rvsc investiture - moe...jone she, 2j) for autodesk fusion 360 toy design category (mars space...

RIVER VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL

HIGHLIGHTS

INTERNATIONAL BIOMEDICAL QUIZ

Y.LEAD

RVSC INVESTITURE

03

15

30

NEWSLETTER • ISSUE 02 / 2019

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Honours Day 2019

On 3rd August 2019, the River Valley High School auditorium was filled to capacity as school leaders, invited guests, teachers, students, alumni, and parents celebrated the academic and non-academic achievements of the RV family.

There was much to celebrate as the numerous awards and accolades won by the students, past and present, attest to the dedication and diligence on the part of teachers and students. The wide array of competitions in which the students participated and won top tier prizes was a testament to the cultivation of various talents in the school community.

In her speech, Mrs Teo Khin Hiang, Principal of River Valley High School, highlighted the many student-initiated projects and participation in co-curricular activities. She remarked that the students are imbued with

Our Guest-of-Honour Mr Lim Hock Heng

Kara Koh (19J10) received the Girl Guides Baden Powell Award from our SAC Vice Chairperson Mr Tan Ah Kaw Dance Performance

confidence to lead the way because of the maturity of the RV school culture that sees a close-knit collaboration among staff, parents, alumni, and school management board to fulfil the school’s vision of nurturing leaders of distinction for Singapore.

The Guest-Of-Honour, Mr Lim Hock Heng, a member of the School Advisory Committee and RV alumnus, advised current RV students and alumni to prepare for the challenges that await them in the 21st century work place. In a world where qualities like life-long learning, and adaptability are essential, Mr Lim exhorted the students to make the best use of their time in RV to cultivate those necessary competencies to empower themselves and become productive members of society.

Mrs Rachel Tan on behalf of Honours Day Committee 2019

Our RV Student of the Year Chu Ting Fang (6M18)

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Achievements

On 20th February this year, RVians from Secondary 4 to JC2 participated in the International Biomedical Quiz, held annually at Anglo-Chinese Junior College.

Under the guidance and tutelage of our alumni, Dr Lim Boon Ang, and seniors in the medical field, we were able to gain a deeper understanding of this year’s topic, Ophthalmology. To prepare, we attended weekly training sessions organised by seniors, e-lessons and a formal guest lecture by Dr Lim at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).

In addition, the JC1 students had the opportunity to attend a one-day attachment at TTSH. From this experience, we observed how tests, such as the Humphrey Visual Field Test, are run, and how the slit lamp and other equipment are used in diagnosing patients’ condition. Witnessing the procedures gave us an insight into how the knowledge we learnt is applied in a clinical setting.

The hard work and preparation place us in a better position to compete. After a taxing written round, our school made it into the stage round. The team comprising Monica Rae (18J02), Sammi Ong (18J04), Zheng Meijia (18J05) and Choi Tong En (18J05) was faced with rigorous questions, and distinguished guest judges assessed their answers. Despite the gruelling round, the team emerged as 3rd runner-up. Overall, our students achieved tremendous results.

This competition has truly been enriching, having exposed us to topics beyond our syllabus, and has certainly deepened our scientific curiosity.

Chan Xin Hui (19J03)

The Singapore Science and Engineering Fair (SSEF), jointly organised by MOE, the Science Centre Singapore and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), is widely lauded as the most competitive national science competition. This year is SSEF’s 19th cycle and it saw a record number of 571 submitted entries from more than 1100 students. About 300 projects were shortlisted for final judging on 6th and 7th March, out of which 23 entries were from RVHS.

Our teams have done exceedingly well, winning two Silver, three Bronze and two Merit Awards, as well as two special awards at the SSEF Awards Presentation Ceremony held on 28th April. Three students were further shortlisted as candidates for Talent Search interviews by A*STAR.

Congratulations to all winners at SSEF!

Monica Rae (19J02) & Tan Wee Leng (18J10)Rachel and Sheila from 19J03 working with the Orthoptist at TTSH during the clinic attachment

Zhang Zeyu (18J06) won a Special Award by Singapore Association for the Advancement of Science

Singapore Science & Engineering Fair Award Ceremony

* A*STAR Talent Search candidates

International Biomedical Quiz

2 Silver Awards (Team) Tan Sherry (18J14), Monica Rae (18J02), Zheng Meijia (18J05)*

2 Bronze Awards (Team) Seah Wen Ting Celest (18J02)*, Tan Wee Leng (18J10)

Bronze Award and Singapore University of Technology & Design – Sharp Special Award (Artificial Intelligence Category)

Pang Eng Meng Wyzley (18J06)*

Merit Award (Team) Teo Xin Ping Joan (19J06), Lim Jia Qing (19J11), Li Yingying (19J15)

Merit Award Chong Ka Shing (18J12)

Best Poster Science Communication Award by Singapore Association for the Advancement of Science (1 Team)

Zhang Zeyu (18J06)

Our JC2 team qualified for the stage round at the International Biomedical Quiz

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The Singapore International 3D Printing Competitions goes into its 7th successful run in 2019!

Launched by the Singapore Centre for 3D Printing at Nanyang Technological University, the overarching mission of this competition is to promote the awareness and facilitate the adoption of 3D printing technologies.

The Award Ceremony was held as part of National Additive Manufacturing (NAMIC) Summit on 7 May 2019 in the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre. The top prizes were presented to the winners by Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Dr Koh Poh Koon.

I am by no means alone in this achievement; it actually required plenty of opportunities and support from others. This year, the competition required us to design either a mouse or stationery. Initially, I wanted to sign up for the design of a mouse because I thought that it would be more complex than designing stationery. However, my teacher mentor inspired me and made me change my mind when he showed me the seniors’ past year designs. I realised that this competition is not only about the complexity of your mechanism but the creativity of ideas and application of 3D design skills. Meanwhile, I was also inspired by my English lessons that were focused on climate change, which gave me the main idea of my design - to show how our human activities gradually destroy our environment day by day.

All in all, this accomplishment can be ascribed to my teacher and friends for helping me and I am very grateful for this.

Li Haoying (4A)

Type of Award Project Title Name

Grand Prize(S$5,000) After the Flood Li Haoying (4A)

Grand Prize(S$5,000) BATTLE MAZE Fan Kerong (2F)

Achievements

From 18th to 22nd March 2019, Ng Simin (19J08), Lim Xin Yi and Zhang Zeyu (18J06) participated in the 7th Singapore International Science Challenge (SISC) which was run in conjunction with the 15th International Student Science Fair (ISSF). The event organised by National Junior College and supported by the Ministry of Education (Singapore), saw the involvement of delegates from 41 institutions of 17 countries, including Iran, Kenya, Mongolia and Russia. This year’s theme was “Science for Society” which explored the applications of science in the design of solutions that could enable a paradigm shift in how we live and function as a society.

Singapore International Science Challenge

The highlights included the exciting Research Challenge as well as the Design and Build Challenge. In teams of six, we visited several science establishments such as the Marina Barrage Sustainable Gallery to understand more about impending crises that mankind faces in the future. Teams then worked on innovative solutions to address water, food or electric crises, by pitching their ideas to judges with a poster and a DIY prototype. It was really interesting and insightful as delegates exchanged views on these global issues, especially in light of current technologies used in their own countries to tackle similar problems. We are delighted

that Simin won the Best Poster Award in the Engineering Category of the Research Challenge while Xin Yi’s team earned the Most Enterprising Award in the Design and Build Challenge.

In short, SISC – ISSF has given us a comprehensive view of future challenges, and how making breakthrough discoveries in Science could benefit and transform the lives of people all around the world.

Lim Xin Yi (18J06)

SLA delegates at Singapore International Science Challenge

Lim Xin Yi (18J06, 2nd left from left)’s team presenting their prototype to solve energy crisis to a judge

Ng Simin (19J08, 3rd from right)’s team project on pest management to solve food storage issues

Singapore International 3D Printing Competition

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The Toy Design Competition 2019, which ran for the 14th consecutive year, is organized by Singapore Polytechnic’s School of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering to encourage students to develop an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education.

Through the competition, students will learn about design using 3D CAD modelling software and build their models using digital fabrication techniques such as 3D printing, laser cutting etc.

RVHS was once again the school with the most number of winning entries, for 11 consecutive years. Some of our notable achievements this year was “Best Fleet Award in the Mars Space Exploration Vehicle category, 2nd (Lin Sihui,4A) and 3rd position (Chin Zhi Xin, 2H and Wai Jone She, 2J) for Autodesk Fusion 360 Toy Design Category (Mars Space Exploration Vehicle).

This competition allowed me to see the true potential in 3D designing and motivated me to sharpen my creativity. It also gave me a community from which I learnt and grew. Inspired by the works’ of other students at the competition, I was spurred to improve on my own designs. Overall, I am glad that I was able to take part in this competition and had a fruitful experience.

Lim Chun Hann (1C)

The Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors Award started off as an avenue for me to spend my year-end holidays meaningfully. It ended up being a platform to challenge my intellectual limitations. As a result, I was stretched beyond what I thought was achievable.

Toy Design Competition

Type of Award Project Title Name

Merit 4 Makes a Crowd Clarice Lim Yin Jie (4E), Tong Siyuan (4E)

Commendation Pedal Clipper Loh Hui Lin (19J10)

Commendation Air Raid Yang Yujun (4A),Da Ruolin (4B)

Commendation Quadra Handler Isaac Goh Wen Yi (2A)

Commendation Chips RegulatorLee Jing Peng (2I),Lee Kang Tian (2I),

Wong Kang Lim (2I)

Encouragement Cutter Wrap Lee Qin Yuan (2H),Teo Hui Wen (2H)

First Prize(15Th Time Since 2001)

School Award (School with the most number of quality entries short-

listed for interview)

Launched in 1986, the idea of setting up such an award was first mooted by the Foundation’s advisor, Nobel Laureate in Physics, Professor Yang Chen Ning. The Award seeks to encourage creativity and innovation among young people in Singapore.

Achievements

The greatest learning point I had from this experience was to be unafraid of failing because the greatest ideas are usually created in the spur of the moment or in our case, when we felt most helpless. Undoubtedly, this process taught me the value of being resilient and persistent in ensuring that our project was completed. It has also shown me how inspiration comes from different facets of our lives. It is also about coming up with a product that we can call our own.

Not only that, this competition has also shown me the importance of teamwork. Without the unwavering support and contributions from my group mates, “Four Makes A Crowd” would not have been possible. Even though we may had differing opinions during discussions, I think that it is paramount to acknowledge how the diversity of ideas is crucial for creativity to come to life.

In conclusion, this competition has not only exposed me to the art of invention, but it has helped me shape my values and provided me with an invaluable opportunity to grow as an individual.

Clarice Lim Ying Jie (4E)

Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors' Award

Category Level of Achievement Name

School with the Most Number of Winning Entries (11th consecutive year)

Best Fleet Award in the Mars Space Exploration Vehicle category

Autodesk Fusion 360 Toy Design Category (Mars

Space Exploration Vehicle)

2nd in position:Marching to Mars Lin Sihui (4A)

3rd in position:Sterre

Chin Zhi Xin (2H),Wai Jone Sher (2J)

Merit Award:Wanderer

Samuel Then Shi Jie (3K),Chin Chin Lee (3F)

Merit Award:Mars Myth Li Haoying (4A)

Toy Design Category (Automata)

3rd in position:Unstoppable

Samuel Then Shi Jie (3F),Natalie Chiam Chew Ee (3K)

Merit Award:Step by Step, Drop by

Drop

Li Haoying (4A),Lin Sihui (4A)

Best Vritual animation:Step by Step, Drop by

Drop

Li Haoying (4A),Lin Sihui (4A)

Clarice LIm (4E) and Tong Siyuan (4E) received their Merit Award from Dr Cyrille Schwob

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Writing is undoubtedly a complex process. In my experience as an English Literature student and submitting an essay for the inaugural Edwin Thumboo Prize for Literature, writing is not just about putting my ideas onto paper, but most importantly, it is about how to say them in the best possible way, with grammatical precision and elegant wording. These are two complex but very different mental processes. No wonder writing can seem difficult.

In almost every piece I have written, I have observed the importance of the drafting process for writing. I have often struggled to get my writing perfect from the beginning, only to realise that the ideas should flow into sentences, similar to pouring concrete into a wooden frame and smoothening it out with multiple drafts and conversations with peers and teachers. It is

On the 4th of July this year, my team participated in the Current Affairs Challenge (CAS) 2019, an annual current affairs competition for tertiary students organised by the NTU Current Affairs Society. The RVHS team comprised Russell Luo (19J18), Lionel Ong (19J18), and Zhang Zemin (19J19). We fielded questions from categories such as World History, global current affairs, and Singapore culture, to enter the second round, where we gave a presentation on whether it is standard of living or quality of life that is more important. Backed by both historical trends and contemporary examples, our presentation surprised the judges and saw the team clinch the first prize. The experience allowed us to interact with students from other schools and has inspired us to read further to deepen our general knowledge.

Russell Luo (19J18)

NTU Current Affairs Challenge 2019::1st Prize

Achievements

through this process that I developed a love for the depth and beauty of the written word.

I am extremely grateful to my teachers who provided guidance to me throughout the process, and I am humbled that my writing was honoured at the inaugural Edwin Thumboo prize for Literature. I am thankful that I was given the chance to express my love for reading and discuss my views with an appreciative audience.

Winning the Edwin Thumboo (Merit) Prize has taught me the importance of never letting one’s environment define oneself; instead, one must continue to press forward and sustain her passion with a faint glimmer of hope. Dum spiro spero – while I breathe, I hope.

Lim Yi Jun, 6Q (2018)Recipient of the Edwin Thumboo (Merit) Prize - Lim Yi Jun

The Edwin Thumboo Award for Literature : Merit Prize

Photo with participants from other institutions

RV wins CAS Challenge 2019

Provocative presentation evaluating the difference between standard of living and quality of life

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On the 20th of July, the Lower Secondary choral reading, book trailer and parade teams, and the Upper Secondary set text and unseen text debate teams participated in the National Schools Literature Festival (NSLF), the biggest literary event for students in Singapore. After weeks of rigorous preparation, all four upper secondary teams emerged victorious in their respective debates.

