

Mrs Julia Woo Keen Fai (2008 – 2012)

Mrs Yap-Ng Hwee Heng (2001 – 2008)

Miss Tan Ke-Xin (2012 – 2018)

OUR FORMER PRINCIPALS

Mrs Julia Woo Keen Fai (2008 – 2012)

“I was struck by the diverse talents when I frst took over the helm and wanted to create opportunities to support the enhancement of diverse talents in both academic and non-academic areas of uniformed groups, sports and the performing arts. One such opportunity was the production of the National Education movie “Friends for Life”. WDL’s unique racial and cultural blend emphasised the signifcance of National Education. As part of the school’s contribution to the nation, the school directed and produced a National Education movie, entitled ‘Friends for Life’, with cast, production and direction by all stakeholders of the school. The strong camaraderie culture and rootedness to the school, together with the diverse talents, made the movie production, initially deemed as an impossible pursuit, possible! It was eventually launched in February 2012 at the University Cultural Centre Hall at the National University of Singapore to a domestic and external audience. It was an experience of a lifetime for all involved!”

Miss Tan Ke-Xin (2012 – 2018)

“I remember the many send-offs at the airport when our Secondary 3 students went for their overseas trip. It was the frst airplane trip for so many; their frst ticket to the world. I remember being invited to the MOE special awards to proudly witness WDL students (the late Nor’ Aqilah Binte Rosli from class of 2013 and Rasidi Bin Saaban of 2016) receive the Lee Kuan Yew All-Rounded Excellence Award and the Lee Kuan Yew Award for Outstanding Normal Course students respectively. I also recall the stunning value-added results for the Express course in 2014 and 2015, which eventually led to the school sharing about her best practices in Teaching and Learning at MOE’s annual Excellence-in-Action sharing in 2016. These accolades would not have been possible if not for the dedicated, passionate and hardworking staff who believed in their students and went the extra mile for them.”

OUR INSPIRING STAFF

2014

Gary

of Department for Physical Education and Co-Curricular Activities 2000 – 2013

2013 - 2018

2015

2018 - 2021

2004

Language and Literature

2001 – 2018

Department for English Language and Literature 2001 - 2013

Ong Thiam Heng

Head

Marcus Quek Level Head for Mathematics 2011 –

Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar Mathematics Teacher 1998 –

Mr Asmuri Bin Lawi Technical Support Staff 1982 - 2016

S. Philip Kumaran Head of Department for Student Management 2006 – 2017

Mr Hoo Kiow Pat Vice Principal 2007 -

Mdm Loh Soi Hong, Michelle Vice Principal

Mrs Veronica Lim Head of Department for English

Mr Chen Bing Hong Vice Principal

Mdm Shoba Head of

OUR INSPIRING STAFF

“Woodlands has a strong community of caring Principal, staff and support staff. They go the extra mile to look into the welfare of the students and take the restorative approach to build the character and intellect of students who deviate from their goals or aspirations. There is always someone, be it the form teacher, subject teacher and school leaders to guide and provide the opportunities for the students to fulfl their dreams and goals.

Besides a strong culture of growth and learning, there is celebrations of success and every staff’s birthday! I enjoyed the long hours of discussion, affable bantering and sparring of ideas for school outcomes at Management and Staff Contact Time. I was amazed how every Head supported and worked together to achieve the Singapore Quality Class. My contribution of developing data and slides and sharing with the team and staff for their input was tedious but worth the effort and time. There was so much fun in working with a wonderful team consisting of an excellent leader, compassionate heads and caring staff.”

“In the frst two years, I had the opportunity to help put together part of the SEM report for the school. The inspiring moment was defnitely not on the process of writing the report but the uncovering of a pool of caring, close-knitted, talented and reliable Heads of Departments who ran together with the leaders, no matter how challenging it was. Through the tedious process, the ‘unearthing’ of the many good programmes and opportunities from the past WDL leaders had energized me then in wanting to be part of the awesome team in continuing and upkeeping the good results of a heartland school. The collected effcacy of the staff is crucial in ensuring students’ outcomes. Love, open communication and leveraging each other’s strengths are the crux of our daily work for success, no matter where we are.… The experience in WDL has helped ease me in New Zealand that emphasizes on “he tangata, he tangata, he tangata” [meaning it’s always about people, people and people]. WDL has taught me to practise looking at people through the lens of love.”

