St Joseph’s Institution International
Elementary School
Newsletter
Our school crest
Summer Term, 12 May 2017
Dates for your Diary
Mon 15 May
 Founder’s Day – Early dismissal
Prep1&2 @11.20am
G1-G6 @12.20pm
Tue 16 May
 G4 Swim Gala
 G6 Field Trip
Thu 18 May
 Prep 1&2 Proms
Fri 19 May
 Mass @7.45am
Mon 22 May
 Prep1 2018 Observation Session
Wed 24 May
 G3 Swim Gala
Thu 25 May
 Mass for Ascension of Our Lord
 G5 Field Trip
Fri 26 May
 G2 & G3J Celebration of Learning –
books going home
Tue 30 May
 G4 Field Trip
Wed 31 May
 G3A & G4 Celebration of Learning
 Readers Cup at SJIIES
Thu 1 Jun
 G2 Swim Gala
 EPSG Appreciation Tea
Fri 2 Jun
 Mass @7.45am
 End of CCAs
 Progress Reports Issue
Sat 3 Jun
 SJII Tigers Invitational Meet
Summer Term Dates
Term Dates 2018
Click here to read
Br. Larry’s
Lasallian Reflection
Principal’s Diary
Dear Parents,
If I asked you to think about our school crest and describe it what would you
say? I am sure you would all be able to say it is green and white, that it has
a shield and there is a latin motto at the bottom. But what about the
symbols? How closely have you looked? It is pertinent to ask as each
symbol is related to our history in one way or another and shows who we
are. Tonight we celebrate our 10th anniversary as a school with a dinner
for over 600 people at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. But we grew out of SJI and
that was established in 1852. This year marks its 165th anniversary!
Our two schools share a crest. The green shield is divided into four areas
by a white cross which is the symbol of our Christian faith. In the middle of
the cross is a five pointed star, the Signum Fidei, the Sign of Faith. It is the
motto of the Lasallian Brothers and reminds them to centre their lives on
faith and to reach always for the reachable star of their convictions and
ideals. The five points of the star each represent a different core principle.
The first point stands for Quality Education. I wrote in last week’s newsletter
about our holistic approach to education and developing the children not
only academically but through sport and the arts. This is central to all we do.
The second point of the star stands for an Inclusive Community. We
celebrate diversity and welcome all members of our community. The third
point is Respect for all Persons. We honour and respect the dignity of all
individuals. The fourth point of the star represents Concern for the Poor and
Social Justice. We are in solidarity with the poor and advocate for those
suffering from injustices. The fifth point of the star stands for Faith in the
Presence of God. We believe in the presence of God in our community and
in our world.
In the top left area of the shield are three interlocking circles. These
symbolise playing sport, games and competition against other schools. The
top right area of the shield holds the lamp of knowledge on a book, which is
a symbol for learning. This is ultimately our core business. The Lion at the
bottom left of the shield represents the courage and determination with
which the students and alumni of our school face the many challenges of
life. It also reminds us that SJI was established in Singapura, the Lion City.
St Joseph’s Institution International Elementary School
Summer Term, 12 May 2017
Principal’s Diary Continued
The bottom right area of the crest holds the monogram of the school.
There is a crown at the top of the crest and this symbolises the victory of faith over the forces of evil. It also reminds us that
St Joseph’s Institution was founded in the days when Singapore was still a British Colony. Lastly, the Latin motto of the
school, Ora et Labora (Pray and Work), is inscribed on the scroll at the bottom of the crest.
As we come together to celebrate our 10th anniversary it is timely to remember our journey from 1852 that is symbolised in
our crest and how this unites our schools.
