The Voice of Tanglin Trust School Vol 13 01/2013 MICA (P) 153/07/2012
Feature: Celebrating Achievement Spotlight: Our World Day The Last Word: Roving Reporters
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Welcome
I make no apologies for reproducing the school’s Mission Statement here at the start of this edition:
Tanglin Trust School Singapore has a long tradition of providing Britishbased learning with an international perspective. At Tanglin we strive to make every individual feel valued, happy and successful. Responsibility, enthusiasm and participation are actively encouraged and integrity is prized. Working together in a safe, caring yet stimulating environment, we set high expectations whilst offering strong support, resulting in a community of lifelong learners who can contribute with confidence to our world. This statement was compiled two years ago with contributions being made by all stakeholders. The final words were scrutinised and thoughtfully crafted to provide a cornerstone upon which we can develop our school. I am not naive enough to think that every single experience in school lies perfectly within the statement, but I do hope that, in reading it, you are able to identify with it and agree that what is said does indeed underpin our school ethos. The students are at the heart of a school community, but the whole community includes many others who contribute to
Contents
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Staff News Making a Difference Shaking it up with Zumba Out of the Classroom, into the Spotlight!
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Feature
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Spotlight
Celebrating Achievement
Alumni From Charcoal to iPads: Four Generations at Tanglin
Our World Day
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Our World
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Infant School
A Model Debate
Food For Thought
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Junior School
Chinese Spotlight
Senior School Tanglin Goes Greener Year 9 Indian Orphanage Visit
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everything that goes on and how well it is done. Our Mission Statement (unlike many other school statements), refers to everyone in the community not just the students. Our whole staff development and inclusion strategy earned us the British Chamber of Commerce ‘Education and Training Excellence’ Award this year and bears witness to our commitment to honour our Mission. This kaleidoscope snapshot of our school illustrates the participation and collaboration we have nurtured for all learners across the community. From a teacher writing about making a difference through a Book Bus in Zambia to everyone in school working together for Our World Day. In a school where everyone considers themselves a learner, there emerges a vibrant learning community which benefits everyone and more accurately reflects how we would all like to collaborate in the world outside of school. This is our 88th year of existence as a school and as we develop and reconnect our Alumni, a wealth of interest, enthusiasm and deep loyalty to the school emerges. Read on to see the reflections of four generations of Alumni.
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Sixth Form It’s Not Plastic-Fantastic! Student Leadership in Year 12
Showcase Art • Drama • Music
Sport Celebrating Sport at Tanglin
PTA A Look Back at Term 1
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I hope that when you read this edition of The Voice you can see even more clearly how committed we are to delivering our Mission.
Peter Derby-Crook Chief Executive Officer
Student Services Passion for Parenting
Creative Writing A Selection of Infant, Junior and Senior Writing
Book Reviews Infant, Junior, Senior and Parent Reviews
The Last Word Social Media: A DoubleEdged Sword Roving Reporters
Editors: Katherine Massey and Alison Fairhurst Design & Layout: Jennifer Anderson Contributors: Students, Staff and PTA Photography: Jennifer Anderson and other contributors Printer: Oz Print Services
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A very different experience for me was taking part in the ‘Strictly Come Teacher Dancing’ competition! Fortunately, my dancing partner and coach were both very talented and patient as I dipped
my toe into very new and foreboding waters! Two things were of particular note in this very successful charity event. First of all, the staff who, like me, were prepared to try something completely new (in my case the Viennese Waltz!) and perform in front of the whole Senior School under considerable pressure. The second lasting memory will be the enormous reception and encouragement given to the staff by the packed audience. Everyone had tremendous fun whilst raising money for charity. Congratulations and well done to everyone who took part in or organised this super event. More details can be found on page 5.
‘The Voice’ herein refers to ‘The Voice of Tanglin Trust School’
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There may be times when we forget ourselves and are careless with our ecosustainability habits. However, I do believe that the emerging generation is growing up with a much deeper commitment to the environment than most adults. This belief was reinforced recently when I joined a group of our Sixth Form College students for a visit to our catering provider’s head office in the city to make a presentation to their top executives. Our students were very impressive indeed in identifying the salient issues that are leading to local and global plastic waste and contamination. The discussion that followed revealed that the company was well aware of the issues and they had in place an eco policy which they are in the process of implementing. The meeting provided our students with an insight to the real challenges that face companies who wish to be more ‘green’. I was very proud of the students’ research and the quality of their presentation and questioning. Read more about this visit on page 20.
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Staff News 04
Making a Difference by Emma Watson, Head of Senior PE Last summer, I headed off to Livingstone in Zambia as a volunteer for The Book Bus Foundation, a charity which provides a mobile book service and actively promotes literacy to underprivileged communities by providing children with books and the inspiration to read. I liked the idea of having an impact on communities without trying to change viewpoints, traditions or religions; and literacy skills will be invaluable as older children look for work.
Despite its relative stability, Zambia remains one of the world’s poorest countries and has been decimated by HIV/AIDS. Schools are underfunded and overcrowded, and books are in short supply. Class sizes of up to 150 make
what to take. Before going, I also held a very successful Book Night to raise money and I was delighted that Tanglin’s Our World fund contributed too.
it difficult for teachers to spend enough time with each child. The Book Bus crew divides classes into small groups and inspires the children to read through storytelling, individual interpretation and creative arts. This small group focus gives the children such a good individual experience as much of their other learning is by rote.
We visited a different school every day, and the children definitely looked forward to our visits. One of my favourite days was travelling to Chileleko Community School in the middle of the Mosi-oaTunya National Park. We passed six elephants, four giraffe and a herd of impala – it’s not often you get a commute like that! Usually set up by someone in the community, the village schools in Zambia are sparse to say the least - no interactive whiteboards or iPads here! However, attending a government school is often prohibitively expensive, as children must have a uniform, proper shoes, exercise books and pay school fees, so community schools are often the only way to access education. As resources are incredibly scarce in Zambia, I took some books and craft items with me. Tanglin students, across the three schools, helped me choose
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Most of the money was used to pay for additional resources and to help build a school! The Zweilopili Community Centre is run by ex-ministry school headteacher Stanley and his wife. They do not receive any money for running the school, but, as is the way in Africa, the community looks after them. Students are taught the basics of Maths, English and Science, all within small mud huts and straw classrooms equipped with just a blackboard and some chalk. The money I raised went towards building three new brick classrooms. This is one of my proudest achievements - so little money can mean so much to a community and make such a difference.
You don’t have to be a teacher to help on the Book Bus, anyone is welcome and helpers on my trip ranged from 17 to 65 years old. It would be an amazing project for some of our leaving students, possibly using funding from a Tanglin Alumni Grant. It was a fantastic experience and definitely one that I will look to repeat, particularly as the Book Bus expands to India this year. Further details about the charity can be found at www.thebookbus.org
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Shaking it up with Zumba
Out of the Classroom, into the Spotlight! Tanglin’s Senior house events are designed not only to raise money but to encourage an ethos of support and participation, and last term’s ‘Strictly Come Teacher Dancing’ competition was a wonderful example of this. Organised for Alexandra House Charity Week, over 30 Senior School teachers performed in, judged and hosted the event, supported by a crew of Operations Staff, students and colleagues. The three-show extravaganza stretched over a month and kicked off with ten brave couples stepping outside the comfort of their classrooms to put themselves in the spotlight and under the scrutiny of a judging panel and a packed theatre of students. The spectacular show covered all styles of dancing from salsa and paso doble to ceilidh and waltz; the hip-hop and disco moves went down a storm, as did a surprise gangnam-style finale. Costumes were outrageously fabulous and the dancing was extraordinarily professional. David Fourie, Head of Alexandra House, organiser and finalist in the competition, commented, “A huge amount of effort went into the production. Every couple
Samu, Y10.2, who danced in the show said, “Strictly had an outstanding impact on the Tanglin community. Students and colleagues were entertained to ultimate limits from watching their teachers on the stage.”
practised several times a week. No one wanted this to be a token effort; we wanted to put on a quality show and the dancing spoke for itself.” Finalist Phil Edwards, Head of Year 7, said the experience was,“more nerve racking than a bungee jump, but lots of fun and an event I will remember for a long time.” Luke Hensman, Year 8 teacher, added, “It was a physical and emotional rollercoaster: stress, strain, laughter, nerves and exhilaration.”
Simon Hatton-Burke, Y11 tutor, said, “My partner was a guiding light and never once giggled at my bandy legs or my complete lack of rhythm. Neither did she grumble about the constant treading on toes or my profound belief that I was (and am) the new Nureyev or Joaquin Cortes!” Students’ votes reduced the competitors to four couples for the Grand Final which saw entirely new dances, again drawing on the support of students both as mentors and as back-up dancers! Jordyn
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Sports and Activities Manager, Julie Clark, talks about Tanglin’s Zumba group. “It’s great fun. Every Tuesday, about 20 teachers and support staff get together to let loose a bit. I had done some Zumba before and loved it, so when I found out that one of our parents, Zuri Kurmaly, was happy to teach us, I jumped at the chance. Some people do it for fitness, some because they love to dance, and some for the music. You don’t have to know how to dance to get a workout. The music hooks you from the first note and the hour goes by incredibly fast. Zuri is full of energy and makes the sessions great fun. We have all improved a lot and come out of each class feeling really energised, not to mention considerably fitter!”
The audience made the final decision as Anna Strawson and Andy Goodliffe, Heads of Year 10 and 8 respectively, were crowned champions.
David said, “Strictly was a fantastic team effort raising almost $6,500 for the Rainbow Centre, a local organisation which provides vital support for children with autism, a range of disabilities and developmental delays. The money will support scholarships and early years intervention.”
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Feature
Celebrating Achievement The following article celebrates the achievements of our students and our marks of success across the Infant, Junior and Senior Schools.
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Infant School by Geraldine Chandran, Headteacher, Infant School Little people have little feet and, therefore, we in the Infant School are happy to measure our achievements in small steps. However, this does not mean that progress is slow; little feet can cover a lot of ground if given the right encouragement and opportunity to move forward in a positive direction. In the Infants, we are very proud of, and like to share and celebrate, the many achievements of our children.
Our end of year 2011/12 Key Stage 1 results were very positive, with increased value added for all groups within Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. The Year 1 end of year summative results were also very encouraging with the majority of children achieving two sublevels+ progress across the core subjects. The Creative Curriculum, underpinned by the intrinsic application of the Learner Profile attributes, is beginning to have an impact on how the children are viewing themselves as learners. Feedback from colleagues in Year 3 indicates that the children this year seemed more independent in their attitude and response to learning and have greater confidence when talking about themselves as learners.
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Our children in Nursery and Reception are leading the way in how to approach their learning. The key elements of their curriculum naturally encourage them to be inquisitive, risk-takers and communicators with an independent spirit and love of learning, where making a mistake is a key part of the learning process. The confidence of the children and their enjoyment of learning are so evident to see when walking through the units and classrooms. The children’s personal achievements are shared and celebrated daily in class and with parents on a half-termly basis during open sessions.
The activities presented during the special themed days and events have also encouraged the children to apply many of their learned skills, with much success. Our World Day, Road Safety Week and the Year 2 Christmas performance are just some of the occasions when the children have been given an opportunity to challenge themselves, work collaboratively, take risks and show their ability to be resilient learners.
