The Voice 36

THE VOICE

of Tanglin Trust School Vol 36 / 2021

UNITED COLOURS OF TANGLIN How Tanglin’s New House System Connects the Community

MCI (P) 048/06/2021

Tanglin’s new 3-14 Curriculum Framework

Everything You Need to Know Building on Heritage

How Gate C’s World Class Facilities Empower Tanglin’s Community 1

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THE VOICE Editor

Lilian Wu, Marketing & Communications

Gate C

Design

Lauren Khoury, Marketing & Communications

Photography

• Marketing & Communications • Contributors from across the school “The Voice” herein refers to “The Voice of Tanglin Trust School” All students’ year groups referenced in this issue are accurate at time of publication.

CONTENTS Volume 36 United Colours of Tanglin

REGULAR FEATURES

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

03

Tanglin Talk

34

Class Notes

06

People of Tanglin

36

Why It’s Important

10

Student Art Showcase

to Get Connected

38

Tanglin Alumni Events 2021

40

A Springboard to the Future

42

An Oar-some Cause

44

All The World’s A Stage

WHAT’S NEW AT TANGLIN 14

Building on Heritage

INNOVATIVE EDUCATION

TANGLIN LIFESTYLE

20

The Tanglin 3-14

46

Charting The Way Forward

Curriculum Framework

48

Emergence of Tanglin’s DNA

24

United Colours of Tanglin

52

Empowering Through Maths

30

A Lifetime of Skills

54

Lost in Hack-lation

Through CAS

56

Acts of Kindness

58

Gifts of Opportunities

60

Parentwise: How Much

Sleep Does A Child Need?

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this issue.

95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299 Tel: 6778 0771 Email: communications@tts.edu.sg Website: tts.edu.sg

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#tanglintrust

Tanglin Trust School

ON THE COVER:

Infant children happily drum away to the beat of their House chant on their House Day.

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It is good therefore to reconnect from time to time and we hope the stories in the alumni section outline why it is good to remain connected to the school.

Alumni event (p38)

Foreword

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by Craig Considine, CEO

T

he publication of this edition of The Voice coincides with several major community events. We have recently celebrated Deepavali, commemorated Remembrance Day and we lift our eyes toward the Christmas break, which is approximately one month away.

Celebration of cultural and religious beliefs, and recognition of those that have made sacrifices for future generations are rallying cries for us all.

In a small way this edition of The Voice provides another rallying cry. I am particularly drawn to the section focused on our alumni. It is important to remain connected as a community and the fact that our recent leavers have travelled the world but lost touch with contemporaries is one of the modern tragedies that has presented us all in this time of COVID-19. It was wonderful therefore to note the reunions that took place in the UK and in New York through October. Former students, staff and their families are part of the extended Tanglin family.

It is good therefore to reconnect from time to time and we hope the stories in the alumni section outline why it is good to remain connected to the school.

One of the key achievements at Tanglin this year has been the re-shaping of the 3-14 Curriculum. This is an excellent

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piece of collaborative work. Congratulations to the Director of Learning, Mr John Ridley, and his team who have spent a considerable number of hours agreeing on the skills required at each step on the learning journey for our Tanglin students. This inspiring document creates certainty for our families about the development of each learner and how their journey will articulate with the public exams that exist in the senior years of their academic journey.

Social media keeps us in touch with friends and family around the world. Joining the dots is easy these days through Instagram, Facebook and various other social media platforms. It is still wonderful to read about the various activities around Tanglin.

I especially like the Tanglin stories (pages 6-9) and recommend them to you. Similarly, Acts of Kindness (pages 56-57) and Gifts of Opportunities (pages 58-59) also reflect how members of the Tanglin community try to make the lives of others better.

I anticipate that this edition of The Voice will keep you connected to the school. Everyone at Tanglin cannot wait to welcome you back to campus. Until then I hope you will share in a joyful Christmas and New Year. Though some will want only their ‘two front teeth’ for Christmas, I am hoping for a removal of the restrictions that stop the Tanglin community from being whole!

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Tanglin Talk TANGLIN WINS BIG AT SEC’S SCHOOL GREEN AWARDS Tanglin Trust School is once again the proud recipient of Singapore Environment Council’s School Green Awards.

This year, it won the Best 3R Award and the Yellow Flame Award, and our Head Team representatives Matthew and Hannah were honoured to receive them on behalf of Tanglin from the Minister for Education, Mr Chan Chun Sing.

These awards recognise our school commitment to sustainability and student-led initiatives around recycling, upcycling, reducing waste and encouraging biodiversity on campus for the past two academic years. One excellent example is the series of biodiversity projects undertaken by CAS students around the campus. This included repurposing discarded Infant School water trays as vegetable planters, creating vegepods, setting up a garden plot in the OneNorth community garden and even protecting small areas that are well suited for growing wildflowers and other insect ‘attractors’.

John Ridley, Director of Learning, said: “These awards are another reflection of Team Tanglin coming together for a common cause. The urgent issue of climate change has ignited passions in students and staff, across departments and across the age range. Together we are determined to create a more sustainable campus and, ultimately, a better world.” »

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Tanglin Talk TANGLIN INTRODUCES VIRTUAL SWIM TRAINER

WEAR RED FOR NEURODIVERSITY Neurodiversity is a term that refers to the variation of the human brain, and the idea that we are all different and work in different ways. Some recognised differences include dyslexia, ADHD, dyscalculia and ASD. To celebrate our unique brains, Sixth Form’s Charlotte and Year 11’s Harriet organised a Mufti Day on 29 October when senior students were invited to wear red and donate $2 in support of The Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS).

As dyslexics themselves, they felt that it was important to raise more awareness and support others with learning differences.

Gillian Sams, Head of Learning Support in the Senior School, said: “It’s so exciting that Harriet and Charlotte want to raise awareness of neurodiversity via the Mufti Day. The Senior School is inclusive and as students transition through school, they learn to recognise each other’s strengths as well as respect and value the diversity around them. Neurodiversity is high on the Senior School’s agenda this year. Training on strategies to help support neurodiverse thinking is ongoing, and teachers are sharing good practices and their experience of using students’ strengths to support areas of challenge. We look forward to celebrating all differences within our community and building on each other’s strengths!”

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Did you know that Tanglin is the first school in Singapore to use “VIRTUAL TRAINER”? It’s a state-of-the art system where LED lighting strips are installed at the bottom of the pool to optimise training. The lights can be timed and used as reference points that coaches can modulate, so swimmers are able to use the lights based on their sets as pacers to optimise their training – be it with coaches, or on their own.

Andrew Hailey, Director of Aquatics, said: “The aim of this system is to provide an external stimulus to aid training. Swimmers will benefit from support in training at desired paces and at the same time, use the pacer lights to “self-organise” their movements and strokes to develop more skilful and efficient swimming. The concept of self-organising is one I deeply believe in as it supports implicit learning. Self-organising using the lights unconsciously forces swimmers to make decisions to overcome the key principles of water, decrease drag and increase propulsion. By kicking harder or pulling with more power or even streamlining more, swimmers find individual ways to optimise movement in the water.”

VIRTUAL TRAINER offers unique functionality and features but the baseline aim is to provide a stimulus for swimmers to chase, pace or beat. The light pacing system differs from conventional coaching because the swimmers now have a change of focus to improve their techniques. Coaches can set the light and modulate it to a desired pace, which helps swimmers reduce stroke counts and make behavioural changes through implicit learning opportunities.

Andrew explained: “By using this system, I can spend more time observing my swimmers and direct questioning to get athlete feedback. This is important because usually in traditional coaching settings, feedback and knowledge is directed from the coach. By standing back and allowing the swimmers to find strategies, I can use questioning to get feedback from them and open more effective feedback loops. These interactions help influence how I coach and design practice to achieve my swimmers’ goals.”

TEDXTANGLIN TRUST SCHOOL

KEYS OF VICTORY Congratulations to Year 4’s Chloe for winning her first ever piano competition during Aureus Academy’s Summer Music Festival 2021! Chloe competed against 120 other participants in the Intermediate category and clinched one of the top 2 spots with distinction. The young pianist also went on to win a bronze medal in the Grade 2 & 3 Category during the Joyeuz Music International Competition for Young Pianists 2021 where there were 200 competitors from 22 countries. Chloe, who had been playing the piano since the age of six, joined Tanglin in early 2021. Her mother Cheryl said: “Although Chloe was still new, the music team encouraged her to audition for the Junior Young Musicians in Concert on 27 January.

The opportunity boosted Chloe’s confidence and passion to perform on stage. We are very thankful for the support her teachers and various staff members had given Chloe to help her perform confidently on stage. She learned a lot from the experience and has already started to think about preparing for this event next year.”

Chloe chipped in: “I’m excited and proud of my performances.

I feel like I’m getting better every day and I’d love to perform more in future!”

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I feel like I’m getting better every day and I’d love to perform more in the future!

Now in its sixth year at Tanglin, the TEDxTanglin Trust School is an annual project that’s entirely student run and executed. Open to all Year 12s and 13s as a co-curriculum, the organisers will select, organise, oversee all planning, choose and invite the speakers as well as market and produce the event itself. This year’s theme was ‘Back to the Drawing Board’ and a variety of speakers from different backgrounds shared how they adapt and learn from experience during challenging times like the pandemic via a livestream on YouTube on 16 November at 4.30pm.

Oskar Kinder, a Year 13 student who is also the event’s marketing director, explained why they chose the theme: “I think it’s important to know how to deal with situations that force us to go back to the fundamentals and change how we do things.

For example, COVID-19 is a great example where frontline workers are forced to change their work patterns, procedures and training within a short amount of time.”

The speakers included paediatricians, computer science specialists, artists and even student speakers. One such example was Anjali Gupta, an emergency paediatrician who has firsthand experience with COVID patients, and Steve Lam, who specialises in cyber security and threat management for financial centres, government agencies and telecommunication centres.

Oskar said: “It was very exciting to host another TEDx event this year especially given COVID restrictions and I think that the theme of ‘Back to the Drawing Board’ while timeless in my opinion has also become salient recently. We hope that our viewers who tuned in to see what the speakers had to say about going back to the drawing board found it interesting!”

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Missed the TEDx event on 16 November? Scan the QR code to watch it on our website.

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PEOPLE of TANGLIN Each student, teacher, staff member and parent who passes through Tanglin is an important piece that forms the anatomy of Tanglin’s culture and identity. Here are some of their stories.

Erika Rahim Personal Assistant to Head of Infant School What is the best thing about working in Tanglin?

I love being around educators. As a mother to two young children, I enjoy observing how the teachers do their jobs with so much love and passion. I get to learn by observing them and apply what I learned on my children.

When did you join Tanglin? What did you do before that?

I joined Tanglin in March 2016 as a customer service officer and in October 2017, I took on my current role. My predecessor was with Tanglin for 30 years hence I had big shoes to fill. Prior to Tanglin, I was in a similar role at a Spanish language school. The most fulfilling part of my career at Tanglin is having my work recognised. It’s important to have good working relationships with bosses and colleagues, and I am very lucky to have that here. I support Paula Craigie, who is the Head of Infant School. She is an amazing boss and I try my best to help her in all ways, including making sure she has her lunch!

What does a typical workday look like?

A lot goes on in the Infant School office.

I could be taking last minute transport orders/messages, checking expense receipts, drafting letters, arranging meetings, solving problems and sometimes fighting fire! Every day is different but fulfilling.

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Benjamin Walker Assistant Head of Junior School (Co-Curriculum) What did you do before Tanglin?

Before becoming Assistant Head of Junior School this year, I have been a class teacher, Assistant Head of Year and Head of Year. I also spent three years at an international school in Hong Kong where I was Head of Music and prior to that, I was Head of Year 6 and Head of Music at a large primary school in Lincolnshire, UK. In my ‘Life Before Teaching’, I obtained a degree in Performing Arts and spent two years playing the piano and singing in theatres, restaurants and onboard a ship. I worked a little in orchestra pits but spent a lot of time musical directing youth theatre shows and performance choirs, particularly for Stagecoach Theatre Arts. This is where my passion for teaching grew, and I went on to obtain a PGCE in Primary Education from the University of Cambridge.

What’s been the most fulfilling part of your career at Tanglin?

I am very passionate about holistic education and the education of the whole child; this is something that’s absolutely front and centre at Tanglin. It’s a real privilege to watch the children grow and develop into young adults and my role as Assistant Head of Juniors, with a focus on developing our co-curriculum, embraces just that. The co-curriculum allows our learners to explore passions, develop new talents and build on existing ones, as well as reap the benefits of building social relationships, self-confidence, and resilience.