Kevin Hannah
Principal, Elementary School
News from the Principal’s Desk
Kevin Hannah
Staffing
I am pleased to bring you news on the filling of two leadership posts in the ES:
Head of Early Years
With the departure of Jacqueline McNalty in June to take up a Pre-School Principal position in Hong Kong, we have
conducted a search for a replacement and I am pleased to inform you that Alison Morias will fill this role from August. Alison
is a highly experienced, motivated teacher who has been in charge of the CCA programme for three years and has also
been working on the Language Arts committee that is designing and implementing the new curriculum. Her current class
will be taught by Mrs Wendy Maughtin from August, with Alison continuing to teach the Language Arts to them.
Head of UES
Following Neil Corrigan’s appointment to Vice Principal, Assessment and Staff Development, Claire Douglas, currently the
Head of the IPC, will take over from him with effect from August as Phase Leader for the UES. Claire has a passion for
education and is highly organised and efficient. She is friendly and approachable and will continue the excellent work of
Neil in ensuring a smooth and effective transition to the HS as well as the most relevant curriculum.
Swimming Galas
As I wrote in last week’s newsletter the swimming gala season is upon us. Congratulations to the Grade 5 and 6 children
who competed with a sense of fun and enjoyment on Monday and to the Grade 1 children for the sheer enthusiasm they
displayed on Thursday. A notable feature at these two galas has been the new scoreboard which keeps you up to date with
the times of each swimmer in each of the lanes. This has been a new investment funded by both the HS and ES and will
help keep spectators up to date during the various meets held on our campus. The meet is also on the app Meet Manager
and you can follow the events even if you are not present. Another useful innovation from the PE team.
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St Joseph’s Institution International Elementary School
Summer Term, 12 May 2017
News from the Principal’s Desk Continued
Cirque de Fiesta
Cirque De Fiesta took place on Thursday last week. With a whole host of activities organised children were immersed in
fun for the afternoon. This was a student led event organised by the HS Service Council, and assisted by the Scouts, Key
Club, Interact Club, Handicrafts and under the supervision of Ms Powell, Head of Service in the HS. This excitement was
all for a good cause in that it was raising money for The President’s Challenge. A total of $4500 was raised which will be
added to the other funds collected and a cheque will be presented to President Tony Tan at tonight’s 10th Anniversary
Dinner.
Looking Ahead
A reminder that on Saturday morning a group of teachers and past and present parents are meeting at MacRitchie Reservoir
to join in a walk of solidarity for Justine Elliot. We wrote about Justine in last week’s newsletter. Our virtue this week has
been courage and Justine, in her battle with cancer and desire to raise money for the cancer unit at Bath Hospital,
exemplifies this virtue in so many ways.
Please note that Monday is Founder’s Day and in celebration of this day, there will be assemblies for all the children to
discuss St John Baptiste De La Salle during the morning. In addition, there is a mass for our Catholic children from Grade
4 - 6 and they will be joined by all the students from the HS. We also honour this day with an early closure; the prep children
are dismissed at 11.20am and the Grade 1 - 6 children at 12.20pm.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mums on Sunday. I hope you are all spoilt and receive lots of love and attention throughout
the day!
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St Joseph’s Institution International Elementary School
Summer Term, 12 May 2017
Spotlight On Sport
Peter Vassbotn
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Congratulations to all our students for their participation in ACSIS Season 3. Most teams will conclude training at
the end of this week with the exception of our Swim Team who still have competitions ahead.
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Thank you for returning your team kit promptly to the ES Office or PE Office!
Training in black, matches in red, Special Events in Blue
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St Joseph’s Institution International Elementary School
Summer Term, 12 May 2017
Spotlight On Sport Continues
Swim Gala Month - Part 1
Congratulations to each and every swimmer who participated in the swim galas held on Monday (grade 5 & 6) and Thursday (grade 1).
Swim gala month is held to encourage, promote and display the swimming talents of every child in the school! What a week of excitement
we have all had so far. Whether it be dashing across the pool with a kickboard or flying across the pool in the 25m butterfly, we certainly
saw many superb performances during the week. Irrespective of the place finished, the smiles on the faces of swimmers who have
recently managed to swim the 25m for the first time was very rewarding to see. Many thanks must go to the swimmers who showed such
enthusiasm and also to those who encouraged their teammates on with the support and cheering.
