The Voice Issue 4

The Voice of Tanglin Trust School

Vol 04 1/2010

MICA (P) 149/07/2009

Feature: The New Face of Tanglin Staff News: Bidding Farewell to David Woods CSR: Building Bridges

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Welcome

Welcome to a new year! By the time you read this, Christmas will be done and dusted and new year’s resolutions will have been made...next stop Chinese New Year! A warm welcome to the 100 new students and their families who join us this term. I know you will soon feel part of our community and I look forward to meeting you all in due course.

This edition is a little different to previous issues, in that a large proportion of it has been researched and written by students. Four Sixth Form

Contents

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Staff News Bidding Farewell to David Woods

Feature The New Face of Tanglin

Corporate Social Responsibility Building Bridges

Infant School EYFS

14 12

Junior School

16 18

Senior School

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EQ in Student Learning

AB or I-Level?

Sixth Form Gap Year – Yes or No?

Showcase Art • Drama • Music

students opted to work on The Voice last term as part of their Creativity, Action Service (CAS) initiative. They embraced their appointed tasks with enthusiasm and have worked diligently to make the contents of this magazine an interesting read.

Their contributions range from an introduction to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum in the Infant School, through the merits of EQ in learning in the Juniors, choosing between IB and A-levels in the Seniors, to the pros and cons of taking a gap year after the Sixth Form. They have covered a wide range of topics in a thorough and professional way. Thank you to Stella Talpo, Dani Guy, Harriet Lowes and Megan Roberts for all your hard work!

The main feature in this edition looks at the new Sixth Form Centre, which opened its doors to students in September. Turning the vision of what we wanted to try and accomplish with this building into a reality took a lot of hard work by a team of dedicated people and I am sure you will agree the finished product is a credit to

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them. We are very proud of what we have achieved and from what we have heard from students, teachers and parents alike, this is a feeling that is shared by many. If you haven’t yet had the chance to visit the Sixth Form Centre, please try to do so: the Library, with its vast array of resources, is open to the whole community, as is the adjacent Café Vive. And the coffee is good too!

Finally in this issue, we bid farewell to David Woods, our former Head of Senior School.

During his five years at Tanglin, David has overseen a huge transition in the Senior School, with a student population that has grown from 350 to 950 and a steady increase in academic achievement that has really helped to put Tanglin on the map. His leadership leaves a school judged

by OFSTED to be ‘outstanding’.

Well done David and thank you – we wish you and your family much happiness and success in Geneva.

around the campus. If you would like a printed copy, please feel free to take one of these or ask your child to bring one home for you.

Of course we hope that you will choose to read the digital edition which you can access through the school website, available under ‘Quicklinks’ or ‘Useful Downloads’.

If you have any feedback on anything you read in these pages, a query you would like answered or an opinion you would like to share, please email us at communications@tts.edu.sg.

Happy reading!

Steven Andrews, CEO

In a bid to keep the print run of the magazine down, we are printing fewer copies of this edition and placing them on newsstands

Sport Sport at Tanglin

PTA The Tanglin Christmas Fair

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The Last Word Parent Perspective: Suzanne Burrows Moving On

Editor: Jacqui Edmiston Designer: CleverBird + Stacy Sharma Contributors: Danielle Guy, Stella Talpo, Megan Roberts, Harriet Lowes; thanks to members of staff, the PTA + other students Photography: Stacy Sharma + staff Printer: Oz Print Services

Creative Writing

by Harriet Lowes “The Voice” herein refers to “The Voice of Tanglin Trust School”

Book Reviews Check it Out!

Staff News 04

Recycling initiative If you had looked inside the Smithson Hall in mid-August, you would have seen it piled high with computer equipment.

This was part of a major recycling exercise, undertaken

by Craig Whalland, Head of EBT and Graham Worthington, CSR co-ordinator, based on passing on Tanglin’s old PC’s to communities in need across South East Asia. Traditionally, the machines were disposed of via a PC recycling company and the School had no control over their final destination.

The pair were keen to supply working machines, complete with a legal Operating

System and other software to the final recipients. They discovered Microsoft’s ‘Community Refurbishers‘ programme, open only to registered charities looking to donate fully operational computers to worthwhile causes. The programme supplies licensed versions of Windows XP and Microsoft Office at significantly reduced prices (US$5 per machine).

Having obtained accreditation, Tanglin is now one of only two approved Microsoft Community Refurbishers in Singapore.

Since launching the initiative, Tanglin has supplied 180 machines to Caring for Cambodia, 10 to schools in

Bintan, five to Singapore Management University (SMU) for their charity work and is exploring schools in Nepal through one of our members of staff.

Making a project like this work isn’t easy. As Craig says: “The work takes time and is logistically challenging: one of the biggest problems is finding local charities that can handle the volume of machines we have to dispose of. If we look further afield, there are transport, customs and border crossing issues, leading to additional costs.

But all in all, we think it is a worthwhile effort.”

I-India During half term week, Year 3 teacher Keely Weatherall and Year 5 teacher Jennifer Madge visited charity I-India, who provide care and development for children living on the streets of Jaipur, India. They reach over 3000 children daily through street schools, residential homes and vocational centres. In Jaipur, there are hundreds of thousands of destitute, runaway and orphaned children, for whom education is an unattainable luxury, or an irrelevance. Yet without education these children have little hope for a better future.

The Tanglin teachers were lucky enough to witness the majority of programmes that the charity operates, namely: • Child Line – a help line for children needing assistance or information.

• Ganga/Child Inn – permanent homes for orphaned and homeless girls and boys.

• Temporary Homes – there are three temporary homes for 75 boys and girls.

• Ladli – a vocational centre for girls and boys.

• School on Wheels – two mobile schools provide education, nutrition and medical care to street children where they live.

• Integrated Programme for Street Children – a government-funded child development programme operated at street points.

• Annapurna – a kitchen project for street and working children.

• Jhag Children Village – for children who cannot afford to go to local schools.

The teachers were overwhelmed by the welcome they received, from children and adults alike. Chief among their tasks was to offer help and expertise on how best to set up classrooms and work with the scant resources at the school’s disposal. They also spent a day working with eight talented children from the charity’s vocational training centre Ladli, painting welcome flowers on the walls of the school at Jhag.

Both are keen to return to Jaipur and to encourage others to go and share their knowledge with the teachers there. For more information about I-India and to find out how you can help, visit their website at www.i-indiaonline.com

In December 2009 David Woods, former Head of Tanglin’s Senior School, left Singapore with his family to take up a new position as Secondary School Principal at the International School of Geneva, Switzerland. Here David reflects on his time at Tanglin.

What has changed during my time at Tanglin?

The biggest change during my five years at Tanglin is the size of the Senior School.

When I arrived here in September 2004, student numbers totaled 350; today they stand at 950. To accommodate this growth, we have had to use our imagination in order to work within the limitations of the campus. First, we added a floor to the main Senior School building, creating the Level 4 Humanities suite on what was previously the rooftop. Then we added kitchens which enabled on-site food preparation and this September we opened our new Sixth Form Centre and created three additional Science labs.

Despite all this significant growth, the ‘spirit’ of Tanglin has stayed the same; students’ willingness to have a go at everything, their support of each other, the overriding desire to succeed academically and teachers’ unfailing determination to get the best from their students and to give them the best possible start in life.

What am I happy to have achieved?

During my time as Head of Senior School, I am very proud to have played a part in developing Tanglin’s reputation for academic excellence. Year on year improvements in exam results, exceptional value-added scores with students of all abilities, plus our OFSTED rating as ‘Outstanding’ are testament to how far the school has come. Tanglin students continue to enter top universities across the world – Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, Sorbonne, Brown – to name a few.

Bringing the IB to Tanglin is something I also feel very proud of, as the choice that

our dual pathway through the Sixth Form provides is something that few schools can offer.

Outside of the classroom I have been pleased to instigate some Tanglin ‘traditions’ which are now regular features: the Senior Awards Ceremony, Year 13 Graduation at Eden Hall, weekly assembly for the whole Senior School and the commitment to the House system.

