A publication of Hong Kah Secondary School 2014

HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SEC-ONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SEC-ONDARY SCHOOLHONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SEC-ONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOLHONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOLHONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SECONDARY

SCHOOL

HONG KAH SEC-ONDARY SCHOOL HONG KAH SEC-ONDARY SCHOOL

DISCIPLINE

CARE

LEARNING

Principal‛s Message ................................. 03

STARS in Spotlight ...........................

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HKSS Artwork Museum@Taman JurongNational Story ChallengeSchools Digital Media AwardLive it up without lighting up Video CompetitionI Learnt, I Shoot, I Give Back @ Jurong36th C. B. Paul Science QuizBig Science CompetitionNational Design & Marketing CompetitionTourism in Action ChallengeNational Football Championship

20th Anniversary Celebration ..............

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STARS in Action ................................

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Science FestStudent Leader Recognition WeekHosting of Visitors from ChengduTrip for International Experience to HangzhouTrip for International Experience to BeijingTrip for International Experience to VietnamSnapshots of Life in HKSS

STARS Nurturers @Work ..............

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WSA-EC Best Practices SharingStaff RetreatsTeachers‛ Day Celebration & DinnerStaff Bonding

STARS Partners in Collaboration ... 26 Project Love

Community Health CheckICT BootcampSchool Advisory CommitteeParent Support Group @HKSS

Publishing Team: Advisors: Mdm Sung Mee Har, Mrs Cheong Siew Lee &

Mr Yong Mun ChongEditors: Mrs Yeo Woei Ling & Ms Jhumki DebnathDesign & Layout: Mrs Yeo Woei Ling & Mr Alen SengContributors of Articles : Teachers-in-charge of events& Photographs

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Contents

2014 has been a meaningful year for our school as we celebrate our 20th anniversary. The theme for our celebration is ‘Connecting Hearts & Minds’. We have celebrated this milestone event with a number of activities to strengthen the bonds within and beyond the Hong Kah family, as well as to show gratitude to our stakeholders for their continuing support.

To include everyone in the HKSS family in our celebration, we organised a series of activities based on the theme ‘Connecting Hearts & Minds’. For instance, the ex-students of the school have come together to form the HKSS Alumni. We hope the inception of the alumni will bind current and former students to the school and serve as the perfect medium for them to contribute towards Hong Kah’s success and vibrancy.

This year, we also created several first attempts for ourselves. It was the first time our staff, students and partners came together as a family to create a Mural Art Installation. Each painted a piece of the mural, representing his or her thoughts and aspirations for the school. The different sizes and colours of the art blocks form a picture of youthful vibrancy and energy, signifying our hopes and aspirations; each art block supporting one another, is symbolic of the team spirit in our Hong Kah family.

Another of our first attempt was involving the whole school in the setting of a new Singapore Book of Record. On sheets of colourful hearts, staff and students penned down their appreciation and aspirations for the school. These personalised creations were put together to form a chain of connected hearts, stretching over 400 metres long and forming the longest chain of hearts filled with words of appreciation!

As we open a chapter in the new decade, we seek to re-invent ourselves and create a new identity among the schools in the West. Thus, we will focus on three areas - strengthening the Hong Kah family culture among staff and among students; establishing closer ties and collaboration with our partners for more enriching experiences for our Hong Kah lites; and enhancing the physical facilities and resources to support new initiatives and programmes.

A school’s journey is like an odyssey. As I reflect on the school’s voyage in the last two decades, it is the pioneering spirit, which has pushed us to embrace the future and realise boundless possibilities. Together, the community of staff, students, alumni and partners will stay connected in hearts and minds in forging a common Hong Kah identity that gives us the impetus to achieve our dreams.

In Hong Kah, success isn't an individual aspiration, but a team pursuit. It is here where we look further to conquer new frontiers, not only in our respec-tive areas, but in our lives. We need the same fighting spirit, the same cour-age, enthusiasm, resourcefulness and resilience to bring Hong Kah forward. Together, we will persevere in our mission of nurturing world-ready youths and moving Hong Kah to greater heights.

