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Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (Secondary) . PL Epistle . March - June 2009 . vol.25 no.2

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.”

on how we can build stronger family bonds during these challenging times.

One of our theme verses for this year which is taken from Hebrews 10:24 says “...let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds”. We encourage our girls to bless others because they have been so blessed by God. We are heartened by the way our girls have contributed to society through their generous donations, and their involvement in community projects and self-initiated Service Learning Projects. They have also been hospitable towards our guests from Singapore Piaget Academy (Indonesia) during their twinning visit in March.

For those of us who have been taught by Mrs Thomas, Mrs Poulier, Mrs Fang and Mrs Tan, go to the section 'Alumni News' to catch a glimpse of our beloved teachers. You are encouraged to visit the newly launched Alumni website at www.plmgsalumni.sg to get the latest news on the Alumni and also to stay in touch with your friends via the Alumni Facebook.

We are thankful for the way God has seen us through the first semester. Together with our pupils and staff, we will continue to “...Declare his glory among the nations, his marvellous deeds among all peoples.” (1 Chronicles 16:24)

Ms Mabel GohVice-Principal

Together for His Glory

Our girls have done us proud with their display of commitment towards their respective Co-curricular Activities (CCA). At this year's Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) Central Judging, our performing arts groups

bagged 2 Gold with Honours awards, 3 Gold awards and 4 Silver awards. The School Sports Team members spurred one another on as they played and competed against other teams at the National Schools Championships. Their resolve to do their best and their tenancy are praiseworthy. The achievements of our Uniformed Groups are also commendable. The Girls’ Brigade and St John Ambulance Brigade received Gold awards, and the National Police Cadet Corps received a Silver award.

In April this year, we were joined by many of our Alumni and parents in our celebration of God's goodness at our concert 'Symphony of Praise II'. In June, the school brought together the best talents in the East Zone for the inaugural East Zone Arts Festival. Both events created much buzz and excitement, and were a testament of the gifts God has so blessed our girls with. Another significant event that took place in the first semester was the PL Parents' Conference organised by members of the Parents-School Support Group (PSSG) and staff of the school. We had several distinguished speakers who were able to shed light

Vice-Principal's Message

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PuPils' ACHiEVEMENTs

Results of Singapore Youth Central Judging 2009

Performing Arts CCA SYF AwardsGuzheng Tuan Gold with Honours

D'Arts (Dance) Gold with Honours

Harp Ensemble Gold

Choir Gold

ELDDS Gold

Concert Band Silver

Handbell Choir Silver

Guitar Ensemble Silver

D'Arts (CLDDS) Silver

D'Arts (Dance) - Gold with Honours

Guzheng Tuan - Gold with Honours

Guitar Ensemble - Silver Award

Harp - Gold Award

ELDDS (Drama) - Gold Award

D'Arts (CLDDS) - Silver Award

Handbell Choir - Silver Award

Band - Silver Award

Choir - Gold Award

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PuPils' ACHiEVEMENTs

Award for NPCCUnit Overall Proficiency Award – Silver

St John Ambulance BrigadeZone 4 First Aid Competition

Nursing Adult Team – Overall 3rd PositionAwarded for Best Leader, Best in Footdrill & Best in Home Nursing

Nursing Cadet Team 1 – Overall ChampionAwarded for Best Leader & Best in First Aid

Nursing Cadet Team 2 – Overall 2nd PositionAwarded for Best in Footdrill & Best in Home Nursing

Malaysia-Singapore First Aid CompetitionAlicia Chew Dai Ru from 3A1 represented Singapore.The team she was with emerged as the champion at this competition.

Chief Commissioner Badge AwardThe Chief Commission Badge is the highest award for SJAB cadet10 girls from PLMGS(S) received the badge.

Awards for Girls' Brigade

Sustained Achievement Award for 2008 (this is for obtaining 5 gold company awards in 7 years)

National Drill Competition 2009

Two Pioneer Contingents clinched the Gold Award

Values-venture competition 2009 (organised by GBHQ)

Our team clinched the silver award for their blogsite on Cambodia Service Learning.

2008 Company Awards : Gold

Our Company Sergeant Major, Davina Koh, 4A3, was awarded the Pioneer Brigader Brooch for 2009. This is a very prestigious award - the highest award that a GB girl can achieve in Secondary School.

