Papercut Special Edition 08

Celebrating enhancing staff well-being and personal effectiveness

Teachers have an influential role in the lives of students. They are like beacons of light guiding us in the formative years of our life. A teacher moulds us and in the process shapes our future. What we learn from our teachers remains with us throughout our lives, giving us direction.

A month before the Teachers’ Day Celebration, students in Bukit View Secondary School were seen busily preparing for the Teachers‘ Day performance. Many students turned up for auditions to showcase their talents for singing, dancing and acting. But most importantly, to show their appreciation and gratitude to their teachers. In that way, students’ hidden talents were also showcased in front of the student body. In addition, our fellow student councillors had taken one step ahead by preparing a drama performance specially based on selected teachers in our school such as Miss Ang Bee Lee and Miss Sharmila Gopal. The student councillor actors were hilarious as they imitated accurately the teachers’ mannerisms, such as the way they speak or even advise students! On that day, students were seen carrying bags of gifts wrapped in colourful wrappers. Beautiful roses were being given to our teachers by our anxious students. The school hall was decorated to suit the mood of the celebration and cheerful faces of our dear teachers added more meaning to the celebration.

Papercut Special Edition Jul-Dec2008_P2

The celebration began with an elegant and graceful performance by our Chinese Dance members. The band performance by the Secondary four students in contrast was loud but lively. Popular songs such as ‘This is Me’ from Camp Rock was sung by the girls from 1N1.

Teachers Staff

and

Lastly, the moment that we had all been waiting for arrived; the cake cutting ceremony and pledge taking. As students of this school, we are both very proud of our teachers and this celebration we believe should be marked as one of the most important events of the calender year - an event to honour and appreciate our teachers.

By: Farheen 3E5 and Wai Leng 3E3

Papercut Special Edition Jul-Dec 2008 P3

enhancing staff well-being and personal effectiveness & providing opportunities for all round development of students

YOUTH Day It was a day where many Bukit Vewans were barely recognizable. The school, as in the past few years, had allowed us to wear our own clothes to show off our real selves. It was after all also dubbed as “Be Yourself Day”. There was definitely an air of avid anticipation as they waited for their Youth Day Concert, which was conducted by the teachers. And indeed, we weren’t disappointed with the performance at all. To start the concert, we were first treated to a presentation showcasing pictures of teachers in their youths on the projector. The girls giggled and the boys chuckled when we realized the hunky person with a moustache sitting on a chair was Mr Nonis, the cute young baby was Mr Siraj, and a mischievous-looking little boy was Mr Syamsul! We turned and saw the teachers blushed. Somehow, the stringency of discipline seemed to melt away as we saw our usually strict and no-nonsense teachers in their good ol’ young days.

Papercut Special Edition Jul-Dec2008_P4

After this delightful showcase, we grooved to the music as our own bands from Bukit View Secondary sang and rocked to the songs we love.

Celebration

In celebration of students’ and teachers’ youth!

The talented teachers weren’t left out too. Ms Candice Tan crooned Rihanna’s top song “Umbrella” as a ballad accompanied by the acoustic tune by a student guitarist. The crowd literally screamed in appreciation as they clapped along whilst Ms Tan sang the song. Undoubtedly, the highlight of the show must be when Ms Patsy Chua ran on stage with her mischievous grin and opened an umbrella over Ms Tan. Was that an impromptu gesture? It sure was! As I was the cameraman for that day, I happened to be backstage filming behind-the-scenes when I saw how excited Ms Chua was as she prepared to spring her surprise on Ms Candice Tan.

Psst...we, hailing from generation Z did not really have an inkling to what this movie was all about but for the record, let’s just say that this was the 1980’s version of our High School Musical hit! Ms Yeng and Mr Ho were even accompanied by their very own female and male dancers. We all roared with laughter when Ms Gopal, Ms Michelle Cheong and Mr Kelvin Gan appeared on stage.

After that, the cool and jazzy Hu Han, rapped on stage about Youth Day. It was awesome when a group of masked students break-danced on stage. Not only were the students amazed but the teachers too looked visibly impressed by these dancers as their moves were tricky and difficult, but they pulled them off pro-

By Muhammad Basyar 3E4

For the finale, performers, students and teachers alike, sang together. If any non-Bukit Viewan were to watch this concert, they would not have been able to diffrentiate between a student and a teacher, as everyone up there on stage looked vibrant and youthful!

fessionally. To cap off the Youth Day performance, our teachers, led by Ms Susan Yeng and Mr Michael Ho, did a number from the classic movie “Grease” that starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton John.

