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CHR Highlights

Jul 2013 Issue 4

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7

SINGAPORE YOUTH FESTIVAL 2013

The Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) is an annual event organized by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to celebrate the vitality of our youth and their diverse art talents. It embodies MOE’s belief in the importance of a holistic education for our students and plays a key role in the development of Arts Education in schools.

In line with the above objectives, the two phases of SYF will be renamed and repositioned as follows:

SYF Arts Presentation (Previously known as SYF Central Judging)

From 2013 onwards, it will be a performance-based platform open for public viewership depending on venue arrangement.

SYF Celebrations (Previously known as the presentations held in July)

The week-long Arts Festival celebrates the diverse artistic talents of our students and encourages schools to provide more opportunities for students to explore and experience different art forms.

It is our pleasure to feature our school’s participation in SYF and the awardees.

I had an enriching learning journey during this hectic period of time. SYF had made us more confident and heightened our sense of self-awareness about our strengths and weaknesses. Through all the various practices, we managed to build common un-derstanding and mutual respect for one another. The strong camaraderie which we shared now is something I would cherish deeply. If I could go back, I would change nothing.

We spent a lot of time brainstorming for ideas when we were choosing our script. All of us had our own preferences when it came to the themes. However, we eventually managed to create a brilliant play by combining all our ideas.

Before our drama practices and rehearsals, we always did a series of vocal exercises and tongue twisters to help with our speaking and voice projection. This helped to ensure the clarity of our words and pronunciation.

Devapriya Raj, 3N6

We devoted a lot of time to participating in SYF so we were disappointed to be awarded the certificate of commendation as we were aiming for distinction. Although our hard work and time did not reap the desired results, I feel the experience had been enriching. Through the rehearsals and practices, my CCA mates and I had bonded a lot after going through all the ups and downs to-gether. We will strive to achieve better results with more fun and joy in the next SYF.

Lishen, 3E5

COMMENDATION AWARDEE

Congratulations

to CO & Choir for

achieving their

First Distinction

in SYF!

In this issue:

Page 7: CHR Elective

Module Week

Page 8: CHR Achievements DRAMA


CHR Highlights #4 -2- Jul 2013

CONCERT BAND

SINGAPORE YOUTH FESTIVAL

No words could describe the pressure we had gone through when we were fighting hard to achieve our goal. As a drum major, I was really touched to see how hard my juniors worked for the band by bringing their instruments home and organising their own mini sectionals during their free time.

There were times when I broke down because I had difficulties balancing my school work and the band practices. Fortunately, my classmates and band mates were all supportive and encouraged me to persevere and hang in there. Through these few months of hectic practices, I think I have grown to be more matured and responsible.

We also organised our first Band Exchange Programme where we invited bands from other schools to exchange our musical skills and make new friends. It was an enriching experience for us as it gave us the chance to learn from one another.

I would like to thank all the 4 band teachers : Miss Chong, Mdm Juliza, Miss Yushiella and Miss Audrey Lee. They are always supportive by encouraging us to keep on moving forward. I would also like to thank my conductors : Mr Tan and Mr Ng, for their patience with us and for their dedication.

Lastly, I would like to thank all my band mates for their unwavering spirit and for attending all the band practices diligently. I hope that the band will continue to improve furthermore after I graduate, and make the school, the teachers and the conductors proud !

Kennethe, 4N7

Along this journey, I learnt the importance of teamwork. If any band member was absent, the whole band would have to start from zero. I discovered that if a person wanted to achieve a goal, he must have great strength and determination. I believe that everyone in our band has become a more confident person. We are not afraid to perform in front of a crowd and we believe in our abilities.

I have discovered that I have grown to be more determined in life. I know what I want in life and if I want something I have to work hard for it. I am really proud of the whole band, because in spite of the difficulties and challenges we faced, we achieved a certificate of accomplishment.

I sincerely thank my teachers, instructor, band alumni friends and juniors who persevered with only 6 months of practice since the day they first stepped into the band room. Thank you for believing in me and the band members.