We are also very proud of the role the School Council plays in giving the Infant children a voice within the school, whether it is providing a forum for suggestions on how we can make the children feel happy and safe in the playground, how monies earned from non-uniform days should be donated, or looking at environmentally friendly campus initiatives. All children are given opportunities to be responsible members of the school community by regularly taking on the mantle of eco monitor, playground buddy, friendship buddy or sun-smart monitor. Achieving the Healthy Schools Award recently was external validation of all the great collective work that has been done across the school to highlight the need to be a caring, nurturing, healthy and responsible school.
In the Infant School our achievers may be small but they are many in number and we value each and every one.
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Mimi Slinger, Y5.8, stepped up and took the microphone for her solo rendition of In Flanders Fields. Mimi and her fellow members of the Junior School Choir joined their Senior School peers in singing at the Remembrance Sunday Ceremony at Kranji War Cemetery. They sang beautifully and their performance lifted the hearts of all who attended. On the same weekend, Kit Major, Y6.7, stepped up and coolly dispatched the sudden-death penalty that crowned Tanglin’s Year 6 football team as champions of the prestigious Phuket Football Tournament.
Junior School students shine in many different ways. On the stage, Year 4 students dazzled us with their production of ‘Big Beautiful Planet’, which delivered a challenging message on sustainability and showcased the excellence of our music curriculum. Individual classes in Year 3 and Year 5 enjoyed performing in our newly enhanced drama studios in a format that allowed each child to take centre stage.
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On the sports field, our boys and girls cross country runners impressed us by placing 2nd and 3rd respectively in the ACSIS finals. The House swimming galas produced record breaking performances and maximum participation, with every child contributing to their House’s total score.
In assemblies, students have shown leadership and responsibility with ICT reps educating their peers on Internet safety and members of the School Council demonstrating different playground games. For every public success, there are many private triumphs that represent personal breakthroughs. One of the highlights of my week is receiving visits from individual students with good learning to share.
Arts Award: in association with Arts Council England, this structured programme, which is offered as a Co-Curricular Activity (CCA), inspires engagement with the arts, building creative, critical and leadership skills. The award recognises individual development rather than any specific art form or skill level, enabling students to pursue their own interests at their own level.
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Junior School by David Ingram, Headteacher, Junior School
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Mark: a UK national quality mark designed to improve CPD standards which directly drive school improvement. The best professional development is ongoing, experiential, collaborative, and connected to and derived from working with students and understanding their learning journey. CPD keeps teachers up-to-date with new research, current practice in the UK and emerging technology tools for the classroom and more.
Creating a range of different opportunities for children to succeed is very important for us as a school. It is a key driver in our development of a bespoke curriculum. Working to enhance the quality of provision, the school itself has enjoyed success through achieving the Healthy Schools Award and the International Schools Award for developing an internationally relevant curriculum and promoting a global outlook. These awards ensure that the school’s commitment to curriculum development is benchmarked against rigorous criteria that ensure excellence as well as enjoyment.
Primary Geography Quality Mark (PGQM): both an award and a powerful curriculum development tool. It supports the process of school improvement against criteria set by the Geographical Association, the UK’s leading subject association for geography.
Curriculum breadth is underpinned by high standards. The 2011/2012 results were the best ever and compare very favourably with the UK independent sector. We continue to aim high, however, and have set our sights on three further awards/marks.
Directly or indirectly, these initiatives will contribute to providing more opportunities for students and promoting enhanced outcomes. We are proud of our students’ achievements and are committed to raising the bar even higher to help them succeed.
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Senior School by Neil Turrell, Headteacher, Senior School Parents and students encountering the Senior School for the first time are often struck by how progressive the school feels. Recently, we ran several information sessions for Year 5 and 6 parents in which we welcomed them to the school, introduced our facilities, outlined our high expectations and standards – academic and otherwise – and, above all, reassured the parents that transition to the Senior School is very wellsupported. At the other end of the
scale we described the upper school; outlining, for example, the dual post-16 pathways of International Baccalaureate (IB) or A Level that we offer. Tanglin is the only school in Singapore to offer this level of choice and we work closely with families from Year 10 onwards to decide the best pathway for individual students.
We are very proud of the new West Wing, the most recent addition to the Senior School. While the sights and sounds of science, music, maths, humanities and languages have expanded to fill the corridors and classrooms of the West Wing, the examination hall on the top level has proved to be a real bonus for assemblies, professional development, parent-teacher conferences and, by no means least, as a haven for Year 11 students at lunchtime. With some remodelling of classrooms and spaces in the original block to come, we can be confident that the Senior School, as a whole, will provide a learning environment which is modern, effective and encouraging to students and staff alike.
points score of 36.8, which is the highest average score of any international school in Singapore and compares very favourably with the global average of 29.8. Moreover, approximately one third of the cohort scored 40 points or more, and two students scored 45 points, the maximum possible and achieved by only 109 students in the May exam schedule. Our A Level cohort of 76 students had a 100% pass rate, with 88% of their grades in the range A* to C and with 2 students achieving a commendable 4A*s. Tanglin is the only international school in Singapore to offer GCE A Levels. Our GCSE results mirror the high standards of the Sixth Form and compare well with grammar and independent schools in the UK. Given than Tanglin is an academically non-selective school, we can be confident that we are adding good value to our students’ education. Academic achievement is, of course, important, but it is often those skills which are less easy to measure that will help a student achieve their full potential. Many of these are outlined in the Tanglin Learner Profile and underpin our expectations and support in the Senior School. Examples of this include our new Roving Reporters - many of whom are only in Year 7 - who are learning to meet deadlines, be persistent with enquiries, work independently and improve their communication skills. Our Tanglin Goes Greener (TaGG) group have worked with the Operations team to install our new ‘vertical greenery’ between the old and new sections of the Senior School (see
page 18). We hope this will inspire all of us to think and act with care and respect towards our environment. You can also read on page 20 about Year 13’s challenge to both the school and Sodexo on the use of plastics. In the Our World section, Alumni Amy Walter talks about how an Alumni Grant partly funded her volunteer work in Japan. We have seen an encouraging increase in applications for such grants this year and are heartened that so many of the projects put forward for consideration are such excellent examples of the Tanglin Learner Profile in action.
‘Distributed leadership’ is a key theme in the Senior School. Last term, our 2012-13 Student Council Lead Team - or WAYV (We Are Your Voice) - met for an ‘off-timetable’ training and planning day to prepare themselves for implementing the group’s commitments to the student body. WAYV represents the student body, acting as a conduit between students and staff. For the first time, this year, the eight members of the Head Team from Year 13 are each associated with a year group, with a view to building a stronger sense of identity between the oldest and youngest students. It was a delight to watch them in action; they certainly possess the capacity to inspire younger students and amply demonstrate not only the characteristics of the Learner Profile, but everything we value about Tanglin students. From little steps in the Infant School, we are proud to see our Senior students taking confident strides towards their future.
We were also delighted to highlight our students’ excellent academic achievements. Our second IB cohort of 43 students to graduate last year, achieved an outstanding overall average
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Alumni
From Charcoal to iPads: Four Generations at Tanglin by Nellie Rogers, Alumni Manager
Recently, one family shared their memories of Tanglin over four generations: Great Grandma, who worked for Raeburn Park School; Grandma Angela, Alumni; current Tanglin parent Tanya, Alumni; and Olivia and Tia who are currently in Year 5 and Year 7 respectively.
Memories of Angela Bird, Raeburn Park Alumni 1949 – 1955 “I arrived in Singapore from ration card controlled England in the 1940s just after World War 2. There were 60 students at Tanglin Preparatory School (TPS) in just five classrooms in old army barracks. As it was just after the war, we were very short of supplies; for our art classes we had only charcoal to draw with. Our uniforms were chocolate brown with yellow piping and a badge with TPS embroidered on it. We wore white socks and brown shoes but no hat and were very proud of our uniform. My two daughters attended Raeburn Park in the seventies and I recall Sports Day was the highlight of the year. Every child waited in anticipation for the ‘Parents Race’, afterwards, we always went to The Satay Club on the Esplanade to celebrate.”
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Tanglin has a long, illustrious history going back to its founding in 1925. Over the years, a number of schools have been amalgamated with Tanglin, including Weyhill Preparatory School and Raeburn Park School in 1981. An increasing number of parents are now Alumni of either Tanglin or one of our predecessor schools. We warmly welcome their loyalty and love hearing about their links to our past. Memories of Tanya Bird, Raeburn Park Alumni 1972 1978 “There were no school buses at Raeburn Park - every child was collected by a parent or driver. I have great recollections of my Dad collecting us in his vintage car complete with crank handle! Both my sister and I were keen netball players. My Dad got very involved with our netball typically, he was the only dad cheering with all the mums! In 1976, when Raeburn Park moved to the current site at Portsdown Road, Weyhill was opposite. Initially, the playing field was shared but the traditional rivalry soon resulted in staggered playtimes. I vividly recall my family’s disappointment when, in 1981, after more than 30 years of affiliation with Raeburn Park, the schools merged! When we relocated back to Singapore, Tanglin was an obvious choice for my daughters. Tanglin and Singapore have obviously changed a lot over the last 30 years but the sense of community is still strong. It is wonderful that students can now stay within the Tanglin community for their secondary education. Recently, my Mum returned to Portsdown Road for the first time in 31 years - she was bowled over
by the size of the school and the amazing facilities. In our day, we didn’t have any air-conditioned classrooms or dedicated indoor sports facilities, let alone an indoor theatre or Arts Centre!”
Tia O’Neill, Y7.6 and Olivia O’Neill, Y5.6 “After listening to our Mum and Grandma talk about their school days and their fun memories, we can now understand what it really means and are excited to be following in their footsteps. After only a short time we have made some lovely friends and are enjoying what Tanglin has to offer. We were amazed to hear about the lack of resources in Grandma’s time: it’s hard to imagine what it would be like to just have charcoal for Art classes! We have lots of things to help us with our lessons, including iPads! Tanglin is such a great school and it’s a special part of the family. We can see why Mum and Grandma have so many great memories and can’t wait to make more of our own!”
All Raeburn Park Alumni are warmly invited to join the Tanglin Alumni community. There are also opportunities to reconnect through Facebook and LinkedIn. Please contact Nellie.Rogers@ tts.edu.sg for details.
