Issue 2/2017
NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS pg1
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MI.World NUS SUzhoU pg18-19
YOUR LIFE STARTS HERE!
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School Achievements table creative Writing Programme A-divisions and SYF report
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Service learning Festival Junior Startathon 2017 Gap Week 2017
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Pre-University Seminar MI Student Leaders’ Investiture
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values-in-Action Activities
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citi-YMcA Youth for causes ccA Showcase: Ser vice-learning club
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National education Activities
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National day celebrations
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transcendence
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ccA Spotlight: Art club vIA
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Math dept Activities
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PU1 Student leadership camp
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Teachers’ Day
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Staff Welfare committee Activities MI.World vietnam
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MI.World NUS Suzhou
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ovIA cambodia
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STAFF MOVEMENT MI Wishes These Staff All The Best In Their Future Endeavours.
Shobana Rajen Mrs Rajendaran CSO
Lee Nian Tjie Teacher / GP
Chan Kok Hong HOD / ICT & MRL
Shamala D/O Maheswaran Teacher / Literature
Kolanthavellu Suseella OSO
Thet Khine Computer TA
Lin Yuxin SH / Mathematics
Hee Wai Lan School Lab Technician
Michelle Lim Min Qi Teacher / GP
MI Welcomes The Following Teachers Into Our Family.
Fong Yongkuan Teacher / Biology
Sai Chang Sheng Dillon Teacher / Mathematics
Lim Jia Qing Computer TA
Adrian Nyoe Chee Yong Untrained teacher / Geography
Ng Xue Li Shirley Assistant Year Head / Chemistry
Tay Huiwen, Emerlyn Untrained teacher / Economics
School AchIeveMeNtS tABle Jul y
CCA - Floorball
Asia Oceania Floorball Cup
Asia and Oceania Floorball Confederation National team representation - Mohd Amir Arsyad (16C4), Team Runner Up
AuguST
CCA - Rugby
Asian Rugby Women’s Under-20 Sevens Series
Singapore Rugby Union National Under-20 Representation - Diyana Khairunnisa Bte M (17A2)
SEPTEMBER
Science
National Science Experiment Big Data Challenge National Research Foundation Finalist (Top 6) in Poly/JC/ITE Category - Tai Bin Fen Fennie (17S3), Tan Wen Ru (17S3), Hu Yu Ping (17S3), Jervis Yeo (17S3)
SEPTEMBER
Mother Tongue
Arif Budiman Malay Language Teacher Award
MOE CPDD Role Model Category (Sec/JC/MI) - Dr Mohd Pitchay Gani B M Aziz
OCTOBER
Mathermatics
Australian Mathematics Competition Australian Mathematics Trust Distinction - Long Qimin (16S2), Ng Chuan Chai Dillion (17S1), Liu Danfeng (17S5), Caryn Lee Kai Ni (17S5)
July
Science
Junior Startathon 2017
NTU Nanyang Technopreneurship Center and River Valley High School Most Socially Impactful Endeavour Award & Special Mention Award
AuguST
Science
Youth Research Programme
Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology Research Attachment in June 2018 - Lee Han Xuan Hans (17S1)
SEPTEMBER
CCA- ColorAwards
Singapore Schools Sports Council Colours
Singapore Schools Sports Council Best Sports Boy (Floorball) and Colours Award (Distinction) - Mohamad Amir Arsyad (16C4); Colours Award Distinction - Mohammed Mikaail B Mohammed (15A3); Colours Award - Leona Yeo Mu Khoong (15B1), Eunice Lim Xin Hui (15B4), Eylia Bte Mohammad Hizam (15A1), Diyana Khairunnisa Bte M (17A2), Nursara Bte Mohd Rezal (17C5), Samantha Foo Qian Lin (15S4), Nur Amalina Bte Mohamed Amidun (15S3), Nur ‘Aqilah Bte Saffaa’i (16S2), Deepa Subramaniam (15S4), Alfianah Nurulfatihah Bte Rahmat (15B1), Xu Jia Yi (17C3), Siti Nur’ Ellysha Bte Jaffar (16S2), Nurdiana Bte Noordin (16C5), Nur Rafiqah Bte Mohamed Azahar (16A1), Nur Dania Bte Ahmad Hasliana (16C3), Natasha Louise Vine (16A1), Michelle Genandy (16C4), Lim Zi Xuan (16C5), Krithaisha Vijayakumar (16S2), Galistan Desiree Virginia P (17A1), Erica Foo Suz Yen (16A1), Thufailah Bte Ridzwan (17A4), Tong Wan Yee Meredith (17S2)
Creative Writing shoWCase In March, I responded to a call for submissions for a short story writing competition that the English Department told us about. It was a competition organised by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) and the story had to relate to the prompt, #IfILiveinDarkness, which centred on the premise of a city tainted by corruption. It was not an easy task. I had to spend a good amount of time trying to think up a plot that was engaging and fitting for the theme. Being an avid writer, having to adhere to a word limit was one of the chief problems that I was faced with, for I needed to shorten some parts of my story to fit the word limit perfectly, and sacrifice certain segments that were less important. Even when I thought I was done and sent in my work to the English Department for vetting, I would reflect that the story did not truly do justice to the theme of corruption and would recall my work for extensive editing.
Despite the process being tiring and at times disappointing, it was definitely rewarding when I was able to submit the final work: my story, as perfect as I could get it. Of course, the real reward, both literally and figuratively, came when I was able to clinch the merit prize.
I was also honoured to have been able to participate in the prestigious Creative Arts Programme (CAP) organised by the Ministry of Education’s Gifted Education Branch (MOE GEB) and National University of Singapore (NUS). Although it was initially intimidating as the other students there were all from Junior Colleges, it was easy to get along with them, and I realised we were not so different in the way we wrote stories and interacted. I learnt many ways in which to improve Eventually, the story that I had submitted for the competition was my writing skills from many Singaporean writers, and also got about a degrading world, told through the eyes of a growing boy. exposed to other forms of art that bettered my ability to express The story describes his perception of society’s flaws, and how themes and issues through various media beyond prose. age changed the way he viewed society as a whole. Written by: Ang Kai, Randall (16A3)
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A-DiViSiONS AND SyF REPORT MAR
MAR
Wushu - A-Division 4th Nan Dao - Eunice Lim Xin Hui (15B4) Entrepreneurship Club -SMU Youth Innovation Challenge Best Innovation Technology Award Chua Yi Long (16C5), Anoop Joshua Rai (16S3), Norman Wong Ching Xiang (15S1), Henry Thet (15S2)
A PR
Entrepreneurship Club National Cashflow Competition 3rd - Muhammad Hafiz B Sapuwan (17S4)
A PR
Shooting - A-Division 3rd Air Rifle - Leona Yeo Mui Khong (15B1)
A PR
Malay Dance - Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation Certificate of Distinction
APR
Judo - A-Division 3rd Feather Weight - Eylia Bte Mohd Hizam (15A1)
A PR
Modern Dance - Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation Certificate of Accomplishment
APR
Angklung Kulintang Ensemble - Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation Certificate of Distinction
A PR
Concert Band - Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation Certificate of Commendation
APR
Indian Dance - Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation Certificate of Distinction
MAy
Hockey - A-Division 2nd Girls Team
hoCkey shoWCase
Millennians would remember 2017 as another glorious year for our athletes and artistes who chalked up one win or distinction after another following long hours of training and hard work. The most noteworthy of these were our MI Hockey girls who entered the National A-Division Hockey Championship finals and went head to head against reigning champions Victoria Junior College (VJC).
