The Voice of Tanglin Trust School
Vol 19 01/2015
MCI (P) 094/07/2014
Feature: A Passion for Languages Spotlight: Philosophy for Children Sixth Form: Nurturing Tomorrow’s Leaders
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Welcome
The Infant School article on page 14 begins with ‘At Tanglin Trust School, our curriculum is driven by our firm belief that every child has the right to develop skills for lifelong learning, enjoy academic challenge and engagement, develop global awareness and a sense of community, and crucially; develop self-awareness and personal fulfilment.’ I couldn’t have put it better myself! Today’s school experience is both relevant for future success and happiness and is motivating and enjoyable today. The ‘development of life skills’ underpins every experience our children have at school. We believe strongly that this development can’t be left to chance after the academic agenda has been met. In practice, it has been brought in to the core of what all good schools are doing. Tanglin’s 90th anniversary ‘T90’ is here! We have already begun to celebrate having been in existence since 1925. A press launch at The Tanglin Club (our place of origin) in January was
Contents
04
Staff News
12
Our World
06
Feature
14
Infant School
09
Alumni
16
Junior School
10
Spotlight
18
Senior School
A Bravo Performance Food For Thought Award Winning Filmmaker
A Passion for Languages
Memories of Tanglin
Philosophy for Children
Community Link Programme with Lamdon School, Ladakh
Learning in the Infant School: Adventure of a Lifetime
Adventure, Excitement and Team Building in Malacca
Wellbeing in the Senior School
very successful with the many guests feeling very proud to be associated with our school in some way. At the launch we took the opportunity of noting and thanking people and organisations who have supported us over the years. From Governors to PTA and Alumni, all were very happy to see the school thriving and maintaining its regional and world status as a great school. Our themes for T90 are Community and Inspiration. We are using this year of celebrations to establish stronger connections and collaborations with our local and national organisations and schools. We are looking to inspire our community and to stimulate curiosity through an Inspirational Speaker Series. Of course, the highlight of the celebrations will be the Anniversary Day street party on 18 March, but there are many other events to look forward to including the PTA ‘Roaring 20s’ or ‘années folles’ (as the French called it) Ball! See you there for the ‘Breakaway’, ‘Charleston’, the Black Bottom and the Lindy Hop!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our T90 sponsors, in particular Standard Chartered, our Platinum sponsor. Their generous support and the contribution from all our sponsors have enabled us to develop a truly inspiring T90 calendar of events. Now that our lease on Portsdown Road has been extended to 2038, we are able to invest in our infrastructure to provide exciting new spaces to play and learn. The Last Word on page 39 elaborates on the first phase of our site development.
Peter Derby-Crook Chief Executive Officer
Tanglin Mission Statement Tanglin Trust School Singapore has a long tradition of providing British-based learning with an international perspective. At Tanglin we strive to make every individual feel valued, happy and successful. Responsibility, enthusiasm and participation are actively encouraged and integrity is prized. Working together in a safe, caring yet stimulating environment, we set high expectations whilst offering strong support, resulting in a community of lifelong learners who can contribute with confidence to our world.
Proud sponsors of Tanglin’s 90th Anniversary celebrations: Platinum
Gold
Silver
Bronze
22
Showcase
32
Creative Writing
25
Sport & Activities
35
Book Reviews
29
PTA
38
T90 Calendar The Last Word
Art • Dance • Drama • Music
Sporting Round-Up
All Wrapped Up for Christmas
Exploring PSHCE
A Selection of Infant, Junior & Senior Writing
Infant, Junior, Senior & Parent Reviews
‘The Voice’ herein refers to ‘The Voice of Tanglin Trust School’ All students’ year groups referenced in this issue are accurate at time of print.
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Student Services
Nurturing Tomorrow’s Leaders
Editor: Louise Colbridge Design & Layout: Jay Valentine Contributors: Students, Staff and PTA Photography: The Communications Team & other contributors Printer: Oz Print Services
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Sixth Form
Staff News 04
A Bravo Performance Mark De Souza, Instrumental Music Teacher
Instrumental Music Teacher, Mark De Souza, has been teaching percussion and drum kit at Tanglin since 1992. A member of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO), last year he was privileged to perform at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall. “I felt deeply honoured to perform at the BBC Proms 2014 which is one of the world’s largest and longest-standing music festivals,” said Mark. “It is every musician’s dream to perform at such a prestigious event.” Preparing and practising for such an illustrious concert starts six months before the big day. Mark has been playing music since he was 11 years old when he taught himself to play the guitar. Since then he’s learnt to play the piano, flute, saxophone, drums and percussion and has performed in weekly concerts for over 25 years. But, Mark still gets nervous before a performance especially if he is performing solo. Mark says: “It’s
okay to be nervous and to overcome this. You have to be prepared mentally by consistently practising the musical passage or solo until you are confident with the piece you are performing. Learning a musical instrument teaches you to be focused, encourages the discipline of punctuality and develops social skills.”
“I performed in the ‘Hello Broadway’ musical where my setup consisted of 12 percussion instruments spread over 12 feet. As we played music from 5 different Broadway musicals, I was invited to go to the front of stage (percussionists are usually at the back of stage) and started the drumbeat to Lion King’s ‘Circle of Life.’ It was an exhilarating performance.”
Mark enjoys being part of an orchestra because: “It’s like being part of a football team where all players have an important part in achieving the goals in music making. It’s a balancing act of meeting the demands of the conductor and doing justice to the composer by interpreting the notes on a music sheet.”
“Last but not least was playing the Xylophone in an encore piece called ‘Sabre Dance’ by Russian composer Khachaturian in a concert themed ‘Russian Nights’ some 15 years ago. The conductor led the orchestra in such an extremely fast tempo, it was near impossible but I managed to play in unison with the violins. The feeling was great as the excitement and adrenalin overtook any nerves I had. All my colleagues and some audience members were amused at how I did it and it was also mentioned in the newspaper concert review. It was special and magical because I don’t know how I played at such a breakneck precise tempo but I did it!”
“Playing music gives me the ability to speak through my instrument and to be able to communicate with the listener or audience and it’s an unending learning experience.” Mark recounts three unforgettable concert performances which he lists as the highlights of his musical career: “My first unforgettable moment was performing in a French composition called ‘Turangalila’ by French composer Messiaen. I was one of three soloists, positioned at the front of the stage next to the conductor, a pianist and another percussionist. It was a heavenly experience where the stage spotlight was shining down on me and the music composition just captured me. It is incredibly fulfilling to perform a music piece well; it is when all of the hard work and dedication pays off.”
Although performing in high-profile concerts is exciting, Mark says that teaching students and seeing their progression is the most rewarding aspect of his career. “This year was by far the best in my teaching career as I had a record 12 Tanglin students enrol for the Trinity College London exam in June 2014 and all of them passed. Three distinctions, five merit and four pass certificates were awarded. Bravo! I’m very proud of them!”
to answer any food related queries, help with any special requirements or requests, offer support and advice on food related issues and topics and to ensure the food experience at Tanglin is enjoyable and healthy.” Having previously lived in Hong Kong, Anne was happy to return to Asia from the UK four years ago when she moved to Singapore for her husband’s job. Although, she says she misses the seasonal change of weather. “As my husband describes it, it is either hot or hotter!” she says.
Anne joined Tanglin in August 2014 as Food Services Manager and has 20 years’ experience working in the food industry. As the link between Tanglin and Sodexo, the school’s food service provider, Anne’s role is to ensure Sodexo provides good quality, healthy food that meets the expectations of the students, parents and teachers and also complies with statutory requirements. “I am here
Award-Winning Filmmaker As Executive Film Technician at Tanglin, Krista Magee provides technical support to the Senior Film Studies Department. Not only is she involved in planning and shooting films, she also helps with script writing and editing and can advise on the type of kit to use for different film ideas. Krista feels that she’s been warmly welcomed into the Tanglin community and says that the best thing about working in a school is the students. “Seeing them develop their film concepts from ideas to actual short films is an exciting process. Storytelling is what filmmaking is all about; it’s great to hear the stories people have to tell.” Krista recently produced a short film for the T90 celebrations and says it’s been really interesting to learn about Tanglin’s rich history. Before joining Tanglin in August 2014, Krista was working in the Isle of Man designing the branding for a sustainable farm. It was here that she saw an opportunity to enter her film about sheep farming into a competition. “It was a great project,” she says. “I learnt so much. We filmed in all weathers and all times of day and night during the lambing season.” Krista’s hard work
Anne grew up in a family of chefs so has been exposed to good food all of her life and is very passionate not only about the quality and taste of food but also about the service provided. “Growing up I worked front of house for various Michelin star and AA Rosette restaurants and through my career I have worked with companies such as Pret A Manger both in the UK and Hong Kong as their Procurement Director and for EAT in the UK as their Procurement and Brand Director. They are both companies that are extremely passionate about food, food quality and customer service and paid off and she won best film for 2014 in an annual competition run by the National Sheep Association. Whilst Singapore is a far cry from sheep farming on an island in the Irish Sea, Krista says she’s been surprised by how enamoured she is by all of the huge towering buildings in Singapore and how the city state feels like one giant film set where any backdrop is possible. But there’s one aspect of Singapore that has really inspired Krista: “I’m thinking about making a film about food,” she says. “With so much choice and such a range of places to eat, it seems like a good choice of subject. So many
I would like to be able to bring some of that passion and service to the food offering at Tanglin.” Working in a school is new to Anne but she says it has been a great experience with lots of positive plans already in place for her to build upon. “There is already a great choice of food offered by Sodexo and I would like to build upon this offer and really tailor it to the children’s needs. I welcome all feedback as it helps build a stronger food offering which in turn helps build happier children.” Tanglin closely follows the UK guidelines for healthy food in schools and Anne will continue to build upon this. She has already had some parent and student requests for healthier snack options in the afternoons and is working with Sodexo to provide jacket potatoes and pasta. Anne is constantly researching new, healthy recipes for the children and welcomes any feedback that parents or students may have. In the meantime, she has put together some helpful hints on how to support healthy eating at home. This can be found on the TTS Portal under Student Services/Food Service. colours and smells; delicious food is definitely a good motivator.” Highlights of Krista’s career include working with Julie Andrews and Colin Firth. “Julie Andrews was very gracious but I was totally star struck, I just wanted to ask her to sing to us,” she says. “Meeting famous people is fun but meeting new people from different walks of life can also be amazing. I worked for a charity based in Kenya a few years ago in a rural area that hadn’t seen rain for over four years. I met incredible people who not only shared their stories with us but their homes and their sense of joy for life.”
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Anne Bibbings gives us Food for Thought
Feature
A Passion for Languages 06
by John Ridley, Director of Learning
It is hard to over-emphasise the importance of Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) in today’s curriculum. The world is truly becoming a smaller place and being able to communicate in a second language is an ever more valuable skill. At Tanglin, our language programme has evolved over the years so that meaningful, highquality language learning now begins with the very youngest students in Nursery and Reception. The central aim of all our MFL programmes is to instill a love of language learning that will stay with our students long after they leave Tanglin. Language lessons are also an important way of introducing children to other cultures and customs, giving them greater insight into the world around them. We seek to make the most of our position in multicultural Singapore where so many nationalities and languages are represented, both in the local and in the expatriate population.
