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Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (Secondary) . PL Epistle . Jul - Oct 2007 . vol.23 no.3

Matt 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Principal's messageIn ceaseless praiseAs we approach the end of 2007, and as we celebrate our 91st anniversary, ou r hear ts a re filled with gratitude and we speak in ceaseless praise

of the goodness and faithfulness of God throughout the year. At the beginning of the year, God blessed the efforts of the ‘O’ level cohort 2006. The Sec 4 Express pupils achieved the 4th consecutive gold award for value-added results and in October, we received our 8th Sustained Achievement Award for Academic value-added results for the Express Course. God also blessed us with the Sustained Achievement Award for Sports and on 2 October with these 2 awards and the 2 Best Practice Awards for Teaching and Learning and for Staff Well-being that God blessed us with in 2006, PLMGSS received the MOE School Distinction Award. Truly, to God be the glory, honour and praise.

On 12 October, we celebrated our 91st Founder’s Day and we added to the joy of this event by dedicating PLMGSS to God’s work and purpose and reopening the school at the same time. We had the privilege of having Bishop Dr Robert Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore, to officiate the dedication of the school to God’s glory and Mr Teo

Chee Hean, Minister for Defence, to reopen the school for us. God has indeed been faithful and we thank and praise Him for the successful completion of the school redevelopment project and for providing all the funds needed. We are grateful to the Ministry of Education for putting us on PRIME and funding 95% of the cost of the standard provision. God, through generous donors, provided in full the $6m that the school needed to raise, and we were thus able to dedicate the school to God on Founder’s Day. This journey of faith in God’s provision has been an amazing one.

The final term of the school year was exciting and fun-filled for all Sec 1 and 2 pupils as they underwent a curriculum that their teachers had specially designed for them. They were engaged in calligraphy and various aspects of cultural appreciation, introduced to astronomy and archaeology and produced videos and published newletters, just to name a few; and a great deal of learning took place.

We look forward to 2008 when we will be embarking on the construction of an indoor sports hall. To fund this project, the school had a food and fun fair and raised $74,000 for this sports hall as well as for the Agape Fund which provides financial assistance for our needy pupils. We move into 2008 with confidence that our Jehovah Jireh will supply all our needs. As He has provided for us, He will continue to provide. Truly as He has promised, “My Grace is sufficient for you” 2 Cor. 12:9, and we testify to how His Grace has been sufficient for us, and we praise Him unceasingly for his goodness. To God be the Glory.

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PuPils’ Achievements

ACJC-Methodist Schools’ Debate CupOur debaters, Rachael Quah, Charis Low, Robyn Yzelman and Rachel Ma beat ACS(B), ACS(I) and MGS to win the ACJC-Methodist Schools' Debate Cup on 27 October.They competed in 3 rounds of debate and won all three, emerging as champions. Rachael Quah also won the Ernest Lau trophy for being the overall best speaker and Charis Low was awarded the 2nd best speaker out of 50 speakers.

NPCCFive of our cadets received this prestigious SPF-NPCC badge, given only to top NPCC cadets in Singapore. They are SI Cleopatra Loo Tian Yun, SSGT Lin Yi, SSGT Kristle Yeow Poh Sim, SI Elizabeth Yap Min Yen and SSGT Glynnis Lim Wan Ting

3rd National Mother Tongue News Writing CompetitionOrganised by Innova JC and supported by Singapore Press Holdings, this competition, held in July, aimed to promote bilingualism and knowledge of current affairs. At the journalism workshop, students were taught interviewing techniques and effective writing skills by experienced journalists from Lian He Zao Bao, Berita Harian and Tamil Murasu. Students were then given the opportunity to put what they had learnt into practice by attending a forum in English on the topic, ‘Youth and Volunteerism - The Importance of Building an Inclusive Society’. The Guest of Honour was Mr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports. Participants were given 2 hours after the forum to complete their reports.30 secondary schools took part in this competition under the Higher Chinese category. Chan Li Min Carolyn (3A1) and Jiang Xing Nan (3B1) represented our school and beat Nanyang Girls’ High School to emerge Champions, winning $300.