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Spotlight Our World Day 10
‘Our World’ is an overarching term used at Tanglin to bring together the school’s focus on local, regional and global perspectives in the curriculum; environmental awareness; cultural visits and overseas programmes; charity fundraising and service projects; and the personal development of students. The photographs on these pages are from Tanglin’s annual Our World Day, which is a celebration of community, collaboration, cultural diversity and experiencing the attributes of the Learner Profile first-hand.
day! I love a fantastic “It’s been maintain t and try to this plane lad the g and I am its beauty, benefits e th ware of a at is l o o h c s n better th g. It is eve g lin c y c of recyclin t re arnt abou we have le day and I to l o o h c s e ds th s s ro ac t new frien some grea I just love t e m e v a h 13. 3 to Year re!” from Year friends he y m d n a l o o h c s this 1.3 strong, Y1 Ewan Arm
“Our World Day wa s fun. I went to the Seniors and I ate chocolate cake . We were being m iners. We had to take chocolate ch ips out of cookies . I did it with some Year 9 and Year 8 children. We were cooperating, we were working toge ther to take out th e chocolate chips wi th a paper clip an d a flat toothpick an d a round toothpick. I wasn’t nervo us about working with the older child ren, I was happy because the Senio rs were really nice and I made some new friends - even with girls!” Baruch Akwaboah, Y3.7
“We worked as a team and we kept on thinking of what to make. We thought of making a robot but it was my dog’s birthday so I suggested we make a hotel for dogs. Olivia and another girl called Lily in my class and Lucy from Year 11, Daniel, Jem and Raphael from the Seniors all helped to make the puppy hotel. It was important to work together because we had much better ideas together and we were faster.” Lily Evans, Y4.8
“We had to step on a mat. We had to use all the equipment to make a bridge to get onto the next mat holding a precious object - the red ball. I couldn’t do it by myself, we had to use teamwork.” Emily Forrest, Y6.6
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“We had to decide on animal noises for directions like up down left right forward and back. I had to wear a blindfold and Margo had to direct me. I couldn’t have done it on my own because I wouldn’t have known where to go. We worked together.” Eliya Weinstein, Y6.6.
g with the n day bein fu a n e t about e b “It’s have learn e W . ts n e and about older stud recycling is t n a rt o p how im lakey, Y5.8 .” Mollie B teamwork ut hanging o great time have o h w ts “I’ve had a er studen g n u o y re e and a ally with th at maturity re g ut in d e y la disp definitely p ude. I will it !” tt re a tu e iv fu it e s po ycle in th c re to rt o more eff .4 ham, Y13 Polly King
“I always love seein g different age groups working to gether at Tanglin, I wish we could do more of it. I had a Year 11 student wh o was absolutely brilliant at helping a Year 5 take photos for a video . We do these things reasonably often and I think the older kids get as much out of it as the younger kids. The older student s remember what it was like when they were younger.” M r Morgan, Head of Technology for Le arning
“We had to make friendship flowers out of tissue paper and we used very long straws for the stalks. I worked with some Sen iors, lots of boys and a few girls. The y helped me to pull apart the tissue paper so it didn’t tear. We watched a film clip on how to make the flower. I made one flower by myself but I need ed some help with the other flower. A Senior girl and a Senior boy helped me to stick the leaf onto the stalk. I really liked doin g the art activity and it was fun making new friends with older children and younger child ren. We all worked together to make a beautiful friendsh ip flower garden.“ Zoe Radford, Y3.3
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Our World A Model Debate 12
by Helen Penry, Head of Year 12
Aditi Udayabhaskar, Y13.5, explains, “The Hague International Model United Nations Conference (THIMUN) is set up by representatives from The Hague, so this is as real as it gets… students from all over the world congregate, each representing either a country or an organisation, to pass resolutions on issues ranging from economic and financial conditions to social, cultural and humanitarian problems.” “One of the most amazing academic experiences I have ever had; a great combination of analytical thinking, public speaking and socialising with people from very different backgrounds - an experience I definitely look forward to next year!” Julian Wuttke, Y12.8 With ‘Seas and Oceans’ as the theme of this year’s conference, students debated issues such as piracy on the high seas; combating the growing drug problem; registering birth right for all and more specifically; rebuilding countries such as Haiti and Sri Lanka which have been struck by both natural disasters and civil war. Tanglin student delegates represented either The Dominican Republic or the Economic Social Council for Western Asia (ESCWA) in all the General Assemblies (GA); United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC); The Human Rights Council; and, prestigiously, the International Court of Justice where Giacomo Hurst, Y13.8 presided over proceedings as a Judge.
to reach a common goal - to have their resolutions passed. They took obvious pride in inspiring others through moving speeches, cutting debate and addressing issues that affect the lives of others. It is exciting to realise that these students may become the future political leaders and decision-makers of the world! There is no doubt that THIMUN offers hope for the future as the young delegates, with their fresh eyes and hearts full of hope, see solutions where perhaps adults do not. Matthew Terry, Y13.8, in GA6 successfully co-submitted on a resolution that was passed, and Julian Wuttke, Y12.8 in ECOSOC entertained delegates with “tales of my grandmother” as he promoted The Dominican Republic’s pleas for Haiti to be restructured. In GA3, Aditi Udayabhaskar told the conference magazine MUNITY, “We want to stop racial profiling and stereotyping… our resolutions suggest creating a subgovernmental body under the UN to hold annual conferences.”
Medha Bhasin, Y13.1, concluded the debate at the GA2 plenary in front of nearly 2,000 delegates. Her anecdote of gazing out over the Kenyan savannah with her grandmother, to illustrate the importance of conserving our environment and continuing to develop in a sustainable manner, emphasised the need for future generations to conserve. Medha, who has been called for interview at Cambridge University, said she had “… an amazing week and it was a great learning curve too!” Student delegates quickly overcame social, cultural, age and gender barriers
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Participating students: Hannah Robinson, Y13.9 Calum Ferguson, Y13.3 Medha Bhasin, Y13.1 Aditi Udayabhaskar, Y13.5 Thomas McAuliffe, Y13.7 Matthew Terry, Y13.8 Oliver Katzinski, Y13.3 Giacomo Hurst, Y13.8 Holly Leadbitter, Y13.10 George Appleyard, Y13.7 Tom Blin, Y13.4 Corine Ackerman, Y13.2 Aritra Sen, Y12.1 Julian Wuttke, Y12.8
“I enjoyed being able to reconnect with the many friends I had made last year, whilst still being able to make plenty of new friends from a multitude of religious and cultural backgrounds. I think what makes THIMUN so enjoyable is the fact that it gives you the chance to work with a large number of really unique individuals, all of whom are there focusing on a common goal.” Calum Ferguson, Y13.3, a THIMUN ‘veteran’ having participated in five THIMUN conferences.
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Volunteering in Japan by Amy Walter, Alumni 2012 A seven-hour operation to fix a leak in a heart - my first proper surgical experience and I saw a beating heart! Partly funded by a Tanglin Alumni Grant, I am working for six months as a volunteer healthcare assistant in a rural Japanese hospital. My first placement was in the Neurosurgery and Cerebral Medicine Ward, quite a shock in the first week! On the first day, I fainted and got sent home. On the second day, I was changing nappies and bathing bedridden 80-year-olds. The patients are mostly always smiling, and with my limited, but developing, Japanese I have formed relationships with patients and nurses - one lady even started asking for me at weekends. Currently, I am in the Maternity Ward. Although there is a lot of bedchanging to do, I did get to watch a baby being born! Whilst my friends are partying most nights at university, I am working 8.00am-5.00pm five days a week, which I am happy about. I don’t think I could ever get work experience that is this handson anywhere else, and in a country of such beautiful culture and even more beautiful food. This experience has been truly eye-opening and I have relished every opportunity that I have been offered here. Anyone considering taking a gap year should look at www.lattitude.org.uk for a list of fantastic placements in several different countries. To find out more about Alumni Grants, please contact Tanglin’s Alumni Manager, Mrs Nellie Rogers at Nellie.Rogers@tts.edu.sg.
Project 2020: Community Learning by Fiona Gauson, Y7.3 Inspired by ‘High Noon: 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them’ by Jean-Francois Rischard, last term, a group of committed Sixth Form students embarked on a new Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) initiative that they hope will run for many years. Support staff expressed an interest in improving their English so students devised a course to develop their language skills. Mr Roberts, Head of CAS, was keen to focus on the principles of 2020 by setting up a local project, and these language lessons offered an ideal opportunity. He explained, “One of the aims of CAS is to give students the opportunity to develop their own projects and reflect upon what they learn from them and how, over time, they can be improved. I am particularly pleased with the fantastic response from the Sixth Form students on this project. They have coordinated the sessions superbly.” One-to-one ‘lessons’ for ten enthusiastic staff take place weekly. Zoe Sykes, Y12.3 and Sarah Lindsey, Y12.4, the Year 12 leaders of the project said, “There is a definite buzz in the room. We try to make the lessons fun so everyone enjoys them. One of our lessons was to plan a Christmas party with the staff using their English to explain how food is prepared.” Pamela Wang, Y13.4, adds, “It’s great that we are helping the support staff become more integrated. It would be amazing to come back to Tanglin and find that the support staff have improved by leaps and bounds, and more importantly, really enjoyed the process.”
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Infant School
Food For Thought 14
by the Infant School Our World Team Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life.
This thought-provoking proverb was just one example of how children across the Infant School were encouraged to think about and question man’s impact on ‘Our World’ during a week of activities where the focus was on continuing to develop our young children’s awareness of global issues and a sense of community. Inspired by the quote, “Water, food, people, land; the interwoven threads in the fabric of the world,” each year group chose a theme which they felt would best capture the children’s interest or would link naturally to curricula work in class.
Food: How many air, land or sea miles did the fruit on your table travel? The Nursery children had a fabulous week growing plants and learning about food. They watched with wonder as their nurtured seeds sprouted into various shapes and sizes. Each class also had a chosen fruit and thought about where it was grown and how it travelled to our snack boxes! This culminated in the whole of Nursery coming together as a team on Our World Day to make a giant fruit salad with every child contributing to the colourful and tasty meal. The Nursery
classes were delighted to welcome many support staff and Senior Students who helped with the preparation. Much fun was had chopping, slicing, washing, squeezing and peeling fruit as well as some quality control tasting behind the scenes! The children and staff looked wonderful in an array of fruity rainbow coloured clothes and had a fantastic, fruitful Friday!
World Food Day on 16 October and our own food donation drive for the local charity, ‘Food from the Heart’, were other ways in which we wanted to raise awareness of organisations, both within Singapore and across the globe, whose work it is to support the needs of others less fortunate than ourselves.
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People: Respecting our similarities and differences In Year 1, staff and children embraced the theme of TEAM (together everyone achieves more) and working together and focused on people and the ways we communicate. Circle games were played as a way of getting to know each other. One of the children’s favourites was passing the hoop around the circle without dropping it or letting go of each other’s hands, which involved lots of teamwork and plenty of giggles. After a number of circle games, everyone felt much more comfortable with each other. The Reception children were more confident with the Junior and Senior children, using first names and establishing a relaxed rapport.
Parachute games were also played which required lots of communication and teamwork.
The children really enjoyed everything about the day. They demonstrated that they were open-minded to new experiences with new friends in new environments. The Reception children showed what great risk-takers they were and the Junior and Sixth Form students were exceptionally caring and there was a wide range of communication taking place.
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Water: Save our seas, the oceans are in trouble!
Some children collaborated with both Senior and Junior children to create a beautiful weaving to represent the sea, whilst other children made fish, jelly fish and other creatures from recycled materials to display alongside. It was wonderful to see students of all ages working together and complimenting each other’s efforts.
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In Reception, the children proudly became little ocean warriors and were very keen to ‘Save our Seas’. They really understood the message about how we can do small things to have a big impact. They learnt about how throwing rubbish into the wrong place can hurt creatures in the sea and how we should used a waterproof sun cream so oil does not come off when swimming in the sea. The focus was supported by reading ‘Turtle takes a Trip’ by Shamini Flint and complimented by activities in class, including clearing rubbish in ‘tuff spot trays’ and water trays and having a recycling rubbish role play. Many classes made Save our Seas posters to display around the unit too. On Our World Day, the children dressed in blue and some had even decorated their clothing with endangered sea creatures.