It was not easy preparing for the competition. The choral reading team had to bring out the emotions in the text through choreography and enunciation. We worked on our intonation so as to convey the nuances and we are proud to witness the pieces we prepared for coming together at the end.

National Schools Literature Festival

Achievements

The Secondary 1-4 NSLF participants

The triumphant Secondary 4 teams

Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation – Dance Certificate of Distinction (International Dance, Secondary School Category) Certificate of Distinction (Chinese Dance, Secondary School Category) Certificate of Distinction (Chinese Dance, Junior College Category)

Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation – Chinese Orchestra Certificate of Distinction (Secondary School Category) Certificate of Distinction (Junior College Category)

Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation – Choir Certificate of Distinction (Secondary School Category) Certificate of Distinction (Junior College Category)

Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation – Concert Band Certificate of Distinction (Secondary School Category) Certificate of Distinction (Junior College Category)

Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation – Chinese Literary, Drama and Debate Society

Certificate of Distinction (Secondary School Category)

Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation – English Literary, Drama and Debate Society

Certificate of Distinction (Secondary School Category)

Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation – String Ensemble Certificate of Accomplishment (Secondary School Category) Certificate of Accomplishment (Junior College Category)

Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation – Guitar Ensemble Certificate of Accomplishment (Junior College Category)

The debate teams also faced similar challenges in our preparation. Due to the tight schedule, we had to work quickly to get the debate script done. We had to prepare points for our given stand and pre-empt possible arguments from the proposition. Thinking on our feet was a notable challenge, when we had to generate strategic evidence to substantiate our rebuttals without our texts during the debate.

Our participation in the NSLF was an eye-opening experience. The unpredictable course of the debates taught us the skills of adaptability and inventiveness. It deepened our analysis of our Literature texts and taught us the significance of actors, contexts and language. Due to the nature of the choral reading event, students also learnt the importance of teamwork.

Overall, this has been an unforgettable experience that ignited the passion for Literature for some and introduced to others the exciting potential of Literature.

Zhang Xiaohan (4J)

Singapore Youth Festival Achievements

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Achievements

RV Guitar Ensemble participated in the 2019 Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) Arts Presentation, playing two contrasting pieces –“Piano Sonata No.8 in C minor, 2nd Movement”, composed by Beethoven, and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by The Beatles.

Going through the whole SYF journey has been an enriching and memorable experience for us. Although we were initially intimidated by the difficulty of the pieces, we managed to pull it off eventually with the patient guidance of our instructor and teachers, and the support from our alumni. Besides improving our skills, we

This year, ELDDS Drama presented “Storybook People” for the Singapore Youth Festival and we are proud to announce that we were awarded a Certificate of Distinction. Our SYF journey was one filled with setbacks and challenges. Teamwork, perseverance and adaptability are three values essential to our SYF preparation process.

In my experience as part of backstage crew this year, I learnt that every single person in the production matters, regardless of the role he/she played all are essential in bringing our piece to life. Like how lights and sounds often work hand in hand, actors do not work separately from the backstage mechanisms as well. Without the actors, no one would be able to bring the piece across, but without lights, an actor’s facial expressions would remain hidden, and without sound, it would be significantly harder for the audience to differentiate between scenes and transitions.

Thank you SYF 2019

Singapore Youth Festival: Guitar (JC)

Singapore Youth Festival: ELDDS

River Valley High School held its annual Arts Fest from Mid-April to Mid-May this year. The aim of the event is to promote the arts culture in RV. The Arts Fest incorporated various activities for the student body to create a more hands-on experience, and they proved to be well-received by the student body.

Chan Jing Wen (3D)

Arts Fest 2019

also learnt the importance of listening to one another while playing the guitar. Through all the practices, we emerged stronger as a team.

Along the way, we encountered many setbacks in various aspects – from the selection of players to the need for many extra hours of training on top of the usual CCA hours. During the lead-up to the actual SYF, it was tough trying to juggle our academic commitments and CCA. During rehearsals, we realised that playing on stage is completely different from playing in an open space as every single note is amplified. Although we were all tired and drained, we persevered. In the blink of an eye, SYF was around the corner and our team members cheered each other on, in the form of heartfelt messages or welfare bags.

On the day of our SYF competition, we got the jitters but we were pleasantly surprised to see our alumni and our new J1 members at the competition venue to give us their support.

All of us were spurred to give our best performance and shine our brightest on stage, so as not to let our instructor, teachers and

seniors down. Despite our small ensemble, we were able to do well and get an Accomplishment award.

Through this arduous yet satisfying process, we learnt that every player’s effort counts. Music is only beautiful when everyone produces one sound in unison and this is achieved through coordination, practice and teamwork.

The SYF journey gifted us a great opportunity to bond as one Guitar Ensemble and develop our love for this musical instrument.

Zhang Yi Fei RVGE P and Joanne Huang RVGE VP

Teamwork, perseverance and adaptability - these three qualities have been essential in our entire SYF process and are the most important lessons took away from this entire journey.

Our teachers and instructor have been a great source of support and encouragement. They consistently offer us feedback on our runs and suggestions on how we can improve. As such, we would like to thank them and everyone who believed in us. We are incredibly honoured to have achieved Distinction this year and we will definitely strive to continue to keep up the good job.

Chua Ee Teng (3K)

It was a story about the important of holding onto and nurturing the life of our imagination through the stories we read and tell

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Achievements

Singapore Youth Festival: Dance

Singapore Youth Festival:Chinese Orchestra

During the Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation 2019, RV Dance Society presented 3 items, Gong Gong’s Childhood (Secondary International Dance), 翊。翔 (Secondary Chinese Dance) and 小草 (JC Chinese Dance). We are proud to announce that all three items were awarded a Certificate of Distinction.

Gong Gong’s Childhood is reminiscent of our grandparents’ childhood memories. Through this performance, the dancers experienced the simplest joy and happiness that children in the past found in each other’s company.

On the other hand, 翊。翔 is a dance where the dancers had to personify a group of eaglets overcoming various obstacles before they finally fly and soar. During the preparation process, the dancers learnt to work together as one unified body to master this challenging dance, just like a flock of eagles that eventually managed to soar through the sky.

经过了近两年的练习与筹备，我校中学部与高中部华乐团分别在2019年4月1日和4月4日登上了新加坡青年节 (Singapore Youth Festival) 的舞台，荣获本届的特优奖，为校争光。今年，中学部和高中部的指定曲分别为冯国骏先生作曲的《河畔之音》之第一和第二乐章，自选曲分别为王丹红女士《太阳颂之第四乐章》和朱云嵩先生的《绕境随想》。

对华乐的同学们而言，每届SYF都是一次增强凝聚力的机会，也是一次难忘的成长经历。首次参加SYF的同学难免感到紧张，为了不辜负老师、指挥以及自己的期望，我们利用课外时间加时练习，与指导老师们切磋琴艺，提升演奏水平。中学部更是努力练习，确保技艺和乐感能和之前的学长学姐们一样好，因为他们已经成为了中一学弟妹的依靠和他们学习的榜样。同学们也在练习团队的合奏时，意识到乐队和谐的重要性，增进感情。

对于高中部的同学而言，这是他们最后一次登上SYF的舞台。高中部同学把对华乐团的留恋以及六年的美好回忆融入到表演当中，带来“振奋人心，感动全场”的音乐，不负众望，获得佳绩。

来自弦乐组的中二学生范秀宁说道：“这是我第一次参加SYF，虽然一开始有点紧张，但我在练习时和同学互相鼓励，最终克服紧张情绪。非常庆幸自己能够有机会参加这次的SYF，也感谢学长们一直以来给予我们的帮助！” 来自弦乐组的中三学生李欣也认为虽然为SYF做准备是个相当辛苦的过程，但是“我们的努力是值得的”。

在2019年SYF落幕之际，我们想感谢指挥郑凯文老师以及所有小组指导老师的耐心与细心指导，没有老师们，我们不会有今天能够引以为傲的成就。也感谢所有团员们的配合，我们的努力收获了成果，相信老师们都为我们感到骄傲。我们会再接再厉，带领华乐攀上下一个高峰！

张钰滢 (18J17), 胡佳智 (4C)

小草 - Chinese Dance (JC)

表演结束后，打击乐和管乐成员合影留念

Lastly, our dance item 小草 is about resilience, how the grass stays rooted even during a storm. During this SYF journey, our JC dancers faced various challenges but they persevered and overcame the obstacles, just like grass in a storm.

Chan Jing Wen (3D)

Gong Gong’s Childhood - International Dance (Secondary 3)翊。翔 - Chinese Dance (Secondary)

中学部新加坡青年节表演

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In April and May of this year, both the Secondary and Junior College Concert Band participated in the Singapore Youth Festival.

The set pieces for the Secondary and JC Bands were ‘Festival on Earth’ and ‘Party in Space’ respectively. Both songs were composed by renowned Singaporean musician, Lee Jinjun, and were a reflection of Singapore as a nation. The choice piece for the Secondary Band was ‘Invocation and Toccata’ by James Barnes, and the choice piece for the JC band was ‘Vesuvius’ by Frank Tichelli.

The SYF preparation period was a challenging one for us, but our passion for music spurred us to bring glory to the school and the Band. Perseverance, hard work and dedication were essential during those weeks and months of intense training. Finally, they culminated in the Band achieving two Certificates of Distinction.

While the awards are a form of recognition, what we gained as a Band is beyond those certificates. We learnt the importance of working together and supporting each other in times of need. We also developed a greater love for our craft, and most importantly, we learnt how to put aside our differences to create a beautiful piece of music.

Achievements

None of this would have been possible without the help of our beloved conductor, Ms Chan Peck Suan, our Concert Band teachers-in-charge, our parents and friends. We would like to express our gratitude to them for their endless patience and valuable advice, as well as their unwavering support and guidance throughout the year.

Odelia Hiew Li Her (4K)

The JC Band students performing their best at the SYF

Singapore Youth Festival: Choir

On 10th April 2019, River Valley Chorale (RVC) participated in the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) Arts Presentation. Conducted by Ms Choy Siew Woon, RVC presented three songs at the School of the Arts (SOTA) - the set piece “What is that I hear?” by Diana Soh, a Malay folk song “Mamayog Akun” arranged by Fabian Obispo, as well as “My Love Dwelt in a Northern Land” by Edward Elgar.

Months before SYF, RVC invested time and effort into Choir practices. Determined to perform well, Choir members worked tirelessly to learn the songs. Many RVC alumni also took time off and visited us to encourage us, which spurred the members to work even harder for SYF.

Performing at the SYF venue Pre-SYF rehearsal

Singapore Youth Festival:Concert Band

The Secondary Band getting ready for their performance

When the day arrived, RVC members were excited yet apprehensive. However, upon seeing the support from our RVCS seniors, our former conducter, Ms Jennifer Tham, and our teachers-in-charge, we did our best and put up an impressive performance. This experience taught us that with hard work and encouragement, we can create beautiful performances.

Tan Si Yi (4F) and Asher Pore Jun-Er (4H)

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JC string ensemble playing two contrasting pieces to the audience

Secondary school string ensemble putting their heart and soul into their music

Singapore Youth Festival: CLDDS-中文学会戏剧组《This is Me》

今年，立化中文学会戏剧组参加了新加坡青年艺术节。呈现了一出精心准备了半年的作品“This is Me 这就是我”。

该剧以女主角美琪的视角展开。由于色弱的先天缺陷，美琪

SYF 比赛当天

纵使品学兼优，却仍成为了学校同学们排挤、奚落的对象。“怪胎！”“特殊生！”“你和我们不一样！”伤害美琪的是这些话语，还是她自己自卑敏感、动摇不定的内心呢？逃避与发泄真的能解决问题吗？在伤害了自己最亲近的人后，终于愿意直面自己的不完美，美琪迈出了她的第一步……观众跟随着美琪的视角，一步步了解了她的心路历程。

每个人都是独一无二的，我们也许跟别人不一样，但这就是我们与众不同的标志。接受自己，包容自己，喜欢自己，只有以旁观者的角度，我们才能明白这些道理。每一次排练，我们都倾尽全力。我们有过低谷，我们有过沮丧，但我们咬紧牙关，走了过来。观众的掌声，引发的思考，是对我们最大的鼓励。首次取得艺术节金奖，也是我们戏剧社成立至今的里程碑。这一路并不容易，台前幕后缺一不可，感谢所有人的努力与支持。一路至此，无愧于心。

章楚颖 (4B)

Achievements

The Secondary School and Junior College String Ensembles (RVSE) participated in the Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation for Western Instrumental Ensembles in April and were awarded Certificates of Accomplishment.

In the Secondary School category, the pieces played were the third movement of the ‘Ancient Airs and Dances’ Suite No. 3, known as ‘Siciliana’, composed by Ottorino Respighi. It opens with a tranquil and soothing melody but later explodes with fury and passion. For their second piece, the third movement of Gustav Holst’s ‘A Moorside Suite’, entitled ‘March’, is full of youthful and lively tones, bursting with enthusiasm and hope. The Junior College String Ensemble played the first movement of ‘A Moorside Suite’, titled ‘Scherzo’, composed by Gustav Holst and the third movement ‘Minuet’ of John Ireland’s ‘A Downland Suite’. The ‘Scherzo’ takes on a military-like rhythm in the beginning but transitions into a flowing fugue before rounding out the end articulate once more. For their contrasting piece, ‘Minuet’ is charming and elegant, painting a picture of serenity and harmony.

To understand the pieces better, we learnt about the composers and their music, and also listened to renditions recorded by some string orchestras. We put in many hours to continually improve our techniques and musicianship, and came together to blend our music as one ensemble.

