NJConnect 2014 Issue 1

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2014 Issue 1

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All rights reserved © National Junior College, MOE. Reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited without the written permission. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, no responsibility can be held for errors or omission. The information is correct at the time of printing.

EDITORChua Siok KhengKaren OhJan Lim

PHOTOGRAPHS NJC Photographic Society

DESIGN Neo Chee Peng

PRINTER MOA Trading Pte. Ltd

CONTACT National Junior College,37 Hillcrest RoadSingapore 288913

+65 6466 [email protected]

WEBSITES www.njc.edu.sg www.njc-alumni.org

ONLINE VERSION issuu.com/njconnect/docs/njconnect2014-1

#ERRATUMIn our previous issue of NJConnect (2013 Issue 2), we mentioned that our Guest-of-Honour for SISC, Minister Lui Tuck Yew, is an ex-NJCian (4th SISC article, page 4 ). That is an error as Minister Lui was not from NJC. We would like to apologise for any misunderstandings caused.

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#inThisIssue

Happy 45th Birthday, NJC! 042013 GCE A Levels Results 07Funtasia 4: What a Bang! 11Interview with Mr Ang, PNJC 15Lively & Joyful NJC 18Football Team Shoutout 26

Students doing the ubiquitous YAAAAAAAAHHHHHH at the end of road run 2014. #YOLO #njcspirit #njcroadrun2014 #letitgo #aquarockz

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45Happy 45th Birthday, NJC!

On 10 May 2014, National Junior College celebrated our 45th anniversary in College by giving recognition to our outstanding students and acknowledging our partners. Our Guest-of-Honour, Director-General of Education, Ms. Ho Peng, an ex-student and ex-teacher of NJC, shared with us her fond memories of her days in NJC in her opening address. Her story reminded all NJCians present of our heritage and past. Being founded just 4 years after Singapore’s independence, much hope was invested in NJC as education was seen as instrumental to the building and sustainability of a nation. The mission of NJC right from the beginning was to nurture well-rounded individuals, model citizens who could become future leaders with a purpose to serve. Since then, NJC has spent 45 years educating generations of servant-leaders in various fields, and will continue to do so with pride and honour.

KAREN OH Class of 2004

Ms Ho Peng also shared the stories of outstanding Singaporeans, such as Dr Tan Lai Yong who served as a community doctor in Yunnan, China, and Mr Tan Gee Paw, the Chairman of PUB, who was instrumental in the development of NEWater. They have helped the foreign and local communities in their respective fields, embodying the Singapore Spirit. She urged NJCians to continue this Singapore Spirit by harnessing their talents to do meaningful things that will make a difference to the lives of others in Singapore and beyond. Following the celebrations in the Hall, where we had a concert showcasing our very talented students from Choir, String Orchestra, Harmonica Band and Indian Dance, our GOH Ms Ho Peng, was invited to plant a tree in the Boarding school, as part of the College Day celebrations and our continual efforts to do our part for the environment. This was then

followed by the dinner reception for our GOH, award recipients, guests and Staff. Unlike previous years where we had our reception in the Sanctuary, we had a 4-course dinner reception in our Boarding School’s Dining Hall this year, giving everyone a very different experience. There was more time to chat over dinner, as everyone was seated comfortably and enjoying the food. The dinner reception was a preamble to our 45th Anniversary Dinner. Look forward to the sequel of our College Day celebrations in our next NJConnect issue! We will be sharing some of the highlights of our 45th Anniversary Dinner held at Mandarin Orchard on 6 June 2014.

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#GOH #DGE #MsHoPeng

#awards&appreciation

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#gloriousFood #bonAppetit

#concert #talents

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Our students from the class of 2013 have done the College proud by achieving remarkable results in the 2013 GCE A Levels Examination. 48% of our students scored 3 or 4 H2 Distinctions and 108 students scored 6 distinctions or more. Over a third of the number of students who offered a H3 subject scored a H3 Distinction.

Congratulations to all the students for their excellent performance! Well done!

For this issue of NJConnect, we interviewed two of our outstanding students from the class of 2013 to find out how being in NJC has benefitted them and empowered them to do well.

2013 GCE A Levels Results

#classOf2013 #ALevelsResults

aA

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What is your most memorable experience in NJC?It is difficult to choose one out of the many. Many students say that their best experiences come from their CCA days, and I cannot agree more. Being a part of the Debate Club was an integral part of my JC life, and I thoroughly enjoyed each session spent debating against my peers or mentoring my juniors. I did everything I could to help my juniors grow, and passed on the wisdom that my coaches had given me when I was a young debater. Both my batch and my juniors managed to qualify as finalists in the National Tournament, and the immense joy we felt after knowing that all our efforts paid off was unforgettable. NJC Debate has come a long way, and I am so proud to have been a part of the club.