Mdm Loh Soi Hong, Michelle Vice Principal 2013 - 2018

Mr Hoo Kiow Pat Vice Principal 2007 - 2014

Mr Chen Bing Hong Vice Principal 2018 - 2021

“COVID-19 has brought about many challenges and adversities for our students and staff during the last two years. However, it has also brought about opportunities and platforms for us to innovate and unite, to build a strong Woodlands family spirit and sense of belonging. I am proud to be a member of the Woodlands family for the last three years, to be part of the team to rally the students and staff. Guided by the belief that the school is a fundamental source of support for our students, we focused on engaging the academic and affective domains of our students through planned well-being activities and innovative academic and co-curriculum programmes to foster care, trust and respect and inculcate a growth mindset for learning. One such example is the Youth Day celebrations in 2020.

WDL is a hope building and uplifting school, one that enables success for all. Most of the time, students do what is expected of them. They make decisions based on what is right, practical and most sensible at that moment.”

Mrs Veronica Lim Head of Department for English Language and Literature 2001 – 2018

“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” John C. Crosby.

I had been very blessed to have met and worked for inspiring school leaders such as Mrs Yap-Ng Hwee Heng, Mrs Julia Woo and Ms Tan Ke-xin. Not only did they chart the direction to bring the school to a greater height and to where it is today, they also listened to each and every one of us and were inspirational mentors to us. Their unwavering belief in the staff and in having the best interest for students at Woodlands Secondary enthused many of us to put our best foot forward. It was their resolute faith and trust in me as well as the empowerment, together with the support and hard work from the department teachers, that allowed me to have successfully led the English Language and Literature department in achieving value-added results. “

OUR INSPIRING STAFF

“Soon after I completed my Postgraduate Diploma in Education in NIE, I was appointed as a General Education Offcer, or classroom teacher, and was deployed to Woodlands Secondary School in May 1998 to teach Elementary Mathematics and Additional Mathematics. I had the privilege to get to know and work with passionate and inspiring teachers such as Ms Amirtham, Mr Lin, Mr Thiru, Cikgu Hamimah, and Mdm Tan, among others. I was given the opportunity to teach classes of various academic proclivities and across the different levels from Secondary 1 to Secondary 5. I was also afforded the scope to be a Library Teacher and to teach Project Work. This latitude of teaching experience seeded my interest in information science and in public policies (areas in which I did my postgraduate studies), and in social innovation and community work. I left the teaching service and Woodlands Secondary School in 2004 to pursue my postgraduate studies but I am always grateful for the opportunities I had and the work relationships I forged in the school. Thank you, Woodlands Secondary School, for playing an instrumental role in my development as an educator and academic faculty.”

“I was posted to Woodlands Secondary School in 1982 and was supposed to retire in 2008. I continued working under contract when I decided to retire in 2016. At that point of time I was 70 years old. Before my postings to Woodlands Secondary , I was in Dunearn Secondary School.

…During my 34 years with the school, the staff were all pleasant, helpful and very co-operative. I was attached to the Technical Department and we worked very closely with the school. I witnessed the transformation of the school, the renovation, with improved amenities. Also the transformation of the Technical Department, from a two trade skill, namely Woodwork and Metalwork, to a new Design and Technology Programme that included wood, metal, plastics technology, and electronics. We also had our own non-teaching staff committee. We organised staff upgrading courses, excursions and educational trips. I am grateful to the staff who nominated me for the Outstanding Contribution Awards in 2010 and 2011.

The best things in life are the people we work with, the people we love, the places we have been together and the memories we have made along the way. Things end but memories last forever.

Nothing is lost as long as we remember!”