Mdm Sung Mee HarPrincipal

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School leaders painting blocks for mural installation

Forming the longest chain of hearts for the Singapore Book

Staff painting blocks for mural installation

Celebrating establishment of HKSS Alumni

Principal’s Message

20th Anniversary Celebrations

The school’s Speech Day held on 03 May 2014 marked the climax of the school’s celebratory activi-ties to commemorate our 20th Anniversary. Months of painstaking preparations and fringe activities such as I Love HKSS Badge Design Competition, HKSS Mural Art Installation, Singapore Book of Records, HKSS Umbrella Installation, 20th Anniversary Song & Music Video and many more, helped create excitement and anticipation for our grand celebration on Speech Day.

Our Guest of Honour, Mr Lim Boon Heng, Chairman of Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd, was given a rous-ing welcome by our energetic lion dance troupe. Besides many special guests such as Mr Ang Wei Neng, Advisor of Jurong GRC Grassroots Organisations, and Mr Peter Liong, PBM, Chairman of our School Advisory Committee, we welcomed back all our former principals who took time off their hectic schedules to join us in our celebration.

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The Speech Day was a platform for our talented staff and students to showcase our artistic and aes-thetic flair. The guests were treated to a visual feast during the Speech Day concert in the school hall as they admired the umbrellas in vivid hues which were painted by our Secondary 1 students and formed part of our hall decoration. In addition, our Batucada Percussion Group, School Band, Guzheng Ensemble and Dance performers won the audience over with their specially prepared items.

For the first time , the school had a song written, composed and performed by our very own teachers and students in support of the anniversary celebration. This was accompanied by our own in-house video music production which was also shown during the concert.

The highlight of the event was undeniably the cake-cutting ceremony as the audience broke into a thunderous rendition of the Happy Birthday song as party streamers blanketed the stage in a myriad of colours!

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20th Anniversary Celebrations

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In early March this year, four of our International Dance Clubmembers took part in a dance competition ‘Dance with a Difference’ with the theme ‘Say No to Drugs’ . They impressedthe judges with their performance and clinched the first prize!

In early March this year, four of our International Dance Club members took part in a dance com-petition ‘Dance with A Difference’ with the theme ‘Say No to Drugs’ organ-ised by the Jurong GRC and Yuhua Indian Activity Executive Committee. Impressing the judges with their choreography and graceful moves, they did our school proud by winning the first prize in the competition.

DANCE WITH A DIFFERENCE COMPETITION

HKSS ARTWORK SHOWCASE ATOUR MUSEUM@TAMAN JURONG

From November 2013 to January 2014, six of our students’ artworks were exhibited at Our Museum@Ta-man Jurong, the first community museum made possible by the collaborative effort between the National Heritage Board (NHB), Taman Jurong Citizens’ Consultative Committee and the People’s Association.

The aim of the project was to develop students’ interest and appreciation of art, and provide them with a platform to showcase their creativity. It was an honour for our students’ artworks to receive recognition and be selected for display.

STARS in Spotlight

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NATIONAL STORY CHALLENGE

On 15 March 2014, a team of Hong Kah Lites com-prising Low Li Pin, Reshveny D/O Sanmugam, Abu Sufian B Abu Samah and Daniel Ebenezer Thomas represented the school in the Finals of the National Story Challenge, a nationwide improvisational story-telling competition. The team had to come up with a story within 15 minutes, incorporate a quirky and often times near-impossible condition within the story in the last three minutes, and perform it in front of an audience and the judges.

Our team did us proud by emerging as first runner-up, triumphing over traditional powerhouses like Nanyang Girls’ High School and St. Joseph’s Institu-tion. We would like to congratulate the team for this remarkable achievement!

SCHOOLS DIGITAL MEDIA AWARDOur school’s Infocomm Club’s entry for the annual Schools Digital Media Award had clinched the Silver Award. The winning produc-tion titled ‘A Guidance Approach’ was a proud production of Infocomm Club members Nur Atikah Binte Razali, Eileen Tay, Tristine Tan and Seetoh Wei Tung.

