CHR
CHRonicles
A publication by Christ Church Secondary School, a member of the Anglican Diocese schools of Singapore
2009
THE PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Hi, I pray that these printed pages will bring a smile on your face and set you thinking.
They chronicle only a small part of life in CHR 2009. Though the events are not arranged in
order of time, they certainly reflect the exciting diversity of our CHR Curriculum.
CHR touched base with used cooking oil from our humble kitchens to snow covering
awesome Mt. Everest. We laughed. We cried. In Singapore. In the big wide world. We
stared up the night through telescopes. We peered at bacteria cells through microscopes.
Thinking. Learning. Growing. Who says school is boring? Cannot succeed? Think again.
There is a season for everything for everyone. Next year we shall have two issues of
CHRonicles. Are you in? Come on, join in the Education fun.
Working Together In The Face of H1N1
The ‘arrival’ of H1N1 saw the school reactivating the
measures taken at the onset of SARS some time in the
past. We were prepared. Revival of past practices was
not a chore but a rekindling of what had been learnt
and refined. No doubt stringent precautionary measures
were reactivated, disrupting some of the schoolscheduled programmes. However, these did not prevent
us from carrying on with school life.
Visual screening in the morning reminded students of
the need to be vigilant themselves. Teachers stationed
themselves at the two entrances into the school as
early as 6.30 am and simulated the Japanese practice of
teachers greeting students upon their arrival at school
except with the additional lookout for flu-like symptoms.
Students responded gracefully.
We cancelled all large-scale gatherings: no morning
assemblies, no Chapel Service, Department Meetings and
Contact Time kept to a cap of less than five members,
no examinations in the hall, and all CCAs temporarily
suspended. During the Post-Exam period, the mass
school-based activity, ‘CHR Got Talent’, became a classbased activity, ‘Class Got Talent’.
Personal temperature-taking took place twice a day. A
temperature-taking station and an infirmary were set
up for students to report to should their temperatures
go higher than the trigger mark. Some students who
were told to go home begged to be allowed to remain
in school. We had to make them understand what social
responsibility meant. Of course there were some who
tried to wriggle a day off by pretending to look sick,
probably rubbing their eyes to make them red and
making themselves cough. We had quite a time trying
to tell the fake from the genuine.
Our first quarantine case surfaced when a student
returned from Melbourne with her family on the same
flight as another passenger who had the H1N1 virus.
The family self-quarantined themselves. The sense of
responsibility was amplified when the student called
to inform the school of her predicament and checked if
she could be in school to complete her project. It was a
resounding NO.
All these provided our staff and our students more
teaching and learning opportunities to work together,
adapting to the situation, and understanding that all of
us have the responsibility in controlling the spread of
the virus.
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Green Effort
Green Effort
Shell Astro Challenge
ORAL COMMUNICATION COURSE
29 May 2009
Christ Church Secondary School collaborated with the
Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) in a
Talent Nurturing programme. This programme aims to
develop communication competencies in the students
who have a committed interest to develop their oracy
talent. In May, 20 students were selected to participate in
a 10-hour course which was spread over 5 sessions.
2009 is the International Year of Astronomy and marks the 400th anniversary
of the first use of the telescope by Galileo Gallilei. The IYA is a UNESCO
initiative to help citizens of the world to discover their place in the universe.
In conjunction with IYA, our students participated in the Shell Astro Challenge
this year. The challenge consisted of getting as many people as possible to use
the telescope. The 29th of May was chosen for this challenge as both Saturn
and the moon were clearly visible that night.
Christ Church Secondary School emerged the top school in both categories of
the competition:
1) the school with the largest total count (of 2 400 viewers) and
2) the school with the largest count per telescope (of 800 viewers).
To promote greater awareness of environmental conservation, the Green Club
simultaneously had a Plastic Free event in which they exhibited and conducted
demonstrations on making aromatic soap from recycled cooking oil, running
clocks from potato peels and aromatic gel candles in recycled glass bottles.
The Green Club as well as the Astronomy Society of Christ Church Secondary
wish to thank Shell Singapore Youth Science Festival Committee, the
Department of Physics of the National University of Singapore for the loan of
their two telescopes and all students, teachers, their families and friends for
their enthusiasm and passion which enabled us to win.
Making Soap From
Recycled Cooking Oil
Green Club members had been testing different methods
of soap making since January 2005.
