The Jam - Sept 16 2008

1. EL Jam

The 'Jam' is an informal gathering of musicians to play improvised or unrehearsed music. It's a Jazz noun meaning "short, free improvised passage performed by the whole band" and dates back from 1929, and yielded the idea of a jam session (1933); Most probably, it comes form the word 'jam' (n.), because it was "something sweet, something excellent."




The EL Department had a Jam competition where students took turns picking a topic from a bag. They then had to speak one minute on the given topic. Some topics included 'Hobbies' and 'The best thing about being a teenager'. Interestingly, someone just had to mention 'KNOWING GIRLS' as one of the best thing about being a teenager. I wonder how come 'zits' never figured prominently in the 'jam'.

2. Another Vice-Principal

Mr Simen announced to the school that there was a new Vice-Principal attached to the school. He is Mr Andrew Tan, former Vice-Principal of Meridian Junior College. Mr Tan gave out Sepak Takraw Prizes for the Inter-House Takraw competition.

It was interesting to note that although Sepak Takraw is a game of Malay origins, there were many teams with a good racial mix. Some Chinese students even won the Most Valuable Player award for their teams.

3. The Origins of Sepak Takraw (from http://www.bangkok.com/sport-sepak-takraw/origins-&-history.html)



Sepak and Takraw roughly refer to the kicking, smashing motion the players use to knock the ball around and across the net.

Where sepak takraw originated from remains a matter of intense debate in Southeast Asia, as several countries proudly claim it as their own. Whilst this may never be satisfactorily determined, there is some agreement that the game was introduced to Southeast Asia through commercial contact with China, where an ancient form of the game originated.

It is believed that many variations of the game evolved from an ancient Chinese military exercise, where soldiers would try to keep a feathered shuttlecock airborne by kicking it back and forth between two people. As the sport developed, the animal hide and chicken feathers were eventually replaced by balls made of woven strips of rattan. The first versions of sepak takraw were not so much of a competition, but rather cooperative displays of skill designed to exercise the body, improve dexterity and loosen the limbs after long periods of sitting, standing or working.

The modern version of sepak takraw is fiercely competitive and began taking shape in Thailand almost 200 years ago. In 1829, the Siam Sports Association drafted the first rules for the game. Four years later, the association introduced the volleyball-style net and held the first public contest. Within just a few years, sepak takraw was introduced to the Physical Training curriculum in schools.

In Bangkok, the murals at Wat Phra Kaew (the Temple of the Emerald Buddha) depict the Hindu god Hanuman playing sepak takraw in a ring with a troop of fellow monkeys. Other historical accounts also mention the game earlier during the reign of King Naresuan of Ayutthaya. The game became such a cherished local custom that an exhibition of volleyball-style sepak takraw was staged to celebrate the kingdom's first constitution in 1933, the year after Thailand abolished absolute monarchy.

Nowadays, sepak takraw is played on a modified badminton doubles court, with the net standing five feet above the ground. Each team consists of three players; left inside, right inside and back server.

Almost every nation that played this game knew it by a different name. In Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, it's called 'sepak raga', whereas in Thailand it's commonly known as 'takraw'. The same game goes by the name of 'sipa' in the Philippines, 'da cau' in Vietnam, 'rago' in Indonesia, and 'kator' in Laos. Since sepak takraw was played and enjoyed in several countries, there were a lot of inconsistencies in terms of how the game was played and judged.

In 1960, representatives from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Lao and Thailand met in Kuala Lumpur to standardise rules and regulations for the game. And after a long and heated debate, consensus was reached that the sport would henceforth be officially called sepak takraw

They also formed the Asian Sepak Takraw Federation (ASTAF), and translated the rules into English, setting the stage for the first international competition, held in Malaysia in 1965, at the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games, or SEAP Games, the predecessor to today's Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games). This chain of events set the stage for the international development of sepak takraw. However, it was the replacement of the natural rattan ball, which tended to splinter and warp, with the more standardised synthetic plastic ball that really kicked the game's popularity into high gear.