Nurulhuda Amiera, 3E1

ACCOMPLISHMENT AWARDEE



MALAY DANCE

SINGAPORE YOUTH FESTIVAL ACCOMPLISHMENT AWARDEES

We started our practices as early as last year, twice weekly. I kept practising everywhere, even when I was walking home and during my free time. I ignored what other people said and persevered on practising until I got it perfect.

Over time, the training helped to develop my character and I learnt how to work in a team. The trainings built up my confidence and it helped me in my project presentations. I overcame my fear of speaking in front of a huge audience.

I would like to thank my instructor, classmates, my seniors and teachers in Malay Dance as well as the ex-Malay Dance students who had supported me a lot. They taught me the difficult dance steps which were very challenging. I was so relieved when I finally learnt how to perform the dance.

I am sure we will achieve 'Distinction' for our next SYF if we continue to put in our best in what we strive to do.

Hidayah, 2N6

We began practising since last year for twice a week. The training was very strenuous as we had to continuously practise the dance steps. Teamwork is important too as we need to synchronise our steps. However, our efforts paid off when we received the ‘Accomplishment’ award. We were really glad and thankful for all the support given to us that helped us achieve this award.

The preparation for SYF has been a m e m o r a b l e a n d e n r i c h i n g experience for me. I became more confident of myself and also learnt how to be a self-directed learner. There was once when I was on the verge of giving up as the challenges were too overwhelming. Fortunately, my fellow members believed that I could do it and encouraged me.

I would like to thank my instructor, teachers-in-charge and fellow members for being there throughout the whole journey. Even though we did not get distinction, we are still proud of ourselves. We will strive for better results in the next SYF!

Farzana, 3E1

INDIAN DANCE



MODERN DANCE


Through this SYF journey, I have gained much confidence standing on the stage as a dancer. Despite having to balance and cope between studies and dance practices, the group persevered and managed to succeed to achieve our common goal.

At times, some of us could not take the strain physically and emotionally. There were times when we broke down. Thankfully, our teachers and instructor as well as our fellow dancers were there to encourage one another with comforting and encouraging words. All of us suffered bruises on our arms and legs but our passion for dance kept us going and all of us persevered through this tough fight together as one.

We learnt to understand each others’ strengths and weaknesses and to help one another when in need. As a senior I have witnessed my fellow dancers caring for one another. This sight really delighted me, and I felt everything was worth it.

We faced quite a number of difficulties throughout this journey. Some of us are graduating students who are having our major exams this year so we have to manage our time really well. The packed schedule for intensive remedial and extra lessons for different levels means we are constrained by having only one or two practices per week so as to accommodate dancers of all levels.

On behalf of all my fellow dancers, I would like to thank Mrs Yeo, Mr Clement Lim and Mr Ho for giving us the chance to use the dance studio and for being so supportive as well as our teachers-in-charge, Ms Mardiana, Ms Angel, Ms Tay for the encouragement given to us.

Lastly, I would also like to thank our instructor, Mr Derek, for his professionalism, dedication of time, effort and his creativity . Without them, Modern Dance would not be where we are today.

As a graduating senior of Modern Dance, this is a really memorable SYF . There were many times when I wanted to give up but it was the encouragement from everyone that made me pull through this long and tiring journey. Even though we did not achieve a distinction, we were still happy because we had progressed from a bronze award to a certificate of achievement. I will never forget the times we spent together every Friday having lessons in the dance studio.

Amelia, 4N6

ACCOMPLISHMENT AWARDEE



CHOIR


This year’s SYF Arts Presentation was truly one of the most spectacular events which I had the honour to experience. Although the trainings were tough and gruelling, being able to reap the fruits of

our labour was most certainly worth it.