Singapore Youth Festival:String Ensemble

Despite the thrill of taking part in this SYF competition, we were ambivalent about it as it was going to be the last time the school would be represented in this instrumental category. We gained lessons and inspiration beyond the award, and we treasured every moment that we spent together to master the beautiful but challenging music pieces. Some of our alumni also returned to school to give us their moral support and lent us their instruments. We encouraged one another to never give up. Through this rewarding and fulfilling journey, we have grown stronger

and gained new insights on working together as a team amidst extraordinary circumstances.

The journey was a truly memorable one, one that we will remember for a long time to come. May RVSE and the music live on forever in our hearts.

Shermaine Ong Yan Rong (19J18)and Tammi (4L)

JC string ensemble immersing themselves in the music

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Sports and Games Achievements

National School Games

Badminton A Division Girls – 3rd

Floorball A Division Girls – 2ndA Division Boys – 4th

Wushu

C Division Boys – 2ndC Division Girls – 2ndA Division Boys – 4thB Division Girls – 4th

Inter-JC Ultimate Frisbee Championships 2nd

This year has been an especially fruitful year for both the Floorball A Division Boys and Girls team.

The A Division Floorball Girls managed to achieve second place. Having won all our matches in the preliminary round, we advanced to the finals after winning our semi-finals. We established a tie of 1-1 in our finals against Victoria Junior College abut we eventually lost the game in a penalty shootout that determined the winner.

Inevitably, there were intense feelings of disappointment that came with losing our final game, but we took heart in the knowledge that we have grown so much over the past few months preparing for the season, emerging stronger than ever. Our greatest takeaway goes beyond the medal and is defined by all the support and love we gave one another over the season.

The A Division Floorball Boys have also achieved 3rd runner-up in the National A Division Championships this year. This was a

Achievements

National Games Floorball CHampionships(A Division Girls & Boys)

huge milestone for us and the entire team is very proud of the accomplishment. This far exceeded our expectations for the season, having had no expectations but full confidence in our abilities and teamwork. Focusing on the process rather than the outcome, the team fought hard in every game regardless of the opponent and overcame many obstacles to rise to the top.

We want to thank Coach Stella and Coach Leng for guiding and nurturing us, bringing RVFBT to where it is today, our teachers for pouring their love and effort to grow the team, and finally, our family, friends and the school for the support.

Sim Yi Sheng (18J01) and Vernice Chua (18J15)

The boys congratulating one another after a good season

Moving past our opponents, heading towards the goal

Tense moments during the Penalty shootout

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Achievements

Game On Victory

Group Quanshu for A Division boys

Group Quanshu for C Division girls

National Games Badminton CHampionships (A Division Girls)

National Games wushu CHampionships

Having invested a total of 2448 training hours in our 816 training sessions, the Badminton teams did not have it easy when preparing for the A Division National School Games as there were countless times when we were frustrated with ourselves for not meeting our own expectations and the challenge of having to stay resilient for upcoming matches. However, these experiences shaped us to be more mature players and we saw the value in working as a team and supporting one another.

The performance of the Badminton teams is credited to the hours of training, the support from the team, our coach, the teachers and the school. To the teachers, we would like to express gratitude for your support from the sidelines, the encouragement before every match and going to

school on weekends just so we could have extra training sessions. To our beloved head coach, thank you for all the mental preparation, the long drills and physical training sessions to help us become better players. To the team, thank you for making training sessions a lot more enjoyable, and for the mutual support and constant encouragement during training. Finally, thank you for these 6 years of memories. 2448 hours may seem seem insignificant when compared to the 52,594.92 hours spent in RV, but it is enough to build a lifelong friendship and bond that we will treasure for years to come.

Lee Simin (18J02)

The National School Games Wushu Championship is an annual competition where schools send their students to pit their skills against other competitors. The event has numerous categories, ranging from short and long weapons, Quanshu and team events.

Our school has done well in many categories and won these Overall Division Awards: 2nd in C Division Boys, 2nd in C Division Girls, 4th in A Division Boys and 4th in B Division Girls.

Training was always tough, but I learnt that it is an important aspect of our growth.I learnt to stay positive and persevered in my training, tapping on the motivation and support from the team. I also learnt that in the face of setbacks, it is important to stay focused. Ultimately, pain and failure are what we have to go through in order to get to the path of success.

Cher Yue Yang (4H)

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Achievements

RV63 Song-Writing Competition – Overall Winner

I have always wanted to contribute to the school before I graduate. Thus, when it was announced that there would be a song-writing competition as part of RV 63 celebrations, I seized this opportunity to share my passion for song-writing. Inspired by some of the songs written by my RV seniors, such as《立化情》, I decided to fine tune some of the old melodies that I wrote in the past. It was through many rounds of discussion with my band mates before the song《心系立化》was conceptualized. The song conveys the bond between RV students and the school.

Through my years in RV Guitar Ensemble (RVGE), I have become more active in song-writing. It has been a medium to express my deepest thoughts. The guidance and experience I gained through my time in RVGE have enabled me to grow in my song-writing journey and stage performance. While I used to sing as a soloist in the past, I am now part of a 7-member band. When it was announced that my band had won, we were immensely proud and filled with gratitude for the journey we had undertook.

To sum up, one key takeaway from this song writing competition is the realization that each one of us has our own unique talents and when we collaborate, our potential is boundless. Music really has this special ability to unite anyone and everyone. I am thankful that the RV Guitar Ensemble family has been an integral part of my journey as a song-writer.

Winnis Lee Xin Rong (18J17) [RVGE]

Winning entry for RV63rd Song Writing Competition

Warming up

RVGE Singer-Songwriter - 2019 年“新空下”

六月中旬，我参加了“新空下”第五届全国学生新谣歌唱及创作比赛。怀着对音乐的满腔热忱，我中三就开始参赛。在偶像周杰伦的影响下，我不断捉摸作曲窍门，学习压力大时，通过写歌抒发情绪。

虽然今年是会考之年，学习压力很大，但我要把握这次机会，实现自我的理想。我为过去写的一首英文歌填上中文词。这首自创的《一步之遥》成功晋级决赛，获得创作组（公开）的优胜奖。《一步之遥》这首歌是勉励追逐梦想的青年，别轻易放弃理想，此时此刻，你很可能离梦想只有一步之遥。就如我收到晋级通知的那一刻，宛若一剂强心针，让我在追逐音乐的路上奋勇前行！

领奖的那刻，我无比光荣。这份成就，得之不易，背后究竟注入了多少的心血，淌下多少的热泪？一路坎坎坷坷，多亏有家人、老师和朋友的鼓舞，也感谢曾经否定过我的人，让我越挫越勇，宛如一颗钻石，经过琢磨，才能发光发热。就如《一步之遥》副歌的歌词：“抛开了阻挠，尽情地闪耀，心守着的梦想，只差一步之遥。”

李欣融 (18J17)

开心的一刻

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School-Wide Events and Activities

River Valley High School once again played host to participants of the Y.LEAD Seminar 2019 in July. Now into its eighth year, this week-long seminar has grown from strength to strength, reaching out to 490 student leaders across 8 different countries and 16 local schools, including RVHS.

This year, the Guest-of-Honour for the Opening Ceremony was Mr Baey Yam Keng,

Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Transport. Commenting on this year’s theme, [email protected], Mr Baey highlighted that the current generation of youths was growing up in an era of rapid change, with globalisation and technology affecting the way we live, work and play. He also emphasised how being part of the Y.LEAD Seminar had given participants the opportunity to appreciate the diversity of cultures, and forge relationships with peers from across Asia and beyond.

From exciting team games to visiting destinations like the National Museum and the Singapore Maritime Gallery, to completing the hallmark 15-hour Challenge, the experiences gained were at once enriching and memorable. Participant Thomas Jonathan Sherman King from Bergen County Academies in the US, recounted how everyone got the opportunity to learn about

Y. LEAD 2019

Participants working intently on their 15 Hour Challenge project

aspects of Singapore. He especially found the Commencement Night to be an unforgettable experience.

“Celebrating with everyone on the last night, the world seemed to melt away,” he said. Karin Ng, of class 3B, reciprocated his sentiments and also appreciated the opportunity provided for her to step out of her comfort zone. “Learning and growing together throughout the five-day journey has been enriching as we did everything together,” she said.

With the seminar concluding on such a positive note, we can only expect even more amazing experiences for next year’s participants.

Ng Chen Xi (19J05) and Wong Yoke Ting (19J10)

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Sports Canival & Cohesion Hike

The annual RV sports carnival was held in April 2019 and as usual, all students had a whale of a time.

For the inter-class game, we got to play volleyball which is a sport we learnt as part of our PE module. Despite my class not being able to make it to the semi-finals, I feel that we still managed to bond as a class by supporting one another. We also enjoyed playing games with our classmates, encouraging one another and playing purely for fun, making the game less competitive. This experience taught me that winning and losing are not everything in a competition, the process of training together and supporting one another throughout are what makes an event memorable.

Indeed, sports carnival not only ignites our passion for sports, but also allows us to bond as a class and at the same time, teaches us important values such as sportsmanship and the value of sports and games beyond awards and accolades.

Ultimate Frisbee

I enjoyed Sports Carnival 2019 with my class 3K; it enabled us to bond as a class. We also got to put our PE skills to good use, and witnessed interesting and competitive matches between students and teachers.

Brighton Wong (3K)

When you hear the word “hiking”, you would probably think of dirt, sweat and sheer fatigue. These are inevitable for me but it is the fond memories of class bonding that trump the exhaustion we felt during the cohesion hike. It was a precious time for our class to bond and interact outside our homerooms and lecture theatres.

It was most heartwarming to see everyone in class being themselves, basking in the atmosphere of the hike, while ensuring that everyone else was taken care of and no one was left behind.

The fun did not end after the hike as it was an unspoken rule to have a class lunch afterwards. It gave us the opportunity to go out as a class and enjoy a meal together as it was not easy to assemble all 20 of us together on a normal school day.

Cohesion hike will surely be an unforgettable memory of our JC life as it showed us that that despite challenges, the class can rally together to achieve a common goal.

Ice Yeo (18J02)

RV Street Dance performing to a wide variety of local and popular songs

Flag Party reciting the National Pledge with pride

The mascots from Centaur house posing in their “Caring Society” costumes!

National Day Celebrations

This year is Singapore’s Bicentennial, and to celebrate our Singapore Story from past to present, the official theme for this year’s National Day is “Our Singapore”. In light of this, our theme for this year’s concert is “Our Singapore Story”. This theme emphasises the importance of knowing and appreciating the stories of all Singaporeans, and celebrates the passing of the Singapore Story from the pioneers to the younger generations, entrusting them with the responsibility of Singapore’s future.

Starting off this year ’s National Day Celebrations was the parade contingent, led by the Uniformed Groups. The VIA committee invited the elderly from Thye Hua Kwan to watch the parade.

The National Day concert had 4 sub-themes - Remembrance, Resilience, Togetherness, and Dreams. These themes took us through the dreams of Singapore’s pioneers, and asked us important questions about our aspirations.

A special segment, the “Mascot Competition”, was created to involve as many RVians as possible in a physical creation of their dreams for Singapore. Each House crafted a mascot that embodies an aspect of future Singapore and showcased it during the fashion walk.

To end the concert with a bang, we invited representatives from all the CCAs to wave the Singapore flags while the whole school sang to this year’s theme song “Our Singapore”, a remix of the 2015 version of the song and “We Will Get There”.

This is the first year that the National Day Concert was a collaboration between the National Education Council and the Students’ Council, and this opportunity allowed us to play

to our respective strengths and learn from one another in the process. We hope that RVians enjoyed the celebrations and will carry on the Singapore Dream and bring Singapore to greater heights as pioneers of the future.

Carmen Wong (19J0) and Angel Ho (19J02)

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Teachers' Day Celebrations

The theme for this year’s Teachers’ Day celebration is 春风化雨, Nurture. Influence. Educate. It signifies the profound impact teachers have on our growth. When conceptualising the theme, our organising committee envisioned the celebrations to highlight the significant contributions teachers have made in our lives, and show our appreciation to all the staff who have supported us in our RV journey.

When planning the Teachers’ Day celebration, we were presented with different challenges – from planning the Staff Appreciation Week to preparing our first ever Teachers’ Day photo booth and even coordinating the flow of the concert. It was this process that enabled our organising committee to forge stronger bonds. We also learnt the importance of having clarity in our purpose and working together as a team to achieve synergy.

During the concert, we were very heartened to see performers putting in so much effort to deliver the best performances for our teachers. One of the highlights of the concert was the mass singing segment, led by our JC2 Choir seniors. It was a very touching sight to see all our JC2 seniors sing “You Raise Me Up” together to appreciate what teachers have done for them. Another highlight was the Staff Appreciation Awards segment, where we played a video “A Day in the Life of our school’s non-teaching staff” which moved some teachers and students to tears. This made us realise that our role as organising committee is not just to organise a concert but to touch the hearts and inspire all of us to care a little more, to appreciate a little more.

Teachers’ Day Concert is not merely a success of collective efforts. It also reinforced a culture of care, and we were very encouraged to achieve what we had envisioned.

Zhao Xin Hua Amanda (4A) and Tian Qi (19J13)

Awards in appreciation of Teachers

LCDC Events / Activities

55 volunteers from classes 4B and 4K participated in Sharity Day 2019 on the 14th of August as student volunteers.

Sharity Day is an event organized by the National Council of Social Services that invites students from both primary schools as well as Special Education (SPED) schools to have an enjoyable time getting to know each other through carnival games at Gardens by the Bay.

The event mainly revolves around the theme of sharing and caring, and aims to foster strong friendships among young students.

The student volunteers were tasked to help out as station-masters for the various game booths and facilitate teamwork during the activities.

Other students were involved in the food distribution for the participants and volunteers at the event. Managing the food for over 1200 students proved to be challenging. We had to communicate with one another and with participants to ensure that the food was given out efficiently and accurately. This made me realise that everyone’s role is of equal importance and without everyone’s cooperation, the event would not run smoothly.