48th National Inter-School Track and Field Championships‘B’ DivisionYip Min Yi Jessica 4B2 1500m - 6th, 800m - 9th

Tham Wan Yi 3A3 3000m - 4th

‘C’ DivisionHo Kar Yun 2-8B Shot Putt - 7th

4 x 100m Relay Team 6th

Ho Kar Yun (2-8B), Yip Min Yi Jessica (4B2), Tham Wan Yi (3A3)

Prof Gerhard Wanner, University of Geneva with Tan Li Hong and Melody Yap

Euler 300th Anniversary Essay CompetitionThe students from the Accelerated Mathematics Programme participated in the Euler 300th Anniversary Essay Competition organised by the Singapore Mathematical Society, NUS in June. This competition aimed to expose students to the history of mathematics, in particular, the contribution of the great mathematician Leonhard Euler. PLMGS(S) came in third in the Lower Secondary section. The winning essay ‘Leonhard Euler’ was written by Tan Li Hong (2-1B), Melody Yap (2-1A) and Joann Ong (2-2A). They received prizes from both NUS and Swiss House Singapore.

Rachel Destinee Lee of 4E1/ 2006 being awarded the Lee Kuan Yew All Round Excellence Award by Senior Minister of State for Education Mr Gan Kim Yong

Lee Kuan Yew All Round Excellence Award Rachel Destinee Lee (4E1/2006), currently a student at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) won the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew Award for All Round Excellence in August. Rachel was a diligent pupil who also made her mark as a prefect and in the St John Ambulance Brigade.

SwimmingShana Lim (2-7A), a national swimmer, won a Bronze medal for the 4 x 100m Medley Relay at the Asian Schools Championships held in Hong Kong in July. In September, she struck Gold at the Hong Kong Open in the 4 x 100m Medley Relay. She also won a Silver medal for the 50m Backstroke event.

In October, Shana garnered a Bronze in the 50m Backstroke event at the FINA/ARENA Swimming World Cup held here in Singapore – one of the 7 International World Cup venues.

Carolyn and Xing Nan delighting in their win

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Raffles Model United Nations’ ConferenceRaffles Model United Nations (RMUN) was held over a three-day period in May. PLMGS(S) sent 2 teams comprising 10 pupils who represented Sudan and India.

RMUN simulates the debates held at the UN headquarters on issues relevant to the global community. As delegates, we had to represent our respective countries’ interests in the decision-making process. Through the experience, we gained insight into the work of the UN. The RMUN was an incredibly exciting learning experience!

By Rachael Quah (3A1) and Robyn Yzelman (3A2)

Young Innovators' FairPLMGS(S) participated in the Innovation Programme organised by MOE’s Gifted Education branch. After working for half a year, one of our teams was shortlisted to participate in the Young Innovators’ Fair on 20 July at Singapore Polytechnic.

Our budding young innovatorsSome of the participants at the RMUN

Innovation WeekThe theme for Innovation Week held in September was “Ticking Minds, Budding Technopreneurs”.

Sec 1 students were involved in a project called ‘Startup@PL’. They were briefed by an entrepreneur before presenting their ideas to teachers who acted as venture capitalists. Thereafter, they had to sell the products they had created.

“News Search” was the title of the Sec 2 project. The students attended a news production workshop and worked in their groups. On the final day, they presented their news production to the judges.

Sec 3 students had to plan for a future PL hostel for their project called “Plan and Design”. The students interacted with professional developers, did research and drew up a design plan.

PuPils’ leArning Activities

events hOsteD BY Pl

National Schools’ Literature FestivalThe Literature Festival was hosted by PLMGS(S) on 28 July. It was a tremendous success, with more than 1000 participants from many secondary schools and exciting events happening all at the same time. Our Sec 1 to 3 students did the school proud by performing well in the Drama, Unseen, Debate and Poetry Slam events. Our guest speakers, Mr Roger Jenkins and Mr Chris Mooney-Singh, entertained the audience with their eloquence and skill, while the debate competitions provided much intellectual stimulation. It was truly a literary extravaganza! Poetry Slam Winners

PL Music ConferencePL made ‘soundwaves’ in the arena of music education in July by holding our first Music Education Conference. Open to music educators in Singapore, the conference was organised with the objective of giving music educators a platform to learn about the latest developments in music education and technology.

Many music educators from primary and secondary schools, private music schools as well as teachers-in-charge of music CCA groups attended this event.

The keynote speaker, Professor Floyd Richmond, the Education Committee Chairperson of the Technology Institute for Music Educators, shared on “Digital Video for the Music Classroom”. The other distinguished speakers were Dr Christopher Fong, our Handbell instructor; Mr Thum Soon Boon, our Guzheng instructor; Professor Andrew Brown from Queensland University of Technology; Dr Emilia Wong, Music Head at NUS High School; and Mr Syed Ibrahim from One Heartbeat Percussions.