Without the help of the teachers, EPSG and the support of the many parents who
assisted us with, and supported the gala, the success of Swim Gala Month thus far
would not have been possible. Thank you!
Results so far:
Grade 6:
Grade 5: 1st - Jaime; 2nd - Benilde; 3rd - Mutien; 4th - Miguel
Grade 1: 1st - Jaime; 2nd - Miguel; 3rd - Benilde; 4th - Mutien
Look out for more exciting news of swim gala month coming up in Part 2!
SJII Tigers Finish 4th Overall in ACSIS Track and Field Championships
Congratulations for our amazing SJIIES Tigers as they finished an impressive 4th place overall (among 14 schools) at the ACSIS Track
and Field Championships held last Saturday at Choa Chu Kang Stadium It is a great result for our kids, and made possible by the
outstanding commitment shown by our students in PE classes, Sports Day and Track and Field Training. I’d especially like to thank our
PE/coaching staff: Mr. Mac; Mrs. Crossland; Mrs. Cumming; Mr. Jhoeven and Miss. Douglas. We’d also like to recognize those students
who won a medal on the day. Doing so is a terrific achievement as there were 28 competitors in most events! The highlight of the whole
day had to be Katherina Behling’s stunning GOLD MEDAL win in the girls 800m. With 300m to go, Katherina made up an astonishing
50m in a ferocious finish kick to win and take GOLD in a photo finish. It was a race to remember!
8U/9U Medal Winners: Tiya Miao- Silver (High Jump); Auric Hardcastle- Bronze (Shot Put); Gigi Alden- Silver (High Jump); Maili SullivanSilver (Shot Put); Diane Chung- Bronze (Shot put); Aryan Mehta- Gold (High Jump); Matthew Allen- Gold (Ball Throw) + Silver (Ball
Push); Ethan Randall White – Bronze (Ball Push)
10U/11U Medal Winners: Maren Bakkelund- Bronze (High Jump); Maya Fitzgerald – Silver (Ball Throw); Alex Tang- Bronze (High Jump);
Darcey Prendiville- Silver (80m) + Silver (200m); Darcey Alden – Silver (High Jump); Katherina Behling- Gold (800m)
Relay Teams Medal Winners:
10U Girls (Bronze): Julian Kim, Maya Fitzgerald, Darcey Prendiville, Sofia Petz
11U Girls (Bronze): Juliette Demierre, Katherina Behling, Frederike Behling, Grace Allen
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St Joseph’s Institution International Elementary School
Summer Term, 12 May 2017
Lasallian Reflection
Enabling students in a Lasallian community to learn how to
learn, and to learn how to live, empowering them to become
people of integrity and people for others
Enter to Learn – Leave to Serve
“Leave the result in God’s
hands.”
(From a letter of St John Baptist de La Salle,
20 July 1709)
Our birthday celebrations continue with
the 10th Anniversary Dinner at the Ritz
Carlton Millenia. It promises to be a
wonderful evening, highlighted by the
performances of nearly 150 students
from both the elementary school and
the high school. The dinner will also
showcase the premiere performance
of Giving Back, Looking Forward - the
song written especially for our
10th Anniversary.
The weekend will barely give us a
chance to catch our breath before our
celebration of Founder’s Day on
Monday. We celebrate Founder’s Day
on the 15th of May because it was on
this date, in 1950, that Pope Pius XII
proclaimed St John Baptist de La Salle
as Patron Saint of All Teachers. Our
celebrations on Monday morning will
begin with Mass for all of the High
School students, who will be joined by
the Catholic students in Grades 4, 5,
and 6.
spiritual life of the school. Even for
those students who are not of the
Catholic faith, the celebration of the
Mass as a school community on
Founder’s Day reminds all of us of the
place of God in the life of a Catholic
school. It also serves as a means to
reinforce the first of our SMILES values
- Spirituality - and is an expression of
the Virtues of Unity, Joyfulness, and
Thankfulness. It is a blessing that we
can spend time with God and with one
another, together!