I was in charge of the booth named “Sharity Act-Out”. The aim of the game was to act out actions that are related to a given topic, with

the most creative team winning. What left an impression on me was the interaction that the children had within their groups. To win, they looked beyond their differences and came up with the most exciting actions.

From this, I witnessed the strong teamwork they had in their groups, which ultimately proved the success of this carnival for both participants and volunteers.

Tay Yu Xuan (4B), Maczim Yap Haw Zhun (4K) and Ng Wei Jie (4K)

4B and 4K Sharity Day 2019 VIA

Playing Sharity Act Out with Education Minister for Education Mr Ong Ye Kung

4B and 4K volunteers at Gardens by the Bay


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LCDC Events / Activities

A group of like-minded J1 students who have a deep interest in the environment set up “The Green Space” in 2018 and we have been running various VIA projects to raise awareness and advocate eco-friendliness.

This year, we ran a year-long project “Eco-Heroes”, aiming to nurture children’s passion for the environment. With the mindset that “Habit should start from young,’’ the organizing committee planned fun and interactive activities suitable for kindergarten children. We collaborated with Shining Stars Kindergarten and the children had a hands-on experience with recycling. The games allowed them to be creative while learning about what it means to be eco-friendly. The first few sessions that taught the children general knowledge on recycling laid the foundation for subsequent sessions that translated what they learnt into action.

Eco-Heroes

Putting what they learned to test Session 5 group photo

Neo Yu Han (19J04), an enthusiastic facilitator who guided children for the first time said, “I feel that the event is meaningful. The concept of inculcating values of environmental-friendliness from young is a good way to start changing the society for the better.”

The team has set their sights on creating a community garden as a step further to develop environmental literacy in children as part of the Eco Hero Project expansion plan.

Secondary 4s who have a keen awareness of the environment are highly encouraged to volunteer as a facilitator to guide and nurture eco-consciousness in children. The experience allows them to gain the knowledge and skills to be ready to sustain the project and incorporate innovative ideas.

Crystal Tey Qian Hui (19J04)

RV commemorated Racial Harmony Day (RHD) on Thursday 18thJuly 2019 during CCE lesson. This year’s theme “The Singapore Connection” aims to get students to reflect on how connected we are as Singaporeans in terms of shared experiences and values. It also encouraged us to do our part to create an open and inclusive culture in Singapore.

The highlight of this year’s RHD programme was having the CCE representatives to take the lead and facilitate the learning for their own classmates. It was a rare opportunity to be a CCE teacher for a day and many representatives were glad to conduct the activity-based session. They turned out mostly successful even for the lower secondary classes. To prepare for the event, all CCE representatives received a hands-on training session conducted by members of the National Education Council.

Firstly, students formed expert groups and watched a short video clip about a particular culture they were assigned to. As the experts, they were in charge of sharing with their group mates what they learnt. Everyone in the group was tasked to share the similarities their assigned cultural group has with others using raffia strings and post-it notes. The activity allowed students to realize that although Singapore’s population is multi-racial, there are actually so many commonalities that bind us together as one people, be it food, culture, tradition or beliefs.

With these connections, we should continue to live harmoniously as we always do with one another even if we are of different races, creed, language or religion. Singapore’s strength lies in our melting pot of diverse cultures.

Teo Rui Hong (2E) and Issac Chin (2A)

Racial Harmony Day Commemoration

Reflections on what makes us similar

Training session for the CCE representatives

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On 5th July 2019, the RV Dance Society was invited to perform at The Singapore Youth Festival Celebrations at the Esplanade. The SYF Celebrations is an annual event organised by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to develop well-rounded, passionate learners by providing students with an inclusive and collaborative platform to express their artistic talents and creative voices.

Despite facing spatial constraints and academic challenges during our preparation, we were thankful for the positive and encouraging feedback given by the public.

Finally, we are honoured to receive this opportunity from MOE to perform for this event.

Chan Jing Wen (3D)President, RV Dance Society

SYF Celebration @ Esplanade

CCAC Events / Activities

光电影分享会

你好，我名叫文光。我看起来友善、乐于助人、平易近人。有时候我看起来可能会有点奇怪，可是希望你可以谅解。我有自闭症。—— 《光》

《光》这部电影历经三年多的制作，无数次的拍摄和剪辑才终于得以上映。导演以自身经历改编，希望通过这部电影让更多人了解自闭症患者，并且告诉他们：自闭症患者只是与我们不一样，像是来自星星的孩子被迫要融入这个陌生的世界，但他们也很努力、很想要被人们接纳。

《光》是导演郭修篆拍摄的第一部电影，灵感来自于他和患有自闭症的哥哥的故事。影片中的大部分场景其实就是导演与他哥哥生活片段的真实写照。在电影分享会中，导演与我们分享道，他的哥哥虽然是个自闭症患者，但是与影片中的主人公文光一样是个天才，哥哥拥有过人的数学天赋，现在已经成为一名大学数学教授。

其实这个社会对自闭症患者有很多偏见，因为他们的与众不同造成他们无法很好的与其他人沟通，所以总被人当成是白痴、弱智。通过拍摄这部电影，两位主演都表示他们对自闭症患者的印象有很大的改变。饰演弟弟的张顺源曾认为自闭症患者是社会累赘，因为他们无法对社会做出任何贡献。但经过此次拍摄，他发现自闭症患者也有自己的才华长处，也应该得到人们的尊重。

除了电影内容感人，《光》的画面也颇有艺术感，尤其是当患有自闭症的文光手握着一朵白花，开心地转着圈，旁边的鸽子纷纷拍打翅膀，环绕着文光飞舞。这唯美的画面成为了电影的经典画面之一，但是捕捉这个镜头的过程十分不易。这些鸽子是由当地的一个老伯饲养的。制作组为了希望能够在恰好的光线下拍摄，必须下午五点开始录制，但是老伯总在下午三点

喂鸽子，吃饱喝足的鸽子们不再受食物的诱惑，不愿聚集在一处。制作组不断拜托老伯不要喂鸽子，“四顾茅庐”才终于在第四次拜访老伯的时候拍摄到了他们想要的那一幕。在那一幕戏中，文光非常的开心，那一幕，他是自由的、快乐的。他可以沉浸在自己的世界里，不用在意他人的评价或眼光。

或许之前我们没办法理解这群自闭症者，但是这部影片就像是给我们打开了一道门，让我们能够开始走进他们的世界，尝试着了解他们。我们不应仅是容忍他们，更要去接纳他们。这是我们迈向开放性、包容性社会的第一步。

張婧雯 (3C), 曾钰琦 (4B)

Vibrant performance by RV dancers

光电影分享会

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Freestyle Drill Performance at the Istana

Our RVNCC Freestyle Drill 2019 Competition Team was given the opportunity to perform at the Istana Open House this year. It was the first time that NCC FSD and PDS performed on the Istana grounds, and we are honoured to have been given this rare opportunity.

For many of us, it was our first time visiting the Istana and it was an eye-opening experience. We were given a very warm welcome by the staff at the Istana and also received unwavering support from our supporters and members of the public.

We had a fruitful and enjoyable experience, and would like to give our heartfelt gratitude to HQNCC for making this possible. The experience of performing our very own FSD routine at the Istana is unforgettable.

Hmone Nanthar Htut (3J)


2019年3月4日，《笔墨青春》新书发布会于校内学思图书馆进行，本地作家尤今老师也参与了发布会。本书由尤今老师指导，46位写作班的学生结合自己的校园与生活经历，用心书写，最后由老师们精心挑选出53篇佳作，集结而成。小作家的父母也莅临会场给予支持，大家表现特别雀跃。

接下来，让我们一起聆听参与的学生对此次新书发布会的感想吧。

写作班学生（肖玥）

在这场发布会里，我们作为写作班的学生在短短的一小时内，不仅聆听到了3位学长学习华文以来的一些心得，也进一步目睹了尤今老师的风采，她分享的一段蕴含寓意的小故事，让我们备受启发。

尤今老师分享的这个小故事是关于文艺复兴时期的一位伟大的雕塑艺术家米开朗基罗。他的作品《大卫》最为人们所熟知。但是，世人们所不知的是这背后米开朗基罗为“大卫”挑选石材的故事。其实，用来雕刻“大卫”的石头是一块有裂缝的大理石。由于石头上有一条很长的清晰可见的裂缝，这块大理石在雕塑家眼里并不受欢迎。但是，当时米开朗基罗却没有与旁人一样，用世俗的眼光去看待这块看似不完美的大理石。他一眼便相中了这块大理石，认定了它就是用来雕刻“大卫”的不二之选。因为

他更看重的是这块石头的条纹与质地。尤今老师想要借由这个故事来告诉我们写作的道理：当我们在挑选写作素材时，就好比米开朗基罗在挑选大理石一样，我们必须以与他人不同的角度来挑选素材，这样写出来的文章才会不落窠臼，别具一格。

发布会司仪（颜熙愉、肖玥）

我们二人仍记得那是我们第一次在校内如此重要的场合上当司仪，还是全华文的司仪稿。其中最有挑战的部分是现场采访小作者们的环节，因为我们必须随机问一些问题。过程中既有紧张也有兴奋。当发布会圆满结束时，我们如释重负，也为自己的表现感到满足。这次给予我们当司仪的机会让我们获益不浅，既从学长学姐们身上学到了写作的一些技巧，又锻炼了我们的演讲能力。非常感谢胡欣然老师如此信任我们，把新书发布会那么重要的角色给了我们。

学生观众（颜慈涵）

在发布会上，让我印象最深刻的是小作者之一黄天闻学姐的一番话。她说：“我们读过的书就像我们吃过的饭所变成的脂肪一样，会永远地留在我们的身体里。”这句话看似滑稽，但却启发了我。这句话让我明白了我们一旦吸收了某种知识，它便会铭刻在我们的脑海里。这也激发了我阅

读课外书的欲望。发布会因学长们幽默风趣的发言而变得趣味横生。他们用开玩笑的语气来提出自己写作上的一些不足，让本来无趣的内容变得生动了起来。

在发布会后的赠书环节，我们有幸能向学长们领取精美的书签，而书签上还有他们亲手写的鼓励我们的名言警句。我所拿到的是黄天闻学姐的写的“书中自有黄金屋，书中自有颜如玉”的书签；书签的另一面则是学校操场的照片。这张小小的书签让我的心情澎湃不已！这场发布会让我重新了解到了华文及创作的美好，使我对华文的热忱又上了新的层次。

《笔墨青春》新书发布会尤今老师、学校领导和小作家们合影留念

小作者赠送书签给前来参加《笔墨青春》新书发布会的同学们

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On the 15th of March, the River Valley String Ensemble (RVSE) had the opportunity to perform once again at the National Museum. This time, however, was different as we collaborated with the Super Trouper Choir from MINDS Special Education School. It was truly an experience different from our previous collaborative performances. This time, we were able to incorporate the melodious voices of this unique choir to create a beautiful performance that celebrated the value of inclusiveness and strength of diversity.

Singapore Rhapsodies @ National Museum of Singapore (collaboration with MINDS Choir)

RVSE X Super Trouper coming together to celebrate their love for music, inclusiveness and diversity

Our rehearsals, interactions, and eventual performance with the MINDS choir gave us fresh perspectives and experiences. Driven by our passion for music, we we created a performance that reflected our diverse repetoire. When we first met, we hardly knew anything about each other, but with our very short rehearsal time together, we saw the raw passion they had for the music they made. We found that they related to music very differently from us. While we read the notes and lyrics on our sheet music and tended to analyse the technical aspects, they focused on the emotion they wanted to embody. When the training got too rigorous, it was easy for us to lose sight of the purpose and joy of making music. Working with the Super Trouper choir gave us the opportunity to see music in the purest sense and perform with the intention of conveying a message and emotions. This experience has certainly reminded us of the true value of making music.

Despite our busy schedule at that time, we practised hard to provide the music accompaniment for the MINDS choir who sang two meaningful songs, “Better Place” by Rachel Plattern and “Million Dreams” from The Greatest Showman. Our shared vision motivated us to channel our passion into our performance. We are happy to say that we delivered, and we walked off that stage proud of what we had achieved. Together.

Hu Huiying (18J11) and Megan Huang (18J1)

Performing “Better Place” with courage and hope

RVCO Camp and Music Exchange with Manjusri Sec and Pasir Ris Sec

2019年3月22日，我校华乐团邀请思励中学华乐团以及文殊中学华乐团来到立化中学进行华乐交流活动。华乐交流旨在促进不同学校华乐团成员之间的关系，并提供演奏交流的平台。来自三所中学的259位华乐团成员齐聚一堂，在十几位学生组长的带领下度过了一个难忘而又充满意义的上午。

在礼堂里，三所学校的华乐团上台演奏了SYF的指定曲和自选曲。在欣赏其他学校华乐团的乐曲演奏时，立化同学也注意到友校演奏的亮点。立化中一学生连若珊说道：“我本人是演奏二胡的，因此留意聆听文殊中学的二胡演奏，听了演奏后，我学习二胡更有动力了。”笛子组则认为，思励中学的笛子演奏出彩，立化华乐团可以学习他校笛子演奏时的全情投入。

在各所学校表演完成后，同学们根据自己所演奏的乐器，分成了不同的小组进行交流。这样，不同学校华乐团的学生就可以有针对性地交流乐器的演奏技巧。在各个乐器小组长的带领下，三所学校的华乐团成

员通过玩游戏很快就熟悉了起来。管乐的组长郑宇轩说道：“因为大家都演奏相同的乐器，我们很快就找到了共同话题。同学们都很享受游戏的过程，也交流了在华乐团的心得。”

同日，我校华乐团也举行了一年一度的立化华乐营，旨在通过游戏迎接新生。华乐学生被分成小组，通过玩游戏来培养沟通与团结的能力，促进与其他团员的关系，让大家对华乐有归属感。毕竟只有在团员们互相了解与配合下，才能够奏出 “振奋人心，感动全场” 的音乐。

首次参加华乐营的卢姿廷同学表示：“以前，我只和中一学生或者是与我练习相同乐器的团员们沟通，其他人我几乎都不认识。但这次华乐营让我有机会认识新朋友，一起合作完成任务，让我对我原本陌生的团员有一些了解，很期待下一次的华乐营！”来自管乐组的蔡长明已经不是第一次参加华乐营了，但这却是他第一次配合华乐团的理事来举办这次的活动，不仅

感叹“看似简单的游戏，其实要通过重重的考察和准备”。

感谢负责举办华乐营的同学，你们为华乐团付出的努力与时间，团员们都会牢记在心。希望下一届的执委能再接再厉，为华乐团制造更多精彩瞬间！

胡佳智 (4C)

华乐营破冰游戏


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RVGE Guitarist: From Zero to Pro Learning Journey 1 (NUS Concert)

The RVGE students attended NUS Guitar Ensemble’s Kaleidoscope Concert and the highlights of the concert included the chance to watch the Niibori ensemble performance and a repertoire drawn from Japanese, Spanish and Western classical music. The technical mastery of the guitar players was certainly an inspiration to those of us who are beginners.