We have also made social responsibility a focus for school-wide activity such that students now have multiple opportunities for socially responsible action.

In a sense my tenure as Head of Senior School has coincided with the Senior School’s coming of age and maturing into a fully-fledged secondary school.

Whilst I would certainly say that much has been accomplished over the past five years, I know that there is much still to do. Strategic targets include structuring the Senior School to accommodate up to 1400 students (within a 3 to 18 school of almost 3000) and to continue to provide world-class, age-appropriate facilities to teach a curriculum relevant to the 21st century. We need to consolidate our reputation for excellence, to refine and enhance what we do and to constantly strive to be even better. It is exciting times with the advent of IB and a more international outlook than ever before in our almost 85 year history. I wish Neil Turrell all the very best as he strives to achieve all this.

What will I miss?

As I head back to Europe and to a new chapter in my family and professional life, I look back fondly on my time in Singapore.

It is the people that I will miss the most: the students who are endlessly engaging, entertaining and enthusiastic and the staff – teaching and support – all of whom have been a pleasure to work with and who are a real team. I wish everyone at Tanglin a successful and fulfilling future and hope that the palpable desire to make every dream possible continues to drive the school forward.

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Bidding Farewell to David Woods

Feature The New Face of Tanglin 06

by Megan Roberts, (12.3) and Jacqui Edmiston, Head of Communications

The steady expansion of Tanglin’s Senior School, as the school welcomes more students into its growing community (in part due to the introduction of the IB) has necessitated more classrooms in order to accommodate a growing number of students. In a stunning new structure of metal and glass, Tanglin has provided a future proof answer to its rapidly expanding Sixth Form.

From planning to development and design, the new Sixth Form Centre marks the beginning of a new era for Tanglin.

The decision was made to move away from the usual red brick and to add a new, more modern addition to the campus. What began as a brainstorm of ideas on cardboard cut-outs developed into a sensation that involved the architects and interior designers responsible for structures as impressive as Vivo City and the Singapore Flyer.

An extremely important aspect in the development of ‘the new face of Tanglin’ was that architects worked alongside staff and potential users right from the beginning. Architects designed the footprint, while department heads came up with ideas for the internal environment, which were then turned over to end users to ensure full functionality. The school’s Educational Business Technology (EBT) department was responsible for the contract, management and design of the computer systems – extremely rare in a

building of this size. The new Sixth Form Centre therefore successfully combines style and practicality.

Library of the future

A microcosm of the Sixth Form Centre’s success is its new library, which was opened by former UK Prime Minister, Sir John Major during his visit to Tanglin on 9 October 2009. Inspired by libraries in Scandinavia, Amsterdam, Bangkok and Hong Kong, the new Senior School Library can now cater to a diverse group of users, and follows the model of a public library. The library team, under the leadership of Jacqui Makselon, worked closely with interior designers to provide a cutting edge, contemporary space that is adaptable to the school environment.

It takes up a whole floor of the new building, took over a year to design and is split into two principal zones. First, a ‘Study Zone’ provides a quiet but

Almost 200 parents were taken on tours of the new Sixth Form Centre at the start of the term, led by former Head of Senior School David Woods. Here are some of their comments: ‘It makes me want to come back to school!’

‘I like the board room idea – it’s great to have experience of the next stage in life.’

‘Kids love using the facilities.’

07 comfortable area where students can use the internet and a wide range of resources to assist with research and second, a ‘Recreational Zone’ caters for the newly identified social perspective seen in public libraries, with a far more relaxed feel. The adjacent café adds another social dimension, attracting parents and teachers as well as students, all of whom are excited to use the new facilities.

Technology is a key part of the library, as well as the new Sixth Form Centre as a whole. With power sockets for laptop users and the addition of wall mounted computers, the library reflects the image of a world class Tanglin Trust School. The library is to be further developed with the addition of more computers and plasma screens, the introduction of multimedia pods, the addition of extra resources in the research areas and a new DVD library – which has become very popular with students.

A community facility

Many of the features of the Sixth Form Centre are designed to promote community interaction, meaning that parents and other members of the Tanglin community are actively encouraged to use the library, the café (we have heard great reports on the coffee!) or the resources that are available in student services. Student services groups the areas of counseling, PSHCE, health and careers/higher education advice together in one facility for the first time. In the case of careers advice, students and parents can access information on university courses and entrance requirements, along with a full range of related resources – come and see for yourself!

Technology has been a major feature in preparing the Sixth Form Centre for the future. Tanglin is the first school in Asia to house ‘i-desks’, the design of which offers significant advantages. As the PC is totally housed within the structure of the desk, there is less chance of accidental damage or of parts going missing. The clean, cable free surfaces and pole mounted monitors lead to a more ergonomic study environment for students. Desk space is increased and the ability to work at a computer with books open is greatly enhanced.

The i-rise desks in the Art department are the pinnacle of this design concept. The room features 24 desks with monitors that can be lowered away out of sight at the touch of a button. Controlled from the teacher workstation, the room can work as a traditional computer lab, a normal classroom with standard desks or a combination of both.

The Sixth Form Centre was built with raised floors throughout levels three, four and five, with all power and data cabling run through under-floor trunking. Traditionally used in office buildings and computer rooms, this type of environment provides Tanglin with a flexible infrastructure allowing for whole rooms or even floors to be rearranged at short notice, to suit the style of the teacher – without the cost of running extra cables or unsightly clutter.

Finally, Tanglin’s campus-wide wireless infrastructure was extended into the new building with access points on all floors. Students in the Sixth Form are able to access web based services with their own laptops from any area of the building, whilst still being routed through the school’s internet filters and security systems.

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Any student who has the privilege of studying in this open work environment could not fail to be inspired. The spacious new classrooms and ‘board-room’ style conference rooms provide students with the opportunity to think beyond the structured school environment to the prospect of university and future careers. Art students in particular have fallen in love with their new environment – light-filled studio spaces where inspiration flows freely. One art student enthused: ‘it’s provided a feel of artistic professionalism that you just don’t have in other schools. As I stand here next to my canvas with the beautiful view outside, I can see myself in twenty years as that professional artist in the open studio. I believe I can do it’.

The hope is that Tanglin students will continue to feel inspired and that this new environment, combined with effective teaching and a stimulating curriculum, will provide the maturing Sixth Former with a truly unique experience.

The Sixth Form Centre is Tanglin’s first building to be awarded the Green Mark. Launched by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) in January 2005, the BCA Green Mark Scheme is designed to promote environmental awareness in the construction and real estate sectors. It is a benchmarking scheme which aims to achieve a sustainable built environment by incorporating best practices in environmental design and construction, along with the adoption of green building technologies.

The benefits of having a BCA Green Mark building include: • A reduction in water and energy bills; • An improvement in indoor environmental quality for healthy living; and • A reduction in potential negative impact on the environment.

Source: http://www.bca.gov.sg/GreenMark/green_mark_buildings.html

09 ‘The Sixth Form Centre gives students a taste of higher education and the working world.’

CSR

Building Bridges 10

by Jacqui Edmiston, Head of Communications

‘Each wishing sphere represents a hope, a belief that the New Year will bring new possibilities and the promise of a brighter tomorrow.’ Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2010, Wishing Sphere Project

Learning from each other

In the Infant School, links have existed between Jamiyah Kindergarten (who team up with our Year 1 students) and Yuhua School (working with Year 2) for the past three to four years. The objective of these relationships is to expose TTS children to other cultures, faiths and backgrounds, and in doing so help them to build empathy and understanding with others, along with an appreciation of different ways of life and methods of learning. In both cases an exchange programme exists, allowing both groups of children a taste of each others’ culture – whether that be starting the day with a workout (in a non air-conditioned hall) followed by making satay or mooncakes, or in the case of students visiting Tanglin, spending time in the ICT suite or the library.

Activities are led by the children – running playground games or showing their new friends around – with adults only present in a supervisory capacity. In this way each child learns to communicate – and negotiate – with their counterparts and to

appreciate each other’s qualities.

Staff too have benefitted from the links with the schools – teachers are keen to learn about our teaching methods and many have attended workshops here; correspondingly our staff have been able to discuss issues such as the teaching of Chinese with their counterparts at Yuhua.