What is your greatest takeaway from NJC? My greatest takeaway is the people I met while I was in NJC. I settled in and found friends that I could trust with anything and everything, and these are the ties which you know will last a long time. I met teachers who walked alongside me throughout the journey, instead of merely guiding me from afar. The help and support you get in NJC is incomparable. I felt very lucky and grateful for the relationships I built with both my friends and teachers.

As part of the first cohort of English Language and Linguistics (ELL) students in NJC, how would you describe your experience taking the subject?I really liked ELL as a subject! As the first batch of ELL students, we were all rather nervous but we also knew that this would be an exciting challenge. I focused on understanding what the syllabus was trying to achieve, and developed my own style of approaching the subject. It did get pretty challenging at times, but I held on to the reason I took the subject in the first place, and identified my strengths and weaknesses with the help of my teachers. Looking back, I enjoyed the ride because my peers and I did not fear the fact that we were the first batch but instead, used it to push ourselves even harder.

Do you have any words of advice for your juniors?Enjoy the journey! When you leave NJ, you literally feel like you are stepping into a whole new world. The opportunities and the shelter that NJ provides are things you may never come across again. Work hard, but remember that a grade or a number never defines your self-worth. Results do not define you; your sincerity and efforts will impact your results. Most of all, cherish each day and when it gets difficult, remember that everything will pay off eventually and nothing goes to waste.

Aishani SenOur pioneer batch of students who offered English Language and Linguistics (ELL) in NJC took their A-Levels in 2013. Aishani Sen (12SH01) is one of our outstanding ELL students, and we invite her to share her experience with readers of NJConnect.

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#jubilance

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What is your most memorable experience in NJC?The most memorable experience in NJC for me would be the boarding programme that I went through during my Junior High (JH) years in NJC. The boarding programme gave us the rare opportunity to hone our organizational skills, which may come in handy as we move on to university life, and it also trained us to be independent. Boarders often visit each other’s rooms or eat at the pantry area together to catch up with one another. As a result, it was during my stay in boarding school where I forged closer bonds with my schoolmates. We enjoyed the specially planned activities such as Movie Night which were planned by teachers in the Boarding School.

What do you miss most about NJC now that you have graduated?I miss the time I spent with the College’s Shooting Club most after graduating from NJC. I miss the times when my teammates and I trained together after lessons, helping one another in times of need. Similarly, the teachers and seniors in the club will not hesitate to help us in many ways when we first started our journey as a Shooting Club member. I guess it is the strong family spirit within the club that makes many of the graduated seniors return to the College whenever they have the time.

What is your greatest takeaway from NJC?“Carpe Diem”- Make the most of the day! During my time in NJC, I have learnt that we should not waste any developmental opportunities (executive appointments in CCA, attachments, community service etc.) offered by the school that interests us. The skills that we may learn from such opportunities will be helpful in whatever we pursue in the future. Though some of these opportunities are time-consuming, we should not be afraid to try. At the end of our time in NJC, we will look back and feel satisfied that we have grown a lot through such experiences.

Is there anything you want to say to your seniors and classmates?Seniors – Thanks for all the help you have offered to the juniors, without which we would not be where we are now. Knowing how important such help is to the juniors, I am trying to follow in your footsteps, to help the current juniors in my capacity as a senior.Classmates – I hope that all of you are able to pursue your interests after graduating from NJC! To the guys: all the best for National Service (NS). Hope to keep in touch with you guys, and all the best for your future endeavours!

Lim Li YangLim Li Yang (12SH05) is one of our top students who did extremely well in his A-Levels, scoring 8 Distinctions. Beyond the focus on academic excellence, we invite him to share with readers of NJConnect his fulfilling College experience.

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WHAT A BANG!

FUNTASIA4

12 April 2014 was one of the most anticipated dates on students’ calendar this year. Everyone in the NJC community – students, staff, Alumni, PArents-in-ACTion group (PAACT) and canteen vendors – was all geared up for the event that opened with a bang. FUNTASIA4! In fact, the preparation started way back in November 2013 when students were issued Funtasia coupons to sell to their family and friends. Everyone was proud and eager to showcase our College, our spirit and what we stand for on this very day.

