The news bulletin ofSt. Anthony’s Canossian

Secondary School

I n s p i r i n g a s p i r i t o f e x c e l l e n c e , N u r t u r i n g a c u l t u r e o f c o m p a s s i o n 2017 | Issue 1

CAN

OSSI

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SCHOOLS

VIA V ERITAS VITA

REKINDLE, RECHARGE, RECONNECTThe Canossian Heart, philosophy, culture and mission

Inside this issue

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RECONNECTINGTO ENCOURAGETHE HEARTLeadership is an affairof the heart, not ofthe head alone

REKINDLINGTHE SPIRITThe CanossianEducation Charter:The Way of Charityand Humility

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REDISCOVERINGOUR DIVERSESTRENGTHSSenza Tempo – A

Timeless Articulation

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REMAKING THEJOY OF LEARNINGMaking learning afulfilling experience

� Figuring it outthe Joyful Way

� Creativity andAuthenticity inEnglish Languageand Literature

� Physical Education:I like to move it,move it!

� The ArtsProgramme:A Catalystfor Growth

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REJUVENATINGTHROUGH SPORTSSACSS Staff: HealthyBody, Mind and Soul

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RENEWINGOUR DRIVEThe inspiring spiritto make a difference:Fan-tastic!

RECHARGINGTHROUGHCONTEMPLATIVEREFLECTIONThe Daily Quietude:Breathe in Peace

RECONNECTING TOENCOURAGE THE HEARTLeadership is an affair of the heart,not of the head aloneOne of Five Practices of The Leadership Challenge Model is ‘Encouragethe Heart’ where leaders show appreciation and motivate others to wantto do more to achieve extraordinary results. Leaders understand thatpeople need to feel valued so that they can create a conduciveenvironment for growth in order to bring out their personal best. Toencourage people to want give of their best, leaders need to pay attentionto and notice people in the act of doing things right and the contributionsthey are making, no matter how small, that support the community. Whenleaders recognise this in a meaningful and genuine way, it reinforces thevision and values of the organisation and creates a sense of community.

REKINDLINGTHE SPIRITThe Canossian Education Charter:The Way of Charity and HumilitySitting on one of the pews in the Chapel, I found myselfgazing at the Crucifix in front of me. The voices of ourCanossian students interrupted my thoughts as I beganto see the dichotomy of sorrow and joy, exemplified inthe life of the students. I contemplated that the coreof our Canossian Education is indeed rooted in theLove on the Cross; it is Christ who invites us to live theWay, the Truth and the Life. And through the lives ofSt. Magdalene and St. Bakhita we are able to bearwitness to our motto.

We walk the Way of Charity and Humility in carryingout our Values-in-Action projects. In reaching out tothe needy, we are reminded of being charitable. It is ingiving that we receive the intangible gift of humility.There is so much we can learn when we interact withthe disadvantaged and the poor who have taught ushumility and are the ones who are really rich in spirit.

We live the Truth of our Faith when we come togetherin Prayer and Reflection. We grow in hope to TrustGod’s providence, knowing that miracles do happen.We seek the Truth in using our intellect and our giftswisely to bless the people around us. Perhaps our kindactions are someone’s answer to her or his prayer.

Our Canossian Education is one that empowers us tolive a holistic life centred on God. It is one that nurturesour head and heart.

By Ms Sharon Yu, Subject Head, Pastoral Careand Career Education

“At the heart of leadership is caring. Without caring,leadership has no purpose. And without showing othersthat you care and what you care about, other people won’tcare about what you say or what you know. We need tofeel connected to others and, in turn, they to us, becausegreatness is never achieved all by ourselves-alone.”– Adapted from Encouraging the Heart: A Leader’s Guide to Rewarding and RecognisingOthers by JM Kouzes and Barry Z Posner

Central to the Canossian Philosophy of Education, is the Person-centredness of the teacher and the learner. To promote the ‘formation ofthe heart’ or the ‘whole person’, teachers and students need to encourageand motivate each other to pursue integral growth through the formationof positive relationships.

At SACSS, the Student Leadership team believes in building relationshipswith the school community through servant leadership. By committingto doing good for the community and society, we hope our students cangrow to appreciate self and each other, ultimately recognising God’s lovefor them and their mission in society. By ‘Encouraging the Heart’ of ourstudent leaders, we hope to provide a conducive and safe environmentfor them to be risk-takers and be motivated to want to do more to achieveextraordinary results, and to be the best that they can be.