One of our favourite pieces was “A Town with an Ocean View from Kiki’s Delivery Service”. This light-hearted Japanese piece reminded us of the scene when the young witch – Kiki, first arrived at her seaside home. The whimsical melody, coupled with the use of the pizzicato technique and tambourine, worked harmoniously to bring forth Kiki’s childlike curiosity and her sense of wonder as she embarks on an adventure-filled phase in her life.

Another piece which left an impact on me was “Classical Gas”, the only piece which included

the use of electric guitars. This was a rare treat, given that guitar ensembles usually play classical music. The combination of a classical guitar solo accompanied by the drum set and two electric guitars formed an illuminating whole, and a beautiful experience for us all.

To sum up, attending this concert deepened our interest in guitar and motivated us to be better performers.

我们很荣幸有机会于3月9日欣赏NUS吉他社团举办的Kaleidoscope演奏会。这个音乐会让我们欣赏到日本，西班牙和西方古典音乐。与此同时，我们也感受到了各种类音色的吉他如何相互衬托并达到乐曲的和谐。

乐曲 A Town with an Ocean View的轻快旋律，让我们想起年轻的女巫Kiki最初到达她临海家时的场景。这奇幻精巧，绝妙的拨弹技巧和小手鼓的运用很好的诠

释了Kiki登上的人生全新而又充满挑战旅途时的好奇和惊奇感。

Er Chen Xin (19J01), Sarah Anyssa (19J17), Ruth Kang Ming Ying (19J18), Lim Shi Yun (19J20) [RVGE]

Looking forward to the performance


On the 31st of March, RV Guitar Ensemble (RVGE) members had the opportunity to attend the Hanabi 花火 concert, held at the School of The Arts. This concert comprised an assortment of performances put up by various guitar ensembles, one of which was the Xposé Guitar Ensemble. For those who were privileged enough to attend it, it was truly an enriching experience. The opening piece was named after the popular Disney Movie, “Beauty and the Beast”. Despite this being a piece selected from a children’s movie, it brought out the essence of the movie and was a wonderful start to the concert.

Besides this song, the Xposé Guitar Ensemble also showcased songs from other prominent movies, such as “Mary and the Witch’s Flower”, and “The Mission”. The music arrangement allowed us to gain further insight on how music can depict stories vividly. As each of these pieces was played, we could feel a connection to the story behind the song. This was truly an eye-opening experience! More notably, we were deeply inspired to see how an 11-year old boy – Ng Jing Kai, a member of the Xposé Guitar Ensemble could compose such a beautiful and

RVGE Guitarist: From Zero to ProLearning Journey 2 (SOTA Concert)

New JC1 guitarists

light-hearted melody titled “Break of Dawn”. His brilliant composition showed us that as long as we persevere, we can overcome the challenges as a beginning guitar player and go on to create such a lovely piece of music.

We were equally fascinated by the conductor, Mr Ow Leong San. Throughout all the performances, we were amazed by the various techniques he adopted, in a bid to entertain the audience. One of the highlights was him dressing up as Mario during the song “Super Mario Brothers”, sharing with the audience about how and where the pieces originated from, the hidden meanings and stories behind each unique song. He went on to share with the audience his personal experiences on trips where he went to see the composers of the songs, to better understand the piece. His dedication to music was inspiring.

In sum, this was indeed an unforgettable concert as it broadened our horizons. It allowed us to witness how professional and dedicated musicians can be. We also gained much insights on how different elements can be incorporated into music pieces to enhance the quality of the

song. The virtuosity of the performance reminded us of the effort that goes into a performance. . This realization will continue to motivate us to hone our guitar skills so that we too, can one day attain such a high standard of performance. Finally, we would like to thank RVGE’s teachers-in-charge - Mr Paul Hung and Ms Lee Wei Min, for providing us with such an opportunity to learn and grow as musicians.

Er Chen Xin (19J01), Sarah Anyssa (19J17), Ruth Kang Ming Ying (19J18), Lim Shi Yun (19J20) [RVGE]

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Learning Journey to the Singapore Zoo

Learning Journey to the Zoo

On 25th July, PA Club went on a Learning Journey to the Singapore Zoo. The trip was meant to learn about technical aspects such as setup and cues in a very different environment.

We were invited into a control room, where the sound technicians introduced the system and equipment, and explained how they coordinated

the sound effects with the show host’s speech. This was truly an eye-opening experience for all of us!

We learnt that the sound technicians and the hosts for the shows have to work closely together for the show to run smoothly. This is different from what we are used to. During

school events and performances, the AV crew and the performers may pass information to each other via the stage OCs. This is because in the context of the school, the operation of the PA crew is more complex as it involves large groups of performers and committee members.

This learning journey has given us some ideas on establishing communication between the control room and backstage. We find that the use of hand signals is useful during shows in school as walkies-talkies are not always available.

The learning journey was not only enriching, it was also an opportunity to learn something new in a different environment. We had the chance to feed elephants, and goats, and interact with the animal show dogs. It was truly a fulfilling trip for all of us as we bonded and learnt together.

Quek Joo Yee (19J03)


Company Hike at the Marang Trail

Girl Guides Singapore follows the 5 Point Programme which includes an outdoor activity. As part of our efforts to promote appreciation of the outdoors, RVGG organised a company hike to the Marang Trail@Southern Ridges in April. The Guides had a fun time working in their patrols to complete a bingo sheet while exploring the beautiful scenery nature had to offer. It was also an enriching experience as the Guides learnt about some interesting aspects of Singapore through the landmarks along the trail. For example, we learned more about Singapore’s history from 1819 to the present day through a tour of the gallery at Faber Peak.

To improve our outdoor camping skills and strengthen our team synergy, we also organised a company outdoor cooking session in May. Patrols had to work together to cook a meal for themselves in 3 hours. The Sec3s and Sec4s were responsible for lighting an outdoor fire, while

Company Hikes (Marang Trail, Gardens by the Bay) and July Campthe juniors took charge of food preparation. Through this experience, Guides not only learnt how to start a fire, but also learnt how to be organised yet flexible. Working in teams also honed our communication skills. We have had

an enriching semester which saw us acquire essential outdoor skills

Lee Yan Qing (4J)

Guides doing outdoor cooking

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On 13 May 2019, River Valley Art Club held an exciting Art Jamming session at the school canteen from 4pm to 6pm.

There were more than 50 participants, ranging from Sec 1 to JC2 participants, as well as teachers. During the session, students were provided with acrylic paint as well as canvases, and were given the freedom to paint what interests them. During the session, we saw that many of the participants had their own unique ideas and styles.

As facilitators, we assisted them in their painting, gave them suggestions and advised them on how to start or continue their paintings. We discovered many budding talents in our midst and the

Art Club:Art Jamming

Participants and their masterpieces

impressive art pieces generated a lot of buzz among the participants. It was a sight to behold, watching all of the participants paint, since activities like Art Jamming are uncommon.

During the session, we saw that many of the participants had their own unique ideas and styles. We learnt that many of our RVians are interested in the fine arts, especially painting. fine arts, in particular painting. Art Jamming in our school is a great method to reach out to more students who have such an interest and bring like-minded participants together.

Tong Wan Jing (3C)

On 21st August 2019, the River Valley Art Club went on an Aesthetics Department learning journey to the National Gallery. We had the opportunity to learn more about two specific oil paintings, namely “Black Bird, Sun and Man” and “To you People of Yogya”, which were created in the 1940s to 50s in Indonesia. “To you people of Yogya” focuses on people’s suffering inflicted by the Dutch soldiers, while “Black bird, sun and man” focuses on hardships experienced by the people during that period.

We also got to see many beautiful artworks by Singapore’s contemporary and student artists along the corridors as well. I personally like the SYF art pieces done by students and the interactive exhibition done by an artist specialising in charcoal drawing. It was a treat to be guided by the artist herself.

Analysing the painting “Black bird, sun, man”

The visit was an enriching one. It deepened our knowledge of art, the possible meanings of art works, and how to interpret details in the artwork.

Teo Hui Suan (2I)

Art Club: Learning Journey to National GAllery

At the courtroom

Master and the Apprentice

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CIDC Events / Activities

透视中国双语论坛

今年，由我校和通商中国联办的“透视中国学生双语论坛”进入第四个年头。此次论坛的主题为“亚细安与中国: 合作还是竞争？”，共吸引了超过1000名校内外师生出席。论坛以双语进行，现场提供了同声传译让不同族裔的同学一起了解中国和亚细安合作的最新发展和前景。与往年不同的是，此次论坛还提供了分会场，通过直播方式让更多同学有机会聆听专家分享。

论坛主宾贸工部兼教育部高级政务部长

徐芳达在致辞时提到，新加坡必须继续强化我国的优势，并且寻找更多的发展机会。亚细安推动了新加坡与中国合作的广度与深度、加深了彼此的认识，因此徐部长也一再强调我国的年轻一代未来会扮演的角色举足轻重。只有当更多年轻人对东南亚地区感兴趣，不断观察这个地区的发展趋势，找到新加坡可以扮演的重要角色，才能使新加坡成为中国与亚细安合作中不可或缺的桥梁。

两位主讲嘉宾，新加坡国立大学李光耀

公共政策学院顾清扬副教授和新加坡尤索夫伊萨东南亚研究所亚细安研究中心主任邓秀岷博士对于中国和亚细安的关系发表了各自的看法。

贸工部兼教育部高级政务部长徐芳达和国立大学李光耀公共政策学院顾清扬副教授以及尤索夫伊萨东南亚研究所亚细安研究中心主任邓秀岷博士出席论坛

回溯历史，展望未来 - 记 2019 双文化营

2019年6月3日，由教育部课程规划与发展司主办，立化中学担任营长学校的双文化学习营，在国立大学城 (U Town) 拉开序幕。来自七所开办双文化课程学校的学子们怀着满腔的期待，开始了他们为期三天的学习旅程。

在负责老师、主席与副主席介绍完营会守则之后，短短的kahoot（线上问答比拼）环节，迅速地点燃了同学们的热情。在小组组长们的引导下，破冰游戏也顺利进行。同学们围成一圈坐着，时不时发出一阵阵欢笑声。原本的陌生与尴尬渐渐被熟悉取代。随后，傅琼花博士的讲座——《透视中国》，从独特的视角，让大家深刻地了解了新中关系以及合作的机遇与挑战。陈威仁先生的《以新加坡视角探索亚洲》，从文物来研究文明，从文明来探索文化。亚洲文化、甚至世界文化的传承与交流，其实与我们的生活息息相关。作为新加坡本地的年轻人，我们更应该把握我们的优势，以应对瞬息万变的国际局势。

第二天，大家来到了新加坡河畔的亚洲文明博物馆。在义务导览员的详细解说下，同学们了解了贸易往来与思想交流对今日国家发展的影响。沿着新加坡河漫步，大家对新加坡早年的繁荣有了具

体的理解，拍下了许多值得回味的视频。

今年，大家也从几位双文化学子倾心创作的歌曲中，投票选出了我们七校共有的双文化营歌。最后一天的闭营文艺演出上，大家也纷纷展露自己的才华，载歌载舞，场内呼声连连、热闹非凡。时间如白驹过隙，一转眼2019年双文化学习营就已接近尾声。刚与大家相遇的场面还历历在目，如今，大家已经是相识相知的朋友。惊风飘白日，光景西驰流。短短两天稍纵即逝，但积极探索的习惯与求知若渴的态度，将会与这段独一无二的回忆一起，陪伴着我们，在未来的学习道路上同行。

双语双文化，世界无限大。双文化的莘莘学子们，我们明年再见！

章楚颖 (4B)

青春洋溢的双文化学子

顾清扬副教授认为中国与亚细安的合作

空间大于竞争空间，因为双方有很大的互补性。他首先提到了“东亚模式转型”，从前，东亚国家将美国等西方国家视为最终市场，通过将产品出口这些地方获取利润。然而，近年来美国等西方国家的消费能力下降，东亚国家需另辟蹊径才能维持经济的持续发展。顾教授认为，中国与亚细安可形成像高铁那样的合作关系，由中国这个制造业中心为区域经济领导者的车头，通过衔接每节“车厢”（各亚细安国家）的动力来源形成规模效应，带动区域经济发展。顾教授还提出双方应以“合作竞争战略”建立共赢的生态系统，中国和亚细安国家在产业结构、资源禀赋、国家多元性及差异性上有很大的互补性，因而有很多合作的空间。从整个价值链的角度思考，中国与亚细安国家能通过合作减少对外部消费市场的依赖，达到维持东南亚经济发展的重要目标。虽然双方在贸易上难免竞争，但这种竞争是可以实现共赢的非零和博弈。不拘于双方之间的小的输赢，而是努力在全球市场创造更大的价值，做大共同的蛋糕。

第二位主讲嘉宾，邓秀岷博士则认为亚

细安不能因为与中国有密切的关系就忽略其

崛起可能带来的威胁。第一，就亚细安研究中心的调查显示，亚细安各界超过45%的专家认为中国将成为“修正主义强权”国家，中国把亚细安划为自己影响力范围可能会限制亚细安与区域外国家的关系。第二，中国在南海课题上的态度也许就是其成为世界大国后处理外交事务的缩影，中国选择性承认国际法的行为表达了“强权即真理”的态度，让周边国家感到不安。第三，中国是亚细安最大贸易伙伴，是亚细安经济发展动力来源。若中国在产生分歧时利用亚细安对中国的经济依赖来施压，亚细安的处境将会很困难。邓博士总结时说道，不论是对中国、美国或任何大国，亚细安都应以维护自身利益为重、不屈服于他国威胁。同时，我们应理智看待中国崛起，不过于乐观也不强烈抵制，对其带来的机遇和威胁均有所了解。

这次的论坛让我们开拓了眼界、获益匪

浅。我们对亚细安和中国的关系有了更深层的认识，并且提升了我们对此课题的兴趣。我们认为中国与亚细安能够通过共同的目标把竞争化为合作，因为双方一直以来在经济方面分歧不大，互补性强，通过合作加强东南亚市场在全球市场的重要性，对双方来说都是有利无害的。

苏雨嫣 (4C), 叶婷 (19J20)

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Centre of Excellence in Education Research Science Institute (USA)

The Research Science Institute (RSI) is a six-week attachment programme organised by the Centre of Excellence in Education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, USA. We were among the six JC 1 students nationwide to be selected by the Ministry of Education (Singapore) to participate in this prestigious programme, as part of the MOE Overseas Student Attachment Programme. The RSI which took place from 23rd June to 3rd August 2019, targets 80 high school students, both international and and local students, who are highly passionate about

research and the STEM fields. It aims to create greater awareness among youths about the importance of broad-based knowledge, curiosity and a global outlook in the pursuit of scientific excellence.