CHUA SIOK KHENGClass of 1995

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This year, we had a record number of stalls manned by students, teachers, canteen vendors, Alumni and PAACT. It was especially heartening to see groups of students coming forward to set up stalls in addition to their class and CCA stalls! Jerryl Tan from 13SH19 set up a stall with his friend where they performed street magic to visitors. A group of international scholars who stay in the NJC Boarding School came together to sell Japanese Kai Lan and Chye Sim that they farmed in the boarding school. These students took so much effort to ensure the vegetables grew well and healthily without the use of pesticides by painstakingly removing any bugs from the greens every day after school! We also saw more classes and CCA groups collaborating to set up mega stalls such as “The

Escape Rooms”, where players needed to look for hints and rack their brains to solve puzzles in order to successfully escape the themed rooms in time. This game involved critical thinking, sharp observation, logic and teamwork. Another noteworthy booth was the non-Newtonian pool where visitors could walk on “water” and even play soccer on it! That was certainly a hit with the visitors especially the younger children who pestered their parents to let them have a try. Our students manning the stall ensured the safety of visitors, especially the younger ones, who ventured gingerly into the pool. They held onto the children as they jumped excitedly in the pool. That itself attracted many onlookers who could not help but flashed their cameras to capture those exultant moments. Other

than the pool, the students also set up satellites booths in the hope to excite visitors’ passion for science by showcasing a number of fantastic demonstrations, such as making their very own slime, dry ice bubble, lava lamp and water babies, and explaining the intricate details of the science that goes into making these things work. All-time favourite stalls among teenagers were the two Haunted Houses with different themes at the Gym and TF rooms, “Nerve-Gun Battle” at the Indoor Sports Hall, “Sumo Wrestling” and other inflatable games at the Hall and the dunking machine at the Amphitheatre. The excitement at the dunking machine reached a peak when our Principal, Mr Ang Pow Chew, sportingly took his position on the pedestal, waiting

#nerfThem!

#zombies

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to be dunked! Everyone cheered him on supportively as he finally hit the water. Students from 13SH09 initiated to do something more than just setting up a stall in Funtasia4. Apart from raising funds with all the other stalls to finance more student development programmes in future, they wanted to leverage their efforts in this event to create a birthday gift for the College on its 45th anniversary. They combined efforts with students from 13SH22 to set up a Funtasia stall to teach visitors to fold origami paper cranes. With the paper cranes that were made by visitors at Funtasia4, they stitched them up on a banner to make up the words “#nj45”. #nj45 has a special place in all NJCians’ hearts as it was specially created on social media platforms for NJCians to tag photos of themselves and friends wishing

NJC a Happy 45th Anniversary. This banner was later presented to our Principal Mr Ang, who received it on behalf of the College, on our 45th College Day and is now proudly hung near the atrium as a background for photo-shoots. Visitors of Funtasia4 were simply spoilt for choices not just for games, thrills and actions. There was a wide variety of food, merchandise and services provided by the hundred over stalls that day. A plethora of merchandise ranging from handmade NJC crest keychains, acrylic keychains modelled after our NJ lion in different poses and actions, clay figures, terrariums made by teachers and tie-dye t-shirts, just to name a few. There were also a number of stalls in the designated Beauty Zone at the Sanctuary offering cool cosmetic services like glitter tattoo,

hair-styling, henna art and face-painting, and photography services which came complete with props, professional lighting and backdrop. Funtasia4 was a resounding success. Not only did it raise over a hundred thousand dollars through the ingenuity, hard work and conviction of the NJ community to benefit future batches of NJCians, it made everyone, past and present cohorts, more bonded than ever through the experience of preparing and executing such a large-scale event together. Last but not least, the NJ spirit shone through brilliantly and impressed all who came for the event. Well done, NJCians. Service with Honour!

#letTheBattlesBegin

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#familyFun

#peopleofNJC

#im GonnaGetYou

#weLoveToQueue #helloKitty?

#vegetablesGrowninNJC

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When our long serving principal for the past 12 years, Mrs. Virginia Cheng, announced her retirement last December, Mr. Ang Pow Chew took over the stewardship of NJC. Prior to joining NJC, Mr. Ang served as the Deputy Director of MOE’s English Language and Literature Curriculum Planning & Development Division and the Principal of Victoria School from 2000-2005. He has announced that he aims to make NJC a “lively” and “joyful” College. In this interview, we find out more about the man behind this vision.

Interview with Mr. Ang Pow ChewPrincipal, NJC

Foo Ai Luan / JH401 Revathi Valluvar / 13SH12

My vision is to make NJC a “lively & joyful” college.