Papercut Special Edition Jul-Dec 2008 P5

achieving excellence for teaching and learning & providing opportunities for all round development of students

Papercut Special Edition Jul-Dec2008_P6

Horseshoe Crab

Rescue & Research The whole event started with the launch of the draft masterplan by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong on the 6th of December, which is also Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve’s 15th birthday.

I am part of the horseshoe crab booth , which was manned by students from Bukit View. Mr Goh toured Sungei Buloh and dropped by at our booth, where my team leader, Engku Muhammad Iqbal, presented to him information about our Horseshoe Crab Rescue & Research Project.

People from different nationalities visited Sungei Buloh during both days, and I’m quite thrilled to receive lots of interest from the public about our project. It was really an eye-opener for me and a good exposure for everyone manning the booth. It was rather amusing to hear them calling the creatures sting rays! There was someone who even informed us of the way of cooking it. Despite manning the booth, my friends and I managed to travel around the reserve during our free time, armed with DSLR cameras. I have never been to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve before this, and the experience was memorable. Overall, it was an eventful weekend for me, and though it’s over, the experience of being part of it remains. On behalf of everyone, I would like to thank everyone for making this event a success.

By Geraldine Chan Shu Yi 4E3 Photos by Horseshoe-Crab members

Papercut Special Edition Jul-Dec 2008 P7

achieving excellence for teaching and learning & providing opportunities for all round development of students

Secondary 3 Inter-class

DEBATE THIS IS...THE ARENA!!!!

Papercut Special Edition Jul-Dec2008_P8

Not so grand an entrance, but the This should be done with a confiannual secondary three debates dent smile on your face because looking uncomfortable will only started again this year. make the whole situation worse Wit,execution and plenty of re- and give the feeling that you are search were the main ingredients not sure of what you’re saying. the debaters had to use to win such In addition to the above, good a gruelling competition. communication between you From my experience, it is not easy and your fellow teammates helps to sell your ideas in front of a crowd. to facilitate better exchange of The debates are a chance for stu- points and information within the dents to grow and be exposed to team. public speaking.It is not an easy task, but students had to balance The topics used for the debates their time between practising for looked easy at first glance. After the debates,and preparing for the a while, realising how much you have to elaborate on a certain topupcoming exams. ic can be quite brain-wracking.For Initially, many students were not too example, one topic was “School keen to be participants of their class Life is Stressful”. Many might say debate teams as they could foresee yes, but the opposing team could the daunting tasks ahead. However, think of many reasons to oppose with guidance and encouragement this motion.The team to triumph from their respective EL teachers, would normally consist of individthe students garnered enough cour- uals consistent enough to object age to debate each motion as it to the opposing team or justify their opinions even further with a came along. breezy disposition. After much observation, and being a debater myself, I feel that it is cru- By Saferah Alkaff 4E3 cial to get your point across to the judges, the audience, and the opposing team.

GROOM my School With the upper secondary art students occupying the first artroom which was really cool - complete with a sofa set and cushions, the second artroom for the lower secondary classes was to say the least, plain and uninspiring. But the $500-budget from Okto’s Groom My School competition changed all that! It now spots a brand new “eclectic” design. “Eclectic” seems appropriate as we wanted this room to symbolise the many different activities we hold here in the artroom. Besides being a sanctuary for some of us, we hold drama and debate sessions in here as it is also an official venue for our ELDDS, Media and Publicity members. With iMACs placed strategically in both rooms, and an assortment of filming and photography equipment being stored here as well, it’s inevitably a haven for the media crew too. The grooming experience for me was an eye-opener. Before we even came up with the term “eclectic”, the nine of us had to talk to both art teachers about the artrooms.

