Riversidian May 08

MAY 2008

www.riversidesec.moe.edu.sg

chool • 3 Woodlands Street 81 Singapore 738524 • Tel: 6269 963 e Secondar y S 1 Fax: 6 by Riversid 368 36 r e t t e l s 77 A new

Riverside Achieves the Lee Kuan Yew National Education Award 2007 Today, NE programme in Riverside has matured to become an interwoven tapestry of the staff’s and students’ efforts in building a caring community that is ready to serve the community. Through a whole-school approach in the integration of NE in the curriculum as well as the co-curriculum, our pupils know and believe in Our Principal, Mrs Sng, receiving the LKY NE Award from Singapore, uphold respect Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam for all people and embrace WE are greatly honoured to be the spirit of volunteerism. the recipient of the Lee Kuan Yew National Education Award 2007 which To promote racial and religious is the highest level of recognition harmony, we provide a unique dance for Singapore schools in National curriculum for all lower secondary students that allows them to appreciate Education (NE). the fine arts of Chinese, Indian, Malay We have indeed come a long way and other traditional dances. Malay since 2004 when we first embarked and Chinese Special Programmes on developing a more structured as well as Conversational Mother NE programme. Back then, the Tongue Language programmes also focus was mainly on celebrating the contribute to developing respect and commemorative days and NE was understanding among the races. infused sporadically in the academic Serving the community is another key and co-curricular programmes.

component of the NE programme. All pupils have the opportunity to engage in various Community Involvement Programmes including local and overseas service learning. The NE Champs is a group of student leaders who initiate and run NE activities for the student body such as the learning journeys. This year, with our internationalization programme, we have provided opportunities for more than 30% of our pupils to go on overseas trips so that they will become more culturally savvy and develop a greater sense of rootedness to Singapore We have had the pleasure of hosting Singapore Chinese Girls’ School, Millenia Institute and Dunman Secondary School to share our NE journey with them. With the continuous support of our SAC, parents, alumni and other stakeholders, we will continue to strive to scale greater heights in our National Education programme! By Mrs Hilda Thong, Vice-Principal

Riverside is Awarded Niche Programme Status for Dance! ON 23 April 2008, Riverside Secondary School was awarded Niche Programme status by the Ministry of Education for our Dance programme. For many years, our dance groups have excelled at the Singapore Youth Festival Competition. Last year, the Chinese, Malay and Indian Dance groups clinched the Gold awards while the Modern Dance achieved a Silver award. To develop talents in dance, we provide a structured ethnic dance curriculum for all Sec 1 and 2 pupils as well as for selected Sec 3 pupils. Pupils also have the opportunity to undergo accreditation through the Arts

Grade Examination of China. As a niche school in dance, we are now inviting Primary 6 boys and girls who are talented in Chinese Cultural Dance (including Martial Arts), Malay Cultural Dance, Indian Cultural Dance and Modern Dance to participate in our Direct School Admissions Exercise 2008. Application forms and details are available from the school’s General Office or at our school website at http://www.riversidesec.moe.edu.sg. Application is open from 12 May to 31 July 2008.

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NATIONAL EDUCATION NE AT RIVERSIDE

Our Heritage Gallery

NE Forum

NE Speakers’ Corner

THE annual National Education forum at Riverside Secondary School on 29 January proved to be an enlightening event for the graduating classes. The topic, “What roles do newspapers play in helping to safeguard a country’s national security?” definitely sparked off an animated discussion. Members who participated in the forum were our very own NE Champs, teachers (Miss Chen Ying and Mr Andy Wong), our school’s full-time counsellor, Mr Rajamogan, and our guest speaker, Mr Dharmalingam, a PSG member who is also an editor of The Straits Times. The Forum highlighted ambiguous issues like the recent terrorist threats and how The Straits Times could break the news to the public in a more sensitive way.