By Ms Nicole Quek, Subject Head, Student Leadership

“The kind of education that the Sistersinspired from the beginning was aimedat the formation of the heart. Humanvirtues of “other-centredness” and“empathy” captured in the 3P’s – personcentredness, being proactive for the poorand passionate for life – ensures thatSt. Magdalene’s mission and purpose toform the hearts of the students to becomegood daughters, good women, goodwives and good mothers is lived out.”– Sister Theresa Seow, Provincial Leader

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I entrust to you my beloved poorSt. Anthony’s Convent, 111 Middle Road drawing

by Sister Janet Wang

REDISCOVERING OUR DIVERSE STRENGTHSSenza Tempo – A Timeless ArticulationOver the last few years, SACSS has produced several specialpublications beginning in 2014 with Carita the 135th anniversarymagazine, 2015 with the SG 50 publication Metaphorically and in2016 Spirited Endeavours. This year, the 4th publication, Senza Tempois a colouring book. The concept of the book is categorised into3 main portions: Tradition, Transition and Transformation.

Tradition focuses on the origins and beginnings of the school.Stakeholders can expect to see images of he Saints, the Nuns atwork in the schools and the Old Campus at Middle Road. Transitionshows the changes the school has undergone throughout the yearsand the move to the Bedok campus. Finally, Transformation depictsthe development and movement into the present, the newprogrammes and facilities and the work with our partners. Theoutlines created for Senza Tempo allow students to identify,appreciate and deepen their understanding of the school’s valuesand ethos and provide a platform for others to also exercise andappreciate the philosophy.

For this project, students and staff are invited to showcase their artand combine this with their literary talent alongside their teachers,nuns, alumnae and parents. Each piece will be accompanied by apoem or write up on the piece. Like all our special publications, thisone will also take the form of the signature square look. We lookforward to launching this special publication in July 2017.

By Mrs Monica Menon

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Drawing of the Statue of Mother Mary by Ms Amanda Quah

Drawing of the old School Door by Mr Nasir

REMAKING THE JOY OF LEARNINGMaking learning a fulfilling experience

Figuring it out the Joyful WayMost students view Mathematics as animportant subject as they are aware theyneed it to move on to higher education.At St. Anthony’s Canossian SecondarySchool (SACSS), our Mathematicsdepartment aims to instil in our studentspositive attitudes towards learningMathematics so that they will also enjoylearning and appreciate the inherentbeauty of the subject. Believing that it isimportant to learn Mathematics throughpositive and authentic experiences, ourteachers have worked together to comeup with lesson packages and interestingideas to enhance students’ learning ofMathematics.

This is done through ICT, the use ofpopular culture, games and outdoorlearning experiences. We explore theinnovative use of ICT to create positivelearning experiences for the students.One such example includes the use ofinteractive platforms such as Padlet,Kahoot or Nearpod to create pop quizzesto evaluate students’ understanding andfor peer learning and evaluation. Thisform of Assessment for Learning (AfL)allows teachers to get instant feedbackon students’ performance through analternative platform. Observing thatstudents face difficulty visualising 3-dimensional (3D) objects, our teachershave been making use of 3D drawingtools to make the 2-dimensionaldiagrams in the textbooks come ‘alive’.

Teachers also use popular culture as astimulus to engage students in thelearning of Maths. Mr Kevan Lee, aMathematics teacher, observed thatmany students enjoyed the gamePokÈmon GO which went viral in 2016.He wanted to use the idea behind thegame to create a learning activity forthe students. Together with theSecondary 1 teachers, Mr Lee used the

According to the article, The Positive Classroomby Steven Wolk, two of the ways to makelearning a joyful process are when wetransform assessment practices and when wegive students a choice.

All Secondary 1 students at SACSS experienceReader’s Theatre as part of their EnglishLanguage oral communication assessment.Reader’s Theatre is a theatre style where theperformers use only voice expression (withoutthe aid of costumes, sets or movement) to tella story. In assessing a Reader’s Theatreperformance – instead of the usual one-to-oneoral communication assessment – studentsnow have a real reason to read aloud. Theperformance element makes the wholeexperience fun, authentic and engaging, andas a result makes the assessment process apositive and joyful experience for both teachersand students.