Their video told a story about a troubled student who was expressing his emotional turmoil through vandalism. After being caught in the act by a teacher, he underwent counsel-ling and guidance from the teacher. The teach-er encouraged the boy to channel his artistic talent in a positive way, helping him to achieve a bright future.

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STARS in Spotlight

I LEARNT, I SHOOT, I GIVE BACK @ JURONG

I Learnt, I Shoot, I Give Back was a workshop jointly organised by Canon with Jurong GRC and Yuhua SMC. The workshop aimed to equip students with photography skills. In turn, students would give back to the community by capturing images of their neighbourhood while seeking to understand more about their community. On 20th and 28th September, Infocomm Club members Sakinah, Satya, Asmawi, Seetoh, Tristine, Ethan, Dhevendra and Fazeelah were part of this enriching experience as they brushed up on their photography skills and applied them by capturing beautiful sights in the Jurong neighbourhood. Our students’ individual pieces were selected and received special mention by the judges.

LIVE IT UP WITHOUTLIGHTING UP VIDEO

COMPETITION

In support of a tobacco-free lifestyle, our Infocomm Club members participated in the Live It Up Without Lighting Up video competition organised by the Health Promotion Board. Live It Up Without Lighting Up is a campaign that encourages teenagers to stay away from smok-ing.

This year, the Infocomm members produced two videos encouraging people to quit smoking. Both teams' hard work paid off as they clinched the first prize and a consolation prize. Their works can be viewed at http://www.hpb.gov-.sg/HOPPortal/breathe-article/HPB-047333.

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36TH C.B. PAULSCIENCE QUIZ

Some people dream of

SUCCESS while others

wake up and

work hard at it.

- Winston Churchill

BIG SCIENCE COMPETITION

On 26 May 2014, 59 Hong Kah Lites from Secondary 1 to 3 took part in the annual Big Science Competi-tion which challenges students to think critically and solve scientific problems using everyday examples.

Five of our students received High Distinction (scoring 100% - 95%) and three students received Distinc-tion (scoring 94% - 85%), a commendable effort on the part of our teachers and students.

A team of Hong Kah Lites participated in the 36th C. B. Paul Science Quiz 2014 organised by The ACJC Science and Mathematics Council.

This annual science quiz aims to provide a platform for students to exercise their analytical and critical thinking skills and to apply their scien-tific knowledge in a wide range of topics from six fields of study – Astron-omy, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics and Physics. We are very proud to announce that Chen Wen Le and Lee Yi Xuan achieved the Silver medal and Bronze medal respectively.

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STARS in Spotlight

NATIONAL DESIGN & MARKETING COMPETITION

Hong Kah Secondary School made a clean sweep of the top three awards at the National Design and Mar-keting Competition 2014 organised by DesignLab! The winning groups comprised students from MICE Club and those taking D&T as an elective. The competition, which took place at the Management Development Institute of Singapore on 13th September 2014, was supported by SPRING Singapore Pte Ltd under the Youth Entrepreneurial Scheme for schools.

The groups were tasked to propose simple but innovative products which would be useful for the elderly in their daily lives. During this competition, the students learnt how to apply design thinking processes to come up with ideas to meet market needs. In addition, they were also given the opportunity to apply various mar-keting skills to present their products to the judges.

Team Name Class ProductName Award

Archana Ambily Rajendran A 3E2

Spiray Gold

KnuckleGrip Silver

Di-8 Plug Bronze

1

2

3

Nur Raidah Mardhiah A RLim Ying Hui

Alliah Ventigan Quijana

3E22N2

2N3

Nur Khairun Nisa Bte Abdul RJeremy Tan

Hans Delano

Adrian Tan Yue AnMohammad Danial Habibie B M R

Foo Jing Wei Esther

PhyliciaShafwana Seerin D/O SaleemHoon Hui Ling

Salman Faris S/O Ashraf Ali

3N11N2

1E1

3N13N21E2

1E23E1

3E13E1

ProductName

Award

Spiray Gold

KnuckleGrip

Bronze

Silver

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TOURISM IN ACTION CHALLENGE

‘We had the opportuni-ty to exchange ideas with students from other schools. Working within a limited time was challenging yet fulfilling when we com-pleted our presenta-tion.’