Taking it further

In a similar initiative, the Junior School have developed links with Gan Eng Seng Primary School, located near Alexandra Road, whose Vice Principal Mr Peter Quah, was attached to Tanglin Junior School, working with Head David Ingram, over a one month period earlier this year. Following his visit, the decision was made to engage the two schools in an exchange programme, with the aim of enabling both sets of students to learn more about each other and to experience something very new.

During their visit to Tanglin, Gan Eng Seng and Tanglin students worked together on the ‘Wishing Sphere’ project for the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 09/10 – students were given the opportunity to write their joint wishes for Singapore and for the world onto inflatable spheres. These will, in turn, form part of a floating visual arts installation on Marina Bay – as it is transformed into a bay of hope and light, ushering in 2010.

Encouraging independence

The Senior School hopes to build on the newly formed relationship with Gan Eng Seng, but in the meantime is focusing on developing the more established relationships already in place.

Here the emphasis is on developing

How did it feel being in a different school?

“At first it felt a bit scary but in the end it turned out to be very fun experiencing being at a different school.”

Alexander Jensen (5.5)

What did you enjoy most about your visit to Gan Eng Seng?

“Learning the way they learn and seeing how different the experience of learning is.”

Gemma Heber Percy (4.2)

individual responsibility. Students are given the opportunity to conduct learning programmes within their partner schools, which can cover a wide range of subjects, from Drama to Science to reading lessons as part of English tuition. They are responsible for making it happen and for reporting back to Tanglin – for example, this term a group of Year 12 students designed a four hour drama programme which they took to the pupils of Orchid Park Secondary school in Yishun. Whilst the project was initially overseen by head of Drama Jeff Aitken, all the planning, execution and subsequent evaluation, as well as liaison with the partner school and making the necessary arrangements, was carried out by the students themselves. The benefits this kind of experience brings are multi-layered and include very valuable real world experience – from logistical planning to cross-cultural interaction.

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As part of Tanglin’s commitment to CSR, the School has been working on developing its relations with the Singapore community. One of the best illustrations of this in practice is through links that have been established with local schools.

The challenge is to make sure that these links result in an ongoing learning experience and not merely a series of one-off events.

Infant School

EYFS: Taking Independent Learning to a New Level 12

by Megan Roberts, (12.3)

If you walk into Nursery or Reception a wave of enthusiasm will hit you as soon as you step through the door. Children are actively involved in their learning.

They are interested, engaged and clearly excited about the chance they now have to empower their own learning; an opportunity brought about by the newly introduced Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

What is EYFS?

Introduced to address what is arguably the most important stage in educational

development, the overarching aim of EYFS is to help young children achieve the five ‘Every Child Matters’ outcomes of staying safe, being healthy, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving emotional well-being.

The EYFS promotes a balance between teacher directed and self-initiated learning – an exciting prospect in view of the love for learning that already exists in Tanglin’s Infant School. As ever, learning goals must still be met, but the EYFS has re-defined these within six interesting areas that reflect the modern world and provide cross-curricular links. The result is a far more kinesthetic way of learning that increases student interest and involvement at school.

EYFS at Tanglin

The Early Years Foundation Stage, aimed at children up to five years of age, was launched in the UK in September 2008.

The Tanglin Infant School has truly embraced the implementation of EYFS and has seen immediate positive results.

A change in formative assessments, in which notes are collated on the progress of a student each day to contribute to their personal ‘Learning Stories’, has led to a better monitoring of each child’s progress and identifies their next steps in learning. Each ‘Learning Story’ also includes photographs of the child’s achievements, such as a tower of blocks or a piece of artwork.

‘It has revolutionised teaching for younger students’

‘Students are definitely a lot more engaged’

The process of implementation of EYFS at Tanglin is being considered with great care. Specialists working in EYFS based environments have come out from the UK to assist with the management and planning of the new programme. The most recent visit occurred during the first half of Term 1 and further guidance has been offered to help Tanglin fulfill the maximum potential of the EYFS programme.

outdoor learning allows teachers to be more flexible and imaginative when planning their play. This in turn means that the children cover the fundamentals of the curriculum while pursuing their own personal interests.

Technology is a huge focus in EYFS in its aim to prepare children, even from the youngest age, for the challenges of the 21st century. The interactive nature that surrounds much of the learning in Nursery and Reception allows for a more liberal use of ICT, which stretches the children from an early stage and encourages them to interact with technology with the aim of developing them into well-rounded students equipped for the future. EYFS clearly helps to identify the potential that our youngest students possess to develop into citizens who are not only valuable to their school, but also to their community. We should expect to see increasingly confident, enthusiastic and well-rounded individuals, fully prepared for the next stages of education.

Empowering child initiated learning

The most exciting aspect of EYFS is encouraging the children to take control of their own learning. In Reception for example, scientific enquiry has become not only a key lesson, but a fun experience for students. The methods of teaching vary: one class may learn about water by talking about pirates and another through examining what floats and what sinks, all depending on the interests of the class. Engaging the children in a theme allows them to better learn the mandatory content of the curriculum through an interest they are keen to pursue. In one class, children were learning about push and pull forces by performing experiments with model cars; one child was very keen to share his new found knowledge about parts and brands of cars, gleefully explaining that ‘Lightning McQueen is a racing car’!

EYFS success in Tanglin’s Infant School

Although still early in its implementation, the positive response to EYFS in the Infant School is immediately obvious on walking into the units. The buzz and excitement that emanates from the classrooms is also reflected in the expansion of opportunities for learning outside the classroom. An increase in

The unaffectedly sociable nature of Tanglin infant children complements the potential that EYFS provides for more collaborative work, as children enjoy their time in different groups – I was informed by an eager student that ‘the red group are the leaders, today’. Rather than being instigators of learning, teachers and teaching assistants have become the childrens’ partners in learning and children have learnt what it means to have true ownership of their work.

The EYFS principles which guide the work of practitioners/ teachers are grouped into four distinct but complementary themes:  A unique child  Positive relationships  Enabling environments (that enhance the potential of the child)  Learning and development (all ways of learning are equally important)  There are six areas of learning and development:  Personal, social and emotional development  Communication, language and literature  Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy  Knowledge and understanding of the world  Physical development  Creative development

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‘I can’t wait to come back to school tomorrow!’

Junior School EQ in Student Learning 14

by Harriet Lowes, (12.4)

‘Emotional Intelligence’ and ‘EQ’ (or ‘Emotional Quotient’) are terms that are bandied around in general conversation, but what do they mean?

What is EQ?

EQ might in fact be the best predictor of success, re-defining what it means to be clever. A person’s emotional intelligence refers to their ability to empathise with those around them and to get along with others, as well as to understand, identify and manage their own feelings. How then does this apply to your child’s education?

In Tanglin’s Junior School there are both teacher and student initiatives in place that incorporate the development of

a child’s emotional intelligence in their every day education. SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning), is used by teachers in lesson planning and assemblies to develop the students’ emotional intelligence. This program is used more for lessons in Years 3 and 4 than in Years 5 and 6 and has been in place in the Junior School at Tanglin for approximately eighteen months. Then there is CARE (Cooperate, Achieve, Respect, Enjoy), an initiative that promotes key values, both in and out of school. CARE is splashed in large, colourful letters across many of the classroom walls and since it has been set up, CARE has been a clear reference point for students. When a student has a problem, whether it is within themselves or with another student, the teacher

may remind them of CARE as a starting point for finding a solution. Alternatively, students may begin to refer to CARE of their own accord.

CARE and emotional intelligence go hand in hand; the more CARE is exercised by students the more likely it is to raise their EQ. To support both CARE and SEAL, all of the students are given the opportunity to take on roles of responsibility within the school, whether it is within the school house system or the classroom. The house system has a variety of positions of responsibility available; there are house captains and a recently appointed house photographer. This system means that students can feel part of something worthwhile and that they are relied upon by their peers. Giving students the option

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to be involved in these activities and to feel that they are depended upon can really help a child to boost their own emotional intelligence – they can learn to co-operate, compromise and discuss their opinions and feelings with others while enjoying themselves.

