Rivers Id Ian Newsletter (Oct 09)

8/14/2019 Rivers Id Ian Newsletter (Oct 09)

1/16

OCTOBER 2009ISSUE 2

AnewsletterbyRi

versideSecondarySchool

3WoodlandsStreet 81 Singapore738524Tel:62699631 Fax:63683677www.riversidesec.moe.edu.sg

People Developer Standards

(Recertification)

The Best Practice Award (Staff Well-Being)

for Riverside Secondary in 2009 is an

affirmation of its work-life strategies for staff

and efforts in their development.

Best Practice Award

(Staff Well-Being)

Te Lee Kuan Yew Award

For All-round Excellence

Kelvin Khong Yu Kai hasdone the school proud

by winning the Lee Kuan

Yew Award for All-Round

Excellence for 2009. This

award is a national-level

award for achievement in

education and was given

out for the first time in

2005. The award, issued

at the end of Secondary

education, is to recognise

well-rounded studentswho have excelled in both

academic and non-academic spheres, and who

exemplify the qualities articulated in our desired

outcomes of education.

Riverside was recertified for the People

Developer Standards Award for the periodof 2009 to 2011. This award is a recognition

of Riversides on-going effort in training and

developing its staff.

The School Distinction Award recognises high-achieving

schools with exemplary school processes and practices. It

is a prestigious MOE award for schools. The achievement

of this award marks another key milestone in Riversides

journey towards excellence.

RiversideAchievesTeSchoolDistinctionAward!


2/16

Modern Dance - Gold with Honours

OUR SYF ACHIEVEMENTS

Chinese Dance

(Gold)

Malay Dance

(Gold)

Indian Dance

(Gold)

Congratulations to SYF Winners - You Shine Again!


3/16

OUR SYF ACHIEVEMENTS

Choir (Silver)

Symphonic Band (Silver)Symphonic Band (Silver)

Drama(Bronze)


4/16

GIRLS BRIGADE Company Award (Bronze)

NCC(SILVER)

NPCC(GOLD)

BOYS BRIGADE JM Fraser

Award (Silver)

SJAB (GOLD)

OUR UG ACHIEVEMENTS


5/16

OUR 22ND SPEECH DAY

Riverside celebrated her 22nd Speech and Prize Giving Day on25 April 2009. It was a grand affair with Ms Ellen Lee, MP for

Sembawang GRC gracing the occasion as the Guest of Honour.

Apart from recognising students who succeeded academically,

it was also an occasion to honour the staff of Riverside for their

years of service to the school. The recipient of the Outstanding

Riversidian Award was Benson Chong. Besides thanking the

teachers, Benson also urged all Riversidians never to give up

in achieving their dream. The event also saw the performances

by the various SYF winners such as the Chinese, Malay, Indian

and Modern Dance groups as well as our Symphonic Band

and Choir. Through the team effort of our staff and students,

this years Speech Day was indeed a spectacular day to

remember.

By Sulaihah Bte Abdul Rahiman, 2/5E

Speech Day and Prize-giving

Day

Our Guest of Honour Ms Ellen Lee, MP for Sembawang GRC

MalayDancemembersperformingthedanceofUnity

Students receiving prizes from Ms Ellen LeeStudents receiving prizes from Ms Ellen Lee

2009OutstandingRiversidian, BensonChong

ChineseDancemembers performingadancewhichtellsthe

ChineseDancemembers performingad

ancewhichtellsthe

storiesoflegendaryheroes.storiesoflegendaryheroes.


6/16

A sea of red and white

flooded the classroom

corridors in the morningof 7 August 2009. It was

the day when all school

in Singapore celebrated

Singapores 44th National

Day. This year, National

Day at Riverside was

celebrated in the classrooms. Every class

had a NE Champ giving a presentation of

the history of Singapore. Besides this,

a competition was also held to choose

the best decorated classroom based on

the National Day theme. The fun-filled

National Day celebration ended with

a closing speech by Mr Chen, Vice-

Principal which highlighted the importance of unity and

racial harmony.