Then we had to do research on possible designs and the colour schemes so that the final look would truly reflect the essence of the room. We were then divided into three teams - designers, shoppers and groomers. I was in the shoppimg team and we had a blast in IKEA and the paint shop, where we experimented with mixing different colours of paint! It was also scary for me as being a team leader, I had to do an introduction of our team and our design in front of the camera. It took several takes before I finally did it right thanks to the charming and easy-going hosts as well as the most-patient Indonesian lady director. We made it to the FINALS, and our school’s episode was screened on Mediacorp’s OKTO channel in January 2009. Even though we did not win the top $3000-prize money, we were very proud of ourselves for completing the grooming of our artroom! By Jolene Liow Yang Lin 3E1 Photos by Mdm Maziyan

Papercut Special Edition Jul-Dec 2008 P9

providing opportunities for all round development of students

It was truly a morning of much excitement and anticipation. The occasion? The combined celebration of our 43rd National Day, as well as our School Sports Day. The venue was the Choa Chu Kang Sports Complex and Bukit Viewans started filling the stadium as early as 7 am. The atmosphere was truly electrifying as almost all teachers and students came dressed in vibrant red and white.

Papercut Special Edition Jul-Dec2008_P10

As the stadium filled, the mood of celebration began to fill the air. Bukit Viewans waited for the Uniform Group leaders to take up positions at the stadium track.

They would be taking part in the very solemn and grand ceremony of hoisting the Singapore flag. Once the ceremony was over, the National Anthem was sung. This was followed by the National Day message delivered by our school principal, Mrs Tan. Everyone cheered excitedly when this was over, as it would soon be time for the sports events to commence. As each track event started off with a bang of the gun, every athlete gave his or her best. The spectators went wild as names of champions were announced.

Although not everyone went home with a medal or trophy in hand, the spirit of the day could be seen and felt among the sea of red and white. Each Bukit Viewan went away with a sense of nationhood via the sports events, and a true spirit of camaraderie. Even as the torch was taken down and the fire doused, the flames of achievement will never be extinguished.

Happy 43rd Birthday, SINGAPORE! By Saferah Alkaff 3E3

Papercut Special Edition Jul-Dec 2008 P11

providing opportunities for all round development of students

The

Performing It takes two hands to clap, but a lot of hands (and minds) to ensure we work together, despite being from different backgrounds. This year’s Performing Arts Camp, as always, involved the various performing arts CCAs, namely ELDDS, Modern Dance, Chinese Dance, Indian Dance and Malay Dance. We spent the first day receiving performance-arts training from the instructors of the Celine Jessandra School of Performing Arts. They taught us the finer details of stage choreography, projecting ourselves and cited real-life examples of celebrities affected by the positive and negative effects of fame.

We were then segregated into about 7-8 groups. Each group had a mixture of members from each of the performing arts CCAs, giving us the opportunity to mingle with one another. We were given a task: to give an original performance about anything to the Theatre, geared up for their performances with props in tow. The judges were Miss Parvathi, Miss Celine Lin herself and Mr Eugene, one of our instructors. expressive performance. Perhaps it was because of the fact that we didn’t have a script and thus, spoke off the cuff. During rehearsals, we saw fellow members practising, whether it was their grooves, lines or their dulcet tones. This raised the anticipation in the rest of us!

Papercut Special Edition Jul-Dec2008_P12

The instructors hosted the performance night, which saw all members packed in the Lecture

ArtsCamp

Nov 2008

Theatre, geared up for their performances with props in tow. The judges were Miss Parvathi, Miss Celine Lin herself and Mr Eugene, one of our instructors. Performance Night got off to a lively start, with the instructors geting us excited and anxious for our time to own the stage. Performance Night also made us see our fellow members in a different light, as both girls and guys enthralled us. As for me, I can say that I had a really great time performing with my group members. I played a prim, prudish and sharptongued woman who created Facebook (sorry, Mark Zuckerberg). Due to the high energy required for my character, I found performing a very free and expressive performance. Perhaps it was because of the fact that we didn’t have a script and thus, spoke off the cuff. Having some hilarious entertainers in the crowd, the performances definitely guaranteed us some good laughs. I still remember a certain dance which made the whole room roar in laughter!

Performance Night ended on an equally energized note, with Matthew (one of our instructors) proclaiming, that we were high not on isotonic drinks, but “on the love of performing”. Cheers and applause followed. We came, we performed, we conquered.