“I want to do German first language at IB so following regular mother tongue lessons is going to help me achieve this goal.” Vincent Odenwaelder (Y8.8)
How do we set about instilling a love of language learning in young children? Does this mean our Infant and Junior programmes are all fun and games with no rigour? Absolutely not! In the Infant and Junior Schools, the focus is on learning Mandarin. All children, from Nursery to Year 6, have one or two Mandarin lessons each week. These lessons are delivered by specialist teachers and are characterised by the high level of student participation at all levels. Certainly there is a lot going on in these lessons that fits the description of ‘fun and games’; children hear from puppet characters, learn and practise songs in Mandarin and carry out roleplays with a partner to practise common phrases and responses. However, every activity forms part of a carefully planned ‘spiral’ curriculum which has been developed at Tanglin, along with a robust assessment model that draws from the National Curriculum framework for the four language skills of Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing. ‘Spiral’ because core topic areas such as ‘family’
are revisited several times, creating opportunities to reinforce and build on prior learning. Languages in the Senior School When students move into the Senior School, they choose two languages to study from French, Spanish and Mandarin. In a recent survey for the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in the UK (CBI, 2014), French was rated as the most useful language by businesses, with Spanish and Mandarin close behind and showing significant growth in demand over the last few years. Alongside MFLs, Key Stage 3 students (Years 7, 8 and 9) have the opportunity to study Latin as part of Classics. This fascinating and diverse course fosters strong analytical and linguistic skills, and underpins their learning of European languages by deepening their understanding of grammatical structure. It can be demanding for students to study two MFLs as well as Latin in the first years of the Senior School. But the
experience gained is very beneficial in that it leads to a greater understanding of how language systems work, as well as providing them with more possible options when they specialise later on (including examination courses in Latin and Classical Civilisations).
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Following a review of the Senior School curriculum in 2013, students now select one of their two MFLs to continue with at the end of Year 8. They are then expected to take that language through to Year 11 and the I/GCSE examination. The courses leading to the I/GCSE are planned to build on the earlier foundation work to result in a genuinely useful level of proficiency in the language. Head of Languages in the Senior School, Lee Mortiboys explains: “The I/GCSEs look to really develop students’ linguistic productive skills of writing and speaking. They are an excellent preparation for further study in the language as Sixth Form students enter their courses being able to manipulate at least six tenses and already having an understanding of the subjunctive mood and idiom.” Sixth Form students can opt for courses in Chinese, French, German or Spanish as part of their IB Diploma or A Level subjects. Currently, over 100 students in our Sixth Form are taking an MFL course. Niccolo Doe (Y12.11) studies Spanish as part of his IB Diploma course and exemplifies the confidence and versatility in the language that results from success at I/GCSE level. Niccolo says: “Having been at the school since Nursery, I’ve experienced almost all of what Tanglin has to offer for studying languages - and it offers a lot. From learning basic Malay in the Infant School; conversational French in the Junior School; Latin in Key Stage 3 and finally Spanish in my I/GCSEs and IB, I could not have asked for more. Choosing just one language to study for my Diploma was tough, but in the end I decided Spanish was the right choice. To me, it’s a wonderful language even just to listen to and absorb how it flows and the little subtleties in its speech, not to mention it being one of the most widely spoken languages in the world! To me, it’s important for students to learn languages as often they encapsulate other cultures and their histories. In school, the message that we need to be able to see things from other points of view, not just our own, has been drilled into us. And with good reason - it’s a vital skill in life, and for achieving success. Learning a different language, whether it is Mandarin or Swahili, is one of the best ways to attain this skill.”
Bringing Languages to Life Language lessons across the school are complemented by a wealth of special days, visits and competitions, taking full advantage of our location in Singapore. Chinese New Year is a major event in school and an opportunity for the children to learn about the Chinese zodiac as well as many of the traditions of the celebrations. The highlight for many is the lion dance performance to bring us good fortune. Infant children also learn about the traditions of the midAutumn or ‘Mooncake’ harvest festival in their Mandarin lessons. Chinatown is a wonderful resource in our city and all three schools send classes to visit at different times of the year. These visits don’t just support language learning. In the Junior School, Year 4 students visit as part of their Humanities topic on ancient China; in the Senior School, Art students visit to draw inspiration from traditional
Chinese art and designs. The French department collaborates with the Lycée Français de Singapour to arrange student exchanges for Year 7 students, so that they can spend a day of immersion in French language. This year, they also worked with the Association of French Language Teachers in Singapore, to organise and host the annual French Idol singing competition, in which non-native speakers from schools and universities across the island combine their musical and language talents to battle for the coveted ‘Idol’ title. Alex Briscoe (Alumni) and Beatrice Dawson (Y11.3) came away with the title for Tanglin in a hard fought contest. The Arts faculty has established a strong link with the Languages faculty, resulting in many jointly organised events and visits. At the Spanish-Art evening in Term 1 students and parents debated
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“The mother tongue programme is a wonderful initiative and I hope you will continue to offer this valuable programme.” Alan Spangsberg, parent of Katharina (Y7.2) and Christian (Y9.8)
Luc Hillion (Y8.1) is in his second year of studying French as a mother tongue language and describes his lessons as “very good for my writing and grammar.”
the interpretation of the work of Spanish abstract artist Joan Miró. Despite the many opportunities within Singapore to experience and practise languages, there is no substitute for being able to spend time in the home country itself. Trips to China, France and Spain are organised regularly; this year it was the turn of the French department who took a mixed group from Year 10 to Year 13 to Paris and Normandy during the October half term break; ten wonderful days of culture, language and food!
Mother Tongue Provision As well as our desire for all Tanglin students to enjoy language learning and to be able to communicate at some level in a second language, we are also keen for students who already speak a language other than English at home to continue to develop their mother tongue. In the Infant and Junior Schools, native and near-native speakers of Chinese are offered additional early morning Mandarin sessions, designed to complement their curriculum lessons. In the Senior School, we have launched a Mother Tongue Programme which facilitates language tuition for native speakers of a wider range of languages. The response from parents in the Senior School has been very positive and we have already entered some of the first students in the programme for ‘First Language GCSE’ examinations in their native languages. Students who are fluent in two languages also have the opportunity to study the Bilingual Diploma in the IB pathway of our Sixth Form College, which is a very prestigious qualification. We are looking at how to expand the Mother Tongue Programme in the Senior School and extend it into the Junior and Infant Schools.
“After living in France for 15 years, we are delighted Sean can continue to study French at mother tongue level while at Tanglin. We do not speak French at home and this is a great opportunity for him to master the language.” Andrew and Mairead Barker, parents of Sean Barker (Y10.5)
“Before, the lessons were too easy. Now we’re learning something new every lesson.” Tanguy Charlier (Y8.6) “Learning Hindi helps me to stay in touch with my home culture and speak with millions of people.” Kabir Shrikent (Y8.1) Measuring Success A very good measure of the success of our Infant and Junior Chinese provision is the uptake of Mandarin in the Senior School, when students are given choices in Year 7 and Year 9. At both these options points, Mandarin is by far the most popular choice for our students. Over three quarters of the students moving into Year 7 this year chose to continue with Mandarin, which is an emphatic vote of confidence in the Junior School curriculum. I/GCSE results in all three of our core languages are consistently very impressive and give us an external measure of success. In the 2014 cohort, 99% of our Year 11 students took a MFL I/GCSE, and over 80% of those students achieved at least a B grade. The real proof of the pudding is not in the statistics, but in the ability and confidence of the students. Mr Mortiboys gives the example of Laura Coe, currently in Year 11: “Laura has dazzled and delighted us over the two year I/GCSE French course. Both teachers and her peers have had thought-provoking and stimulating conversations in French with Laura about complex and fascinating issues such as immigration and racism as well as environmental protection. She epitomises what we are aiming to achieve with our most talented linguists.”
Alumni
Memories of Tanglin by Rosie Montefiore – née Wilson, Tanglin School Alumni
I started at Tanglin School on Holland Road when I was three years old. The school was based in army barracks near the Botanic Gardens towards Holland Village close to Taman Nakhoda. It was a small school with just one class per year group. Our school colours were brown and yellow which were reflected in our school uniforms.
Tanglin School in those days was the most exclusive privately-run school in Singapore and we were proud to be Tanglin pupils. The school rapidly expanded to keep up with demand and opened a temporary second campus at Orange Grove Road. Today the Regional Language Centre (RELC) is located on this site.
In 1958 when Miss Griff retired, my father and Laurette Shearman, two of the original five pupils, presented her with leaving gifts. On this special occasion I was very nervous and secretly delighted to be chosen to present Miss Griff with flowers.
In 1961 most of the pupils moved to new school premises in a splendid black and white bungalow called ‘Matheran’ on the corner of Tanglin Road and Jervois Road. My friends and I were delighted to have the space to run around and play in the large school grounds. I recall there was some construction going on for the new kindergarten building and after the Easter break all Tanglin students were reunited in one location.
After school we would regularly visit The Tanglin Club for swimming and socialising. As a competitive swimmer, I would train in The Tanglin Club pool and I took part in many races and competitions. On Sundays we would enjoy a curry lunch at The Tanglin Club, which once I was a bit older would be followed by film showings on the open verandah in the early evening.
My three brothers (John, Patrick and Alan) all attended Tanglin School as well, however they all moved onto boarding school in England at age 8 as was usual for boys in those days. Being a girl, I stayed on until age 12 before moving to
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My father, Charles Wilson, was one of the first five pupils when Tanglin School was founded at The Tanglin Club in 1925. There were no school buses in those days so little Charlie would ride his mule to school. Upon completing his medical training my dad returned to Singapore after World War II and he was thankful to find Miss Griff had survived the war and re-established Tanglin School.
Cheltenham Ladies College to complete my school education. In my early twenties I returned to Singapore and got married. When it came to choosing a school for my son Robert, there was only really one option and he attended Tanglin Infants from 1982 to 1984. He was one of the first thirdgeneration Tanglin pupils ever! We then moved to Korea, the UK and eventually I came back full-circle to Singapore.
Spotlight
Philosophy for Children 10
by Jennifer Cottam, Year 3 Class Teacher
Philosophy for Children (P4C) was developed by Matthew Lipman in the 1970s. Although Philosophy is in the title, P4C is not the study of ancient philosophers such as Socrates or Plato, but children thinking about big concepts and creating their own open, philosophical questions which are important to the children in their world. P4C is as an approach to learning, a pedagogy, which develops critical, caring, cooperative and creative thinking skills. It is now practised in schools all over the world, particularly in the UK. I was first introduced to P4C at University as a fantastic vehicle to develop speaking and listening skills; encourage and develop open questions as well as critical thinking within the classroom. Inspired by the idea of children as philosophers and having experienced first hand the positive impact P4C has on children’s learning from my practice as a Junior School teacher in the UK, I was thrilled when David Ingram welcomed the opportunity for me to introduce P4C to the Junior School. more confident to speak and share my thoughts with people which helps in lessons.” Thane du Preez (Y4.8) said “I enjoyed asking big questions about the world” and he also enjoys P4C “because I now ask big questions at home which sometimes knock my mum off the track!”
P4C sessions are based on a thought provoking stimulus which can range from a picture book, an extract from a story, a piece of music or art, through to an object or a video extract. After the children have reflected on the stimulus they then create an open, philosophical question which they develop in pairs and then as a small group. Once each group has democratically decided and agreed on the question that they think is the most open and discussable, each group is invited to air their questions to the ‘enquiry’. Generally, the lessons take place with everybody sat in a circle so they can make eye contact and once the questions have been aired, the children vote for the question they believe is the most powerful and interesting in order to have a discussion. The idea of the enquiry is that the children develop the language of agreeing or disagreeing and learn to
respect other people’s opinions as well as their own. The teacher adopts the role of a facilitator who guides the enquiry to ensure the thinking taking place is critical, caring, cooperative and creative. The Philosophy Club Co-Curricular Activity (CCA) for Year 3 and 4 started in September and it was fantastic to be a part of the philosophical journey the children encountered. Jack Le-Men (Y3.5) learnt “how to make big, chewy questions” which excited him because now he “can ask big, open, chewy questions in class.” Avani Austin’s (Y4.1) favourite enquiry was based upon her question, “What is the point in life?” where the children discussed the benefits of humans being on the planet as well as current issues such as global warming and the damage humans can cause. After Philosophy Club, Avani said “I am
As the weeks passed, I was amazed at the dialogue taking place within our enquiry about key concepts such as ‘happiness’ ‘war’ ‘love’ ‘poverty’ and ‘greed’. Not only could the children articulate their opinions confidently but they could successfully refer back to the previous speaker to help construct their own statement. Elsa Dormon (Y4.6) said “I am excited about doing P4C again because I like listening to everyone else’s ideas and opinions about big topics and sometimes my opinion changes at the end.”