- Diyana, Edwin, Daniel & Wei Lee

‘We learnt how to share responsibility so that we could complete our work within the short duration provided. Most importantly, we enjoyed ourselves and had fun brainstorming for ideas during this challenge.’- Chi Yi, Shi Ling, Colin and Yue Zhong

TeamNo.

1

2

Chock Chi Yi

Name Class Team’s creative idea Award

Lim Shi Ling

Collin Peh Wen Chung

Koh Yue Zhong

Edwin Ng Kang Shun

Daniel Ebenezer Thomas

Tang Wei Lee

Diyana Umairah Bte Roslan

3E2

3E2

3E1

Design and build an all-rounded hotel which serves as a one-stop destination for everyone to experience Singaporeans’ unique culture and lifestyle.

Design and create an all-in-one mobile application which enables tourists and Singaporeans to access all the information about Singapore’s Heritage and tourist spots, and make their hotel or tour book-ings.

3rd Position

SpecialMentionAward

As part of the Humanities Department’s initiative to equip students with life skills and encourage learning based on real-life context, two teams of students participated in the ‘Tourism in Action Challenge’, jointly organised by the Human-ities and Social Studies Education Academic Group, National Institute of Education and Ngee Ann Polytechnic on 16 Octo-ber 2014.

The challenge was a 90-minute competition where students had to work in teams and apply their thinking and processing skills to recommend creative ideas to strengthen Singapore’s tourism appeal. The students had the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills that were acquired during their Human-ities lessons in real-life context. The two teams made it to the top six out of a total of 26 teams.

The list of students who won the awards is as follows:

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STARS in Spotlight

NATIONAL FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT

DOUBLE CHAMPIONS

NATIONAL C DIVISION

During the 2014 National Football C Division Final, Hong Kah Secondary School took on new contender Crest Secondary School at the Jalan Besar Stadium. The whole level of secondary 2 students from Hong Kah, together with the school’s Batuccada percussion band and parents were eagerly hoping for the team to create another piece of Hong Kah history by winning the third consecutive C Division national title. Hong Kah wasted no time and started waves of attack early in the first half. Ten minutes into the first half, a harmless short corner was taken by Muhammad Al-fian and the ball was fed to Hong Kah’s most creative midfielder Rezza Rezky. Hong Kah’s No.8 dummied with a quick turn in the penalty box, creating confusion for the Crest Secondary’s defence. With the Crest defenders closing in, Rezza held his nerves and blasted a powerful right-footed shot past the helpless opponent goal keeper to give Hong Kah a well-deserved 1-0 lead. In the first half, Hong Kah C Boys came charging out of the blocks early in the second half. The reward was a clinical finish by Hong Kah’s speedy right winger Muhammad Al-fian, three minutes after the restart. Al-fian made no mistake and slotted the ball convincingly past the opponent’s crumbling defence. With a commanding 2-0, Hong Kah was happy to sit back and keep possession of the ball while Crest Secondary made several attacking substitutes in search of goals to salvage the game. Hong Kah defence was rarely threatened in the second half. Hong Kah’s Head Coach Zainudeen made a series of changes to give players a taste of the Grand Finals. Faiz, Danial Akmal, Aqil, Casey, Nor Khairi-yanto and Syawal all made their brief but valuable appearances for the Final. When the final whistle came, Hong Kah celebrated the new milestone of the third successive C Division crown since 2012.