By Chee Li Min 3/4E

National Day Celebration

Racial Harmony Day

NATIONAL EDUCATION

Riverside celebrated Racial Harmony Day on 21 July 2009.

Most of the students turned up in their ethnic costumes

and that of other races. Due to the recent H1N1 outbreak,

we did not celebrate it in the hall. Instead, we celebrated

in our own classrooms with our form teachers. Although it

was sorely missed, Riversidians still managed to have fun

in their respective classrooms with their peers, showing

off their costumes and picking the best dressed male and

female students. Students were also given the opportunity

to pick the best dressed male and female teachers! We also learned a little more about our friends races through the

creation of the Racial Harmony tree.

By Lhavanya Dharmalingam 3/4E

Studentspastingmessageson

theHarmonyTree

Unity in Diversity

StudentscreatingtheNECornerStudentscreatingtheNECorner

CelebratingNationalCelebratingNationalayintheClassroomDayintheClassroomNational Day March-In Parade


7/16

Riversides Learning Journey on 11

Feb 2009 is conducted annually.

Before the trip, the studentswere given the opportunity to

select the Learning Journey of

their choice. On the day itself, the

whole school, including the office

staff, went out for their Learning

Journey during curriculum time.

They visited places such as the

Singapore Museum, Singapore

Mint and Haw Par Villa.

The NE Forums on 26 May 2009 are

conducted annually for all levels. The

objective is to engage the

students in active citizenry

and critical thinking

in NE matters.

External speakers

are invited and the

students are given

opportunities to

pose questions

to them.Riverside participated in the Breakfast with Team Singapore event on

26 May 2009. The first half of the programme included a presentation

cum NE Forum and the second half consisted of Basketball and Netball

athletes from Team Singapore interacting with Riversidians.

Free Media Design Competition 2009

On 2 July, Riverside participated in the Racial Harmony

Day Orange Ribbon project organised by OnePeople

Singapore. NE Champs led the Secondary 1 and 2 classes

to write RHD messages and to fold stars for the event.

ThewiningRHDprojectThewiningRHDproject

Thegroupbehindthewinning

Thegroupbehindthewi

nning

entry.entry.

StudentswritingRHDmessages.

RHD Orange Ribbon project

Studentsfoldingthe

stars.

Learning Journey

Studentsansweringthequizquestionsfromthe

Studentsansweringthequizquest

ionsfromthe

guideatHawPawVillaguideatHawPawVilla

Students at

the Marina

Barrage

Breakfast with

eam Singapore

Riversidians with some of Team Singapore players.Riversidians with some of Team Singapore players.

Amin, An NE Champ,Amin, An NE Champ,posing a question to theposing a question to theguest speaker during theguest speaker during theNE Forum.NE Forum.

NATIONAL EDUCATION

Riverside has won the 2nd prize in the Free Media Design

competition 2009 organized by NE Branch. Congratulations

to these Art Club members who have worked hard to designthe winning entry. They are Jean Leong Jin Yi, Daphne Tan

Jia Hui, Amanda Wee and Chanel Oh.

The idea which the girls came up for the above competition is

Cupcakes Just for you. This 3D assemblage of cupcakes

symbolizes friendship, kindness and love. Cupcakes are

presented as gifts to someone we care and love.

NEChampsholdingontotheNEChampsholdingontothebuscardsforidentification.buscardsforidentification.

NE Forums


8/16

RS Innovation week was an inaugural

event, held from 25 May to 28 May as

part of the schools post-examination

programme. It aims to develop in RS

students an out of the box mindset

which is an essential competency

in the 21st century. There were

planned activities for different levels

and target groups to enhance and

excite RS students in their learning

through a range of activities that

includes mini-competitions (Inno

Challenge, Innovate@RS PosterDesign and Creative Souvenir Making

Competition), talks by professionals, IP

Innovation Showcase, and a learning

journey to the Singapore Discovery

Centre.

The Innovation Week dovetailed with

Humanities Day and Storytelling/NE

Fest on 26 May 2009. RS students

were free to participate and to sign

up for as many activities as they

were interested in so as to encourage

learning and self-reflection.