The aim was to promote environmental conservation
through reusing cooking oil. We chose to do this because
a lot of used cooking oil, coffee powder and tea leaves
were being thrown daily in our school canteen and in
neighborhood coffee shops.
To remove odors from the used cooking oil (obtained
from our canteen vendors), the oil is filtered through
a variety of recycled organic materials such as green
tea leaves, black tea leaves, coffee powder and
powdered tumeric.
The filtered oil is then treated with sodium hydroxide
solutions, drain cleaner solution and essential oils made
from both organic as well as inorganic sources and left
to harden.
Our findings revealed some surprising results: our soaps
were odor-free, aromatic and long-lasting. Thus used
cooking oil which is usually discarded can be recycled to
useful products such as soap.
Also, bacteria tests showed that tumeric gives the soap
anti-bacterial properties. This is more effective than
commercially-produced medicated soap.
A follow-up activity was a 2-day orientation in Yishun
Park. The objectives were to give the students the
opportunity to put into practice what they had learnt
during the oral communication course, and to raise
awareness about our natural environment. The students
had to learn the facts about the flora and fauna of
Yishun Park so as to give oral presentations when they
role-played as park guides.
Other follow-up activities will be organized in future so
that these students will have opportunities to further
develop their presentation and public speaking skills.
Some reflections from students:
We learn to be confident and not be afraid of the crowd.
– Ong Xuewen 3/2
At first I was scared and shy, but when I eventually began to talk more
and more and more, I began to grow more confident of myself and
thus began to talk more. I felt more comfortable talking to my peers. – Gabriel Lim 3/4
There were moments when a team mate made a mistake and we had
a good laugh about it. But though we laughed, we learnt from other
people’s mistakes. – Xavier Lim 3/5
From the course, I learnt a lot of things; for example, our posture when
we speak in public. Next is speaking confidently in front of the public. – Tay Soa Shin 1/2
I could see the difference between the time I first came in to this
programme and after all the things I learnt from this programme. I
have become a more sociable, open person who is more confident in
speaking aloud and clearly during class and in public when I need to. – Kwok Kiawei 3/2
I realize that one’s posture plays an important role in speech-making.
If one has a sloppy position, one’s audience would be affected as they
would not take an interest in the speaker’s words. – Gerald Lim 3/5
I learnt that in order to show confidence, I must stand straight and
hold the notes in my left hand and not read the notes but to use it as
a reference in case I forget what I want to say. – Valent Tan 1/3
I was satisfied with my performance, as I spoke confidently and loudly,
without having to look at the notes, and also cracked jokes to liven up
the atmosphere. – Jody Tay Hsing Yi 2/3
We learnt tongue twisters and played games in every lesson. I still
remember this particular one: six sick slick sycamore saplings. We did
lots of presentations, group discussions and talking. – Rachel Koh 1/3
We had an ice breaker and everyone introduced themselves. When it
was my turn, I took a deep breath, stood up and introduced myself. To
my amazement, it was easy! This shows that people (like me) should
not always think that this task is hard, as it is actually very easy! I think
all of us need to change that mindset. – Kenneth Tan 1/1
My experience in Yishun Park was rather pleasant as I could see lots of
plants and some animals. I am happy that the school has organized this
event as it helps us to be more connected to nature, love nature and
protect nature at the same time. – Desmond Lua 2/2
Of course, the training only makes up 20% while the remaining 80%
is based on one’s commitment and practice. There goes a saying,
“Practice makes perfect”. – Lester Tan 2/2
I live in Yishun and have been in the park many times but I never
actually know about the nature there… I never knew that Yishun Park
has so many species of trees, e.g. rubber trees, durian trees etc. I never
knew there is an eagle’s nest until I was told. – Mok Jia Min 1/2
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Beyond Classroom
Beyond Singapore
14 Jan – 13 Feb 2009
NEPAL: We all have a dream: to make it up to Everest Base
Camp and meet the Singapore Women’s Everest Team!
AUSTRALIA: As a collaboration effort between CHR & the
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Australia,
undergraduate trainee teachers from RMIT were given
the opportunity to teach and interact with children from
multi-cultural background in Singapore. One or two trainee
teachers from RMIT were attached to one of our more
experienced teachers who acted as mentor during the fiveweek teaching practice in CHR. The trainees, guided by their
local mentors, conducted physical education lessons (mainly
on skill acquisition), to our upper secondary students. Our
students have benefited greatly from this collaboration as
they are exposed to many new and interesting game skills
such as Australian Football while our teachers have also
benefited as they have learnt new activities and methods
of teaching from their trainees from RMIT.