In 1990, sepak takraw was included at the Asian Games in Beijing. Women also got in on the action with the first women's championships in Thailand hosted in 1997. Today, more than 20 countries have national sepak takraw associations with representatives on the board of the global governing body, the International Sepak Takraw Federation (ISTAF).

News from Montfort College, Chiangmai

Welcome Back to School

Hope your first few weeks of school have gone smoothly. I can't tell you how great it feels to know that everyone is back in school as I have been teaching since the middle of July and am soon to be on break. It is still monsoon season here and the rains have been like no other than I have experienced before. It is a lot of fun to sit and watch out over the river during a storm.

Teaching bilingual science to the boys can be a challenge when I am teaching without my Thai teacher. Fifty-four students in a class is hard to handle. Luckily it is only on rare occasions that I am left alone with them. They don't mess around with a Thai teacher in the room. My favorite times are working in the computer lab classes a week and teaching conversational English to other teacher is also fun.

One of my favorite adventures so far was our trip to the border school. It is one of the queen's special projects for the hill tribe living on the border of Burma. (Myanmar) This is where my son Toby will be a volunteer and spend a few months up there. We traveled for about two hours by van and turned onto a dirt road for another half hour up into the mountains. The school is in a valley surrounded by mountains and vibrant green forests. About thirty students attend the school and are of all ages from about five to eighteen. The children were all dressed up and ready to greet us when we arrived.

Our Montfort boys brought each student a large bag of rice. The people of the village are very poor. The people of the village have been taught to grow cash crops like corn in the place of what they used to grow in the past. It was a great trip and I would like to volunteer a week up there myself. I am learning how to cross the street without getting hit and this is no easy task. I usually walk to school each morning which takes me around fifteen minutes.

Most times people will stop and offer me a ride when they see the uniform or the Montfort shirt. This can be embarrassing if they stop on a motorcycle and you are wearing a skirt. The women here ride sidesaddle in skirts and dresses on these small bikes and they hold on to nothing. They must have exceptional balance. I had to tell the man I preferred to walk because I knew that if I tried toride that way, we would have ended up in an accident and that would not have been pretty.

http://carolhinsdale.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html

Excerpts from a Blog from an Alumni

HAPPY TEACHERS DAY!

This morning, I went back to Montfort Secondary School to visit my teachers! I bought 9 chocolate bars with nuts to the school. I saw my form teacher Mdm Nora. I said hi to her and passed her one of the chocolate bar!

Later i saw Mrs Helen Tan!!!! My favourite POA teacher in my secondary school days! I ask what happened to her because I heard about her surgery and she says she is fine already. So Glad! I passed one of the choco bars to her as well, chatted with her abit and she is doing great! =) Cheers! She is still so cheerful as before! Take good care alright!

I saw my English teacher, Mrs Lee Poh Lin, and she's great! She is a very nice teacher as well!

I saw my Combined Science teachers Mrs Jamie Tan and Mr Leonard Ng and kind of miss my Chinese teachers from China. They have left the school and I hope they are doing great! I was surprised to see Mr Bao Hong Liang outside a classroom! I remember vividly that he was one of my brother's favourite Chinese teacher. I went forward to greet him and asked him if he remembered my brother. I was surprised that he remembered my brother after so many years.

I had not seen him for years and inquired about this.

'How come so many years never see you'

He said he recently returned to teach this year. He even said I looked my my brother. Haha! Wow! It has been so many years and he still remembers my brother. That's cool!

I miss Montfort school although I do have some bitter memories. The teachers are the only ones I miss so much! I also miss my principal, Mr Simen Lourds!!!!!! He is really a great man!!!!! Long live Mr Simen Lourds!!!!! 3 CHEERS FOR HIM!!!!!

- S... K...

Aug 29 - Teacher's Day

There were three special events which marked Aug 29

a. Teacher's Day
b. ACES Day (All Children Exercise Simultaneously Day)
c. Prize Presentation for students

The day began with the usual mass exercise in our school but it was poignant to note that simultaneously, in all other schools in Singapore, there were also exercises done there. The campaign underscores the importance of health and fitness in a holistic education.

We then proceeded to the hall for a quiet reflection on the role that teachers play in our lives.