Student council’s role

Another good example of students taking on roles of responsibility in the Junior School is within the student council. This consists of representatives from each year group (3 through 6), whose duty it is to represent the ideas and thoughts of their peers and to try and find solutions, amongst themselves, to any problems.

There are many circumstances in which students find themselves in disagreement with others during student council meetings, and this is where the use of CARE comes into play once again. The process of problem solving and conflict resolution is one that no-one is ever too young to learn, given it is a skill that many adults still struggle with; this fact in itself shows just how beneficial it is for students to participate in activities such as the student council. The student council has been able to achieve many of their goals, such as creating new playground rules, through the practical application of emotional intelligence. For example, the students decided that they need more separation on the green deck to avoid flying footballs interfering with other people’s games. They established their own set of rules and although

not everyone was necessarily happy about the new changes, all students appreciated and understood the reasons for them; perhaps most important, the rules were easily enforced and have stuck because it was a student initiative.

I asked Sarah Whyte, Head of PSHCE in the Junior School and Year 5 teacher, what her personal opinions were on how emotional intelligence can help students both in and outside the classroom and in the future: “I think that it definitely makes children more resilient, which is so important when major life events occur which can be really stressful – it dictates how they will cope with them. They become more optimistic and less likely to blame themselves every time something doesn’t go their way. There’s a lot of research to suggest it makes children less prone to depression and anxiety because they have more effective coping strategies than children with low EQ.” The advantages of a high emotional intelligence are vast and it is not only useful in a child’s education; if anything the use of emotional intellect outside of the classroom may be even more beneficial than within. For a child to have the ability to be aware of and verbalise their own emotions and personal opinions is a priceless skill; after all, what is the use of intelligence if you can’t voice it?

Senior School ‘AB or I-Level’?

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by Danielle Guy, (12.3)

No, this is not a spelling mistake, but what last year’s Year 11 students were thinking when the time came to make the decision between IB and A-level; the two Post 16 Pathways now offered in Tanglin’s Sixth Form.

The beginning of the 2009-2010 academic year marked the launch of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at Tanglin. A cohort of 37 students are currently pursuing the IB diploma programme and the remaining 65 Year 12 students are following the school’s traditional A-level route. The current Year 12 students were faced with the extremely difficult decision as to which pathway to choose at the end of the last academic year.

This article aims not to educate about the two pathways but to help future students in their decision making process. Information about the IB and A-level courses is available on the school website.

Neil Turrell, who recently joined Tanglin as Head of Senior School, introduced the IB diploma programme in his previous school in 1995 where the first cohort of IB students was a mere 20 from 180 and he had to personally explain to some university administration officers what the IB was! He has taught mathematics at both IB and A-level and has overseen the successful co-existence of IB and A-level for over ten years at Maidstone Grammar School in the United Kingdom.

Do you think the IB diploma is suitable for everyone?

Not in my experience, although care must be taken to compare like with like.

Much is made of the need to be wellorganised if one is to study the IB, given that there are six subjects in the diploma programme along with the core of CAS, ToK and EE*. The comparison is often made between this and the mere three or

four subjects one might study at A-level.

Most good schools though, such as Tanglin, oblige students to study a core programme similar to the IB to enhance the breadth of the A-level offering, so the differences are not as great as often portrayed. At Tanglin the typical A-level student timetable is only one hour less than an IB student’s timetable.

Some students find the mandatory second language in the IB programme a challenge, although opportunities to study new languages such as Bahasa or Spanish at ‘ab initio’ level (from the beginning) means language learning can be approached in a user friendly way.

Students with a long-standing specialist interest or who are focused on examining British case studies and approaches may be more suited to A-levels. The IB diploma is more internationally focused in content and enjoys a wide and growing recognition in universities across the world. Having said that, good students who are able to demonstrate a decent level of learning in any programme will be welcomed by most universities.

Do you think you could tell the difference between an A-level and IB student at the end of their course?

I expect both groups will feel exhausted!

From experience, I would hesitate to portray stereotypical images of either A-level or IB students, but I would expect, on average, the IB students to be more confident in public presentations and to have acquired greater skills of research and more insight into the relationships between their different subjects. They would also all be able to speak, even if basically in some cases, a second language. I would expect there to be a more visible difference some five to ten years after graduating from the Sixth Form. IB students would probably have explored a greater variety of career paths compared to their A-level colleagues.

*Creativity, Action and Service; Theory of Knowledge; Extended Essay.

Without hesitation I would choose to study the IB diploma as I regret, specifically, my lack of formal knowledge of a foreign language and, generally, the exclusion of the arts from my own experience. I am very interested in the philosophical element of the Theory of Knowledge (ToK) course in the IB. My choices would be: English, Maths and Physics at Higher Level, with German, Art and History at Standard Level. I would like to have supported youngsters learning cricket for my CAS element and would probably choose something combining Maths and Physics for my EE.

What advice would you give the current Year 11 students in their decision making?

I strongly advise students to honestly consider their individual strengths and weaknesses and urge them not to be overly influenced in their choices by vague notions of possible future careers or by the opinions and preferences of others. They should choose subjects which they enjoy studying now or new ones which their diligent research suggests they will find interesting and enjoyable. I would also advise them to think about the personal skills they want to develop in the future, bearing in mind that we often gain most from those things which challenge us as opposed to those things we can accomplish with ease.

It is important to remember when making your decision that there is no wrong choice; the A-level and IB programmes are two very high quality qualifications that are equally recognised and valued. A-level students work very hard, but so do IB students.

IB students are required to do CAS, an Extended Essay and TOK but A-level students also complete their equivalent. Some students are more suited for IB and others are more suited for A-levels but it is up to you to do the research, talk to your subject teachers and tutors and then decide for yourself which pathway is most suitable for you.

Student perspective: Chosen Sixth Form pathway: IB Diploma Higher Level subjects: Geography, French B, Spanish B Standard Level subjects: Mathematics, World Literature, Environmental Systems and Societies I found the decision making process extremely difficult and stressful. While I was making my decision I seemed to change my mind daily. However I finally opted for the IB Diploma Programme. I would have studied very similar subjects at A-level. However, I would not have chosen to study English or a science. By taking IB I am still studying English which keeps my options for university courses and future careers more open. At the same time I am only studying English at standard level so can spend more time on my higher subjects, which I enjoy more. After following a very UK orientated curriculum for two years at GCSE, the international focus of the IB diploma appealed to me. I was getting a bit tired of studying hill sheep farming in Northern Wales and the history of British trade unions. As I am unlikely to go to the UK for university the IB diploma seemed more interesting and relevant to me. I am not studying an arts subject but using the elective option in group 6 to study a second language.

Student perspective: Chosen Sixth Form pathway: A-level Subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Geography Before I moved to Tanglin I chose to do A-level rather than IB, the main reason being I wanted to go to university in England. Choosing A-level was easy for me as I know what I want to study at university. A-level is a better choice for students who know what they want to study and hopefully continue in later life. I feel IB offers a wider choice of degrees/subjects to take at university level, which is a good option for students who are not ready to make this decision.

In my opinion, if you enjoyed doing GCSEs, A-levels would be a good choice as the curriculum is an extension of GCSE. With either course Year 12 does get harder, so be prepared!

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If you could choose between A-level and IB now, which would you choose to study and why?

Sixth Form Gap Year – Yes or No? 18

by Stella Talpo, (12.1)

With every passing year at Tanglin Trust School, a class of students works rigorously, teachers by their side, to gain the qualifications they need to move onto life’s next big ‘stepping stone’: university.

After years of academic routine, many people can’t wait to dive straight into independent life at university, focusing on the course that they are most passionate about. Yet many others, perhaps those who have not yet found that right course or want to pause and do something meaningful, feel that it is the moment to take some ‘time out’ – in the form of a gap year.

Gap years after Tanglin?

Taking a gap year after Tanglin is not the norm; not because it isn’t recommended by the School, but because in many cases students have already had a broad range of travel and volunteer experience.