Mr Asmuri Bin Lawi Technical Support Staff 1982 - 2016

Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar Mathematics Teacher 1998 – 2004

OUR DEVOTED ALUMNI

Foo Fang Fang Graduated in 2006

Nur Sabrina Binte Mohamad Dan Graduated in 2017

Asraf Noorani Graduated in 2014

Mohamed Rizwan Bin Mohamed Ali, Adam Muhammad and Amirul Nashtrie Bin Zahari

Graduated in 2008

Santhi Ravindran Graduated in 1986

Imran Bin Mohamed Graduated in 1987

Siti Farhana Abdullah Graduated in 2002

Jackson Tan Graduated in 1987

Mathew Leesbourne Graduated in 2003

Cindy Toh Seok Hwee Graduated in 2008

OUR DEVOTED ALUMNI

“The experience in Woodlands Secondary School has been an eye opener for me and it has taught me valuable life lessons. For example, while it is important to focus on your studies, you should not beat yourself up if you fail to achieve your initial goals. Take some time to refect on what went wrong and strive to work on it. Yes, grades are important but at the same time it only acts as a tool to open doors to new opportunities. What I have learnt over the years is discovering your passion and pursuing it. When you are passionate about something, success will follow suit if you put in the work and effort. In closing, secondary school is a confusing time for many. We are too occupied trying to score for our fnal exams, while at the same time we are maturing and discovering ourselves. We are expected to be independent, yet we are not old enough to make life decisions – legally that is. It may be challenging but remember to cherish the times you have and enjoy your youth to its fullest. If you are lucky, your secondary school experience may be one of your most cherished memories together with your lifelong friends.”

“During my years in secondary school, I gave Mdm Nurdiyana a lot of headaches with my school attendance and punctuality. Despite the troubles I had back then, she was really patient, handling me with much care and concern. She never once gave up on me. I even got the opportunity to visit Vietnam for the Overseas Learning trip. With much motivational push from her and Mr Teo, I was blessed to be given a golden opportunity from her and Mr Teo to apply for ITE. When I received that call from her, 5 years ago, to come down to Woodlands Secondary to give a talk, it really changed my life forever. During my journey in ITE, I worked hard in my studies and gave my absolute best. The hard work paid off when I attained a GPA of 4 for three years in a row and received several Edusave awards. I was given many opportunities by my lecturers. ... I gained many experiences on life skills and the utmost importance of Education. Now that I’ve graduated from ITE, I realise I couldn’t have done it without Mdm Nurdiyana’s help.”

Nur Sabrina Binte Mohamad Dan Graduated in 2017

Asraf Noorani Graduated in 2014

That’s Me!

GROWING OUR TALENTS

GROWING OUR TALENTS

Every child is unique with its own strength, interest and passion. As Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) form an integral part of our students’ holistic development, we encourage and guide our students to seize every opportunity to discover their strengths, expand their interests and passions and broaden their horizons. In Secondary One, we allow students to sample an array of options prior to delving deep into a CCA the students would like to pursue and build character, leadership and develop lifelong skills that prepare them for the disruptive world.

Woodlands Secondary offers varied CCAs - from uniformed groups, to sports and games and clubs and societies. The weekly 2 hours or more invested in CCA also forges friendships among students from diverse backgrounds as they learn, play and grow together. Participation in CCA fosters social integration, reinforces a rich school culture and a community that celebrates diversity and excellence. It also strengthens the students’ sense of identity and responsibility to the school.

Our annual 30-week CCA plan not only nurtures talent and enriches the individual mind, it also strengthens our school values of growth, resilience, respect, empathy, appreciation and trustworthiness (GR2EAT values). The various accolades and achievements in the CCAs are an endorsement of students’ growth, discipline, resilience and commitment to their own selfdevelopment. Uniformed groups such as National Police Cadet Corps, Boys’ Brigade, National Cadel Corps and Girl Guides have received ‘Gold’ awards over the years. Our performing arts have staged dramas such as “The King and I” and “Sound of Music” and created our very own National Education movie that was held to a packed audience at the University Cultural Centre in 2011. In the 2021 Singapore Youth Festival, the school won a distinction for Drama and Malay Dance. In the feld of Sports and Games the students have demonstrated their determination by winning awards at Zonal and National levels for both soccer and sepak takraw over the past few years.