“I like Philosophy because everyone can have their own opinion. There’s no right or wrong answer.” Aiseece Uppal (Y3.4) Year 3 began introducing P4C into their curriculum in Term 1 within their Humanities and PSHCE (Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education) lessons. The question which one Year 3 class generated and discussed within their enquiry during a PSHCE lesson
“We have to put our palms out if we want to speak and we cannot talk when someone else is talking or we get an ‘OOPSAT!’ from the teacher or our friends.” Benji Laming (Y3.4) As the academic year progresses, P4C will be used as a vehicle to deliver curriculum content across the Junior School which will not only deepen the learning through the development of thinking but will also complement the English Speaking Board (ESB) programme. Whilst expressing their opinion in P4C, the children are practising speaking coherently and are encouraged to use their PIPES (projection, inflection, pacing and pauses, eye contact and stance) and to listen and respond to their peers appropriately. Furthermore, the use of open questions in P4C will enable the children to construct and ask more effective questions within their presentations as well as helping develop their listening and responding skills.
Infant Boggle Monsters by Dr Harry Hope, Head of Infant PSHCE When asked to picture a philosopher you may be inclined to think of ancient white bearded men pondering the meaning of life scribing their esoteric thoughts into dusty tomes… however, if a philosopher is considered as someone who is reflective, who questions that which ordinarily is not questioned and readily gives a passionate reason for their thoughts then I am proud to say the Infant School hosts the highest volume of natural philosophers I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Asking why and thinking beyond the literal is natural to our youngest children and through the structured implementation of Philosophy for Children we hope to enhance and develop our youngest and brightest enquirers. P4C develops formally in Key Stage 1 (Years 1&2) with the addition of Boggle Monsters and formal enquiry sessions fostered through the PSHCE (Personal, Social, Health and Citizen Education) curriculum. The Boggles help channel our children’s thoughts into ‘thunks’ and deeper questions. In Year 2, the ‘Twisted Tales’ topic allows full debates and enquiry to happen based on open questions raised by our children through concepts that are familiar and of interest to them and their learning. All classes experience thought provoking stimuli: from Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS – Nursery and Reception) who considers ‘if a zebra were to be washed would he be all black or all white?’ to our older philosophers who delve into the stereotypical preconceptions that we see wicked witches as old and ugly and beautiful princesses as good. Philosophy expands our children’s thinking skills and sees their confidence soar, as even the most unusual answer can sometimes take our classes off in the most intriguing of directions. Such learning truly allows
the children to take charge and staff to facilitate them on their unexpected and stimulating journey.
Exploring P4C in the Senior School by Joseph Loader, Assistant Head of Year 12 and Humanities teacher In the Senior School we began to embrace the power of P4C as an educational tool last year. In the Humanities faculty we have embedded a number of enquiries at the start of our programmes of study. These have allowed students to deeply engage on a conceptual level with extremely difficult subject matters. The below questions have been generated through studying concepts such as fairness, power, morality, nationalism revolution and repression. Year 7 - As a ruler, is it better to be loved or feared? Year 8 - Can you be moral in war? Year 9 - Does a meritocracy provide real fairness in society? Year 10 - What is more important, your individuality or being part of a great nation? During registration in the Sixth Form we have explored some important themes linked to feminism and market morality, amongst others. Our enquiries have centred on two main questions: - Are there some topics that comedy should steer clear of? - Should there be a moral limit on markets? Although P4C is still in its embryonic stage in the Senior School, both staff and students have agreed that it is an extremely powerful enquiry tool. It is a very effective way of creating cognitive conflicts in the minds of all who take part in the enquiries. We hope to continue to develop a framework where P4C can become an integral part of both pastoral and academic curriculums.
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was “Why do similarities and differences make us sad?” During this enquiry many themes were explored such as jealousy and friendships and many more questions were posed such as, “What would happen if everyone in the world was similar?” The children really explored these concepts and by drawing on their own experiences and conforming to the 4 C’s of thinking in a (critical, caring, co-operative and creative) way, they gained an insight into why they feel as they do. It also gave them an opportunity to understand the different perspectives that their peers held. Lucy Edmonds (Y3.4), when expressing her final thought after the enquiry, shared that, “I feel that I’ve learnt something from this because when I first thought about differences and similarities I thought that being the same was good. But now I’ve experienced what it would be like if everyone was the same, I feel that sometimes differences can be good. When you feel jealous of someone because they are different, you have to try and experience it in a good way.” During Year 3’s India topic, Class 3.5 used a variety of images of the River Ganges as a stimulus and the question they created was “Why do people pollute?” which really got the minds boggling!
Our World Community Link Programme with Lamdon School, Ladakh 12
by Katherine Massey, Marketing Director
‘India’ in Year 3 and ‘Into thin air’ (relating to mountain life) in Year 5.
Tanglin has a long-standing relationship with Lamdon School in Ladakh, Northern India, and has supported numerous projects over the years, from helping the Himalayan Health Project’s dental and diagnostic vision programme to supporting the reconstruction of the school, following the floods of 2010. This year, over 50 of our Year 12 students will visit Ladakh as part of their ‘Travel and Adventure’ programme. They will work in unison with international medical teams to offer care and support to the Ladakhi community, working in the school’s dental and eye clinics, with the women’s health screening project or helping in classes. They will also visit the more remote communities to administer eye testing and prescribe free glasses, as well as fitting in 5-days of trekking. It is the aim of the Himalayan Health Project to screen all 70,000 members of the Indus Valley community and Year 12 students are excited to have the opportunity to be involved. They are also providing financial support ahead of their trip through a variety of fund raising initiatives being organised at school. A significant development in our relationship with Lamdon was the launch of a pilot scholarship programme last year. Students interested in studying Sixth Form at Tanglin were invited to apply and
we were delighted to welcome Lzaod and Zangmo in 2013 to complete their IB Diploma with us. The Community Link Scholarship project has been made possible by support from TTS Foundation and you can read an interview with Lzaod and Zangmo on page 13. We will extend the scholarship pilot in 2015 with a further two students from Lamdon joining Tanglin for Sixth Form. We have widened the remit to students interested in pursuing a wider range of careers, as well as A Level as an alternative to the IB Diploma. The aim being that the students will ultimately take their knowledge and expertise back to their community and be able to continue their studies in India or internationally. Lzaod and Zangmo have also shared their knowledge and experience, coming from a very different Buddhist culture and background in Ladakh, with our Tanglin students. They have spoken at assemblies in both the Junior and Senior Schools to support related topics such as
Staff are also involved in the relationship with Lamdon. Before Christmas, Clare Buckland (Senior Chemistry teacher) and Tony Goodwin (Senior Maths teacher) visited Lamdon School with their daughter Caitlin (Year 8). Clare and Tony provided teacher training in the Science and Maths departments respectively, whilst Caitlin helped out in Lamdon’s Infant School. Another group of Tanglin teachers will visit Lamdon School this year and we are looking to set up teacher exchanges so that we can host Lamdon staff as part of a sabbatical. We also look forward to welcoming Principal of Lamdon School, Eshey Tundup, who will carry out a placement at Tanglin during his school holidays. In particular, Eshey will be looking at the teaching styles and management structure at Tanglin, which are very different from current practices at Lamdon School. Tanglin is committed to developing its links with Lamdon School and cementing the partnership further. Such opportunities enable both communities to learn from and support one another as part of a long-term, sustainable relationship.
Interview with Lzaod and Zangmo Lzaod and Zangmo talk about their experience of studying Sixth Form at Tanglin. How have you benefited from your experience at Tanglin?
Zangmo: There are lots of small things that have transformed my life, for example living with different families, observing their different lifestyles and sharing our lifestyle from Ladakh with them. That has been very precious, something I will treasure. What do you hope to take back to your community? Lzaod: In Ladakh it is very difficult being a student. Everyone wants to do medicine or engineering, there aren’t many opportunities. I still want to do medicine though and I hope that I will get into a US university to continue my studies. This experience has made me more openminded – less judgmental. Zangmo: I would like to encourage better time management back in Lamdon. When I used to be in Ladakh, I was more care free and disorganised but if a student wants to get on with IB, organisation plays a major role. Also, I like the flexibility that students keep here between their academics and other activities. I think initiating new activities in different fields, apart from academics is significant and I would like to share this with my community. What are your thoughts on the IB and teaching styles at Tanglin? Lzaod: With the IB you have to be more focused. It is more challenging but more holistic and I think it prepares you better for life. Zangmo: Teachers at Tanglin really encourage us. They are more like a best friend – always friendly and encouraging. I really like the relationship between students and teachers here – the teachers are really approachable. They’d even skip lunch to help us. How does student life differ? Lzaod: I find that students here are more
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Lzaod: I believe I am a better person. The whole experience has taught me a lot. Studying at Tanglin is more challenging, more academic and more holistic than at Lamdon. I have learnt to deal with challenges, be more adaptable and more open-minded.
stressed, they work harder and they are more committed to their work. Zangmo: Students in Ladakh are more laid back in terms of daily school work but here, students are more focused and serious about meeting their deadlines. However, it is difficult to compare the two because of the massive difference in the amount of homework we receive here compared to at Lamdon. Aside from academics, what other activities have you enjoyed at Tanglin? Lzaod: I enjoyed being involved in the international outreach programme and talking with students in Years 3 and 5 about India. I have also learnt to swim. Zangmo: I have learnt to swim which is a huge achievement. Mr Fourie (my host) got me started; he took me swimming with his family. Then, I went snorkeling on a school trip, I couldn’t swim but it was beautiful so through CAS I did swimming. How would you describe Tanglin? Lzaod: Three words I would use to describe Tanglin are: Diversity, Challenging and Friendly. Zangmo: Organised, lots of facilities… people are very generous. They do a lot of work for different charities including Ladakh. I would like to take this opportunity to say thanks. What have you found the greatest challenge? Lzaod: The culture being so different. There is less family time here, people lead busier lives – there is more pressure and people are more stressed.
Zangmo: The IB course is academically challenging. It is the volume of work and then combining everything which gets difficult. But, it has taught me a lot in terms of dealing with workload and balancing life outside with friends and family along with academics. I never imagined I would finish my extended essay – but I did it on time without panicking. I did it and it feels good! What advice would you give other Lamdon students applying for the next scholarship opportunity? Lzaod: Be prepared for everything. There will be really hard times and you may not do well academically to start with but the problems will go away and everything will work out. Zangmo: Time management! Also I had a really long gap after I finished my studies before coming to Tanglin, about 4 months. I would advise other students to be prepared before the sudden workload….to keep doing something and don’t abandon the process of learning so they are able to cope with the transformation. Also, I would advise them not to be too harsh on themselves when it comes to the academics. Any other comments? Lzaod: I am really glad I have had this experience. There were hard times when I was frustrated and stressed but I have learnt a lot. It has been a tough journey but I have also enjoyed it. Zangmo: It has been hard and challenging but we have learnt so much from the whole experience. It was really good to come. If I was still in Ladakh, I would never know about all the things I have learnt.
Infant School Learning in the Infant School: Adventure of a Lifetime
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by Jo Osman, Deputy Headteacher, Infant School and Paula Craigie, Head of the Infant School
At Tanglin Trust School, our curriculum is driven by our firm belief that every child has the right to develop skills for lifelong learning, enjoy academic challenge and engagement, develop global awareness and a sense of community, and crucially; develop self-awareness and personal fulfillment. To ensure every child achieves their rights, the Infant School is responsible for guiding them from the very beginning of their learning adventure, which we hope will inspire them for a lifetime. As stated in our Learning and Teaching Principles document, we believe all of their learning adventures should share the following characteristics. An Interesting and Inspiring Learning Destination This is a challenging, personalised learning outcome that the children will want to achieve, which is relevant, interesting and reflects the next step in their learning. All children have the right to reach the destination and not be left behind, regardless of their starting point. A Flexible Map This is a planned map of the possible routes the children may take to travel to every learning destination. This map
may contain a variety of different stages so that even when the journey becomes challenging, they feel supported in reaching further and climbing higher. There is always flexibility in the map to incorporate the children’s interests, misconceptions or assessment of their progress towards the destination. The routes on the map will be changed and personalised in order to ensure all children reach the destination. These routes may integrate different areas of the curriculum or focus on just one, but each journey is focused, purposeful and relevant to the children.