Our girls fought valiantly, mounting wave after wave of attack at the VJC goalmouth during the second half of the match. Unfortunately, they were not able to score and lost to VJC when the match went into extra time. Our girls looked understandably crushed but in the true spirit of sportsmanship, accepted their defeat with grace and congratulated the champions. MI captain Nur‘ Aqilah said, “To come this far is a huge achievement for us considering that we didn’t have many experienced players and most of us had to start from scratch.” Vice-captain Siti Nur’ Ellysha echoed her sentiments and added that watching the efforts of her fellow team mates pushing through in practice and not giving up motivated her to work even harder. Indeed, though they lost, the school continued to cheer for their hockey girls enthusiastically and many who were asked said that
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it was a very thrilling match and the girls had done their best. Their CCA teacher-in-charge, Miss Vanessa Goh, said that she was very proud of the girls and that “it was heartening to see the school get together to support the girls. They really supported each other during trainings and qualifying rounds and treated the whole journey as a learning process, responding to all the feedback from coach and seniors and teachers positively.” “It was amazing to see what they are able to achieve when they put their hearts and souls into something and it didn’t matter that they didn’t win because they proved to themselves that they have what it takes. That is what the MI spirit is about,” she said. Congratulations to the Hockey Girls for attaining 2nd place in the A Division finals! Congratulations also go out to all the MI representatives in the A-Division competitions, SYF Presentations and other Challenges. MI BOLEH!!! Written by: Chua Xi Wen (17A1) and Tan Zhao Min (17A1) (Young Journalists Club)
On 23 May 2017, I had the privilege of teaching Wotagei to my fellow Millennians during GAP Week. Wotagei refers to a type of dancing developed by fans at Japanese pop concerts and it has become one of my passions. As a physically strenuous activity that involved a certain amount of choreography and skill at synchronisation among participants, it was every bit as challenging as the other programmes on offer at GAP week such as Muay Thai and Batik painting. The first day, I was very nervous as I was unsure how the students would respond to me. For most students, it was their first time encountering Japanese culture, thus it was an eye opener for them. However, I felt very encouraged as although doing each sequence of movements (known as wazas) for the first time could be tiring, the students still relentlessly tried their best to get the steps correct and displayed an enthusiastic attitude and passion to learn. Overall the experience was really fun, I enjoyed coaching the students as it built my confidence in my leadership skills. There were of course some things I felt I could have done better upon reflection. One thing that I could have done better would be to accommodate the different skill levels of the participants better. In addition, I could have been clearer in my instructions about certain wazas, such as how to count the steps and when to execute the movements. Still, the participants involved in the activity were all smiles, making the event meaningful and enriching. Our involvement continued after Gap Week as I seized the chance to perform Wotagei for Transcendence 2017 with some of the students I taught. I definitely look forward to more opportunities to introduce the dance to more Millennians and spread the culture of Japan to them. Written by: Aaron Chew Chen Jie (16C1) (Young Journalists Club)
JuNiOR STARTAThON 2017
Researchers have found that the right amount of competition can actually spark more creative ideas. Armed with this assurance, we, a group of students from class 17S3, decided to enrol in a design thinking competition, #startathon Junior 2017, that aimed to promote innovative thinking, prototyping skills and entrepreneurship among school students. Held over two days from 28 – 29 July 2017, this overnight event challenged students to brainstorm ideas and bring them to reality based on the theme of Smart Nation. As we were only given 24 hours to generate ideas and create a working prototype, we decided to split our work into two groups to maximise our chances of success. We have seen how the shaky hands of old people and their forgetfulness sometimes causes them to be unable to take their medication, so one of our two groups created a pill dispenser that could drop pills at a selected time into a drawer to make it easier for elderly people to consume it and also to remind them to take their medicine in case they forget. The other group decided to create an application, Rtalk, to allow the elderly to communicate easily with their loved ones using something that could also function as a radio. The application could be downloaded onto their phones or into a radio-like device. The device or application could play radio stations or music playlists that the elderly preferred if they did not like the music usually heard over the radio. It would also have a video-calling function that could be easily used and learned by the elderly. Group 1 won the Special Mention award and was also given an opportunity to work with Intel Corporation during the December holidays, while Group 2 won the Most Socially Impactful Endeavour award for its intention to promote closer familial relationships. We learned that if we pool our ideas and are determined to work on something, with a similar end goal in mind, we would be able to achieve something even within 24 hours. We also learned to brainstorm feasible ideas quickly and work on these ideas within a tight deadline. The opportunity to work with Intel during our holidays is also something we would be looking forward to. Written by: Teo Wan Ting Kristal, Syifa Alyssa Bte Mohamad S, Lim Liling, Beverly, Lau Yong An Joel, Tan Wei Lin, Nurlina Bte Ya’akob, Yap An Qi, Liew Yi Lin Jacintha, Tan Jia Jia, Serene and Jude Thaddeus Ng (all from 17S3)
ServIce leArNING FeStIvAl On 27 August 2017, members of the Millennia Institute Youth Diplomats Society attended the Service-Learning Festival 2017 at the Singapore University of Social Sciences. Organised by the People’s Association Youth Movement (PAYM), the Festival aimed to recognise student leaders and schools for their outstanding efforts in the area of Service-Learning. At the Festival, Ong Cheng Kiat from 15B3 was presented with the S.T.A.R. Award for his exemplary contributions to the community. He has been serving Yew Tee Residents since 2013 and has been winning the S.T.A.R. Award since 2014. The award recognised Cheng Kiat’s inspirational ability to tackle issues at the municipal level at the Yew Tee Constituency, and also his ability to rally students together to serve at every opportunity. With renewed faith, the Millennia Institute Youth Diplomats Society will continue to strive for excellence in all areas. It hopes to work for the the welfare and betterment of Millennians as well as Singaporeans in a more just and equal society. Written by: Ong Cheng Kiat (15B3)
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MI StUdeNt LeaDerS’ INveStItUre
Student leaders at Millennia Institute have made good use of their unique positions to make a difference to the school. This year, the Student Leaders’ Investiture spotlighted the contributions our student leaders had made in putting into action changes that had impacted the entire school community. For the second year running, the Investiture recognised the achievements of student leaders from all areas of student involvement such as Class Committees, CCA heads, House Captains and the Student Council and introduced the school to a new crop of leaders who would be taking over their mantle. The theme for MI Investiture 2017 was “Illuminare, Together We Shine.” It reflected the idea of our new leaders lighting the way through leadership by example and inspiring their peers to do great things. Also, we would want our leaders to “shine” through their dedication to service as that is how a leader adds value to the school community. Finally, our leaders should work “together” as one community to create a better future for MI. This year’s investiture began with the introduction of the theme followed by speeches from our principal, Mrs Tan Wan Yu, and guest of honour, our alumnus Mr Suhaimi Zainal Shah, both of whom told us about the different paths to success we could pursue in Singapore. The 2017 class representatives were the first to be invested followed by the new CCA leaders and House Captains. Lastly, the Student Council passed their badges to the Year 1 council interns who would now be full-fledged student councillors. Our ex-president Loh Wan Xin (15S1) made her farewell speech and our new president Muhammad Rahimi B Ramlee spoke about the way ahead for the new Student Council. The investiture is an important riteof-passage for student leaders, who henceforth will serve the school, develop the various student organisations under their charge and foster a greater sense of unity among all Millennians. Written by: Loiw Wei Lian (16S2)
Pre-University Seminar 2017 was held from the 29 May to 1 June at the National University of Singapore (NUS), and was hosted by Catholic Junior College. 14 PU2 students, shortlisted through an interview, represented our Institute at the prestigious annual event, supervised by Ms Goh Hwee Fang Vanessa, Mr Lee Kuang-Shiun and Ms Nurul Natasha Rafiq. The theme for this year’s Seminar was ‘Renewing Our Singapore Dream’. This year’s Seminar saw more than 500 students from various tertiary institutions working together in groups to explore the life of Singaporeans. The seminar allowed the groups to engage in insightful panel discussions with various experts and professionals from all walks of life, who offered valuable perspectives to the participants and eventually allowed them to have a holistic understanding of the issues in Singapore. The seminar ended on a high note where Minister for Education and the Second Minister for the Ministry of Defence, Mr Ong Ye Kung, graced the closing ceremony as the Guestof-Honour. Selected participants took part in an interactive theatre component, with the audience playing an active role to determine the outcomes of the play. In addition, the group’s research coalesced into rewarding projects, which were showcased with pride to the rest of their fellow participants. All in all, Pre-University Seminar 2017 has allowed the participants to develop a greater sense of belonging to the wider community through the exploration and understanding of the many facets of Singapore life. The seminar has allowed participants from all over Singapore to convene, forging memorable friendships and experiences. Written by: Nisha Rai D/O Shriperkash Rai (16A1), Claire Faustina Tong (16A3) and Yasmin Bte Mohd Sani (16A3)
