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A Publication of Marymount Convent School, 430 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, Singapore 319759

From the Vice-Principal’s Desk…

Greetings to one and all!

By the time you read this, the school will probably be in the midst of shifting back to 20 Marymount

Road. It is hard to believe how quickly the last two years have passed and while we have many

fond memories of our short stay at the Toa Payoh holding site, we are certainly looking forward to

going home.

Our foundress, St Mary Euphrasia, was probably one of the earlier advocates of student-centricity

and in line with her philosophy that “One Person is of More Value than the Whole World”, we put

the child at the centre of all we do here at Marymount Convent School. We have also continued

our efforts to meet the diverse needs of our girls as we prepare them to thrive in a future that will

be increasingly VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) in nature. To this end, the

school has been focusing on the teaching of values and the development of 21st century

competencies in our girls through a variety of initiatives and programmes both in and out of the

classroom.

These efforts have translated to numerous achievements by the school in the second half of the

year, for which we give thanks to God. These achievements include a Silver and a Bronze in the

Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition (Junior Category), 3 Gold awards in the Malay

Creative Writing Competition 2016 and a 3rd placing in the International Tamil Oratorical

Competition 2016. On the sporting front, in addition to numerous achievements in various

competitions run by the respective National Sports Associations (NSAs), our pupils emerged

champions for both Team Girls and Individual Girls in the National Golf Girls Team Championship.

Issue 2, November 2016 2016

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Arts Fest - the biennale platform that showcases the talents of all Primary 1 and 2 pupils as well

as pupils in the performing Arts CCAs – was held on 22 July 2016. While it was staged on a

smaller scale in our own school holding site premises, it proved to be as much a resounding

success as it was in previous years, as evidenced by the overwhelming turn-out by parents and

supporters. All the hard work, effort and preparation by both pupils and teachers paid off as the

girls rose to the occasion and not even the intermittent drizzle throughout the evening could put a

damper on the event. We would like to take the opportunity to thank parents and other benefactors

who supported the event in one way or another.

There are exciting times ahead for the school as we prepare to embark on yet another chapter of

the school’s history. As we shift back to Marymount Road, the upgraded school building and

facilities will enable us to add to our signature programmes such as the Week of Experiential

Learning (WELL) Programme and the Values Education (VE) Programme, and take the girls’

schooling experience to the next level. Facilities such as the Indoor Sports Hall, Gymnasium and

additional special rooms will enable us to implement the following - the Programme for Active

Learning (PAL) for our Primary 1 and 2 pupils; a more comprehensive school-wide CCA

programme that will better cater to the interests and talents of our pupils; as well as a greater

breadth of programmes under our Learning for Life Programme (LLP) in Sports & Outdoor

Education. We will also work towards transiting our niche in Aesthetics to our second LLP.

In addition, the school will be celebrating its 60th Anniversary in 2017 and we have a host of events

lined up to commemorate this significant milestone. We have invited His Grace, Archbishop

William Goh, Archbishop of the Catholic Church in Singapore, to celebrate Mass to mark the new

school year and bless the school on Friday 13 January 2017 at 10 a.m. There will also be a 60th

Anniversary dinner held on Monday 31 July 2017 during which the new school blocks and the

school’s Heritage Gallery will be officially declared open. The date was specially chosen as it is

the birthday of our foundress, St Mary Euphrasia. These are just two of the events we have in the

pipeline as we move into what will definitely be an exciting year for us.

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With the end of every academic year, another graduating cohort passes through the doors of

Marymount. We congratulate our P6 girls as they complete this milestone and wish them all of

God’s graces and blessings as they start on the next chapter of their schooling experience. We

hope that they will remember and carry with them all they have learnt at Marymount and indeed

fulfil our foundress’ vision as they continue to develop into Ladies of Compassion, Eloquence and

Intellect.

You would probably be aware by this time, that our principal Ms Cecilia Lim, will be rotated to

head St Anthony’s Primary School wef 15 December 2016. Ms Lim has helmed Marymount

Convent School for the last 7 years and under her able leadership, the school has grown from

strength to strength. On a personal note, I consider it a privilege to have served under her and

there is much I have learnt from her about being a leader and perhaps even more importantly,

about being a good person. On behalf of the staff at Marymount, I would like to thank Ms Lim for

all she has done for the school and wish her all of God’s blessings and graces in her new posting.

Even though she will be moving on, she will always be part of the Marymount family. I would also

like to welcome Mrs Allison Lim, who will take over as Principal of Marymount Convent School,

and our new Vice-Principal (EO), Mdm Cheryl Lee, who will join the school on 15 December 2016.