Annual school trips to destinations such as Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia or Ladakh in India, along with opportunities for personal travel that come as a result of Singapore’s location, are something we all take for granted. As a result, although a gap year can offer a number of benefits such as broadening our horizons to new cultures, visiting new places and gaining work experience, you could argue that living in multi-cultural Singapore has already exposed students at Tanglin to many such valuable life experiences.

“We live where many people want to travel,” explains Isobel Barclay, Head of Careers, whilst also highlighting the fact that “understanding [one’s] own

culture is the bigger challenge” for an international student living in Singapore.

Having lived in such a cosmopolitan city, what Tanglin students tend to show most interest in is going straight to university.

Whilst graduating students from the U.S., Europe or Australia may want to experience other cultures around the globe, we “third culture kids” are more focused on the search for our identities and significance in the world outside the “Singapore bubble”.

This is not to say that Tanglin students don’t ever take gap years. Those who do illustrate the range of possibilities that are on offer. For example, a few years ago, a Tanglin student took the year off and spent it learning how to sail, and then ended up taking a second year off to sail around the world. It is all up to the student and what he or she wants to get out of their time after school, but for those

university by a year and it could be quite a challenge keeping in touch with them if you’re planning to go abroad. Duncan told me that probably the worst thing about taking a gap year was that almost none of his friends did, so it wasn’t much fun when they all left for university and he had to stay behind by himself. It’s also important to consider how you feel you will react to settling back into the academic routine after a year off and, if you haven’t already secured your place at university, whether or not you will have decided on a course in that time.

It is important to remember that the year between school and university isn’t the only time a student can take time to travel, volunteer or pursue a new extra curricular activity. Many opportunities arise later on in life, such as during long summers whilst at university, or after

finishing a degree, when one might feel ready to take time off for a new experience elsewhere.

A gap year isn’t for everyone, but it does have advantages for some when approached in the right way. For students who may not have considered taking time out, or parents who may want to research the idea, ready for when their children arrive at the point where they will also have to make a decision, I hope to have provided food for thought.

For more information on taking a gap year after Tanglin, contact Isobel Barclay, Head of Careers, in the Student Services department (Level 2 of the Sixth Form Centre) or email her at: isobel.barclay@tts.edu.sg.

The advantages…

Without a doubt, a gap year has a lot to offer in terms of benefits for the individual.

It allows us to take a break from the pressures of school, especially from the last four years before graduating – GCSEs plus A levels or IB – that will have been jam-packed with work and exams, as well as allowing us the time to re-think our options and courses if we are not yet sure of what we want to go on to study. A year off is also an opportunity for students, especially those who have grown up in Singapore, to learn to live and manage ourselves independently before going to university. “I think taking a gap year was good for me. It definitely helped me to grow up and become a bit more independent”, explains Duncan Fraser, a 2008 Tanglin graduate, who spent his gap year volunteering in a hospice to gain work experience, before going on to study medicine. A ‘time out’ can also result in greater maturity, a heightened sense of responsibility as well as a renewed focus, all very beneficial to starting university. Another less tangible advantage, Isobel Barclay adds, is that “sometimes being employed as a nongraduate will help you realise the value of a degree in your future working life”.

And the disadvantages

There are a number of other things to be considered when thinking of taking a year off. Your friends will be ahead of you in

A year off can make a significant difference to a student’s university or job application. According to a representative from the University of Manchester, who spoke to the Sixth Form in mid-November, universities are keen to accept students who have taken a year off, as long as they can demonstrate that they were organised and used their year productively. Unfortunately, many students fall victim to the temptation to take a literal ‘breather’ and do not end up organising a productive, structured year that will benefit them later on. This is one of the major drawbacks with taking a gap year, next to the financial demand a year off may have, and is usually due to a lack of prior organisation or simply the result of becoming too comfortable with the sudden, low pressure lifestyle.

As Duncan Fraser says: “If I had to give advice, I’d say that a plan for your gap year is essential. Even if you’re not travelling all the time, get a job or find some other activity to get involved in”. Part of organising a year off ahead of time includes considering things like cost, visas, travel insurance (which can get fairly expensive) and vaccinations, essential if a student wants to ensure their gap year is a positive experience.

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who do choose to take a year out, the options are limitless. Many students who take a gap year set off on a backpacker lifestyle to meet new kinds of people (for us in Singapore this could mean travelling around Europe or taking the year to reinforce relationships made on school trips) or perhaps, if travelling to a less developed country, to experience living without modern conveniences. Others decide to plunge straight into work, whether in their own country of residence or abroad, hoping to improve on personal skills and to gain some work experience.

The range of casual or temporary jobs that are available is great, and includes teaching English, coaching sports, bar work/waitressing, office jobs and many more. Voluntary work, which can be similar to the work we do on school trips, is very popular amongst more altruistic students who wish to give something back. Pursuing a new skill, that a student may not otherwise have had time to learn if going straight to university, is also another favoured option.

Showcase: Art • Drama • Music

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Visual Arts Studios in the sky

by Rob Le Grice, Head of Senior Art

People often ask us what it’s like in our new home in the new Sixth Form Centre. I think it will take longer to measure the full impact of the natural light and open space on how we teach, how we feel and how we think, but recent Sixth Form activities have highlighted two clear benefits: • There is definitely a more mature tone in this environment – it feels like a college of art, especially when we have organised life-drawing classes. A local artist/tutor, James Holdsworth, came to Tanglin earlier this term and the atmosphere in the studio was tangibly infused with energy and challenge.

• We have been able to create specialist technical zones e.g. printmaking, I.C.T/ photography and ceramics. Our printmaking facility was stretched to capacity when we held a print workshop for Year 12 students earlier this term. High quality facilities and resources, coupled with an expert in the field, April Ng Kiow Ngor, produced wonderful artwork worthy of students/artists many years older.

As we grow into our new home, we’ll be organising more activities like the ones pictured here, for all ages of students – the sky’s the limit!

Christmas card competition

by Deirdre Dunstan, Head of Infant and Junior Art This term a drawing competition was held on Junior House Day. Each house was given 2 typical Christmas icons to work with: Beruang – Father Christmas and Christmas trees Harimau – kings and camels Singa – snowmen and robins Elang – shepherds and sheep Eight drawings from each house were selected as winners. These drawings were then scanned, reduced and amalgamated onto one card per house – resulting in 4 fabulous festive Christmas cards. The cards were then sold in packs at the Tanglin Christmas Fair and in the School Shop. All proceeds were given to charity.

Showcase: Art • Drama • Music

Drama

The Voice spoke to Head of Drama, Jeff Aitken at the end of his first term at Tanglin, regarding his objectives for the School’s Drama department: “As the new Head of Drama it is my goal to support the delivery of a challenging and comprehensive drama curriculum in the Senior School, as well as developing some of the curriculum drama offered in the Junior School. As of next academic year, it is our intention as a department to offer productions to include a wide range of year groups, including a senior school production, a Years 7-9 production and a Year 10 production – all in addition to the exam group performances offered at GCSE, A-level and IB Theatre. In addition, we are intending to offer CCAs in ‘backstage’ and an improvisation club. It is my hope that students will take advantage of the many opportunities on offer from the Drama department and that they will take risks in both curriculum and co-curricular drama at Tanglin.”

‘An Imaginary Invalid’

Auditions took place in October for next term’s planned production of Moliere’s ‘An Imaginary Invalid’ and rehearsals are well under way. The play is a physical comedy with music and dance and incorporates more than 80 students from the Senior School. The production will be staged on 11 and 12 February in the Berrick Building Performance Hall.

In addition, there are several drama based CCAs on offer this year. These activities are offered to students across a range of year levels in the Senior School and provide new areas of exploration in drama, as well as connections to classroom work:

Year 12 play reading

Year 12 students have been extending their knowledge and understanding of plays and theatre genres through their weekly play reading CCA. This will help them to make choices for their AS Level/IB practical exams. Once texts have been selected, the students will explore the practical process of realisation.