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Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I am a devoted Norwich City fan, which has certainly taught me how to be resilient and optimistic! »

I am very passionate about holistic education and the education of the whole child, this is something that’s absolutely front and centre at Tanglin.

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Peter Ayompe Outdoor Education Specialist When did you join Tanglin? What did you do before that?

I joined Tanglin in 2008. Prior to that, I lived in Egypt for three years. While I was there, I did two Post Graduate Certificates in Management at the American University in Cairo. I was also teaching sports at the Cairo American College at the same time.

When we moved to Singapore, I had a coaching role in the now defunct Brazilian Soccer Academy before I joined Tanglin as a Sports Facilities Supervisor.

How would your friends describe you?

Committed, loyal and professional. I have been working in Tanglin for 13 years and have never once thought about leaving.

On a regular basis, I seek feedback and try to improve in what I do, so that I can make a difference within and outside the community.

What’s the best thing about working in a school?

Support for one another’s growth intellectually and emotionally. This includes care and concern shown by the teaching staff to students and colleagues. I was once told that “schools look after their own” and that is the best thing about working in a school, especially at Tanglin!

What are your hopes for the future?

I hope that Tanglin continues to flourish and create generations of excellence through an inspiring, safe, and nurturing environment.

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Atmika Niranjan Chemistry Teacher, Senior School Tell us about yourself.

I grew up in Reading, England and joined Tanglin in 2013. I did a BSc in Chemistry and previously taught at a school in West London. Prior to teaching I worked as a research and development scientist for The Dow Chemical Company. After I spent a bleak winter working on a chemical plant in rural Germany and missing social interactions, I decided to explore a career in teaching and went on to obtain a PGCE and Master’s in Science Education. I haven’t looked back since!

What does a typical workday look like for you?

Our work begins from 7.30am in the Chemistry department.

We are very fortunate to be supported by an amazing group of technicians. On any given day we could be doing rock salt extractions with Year 7, making copper sulphate crystals with Year 10, conducting flame tests to analyse unknown ions with Year 11 or making Aspirin and determining its purity with Year 13. If you are in the vicinity and hear a loud bang, it’s probably us, investigating the properties of elements by exploding hydrogen balloons.

What has been the most fulfilling part of your career at Tanglin?

Pastorally, it’s playing a part in the Sixth Form journey, seeing the transition from high-school student to adulthood, experiencing the ups and downs with the students and watching them mature into young adults on graduation day. Words can’t describe the sense of pride you experience as a teacher seeing the students graduate.

John Sprague Philosophy and Religious Studies Teacher, Senior School What would your friends tell us about you?

Probably all my secrets.

What did you do before joining Tanglin?

I joined Tanglin in 2015. Previously I was Director of IB and Director of the Centre for Innovation and Excellence at Sevenoaks School in Kent.

What is the best thing about working in a school?

Students are the best thing. I love my subject and I love teaching it to students. They are already natural philosophers so giving them an opportunity to explore the ideas they are already thinking about is a real joy.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Sometimes I go to bed early just so I can wake up earlier and have that cup of coffee as I read the morning papers. I’ll do a bit of work first to get ready for the day. Then I walk to work (5,700 steps!) as I reconnect with Mrs Sprague. I then catch up with my form class before getting caught up in the day’s work.

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STUDENT ART E S A C W O H S

It’s been a challenging year, but Tanglin’s art programme is still thriving, vibrant and energetic. Here are some rich examples of what the Infant, Junior and Senior schools have been up to artistically.

INFANT

COLOURFUL FEELINGS

By Libby Henderson, Head of Infant Art

T

o kickstart this academic year, Year 1 students have been working with Miss Stephanie in the Art Studio. They have had the opportunity to experiment with marbling inks, chalk pastels, and printing, resulting in some fabulous artwork inspired by the illustrations from the book, Beegu —which has been a focus text this term.

The children have been exploring colour by mixing chalk pastels. They then used this knowledge to create colourful backgrounds before printing buildings on top, to create a city skyline. Art has been integrated a lot in class, using it as a tool to generate vocabulary and assist children with their writing. The children used chalk pastels to draw what they imagined Beegu’s planet might look like and then listed adjectives to describe it.

They also made a friend for Beegu, using resources such as plasticine, googly eyes, and pipe cleaners. This was the inspiration when they wrote a character description. The children have also become familiar with the artist Keith Haring, using new vocabulary to describe his work and explaining how it makes them feel. They have tried to recreate his work using paint and stencils, oils pastels and even the iPad. It is safe to say that the children in Year 1 have enjoyed art so far this year!

This page: Infant children having fun with art

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By Annabel Q

By Sofia N

JUNIOR

IT’S A KIND OF MAGIC

By Peter Hinckley, Head of Junior Art & Design

T

he theme of magical castles was the inspiration for the Year 4 mixed media Art focus this first half term.

The children enjoyed creating their own imaginative and original designs for a magical castle, using a range of line and shading techniques including stippling, hatching and bold linework to show shape, texture, light and shadow in their lovely architectural designs. The project also focused on the use of scale and proportion to highlight the immense size of the castles through the careful drawing of tiny details of houses, steps, trees, windows, and doors. Illustrator Chris Riddell’s fabulous pen drawings of buildings were used as inspirational catalyst to the children’s own drawings.

Having created their pen drawing of their castle, after initial sketch work and visual research on architectural designs, the children explored the media of watercolour techniques including ‘wet on wet’ and ‘wet on dry’ painting. The ‘wet on wet’ technique (adding paint directly onto a pre-watered surface) provided a lovely opportunity to create swirling magical skies in contrast to the bold linear forms of the complex castle structures. ‘Wet on dry’ painting technique was used for the foreground and castle buildings. »

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SENIOR

MAKING A MARK ON ART

By Robert Le Grice, Head of Senior Art & Design

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love the simplicity of drawing – making marks on paper, often with a pencil to record observations and experiences.

I believe it’s at the heart of art-making and fundamental to great art teaching.

Drawing is the foundation of everything we do. We engage students from Year 7 to 13 in a wide range of challenges that aim to balance controlled and creative approaches toward drawing from first-hand observation.

In the Middle School we focus on drawing as a ‘sketchbook practice’. We teach the students to investigate objects as a series of studies using a range of scales, tools and techniques. The students often articulate their thoughts about the work directly on the page.

By the time they reach the Sixth Form, students are drawing creatively in their sketchbooks and on a much larger scale. Whilst raising the bar on their technical skills, we also want students to think more about their artwork—developing an idea or a ‘narrative’ that excites them. That could be as simple as exploring the textural qualities of an object or telling the viewer ‘a story’ about their subject: Who are they? What are they doing? What are they thinking?

We like to draw subject matter that surrounds us – everyday things like leaves, people, tools, toys. We aim to teach students to really observe the world around them – be it ordinary or extraordinary.

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Opposite L to R: Y9 scissors, Y7 leaf, Y8 portrait.

This page, clockwise: Y13 old man, Y12 ink, Y12 gun, Y8 group portraits, Y9 tools.

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BUILDING ON HERITAGE

Tanglin’s ‘new kid on the block’ is up and coming. Scheduled for completion in 2022, the new building at Gate C is an exciting opportunity for the school to expand its ecosystem—not just to support its student body, but also to enrich and connect its community on a global scale.

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What’s New at Tanglin

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What’s New at Tanglin

Gate C interior

Gate C Reception

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he new Gate C building first began as an idea born out of the desire to build on Tanglin’s heritage in Singapore and enhance its reputation as an outstanding and world-class international school.

At that time, Tanglin had just introduced the Nixon Building—a seven-storey building that provides state-of-theart facilities in spaces that are devoted to teaching, learning, business, and administration.

Although the Nixon Building increased the school’s footprint and provided additional facilities, it didn’t provide a ‘sense of arrival’ at the school due to its location. That was when the Gate C building was conceptualised; to build on what’s already in place while introducing new and exciting new opportunities for students, parents, staff, and the wider community.

In other words, it will be the missing jigsaw piece that will bring the three schools and the Nixon Building together as one ecosystem. Craig Considine, Tanglin’s CEO, said: “Our new building reflects our focus on a balanced and holistic education. Key facilities will challenge our students’ physical, social, emotional and intellectual growth – all with parents relaxing nearby in the café or co-corking space.” Now that we know the story behind the new building, let’s look at some of the new facilities that will be in it. In the last issue of The Voice, we covered the new 50m swimming pool, the new Infant dining space and the incredible music facilities. In this issue, let’s learn more about some of other world-class facilities to be housed in the Gate C building.

First up, the bespoke climbing wall from Climbing World Championship wall makers Walltopia.

HIGH & MIGHTY

At 15m high, with a slight overhang and a roof for protection, the wall – in Tanglin red and blue – will rise two-thirds of the north side of the Gate C building and provide unparalleled opportunities for students to extend their climbing skills.

Martin Foakes, Head of Outdoor Education, said: “The facilities we currently have enable students to learn about top-roping and bouldering. The new wall will allow our older students to try their hand at lead climbing and to use at least one lane for practising speed climbing.”

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Gymnastics Centre

These new experiences will be possible thanks to two unique features of the wall – a belay bar at its top, and a modern, flat surface. The belay bar – an accessory that looks like a drainpipe – is designed to allow the use of auto belay devices so students can learn how to climb independently. Auto belays are devices that work on a spring to catch and lower a climber should they fall. This means the new wall can be used for speed climbing, something not possible on the current Junior School wall.

“In previous years, the trend was for textured walls that mimic real rock; the Junior School wall is an example of this,” Martin explained. “While it is still well-used and enjoyed by our students, the surface can only provide a limited number of challenges and restricts the number of ways it can be set up. What we are seeing in the sport now – and what the new wall will consist of – are beautifully engineered panels that allow climbing holds to be put anywhere.”

Like the climbing wall in the Infant School’s Curran Hall, the wall will be designed and installed by wall makers Walltopia.

The company is at the forefront of climbing wall design, having previously designed the 2018 IFSC Climbing World Championship wall in Innsbruck, Austria – a precursor to the Tokyo Olympics – and the world’s highest climbing wall, the 80m CopenHill, in Copenhagen, Denmark. In a major win for the school, Tanglin’s wall will be the first outdoor wall the firm has built in Singapore.

It will put the school at the vanguard of local climbing and allow it to host competitions with other schools.

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What’s New at Tanglin

The new wall will allow our older students to try their hand at lead climbing and to use at least one lane for practising speed climbing.

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Rock Climbing Wall

Martin is keen to stress, however, that the new wall will be for everyone to enjoy, not only competitive climbers. He is quick to praise the benefits of climbing for all ages, bodies and minds. He said: “Climbing is very much a team sport.

I observed some Senior School students climbing during a bouldering competition and they were so supportive of each other; giving each other advice and cheering each other up the wall. It’s a wonderful option for children who, for whatever reason, haven’t taken to other team sports and, contrary to what you might think, it is often safer. Now that climbing is also an Olympic discipline, it’s important we continue to advance it in school and this new wall will do a fantastic job of that.”

WORLD CLASS GYMNASTICS CENTRE

Another Gate C highlight that is sure to get Tanglin’s sporty community excited is the Gymnastics Centre. Director of Sport, Dave Radcliffe, shares some of the plans to optimise the new space.

He said: “Tanglin believes that all children should have the opportunity to achieve their personal best. All children will benefit from the new gymnasium through an enhanced provision which supports our new strategic direction towards improved movement education. Through PE activities such as movement freestyle and parkour, children can explore a range of essential movement skills in a safe environment as

they develop into confident and adaptable movers. Whether it’s our Infant Fun to Move Club or Senior teams experiencing plyometric and kinaesthetic training, our new Gymnastics Centre will bring our whole community together and further our aim to be the leading school for gymnastics and movement education in Singapore.”

At over 1300sqm, the new gymnasium offers a much larger space than the current Chandran Hall, and our team of experienced teachers and coaches will introduce children to several custom designed areas and Olympic standard apparatus. Through a purpose-built viewing gallery, parents will enjoy seeing their children practise via new activity stations and sessions designed to utilise this wider range of apparatus: An Olympic sized sprung floor will support all our gymnastic and movement-based activities giving greater safety and support for skill development.

A full-length Tumble Track and Air Track enabling focused practice on tumbling skills for all ability levels.

A Vaulting Table and full-length Vault Track will enable our higher performing gymnasts to approach with greater speed and safely perform more complex vaults.

Four full height Beams, Pommel Horses & Parallel Bars will offer our gymnasts greater access and training time.