And finally, I would like to wish one and all a restful year-end break as you spend some quality

time with your loved ones. We look forward to welcoming your daughters back in 2017 at 20

Marymount Road.

May God bless you all abundantly!

Ms Lynette Fernandez Vice-Principal

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From the Mother Tongue Department…

Mother Tongue Fortnight (12 July to 21 July)

The theme for this year’s Mother Tongue Fortnight was ‘Racial Harmony’,

tying in closely with our Racial Harmony Day activities. All pupils

participated actively, and we even involved our friends who do not take

MT Languages. That really brought out the essence of racial harmony. We

had vendors coming in to conduct cultural workshops and traditional craft

activities for the students. Interesting class competitions were organised

by our own MT teachers. Through these activities, we learnt more about

our own language and culture, as well as, how to appreciate the cultures

of others.

We enjoyed opera mask painting and the instructor explained to us the significance of the different

colours on the masks. The “Yummy Food Street” competition gave the students the opportunity

to showcase their oratorical skills and apply their MT languages in a fun and stress-free

environment. Students were divided into different groups, showcasing and presenting Singapore’s

popular food items from the various ethnic groups. They also got to vote for the group that

delivered the best presentation. It was truly an enriching and enjoyable experience for all of us.

Reported by: Cheyenne Low, Yasmynn Dinoalfian & Yiap En Rui (5 Humility)

Class Activity –

Yummy Food Street!

Traditional Craft –

Chinese Mask Painting

Malay Traditional Craft –

Wayang Kulit

Tamil Performance –

Poetry Recitation

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Amazing Race at MOE MLCS Bishan

20 Julai akhirnya menjelang. Kesemua rakan saya tidak dapat memendung keghairahan kami

untuk ke Pusat Bahasa Melayu Bishan. Kami telah diundang ke program mengenali kebudayaan

Melayu dengan lebih dekat lagi melalui peraduan “Amazing Race”.

Kami mempelajari tentang jenis-jenis herba dengan menggunakan ICT “QR Code”, permainan

tradisional dan kebudayaan Melayu seperti keris, cara menganyam dan kegunaan gong pada

zaman dahulu.

Pelekat-pelekat diberikan kepada peserta yang dapat menjawab soalan-soalan yang diajukan.

Alangkah gembiranya saya apabila menjadi salah seorang pemenang peraduan tersebut. Saya

pasti akan menyertai program yang seronok dan bermakna ini lagi jika diberi peluang

Keputusan Penulisan Kreatif Bahasa Melayu 2016

Dari kiri gambar, Tiarra Tynisha Binte Mohammad Roszel (Pr 6C),

Putri Nur Quraisha Binte Nur Azha Putra (Pr 6G) dan Nurul Ikhllas

Idaman Binte Sulaiman (Pr 6C).

Berita baik yang kami nanti-nantikan akhirnya diumumkan. Hati

saya melonjak kegembiraan apabila saya dan dua rakan yang lain memenangi anugerah emas

dalam peraduan penulisan kreatif Bahasa Melayu 2016 yang dianjurkan oleh pihak EDN Media

Consultant Pte Ltd.

Keputusan yang menggalakkan ini pasti akan mendorong kami untuk terus mencuba lagi di masa

hadapan.

Reported by: Putri Nur Quraisha Binte Nur Azha Putra (6 Gratitude)

Informasi mengenai seni dan kebudayaan Melayu seperti menganyam di

pusat sumber

Mencari informasi mengenai herba

dengan menggunakan ICT

“QR Code”.

Seronok mencuba permainan tradisional

Reported by: Nurul Ikhlas Idama (6 Compassion)

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From the NE / Social Studies Department…

P5 NE Show 2016

This year’s NE show was more than just amazing. It was spectacular. The theme for this year was

‘Building Our Singapore Of Tomorrow’.

When I stepped into the Sports Hub, I was astonished to see the enormous stadium! We squealed

in delight when we spotted the fun packs on our seats. We cheered loudly when the show began

and we did the Kallang wave.

We applauded with enthusiasm after each exciting performance. At one point, the lights were

switched off and we noticed our wrist bands glowing in the dark. Through the performances, we

learnt how Singapore grew to become a better nation. We sang our hearts out while waving our

hands. Last but not least was the grand finale. Everyone sang the theme song ‘Tomorrow’s Here

Today’ while fireworks burst into the sky. We were awestruck by the beautiful sight. We were glad

that we had attended the NE Show 2016. It was a very special moment for all of us.

Reported by: Daniela Arif (5 Humility)

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Racial Harmony Day

Marymount Convent School celebrated Racial Harmony Day with

much jubilation. Students were eager to take part in the various

activities during recess. There was an array of ethnic musical

instruments on display. We tried playing the Indian drum, Tabla, and

the big red Chinese drum. Both instruments produce beautiful tunes

that you can dance to.