THE purpose of the NE Speakers’ Corner is to provide students with a platform to discuss national issues. Every week a different class under the charge of an English teacher will conduct the Speakers’ Corner at the library during the Silent Reading period. After the appointed speakers have shared their views on the national issues, the class can join in the discussion. Through this open discussion, it is hoped that students will forge a closer identity with their country. By: Nadiah Nadhirah (4/4E)

By: Uma Magheswary d/o Pandyan (4/4E)

Our passionate and animated speakers, Nadiah (4/4E) and Iffah (4/5E). page 2 the riversidian

LEARNING JOURNEYTHE FUN WAY!

Duck Tour

Kusu Island

Johore Battery

FOR the first time in Riverside, staff and students could choose where they would like to visit on their one-day learning journey on 24 January. Some of the places selected were Changi Airport Terminal 3, Kusu Island, Changi Prison, local Duck Tour, Sentosa, Johore Battery, Tiger Beer Brewery, The Supreme Court and cemeteries. Changi Airport Terminal 3

Tiger Beer Brewery the riversidian page 3

OUR ACHIEVEMENTS 2007 GCE ‘O’ & ‘N’ Level Examination Results Sec 4E & Sec 5NA ■ ■

97.2% eligible for JC/CI & Poly 86.2% with 5 ‘O’ passes compared to 80.3% (National)

Sec 4NA ■

81.6% promoted to Sec 5NA compared to 72.5% (National)

Sec 4NT ■ ■

100% with at least 3 subject passes Mean L1B2 Aggregate is 7.1 compared to 9.4 (Similar schools)

Chan Wan’er, Sec 4/4 Top 4E Student

Wong Sook Han, Sec 5/1 One of the Top 5N Students in Singapore

Aisyah Azman, Sec 4/3 One of the Top 4NT Students in Singapore

Achievements by Malay Unit Gema Puisi Artistik : Artistic Poetry Competition 2008 RIVERSIDIANS had only one thing in mind when they took part in the Artistic Poetry Recital (National Level) organised by Nanyang Junior College on 8 March, and that was to give of their best and more. They focussed on each team member’s strength and worked together as one despite their differences. They wrote their own poetry, came up with the slogans and even choreographed the dance and ‘silat’ steps for this competition. It was truly a Riversidian effort! Their hard work and dedication helped them clinch the 1st Runner-Up position.

Advertisement Competition was organised to encourage students to be innovative and yet, critical. Students from all participating schools showcased the different perspectives based on the theme ‘Pencemaran’. Riverside Secondary School managed to capture the judges’ hearts with their presentation and emerged the CHAMPION!

Congratulations to our Sec 3E students!

Peraduan Deklamasi Sajak: Poetry Recital Competition 2008

Congratulations to our Sec 4E students!

Saluran-i: Creative Advertisement Competition 2008 RIVERSIDE Secondary Malay Unit organised her first North Zone Cluster Competition on 26 March. The Creative page 4 the riversidian

RIVERSIDE took part in the Poetry Recital Competition organised by Woodlands Secondary School on 29 March. We sent two students from both lower and upper secondary level. Md Shahari from Sec 3/7 clinched the 2nd RunnerUp position in the Upper Secondary Md Shahari and category. Siti Wan Su’aidah

OUR ACHIEVEMENTS National Po Police Cadet Corp Corps

NPCC Unit Overall Proficiency Award 2007 (Gold)

St. John Ambulance Brigade Corps Achievement Award 2008 (Gold)

Boys’ Brigade

Nat ational ional Cadet det Corp Corps (Se (Sea)

J M Fraser Award 2007 (Silver)

Best Unit Competition 2007 (Silver)

Winners of NEA Competitions TWO teams of students participated in the NEA Competitions in 2007 and 2008 and won the following awards: 1. Environment Champions Series 2008 Presentation Skills Workshop 2. Clean and Green Singapore Living aRRRt (Secondary Category, First)

Our winning product the riversidian page 5

SCHOOL EVENTS P6 Open House

CCA Open House

RIVERSIDE’S P6 Open House was held on 17 November 2007. The aim of the Open House was to attract P6 students to join the school by showcasing our pool of talents and promoting our wide array of CCAs. While our outstanding performing arts groups entertained the audience with their dazzling dances, the clubs and societies and sports groups excited the public with their exhibitions. Although the rain prevented the uniformed groups from performing their traditional fancy drill, it failed to dampen their spirit. They took the opportunity to decorate their booths with zest and gusto.

