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Acknowledgements:Many thanks to all teacher and student contributors for their efforts in making this newsletter possible. Special thanks to Mr Lim Yang Cherng and his team of photographers for their wonderful compilation of photographs for the different school events.

- The Editor

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Refl ections: ri-fl ek’shen

2009 will always be known as the year the H1N1 virus descended on Singapore. All schools here exercised measures to ensure that the virus was contained. Students were quarantined and given home leave if they had severe symptoms of fl u to ensure that the spread was contained effectively. Read the following account to know what one such student who was given home leave felt about his whole experience. – Ed.

The pillow felt hot as I sat up. I felt bad. Horrible, in fact. For the fi rst time in a long while, I felt weak, vulnerable. My temperature was 39.2 degrees. Numbers couldn’t, didn’t lie. I could not lie still somehow. The patch where I lay would overheat and I had to change postions constantly. It didn’t feel good, of course, but deep inside, I had no fear. It was just another one of those sicknesses you get now and then.

The annoyance at not being able to lead a normal life for those few days bothered me considerably. One night, I went to the doctor. As it turned out, I had to stay at home for the rest of the week due to this irritating illness. Any fever, cough, fl u, soreness was considered a H1N1 possibility. Stupid! was my fi rst thought. I didn’t care if I had H1N1 – it wasn’t very serious anyway, I thought. When I woke up the next day, the fever had gone, much to my amazement.

However, I realised I would be missing three days of school – for what? Some ridiculous curfew set by the Ministry. Suddenly school seemed attractive for some strange reason. But was I fully healed? No, unfortunately. I was still coughing at extremely frequent intervals, which really annoyed me greatly. In addition, a weird taste in my mouth manifested itself. The taste of my food took on an eerie quality. Rice tasted like it was soaked in hydrochloric acid and soup was like hydrochloric acid too. Even water tasted weird. I just wanted this incorrigible condition to end. Surprisingly, it did just the very next day. Overnight, my food tasted like how it should taste, but my coughing did not stop, something I did not appreciate. For the whole of that day, I sat at home watching television and constantly fl ipped channels. I felt like a burden to those around me, but I didn’t care. They didn’t have to endure what I had endured the past few days! The best part of that day was missing Chinese remedial, which I was up for all the time.

As quickly as ‘H1N1’ had come on me, I was as quickly healed, although the whole period of two weeks was a long endurance test for me. Thanks to the marvels of modern medicine, I fully recovered. All in all, this whole ‘H1N1’ episode was not one I would want to relive.

Honestly, I would rather go to school everyday than live through the ordeal I did.

Written by Justin Ong Guangxi, Secondary 3SB

‘H1N1’ and Me

The late Mr Koh Kim Teng

passed away on 13th Sept 2009.

He taught at St Andrew’s Junior School

from 2nd Jan 1970 to 2nd Oct 2002.

After his retirement, he continued to

teach Chinese in SAJS and SASS as

a Relief Teacher.

One who sang the School Song with absolute gusto,One who sang the School Song with absolute gusto,a teacher no less was Mr Koh.a teacher no less was Mr Koh.

In the staffroom a paternal figure,In the staffroom a paternal figure,his countenance concealed his vigour.his countenance concealed his vigour.

A man seldom heard, often felt more,A man seldom heard, often felt more,A fatherly, friendly teacher ‘n’ more,A fatherly, friendly teacher ‘n’ more,

Our hearts reach out to you, Mr Koh Kim Teng,Our hearts reach out to you, Mr Koh Kim Teng,Now and forever more.Now and forever more.

- a poem dedicated to the memory of a beloved Mother Tongue teacher by Mrs Angeli Rajeev and Mrs Gayatri Krishnan,

Teachers (English Department)

An Ode to Mr Koh Kim TengMr Koh Kim Teng

“ri-fl ek’shen” was a fi rst-time ever photo competition & exhibition organised by the South Zone Centre of Excellence for Design, St Andrew’s Secondary School, in collaboration with the National Geographic Store, Singapore. The organizers had hoped that such an exhibition would be naturally relevant today as camera phones are both ubiquitous and popular among both young and old. Participants were required to capture, through the camera lens, images that showed a refl ection literally or a refl ection metaphorically that would give a glimpse of the photographer’s thoughts, beliefs and experiences in life. Sponsors for the competition included the National Geographic store, Panasonic, Largeprint, YOLO (You Only Live Once) and Cathay Photo. The event was also supported by the Photographic Society of Singapore.