Reflections from the Seminar Participants : The Pre-University Seminar 2017 was an amazing and insightful experience. I have benefitted a lot from this opportunity and I am sure that my fellow participants share the same sentiments as me. The seminar provided us with a platform to gain a broader perspective of the political, social and economic issues which affect our country - Lim Jia Wei Harry (16A2) It was an exciting and memorable experience for me. I have learnt a lot about the issues and challenges that we are facing now, which I was previously unaware of. It was also enjoyable to be able to interact with students from the various institutions and to listen to different experiences and opinions. - Alsacoff Ahamed S/O D A S (16S4)
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Pu2 ViA DAy
As part of our Values-in-Action (VIA) project, Loiw Wei Lian, Sheena Tay and Nur Rafidah Khalisa and I focused on how we could help our beneficiary, SUNDay Activity Centre (SUNDAC) in Choa Chu Kang. SUNDAC is a centre that provides care for people with intellectual disabilities, between the ages of 16 and 60 years old. Constructive development activities are provided to enable persons with disabilities to learn basic independent daily living skills. During the 5 weeks of continuous training sessions prepared by our school’s VIA coordinators and teachers, we were able to carry out a welldeveloped proposal for our beneficiary. On 24 May 2017, our Institute’s VIA Day, I learnt that despite the disabilities faced by the beneficiaries at SUNDAC, we are similar in many ways, whether emotional and mental. I was grateful for the opportunity given to reach out to this society as it broadened my knowledge and my view of the community that we live in. Despite many challenges faced, such as language barriers and differences in physical ability, my classmates and teachers served with big smiles, showing perseverance and slowly opening up to the beneficiaries and stepping out of their comfort zones. To all who want to carry out such volunteering activities, I hope that your new experience will help you to step out of your comfort zone and learn more about the society around you, while recognising and embracing different people. This is something that you definitely have to try! Written by: Buaniya Zuhairin Mohamed Rashid (16S2)
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PU3 vIA dAY
As the Values in Action (VIA) Representative of my class, I led the class VIA team to organise a project as part of our annual VIA Day activities. My class worked with the Principal and staff of PCF SparkleTots Preschool @ Jurong to plan a day of fun and enriching activities for the preschool children. As the VIA Representative, I was tasked to plan our VIA Day activities, and I am privileged to have had a helpful VIA committee throughout the whole process. During one of the VIA Representative trainings, I learnt about Design Thinking and what an Empathy Map is. The Empathy Map was an important tool that helped us to conceptualise our thoughts about the needs of our beneficiary, and properly think through our plans to help them. The VIA teachers have provided much help to my class and me over the course of this project. Their guidance and support in providing resource materials have helped me to liaise effectively with our beneficiary. With their help, I was also able to formulate necessary questions that aided me in understanding the needs of the beneficiaries, ensuring that this project is tailored to meet the needs of the organisation. At each of the multiple meetings with the Principal of the kindergarten, our team made several changes in accordance with the needs of the children. For instance, the Principal shared with us how she would like the safety of the children to be the top priority in our activities. As such, our team had to scrap some of our initial games after we found them to be rather dangerous for the young students, and replaced them with alternatives that posed less risk to the children. The event day was also filled with many other challenges. For instance, our event was met with wet weather, and this threw a spanner in our original plan of having outdoor sports activities. We thus had to improvise and conduct the sports activities indoors instead, while making changes to our schedule. Similarly, in the ‘Musical Hula’ activity we conducted for the children, one student was being particularly picky about the colour of hoop he wanted to stand in, insisting on the blue hoop. This created a small misunderstanding between the students, and made some of the children cry. With the help of the kindergarten teachers, our team managed to console the children effectively, allowing our activity to continue successfully. The highlight of the day was certainly the skit performed by my class for the students. Having to sing, dance and act in front of the children, many of us took a great leap of faith to overcome our stage-fright. Besides allowing us to contribute to the community, I must say that this VIA project has certainly given us an opportunity to hone our public speaking skills and grow as young adults too. At the end of our event, we gave out to the children gifts that we had bought beforehand. Seeing the smiles on their faces and how happy they were made us feel that all our planning and hard work was worth it. Having experienced how satisfying it is to serve and make a difference in the lives of others, I definitely encourage my peers and juniors to plan and execute their own VIA activities! Written by: Ling Jin Kang Kenneth (15S1)
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CiTi-yMCA yOuTh FOR CAuSES
From February to September 2017, two groups from the Service-Learning Club (SLC) participated in the 2017 CitiYMCA Youth For Causes (YFC). YFC is a community initiative launched in 2003 with the aim to promote social entrepreneurship and community leadership development among youths in Singapore. Our team, 4Meriolist, was one of the top 100 teams that secured a seed funding of $1600 to raise funds for our beneficiary, St Luke’s Hospital, and established three main objectives: to raise funds for the hospital; to increase public awareness of
their needs; and to establish partnership between MI and St. Luke’s Hospital for future community engagement projects.
set aside our differences in order to achieve our objectives. Thus, we tried our best to incorporate the different ideas suggested throughout our decision-making processes, which turned out for the best!
Throughout the whole experience, we learnt how to host a public event to promote a social cause. We faced numerous challenges from the preparation of our proposal to the selection interview, and finally we successfully carried out our Luke Out! Charity Bazaar. We learnt that no matter how detailed our plans were, things would not always go the way we wanted them to be. It was particularly challenging to work with external stakeholders, such as our beneficiary and vendors, because it was difficult to find a common time in the midst of our busy schedules. As such, we had to prepare ourselves to anticipate unforeseen changes and adapt to them. Apart from that, working as a team was not a smooth-sailing process. There were times when we did not agree with each other, but we knew that we had to
After carrying out our Luke Out! Social Bazaar, I am grateful for the whole team and our volunteers. Despite the countless drawbacks, seeing everyone having a good time at the event, and promoting a good cause at the same time was an emotional and satisfying experience for me. The lessons learnt are no doubt applicable in our lives as we progress ahead. YFC Team 1: 4Meliorist Nurul Hamizah Diyanah Bte R (15A3), Siti Nur Alisya Bte Mohd Rudy (15A3), Nur Alfilda Bte Abdullah (15A2), Siti Nurkhalisah Bte Sarif (15A2) YFC Team 2: Hero Hands Thanushri Balasubramaniam (16C3), Lydia Vadukkoot Chacko (15A2), Beylles Koh Bei Le (15B3) Written by: Siti Nur Alisya Bte Mohd Rudy (15A3)
CCA Showcase: Service-Learning Club Previously known as the Student Activism Club, this year, we revamped ourselves into the new Service-Learning Club. We do our best in raising awareness of social causes and giving back to our society, and seeking to do all that we can to those who need our help. We are a group of people who are willing to go the extra mile to reach out and provide assistance to those who are underprivileged. Our passionate and motivated team has partnered with various external organisations to give back to the community. Through these collaborations, we have gained countless experiences that make our CCA truly unique. Being able to experience all that we have, first-hand, with the right intentions, and alongside other like-minded individuals has given us much fulfilment. The following is a list of the various projects that we have embarked on in 2017. Read with Me The Read with Me programme was a memorable experience because we were able to interact with our buddies at Delta Senior School. As we acted as mentors during this reading programme, we realised that even if one should have learning disabilities, one’s potential is never limited. In addition, we learnt how fortunate we are to be able to understand concepts easily as we can, and reflected that we should not take anything for granted.
8Beautiful People Sg Ltd.
