Young Reader Club 12

Issue 12 /

SGD 7.50 ISSN: 2010- 1376

3 Inspiring Stories to Enjoy!

New Inspirations for Writing

YRC Investigates

Singapore’s Silver Generation

Parents Ask, Teens Answer What To Do When You Grow Up?

Singapore Insights Growing Old in Singapore

I Can Write, So Can You Writing is Not for the Faint Hearted

Nurul Iman Bte Said Our Featured Author of the Month

Building the Next Generation of Thinkers & Writers3 Issue 12

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Vol 8. 2011 /

YRC Online provides blogs and reviews by young authors about issues and topics that concern the youth of today, while giving opportunities to maximise the YRC experience through e-books, worksheets for students and teachers, and e-magazines!

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SGD 7.50 ISSN: 2010- 1376

Breaking Boundaries: Cambodia

2 teachers and 1 village with a dream

YRC Investigates:

Singapore’s Lost History

Discovering memories & more

Health Matters

Celebrating World Milk Day 2011

Fierce Facts

Cool things about pizza

3 Fascinating Tales You Can’t Resist

Jennifer Yip, Maybank 2007 YAA Awardee Our Featured Author of the Month

Building the Next Generation of Thinkers & Writers3 VOL. 8 2011

TEAM Managing Editor Catherine Khoo Editor Carlo Venson Peña

LETTER

Circulation Manager

Nannette Cruz Designer

Lim Soo Yong Editorial Assistant Natalya Thangamany Editorial Advisory Board

Catherine Khoo, Vijay Chandran, Noel Chia Contributors

Jimmy Lee, Tan Sok Ngin, Terry Paduit, Paulina Lee, Jeanette Xavier, Theresa Ellsworth, Jason Marayag, Maiko Franco Illustrators

Gibson Les Paul, Adeline Lim YAC Core Contributors

Kenrick Lam, Bryan Lim, Dejoy Shastikk Kumaran, Nanda Min Htin, Ron Yap, Emilyn Foong For advertising and sales enquiries

6336 8985 Education Subscription Agent

EmitAsia 6372 0330 Email: info@youngreaderclub.sg Website: www.youngreaderclub.sg All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Call 6336-8985 for back issues.

Cover and additional photos by

Carlo Venson Peña

FROM THE EDITOR

The summer holidays are looming around the corner, and more so, YRC and the whole team is prepping for its biggest celebration yet of the Young Author Awards. This year’s YAA coincides with the annual Asian Festival of Children’s Content, happening at the Arts House in May 2012.

For this issue of YRC, we look at the silver generation and the growing concerns over the needs and services that are provided for the more seasoned citizens, and how society reacts to their worries, joys and aspirations for themselves and their families. Although society has given them the respect and the opportunity to continue becoming able contributors to the nation, there remains a fervent prayer to address issues that percolate in the back burner.

Also in YRC issue 12 are three stories well worth pondering on– Marc Chan’s The Operation, which talks about personal plights and challenges; Amos Teo’s Young Hearts at Death’s Doors, which discusses the solemnity of life’s quaint sojourns; and Qui Jiahui’s Forgiving, which looks into turning over a new leaf– together with a hodgepodge of features and news items, as well as views from our resident YAC Core writers and contributors, and new departments that will entertain and educate their way into your hearts.

In all, an issue worth a nod of assent as we herald the Black Water Dragon in 2012, and look forward to more blessings and better interaction with you, our readers.

For enquiries and subscriptions for YRC Magazine, email info@youngreaderclub.sg or books@catherinekhoo.sg.

Call 6336.8985 for more information.

Happy reading!

is published by Experiences & Experiments Pte Ltd 442A Joo Chiat Road Singapore 427655 Issue 12

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features

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H YOUNG AUTHORS H

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Featured Author

Never a dull moment with the witty Nurul Iiman Bte Said, as she graces the covers of YRC Magazine for this issue. Read on how the Young Author Scheme made an impact in her life, and how performing her story in various platforms has widened her understanding and respect for the craft.

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Young Hearts at Death’s Door by Amos Teo

Jerry and Jenny Jakens aren’t exactly having the perfect life. Ray Winnason is having an almost perfect one however.

Then the war begins. Terrors rip through England. They are soon left alone with no support. Their fates are intertwined and they need to stick together to survive. Read the story of the most turbulent times in their lives.