Uneven bars will give greater focus with a purpose-built Metal Bar acting as specialised supporting equipment for our developing gymnasts. »

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What’s New at Tanglin Institute@Tanglin

Men’s High bars and Rings provide dedicated apparatus for Staff members will benefit from an enhanced Professional •our •Development male gymnasts. framework, learning and sharing their knowledge Our new facility will be equipped with a large landing pit. with the communities in Tanglin and the world at large.

•This makes our facility one of the few in Singapore to have a will be supported by a rich spectrum of resources •toStudents landing pit that allows for all ability levels to safely explore new pursue, deepen, and inspire interest in different subjects and higher-level skills on the bars, vault and tumbling floor.

With such high demand for gymnastics, families can look forward to new places in the existing programme as well as a greater range of Infant and Junior Recreational sessions. For our most able gymnasts, the increased space and training opportunities in addition to state-of-the-art equipment will support their development as high-performing competitive gymnasts. As a new flagship facility, we also look forward to hosting regular intra and inter school competition.

FUTURE OF LEARNING

The Institute@Tanglin is a physical ‘brain’ space that will bring together a range of current and future disciplines, teachers, learners, facilitators and mentors. It builds upon what Tanglin already has: a world-class 3-14 curriculum framework (see p20) and state-of-the-art facilities. The institute does this by building sustainable flagship partnerships with other schools, universities, and corporate organisations such as The Bridge Institute and Accenture whom we currently work with.

This will support Tanglin’s students and staff in many ways: Teachers will be given the time and space to engage in research that will positively impact student learning at Tanglin and in the world of education.

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across broader cross disciplinary areas of inquiry.

community can look forward to an exciting programme •ofTheinternal and external speakers, thought leadership as well as a range of courses designed to complement the current curriculum and enhance our students’ entrepreneurial spirit for a tech-led market.

How will this ambitious vision be achieved? As a not-for-profit school, all school fees are currently dedicated to the provision of an outstanding education to our students. Tanglin also benefits from the TTS Foundation’s work that already spearheads a variety of programmes to enrich our students. A Director of Scholarship, Inquiry and Partnerships will be appointed to manage the Institute’s academic, physical, and financial resources. They will also build strong relationships with our partners and the wider community to fund teachers’ research, support our students’ intellectual endeavours and provide rich professional development opportunities.

These are just three of the many facilities that the new Gate C building has to offer, but it’s all part of Tanglin’s mission to provide a not-for-profit, world-class education. Tanglin will continue to strengthen its offerings even as the world evolves.

Here’s to a future of limitless possibilities with the new Gate C building!

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Innovative Education

THE TANGLIN 3-14 CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK: Everything You Need to Know

Tanglin introduced the brand new 3-14 Curriculum Framework in August and since then, there have been many exciting developments. John Ridley (Director of Learning), Claire Russell (Assistant Head of Senior School), Rebecca Morse (Deputy Head of Junior School) and Jo Osman (Deputy Head of Infant School) share more with us.

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Innovative Education

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n August we were excited to launch the Tanglin 3-14 Curriculum Framework across the Infant and Junior Schools, and in a pilot group of four subjects in Year 8.

The new framework has 5 ‘Milestones’; the first at the end of Year 1 and then at two-year intervals up to the end of Year 9. This means that Milestone 2 spans Year 2 and Year 3, and the transition into Junior School; Milestone 4 spans Year 6 and Year 7, and the transition into the Senior School. The overall aims of the new curriculum are to: ensure clear, planned progression across the whole school, within each subject discipline ensure that the curriculum is relevant to our students and our Tanglin context provide the best possible foundations for the Upper School and the Sixth Form, at Tanglin or elsewhere.

Development of the new curriculum has involved over 50 curriculum leaders in all subjects, across all three schools, working together since August 2019. The result is a curriculum that is unique to Tanglin.

Our independence from any national system or group of schools has allowed us to set our own curriculum objectives (Milestone Statements) using both a ‘building up’ and a ‘backwards mapping’ approach, using our experience with English National Curriculum and GCSE objectives but also looking at other models.

Whilst this has been a huge effort, all involved have enjoyed learning more about how their subject is taught in different parts of the school.

There has been excellent professional dialogue in all subject areas.

The following examples give just a flavour of some of the results: The English team have built their new framework around the concepts of ‘Understanding Language’, ‘Crafting to Communicate’, ‘Communicating with Accuracy’ and ‘Making Connections’, rather than the more traditional ‘Reading’, ‘Writing’, ‘Speaking’ and ‘Listening’ The Geography team have included a concept area called ‘Patterns, Processes and Possibilities’ which draws on the key concepts from the IB Diploma Geography course The Technology teams in Infants and Juniors have worked with both the Computer Science department and the Design

• • •

• • •

Technology department in the Senior School to ensure that foundations are laid for both these subjects.

CONSISTENT ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING

Creating our own 3-14 framework has also given us the opportunity to design a consistent assessment and reporting system across this age range. Parents can look forward to reports with a similar format and language across the three schools. Assessment judgements will be based on how confidently students can apply the knowledge and skills they gain in each Milestone - moving from ‘Beginning’ and ‘Developing’ to ‘Advancing’ and ‘Mastering’.

Term 3 reports will include these judgements and our aim is for the majority of students to be judged as ‘Advancing’ or ‘Mastering’ in each concept area by the end of a Milestone. Any school report is necessarily a brief summary of all that a student has achieved; it is most useful as a reference point for conversations between parents and teachers. With that in mind, we have also made some adjustments to the reporting calendar, to allow time for those conversations after the reports are published.

ONGOING DIALOGUE BETWEEN SCHOOLS

Having Milestones that span the transitions between our Infant, Junior and Senior Schools marks a very different approach from our previous framework which was based on the English National Curriculum and its ‘Key Stages’; the curriculum progression was certainly planned but the structure did not encourage an ongoing dialogue between curriculum teams in different Key Stages.

Whilst we have not officially launched the new curriculum in Year 7, Senior School colleagues have been very much involved in developing the framework, particularly Milestone 4, so that students currently in Year 6 will continue the new curriculum next year.

Computer Science, English, History and Music have begun the new Milestone 5 with the current Year 8 students, which gives us an opportunity to set up and test the new assessment and reporting systems required before the other Senior School subjects come on board in August 2022. »

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AN UPDATE BY JO OSMAN, DEPUTY HEAD OF INFANT SCHOOL The professional dialogue between the subject leaders has galvanised stronger links and a greater mutual understanding of both the opportunities and challenges presented by various aspects of the curriculum at each stage of the learning continuum. This empathy, as well as the consensus built around how our curriculum is designed to meet the specific needs of our community has resulted in enhanced authenticity, purpose and relevance.

In the Infant School we have worked tirelessly in the past to ensure continuity and coherence between our two quite separate

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curricula; the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (Nursery and Reception) and Key Stage 1 National Curriculum (Year 1 and Year 2). However, the very different curricular and assessment language has always presented a challenge, as it does for all schools that adhere to them, which can be confusing for both parents and staff.

We are very proud that the new 3-14 curriculum finally realises true alignment across the school for the first time, providing a shared language and understanding in curriculum, assessment and reporting from Nursery right through into the Juniors and beyond.

And all whilst painstakingly preserving the developmentallyappropriate, holistic expectations which necessarily underpin the earliest stages of Infant education, allowing all children to flourish.

Innovative Education AN UPDATE

BY REBECCA MORSE, DEPUTY HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

The process of developing our curriculum has facilitated conversations between subject leaders across the three schools. This is particularly important in the Junior school, as we are the bridge between the other two schools. The new curriculum framework has allowed us to examine our choices of what we deem to be essential ‘sticky knowledge’ that children in the Junior School need to remember as they progress, and to make sure that this both builds upon what they have learned before in Infants and prepares them for ongoing success in the Senior School.

While our current reporting and assessment system uses a mastery approach, streamlining and aligning this across the whole 3-14 curriculum allows greater clarity for students, staff and parents about the progress they are making as they move up through the schools.

AN UPDATE BY CLAIRE RUSSELL, ASSISTANT HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

In the Senior School, our subject leaders have been working hard alongside colleagues in the Infants and Juniors to map out a clear sequence of learning, and progression of knowledge and skills through to the end of Year 9. Whilst our existing curriculum has a clear eye on effectively preparing students for the demands of the Upper school and I/GCSE courses, a new whole school curriculum has given us a fantastic opportunity to reflect, review and improve our provision with this onward journey in mind.

In addition, with Milestone 4 spanning Years 6 and 7, it has presented us with another excellent opportunity for subject leaders across both schools to work closely together to develop a common framework for learning and assessment. This closer working relationship between the schools means students benefit from a sharply focused and robust curriculum that effectively supports their transition into the Senior school in Year 7.

Finally, the new curriculum means a new approach to assessment and reporting across the three schools. Our mastery model will be a shared language of assessment that students will know and become familiar with, and as reporting becomes more consistent across the three schools, it will also be easier for parents to interpret these reports and know what it means for their child’s next steps and continued academic progress.

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Scan the QR code to visit the Tanglin 3-14 Curriculum Framework on our website.

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United Colours OF TANGLIN

For the first time in Tanglin’s history, our students are united across eight common houses: Cameron, Alexandra, Claymore, Raeburn, Portsdown, Wessex, Winchester and Weyhill. How has it helped the community build deeper connections?

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y now, you would have seen the new House logos (The Voice, issue 35). They are more than just visual representations of each House, they represent the values that Tanglin hopes to nurture in its students such as strength, confidence and independence.

Being in the same House as their peers also gives students a sense of belonging and participating in group activities often gives them the opportunity to pick up life skills like leadership, collaboration, and innovative thinking.

And the best thing of all? Now that students are unified under the same House system across the three schools, everyone gets to interact with one another on a regular basis. This wouldn’t have been possible under normal circumstances and it allows smaller communities to form within a larger community, which makes the overall Tanglin community stronger and more cohesive.

Here’s what each school has been up to:

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Innovative Education

INFANT SCHOOL

Before the introduction of the new House system, Nursery and Reception children had never been in a House of their own because they were just getting started in school. With the increase of Houses from four to eight, the possibilities suddenly became limitless. To kick things off, Infant children were given a ‘Welcome to Your New House’ gift pack. Each pack contained a specially designed Team Tanglin card, which had a House badge and a mask that was proudly designed by the Year 6 Global Social Leaders Team and sponsored by TTS Foundation.

The team told us: “We wanted to make a difference, especially in light of the pandemic and pollution. We thought we should do something that would keep Tanglin students and teachers safe; whilst protecting our planet.”

Chloe Beard, who was the team’s teacher-mentor couldn’t have agreed more. She said: “I recognised the passions that the children in Year 6 had around sustainability and it inspired me to support them with their project. It was a fantastic opportunity to incorporate our New House system, whilst protecting our community. What innovative young children we have here at Tanglin!”

Needless to say, the Infant children were thrilled with their House badge and mask. But what really got their competitive spirit going was the introduction of House Points. Chloe Gilbert, the Infant Head of Houses and PE Specialist, explained: “It’s like the House Point system we see in Harry Potter; points are awarded to children for displaying positive traits such as teamwork or when they perform exceptionally in class. Each class will keep a record of the points they receive and I will total them up on a House leaderboard that’s displayed in front of the nurses’ office.

It keeps their spirits high and it’s a fun way of helping the children

learn the values they need to be successful in life.”

Aside from the House Points, Infant children also have multiple opportunities to pick up important life skills. Although COVID-19 restrictions meant that they couldn’t meet their fellow House members in person, they could still interact with their peers via virtual activities such as House Assemblies, singalongs and readathons. In fact, Chloe hopes that once restrictions ease, they could plan a sports day where everyone could have fun in the great outdoors.

And that’s not all; two House Captains for each House will be elected as part of the Year 2 student leadership team that will help promote the Houses in the Infant School. They will also attend regular meetings to discuss all House related matters with Chloe.

She said: “The Infant House Captains have a wonderful opportunity to learn about leadership, kindness and cooperation.

They will be able to brainstorm new and exciting House ideas and provide constructive feedback on our existing events and activities. The Infant House Captains will also be involved in helping at House events as well as guiding and supporting fellow teammates, especially our younger children, on their new and exciting House journey. The House Captains will ensure that all House points are calculated and recorded properly and help their class teacher with any House related matters within the classroom. We are also hoping the Infant House Captains get the chance to work cooperatively with the Junior and Senior School House Captains to allow for a more cohesive and family-like House system within the school. I strongly believe that learning all these powerful skills at a young age will be invaluable for their social and emotional development, not to mention their confidence.” »

What innovative young children we have here at Tanglin!”

