Jan 15: Pongal, Pongal, Pongal!

1. Pongal Festival

Montfort School celebrated Pongal festival in a meaningful way. Mr Kaliyaperumal, Mdm Uma, Mrs Prema, Miss Gayanthri and Mr Jayakumar, as well as volunteers from the PSG prepared a special treat for all students. They highlighted the meaning of the Pongal (Boiling Over) Harvest festival and demonstrated how sakarai pongal (sweet pongal) is cooked. They also conducted quizzes for the students. There was great enthusiasm and interest generated by this because many students had not seen this festival before

While we were waiting for the Pongal dish to spill over, members of the Ecumenical Council shared their insights into the Pongal festival through the lens of their respective religions - Taoist, Christian, Islam, Buddhist. The common areas were highlighted: a. Understanding of each other's culture & graciousness b. Thanksgiving c. Respect and love for nature. A useful tip was given to the students - Return to nature in quite reflection and prayer to seek inner peace and the presence of God, especially when troubled or confused.

For the school, the Pongal festival was more than just a racial harmony event, it also represented school leaders and all teachers putting their ingredients and good work into students, sowing, weeding and tending the field like patient and hardworking farmers, awaiting the nurturing and bountiful harvest of students who lived up to the mission and vision ofthe school.

2. Target Setting

Mr Edmund Lim also spoke to the boys about Target Setting, highighting the achievements of retired High Court judge, Mr Goh Joon Seng, who is now a Presidential Council Member and the exploits of Sir Edmund Hillary. Students used their praise and grace journals to set their targets about where they wanted to be in the future. He also read a meaningful poem to the boys

3. YCS - Ngee Ann Polytechnic Exhibition

Students from Ngee Ann Polytechnic set up an exhibition in the school to help the elderly. They appealed to the students for volunteers to the Bukit Batok Old Folks Home. 20 students from the YCS would be helping out. The YCS motto is : See, Judge, Act