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The B Division boys’ football team cruised into the finals of this year’s national schools football tournament with a convincing 2-0 win over Marsling Secondary during the semi-finals. Our supporters were out in full force to cheer the Hong Kah boys on as they faced opponents from St Patrick’s School. The supporters drummed up support for our team in a mixture of our trademark Batucada percussion group, student lead-ers and secondary 3 students. Hong Kah Secondary School celebrated the first goal in the 25th minute with a neatly taken penalty by Haiqal Pashia Anugrah after an infringement was committed in the box by the Patricians. The first half ended 1-0 in Hong Kah’s favour. Hong Kah piled on the pressure right from the start in the second half and Azreen Aziezul managed to double our lead in the 44th minute with a sublime strike into the top left corner, stunning the opponent’s goalkeeper. When Hong Kah’s Abdullah Muhsin scored the third goal in the 55th minute, the Hong Kah family had no doubt that the title was theirs again after a one-year hiatus. The Patricians’ misery was compounded when one of their players was sent off for a second bookable offence committed in the box. Hairyl sealed their fate with the second penalty of the game and ensured that Hong Kah was crowned national champions once again. In a show of school pride, the Hong Kah supporters sang the school song in unison, epitomising the true spirit of the Hong Kah family. Azreen Aziezul was awarded the most valuable player for his performance in

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NATIONAL B DIVISION

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STARS in Action

The Student Leaders’ Recognition Week (15 to 18 July) was a week of celebration and affirmation of our student leaders’ hard work and achievements. All student leaders in the Student Council, Sports Leaders, Co-Curricular Activities and Class Committee came together to plan the week of ceremonies which were held during the daily assemblies.

The Student Leaders’ Recognition Week started off with the Student Council Investiture on 15 July during the school assembly. The investiture marked the handover of leadership roles in the Student Council as well as affirmed the contributions by the student leaders who had served the school for the past three years.

The Sports Leaders’ Hand-over Ceremony was conducted on 16 July. Our vice-principal, Mdm Cheong presented the badges to the newly appointed Head of Sports Leaders, Chen Yun as a mark of appoint-ment for the new Sports Leaders in Secondary 3.

On 17 July, the limelight was directed to our student leaders in the Class Committee. It was a heart-warm-ing moment when the form and co-form teachers put the collar pins on their class leaders. The school also applauded the Sports Representatives and Cyber-Wellness Representatives before the end of the cere-mony.

The Hand-over Ceremony for the CCA leaders rounded up the week of celebrations. Each CCA leader had a token which symbolised leadership, defined uniquely by the respective CCAs, handed over to the newly appointed CCA leader. The school is proud to have raised STAR leaders who are confident contribu-tors and ready to serve the community.

STUDENT LEADERS RECOGNITION WEEK

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This year’s theme ‘Science is around us’ involved a wide range of activities which included competitions, enrichment classes and special events.

The Secondary 1 students were tasked to give “used materials” a new life through the Upcycling Chal-lenge while Secondary 2 students used recycled materials as holders for the Egg Drop Challenge. Students from all levels were also engaged in relating their learning of Science to their immediate envi-ronment through a photography competition and an amazing Science race.

Learning journeys were also organised for the lower secondary classes. The learning journeys focused on ‘Electronics’ for the Secondary 1s and ‘Ecology’ for the Secondary 2s.

A career talk on the Chemical Industry was also held for Secondary 4E and 5N graduating classes to widen their knowledge in the field. Students also attended hands-on sessions such as the apps-making workshop where they learned about the basics of making apps, and drone flying sessions where they had the opportunity to navigate a drone to its destination.

The Project Work Showcase rounded up a week’s worth of fun and engaging Science activities for the students. During the showcase, students put up exhibits on the use of electronics in our daily lives. A group of school leaders from New Zealand who were visiting our school took the opportunity to tour the exhibits and interact with our students. The visitors from New Zealand were greatly impressed by our students’ showcase and their ability to clearly present their projects to their audience.

SCIENCE FEST

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STARS in Action

HOSTING OF VISITORS FROM CHENGDU

热

烈

欢

迎

On 14 July 2014, a group of 39 students and four teachers from Cheng Du, China, visited our school from 7.30am to 11.15am. They had a fun and interactive morning with our students from Second-ary 3E2. The programme included cultural exchanges, a school tour and lesson observations. Our School Lead-ers, Mother Tongue teachers and 3E2 Form Teacher Mr Edwin You also had a good time interacting with the educators from China.