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Innovative Education

JUNIOR SCHOOL

Over at Junior School, Junior Head of Houses and Learning Support Teacher, Matt Hastwell said: “engrained within our reward systems, sports, music and the arts, our Houses have always been an integral part of the Junior School. As we say a fond farewell to Harimau, Singa, Beruang and Elang, we welcome the wonderful opportunities that the new House system brings to strengthen ties within our whole school community.”

He also told us that the Junior children have all been incredibly excited to be placed in their new House and already wear their House colours with much pride. “During this challenging period of social restrictions, the reimagined house system has really energised our community and provided a focus for building fresh relationships with others. Our new House Team, which includes class teachers and specialists, are excited about the year ahead and cannot wait to start planning activities and fun ways to engage the students. For example, in the first week of November, the Junior House Captains supported the Infants during their first House Day of the year. Delphine Hastwell (Infant Head of Music and House leader of Portsdown House) had invited them over to help lead some of the infant classes with drumming on the AstroTurf. The Infant children loved seeing their older friends drum and dance on stage to the beats and chants created by the Infant music department for the new Houses. The Junior House Captains are greatly looking forward to forging links across the school, including opportunities to be mentored by Senior House Captains,” Matt explained with a smile.

Aside from the potential to create and build relationships, the Junior School also launched their first House event of the year in the form of a House Power Hour during the first week of November. All the students joined their Housemates in the House base for a fun assembly before tackling some art activities based on their respective House logos. But what they are really looking forward to is their first House Day in December, and all the fun and excitement that it will bring along with the usual sports competitions and expectations surrounding who will win the coveted House Cup!

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Tanglin House Captains

SENIOR SCHOOL

Like their younger counterparts, the Senior School celebrates House unity through various activities such as House assemblies, drawing competitions, charity events and even reading challenges. The only difference: many of the senior students had grown up with the old House system so the initial reception was mixed when they found out it had now expanded from four to eight Houses across the three schools. Nevertheless the seniors are excited to make even more connections, especially with their juniors from the Infant and Junior Schools.

Year 12 student and Wessex House Captain, Suzanne, said: “I think that the new House system is a great addition to Tanglin, the schools are now much more integrated and the patriotism for the Houses is much stronger!”

Chris Dech, Head of Senior School Houses, was in full agreement: “The seniors have embraced the new changes and many are looking forward to more interactive activities that »

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Innovative Education WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE NEW HOUSE SYSTEM? THILAK, (YEAR 13) HOUSE: CLAYMORE The new House system is a great initiative as it unites our community and eliminates the divide we have between the three schools.

EMMA, (YEAR 13) HOUSE: CAMERON The new House system gives students an opportunity to interact with other students, both younger and older, because it gives us something we can all resonate with.

will allow them to cross school boundaries and mentor their younger peers. In fact, we have plans to get our Year 12 House Captains to mentor the Year 6 House Captains. Just the kind of collaborative partnerships we hope our students will build and nurture.”

The senior students who were newly appointed as House Captains also have ambitious plans to integrate the three schools through a series of initiatives. Suzanne, for one, hopes to integrate the three schools with a House Mentor system because everyone has been socially distanced from one another due to COVID-19.

She explained: “The House mentorship assigns a younger student with an older student who can advise them when they transition between the schools or if they need exam advice. As House Captain, I believe that this will ultimately create a link between different year groups and help our Houses form new connections within themselves and become closer as a community.”

Her fellow captains felt the same. Anusha, Raeburn’s new House Captain, said: “I think the addition of four more Houses will add to the friendly competition between students. As more emphasis is being placed on the Houses, I believe it will integrate the Houses more into everyday school life. Now there is not only a House Captain, but a whole student team for every House which makes it easier to plan and execute activities. The new roles of Deputy Captain, Arts Captains, Sports Captains and Charity Captains have helped immensely and have also encouraged more students to be actively involved in their houses by taking up these leadership positions. Our Raeburn House Team has already become a tight-knit group and we eagerly look forward to our House meetings.”

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Sounds like our students have thoroughly embraced the new House System in both mind and spirit! We can’t wait to see how each House will grow in the coming years, but one thing’s for sure: the new House system will go a long way in nurturing generations of excellence at Tanglin.

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SAMANTHA, (YEAR 12) HOUSE: PORTSDOWN It is a very efficient way of encouraging teamwork and unity between members within their designated Houses.

HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR HOUSE? DIA, (YEAR 1) HOUSE: CAMERON I like it because it’s green, my favourite colour!

EVIE, (YEAR 1) HOUSE: WEYHILL The House logo has a burning torch like the Olympics. I like the Olympics!

RAHIL, (YEAR 1) HOUSE: WINCHESTER I like my House logo because it is a big house and I like big houses.

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Innovative Education

L to R: Oli, Carissa, Erica, Trinity, Ellie

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A

lifetime of skills

through CAS How does Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) encourage students to demonstrate initiative, perseverance and develop life skills? We go behind the scenes and chat with the students leading CAS projects for Caring for Cambodia and Singapore Young Leaders’ Summit.

CARING FOR CAMBODIA (CFC)

Service is a common theme for CAS projects and that was the case for Year 13 students Sophie, Rechardt, Eve, Hannah and Olivia as well as Ellie, Carissa, Erica, Trinity and Oliver. Sophie’s group, for instance, came up with the idea to send books to underprivileged children to help them learn.

the importance of teamwork, collaboration and trusting their teammates to make a project happen. But the most important lesson of all? “Never giving up, even in the face of the hardest challenges when it seems like everything won’t work out,” Sophie said with a smile.

BOOKS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

CYCLING FOR EDUCATION

Sophie said: “When Mr Roberts heard our proposal, he told us about the Caring for Cambodia (CFC) CAS group that he wanted to run again this year. We thought that the charity, which focuses on educating children from poor areas in Cambodia, would be the perfect fit for our book drive idea.”

Now that they have decided to focus on CFC, their next step was to plan how they would get the books to the underprivileged children in Cambodia. Although they had wanted to collect hard copy books, the students quickly realised that it was better to raise money to buy books instead. The reason for this was simple. Sending the books over to Cambodia would require more manpower than the CFC team could afford. It was also better to buy books in Khmer that the CFC school libraries really needed instead of the English storybooks that Sophie’s team would have collected.

The students had now changed their focus, but COVID-19 restrictions meant that they were unable to advertise their campaign at the school. Sophie explained: “We had to learn how we could go about collecting money online and being on homebased learning meant that we couldn’t do things the traditional way like posters around school, displays in the libraries, presentations during Form time etc. Despite this challenge, we still managed to reach out to people via online platforms like Microsoft Teams, Tanglin Facebook pages and groups.

Our efforts paid off in the end because we managed to raise SGD 3437, which bought 1885 books!”

Despite the difficulties they faced, Sophie’s team learned

Ellie’s group, on the other hand, decided to make use of their newfound hobby in cycling to raise money for CFC. She said: “We wanted to challenge ourselves mentally and physically as we felt that this would raise the most money. A few people in the group had been cycling during the circuit breaker so we decided that this was our best option!”

Ellie and her teammates decided to cycle 88km each. This added up to 440km and is the approximate length of Cambodia’s maximum extent. After finding out that it costs USD 180 a year to educate as well as provide clean water and hot food six times a week for one child, they set a goal for USD 4500. This amount, they figured, would be enough to educate and feed 25 children for a year.

Although it might seem straightforward to simply cycle for charity, Ellie and her teammates learned that communication, teamwork and planning were the keys to success. “At times, we met with difficulties during the planning process. For example, we couldn’t quite reach our goal distance with our pre-planned route, so we had to double back. Our watch trackers also ran out of battery at around 58km, so we had to calculate the rest of the distance on our phones. We also had a couple of navigation issues that led us to getting lost, but it all added to the enjoyment!”

Biking for 440km wasn’t easy nor smooth going but Ellie put it best when she said: “We all learned that we were much more capable than we thought and to take everything in our stride, or in this case a pedal, and continue to the end!” »

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THE CAS BRIDGE PROJECT 2021 SINGAPORE YOUNG LEADERS’ SUMMIT

Another CAS project that deserves a worthy mention is the CAS Bridge Project 2021 led by Year 13s Ahaan, Isha, Abhay, Sarah, Shreya, Christina and Adriana. David Roberts, CAS Coordinator, gives the lowdown on their tremendous efforts: The CAS department at Tanglin Trust School has been working with The Bridge Institute for four years. The Bridge Institute offers exceptional opportunities to young people and challenges them to change the world. The inspirational Mac Mackenzie and his colleagues, together with the CAS staff at Tanglin Trust School, have helped students to develop leadership skills and experience service-learning firsthand. Students work on real projects with organisations that are locally based, but often have an international reach. Previous programmes have included The Butterfly Project which was designed to help major companies based in Singapore make a substantial difference to the community in which they operate.

The following year, students took on a rigorous investigation into a major international investment firm. The firm was keen to seek a youthful audience’s views on how they could address issues in their business model that were of concern to young people. In 2020, the CAS Bridge group branched further afield with the One For One initiative. By organising an event to promote sponsorship for adult literacy and skill development in collaboration with the Head Held High organisation in India, it brought their leadership skills to the fore.

All of these prior initiatives involved only Tanglin Trust School students, but for 2021 it was decided that other schools would come on board and The Singapore Young Leaders’ Summit was born. Tanglin Trust students worked with students from Anglo Chinese Junior College, Dulwich College, Hwa Chong Institution, Raffles Institution and United World College. First Sentient Investors, Accenture and the United Nations Global Compact provided additional sponsorship and expertise to offer leadership and advice to support the students involved.

The Singapore Young Leaders’ Summit ran from March to November 2021 and the agenda was dedicated to answering the following strategic question: How can businesses, schools and government work together to build a more equitable, prosperous and sustainable future and support the delivery of the Singapore Green plan 2030? To address this challenge, the young leaders

operated in five groups and sought to reimagine the world in which they lived.

Because of Covid, all sessions were held online and took place on Saturday mornings with follow-up sessions in mid-week.

The Saturday morning lectures were inspiring and covered subjects such as the Sustainable Development Goals and how to develop a sustainability mindset; design thinking; how to take people with you; sensemaking and networking; how to develop a business case and prototyping. The final session entitled Being a Changemaker was led by Henry F. De Sio Jr who coordinated Barack Obama’s successful presidential campaign in 2008.

The groupings encouraged collaboration between students from the different educational institutions and they were required to complete tasks during ‘sprint sessions’ that were time-contingent. Sprint Session 1 invited students to identify problem statements and build solutions. Sprint Session 2 was concerned with refining solutions and building implementation plans, whilst Sprint Session 3 involved the completion of the formal policy proposal. The ideas for change in this summative document were presented to a panel including ministers from Singapore. The groups all worked diligently towards their final goals and the quality of the submissions was praised by the prestigious panel. Of the initial groupings, four visions that addressed four of the central pillars of the Green Plan 2030 were taken forward and are currently being considered.

The project finished with a closing event that again, due to Covid, took place online. It was an impressive summary of the programme’s achievements, and Minister of State Alvin Tan congratulated the groups and commented upon the depth of the students’ research and the creativity of the solutions that they forwarded. Students were commended for their work and received commemorative certificates and a copy of The Changemaker Playbook by Henry F. De Sio Jr. We hope the ideas it propounds will inspire these young leaders to continue to instigate further change in the future!

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L to R: Students received commemorative certificates and a copy of The Changemaker Playbook

by Henry F. De Sio Jr., Inspiring Saturday morning lectures, Mac Mackenzie speaking, Pledgers at the closing event of the Butterfly Project, pre-Covid

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Innovative Education

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CLASS

Tanglin’s alumni may be scattered all over the world, but the connections they made at Tanglin remain invaluable and close to heart. We catch up with our 2012 Cohort to find out what they’ve been up to and celebrate their important milestones.

ilary Samuels is currently the Head of History at Dulwich in Singapore, and despite having to navigate Singapore’s restrictions for education during the past two years, she tells us that she is still having a great time nurturing young minds.

Hillary said: “I went to university in the UK, trained as a History teacher and then came back to Singapore to teach at Dulwich College in 2019. When I left Tanglin, I thought I was going to become a journalist but I’m so happy with my life now as a teacher!”

Likewise, Siobhan Hartnoll is living in Singapore but will move back to London later this month. Siobhan had just finished her tenure as Commercial Lead for APAC at Featurespace, the world leader in Adaptive Behavioural Analytics fighting financial crime

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using machine learning, where she successfully expanded the company into Asia Pacific at the age of 23. She also got married to her Durham University sweetheart Alexander Murray in a summer wedding this year with fellow Tanglin alumni Kristin Piening as her maid of honour. Congratulations Siobhan!