The Service-Learning Club raised funds for this association as part of the Citi-YMCA Youth for Causes. We sold keychains made from Swarovski crystals, which were crafted by the beneficiaries of Beautiful People. This experience was enriching as we got to contribute to those who may have been overlooked and sidelined by the wider society, but are nevertheless important. In My Shoes In My Shoes programme was a unique experience that we are proud to be part of. We raised awareness of the mental health illness community to members of the public through a co-created art exhibit, and immersive simulations that re-enacted the experiences of those suffering from such mental illness. This allowed those who participated in the activities to have a deeper understanding of what these sufferers are truly going through, to be more able empathetic towards them, and to be more sensitive towards their needs. Everyone should feel accepted and have a strong sense of belonging in our society after all! Luke Out! Bazaar The Luke Out programme was a great collaboration between the Service-Learning Club and St Luke’s Hospital as part of Citi-YMCA Youth for Causes. Through this programme, we have raised awareness of the low-income patients in St Luke’s Hospital
and raised funds from public through the Luke Out Charity Bazaar. Helping the less fortunate with our contributions, efforts and hearts is something that we strongly stand for! Want to join us? The SLC is a club filled with passionate and fun-loving people with big hearts! The members here are not only encouraging; we are also filled with the love of helping others. Being a member here is indeed tough work, and while rewards may not be tangible, the heart-warming feelings that we gain from helping people in need is something that money can never buy. The rewards here are for the long run, where the simple smiles and expressions of joy from the people you have helped is more than enough to keep you going and reaching out to others in our community. Please do join if you feel like you are one who enjoys planning and participating in these meaningful activities, where lots of cognitive and organisational skills are learnt as well! You may join our projects on an ad-hoc basis, or even as a part of your CCA collaboration with the SLC! We are passionate, joyful and friendly after all! Written by: MI SLC PU1 Members
volUNteerING At the NdP
Volunteering is something I have always had a passion for and I will usually keep a lookout for volunteering opportunities. Fortunately last year, during Gap Week, members from Heartware Network came to our institute to promote volunteerism and encourage Millennians to volunteer for the National Day Parade. I seized the opportunity that was offered to me and decided to volunteer as a General Volunteer for the 2016 National Day Parade. My role during last year’s parade was to help out in ushering the public and the primary school students who came to watch the preview and National Education (NE) shows. From that volunteering opportunity, I gained a lot of exposure and knowledge, especially about how the backstage crew work behind the scenes to make the actual event a flawless one. As such, after last year’s parade, I wanted to continue my journey under the same organisation. Therefore I decided to volunteer again, but this year, as a Media Volunteer. Compared to last year, my experience this year was more fruitful. I decided to take on the role of a Media Volunteer because I have a passion and interest for photography so I thought it would be like killing two birds in one stone – I would be able to pursue my passion and also at the same time do my part as a volunteer. Though I learnt a lot during my weekly training, I felt that the actual day gave me more of an opportunity to bond and get to know my fellow Singaporeans. This, along with the festive mood, actually made me feel a stronger sense of belonging towards Singapore. This National Day volunteering experience has certainly instilled good life values such as commitment, integrity and responsibility in me. I am even now considering a contribution in another role for next year’s National Day Parade! In addition, I strongly encourage my school mates to sign up for such volunteering experiences for they help to improve ourselves in many ways even as we celebrate our nation’s achievements. Written by: Selvanathan Madhumithaa (17C3)
The annual Pre-University 3 (PU3) National Education dialogue with an office holder in the government was held on 18th August 2017 in the Centrestage, with the Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance, Minister Lawrence Wong as the guest speaker for this year’s dialogue. The objective of this dialogue is for students to gain a greater insight on key national issues and to also have their concerns regarding local issues to be addressed accordingly. Some key highlights of the dialogue session were questions pertaining to income inequality on how the government can better manage and bridge the income inequality in Singapore, issues pertaining to the effectiveness of pro-natal policies in Singapore and also on job security for athletes on new careers after their sporting careers. Minister Lawrence Wong addressed all questions with insightful solutions and was pleased also to have such an engaging audience as from start till the end of the dialogue there was a barrage of questions asked. This provided great insight on various national issues like the economy, the arts, infrastructure, population, and social and defence issues. As the host for this dialogue, I gained valuable experience because I managed to gain new perspectives about the issues. As I was taking notes, I realised that there were things that I was not aware of prior to this dialogue such as the significance of the arts scene and the development of local athletes.
As part of the National Education (NE) Programme, I had the honour of being the moderator for the NE Dialogue session with Mr Ng Joo Hee, Chief Executive of the Public Utilities Board. The dialogue session informed and enlightened Millennians of the origins of the NEWater supply, the technology used to purify Singapore’s water, the reason for price hike as well as the future plans of Singapore in terms of its water supply. The key idea that Mr Ng Joo Hee shared with us was the aim of Singapore to become self-sufficient. Through this, Millennians are able to better understand their every drop of water is indeed precious as it is not an easy process to obtain such clean water for ourselves.
Overall, the main and biggest take from this NE dialogue was how we, the upcoming generation, has to address these imment and more uncertain issues in these areas as the future leaders of Singapore. Written by: Meetash Narayan (15A3)
This has been a very enriching experience for myself as I have not only gained various insights on water-related issues, but also became more confident in public speaking. As it was my first time being on stage and hosting an important figure, I was slightly nervous. But towards the end, I find myself enjoying it and I would not mind doing this again. Being the student host, I am generally proud of my cohort as they were mostly participative and raised good questions for Mr Ng. Written by: Aljess Lee Chia Mun (16A3)
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Social bazaar In May 2017, Millennia Institute (MI) successfully organised the annual Social Bazaar. The Social Bazaar serves as a platform to raise awareness about various social causes that focus on the Bukit Batok community. In addition, the event serves to encourage MI students to volunteer and give back to society as much as they can, and helps them to develop a sense of empathy towards the community. The sales proceeds from the Social Bazaar were donated to three organisations: Fei Yue Family Service Centre (FSC) in Bukit Batok, Club HEAL, and the Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH). I was fortunate to be a part of the Social Bazaar steering committee, that planned and organised the event. My role in the committee was to contact various voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) and learn about the social causes and community that they serve. As the liaison member, I was the point of contact between the student participants and the VWOs, and was also responsible for disseminating information about the organisations. In addition to that, I helped to run the awareness segment of the Social Bazaar, where I liaised with representatives from the three VWOs, so that they could engage the students and staff by promoting their social causes and volunteering opportunities. We certainly benefited from the sharing, which helped us to understand the challenges the VWOs face in serving their target communities. I am glad that through this Social Bazaar, I have helped to raise awareness about various social causes relating to the family, children and youth, and mental health. The experience has also opened my eyes to issues such as the severe social stigma and discrimination that people with mental illnesses face. In addition, I learn that solutions we design to help people in need may not actually solve the problems that they face. For example, while we may put our efforts in volunteering towards painting houses for the elderly, it may not actually help them if the problem they are facing is social isolation. As a result of such experiences, I want to give back to society even more, and influence others in MI to do the same. I believe that MI will continue to give back to the Bukit Batok community through various projects in the future. I encourage my juniors to take up the challenge of learning about the needs of various communities, and serve them. Written by: Muhammad Nurfikri B Juhairi (15B1)