Expert Adventure Guides These are the adults that guide the children during their adventure. Excellent guides have high expectations of all children and will use an extensive range of appropriate techniques to guide them and ensure they reach the destination. These may include; instructing, questioning, feeding back, modelling, challenging and supporting. Guides make sure that parents and carers are also on board during the journey to make sure we are all heading to the same destination. Each guide’s adventure maps and guiding techniques are monitored regularly to ensure consistent quality and the opportunity to further develop and improve the progress made by children towards their destination. Survival Skills Guides will ensure that the children will develop and use essential life skills during their learning adventures, as demonstrated by our Tanglin Learner Profile. Children will learn to become: • Resilient Inquirers • Principled, Open-minded and Caring community members • Knowledgeable Thinkers • Reflective Risk-takers • Balanced Communicators
15 A Safe, Inclusive Environment No matter where the adventure takes them, all children must be enabled to fully participate, take risks and talk about their learning adventures, regardless of background, physical, academic or social emotional ability. Guides will create a safe emotional and physical environment built on trust and mutual respect, where positive attitudes to learning, risk-taking and mindfulness are nurtured. Enriching Extra-Curricular Experiences As a school, our shared goal is to nurture adaptable, reflective, responsible and respectful adventurers who are inspired to continue on their own unique learning journeys throughout their lives. As well as the daily diet of quality, well-structured learning adventures within the classroom, we truly appreciate that all children have unique talents and interests which need to be nurtured through broad real-life experiences outside of the classroom. In Term 1, Nursery and Reception met the Tiger from ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’, Key Stage 1 (KS1 – Year 1&2) children swam in the school pool with GB swimmers Jazz and Lewis, KS1 enjoyed Loose Canon’s dramatic performance, Early Years Foundation Stage (Nursery & Reception) were spellbound as Cassandra Wye told her stories, and Year 2 received their own hand-drawn character from famous ‘Winnie the Witch’ illustrator Korky Paul. Year 2 have also started their Children’s University this term, an opportunity to try something new with a different group of friends. They can choose from a wide range of exciting creative, musical or sport activities, such as; card making, ukulele, jewellery making, photography, rock climbing, touch rugby, Lego Robotics or sewing crafts. Our Student Council are also exposed to some fascinating visitors, such as Tristram Hunt, Britain’s Shadow Education
Secretary, who was keen to hear the views of our Year 2 children on what an outstanding education should look like. Our new kitchens have served each year group well over this last term, with many parents participating in teaching the children a range of worthwhile skills. After all, it is not just learning to cook that happens during these sessions. Working collaboratively, following instructions, reading recipes, taking a risk and trying something new are all key ingredients. The sound of music is never far away in the Infant School. Listen out for the Djembe and Cajon drummers in the playground, or the Singing Leaders who are rounding up their friends for an impromptu song. Alternatively, take a stroll through the school at lunch time to see music technology and hear the ukuleles, choir, recorders, violins or drums. All of these ‘extras’ serve to enrich and inspire our children to expand their breadth of experience, pursue and try new interests or challenges and nurture well-rounded individuals.
Junior School Adventure, Excitement and Team Building in Malacca
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by David Ingram, Head of Junior School
The Year 5 residential visit to Malacca has been an established feature of the Junior School curriculum for many years. This year however, the trip had undergone many changes. What was originally a city tour of Malacca has been transformed to include an exciting outward bound element, further links to the curriculum and a strong pastoral element. The introduction of the adventure day was a real highlight and has literally taken the visit to a different level. The journey to Malacca from Singapore was broken up with a lunch stop at a kampong where the students tried out various kampong games and craft activities. Learning how to weave baskets, pound rice and play spinning tops were all a hit. However, the Batik painting was the highlight of the visit. Before leaving the kampong the students were shown how rubber and palm oil were collected and learnt how it is used as a staple income for the local community.
Set against the majestic backdrop of Gunung Ledang, the first day in Malacca starts with a trek through the rainforest on the lower slopes of the mountain. With eagles soaring overhead and gibbons calling to each other across the canopy, the experience provides a poignant contrast to city life. Led by local guides who enthral the children with their knowledge of jungle survival strategies, the group completes the trek by descending into the valley using ropes and crossing a river. Of course the experience is not without its challenges. The rainforest is beautiful but the children quickly discover that it is teeming with life and there is no shortage of creepy crawlies including spiders, centipedes and even the occasional leech. For many children this is their first taste of jungle trekking and the sense of achievement is tangible: “I slipped down at the top but I was determined to make it to the bottom on my own and I did it!” Maya Cala (Y5.2)
“We were nervous about crossing the river because it was cold and slippery. But we did it and we’re so happy!” Brody Govans and George Davies (Y5.2)
The afternoon of the adventure day brought the challenge of the high ropes course. Set against the impressive backdrop of the mountain and the rainforest, this activity requires children to demonstrate courage and determination. Harnessed safely at all times, children climb up to a platform (six metres high) and then walk across a narrow beam to a second platform some distance away. There is a strong sense of camaraderie during this activity, with children supporting each other with the equipment and cheering each individual success. Again, the sense of achievement is tangible: “At first I didn’t want to do the high ropes because I was afraid of falling off but the rope was steady and everyone helped me to get across.” Nadya Christensen (Y5.2)
“Bowling was fun and we all supported each other.” Aanika Dutt (Y5.2) Providing opportunities for personal and social development like this is an important element of all residential visits. This is particularly true for Malacca as classes are mixed between Year 4 and Year 5 and the visit is designed to promote class bonding. The adventure day deliberately includes a combination of team building games involving a healthy combination of communication, collaboration and competition. The final evening features a visit to a local bowling alley with children mixing socially and having lots of fun together. In addition to Outdoor Education, Malacca builds effectively upon learning in school. In Year 4, children study ancient China and become familiar with the different dynasties. Under the Ming dynasty, China
“It was great to experience my first Tanglin School trip! I really enjoyed getting to know the children better, they were so inquisitive! The balance between learning and adventure was perfect. The jungle trek gave the children an exciting challenge that they haven’t stopped talking about in class, and our day in Malacca’s old town brought to life the learning we had covered previously. The children have returned to class with lasting memories, new skills, and even more of a thirst for knowledge of Malacca.” Jason Elliott, Year 5 Class Teacher
emerged as a major maritime power with Admiral Cheng Ho commanding the greatest fleet the world has ever known. Cheng Ho used Malacca as a strategic stopping point on many of his voyages and Year 5 children enjoy visiting the museum dedicated to his extraordinary achievements. Cheng Ho wasn’t the only one to recognise Malacca’s strategic significance with the Portugese, Dutch and British vying for control of the port and the all important spice trade. Children explore the legacy left by the European powers and the Year 5 teachers bring this history alive with tales of shipwrecks and lost treasure. “It was interesting to see the replica of the Flor de la Mar, because we had learned all about it in class.” Vivianna Johnson (Y5.2) Most children step off the bus at the end of the visit feeling tired but incredibly proud of themselves. Their experiences have enabled them to become more independent and have broadened their
“Coming from an Outdoor Education background I was sure that the ‘new Malacca trip’ needed some greater elements of challenge and team building to run alongside the traditional Malacca experience. Also being familiar with the Year 6 Sarawak trip, I felt the Year 5 residential should be more of a halfway house in terms of time away from home for the students and experience gained in the field. Having done a couple of recce trips with Mr Marriner earlier in the year, we were excited with the new adventure elements added and were keen to see how the trip played out with the Year 5 students. “In previous years the students’ highlights from the trip were shopping and the disco. When questioned this year, the students’ highlights have been the jungle walk, river crossing, high ropes, batik painting, ten pin bowling and campfire songs. Thankfully these were the responses we were hoping for, giving us clear signals we are on the right path. The Malacca trip has never been so much fun!” Mark Andrews, Project Coordinator
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“I liked the high ropes because I have never been so high before.” Karan Shrikent (Y5.2)
horizons. In many ways residential visits like Malacca reflect our approach to the curriculum as a whole, offering breadth and balance and providing children with enjoyable and memorable experiences that inspire learning and promote personal growth.
Senior School
Wellbeing in the Senior School 18
by Helen Penry, Head of Year 7 and Clare Anderson-Au, Assistant Head, Senior School
Student wellbeing is very much at the top of our agenda. This year we introduced a new initiative in response to student and parental feedback about student load, in terms of homework and other activities both inside and outside of school. To give our students the opportunity to have some downtime, each year group was allocated a Wellbeing Week, during which no homework was set to allow students and their families to follow other pursuits. The aim was for students to take a breath and think about what they would like to do with their newly-gained time. Heads of Year discussed with students what these activities might be and there were many activities in school to complement this: workshops on nutrition, self-esteem sessions, exercise opportunities and even a healthy bake sale where Year 7 brought in their healthy goodies to sell for charity. Despite a busy term, the Wellbeing Weeks were well received by students who embraced the opportunity to do something different with their time. In Term 2 we will enjoy Wellbeing Week as a whole school, rather than staggering the weeks. We hope this will give everyone the opportunity across the school to be happier and more relaxed.
“To me Wellbeing Week was a time to catch up with homework and enjoy time with my family. The bake sale was great fun and I hope to do another one later on in the year. The nutrition talk was a good influence to me and the meditation was very calming. I couldn’t be happier about the money we raised for charity.” Maddi Kay (Y7.6)
Launch of the .b programme with Year 7 in Wellbeing Week by Helen Penry Two Years ago, there was a call for anyone going to the UK to attend a one-day conference in London to see what this new movement in UK schools called ‘Mindfulness’ was all about. As I was going anyway to a friend’s wedding, I volunteered to go and am very glad I did. I quickly realised that this was a revolution in schools. As educators realised the growing volume of young people with severe anxiety, they turned to Mindfulness and its resulting emotional resilience for a solution. Feeling as if I’d stepped into an evangelical church, I stood agog as the audience, in their hundreds, filling
the amphitheatre, stood to applaud the first speaker, Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn, who is the founder of this movement in schools and companies such as Google. The day unfolded as further experts, teachers in schools and students of all ages, stood to explain the benefits of their Mindfulness practice on their lives. Whilst Tanglin quickly embraced the principles and practices of Mindfulness, the training for facilitators of this particular programme was especially demanding. However, I am happy to say, ‘The Mindfulness in Schools Project’ has officially been launched in Tanglin Trust School. The programme for schools, known as ‘.b’ (pronounced dot bee) is a rigorous eight-week training programme for facilitators. On Friday, 28 November
2014, our Year 7 Counsellor, Valerie Hoglan, launched this program with Year 7 by presenting the .b principles and leading students through the practice of the .b methods for promoting a state of calm recognition and mental awareness.
“I enjoyed the nutrition talk as well as the bake sale. This has influenced me to be more healthy and organised.” Yasmin Izadi (Y7.8)
The presentation, which requires specified delivery techniques, rounded off beautifully a week of Wellbeing-focused activities, including ‘spark’ (powering the brain through exercise), optimism, nutrition and relaxation methods for Year 7’s in the mornings.
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Since attending the October half term training, our team of counsellors, Claire Holmes, Paula Huggins and Valerie Hoglan, have also launched .b in Years 11, 12 and 13 and students are able to sign-up for guided workshops. Expertise in this program will be further developed through the ‘paws b’ training which is aimed at Junior School students and which Claire, Paula and Valerie will attend over Easter. With this training and implementation, our commitment to promoting Mindfulness is evidently at the centre of our vision. I have had the privilege to work with Valerie for the past three years in my role as Head of Year 12/13 and now with Year 7. For many students Valerie was and is a life-line, who in the midst of all their pressures and worries offers a way forward. In acknowledgement of this, it is worth knowing that some of last year’s spectacular results would not have been possible without her care. As well as this, Valerie was one of the first people to offer students the chance to use the ‘Emwave’, a biofeedback tool to help develop awareness of the body/ mind connection and build self-regulation skills which is especially useful for regulating hypertension in highly-stressful situations such as examinations. The ‘.b’ presentation has opened a pathway for us to continue training other staff and promoting the Mindfulness Curriculum with our students on a regular basis. I would like to thank and applaud our team of counsellors, led by Claire Holmes.