The Photo competition was open to all primary, secondary and integrated programme (IP) schools, junior colleges and Millennia Institute. It attracted a total of 599 entries from 46 primary schools [Category A], 2259 entries from 91 secondary schools and IP schools [Category B], and 548 entries from 13 JCs and IP schools [Category C]. For each category, there were 3 top winners and 10 others that deserved special mention. All 39 winning entries were displayed at the National Geographic Store between 26 May to 14 June. Admission to the Exhibition was free. Interested viewers can continue to see the photographs online at www.refl ection.yolo.sg after the exhibition.

The exhibition was offi cially opened on 25 June by Ms Ho Peng, MOE’s (Ministry of Education) Director-General of Education. Mrs Ng Ai Lin, Deputy Director of Schools (South Zone) and Mdm Tan Yen Fong, Cluster Superintendent for S5, together with Mrs Belinda Charles, principal of St Andrew’s Secondary School, were also present, as well as other distinguished guests, parents and prize-winners for the different categories of the Photo Competition.

Here are some comments about the competition and exhibition from various people who attended the event:

1. Ms Chua Xin Yuan, teacher-organiser from St Andrew’s Secondary:

“I was pleasantly surprised by the large amount of entries from the schools.

2255 entries in all is a strong indicator that young people today are interested in exploring the world through photography. The competition entries also had interesting photos, some interpreting ‘Refl ection’ as refl ection of life; some as a refl ection of objects. The multiple layers of interpretations highlighted the different intellectual levels of our students.”

2. Lee Xia Chen, a grade four student from Xin Min Primary, won 3rd prize in the Primary School Category with her entry, “Breath of Life”. She was inspired by her Science teacher while doing an experiment. She was shocked upon hearing the unexpected good news that she had won a prize for her entry. She would love to portray her next masterpiece based on the theme, “First Thing I See When I Wake Up”. This competition has given her the drive and passion to take more interesting pictures for others to enjoy.

3. The winner of Category B (Secondary Schools), Samson Yang Jun Hao of Pei Hwa Secondary School, went a step further to take a shot for his winning entry. He specially travelled to Cambodia, which is well-known for its beautiful scenery, to take his winning picture. He chose to submit the winning picture as he thought it conveys a lot of emotions. The entry was aptly titled, “Refl ection of Life”.

4. Kenneth Tan Wei Rong, fi rst runner-up for Category B (Secondary Schools), received a pleasant surprise, like many of the participants. The 16-year-old Bukit Batok Secondary student submitted two pieces of artwork and had expected his other piece, which he had focused more effort on, to win. His winning piece shows three lifts all at the same level with mirrors refl ecting images. It was the real deal. How did he accomplish such a task? It would be tedious for one to stay at the same spot just to wait for the perfect moment to

The stage was set for the annual tradition of our school and the boxers eagerly prepared for their upcoming matches backstage.

The hall was fl ooded with many students within a mater of minutes. With the arrival of our guest-of- honour, Ltc (NS) Parris Ang, the matches soon began. It was so exciting that many had their eyes glued to the match for the next 2 hours. There were loud cheers and applause for every boxer, be it victor or vanquished.

Glenn Koh of Secondary 3S2 delights in the matches as he learns to appreciate unique matches that you don’t see in your everyday life. At the same time, there is also an excellent display of sportsmanship that upholds the school’s motto, especially through the most burdensome and challenging of situations. Glenn recalls his fi rst and most memorable match which was his favourite. He was enlightened on the fact that boxing is not all about pure violence. Competing requires skill, determination, strategy and tactics. Glenn told us about his favourite boxer - Gregory Lai of Secondary 3S1. Gregory Lai in the match for the day seemed to be the underdog. Gregory’s opponent, Alyffi e Ali of Secondary 3N3, was a tough nut to crack. The dogged fi rst-timer Gregory had a rough taste in his mouth from this fi rst experience of boxing. He put up an immense effort and gave his opponent a tough fi ght to the fi nish. To everyone’s surprise, the underdog emerged victorious despite the insurmountable odds he faced initially.