21 The Operation

by Marc Chan

This is a story about hospitals, doctors, operations, and the author himself! Discover why Marc had to be rushed to the hospital, and what happens to him after. Read on to find out what happens at the end of the day.

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Forgiving by Qui Jiahui

Sometimes it can be difficult to do, but read on to find out how

forgiving could be a way to end life’s trivial frailties and frivolities.

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departments

H E D U C AT I O N H

45 YRC Investigates: Singapore’s

Silver Generation

They have decades of experience and wisdom etched on their faces and their hearts. What does the silver generation think of the new Singapore? How different is it from the past nation they built? Read and see how the seasoned looks at the changing times.

54 Singapore Insights

Three people, three lives, three insights on one country’s education system and beyond. Catch YRC’s newest department and see why Singapore is on the verge of a paradigm shift.

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63 Parents Ask, Teens Answer

Everyone grows old. This is a cycle of life. How are parents engaging their kids to develop respect for the older members of the family, and treating them the way they should?

71 Resources

The YRC is more than just a magazine. It’s a useful tool for learning better English comprehension and writing. Tap these useful guide questions for your next group discussion in class or at the student study area.

H SCRIBBLES H

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Letter to the Editor

What do our readers say about the magazine? Do you have thoughts to share as well? Tells us here!

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CORE 101

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YAC Core Member Bryan Lim looks at language as an affirmation of the society that Singapore should be, unafraid of its cultural roots and has an understanding of what makes the island-nation unique.

I Can Write, So Can You Develop a knack for keeping abreast with the new and reminiscing the old. Try your hands on writing in this installment from veteran author Catherine Khoo.

Janus Events Preparations for the coming Young Author Awards, new people on-board and a book launch of the YAS book anthologies. This is really a summer to look forward to!

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H I N S P I R AT I O N S H

59 Different Strokes

YRC takes a moment to reflect on how the more seasoned citizens of Singapore have done more than their share to ensure the island-nation thrives as it is now.

YRC MISSION: We envision a world where there are no boundaries, where the young share their ideas and stories, and learn about each other’s cultures through the stories they tell. But first, they must learn to create.

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Featured Author Text by Natalya Thangamany Photos by Carlo Venson Pe単a

Our Featured Author for this issue, Nurul Iiman, may come off as unassuming at first. As she sits down with YRC MAGAZINE downing the novelised memoir, Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat resting on her lap, she is seen as a quiet, softspoken and petite young lady who seems a little intimidated by the camera.

But five minutes into the interview, we were blown away by the treasure trove of experience and ambition nestling in the heart of this 15-year-old.

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PROFILE

Amos Teo, 15

Heartwarmers

Anglo Chinese School (Independent) I like it when my personal experiences dictate how my stories go about. They normally have a lot of emotional and sentimental value and always come from the heart. I hope you enjoy reading my story.

Young Hearts at Death’s Door Written in Primary 4 at Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road)

Jerry I once had a troubled life. The road of my life had been rocky, with a lot of bumps. But now, I am slowly starting to adapt to a new, peaceful and normal lifestyle, one which I’d been waiting for a long time.

My name is Jerry Jakens, and I’m going to tell you the one event that changed my life.

I currently live in the city of Norwich, Hoveton in England, but I once lived in Nottingham. The name of the town we lived in Nottingham is a comic-book setting– go ahead and guess which. Things weren’t rosy back then. My parents, Matthew Jakens and Felicia Minny, somehow never got along. Don’t ask me how they ever got together. They always argued over anything and everything simply because they could not agree over anything.

Even through all these, they did not split up.

Now, to introduce my sister, Jenny. I tell you, I’m one of the unluckiest brother in history. Let me tell you my opinion of her character. She is a nagging, whining pain in the buttock. She constantly whine about everything, and she would nag my parents end-

Illustrations by Adeline Lim

lessly if she wanted something—to unconsciousness, even. (It’s true!)

Once, when the latest Barbie toy was released, she whined, cried and nagged until my mother fainted. She was then grounded for six months. Now that’s what I call persistence.

Do not ask about school. I’m not exactly popular or unpopular; people just don’t give me any respect and take me for granted, even though I am academically and physically good. I hate it.

Welcome to the story of my life.