There is never a student turned away, despite back-to-back schedules, and the advice and support for me as a Head of Year has been invaluable. Thank you, Claire Holmes, Paula Huggins and Valerie Hoglan for giving our students the gift of self-belief. For more information on the ‘.b’ programme, The Mindfulness in Schools Project and Jon Kabat-Zinn, see the following links: www://mindfulnessinschools.org/ www://www.mindfulnesscds.com/pages/ about-the-author Further recommended reading and available for loan at TTS Library: “Finding Peace in a Frantic World” by Mark Williams and Danny Penman www://franticworld.com/
“I loved Wellbeing Week, being able to relax and not struggle with any test revision or homework was really nice. I particularly liked the bake sale, it was really fun being able to sell our cookies but for some a lot funnier eating them. I also enjoyed the yoga in the morning it helped us relax at the beginning of the day. I am quite pleased with the amount of money we raised for charity, and look forward to future Wellbeing Weeks.” Reece Pearson (Y7.2)
Sixth Form
Nurturing Tomorrow’s Leaders 20
by Julie Barlow, Assistant Head of Senior School
On 13 & 14 September 2014, Tanglin was delighted to host the inaugural FOBISIA Student Leadership Conference. Delegates comprised of 41 Head Girls and Head Boys or their equivalent from 11 visiting schools in the region, from as far away as Taipei, Beijing and Ho Chi Min. Our youngest delegate was Year 10 student Ryan, the newly elected Vice President of the Student Council of BIS Jakarta. As it was the first conference of its kind, we had carte blanche to devise any programme we wished and this in itself was exciting. All delegates were given pre-conference tasks to get them thinking about their own leadership styles as well as observing the leadership styles of those around them, be it peers in the shape of Football Captains or adults in their community such as coaches, teachers etc. It was decided that it would be good for students to share their own experiences of leadership and discuss the opportunities and challenges of being student leaders in their own schools. This proved to be one of the most interesting sessions as it allowed insight into the very
different experiences due to the variety of schools taking part: from rural boarding schools to large, established schools to very small and quite new schools. It was interesting for all delegates to see the different school uniforms worn in the region as well as to discuss the different structures in place in different schools: were they elected or selected? What responsibilities did they have? “The morning has been enlightening. The opportunities we have been given to interact with leaders from different schools and backgrounds has given us a real sense of how leadership varies from setting to setting.” Rishav Das, Tanglin Trust School (Y13.10) Much of the first day was given over to discussion, ably led by Joe Loader, Assistant Head of Year 12 and Rebecca James, Assistant Head of Year 13, both at Tanglin Trust School. Whilst for some schools the problem they faced was student apathy when it comes to
21 Sports Day or House Events, one school faced the opposite problem and had to try to combat aggressive inter House competition. “The session we found the most interesting was the one about issues. We as a whole were expecting the issues to be similar, however to our surprise they differed quite a lot.” Sophia Liew, KTJ, Malaysia Technology was a natural discussion point, particularly how it can be used effectively to generate Student Voice within the school body and then report back. Steve Morgan, Head of Technology for Learning at Tanglin, provided many helpful tips and a google+ community was set up for the conference. By the end of the conference each school had prepared a presentation using Haiku Deck software to set out what they hoped to achieve in their term of office. They also had the chance on Saturday to present this to two other schools as best practice. We have already heard back from schools that students have been presenting their ideas to the management teams. “I would like to thank you for organising such a fantastic conference for our Student Leaders. They have kept the momentum going and will be making a presentation to the Principal and Head of Senior School later this week.” Kellett School staff, Hong Kong Impressed by the Sixth Form building, the delegates insisted on a schedule review to allow them time to tour our fabulous facilities at Tanglin, led by members of our Lead Team; Adam, Simone, Rishav and Megan. Friday evening allowed some relaxation and students continued to bond over dinner at Copthorne Kings with a memorable address by Mr Turrell.
Mindfulness and aiming for optimum productivity were the hot topics on Saturday morning and we were treated to a hands-on Mindfulness session by Rebecca James followed by a one hour Tibetan Bowls session led by Bill Cael: for some delegates this was undoubtedly the highlight of the 2 day conference as they had never been exposed to anything like this before. It was a privilege working with this group of spirited individuals. Observing them in action throughout the conference underlined how important it is to get our student leaders together so that they can meet with like-minded people in similar positions. Everyone was impressed by their open-mindedness, energy, positivity and enthusiasm - a great recipe indeed for future leaders. We very much look forward the next conference, wherever it may be hosted. “It’s very interesting to see the different view points of the people at the conference. We all grew up in different cultures and we all have different points of view. It’s insightful to see how people contribute to discussions and how they
“This session made us question whether we were actually good leaders or not; is it down to our DNA or our upbringing that we are considered good leaders?” Simone Pang, Tanglin Trust School (Y13.7) come across points we’ve never even thought about before.” Cheryl Low, BIS Ho Chi Min “I just wanted to say thank you to all at TTS for arranging a great conference. We all got a huge amount out of it and hope that we can move things forward here at BIS, Jakarta as a result of our discussions. Thanks to all delegates and staff for working so collaboratively.” BIS Jakarta staff
“I would like to congratulate all delegates on creating such an insightful and at times amusing conference. I will pass on the success of this conference with due respect. I hope that we do meet again and by all means contact my team or me if you want to seek advice about any projects. We’re all here to help!” Keegan Chua, British International School (BIS), Ho Chi Minh
Showcase: Art • Dance • Drama • Music
Collaborative Creativeness 22
by Debbie Coulson, Assistant Head of Art, Senior School
With two distinct pathways running in the Sixth Form we are keen within Art and Design to find opportunities for the AS and IB students to work together, to share the studio space and collaborate. Rob LeGrice, Head of the Arts faculty explains: “Learning is more effective, creative and fun when we do it together. Students should be perpetually encouraged to share ideas (and concerns) with each other and their teachers. Working in groups encourages the students to problem-solve and they should be open to having their work assessed as a group. When students are functioning as a team or ‘family’ we also foster a better support structure for students who are vulnerable to anxiety and pressure. With wellbeing high on the agenda we should consider taking more time to foster a ‘family-spirit’, highlighting issues of trust, respect and care before we tackle subject content.” During a residential trip to Bali, Year 12 students were immersed in the subject for four full days together. During this time they collaborated during a night-time studio session, drew from life and took part in various ceremonies important to the local culture. Students found
“Bali was a great opportunity to get to know each other. Sharing the studio space with A Level students on a Friday afternoon allows us to see one another (and the work each group is producing), which doesn’t happen in any other subject.” Topaz Maitland (Y12.4), IB student themselves waist deep in water at a temple and covered in mud, watching ‘mepantigan’ (a Balinese martial art) whilst recognising how aesthetic consideration seems to permeate all aspects of Balinese life. We saw individuals grow and bond in this short time in a way it would have taken months to achieve within school. Back at school, we were grateful to local print artist, Chen Shitong, who shared with us his sketchbook and led an inspiring talk about his own work, explaining his starting points. During the session the students worked together to build collograph plates and produced a series of prints. It was evident that the shared experience is important in building a supportive community within the faculty. The Spanish/Art evening is a further example of the two pathways coming together. Art and Spanish students joined forces to deliver a thoughtful debate about a challenging aspect of both Spanish art and culture, this time presenting the work of Joan Miró and considering the political context and
content of his work. This was presented together with a consideration of the contemporary political situation in the Catalonia region. Our Art students specifically engaged in considering the problems of interpreting Miró’s and other’s artwork and the prevailing bias. The evening proved a valuable cross curricular occasion that was accompanied by some super tapas.
Showcase: Art • Dance • Drama • Music
Drama
Term 1 was a busy one for our IB and A Level Drama and Theatre students with a variety of visiting theatre practitioners such as Mark Hill, who looked at spatial relationships and physical theatre techniques, Gary Friedman who explored the power of politics through puppetry and Dr Jennifer Hartley who held workshops on the theories of Augusto Boal and the Theatre of the Oppressed. Dr Hartley’s visit manifested itself in a performance of a series of nine minute “Confessions” based on “…our deep dark secrets. The things we never speak of out loud, things we never share...” - Jennifer Hartley. The audience was shocked, they laughed, some even cried as the Year 12 AS Drama and IB Theatre
students presented their collection of startling revelations. Christopher Jones (Y11.2) said: “After this performance, I left a different person.” Working with these types of practitioners allows students to explore different approaches to theatremaking but more importantly, it gives students an opportunity for deeper learning.
Year 2 Shining Like Stars! by Michelle Robertson, Head of Year 2 The highlight of the Year 2 calendar so far has most definitely been the Christmas Concert!
Performances have also been a main focal point for the Drama department during Term 1. The course specifications of both Year 13 IB and Year 13 A Level require that students devise performance work for their Internal Assessments. Devising a piece of theatre can be a stimulating and exciting journey towards the development of a performance which is a fusion of the unique talents and creativity of the group. It is not a direct journey, but one in which you will encounter well-trodden paths, blind alleys and sudden surprises. As a starting point, the Year 13 IB Theatre students used Harold Pinter’s political play ‘Mountain Language’ to expose the power of language and to explore the theme of oppression. Their piece was entitled ‘Jesik’. Josephine Daumich (Y13.1), however, decided to write and perform her own monologue entitled ‘Life in Rose’. Both ‘Jesik’ and ‘Life in Rose’ were performed in October. The two Year 13 A Level Drama performance groups created a student devised piece from the stimulus of Brueghel’s ‘The Flight of Icarus’ and Silvia Gonzalez’s play ‘La Llorona LLora’ given to them by their teachers. These inspired performances were performed in December to an appreciative audience.
This year’s show, Jesus’ Christmas Party, told the traditional nativity story, but from the point of view of the Innkeeper and his beleaguered wife. Children from different classes took on the roles of the sleepdeprived Innkeeper and his patient wife, as well as the more conventional characters of the Three Kings, the Shepherds and of course, Mary and Joseph.The Year 2 children once again shone like stars and performed like angels, making all around them as proud as can be.
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Year 13 A2 Performance and IB Performances by Ian Peirson, Head of Drama, Senior School
Showcase: Art • Dance • Drama • Music A magical performance by Year 6 24
by Theresa Chapman, Head of Drama, Junior School
Year 6 were full of excitement as the curtain rose on their musical performance of Disney Junior’s Peter Pan. With an ensemble of almost 200 lost boys, Indians and pirates and a lead cast of 40 children from Year 6, the children sang, danced and acted their way through JM Barrie’s classic tale. The performance was put together in just eight weeks with children working hard on all the elements in their curriculum time. In Art, pirates were screen printing their own costumes, lost boys made their own bows, Indians worked on producing intricate beadwork to wear on stage and the night sky learnt origami techniques to create their own star lights. In choral lessons, lyrics and harmonies were perfected and Drama provided the opportunity to perfect choreography and characters. The whole performance was the result of huge collaboration within the Arts team and the collective vision of the staff and children involved. These performances provide the children with essential opportunities to improve communication skills, work co-operatively and collaboratively and build confidence.
“Being in the cast of Peter Pan felt like a once in a lifetime experience. I loved my character and the costume I got to wear. I can’t wait to see next year’s performance.” Lucia Fletcher Bertolet (Y6.4)
Sports & Activities 25
Sporting Round-Up
U15 FOBISIA Games At this year’s U15 FOBISIA Games, hosted by Tanglin, our students were rewarded with a number of podium finishes, particularly on the track, collecting 24 individual Gold, 23 Silver and 11 Bronze medals. In Basketball the Girls were awarded Bronze and the Boys narrowly missed out on a medal. On the final day, a tiring Tanglin team finished 5th in both Girls and Boys Football. Congratulations to all the students involved who competed with confidence and determination.