Gregory himself personally thinks that this annual tradition allows ordinary students like you and I to portray the qualities of courage, sportsmanship and perseverance that are embraced by the school. Putting aside all the academics, you can really show someone what you can be good at in this arena. Although Gregory’s opponent was powerful and unbending, Gregory was determined to overcome him. His fi rst victory was surprising to many as it was his virgin match. He felt that it was great exposure for him.

Christian Sng of Secondary 3SB found the school’s annual tradition to be appealing. To Christian, every match caught the attention of his eye. He has quite an affi nity with boxing as his father, an old boy, used to box. Therefore, it intrigues him to know more about boxing through the various matches. Mr. Christopher Jenkinson, our school’s English consultant hailing from England, enjoyed the match very much. He described it as a test of strength and discipline, and was impressed by the great determination of our boys to win despite the fatigue they faced. As the saying goes, fi rst impressions are always the most important, so Mr. Jenkinson remembered vividly the fi rst match when he came to St. Andrew’s a year ago.

What did younger students have to say about the boxing matches? We interviewed Felix Lai of Secondary 1N1 and Marcus Wong of Secondary 2N2B. Marcus enjoyed watching the different styles of fi ghting and the climax of each match. Felix preferred the different types of confl ict. He especially admired the boxers’ agility and strength, as well as their courage to fi ght to the end. Both of them were extremely elated to watch the boxing match as it only happens once annually.

Jowell Lim of Secondary 3S1 fi nds this tradition a one-of-a- kind experience as hardly any other school in Singapore has such a tradition. He noted that the tradition brings out the rough-and-tumble nature of boys. Boys love tons of action, so Boxing is one great activity to engage their attention. However, Jowell preferred last year’s performance as there was a bigger crowd then. This year, the school had to control the size of the crowd due to H1N1 precautionary measures. To Jowell, his most memorable part of the boxing matches is the part when the referee announces the victor, as this is always accompanied by loud applause and screams from the crowd.

R. Kumaran of Secondary 2C couldn’t agree more as such a rare occurrence deserves a larger crowd. In this way, the tradition would be more enjoyable and interesting. His favourite boxer was an SA boy who was very consistent in his attacks, and never gave his opponent a chance to counter him at all.

Did any of the competitors feel that they were unevenly matched during the competitions? One of the less experienced boxers felt that the pairing of competitors was not fair in as they were competing against ‘giants’. However, Ali Reza of Secondary 3N3 thought otherwise. He wanted more competition and more challenges. Prefect Daniel Koh of Secondary 3SB shared similar thoughts. He felt that this year’s pairing was fair and just compared to the previous few years.

As they say, “No pain, no gain”. Many of the competitors hit the gym more often to build up their muscles and had frequent practices despite a tough and tiring day after school in order to prepare themselves for the grueling matches on National Day.

What are the vital gear boxers must have? Gregory introduced us to the crotch-guard and mouth-guard. These are the basic safety gear to minimize the risk of one getting injured during a match. Ali Reza also introduced the hand strap that keeps the fi st tight, gloves and the head gear. To sum up, these are necessary gear for even the best of the boxers. So ensure that you have them on if you’re thinking of joining Boxing.

Last but not least, Sean Christopher Tan of Secondary 3SB had this to say. “The boxing match was thrilling and packed with tons of action. This is exactly what most boys want to see: Action, Skill and Strategy. Most importantly, you see a real life underdog and Gregory is just one perfect example of that.” Indeed, this tradition has impressed many.

With all that fi ghting and manoeuvers, I’m sure that you’ll agree with me that this is one tradition Saints will never miss, wouldn’t you?

Interviews conducted by: Caleb Leong, Marcus Foo, Justin Lau, Ng Ping Jie, student reporters from Secondary 3SAReport compiled by: Caleb Leong

Saints box their hearts out during Nation’s 44th!

Ever wondered what our top class boys are like? Read the following to know one of them better!

– Ed.

2009 – 4SA2005, PSLE

Darren was not bothered about the PSLE, and did not work hard. He was complacent and did last-minute work just before the PSLE.