The Secondary 2 Literature ExploratoryAssignment ensures that students have achoice. Students will perform a ChoralSpeaking task and as part of this task, thereare several poems for the students to selectfrom as a group. Through this, students aregiven the liberty to choose their poems anddevise a way to perform it. This task offers roomfor creativity and authenticity, while makingstudents take ownership of their learning atthe same time.

Another important factor in ensuring thatjoyful learning takes place is for teachers toenjoy teaching. The dedicated teachers in theEnglish Language and Literature Departmentare passionate about their craft and enjoy theinteraction with their students. “WheneverI’m feeling downcast or even upset in the

Creativity and Authenticity in English

application Actionbound to design anin-house learning trail for the Secondary1 classes. Using their mobile devices,the students worked in groups to racefrom station to station solving themathematical challenge at each station.Feedback from the students has beenpositive and many find the activityrefreshing as the concepts they havelearnt in the lessons can be applied toother situations.

At SACSS, the learning of Mathematicsalso takes place beyond the classroom.Annual Mathematics trails to places suchas Singapore Changi Airport, the SportsHub and even bowling alleys areorganised for the students. During thetrails, students have the opportunity toapply the mathematical concepts theyhave learnt in class to solve problems ina real-world context. When tasked withdesigning a post-exam activity for theSecondary 2 students in 2016, Ms CarolChua, a Mathematics teacher, came upwith the game ‘Operation Limitless’which was modelled after the well-received Escape Room game. Studentsare challenged to think out of the boxto solve problems such as crackingpasswords to unlock the prize within astipulated time.

The educator Marva Collins once said,“When someone is taught the joy oflearning, it becomes a life-long processthat never stops, a process that creates alogical individual. That is the challengeand joy of teaching.” In the process ofhelping our students discover joy inlearning Mathematics, we also renew ourown passion for teaching the subject.

By The Mathematics Department

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Physical Education: I like to move it, move it!

“The reason why I love coming for M.O.V.E isbecause of my friends and teachers. It is a joyto be able to see my friends in the morning,and knowing that I am not just keeping healthyby myself but with my other friends whosupport and encourage me, it really makesme feel energised and happy for the day.“– Nicole Quah, Secondary 2.8

We love spending the 2-hour weekly PE lessons with all of you.During the sessions, we get to connect with you outside theclassroom. We recognise your strengths and weaknesses andyou see ours too (Miss Ng cannot play volleyball well, yet).During PE lessons, you are welcome to be noisy at the righttime and we love it especially when we see you cheer yourfriends on during Sports Day and at the Jogathon event.

The PE teachers understand that many of you do not enjoyrunning and being under the sun, getting dirty and sweaty. PE isdefinitely more than just being able to complete the 2.4km run. Itis a holistic activity that allows you to learn by challenging yourlimits in a safe manner. And as you overcome the physical demands,you also get to strengthen your resilience and mind. When youare on the verge of giving up, we are encouraged that you will tellyourself to keep going. We will journey with you to run, to walk,and to play. We will go the distance with you.

So, don’t stop moving! Whenever we witness you hitting ashuttlecock or kicking a soccer ball outside of PE lessons, we do alittle cartwheel in our hearts because you have chosen to be mobileinstead of being on your cell phone. Our biggest wish is for youto find joy in your learning and turn that into a Passion for Life.

By The PE Teachers

“Educating the mind without educating the heart,is no education at all.”– Aristotle

Language and Literature

morning, all I need to do is to step into theclassroom, start teaching, and I’m all happyagain. It is something that constantly amazesme; how much joy teaching brings to my life,”says Mr Mohamad Said Rahim, one of ourLiterature teachers.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines ‘joy’ as‘a feeling of great happiness and pleasure’; andevery student must experience the joy oflearning. This ideal guides us in the EnglishLanguage and Literature Department; and inturn, greatly influences the experiences wecreate for our students.