Living across the world in Copenhagen, Denmark, is Ingrid Nielsin who will move to the United States in February 2022. She is planning to marry her American fiancé whom she has known since 2010 when he was attending Singapore American School in Singapore. Talk about high school sweethearts! A qualified actress who has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Westminster and an acting degree from Copenhagen Film & Theatre School under

Illustration designed by Freepik

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NOTES

Alumni

“

Make sure you don’t lose touch with your friends from Tanglin

her belt, Ingrid has acted in Danish programmes like Oda Omvendt (a children’s show) and theatre productions such as The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare where she played a female version of the character Gratiano (named Gratiana, instead) as well as in a few original pieces by Danish playwrights and drama teachers.

In the meantime, Justin Villar in Melbourne, Australia, is working on his dream to become a film director and hoping to get his web series funded next year. He said: “I just stumbled onto VFX (visual effects) somehow through meeting people and saying yes to things. Doing VFX this past year has been paying the bills and helped me learn a lot of the filmmaking process.” Justin recently received his first feature film credit for the Marvel movie Shang-Chi as a VFX Production Assistant. Right now, he is the on-set VFX Production Assistant for a Netflix film being shot in Melbourne and keeping in touch with his classmates on Instagram and Facebook.

Catherine Sadler may have left Tanglin in 2007 but her heart still remains with her alma mater. She said: “Make sure you don’t lose touch with your friends from Tanglin because it’s amazing to meet up 10 years later down the line and find out that not much has changed!” Career-wise, Catherine is currently a mixed veterinary surgeon in Kent and she is also engaged to be married. In fact, one of her bridesmaids is Venetia Speke, who is also from Tanglin.

Sounds like a friendship made in heaven!

Timothy James, on the other hand, pursued his ambition of becoming an airline pilot. He attended Buckinghamshire New University where he studied Air Transport Management with Commercial Pilot Training, which was in conjunction with L3Harris Aviation Academy. He said: “After graduating from both University and Aviation Academy, I secured my first airline job in April 2016 with easyJet based in Milan, Italy. Since then, I’ve been flying around Europe, North Africa and the Middle East with easyJet for 5 and half years, now based in London Gatwick as a Senior First Officer.”

Gabriella Demetriou is currently the Corporate Governance Executive at Grant Thornton UK LLP. She was recently promoted within nine months of joining the firm and is currently on a fasttrack programme to becoming a manager within two years. She is also the proud owner of her first property in a trendy part of SW London so that’s exciting!

”

Living in the same city is Anthea Demetriou. Her current role involves recruiting and supporting aspiring solicitors who start their careers with an international law firm called Watson Farley & Williams. On top of that, she’s juggling a part-time CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in People Management and while it’s challenging to work and study at the same time, Anthea assures us that she is doing well.

Last but not least, you might know Sean Hudspeth. He is a 27-year-old professional racing driver and Ferrari instructor who has been competing professionally for over ten years and won multiple Motorsport championships. He was the Alumni of the Year 2020 but due to COVID restrictions last year, he was only able to attend the alumni event in London on 14 October for an onsite acknowledgement.

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Sounds like our alumni are living their best lives out there and we are proud of them for persevering despite the COVID challenges. Well done everyone! In the meantime, if you have something you’d like to share with our community, please drop us a line at alumni@tts.edu.sg!

L to R: Siobhan Hartnoll on her wedding day, Ingrid Nielsin, Justin Villar, Anthea Demetriou, Timothy James (in white on the left), Sean Hudspeth (first in black on the left) and other friends from Year 6 in Tanglin met up this summer in the UK.

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Alumni

Tanglin Alumni having fun

Why it’s important to stay CONNECTED Whether you’re a recent graduate or a past Tanglin student, staying connected with your alma mater has its benefits. Shakila Samuel, Alumni Manager, explains why.

T

anglin Trust School embraces a history that is almost 100 years old. Its alumni community can be found all over the world and the Alumni Team at Tanglin manages over 20,000 former students. In fact, we are still in touch with alumni who attended boarding School in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia during World War 2!

Staying connected offers our alumni the opportunity to connect with friends they knew whilst they were at school, access old photos, attend alumni gatherings and in the last decade, many Tanglin alumni have been able to apply for monetary support through various grants and awards, made possible by the TTS Foundation.

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Many of these awards have seen our alumni take on exciting challenges for both personal and professional development, whilst making a positive impact in the community around them. One such example was Charlotte Harris (2009 cohort) who was the first recipient of Tanglin’s Adventurous Expedition Award. She is currently preparing for the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Rowing Challenge, an annual rowing event that sees participants row 3,000 miles between San Sebastian, Canary Islands and Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua. Charlotte, along with her partner, aim to raise more than SGD 180,000 by the end of 2021.

To read her story, turn to page 42.

Alumni

GIVING BACK TO TANGLIN

Aside from the benefits that one can enjoy as a Tanglin alumnus, many of our past students have also offered a lot of support to current students.

Whether it’s advice on university choices, National Service or career talks, our alumni visit Tanglin on a regular basis or share their experience through virtual talks. Former Head Boy, Omar Chaudhuri (2009 cohort) who is Chief Intelligence Officer of Twenty First Group, has visited the school several times to share how data is used in today’s professional sport (football, golf etc.)—an area of work in sport that interests many of our students.

Another noteworthy example is Professor Claire Horwell (1982 cohort), who is a former Raeburn Park student based at the Durham University. She is a leading expert in volcanoes and the Director of the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network.

Claire always makes it a point to visit Tanglin when she is in the region and loves sharing on her area of work with our students who are keen on pursuing Geography.

ALUMNI OF THE YEAR

American actress Aisha Tyler once said: “Success is not the absence of failure; it’s the persistence through failure.” This couldn’t be truer of our graduates, both past and present. Every year, we celebrate Tanglin’s generations of excellence with the Alumni of the Year Award where we recognise those who have excelled and persevered in areas of art, sport, professional work and community engagement.

In an ever-evolving economy where change is a rapid and massive norm, staying connected and giving back to Tanglin is more than just a nostalgic gesture. As a not-for-profit school, Tanglin devotes all school fees to enriching its students’ education, but this commitment doesn’t stop when they graduate. We hope that by supporting our alumni through their formative years after graduation, they will come to support our current students with the experience they have gained beyond Tanglin. It’s a win-win, no matter what!

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Professor Claire Horwell (1982 cohort)

Omar Chaudhuri, 2009 cohort (right)

Sean Hudspeth, Alumni of the Year 2020 (right)

INTERESTED IN APPLYING? Alumni who are interested in applying for our grants and awards can scan the QR codes to find out more.

Alumni Grant

Deirdre Lew Service Award

Career Development Grant

Adventurous Expedition Award

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Alumni

2021

TANGLIN ALUMNI EVENTS Despite the pandemic and COVID restrictions, our Alumni team has been hard at work behind the scenes—bringing together Tanglin’s former students from all over the UK in various gatherings that allow them to reconnect, reminisce over old times and have fun.

Cecilia Handel, Director of Development, gives us the lowdown on these reunions.

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fter missing out on hosting Alumni events in 2020 due to Covid-19, the Alumni Team was delighted to host not just one, but six Alumni gatherings in the UK and one in New York City this year.

From 7 to 14 October 2021, we hosted events in Durham, Edinburgh, Bath, Exeter, London (2 events for two different age groups) and New York City. Alumni across the cohorts, former staff (both Faculty and Business Support) and Chair of Governors, Dominic Nixon, joined the various events.

Some had not met each other for many years, whilst younger Alumni came together after missing out on not seeing each other due to Covid-19 restrictions this past year. Several former parents also attended these events.

We were also able to acknowledge past winners of the Alumni of the Year 2020 at our event and showcase the many opportunities available to Alumni such as Grants and Awards. Everyone also received a Tanglin Alumni decal, made especially for these events. These events brought together over 200 Alumni. Our thanks to all Alumni for joining us, we can’t wait to see you next year!

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Want to read more alumni-related news? Scan the QR code to visit the Tanglin Alumni website.

38

EDINBURGH 8 October

DURHAM 7 October

Illustration map designed by Katemangostar / Freepik

BATH 12 October

LONDON 9 & 14 October

EXETER 13 October

39

Alumni

A Springboard to the

future

What is it like to work at Tanglin? We caught up with a few Tanglin Alumni who had recently taken up the TTS Foundation Internship programme to work in various capacities on campus to find out more.

D

id you know that Tanglin has an internship programme sponsored by TTS Foundation?

Established in 2016, it gives our Alumni between the ages of 18-25 the opportunity to complete valuable work experience on campus. By participating in a 4 to 6 week long internship in a professional setting, the alumni are able to gain real-life experience and explore their desired career trajectory in a safe and familiar environment like Tanglin.

Camille, Jing Hye, Daniel, Katelyn and Bhavika tell us their story.

40

Camille, 2021 Cohort, Infant School WHO: I joined Tanglin in Year 10 and recently graduated with the Class of 2021, having successfully completed my IB Diploma.

WHAT: I decided to take up the Infant School internship at Tanglin as I thought that it was the perfect way to begin my gap year; being able to return to such a familiar environment, and gain valuable experience, all

while giving back to the community.

WHY: I think that Tanglin’s internship programme is beneficial for graduates like myself as it is both an accessible and great way to gain work experience in an international school setting. I was able to develop new skills, meet so many new incredible people (both students and staff!), and grow as a person.

Jing Hye, 2018 Cohort, Senior School Art WHO: I recently graduated from the University of Bristol where I studied International Business Management. I was at Tanglin for about 11 years.

WHAT: I worked with senior art students and every moment was memorable because it was a new experience being on the other side— helping with classes instead of being taught. Staff and students alike were very supportive and I’m really grateful to everyone for making the internship so enjoyable. Furthermore, reflecting back on my time as a student and how everything operates the way it does was really interesting. Wish it was longer!

WHY: Prior to graduating from University, I decided that I was interested in pursuing Art. I had such a positive experience at Tanglin so I thought that the internship would support my future endeavours as well as just being a great experience overall. This internship is a great start for those looking to gain insight and experience into their respective fields and interests. In addition, being back in a familiar environment does make it easier to improve soft skills such as communication and teamwork in the workplace.

Katelyn, 2021 Cohort, Junior School Drama WHO: I did A Level at Tanglin for two years.

Before that, I had moved to Singapore from Beijing, China.

WHAT: I worked with students in the Junior School Drama Department.

It was fun and upbeat to work with them because of the uplifting energy they bring to every class as well as the memorable smiles on their faces. It may have been challenging at first with all the hectic preparations and set-ups between classes, but I eventually got used to it and it became an easy routine for me.

WHY: It’s beneficial for graduates like myself to gain personal firsthand experience working with students in the role of a teacher and get an exciting insight into the world of teaching. I feel it’s important to create a nurturing and passionate environment for younger students to be encouraged and grow in confidence while performing and collaborating with others.

Daniel, 2020 Cohort, Senior School Science WHO: I was a Sixth Form student at Tanglin from 2018 to 2020. Before this, I was in the French educational system so it was a fairly big adjustment to make. However, I was able to get used to the British system quickly with the school’s support.

I’m currently in my second year at the University of Cambridge studying Natural Sciences and intend to specialise in chemistry.

WHAT: I worked with the Senior School science department and was able to try a lot of different activities such as giving presentations or providing extra learning support. I learned how to better communicate with a range of different people and organise my own work.

WHY: When I was at Tanglin, I received significant support from other alumni regarding university and post-secondary plans, so I felt like I could do the same for current students. I also felt it would be interesting to see things from the perspective of the teaching staff.

Bhavika, 2020 Cohort, Senior School Computer Science & ICT WHO: I was a Sixth Form student at Tanglin and graduated with an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma. Now I’m an Electronics and Computer Systems Engineering student at Loughborough University.

WHAT: I had applied for the internship because I saw it as an extremely engaging way to explore my chosen field. I was also keen to review and build up my subject knowledge in computing! I really enjoyed my experience at the school. I particularly enjoyed my work with the senior Hackathon team (see p54). It was a challenging task putting together the event with the restrictions changing at the last minute, however it was extremely gratifying to see the event being pulled off without a hitch in the end.

WHY: Tanglin provides a known and comfortable environment to help interns like me safely transition into the professional world by providing an additional safety net of familiarity.