Year 12 and 13 drama and theatre studies yoga

Year 12 and 13 drama and theatre studies students have been concentrating on expanding and extending their knowledge and understanding of the body and breathing as applied through Hatha Yoga. This approach to physical training was also employed by well known theatre practitioners Constantin Stanislavski and Jerzy Grotowski. This CCA will not only give students the flexibility and control needed for their practical work but will also help develop their characters’ and even their own ‘inner’ lives.

Years 9 and 10 improvisation workshops

Ms France will be leading an improvisation team through practical improvisational sessions based on a variety of ‘theatre sports’. This CCA, open to Years 9 and 10, will involve exploration workshops with other schools in the area including UWCSEA and the Singapore School of the Arts.

Christmas Card Designs by Beruang (top-left card design): Charlotte Greer (3.6), Ryan Hunter (3.2), Gus Moore (4.6), Elizabeth Duffy (5.1), Jing Hye Park (5.2), Amar Khullar (6.7), Gina Kim (6.8), Moya Lucy (6.5) Harimau (bottom-left card design): Amber Walkinshaw (3.4), Nicolas Petersik (3.5), Harry Weldon (4.1), Miki Shikanai (4.4), Beth Troote (5.3), Georgia Bennett (5.7), Sabah Sharma (6.1), Victoria Caton (6.1) Singa (bottom-right card design): Ben Stewart (3.1), Eve Connors (3.8), Niklas Redler-Thompson (3.6), Kiara Mitchell (4.2), Wei Teng Cheung (4.6), Isabella Li (5.3), Alex Stonham (6.2), Lisle Halkett (6.5) Elang (top-right card design): Ellie Townend (3.1), Sophie Hogan (3.1), Su Yen Lee (3.2), Elena Li (4.2), Holly Kunzer (4.1), Arran Brunning (5.3), Jack Belcher (6.6), Stefan Ranford Kubal (6.1)

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by Jeffery Aitken, Head of Drama

Showcase: Art • Drama • Music

Music 22

by Benjamin Hur, Head of Music

This term, under the leadership of newly appointed Director of Music, Ben Hur, the Music department has been in overdrive mode organising and/or delivering some 30 performances before half term. These include: overseas music festivals (Jakarta Gamelan Festival and Manila FOBISSEA); PTA events; assembly performances; lunch time concerts; year group concerts as well as special events like Beat Freaked for which Tanglin hosted six international schools; external performances at events such as the Kranji Remembrance Day service (featuring Junior and Senior chamber choirs) and WISC (World-In-Singapore Concert) – a new Singapore government initiative to provide an opportunity for local and international schools to make connections with each other through music. The emphasis during the second half of term was on preparation for Christmas – performances at the Christmas Fair, Infant concerts and the end-ofterm Festival of Music at St George’s Church, a wonderful celebration of festive music and song which brings together the whole Tanglin community.

The emphasis in the music department is on increased performance opportunities

for all. As Ben says: “we want to lift performance standards, whilst encouraging more and more people to get involved in music. We are especially keen to attract more boys to our choirs! Ultimately I would love to see music all around school, being performed everywhere by everyone, not just a talented few. I want music to be a much bigger part of TTS culture.”

Sport Sport at Tanglin

by Danielle Guy, (12.3)

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Infants

This term Year 2 students have continued to participate in a variety of activities once a week, with 15 different choices on offer! The sport programme (options include football, gymnastics and dance) offers a great opportunity for students to develop an interest in sport in general as well as to try out specific sports which they may then wish to pursue in the Junior School as part of the CCA programme. Through these activities the students also develop important interpersonal skills including cooperation and team work and they have the opportunity to mix with other children within the year group.

Did you know...

It is not only the students who form the sporting community at Tanglin – many members of staff are enthusiastic coaches of student teams and a growing number of staff are becoming actively involved in staff teams. In cricket early in Term 1 the staff competed against the students at the Padang (and the students won...)

The men’s football team, made up of teaching and support staff, train every Friday afternoon and this term have had two fixtures; on 2 October the Tanglin Warriors played the trainers of the nearby Fitness First gym and came away with a 6-4 win. Meanwhile they have affectionately nicknamed their opponents ‘Fitness Second.’

Furthermore, as part of the new sports complex opening week, the senior staff fought the junior staff in a close game with the seniors defeating the juniors 4 – 1.

Junior sport Cross country

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Tanglin junior students achieved great results in the ACSIS cross country tournaments. Special congratulations must go to the 10&U boys who came away with a bronze medal and to Hector McLean who finished in 2nd place in the U10 boys race.

Touch rugby

Touch rugby has been introduced for girls in Years 4 to 13 this term at Tanglin.

Tanglin has entered teams into the U10, U12 and U14 competitive leagues and is very pleased with the results. The U12 girls were champions of the ACSIS tournament after playing for gold in an extremely heated final against the Singapore American School. The game came down to a sudden death situation and the young girls proved they had the necessary skill under pressure.

Sports complex completion opening week: To mark the official opening of the new Jalan Hang Jebat sports complex there was a busy week of sporting activities organised. Events included athletic record breaking opportunities for both juniors and seniors, a football challenge for Years 4, 5 and 6 and a triangular rugby tournament for the senior sevens team.

An amazing 57 junior records and 21 senior records were broken in the athletics record breaking challenge. Well done to all record breakers who have been training extremely hard.

Early this term Tanglin embarked on its first ever international netball tour. An U16 and an U18 team flew to Perth, Australia for a long weekend of rewarding competition.

The girls demonstrated extraordinary teamwork and perseverance.

Both teams played four games in Fremantle, Rockingham and Gidgegannup and faced a range of abilities in their opponents. The tour proved to be a fantastic learning experience for all the players. In their spare time the girls also managed to attend an AFL game, go on a ghost tram ride through Fremantle, visit an Australian nature reserve and, of course, have some world famous Fremantle fish and chips.

SEASAC

Netball

Tanglin has recently started to participate in South East Asian Student Activity Conferences or SEASAC. This term senior teams took part in SEASAC volleyball, golf and football. A team of nine girls in Years 11 and 12 flew to Bangkok to compete in the volleyball tournament hosted by the extremely welcoming New International School of Thailand where they finished in 9th place overall and had a fantastic weekend. The team showed a dramatic improvement throughout the weekend and received many complements from other coaches and players. Whilst the volleyballers were in Bangkok, both our boys and girls football teams headed to Jakarta to participate in U19 SEASAC football. After a gruelling weekend the boys finished in 7th place and the girls in 9th. On 19 November, 11 students competed in the golf tournament in Bangkok and as a team placed overall 3rd in the competition. Congratulations to all involved in SEASAC in Term 1!

Rugby Sevens

The Tanglin U19 Sevens rugby team started off their pre-season sevens campaign with a triangular tournament win against OFS and AIS. Tanglin won their first game against the Australians by 24-0 and then beat a very talented OFS team by 15-7. The TTS boys were superior in both fitness and skill level to their opposition. Both the U16 and U19 sevens teams played in front of a crowd of ten thousand at the Padang in the Singapore Sevens tournament. The U19 team claimed gold after an intense match and the U16 boys only narrowly lost their final. A great achievement!

In the first sporting season at Tanglin, we have managed to build up a vast collection of netball trophies and medals across the age groups. On 14 and 15 November Tanglin welcomed teams from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Brunei for the U14 South East Asian International Schools Netball Tournament. Three teams from Tanglin were entered and they came away with silver and bronze in the plate competition and overall champions of the cup competition. TTS ‘A’ girls also won the U14 ACSIS league which was hosted

by Tanglin. Well done girls!

This term the first competitive season has come to a close and we have seen the beginning of the second exciting season of sports which will run into February 2010. The hard work and dedication of both staff and all the students involved in sports at Tanglin have together made the first term of the 2009/10 academic year, fun and successful for all and we look forward to an enjoyable and rewarding second term of sports at Tanglin.

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Senior sport goes global

PTA

The Tanglin Christmas Fair 26

Take a good idea carefully measured with constructive feedback; one and a half dozen energetic members of the Tanglin community; a suitable venue; lots of creativity; add some more good ideas; blend with a very large dash of humour and pour in some festive spirit. And there you have it – the basic recipe for The Tanglin Christmas Fair.