By K Gowri 2E3 Photos by Yiu Zhen Ging 4E3 & Joel Chew 2E3

Papercut Special Edition Jul-Dec 2008 P13

providing opportunities for all round development of students

Overseas Learning Trip

Kyushu

JAPAN

In December 2008, a group of 30 Bukit Viewans and 4 teachers went on a humanities learning journey to Kyushu, Japan. It was an exciting journey where they visited places such as the Atomic Bomb Museum at Nagasaki City. There, they learned about the effects of the devastating Atomic Bomb that was dropped on the city itself during the end of World War II. The group learned about the horrors of the bomb and even heard an account of what actually took place during the bombing by an actual survivor! The group also had an exchange programme with the students of Kumamoto Marist Gakuen Junior & Senior High School where they interacted and forged friendships with their Japanese friends. It was a very educational experience as they experienced the life of a Japanese student and also learned about each other’s culture. Apart from the school visit, the Kyushu trip participants also visited the Minamata Environment Education and Intelligence Centre to learn about the coasts of the Kyushu region such as tidal waves and how to prevent them. They also learned about the Minamata Disease, which is a form of mercury poisoning, which struck the region and affected many innocent citizens when Japan was still building up its industry.

Papercut Special Edition Jul-Dec2008_P14

This journey was obviously not just about gaining geographical knowledge and cultural exchanges, but it also opened their eyes wider to be more aware of the environment and how pollution could harm both our dear Mother Earth as well as ourselves.

Photos and article: Courtesy of Mr Tan Huong and Students

W4 Ascent’s Trip to

Yunnan

CHINA 2 - 9 Nov

INDIA The objective of this trip was not just to stimulate studentsP15 ’ interest in the Tamil Language but also to expose them to the traditional way of life amongst the Tamils in India. It was a way to broaden the experience of pupils when in contact with places, situations and people which are not part of school life, and to promote awareness of living conditions in other developing countries of South East Asia. I was privileged to experience first-hand what it was like to be in a village school and how we in Singapore took too many things, like fresh water and electricity, for granted. India is indeed a place of cultural wealth. No textbook nor postcard can ever replace the awesome experience of actually being there!

Photos and article: Courtesy of Naufal Muzzammil 3E1 and Students

The main objective of W4 ASCENT @ Yunnan is to broaden students’ appreciation of cultural diversities outside of Singapore and to expose students to the opportunities in the Service sector through a programme conducted by a leading overseas Tourism school. W4 ASCENT @ Yunnan is a collaboration among five Secondary Schools in the W4 cluster, namely Bukit View Secondary School, Hong Kah Secondary School, Hua Yi Secondary School, Jurongville Secondary School and Yuan Ching Secondary School. Each school is represented by a teacher and seven students. Bukit View was represented by Miss Ang Bee Lee, Mohammad Fadly, Siti Nur’anizah, Muhammad Ezal, Siti Mariana, Muhammad Shuqri, Aloysius Wong and Muhammad Nuh Taqiyuddin. Photos and article: Courtesy of Ms Ang Bee Lee and Students

Papercut Special Edition Jul-Dec 2008 P15

providing opportunities for all round development of students

Overseas Service Learning Trip

CAMBODIA

Despite the initial hardwork and time-consuming preparations before the trip, I have no regrets participating in the school’s Overseas Learning trip to Cambodia (OSL). I have learnt about leadership skills and independence as I made the effort to adapt to the local people’s way of life in Cambodia. Most importantly, I felt a sense of accomplishment. You see, one of the main purposes of this trip was to build a small school for the underprivileged children there. It was manual labour right from the beginning. All of us had to toil under the hot sun carrying heavy bags of cement from the boat onto the shore. Then we had to shovel, lay bricks and cement them together. Painting was done at the end. Interacting with the young children there was also something that I enjoyed. We taught them English, distributed food and goodies brought from home and we also took time off to play soccer with the older boys. However, it was not just all work and no play. We managed to squeeze time to visit the famous historical site, Angkor Wat. It was truly magnificent.

Papercut Special Edition Jul-Dec2008_P16

Photos and article: Courtesy of Jeremiah Wong 3E1 participating students

If given the opportunity, I would really love to go back there. To my fellow Bukit Viewans who have not experienced an Overseas Service Learning Trip, my advice is to grab the chance while you are still young and healthy. It will transform you to become a better person as it did for me.