UNIFORMED GROUPS

SPORTS AND GAMES

Champions of the Schools National ‘B’ Division Netball

Track and Field Meet

Volleyball

1980s

Inter-house games. We used to have Houses back in those days!

1980s

Interhouse games (Soccer)

Netball match

Basketball match

1990s

WDL Air Rife – Down memory lane to a time where we had Air Rife and we performed well nationally

9th Annual Track and Field

1990s

Yes! ACES Day used to be like this!

Sports Day 1998

Sports Day 1997

1990s

Cross Country 1997

Engaging students in track and feld

Annual Cross Country 1998

Engaging students in track and feld events

2000s

Badminton 2006

Tournament with visiting Australian schools 2006

Basketball 2006

Netball match at Singapore Sports School

STUDENT LEADERSHIP

STUDENT LEADERSHIP

Prefects or Student Councillors? They serve the same altruistic purpose: To lead and be inspired! Our students are provided various platforms to develop their leadership qualities. Our students take on roles such as Youth Ambassadors, Student Councillors, CCA Leaders, Peer Support Leaders and Class Committee Leaders.

Our Student Leadership is based on the principle ‘Lead to Inspire and Inspire to Lead’. We adopt the Servant Leadership model to conceptualise and instil in our students strong character and acquire servant leadership skills. In Student Leadership, we believe in building student agency and servant leaders who are passionate and committed to serve the school and the community. In their leadership journey, the students would undergo different trainings to strengthen their leadership skills.

In the photographs, we can see them exercising their leadership skills and applying what they have learnt at different platforms. They organise school events, lead the student population in camps and also be pitted against fellow student leaders as they campaign to be the head student leader, leading other student leaders to greater heights. Parents are invited for the Student Investiture Programme. A proud moment for the parents when they pin the badges for their children!

NATIONAL YOUTH ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

2010 - PRESENT

Conducting a class bonding activity

Demonstrating Servant Leadership at the NYAA Camp

Student Leaders providing instructions at the National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA) Camp

Showing leadership qualities at the NYAA Camp

P6 OUTREACH

2010 - PRESENT

Student Leaders promoting school through Zoom for the Primary 6 Outreach Programme

CCA Leaders showcasing their CCA skills

Student Leaders engaged in the Primary 6 Outreach Programme

Sharing their experiences and school values to the Primary 6 students via Zoom

SAILING FOR SPORTS LEADERS 2010

Sailing Programme for Sports Leaders to build their resilience

Teaching the Secondary One students how to tie the school tie

SEC 1 ORIENTATION 2010 - PRESENT

Guiding the Secondary One students in bonding games to build their class spirit

OUR COMMUNITY BUILDERS

OUR COMMUNITY BUILDERS

Woodlands Secondary School has a strong history of promoting a spirit of volunteerism among its students and staff. This initiative commenced as ‘Use Your Hands Campaign’ and then transformed into ‘Community Involvement Programme’ and currently celebrated as ‘Values In Action.’

In the early ‘90s, Woodlands Secondary School was engaged in Use Your Hands Campaigns such as “Keep Your School Clean” and “Tree Planting Day”. From 1997 onwards, our Community Involvement Programme encompassed building social cohesion and inculcating civic responsibility in students. Students’ 6 hours of community service included school cleaning, fund raising for any charitable organisation and school, providing support to the public libraries and Self-Help Groups. The shift towards values-based education in 2012, encouraged students to carry out a more structured, Community Needs Approach to serving the community. Woodlanders conduct a needs analysis of the community, plan, ideate and complete a refection after implementation of their service. The values of empathy, respect and gratitude, as well as life skills such as project management, leadership and communication skills are also developed in students.

Raised funds for the National Kidney Foundation

Showcasing

Students did fag day as a form of community service and refected on their experience.