Preparations for SYF started way earlier in 2012, when the choir was preparing to attend our first overseas competition. Although these sessions were not as intense as the ones we had this year, the experience garnered was incredibly useful. The workshops conducted by the adjudicators also aided us in our figurative climb to the summit. Rehearsals were 3 hours per session. As the big day drew closer, tensions were heightened as rehearsals increased and we felt as if we were trapped in a pressure cooker. The difficulty was not in the learning of vocal technique or memorisation of score, but rather in maintaining our discipline to focus on the task at hand and to keep the faith. All of this coupled with schoolwork and getting used to the change from lower to upper secondary was extremely overwhelming and challenging. I was practically on the verge of throwing in the towel. Fortunately, with the support of our choral director and pianist, Mr Francis Liew and Ms Joyce Lim, teachers and classmates, we managed to pull through. On SYF day, we hit a stumbling block when we lost focus. At that moment, all the months of preparation, hard work and tears threatened to engulf and envelop us. Despite his utter disappointment, Mr Liew managed to save us from our self-initiated destruction and pulled us back into the light. We were told to shut off the rest of the world (quite literally) by facing the wall and closing our eyes before he gathered us for a pep talk. The group hug following it was probably one of the most encouraging things the choir had ever gone through.

Through this long journey, I have learnt the importance of determination, tenacity, discipline and above

all, how to use the eagle’s mentality to achieve my goal.

I would like to thank Mr Francis Liew, Ms Joyce Lim, Ms Nathania Chan, Ms Seah Jiemin and Mr Aljunied for believing is us and making sure we were always professional and performance-ready; Mr Eugene Teo, Mrs Anya Kashyap and my classmates from 3E2 and 2E4’12 for taking the time to render their much appreciated support, the school and Mrs Yeo for giving us this chance and last but not least; to my fellow choristers with whom I have had the honour of sharing this experience with. If I had the choice, I would do this all over again with each and every one of you.

Crescencia Chay, 3E2

DISTINCTION AWARDEE

We are pleased to present our

Distinction Awardees!




The training sessions were strict and demanding as we started training as early as August last year. We attended 2 to 3 days of training per week.

Throughout my learning journey, I have learnt to listen to one another, be united, work as a team, be resilient, have fun and understand each other. It developed my character as I became more confident to perform in front of people and determined to overcome any obstacles that came our way. I also learnt to get along with everyone despite our differences so that we could work as a team to achieve our goal.

Initially I had difficulties trying to catch up with my team mates. I overcame my difficulties by practising more, compromising and listening to one another more. It helped that our instructor rendered a lot of invaluable help to me.

I would like to thank the teacher in charge, instructors, conductor, juniors, friends and even people who have helped me to carry the instruments. In one way or another, all of them taught me something by guiding me, helping me and encouraging me. Without their help, the CO would not have achieved distinction.

Wei Xuan, 4N7

I would like to thank my teachers-in-charge for organising trips to watch Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) performances at the Singapore Conference Hall to increase our exposure. I also thank my instructors and my conductor, Mr Chua, for going the extra mile to bring us to the People’s Association for extra lessons as well as engaging external teachers to teach us.

Jasper Eng Min Lun, 3E5

I appreciate that our conductor would recognise our weak areas and use his own free time to bring us for extra lessons outside school and pay for them quietly without telling us. He is truly a gem to us and we are really grateful! Thank you!

Kris Koh Chin An, 3E1

DISTINCTION AWARDEE

CHINESE ORCHESTRA

Mr Chua, the conductor, with his students.



Christ Church Secondary School, in conjunction with Mastereign Professionals (North-East) Pte Ltd, organised Career Exposure Elective programmes for all our Sec 3NT and 3NA Students from 27 May 2013 to 31 May 2013 .

The objective of the various courses was to expose students to possible careers that they might wish to pursue in the future. The courses conducted were: ‘Junior Chef’, ‘Hospitality’, ‘Photography’ and ‘Beauty Therapy’.

These fun and exciting programmes were infused with engaging hands-on-activities as well as the opportunities to visit various industries to increase their exposure and knowledge of the necessary skills required in today’s society. On the final day of the module, the students exhibit their talents. Using their own creativity, the ‘Hospitality’ students created a café-like atmosphere at the CHR Drop-In Centre and ensured their ‘customers’ at the restaurant had a great dining experience.

The ‘Junior Chefs’ cooked up a sumptuous lunch which included an appetiser, a main course and a dessert. Their ‘customers’ were also entertained by a slide show presentation prepared by the ‘Student Digital Photographers’.