Jenny Hiya! My name is Jenny Jakens, and I’m going to introduce my family and myself to you. I currently live in Hoveton, Norwich in England, with my brother and adoptive parents, Mr and Mrs Flemming. Now let me introduce my brother Jerry, in my words.

Why do I say ‘in my words’? Well, everybody has a different opinion of everyone else, so I’m being specific. It’s not that he treats Issue 12

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3 survivors started to appear as shadows from the deserted roads.

killed. I grabbed it. Darn! It was heavy. But I steadied myself, aimed and… BOOM! The rocket went screaming towards one of the planes, bringing it down, but the impact of the recoil threw me backwards. My shoulder was screaming in pain. I rested and recovered a little. I was okay.

Finally, after sometime, the battle between the planes and soldiers ended. All the planes were shot down and we celebrated the victory. We were ushered into their Chinook and zoomed off towards an emergency shelter.

Ray said, “It seems that we both had our fair share of action.”

“What do you mean?” I replied, wondering what he was talking about.

“At school, two jets came. I brought down one– single and bare-handed– and made another one crash.”

“Right… well the only one here who hasn’t had any action is Jenny,” I hinted. She grumbled in frustration.

Suddenly, the chopper was hit and we crashed. Luckily, we all had parachutes.

Soon an Apache appeared in the horizon.

The three of us quickly ran with the soldiers towards an abandoned apartment. There we took cover from the ferocious and legendary Apache, the best war helicopter in the world.

*Jenny As we took cover from the helicopter, I was afraid of everything and went to hide.

But remembering my brother’s words, I went back and thought about what I was doing.

The helicopter started firing at us through the open window. I ducked as fast as I could, but even then, I was shot. One soldier came and treated me gently and with care. It was then that I decided to do something good and exciting at the same time.

Even though the soldiers continued to shoot at the helicopter, they couldn’t bring it down. I took one of the handguns from the soldier’s pockets, and started shooting Issue 12

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PROFILE

A sian Tale s

Marc Chan, 15 Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) I guess I’ve always enjoyed writing and reading since I could do so. Expressing my feelings on paper just seems to bring joy to me. I find that writing is an outlet for emotions and thoughts that are hard to express in real life; it is a great hobby and skill that is easy to pick up through practice and avid reading. I am currently actively involved in softball as a CCA. Although I don’t write as much these days, I still find pleasure in having a good read and writing whenever I can!

The Operation Written in Primary 4 at Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road)

“It’s going to be alright,” the nurse said as she wheeled me around on my hospital bed.

“How would you know?” I asked in disbelief. “It’s not like you have been through an operation before.”

I was sweating profusely. My whole face was drenched with sweat and tears.

The night before the operation, I felt really afraid. So afraid, I could have pissed in my pants anytime.

I was born with a cleft lip and palate.

Before I was born, when my mother went to the gynaecologist, (I was only a few months old in my mother’s womb then) the gynaecologist had diagnosed my condition and he also suspected that I was mentally retarded or, to put it nicely, mentally challenged. I could imagine how tough it had been for my parents! It was such heart-wrenching news. Thank god they didn’t abort me!

Anyway, even if they wanted to get me aborted, they couldn’t because my father

Illustrations by Gibson Les Paul

was a pastor. But even if he wasn’t, I know that they wouldn’t abort me because they were good people. Abortion was a very cruel process. Although it’s legal, it’s as good as murdering your own child.

When I was born, I had these two big holes in my lip and palate. My left nostril was kind of flattened. I had a uni-lateral cleft, leaving me with only one flattened nostril. If I had two nostrils flattened, it would have been called a bi-lateral cleft.

After a few months, I went for a major operation. Actually, all four operations I had undergone were major ones.

Since young, I have stayed at my grandma’s house very often. She was very, very patient with me. Since I had a hole at my lip and palate, I could not suck a straw or from a milk bottle. The tip of the milk bottle, which was where you were supposed to suck from, had a hole. In fact every milk bottle’s tip had a hole but mine was special.

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Once at a science fair, I saw them test laughing gas on 3 students.

After that, my father and I went to the place where my dad were supposed to tick the boxes if he wanted the A-class room, the B, the C or the D one. Actually I didn’t mind the B-class room because there were other people there and I wanted to make more friends during the stay. In any case, we chose the A-class wards.