Sharing their masterpiece to their classmateSharing their masterpiece to their classmateOur Innovative

Riversidians

Participantsatworkduringthe

InnoQuizbyLibraryClub

Sec 2 Inter Class debate on InnovationSec 2 Inter Class debate on Innovation

PreparationsforIPInnovationShowcase

Breakfast with Team Singapore AthletesVisit to the Singapore Discovery Centre

25E students preparing intensively for Inno25E students preparing intensively for InnoChallengeChallenge

BoothofEnglishDepartment

BoothofEnglishDep

artment

CreativeSouvenirMakingCompetitionbyD&TDepartment

RS INNOVATION WEEK

One focal point of this years Innovation

Week was the visit to the Singapore

Discovery Centre on 26 May 2009.

140 students signed up and visited

this edutainment facility where one

can explore what keeps Singapore

going. This is especially relevant to RS

students as it infuses the Innovation

and National Education aspect.

The guided tour around the facility brought us to check Singapores past, seethe present and to touch the future. Our students were able to try many hands-

on inventions that also emphasised on Singapores need to keep abreast of

technological developments. The visit was especially enriching as we learnt more

about our Singapore Story, and it inspires in us a greater desire to contribute to

Singapores future.


9/16

Someday we will build one atRiverside too!

Participating in SDCs NE Quiz

The little red dot that innovates all the time

Learning by observationAnother highlight of the Innovation Week was the financial

literacy talk to our Secondary 3 students. The talk was

interesting as it was done through a series of movie clipsand was innovative because of its focus on the current

economic downturn.

Our students were also taught tips to manage money and

to differentiate between needs versus wants. Everyone

was also given a financial ruler to help them take control

of their finances and budgeting.

OurSec3sstudentsgettingmoney-wise

tips

Part of the Innovation Week showcase

was the Instructional Programmes

(IP) Display in the library on 26 and 27May 2009. The various Departments

showcased their best practices and

innovations. For example, the Science

Department displayed two projects by

students who took part in the North Zone

ElementzCompetition this year.

The Humanities Department displayed

their Problem Based Learning projects

while the Aesthetics Department provided

their tactile hands-on experience for

students with their printmaking displays

kudos to the Art Unit and students for

making it fun to get our hands dirty!

The most entertaining booth was the POA and EBS Accounting Jeopardy. Staff and students were challenged to answer

a current affairs quiz to score points!

By Mr Lim Cheng Tju, HOD/Humanities

Project Display

MT booth

QuiztimeduringtheFinancialLiteracyTalk

RS INNOVATION WEEK

By Mr Andy Koh,

HOD/Curriculum & Innovation


10/16

Pupils in groups were tasked

to design an art piece which

depicted what Singapore

meant to them. The art pieces

were then collected and pieced

together to form the Riverside

Fabric a symbol of the

aspiration and dream of every

Singaporean.

A students showing

her creation to

the class

SharingstorytellingtechniqueswithN5

primaryschoolpupils

Storytelling

Workshop

Riverside Fabric

RiversidiansguidingtheN5pr

imary

schoolstudents intheirstoryw

riting.

N5 Pupils telling their story at the competitionN5 Pupils telling their story at the competition

Competitors eagerly waiting for their turns

STORYTELLING0

In the Storytelling Through Dance activity, modern

dancers were invited to showcase their SYF dance

item which expresses the suffering experienced by

the Sichuan earthquake survivors.

Storytelling Trough Dance

Modern dancers expressing the pain

of the Sichuan earthquake survivorsin their dance movements

On 6 April 2009, the Humanities

Department and the Mother

Tongue Department co-organised

the Mother Tongue Storytelling

Competition for N5 cluster schools.

Before the actual competition,

Riverside conducted a

storytelling workshop for

the N5 primary schools.

Our student leaders, the

NE Champs and COE

Champs were involved intraining the primary school

pupils in basic storytelling

techniques.


11/16

All Secondary 4 and 5 pupils participated in the Flag Day for the Singapore Sports Disability Council on 7 March 2009 as

part of their Community Involvement Programme. The event started at 8 am and ended at 1 pm. After a few hours of hard

work, all the pupils returned to school rattling their coin-filled tins with satisfaction. It was a memorable day for all of them

as they had played a part in contributing their service to the community.