Ne vISUAl collectIve The National Education Visual Collective is a citizenship interventionist project which utilises Instagram as a democratic tool to empower fellow Millennians to define, and negotiate what Singapore citizenship may mean to them. Millennians were encouraged to send in photos accompanied with captions that captured what “Home” means to them. Submissions were posted to the Instagram account “PeopleOfMillennia” for everyone to see. With the conclusion of the project, we hope that Millennians were able to appreciate the various perspectives of different individuals regarding a common issue. It illustrates the boundless potential of ideas in every individual that will undoubtedly play a role in creating the ideal home that everyone can be proud of. The Home Tutor’s Period on 28 July was dedicated to a lesson on the topic of “Home”. It was another avenue to create awareness for the Instagram account and gave students the opportunity to reflect and share their vision of an ideal home at a class level. The project concluded on 8th August during the Institute’s National Day celebration with a prize-giving ceremony awarding individuals whose submissions met these three criteria: Best Photo, Best Caption and Photo with the Highest Likes. On behalf of the NE Leaders team, we would like to take this opportunity to first kindly thank our Principal, Mrs Tan Wan Yu for her support in this innovative project. We would also like to thank our teachers Mr John Goh and Miss Chan Yu Ting for their guidance and all of their support. Lastly, to our fellow Millennians, thank you all so much for supporting the project, for without you, the project would not have been a resounding success! We hope you will fondly remember this experience as you move forward and make our shared vision of “Home” a reality! Written by: Muhammad Khairul Fikri B Shaharuddin (15A3)
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NATiONAl DAy
The day before National Day in Singapore is usually the day where all schools in Singapore celebrate National Day, and this year is no exception. On 8 August 2017, Millennia Institute celebrated Singapore’s 52nd National Day together in school. Before the actual celebrations started, there were skits and activities leading up to the actual day. The skits were performed by the student councillors, Livesha D/O Rajagopal (17C4), Tay Hui Ting (17A2), Nur Ellyza On Bte Mohamed R (17S4), Aadira Mohan Nair (17S2) and A’isyah Fatanah Bte Buhari (17A1) during morning assemblies on the 26th of July and 3rd of August. The skits were conceptualised to build up awareness of our surroundings to defend ourselves from terrorist attacks and also to learn more about the SGSecure application. The skits were written to allow the students to be able to relate to it and at the same time, educate themselves about what to do in such situations. The skits hopefully led to the students to feel more of a sense of belonging to the society and also more excited for the upcoming National Day celerations. Following the skits, the councillors asked for the students to send in their well-wishes for Singapore by sending in messages about what they want Singapore to be and what Singapore means to them. This activity allowed them to feel more included as a school which complemented this year’s National Day theme, #onenationtogether. The day started off with the mandatory parade. This year’s parade saw one of the largest Guard-Of-Honour contingent ever formed in school, and they were led by parade commanders (PC) Syifa Alyssa Bte Mohamad S (17S3), as well as Teoh Zuan Kong (17A2). When asked about her thoughts on being the parade commander Alyssa said, “Being the PC for this year’s parade is a change for me. I was nervous as this is my first time being a PC, but I had overcome that nervousness with the support from the strangers who then became friends over time, during the NDP rehearsals. Hence, I am grateful for the friendships forged and memories forged.” Zuan Kong too had similar thoughts when interviewed. “I felt excited and thankful to be given the opportunity to don my uniform for my new school and it has brought back a whole new window of experience to serve as the Regimental Sergeant Major. I’m also grateful for the friendships I have forged going through this experience.” Others supporting contingents included the Student Council, Senate as well as teachers. Qurratumaimanah Bte Abdul R (17C4), a parade participant said, “I felt happy participating in the parade as marching is one of the favourite things I like to do. Given the chance to participate in the parade brings back many memories during my uniform group days. I am also thankful for the friendships that I have forged over this period of time with those who kept me going through the trainings even though it was tiring.” The parade included the National Pledge, National Anthem as well as the parade inspection. Following that, our principal, Mrs Tan Wan Yu gave us the National Day message prepared by Minister Teo Chee Hean. The parade concluded with the march past, and students returned to their respective classes for their planned activities. The celebrations ended off with a combined hall celebration, where students were seated in houses in order to heighten celebration spirits. The recollections were first read out, followed by a string of sing-a-longs which included this year’s theme song “Because It’s Singapore!”, and classics such as “Home” and “Will you”. Everyone left school in high spirits to await more celebrations the following day. Written by: Teo Wan Ting Kristal (17S3) and Soh Zi Lei, Aloysious (17C4)
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Transcendence 2017
With the theme “Embracing Diversity”, Transcendence 2017 indeed showcased a wide range of performances – from a Japanese dance performance to a rendition of the latest trending song ‘Despacito’– and surpassed all expectations. Hosted and performed by our very own talents, this year’s Transcendence took place in the hall for the first time and drew a record-breaking crowd of over 500 supporters and attendees. Though there were minor technical difficulties at the start, however, with the cheers and support from their friends, the performers managed to overcome these problems and delivered stellar performances that delighted the audience. The fun-filled night was kicked off with a Wotagei performance that hyped up the crowd with their spell-binding light stick dance in the dimly lit hall. The energetic choice of music also served to enhance the exuberant atmosphere. Light sticks were eventually hurled off the stage to the audience, who caught them with much enthusiasm. This item was then followed by amazing acoustic and live band performances, and together with a pair of witty emcees, the acts kept the audience cheering for a continuous two hours. The singers and bands performed renditions of famous pop songs such as ‘Stitches’, ‘Use Somebody’, ‘Hotel California’ and had the crowd singing along with them. The student dance group Di-verse put up another standout performance. They excited the K-POP fans amongst the audience with their showstopping take on BTS’s ‘Blood, Sweat, Tears’ and iKON’s ‘Dumb & Dumber’. One of the dancers, Desmond Ng from 16S2, stated that the practices leading up to the performance involved “a lot of blood, sweat & tears to make their dance a success, as there were some non-dancers among them.” Nevertheless, he looks forward to performing again next year as it had been a fun experience for him and his friends. Following the student items, two performances by our very own teachers took the crowd by storm. Their amazing Bollywoodinspired dance and band performance of Taylor Swift’s ‘Blank Space’ was crowd-pleasing. The night finally ended on a high note with a group medley that involved all the talents who had performed that night. Together with the audience, who was by now on their feet, they sang a rousing version of ‘You Give Love a Bad Name’ by Bon Jovi. Transcendence 2017 was indeed a great success and an eyeopening experience for us as PU1s. We look forward to what 2018 has to offer! Written by: the Young Journalists Club
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The mural was a good opportunity for Art Club to display our knowledge and talents through the drawings. The mural also allowed us to leave an MI legacy!” - Lim Ya Li, 16S1
Van Kleef Centre Mural Painting The Van Kleef Centre mural painting carried out over May to July was one of the Art Club’s biggest accomplishments in 2017.