Besides the NE games booth, NE photo booth and the Budding Artist

exhibition, there were also the Indian, Malay and Chinese booths.

The Indian booth had activities like Rangoli drawing, elephant colouring and string pleating

handiwork. The Malay booth displayed the art of Wayang Kulit which is a type of puppet shadow

play where handcrafted leather and paper puppets depict epic stories of the Gods in shadow play.

Hands-on activities on the making of Wayang Kulit puppets and ketupat- making attracted many

students. As for the Chinese booth, students learnt how to make paper dragons and the Eurasian

booth exhibited items used during Christmas celebrations. Through the activities, the students

learnt about the cultures and traditions of the different ethnic groups in Singapore.

My Pledge to

Racial Harmony

Elephant Colouring

Paper Dragon Handicraft

Reported by: Faith Koh (5 Humility)

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From the Aesthetics Department…

Arts Festival

The Arts festival was held on 22 July at Marymount Convent School. The event began at 5 p.m.

and ended at 7 p.m. The theme for this festival was "Soaring With Diversity'. During the Arts

Festival, there were ethnic pit stops to celebrate our diversity. Students played traditional games

like ‘Zero point’ and ‘Congkak’ with their friends. The ethnic photo booth was fun. They dressed

up in various ethnic costumes and took many fun shots.

The festival also showcased the creativity and talent of

performers from the Dance Club, Chinese Dance Club,

Modern Dance Club, Artistic Gymnastics and Rhythmic

Gymnastics. There was a repeat performance as well to ensure that all of us

had an opportunity to capture and enjoy the wonderful performances.

During a short interview with Jia Ling from Modern Dance Group,

she shared that she was happy that she had learnt to better

coordinate and put up a good performance. She had also gained

greater self-confidence and self-esteem.

A few students also spoke about how they had overcome the challenges they faced during the

rehearsals and felt a great sense of achievement after their excellent performances.

For the outdoor stage performances, we had the choir, ‘MCS Got

Talent’ performers and music ensemble. The performers engaged

the audience with their melodic voices and music, along with vibrant

dance moves from our young and talented performers. Even the

rain did not dampen their enthusiasm to give their best. The cheers

from the crowd after each performance also helped boost their

determination to put up a good show. The music room featured plays performed by students from

the Drama Club. The theme of the plays was centred on the importance of

living in harmony and celebrating the diversity of our multi-racial

community.

Reported By: Vaitheswary (5 Zeal)

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Celebrations …

Isabel Ho, one of our talented girls from 4

Humility, was invited to play the harp at

Carnegie Hall in New York this July.

Sophia-Jane Wong (4 Humility) and Sarah-Anne Wong

(4 Compassion) participated in the June and

September STA (Singapore Tennis Association)

tournaments. They clinched the gold medals for the

under 10 doubles in both tournaments

Reported by: Vanda Chong (5 Gratitude)

Children’s Day

We celebrated Children’s Day on 30 September. On that day, we watched the fabulous

concert put up by the teachers. The performances were extremely entertaining and we

had a good laugh too. We had our class party and there were games booths set up by

the parent volunteers for us to participate. It was truly a memorable Children’s Day for

us!

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Staff Matters…

Non-Teaching Staff Appreciation Day

We celebrated our annual Non-Teaching Staff Appreciation Day on 29 July. A sumptuous buffet

spread was arranged for the non-teaching staff. They also received photo-frames with lovely

messages written by the students and teachers.

Teachers’ Day Celebration

We celebrated Teachers’ Day on 1 September. Students were buzzing with excitement as they

arrived in school that morning.

After recess, we assembled in the hall for the Teachers’ Day concert. Many former students visited

their teachers and enjoyed the concert.

The concert started with Sister Delphine leading us in a prayer. Our Principal, Ms Cecilia Lim,

then delivered the Teachers’ Day message. This was followed by a number of performances put

up by the finalists of the ‘MCS Got Talent’ competition.

I truly enjoyed the “Candy Man” performance because the performer exuded great confidence

and she performed her jazz dance really well. The performers had put in great effort in preparation

for the concert and we enjoyed the performances tremendously.

It was an enjoyable and meaningful day. We know that our teachers work very hard to help us in

many ways. Thank you teachers and may God bless you abundantly!

Reported By: Mrs Sheila Bala

Reported By: Emma Sofian (5 Integrity)

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Editorial Team

Advisor:

Ms Lynette Fernandez / Vice-Principal (EO)

Teachers:

Corporate Communications Committee,

HODs, LH/SHs and Coordinators