Sustainability is meeting “the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Land: Can you be a friend of the forest? The Year 2 teachers were excited to welcome visitors from Reception, Year 5 and the Senior School on Our World Day. Initially, the Reception children were a little nervous but the Juniors and Seniors soon ‘buddied up’ with them and in no time at all everyone felt relaxed and happy. After talking about the forest, we set about making a forest of our own. The Reception children used their arms and hands to make the branches and leaves of the trees with the help of the Juniors; Seniors ensured the paint found its way onto the paper and nowhere else! The older children also helped the younger children write down their own views on why trees are important. The Infant Library and the Music Room were also abuzz with excitement during Our World Day. In the library, students and teachers discussed the benefits of teamwork and togetherness and were able to demonstrate their team spirit through the creation of friendship bridges. Whilst in music, students from Reception, Year 6 and Year 12 worked collaboratively on a project called ‘Commotion in the Ocean.” Together they created small atmospheric music compositions which were combined to create a large musical soundscape portraying life in the ocean. The completed symphonic soundscape was then recorded so they could hear their amazing work.
In the Infant School, Our World Day certainly showed that Together Everyone Achieves More. The Voice Magazine_vol13.indd 15
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Junior School Chinese Spotlight 16
by David Ingram, Headteacher, Junior School
“Chinese is so different from other subjects and it is a lot of fun! Actually, once you know the basics, it’s easier than you think.” Max Hawkes, Y3.3 Despite its complexity, Chinese is one of the most popular subjects in the Junior School. Chinese lessons are characterised by high levels of enjoyment, engagement and active learning and we are proud to celebrate the subject’s development in this edition of The Voice.
Although Chinese has a long tradition in the Senior School, it is only in its fifth year in the Infant and Junior Schools. The subject has developed steadily during this time. From one teacher visiting each of the 32 classes for half an hour a week, there are now two teachers and two Senior Teaching and Learning Assistants (STLA) teaching in dedicated Chinese classrooms located in Years 3 and 6. Next year, children in Years 3, 4 and 5 will learn Chinese for one hour a week, while children in Year 6 will study the language for one and a half hours a week.
Our Chinese teachers are both new to the Junior School this year. Miss Hsu is originally from Taiwan and joins Tanglin from teaching at another international school in Singapore. She feels very positive about working here: “I am amazed by the facilities and resources that Tanglin provides. With interactive whiteboard, computers, iPads and a reading corner in the classroom, students benefit from the diverse learning experiences and enjoy their lessons in an engaging and fun atmosphere.”
Miss Chia is originally from Malaysia and joins us from teaching in Beijing. Both teachers specialise in teaching Chinese as a foreign language, which is highly relevant for the majority of Tanglin children. Our STLAs both hail from China; Miss Zhou is from Shanghai, while Miss Gao is from Dongbei Jilin. Miss Gao commented on the children’s positive attitude towards the language: “I found that the students here are very passionate about learning Chinese.” The new team has gelled very quickly and has worked with dedication and enthusiasm to introduce the expanded curriculum in Years 3 and 5. With two adults in every class, there is real scope for differentiation in lessons, which is equally beneficial for total beginners and experienced native speakers. For most children, Chinese is taught as a foreign language (CFL). The aim of the CFL programme is to provide a positive introduction to Chinese so that children have a solid foundation should they wish to continue their study of the language in the Senior School. However,
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this year has seen the introduction of our Chinese as an Additional Language programme (CAL) for children who are fluent speakers and demonstrate a high level of proficiency in reading and writing as well. These children cover the same topics as their classmates in lessons but at a higher level, reading and writing in Chinese characters. They also meet each morning during registration. “The morning group is different because we do not speak any English at all! It is harder than the normal Chinese lessons,” says Taylor Hoang, Y3.2. Children develop their knowledge and understanding of the language through a variety of interactive methods including: role play, group work, interactive activities, task-based or scenario-based activities, use of technology, singing songs and studying Chinese culture. These different experiences contribute to a systematic development of the children’s knowledge and understanding of the language. In lessons there is continuous consolidation of children’s knowledge, which is developed and extended to more complex language patterns. For example, in their topic on fruit, children learn the noun ‘apple’. Once the vocabulary is secure, it can be developed and extended by learning how to describe the colour of the apple in phrases and then expressing preferences of fruit in sentences. Once this is secure, children are able to engage each other in dialogue.
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The Strategy Diagram
Learning
Vocabulary
Phrase
apple
red apples
Dialogue Sentence I like red apples
A: What kind of fruit do you like? B: I like red apples.
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Consolidation
Technology is a key element in Chinese lessons. In addition to a wide range of games and other interactive whiteboard programmes, iPads provide a new learning approach, which engages the children in using new technology to support their development and motivate self-study. Students have been using several apps in class such as ‘Socrative’, ‘Skitch’ and ‘Pages’. These apps enable students to consolidate what they have learnt and provide a new, interesting approach to practise different language skills. At the same time, we are developing reading corners in both Chinese classrooms and a new Chinese language section in the library. Just as we seek to provide a print-rich environment to foster and stimulate a love of reading in English, we want our Chinese classrooms to be similarly enriching. While it is appropriate to recognise the extent to which Chinese has grown as a subject, the school is not remotely complacent. Over the last three years, we have been working closely with David Wu to develop our curriculum even further. David, who is currently Head of Chinese at Kellett School in Hong Kong, developed the Chinese curriculum for New South Wales in Australia. He is working with our team to embed a challenging set of expected outcomes within the programmes of study to ensure continuity and progression throughout the school. Given David’s considerable experience we can take great pride in his evaluation that the teaching of Chinese in the Junior School is, “very interactive and engaging,” resulting in students who are, “enthusiastic and participate actively in lessons, which they enjoy.” This is a strong foundation for future development.
Language is all about communication. The Junior School is very proud to be developing links with Y K Pao School in Shanghai. Children on the CAL programme are motivated to converse and write Chinese characters in order to communicate with their new friends in Shanghai. They have enjoyed using their Chinese to meet new friends via self-introduction video exchanges, Chinese New Year card exchanges and writing pen pal emails. Y K Pao School offers intensive summer school programmes for beginners and native speakers alike and families may wish to explore this as an option for their children: www.ykpaoschool.cn. We are also proud of our ongoing links with Gam Eng Seng School in Singapore. The cultural exchange at Chinese New Year, in which children from both schools perform in their respective assemblies, is one of the highlights of the Junior School calendar.
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“Learning a language means we can talk with people from other countries and learn about them more.” Madeleine Falting, Y3.3
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Senior School
Tanglin Goes Greener!
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by Francesca Downes, Y8.7 and Martin Foakes, Head of Biology Director of Learning John Ridley says, “The vertical gardens are the finishing touches to the West Wing building project and make a strong statement about Tanglin’s commitment to the environment, as well as providing us with a fantastic learning resource - relevant to children in Infants, Juniors and Seniors. It has been very exciting to see students from TaGG working alongside our Operations Team to make the end result so successful.”
Students, staff and parents should look out for some changes around the school’s campus this term. Our Tanglin Goes Greener (TaGG) group of energetic Senior students committed to improving the environment, have already started planting the first panels of a vertical garden on the new West Wing and on the bridges connecting it with the Junior School.
Basing decisions on a combination of science and aesthetic appeal, students and teachers have been working with the Operations Team since September last year to choose the plants and work out the practicalities of the project. This has involved planning meetings and several visits to the Greenology Nursery at Changi Village. Caroline Daumich, Y13.3, who leads the TaGG group with Biology teacher Miss Lizzie Hodges, said, “At Greenology, we were educated on the importance of technology in gardening today. Planting the vertical garden was great fun - we all got our hands dirty stuffing the panels with soil and plants. We took it very seriously as we knew it would leave a mark on Tanglin for the future to come. Vertical gardens are important today, especially with the increase of buildings, climate change and global warming.”
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In addition to the vertical garden, TaGG are planning a number of projects including raising awareness of plastic use across the school and monitoring and recording biodiversity on campus. The greenery will absorb radiation from the sun, keeping buildings naturally cool and saving energy. The garden will also include some useful local plants climbing plants like grape vines make excellent vertical gardens and local Asian herbs will add spice and colour. Increased biodiversity will also facilitate many learning opportunities across the whole school - A Level and IB Biology students can study hydroponics, biodiversity and plant mineral nutrition; IB Environmental Systems students will be able to monitor the progress of the project; and Junior and Infant students will be involved in the planting and have some wonderful opportunities to watch the development of the garden over an extended period. And, a wall of local herbs and exotic plants looks much nicer than bare concrete!
“Being a Building and Construction Authority certified Green Mark Facilities Manager, it brings great joy to me that we have our first green wall on campus, marking our resolution towards a greener and sustainable educational environment.” Brian Teng, Director of Operations “ … the vertical garden is a great idea and will make Tanglin even cooler! Once completed, the building the vertical garden will be put on will look amazing. I just know it will turn out great!” Samantha Oon, Y7.2 “We will be looking to involve our Infant Eco-Monitors and Junior Green Team in all the TaGG group’s projects.” Miss Hodges, Science Specialist
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Year 9 Indian Orphanage Visit by James Robinson, Assistant Head of Year 9
The orphanage is a non-government voluntary organisation working with leprosy patients and their children. As children of leprosy patients are not allowed to stay with their parents, Divya Prem Sewa Mission started a boarding school for them at Vandematram Kunj. The school houses about 200 children between 4 and 16 years of age who are given free education, board and lodging. Tanglin has visited the orphanage for
the past five years. The orphanage coordinator Mr Sanjay Chaturvedi commented on the relationship between the school and the orphanage over the years, “Tanglin’s donations go a long way in helping the children of leprosy patients to receive quality education and to have
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The Year 9 India programme was once again an amazing experience for the students and staff of Tanglin. One of the highlights is undoubtedly the visit to Divya Prem Sewa Mission Orphanage. The orphanage is located in Vandematram Kunj near Chilla village, just two minutes walk from Camp Tusker, where students spend two nights.
a livelihood. Whenever we see a new ray of hope in the eyes of these children, we shall always remember you and your kind contribution.” With students having so many amazing activities and experiences on offer during their time in India, it is wonderful to hear all involved speak so fondly of their time at Divya Prem Sewa. Mr Goodliffe said, “Undoubtedly, the highlight of my week in India was the heartwarming morning we spent at the orphanage. Greeted by a rousing song, I realised that the ‘unfamiliar’ Tanglin students were greeted like old friends on a return visit. After some well-organised games, we soon scattered into our areas of interest and
ended up running around with about 50 children of various sizes and backgrounds all chasing a football. Looking back at the photos it strikes me how many smiling faces there were - young people united by the desire to just fill a morning with fun.” Here are some final words from Tanglin’s Educational Psychologist, Mr Stock, who was on the programme: “Visiting the orphanage was a memorable experience. The children we met gave us a warm and energetic reception; their enthusiasm brought the best out in both students and staff. Our students excelled at developing creative ways to bridge the language barrier and led some fantastic inclusive games for the children. The visit gave all of us a reminder and further insight into the challenges some children experience and how they do so with a smile on their face and with a hugely positive outlook. An unforgettable experience.”
