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Today we have three very significant events to recognise three very important groups of people in our midst. Firstly, we celebrate with our students who have worked hard and achieved awards in both academic and non-academic arenas. Secondly, we have a promotion ceremony for our teachers to recognise the important role they play in our students’ success and thirdly, we join hands as a whole community - parents, stakeholders, students and teachers to conduct a meaningful activity of raising funds for Boys’ Town.
The theme for 2009 remains the same as in 2008 – One Heart, One Mind and One Mission as we strive to bring together all our stakeholders. As the saying goes, it takes a whole village to raise one child.
It is my pleasant duty now to update our stakeholders on the progress of our School since the last Speech Day.
Through Work Achieve Success – a note to our prize winners
I would like to begin by congratulating our prize winners who are seated here today. The hard work you have put in for the academic and non-academic arenas has given us this chance to celebrate with you. Your parents and teachers are very proud of you.
In the academic area, our students have been making good progress year after year in their GCE “O” level results and each cohort strives to be better than the previous one. I am proud to announce that the 2008 GCE results reflects the best results in the past 10 years for both our Sec 4 Express and Sec 5 Normal (Academic) students. Our top student has also achieved the best record of 9 Distinctions. The percentage of our students eligible for a Junior College education has increased from 20% to 33% and we hope to increase this percentage to 50% in the coming years.
Last year, we obtained the MOE Academic Value-Added award for the Express stream. For our present Sec 4 and 5 students, remember, each cohort will be better than the last.
Montfortian Education
Being a school under the Brothers of St Gabriel’s, we seek to provide our students with a Montfortian Education that is relevant to today’s context and consistent with the values of St Louis Marie de Montfort, our Founder. Walking the footsteps of Montfort, our students learn values of:
1. Desire for Knowledge – a thirst for continual learning
2. The power of One – making a difference to society such as having compassion for those whom the world rejects
3. Taking risks for God to achieve great things - a spirit of Excellence, Perseverance and Resilience
Through our various programmes we provide for our students with the opportunity to develop their full potential. There will be a photo montage at the end of the ceremony capturing the essence of a Montfortian Education here at Assumption English School.
Desire for Knowledge
In order to create the desire for knowledge in our students, our teachers have adopted various innovative approaches. We seek to provide our students with authentic learning experiences beyond the classroom. These include Learning Journeys and Outdoor Education, both local and overseas, to special courses organised by the Polytechnics and other institutes of higher learning.
Our outdoor learning week where the whole school goes out for level camps is into our third year and has been a successful formula. Our Experiential Learning trip to Montfort Youth Centres in Malaysia is into our fifth year and we will be going to Sabah once again this June.
We have sent a group of students to China for a Chinese Language and Cultural immersion programme last year and it was well received. We intend to send a larger group of students this year.
For specialised elective courses, we will be organising 5 Advanced Elective Modules in collaboration with the Polytechnics and 4 Elective Modules with other institutions. This will benefit a total of about 160 students.
Our school is also championing the efforts of Open Source Education by helming the Open Source Hub for the schools in the West. Our students learn to use certain software in their Information and Technology lessons which will help them in their project work. Other students in the Infocomm Club learn programming and the Linux Operating System. These students then put their learning to good use by reaching out to the community and working on meaningful projects.
Other initiatives by our teachers include the use of drama in lessons and digital storytelling. This project with the Normal Technical students is in collaboration with lecturers from the National Institute of Education.
We are also currently exploring the possibility of One-to-One computing where students will use notebook computers in their classrooms as a tool to facilitate their learning. This project is in its prototyping stage and we will soon see more and more classes going in that direction in the months to come.
Our teachers are constantly learning and updating themselves with the latest ideas in Education. Last year, we organised a Learning Festival for staff to share ideas on curriculum and pedagogy. We also sent a team of 11 teachers on a study trip to Melbourne (with the kind support of our School Management Committee) and they have come back excited and teeming with ideas. We have also formed a cross functional team of teachers from various departments to look into curriculum innovation and the infusion of 21st century skills into our teaching and learning programmes.