• After he got back the PSLE results, he was shocked at being unable to go to express, and having to be transferred to the Normal Academic stream. He thought that he would barely make it to the Express stream but his teacher had foreseen what would happen.

• He felt very embarrassed because most of his classmates went to Express, and he was one of the few who didn’t. He wanted to leave the school immediately to avoid his friends who would ask how well, or rather how badly, he did.

When his family found out that he had to be transferred to the Normal Academic stream, they were devastated. He was the only person in the family to be in the Normal stream - his brother had been one of the top students in Victoria School. His brother was also the only Singaporean student to be a top student in the School up till then in Victoria and was in fact seen as a motivation to other Singaporean students.

He told himself that he did not want to get such results again, and felt very inferior. However, his family encouraged him and he was touched. It was a very emotional encounter.

Once, his parents quarrelled very badly, and before leaving the house, his mother shouted at his father, “Please tell your son to study.” When Darren heard that, he felt that his academic results were the cause of the problems his family was experiencing, and wanted to do something about it. His mum stayed out all night to sort out her thoughts.

Darren made a promise to himself that he would change himself and make it up to his parents who loved him very much. He felt guilty.

2006, 1 NA

Secondary 1 Orientation (December) was a very embarrassing experience for him as most of his primary school-mates were in the class next door. He avoided them at fi rst, but when his friends found out about his class, they too were shocked. He then recalled the warning from his Junior School teacher about how his complacency would bring him down.

Darren made a promise to himself that he would work hard to make it up to his parents and everyone who believed in him. He wanted to turn the tables and undo the effects of his bad PSLE results. He asked himself whether it would ever be possible for him to work his way back to the Express stream.

Darren Tan – An Inspiring Saint

In the following months, he paid careful attention in class, and throughout the year put extra effort into his studies. He also went to seek help from his teachers after classes. This, despite the fact that his class was very noisy, rowdy and distracting.

Later in the same year, he attained 5A1s in his fi rst Common Test. One of those who unwittingly spurred him on was Abraham, a classmate who was trying to get back to Express as well.

2ND TERM

He still wanted to improve, and put in even more effort. At this point of time, he studied almost three hours a day, sometimes late into the night.

He attained 76.6 percent for the next exam.He was the fi rst in the Normal Academic stream.

He attained 79.9 percent in the mid-year exam, beating Abraham his competitor. He was elated.

He remembered the times he put in effort while in Normal, some of which including having to do project work for the entire team himself just to get his marks which would be pulled down by totally nonchalant team-mates. Darren believes that helping others is very important, therefore he never sabotaged his teammates by telling the teachers how they did little or no work at all. Sometimes he slept in the morning at 3am.

Friendship was very important to him.

2007, Sec 2 E [Express]

The SAS Mini PESA (Plain English Speaking Award) 2007 was a glimpse into his greater ability.

He wondered which class he was posted to, and hoped it was not 2D as 2D then was reputed to be a chaotic class. He was luckily posted to 2E where he met a number of his old classmates.

He was very stressed that year, as he had to get used to the Express system syllabuses. He often asked himself if it was worth it getting so worked up and stressed, and sleeping so late at night.

However, Darren set high standards, and wanted to get to the best class in Sec 3. He continued to do his work diligently, and challenged the best classmates.

2008, Sec 3SA [top Express class]

He made it to 3SA, and was really shocked, as were his friends and acquaintances. He had to adjust to the long class hours that sometimes ended at 3 plus in the afternoon. He sometimes studied into the wee hours of the morning as well.

AND NOW, IN 4SA? There is still a tremendous amount of work and other activities, but he is undaunted and persevering. We wish him all the very best in the ‘O’s for this year.

Darren was interviewed by his fellow school-mate, Nicholas Yeo of Secondary 4S2

take that photograph as it rarely happens. He was fortunate to be able to take such a shot while shopping with his mother one day. Lady Luck was smiling at him when he chanced upon such a sight. He felt that this competition was a good show of talent and has learnt many things from it. He would want to capture pictures that will move the hearts of people and arouse their emotions. An example would be the people suffering in 3rd world countries. This could clearly refl ect on the condition of our world today and the things we can do to help others.