In the East Zone Table Tennis Tournament, our C Division table tennis team attained 2nd position while the B Division table tennis team attained 3rd position. The teams attained Top 8 and Top 16 for B and C Divisions respectively in the National Inter-Schools Table Tennis Championship. In the National Inter-School Individual Table Tennis Championship, Wu Yao Yao of 2.8B came in Top 8 and 2nd in the 11th Lianhe Zhaobao Cup 2009.

Table Tennis

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PuPils' ACHiEVEMENTs

Our PL debaters, Nicole Lee (4A3), Lum Xin-Ci (4A3), Janice Tan (4A1), Ruth Lew (3A1) and Shabbna Feroz Khan (3A1) competed in the finals of the Singapore Secondary Schools Debating Championship (Division II) held from February to April this year. It was an intense and exhilarating journey as our debaters defeated schools, such as ACS (Barker), Bukit Panjang Government High, St Theresa’s Convent and St Patrick’s Secondary on global topics. In the final round, however, PL narrowly lost to Global Indian International School (Queenstown). Of special mention is Ruth Lew (3A1), who came in 19th best speaker overall out of a total of 130 speakers in the division.

Lee Zhi Jing of 1.1B participated in the 80th Anniversary Chemistry Poster Competition organised by the Department of Chemistry, NUS in April. The theme for the poster competition was 'Chemistry - Making a difference'. This competition was open to pupils between the ages of 10 and 16 throughout Singapore. The aim was to stir the imagination of young minds and see how they were able to fuse together their visions of the chemical world with their artistic skills. Zhi Jing did our school proud by emerging 1st in the overall category. She was presented with the award at the Chemistry Gala Dinner held on 6 June at the Meritus Mandarin Hotel.

Zhi Jing at Gala Dinner Prize presentation

Chemistry - Making a difference

NUS 80th Anniversary - Chemistry Poster Competition

PL Debaters with their coaches at the Debate Finals

Singapore Secondary Schools Debating Championship

Pilot Pen Cup 2009 School Individual Badminton Championship

The Pilot Pen Cup 2009 School Individual Badminton Championship was held in March. 14 of our players from both B and C Divisions participated in the tournament. The tournament, sponsored by Pilot Pen Singapore in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, aims to cultivate young sports talents in the student community. Our players honed their badminton skills and made new friends. Sri Dwijanti of 2.8A emerged as a quarter-finalist in this national event. She was selected to be part of the Singapore Schools Badminton Team 2009. This team will represent Singapore in the 1st ASEAN Schools Games 2009 that will be held in Suphanburi, Thailand from 20 to 30 July.

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PuPils' lEARNiNG ACTiViTiEsEast Zone Arts Festival

The inaugural East Zone Arts Festival was held on 3 June. Organised by the East Zone Centre of Excellence for the Creative Arts, the Guest of Honour for the event was Mr Gan Chin Huat, Deputy Director, Schools Division (East Zone). The festival was organised to showcase performing groups in the East Zone schools who have achieved Gold and Gold with Honours awards in the 2009 Singapore Youth Festival Central Judging and to provide an opportunity for pupils in the East Zone schools to appreciate quality arts performances. Close to 1,500 pupils were either performers or audience in the Arts Festival where simultaneous performances took place at the Agape Concert Hall and the Shaw Hall.

Malay Cultural Trip to Pulau UbinOn 21 March, 50 pupils went to Pulau Ubin for a day of Malay cultural immersion. The objectives of this learning journey is to experience the unique Malay culture and a 'kampong' lifestyle. At Pulau Ubin, we participated in many hands-on activities. We played the traditional games such as 'congkak','capteh','sepak takraw' and the 'gunny sack race'. We also learned how to do batik painting. The highlight of the trip was learning Malay traditional dances like the 'zapin' and the 'kuda kepang'. This learning journey was an eye-opener for us as we realised how much simpler and relaxed the 'kampong' life is, in comparison to the busy world we live in now.

Nur Sadrina, 5A1 & Nur Shakilah, 5A2

It's congkak time I can do batik painting! Kuda kepang dance

Ready, get set, go!

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PuPils' lEARNiNG ACTiViTiEs

The 5th Maths & Science Funtasia with the theme 'Explore, Excite, Explode!' was held on 2 June. It was an exciting event for the Secondary One and Two pupils who had a chance to engage in various activities not offered in their normal curriculum.

Some of the pupils were engaged in exciting hands-on activities like painting pictures with different chemicals while others deciphered codes and observed different types of fruit-flies. Pupils from three primary schools also joined us in the activities. As a bonus, prizes were also given to the winning teams!