During the first week, we attended insightful Physics and Engineering lectures conducted by eminent scientists on game theory, particle physics and mechanics. We then went on individual research attachments where we were mentored by renowned professors on advanced investigations in applied machine learning and mechanical engineering at the Network Science Institute and the Nanophotonics and 3D Nanomanufacturing Lab at MIT. The programme culminated with the presentation of our academic papers at the RSI Symposium.

Apart from academic pursuits, we also forged new friendships with peers from different countries through many social activities such as cultural appreciation night and Independence Day celebrations. In conclusion, the RSI has been a very meaningful and rigorous programme and we would like to thank the Science Leaders Academy and MOE for this invaluable opportunity.

Ng Simin (19J08) and Lim Jia Qing (19J11)

Our students, Lim Jia Qing (19J11, 1st row 5th from left) and Ng Si Min (19J08, 2nd row 3rd from right), with other CEE-RSI delegates.

Lim Jia Qing (right) participating in dormitory games

最近，我校知名校友林子恒回到立化与双文化领袖学研中心的同学们分享了他做记者的经验以及他对中国崛起的一些看法。

林学长本身是联合早报前北京特派员，做过很多关于中国的特稿，一支笔，一张纸，一个镜头，一个录音器对他来说就足以记录人间万象。表面上看，也许有人会觉得做记者很轻松，但自己一个人去录制一段视频、采访、剪辑等其实很不容易。记者还需要学会怎样和受访者建立良好关系，获得他们的信任，才能让他们更愿意回答记者的问题，才能确保新闻的内容真实可靠。

作为特派记者，林学长也与我们分享了他对中国崛起以及中美贸易战的一些看法。林学长认为也许在十年后，中国和美国打贸易战时，结局会是两败俱伤，但目前若中美贸易战持续下去，中国会损失惨重，对美国来说则影响不大。换个角度思考，其实中美贸易战对中国来说也并不一定是件坏事，因为它让中国意识到自己并没有想象中那么强，中美贸易战会迫使中国进行全面的经

济改革，长期来说，对中国还是有益的。

林学长也与我们分享道，近年来中国加强了在印度洋的影响力，投资了数十亿美元修建港口设施和规划海上贸易路线，成为“一带一路”计划的一部分。在这个过程中，像斯里兰卡这样的小国却背上了自己无力偿还的债务。官方称，斯里兰卡欠中国国有企业逾80亿美元（约合530亿元人民币），只好同意将具有战略意义的汉班托塔(Hambantota)港移交给中国，签了一份长达99年的租约。批评人士称，此交易威胁到了斯里兰卡的主权。中国的这

种做法让其他国家感到不安，并意识到了中国巨额投资承诺的长远代价。

林学长最后总结道中国的崛起并不是一件坏事。但是中国必须要学会怎样做一名让人尊重，认同的好“领袖”，才能赢取其他国家对她的信任，并心甘情愿地和她合作。

陈艺娴 (3B), 符永泰 (3B)

一支笔，记载世间万事

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From 24th to 28th June 2019, our group of nine Secondary 4 and JC1 students participated in the STEP Technology Camp organised by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore (NUS). This international residential camp was supported by the Temasek Foundation International. It aims to inspire students in technological innovation and research which are key to the Smart Nation initiative. There were 25 teams comprising more than 100 participants from Singapore and eight other ASEAN countries.

During this exciting week, we completed a series of lectures on Artificial Intelligence, Embedded Systems and Machine Learning. Workshops at the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Lab and the Satellite Technology and Research Centre showed us how traditional notions of transport were redefined and revolutionised with new technologies. In the Autonomous Car

Temasek Foundation International- NUS STEP Camp

Amazing Race, teams of four worked together on constructing and programming a miniature autonomous car which could navigate through a maze and accomplish complex tasks. Two teams with Xu Mengyuan (4A) and Jeremiah He Shuo (4H) did well in the race, earning a Merit Award each while Nevin Allen Marian’s (19J08) team won the Best Design Award.

In addition, our stay at the residential college of NUS University Town gave us a taste of boarding school life. The cultural and team-bonding activities also provided the opportunity for us to network with like-minded youths from the region. In short, STEP Camp was an eye-opener which projected the future of digital revolution that could transform the way we live, work and play.

Nevin Allen Marian (19J08)

Teng Yee Shin (4A) testing his miniature automous car in the maze

Nevin Allen Marian (19J08, right) and his team won the Best Design Award at the Autonomous Car Amazing Race


#startathon Junior is an event designed for budding dealers, makers, coders, designers and empathisers to ideate, prototype and validate their business ideas. It aims to encourage students to have “entrepreneurial dare” - to push boundaries, innovate and look for a breakthrough in order to create value for society.

On 16th and 17th August 2019, the Science Leaders Academy co-organised this annual event with the NTU Nanyang Technopreneurship Centre for the 4th year. Participants had 24 hours to ideate, investigate and implement business solutions to problems relevant to this year’s theme, “Sustainable Mother Earth.” This year’s event saw 21 teams with about 100 students from 14 schools participating in the Main Category and the new Open Category which had mixed teams comprising members from different schools.

Throughout the challenge, the participants were involved in rigorous design thinking sessions and masterclasses to expand the creative dimensions of their ideas. One of the guest judges, Dr Franklin Anariba, an Engineering Product Development lecturer from the Singapore University of Technology and Design also shared

useful pointers with the teams to refine their solutions at the Idea Validation segment. Sharon Gong Xinhui and Flavia Yen Xuan Lin’s (4E) team won 2nd Prize in the Open Category for creating an automated portable compost mixer to recycle domestic food waste.The inaugural Primary School Challenge also had about twenty upper primary students putting on their thinking caps to propose simple but elegant solutions to environmental issues.

Ng Simin (19J08) and Kevin Khoo Weixue (19J13)

#startathon Junior

Sharon Gong and Flavia Yen’s (4E, right) team won 2nd Prize in the Open Category

#startathon Junior participants

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On 20th March 2019, 76 students and 6 teachers from 11 schools participated in the GSK Industrial Visit jointly organised by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and West Zone Centre of Excellence (WZCOE) for Science and Technology @ River Valley High School.

This visit aimed to expose us to the workings and functions of GSK, a global healthcare company, through a tour and hands-on activities facilitated by the GSK staff.

The main highlight of the visit was the exclusive tour of the laboratories and production plants, where we witnessed the large-scale synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients, such as paracetamol. Through this, we saw how much work was done by chemists and chemical engineers to ensure that the products and medicine were of high quality. Furthermore,

GlaxoSmithKline Industrial Visit

we participated in hands-on activities at their newly installed digital hub, where they demonstrated a few of their technological developments aimed at improving GSK’s productivity and efficiency.

Overall, this industrial visit was an eye-opening experience as we gained valuable insights from the GSK staff who guided us around their facilities, inspiring us to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry.

We would like to thank GSK and the school for providing us with this opportunity to be involved in this enriching experience and the GSK staff for being generous hosts.

Li Jiang Rong (18J11)An introduction of a pharmaceutical plant

Exclusive tours of an R&D lab


Primary 6 students working hard on their Practical activity

The annual Junior Science Whiz Challenge (JSWC) was held on 3rd April 2019 at River Valley High School. The Challenge seeks to inspire Primary 6 students to engage in scientific pursuits beyond their curriculum by providing them a platform to put their scientific knowledge to the test.

The theme of this year’s Challenge was “Science All A-round Us”. Besides highlighting the ubiquity of science in daily life, the word play on “A-round” is meant to cultivate an appreciation for

WZCOEJunior Science Whiz Challenge

the various cycles in science, from the movement of nutrients through the ecosystem, to the cycling of astronomical bodies in space.

This year’s Challenge saw the largest turnout, with 168 participants and 125 supporters from 28 primary schools. The event kicked off with a written test which tested the participants’ knowledge of Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Earth Science. They were then involved in the Practical Component, which allowed them to apply their textbook knowledge to a hands-on

task. The top four teams then advanced to the exciting Stage Quiz, where they battled it out for the coveted Challenge Trophy.

The supporters were involved in a series of workshops to uncover the science behind kaleidoscopes, slime and even magic tricks! The school tour allowed them to gain a better understanding of our school while participating in mini-games to win attractive prizes.

Sun Baizhen (18J13)

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Singapore World Water Day is an annual campaign led by Public Utilities Board (PUB). The Eco-Sustainability Leadership Academy (TESLA) was privileged to be invited to the launch event on 2nd March at Marina Barrage. Amalyn Leong (18J13), TESLA’s president, was even invited to launch the event alongside the Guest-of-Honour, President Mdm Halimah Yacob and other distinguished guests!

For the event, TESLA created an educational game to illustrate how thimbles, a small plastic device installed at the end of taps, can reduce households’ water consumption. It involved players shaking ping-pong balls out of a box with two holes at the bottom, into a pail. The balls are obstructed from “flowing” out of the box quickly, similar to how the rate of water flow would be reduced by thimbles.

The game was well received, evident from the long queues at the event. The simple game with accompanying graphics delivered the intended message to the participants effectively. Many subsequently chose to sign up for the free water-saving kit offered by PUB.

Overall, it was an enriching experience for TESLA members, as we learnt how to relay key water-saving messages in a simple but engaging manner to create a lasting impression.

Tong Yizhi (18J05), Liu Yixuan (18J05) and Lee Wei Jin (18J08)

TESLA @ Launch of singapore World Water Day

The TESLA team who worked hard to make the event a success!

TESLA’s president, Amalyn, taking a selfie with all participants and distinguished guests


The 11th River Valley Mathematics Challenge (RVMC) was organised and held on 5 April 2019, jointly organised by the Mathematics Department and Mathematics Leaders Academy (MLA) for Primary 6 students from 48 primary schools. As with previous years, the theme for RVMC 2019 was “Explore. Extend. Excel”, as it aimed to encourage and motivate students to discover and pursue their interest in Mathematics.

This year, the participants went on an exciting and fun-filled adventure “around the world”, working together in teams to solve challenging mathematics problems at various specially designed country-themed stations. Through this challenge, participants were challenged to think beyond conventions and deepen their mastery of the subject. Participants were inquisitive about topics new to them and enriched by the activities that were planned.

It was an honour for us, the Secondary 4 MLA members, to be able to plan and run this event under the guidance of our teacher mentors. Throughout this journey, we learned creativity in mathematical design, event and people management skills, proactiveness as well as the importance of effective communication. This experience has undoubtedly helped us to grow in our confidence and ability as leaders.

Glenda Chong Rui Ting (4F) and Chua Yao Xuan (4H), Chairpersons of RVMC 2019

Congratulations to the Top 10 winning schools!

Participants interacting with their facilitator during the main challenge

River Valley Mathematics Challenge 2019

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Students' Council

The 41st Students’ Council Investiture was held on 22nd May 2019. It served to mark the end of the 40th term and the installation of the 41st Student Councillors to signify the beginning of their term. The theme of the Investiture was “First Light” 流光溢彩 which embodies hope, and thus represents a new beginning. It signifies the confidence to go forward and to continue building the legacy our seniors have given us.

This year, we invited student leaders from various schools, especially the alma mater of our JC1 Student Councillors who entered RV through the Joint Admissions Exercise. The Investiture included presentation of Certificates of Appreciation to the 40th Students’ Council as well as certificates of appointment of the 41st Students’ Council by our School Leaders.

The Guest-of-Honour for the Investiture was our alumna, Ms Tan Pei En, from the class of 2010 and Vice-President of the Students’ Council from 2008 to 2010. She is currently the manager for the Centre for Liveable City under the Ministry of National Development. In her address to the audience, she shared her school experiences to inspire the student leaders to have the courage

The 41st Students’ Council

Swearing in ceremony of the 41st Students’ Council

RVSC Investiture

to step up and lead the student body, to make positive contributions to the school.

The finale of the Investiture involved both the 40th and 41st student councillors singing the council song “This is our new beginning” together. Composed by the 34th River Valley Student Council, this song is a representation of our RVSC spirit and strong camaraderie. At the end of the Investiture, student councillors from different schools were able to interact with one another, forging new relationships, creating opportunities for possible collaborations in the near future.