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How does it feel to take on the task of helming NJC for the next few years?I feel very excited! It is a challenge to take on the role and I’m excited to find out how to rally everyone together. NJC is a very established college with a very rich history. Here, I want to acknowledge the good work of the past Principals, teachers and students and thank them. I find NJC’s vision, Service with Honour, a very meaningful one because that is what NJC is about. My task is to ensure that our students demonstrate this value in their lives because this value will only be meaningful if our students actually live this out when they serve their communities.

What is your vision for NJC?My vision is to make NJC a “lively and joyful” college.

You often speak about making NJC a lively and joyful college. What was the inspiration behind this? Learning should be lively and joyful. I look up to Richard Feynman’s quote, “Learning is the pleasure of finding things out”. It is about this inner joyfulness when you learn something new. I want NJCians to find learning meaningful and thus enjoy it.

You have been in NJC for a few months. What are your impressions of the staff and students here?Students in NJC are a joy to be with. They are very motivated and they want to learn and they are also very disciplined, in the sense that they do the right things at the right time. The teachers are hardworking and they genuinely care for the welfare of the students.

Other from making NJC a lively and joyful college, what other plans do you have for NJC? I want to review the Junior High curriculum. I want to get our students to think more deeply behind the superficial knowledge of the subject; I want them to think about the beauty behind each subject, because only then can they really enjoy learning.

Many people have said that NJC places too much focus on the Sciences and very little on the Arts. How would you go about changing that?First and foremost, I do not think there is such a dichotomy. Take, for example, the mindset that Arts students can only do Arts and not Science. NJCians should be able to traverse both the Sciences and the Arts. Still, I would like to increase

the students’ exposure to the artistic realm, making them more sensitive. Why the dichotomy and why separate the Sciences and the Arts? I want every NJCian to become a “Renaissance” student, a student equally balanced in the Sciences and the Arts. Thus, I will work with the teachers to reframe the curriculum, enabling everyone to become a well-balanced person.

What are your plans to reach out to our alumni and to foster a stronger sense of community in NJC? We have made efforts to reach out to our alumni, figuring out the networks. However, we have to understand why they would want to come back, when they have just settled into their new lives. I feel that we have to examine whether we are bringing back our alumni for the right reasons, so that we can help the alumni in return for the help they’ve given us too. I want NJCians to have more respect for each other, especially the teachers, so as to foster a stronger sense of community.

#njtrackmeet #tugofwar

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Would you call yourself a cat person or dog person?I’m a dog person. I have a dog named Chevy. He’s a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

What is your favourite quote?“We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.” This quote reminds me to see things from the perspectives of others.

What is your favourite book?I don’t have a favourite book, but I’m currently reading Irrational Man: A Study in Existential Philosophy. Hmm, I really like Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger. It was a very descriptive book.

What is your favourite movie?I don’t have a favourite movie because I seldom watch them.

What is your favourite memories of your school days?That has to be playing carpark football with my friends, with the cars whizzing past. I played on the right wing. Haha, I did not do much studying as a kid.

When is your birthday?Haha, I can’t disclose that. I’m born in September though and I’m a Libra.

What is your favourite club? (Baseball, Football etc.)My favourite club is Arsenal, though I seldom watch football now. Instead, I read books and watch documentaries.

Who is the person you admire most in this world?I don’t have one. I believe everyone is good in their own ways.

What is the one place in the world, you’d like to visit the most?Hmm, I enjoy watching documentaries about nature. I believe I would like to go to the Amazon Jungle, which is in South America. The Amazon Jungle is a place that brims with life, and I would enjoy spotting the largest animals in there, for example the catfish.

TRIVIAMr.Ang

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NJC welcomed the lunar year of the Horse with a string of exciting events and activities including handicraft competition, talent time competition and Chinese New Year sing-along session! The wide range of activities were successful in engaging our students and staff and all of us left College in high spirits and ready for the dawn of the new lunar year. If you would like to celebrate Chinese New Year with us, do join us during our Chinese New Year Celebrations 2015 as we welcome the Year of the Goat!

#chineseNewYear

#lively&joyfulNJCText

JAN LIM / Class of 2004

PhotographsVANESSA GOH / 14SH01

TEE HUI WEN / 14SH03TOH WAN TING / 14SH05

RAE PHANG / JH407

#gongxifacai

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NJC students go beyond helping the local community when it comes to service with honour. For many years, NJC students have been going on overseas community trips to Maldives and Cambodia to do community work. It is definitely a joy to see our students learn about other cultures and themselves through these trips.