Mr Simen then addressed the school and our prize presentations were underway. Prize winners received certificates for doing well in their subjects. It serves as a motivator to strive on.

The Secondary 4N and 4NT students who would be sitting for their English Language, Chinese and Social Studies examinations during the one week break were also given pins to motivate them to live up to the school motto of 'Age Quod Agis'. School leaders, subject teachers and form teachers pinned a 'Sprinting Giant' pin on their collars, telling them that when the 'chips were down' and when all else looked bleak or stressful, look at the pin and feel like it's an angel on your shoulders, easing your burden and knowing that we are all behind them.

The Teacher's Day then began with a whole host of exciting and interesting activities:

a. A Break Dance performance by a group whom we spotted dancing in school.

b. A song by Benedict Yeo from 3A2

c. A game which received roars of laughter which called for you to identify your teacher based on photographs of our teachers' back, hair, eyes, hands, eyes, children's photographs.

d. A very funny and humorous skit about teacher and students exchanging souls for a day.

e. A solemn pledge taken by teachers to educate students to be holistic individuals.

Photos:

Matthew Seong

If they happen to ask you about Montfort School...

Why are you doing this?

At a very special Contact Time intended only for teachers, Mr Simen spoke about the importance of being clear on what we are doing:

"In all that you do...in whatever programs you are taking charge of and involved in, do you know what you're doing?", he asked. He emphasized the importance of always asking yourself, "Why are you doing things".

At Montfort School, the reason why we do things is very simple:

A. The School Mission and Vision

All our programs are geared towards sharing and achieving the school vision and mission.

(i) School Mission (Why We Exist). Montfort is a Catholic School. We nurture students to be compassionate and discerning individuals through a holistic education.

(ii) School Vision (At the end of the day, we can only hope our students will be like this...) He will be a discerning and compassionate individual who is a scholar, a sportsman, a gentleman, a leader and above all, a man for others.

Mr Simen, then expounded and re-iterated for the 5819th time what a scholar, sportsman, gentleman and leader is.

The Scholar: The Scholar is not cramming your head for examinations and then just doing well in it and acing his exams for its own sake. It is someone who is focussed, disciplined and inquisitive. He comes to school regularly and does the work assigned regularly. He does his best and his all in his studies. He does not let any family or financial situation or obstacle disadvantage him because he always does his best.

The Sportsman: The Sportsman is not merely the sportsman who represents the school as a player. He participates in PE and CCAs actively. The Montfortian sportsman is the person with determination, perseverance, and a never-say-die attitude. He also exhibits sportsmanship / gamesmanship.

The Gentleman: The Gentleman is compassionate and discerning. He constantly knows what is right. They know the appropriate behavior in different settings and work well with others.

The Leader: The leader sets examples for others. He is responsible because he is a discerning individual who is able to distinguish right from wrong. He is confident and takes the lead in any challenges posed to him.

B. The Desired Outcomes of Education

"Its not how much you do (or how many programs you have), its whether everything to do is geared towards the desired outcomes of education". Mr Simen quoted the former Director-General of Education and expounded on its meaning.

The Desired Outcome of Education is to develop the individual and the citizen. Values as the foundation of the person.

At the end of Secondary School, students should:

a. Have Moral Integrity

b. Have Care and Concern for Others

c. Work in teams and value every contribution

d. Be Enterprising and Innovative

e. Have a broad-based foundation for further education

f. Believe in their ability

g. Appreciate the aesthetics

h. Know and Believe in Singapore

C. School Values

The school values are:

a. Faith

b. Compassion

c. Integrity

d. Humility

e. Respect and Teamwork

f. Passion

g. Perseverance

How can we be sure that when a student the school he has these values and has reached the school vision of being a Man for Others? Well, he is trained this way. We hope and we pray, leaving all in God's providence, that with the many processes we have put in place and by never wavering from the school vision and mission, we have trained and programmed our student in this manner for lifelong learning as a process. Education is about giving people hope and that confidence

D. TEACHERS ARE THE KEY (for teachers only)

The 3 SEM core values underlying people management are: (i) Leading with Purpose; (ii) Students First; (iii) Teachers the Key.