The ‘Junior Beauty Therapists’ also proved to be confident and skillful in their massage, make-up and manicure skills and were professional in the way they showed their various skills.

CHR Elective Module Week

Here are some reflections from students who attended the various courses: The Hospitality Course was very useful as it provided me with a glimpse of what it is like to work in the hospitality field. It taught me to be patient and attentive to customers’ needs as well as the importance of providing excellent service. The highlight for me was the Exhibition Day where we were given the opportunity to showcase our talents and entertain our guests who were our very own teaching and non-teaching Staff. Goh Rui Wen, 3NA6 I have learnt that cooking is not simple. It takes skills and hard work to cook a dish that looks appealing and delicious. Thus, I have learned more about spices and the ingredients that will help me cook a variety of dishes which includes appetisers, main courses and desserts. I have also learnt how to present my dishes to look appealing. I also learnt that teamwork is important as we need to work together to cook dishes to meet the orders for the day effectively. Mohd Noor Saifullah, 3NA7 (B) Digital Photography is a form of Art and learning. It was fun as I experienced many exciting things. It got me on my feet to pick up fantastic skills such as how to handle a DSLR camera properly. We learnt useful tips on the use of ‘Rules of Thirds’ when composing a picture. Other than going on learning journeys to take pictures of fascinating places and people, we also picked up ‘Photoshop’ skills which were useful to help us improve the colour and exposure of our photographs. The course was really enriching! Azfar Haziq, 3NA7 (B)

CHR staff enjoying dedicated service from our students who took on roles as ‘chefs’, ‘beauty therapists’ and ‘massage therapists’.



Achievements

Joshua Axel Lim of 4E3 received the Founder’s award, which is the highest and most prestigious award in the Seniors Programme.

Founder’s Award

On 6th April 2013, the Girls' Br iga d e (1 8t h S inga po re Company) participated in a National Competition organised by GBHQ together with 1,100 other Primary and Secondary Schools students.

They partnered with girls from Henry Park Primary School forming two teams.

The girls participated in station games that engaged them in learning more about the needs of the LENS (Lonely, Elderly, Needy, Special Needs) in Singapore.

Our GB won a SILVER and a GOLD award in the competition as well as the Challenge Shield Award for emerging as the overall Champion again this year!

Girls’ Brigade

Challenge Shield Award

Community Quest 2013

North West CDC Outstanding

School Partner Award

People’s Association Community Spirit (PACS) Award

Excellence Award

CHR was presented with the Excellence Award for the PA Community Spirit (PACS) Awards 2013, under the “Partners of Com-munity Development Council (CDC)” category at the annual PA Awards and PACS Awards 2013 Presentation Ceremony . CHR received the award from Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister (Prime Minister’s Office) and Deputy Chairman of PA. for our partner-ship with the North West CDC and contributions to the Community.

Many of our staff, our parents and our students volunteered at North West community events such as North West Brisk Walk Festival, North West Young Entrepreneur Workshop, Reduce @ North West, Eco Quest

@ North West, and as well as for our three years of participation in the iconic national event Chingay Parade under PA Youth Movement (PAYM).

Our VP, Mrs Emily Jacob, receiving the award from Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Education & Ministry of Manpower on 20th May 2013.

Our Principal, Mrs Yeo Chin Nam, receiving the award from Mr Lim Swee Say (Minister, PMO & Deputy Chairman, People's Association) at the awards presentation ceremony on 18th May 2013.

Overall Champion

Girls’ Brigade Pioneer

Brigadier Badge 2013

Kristina Lydia from 4E3

receiving the award from

the Brigade President,

Mrs Tay Poh Imm.

Girls’ Brigade Company Award

GOLD

Mrs Yeo receiving the GB

Company Award (Gold).

from the Brigade President.

J M Fraser Award for Excellence

(Gold)

(7th consecutive year)

(second from left) Brandon Chong, 3E3,

playing the snare drum during the JM Fraser

Award ceremony.

ights - Ministry of Education

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