Overseas Service Learning Trip

BATAM It was already a fulfilling experience for 33 selected students from Sec. 2 and 3. Normal Academic and Normal Technical classes even before they depart for the Service Trip to Batam, Indonesia. To raise funds, the students spent 4 days selling ice-cream and floats during recesses and after school.

The students then left for Alfateh Orphanage on 21 November 2008 with 7 of us teachers - Ms Patsy Chua, Mr Nazar, Mr Wai Kam Hoa, Mr Siraj, Ms Angela Toh, Ms Beatrice Zhang and including myself. Apart from daily routine of buying food and preparing lunch for the young orphans, these students also taught them how to make origami and simple English Language using teaching materials such as alphabet charts and learning cards that they brought from Singapore. They even painted walls and drew murals on one of them. They learned how to prepare cement for one of the floors in the home by mixing sand, clay and water before laying it. The whole experience was humbling, emotional and certainly an enriching one for students and teachers alike.

Pictures and article by: Ms Ang Bee Lee

Papercut Special Edition Jul-Dec 2008 P17

building strong and meaningful partnerships

Advanced Elective Module (AEM)

OUTDOOR PLANNING EXPERIENTIAL PROGRAMME @Republic Polytechnic, Nov 2008 The main objective of this AEM was to train us to be a better outdoor leader. Held during the November holidays in 2008, it was a 5-day program at Republic Polytechnic in Woodlands. There were 18 of us participating in this module. For the first 3 days, we were cooped up in the classroom to learn the theory aspects of planning outdoor activities. But we did play games in-between lessons to have our hands-on learning. The 4th day of the program was a blast, I would say. Apart from the usual theory lessons, we did rock climbing and high elements at RP’s adventure learning centre. Even though everyone enjoyed the day, it was tiring and daunting for quite a number of us especially during the high elements activity. The 5th day was our “examination”. Each of us was tasked to plan an activity, using the skills we learnt during the programme. We were also required to carry out the activity. Our final grade was based on this activity. Since everyone had different activities to share, we got to learn from one another’s mistakes and by the end of the sharing we managed to compile quite a number of the “Do’s” and the “Don’ts” of outdoor activities. It was a very valuable experience for me not only from the programme, but I also got to experience first-hand the life of a polytechnic student.

Papercut Special Edition Jul-Dec2008_P18

By Thilagan Narayanasamy 4E2 Pictures by Ms Hasyimah (CCPE)

Retrospective

2008

Papercut Special Edition Jul-Dec 2008 P19

Racial Harmony Day

Life

in Bukit View is a balance of work and play. We are very fortunate to be given many opportunities to develop and maximise our potential in many areas through programmes such as CCAs, Elective Modules, Advanced Elective Modules and overseas learning and service trips. Our school is indeed a vibrant and happening place!

Mr Teo Ser Luck with our proud NPCC and NCC cadets during Youth Achievers’ Forum.

Welcoming W4 Primary School Participants during the Environmental Forum. Filmmaking for Literature Programme

Kayaking during Combined Clubs Camp

Papercut Special Edition Jul-Dec2008_P20

Graduation Ball @Hilton Hotel

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Muhd Nasri Sadi 3E2 DESIGN & LAYOUT Muhd Basyar Kamaruddin 3E3 . Mdm Maziyan Abdullah WRITERS K Gowri 2E3 . Nasri Sadi 3E2 . Cindy Chin Alumnus . Saferah Alkaff 4E3 . Carol Grace Fernandez 4E3 . Cassandra Chua 4E3 . Sherlyn Quah . 4E2 . Swathi Suresh 4E5 . Thilagan Narayanasamy 4E2 . Muhammad Basyar Kamaruddin 3E3 . Jolene Liow 3E1 Jeremiah Wong 3E4 Milissa Koh 2E3 PHOTOGRAPHERS Naufal Muzzammil Jamal 3E1 . Yiu Cheng Ying 4E3 . Joel Chew 2E3 . Nasri Sadi 3E2 . Kim Jin Soo . Ho Wei Yang 2E3 . Brian Quek 4E4 Jeremy Liu (Alumnus & Ngee Ann Polytechnic) . Mr Aw Kang Foong Mr Tan Huong CHIEF EDITOR Mr Gerard Jude Nonis ADVISORS Mr Syamsul Anwar Awang . Mrs Grace Ong Ms Sharmila Gopal . Mrs Tan Lay Hong