The key is the teachers. "You and I run this school" Mr Simen said, "We run things and manage this for our students". He emphasized that it was important for all staff to feel relaxed, empowered, confidant and to carry themselves well and to be happy about our school.

It is also important to be clear about:

(i) The approach that you take

(ii) The deployment - what levels. Whether student laders, by levels, what levels/ depts.

(iii) Assessment and Review - at the committees; at strategic planning sessions, department meeting and whether important data is presented to us. How do you know?

Before Mr Simen ended, he iterated,

"CLARITY AND SHARED VISION FOR EVERYTHING IS IMPORTANT. IT BUILDS SCHOOL CULTURE" (AND WE HAVE HAD 92 YEARS OF THIS SINCE 1916)

It should give us the motivation, confidence and swagger to speak as a team with one voice.

Heritage Quest V - The Northeast Line. 10 Aug 2008

Heritage Quest V was held on 10 August 2008 at Hougang Mall. The theme was 'The Northeast Line'. It was the 5th exhibition held to get our students to conduct exhibitions for the purpose of public education. This time, the focus was on takin their projects beyond the Upper Serangoon district into interesting sites along the Northeast Line. They also blogged on their research and participated in an amazing race to get to know these palces better.

The Guest of Honour for our event was NMP and ASEAN Outstanding Youth of the Year 2008, Ms Eunice Olsen. She was accompanied by several of our students who were her cousins. She also surprised everyone with her candid nature and friendliness. Many of her uncles and cousins were educated in Montfort.

The day began with the Kompang boys welcoming her and a silk gift given to her. The Wushu performance was fantastic! Especially even on such a small stage. Several old boys even returned to peform. The chorale, fresh from their performance from the National Day Parade the day before (they returned only at midnight) also sang three songs. The TLDDS also performed an Indian dance. It was a very successful event with many members of the community, stopping during their morning marketing, to view the exhibitions and the event.

National Day - Youth Racial Harmony Day

1. Youth and Racial Harmony Day, 25 April postponed

Youth and Racial Harmony Day was postponed because our canteen vendor Mr Daniel Hoe passed away during the week. He had been with us for 10 years and we keep him in our prayers. Prayers were said in the morning for him and a condolence book laid out for the week. He leaves behind his wife and two son.s We keep him in our prayers

2. ASEAN Day, 7 August 2008

Montfort School celebrated ASEAN Day on 7 August. Mr Lloyd Yeo read out the message from the Director-General of Schools. He began by asking students 'where are you from?' and emphasized the importance of feeling and being Asian because it gives all of us a common sense of identity and sense of belonging.

3. National Day / Racial Harmony Day 8 August 2008

The National Day and Youth and Racial Harmony Day was celebrated on on 8 August 2008. There was a joint observance ceremony held in the School Field. It was delightful to see Montfort School as one full school. Students then proceeded to the hall for a hall assembly. It featured an Indian Dance, Video clips on 'Common Space' and a wonderful performance by teachers singing Kit Chan's recent National Day song. In the true spirit of racial harmony, Ms Rashidah, Mrs Prema, Mr Christopher Foran, Mr Edwin Lee and many other teachers sang the song in mandarin.

There was also the Annual Youth and Racial Harmony fair held. Class 4E2 were champs again in raising the most amount of funds. The Parent Support Group even had a store and came in a close second. A total of $8,155 was raised for the School Pocket Fund for our needy students.

Montfort Chorale will perform as part of the National Day Combined Schools Choir during the N-Day parade on 9 August 2008.

Montfort Softball

1. Montfort Softball Team beat ACS 5-3 and held on a last minute surge to enter the Semi-Finals of the National Softball Tournament

2. Montfort Softball Team calls themselves 'Giants' and slew the Chinese High team 4-0 to enter into the Finals of the National Softball Tournament.

3. Montfort Softball Team lost out to Raffles Institution 5-8 in a hard fought game held at TPJC. Montfort softball team are the second best team in Singapore!

Montfort had won several SRC Championships but never come in second in the Nationals. Their last Top 4 Standing was in 2003 and 2004. We wish our Montfort Softball team all their best in their future performance and hope the sporting culture at Montfort continues to grow.