The months of preparations by the teachers and the Secondary 3 student helpers had definitely paid off, as this much anticipated event allowed the Lower Secondary pupils to learn Mathematics and Science in a fun and engaging way.

Audrey Chia & Lynette Ee, 2.1A

Maths & Science Funtasia

Studying fruit-flies PL Pri girls making candies

Amazing Race! Which ball is the fastest?

Health Week

The annual 'Health Week' by the PE department was held from 18 to 22 May. The theme 'Cherish' was selected to remind everyone the importance of cherishing our health. Various programmes catering to the different aspects of health were organised with fruits distributed daily to pupils. Pupils and staff were also given articles related to anti-smoking and mental-wellness which highlight the importance of sufficient sleep and the benefits of fruits and vegetables. The week culminated in a Health Carnival which promoted the different aspects of health. Invited vendors shared tips on health and healthy cooking. There were also hands-on activities such as rhythmic gymnastics, fencing and bowling for pupils.

Fencing

Rhythmic gymnastics

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PuPils' lEARNiNG ACTiViTiEs

Pupils of Singapore Piaget Academy (SPA) from Solo, Indonesia, came on 23 March for a week with the aim of having an immersion in our school. They attended lessons in the morning with our Sec 1, 2 and 3 pupils. In the afternoons, they also participated in the school’s enrichment programmes and various Co-Curricular Activities. They were also introduced to Design and Technology (D&T), which is a subject not offered at SPA. To round up their immersion, they also participated in our school's Annual Sports Meet, where they competed in one of the events. Overall, the pupils from SPA enjoyed themselves very much and learned new things. They also forged many new friendships.

Twinning Visit by Singapore Piaget Academy (Solo, Indonesia)

A visit to Bollywood Veggies

An Indonesian dance by our guest

After a D&T lesson

Time for lesson

Having a go at rollerblading

Service Learning - Sec 2Touch Young Arrows (TYA) Funfair is one of the 8 pupil-initiated service-learning projects our Secondary Two girls are embarking on under the mentorship of TOUCH Youth Mentoring, organised by Campus ChangeMakers with the support of the National Youth Council.

TYA Funfair

'Toots-and-Friends and Noodies' from 2.7 had decided to participate in setting up 2 stalls at TYA funfair to raise funds for the lower-income children under the care of the TOUCH Community Services.

The months leading up to the funfair were filled with many exciting milestones and sometimes painful experiences. However, with the help of our mentors, Ruo Cheng and Tan Chun, and our PL student panellists to guide us and give us feedback about our suggestions, our teamwork improved and things started working out smoothly.

One of our targets was to bake 500 cookies and have lots of chocolate-dipped marshmallows. The schedule was tight and we baked from the wee hours in the morning till close to midnight. Finally, we completed all our wonderful cookies and brought them down to Ngee Ann Primary on 30 May to the great delight of the children.

These few months have indeed been a memorable experience and we certainly enjoyed ourselves very much. The process was trying as we had to manage our other obligations. However, the reward of knowing that we have done something for the children is something no words can describe.We have learnt the importance of accepting each other’s opinions and suggestions and of being team players. Indeed, it was really fun serving others as we learnt from them. We will always cherish these memories.

Ariessa Koh, 2.7B

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Symphony of Praise II

The Symphony of Praise II was held with much fanfare this year on 30 April in our very own Agape Concert Hall. This concert is held every two years in conjunction with the Singapore Youth Festival as a way to showcase our pupils' accomplishments and to recognise the efforts put in by the trainers and directors. Indeed, this year we had much to celebrate with all the Aesthetic groups performing very well and doing the school proud. We had performances by the D'Arts (Dance), Harp Ensemble, Choir, Handbell and Handchime Ensemble, ELDDS (Drama), Concert Band, Guitar Ensemble, D'Arts (CLDDS) and the Guzheng Tuan. We were happy to have Reverend Chong Chin Chung, President of Chinese Annual Conference, the Methodist Church of Singapore as our Guest of Honour. The performances were supported by an Arts Exhibition put up in the Foyer. It was great time for all and we look forward to the next concert in 2011.