Zhuo Yan Lin and Lim Shi Lin from 3E2 gave a brief introduction of Singapore and our school to the visitors before they proceeded to tour the school compound and attend lessons with selected class-es. Together with teachers from the Mother Tongue Department, 3E2

students had a fun time playing local traditional games with the visitors, for example Sepak Takraw, Five Stones, Congkak and Chinese Chess. Visitors were also introduced to our local Indian cultural practices like henna painting, flower tying and Kolam making. Our students also specially prepared notes of appreciation and self-made key chains to present to our guests. The visit ended with a gift exchange and informal photo-taking session. The students of both countries also exchanged names and email addresses so as to keep in contact in the future. Our visitors gave a lot of positive feedback about our school, teachers and students. They were impressed by the vibrancy and warmth of our school. One of their student representatives also mentioned that it was indeed fun to study in Hong Kah Secondary School. The hosting experience had also provided a good platform for Hong Kah Lites to learn about the cultures and languages of other countries

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TRIP FOR INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE TO HANGZHOU

A group of 28 Hong Kah Lites and three teachers (Mr Low, Ms Tham and Ms Rischka) went to Hangzhou, China, on 3rd to 7th November 2014 for a cultural immersion programme.

Hangzhou is well known for its rich culture and beautiful scenery. Highlights of the programme included visits to the famous Hangzhou West Lake, Wuzhen Water Town, the Arts and Crafts Museum and the Han Meilin Museum. The most interesting visits were to Guan Cheng Secondary School and the China Acade-my of Art.

At Guan Cheng Secondary School, Hong Kah Lites tried their hands at Chinese calligraphy and had a fun time interacting with the local Chinese students. The non-Chinese Hong Kah lites even had the chance to converse in Mandarin which they had learnt in preparation for the trip!

At the China Academy of Art, Hong Kah lites learnt about the world-renowned Chinese artists from the academy and viewed the high quality student art works. Hong Kah lites witnessed how much hard work was required to excel in art when they met an academy student who actually slept every night in her art studio to cut down travelling time to and fro home and maximise learning and practice time!

It was their first time to China for most of these Hong Kah Lites. The trip was indeed very different from what they had ever experienced before – from the kinds of people they met to the kinds of food they ate. Everyone had fun travelling as a group and created a shared and enriching experience together which would be remembered for a long time.

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STARS in Action

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On the 3rd of November 2014, I embarked on a 6D5N trip to Beijing with my friends and teachers.

Beijing is the capital of China and one of the most popular cities in the world. One of the most memorable places that we went to was the Great Wall of China. The steps were uneven and it was very exhausting to climb up the steps. The Great Wall was very majestic and I learnt that many people died while building it. Every single step that we took was only possible because of the sacrifice of the slaves and people who were ordered to construct it.

We also had the opportunity to have an exchange at one of the local schools. The students were very disciplined, well-behaved and friendly. The school harnessed the use of modern technology as they used touch screen monitors to conduct their lessons. We had English and Physical Education lessons, and even did a Physics experiment in Chinese. It was an eye-opening experience for all of us.

On one of the evenings, we went to watch a Kungfu show. The performers were brilliant and precise in their moves. I believe that they must have started training from young because Kungfu is a martial art that takes years to master. I was really impressed by their perseverance to achieve their skills.

Beijing is not just a historical place; it is also a food heaven. I tried different kinds of food in the city. The food was very different as compared to food in Singapore. One of the local dishes that I had tried was the Peking duck. We had to wrap a piece of the duck with some cucumbers and onions in a piece of rice skin. The taste was great!

Other interesting places that we visited included the Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, and Marco Polo Bridge. Through this trip, I have learnt a lot about China’s history, about the Qing Dynasty and also made many new friends. I enjoyed myself tremendously. Wonderful memories were created and they will always stay in my mind.