Koh Hui Ling (4B)

From 3rd to 6th June, a group of 20 RVians represented the school in the annual Pre-University Seminar. Now in its 50th year, the seminar aims to encourage students from a range of tertiary institutions to reflect on issues relevant to Singapore’s progress, both past and present.

The theme for this year’s seminar is “Singapore 4.0: What Next?” It directs the participants’ attention to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the role of technology in shaping the future. Through learning journeys, panel discussions, and group work, the participants worked towards identifying opportunities that Singapore can leverage on to make our society thrive with inclusivity.

With more than 500 participants, the seminar was an enriching experience that successfully bridged the gap between students of all demographics. It strengthened our collaborative

spirit and honed our ability to be proactive, while exposing us to the plethora of issues that would affect our country with the fourth industrial revolution in sight.

Personally, the seminar allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and do things I never would have done, like asking Deputy Prime Minister Mr Heng Swee Keat a question during the opening ceremony. As a group, I also had to

RV participants at the Pre-University Seminar

leverage on the strengths of my group members and mediate any differences that occurred.

Beyond the larger objectives of the seminar, it also allowed me to hone my soft skills and exhibit empathy towards those around me. It will remain one of the key highlights in my JC life.

Geraldine Goh (19J10)

Pre-University Seminar 2019


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Students' Council

ReVel Fest is an annual talent competition that serves as a platform for RVians to showcase and celebrate their talents in performing and visual arts. This year’s edition of the competition was jointly organised by members of the 41st High School Students’ Council and Junior College Students’ Council, as well as other RVians with an interest in arts and events planning.

The theme of this year’s ReVel Fest was “Down To Earth” as we encourage RVians a spirit

ReVel Fest

of fearlessness as they nurture and showcase their talents. Held on 12th April, the night was a dazzling spectacle of synchronised dance moves, beautiful harmonies, and other unique performances. The programme also included a live magic display and speed painting. We were also honoured to have the River Valley Street Dance Alumni perform for us.

The organising committee would like to express our gratitude to the school leaders for their

support in organising ReVel Fest 2019. The event would also not have been successful without the dedication and hard work of the performers. Last but not least, we would like to show our appreciation to the Students’ Council teachers-in-charge, for all the guidance that they have given us throughout the planning process. Indeed, as our concert’s tagline goes, “Stars do not live in the sky, they walk amongst us.”

Yip Jun Yi (19J10)

Live entertainment during the concert intermission

Speed painters in action

Internationalisation

Bicultural Studies Programme Talent Trip to the US

A trip to the White House

This June, the JC1 Bicultural Studies Programme (BSP) scholars visited New York City, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. for a two-week immersion programme in the United States of America. From the iconic Statue of Liberty to the breathtaking White House, we discovered the ideals and hopes that these stunning landmarks stand for.

In Jamestown, Tenement Museum in New York City (NYC) and Rockford Plantation in Pennsylvania, we experienced life as an immigrant back in the 19th and 20th Century. It was a time when one’s race and identity were questioned and forced to fit the supposed norms. In the Holocaust Museum, we witnessed how Jews were ostracised and evicted from their homes. It struck us as ironic that a country like USA, essentially an immigrant society, once bore such strong hatred against new immigrants.

The 911 Memorial displayed heartbreaking and intimate stories of loss, compassion and recovery that show the aftermath of the attack. We were given insights into this catastrophic day through various mediums of narration such as multimedia displays, oral history, and a collection of monuments and artifacts. Given that divisive views threaten social cohesion, the memorial invites us to stop and reflect upon this tragedy.

At the High Line in NYC, it was interesting to see how the city takes the lead in urban development by transforming obsolete infrastructure into green and vibrant public spaces.

The visit to the Amish community was the most eye-opening experience. They are a group of traditionalist Christians averse to the developments of modern technology,

noteworthy for simple living. In this digital era, their commitment to religious belief and simplicity is truly remarkable!

Finally, our twinning programmes at the Bergen County Academies (BCA) and Yale University were very enriching and fulfilling. We saw the flexibility of the US education system and how this encourages individuality and creativity in American youths.

In Samuel Johnson’s words, “The use of travelling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” Although two weeks may seem too short, our trip was an enriching one. It gave us a richer perspective of a culture that is teeming with diversity.

Tee Wen Hui (19J03)

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In the early hours of 8 June, the Mathematics Leaders Academy embarked on an OELP trip to the United Kingdom. This journey was indeed eye-opening as we had the chance to visit various historical and heritage sites such as the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Stonehenge. We also had a guided walk in London to understand how it developed into a major financial hub.

Besides the University of Cambridge tour to understand the British tertiary education system, we also visited the Department of Engineering and met our alumnus Wan Moquan. We were so inspired by his pursuit of excellence and perseverance to enrol into his dream school. We also had the chance to dine with a group of RV alumni who shared their valuable experiences in the UK. At the Cambridge Business Park, we saw how integrated the business hub was, and we saw some resemblance to our very own One-North District. Another highlight was the visit to CleanTech that gave us a fresh perspective of

Mathematics Leaders Academy OELP to UK

Our guide shared about how London has grown to be a major world financial hub during the Financial Walking Tour

how start-up companies function and grow in an eco-friendly and sustainable way.

In conclusion, we were very grateful to have the opportunity to see Mathematics beyond the classroom. The immersive experience that spanned architecture, science, technology

and finance certainly enriched our learning of Mathematics .

Sheila Chen Sing Hui (19J03), Lim Eun Chan (19J08) and Shermaine Ong Yan Rong (19J18)

The United Kingdom was once called “the empire on which the sun never sets”, and till this day, its legacy is far reaching, deeply embedded in Singapore’s institutions. From 7th to 17th June, 10 students and 2 teachers from the Humanities and Social Sciences Leaders Academy (HSSLA) embarked on a trip across England, from the rival cities of Liverpool and Manchester through Birmingham, and finally to London.

We observed how the multiple disciplines of Humanities and Social Sciences manifested in the deeply historical culture of UK. We explored Geography in the deep caverns of the National Coal Mining Museum, British history in the Maritime Museum, Literature at Shakespeare’s birthplace, and Economics at the Bank of England.

Our trip was one of contrasts, experiencing the pastoral countryside against the hustle and bustle of London. We saw first-hand the United Kingdom as a melting pot of global communities that remained rooted in its own history and culture.

We had the opportunity to take the public transport, and for the unfortunate students who fell ill, the healthcare system too. From these experiences, we learnt to appreciate what we have in Singapore. The heavy privatisation of London’s

Humanities and Social Sciences Leaders Academy Trip to UK

tube led to confusing and frequently delayed journeys, while universal healthcare created extremely long queues at public hospitals. Our interviews with people about Brexit showed both a mixture of tension, uncertainty and optimism. Undeniably, Britain today is at a critical crossroad,

and citizens will have to choose between regional integration and forging their own independent path.

Deng Jia Xuan (19J03), Chua Yi Lin(19J20) and Luo Rui Russell (19J18)

Exploring the coal mines at the National Coal Mining Museum

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From the 6 to 16 June 2019, a group of 12 JC1 students from the Science Leaders Academy embarked on a 10-day overseas experiential learning journey to Boston, New York and New Jersey, USA, as part of the Global Science Village programme. This trip aimed to deepen students’ understanding of research and innovation in science and technology in USA, and the opportunity to understand American culture and education system.

This is also a special year as we commemorate our 10-year partnership anniversary with our sister school, Bergen County Academies (BCA) in New Jersey. Over two days, we attended lessons with our BCA buddies and this included a workshop on augmented reality where we were given ocular headsets to delve into the virtual worlds.

Two RV alumni accompanied us to explore Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and we were thrilled to be given an exclusive tour of their research lab. They also shared their personal experiences of studying in America. In addition, we visited the American Museum of Natural History, the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building.

This trip has been insightful and it has developed our global perspectives and cross-cultural skills.

Clarice Yap Xiao Qin (19J01) and Nathanael Caleb Tong (19J14)

Science Leaders Academy OELP to US

Group photo at MIT’s Department of Physics with alumnus, Mr Zong Guo

Being miles away from home, the Global Responsibility Conference (GRC) 2019 in Spain gave us a fresh perspective of the global issues that threaten the safety and security of societies.

We gained valuable insights from the keynote seminars, workshops and peer presentations on the possible challenges threatening our world, as well as what we could do as responsible global citizens. In addition, we attended enriching learning journeys that brought us to the Centre for Security of the Mossos d’Esquadra. We learnt about the different police departments that defend the country day and night, even wearing protective gear. We took away lessons on the importance of security, something we often take for granted in a safe country like Singapore. We also visited heritage sites such as Sagrada Familia and Park Güell, which are UNESCO World Heritage sites built by Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudi. We were awestruck by the majestic views of the unfinished Roman Catholic minor basilica and architectonic gardens.

The homestay was another interesting and meaningful experience as we learnt more about the Spanish way of life and their cultural practices.

The warmth and friendship given to us by our Spanish host families made us feel at home and less homesick. Through our interactions with other youth participants from Japan, the Netherlands and USA, we were able to gain a better understanding and awareness of another culture, and the importance of youth leadership in shaping a better future together.

Shermaine Ong Yan Rong (19J18) andSarah Khaw Jing Han (19J18)

TESLA Trip to Global Sustainability Conference 2019 in Spain

With our Spanish buddies

GRC Team photo

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From 7 to 13 July, 10 Sec 3 students had the chance to travel to Thailand to take part in the Singapore-Thailand Enhanced Partnership (STEP) youth camp. STEP is a government-to-government project between Singapore and Thailand.

As part of the cultural exchange, we were hosted by Thai students who warmly welcomed us. During lessons, they took the initiative to explain and went the extra to translate content that was taught in Thai. Their thirst for knowledge and enthusiasm in learning were evident in the classrooms. In exchange, we shared with them our culture and our school experience in Singapore.

From this trip, we learnt a lot about the language, people and culture of Thailand. We look forward to hosting our buddies next year to return their wonderful hospitality shown to us, and continue to build the friendships that have formed.

Chua Ee Teng (3K)

Singapore-Thailand Enhanced Partnership Youth Camp

We presented a dance item!

On 13 March 2019, 10 students and 2 teachers from the CID4+ Geography and Ecology embarked on our 7 Day OELP to Brunei Darussalam. We are very honoured to take part in the School Twinning Programme, a joint initiative by the Ministry of Education of Singapore and Brunei.

Firstly, we went to Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Secondary School and met our Brunei buddies! As we bonded over food, games and cultural exchange, we forged precious friendships. We also visited places such as the Malay Technology Museum and Marine Biodiversity Centre that gave us insights into the history and marine biodiversity in Brunei. We also had the opportunity to visit factories and farms. At the Tasbee – Stingless Bee Farm, we learnt about the importance of saving bees. We even had a hand at harvesting honey from the honeycombs!

Lastly, we spent 3 days conducting field studies at the Ulu Temburong National Park with our buddies. At the Canopy Walk, we climbed the grand 43m tall structure and witnessed the breath-taking view! We also spent a full day conducting geographical investigations on the Belalong River and eventually presented our data. The research process taught us the importance of teamwork and perseverance.

Conducting field studies together with the Bruneian students along the Belalong River

A group photo to commemorate the time spent doing field research together in the Ulu Temburong National Park

Government Twinning Programme- Brunei OELP

To conclude, the Brunei OELP trip was an unforgettable one of insights and friendships. We look forward to hosting our buddies in Singapore next year.

Ng Min Yi (4E)

Photo-taking time at Tasbee - Stingless Bee Farm!

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重庆学习之旅

厦门浸濡学习之旅

今年的六月假期，我们班到中国西部唯一的直辖市━重庆，展开为期一周的学习之旅。重庆以山城扬名，它也被誉为中国火锅之都和世界温泉之都。

第一站，我们参观了重庆的莱佛士城。它是由凯德集团开发的，项目负责人也负责建造新加坡滨海湾金沙酒店。重庆莱佛士城的规模很大，在建造过程中困难重重，所以很有挑战性。其中一位负责人向我们讲解了他的团队在建造过程中遇到的困难：比如要解决地面不平的问题，确保员工都能在良好的环境下工作，工程是否能如期完成。虽然面对挑战，但他们并没有放弃，坚持不懈，最终完成艰巨的任务，这点令我们很佩服。

我们也游览了世界八大石窟之一的大足石刻，它被列为世界文化遗产，代表了公元9—13世纪世界石窟艺术的最高水平。这里凝聚了中华文化与佛教思想，以佛教题材为主，让我们看到了一部伟大的石刻“连环画”，利用巧夺天工的雕像向我们揭开神与神，人与神的关系。让我印象深刻的不是金碧辉煌的千手观音，也不是鼎鼎有

今年6月假期，我们2B班到中国厦门进行了为期一周的学习之旅。

此行让我们印象最深刻的是鼓浪屿。在岛上参观时，导游不能用扩音器，而是要我们带无线耳机，原因是岛上有居民居住，我们不能太吵而打扰他们的日常生活。这座岛非常漂亮，建筑很特别，有西式风格，也有中国风的建筑，甚至还有一些是中西合璧，也称为穿西装戴斗笠。过后，我们还参观了岛上的钢琴博物馆和菽庄花园。钢琴博物馆里收藏了很多特别而古老的钢琴，其中很多是经历了两次世界大战后保留下来的，实属稀世物品。在菽庄花园，如果站在高处看下去，可以看到大海和鼓浪屿的风景。