In addition to the great performances of our athletes the following students also broke school records: 100m
Y10 G
Gabby Gebara
2014
13.31s
200m
Y10 G
Gabby Gebara
2014
27.63s
1500m
Y10 B
Daniel Coughlan
2014
4.40.22
1500m
Y9 G
Katie Mullan
2014
5.32.00s
3000m
Open
Alex Tomkins
2014
12.30.00
3000m
Open
Keating Derby-Crook
2014
11.03.00
Triple Jump
Y9 G
Emily Whitehouse
2014
9.53m
Triple Jump
Y10 G
Lizzy Duffy
2014
9.26m
Triple Jump
Y9 B
Jonathan Allen
2014
11.90m
Discus
Y9 G
Hannah Brock
2014
21.14m
4 x 100m Relay Y9/10 G
4 x 100m Relay Y9/10 B
Lizzy Duffy, Mackenzie 2014 Maughan, Gabby Gebara, Katie Mullan Jon Allen, Tobias White, Tobias 2014 Merritt, Timothy Richards
53.92
48.00
26 TTS Gymnastics Success at FOBISIA The TTS Gymnastics Girls and Boys teams had a phenomenal weekend in Bangkok at the FOBISIA tournament. The Girls and Boys teams took home an impressive total of 78 individual and team event medals (30 Gold, 27 Silver and 21 Bronze), in addition to 43 top-5 placings and 82 top-10 placings on various allaround and apparatus finals.
SEASAC Football Congratulations to the U19 Girls Football team on beating UWCD 2-1 on penalties to become SEASAC Champions. The Tanglin Girls were undefeated in the tournament and played some great football along the way. They scored the most, conceded the least, and victory in the final was a fitting way for our Year 13 Girls to bow out after playing in the team since Year 4! The Boy’s final, also against UWCD, was full of anticipation with two evenly matched teams committed to playing fast flowing football. Despite having the balance of play, UWC scored late on to win 2-1 and deny the U19 Boys a second straight victory in SEASAC Football.
In the team event the Junior Girls teams had a clean sweep, winning the team championship Gold trophies for Levels 1, 2 and 3! Whilst the Level 4 Girls team won Silver and the Senior Girls Level 1 and 3 teams took the Bronze team trophies. The TTS Boys had an equally impressive weekend winning team Bronze for Level 1 and team Silver for both Level 2 and 3.
SEASAC Volleyball The U19 Girls Volleyball team showed what immense progress they have made in the last twelve months by winning the Bronze medal after deservedly finishing in 3rd place. They looked strong from the start and showed individual skill and tactical awareness which reflected all the hard work in the lead up to the competition. The Boys went close in a number of games and they too showed their growing potential. Winning on the final day meant they eventually finished in 5th place. It was an excellent first season for the squad and a tremendous achievement for such a young team.
GB Swimmers Poolside at Tanglin We were extremely fortunate in Term 1 to welcome two commonwealth medallist Team GB swimmers, Jazz Carlin and Lewis Coleman, in school. The swimmers provided extremely motivating assemblies to all three schools and discussed their journeys through school, family illness and training, to reach where they are today.
The Merlions benefited greatly from having elite level athletes assisting poolside with everything from stroke correction, race pacing, pre race techniques and nutrition to managing homework around training. The opportunity to work with these inspirational athletes was made possible by the TTS Foundation.
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Feeding Frenzy by Katie Henderson (Y6.6)
SEASAC Cross Country The TTS Under 19 Cross Country squad achieved excellent results at the SEASAC Championships at Alice Smith School in Kuala Lumpur.
Finally the morning of Thursday, 11 December arrived! At 11.45am I made my way down to the Senior car park to get the coach to Changi Airport. After a loud but exciting coach ride, and a bit of a bumpy flight, we arrived in Bangkok and went straight to the Dusit Princess Hotel. One of my highlights was the team building games. Of course my main highlight was the actual swimming. I went to Feeding Frenzy in Year 4, Year 5 and now Year 6 and each year they have been different but fun. Day 1 was long distance swimming and Day 2 was more serious swimming. Day 3 was more fun because it was short distance events and the relays. We all wore red Merlion shirts and Santa hats; we all looked really cool! These were the main highlights for me at Feeding Frenzy 2014.
Matt Rossiter won Gold in the Boys race, Ollie Reeves was just off a podium place in 4th position and a strong showing from the rest of the team produced a team Bronze medal. Jaz Heber Percy led the Girls team home in 7th in what was a very competitive field. Strong backing from the rest of the team meant that the Girls team achieved 4th place in the team event. The Girls Relay team achieved 4th place with great performances by Simone Pang, Holly Craig and Millie Grosvenor in their final SEASAC Cross Country event. The Boys added another Gold to their individual championship by also taking home the relay Gold. An excellent set of results which was a just reward for the early morning training sessions and hot afternoon hill repeats.
Phuket Football Tanglin Footballers had great success at Phuket Football this term. 36 schools and 118 teams participated in the tournament, which was hosted by the British International School, Phuket. Each and every Tanglin player demonstrated great skill, determination and courage and despite the rain and mud they showed great sportsmanship and humour throughout the whole event. We were very proud of all of our players for their outstanding performances. Tanglin U13 Girls, U13 Boys and U11 Boys all took home Gold, whilst our U11 Girls took Bronze. Congratulations to all the players and coaches! SEASAC Golf This year’s SEASAC Golf tournament was hosted by Tanglin at Bintan Lagoon Resort. This two-day tournament saw some outstanding golf with the overall Boys and Girls winners both coming from Ruamrudee International School of Thailand. Tanglin’s students played some high standard golf with Georgia Smith Coates from Year 13 coming 3rd in the Girls Handicap competition.
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games, eventually claiming the SCC Championship with a comfortable 21-7 victory in the final. It is the first time some of our Year 13 players have played in a SCC final at the Padang and to win the title is a fitting end to their Tanglin careers.
SCC Rugby 7s Under 14s Tanglin’s first squad to reach the knockout stages of the tournament, the U14s, put in some extremely strong performances, most notably against AIS, OFS and Damai School. Tanglin met current champions ACSI in the semi-finals and despite their outstanding defensive performance, the sheer physicality of the opponents was the difference and ACSI went home winners. Congratulations to the players on their enthusiasm and achievements. Under 16s Tanglin U16’s 7’s squad was undefeated throughout the season, winning all nine competitive matches, scoring 43 tries and conceding only four. In a hard fought final at the Padang, TTS were deserved 10-7 winners against ACSI.
Fun, Learning, Health and Safety in Infant PE by Maggie Derby-Crook, Head of Infant PE Whatever we do in Infant PE, it has to be fun! The lessons are very important in forming healthy attitudes to exercise and early skill development. Orientation games are used to teach basic skills such as turn taking, active participation and spatial awareness, in a fun inclusive setting. The now famous ‘Bean Game’ is a favourite for all Infant classes, where the children stretch and bend in to the shapes of beans ... broad, jelly, frozen, runner, jumping, long and, of course, the now infamous ‘French bean’ that has everyone shouting ‘Ooh, lah, lah!’. It is here that the fundamental ball skills are developed with lots of rolling, kicking (the balls not each other!), throwing and catching. Term 2 for Infants is all about Athletics, including running, hurdling, throwing and jumping. Early development of these skills is very important not only for sport but for good body development, balance and deportment.
The attitude and commitment of the whole squad throughout the competition was simply outstanding and this was reflected in the performances on the field. Congratulations, SCC champions two years running! Not an easy thing to achieve! Under 19s After retaining most of the squad from last year, Tanglin’s Under 19 Rugby team started the season off in style by comfortably winning the annual SCC 7`s National title. The Boys also won the International Schools “Blackrock” tournament which acted as a qualifier for the SCC 7`s. In both finals, the Tanglin Boys faced local rivals and some close friends in the UWC Dover team. The Tanglin players’ power, talent and determination ensured nothing was left to chance and they dominated both In Gymnastics lessons we learn more complex and controlled movement sequences. Swimming skills must be learned early in life. As the children’s water confidence grows we can then begin to work on their stroke technique even at this early age. Behind all the fun in Infant PE is a serious programme of learning and skill development that will serve the children throughout their lives. Developing their confidence and their emotional balance whilst being a team member and a good friend are all key elements of what we do in Infant PE.
Touch – Queensland All Schools Tournament To support the growth of Touch, this term Tanglin took two teams to participate in this year’s All Schools Tournament in Brisbane. Tanglin’s U16s competed in the Junior Girls tournament whilst the U19s competed in the Open Ladies tournament. Although they narrowly missed out on progressing into the final 16 teams, the spirit and the discipline the Girls displayed demonstrated that it won’t be long before they reach that goal.
PTA
All Wrapped Up for Christmas by Caroline Bittar, PTA President
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The PTA started Term 1 with a series of welcome events for new teachers and parents. These events are always well attended and we take great pleasure in hosting them. Junior discos for Years 3 & 5 took place in September. The children enjoyed dressing up and spending an hour dancing to their favourite tunes and tucking into pizza and juice. It is a great opportunity for these two new classes to be able to meet up and socialise outside of the classroom as well as showing off some great dance moves! The adults had an opportunity to socialise in October at the much anticipated quiz night. 300 parents and staff battled it out for first place in a nine round quiz which was accompanied by a curry buffet and a well stocked bar. The executive arm of the PTA took part in the Parent Year Group meetings of the Infant, Junior and Senior Schools. These meetings are a valuable opportunity for the school Leadership Teams and parent representatives to discuss issues and initiatives involving the curriculum and student welfare.
coloured boxes and gingerbread men adorning the hall. This year there were over 60 commercial vendors participating in the fair as well as a constant programme of musical entertainment performed by children from the Infant, Junior and Senior Schools. The Carvery provided roast turkey and roast pork sandwiches and the Tea Shoppe received a constant stream of home baking from the community. The PTA volunteers baked the mince pies and complimentary mulled wine was served.
The term ended with the PTA Christmas Fair. This event has become highly anticipated by both the school and the wider Singapore community. The decoration team ensured that the venue was beautifully decorated with brightly
The fair provided an opportunity for the students to raise money for various initiatives. The Gurkha Pipers attended to help us pipe in Christmas, the Beavers and Cubs sold tree baubles in aid of the Gurkha Welfare Trust and the Scouts sold
Candy Canes and were also Santa’s little helpers. Santa was firmly installed in his grotto, listening to the many whispered Christmas wishes and taking photographs with the children for a keepsake magnet. The Brownies had designed and made some beautiful baubles also sold for charity. The Senior Enterprise group sold Christmas cards that they had designed and printed and sold out by lunchtime! The High Commissioner Award children raised money for Caring for Cambodia by offering a very popular cookie decorating stall. The $10 shop saw long queues of children waiting patiently. Thanks to contributions from the community, we can provide the children with a fun shopping environment where they can choose and wrap their presents ready for Christmas. The fair is a fantastic example of how the PTA brings the community together.
Student Services Exploring PSHCE 30
by Clare Butler, Head of PSHCE, Senior School
Personal, Social, Health and Citizen Education (PSHCE) is the study of how we get the best from ourselves and the world around us. Far from being a catch all for those softer subjects not taught in the traditional, core disciplines, PSHCE is a fundamental part of a child’s development into the young, successful adults that we want them to be. It’s also an important part of the school timetable that students enjoy. What makes Tanglin exceptional is that PSHCE continues to be a focus through every school stage. for many students and PSCHE aims open up discussion about these issues. Circle time and Philosophy for Children methods encourage discussion about topics that really matter to this age group which encapsulate physical and mental wellbeing. We want our students to know that what they are experiencing is not unusual and that they are not alone. We hope that by opening up discussions on these topics, our students feel that they know where to seek help for emotions that they perhaps cannot process themselves.