Helping to clean the Old

our talents to the old folks at Woodlands Old Folks Home

Folks Home

Students excited and ready to clean up the neighbourhood 1997

Adopt-a-park Launch 1999

Staff Learning about Community Involvement Programme 1997

Neighbourhood Clean Up Campaign 1991

2010 - PRESENT

PARTICIPATION IN NORTH WEST CDC SERVICE WEEK

Packing and delivery of care packs for the respective residences

Staff Values in Action over the years

Chek Jawa in 2012

Weeding in Pulau Ubin 2013

Staff Values in Action over the years

Staff Values in Action over the years

Organising Block Party has become an annual affair for our Staff and students

Residences having fun playing games organised by the Staff and students

Block Party for the residence of Block 182 in Marsiling

Our talented staff singing and our resident swaying to the beats of the song at the Block Party in 2017

Staff Values in Action over the years

As the school garden is our sanctuary, we nurtured and added splendour to Mother Nature

Some staff took pride in demonstrating their artistic talent in adding colour to the walls of the classroom block

OUR DISTINCTIVENESS

OUR DISTINCTIVENESS

Our signature programmes add distinctiveness to Woodlands Secondary School. These include our Integrated Curriculum, Learning for Life and Applied Learning Programmes that make the all-rounded Woodlander, ready to serve society.

APPLIED LEARNING PROGRAMME

Our school’s Applied Learning Programme (ALP) started in 2015 in Food Science and evolved over the years to the current ALP, Real Food, Real Science, extending beyond not just Food Science but also to encompass computational and logical thinking to keep up with the times.

The structure of the ALP modules is such that students learn through authentic, hands-onactivities where they have opportunities to exercise 21CC competencies such as Critical and Inventive Thinking, Collaboration, Communication and Information skills.

In Secondary 1, students learn molecular gastronomy techniques and practise Design Thinking to create attractive and healthy mocktails in a Drinks-making Competition. In Secondary 2, students experience the fying of drones using iPads and programme fight paths for drones using basic computational logic and block-based programming in various ways.

Since 2017, WDL collaborated with our industry partner, Takasago Pte Ltd, to provide enriching hands-on Learning Journeys to allow our students a never-before peek into the world of Food Science and Technology, allowing students to have authentic insights into the industry and what goes on in their laboratories. Regrettably, these have been put on hold in recent years due to Safe Management Measures. Nevertheless, students are still exposed to real-life applications through Education and Career Guidance sharings in school, selected Elective and Advanced Elective Modules, and Learning Journeys to the Science Centre, where applicable.

Since 2020, programmes for Secondary 1 and 2 have been integrated into the lower Secondary Science curriculum to make learning more relevant and meaningful to students.

LEARNING FOR LIFE PROGRAMME

Learning for Life Programme (LLP) in Woodlands

Secondary is about ‘paying it forward’ to the community. This project focuses on our approach to raising Community Youth Leaders (CYL) through Values in Action (VIA). The VIA programme engages students in community problem solving and instils in them the school values (GR2EAT): Growth, Respect, Resilience, Empathy, Appreciation and Trustworthiness. Leveraging the servant leadership model, the school provides curated authentic experiences in community initiatives that serve to inculcate leadership qualities. A spiralling approach from secondary one to four is taken in designing lessons, using design thinking processes. The processes include building empathy and understanding the needs of the community, ideating projects to serve the community, prototyping ideas and refning them before implementation and refection.

Our students’ efforts have beneftted the immediate community in various ways. Secondary 1 students engage in contributing to the school

community. Secondary 2 students have adopted blocks 3 and 4 in Marsiling, and provide each elderly resident a personalised goodie bag that includes food items and handmade gifts. Pre-COVID, our Secondary 3 students head to an ASEAN country like Cambodia and Vietnam where they learn to interact and teach basic literacy and numeracy to the primary students. Due to COVID-19, our students continue to pursue the cultural exchange programmes with Cambodia, Vietnam and New Zealand virtually. Having gone through three years of LLP, the graduating students advocate for global environmental issues. In recent years, there has been a greater need to create a sustainable future through environmental conservation. In line with this, the graduating cohort embarks on an advocacy project to identify and choose a cause based on the theme, ‘Conservation and Sustainability’.