RIVERSIDE’S CCA Open House was held on Saturday, 5 January. At the annual Sec 1 CCA Orientation Day, both parents and their Sec 1 children took the opportunity to check out the various co-curricular activities offered by the school. After the welcome speech by the Principal, Mr Andy Wong came on stage to talk about the importance of CCA. The audience was treated to a fantastic concert put up by some of the CCA groups. Parents and students were invited to view the various decorated CCA booths after the concert.

By: Nadiah Nadhirah (4/4E)

By: Nadiah Nadhirah (4/4E)

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SCHOOL EVENTS Secondary One Orientation Camp WE were all excited about our first camp as Riversidians. As we gathered in the hall, the orientation group leaders (OGLs) taught us our first cheer. We played several ice-breaker games to learn more about one another. It was fun! We stayed up past midnight as we were all excited and could not sleep. On the second day, we woke up at the sound of a loud horn. We had to do the Chicken Dance. It was hilarious! We were then treated to a concert. I especially like the tribal dance performed by the Chinese dance group. We had a campfire that night. It was an energetic night filled with screams and cheers. On the last day of the camp, we had our breakfast and then packed our belongings. We learnt our last cheer and bade farewell to our seniors. We went home exhausted but nevertheless, it was an unforgettable weekend. By Sulaihah Bte Abdull Rahiman (1/5E)

Chinese New Year Celebration OUR school ushered in the Year of the Rat with an exciting concert featuring a wide range of performances. Unlike previous years where only our Chinese dancers enchanted the audience with their performance, this year’s concert showcased the best of our performing arts groups, with almost all of them performing. It is an incontrovertible fact, though, that Chinese New Year will not be complete without the eminent God of Fortune who is none other that our full-time school counsellor, Mr Rajamogan. Moreover, the colourful lion dance performance was put up by our very own boys from the Chinese Dance. Kudos to all who ensured that the audience were entertained. By: Nadiah Nadhirah (4/4E)

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AESTHETICS APPRECIATION RS Arts Fest ON 23 October 2007, 720 Riversidians, mainly from Sec 1 to 3s trooped from our school to the nearby Theatre at The Republic Cultural Centre, Republic Polytechnic to attend the RS Arts Fest. The Arts Fest is essentially a celebration of the arts in the school. The audience was treated to a wide array of musical and dance performances by their talented peers ranging from Bhangra and Hip-hop dances to Accappella singing and songs written by students themselves. Performers ranged from students from the Band, Choir, GCE ‘O’ Level Music course and Sec 4NT. It was notable that the Sec 1 students also put up 2 dances to showcase what they had learnt in their Dance curriculum. By Mdm Ho Hui Ping, HOD Aesthetics

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AESTHETICS APPRECIATION

Dr Teo Ho Pin (Centre) with Ms Ellen Lee (4th from right)

1st Multi-Cultural Music Marathon at Republic Polytechnic THE inaugural Multi-Cultural Music Marathon, jointly organized by Riverside Secondary School, Republic Polytechnic (RP) and the Woodlands Citizens’ Consultative Committee’s Arts-At-Woodlands, was a splendid showcase of the passion and musical talents of 75 budding young musicians, aged between 7 and 18 years, at the Republic Polytechnic’s One-Stop Centre. The fivehour long concert, which featured a total of 22 musical instruments from both Western and Eastern traditions, including the Chinese erhu, Malay talempong and Indian tabla, was graced by Dr Teo Ho Pin, Mayor of North West District and Member of Parliament for Bukit Panjang Constituency. Ms Ellen Lee, MP for Sembawang GRC (Woodlands), was also present at the occasion. By Uma Sankgery d/o Pandyan (4/4E)

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SCHOOL EVENTS

Mass Run RIVERSIDE held its first ever Mass Run on 4 April at Innova Junior College. Participants from Sec 1 to Sec 5 took part in the event. All of them had to complete a distance of 2.4km. Despite the challenging race to the finish line, the runners enjoyed the challenge. By Chee Li Min (2/4E)