Christmas came early to Tanglin in the form of the Tanglin Christmas Fair on 13 and 14 November – earlier perhaps than most would expect, but with so much happening in the lead up to Christmas, this was the only available date. Thank you to all members of the Tanglin community for your support – 1200 tickets were sold and $20 000 was raised towards PTA funds which are donated every year to the school for the benefit of all our children. As with all PTA events, the fair was first and foremost a community event and the fund raising aspect is the cherry-on-the-top, which enables the community to contribute towards the extras which are nice to have, but are not always possible to include in the TTS budget.

The event, which combined the traditional book fair and last year’s Christmas function and spread them over two days, was a new idea designed to maximize resources. It took into account feedback from the Tanglin community with regard to having held two events in November last year, the desire for more vendors at the Christmas event and for more time with Santa on the Saturday.

The Christmas Fair is just one of the events organised this term by a dedicated team of volunteers headed up by PTA president Frances Beretta.

The term started with two newcomer’s coffee mornings, one for Nursery parents and the other for parents of all other year groups. The PTA have also run discos for all the Junior year groups (always a highlight on the children’s calendar!) and held a highly successful Quiz Night, which has become a Tanglin institution and represents a rare opportunity for teachers and parents to socialise with each other whilst enjoying a little healthy competition!

The Berrick Performance Hall and foyer was transformed and I overheard many people remarking on this – we even had falling snow on the large screens giving a lovely backdrop to the stage and to the Gingerbread House which contained the ever-popular $10 Shoppe. Beautiful Christmas bows and giant candy canes decked the walls, there were loads of Christmas trees and Santa’s grotto as well as Ye Olde Tea Shoppe, was delightful. A very big thank you to Antje, our creative director, and to all the people who helped to make the decorations and to set it all up the day before – it was a lot of work, but we had fun doing it and it was all worthwhile. Selma and Caroline and all the people who contributed to the delicious Christmas fare for the tea shoppe – thank you!

The musical and other performances on the Friday and Saturday created a magical mood and many thanks to all the students, the Camerata, the music department and the students and staff of Centre Stage. The Tanglin community looks forward to these performances every year!

Once again, the $10 Shoppe proved to be immensely popular – thank you to everyone who donated gifts for the shoppe and a huge thank you to Sue and Val and their team of parents and students who manned the shoppe.

To Suzy, thank you so much for all the time and effort to arrange the Christmas Crafts for the children – the children I talked to all thoroughly enjoyed themselves and loved making the Christmas stockings in particular.

Santa’s grotto was extremely popular again this year and it was such a delight to see the children excitedly waiting for their turn to visit Santa – the photos were great and thank you to Reepa and Live Studios for the smooth running of this attraction.

Functions like this involve so many people, all the vendors who participated in the fair and who donated raffle prizes, parents and teachers who volunteered their help and the staff of the various departments we rely on to stage these functions. It is impossible

27 to mention everyone in this article, so I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who played a part in ensuring the success of the Fair.

In particular, a special vote of thanks to Susan who co-ordinated the event, to Maxine – vendor liaison, Philippa our treasurer and to all the members of the Tanglin Christmas Fair committee and PTA Executive committee for all your hard work and enthusiasm – as always it was a pleasure to work with all of you.

I would like to take this opportunity to say farewell to the students and parents who will be leaving Tanglin this term, we wish you every success in your new ventures.

To all members of the Tanglin Community, happy holidays!

Frances Beretta, PTA President

The Tanglin Christmas Fair Committee Susan Peters-Berg

Tracy Betteridge

Frances Beretta

April Czolak

Maxine McMahon-Brown

Kathy Lane

Antje Kelly

Karen Davies

Sue Roberts

Jean Wright

Val Johnston Hume

Jen Hughes

Suzy Grant

Lorna Regan

Reepa Patel

Bev Vale

Selma Benmoussa

Wendy Borland

Caroline Black

Rebecca Cox

Philippa Forrest

Annette Buchan

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Creative Writing

Harriet Lowes (12.4) travelled to Cambodia in July (2009) as part of a Year 11 School trip. During the trip students helped at Kais Kids Orphanage and worked on a house building project with the charity ‘Tabitha’. Here she shares her reflections on the experience she had.

I have never been one to contemplate other people’s lives, it’s selfish in a way, I just get on with it; get up, go to school, follow my routine, complain about the trivial things that make me miserable.

My mind has never given much time to ‘the outside world’, retreating inside my own bubble was so much easier.

Why focus on things that do not affect me, things that I cannot control? My warm bed and three meals a day have always been the norm, not a privilege.

I couldn’t have predicted the change that the expedition to Cambodia would provoke in me. It felt like I saw the real Cambodia – beyond the ubiquitous motorbikes, beggars and historic temples splashed across the fronts of the postcards that feature on every street seller’s cart. Within the people I met I saw a spark, a yearning for survival; the burning fires of hope seemed to consume everyone, to fuel their

every activity in their struggle to carry on.

It is obvious that there are huge differences between our two worlds; I have money, clean water, more food than I will ever need, my life is readily set up for me. But there is more to it than this. I had never considered what people ‘less fortunate’ than me had that I didn’t. I found myself wondering how families could survive the unfair hand they had been dealt. The answer is that the family values and bonds that can be seen in Cambodia are immensely strong. That is not to say that families who don’t live in poverty don’t have strong family bonds, but there is something that sets us apart that is beyond the poverty line.

Cambodians fight; not only for themselves but with what little they have, they fight for their families and their loved ones, so as to give them the best future they possibly can.

As part of our trip we aided an orphanage just outside of Phnom Penh. The children that lived in Kais Kids Orphanage, they were the lucky ones. They may have had no parents, walked five kilometers to school, but they had enough food and water, somewhere to sleep; they were the lucky

ones. In Singapore, or any developed country for that matter, the children who reside in orphanages are considered unlucky, they are the ones we pity. But I knew my pity wouldn’t help here. Boundless sympathy was a lot less helpful than English lessons or new clothes. So, instead I settled for passion, as passion, I know, can accomplish a great deal. A passionate desire to help therefore motivated me to take advantage of the time that was given to me. I tried to do as much as I could, not knowing when I would have the opportunity again.

Our trip to Cambodia felt like a mission. Although academically I learnt a lot, what was even more important was what I learnt about myself. I think you cannot truly appreciate what you have, how hugely privileged our existence is, until you see the other side of the story, see what other people don’t have, things you could not even imagine living without. I know that I alone, or even a hundred people, cannot conquer the world’s many problems, but I firmly believe that doing something is better than doing nothing, and, as clichéd as it sounds, every little bit really does help.

Book Reviews Check it Out! Thanks to Tanglin’s librarians, Jacqui Makselon (Senior), Barbara Philip (Junior) and Ben Farr (Infant) for collating these lists.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the Battle Begins by Rob Valois Pokemon Character Omnibus by Flora Leow P.C. and Ching Kin Min Esio Trot by Roald Dahl Star Wars: Beware of the Dark Side by Simon Beecroft Princess: The Essential Guide by Naia Bray-Moffatt

Princess: The Essential Guide

Princess: The Essential Guide is a book about the many different types of Disney princesses, such as the ones you see in the movies and on television. I like this book because it has pictures and information about princesses, such as Belle, Cinderella, Mulan and Snow White.

Mulan is my favourite princess because she is so beautiful and has a funny dragon. The pictures and words inside this book are really nice and I always love seeing it in the library. Although I like this book I don’t want to be a princess when I grow up as I would rather be a nurse.

Daisy Laming (2.1)

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Infant School Library Book Reviews Top 5 most popular books

Star Wars: the Clone Wars, the Battle Begins

I love this book because it’s about a big war that happened between the Jedi and the Sith. It has many famous Star Wars characters like Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, but also the bad characters from the Separatist Army. The pictures inside this book are really colourful and it looks like a comic book.

I like Star Wars books because there are always lots of wars, and I love stories with lots of fighting because they are fun.

I have read all the Star Wars books in the Infant Library, however this is my first Clone Wars book. I can’t wait until there are more Star Wars books to read!