By Mr Andrew Seah and Mrs Jannine Kuah

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In the Arts Department, there are ample opportunities forstudents to pursue their creative interests and passion such asplaying music, writing Drama scripts and creating Artwork. Inthe process of allowing students to make decisions in the Artsprogramme, students also take ownership of their learning.Through the interactive and student-centred lessons, studentsare encouraged to discover their inherent strengths by learningto appreciate the individual uniqueness while engaging incollaborative group projects. The teachers play an important rolein scaffolding students’ learning through their questioningtechniques. To acknowledge students’ strength and build theirconfidence, students get to showcase their Music or Dramaperformances in the school during lunchtime concerts or throughticketed shows that are open to parents and friends. Students’artworks are also exhibited around the campus to create a vibrantenvironment. Selected artworks are also used to create mementosfor school visitors.

The department believes that students’ ideas are a catalyst forgrowth. Ideas are refined and very often expanded furtherthrough constructive critique. By reaffirming their creative effort,we also motivate them to continue developing their joy oflearning through art.

By Mdm Goo Lay Hoon

The Arts Programme: A Catalyst for Growth REJUVENATINGTHROUGH SPORTSSACSS Staff: Healthy Body,Mind and Soul

If you think that all teachers do is to teach,mark and lead sedentary lives, you aresorely mistaken. There are a number ofSACSS teachers who lead active lifestylesand are committed to healthy living. Notime to exercise? A lame excuse! Mr LinZijin runs 8 to 9km daily before school totrain for races. Similarly, Ms Valerie Ongrecently started jogging three times a weekin the morning, chalking up 2.4km in eachworkout. “I was able to enjoy the beautifulscenery in Kyoto after completing a hikeup a mountain, and really enjoyed the senseof accomplishment gained through hardwork,” mused Ms Ong.

Frequently mistaken as a PE teacher,Mr Kevan Lee (pictured top left) cycles toschool regularly and is the biggestsupporter for this year’s Skips for GoodFood Drive. He continues to encourage hisBadminton CCA members to contributefrequently to the skip count. Sporty MrAndrew Poh (pictured above r ight)swapped his car for his trusted bicycle, andcycles daily to school, clocking up to120km, four times a week on bike ridesaround Singapore.

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many more things to learn and master inyears to come. And one by one, I will realisemy dream.” Mdm Mak cycles 2 – 3 times aweek, spending at least 20 minutes eachtime and perfecting her cycling skills alongthe way.

A healthy diet is also part and parcel of ahealthy lifestyle. A number of committedteachers pack their own breakfast andlunch to school, and indulge in healthysnacks when they feel peckish. MsAmanda Quah packs a healthy meal toschool thrice a week, and makes a chewyand delicious oat cookie with no oil,butter, egg or sugar. Mr Andrew Seah hasa healthy breakfast of overnight oats daily,topped with apple, banana and almonds.Mrs Natalie Lian and Ms Penny Zhangshare a lunch of savoury oat porridge,varying the ingredients daily.

These are just some of the teachers whorejuvenate themselves through sports ora healthy lifestyle. All of them possess acertain tenacity that allows them to staycommitted to their lifestyle choice. Truly,every accomplishment starts with adecision to try, and you are encouragedto embark on your own journey of healthand wellness.

By Ms Tiffany Cheok

Mrs Jannine Kuah and Mrs Christabel Tamfix a weekly slot in their packed timetableto work out at the school gym. The schoolgym is also popular with students, and thePE department usually teaches Sec 3students how to use the gym equipmentproperly, so that when they choose toexercise in the afternoon, they will use theequipment safely and effectively.

There are also teachers who enjoy workingout with students, using the opportunityas a way to spend time with them. MsNicole Quek part ic ipates in netbal lmatches with her Netball CCA members,and Ms Ng Shil in continues to playhandball with an external team, frequentlymeeting with SACians on court. “Handballa l lows me to bui ld and maintainrelationships with my ex-students. It’salways a joy to meet them on court, aplace where many treasured memorieswere made,” said Ms Ng.

Then there are teachers who, over theyears, have picked up a new activity orsport. Ms Cheryl Cheah, who practisesyoga 4 – 5 times a week, feels that yogamakes her feel strong and reminds her todisconnect. It also allows her to be betterfocused. Mr Roland Lim is the teacher-in-charge of the Tennis CCA, and he plays itweekly with his members. This is a newsport for him and even after two years,he is st i l l keen to learn and is verypassionate about it.