Community Involvement Programme

BrainstormingideasfortheSportsCarnival.

KL Service Learning trip to

Pure Life society

Interactingwiththechildren.Interactingwiththechildren.

Playingoutdoorgames.Playingoutdoorgames.

All Secondary 1 to 3 students were involved in the Rice thatbinds Project to help needy families. For every crane that

a student folded, SongHe company would donate 100g of

rice to the needy families. The project was initiated by Chea

Yee from class 2/5 and Gigi Thiam from class 3/4E. The girls

planned and organised the entire project which involved

training students to fold the cranes.

Rice that binds CIP project

- 23 July 2009

Briefingtheclassonthe

project

Foldingthecranes

Asians Women WelfareAssociation Service Learning

As part of their Community Involvement Programme, all

Secondary 2 students were involved in the annual Jumble

Sale on 21 May 2009. Teachers also joined in the fun by

purchasing and helping to sell the donated items. Beforethe end of the day, most of the items were already sold.

Proceeds from the Jumble Sale went to the Pocket Money

Fund for the less fortunate students. It was indeed a

fulfilling day for teachers and students alike.

By: Sulaihah, 2/5E

Secondary 2 Jumble Sale

Playingwiththe

childrenduringthe

SportsCarnival.

From 16 to 19 March 2009, a group of 29 Secondary

4 and 5 students went for their Overseas Service

Learning trip to Kuala Lumpur. The students visited

Pure Life Society and interacted with the children

there. Apart from playing games, they also conducted

English and Science lessons for the children.

Selected students from

the Secondary Four classes

volunteered their service

for the Asians Women

Welfare Association once

a week from February 2009

to March 2009. Together

with student leaders fromSMU, they interacted with

the children at AWWA and

helped to organise a Sports

Carnival for the children.

GettingreadythefoodfortheGettingreadythefoodfortheSportsCarnivalSportsCarnival

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

PROGRAMME 1


12/16

A Walk In The ParkOn 17 and 18 February

2009, all Lower Secondary

social studies students

from Sec 13NT, 14NT,

23NT and 24NT had a

very enriching learning

experience walking in

the Botanical Gardens,

learning and appreciatingNature with all its glory.

The aim of the activity is

to widen students horizon

beyond the four walls of

their classrooms.

Going Back In TimeOn 26 May 2009, 40 selected Secondary

1 history students had a Back in Time

experience with the visit to the Asian

Civilization Museum. Its history coming

alive, watching the actors and actresses

dressed up in Manchu costumes (the

Ching Dynasty). The aim of the activity

is to instill interest in history in the

students. The students were excitedas they studied the artifacts of the

ancient past. The highlight of the trip

was the viewing of treasures from

the Forbidden City during the reign of

Emperor Kangxi.

On 27 May, 224 Secondary 3students participated in the PET

Rocket Enrichment Programme.

Besides learning the scientific

principles of propulsion, the

students created their rockets

from 1.5 litres soft drink bottles.

Soon, their water-powered

rockets could be seen arching

across the sky. It was indeed a

fun and educational activity.

Humanities Field ripsPet Rocket Project

ENRICHMENT AND FIELDTRIPS2On 26 May 2009, the Humanities Department held its

inaugural Humanities Day. The theme was Enriching Lives,

Expanding Boundaries. Various activities were organised

for our first Humanities Day which was held in conjunction

with the first Storytelling Fest in Riverside Secondary.

There was a talk on the achievements and innovations of

Dr Lim Boon Keng by Mr Alex Tan and a showcase of the

Lower Secondary Humanities students Problem Based

Learning (PBL) projects at the Instructional Programme (IP)

Display in the school library. These two events were tied in

with the RS Innovation Week.

In addition, Secondary 1 History Students had a Back

in Time experience with a visit to the Asian Civilizations

Museum. It was History coming alive, watching the actors

and actresses dressed up in the costumes of the Ching

Dynasty. The students were captivated by the exhibits of

treasures from the Kangxi Period.