Aryaan Din (2.1)

Junior School Library Book Review Most popular books Year 3 – Horrid Henry Gets Rich Quick by Francesca Simon Year 4 – Henry VIII by Harriet Castor Year 5 – Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney Year 6 – Secrets by Jacqueline Wilson

Give Peas a Chance

by Morris Gleitzman (recent visiting author) Give Peas A Chance is a witty and thoughtul collection of short stories about families and friends and problems surrounding them. This amazing book is written by Morris Gleitzman, who recently visited our school. He has written books about topics ranging from small problems (keeping your family motel quiet while your parents sleep) to big problems (your close friend getting third degree burns to the face) so as to keep the reader interested. Morris has written these stories to perfection, mixing witty

comments and serious reality. This book explains real life experiences such as war, or children born without voices, but in a humourous way so as to keep the book light-hearted and happy, while explaining real things which actually do happen.

My favourite story was “Paparazzi”. I think it’s incredible what this trio of friends do for their unfortunate pal who burns her face as a result of her house burning down. They give themselves patchy haircuts, shaving off their eyebrows and

smearing themselves with their mums lipstick and then blasting themselves with a hair dryer! They change themselves to make their friend, Tara, feel normal.

I thought that was so self-less. Even though they would get into massive trouble, they thought it was all worth it for a friend.

All in all, this was one of the best books I have ever read and I encourage you to pick it up and start reading!

Iman Faruki (6.5)

Book Reviews (from Senior School Library) & Film Reviews (from English Department) Most popular books

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The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness Wolf Brother by Michele Paver Grave Doubts by Meg Cabot (Mediator series) H.I.V.E : Higher Institute of Villainous Education by Mark Walden The Falcon’s Malteser by Anthony Horowitz

Book Reviews The Knife of Never Letting Go

by Patrick Ness

This is a compelling story about Todd, the last boy in a community of men living in Prentistown where there are no secrets because everyone can hear each other’s thoughts all the time. This produces a constant background of chatter and interference so when Todd stumbles upon a silent spot in the forest he really enjoys being free of ‘The Noise.’ But all is not as it seems and his discovery quickly leads to Todd’s life taking a turn for the worse.

without even noticing. I really liked this book and the rest of the series because the mix of fantasy, ancient history and adventure make it very different to other fantasy books.

Samantha Wong (Year 8)

500 days of Summer

This year’s ‘indie’ film of the year definitely lives up to its title. Set in San Francisco, present day, the majority of the film features the canoodling of the strangely adorable couple Summer Finn and Tom Hansen (Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt). But ultimately the film is a breath of fresh air amidst the fog of suffocatingly-perfect rom-coms, as the moral of the story turns out to be ‘there are plenty more fish in the sea’.

Felicity Brown (13.3)

The Knife of Never Letting Go enthrals the reader with its twists and turns and thoroughly moving ending. It is a fantastic book suitable for students of both genders over the age of twelve. It is absolutely spellbinding.

Dominic Reeves (9.3)

Grave Doubts by Meg Cabot

This series is about a girl, Suze, who has the power to see ghosts and is able to help them to the ‘afterlife.’ She lives in an old house and she is in love with Jesse, a dead guy who ‘lives’ in her bedroom.

In this book Suze meets an old enemy who also has the power to see the dead.

He wants to date her but Suze is not interested. The problem is if she doesn’t go out with him Jesse will get blown away for good….

Wolf Brother by Michele Paver

Wolf Brother is the first book in an interesting series called The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness. Right from the start the story line pulls you into the book and the world of Torak, the main character, who has to battle to survive after his father is killed by a demon in the form of a great bear. Alone and surrounded by evil forces, Torak makes friends with another orphan – a wolf cub – and so begins a chain of events that have you turning the pages

Film Reviews Students in Years 11, 12, and 13 attended a journalism workshop towards the end of term, where they focused on writing short and snappy film reviews. Here are some of their recommendations:

I think that Grave Doubts is a good read for anyone in Year 7 and above. It is a reasonably easy read and the size is not terribly daunting. It is a good choice for someone who enjoys supernatural and romance combined with action. I thought it was great.

Olivia Stevens (8.4)

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Adapted from the bestselling novel, this is one of the most traumatic films of the year. The film is told through the innocent eyes of Bruno, the son of a German officer in Nazi Germany, who sparks an endearing friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the barbed wire that surrounds a nearby concentration camp.

This child’s view of a harrowing era of history is a painful insight that will not leave you dry-eyed.

Hannah Atkinson (11.7)

2012

Exploring the issue of global warming in an emotional thriller, the newly released ‘2012’ combines exciting action with a plot which makes audiences reflect on a pressing modern concern. Featuring John Cusack and Chiwetel Ejiofor, the plot can be slightly predictable, but stunning acting and fantastic graphics maintain attention. Emotional scenes juxtaposed by comedy make ‘2012’ an exhilarating yet expressive motion picture telling the story of the struggle of mankind in the event of a worldwide catastrophe.

Hilary Samuels (11.2)

The Last Word Moving On exploring Little India, Arab Street and Chinatown. Tropical fruits are my favourites and I have to confess to being a durian eater! Living in the regional hub has allowed us to take great family holidays in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia and our daughters have a true understanding of cultural diversity and have seen for themselves the poverty that exists in other parts of Asia.

Singapore is such an easy city to live in. Many things are more affordable here than in Australia, including domestic Many aspects of life at Tanglin help, pedicures and parking. It have come to feel totally normal, yet in reality are actually seems nothing is more than 30 exceptional. Groundsmen assist minutes away, it’s very clean, retail shopping opportunities students in and out of their cars, concerts are outstanding, are incredible, a uniformed man pumps my petrol and wishes excursions see students travelling all over the region and me a good day and the medical system far outshines most the resources in the libraries other countries. I love the fact are fabulous. Then there are that I feel safe in the city, even the fetes, the class parties, the at night. very supportive and dedicated Tanglin parent body and even an Indian chef who makes fresh Despite all this, it is time to go. After 16 years away naan for lunch daily! (including postings in Japan and Indonesia), and 12 years Leaving Singapore will also of continuous summer, we feel be very difficult. It has been that it is time to settle back fabulous to learn about the in Australia. Our daughters Chinese, Malay and Indian were both born in Asia and are cultures and to celebrate the Australian citizens, but neither special days in the Hindu, has ever lived there. We want Muslim, Buddhist as well as them to spend some of their Christian calendars. I love formative years in Australia, to orchids, visiting Mustafa and Leaving Tanglin is very difficult.

My family has been a part of the school community for more than eight years and while we have seen lots of changes, many faces remain the same.

At Tanglin we all feel a strong sense of belonging. We have made many friends, I’ve really enjoyed helping out where I can and most importantly, our daughters have benefitted from an education where standards are set high and where their development has been overseen by skilled and caring staff.

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Each term we ‘hand the mike’ over to a different member of the Tanglin community, offering him or her the opportunity to air their views on a particular subject or simply to talk about something that is close to their heart. Suzanne Burrows has been a Tanglin parent for eight years. She has also worked as a freelance writer for the School. She and her family are relocating to Australia in December 2009. feel they belong there and to develop friendships with people who are “at home” and who will continue to be there to support them through tertiary education and beyond.

We want them to enjoy the outdoor Australian lifestyle and to experience something more similar to what my husband and I had when we were growing up. For the younger one, this means walking to a local school for a 9.15am start and for the older one, attending a private girls’ school that is one third the size of Tanglin, yet provides excellent opportunities in all areas. We want them to surf throughout the summer holidays (that will actually fall in summer), live in a home that we own, become closer to extended family members and complete their schooling in a country where their aspirations can even include being Prime Minister!

I do not look at Australia with rose-coloured glasses and I know that moving back will not be easy. While doing what we think is right for us, I know we will look back with amazing gratitude for the experiences we’ve had and the strength of the educational foundation laid at Tanglin.

95 Portsdown Road, Singapore 139299 www.tts.edu.sg Tel: 6778 0771 Fax: 6777 5862 Email: communications@tts.edu.sg