Our school Principal, Mdm Mak Lai Ying,aspires to go from one park to another viaSingapore’s park connectors, whileenjoying the wind against her face andsmelling the pleasant scents around. Whenasked, Mdm Mak said, “I learnt to cycle atthe age of 57 and I told myself that I have

Pictured on the right (from top to bottom):

Ms Nicole Quek

Ms Ng Shilin

Mr Roland Lim

Ms Amanda Quah

Mr Andrew Seah

Mrs Natalie Lian and Ms Penny Zhang

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Design: Atelier Synthesis

ContributorsSister Christina Yeo

Sister Janet Wang

Sister Theresa Seow

Mr Andrew Seah

Mdm Goo Lay Hoon

Mrs Jannine Kuah

Mr Kevan Lee

Mrs Monica Menon

Ms Nicole Quek

Ms Sharon Yu

Ms Tiffany Cheok

Mdm Yee Whoy Chong

The Mathematics Dept

The PE Teachers

Our students defied the common perception that Sports and theArts are mutually exclusive. During the last Teachers’ Daycelebration, our girls from the Badminton CCA put up a refreshingperformance, combining tradition with innovation. Theperformance, conceptualised by one of our shuttlers, FernandaChua, infused regular Badminton training routines with rhythmicaerobic exercises. The performance was well-received. In the postperformance interview, the girls revealed that as most of themhave no aerobics background, they were initially not sure of beingable to present a credible aerobics display. However, with thesupport and encouragement from their peers, coach and teachers,the girls were galvanised to confront their doubts.

Likewise, Ms Joyce Liu, the teacher-in-charge of Taekwondo,recalled how some of her students were initially hesitant aboutperforming in front of a crowd. Yet, at the end of the Taekwondodemonstration, not only was it a good showcase of precisionself-defence techniques, it was also an inspiring outcome oftheir resilience.

In their effort to broaden cultural appreciation, the MalayLanguage department reworked the choreography of Zapin, atraditional Malay Dance form, for the Chinese New Yearcelebrations. In the same daring spirit to move beyond theircomfort zone, the teachers and students from the ChineseCultural Society put up a creative Tai Chi Fan performance whichcombined the elegance of Tai Chi with fluid fan techniques. Theperformance received overwhelming applause.

The innovative showcasing of the arts, sports and cultural elementsas part of our festive celebrations is indeed an inspiring outcome.

By Mr Kevan Lee

RENEWING OUR DRIVEThe inspiring spirit to make a difference:Fan-tastic!

Editorial CommitteeCoordinating Editor:

Mrs Monica Menon

Teacher Facilitators:Ms Jean Puspalm

Mr Mohd Ramlee Samsudin

Published by

St. Anthony’s Canossian Secondary School

1600 Bedok North Avenue 4

Singapore 469700

Tel: 6449 0616

www.stanthonyscanossiansec.moe.edu.sg

I usually start the day with quietude on my way to school on theMRT. I spend about 10 minutes to stay focused on what I need todo for the day and have some quiet time for myself before thestart of a busy day. On my way home, I also make it a point toenjoy some quiet time to clear my mental clutter at the end of theday. By doing this consistently, I am able to improve not just mymental but physical state as well.

It is important for us to create some time to connect with our deeperself – to get some measure of self-awareness, self-control and self-discipline so that we can live the present moment.

RECHARGING THROUGHCONTEMPLATIVEREFLECTIONThe Daily Quietude: Breathe in Peace

“We all have our own ways to use our quiet time –some may chant “Maranatha”, which means “Cometo me Lord Jesus” while others may choose to focuson their breathing to calm themselves.”

Without Quiet Time in our daily routine, we risk being unfocusedand disconnected with our inner selves – concentrating only on thetasks which require completion and living "outside-in" rather than"inside-out"!

It is heartening to hear from ex-students that they appreciate andcherish the Quiet Time each morning. We are also blessed to haveschool leaders who have ensured the practice of Quiet Timecontinues amidst this busy life we have. There is perhaps nothingmore important than to be able to be still and allow our deepestselves to enlighten our minds and hearts to become the personswe are meant to be. No amount of academic knowledge ortechnical skills, without the quiet wisdom from within, can helpus live meaningful and purposeful lives in today’s volatile world.

So, let’s stick to it: So, sit up, breathe in peace, breathe outdistractions… your Quiet Time starts now!

By Sister Christina Yeo and Madam Yee Whoy Chong, Vice-Principal

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