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Sixth Form
It’s Not Plastic-Fantastic! 20
by the Year 13 IB Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS) team: Lydia Caston, Aude Hillion, Giacomo Hurst, Maria Stapleton, Miranda Wyeth, Prachi Vaid and Rohan Dutt On Our World Day, 19 October 2012, Year 13’s ESS team was invited to Sodexo Headquarters to present to the regional managers. It all started following our presentation to the Senior School Leadership Team where we addressed some of the issues regarding waste generated by the school and how to reduce it, with a particular focus on plastics. As part of our research, we discovered some alarming statistics: more than twice as much waste per capita is generated in Singapore than England (1,330kg compared to 592kg), and that while plastics make up nearly 15% of waste generated, only 2% of it is recycled in Singapore (compared to 11% in the UK). We also noted that at every break and lunchtime huge quantities of disposable cups, plates and cutlery were being thrown away. We feared that perhaps we were not meeting one of the commitments outlined in the school’s Aims and Values:
privilege. After the presentation, we had an open discussion to agree how best to tackle the issue. Sodexo aims to reduce organic and non-organic waste at all of its clients’ sites globally by 2015. It has already started this at Tanglin where it now only uses Origo products (eco-friendly material made from corn that is 100% biodegradable). This is fantastic but, as a school, we still need to work harder on the issue of the uncountable plastic cups, bottles, plastic lids and wrapping generated every day. Miss Hunt (our ESS
teacher) is also supporting our mission, encouraging all teachers to use their own mugs to reduce the waste generated from the staff café - just a start! We feel positive - we are currently working with the Year 7 TaGG group to re-label some bins that can be nominated for plastics recycling so that there are more around school and Sodexo is continuing to work with us to address the waste issue. We are happy that we are starting to fulfil our promise to ‘act ethically and according to the principles of social and environmental responsibility’.
‘Tanglin seeks to act ethically and according to the principles of social and environmental responsibility.’ We realised that attempting to change things on a national scale would be rather ambitious, so we set out to find ways to make changes on a local, i.e. Tanglin Trust School scale. Fortunately for us, Jonno Johnstone, Food Services Manager, had invited Ms Ying Wen Lee, Sodexo’s Marketing Manager, to our presentation and, suitably impressed by what we were trying to achieve, she referred us to the Sodexo Headquarters. On the day of the presentation, Mr Derby-Crook, Tanglin CEO, escorted our team to the Sodexo Headquarters where the Managing Director greeted us. We delivered our presentation, working through a few technical issues and overcoming our nerves. Having senior members of such a large organisation hanging on our every word was a
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Remember the 5 Rs: Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
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Student Leadership in Year 12 by Helen Penry, Head of Year 12
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At Tanglin, we strive to enrich the ‘whole child’, giving opportunities to develop life skills beyond the classroom so that our students will be in a better position to contribute meaningfully to the wider community when they leave school. Part of this process is to encourage an ethos of ‘distributed leadership’ where students get the chance to take on roles of responsibility within the school. In Year 12, roles of responsibility include acting as Pastoral Prefects; duty roles at break and lunch times; and taking the lead on activities during House Day and Our World Day. Alex Hills, Y12.5 explains, “Pastoral Prefects are carefully chosen by the Head of Year and the student Lead Team to go to the younger form groups in the Senior School to spend time with them during their Tuesday form periods.” This support could be anything from an open discussion on life in the Sixth Form to leading a debate on a current affairs issue. A Year 10 student explains, “The Pastoral Prefects for our class have talked to us about the difference between A Levels and the IB. They make tutor sets more fun and Sixth Form seem less scary.” There are, of course, benefits on both sides; Pastoral Prefect Dominic Reeves, Y12.5, says, ”being a Pastoral Prefect has helped me understand the difficulties of trying to get full participation and has helped me get used to speaking in front of smaller audiences.”
Year 12’s duty roles are essential to the smooth running of canteens at break and lunch times. Their presence around the school allows younger Senior School students to interact with Sixth Formers in a social setting, and means that the expectations for appropriate behaviour are endorsed by the students themselves. Many suggestions have been put to the Student Council during these informal situations. During F1 House Day in September, Year 12 students led many of the activities, promoting a great sense of team spirit and encouraging spectators to cheer on the participants. They guided younger students in following the instructions of the various tasks, helping them find resources and, on occasion, giving some much needed moral support. Our World Day saw Year 12 students combine forces with Year 13 students to support teachers in leading the various activities to promote the community and teambuilding spirit of the day. Dhakshenya Dhinagaran, Y12.5 explains, “the younger students became our responsibility on one of many occasions when Sixth Formers have been granted the invaluable opportunity to show off their leadership skills.”
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“We set our bags down, revelling in the calm before the storm. And trust me, it’s a storm! Suddenly, a girl walks past with her hair down, a boy with his collar undone and another girl is cutting in the line. After a quick glance at each other, we disperse, ready to catch the wrongdoers with our kind yet authoritative words. With a little help from the teacher supervisor and our smiles, we hear the laughter of the students rising.” Freya Hodges, Y12.4
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Showcase: Art • Drama • Music
Art - Infant & Junior 22
Art and Design in Our World by Deirdre Dunstan, Head of Infant and Junior Art
Our World Day was filled with collaborative experiences across the school and curriculum but it didn’t end there! The Junior School spent the entire afternoon on Our World Day focusing on the charities their year group supports and designed art work for the charity display boards. The designs and paintings which resulted are truly unique and inspired and now supplement the charity boards in each unit.
Year 3 i-India
Year 4 World Wildlife Fund
Year 5 Caring for Cambodia
Year 6 World Land Trust
Infant School children also took part in making a collective display, highlighting four essential aspects of our physical world. The essential elements were brought to life visually as each child made their own piece of art. These wonderful pieces range from collage and painting to weaving and will be exhibited along the Infant corridors this term - a truly visual feast and celebration of Our World.
Nursery Food
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Reception Water
Year 1 People
Year 2 Land
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Showcase: Art • Drama • Music
Art - Senior Senior Art Update by Zoe Thompson, Y12.7
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Tanglin’s Senior Art Department is incredibly proud that the work of 14 students was featured in the recent Five-to-One art exhibition, which was part of an annual series of events showcasing a selection of promising young talent from five international schools in Singapore. For many, this was their first glimpse into the competitive market of art and the opportunity gave invaluable experience of taking what they have learnt into the real world.
Following a very successful exhibition in 2011, last year’s event was highly anticipated, and did not disappoint. Entries included a range of innovative sculptures, mixed media pieces, portraiture, photography and sumptuous textiles. Some were hoping to follow Aude Hillion’s, Y13.6, success in last year’s exhibition; Aude’s work has been printed, framed and hung in every room of The Sheraton Hotel, Singapore. A Level art student Sian Troote’s, Y13.4, mixed-media piece, ‘Cuts the Mustard’, took on a central theme of heritage and the comparison of Asian and British culture. As a British expatriate living in Singapore, Sian is interested in the idea of where we come from and likes her projects to be personal and involved with her own identity. She represented this idea through layered paper rings, each of which signify a different era in British heritage.
Head of Art and Design, Rob Le Grice explains, “This is the second exhibition that our ‘forum’ of five art teachers has organised. Our main aim is to showcase our talented young artists in a professional gallery space, but it has been most encouraging and exciting that other schools, collectors and enthusiasts have shown great interest in our project. Each year our team gets stronger and a little bigger, and we hope to expand in the forthcoming years to give a chance for the young artists to really stretch their wings.”
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Showcase: Art • Drama • Music
Drama 24
Junior Drama Update by Theresa Chapman, Drama Specialist
Senior Drama Update By Bindya Chauhan, Senior Drama Specialist
A host of activities kept everyone buzzing with creativity and enthusiasm last term. Our newly renovated Junior Drama studio is now fully in use, and the lighting has enabled the learning environment to instantly evoke a new location or mood, much to the excitement of the children.
In Year 3, children focused on performance poetry and have enjoyed experimenting with the use of voice, facial expression and gesture under the spotlights. Year 4 explored the text, ‘The Iron Woman’ through role play, still image and movement. An unforgiving mountain environment provided the setting for Year 5 lessons where children responded to a true story of a missing person on Kota Kinabalu, and Year 6 explored their World War II topic to the backdrop of sounds, music and images which evoked the period.
Term 1 was a busy and exciting start to the year for the Drama department. We began with a variety of practitioners delivering workshops across Years 8 to 13. Mark Hill, Jennifer Hartley and Marco Luly all came to Tanglin to develop the students’ understanding of different theatre styles and presence in performance. The students thoroughly enjoyed their time with the practitioners and used what was taught within their own unique performances.
Finally, we were delighted to welcome back Loose Cannon theatre group who performed their incredibly funny and engaging sideshow. The range of characters Jonny and Liesel created had the children hooked from the outset. A particular favourite was their rendition of ‘The Emperors New Clothes’.
New Drama CCAs have been busy, with Year 5 and 6 children working hard on creating their own adaption of ‘Bombs and Blackberries’, a World War II play by Julia Donaldson. The Year 3 and 4 children have been working to understand the musical theatre genre and have been trying their hands at singing, dancing and acting - watch out West End!
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We also enjoyed the hilarious ‘Commedia’ performances by Year 8; the energy and interaction of GCSE Year 10 students who performed storybook classics to Year 2; and a thought-provoking devised exam piece from Year 13. Lastly, there were Year 7 and 8 performances of ‘Rabbit’, a story set within a post-apocalyptic era where children have been left to fend for themselves. This piece was beautifully directed by student Marika Wolff, Y13.9, whose talents as a director really shone through with insightful and creative ideas on set, costume, lighting and sound. All students involved thoroughly enjoyed the process.
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Showcase: Art • Drama • Music
Music
Infant Music Update by Caroline Francis, Head of Infant Music (2001-2012) Term 1 is always a busy term for Infant Music, especially towards Christmas. The Infant Ensembles got off to a great start with over 100 children signing up for Infant Choir, Infant Strings, Infant Ukuleles and Infant Recorders. These new ensembles were all very excited to get a chance to perform at the PTA Book and Craft Fair in November. The Year 2 Christmas Concert was followed by the Year 2 Choir singing beautifully at the atmospheric St. George’s Festival of Music that same evening and Nursery Christmas sing-a-longs finished the term off nicely.
It was an extremely busy first term in the Junior Music Department! With record numbers of students participating in our Junior Music CCA Ensembles, we were treated to a wide variety of performances from all twelve of our groups ranging from Alpha Recorders and Percussion for Fun to the Junior Wind and String Ensembles, and our very popular Junior Rock Band. There were also several wonderful lunchtime recitals, where children have performed solos, duets and as members of our ensembles. In November, our Year 3/4 Choir enjoyed meeting the children of Chen Su Lan Children’s Home to perform a varied programme of choral and show songs, whilst the Junior Chamber Choir had a memorable experience at the poignant Remembrance Day Ceremony at Kranji War Memorial.
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Junior Music Update by Fiona Knight Lucas, Head of Junior Music
Senior Music Update by Malcolm Godsman, Head of Senior Music Senior Music had an incredible start to the year. Our fabulous state-of-the-art music department now includes new classrooms, performance areas, the ever-popular practice rooms as well as an iMac Suite with cutting-edge technology areas for studio recordings. Students made the most of the new facilities, both in class and in rehearsals, and there were some outstanding performances. Our Senior Chamber Orchestra performed beautifully at the Senior Awards Evening with music which included ‘Palladio’ by Karl Jenkins and ‘Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring’ by J S Bach. A record number of students participated in the Senior Ensembles Concert. Our opening of ‘Go West’, complete with live media and a Mac-produced dance-style backing track, was a big hit and set the audience up for a phenomenal evening of great music.