“The Van Kleef mural was a superb experience for me! It was truly enjoyable painting the walls together with all the art club members! I was flabbergasted when I found out that we would be painting a wall of 7 meters wide. All our efforts to make the painting come to life with its vibrant and rich colours through sacrificing our valuable time was, in the end, worthwhile!” - Mohammad Fahmy B Fadzil, 17S2
Planning for the mural began at the start of the year, when we collaborated with the Public Utilities Board (PUB) to design a mural to convey to the public the importance of Singapore’s reservoirs. This wall was situated at the Van Kleef Centre, a research institute for Singapore’s water quality management. Due to the wall’s large size (7m by 3.5m), we underwent several rounds of brainstorming and sketching before all parties were satisfied with our proposed design. After the design was finalised, we sourced for the supplies and materials needed. In the first week of the mid-year holidays, we began painting, with 20 of our members arriving in shifts to work under the guidance of our teachers-in-charge. For a few days, we had a group of 12 Henry Park Primary School students to paint with us, so we had to always be on our best behaviour in order to be role models to the children. As these young students were from the Science Club and had little understanding of painting, we found fulfilment in teaching them different painting techniques and encouraged them to express themselves in creative ways. Despite the unique challenge of mentoring and guiding students much younger than ourselves, we thoroughly enjoyed this experience of working with the little painters. As this was a research institute, we also learnt more about the role of reservoirs in Singapore and about the different animals and birds that survive on those wetlands. We hope that we can continue to use art to meaningfully engage the public. Written by: Meliana Dewi (16S1) and Brenda Tan Si Qi (16C1) Hong Kah North CC PAssionARTS Festival on 8th July 2017 On the evening of 8 July, a group of 11 students from the Art Club volunteered to take part in the PAssionARTS Festival at Hong Kah North Community Centre, which brought the students of Millennia Institute closer to the community. Our task was to organise and plan activities for an arts and crafts booth at the festival, giving members of the public the chance to experiment with clay model-making and the creation of other 3D art. In preparation for the event, we had to plan how we could most effectively conduct the workshop. We purchased materials, painstakingly improved our own techniques through frequent practice, and created models for the public that they could use as reference material. During the event itself, we also had to grapple with the challenge of having to guide members of the public without prior art experience in their craft creation, explaining carefully and in detail to make sure that they understood the different types of techniques in craftwork. Upon reflection, Nur Emellia Bte Salim from 17S4 felt that what she enjoyed most about the event were the happy smiles of satisfaction from the families after they had made a work of art. On the whole, we are thrilled that all our hard work paid off as the community in Hong Kah North told us that they had indeed enjoyed the activity very much. We feel that the event was a success as we not only helped to spread the fun and joy of craft making, but also learned important values such as patience and resilience. Written by: Lim Shu Yi Cherie (16A2) and Sng Le Jie Joy (17S4)
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Learning Journey to the NUS Department of Mathematics
The NUS Department of Mathematics organises learning journeys for pre-university students with an interest and aptitude in Mathematics, or who plan to study Mathematics at the university level. On 7 April 2017, 21 PU2 and PU3 students, along with two Mathematics teachers, went on this learning journey. After the introductory talk on the various Mathematics programmes offered by NUS, we attended two lectures on the different fields of Mathematics. The first lecture on computer vision introduced us to the usage of radar technology to sense and prevent accidents. We were shown a video about how driverless cars were able to navigate the streets of London on their own, merely by use of algorithms, sensors and radars. Such technologies are of great interest as they have the potential to change the whole dynamic of transportation in years to come. The second lecture was about the number Pi (π), and how mathematicians throughout the ages have used different polygons to create formulas and equations to approximate Pi. We were also given briefings on financial and practical Mathematics, which enlightened us on the practical applications of Mathematics in the real world. For the last part of this learning journey, we were given the opportunity to handle the Maple software, which could create complicated 3D figures as well as solve complex equations. We were supervised by some undergraduate students from the department, so we took the opportunity to interact with them and learn about their experience in NUS. Technology uses code as a language. And in the 21st century, coding is an essential skill. Learning to code enables you to solve problems and work together with your peers in creative ways, helping you to build applications that bring your ideas to life.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable experience and we gained valuable insights and new knowledge about the exciting opportunities that await us when we enter university should we choose to further explore the field of Mathematics.. Written by: Sakthivel S/O Shanmugavel (16S5)
Swift Playgrounds is an application available for the iPad that makes coding engaging and fun. The skills required for coding are mastered through the solving of puzzles using Swift, a programme which is used by developers in Apple to create apps. Swift Playgrounds requires no prior coding knowledge, so everyone indeed can code! The Mathematics and ICT Departments conducted four coding sessions during Gap Week, each with about 25-30 students from different faculties. It was an enriching experience both for students and teachers to learn and teach coding. If you are interested to be part of the team to conduct the training for coding next year during Gap Week, do approach Mr Ang Rong Wei Joseph for further information. Written by: Mr Tan Soon Hui and Mr Ang Rong Wei Joseph “It is interesting to use games to teach coding. The app is interactive and it keeps you engaged and we don’t get bored. At least I didn’t!” - Ong Khai Boon (17S4) “We usually only think of coding as something pops up in crime dramas. The game format got me involved and helps me to understand coding in a really fun manner!” - Vaiyshnavi D/O Paramasivam P (17S4) “We had previous stereotyped coding as something really hard and not easy to understand. But this app banished all our previous preconceptions because it is presented differently and it makes learning fun!” - Muhammad Haziq B Hamzah (17C6) and P Maityili D/O S Pathmanathan (17S2)
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APPlYING MAtheMAtIcS to the reAl World: FIBoNAccI NUMBerS IN NAtUre
The NTU Division of Mathematical Sciences conducts enrichment lectures to promote Mathematics by showing its beauty and relevance to pre-university students. On 11 April 2017, Dr Tang Wee Kee, the Division’s Outreach Chair, gave the PU2 cohort a lecture on ‘Fibonacci Numbers in Nature’ during our SkillsFuture Programme (SFP) period. There was an initial wave of murmuring throughout the Centrestage when the speaker introduced himself as a mathematician – some groaned with dismay while others squealed in excitement. I belonged to the latter group, and hoped the lecturer would be able to tell us more about Mathematics. Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed myself, as did most of my friends. During the lecture, he demonstrated how the Fibonacci numbers 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34… can actually be found in certain aspects of nature, such as the number of spirals in pinecones and pineapples! This realisation gobsmacked me as I never had considered the possibility that Mathematics could be found in nature. Usually, we think of nature as a random collection of objects and events whose outcome cannot be determined or predicted by any formula. Yet, this lecture proved me and many others wrong by showing that there is some organisation within nature itself. It helped us to realise that nature is far more intelligent than we Millennians realise, and that we as humans are but humble observers of its brilliance. The lecturer also stated that the purpose for such a sequence in nature was for plants to optimise their own growth or for seed production, which impressed all of us more, as there were evident gasps of “woah” across the auditorium. In the end, my key takeaway from this lecture was something that I could not get in a regular classroom setting. I was thankful to say the least as it had broadened my perspective on Mathematics. Connecting Mathematics and nature made Mathematics seem less of a product of Man’s imagination. This lecture was indeed an eye-opening and enjoyable experience. Written by: Yasmin Bte Mohd Sani (16A3)
P u 1 STuDENT lEADERShiP CAMP
The PU1 Leadership Camp 2017 was a 3 days, 2 nights camp that took place in Kahang Organic Rice Eco Farm (KOREF) in Kahang, Johor Bahru. It was held from 4 September to 6 September 2017, with around 70 students and 10 teachers participating. The main aim of the camp was to give us student leaders the valuable opportunity to develop our leadership skills, by collaborating with external organisations to plan and carry out all of our camp activities. On the first day of the camp, unexpected traffic delays at the Woodlands checkpoint required our carefully planned ice-breaker games to be cancelled. Nonetheless, we were able to take advantage of our extended time on the bus to conduct quick introductions of ourselves and lead impromptu singalong sessions. We reached KOREF in high spirits, and split into our groups to complete various activity stations, such as fish trawling, bamboo raft building, rafting and tent-pitching. The most challenging of the activities would definitely be fish trawling, which required us to keep absolutely silent – even when the fish were attempting to escape by swimming through our legs or jumping out of the net! Our group, Ares 3, was delighted when through our combined efforts, we managed to capture a catfish that was so big it would not fit into the pail given to us. We then faced the unique challenge of having to cook our own fried rice dinner using ingredients and a small gas stove given to us. The second day began with a fun yet tiring hike on Mount Lambak. The slope of the hiking trails was daunting, but we encouraged each other and looked out for each other along the way. The second part of the hike was especially demanding as the path suddenly became a lot steeper, and we had to pull ourselves up with ropes and tree roots at several points. When we finally reached the peak, we all felt a sense of accomplishment that we had managed to reach the top as a group. The toughest part of the climb was yet to come, however, as it began to rain halfway during our descent. The slippery terrain definitely did not make it any easier to navigate our way down. Still, everyone returned safely despite the heightened risks and made it in time for lunch. The campfire on the night of the second day was a huge success – from the wonderful performances contributed by all the groups and camp instructors, right down to the finale where everybody danced together around the fire. We concluded the night by releasing sky lanterns; on which we had written our own individual goals or achievements before letting it rise into the sky. It was very satisfying to watch our lanterns float away into the sky, bringing our hopes along with them.. On the last day of the trip, we took on one final challenge – the river trail. This activity was particularly challenging to prepare for as it required those of us in the planning committee to recce the route that we were to take in the early hours of the morning. Throughout the trail, we had to deal with tree branches, sudden dips in the river bed, the cold water, and of course, leeches! The murky water prevented us from seeing underwater obstacles, which made it important for clear communication, so we relied on each other to spot and call out reminders to each other. Along the way, we also saw a path trodden by wild elephants and even some elephant dung. All in all, it was an enjoyable experience that allowed us to apply what we had learned during the hike the previous day to help keep our group moving forward with high morale. Both the camp and its planning was an arduous yet exciting and fruitful experience that taught us the value of resilience and team-work. The logistical and organisation skills that we learned will be useful, both inside and outside of the classroom. We are very grateful to have been able to go for the camp and the wonderful memories that we created will definitely remain with us. Written by: Carissa Loo Wei Yue (17S4) and Nuha Zakirah Bte Asrin (17S4)