Our keynote speaker and workshop presenter, Professor Richmond, with Mrs Lee

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Pl AgAPe FAir 3 - 29 september

Racial Harmony DayPL commemorated Racial Harmony Day on 16 July. The theme ‘Harmony Talks’ reflects the importance of deep conversations and quality interactions in developing understanding of one another’s culture and religion. PL-Lites including the staff, came dressed in gorgeously-hued ethnic attire. Several of our teachers did the opening act - a medley of dance items from the various ethnic groups. Dionne Hoe (4A3) claimed the Miss PL Racial Harmony title at our fun and creative beauty and brains pageant.The Best Dressed Staff of the day were Mr Elvis Low and Mrs Koh Ee Lin.

PLMGS(S) pulled out all the stops to stage Agape Fair 3 on 29 September. It was an unforgettable day of fun and games and scrumptious food. A total of $74,000 was raised for PL Agape Fund and the construction of our indoor sports hall in 2008. The happy event was graced by Mr Daniel Gwee, Chairman of PLMGS(S) Redevelopment Committee.

Best Dressed Staff Mrs Koh Ee Lin and Mr Elvis Low

Miss PL Racial Harmony 2007 - Dionne Hoe (4A3)

Mrs Lee making her opening speech

“Here I come!”

Ready, get set, go down…

Our own Donut Factory Our furry friends

Sec 1 Brochures

Down but not out!

Pretty hands

Financial Literacy

Learning more about URA

Hmm… get ready to be dunked!

Our VIPs touring the games stalls

PSSG parents displaying their goodies

enrichment ActivitYTerm 4 saw PLMGS(S) go full throttle with its enrichment programme for Sec 1 – 3 students.Sec 1 students created colourful brochures during their English lessons and learnt the art of Chinese paper cut. They were introduced to Singapore Literature and had a great time dramatising a short story. The Maths Trail saw the students solving challenging problems and the students got their hands dirty learning about archaeology. They grew crystals in the science laboratory and also made learning journeys to Fort Canning and to the Health Zone at the Health Promotion Board.Sec 2 students produced class newsletters for English and learnt Chinese calligraphy. They were also introduced to film appreciation during their Literature lessons and had a lovely time gazing at the stars during their astronomy class. The students enjoyed a heritage tour of Chinatown, studied urban planning at Urban Redevelopment Authority and learnt about tides and shorelines at the East Coast Park and animal behaviour at the Singapore Zoo.Sec 3 students participated in English debates, attended classes on Chinese seal carving and financial literacy. They learnt archery as well. Indeed, Term 4 was a very busy but fulfilling term of learning.

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schOOl eventsPLMGS Celebrates the Nation’s BirthdayHaving been away at our holding school in Serangoon North for 2 years, it was great to be back at our ‘Promised Land’, enjoying the National Day Celebrations with our Primary School sisters. The staff, students and guests of both schools gathered at 8 am at PL Track 3:14 on 8 August to witness the Parade segment of the celebrations.

The Guard of Honour this year was the National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC). They were supported by the following contingents: the PL Concert Band, the St John Ambulance Brigade and the Girls' Brigade from both the Secondary and Primary schools. The Guest of Honour for the day was Ms Theodora Tan, Cluster Superintendent of E5 Cluster Schools. Joining us in our celebrations were 30 students, their teachers and the Principal of Jian Gong Middle School, our twinning school from Zhejiang, China.

After the parade, both schools carried on with their celebrations. PL (Sec) had a prize-giving ceremony in the school hall. For the first time, academic prizes and awards for Sec 1 to 3 students were given out during the National Day celebrations, together with the Colours Awards.

The day ended with a concert which saw students from the different racial groups coming together in song and dance.

Ms Theodora Tan, reviewing the Guard of Honour

National Day joy

SI Cleopatra Loo, Parade Commander 2007

Mr Teo Chee Hean unveiling the plaque

Our beloved teachers

Our VIPs at a special tea sessionPL celebrates its 91st birthday

PLMGS Handbell Ensemble

Our Valedictorian, Cheryl Sim

91st Founder’s Day PLMGS(S) celebrated our 91st Founder’s Day on 12 October. The joyous event began with the arrival of our Guest of Honour, Mr Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Defence, along with other distinguished guests. The Agape Concert Hall was the venue of our Thanksgiving, Reopening and Dedication Service. Guests and PL-Lites alike were blessed by the beautiful music from the handbells and choir, and a message on the goodness of God from Dr Robert Solomon, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore. Among the highlights of the day was the presentation of achievement and service awards. Cheryl Sim, Head Perfect (2006) delivered the valediction with much poise and grace, delighting everyone in the audience. Our distinguished guests were later taken on a tour of the school including the PL Museum and Special Learning Centres. This was followed by a Thanksgiving Dinner in our school hall.