Sec 3 Adventure Camp ALL Sec 3 students attended an Adventure Camp at Kota Tinggi, Malaysia, from 7 to 9 March. The students found the experience exhilarating as it was the first time the school organized an adventure camp in another country. Besides building their stamina, the camp also aimed to foster greater camaraderie among the students. To achieve these objectives, the students were provided with many exciting activities such as Extreme Sports Tower, Low Rope Course and Nature Training Elements. It was indeed a thrilling and memorable camp for all the Sec 3 students. By Lim Rui Xian (3/5E) page 10 the riversidian

SCHOOL EVENTS Sports Carnival FUN. Friendship. Fairplay. This was the theme for our annual Sports Carnival which was held on 20 March. The main objective of this event was to promote mass participation in sports so that students could ignite their passion in sports and to foster team spirit. It was certainly a thrilling day for all Riversidians. By Uma Sankgery d/o Pandyan (4/4E)

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GOING INTERNATIONAL! RIVERSIDE’S Internationalization Programme has the following objectives: a) To develop pupils to be culturally savvy; b) To expose pupils to the world and sensitise them to the place of Singapore in relation to its global context; and c) To deepen pupils’ commitment and rootedness to Singapore.

Suzhou Twinning Programme ON 26 October 2007, 22 students, accompanied by our Principal Mrs Sng Siew Hong, and 3 teachers, left for Suzhou Nan Huan Middle School. This was our 4th batch of students to participate in the Suzhou Twinning Programme. Through the cultural and historical visits, home stay and school immersion programme, our teachers and students were able to gain a good understanding of the local culture

and education system. The various assignments such as reflection journals, project work and presentations have enabled our students to consolidate what they learnt during the trip. Our students’ participation in the combined performances and workshops has also cemented our friendship with the staff and students of the school.

Tea plantation

By Miss Sim Yeng Suann

Workshop for our students

Song Presentation

Kota Tinggi Here We Come!

BB Adventure cum Recruit Camp 2008 - Kota Tinggi Rainforest Adventure Centre page 12 the riversidian

DURING the March holidays, the Boys’ Brigade 58th Company went on their first overseas 3-day 2-night Adventure Camp at Kota Tinggi, Malaysia. 29 students comprising Sec 1, 2 and 3 students participated in the rigorous programme involving raft-making, solo night-walk and a group hike up and down Mt Panti - a mountain of about 500 metres. It was especially challenging for the Sec 1 boys as they did not have any experience in trekking or outdoor camping. Away from the comforts of home, the boys learnt to appreciate their company-mates better; cooperate despite differences; and encourage each other to soldier on. At the end of the camp, all of them brought home fond memories of camaraderie and friendship. By Miss Jasmine Lim

GOING INTERNATIONAL! Exchange Programme with India (Chennai)

A group of thirty students with 3 teachers (Dr Subhashini, team leader, Mdm Rekkha and Mr Tsung) went on the exchange programme with SBOA School in Chennai, India, from 10 to 16 March. The objectives of this programme were: (a) to enable our students to appreciate and understand a different culture from theirs and (b) to expose our students to a foreign learning environment so that they could enhance their own learning through different teaching methodologies. The highlight of the trip was the home stay. It was certainly a wonderful and unique experience. The home stay had enabled us to understand the Indian culture and tradition better. Apart from the home stay, we also visited many interesting places. Being in Chennai for a week had also given us the opportunity to taste the various Indian cuisines. All of us felt that it was a meaningful and unforgettable trip. By Bianca Gloria Consigliere (2/4E)

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GOING INTERNATIONAL!