At Tanglin, PSHCE begins in the Infant School. As an integral part of the curriculum, it is taught explicitly in circle time, PSHCE lessons and Philosophy for Children but also within carefully planned activities, experiences and throughout the daily routines. Through understanding social situations, differences between ourselves and others and developing a principled attitude, Infant PSHCE hopes to equip our children with attributes, skills and knowledge that prepare them for their part in the global world. These skills are built on and are developed in the Junior School where classes such as Philosophy for Children help students to develop a positive sense of themselves and others. Giving students a platform to discuss issues that are relevant to them empowers them to become independent and responsible young adults. Topics covered in Senior School PSHCE are themed according to Year Group and the specific issues and concerns that tend to
arise at that stage of their development. The schedule is flexible and PSHCE evolves and changes to meet the needs of the students at that time. The transition from Junior School, where friendship groups are firmly established and routines are well practised, to Senior School can be a daunting process for some students. Team building activities during PSHCE lessons in Year 7 help students to bond with each other as they work on fun collaborative projects such as the team building day and the Egg Launch (where students worked together with limited materials to build protection for their egg as it is dropped from a height). Not only are these activities fun and help to encourage new friendship groups, they give students an opportunity to perform different roles within a team and they encourage collaborative learning and listening skills. The early years of Senior School are often a mixture of emotions and anxieties
Into Year 8 and as friendships grow, we look at some of the issues that can arise between friends. Rather than focusing on bullying, in PSHCE we focus on friendships as a topic and discuss the surrounding themes such as value systems and kindness. This encourages a positive discussion and dialogue where we ask questions such as ‘what makes a good friend?’, ‘what do loyal friendships look like?’ and ‘what is acceptable and not acceptable within a friendship?’
31 “It was great to hear a real expert talk to us about topics that matter.” (Year 11 student) Ahead of the Year 9 curriculum trip to India, PSHCE delves into prejudice, discrimination and child poverty with the aim of preparing students for the cultural changes that they will experience whilst they are in a developing country. Not only does PSCHE give students a basic understanding of what life is like in India and what they will see and experience on their trip there, it also gives them grounding in what is culturally acceptable. For some, the stark contrast between life in Singapore and life in poverty is unimaginable. PSHCE equips them with tools to be able to deal with this and question the world around them. With teenagers spending increasing amounts of time using social media, it is our responsibility to ensure that students are aware of the risks and responsibilities associated. PSHCE tackles this issue throughout the Senior School but particularly in Year 10 and towards Key Stage 4&5 (Years 11-13). Sex and Relationships Education, which focuses more on self esteem, body image and how to avoid situations where risky behaviour may occur, rather than the scientific part of sexual reproduction, means that students get to discuss the emotional side of relationships and see the links between drugs, alcohol and sexual behaviour.
With wellbeing and mindfulness being at the heart of the school this year, Senior School PSHCE lessons have included talks by various outside speakers including Dr Kate Park, an expert in teenage behaviour and Sara Valentine, a nutrition specialist along with speakers from FCD (Freedom from Chemical Dependency), an organisation which uses ex-addicts to talk about their experiences. As students approach their final year of I/GCSEs, PSHCE gives students the tools to be able to deal with the stress that so many teenagers experience at this time in their lives. It is important that students feel confident in their ability to handle stress and PSHCE, in collaboration with the Student Counselling Department, has used ‘Mindfulness’ as a theme to help focus their support. Stress management and coping strategies are explored along with help from guest speakers including Dr Steve Tucker, a doctor who focuses on stress and its impact on the body. PSHCE in Years 12 and 13 focuses on preparing students for life after Sixth Form. Year 12 students are encouraged to perform roles to give them confidence and prepare for their future using techniques such as positive thinking with CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), a workshop delivered by Kate Park. Focusing on their achievements and strengths as leaders helps students to prepare for the future. Topics such as academic honesty (which covers plagiarism and referencing) helps students prepare for their extended essays and EPQs. In Year 13 PSHCE focuses on careers and university entrance with support given to writing personal statements, preparing for life at university, nutrition, staying safe and wellbeing and relaxation tips.
Tips for supporting PSHCE at home There are many ways that you can support PSHCE at home with your child. Here are some suggestions for creating a supportive environment for open discussion: • Plan regular family meal times when everyone sits down together to eat; • Start difficult conversations in situations where students don’t feel uncomfortable, for example in the car on the way to school or whilst out on a walk; • Watch the news together and discuss global issues and how they might effect us as individuals; • Attend Passion for Parenting talks at school. These workshops, facilitated by outside speakers, offer parents practical advice and support for various teenage-related issues. Check the TTS Portal (Keeping Informed/Events) for upcoming talks; • Arm yourself with knowledge by reading about the teenage years. The Senior Library has a good selection of parenting-related books available to borrow.
“Learning how to deal with stress, particularly how important sleep is, was fascinating and relevant.” (Year 11 student)
Creative Writing The Other Half
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My head is blank; yet I see him there. A soldier in the dark. Waiting to pounce. Do you know that friends are one body? I did. And was. Me and my friend, we were one. So it hurts when the other half dies... “Attention all, we are here to investigate the murder of Jamie Woods.” It has been years since I last saw him; he was a mess, hair all over the place, screaming for it to stop. “He was found down an alley-way at 7:00am by Mrs Humley. Timmy Lorrer, presumed friend, crouched next to him. If you know anything please contact the police.” You never know what it means to you until it’s gone. I cry myself to sleep; the memories haunt me. His shirt in tatters, his eyes a void of madness. This was not my friend. “Hey there. Calm down I’m not gonna hurt ya. Just tell me where ya from.” There I was...staring; my friend in ashes, my life on the ground in strips. What am I to do? “Calm down. We’re not gonna hurt ya. Just tell me where ya parents are?” “I don’t have any. Nothin’!” His face went blank. All the colour drained. “No one!?” I shook my head, my matted hair falling in clumps into my eyes. I could have cried. “Relax kid. I just wanna know who to send ya to!” That’s what set it off. I crumpled to the floor in a mass of tears and anger. I was alone. I had no one. Am I going to die? No I’m out for revenge and nothing can stop me! Time is of the essence. The ground was bumpy and cold beneath my touch. Anger seethes through me like a cauldron. A spell for greatness gone wrong. I closed my eyes and faced the moon. It was time. by Bethany Turley (Y8.8)
How well can I write a story? One dull day, an evil witch sat gloomily in a smelly dungeon thinking horrible curses. “How am I going to escape from this dreadful dungeon? I’ve been sitting here rotting for 10 years just for some silly little ring! Priceless. I wonder why I even stole it in the first place. Then I wouldn’t be sitting here clapping in sturdy steel chains.” Just then when she thought that no one would come to save her... “Squeak!” A small squeak filled the lifekilling prison. “Mouse” croaked the warty witch in relieved joy. “Get me out of here,” hissed the witch as if she was a drooling snake trying to capture his prey. Quickly the weak mouse grabbed a sharp stick and cautiously stabbed the chains and the dangerous witch sprang out happily. While she was doing that the pathetic mouse picked the complicated lock and so they merrily danced off. But unluckily, the lazy guard had suddenly noticed that the prisoner was gone. Angrily they started tracing the muddy foot prints of the eagle-like prisoner. Meanwhile the merry witch and her clever companion immediately stopped celebrating and stopped and listened. “What’s that noise?” It sounds like an angry herd of African elephants. “I’m scared” whimpered the plump mouse. “Don’t worry I’ll protect you. You
Changing Places
saved my life so I will too,” smiled the kind witch warmly. Then “Stop thief” came the pounding voice of the outraged guards. But this time the kind hearted witch was ready. She picked up the stray mouse and ran as fast as her ostrich like legs could carry her. Very soon they were out of earshot. As soon as they reached a fresh clearing. They collapsed exhausted with the miraculous escape. But sooner or later the black-clothed witch hesitantly nudged the tired mouse. “What is it master? I’m asleep.” “WAKE UP!” screamed the cranky witch. “Ok,ok” muttered the fierce mouse grudgingly. “Hurry up you stupid servant,” bellowed the bad tempered witch. “At your service madam.” The mouse hurriedly yelled. Anyway, the witch had wanted to find an interesting cave badly and she wanted to go with the fat mouse but the mouse was in a bad mood so off she marched angrily. One hour later the grumpy witch finally saw an old cave. Immediately the stiff witch ran quickly towards the creaky cave and there she saw the most amazing sight she ever saw… a PUMPKIN! FOOD! As she drooled over the pumpkin she accidently pressed a crystal blue button. The moment she touched it she saw herself in the gloomy dungeon. “Nooo!” she hailed. Seher Hararika (Y3.2)
As I walked through the dusty road, I could feel the violent breeze throwing more and more sand in my eyes, blinding me. The sky was dull and there was grey. I could hear loud thunder in the distance and sirens going on and on. The cars were honking and accidents were happening all over the road, the haze was choking me like I was going to die. People’s heads were drooping with no happiness in their faces. I was choked.
Ayra Kacker (Y4.2)
How well can I use paragragraphs and a variety of punctuation in a story. One day, a long time ago, in a faraway land a train arrived. The only person who got off was a little girl called Bella. Bella was adventurous, kind, thoughtful and gentle. As she walked on into the glowing big noisy city, she could hear cars honking. Meanwhile, a sad and madly hungry slim fox was peering curiously at bags of garbage. Oh how he wished he could have something to eat or at least have a single crumb! Suddenly from out of nowhere came a man so angry that he picked up a large stick and tried to beat the poor fox who padded away sadly. The next day Bella walked into the city. As she passed by garbage, she noticed something peering. Amongst it as she drew nearer she realised it was a fox. As she was gentle and thoughtful she called out to the fox. “Come out I won’t hurt you.” But the fox didn’t come out. So Bella called out softly again. “If you come out, I will help you.” The fox’s fluffy ears pricked up. Bella gave the fox some food. The fox gobbled up the food in two seconds flat. As the sun set, the fox took Bella to his favourite hill. As they gazed up at the beautiful sky, their eyes started to feel so heavy they can hardly stay awake. Early the next morning, the fox found Bella gathering up her belongings to go home. As if the fox knew what was going on he whimpered. So sadly Bella couldn’t help a single glance. As Bella explained to the fox she was going home that day, he began to howl and howl. As Bella walked to the station the fox hid in the case that Bella carried around. Bella found a dark and cosy corner. Bella took off the lid of the case and the fox got out carefully and quietly. The fox crawled into the arms of Bella and hugged ad squeezed each other. As they did so, Bella whispered to the fox exactly this “I really don’t want to go but I have to.” And with that they said their final words to each other.
Tess Ryan (Y3.5) Background artwork by Lee Eun Ji (Y12.11)
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As I walk through the soft, silky sand, I could feel the calm breeze blowing in my face giving the fresh scent of the turquoise water below. The water was a sheet of glass reflecting the marine blue sky, towering mountains with blankets of snow on the peak reached up high into the sky to catch the swooping swallows flying as swift as an arrow. I could hear the waves tapping against the shore, whilst the fish surrounded my feet and tickled them. The sun was like a ball of joy and the trees danced away. The birds chirped and squawked. I felt peaceful.