#overseasCommunityTrips

#Maldives #togetherWeMakeADifference

#Cambodia

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The 46th NJC Student Council worked hard to pull together two weeks of fun-filled activities and interactive bonding games for our new NJCians. The Junior High 1 orientees enjoyed themselves thoroughly as they went through café trial games, external hunt at Marina Barrage as well as Special Night, where they showcased their talents through performances! Our Senior High 1 students had a blast with many high-energy activities like station games, external hunt at Sentosa and Dance Night in the NJC School Hall. Through Orientation, we hope that the new NJCians will begin to build a strong sense of belonging to the College and be proud to be a part of the NJC legacy.

#orientation2014

#massdance

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#cheering #saboking#loadsOfFun

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At NJC, we believe in maintaining a healthy lifestyle despite our busy and hectic schedules. Our dedicated PE teachers put in many hours of planning to organise activities and events for us to take part in so as to promote healthy living! Two of such events are the annual Road Run and NJC Track and Field Meet. Both events saw almost full participation from all NJC staff and students. Do join us in keeping fit and healthy next year during Road Run and/ or Track Meet! You will also get a chance to mingle with our youthful and sporty NJCians as well as speak to our friendly and approachable staff!

#fit&fabulousNJC

#itsallaboutthepeople

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#goforgold

#selfies

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Every year, we see many talented NJC students preparing for various concerts and music events. Events like Talent Time, and concerts like Aurora XI, PianoWorks, Muse-ique, and the Guitar Ensemble Charity Concert have certainly showcased our students’ musicianship. Apart from music performances, our students also enjoyed drama. Our JH2 students had the opportunity to stage their drama performances in our very own Black Box!

#music&drama

#auroraXI #guzheng

#JH2DramaShowcase

#guitarensemble #charity

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#pianoworks

#muse-ique

#talentime

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“Louis Wang Xiang Lin (Class of 2006) is an outstanding role model for members of the NJC Football Team and young NJCians. He exemplifies the spirit of Service with Honour by volunteering his time and efforts to help train the team even many years after his graduation and shows positive attitude towards learning and the sport. From 2012 to 2014, despite his busy schedule as a university student, he has made time to come back to NJC to coach the team during training sessions, not only during pre-season periods, but post-season as well. Louis always turns up for training on time, in spite of the long distance that he has to travel from NTU, where he is currently studying. Louis has a steadfast belief in the boys. Through his patient teaching and coaching, the team has improved greatly in terms of their skills and discipline during these three years, as proven through our results in the 2014 National Inter-school Competition. He gives his best in every endeavour and has taken on a coaching module in his university so that he can contribute more effectively. Louis’ contributions to the College, both as a student and an alumni, is laudable and we would like to recognise him as a humble and loyal servant leader, who fully embodies the College’s value of Service with Honour. The NJC Football Team is very grateful for the things Louis has done for us, and we wish him success in all his future endeavours.”

KUDOS to Mr. Liew Yew Tze & Mr. Asraf AngulliaTeachers-in-charge

On behalf of the NJC Football TeamLOUIS WANG

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We’d love to hear from you!As an e-magazine sent to all alumni, NJConnect aims to bring you news of what is happening in NJC. We would like this to be an avenue for alumni to reconnect with the school, friends and school mates through stories of joys, victories, life journeys, passions and interests. We want it to be fun, enjoyable, inspirational and for it to bring smiles, laughter or even surprises to the readers as they flip through these few pages.

We are therefore calling for your contributions on any of the following:

PASSION Share with us your passion for anything, it can be work, business, community projects or hobbies. Let the alumni know what you are up to and you might be able to find people who share your passion or require your expertise.

LIFESTYLEShare anything here! It can be your travel journal, not-so-secret recipe (since you can’t exactly share a secret recipe), experiences working or living abroad, or just your favourite haunts in Singapore.

NJC SHOUT-OUTSUpdate your friends and alumni on any thoughts or events happening around you, like finding the love-of-your-life or to thank someone who has helped or inspired you. Or you can tell your friends that you miss them!

Stay connected with NJC on the webNJC Website www.njc.edu.sg

NJC Alumni Website www.njc-alumni.orgNJC Facebook NJC Alumni

Please send your stories, write-ups, journals, shout-outs, etc. together with pictures (at least 300 ppi) to [email protected]. Queries may also be directed there.

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Display your pride in the College everywhere you go with our very own NJC Car Decal.You may collect a complimentary decal from the Reception Counter in NJC’s General Office on weekdays from 8 am to 5 pm.

Proud To Be

“Proud to Be” Car Decal