The Power of One
As part of our character development programme we emphasise an attitude of reaching out to others and making a difference, whether it is in the area of National Education, Environmental and Conservation or Internationalisation Efforts. We want our students to know that even in their own small way, they can make a difference and through their efforts, they will inspire others to do the same.
Our Service Learning trip to Cambodia allowed our students to experience the joy of giving and making a difference to the lives of others. Our Japan Exchange programme gave our students the opportunity to reach out to understand people of a different background and culture.
In recognition of our school’s efforts, we obtained the MOE Development Award for National Education and the School Green Audit Award – Orchid Award in the area Environment and Conservation.
Taking risks for God to achieve great things
Going beyond academic results, our students have excelled in other areas of their school life and demonstrated a spirit of Excellence, Perseverance and Resilience and we celebrate their success today.
In 2008, our Judo team obtained one of the best results ever with 3 Golds, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze in the National Individual Judo Championship. We sent a team of our finest judokas to compete in a Judo competition in Jakarta and this year we may be sending them to the Philippines.
We had one student who obtained the National Colours Award (the highest award given to a student for excellence in Sports) and 6 students who obtained the Zonal Colours.
For Uniformed groups, our Red Cross did us proud by winning the Gold Award for Community Service in 2008 and our NCC unit obtained a Bronze.
In the 2009 Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) central judging, our Band clinched the Silver while our Dance Ensemble was awarded Gold with Honours. They have been practising very hard since the last SYF in 2007 and they have been duly rewarded for their efforts. Well Done Assumptionites!
Our students in the Clubs and Societies have also achieved success. The Horticultural Society took part in the Community in Bloom competition last year and achieved the Silver Award. Building on this success, they participated in the Sentosa Flower Show and garnered the first prize in the Garden Sculpture Category.
Our students from the Infocomm Club completed an IT project for the Family Life Society and were commended by the Archbishop for their efforts last year.
Celebrating Staff Success
I am pleased to share good news and offer our heartiest congratulations to our staff: we have 23 staff who are promoted this year. We would like to thank them for their dedication and effort in nurturing our students and guiding them to greater heights.
Some of these teachers will be receiving their congratulatory letters of promotion later in the ceremony while the rest will receive theirs at MOE level ceremonies.
We would also like to thank Mr Danny Ker, an alumni, who worked very closely with our key personnel to prepare for the school’s re-validation of our People Developer Standard (PDS). I am pleased to announce that we have been successfully re-certified as a People Developer School until 2011.
Redefining Success
We have done well for 2008 and we will continue our collaboration with our stakeholders and partners so as to provide our students and staff with the opportunities they need to grow and excel. Allow me to share a poem of Success by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would like to offer my heartiest congratulations to both staff and students for their achievements and outstanding contribution in bringing honour to the school. Well done and keep up the great work!
We are blessed with many supportive parents and Alumni who work with us in shaping our children's future. Our Assumption Co-educators (ACES) are indeed a strong source of support for the school and I would like to encourage more parents to come forward to serve in our ACES team. Our Alumni is also seeing an increase in people coming forward to offer their services to the school. I am confident that with the strong support of our parents, alumni and partners, AES will grow from strength to strength and achieve our vision of developing our students to become “Men and Women of Character and Learning, in the Service of God and Community".
I would also like to thank Our Guest-of-Honour, Professor Gabriel Low, Chairman of our School Management Committee for taking time to celebrate this joyous occasion with us;
Brother Emmanuel, Supervisor of Gabrielite Schools, for his constant support and guidance;
Members of the AES School Management Committee, members of the St Gabriel’s Foundation and the Brothers of St Gabriel’s for their valuable advice and for seeing to our needs especially in spiritual and financial matters;
Principals and representatives from our Cluster Schools and Gabrielite Institutions;
ACES, parents, Alumni and well-wishers who have worked very closely with us – thank you for your support and participation in our various programmes;
And all who have in one way or another helped to make the event memorable and successful;
Most importantly, we thank God who has always showered his love and blessings on our school.
Thank you for your gracious presence at our Speech & Prize Giving Day.
To our prize winners today, keep up the excellent work and remember our motto: Labor Omnia Vincit - Through Work Achieve Success!
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