Humanities Day was a success as it saw inter-departmental

collaboration such as the EL Department coming up with the

Public Speaking Competition for the Secondary 3 students.

Humanities Day 2009


13/16

The Variety Show @ RS organised by the Music

Department, provided pupils a platform for their

creative expressions. Held every Wednesday at the

amphiteatre in the afternoon, this event showcased

our pupils musical talents. The finale of the 6-week

series of variety show was a performance by our very

own staff. This event indeed delighted the enthusiastic

crowd.

By Mdm Ng Chor Joo

On 27 May 2009, 15

students from the Robotics

Club participated in the

Underwater Robotics

Olympiad 2009 organised by

Republic Polytechnic. A total

of 60 teams from 42 schools

took part in the competition.

Riverside was placed 1stRunner-up among the 42

schools!

On 4 and 5 June 2009, the Robotics Club also participated in the Singapore Vex Robotics Championship held at Rulang

Primary School. Riverside clinched the Championship as well as being placed the 1st runner up.

Our club members pitting their skills with othercompetitors at Spore Vex Robotics Championship

Club members with their winning trophies

CD Corner is a place for the Secondary One

students to demonstrate their understanding of the school

values RSP2IRIT.

In semester one, an inter-class competition for all the Secondary One classes was held. The classes were given

the theme, Responsibility or Team Spirit to work on. The classes proved to be creative in decorating the boards

using photos, pictures, stories, comic strips and even CDs. The winners are:

1st: Class 12N

2nd: Class 15E

3rd: Class 18E

For Semester Two, pupils will continue to express their creativity for the other school values.

Variety Show @ RSVariety Show @ RS

Robotics ClubWins!

1COMPETITIONS

The much anticipated annual

Secondary Two Inter-Class

Debates Competition 2009 wascarried out in April, culminating

in the Finals showdown on 25

May in the Dance Studio.

It was a stiff competition this year as all the debaters were well-

prepared and ready to challenge their opponents. The electrifying

atmosphere in the Dance Studio was palpable as the audience,

which consisted of Secondary Two students, hung on to every

argument presented by the strongest two teams during the

competition.

By Mdm Geraldine Chang

Secondary Inter-Class Debates

Competition 2009

Character Development Corner (Sec 1 Interclass Competition)


14/16

Olympic Education Camp At Riverside

eachers Day Celebrations 2009

Riversidians rocking to the audience

SCHOOL ACTIVITIES4

On 3 and 4 June 2009, Riversides PE Unit organised the Olympic Camp for about 200 students. The aim was to impart the

spirit of Olympism to the students. During the 2 - day camp, Riversidians participated in novelty games, designed Olympic

tees and even competed in our very own mini-Olympics! Everybodys takeaway was lovely memories of friendship,

excellence and respect.

On 31 August 2009, Riverside proudly celebrated Teachers

Day to recognise the teachers efforts in moulding students

lives. The day kicked start with the ACES Day exercise which

is our very own RS Dance. There was also a competition to

pick the class for each level which could perform the best

RS Dance. Following that, students returned to their classes

to commemorate CCA Honours Day, an event to present

awards to Riverisidians

in recognition of their

invaluable service to theirCCAs. Students and staff

then watched a concert

put up by Riversidians to

show appreciation to the

teachers.

By K. Kanageswari,

4/9E

Riversidians entertaining the staff

Newstaffperformingaskit

Riversidians doing the RS DanceRiversidians doing the RS Dance


15/16

The inaugural Primary School Prefect

Training @ Riverside was successfully

carried out on 8 June 2009. A total of 59

primary school students from Innova

Primary School, Qihua Primary School,

Woodlands Ring Primary School and

Woodgrove Primary School attended

the training planned and organised by our student councilors.

Primary school students were taught interaction skills and critical thinking

skills through a variety of games, presentations and a movie. The event

ended with a prize presentation and reflection. It was indeed a memorable

and valuable learning experience for all.

The Campus ChangeMaker Project,

a collaboration with National Youth

Council was introduced at the start of

this year.

This is a student initiated project in

which Level 2 and 3 Student Leaders

would propose an improvement for the

school. This project leverages on the

bottom-up approach in which students are

active problem-solvers.