Year 4’s spectacular production ‘Big Beautiful Planet’ was a highlight as children shared their knowledge of sustainability through a wonderful display of musical talent including whole class performances on violins, ukuleles and drums as well as creative dance, fabulous singing and entertaining narrations. The fantastic performances left audiences tapping their toes and appreciating the need to care for our wonderful world. Well done to all those involved!
Term 1 also saw Year 10-13 IGCSE, IB and AS/A2 music technology students inspired by music software writer and producer, Marcel Pusey, in composition workshops; the Kings Singers A Capella Male Voice choir singing at our first whole school assembly; house bands playing at the F1 House Day and students in Years 7, 8 and 9 taking part in the Federation of British International Schools in South East Asia (FOBISSEA) Music Festival in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. All in all, an incredibly busy and active term in Senior Music!
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Sport
Celebrating Sport at Tanglin 26
by Colin Morris, Director of Sports and Activities
It has been fantastic to see the support for, and interest in, Tanglin’s sports programme growing. Over 450 enthusiastic students trialled for 20 different activities at the trials weekend at the start of Term 1, the most students ever to trial in one session. More students participating together with increased coaching provision and additional resources make for higher standards at team levels. In addition, our
increased commitment to international sport, particularly within SEASAC (South East Asia Student Activities Conference), has resulted in a wider range of sport offered in the Senior School.
Term 1 saw outstanding performances in all three of our sporting conferences. Our ACSIS (Athletics Conference Singapore International Schools) results have always been excellent and this season was no exception with Tanglin reaching championship status in a number of sports across all ages. The cross country programme was particularly successful and, for the first time, we were able to enter competitive teams in all years. The U15 FOBISSEA competition was also a resounding success with students achieving Gold medal positions in athletics and Silver medal positions in the boys swimming and football.
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SEASAC was, as always, the pinnacle of our competitive sports and we had the pleasure of hosting the girls football competition. The girls did incredibly well, battling their way to the final, only to lose on a golden goal to Patana School, Bangkok. Tanglin’s commitment to SEASAC is growing and this year we will be entering teams into more SEASAC sports.
Other key developments this year include the implementation of our new policy of participation which allows students to play more than one sport at competitive level. We have also identified tennis, badminton, golf and gymnastics as sports needing additional support. Extra coaching, targeted staff commitments and a push to increase student participation will be put in place for these sports this year. We are particularly pleased with our relationship with Richard Harris, our golf professional and the introduction of a ‘pyramid of performance’ which will enable Tanglin golfers to progress from junior levels right through to our competitive SEASAC squad.
For many of the squads, and in particular Phuket football and FOBISSEA, we are limited by the rules of the specific competition as to the numbers of participants we can select. The selection process is always extremely challenging and we do our very best to help students handle the trialling process in a positive and constructive way, regardless of whether they make the squad or not. We also aim to ensure that there is enough sporting opportunity at Tanglin for everyone. ACSIS provides a great structure for wider competitive participation over longer periods and our range of sporting CCAs supplement the curriculum to nurture a healthy interest in keeping active and enjoying sport at a recreational as well as competitive level.
Term 1 finished with some extremely useful Sports Forums. We are always interersted in parents’ views about how we can improve our sporting provision and would like to thank all those who took part. Over the coming months we will be looking to improve our sporting strategy to ensure that Tanglin maintains one of the best school sports programmes in South East Asia.
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U15 FOBISSEA by Maria Moylan, Assistant Head of Senior PE Tanglin’s U15 FOBISSEA team performed outstandingly over all three days of the competition in Bangkok. In addition to developing new friendships within their own team and with students from other schools, Tanglin students demonstrated admirable camaraderie and team spirit throughout. Day 1 saw the team take to the pool and the athletics track with some outstanding individual achievements, matched by team performances in basketball and football on the following two days.
800m 800m 1500m Long Jump Triple Jump Triple Jump
Y9 Y10 Y10 Y9 Y10 Y10
G B B B G B
Charlotte Phillipson Matthew Rossiter Matthew Rossiter Marcus Chung Sophia Boardman Matthew Troth
2.32.74 2.21.13 4.45.22 5.31m 9.22m 10.00m
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In athletics, the team brought home an amazing individual tally of 19 Gold, 15 Silver and three Bronze medals. Both the boys and girls team placed 1st with an overall team placing of 1st. The following students also broke school athletics records:
In swimming, the team took one Gold, 12 Silver and three Bronze medals. The boys team placed 2nd, the girls team placed 6th, with an overall team result of 5th. In football, the girls were unlucky to lose to Patana in the semi-finals and finished 4th after a nail-biting penalty shootout. The boys played some fantastic football, winning all their games to secure a place in the final; Alice Smith School Kuala Lumpur, however, provided them with an exciting match with the Tanglin boys taking second place. In basketball, the girls faced Patana in the semi-final and unfortunately lost by only one point in the last minute. They went on to deservedly win their match for 3rd place in an exciting match against Shrewsbury International School. The boys team battled hard all day, facing excellent opposition to finish 7th.
Phuket Football by Dean Scott, Assistant Head of Primary PE This year, a record number of seven teams boarded the plane bound for Phuket to compete in the annual British International School Phuket football competition. It was evident very early on that team cohesion and morale was high amongst the students, and the interaction across the age ranges, from Year 4 all the way up to Year 10, was lovely to see. Staff leading the trip were all proud of the way the students represented Tanglin. They not only excelled in their football but also in their capacity as young athletes, competing as true sportsmen and women in the spirit of the game. In the words of Erin James, Y6.7, U11 girls team, “Football is not only about winning. It is about learning to work as part of a team, forming closer relationships with your friends and most importantly, having fun in a sport that you love.” After two days of intense competition the final standings of the our teams were as follows:
Under 9 Under 11 Under 11 Under 13 Under 13 Under 15 Under 15
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Mixed Team Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls
4th place 1st place 2nd place 5th place 7th place 1st place 3rd place
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Tanglin’s Merlions Make A Splash In Asia! by Rebecca Richards, Director of Aquatics
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Tanglin’s Merlions had a roaring term. Octoberfest saw over 200 swimmers race at our home pool, and swimmers from Year 3 all the way to Sixth Form coming together as one team. The Senior ACSIS meet was extremely successful with the Merlions clinching 2nd - a special mention to the boy’s side, who were only 11 points off winning! 40 of the best Merlion swimmers were selected to travel to Bangkok to represent Tanglin at Feeding Frenzy, a prestigious three-day event catering for 15 international schools and clubs throughout Asia. With long-course training and gym workouts that saw even the fittest Merlions almost on their knees, the team’s preparation was tough. No-one gave anything less than 100% and it paid off with fantastic results. The team saw 184 lifetime best swims, seven Gold medals, 12 Silver medals and 21 Bronze medals. Special congratulations to Katie Mullan, Y7.5, who won the runners-up ‘high point’ trophy in the 11/12 age group. With an overall standing of 1st Visiting Team and 3rd overall, the Merlions are taking the Asian swim scene by storm!
SEASAC Football by Jack Blakey, Y13.4 A weekend of ups and downs for the Tanglin boys football team was emulated by the weather which made a transition from bright blue skies to an ominous atmosphere as dark grey clouds loomed over the UWC Dover playing fields. Mr Robinson and the Tanglin boys may walk away from the tournament disappointed, yet their heads can be held high as football was played to a calibre each Tanglin player can be proud of. Spectacular goals were scored – most notably Jamie Thuillier’s dipping rocket and Joe Blakey’s forty-yard lob - and Tanglin played with pride, intensity and perseverance. Although UWC Dover proved to be worthy of the SEASAC championship with unfaltering performances, Tanglin provided many glimpses of genius and skill which will see the team compete for the championship in the coming years. The girls team fared better, demolishing all in their path to reach the final against an extremely strong Bangkok Patana squad. Patana managed to squeeze in an equalizer with only five minutes of the game remaining, leading to an unlucky defeat for the girls from a golden goal situation.
Junior Swimming Galas by Chris Rawlings, PE Specialist The Junior Swimming Galas are always hugely enjoyable. With a mix of competitive and fun races ranging from eight person boogie board relays to 25m and 50m sprints, everyone gets to take part in the 20 different events. The children are bursting with enthusiasm and energy to earn valuable points for their House. At the Year 3 Gala, two House school records were broken in amazing swims by the Singa canon relay team and Elang’s Kai Rawlings, Y3.2, who set a time of 23.51s for the 25m backstroke. Year 4 had a fabulous afternoon at their House Gala, where four House records were broken, including the 25m freestyle by Katie Henderson, Y4.6, in a time of 17.11s, and the 25m breastroke by India Boyd, Y4.4, in a time of 22.59s. At the Year 5 Gala, the atmosphere was electric as Elang’s Aryaan Din, Y5.1, broke the 50m backstroke record in a superb swim of 45.57s. This record was 10 years old, which means Aryaan had just been born when it was set! The Year 6 Gala saw more records broken; Ray Jerram, Y6.4, swam an outstanding 50m freestyle to set a new record of 34.40s. The Elang team were on fire setting new records in the breastroke, medley and ball relays. Congratulations to Singa who were the overall winner of the 2012 Junior House Swimming competition - a fantastic team effort!
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PTA
A Look Back at Term 1
A highlight for Juniors is the disco and for Year 3 this was their first! Great fun was had dancing to their favourite songs; gangnam-style seemed to be particularly popular this year! Thank you to parent volunteers for making the discos possible and to DJ Jazz and DJ Hope!
Our busiest Quiz Night ever took place in October and a big thank you goes to Mr Neil Turrell, Head of Senior School, for doing a sterling job as Quiz Master. Congratulations to the winning team ‘I’ll Have a ‘P’ Please Bob’. Term 1 ended on a high with the Christmas Fair in the Berrick Performance Hall. Winter arrived early with glittering snowflakes and presents setting the scene. Well done to Committee members, Julia, Mairisa and Philippa on the amazing transformation of the Berrick. Students enjoyed browsing through the wide selection of books on
sale, while delicious food was served on both days. The cakes and biscuits were wonderfully festive - thank you to all who kindly baked. Our sincere thanks also to Sodexo and Jonno Johnstone, Tanglin’s Food Services Manager, for the magnificent Christmas carvery and mince pies, which were a real treat. And, many thanks to London Bar, Boat Quay for the welcome cup of mulled wine on Saturday. Thank you to our generous sponsors JM Flowers for the stunning 10-foot Christmas tree in the foyer, which raised funds for the Gurkha Welfare Trust and
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Term 1 was very busy. The Committee helped at Orientation Day, hosted a New Teachers Tea, held two Newcomers Coffee Mornings, four Junior Discos, a Quiz Night, a Class Reps Coffee Morning and the Christmas Fair. Phew! None of this would have been possible without the support of the fabulous Tanglin community - thank you everyone. I would particularly like to thank parents who took on the invaluable roles of Class and Parent Year Group (PYG) Reps this year.
many thanks to our beavers and cubs for their amazing fundraising for the Gurkhas. We were extremely honoured to be visited by two Gurkha Pipers and thank them for taking time to join us. Santa was very busy listening to wishes, thank you to AAM Advisory who kindly sponsored Santa’s Grotto once again. Our Christmas Craft Centre was a hive of activity and there were some fabulous decorated stockings and handmade cards being taken home. Thank you to parent Lorna Regan for setting this up and to the Junior School for the use of the Year 5 unit. The Christmas Fair wouldn’t be such a great event without our book, gift, gourmet, charity vendors and Student Enterprise groups who provided a great shopping experience for the community – thank you everyone. And thank you to our talented students, Wrong Direction, Centre Stage and the Wessex Singers for their wonderful performances. Thank you to all the teachers, members of staff, support teams and parent volunteers who helped the Committee before, during and after the Christmas Fair. Personally, I would like to thank the amazing PTA Committee for all their hard work during Term 1. Make sure you keep up with PTA news by clicking the PTA tab at the top of In Touch and checking the TTS Portal. Tracy Betteridge PTA President
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Student Services Passion for Parenting 30
by Caroline Masterson, Head of PSHCE, Senior School Student Services is made up of the Careers, Nursing, Counselling and PSHCE (Personal, Social, Health, Careers Education) teams, a group of staff who work hard to support students (and sometimes parents too) in so many areas of school life. In this issue, we focus on Passion for Parenting, a PSHCE initiative.