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TEAChERS' DAy 2017
Teachers’ Day 2017, organized by the Student Council, had a new and unique theme about constellations, aptly named, “Our Guiding Stars: A Beacon of Hope”. The celebration was kick-started with a procession of our teachers walking into the school hall to the song “A Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay. The atmosphere was further amplified set by the meticulous decorations showing various constellations on the side panels, as well as by the dimmed lights throughout the concert. (These decorations were so well received that the teachers even requested for them not to be removed for the teachers’ staff lunch afterwards, even though it had a completely different theme!) The first performance of the day consisted of a song by Sally Lee Poh Ray, Foo Jia Rui and Xie Qian Wei Zelda, all from 16A3. With Zelda as the pianist, the duo sang “The Scientist” by Coldplay, which was followed up by a wonderful dance by our own Modern Dance CCA. This year, they had even taken the novel step of including their CCA teachers, Mr Martin Ang and Ms Mak Ying Shi, into the choreography, where they featured as stars guiding their students towards success. The Drama Club also paid tribute to the teachers with a witty comedic sketch that skilfully combined both film projections and live drama, much to the delight of those watching. As the closing item for the performance segment, the Transcendence 2017 crowd-pleasers – student dance group Di-Verse – took to the stage and roused the audience with an energetic K-pop inspired piece that was showcased their appreciation for our teachers through its complex routines. This year, the games segment was hosted by Yasmin Bte Mohd Sani and Diyana Umairah Bte Roslan from 16A3, who brought about great fun and joy for the students and the teachers involved. Many students tried their best, but only the ones with the keenest eyes made the connection between the baby photos that were shown and the faces of their teachers today. Handmade mason jars were given to both the winning student and the participating teacher, and when all of the performances came to a close, a tribute video that had been made in collaboration between the Council and the student population was screened. Finally, class representatives from each class presented a gift from the class to their tutors, which consisted of a personalised handmade lanyard and a calendar for every teacher. With the concert officially closed, the school moved to respective venues to have some rare fun time with their home tutors, where they bonded over food and games. There were even photo-booths where classes could take a polaroid photo with their tutors and have it instantly printed out. In the canteen and Art Gallery where the PU2s and PU3s were situated, the atmosphere was enlivened by our fellow musically-talented Millennians, who brought life to the picnic with their melodies resounding throughout the venues. At the stadium, many were seen enjoying games with their tutors with equipment provided by the PE department. The excitement and atmosphere in the school was electrifying and it was a truly a sight to behold as students and teachers came together as One Millennia. Written by: Tan Meng Hui (17S6), Fong Wei Jun (17S1) and Irwen Zhao Chun Kai (17C1)
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StAFF WelFAre coMMIttee The Staff Welfare Committee (SWC) has once again tirelessly planned and organised activities and events that cater for the physical, social, emotional wellbeing and sense of belonging of the staff. The following are the activities and events that have taken place: 1. Cooking Class @ Batok Secondary School (BBSS) on 11th April For the first time, our SWC collaborated with our neighbouring cluster schools, Bukit Batok Secondary School (BBSS) and Princess Elizabeth Primary School (PEPS), for a cooking session conducted by BBSS. On 11 May 2017, a total of 20 staff members from the three schools came together, having a great time bonding and laughing over Seafood Quiche and Abok Abok Sago. 2. Exit Plan, `Tickin’ Time Bomb’ on 12th May The game of strategy that races against time, `Tickin’ Time Bomb’ at Exit Plan was among the termly outings that was organised by SWC. It was a perfect afternoon for those who wished for some adventure and thrill. 3. Fruits and Ice-Cream Party @ Public Service Week 15th May During Public Service Week, the staff were treated to a `Fruit and Ice-Cream Party’. Staff enjoyed bonding over light tea refreshments, fruit and Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream. 4. MOE Healthy Lifestyle Day cum 9th MOE OLive Charity Run 2017 @ Gardens by the Bay, 20 May In the early hours of a beautiful Saturday morning, a group of MI staff got together to participate in the MOE Healthy Lifestyle Day cum 9th MOE OLive Charity Run 2017. Some came with their families and participated in the walk. It was a nice way to bond and exercise with family and friends. 5. Staff Bonding Day 25th August The Staff Bonding Day is a day where MI staff can enjoy fun-filled activities, take their minds off work and socialise. The session started with refreshments and a live band by our own Staff Band, allowing staff the chance to sit, eat and relax with colleagues before they proceeded with a plethora of activities catering to their choices and interests. 6. Teachers’ Day Lunch This year’s Teachers’ Day Lunch was a team effort by the SWC, EAS and PE Department. Celebrating with the theme of `Safari’, our staff came in dressed for the occasion. After our Principal, Mrs Tan Wan Yu, addressed the teachers and read the Teachers’ Day Message, the hall was then booming with staff voices as they recited the Teachers’ Pledge. Games such as Link Word, Animal Quiz and Safari Musical Chairs were played. There were prizes to be won for Best Dressed Competition and Lucky Draw. We were also entertained with a surprise song item by our VicePrincipal (Administrative), Mr Tommy Hsu. Not only that, it was also a day where we acknowledged and celebrated the contribution of our staff in their line of work by giving out the Outstanding Contribution Awards (OCA) and MI Sunshine Awards (MESA) 2017. It was indeed an enjoyable afternoon of fun and laughter, with great company, just before the well-deserved September Term break. Written by: Mdm Fatmawatee Othman
Outstanding Contribution Award 2017 Winner for Individual Category Ms Azra Shazeaa Bte Hairuddin Mr Teo Zhi Xiong Danver Mr Then Aik Bei
Winner for Team Outstanding Category Hockey Winner for Team Merit Category Staff Welfare Committee CARE Team Year Head Team MI Social Bazaar Design Thinking Project Team EAS Sunshine Award 2017 Mdm Salmah Bte Saat Mdm Wong Oi Ching Ms Ajmoonbeevi D/O Majid
Mi.WORlD ViETNAM
The visit to Vietnam was truly an eye opener for me. Before going on the trip, I just imagined learning about the culture of Vietnam. However, by the time the trip ended, I had learned more than what I expected about the history and culture of Vietnam. For instance, Vietnam has 54 different ethnic groups, which far exceeds the four officially recognised groups in Singapore. We also visited the Hoa Lo Prison Museum in Hanoi, where we got to see the life of prisoners and how they were treated by the French. Their ankles were shackled together and they did not even have a proper toilet to go to. The trip to the museum made me appreciate the comfortable life I am leading now, with everything that I have. We also went to Ha Long Bay on a ferry cruise and hiked up to the Hang Dau Go cave. I found it interesting that it was cold inside the cave due to the natural air circulation, which was something that I had never experienced before. There were also coloured lights in the cave that lit up the rock formations, making the experience livelier. One of the most memorable parts of the trip was the cooking class, where we learnt to make Bun Cha, a traditionally grilled pork with flat rice noodle dish. For our lesson, the pork was changed to chicken, so that Muslim students would able to eat them too. I appreciated the hands-on experience on how to make a traditional Vietnam dish. The chef even gave us the recipe to bring back as a souvenir, for which I was very appreciative, as this would allow me to cook the dish for my family back in Singapore. We got to visit and converse with Vietnamese students from the National Economics University and they were extremely friendly. The girls greeted us in their traditional costume, called Ao Dai, that were stunning pieces of long silk tunic. We gave a presentation about Singapore and they were very excited to learn more about our country, which I found to be really heartwarming. We ended the exchange with a competition of who could make the most and the best Vietnamese spring rolls. On the whole, my peers and I enjoyed ourselves tremendously and learnt a lot from this cultural exchange! Written by: Zhofiirah Bte Md Zahid (16S4)
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Our week of enrichment learning in Suzhou and Shanghai in China has allowed us to gain knowledge and first-hand experience into the business world. We learnt how to do business planning and proposal writing through lectures and consultations with the NUS (Suzhou) Research Institute (NUSRI) lecturers and local entrepreneurs. In addition, we visited local government agencies and IT and innovation companies. We were also able to appreciate and understand Chinese culture better through fun and interactive activities and visits to heritage sites. Business Planning and Presentation
Cultural Experience In addition, cultural visits enabled us to discover more about China’s history. Qibao Ancient Town Our first stop was Qibao Ancient Town. With a range of stalls set up, selling anything from live crickets in capsules to full lamb heads, it was an eye opener for many of us, as well as a notable preservation of the authenticity and rawness of China’s customs.