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41

Alumni Charlotte (front) with her rowing partner Jess

An

OAR-SOME CAUSE 42

Charlotte Harris (2009 Cohort) is the first recipient of the TTS Foundation Adventurous Expedition Award, which was launched to support alumni in audacious projects that require teamwork, endurance, resilience, and tenacity. What inspired her to apply for it? We chat with the plucky young woman to find out more.

What have you been up to since graduating from Tanglin in 2009?

I went to Cardiff University to study history and absolutely loved it! After I graduated, I moved to Chicago to take up an internship at Diageo, a multinational beverage alcohol manufacturer. I left Chicago in 2016 and moved to London to take up a global procurement opportunity within Diageo and have since held numerous roles over the last five years.

How did Tanglin encourage you to take up charity initiatives?

The first big challenge I ever did was at Tanglin when I was in Year 12. I was part of the group that went to Ladakh and trekked up the mountain range Stok Kangri in the Himalayas. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life, and I still remember all of us deciding to sleep outside our tents one night. Part of that trip was to raise money for one of the local schools in Ladakh, we brought three years’ worth of dental equipment for the school and met the children. They danced for us and it was honestly quite emotional to watch; the memory really stayed with me!

I think doing charity initiatives like that when you’re younger and seeing the impact does inspire you to continue to do more growing up, it has for me!

“ ” Part of the fun is learning something new!

Why did you choose to row for charity even though you and your partner were novices?

We didn’t necessarily pick rowing; we knew we wanted to raise money for the homeless and we knew we wanted an enormous challenge to help facilitate that. I learned about the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge (TWAC) through Diageo, which owns Talisker, the title sponsor of TWAC. The event has raised over £16 million for charities since 2016 and one of my colleagues had done it the year before I signed up, raising over £100 000 for his chosen charity. Jess (my teammate) and I had completed a challenge in October 2019 called White Collar Fight Club where you train for three months as a boxer and get in the ring for a fight against an opponent in front of 1500 people. The aim was to raise money for the charity ‘Mind’. Once that was over, we looked at each other the next day and said: “What on earth are we going to do next?”. We wanted it to be bigger and better so TWAC was the perfect fit. It didn’t matter that we’d never been on a rowing boat, seeing as we weren’t boxers before the White Collar Fight Club. Part of the fun is learning something new!

Why did you choose to raise funds for Shelter and Women’s Aid?

Homelessness is a cause close to our heart. There are at least 320 000 homeless people in the UK today and that doesn’t take the hidden homeless into account. Shelter told us that the UK is in one of the worst housing crises it has ever faced and it’s only going to get worse. Shelter is a phenomenal charity providing support for the homeless and another charity doing just as much but for domestic abuse is Women’s Aid. Jess and I were pretty set on just supporting Shelter because of our passion for fighting homelessness but what we realised quite early on was how big the threat of homelessness was to those suffering from domestic abuse. It is the number one reason that women find themselves homeless and the more we looked into the work Women’s Aid does, the more we knew we had to help. I think the most shocking statistic was that three women are killed by their male partners every fortnight and with Covid and the lockdowns, domestic violence has gotten significantly worse. That’s why we’re doing all we can to raise the money for them!

Why do you think the TTS Foundation Adventurous Expedition Award is so beneficial?

It was incredibly beneficial, especially since it came at a time during our campaign when we were struggling to kickstart our fundraising efforts. The money paid for our first two months of race fees. If we weren’t able to pay, we wouldn’t have been able to continue with the campaign. It wasn’t just the financial help though, Tanglin and more specifically Cecilia (Director of Development), helped us consolidate and focus our energy in the right direction as well as gave us key connections to ensure our fundraising went from strength to strength. It also gave us a well needed confidence boost in the first few months given that Tanglin was our first official sponsor!

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43

Alumni

All the

WORLD’S A STAGE

F

inn Elliot may only be 19 years old, but he’s already a successful actor in his own right. Aside from The Crown, Finn has also acted in three other movies/tv drama series such as The Mercy and The Last Kingdom. Quite an impressive resume for someone his age, if you ask us!

Born in Hong Kong, Finn’s family originally hailed from Chichester in the UK before they moved to Kuala Lumpur when he was one year old. He then spent most of his childhood in Singapore where he attended Tanglin until the age of nine.

After that, his family of four moved back to the UK where he studied at Oakwood School, in Chichester, and the Portsmouth Grammar school. Right now, Finn is reading Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Exeter in the UK because he has a keen interest in politics and its impact on world affairs.

Although his time at Tanglin was short, Finn told us that he had some of the best memories from that period. He said: “I have such fond memories of Tanglin. It was a great environment to grow up in. One of my favorite memories at Tanglin was going to Phuket in Year 4 for the football tour!”

44

Did you know that Tanglin has its very own ‘Prince Philip’ among its remarkable cohort of past students? His name is Finn Elliot and we are chuffed to be speaking with the up and coming actor who wowed international audiences with his portrayal of a young Prince Philip on Netflix’s hit series The Crown.

A WHOLESOME ENVIRONMENT

Parents hold the key to their children’s dreams and this couldn’t be truer for Finn. He told us that he has always loved acting and it was all because of his mother. He said: “She always took me to watch plays since I was little. I went to the Centre Stage near Tanglin too. I loved it there. I guess it’s something I’ve always enjoyed!”

With such a wholesome and supportive environment, it’s no surprise that Finn’s first role was at Tanglin where he played King Herold during the Year 2 Nativity. Even at a young age, Finn’s stage presence was undeniable and he played the role with much relish—earning many rave reviews from the audience. Finn would eventually go on to attend the Youth Theatre in Chichester when he moved back to the UK, where he played roles such as ‘Boy’ in The Witches and ‘John Darling’ in Peter Pan.

GETTING INTO PROFESSIONAL ACTING

Finn landed his first TV role in The Outcast, a British two-part television adaptation of Sadie Jones’s 2008 debut novel of the

L to R: Finn in The Crown; Finn in his Tanglin uniform; Performing on stage; Tanglin’s Alumni event with Mrs Chandran.

“

same name. He played Lewis Aldridge, a ten-year-old boy who witnessed his mother’s traumatic drowning. It was an intense role to be sure, since it involved heavy emotions that required a delicate touch. Finn said: “The scene was filmed underwater because it was set in a river. However, we filmed all the underwater sequences in a deep swimming pool like a water tank. The bottom of the tank was decorated to look like a river, and we breathed through scuba equipment in between takes so we could stay at the bottom of the tank! It was a crazy experience.

I got a huge amount of invaluable help from the actors around me during shooting for The Outcast. It was my first screen role, so I was incredibly lucky to learn from people with much more experience and knowledge than me. Everyone was so kind. It was a really fun shoot, despite the storyline being not-so-fun!”

After The Outcast, Finn would go on to act in The Mercy and The Last Kingdom but perhaps the most impressive role was that of a young Prince Philip during his time at Gordonstoun in Seasons three and four of the drama series The Crown. Unsurprisingly, Finn was quite excited about it even though it had been around two years since Netflix aired it. He said: “It was an incredible experience! I got the role through a series of auditions after sending a demo reel, I still remember how happy I was when I found out, I obviously called my mum straight away! It was genuinely some of the best few weeks filming for it, alongside such a lovely cast and crew. I’m so lucky to have been a part of it.

Some of the scenes were so surreal to film; from being dressed up in a 1930s-piece suit marching through the streets of Sopron

I’ve been incredibly privileged and lucky to have the experiences I’ve had through acting.

”

in Hungary to sitting in an old airplane on top of a giant gimbal like on a rollercoaster!”

Despite the achievements at his young age, Finn remained humble. He said: “I’ve been incredibly privileged and lucky to have the experiences I’ve had through acting. Although I’d love to continue acting, I’m not sure what the future has got in store.

I’m very happy at Exeter at the moment. My goal right now is to get a degree and see where that takes me. As long as I end up at a beach, I’ll be more than happy! I also hope to be able to catch old friends at Tanglin’s alumni events like the one I recently attended in the UK. It was a really enjoyable evening that brought back many fond memories. It was especially lovely to see and talk to Mrs Chandran, who was the Head of the Infant School throughout my time at Tanglin.”

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Sounds wonderful, Finn. We can’t wait for your next appearance on the silver screen and perhaps at the next Tanglin alumni event in the UK!

45

Tanglin Lifestyle

Charting the

Way Forward

46

Tanglin Lifestyle Opposite page L to R: Matt, Maia, Phoenix, Hannah C, Kush, Nina, Hannah G, Finn, Hannah B

Every new school year brings with it new blood and fresh ideas. The same goes for the Senior Head Team. We catch up with the newly elected student leaders to find out what they have planned for 2021-22.

A

ave you met Matt (Head Boy), Maia (Head Girl), Nina, Hannah G, Hannah C, Hannah B, Phoenix, Finn and Kush? They have ambitious plans to improve student morale and boost Tanglin’s community spirit. Here’s what they have to say.

How do you feel about being elected to the Head Team?

It’s a huge honour to be selected for the Head Team. Most of us have been at Tanglin for several years. Because of the array of opportunities we have been given through the arts, academics, school trips etc, we believe that it’s time for us to give back to the community and there’s no better way to do this than through the Head Team. The respect and trust we receive as a member of the Head Team also comes with responsibility. In fact, each of us want to foster community spirit as much as possible while also following COVID restrictions.

What is your collective team vision for the school year?

Although we all have our own visions for what we want to achieve this year, we do have a team vision. Everybody has struggled during COVID over the last few years. There isn’t a single individual who has been unaffected. This manifests itself in numerous ways but we think most prominently it has affected the community spirit for people within the school. Most would agree that it’s far harder to foster that sense of home within an environment that has to adhere to the necessary regulations where people cannot form groups larger than x number of people.

This can prove to be isolating for everyone. Collectively as the Head Team, our vision for this school year is to help Tanglin students integrate better with their respective year group so as to boost morale and foster the sense of community that has been so sorely missed during these trying times.

Share with us some of your upcoming plans – how will they benefit the school community at large?

Finn: My main plan is to implement what I like to call Tanglin TV, which I envision to be a news-styled show that showcases everything that is going on in Tanglin, whether it’s events that are coming up, reporting on events that have happened or talking to students who have achieved extraordinary things.

It would be a fantastic opportunity to bring the three schools together, by having some students writing, filming and editing and some students reporting and speaking in front of the camera, regardless of age. Being aware of what is going on in the

school community is an excellent way to create a sense of unity among everyone in the community, and Tanglin TV is a fantastic way of achieving this.

Maia: We recently started to plan the annual school Christmas Panto. It might sound like a trivial event but the school Christmas Panto brings the whole school together for an hour to laugh at the jokes made and dances performed by the entire Year 13 cohort.

With COVID restrictions, there is an element of uncertainty as to whether we will be able to perform the play live.

However, as a team we decided that we must adapt to the changing circumstances and record or livestream the performance if necessary. With students getting caught up in these difficult times, we feel that it’s important for them to sit down with their peers to laugh and smile. Even if it’s just for an hour, it will bring the school closer together in a currently isolating situation.

What kind of life skills have you picked up since joining the Head Team?

Hannah C: One of the most important skills I’ve learned from being on the Head Team so far is organisation and time management. When planning activities or events, it’s necessary to start the process a few weeks in advance and liaise with multiple people. This requires good organisational skills to make sure that everything goes smoothly. I also have to balance my Head Team responsibilities with all of my other commitments which, although challenging, has been really rewarding because it helps me manage my time more effectively in order to stay balanced.

Maia: One of the skills I’ve developed since becoming a member of the Head Team is active listening. I think it’s important to make sure that each person feels heard (whether it’s another team member or a student who wants to make a suggestion) and that their input is taken into account. Another skill I’ve learned, which I believe will really help me in the future, is setting clear goals. As a team, it’s important that we all share the same vision and the outcome is clear so that each action we take is a step towards achieving the goal. This means that we can be more efficient with our time.

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Well said, team. The current times may be more challenging due to the pandemic, but as author and business historian Nancy Koehn said: “Leaders become ‘real’ when they practise a few key behaviors that gird and inspire people through difficult times.”

We can’t wait to see what you can achieve!

47

EMERGENCE OF TANGLIN’S

DNA 48

How did the ‘eye-mazing’ art installation hanging prominently in the Infant Foyer come about?

Mona Choo, Tanglin’s Technical Art & Design Executive, tells us more.

Tanglin Lifestyle

I

f you’ve been in the Infant Foyer recently, you would have seen the “eye-mazing” art installation hanging prominently on the wall. Titled “Emergence”, it’s a 4 x 1.2m infant art installation and features over 500 clear resin cubes in different sizes. Each cube encapsulates a small object such as Lego, seashells, mini clay figurines, marbles and even hand-drawn items that were collected or created by Infant children. These special resin cubes range from 2-6.5cm in size and were arranged to form the image of an eye.