We were awed by the elements of Mother Nature. The
unbearable sun, strong wind and snow reminded us
that we needed to be very focused as we walked. As our
body adapted to the altitude, we experienced nausea,
diahorrea, fever, headache and loss of appetite. Walking
by the side of the ridge frightened us a little, due to the
steepness of the slope and the thought of falling down
from the mountain edge. It was always cold and windy.
It was difficult to breathe as we got higher due to the
lack of oxygen.
The climb was harder than we thought it would be.
There were a lot of steep slopes and sometimes we
took 2-3 hours to ascend a slope. We spurred each other
on whenever one of us felt like giving up. We were
exhausted by the time we reached Everest Base Camp,
but the joy of meeting the Singapore Women’s Everest
team superceded everything. The trek down was not
IPH Schools Surabaya
INDONESIA: IPH Schools Surabaya partners other
Christian organizations in order to fulfill their
“Great Commission”, i.e. to help parents prepare
their children for leadership as well as equip and
nurture their teachers’ personal fulfillment through
emphasizing character development, the use of
English and Christian biblical teachings.
programme. The most recent visit in April 2009 saw
us welcoming 17 students and 5 IPH staff who were
unanimous in declaring their learning journey to CHR
an enriching and exciting one.
Christ Church Secondary became their partner-ineducation in the year 2004, and so, students and
teachers from IPH visit Christ Church at least once
a year on an exchange or experiential learning
Torch Bearer AYG 2009
Derek Toh Jin Fun (3/7)
ASIA: To be selected as the torch bearer representing
Christ Church Secondary School is an honour and
privilege. I am proud to be part of this inaugural
event – the Asian Youth Games.
On the day itself, there were eight other torch
bearers. All nine of us were to complete a 5km
run carrying the AYG torch. Each torch bearer was
stationed at a different location to wait for the
approaching torch bearer to pass the torch, and then
carry on running with the other torch bearers.
Everest Base Camp
Cheryl Koh Tian Yi (3/1), Yau Yuet Yi Priscilla (3/3),
Tan Li Wen Chery (3/7), Ng Xin Fang (4/1), Noriyuki
Binte Abdullah (4/6), Tan Wen Ting (4/4)
RMIT PE Teacher Trainees
6 Apr 2009
Beyond Classroom
Beyond Singapore
an easy one either. We encountered snowstorm and
hailstorm.
Although two of our team mates did not manage to go
up to the Base Camp, due to fever and Acute Mountain
Sickness (AMS), they supported us with their prayers.
We were united in spirit as a team. We would like to
thank our teachers, team leaders and not to forget our
wonderful guides because without them, we would not
have made it to the Everest Base Camp. We learnt a lot
of valuable lessons during this trip. We learnt that not
everything would go as planned and we should keep an
open mindset to face problems that come along our way
and adjust to changes. We must learn to persevere till the
end even when we encounter obstacles and difficulties.
It was sheer perseverance that helped us reach our goal.
Karimun
During that torch-passing moment, the anticipation
inside my heart overwhelmed me. It kept me
motivated to continue running despite the humid
weather and my oversized uniform. The uniform
that we wore was specially made just for the torch
bearers only. It consisted of a red-collared white top
with the AYG logo and red long pants. All the other
eight torch bearers were from different schools and
all of them had a common objective - to fulfill their
task as torch bearers and do Singapore proud!
INDONESIA: The Community Involvement Prorgamme (CIP) to Karimun exposes
our students to the different culture and allows them to see for themselves
the socio-economic difference between Singapore and Karimun. Our effort in
linking up with two schools in Karimun is aimed at teaching our students about
the importance of “giving”. Our students help their counterparts in Karimun
to learn the English Language by engaging
them in a series of word games that is meant
to improve their mastery of English words. As
part of our school’s effort to produce rugged
and resilient individuals, during the trip to
Karimun, our students are also involved in an
outdoor adventure activity by trekking up the
highest peak in Karimun, Mount Jantan which
stands at 475 m above sea level.
Although it was a long and tedious day, I felt
jubilant because I have already done Singapore and
my school proud as a torch bearer!