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schOOl eventsBaccalaureate Service “Dare to be Faithful” was the theme for the PLMGS(S) Baccalaureate Service held on 26 September for graduating students. It was a time of thanksgiving, praise and dedication. Rev. Louis Chai of Paya Lebar Chinese Methodist Church delivered a heartfelt message that challenged the students to rise above the world’s changing trends. The girls then read special messages written for them by their teachers. This was followed by Holy Communion and prayer after which they received the PL collar pin. Mrs Lee delivered her message wishing the girls well for the future. Renee and Sherrie then presented a palm tree as the students’ gift to the school. The service ended with a rousing rendition of “Dare to Run”.

Teachers’ Day CelebrationTeachers’ Day was celebrated with laughter and joy as the girls showed their appreciation for their teachers. The theme “Light of Our Lives” was chosen to show that teachers have a very special place in their hearts.

As the teachers walked down the red carpet, they were presented with gifts while PL-Lites cheered enthusiastically. The PSSG also put on a music performance. The concert ended with a bang, with every student singing “I Love You Teachers”!

“You are the light of our lives!”

Music performance by PSSG

Prefects’ Handing-Over Ceremony27 August was a memorable day for the prefects as the new board pondered over new commitments and responsibilities even as the senior prefects passed the baton to them. The Seniors handed over the symbolic items to each of the newly-appointed executive committee members. The Head Prefect, Lim Ziqi, gave her first address to the school after her predecessor, Renee Tan, thanked the school for their support and affirmation.Passing of the baton to the next generation of leaders.

PL Walk-A-JogPL held its Walk-A-Jog on 29 June at the East Coast Park. The school turned up in full force to enjoy the sun, the breeze and the vista. Students participated in either the competitive race or the mass run. The race was held over a flat 3.5 km terrain and the weather was relatively cool that morning. At the end of the event, Chew House emerged as the overall Champion.

Christmas ServiceChristmas came as early as October at PLMGS(S). Ms Tessa Tan and her team led the school in praise and worship before Rev Tay Kay Leong addressed the school. He imparted the message that it was important to love one another, not just in word but in deed too. Indeed, PL did not just talk about loving the community; we invited the Gospel Mission to the Blind, Pertapis Children’s Home, Society for the Physically Disabled and St Luke’s ElderCare to join in our celebrations held at the Primary School hall. Christmas gifts were also given to these organisations.

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schOOl events

Health Week“Healthy People, Healthy School” was the theme of this year’s Health Week held from 27-31 August, a week set aside to consolidate the efforts of each department in promoting physical, mental and social health.

Activities included inter-class competitions, sport demonstrations by vendors, showcasing of students’ works and the promotion of healthy food in the canteen. The week began with the launch of our school gym and ended on a high note with our ACES Day workout. Mrs Lee with our gym instructor, Ms Liew

Great Singapore Duck RaceThe PL Interact Club and the Prefectorial Board were ambassadors for TOUCH Community Services-SCS Great Singapore Duck Race 2007. A total of $5930 was raised by our school, making PL one of the top collectors among the schools. On the day of the race, we were presented with a plaque by Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Education and Minister for Finance.

PL representatives at the press conference(Photo Credit: TOUCH Community Services)

Dorothy Cheong receiving a plaque from Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

World Cup Referee comes to PL!PL- Lites had a pleasant surprise one August morning when World Cup Referee, Mr Shamsul Maidin, joined us for assembly. Mr Shamsul is Singapore’s pride and joy as he was the first referee ever to represent the Republic at the coveted world sporting event. He was also 1 of the 2 referees who represented Asia at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Voted as the best referee by sporting fans in an ESPN poll, Mr Shamsul had refereed the opening match at the 2006 event, where he issued the first ‘Red’ card of the 2006 World Cup event. However, it was his firmness and fairness which earned him much respect from sporting fans all over the world.In line with the assembly theme of Commitment for August and in celebration of Singapore’s 42nd National Day, Mr Shamsul shared about what it meant to fly the Singapore flag at such a prestigious event. It was a proud moment for him and for Singapore.Mr Shamsul Maidin,

autographing a football for PL.