According to Mona Choo, Tanglin’s former Technical Art & Design Executive, it’s a rich tapestry of the Tanglin culture and identity inspired by the people who pass through Tanglin Trust School—each one an individual piece that forms the anatomy of the school.

Mona, who is also an established interdisciplinary artist in her own right, shares more with us.

How did it all begin?

The Infant School approached me last year before COVID to consider creating an art piece to commemorate the 95th anniversary of Tanglin. At that time, I struggled with the brief as I don’t specialise in commemorative art. The process of developing ideas for the art piece slowed down considerably once the circuit breaker kicked in but I knew that I had to seriously work on the conceptualisation when I knew I had to relocate to Australia.

Although the art installation is meant to commemorate Tanglin’s rich history, I decided to focus on its present and future instead. We are all fragments of time in physical form and we contribute to a multidimensional, living puzzle that is being created at every moment, in perpetuity. Everyone who passes through Tanglin Trust School, be they students, teachers, staff, or parents, are the DNA of this school.

This was the starting point or inspiration that led to the final piece which is pieced together from the little objects that the Infant children were asked to bring to school and encased in clear resin.

Why did you choose to install the artwork on the wall located in the Infant Foyer?

This particular wall used to have a window that looked into the Infant Office conference room. After the decision was made to brick up the window and create a solid wall, it became evident that it would be a good wall for some art.

Tell us about the process from conception to installation; were there any obstacles you had to overcome and how did you do it?

There were quite a few obstacles. Conceiving the idea, for instance, was challenging because I was trying to find a good balance between the »

49

Tanglin Lifestyle

kind of art I do - which is contemporary and conceptual - and involving the Infant children in a meaningful way. I took some time to develop and refine my concept into something that was workable, meaningful and timeless.

The production issues I faced were mostly to do with the variety of objects that came from the children and the diversity of materials that all reacted differently to the resin when they were being encapsulated. Some would sink, others would float or change colour, and many of them created bubbles as the resin hardened. This meant that the process took longer than anticipated because it was not a standard procedure for the 300+ objects that I received. This required a lot of patience and some trial and error, but this is the best part of being an artist; you are constantly learning and experimenting.

Another challenge I faced was the length of time the resin took to harden. I used high quality bio-resin for its non-yellowing properties and clarity, and this resin took around 36 hours to harden to a stage where I could pop them out of the mould. All in all it took me around two months to cast the 500 cubes that would go into the art installation.

Following that, the next challenge was to securely fasten the cubes onto a backing panel, and figure out the sort of material that would be strong enough to support the weight of 500 resin cubes. I worked closely with our reliable supplier, Wilson from OzPrint, to work out what materials to use, how many panels were required and how we would install them on the 4-metre wide wall in the Infant Foyer. I also researched on the strongest adhesive that would work with resin and then I just had to cross all fingers that it would work.

Any memorable moments?

Due to the length of the art piece, the only place big enough to accommodate it was at the Infant foyer itself, so we set up some tables and that was where I adhered the cubes to the backing panels for a week. During that time, we scheduled periods of time for the Infant children to come watch me and ask any questions.

There were also many curious staff members and passers-by who stopped to watch, admire and ask their own questions too.

I think being able to interact with people about art is always a good thing, especially in Singapore, where art is not necessarily accessible to the masses.

What do you hope to achieve with this project?

I would very much like the children and adults who contributed something to this piece to feel as though they have left a small part of themselves in Tanglin, and that they will always be a part of this school, not just physically but energetically. Naturally I hope, for those who have left Infant School or will eventually leave, that they return some time in the future to find their little object and reminisce, as well as reflect on their time in Tanglin, and also on that particular time in their lives.

I also hope that many people for years to come will just enjoy it and that it brings some beauty and delight to everyone who walks past.

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Although Mona has since left Tanglin to begin a new chapter in Australia, her art installation and its beautiful meaning will stay with Tanglin forever. Thank you Mona and we wish you all the best!

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WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE RESIN PIECE? Now that you know the story behind “Emergence”, let’s find out what the Tanglin community thinks about it. We ask a few people what their favourite resin piece is.

“

I like the one with a tiny magnifying glass as it symbolises the curiosity of our students and being equipped with the tools to find out about the world. - John Ridley, Director of Learning

“

I love the ones that had little handwritten notes and drawings because they add such a personal touch to the installation. - Nur Firzillia, Communications Executive (Digital)

“

I love the resin with a baby tooth! The installation is supposed to represent Tanglin’s DNA and someone actually contributed their own! - Tom Evans, Director of Marketing & Communications

“

Contact lenses! I love that it’s a pair of eyes within an eye.

The colleague who ‘donated’ them had lasik surgery so they no longer needed it. Libby Henderson, Head of Infant Art

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Tanglin Lifestyle

MATHS How did Year 11s Dibyadeep and Krishnav empower a group of disadvantaged students by tutoring them in Mathematics for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE)? They share their story with us.

52

Illustrations designed by Freepik

EMPOWERING THROUGH

Dibyadeep and Krishnav engage their students through Zoom.

L

ast summer, Dibyadeep and I decided to work on a community service project for our school’s Deirdre Lew award. We wanted to help those who needed it the most in society and, being students, we thought it would be best to support disadvantaged children. Having been through the local Primary School curriculum myself, I knew that PSLE is a vital exam that affects their academic future and determines what secondary school students attend.

We felt that students in the bottom rungs of the economic ladder tend to fall behind due to a lack of additional resources that their other classmates may have access to. To close the gap and help these students reach their full potential, we decided to tutor underprivileged Primary 6 students who are taking their PSLEs in Mathematics and provide them with adequate resources required for learning like textbooks, stationery and past papers.

We chose Mathematics because many students struggle with it and it’s a subject that we can help the most with.

In order to do this, we decided to look for an organisation that could put us in contact with the underprivileged students in our community. We came across Helping and Empowering our Neighbours (HEN), which was the perfect platform for us to kick off our initiative. It connected willing tutors like ourselves with those from low-income or single-parent backgrounds, allowing us to offer as much support as possible. We sent them an email with our plan for the initiative, and we were soon affiliated.

Challenges along the way

A challenge we faced was familiarising ourselves with the nuances of local curriculum. Our students were Foundation Maths students and followed a curriculum that varied from the standard syllabus.

To ensure we covered the right topics, we needed to thoroughly research, and speak to the students about the contents of their syllabus.

We also realised that there were too many topics to cover in the four months leading up to the PSLEs, meaning we had to prioritise the subjects that our students needed the most help in. We found that it was large and complex topics, such as fractions, that they found the most difficult. As these topics are fundamental to Maths, we were committed to clarifying them as it would provide our students with a strong base for future studies.

Another challenge was coming up with an efficient method to convey the topics online. We then realised, what better way to do this than the method we use in school? Combined with Zoom, we used OneNote to create visuals, draw images and write colourful equations to keep our students engaged.

A learning experience

The learnings from our initiative were extensive. Not only was this a learning experience for our students, it was also a chance for us to improve our soft skills. Firstly, we learned how to keep our students engaged, constantly exploring interactive games to test and improve our students’ knowledge on a topic.

Secondly, we learned how to maintain discipline by setting strict deadlines for homework, and following up with the student if they did not join the lesson without notifying us beforehand.

This ensured that each lesson started on time. We also learned how to plan our lessons effectively. Since we had to cover a large number of topics, we had to plan by estimating the number of lessons needed for each topic.

Lastly, we practised methods to teach efficiently. We needed to ensure our students retained knowledge from the previous lessons by using quizzes, homework assignments, past papers, recap sessions and asking students questions about a specific topic area. Overall, we were introduced to an alternative perspective of learning and were put into the shoes of a teacher.

This required us to focus and develop an unexplored skill set that involves planning, patience, responsibility and purpose.

With the runup preparation for PSLE exams done and dusted, we believe that our students are not only better prepared, they are also more comfortable and confident with tackling Mathematical problems. This has transformed Maths from a subject they detested into a subject they enjoy and can excel in.

To increase the impact of this initiative on the local community and develop a wide range of skills, we would certainly encourage more students to affiliate with HEN as tutors. This small, simple act can immensely benefit the underprivileged in Singapore.

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Tanglin Lifestyle

Lost

in

Tanglin’s annual Hackathon was more than just a coding competition, it was also the perfect opportunity for Tanglin’s students to demonstrate their creativity and problem solving skills. We speak with the student organisers and winners to find out more.

Hack-lation

A

t Tanglin, students are often given opportunities to express themselves and demonstrate their knowledge. “Lost in Hacklation” is one such student-led event where 70 students from Years 7 to 12 were challenged to come up with innovative ideas to use technology to overcome modern communication issues.

A LIFE-CHANGING EVENT

The third event of its kind at Tanglin, the Hackathon takes place annually and is usually organised by Year 13 students.

In fact, the earlier hackathons were what inspired Year 13 students Andy, Sophie, Rechardt and Finn to try their hand at organising it.

Sophie said: “I remember participating in the first event called ‘Ready Set Hack’ and the following year’s ‘Hack to the Future’.

After winning last year’s Hackathon, I was really inspired to run the event with my friends so when Ms Boersma from Computing told us about running it at the end of Year 12, we were excited and ready to start planning.

L to R: Andy, Finn, Sophie, Rechardt

IMPROVING COMMUNICATION

Planning the event was no mean feat, especially in view of COVID restrictions, but the team was determined not to let the pandemic influence their plans. In fact, they decided to stay away from COVIDrelated topics and focus on subjects that would engage their participants.

They brainstormed ideas such as space, exploration, and environmental issues before settling on ‘Communication’.

Finn explained their decision: “With the abundance of problems surrounding

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L to R: Krishnav, Noel, Liam

L to R: Aarav, Ervin, Ishaan

communication, it would not be too difficult for our younger participants to formulate a solution and the resulting products would be interesting. We were right!”

GOING ONLINE

Although the event eventually had to pivot online due to stricter COVID-19 regulations, the student organisers were undaunted and moved ahead with their plans—albeit with a few changes. Andy said: “We were given a choice to cancel or do the event online. We had been working on this since May and had lined up all the guest speakers so it would have been a shame for it to go to waste. We decided to make the transition online using Microsoft Teams; we just had to make sure the participants were aware that it was online and that they still wanted to attend.”

Finn chipped in: “I was really surprised at the quality of projects the students produced. I thought having to do the event online would diminish the complexity of the code produced but it was the opposite. This year has easily produced the most impressive set of products we have seen so far in the Hackathons!”

THE HACKSTERS

One such product was the sign language translation app called “Easy Talk”. It was created by The Hacksters, a group formed by Year 7’s Ervin, Aarav and Ishaan. According to the team, the app’s purpose was to close the communication gap between people who use verbal

“

The concept of the app is brilliant; you can tell the team put a lot of thought into it.

communication and those who use sign language.

Ervin explained: “The app has two sections; one has common English phrases and when you tap on one of them, it will show you the sign language version of the phrase. In the other section, tapping on an image of the sign language will show you its equivalent English phrase.”

What was the inspiration behind their app? Ishaan said: “We believe that everyone should have a voice no matter what disability they have, that’s why we came up with an app that could give ‘voice’ to those who couldn’t speak.”

Keith Rutherford, who was one of the judges, was excited by the app’s potential.

“The concept of the app is brilliant; you can tell the team put a lot of thought into it. I think it’s worth exploring in greater detail because it’s such a unique social idea,” he said.

THE VISION

In the Senior category, The Vision - a team comprising Year 11s Krishnav, Liam and Noel - was the winner for its innovative take on simplifying MOH’s COVID-19 phase advisories. Knowing that they could be

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complex due to different regulations, the team came up with an app that displays relevant COVID-19 regulations for a family based on their vaccination statuses. Krishnav explained: “By entering the relevant information, our users can see the activity they can do on a dashboard. We believe this makes it easier for families to understand the different regulations.”

Since the team had come up with a creative solution for a common communication issue, they won the challenge. Finn and Sophie said: “We chose them because their proposed solution was viable and well explained.”

Although the organisers were worried that hosting the event online would diminish the participants’ excitement, they were pleasantly surprised to see everyone fully engaged. Rechardt said: “Hopping into each break-out room call and hearing the students argue over ideas, and shout out with glee when they finally fixed that one programming problem helped to show that this excitement was still around, and that just seemed to make me smile.”

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Tanglin Lifestyle Year 12 student, Rhea helping ‘Suits for Success’.

Right: A grateful receipient of Rhea’s intiative.