Born from a Passion for Parenting weekend conference in 2007, Tanglin’s own Passion for Parenting (PfP) brand has developed into a steady stream of Tanglin Talks and Parent Workshops throughout the year. The name of the initiative speaks
for itself - as a school we are passionate about giving back to our parents through enriching their learning and understanding of issues important to their children and family. Helping and supporting our parents is a vital role the school can play in our community. This can be especially important in an international environment where many of us are away from our usual support systems and sources of information.
The PfP Tanglin Talks programme has been developed to enable parents to access a wide range of topics and, wherever possible, dovetails with the student curriculum. Year 7 students, for instance, have recently been issued iPads. PfP is supporting parents on how to adapt by offering a session which aims to give a more detailed understanding of the role of technology in the school lives of our children. It will offer some practical ideas for ensuring balance and responsible use at home along with an opportunity to ask questions of our Tanglin Technology for Learning Team. Another example of how the PfP schedule compliments the curriculum, PSHCE in particular, is where students receive a session on themes such as stress management or ‘making the most of your teenage brain’. Parents can then
engage in the PfP Tanglin Talks version of the student session, hopefully gaining helpful insights into the child and teenage experience and advice on how to best support their children. Tanglin has hosted a number of successful PfP Tanglin Talks guest speaker events so far this academic year. These have included Suzanne Anderson from Singapore American Community Action Council (SACAC) presenting on ‘the irks, quirks and perks of living in Singapore’ for new arrivals; Cate Hey, also from SACAC, hosting ‘raising happy and optimistic children’; and Robert Pereira who delivered sessions to parents, staff and students on inclusion and bullying during a five-day visit to Tanglin. We have many more planned for the year ahead.
Parent Comments: “These workshops are invaluable. Thank you. I am very much looking forward to the next Tanglin Talk.” “Fantastic initiative... excellent presenter with a lot of knowledge that was shared in a fun and informative way. Excellent workshop.” “It is a great initiative to involve parents in such workshop opportunities. Well done!”
“No one is ever quite ready; everyone is always caught off guard. Parenthood chooses you. And you open your eyes, look at what you’ve got, say “Oh, my gosh,” and recognise that of all the balls there ever were, this is the one you should not drop. It’s not a question of choice.” Marisa de los Santos, in ‘Love Walked In’
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“I found the Virtues Parenting Approach Training course really enlightening. It was reassuring to share parenting challenges with other like-minded parents and discover that we had similar experiences. The course provided a framework which has helped me bring out the best in my children and in so doing boost both their self-esteem and my confidence as a parent. It was a really positive experience and one that I have been able to incorporate into my family life to benefit all of us.” Parent
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31 In addition to the Tanglin Talks, PfP delivers a number of very well-received parent workshops. Last term, Tanglin’s Counsellors Clare Holmes and Kendra Frazier and Educational Psychologist Phil Stock hosted the ‘Virtues Project’ parenting workshops and sessions on ‘helping children with school-related anxieties’. Next academic year, our School Counsellors hope to embark on a year-long course to become Certified Parent Coaches. They will also continue to offer ‘Virtues Project’ parenting courses and are looking to bring in additional programmes and workshops, such as ‘Love and Logic’. In conjunction with this, an external provider will continue to offer parent effectiveness training and the ‘Virtues Project’ parenting workshops in the evenings and at the weekends.
Upcoming events:
• • • • •
Living with the iPad Making the most of the teenage brain Alcohol and drug use Raising children with privilege, asset or liability? The Virtues Project parenting training
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“The ‘understanding why our children are unkind to each other’ workshop was really brilliant. Robert Pereira really bought the topic alive and made it relevant to us and our children. What I found most useful were the practical suggestions - it wasn’t just a case of being talked at but of learning some useful ways to interact with our children to understand and reduce their anxieties.” Parent
If I Had My Child to Raise All Over Again by Diane Loomans If I had my child to raise all over again, I’d build self esteem first, and the house later. I’d fingerpaint more, and point the finger less. I would do less correcting and more connecting. I’d take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes. I would care to know less and know to care more. I’d take more hikes and fly more kites. I’d stop playing serious, and seriously play. I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars. I’d do more hugging and less tugging. I’d see the oak tree in the acorn more often. I would be firm less often, and affirm much more. I’d model less about the love of power, And more about the power of love. We hope to reach as many parents as possible with our Passion for Parenting programme and see the schedule as one that will evolve as the needs of the community demand. We are always looking for new topics for our Tanglin Talks and would appreciate any ideas. Please email caroline.masterson@tts.edu.sg with any ideas or feedback and keep an eye on the TTS Portal and In Touch for details of upcoming events.
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Creative Writing 32
The Hill Tribe Villages The blue sky as clear as water Bumpy hills as tall as a mountain The green grass as bushy as bushes The people as colourful as a rainbow The sand as yellow as the sun and feels like rain by Rufus Barton, Y2.1
Bright clear sky like a polished car Cloudy white clouds like cotton candy Huge mountains as big as a sky scraper Big hills like an elephant Bright green grass Lots of bushes Bright sunshine like snow by Nataliya Cromie, Y2.1 The Voice Magazine_vol13.indd 32
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Imagine As he pulled the fuzzy duvet off his head, Walter looked around in dismay. He took a deep breath and yawned loudly. “Where am I?” For some reason, the normally blue sky was as purple as an aubergine. His cat Simba purred sadly. “Ssh Simba, it’s okay,” whispered Walter calmly.
A loud CHUFF!CHUFF! from a blocked chimney surprised poor one-month old Simba. “HELP! I gotta get out of this house!” screamed someone from inside a buried house.
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He stroked Simba’s soft, furry coat. Inside, Walter panicked. He could be anywhere and the noisy yelling from inside the hardly visible houses was not helping at all.
Walter quietly shivered and tightly squeezed Simba. Mountains of lumpy, bumpy rubbish filled the scene. At that point, he felt frozen to the spot. Suddenly, the still bed unexpectedly started wobbling to and fro on the peak of a looming, gloomy mountain. “AHHH!” Walter panicked as his bed raced down rubbish mountains, making uneasy, jerky movements. Walter felt sick. Simba felt sick too. Luckily, the bed screeched to a halt at the bottom. Walter sighed with relief. He flopped his head back on to his warming pillow. by Hannah Coulstock, Y4.8
The Chronicles of Beruna: The Lost Sword SPLASH! Digory awoke with a jolt. He was lying in a pool of water. As Digory carefully rose out of the crystal clear pool, he turned round expecting to see the mirror from which he had arrived but instead he saw a rushing waterfall. Digory extended his hand through the icy water but all that met his touch was cold and moist rock. With no success, he turned round and decided to scout out his surroundings. His first impression of his location was a small woodland glen surrounded by pine trees, gathered like a crowd come to hear a speaker. The ground beneath was soft and the colour of redwood bark. Milk-white clouds rolled in the sapphire sky like churning seas. Daisies crowded the pool and pebbles lay strewn across the earthy bottom like sunken ships. Crimson roses as well as violets could be seen in the dense forest. Their overpowering scents entwined like ivy around a tree. Digory smelt a thick pine scent emitted from the pine trees around him. The wind whistled through the humanoid trees like a snake slithering through blades of grass. The sun in the sky spilled golden light, making the twilight depths of the forest visible. Through the trees, he could make out coal black smoke trailing off into the endless sky. His mind made the decision to find the source of the smoke and with that he set off. by Jamie Blacklock, Y5.6
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Creative Writing Brothers in War At first, he was just another soldier, Just another number on the government’s list, Just another piece of the patriotic puzzle, Just one in a million soldiers going to war.