Repetition Verse
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While lights flickered like lightning bolts, gloomy, solitary in the vast murky landscape, grieving clouds hung across the moonlit sky yet the spark of hope carried on. Escaping the obscurity and blackness of the eternal tunnel, the ink bleached shuttle train entered the murky world of darkness. The moon warily shone down, casting shady shadows that bounced off walls and skimmed through discarded trees. Dappled in the polished sky, stars reluctantly glinted and twitched oil-soaked air was replaced and became bitter and ice thin, clogging up the atmosphere. Lights flickered like lightning bolts, grieving clouds hung across the moonlit sky yet the spark of hope carried on. As the train briskly shuffled through the untouched tracks, lamps sulked, scattered across the vast landscape. Gloomy in a shape of a pearl, the lamps, a lantern of faith, stood rooted to attention – forever still. Despair filled the wind that nimbly swept through the rustling and rumbling gears of the train. Hesitantly letting out squeaks, the shuttle filed along as chalky smoke choked out of its rusty chimney. The noise of the clatter from the engines disrupted the silence of every scene. Delicate snow seemed to leak from the sky as it trickled down, collapsing on the speeding train. A blanket of malicious ice and snow cascaded the barren waste land that accompanied the forgotten train and tracks. Time passed by as every solitary snowflake settled above each other. Lights flickered like lightning bolts, grieving clouds hung across the moonlit sky yet the spark of hope carried on. There was not a footprint to be seen in miles, just tracks and tracks and tracks. However, up-ahead where splintering wind was harsher than ever, the forever on-going tracks stopped dead cold like the last heartbeat of a human. Cut off like a computer plug, it lay there freezing for what seemed like an eternity. When the train finally reached the deadline, it was unbearable silent and unimaginably lonely. The barren wasteland accompanied only the tracks and no sound disrupted the deafening silence in any scene. So while lights flickered like lightning bolts, grieving cloud hung across the moonlit sky and the spark of hope that carried on; carried on no more. Camille Maezelle (Y7.1) Background artwork by Georgia Hebdige (Y13.5)
Senior School Library Book Reviews Most Popular Books Key Stage 3 (Years 7 to 9) • My Sister Jodie by Jacqueline Wilson • Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins • An Abundance of Katherines by John Green • Death Cure by James Dashner • The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend Key Stages 4 & 5 (Years 10 to 13) • The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau • Blood Red, Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick • Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy • Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry • Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
The Girl Savage by Katherine Rundell The Girl Savage is a unique, exciting and gripping story by Katherine Rundell. The book is about the life of a girl named Wilhelmina Silver (who prefers to be called Will). Will is a carefree, wild child living on a farm with her father in Zimbabwe. She spends most of her time with her best friend, her adopted monkey and her pet horse. But even the untamed plains of Africa could not prepare her for the posh boarding school in London she was sent away to by her wicked stepmother. Lions and angry rhinos are nothing compared to a pack of vicious school girls. The Girl Savage is a truly incredible book. I have never read anything like it and I recommend it to everyone. Ten out of ten, this book is a must-read. Imogen Bowyer (Y7.6)
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green An Abundance of Katherines is a great book for those who are looking for an easy but still entertaining read. It describes a road trip taken by Colin Singleton, a child prodigy and self-claimed “Dumpie” with his laid-back and Judge Judy-loving friend, Hassan. When Colin insists on seeing the grave of an Archduke, they find themselves getting a job with Lindsey Lee Wells and her mum, Hollis. It is a funny, heart-warming story and based around the fact that Colin only dates girls name “Katherine”, not “Catherine”. With romance as it’s main theme and many romantic moments scattered throughout the book, I would recommend it from Year 7 upwards. It is a great holiday read as it has a simple storyline which is easy to follow even if you are super busy and find it hard to find time to read. Jordan Tan (Y8.5)
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Book Reviews
Junior School Library Book Reviews Top Books Voted into the Reader’s Cup Competition • The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams • Everything’s Amazing (sort of) by Liz Pichon • Weasels by Elys Dolan • Binny for Short by Hilary McKay • Diary of a Wimpy Kid: cabin fever by Jeff Kinney
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The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl
I really like this story because it is full of surprises and it made me laugh. In this story the enormous crocodile tries to eat children but he does not get any because jungle animals warn the children to stay away. This is a funny and exciting book. Chloe Dasler (Y3.7)
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
I recommend this book because it is a funny and amusing book full of adventure about a girl called Pippi Longstocking. Pippi lives in Sweden in an old house called Villa Villekulla with a monkey and a horse. Isabel Hassall (Y5.7)
The Billionaire Boy by David Walliams
Joe has everything he could ever want - except a friend. He acts like an ordinary kid from an ordinary family - but when his dad turns up in a helicopter to deliver his homework everyone finds out that he and his family are billionaires - and Joe’s life becomes a disaster. Aditya Rana (Y6.7)
Infant School Library Book Reviews Top 5 Most Popular Books • The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson • Mr McGee and the Biting Flea by Pamela Allen • The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss • The LEGO Book by Daniel Lipkowitz • Standing small: A Celebration of 30 years of the Lego Minifigure by Nevin Martell
“My favourite book is “Where’s Wally” because you have to try and spot where Wally is on each page. Sometimes it’s a bit tricky, but that’s why the book is so much fun to look at.” Daisy Kenway (Y1.6) “I like Charlie and Lola books. Lauren Child writes these books and also draws the pictures inside. I like them because the stories are so funny and I love the pictures! I also like watching Charlie and Lola on television.” Sahib Uppal (Y1.6) “My favourite books are any about Star Wars because I love to learn about the different characters. The Star Wars books are easy to read and have great pictures too!” Julian Briggs (Y1.2) “I like the Topsy and Tim series of books because I find out what places Topsy and Tim go to and the things they get up to.” Anne Zi-En Yu (Y1.2)
Parent Book Reviews
As a mother of two boys under the age of five, I am often hard pressed for time and patience is sometimes at a premium. Typically, I look for answers rather than philosophy in parenting books. Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn (a book recommended to me by a friend and exceptionally effective parent), was thought provoking, to say the least. The guiding principle of the philosophy of Unconditional Parenting is understanding our children’s needs and ensuring we meet those needs. Unconditional parenting implies unconditional love. Citing a quantity of research the author shows that trying to alter behaviour by traditional incentives or rewards, and disincentives, such as punishment, only leads to insecurity in children, which in turn leads to maladjusted, unhappy adults. This book will resonate with those familiar with the concept of attachment parenting. It is, however, more broad in scope and attempts to provide logical arguments for and practical insight into, raising children who are the best version of themselves. While he dismisses the conventional reward/punishment approach to discipline, Kohn makes it abundantly clear that being a parent does involve setting boundaries – it is merely how you do it that is different. It means working with children towards positive outcomes rather than providing incentives that move them towards the ends we want. As he puts it, “The goal is empowerment rather than conformity, and the methods are respectful rather than coercive.” Most parents would accept that respecting their children, expressing unconditional love and seeing things from the child’s point of view makes perfect sense. While Kohn offers some suggestions for practically applying these principles into everyday life, where I think the book falls short is, that it comes across as a largely theoretical and somewhat repetitive discussion about the correct approach to parenting. The underlying assumption is of a super parent who is infinitely patient, self sacrificing, in command of her own emotions and simultaneously capable of seeing through her child’s motivations, in every instance. I find this a bit removed from the reality and everyday challenges of parenthood. Be that as it may, I would recommend this book, at the very least as a thoughtful exercise that prompts you to think about the kind of children you want to raise, on the one hand, and critically examine your own impact on their development, on the other. by Shivani Rawat, Parent
The Parenting Collection of books is split between all school libraries and is rotated each term to offer variety to library visitors. If you are interested in borrowing these or any of our other parenting resources, or becoming a Tanglin Library member, please contact any of the library staff. If you would like to write a book review for the next edition of The Voice, please email communications@tts.edu.sg
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Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn
T90 Staff Lunch - Lift Off!
T90 Calendar Highlights Term 2
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Reflection, Celebration, Inspiration In 2015 we celebrate Tanglin’s 90th Anniversary (T90) with a range of events and activities throughout the year. This is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on our heritage, celebrate our wonderful community and all our achievements and articulate our vision as we look towards the next 90 years!
“Thank you Singapore” The Tanglin Club and Tanglin Trust School hosted a joint “Thank you Singapore” drinks reception. As Tanglin Trust School started out in the grounds of The Tanglin Club in 1925 we are delighted that we can share our heritage in Singapore’s 50th year, Tanglin Trust School’s 90th and The Tanglin Club’s 150th year!
Heritage expedition to the Cameron Highlands A magical trek to the Cameron Highlands. Our NYAA students and enthusiastic staff made an expedition to the site of the old school in Malaysia’s central highlands.
A fun-packed and quizfilled celebratory lunch where we shared plans with our staff for T90.
5 January Inspirational Musician - Ben Waters Over the course of the week improvisational musician Ben Waters will be inspiring students across the schools to “pick up and play!”
15 January
23-25 January
10-12 February
T90 Red and Gold Day
T90 Book Week
T90 One Voice Concert
T90 Book Week - over the week there will be lots of different activities in the schools recognising Storytelling and Literature over 90 years including storytellers Matt Dickenson and Johnny the Journeyman.
“Let’s Celebrate!” Held at the University Cultural Centre Hall (NUS), we celebrate 90 years with a festival of Music and Dance with performances from students across the 3 schools.
2-6 March
6 March
PTA Ball
Anniversary Day!
Celebrating 90 years in Singapore, the PTA Ball will be held in the InterContinental Hotel, the theme is the roaring 20s, of course!
Let’s have a party! With over 3,000 cupcakes, fun and games as the whole school, students and staff, celebrate 90 years.
14 March
18 March
To welcome the year of the Goat, all the schools will celebrate Chinese New Year with a focus on community involvement and fun.
13 February Inspirational Performing Poets Sarah Kay, of TED Talk fame, and Project Voice, will perform and work with students and staff - inspiring all to find their voice.
9-13 March Celebrating our Tanglin Heroes Hosted at the British High Commissioner’s Residence, Eden Hall, this is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the amazing people and projects that make Tanglin special. Evening cocktails.
20 March
Heritage and Reflection
T90 Curriculum Themes
To commemorate Tanglin’s 90 years in Singapore The Heritage Wall outside the Berrick Performance Hall will be a permanent display of our history.
Across the school the different departments and year groups will be celebrating our 90th Anniversary, and incorporating the themes of T90 into their curriculum. Highlights include - ‘Number 90 themed’ Maths quizzes, Reception celebrates 90 Days, Humanities projects encompassing Regional and Singaporean Geography and History of the last 9 decades. And a peak into the next 90 years for Science!
The Last Word
Looking Towards Our Future T90 gives us an opportunity to celebrate our history in Singapore over the last 90 years, but it also provides a strong platform on which to build for our 100th anniversary and all that the future holds. We are delighted that our lease on Portsdown Road has just recently been extended to 2038. Having this confidence in our future means that we can look to develop and improve our facilities further, in the knowledge that we will be on this site for years to come. Immediate development plans involve a new Gateway Building, a seven storey building between Gates A and B which will become the new frontage of our school. Construction will begin in July 2015 until August 2016. This modern, well equipped building will include a new Senior School Canteen, a ‘onestop’ shop and café for parents, a soft play area for the Infant School, social spaces, relocation of staff from The Point building (in preparation for the next project at Gate C), state of the art Film Studies facilities (allowing for the introduction of Design Technology in the Senior School Art area), a new space for the gymnastic equipment (returning the Griffiths Jones Hall to the Junior School), and a large performance and exhibition space. In addition, the Astro pitches in the centre of the school will be refurbished into one long playing surface that will accommodate full size football and rugby pitches. We are all looking forward to having more space and new facilities to deliver the curriculum. Exciting times lie ahead for the school!
Draft Masterplan
Gateway Building
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by Peter Derby-Crook, Chief Executive Officer
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1. TEA Also English for water. 2. STONEHENGE Was it druids, greeks or aliens? Its history shrouded in mystery makes it so appealing. 3. ROYAL GUARD We dare you to make a royal guard laugh. 4. PHONE BOOTH Once used for phone calls. Now used for photoshoots. 5. RIVER THAMES All that London rain has to go somewhere! 6. DOUBLE-DECKER BUS Hop on, hop off! You have not seen London till you have been on top. 7. NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Like an antique shop. Only nothing is for sale. 8. ABBEY ROAD Home of UK’s most frequently stolen street sign. 9. PUB Museums of the neighbourhood. 10. FISH & CHIPS Today’s catch in yesterday’s paper. 11. PIE The best thing to put in an English pie is your teeth. 12. OXFORD STREET You have been there in Monopoly. Now see the real thing. 13. BIG BEN The bell in the grandfather of grandfather clocks. 14. BUCKINGHAM PALACE One prince still up for grabs. 15. WEMBLEY STADIUM A cathedral of football and music. 16. THE TUBE Mind the Gap! 17. 30 ST MARY AXE Or the gherkin, as Londoners like to call it.
95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299 www.tts.edu.sg Tel: 6778 0771 Fax: 6777 5862 Email: communications@tts.edu.sg