Sec 1 VIA at Admiralty Park 2013

Sec 4 VIA - Newspaper Collection

Sec 4 students advocating for conservation of environment

Sec One students VIA in the school

Weeding the school yard

Cambodia Overseas Service Learning 2014

2010 - PRESENT

Sailing Camp 2014

Uniformed Group Camp at Bintan in 2014

Cambodia Overseas Service Learning 2014

Vietnam Overseas Service Learning 2014

STAFF BONDING AND ENGAGEMENT

STAFF BONDING AND ENGAGEMENT

Staff are key to student learning. Since the school’s inception, staff bonding, learning and development have been crucial for staff engagement. In Woodlands Secondary, we take staff learning seriously so that they can innovate, inspire and engage students as form teachers, subject and CCA teachers. In the earlier years, staff contributions to school improvements were through Work Improvement Teams (WITs) and suggestion schemes. Currently, we have the Professional Learning Communities to innovate lessons and the learning fests to celebrate learning.

Learning Fests conceived and implemented twice a year encourage innovation, development of lesson ideas and forge relationships among staff. There is greater camaraderie among the teaching and nonteaching staff. Staff also hone new skills such as culinary, archery and artistic skills. Team building and bonding activities also include fower arrangement, soap making and culinary skills. Latest trends such pokemon are also included to create lesson designs.

The innovative ideas have been affrmed at Ministry of Education’s Innergy Awards’ Competitions. The various photographs demonstrate the exuberant and engaging staff bonding activities, workshops and learning fests over the years.

STAFF BONDING AND ENGAGEMENT

IN THE 1980s AND 1990s

Bonding

Learning from each other

Bonding and exchanging ideas over a meal

and conversations are crucial ingredients for innovations to happen

Our pioneer staff

2000s

Innovation in curriculum and pedagogy using the overhead projector to experiment on puppet show

Innovation in curriculum and pedagogy

A day at the bowling centre

2010 - PRESENT

PE department at Gardens by the Bay

Learning journey at Gardens by the Bay

Engaging in a conversation at Republic Polytechnic Campus

EAS team acting as Pirates of WDL Mr Marcus addressing the staff at Republic Polytechnic

Character Education and National Education Awards for Staff

Mr Philip and Mr Rudy showcasing innovation in pedagogy

Presenting our innovations in PLC projects to enhance teaching and learning

2010 - PRESENT

Solving a problem together

Mdm Kaur as the female pirate

Learning ceramics artwork

Pirates in the making

Staff as pirates of WDL

EAS learning ceramics artwork

Envisioning Assessment Policy in WDL

Flower arrangement activity for staff

Our Assessment Policy Envisioning Exercise in 2015

Mr Marcus and Ms Shawna displaying their fower arrangement

Invitation to the offcers from Curriculum Planning Offce in Assessment Policy

ENDURING AND LINGERING LEGACY

AN ENDURING AND LINGERING LEGACY: GIFTS TO SOCIETY

The Northern Star is a hope building school for many who reached the shores of Woodlands Secondary School. It has helped to fulfl their dreams, hopes and aspirations! Each had found a purpose, developed a disciplined mind and an enduring heart that treasures the school’s motto of ‘WISDOM and TRUTH’.

Our Woodlanders of the past, present and the future had left and would leave an indelible mark on the school, community and nation. The past generations of Woodlanders have sent their children to have a meaningful secondary education. They believe that the school would continue to serve their children as it had brought success for them. There are stories of many students who have come back to their loving school to serve as educators as well.

In paying forward, our legacy lingers…

Woodlands Secondary School, the Northern Star will remain shining and steer more young travellers in their journey to fnd their inner self, and realise their potential.