On Sunday, (the day before the operation) I went to church in the morning. At about 8am we started the Sunday school service. Close to the end, every one prayed for me, including the pastors and my friends. One of my close friends hugged me.

When I was leaving, (which was at about 10 am) everyone in the church who saw me

shook my hand and said, “God bless you.”

I asked my mother why everyone was so nice to me. She said it was because the pastor announced it in the main service. I didn’t know about other churches but I certainly loved this church for their dedicated, thoughtful and compassionate members.

After that, we went to the hospital.

When we reached, I had to be admitted.

I remembered it very clearly. It was in the third ward, the third level and the first room.

Then, when we unpacked everything, a doctor and a nurse came in to get a urine sample and to give me a blood test. After Issue 12

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PROFILE

Qiu Jiahui, 14

Animal Tales

CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School Although I love reading, I never really imagined that I could ever craft a story of my own. When the Young Author’s Scheme required me to write an entire book on my own, I came to realise something that I had perfect control of– I was powerful over what I could make. And so I was enraptured by the world of writing. The programme was a rare opportunity, and was the beginning of a fiery passion.

Forgiving Written in Pr 4 at CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School

A Great Forest Fire It was burning hot. Orange flames licked at the trees, grass, and flowers, destroying the forest at great speed. Fire covered almost every square metre of the forest. Animals fled in all directions. Many were screaming in pain and agony. Some yelled for water, in hope of putting out the fire, and others simply gave up and ran.

A particular rat was screaming with remorse, his wife had perished in the flames, his son was helpless, and the thing that disturbed him the most was that he was helpless, too. There was no choice. He turned to his son and said, “I am sorry. May we meet again,” he laid his bewildered son on the ground, soothed him to sleep, and hurried away. “And,” he whispered, turning back, “may you survive.”

This, the little rat could not understand.

At least, not yet. The thick smoke choking him, he could not but fall unconscious.

Dawn soon arrived, bringing with her the rising sun and dew. Owls and bats dozed in

Illustrations by Adeline Lim

their homes, while others awoke, including the little rat who, by some great miracle, had survived a great forest fire.

The little rat sat up, watching the sunrise, as the previous night’s events came to mind.

Then he understood, finally.

Yes, he is a very, very, very young, but he was certainly not stupid. He knew there had been a fire. His mother had died, and… and his father had abandoned him. Hatred rose up in him more powerful than before, like an electric current surging through him.

It hit him like a bullet, BANG! His own father had abandoned his son. The traitor! The little rat made a vow. He would find him, kill him, punish him in some way. He would seek revenge.

But before that happened, the rat knew he had more important things to do. He would have to find someone who would take him in, raise him until he was old and strong enough to leave that place and find his father.

But where would he find a living soul in this forest, from which everyone had just fled?

He would have to journey for a few days Issue 12

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Soon he found a neat, small house with a small garden in front.

was important to protect himself until sure that he could stay.

“Well, I don’t mind. Now, come in, dear.” Peter stepped into the neat house, made mostly of wood. He climbed onto one of the chairs and sat down. “Would you like some tea, dear?” the lady inquired. “But I’m afraid we only have ginseng tea around here.”

“No, thank you, but I would like some water,” said Peter, remembering the little stream nearby. Soon night fell, and there was another knock on the door. Lavender, the lady rat, was busy with the cooking, and she told Peter, “Do open the door for me, dear.”

Peter obediently went to the door and opened it. There were two rats outside. The older one stared at him and said. “Oh, sorry, lad. We’re at the wrong door.” He took the younger rat by the hand and they ambled away. Lavender chuckled.

“Come back, dear,” she shouted. “You’re not at the wrong door. How silly. They are

my husband and adopted son. They have come at last,” she added to Peter. He gulped.

He had liked the house and Lavender very much, who had nursed the small wound on the sole of his foot, and it would be very sad if he couldn’t stay. The two rats came in.

“This is my husband Jeremy, and this boy is Ryan,” Lavender told Peter.

“Hello, I am Peter,” Peter croaked.

“Peter what?” Jeremy asked. How strange. It was the same question that Lavender had asked earlier that day.

“He wouldn’t say,” said Lavender, staring at Jeremy, who was staring at Peter, who was staring at Ryan, who was staring back.

“I... I would tell you if... if you say I can live here,” Peter said.

“He’s homeless, such a poor thing.