The name “Mass” itself comes from the
final blessing said by the priest, from
the Latin “Ite missa es” which means
“to send out”, as Jesus sent forth his
disciples to take his teachings to the
world. This reminds me, of course, of
the second part of the expression we so
often use to describe our school’s
mission, Enter to Learn, Leave to
Serve.
The 10th Anniversary Dinner and
Founder’s Day are special moments in
the life of our school these days. The
flurry of activity surrounding both
events, and the hard work behind them
on the part of parents, staff, and
students themselves, helps our young
people see how important these events
are – for them, for our school, for all of
us.
Both events are concrete
expressions of our commitment to
mission – of giving back, of our
confidence in the future of our school,
and of our appreciation for our
Founders - over 300 years ago at the
time of De La Salle, and 10 years ago,
at the founding of SJI International. We
celebrate what we believe!
Happy Mother’s Day to all our Moms in
the SJI International family!
Mass is the central act of worship in the
life of a Catholic, and thus it also has
significance for us in the life of a
Catholic school. Going to Mass is about
spending time with God, as a
community of faith. One of our
Lasallian Core Principles, Faith in the
Presence of God, reminds us of our
belief in the living presence of God in
our students, in our community, and in
our world. Our school days begin with
prayer, and in various ways throughout
the year we remind ourselves that it is
our Catholic ethos that supports the
spiritual
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St Joseph’s Institution International Elementary School
Summer Term, 12 May 2017
Virtues Corner
Caroline Doyle
Congratulations! You are practising COURAGE when
you…


The Middle Years had an author visit this week. Ken
Spillman is a Virtues Project Facilitator and author who
has written a series of books on the virtues. He has
brought the virtues to life by giving key characters a
particular virtue he or she is working on. He presented
in an animated and humorous way to the Middle Years
classes during Tuesday’s assembly, which will
hopefully inspire the children to write or consider the
virtues more.




Do what is right for you even when it is hard or
scary.
Find strength in your heart even when you are
afraid.
Are willing to try new things.
Admit mistakes and learn from them.
Make amends when you do something wrong.
Ask for help.
I have COURAGE. I am willing to try new things. I admit
mistakes and learn from them. I listen to my heart. I
have the COURAGE to do the right thing.
This week’s virtue is COURAGE. This virtue was
deliberately chosen to coincide with the start of the
swim galas. Many children have to be reminded of
using courage during these times. When a child
knows he or she has all the virtues inside them, it is a
case of knowing in certain situations they need to grasp
hold of a particular virtue. I recall years ago, when I first
started at SJIIES, I took a class on a ‘forest
adventure.’ One child was particularly nervous about
the challenge part. She turned to me and said, “Miss
Doyle, I just need to find my courage somewhere inside
of me and pull it out.” At the time it made me smile but
I often think of her when I have to use courage myself.
COURAGE looks like this:
COURAGE is personal bravery in the face of fear. It is
doing what needs to be done even when it is really hard
or scary. COURAGE is going ahead even when you
feel like giving up. COURAGE is needed in trying new
things. It is admitting mistakes and then doing the right
thing. COURAGE is the strength in your heart.
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St Joseph’s Institution International Elementary School
Summer Term, 12 May 2017
Elementary Parents Support Group
We are so thrilled to be part of such a vibrant school community and to contribute to the amazing Swim Galas with
the EPSG Cafe this month. Parents from all grades have been generous in donating baked goods and in showing
their support for the kids.
Should you want to help out with the Cafe or other upcoming EPSG events, please contact us at [email protected].
We are looking for volunteers for the following:
• Cafe (Ongoing)
• Bus committee (Once per term)
• Lapathon (August 26th)
• Garage Sale (TBC September)
• Christmas Fair (November 25th)
• EXCO maternity cover (Christmas Term)
Please find the minutes from the 9 May EPSG meeting here.
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