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He made me feel calm when I trembled with fear, He made me feel strong when I was weak and vulnerable, He lifted my spirits when I was low, He filled me with hope in a world full of sorrow. Torrential rain hammered on our helmets, Bomb after bomb fell from the sky Obliterating everything around us. Constant gunfire reverberated through our souls, With the blow of the whistle, together, we faced our destiny. Comrades crumbled and collapsed before us, We fought for our lives but our minds paralysed with fear, We ran side by side, together, through the battlefields. A huge yelp was released like the roar of a lion, I knew it was him who had fallen. He fell to his knees in agony, My body froze in shock – the clock had stopped ticking. He clutched my hand in fear of death, But I told him he was going to be OK. The final light of life sparkled in his eyes, Then, the light turned off. At first, he was just another soldier, Just another number on the government’s list, Just another piece of the patriotic puzzle, Just one in a million soldiers going to war. by Ryan Haines, Y9.8
Storm The thunder clapped. A storm like no other raged above me. Waves smashed into the ship. We had been through many storms during our long journey to the new land. However, this was like no storm I had ever come across in my long, never-ending sailor’s career. Disaster struck. The hull was cracking. The ship exploded into a frenzy of panic. Men were running. Screaming. Jumping. Rowing. I raced to take cover. Thoughts slipped in and out of my mind. The ship tilted further. Furniture slid across the deck. I clung on to the mast. Suddenly, I was in the middle of all this action. The boat ripped beneath me. The mast tumbled off of the boat. Flying through the air, I clung on like a limpet to a rock. I rammed into the rockhard sea. The shock of the icy-cold water stunned me. I fell from the world… by Fiona Gauson, Y7.3
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Book Reviews 35
Senior School Library Book Reviews
Most Popular Books
Key Stage 3 Blood Ties by Sophie McKenzie Hatchet by Gary Paulsen Key Stage 4-5 Unhooking the moon by Gregory Hughes Hiroshima: the story of the first atom bomb by Clive A Lawton
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome With permission from their father, the four Walker children - Captain John, motherly Susan, imaginative Titty and the ship’s boy, Roger - sail off from Holly Howe Farm on their boat, Swallow, to Wild Cat Island. They set up a camp with a blazing fire and two tents. Shortly after arrival, they meet the experienced and fierce Amazon pirates Nancy and Peggy Blackett. This is the best summer the Walker children have ever had and, as a reader, you share every moment of suspense. The book is full of sailing, camping, fire lighting, fishing, cooking, exploration and even piracy! The book is fast-paced and the author really pulls you into the marvellous adventure. What makes me love this book so much is that you experience the thrill and take the risks with the characters. My favorite character is Roger, as I think his enthusiasm towards the trip and his dedication to his role are unique. I would recommend this book to children from age 9 to 12 who enjoy adventure books. If you have never been sailing before I would advise you to keep a dictionary nearby so you can look up any of the sailing terms you don’t know. This extraordinary book shows you how much fun you can have on your own, away from your parents! Beth Griffiths, Y7.6
Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick King Erik was going to be executed as his queen struggled against the people that bound her. Erik was happy to be sacrificed until he saw the executioner was the future king and his sworn enemy. Before he was slain, he shouted to his queen, “I will be in seven lives, every time you must look for me so we can be together.” Just as he promised, he met her in seven lives as brother and sister, mother and son, traveller and native, and victim and vampire. However, every time either of them died another life went by - until the last. Will love prevail over all evil or shall the devil have the last laugh? The plot was exciting and thrilling, with murders and vampires at every turn. The best part about this book was that it was tremendous to hear the repeats over and over, for example, in every life Erik says “well, I never!” The closing of the book was the saddest part but felt like it was written in a rush. I would give this book 9.5 out of 10. Yvonne Gerrits, Y7.7
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Junior School Library Book Reviews
Top 5 Most Popular Books
Guinness Book Of World Records 2012 by Craig Glenday Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Simply True by Geoff Tibballs Viking Vik and The Wolves by Shoo Rayner Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney Mouse Island Marathon by Geronimo Stilton
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Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz This is the ninth book in the Alex Rider series. Alex has wasted almost a year of his life spying. He wants his old life back. He wants to be an ordinary 14-year-old boy and give up spying. But, when you are the world’s most successful spy giving up is not an option. His biggest enemy, the criminal organisation Scorpia are back. They have been paid to blackmail the British Government in to giving the Elgin Marbles back to Greece. Alex faces his toughest mission yet. Nicky Phillipson, Y6.1
Journey of the Chosen by Shamini Flint This book is about how children can do great things and how animals can fight their natural instinct to kill each other and instead work together to survive. I feel very strongly about this book as I want to help the environment. I like Shamini Flint’s books as they have a very exciting plot and you get to know the characters really well and feel their pain or loss or victories. This is the sequel to ‘The Seeds of Time’ in which the two main characters, Honesty and Spencer, go looking for some seeds which will help the animals in Borneo to grow their jungle back. Honesty’s parents are peace keepers and love the environment. Honesty was bullied at school because she wore hemp clothes, had red hair and was very clumsy. Spencer is a boy from New York, his father is a scientist and got a job with an evil man, Valentine, in Alaska. Being from New York, Spencer never had a pet and did not know that he was able to understand animals until he went on a trip with his father. Lily Green, Y6.1
Infant School Library Book Reviews
Top 5 Most Popular Books
Do Not Open This Book by Michaela Muntean The Ultimate LEGO Book by DK Publishing The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss Elephants by Sydnie Meltzer Kleinhenz The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson My favourite book is ‘The Twits’ by Roald Dahl. I like this book because it’s really exciting. Mr and Mrs Twit perform tricks on one another which are really funny. Romy McKey, Y2.6 I love Zac Power books because Zac is a spy and he goes on many adventures. I have borrowed many Zac Power books from the Library. My favourite one is about a giant blue robot monster! James Hopkins, Y2.6
My favourite books are from Daisy Meadows. She writes the Rainbow Magic stories. I love these books because they are interesting and there are loads in the series to read so they never run out! I have borrowed one from the library this week. Evie Wang, Y2.6
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Parent Book Reviews from the Professional Development Centre Library
The Parenting Collection of books is split between all school libraries and is rotated each term to offer variety to library visitors. If you are interested in borrowing these or any of our other parenting resources, or becoming a Tanglin Library member, please contact any of the library staff.
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Bounce: The myth of talent and the power of practice by Matthew Syed What do Mozart, Federer, Picasso and Beckham have in common? They are all virtuosos, masters in their fields. Many would see them as innately talented, but Matthew Syed proposes something different. A proponent of Malcolm Gladwell’s theory that talent is learned and honed through practice, Syed exposes the effort involved in getting to the top suggesting that with 10,000 hours of purposeful practice anyone can become an expert in whichever field they choose: it’s the hours put in that really make the difference between elite and amateur. Practice results in implicit memory - muscles begin to work automatically, freeing the brain to focus on manoeuvres and strategy. According to Syed, child prodigies are a myth and their success is affected by access to practice, good coaching, strong personal motivation and a positive mindset. Using research about the placebo effect, Syed shows that belief can be a powerful ally or an inhibitor, which partly explains why some elite performers thrive under pressure and others choke. As a parent, the research on complimenting children on their hard work rather than on their intelligence was fascinating. Bounce is a fascinating look at the makeup and mentality of elite athletes and other masters as well as a great readable contribution to the ‘Nature vs Nurture’ debate. However, be forewarned, once you’ve digested this material, you’ll be hard pressed to sit on the talent side of the fence! Nellie Rogers, Parent
Expat Teens Talk by Dr. Lisa Pittman and Diana Smit Expat Teens Talk is a great resource for expat teens to dip into to realise they are not alone when facing the challenges of being a teenager living an expatriate lifestyle. The book provides 14 life scenarios expat teens may experience, ranging from handling multiple moves and not seeing extended family members to making new friends in new locations. Advice is given in bullet points provided by three sources – peers, parents and professionals. A further eight case studies allow the authors to give advice, using their own wealth of experience living as expatriates and raising teenagers. General teenage topics including how to cope with the anxiety of “school, grades, exams, homework, due dates, social stuff” are also addressed in some of the scenarios. The book aims to make teens feel their experiences are normal, they are not alone and there is a network of support for them. At the end of each scenario, a simple quote made by an expat teen is included to summarise the key issue. If the following resonates with you and your family; “You know you’re an Expat Teen when the answer to ‘Where are you from?’ is, ‘I don’t know’”, then perhaps this is the book for you. Louisa Kelland, Parent
If you would like to write a book review for the next edition of The Voice, please email communications@tts.edu.sg
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Roving Reporters
Social Media: A DoubleEdged Sword 38
by Hayley Gibson, Y13.1 and Danielle Swan, Y13.5 “When I open up my web browser, I always seem to start typing www.facebook without even thinking,” states one Year 13 student. Immediately going to a social networking site is something most students and, probably, teachers and parents, do automatically. It is an astounding fact that social networking sites now reach 82% of the world’s online population, and one in every five minutes spent online is now spent on social networking sites. Is this a positive thing or is social networking becoming obsessive? We are all familiar with the concept that social networking and media websites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn can create new, or strengthen existing relationships. With 995 million active users, Facebook is the most successful and fast-growing social networking site around today allowing us to stay connected through sharing photos, videos and messages. However, critics say that it increases only superficial connections and has become addictive, leading us to compulsively assert our supposed happiness externally. The creation of a digital identity and reputation that may be very much at odds with the ‘real’ person is not uncommon, and can be hard to shake-off as some job applicants have found to their dismay when their prospective employers do some online research to see beyond the CV. Confidence - supposedly the Holy Grail to success - can be built through social networking sites. Interaction has been made simple - status updates, pictures, videos and messages - the smooth transition between pages makes sites like Facebook enjoyable and very addictive. Connecting online encourages people to feel more secure in new situations; it allows people to control what is shared and talked about, and be spared the
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awkwardness of face-to-face contact. However, it is this very lack of direct contact that can give rise to many of the well-documented problems associated with social networks. Cyber-bullying, stalking and issues of privacy and safety remain a challenge. What easier way to badmouth someone than to type a disparaging comment anonymously or to post a photograph or video for everyone to see? Social networks can help build relationships but can also destroy them too.
sacrificed in favour of the short, sharp immediacy of online communication, social networks are undoubtedly a source of invaluable information and, sometimes, of inspiration. And, whilst we question whether society has become so ludicrous that we struggle to interact without hiding behind a screen, at the same time we wonder how we will stay in contact with our friends spread out across the world.
In addition, communication overload and too much ‘social noise’ make it difficult to identify things of real significance amongst so many emails/blogs/tweets/ posts. And basic communication principles, which should transcend all communication media, can easily fall by the wayside. We are all aware of these issues but, as with many bad habits, we like to believe that we are not guilty. An increase in new technologies and the use of social media has added a new dimension to our understanding of the evolving world of communications, and not just on a recreational, informal level. Social networks are playing an increasingly important role in the business world and are commonly used as marketing and media tools. Businesses can proactively seek out customers, and promote products and services. However, as always, there are many caveats. Experts say we are only just beginning to understand how to harness the power of social networks to unlock the true potential of the web, and there is a lot of potential for businesses to use social media in an unfocused way. We asked some of our fellow students about their online social behaviour. One student said, “Sometimes I find it hard to get into the flow of writing an essay after being on Facebook or Skype.” Another said, “I see sentences getting shorter with more abbreviations.” Yet, whilst we are aware that quality and style may be
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The Last Word
Roving Reporters are in Town! by Sanya Khuller, Y10.6
While the Roving Reporters do not pretend to showcase the best of Senior School creative writing talent, the group does nurture the enthusiasm of anyone interested in writing and learning about communication, online newsletters and deadlines! “I think being a Roving Reporter is a lot of fun and gets us all involved with journalism and writing… it’s also a great way to interact with the teachers and students outside of our normal group,” said Roving Reporter Meghan Togher, Y7.8. Comprising a team of students from Years 7 to 13, the Roving Reporters aim to have their collective finger on the school pulse and our articles often involve interacting with many other members
of the school community. We may have to interview the Head of Music about a visiting composer, follow-up with the Health Centre about what is happening in school for Movember and Breast Cancer Awareness Week, or build relationships with the Outdoor Education team so we can keep everyone up-to-date with developments like the introduction of online journals. Our draft articles are sent to the Communications Team, who edit our work, giving feedback on how we can improve. At our weekly meetings at The Point, we allocate the articles for that week and look at things like the production timetable for The Voice or do a workshop on basic editing principles. We are also learning how to use the software to set up the weekly newsletter In Touch. Going forward, the Roving Reporters will have a page in The Voice to discuss views, trends and issues affecting students and the wider school community. These articles may be controversial or may highlight an initiative or event. If you have any ideas for us, email communications@tts.edu.sg with the subject ‘Roving Reporters’. In the meantime, keep an eye on In Touch for write ups on important events during the week and watch this space!
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In the past term, you may have noticed more In Touch articles being written by students, several of whom have also contributed to this issue of The Voice either by writing articles or helping out with the production. These students belong to Tanglin’s new Roving Reporters, a group of enthusiastic and news-hungry students with a keen interest in writing.
“To really get under the skin of a school and test the temperature it is essential to hear from the most important members of the community - the students. What better way of encouraging everyone to express a view and sample what’s really going on at Tanglin than through students themselves reporting on events. This new group of Roving Reporters can consider this the first step in their emerging careers as journalists, communications gurus, PR chiefs and marketing strategists. We are attempting to raise the profile of this intrepid new group of investigative journalists and we encourage others to join the fray and report on those events or ‘happenings’ that might otherwise be missed by adults.” Craig Davis, Assistant Headteacher, Senior School, Director of IB
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95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299 www.tts.edu.sg Tel: 6778 0771 Fax: 6777 5862 Email: communications@tts.edu.sg
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