Wriiten by Chew Zi Ying, Secondary 2E2

TRIP FOR INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE TO BEIJING

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The whole object of travel is

not to set foot on foreign land;

it is at last to set foot on

one’s own country

as a foreign land.

— G.K. Chesterton

TRIP FOR INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE TO VIETNAM

This year, Infocomm Club’s trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, proved to be an eye-opener for the Infocomm Club members. Students had the oppor-tunity to interact with Vietnamese students from the Information Technology departments of two differ-ent universities.

Hong Kah lites toured around the two campuses and collaboratively learned about HTML and video production from their Vietnamese friends. They also got to play traditional games with their Viet-namese friends as well as interview them regarding their interests and dreams.

Through the interaction, our Hong Kah lites realised the importance of not taking the opportuni-ties they had for granted as they saw the enthusi-asm and passion for learning in students from a country with not as many facilities and opportuni-ties as in Singapore.

Students were also exposed to the history of Ho Chi Minh City from their visits to the Cu Chi Tunnels and War Museum to learn about the tragic past which ravaged the country. They also got to take a ride down the Mekong Delta, taking in the serene sights and slow bustle of the Mekong village. With these experiences, students reflected on the privi-leges of living in a much more developed country and agreed that they should appreciate the peace which they now enjoy in Singapore.

STARS in Action

SECONDARY ONE ORIENTATION

HOUSE OLYMPICS

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GRADUATION CEREMONY

LIFE IN HKSS

c

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ACHIEVERS‛ LUNCH

CROSS COUNTRY

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STAR Nurturers @Work

‘Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision’

- Habit of Mind

In Hong Kah, our sta� not only engage in teaching and learning activities, they also actively take part in professional development activities such as sta� retreats, workshops, sharing of best practices and academic enrichment.

WSA-EC BESTPRACTICES SHARING

On 23 July 2014, our school hosted 20 key person-nel from West 7 cluster schools. Ms Ow, our Lead Teacher, and Mrs Yeo, our HOD English Language & Literature, shared with the visitors our school’s journey for the Whole-school Approach to Effective Communication (WSA-EC). The visitors were given an overview of our school’s WSA-EC focus and approach. Ms Ow and Mrs Yeo also presented our implementation processes, successes and challenges. To help the visitors understand our focus in Subject Literacy this year, they observed our teachers’ lessons in different disciplines such as Mathematics, Science, History and English Language. The visitors were impressed by how Mr Chua Yew Wei, Mr Senthil, and Mr Qin Yixuan integrated language skills into their respec-tive subjects.

The Hong Kah staff participated in two staff retreats this year, one in June and another in November. Both retreats focused on helping staff develop a growth mind-set. In addition, the staff retreat in November aimed to help staff understand the need to reinvent and revitalise and be aware of being part of the larger Singapore; to appreciate the importance of electronics as a cornerstone of Singa-pore's economy; and to strengthen staff bonding and enhance the Hong Kah family culture.

The retreats included workshops on the growth mind-set, engaging activities and learning journeys to successful local organisations such as King Koil, Polar Puffs and The Cocoa Tree. The rich learning the staff have gleaned from the staff retreats would definitely help them become more effective teach-ers.

STAFF RETREATS

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Our caring educators also spend a lot of their time teaching and guiding the students, nurturing them to be world-ready youths. Hence, it comes as no surprise that they enjoy good rapport with the students. Students show appreciation to their teachers in many ways, especially during Teachers’ Day.

TEACHERS’ DAYCELEBRATION & DINNER CELEBRATION & DINNER

During the Teachers’ Day Concert this year, the student leaders organised an enjoyable concert for the staff. In addition, the Caring Teacher Award was presented to the following teachers: Ms Lim Lee Lian, Mdm Aditi Das Deshmukh, Ms Rischka Syafiqa Putri Jonawi, Ms Shafizah Wydiana Binte Zailani, Mr Shahul Hameed S/O Sultan, Mr Koh Hoe Yap, Ms Fang Shilin and Ms Nur Ain Bte Borhan. The non-teaching staff were also not forgotten on this special occasion as students presented handmade lollipop cards to them as well as the teachers.