International Friendship DayPL commemorated International Friendship Day on 13 April. This year’s theme, 'Getting to know ASEAN and Beyond', highlights the importance and benefits of maintaining friendship between countries. The NE ambassadors made the day even more meaningful with their talk show and the special appearance by Miss Yip Pin Siew, Singapore’s Paralympic Games Medallist. Miss Yip shared about her experiences in the Paralympics, how she treasured the opportunity to get to know friends from other countries and what good sportsmanship entails. With the help of the International pupils in PL, pupils and staff also had the opportunity to don the different ethnic costumes from countries such as Korea, the Philippines, Japan and Vietnam. They were also able to taste a variety of food originating from the different countries prepared by the canteen vendors throughout the week.

sCHOOl EVENTs

ELDDS (Drama)

The emcees D'Arts (Dance)

Choir

Guzheng Tuan

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sCHOOl EVENTs

An appreciation lunch & interaction session for our partners

PL Parents' ConferenceHeld on 7 March at Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School (Sec), the theme of the inaugural PL Parents' Conference was 'Building a Stronger Family Bond'. The PL Parents' Conference was an initiative by PLMGS (Sec) to address and tackle the challenges and issues faced by parents today. The aim of the conference was to bring together the different elements which impact families in the 21st century, focusing in particular on parents and their children. Our Guest of Honour was Mr Zainal Abidin Rasheed, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Mayor of North East District, Singapore. Experts were brought in to share insights and knowledge on how to strengthen family relationships, achieve a healthy family environment in the home and thus enhance family and child well-being. The PL Parents' Conference (1) is the first of 3 annual conferences to be organised.

Mrs Lee addressing our honoured guests

On 12 March, the once a year Partnership Interaction and Appreciation lunch was organised by the school to acknowledge and recognise all her partners for their efforts in working together with the school towards the holistic and character education of our pupils.

GOH, Keynote speaker and workshop speakers with our principal, Mrs Lee SC

Parents attending Ms Amy Ser's workshop on 'Sexuality, Social and Emotional Issues'

Dr Ho Boon Tiong discussing with parents on 'Facing the Challenges in our Children's

Education'

Partnership Interaction Lunch

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Meet-the-Parents SessionThe Meet-the-Parents Session for the Sec 4 and 5 was held on 13 March and for the Sec 1 to 3 on 29 May. These were formal opportunities for communication with our important stakeholders – the parents. Engaging parents and involving them in their children’s education is a win-win option. The session was rewarding as the teachers and parents discuss pupils' work and general progress in school.

sCHOOl EVENTsReligious Emphasis Week

Religious Emphasis Week was held on 8 & 9 April with the objective of restoring the identity of PL-Lites and instilling in them the belief that they are beautiful and wonderful creations of God. The team from Youth with a Mission, Singapore was invited to share their testimonies to the school. Their testimonies have inspired PL-Lites greatly as issues such as identity, confidence and peer pressure were dealt with. They shared about the people in their lives who spoke words of encouragement and believed in who they are. We too believe that each pupil is an unique individual, beautifully and wonderfully created and loved by God, the Father.

Sec 3 Subject Combination BriefingThe Secondary 3 Subject Combination Briefing for the Secondary 2 pupils and their parents was conducted on 24 April. About 200 parents attended the session to understand the streaming procedure and criteria. They were also given an insight on post secondary education in Singapore. The respective Heads of Department clarified issues pertaining to their subjects and the upper secondary syllabuses.

P6 Open house was held on 23 May for targeted primary schools and PLMGS (Pri). About three hundred P6 pupils and their parents turned up for the event. Mrs Lee and Ms Mabel Goh shared PL's unique programmes with the parents. Two parents representing PSSG also shared their views on why they chose PL over the other schools. After the talk, visitors were invited to a school tour conducted by our student leaders. During the guided tour, PL-Lites showcased their musical talents. Various Co-Curricular Activities groups and teachers-in-charge of the Direct School Admission (DSA) and Accelerated and Enhanced (ACE) Programme also set up booths to answer queries from parents. A tea reception was also hosted so that visitors can mingle with the school's key personnel. The visitors were impressed with PL’s varied and enriched school programmes and the talents of PL-Lites.

PL-Lites enjoying in worship

Guided tour Band performance

Tea reception

Q & A Session

PL-Lites enjoying the worship

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sCHOOl EVENTs

Chew House captains with our Guest of Honour, Ms Lim Su-Lynn

All the way!

Cheer competition

The 34th Annual Athletic Meet was held on 27 March. It was a joint event with the Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School (Primary). We were very privileged to have Ms Lim Su-Lynn, President of PLMGS Alumni to grace the event. There were many exciting activities during the day such as the cheer competition, PL class race, PL family race and the novelty races with the primary school. This year, we also had pupils from Pathlight School and pupils from Singapore Piaget Academy (Solo) as guests to participate in the novelty races and the PL family race. It was indeed a time of fun and laughter for the PL family!