Won’t you say yes?” Lavender whispered to Jeremy. He smiled, to Peter’s surprise and relief.

“Yes,” he announced, “He can stay.”

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YRC Investigates

For this issue of ‘YRC Investigates’, we look at Singapore’s senior population– what they face, what is being done to help them, how they can help out and who they are as our fellow citizens.

Photo by Carlo Venson Peña

Text by Natalya Thangamany With contributions from Terry Paduit YAC Core Members: Emilyn Foong Nanda Min Htin Ron Yap Junior contributors: Deejoy Shastikk Kumaran Vivaan Khabya Full side bar articles available at www.youngreaderclub.sg.

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Helping the elderly to help themselves is what I see happening a lot in Adelaide, Australia, the place where I am currently studying in.

Paulina Lee, Singaporean Student in Australia Growing old is nothing to be ashamed of. Instead, it could be something to be proud of. The one year that I have spent in Adelaide, leading my own independent life has made me realise how important it is to have your own freedom. Singapore has many old folks’ homes or even day care centres where your parents send your grandparents to in the day where they are ‘kept safe’.

Well, in Adelaide, such day care centres are almost non-existent because the elderly are capable of ensuring their own ‘safety.’ That is what is not encouraged here in Singapore.

In Adelaide, it is very often that you see the elderly using their own walking aid to move through the places buying their own groceries, visiting the doctors. Some of them could be as old as seventy and they could still be driving around in their own car. And the interesting thing is, they are always in a pair, happily enjoying the time they have together after retirement.

But in Singapore, even using a cane seems to be an embarrassment. I believe that it is important that you are able to help yourself regardless of your age. Hence, help your grandparents to help themselves by listening to their needs and understanding them because they are far ‘safer’ than you think.

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CORE 101

What Makes Us Uniquely Singaporean?

By Bryan Lim, 16 Catholic Junior College YAC Core Member

the one thing “It’s foreigners find distinctive and charming, the one thing we use everyday without even noticing it and the one thing our English teachers always try to stop us from accustoming ourselves to.

Yep, it’s Singlish.

“

It’s hard to stay true to your roots as a Singaporean. In a country whose economic and social development has it modernising itself at breakneck speed, it is truly difficult for us youths to hang on to the heritage and tradition of our ancestors. The ambition of the government to lead Singapore into being one of the top economic powers of the world has made them overlook culture in favour of businesses. This has resulted in kampongs disappearing and activities like tree-climbing being banned all in the name of making us citizens more cultured and ready for modern civilisation.

What’s gone can never return, and that’s understood. But just when you thought everything about Singapore has been lost to enterprise and year-end fiscal plans, we still have the one thing so embedded in our people that it still remains intact despite strained efforts by the government to eradicate it.

It’s the one thing foreigners find distinctive and charming, the one thing we use everyday without even noticing it and the one thing our English teachers always try to stop us from accustoming ourselves to. Yep, it’s Singlish.

It’s an exclusive, distinctive language formed as a result of the boiling mixture of races in the pot that is known as Singapore. Left to simmer over the 20th century, a strange patois of the nation has formed, amalgamating English, Chinese, Malay, Indian and various other languages into a means of communication that comes across as most natural to us citizens of Singapore. It’s where users dismiss Issue 12

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Parents Ask, Teens Answer

y through a w r u o n Well o the uarter of the first q ok at the year, we lo apore and g in S in ly elder eens show how our t r them. respect fo

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I Can Write, So Can You

by Catherine Khoo

Inspirations to Write

Dear Reader: Have you ever wondered why some sane people (as most authors are) would toil to write a book when well, other professions (yes, writing is a profession!) pay much better and well, doesn’t cause you much stress… Imagine waking up at 3 am in the morning when a sudden idea hits you! So here, to tell you about why writing means so much to them, why they write and yes, how frustrating writing that novel can be, are some literary greats. But first, here are some thoughts from a legend who exemplified what we writers are: “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” – Steve Jobs

18 Reasons

Why Writing Is Not For The Faint-hearted!

1. “What really knocks me out is a book that, when you’re all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn’t happen much, though.”

– J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

things mean only Beauty. There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.”

– Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

2. “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

– Ernest Hemingway

5. “The scariest moment is always just before you start.”