Malacca Trip FROM 6 March to 7 March, all Sec 2 pupils and their form teachers went on a trip to Malacca as part of the school’s Internationalization Programme. Apart from appreciating the tradition and culture of Malacca, the pupils also visited places of interest such as Porta de Santiago and St Paul Church. Although the trip lasted only 2 days and 1 night, the experience will stay with the pupils for a long, long time. By Nurulain Bte Rashid (2/4E)

Service Learning Trip to Yunnan FROM 13 to 21 March, 29 students under the charge of Miss Chithra and two other teachers, Mrs Lee Ai Hoon and Mr Foo Her Min, embarked on a service learning trip to Da Bo village in Yunnan. Their sole aim was to volunteer their services to the needy. Apart from teaching the children some basic English, they also helped to paint part of the school. The whole experience has taught them to appreciate what they have in Singapore. It has also made them realise the importance of voluntary service. Their greatest joy was to be able to help those in need. By Nur Sakinah (4/9E)

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SCHOOL VISITORS MT Dept Shares with Tanjong Katong Girls School ON 18 October 2007, eight teachers from Tanjong Katong Girls’ School visited Riverside to learn how to improve their MT results from our MT teachers. Mdm Huang Jiebo (former HOD, MTL), Mdm Leow (covering HOD, MTL), Mdm Noorbaya (Subject Head, MT & TL) and Dr Subhashini (TL Coordinator) were present to share their experiences and teaching methodologies with the teachers. After the sharing session, the group of teachers were invited to view the Elective Module exhibition in the hall. By Mdm Leow, HOD (covering) MT

Visit by Jiaxing Jishui Middle School

Hong Kong Students Visit Riverside

17 students and 3 teachers from Jiaxing Jishui Middle School in Zhejiang Province, China, visited Riverside from 30 to 31 January. They were eager to learn more about our school culture as well as the education system of Singapore. The students were paired up with Riverside “buddies” who acted as their guides during their visit to Riverside. The Chinese students also had to attend lessons with their “buddies”. The two-day immersion programme was not only an enriching experience for them, but it was also an exciting experience for us.

FROM 3 to 5 March, a total of 3 teachers and 14 students from Tin Shui Wai Methodist School (Hong Kong) visited our school on a school immersion and educational exchange programme. They attended lessons with their “buddies”. When asked about their experience, the students from Hong Kong said they enjoyed the trip a lot and were very impressed by the facilities we have. The teachers complimented our students on their being well-behaved and independent. They were also impressed by the initiatives which our students showed in one of the classroom observations. This exchange programme has certainly been an enriching experience for all of them.

By Mr Du Xin, Senior Teacher

By Mrs Angela Tong, HOD (Maths)

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STAFF NEWS Welcome to the Family

Wedding Bells CONGRATULATIONS to Angie and Haslinda

December 2007 Brides

WE warmly welcome five new teachers to the Riverside Family. They are: (L-R) Ms Shen Lifeng (Chinese Language), Ms Mendy Kok (Mathematics), Ms Nelly Guo (Design & Technology), Ms Tang Wai Yin (Science) & Mr Alan Low (Science),

Mdm Haslinda

Our New Head of Department (Covering) for English Language, Mrs Clara Sim

MRS Clara Sim was a Level Head (Eng/Lit) before coming to Riverside Secondary in January 2008. It was the challenge of the job that brought her here. She believes in the character development of students, besides academic excellence, and feels that Riverside has the potential to soar to greater heights in the coming future.

Farewell to Mrs Mohinder Singh THIS year we bade farewell to our vice-principal, Mrs Mohinder Singh, who had been with the school for the past 7 years. Her invaluable contributions to the school had certainly helped the school to scale greater heights. Besides her busy schedule as a vice-principal, she also took the time to guide and mentor the young teachers. Her warm and affable nature had indeed won the admiration of both teachers and students. We will miss her and we wish her all the best in her future endeavours. Mrs Singh is now the Vice-Principal of East Spring Secondary School

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Mrs Angie Tan

Staff Award / Recognition MOE Service Excellence Award CONGRATULATIONS to Mdm Doris Soh on receiving the MOE Service Excellence Award

ADVISORS : Mrs Sng Siew Hong, Principal and Mrs Hilda Thong, Vice-Principal EDITORS : Mrs Clara Sim, Mr Tsung Kkok Cheng and Mrs Jasmine Yeo WRITERS : Members of the Young Journalist Club Designed & Produced by P D ADDISON