PL commemorated Earth Day through a series of Earth Week activities in week 5 of term 2. This year's focus was on Water Conservation. On 20 April, a PUB personnel was invited to share with the school on the theme 'Water for All: Conserve, Value, Enjoy'. To help the school appreciate the value of water, water coolers were not in service for 5 hours that day. An Earth Week Scrapbooking competition was also held. To inculcate the need to care for the environment, we held the annual 'No Meat and Seafood Day', 'No Air-con and Fan Day' and had a recycling competition. Proceeds of the recycling competition were donated to World Vision.

Earth Week

Connections IV, a forum on arts pedagogy, was hosted at Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School (Secondary) on 21 March. The full-day event was co-organised by the East Zone Centre of Excellence for the Creative Arts, National Arts Council and Singapore Drama Educators Association. Its aim was to excite and inspire teachers and professional artists involved in the arts education to develop, deepen and expand their knowledge as well as understand international and local practices in arts education. A total of 117 teachers and artists attended the various forum discussions and workshop sessions.

Adding the finishing touches to the Earth Week Scrapbook

Recycling competition

Interactors collecting recycled items from the neighbourhood

Winning entry for Scrapbooking competition

The PL Family

Sports Day

Participants trying out the gamelan

Role playing

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PSSG Updates March – June 09

Mondays Breakfast Bonding

Parents meet regularly on Mondays at the SFE Room to provide spiritual, morale and physical support for the school and for each other.

7 MarchPL Parents' Conference 2009

Parents worked together with PL to organise a parents' conference. PL parents attended and helped out in the conference.

9 April

Outstanding Character Development Award interview

Parents represented the PL parent body and shared with the interview panel their support for the school’s goals.

18 April LINK Facilitators' Workshop

The Parent Facilitators' Course is sponsored by SFE funds. Parents will learn facilitation skills and upon graduation, they will train other parents. It is also a communication and networking platform between staff and parents.

21 May PL Health Carnival

PSSG worked with the school by initiating and organising two health workshops during the PL Health Fair. They are1) 'Strengthening and Toning'2) Workshop on 'Shoulder Massage for Relaxation'

23 May P6 Open House

Parents shared with the other parents on PL as a school of choice for their daughters. Parents believe in and strongly support the school’s focus on character development as the key to their children’s development.

uPdATEsAlumni News

Welcome! New Staff

Farewell

The following PSSG activities have been postponed to a later date:

24 Aug Breakfast with Mrs Diana Ho, PL Full-time School Counsellor

12 Sep PSSG Bonding Session to Malacca

9 Oct Dialogue Session 3: 'Coaching Your Child To Be a Responsible Thinker' - A workshop by Ms Ding SL

It is heartening to see PL Alumni represented at school functions. More old girls are sending their daughters to the best value-added school Paya Lebar MGS (Primary & Secondary). Our members are involved in discussions about admission to Paya Lebar MGS Secondary, in the Annual Athletic Meet, School Camps etc. Our president, Ms Lim Su-Lynn was the Guest of Honour at the Athletic Meet.

At the Alumni Annual General Meeting on the 14 March, our President Ms Lim Su-Lynn reported that the Paya Lebar MGS Alumni website project had been successfully launched. The website address is www.plmgsalumni.sg. So please do visit it and find out when and how Paya Lebar MGS Alumni was started, about our vision and our Alumni girls.

Our Founder's Day Thanksgiving & Reunion Dinner Committee is headed by Mrs Annie Teo. The function will be held on 14 Oct in the Primary School Hall. DON’T miss it. Come and be blessed. PL alumnae have been keeping in touch with their teachers. Mrs Anna Thomas was with some of her former pupils from 1954, the '60s, '70s & '80s. They joined Ms June Thomas to celebrate her 88th birthday. It was a time of thanksgiving. The worship was ably led by Ang Bee Leng from class of 1977. Praise the Lord.

Mrs Winnie Tan

PSSG Health Team

Mrs Thomas' 88th Birthday

We bid farewell to the following staff members and wish them all the best:

Ms Rebekah Tan (Vice Principal)Mdm Rahani bte Abdul Rahim

Ms Nor Hazelin Idayu bte Ahmad KhMs Seah Xiang Ru

Mdm Rosminah bte AbdullahMrs Teo Tua Sung

(from left to right)Ms Sharon SimMs Heng Ci PeiMr Abdul Malik bin Hassan

Mr Daniel NgMs Norhaida KamaludinMs Koshy Mary Ann