Singapore Kindness MovementThe theme for this year’s S i n g a p o r e K i n d n e s s Movement in PL was ‘Kindness Revolution’. The Sec 1 girls wrote notes of encouragement and presented a cash gift to a fellow PL-Lite who was diagnosed with cancer. The Sec 2 girls made cards and bookmarks for our Primary 6 sisters in PLMGS(P). The Sec 3 girls made and sold different kinds of food, raising money for the Agape Fund to help our needy students. The Sec 4 girls left notes of encouragement for those taking their national examinations.

Twinning ProgrammeIn August, 30 teachers and students from Jian Gong Middle School in China, together with their Principal, visited PL on a cultural exchange programme. Each student from Jian Gong was paired with a buddy from PL, and a 2-day homestay programme was arranged at their buddies’ homes. Special arrangements were made for our guests to attend Malay and Indian cultural lessons. Our school’s harp and handbell music groups put on impressive performances. During our National Day celebrations, our guests performed a beautiful Tibetan dance. They also visited tourist attractions such as Sentosa and the Night Safari.

These fun-filled activities helped our guests gain a better understanding of our multi-racial nation and left them with beautiful memories of our shared experiences.

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Alumni NewsLee Kuan Yew Award & ScholarshipRosie Sim Joo Peng graduated from PL in 2003. She was an exceptional student who excelled in both her studies and CCA. She continued to excel in Nanyang Polytechnic, topping her cohort to graduate with a Diploma in Business Informatics with Merit. She was also awarded the Gold Medal for her academic achievements. In recognition of her outstanding achievements, she was awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Award and the Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship to Encourage Upgrading (LKY-STEP) Award. PL congratulates Rosie on her achievements and wishes her a fruitful journey in NUS as she pursues her BA in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

PSSG

New Staff

Retirement

1. PSSG Dialogue 3 Dr Daniel Fung, Deputy Chief of Institute of Mental Health (Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) and

a member of our school Board of Management, spoke on ‘Desperately Seeking a Psychiatrist’s View on Teen Relations’ on 20 July. The workshop, attended by 135 parents and teachers, aimed to equip parents with the skills to discuss sexuality issues with their teens.

2. Breakfast Bonding Programme The Breakfast Bonding Programme started on 19 March with delicious English scones and piping hot sandwiches

lovingly prepared by both teachers and parents. From then on, each Monday morning saw weekly treats of home-baked goodies being sold to raise money for the Agape Fund. We, as parents, enjoyed ourselves thoroughly during these bonding sessions.

By Mrs Chan Beow Tuan (PSSG Vice-President)

3. I-Movie Family Workshop This workshop was co-organised by PL Infocomm Club and the PSSG. 18 parents and family members of our girls

attended the workshop in our IT Resource Room. Parents bonded with their daughters as they learned to use new software together. They learned how to handle basic videography using iMAC facilities. They also learned to make and edit their own movies using iMOVIE software. Everyone had a great time watching one another’s movies after the 3-hour session!

Rosie and Mrs Wong-Lian Hui, her form teacher (2002-2003) at the NYP Graduation Ceremony, 4 July 2007

FarewellWe bid farewell to Ms Mildred Chan & Ms Sheryl Ting and thank them for their faithful service to PLMGS(S).

Mdm Tiong Pek Lan - Teacher Aide

Ms Joycelyn Goh - CCPA

Ms Leong Lai Har - Teacher Aide

Ms Nancy Lee - Teacher Aide

Ms Ng Hui Ping Colleen - Teacher

Ms Noorshakina - Contract Teacher

Ms Srividya Nair - Teacher

Mdm Toh Lee Lee - Receptionist cum Admin Assistant

Miss Lee Yin Yan Pearl - Teacher

Miss Noor Intan Binte Ghamaruddin - Teacher

Mr Francis Ho - I.T. Manager

Mr Ivan Lee - Contract Teacher

Mr Pang Tian Gui - Teacher

Mdm Raspal Dhillon joined PLMGS(S) as HOD (English) in 1999. Her professionalism and efficiency quickly won the admiration of staff who worked closely with her. As a teacher, Mdm Dhillon was dedicated, skilful and caring. During her 10 years with PL, Mdm Dhillon played a pivotal role in steering the school in its instructional programme.

She was also the face of PL’s fundraising activities. PL-Lites remember her making regular appearances during morning assembly to encourage PL-Lites to persevere in their fundraising efforts. Mdm Dhillon, who retired in July as Senior Dean, Instructional Programme, will always be a part of PL. We wish her the best of health and a fruitful retirement.