ACTS OF KINDNESS

Acts of service have always been part of Tanglin’s DNA. Here are some student-led initiatives that set out to make the world a better place and succeeded.

SUITS FOR SUCCESS

As a non-profit school, Tanglin’s DNA is deeply rooted in service and charity initiatives. It’s fully committed to our core values of Respect, Responsibility and Purpose, which is why it seeks to nurture a sense of service in our students through grants and awards such as the Deirdre Lew Service Award. The award provides up to SGD 500 and one of the successful applicants is Rhea, a Year 12 student who collected preloved formal clothing for underprivileged young adults in the Philippines as part of her ‘Suits for Success’ charity initiative. Her goal was to help these young job seekers get proper attire for job interviews so they can get the confidence they need to make a good impression and land a suitable job.

Rhea said: “I had decided to collect clothes to send to Roots of Health, a charity in the Philippines. It’s a reputable non-profit organisation that aims to

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empower women and youth. I wanted to support them because they are very focused on educating and training youths. They also work very closely with local offices to help train and upskill workers. I had initially planned to hold this drive at school but unfortunately due to COVID, it couldn’t take place so I set up a collection box at the condominium where I live. The idea was to allow people to drop off their clothes contact-free. I then spread the word about this drive over social media and the response was amazing! Many people came down and donated bags full of clothes. We collected over 500 items in total.

“I am extremely grateful to be sponsored by the TTS Foundation. Using the award money, I was able to fund the shipping of the preloved clothing to the Roots of Health charity in the Philippines and expand the scope of this initiative to an international level.”

Scan the QR code to find out more about the Deirdre Lew Service Awards

SUICIDE PREVENTION AWARENESS WEEK

Mental health for young people has become more important than ever. Since social isolation is becoming a pertinent issue no thanks to the COVID-19 restrictions, the Head Team decided to focus on mental health and work on integrating their peers with their respective year groups through various activities. One of these initiatives was the Suicide Prevention Awareness Week that not only sought to create a greater sense of awareness on mental wellbeing but also raise money for the Singapore Association of Mental Health (SAMH). This local charity aims to improve the lives of people with mental illnesses by promoting acceptance, providing rehabilitation services and offering sports, music and arts programmes.

Rebecca James, Mandarin Specialist in the Senior School, said: “Suicide prevention is an extremely important and relevant issue for young people, as well as mental health in general, and the aim of this week was to create a greater sense of awareness on the topic for our Upper School and Sixth Form students. They made their own yellow ribbons and even dressed in yellow on Mufti Day to show their support for suicide prevention awareness and raise money for SAMH.” Thanks to the generous donations from the community, over SGD 1900 was raised and matched dollar-for-dollar by the Toteboard Enhanced Fundraising programme.

While these charity initiatives may be on a small scale, they are definitely testimonies of our community’s commitment to making the world a better place—especially for vulnerable groups who are left behind during the pandemic. Well done everyone!

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Top to bottom: Teachers get splashed for charity; A student in a Love, Nils t-shirt; Students wear yellow for Suicide Prevention Awareness Week.

YEAR 8 CHARITY WEEK

Another noteworthy charity initiative was the Year 8 Charity Week that took place from 20 to 24 September. Every year, each year group at Tanglin will support their chosen charity and plan different activities throughout a stipulated week. This year, the Year 8s have chosen Love, Nils - a charity that supports children with cancer and their families. Serena, who is one of the Year 8 student-organisers, said: “We felt that Love, Nils was a charity that was in need of support and awareness because the children were not only going through a terrible illness like cancer, they were also having to suffer through times of Covid which meant that they could not have as many visitors and support from family and friends as they could before.”

Well said, Serena. Although COVID-19 restrictions meant that the Year 8s had to plan activities on a smaller scale, the Tanglin community was as supportive as ever. From writing notes to encourage cancer patients and splashing water on teachers to wearing a Love, Nils t-shirt to spread the word, everyone went all out to show their support for a worthy cause.

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Tanglin Lifestyle

Gifts OF

OPPORTUNITIES Since its establishment in 2012, the TTS Foundation has been working hard to raise funds that will go into enriching Tanglin students through various educational and philanthropic endeavours. Tanya Sahni, Development Manager, shares their plans for 2021-22.

TTS Foundation started the academic year on an exciting note with the launch of its annual Fundraising Campaign 2021. Our goal this year is to raise SGD 450,000, which will go into spearheading a variety of programmes to enrich our students’ education. This includes driving sustainability initiatives; encouraging leadership and service activities; giving access to inspirational visitors and significantly driving both participation and excellence in our sports and arts programmes.

One such example is the Deirdre Lew Service Award (for Years 10 to 13). This award is a fantastic opportunity for

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students to give back to the community and be inspired. It is encouraging to see Tanglin students come up with their own wonderful ways of serving the community using their unique talents. Sponsoring up to SGD 500 per applicant, this award has supported the efforts of many students like Year 12’s Rhea (see p56) to carry out service-based activities, making their mark in Singapore and the wider community.

This year, funds raised have a two-fold purpose, supporting exceptional educational projects for our students as well as Tanglin’s prestigious Centennial Arts Project with its very first art installation plans already in place for 2022.

Tanglin Lifestyle

A POSITIVE RESPONSE

Thanks to our community’s generosity, over 245 families have donated nearly SGD 130,000 as Friends, 1925 Society, Lions, and Patrons of the TTS Foundation. We also saw over 100 families make their very first donation, so we want to say a big thank you to all who gave generously to the TTS Foundation. In fact, your gifts are already hard at work in the following projects:

• TTS Foundation Lego Robotics Challenge • TTS Foundation Incredible India Day • TTS Foundation History of Math Show • TTS Foundation Toy Box Christmas Performance • TTS Foundation TEDxTanglin Trust School • TTS Foundation Deirdre Lew Service Award • TTS Foundation Uniform Donations to Caring for Cambodia

THANK YOU! DONATIONS SEPT 2021

AUG 2022

29% Providing exceptional educational opportunities in 2021/22.

First Art Installation of Tanglin’s Centennial Arts Project in 2022.

PARENT ADVOCATES

More than 60 parent advocates also supported the campaign by reaching out to their peers in the Tanglin community, raising awareness about TTS Foundation and appealing for donations. Tanglin parent and advocate Dipti Thakar said: “The TTS Foundation provides both tangible and intangible benefits for the students by funding inspirational opportunities through its various projects and sustainability initiatives and encouraging student engagement at all levels. Seeing my children experiencing and benefitting from these exceptional opportunities highlights the importance and impact of each and every contribution, however large or small.”

MEASURING OUR PROGRESS

For the very first time, TTS Foundation created a dedicated digital page so the Tanglin community could view our campaign’s progress in real time. On top of popular Project videos and the 2020-21 Report of Giving, families could check on the progress of our year groups’ participation on a leaderboard, read our wishlist of projects for the year, and see a live tracker of incoming donations and a virtual wall filled with wonderful messages from our donors.

We hope to encourage more families to make a gift to the TTS Foundation. For those who have yet to make a gift, you may still do so via the QR code. Families can also look out for our next TTS Foundation Giving Day in Term 2, which promises to be fun with a new race and brand-new challenges!

Want to know more about TTS Foundation’s projects or to donate?

Email our team: foundation@tts.edu.sg.

Scan the QR code to donate to the TTS Foundation.

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Tanglin Lifestyle

How much SLEEP does a child need?

Do you know how much sleep your child needs? Many of us don’t, as we hear “8 hours” bandied around and don’t realise that only applies to adults.

Children need far more!

A

By Clare Lancaster, Tanglin’s Educational Psychologist

s adults, we all recognise the impact of tiredness – we feel sluggish, irritable, find it harder to plan, focus or motivate ourselves, we may have low mood or high anxiety. Yet still, many people conflate sleep with laziness or wasted time, and some even wear a lack of sleep like a badge of honour.

Sleep is incredibly important, especially for the developing brain. Because we are unaware and don’t see anything happening, we often think that sleep is a time when we are “switched off”, yet there are multiple important processes taking place, linked to memory consolidation, learning integration, restoration, repair, and renewal. Many sleep experts would argue that improving sleep can be more beneficial for learning than additional tuition or revision. It’s also free and linked to a range of health and wellbeing benefits!

Children are even more susceptible to the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation. Tiredness impacts a range of behavioural and learning outcomes, including memory, learning, spatial awareness, planning, motor control, and peer relationships. Often, children show tiredness differently from adults; they often increase their activity, showing fidgeting, restlessness, emotional or behavioural outbursts and trouble focusing (in contrast to adults who slow down and show more expected cues like yawns). This can lead to a vicious cycle of a later bedtime (because the child doesn’t seem tired), increased fidgeting and impulsivity as the brain seeks stimulation to stay awake the next day, then a knock-on effect of later bedtime.

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HOW MUCH SLEEP DOES YOUR CHILD NEED? Child’s age

Hours of sleep

2 years Day: 1 hour 30 mins Night: 11 hours 30 mins 3 years Day: 0 - 45 mins Night: 11 hours 30 mins - 12 hours

4 years

11 hours 30 mins

5 years

11 hours

6 years

10 hours 45 mins

7 years

10 hours 30 mins

8 years

10 hours 15 mins

9 years

10 hours

10 years

9 hours 45 mins

11 years

9 hours 30 mins

12 years

9 hours 15 mins

13 years

9 hours 15 mins

14 - 16 years

9 hours

•Do some exercise each day but not right before bedtime. Stimulating activities before bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep.

•Establish a regular evening and bedtime routine with quiet activities (jigsaws, Lego, reading), light snack, bathing, PJs, bed and story/reading for pleasure/audiobook. A regular routine helps the brain know it is time for sleep.

•Lower the lights for the bedtime routine. It helps the release of melatonin (the “sleepy hormone”).

•Avoid caffeine, especially in the afternoons or

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evenings – caffeine can be found in fizzy drinks and chocolate. The effects of caffeine can last for up to 12 hours.

•Try to take evening meals at an earlier time – a full stomach can impede sleep. A light supper could help if your child had an early dinner to make sure they are not hungry.

•Limit exposure to screens like TVs or phones at least an hour before bedtime - exposure to the screen light can negatively impact the release of melatonin, making it harder to get quality sleep.

•Ensure there are no “screens” in the bedroom at bedtime. Screen use is strongly associated with adverse sleep outcomes; there’s a temptation to play on them late into the night, and the light interferes with melatonin production and the sleep/wake cycle.

•Ensure the bedroom is dark, cool and quiet.

Darkness helps the release of melatonin, and the body cools at night naturally, so by gently helping it on its way, you can speed up falling asleep.

Illustration designed by Freepik

HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO SUPPORT GOOD SLEEP:

Enriching teaching, learning, and the student experience through collaboration and support

What is FOBISIA?

FOBISIA started as a small group of headteachers working in SEA over 30 years ago.

We are now a diverse and inclusive community of 81 Member Schools and growing.

We connect teachers to share best practice and access leading educational thinkers.

We bring students together for enrichment activities across a range of learning areas.

We represent an important educational link between Asia and the United Kingdom.

Our reach extends from Mongolia to Indonesia, and Kazakhstan to Japan.

UPCOMING Student Events

CURRENT Student Events FOBISIA Orchestra Virtual Gymnastics Invitational Short Story Competition “Memories” Pop-Up Book Design Competition IGCSE Revision Challenge

Online Battle of the Bands Social Sciences Essay Competition Race4Good - Senior and Junior Short Film Festival Virtual Swimming Championships

Back to School!

We are delighted that this autumn, FOBISIA Member school pupils across our region are finally starting to return to their campuses. Many schools across the region have been in and out of schools as COVID cases have fluctuated with some schools learning from home for over 18 months. Throughout this time, our Member schools have worked hard to provide engaging events to support children and teachers in an online learning environment. This year will see most events held online, but covering a range of interest areas and target ages we hope to provide something to enhance every child’s learning experience.

DID YOU KNOW?

Pop-Up Book Design Competition

Drama Monologue Challenge

The FOBISIA Short Story Competition has been the longest running, and one of the most popular FOBISIA competitions that has been recurring since 2011.

This year’s competition will be judged by award-winning children’s author Ruth Eastham.

www.fobisia.org Online Battle of the Bands

Foundation Race4Good

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Griff walks away in style, but it won’t be the last we see of him!

Don’t forget to keep a lookout for his next appearance.

95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299 www.tts.edu.sg Tel: 6778 0771 Email: communications@tts.edu.sg CPE Registration No.: 196100114C CPE Registration Period: 7 June 2017 to 6 June 2023