ALUMNI SERVING THE WDL COMMUNITY

Head of Department for Character and Citizenship Education

Graduated in 2000

Malay Language Teacher

Graduated in 1997

Graduated in 2004

Art Teacher

Graduated in 2005

Ms Eliza Binte Mohamed

Mdm Nabila Binte Awalluddin

Ms April Lee Silk Yen

Ms Nur Shahzreen

Binte Mohd Taufk Assistant Year Head

ALUMNI SERVING THE WDL COMMUNITY

“We were also the frst to sing the pupils’ creed and I remember as we sang along, we felt the sense of pride and belonging to the school. It was a very special feeling. The lyrics go like this: I know there is something inside of me; it is what I call ability.

This statement really knocked me into believing in myself and that I do have what it takes to do what I want. It meant a lot to me, for someone who grew up with a low selfesteem. Woodlands Secondary provided me, all that I needed to be a better person, the soft skills for me to do well as an individual and the values that shaped me as to who I am today and how my family is today. Particularly to my ex-form teacher Mdm Boey, who believed in me and entrusted me with responsibilities.

I pay my gratitude and appreciation towards my alma mater – the very reason why I am still staying on today as a teacher to contribute in whatever ways I can.”

“There was the time when, for History class, we wrote, acted and directed our own production of World War Two and the events leading up to it, even dabbling in a little bit of interpretive history, putting our own “spin” on events. In Biology class, we would sometimes role play as doctors who had “cases” before us to dissect and analyse with our, hopefully, keen intellect. Of course, I also never forgot my time as Woodlands Secondary’s legendary detective, solving murder mystery puzzles in English class where a rapt audience awaited a coherent and cogent breakdown of my brilliant deductions.

Those were the days. But these are your days. Young Woodlanders, with what kind of fun will you fll them? With how much laughter and passion will you live them? Be inspired, be inventive, and be the incredible young students I know you are. And most of all I would like to carry the torch and continue to give back to the current and future students what I had enjoyed and learnt. That is why I am here as a teacher serving the same community that supported me when I was in school!”

Ms Nur Shahzreen Binte Mohd Taufk Assistant Year Head Graduated in 2004

Ms April Lee Silk Yen Head of Department for Character and Citizenship Education Graduated in 2000

“Life in WDL was the best time of my school life. We studied hard and we played harder. Despite being in 4C (not the 1st class), we aimed to be the best. So, every opportunity we had, we tried to be the best versions of ourselves. ...True to our class motto, “We will ride the wave and become champs”, we won every inter-class competition that fnal year and emerged as champions. Our perseverance and determination were what made it possible. Until today, I still keep in touch with most of my friends from Woodlands Secondary School.

Woodlands Secondary is like my second home and I always believed in the programmes and processes of the school that has gotten me where I am today. Because I believe in its vision and mission, and the values we live by, I have come back to serve in the school as an educator.”

Graduated in 2005

“2005 brings back fondest memories of my secondary school years in Woodlands Secondary School. I was in Secondary 4. One factor that I believe greatly contributed to my enjoyment of school was that I got very lucky in regards to the teachers I had, who really cared about their students. For the most part, I had teachers who really loved to teach and truly cared about us: Mr Tan Eng Hui, Ms Jennifer Loo, Mdm Yong Sok Cheng, Mr Poh Soon Koh, Mr Tan Peng Yong and Cikgu Fazil. These teachers genuinely showed an interest in us and they had the drive to teach us to bring out the best in us.

My secondary school experience in Woodlands Secondary has infuenced my development as a person inside and outside of the class by making me more independent, choosing friends wisely and teachers motivating me to accomplish the goals I have set for myself. These inspiring teachers and inspirational moments have motivated me to contribute back to society by joining the profession and serving Woodlands as a teacher!”

Mdm Nabila Binte Awalluddin Art Teacher

Ms Eliza Binte Mohamed Malay Language Teacher Graduated in 1997

A new day begins...

My School, My Home, My Family

Serving the next generation of students

Our Pulse, Our Heartbeat , Our Soul

My Home: Woodlands Secondary School