To prepare the leaders for the project, they

were sent for a 2-day training workshop

whereby they learnt what service learning is

and how they can work as a team.

These students then came up with proposals after planning and

conducting surveys with the rest of the school. These proposals

were then presented to a student panelist who would advise them on

the possible problems in planning and executing the plans. After the

student panelist had voted, the selected projects would be carried out

with the assistance of the teacher in charge.

The students are currently working on providing all CCA groups with

first aid kits so as to be better equipped during an emergency. Another

approved initiative is to provide more visible signages at various

locations in the school so as to facilitate visitors to locate the different

venues.

With more proposals on their way, we know that Innovate @ RS as our

focus of the year is at work.

OARS Awardees with our Principal, Mrs Sng Siew Hong and Miss Jasmine Lim, HOD/EL incharge of Student Leadership

Prefect raining

for Primary School

The 3rd batch of Level 4 Leaders emerged

after a round of voting by their Level 3 peers

and being interviewed by School Leaders.

They are Ang Rui Xia (3/5E, President of

Student Council), Sri Rahayu (3/1N, Deputy

President), Muhammad Syariffuddin (3/6E,

Deputy President), Debbie Stuart (3/6E, Headof Performing Arts), Chelsea Yong (3/7E, Head

of Sports and Games), Zhenbagam Murlly

(3/4E, President of NE Champs), Phoebe Tan

(3/5E, Head of Clubs and Societies) and Wang

Zheng Xiong (3/5E, Head of Uniformed Group).

These student leaders will be involved in the

organisation of the National Day Celebration,

Teachers Day Celebration and Secondary 1

Orientation Camp. They are expected to be

role models to the other students and to assist

teachers and mentor their Level 3 peers.

New Level 4 Leaders

On 27 May 2009, three Riversidians

were presented with the North-West

Outstanding All Rounder Student (OARS)

Award at The Grassroots Club. Tim Wei

Loke (4/5E, President of the Student

Council), was presented with the OARS Award at the CDC level. Koh Tong Jun (4/4E,

Head of Level 4 Sports) and Melody Mak (4/4E, Head of the National Police CadetCorps) were presented with the OARS Award at the school level. This prestigious

award honours students with outstanding academic results and exemplary

leadership achievements in Co-Curricular Activity and Community Service.

Outstanding All Round

Student Awards

Campus ChangeMaker Project

1STUDENT LEADERSHIP


16/16

On 3 August 2009, the Deputy Secretary (Policy), Mr Loh

Ngai Seng visited Riverside Secondary School and had

a dialogue session with the staff. This informal session

provided a platform for the staff to ask pertinent questions

about education and the latest policies of the Ministry of

Education. It was indeed an enlightening session for the

staff.

The staff of Riverside revisited the key elements to

discipline when they attended the Holistic Approach to

Discipline Workshop on 16 and 30 April 2009. The two-

day workshop not only equipped teachers with the skills

of affective questioning but it also allowed them to reflect

on their current disciplinary practices. The teachers wereimpressed that they could be empowered with such

holistic approach to discipline.

Riverside observed Public Service Day on 7 May 2009

with Mrs Sng Siew Hong, the Principal, and staff pledging

their allegiance and duty to the Public Service by taking the

Public Service Oath. After the observance, the staff were

encouraged to go to the website My Forum to participate

in the discussion threads on the Public Service Week.

Directors Visit

Holistic Approach to

Discipline (HAD) Workshop

Public Service Day @ RiversideWelcome to the Family

(From Left): Mr Poh Chee Jian, Mdm Gan Yen Pin,Miss Cheoh Pin, Mr Mohd Faizal Omar,

Miss Fareesha Mazian, Mr Muhd Khairul BM,

Miss Renuga D/O Konasegaran,

Mr Lim Keng Soon Eugene

Editorial TeamADVISOR : Mrs Sng Siew Hong (Principal)

EDITOR : Mr Tsung Kkok Cheng

WRITERS M b f th Y J li t Cl b

STAFF NEWS6

Documents

Rivers Id Ian Newsletter (Oct 09)