– Stephen King, On Writing

3. “Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault. Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope. They are the elect to whom beautiful

6. “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”

– Stephen King

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4. “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”

– Anton Chekhov

7. Being a writer is a very peculiar sort of a job: it’s always you versus a blank sheet of paper (or a blank screen) and quite often the blank piece of paper wins.”

– Neil Gaiman

Janus Events

Tons of stuff are happening at Janus Education this March and April! Watch out for these events to unfold right before your very eyes.

Y

oung Reader Magazine has a new member in its board of advisers. Joining the team is Mr Vijay Chandran, a pioneer faculty member in Singapore’s first mass communication course, the Diploma in Mass Communication film course launched by Ngee Ann Polytechnic in 1989. He was then instrumental in starting the Diploma in Film, Sound & Video, the first local programme in filmmaking, in 1993. In 1999, he initiated and headed the post-graduate Advanced Diploma in Film Production.

Apart from teaching, Vijay has been involved in the film community in various capacities. He was seconded to the Singapore Film Commission (SFC) in 2001 as a Resident Consultant; established to incentivise collaboration among local and international film producers, Singapore’s first HD production initiative and served on film juries internationally and locally.

He currently serves as the Chairman of the Media Development Authority (MDA)-Films Consultative Panel, which advises the government on classification of films and video games.

Welcome aboard, Mr Chandran!

JANUS WELCOMES OUR PARTNERSCHOOLS TO OUR TERM 1 & 2 PROGRAMMES Janus Education lauds these schools under our helm for Term 1 and 2 creative writing programmes for all their learning levels: Yuhua Primary School, East View Primary, Northland Primary School, Loyang Primary School, Henry Park Primary School and Innova Primary School.

More schools are coming by the end of Term 2! For enquiries about our programmes, please call 6336.8985 or email books@catherinekhoo.sg now!

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Resources Get more from your YRC Magazine by using these exercises and activities in your classroom discussions! For more worksheets and teacher resource kits, log on to www.youngreaderclub.sg and click on Member’s Corner.

A n a ly s is Having trouble starting discussions in class?

Ask these questions and see how you can take the class interactions further.

Read this issue’s three featured stories and answer the following questions for each of them.

1.

Which article/story did you like? What learning did you gain from it?

• Identify the interrelation ships of the characters by illustrating these in a diagram.

2. How do you show respect for the elderly in Singapore?

3. Do you think the younger kids, in general, appreciate what the earlier generations have done for them and for Singapore?

• Identify these following story elements.

Describe as much as you can:

4. How do you show love and respect among your grandparents in your family?

SETTING:

5. What is your grandparents’ best story about their lives in the past? What makes the story very special?

MINOR CHARACTERS:

6. What should the govern ment do more to further improve the plight of the elderly in Singapore?

7. Is Singapore ready for a silver generation?

Why or why not?

8.

Describe the geriatric industry in Singapore.

Is it sustainable to meet target demands from the consumers?

MAIN CHARACTERS:

MAJOR STORY CONFLICTS: CLIMAX: ENDING: • Given the chance to change anything in the story, which part would you change? Why? • What do you think happens to the characters in the end? If you can change the ending, how would you change it?

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Blazing the trail through this dragon year are these three stories in YRC Magazine next issue!

The Legendary Alchemist

By Serafina Siow In the year 1960, there was a prophecy about a legendary hero.

In 2010, the League of Alchemists are expecting him to come from the Takashi family, as mentioned in the prophecy– but the family has not had a son in over 70 years! Is one of them hiding a secret? Where will the desperate Alchemists find the Legendary Alchemist?

The Lost Tomb of Drugam Muhd Luqman The year is 2034. Eighteen explorers have come to search for treasure in a cave that was once known as a town named Tangefanze, whose people have drowned in their own blood of greed. Things get worse when the explorers start dying from traps, a psychotic demon and a mental robot– but two demon heroes have stood up to defend the explorers.

Heroes and Teachers

By Simon Ang If you think your teacher’s a monster, think again. Bob, Gwen and Steve were in school, when they were thrown into a world with bloodthirsty teachers, a deranged principal and tons of monsters. They will need all their wits if they hope to survive.

How would our heroes escape from the deadly claws of doom?

Plus your all-time favourites! * YRC Investigates Peer Pressure * Parents Ask, Teens Answer

* I Can Write, So Can You *CORE 101 *Singapore Insights 2