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Diversifying Curriculum
Special Features
A Singapore Idol Finalist
Post-Exam Activities
24 – 29 May 2009
It was indeed an exciting time during the post mid-year
exam period. There was a great line-up of activities for
Sec 1 – 3 pupils while the pupils in the graduating classes
were preparing for their O level Mother Tongue exam
in June.
The Lower Sec finally had the opportunity to speak a third
language for 3 consecutive sessions during the period.
They also went to explore Botanic Gardens, the Hort
Park and Bukit Timah as part of their Learning Journey to
discover and explore Singapore. The Science Department
Duane Russell Ho An (4/2)
also took up the challenge to equip the students with
R&D through the Science Research Module.
The Sec 3s were offered a myriad of electives (about 25
in total) which ranged from advanced photography and
information technology workshops, learning Japanese,
Thai and Tamil, innovative art, life science and cookery
courses, personal grooming and social etiquette, How-toget-rich, sports clinics and personal management courses.
Not only that, the Sec 3s were given the opportunity to
organize their own ‘Class Got Talent’ which showcases
some of the best talents in class.
My journey on Singapore Idol 3 in 2009 was not all
smooth-sailing because there were many obstacles I had
to overcome. Stereotyping, negativity and my biggest
obstacle was myself. They say “You are your own worst
critic” and I agree totally. Having little confidence in
myself and my talent resulted in me second-guessing
myself and thinking that I was inadequate.
During my journey, I did some things that I never
thought I could do. It’s moments like these when you
really put your mind and body to the test. Just imagine,
standing backstage moments before you go on stage
to face the judges – it takes a lot of concentration to
really calm yourself down. You’ve only had three hours
of sleep for the past few days and your body is feeling
numb to everything that’s going on around you. The
lyrics of the song you’re about to sing just refuse to stay
etched in your memory because all your mind longs for
is rest. That was what I had to go through for four days
in a row. I had to really focus because one wrong note
and it’s ‘Game Over’ for me.
Cliché as this sounds, I told myself everyday that I would
just do my best because if I was out of the competition
when I did my best, I would not be disappointed. There
were highs and lows during the competition, as you
would have seen if you followed this season but the
one thing I did for every performance was to do my
best. I’d be lying if I said that it wouldn’t matter if I was
out of the game. Queuing eleven hours under the hot
sun outside The Cathay - that was my motivation to go
far in the competition! Surely I did not want my efforts
to go to waste.
It was the driving force and motivation of that and
my hunger for going further than my targets set that
pushed me to work hard during the week-long hiatus
from school to chase my dreams. It was definitely an
eye-opener for me as well as I had learnt a lot of things
about myself. I guess it all boils down to self-confidence,
however, not to be mistaken as pride. The biggest and
toughest lesson I learned over there was to not do
things to prove anything to other people. Basically, do
what you love to do for yourself because you love it
and not because you want other people to love it. Even
if I’m out of the competition by the time you read this,
you can bet your bottom dollar that I did my best and I
believe there’s nothing embarrassing about that.
Conforming is not cool and it’s the unique people in life
that really make everyday special. So if there’s anything
you can take from my experiences, it’s this: stay true
to who you are and don’t let anyone bring you down.
Believe in yourself and do what you want to do as long
as it makes you happy. You can’t love anybody until you
love yourself.
Friday Lunchtime
Concerts
A stage was built in a corner of the school
canteen, and Friday lunchtime concerts took
off from then on. The idea is to celebrate
the talents our students possess. On this
stage, students will have the opportunity
to showcase their talents. We had the first
concert on 18 September and the response
was overwhelmingly good. We foresee
that the Friday lunchtime concert will be a
regular and much anticipated event in the
school.
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Staff Updates
WELCOME TO CHR
From left to right:
Wee Hwee Chee, Rajini, Toh Xui Ping, Foo Khee Ming, Nurul Ayn Bte Abdul Razak,
Hanom Nadeeyah Yahya Bahajaj, Kee Jiahui, Nilasari Bte Mohd Soffe
Lim Jing Hui Melissa, Zeng Huiyi Wendy
Congratulations to our teachers!
Wedding Bells
Bundles of Joy
Mr Koa Chee Meng’s
second princess
Mr Danny
Tan Tiong
and his
third prince
Mr Danny Tan Tiong and his third prince
Mr and Mrs Alan Ho
Masters of Education
Mr Toh Hong Seng
Master of Education
Mdm Betty Koh Piah Teah
Master of Education (Secondary)
Mr Andy Lee Ngean Khim
Master of Education
(Mathematics)
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