5. Ong Weijie Jeffrey, 17, from St. Andrew’s Junior College, was awarded the Special Mention award under Category C. Leon Sng Yong Sheng, 12, from St. Andrew’s Junior School, was also awarded the Special Mention award under Category A. This is the fi rst time that both Jeffery and Leon have taken part in a photographic competition.

For Jeffery, it was an enriching experience as he had not expected himself to produce such fantastic results. He had only picked up photography two months ago and seldom took pictures – about once a week. Photography is like a hobby to him. “I did not have much knowledge about the theme of the competition as it is the fi rst time I am taking part,” commented Jeffery. His photo entry is entitled “Mirror of Love”. It was taken at Changi Airport Terminal 3 on a Sunday morning, after a long 4-hour wait for the right shot. It displayed a local family sharing a quiet time together as they waited for the skytrain to arrive. While preparing for this competition, Jeffery did several pieces of research as well as brainstorming, and fi nally chose to wait patiently at Changi Airport for

his chance to surface. This competition has brought him closer to photography, and at the same time, broadened his knowledge while viewing others’ works.

Leon, being a Primary school student, has surpassed many others by receiving an award for his photo entry. Although schoolwork is his main focus, he had set

aside time so that he could take part in the competition. He claimed that during the course of this competition, he underwent a lot of excitement and stress. Leon only picked up photography one month ago and treats it as a hobby and a form of relaxation. When asked how he had prepared for this competition, he replied with a smile, “It was all based on feelings.” Leon’s picture was taken in Australia. It displays houses by a water body, and their refl ections can be seen on the surface of the water. In the photograph, a brown duck glides past this scene of the houses. It forms the main attraction in the photo. Leon explained, “Having a living thing in this photo shows life in it, which does not make it a plain and dull one.” He has also refl ected that his entry could have been a better one if he had also taken photos in the morning, afternoon and night, as his was taken only in the evening. One invaluable feedback he provided was that the theme could have been split into more specifi c topics for participants to work on.

The event was certainly an interesting and meaningful refl ection for many who attended. The organizers are very grateful to all who have contributed and helped to make this inaugural event a great success.

“It was an eye-opening experience for me to go up a platform to collect my prize - so thrilling and exciting! - the fi rst time I have ever participated in a photography competition. I really like the work entitled ‘Childhood Days’ in Category B. The colour truly refl ects the energy and happiness of a child. I also like it because the colour of the clothes was not shown but was refl ected with the aid of the water on the ground. When I saw it, it really caught my attention as it reminded me of the carefree spirit of a child - not having to worry about life! This youth photo competition and exhibition showed me where I stand with regard to my photographic skills. Despite being in the top thirteen for the Secondary Schools Category, I have apparently so much more to learn. Seeing the other winning works, I understand now that a theme can be interpreted in so many ways; not just literally, but also metaphorically. Photography is also not just about technique but a concept too. It can refl ect people’s lives and interest. To me, I thought my photograph of ‘Total Internal Refl ection’ was the best way to demonstrate a refl ection until I saw Samson Yang’s top entry, ‘Refl ection of Life’. ‘Refl ection of Life’ features a monk in deep thought

amidst the backdrop of a setting sun which is refl ected in a lily pond. It was an interpretation that I had not thought of.

There are just so many ways to interpret the theme! I like photography as I feel a sense of achievement when I get the perfect’ shot, especially for sports photography. That comes with a lot of practice, and a friend of mine called Christopher Leow, an old boy, taught me that a photograph must have emotions for it to be good. A photographer should always showcase his or her work to others in order to learn to improve his craft. For me, the most attractive thing about this competition is the exhibition. I was thrilled to be able to showcase my work to others and it is such a great honour to have my work exhibited at the National Geographic Store. The store is like a National Geographic magazine come to life with great photos of National Geographic journalists and photographers displayed – and mine is displayed alongside theirs even though it’s not the best!”

Written by Mrs Teo Guek Choo, Teacher (English Department)With special assistance from Caleb Leong, Jeric Kwan and Dean Ng, all from Secondary 3SAPictures courtesy of Passion Photographers

Isaac Tang of St Andrew’s Secondary, who received a Special Mention in Category B