Teachers’ Day Dinner was a time the teachers let their hair down and dressed up according to the theme ‘Career Switch’. That night, the teachers came dressed up as politicians, construction work-ers, chefs and many more exciting roles. We even had a ‘Bollywood actress’ and her body guard grace the dinner; not to mention a panda and her zoo-keeper!

STAFF BONDINGThe Staff Welfare Committee provides opportunities for staff bonding through a wide range of engaging recreational activ-ities.

This year, the staff tried their hands at baking, scrapbooking and terrarium-mak-ing. These recreational activities were therapeutic, helping the staff relieve stress and bond as a team.

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STAR Partners in Collaboration

In Hong Kah, we seek to engage key partners in value-adding to school programmes and contributing to the holistic development of students. Staff are encouraged to harness the expertise of knowledgeable others in building staff capacity and sharing teaching and learning resources.

The school constantly looks out for sustainable partnership opportunities which are mutually beneficial. The commitment to achievement of school’s goals in the different domains, namely student well-being, student development, and Values in Action is demonstrated in the strong network with key partners.

PROJECT LOVE COMMUNITY HEALTH CHECK

During the festive Lunar New Year season, both staff and students of Hong Kah Secondary took the time to remember the less fortunate in the neigh-bourhood.

At the beginning of the year, all Hong Kah lites took part in contributing food items and making ham-pers. The school leaders, staff and even the Parent Support Group members took part in this meaning-ful values-in-action activity too. The hampers were then distributed to the needy families in the Jurong area, in partnership with Jurong Central GRC to

This year, our school hosted the Community Health Check in collaboration with Jurong Central Wellness for the third consecutive year.

The annual Community Health Check held was a meaningful platform for Hong Kah lites to express their love for their grandparents and the elderly in the Jurong neighbourhood. Our students provided admin-istrative and logistical support, helping to register the participants and ushering them to the health check stations.

ICT BOOTCAMP

On 04 April, 15 seniors from Jurong Central attended a basic ICT train-ing programme hosted by our school and were given hands-on guidance by our students. The programme was part of the school's ICT Bootcamp, in which Jurong Central Active-Ageing Committee was invited to collaborate.

The seniors enjoyed the training, especially the attention and care offered by their young mentors. One senior even suggested that we should organise more of such train-ing. At the end of the programme, participants received a customised photo certificate each.

SHINE 27

‘It takes a

village to raise a child.’

— old African proverb HKSS

SCHOOLADVISORY

COMMITTEE

This year, besides inviting our School Advisory Committee (SAC) members to major school events such as our 20th Anniversary Cele-bration, we proactively seek to engage the SAC in providing funding and support for our school activities. For example, the SAC not only sponsored school projects such as the refurbishment of the school gymnasium and staff lounge, they also provided venues such as Bulan Island, King Koil showroom and Polar Puff factory, as well as expertise for our staff learning journeys to successful local businesses to learn best practices.

In 2015, the SAC will be organising a Charity Golf event to raise funds for our school programmes. We are indeed blessed to have such tremendous support from our SAC!

PARENTSUPPORTGROUP

The HKSS Parent Support Group (PSG) has been set up for parents to work in partnership with the school to achieve the school’s vision, mission and goals. The PSG creates a network of links for the school, its families and the community. Members come from diverse back-grounds and possess varied skills and experiences. Besides working with the school to provide a holistic education for our children, PSG members participate in workshops and activities arranged especially for them and their families. They will also be able to network with other parents and make new friends.

There is a core group of PSG members who have been rendering unstinting support to the school. In addition to participating in school events such as Cross Country and Teachers’ Day Celebration, they have made significant contributions to the school such as conducting a scrapbooking workshop for our staff and providing food and refresh-ment for our graduating cohort during the Night Study Programme. Our students are very fortunate to have such supportive parents and it is the school’s privilege to work with them.

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