Our first day of the programme was graced by Mr Jeffery J. Fei, a lecturer from NUSRI, who has over 20 years of international work experience. He was a passionate teacher, and gave numerous examples of different business strategies by successful companies. After the lecture, we were tasked to come up with a business proposal in each of our groups. Initially, we struggled when we were left on our own to brainstorm for ideas. Under Mr Jeffery’s guidance, each group was able to develop their business plans. Over the course of the programme, many of us stayed up late to complete the presentation slides and proposal together.
Shanghai Art Museum Next up was the Art Museum. We were excited as many of us had not visited art museums before, and with high expectations, we were definitely not let down! Paintings and artefacts framed the exhibition hall, creating the feeling of a ‘live’ mural of China’s history. Furthermore, quotes and scriptures allowed the viewers to better understand China’s respective dynasties. During the business proposal presentation, it was a close fight between all of the groups as there was a mini competition to win a small token of appreciation from NUSRI. Eventually, the winning group was decided upon for being able to best put themselves in the consumer’s shoes.
We also had a forum at the NUSRI café where two distinguished entrepreneurs, Dr Fwu-Shan Sheu (Founder and CEO of BioNano) and Dr Wu Xin (Director of Operations of GENWIZ Suzhou), shared about their personal journeys in entrepreneurship.
They showed us how their innovative products had made a tremendous improvement to the environment, with examples such as the nano bubble producer, to counter eutrophication in a Chinese province. We were astonished to hear about the huge amount of effort, time and money spent on developing their products.
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Furthermore, a 3D movie theatre showed the daily routines of commoners in a town during the Qing dynasty. This reminded us that China did not build their country overnight, but through a prolonged history with blood, sweat and tears. This teaches us to be more appreciative of what we have as well as to be humble every step of the way.
Kunqu Opera House Moving on, we proceeded to the Opera House. We watched a play that only high ranked officials enjoyed in the past, but which we could indulge in today. We were led backstage to view the makeup process. It totalled one-and-a-half hours for the opera performers to get ready for the performance.
Industrial Visits ASUS The industrial visits were eye-opening. ASUS was the first company we visited. We were truly amazed by the robot, Zenbo. It was extremely human-like, and it led us to contemplate on the quick evolution of the world and the outmoding of human labour.
China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park After that, we went to the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park, where the speaker was Singaporean. We learnt from her experience of adapting to working in the Chinese environment.
The play was about a lady who dreamt about a scholar, but, due to many circumstances, they were unable to meet, leading her to die of heartbreak. The Gods revived her, giving her another opportunity to meet him and fall in love once again. It was indeed a story that exemplified the lengths one pursues to find true love.
Robot Museum Finally, we visited the Robot Museum.
We were able to try out opera for ourselves! Some of us put on the costumes and tried the movements of the opera, where hand gestures and postures are the key to being eloquent and graceful in such performances. Humble Administrator’s Garden (Suzhou) We proceeded to the Humble Administrator’s Garden in Suzhou. The Garden was stunning and exquisite in the midst of city life. The stone sculptures have been preserved and kept in prime condition, whilst creating a story that allows viewers to understand the complex history and values behind it.
Conclusion
Shanghai Book Store Not only that, we also visited the Shanghai bookstore. It was the largest bookstore in Shanghai, consisting of seven floors, ranging from historical books to Shanghainese delicacy cookbooks. It was crowded with passionate readers and book lovers of all ages.
Despite travelling in a foreign land that none of us knew much about, and being new to business planning, we were quick to adapt and learn. Even though many of our peers came from different streams, we shared an enthusiasm for the business world and exhibited a commendable attitude and work ethic. Furthermore, we have become more independent through this trip as we were constantly challenged to move out of our comfort zones, through activities such as sharing rooms with a new friend and adapting to a new environment. This trip was truly enriching and memorable. Written by: Tang Yee Ten Jan (16A2), Samuel Ng Qi Xuan (16C2) and How Jia Ni (16S2)
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OVIA CAMbODIA
On 27 May 2017, a group of 15 Millennians accompanied by Ms Azra Shazeaa, Mr Lee Chen Kang and Mr Tommy Hsu embarked on a meaningful Overseas Values in Action (OVIA) project in the capital city of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. The moment we landed in Cambodia, we were welcomed by our tour guide, Mr Sok Sophorn who led us to our accommodation before going to Peam Meanchey Secondary School situated on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. On the way to the school, we stopped by Lien Aid’s water treatment plant to learn more about the water filtration process. This water treatment plant is vital in providing the surrounding villages with potable water. The visit highlighted the issue of water scarcity that is faced by the village that we were going to visit. The journey to the school was not as easy as we thought. Throughout the three days of our service to the school, we travelled by boat to cross the Mekong river before taking a half an hour truck ride on the bumpy roads of the village. This was similar to how the Cambodian students travel to their school every day. We were in awe of their spirit and determination, to travel such a distance to receive their education, that they deem a privilege. The following three days were spent on labour intensive tasks, along with English lessons conducted by us. We refurbished the school by painting the entire school building, giving it a new and fresher look. In addition, we helped to construct a water tank so that the school could harvest rainwater for its use. Working under harsh weather conditions, we showed unfaltering resilience in completing the tasks given. We were also thankful for the help given by the Cambodian students, who came back after school dismissal. Their help certainly sped up the whole process. In addition to manual work, we conducted lessons to introduce and reinforce simple vocabulary and nursery rhymes. The Cambodian students were attentive and actively engaged during the lessons and activities. During these lessons, we managed to have a cultural exchange with the Cambodian students by learning Khmer and Cambodian games that are similar to our own childhood games. Altogether, the four days spent at Peam Meanchey Secondary School were meaningful and eye opening as we were constantly learning from one another. There is no doubt the bonds forged left us emotional and nostalgic during our departure. At the end of the day, we Millennians learned how our lives in Singapore are such a blessing.
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After our service, we headed back to the city on our last day. Our day in the city of Phnom Penh exposed us to the rich cultural and historical heritage of Cambodia. The various heritage sites we visited included the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda and the Independence Monument that commemorated Cambodia’s independence from France in 1953. We then proceeded to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum where we were received by the sombre atmosphere of the location, where we learned of the atrocities that had been carried out by Pol Pot’s regime. The eerie silence of the place amplified Mr Sophorn’s voice as he narrated the stories about the cruelty the victims faced throughout their imprisonment. The pictures of victims and the torment they went through were unimaginable. To see how Cambodia has changed in the past 30 years amazed us, as the impact of the event itself must be traumatising, and yet the resilience and determination of its people to achieve a better livelihood for themselves and their future generations have brought Cambodia to where it is today. This OVIA trip may not have drastically changed the lives of our beneficiaries. However, the short-term happiness that we provided was something far more valuable, that could never be bought by money. The trip has provided us with greater insight to parts of the world we never knew, and the opportunity to give back to an overseas community in a way one would not have thought of. We are grateful to be able to be part of this meaningful journey, and for the memories made. Our community efforts will not end with this trip because we can continue to make a difference. Like Howard Zinn said, “Small acts, when multipled by millions of people can transform the world”. Written by: Nurul Syahiirah Bte Amran (16C3)