另外，我么也参观了欧圣鲍鱼厂。鲍鱼场很大，工作人员向我们介绍了他们平时的工作日常和不同的鲍鱼种类、特点等，让我们大开眼界。那里的员工有许多都来自新加

名的卧佛，更不是毛骨悚然的六道轮回，而是清新脱俗的《牧牛图》。

《牧牛图》展现了牧童放牛的场景。形象地表现了佛教禅修的修行过程。途中有十个牧童和十头牛，牧童代表修行者；牛则代表修行者的心。驯牛的过程就是使修行者悟禅的过程。让我印象深刻的还有“初调”。在牧人的强制和鞭策下，牛虽然并未显得驯服，但头已经开始勉强转过来了。我认为这头牛就像人心，人心在未经教育前，就跟未经过驯服的牛一样不羁，很容易受外界干扰，但我们试着自控，我们是可以压制住顽劣的习性。自律是成功的要素之一，

Sec 2A OELP

Sec 2B OELP

当我们懂得自律，你便可以避开世俗的诱惑，把需要完成的事如期完成。如此你便会优秀起来，逐渐走向成功。

身为立化的学生，我很荣幸能有机会与老师同学们到重庆学习。感谢旅途中老师们的细心照顾和同学们给予的鼓励。这次的学习之旅不仅让我们进一步了解中国的历史文化与当代的发展，也促进了我班的凝聚力。所谓千里之行，始于足下，希望有朝一日我们能到中国的其他城市，再一次体验中华文化的博大精深。

邵越寒, 黄昶雯 (2A)

参观重庆保税港区

同学们在鼓浪屿凤凰花下合影留念

同学们在认真研究鲍鱼

坡，让我们倍感亲切。那晚，我们在鲍鱼场里的宿舍过夜，是一种独特的体验。

只听别人口中言，倒不如自己亲眼一见。总的来说，这次的学习之旅让我们以不同的视角，比如教育制度、文化传承等角度探索中国文化，收获了课本上学不到的知识。真是收获满满，不虚此行！

陈欣慧, 崔恺睿 (2B)

36


我们2C班在这次的浸濡学习之旅中，去了中国的首都北京，参观了许多中国著名的文化景点，如万里长城，紫禁城等等。大家都饶有兴致地参观，讨论，我们也在这些地方学到了许多与中国历史，文化相关的知识。

其次，我们也游览了北京现代汽车工厂与盒马鲜生超市，看到了许多现代化的元素，如货物递送系统。我们体会到了中国为了突破局限、开发潜能，在科技这个领域所做出的努力。中国科技创新的飞速发展，实在令我们大开眼界、叹为观止。

虽然我们的中国浸濡之旅已经过去了，但是那美好的回忆仿佛还历历在目。我们不仅开阔了自己的视野，也加深了对中国历史与文化的了解。

此次浸濡之旅，让我印象最深刻的经历，是参观中国具有代表性的世界文化遗

产——万里长城。虽然此前我已学习过关于万里长城的课文，并且对万里长城的历史略知一二，但是百闻不如一见，当我终于见证到了这个两千多年的历史古迹，我还是感到无比震撼！长城长达6700 公里，古人竟然能在没有重型搬运工具的情况下建造长城，着实令人震惊。登长城时，我

发现有些阶梯不仅凹凸不平，而且还高低不一，好像稍微不小心就会跌倒似的。当我终于从第7号观景台爬到第10号观景台时，我已上气不接下气。但眼前壮丽的美景以及阵阵微风让我把身体的疲劳抛到脑后。放眼眺望，但能看到远方长城的另一端，也能看到一座座山川，好不雄伟！这不禁让我联想到古代那些必须孤身守在观景台，防守敌军的军人，远离亲人，独守岗位，十分艰苦。

在见证了无比壮观的历史古迹后，我不禁想起了老师之前问我们的一个问题——历史古迹与文化传统的差别。我想历史古迹的意义是为了记载国家的历史，而文化则是联系着华人的一条隐形的线，让种族的文化传承下去。文化虽然看不见，摸不着，但是在人们心里是最重要的。保留华人的文化和传统，非常有意义。

总的来说，当代人们的责任是确保传统

被继续传承下去。我相信历史古迹只是一个历史的象征，而保留文化比保留历史古迹难很多。如果有一天我们的传统和文化一点点流失，我们还会被称为华人吗？我相信传统是掌控在我们自己手中的，也相信文化才能给予人们独特的身份。于是，我们都有责任为保留文化和传统尽一份力。

颜熙愉 (2D)

到北京现代了解汽车的制造过程

我们登上了万里长城

除此之外，我们也参观了陈经伦中学，与伙伴们建立了深厚的友谊。听了陈经伦中学的学生做的学校介绍后，我们深深感受到了自身的不足，而这也教导了我们在日后要谦虚好学，向他人学习。在学校举办的论坛上，学生们都踊跃分享自己的看法，并虚心向陈经伦中学的师生们学习。

在筹备校访结束的汇报表演过程中，我们学习到了如何与他人沟通、合作。表演之前的每一晚，我们都会拖着疲惫的身躯努力练习，大家都会互相鼓励、支持彼此坚持下去。因此，这也使2C班更有班级凝聚力，同窗的友谊更深了。

怀着感恩的心，我们也不忘老师们对2C班的付出，指导我们学习，还时时照顾我们。感谢学校让我们2C班留下了那么难忘的回忆。经过了这次中国浸濡学习之旅，大家都获益匪浅。

蔡育宸 (2C)

参观北京奥运会标志建筑——鸟巢

中国北京浸濡之旅回顾Sec 2D OELP

北京浸濡学习之旅Sec 2C OELP

37


今年六月的中国南京、上海浸濡学习之旅，给我们2E 班留下了深刻的记忆。

七天六夜的旅程让我们开阔了眼界，也增长了见识。我们去参观了很多地方，而在南京的大屠杀纪念馆让我们印象尤其深刻。南京大屠杀是件让许多华人无法忘怀的惨痛事件，特别是那些在大屠杀中失去家人的人，大屠杀带给他们的伤痛更加刻骨铭心。除此之外，我们在南京还去了夫子庙。在那里我们全班动手做了线装书，让我们对古书有了进一步的了解，丰富了我们的文化知识。我们也扮成了古代学子的样子，亲身体验了一把古时的课堂是什么样子的，新鲜感十足。在上海，我们参观了盒马鲜生，那是一家新型零售超市，集合了

超市、餐饮和菜市场的多重身份。在那儿，我们发现中国的科技实在是太先进了! 不只是用手机付款，甚至连送货都能交给机器，根本不需要我们亲自动手！

旅途很快乐也很充实，只可惜，时光匆匆，很快就结束了行程。但是我们从中获益匪浅，真是难忘而有意义的一次学习之旅。

洪恺萱, 薛如惠 (2E)

祈愿和平

中国浸濡之旅

中国厦门浸濡之旅

Sec 2E OELP

同学们在体验线装书的装订过程

Sec 2F OELP

在2019年5月29日--6月4日的一个星期里，我们以立化学子与新加坡学生的身份去到了厦门，开启了我们的中国浸濡学习之旅。在厦门，我们不只是打开了眼界，扩大了知识面，更获得了深刻的体验，提高了反思的能力。是的，陈嘉庚与集美学村、厦门实验中学、客家土楼、鼓浪屿、创客园、茶山采茶、茶道茶艺等等，都带给我们独特的体验，留下美丽的回忆。

在厦门实验中学，两个半天的随堂听课与专门为我们准备的戏剧课与书法课，让我们受益匪浅。在课堂中，让我们吃惊的，不仅仅是老师与同学们的求知的热情，更是他们上课时一丝不苟的专注态度，与层层深入的学习内容。戏剧课与书法课，也让我们感受到华人文化之美。我想：如果学习华文，却没有欣赏华人文化的能力，真是太可惜了！

我们也到了台湾商人投资的天福茶业企业参观。我们去到茶山，体验到采茶的艰辛与乐趣。我们知道，需要采摘茶树的嫩芽，而不是老叶，才能冲泡出散发饱满香味的茶汤。在采茶的过程中，虽然单调，而且辛劳，但也可以欣赏美丽的山野景色，感受恬静的田园气息。后来，我们还到茶艺馆去学习茶艺和品茶之道。在那里，时间仿佛静止了一样，我们都十分享受这种稀有的慢节奏的生活方式。在现今这个生活节奏十分快速的社会里，偶尔泡茶、饮茶，有助于调剂现代人紧张的生活步伐。

我们也来到了快斋创客园。在这里，最吸引我的是，他们独特的装修风格，也就是八九十年代独有的工厂般的设计。随后，创客园的创始人也与我们分享了他们的创业理念，也就是“创新要敢，创业要实”。他们着重强调了创意创新的重要性，与我们的校训--“创新求异”不谋而合。

颜慈涵 (2F)

此次厦门学习之旅，我们有幸拜访厦门实验中学，并上了一堂由方荣报副校长亲自教导的书法鉴赏课。通过这堂课我们学习到了许多有关于书法的知识，比如：钤印有分朱刻、白刻以及朱白混刻；书法作品的幅式有分：横披、中堂、扇面等。

通过方副校长这堂书法课，我们初步领会了汉字艺术背后的文化内涵。博大精深的华人文化，这正是我们新加坡华人需要学习与传承的母族文化。正如教育部长王乙康不久前所说的，新加坡社会的多元文化特色，需要各族学生努力学习自己的母族语文与文化，才能够维持。

在这堂课上的问答环节中，我们三人成功地答对了方副校长所提出的问题，因此很荣幸地获得方副校长为我们题写横幅：“乘风破浪”、“唯善是宝”与“上善若水”。

总之，学习书法可以接触到诗词、警句以及名人名言，日积月累，就可以提高自身的文化修养。学习书法，要从一笔一画做起，有规有矩，如起笔、行笔、收笔都十分讲究，通过练习书法，可以锻炼出一个人做事认真、沉稳、有始有终的品格。

肖玥, 范秀宁, 胡庭立 (2F)

38


2019 年5月29日，我们2H班开始了期盼已久的学习之旅。大家都对这次的旅程格外兴奋，憧憬着在上海和苏州相处的美好时光。

学习之旅的第一站是苏州。我们到著名的网师园和寒山寺游览。网师园是苏州四大名园之一，是典型的府宅园林，游览过后，让我们感受到了典雅的园林气息。寒山寺曾是中国十大名寺之一，寺内古迹很多，此寺是因为唐代诗人张继的诗《枫桥夜泊》而闻名。我们也很荣幸有机会参观苏州工业园，到伊利苏州乳业参观。步入工厂，很惊讶地发现那么大的一个工厂，工作人员却很稀少。经过讲解员介绍，才恍然大悟，原来他们是使用高科技的机器来代替工作人员的，这么做既可以增加产

上海、苏州学习之旅

Sec 2H OELP

苏州立达中学，书法课

这次的海外浸濡之旅，我们2G班去了上海与合肥。其中，让我印象深刻的是5月的30和31日这两天在合肥市第四十五中学芙蓉分校的交流。与合肥学生的互动让我们受益匪浅。

我们到合肥四十五中的第一天，学校非常热烈地欢迎我们。首先我们被带去阶梯教室里集合，观看四十五中为我们精心制作的视频。然后，等四十五中的伙伴们来接我们去他们的的教室体验

2G班与合肥45中同学合影

接下来两天的校园生活。我认为我们上的最精彩的课是语文课。四十五中的老师把课本里的知识给我们描述得栩栩如生，非常的生动。教室里的同学们也听得非常带劲，还非常认真地做笔记。教师里没有一点喧哗声。这让我班许多同学心里感到惭愧。在新加坡，我们的学习氛围不同。我们在新加坡上课时有时不够尊重老师，还喜欢跟他们开玩笑。当老师在课上问我们问题时，有些同学也不认真对待，还趁机和同学聊天。然而，中国的同学说话时非常有礼貌，他们在上课时认真听讲，令我们佩服的是，他们在回答问题都十分主动。

合肥的学校还有许多值得我们学习的地方。他们在每节课之间都会有至少五分钟的休息时间，每天还得做两次眼保健操。午饭之后，也有午休。在这个时候，学生们会继续待在课室里，他们可以睡觉但更多学生会利用这个时间段用来做作业，学习和复习。相比之下，在新加坡，学生们并不会像中国的学生那样有争分夺秒地学习，可以说是新加坡的学生们在这方面上还有待进步。

在中国，学生们也有进行由老师带头提倡的课堂互动，从中促进学生们对学习的热忱，比如，英文课上，老师给同学们一些简单的英文篇章，让他们小组讨论翻译成中文；老师也会经常请学生去黑板上答题；还有，在阅读课文后，同学们可以分角色，站在不同角色地角度讨论情节发展到某个阶段时，他们所代表的角色会做什么。

总的来说，我认为这次的浸濡之旅不仅仅让我们感受到中国学生对学习的热忱，也从中察觉到我们自己自身的不足，才能使我们改变，营造更好的学习环境与气氛。

唐筱彤 (2G)

2019海外浸濡学习之旅合肥学校交流Sec 2G OELP

量，同时也减轻员工的工作负担。我们从导游和老师的口中也得知，新中苏州工业园是新加坡和中国两国政府间的重要合作项目，目的是要建设成为具有国际竞争力的高科技工业园区和现代化、国际化、信息化的创新型、生态型新城区。

行程第三天，我们到苏州立达中学进行交流。我们一下车，就受到立达中学师生的热烈欢迎，接着，立达的小伙伴就带我们到不同的班上课。刚开始时，我们显得有些腼腆，当他们询问我们关于新加坡的一些点点滴滴时，我们都不愿意跟他们多谈。但是我们最终还是被他们的热情所感染，融入其中。从这次的交流，我们体验到苏州人的热情和中国学生的学习压力。瞬间我们才发现我们在新加坡求学是多么幸福的事，我们之前真的是身在福中不知福。隔天，小伙伴还带我们到苏州著名的景点游玩，我们个个尽兴而归。之后我们依依不舍地与小伙伴们道别，为这次的交流划下一个美好的句点。

除此之外，我们也在上海进行了为期三天的游览。上海先进的科技令我们震撼了。上海不管在科技、通讯还是交通领域的成就都是数一数二的。最让我印象深刻的是我们

站在东方明珠塔上俯瞰大地的那一刻, 眼前的一幕让我叹为观止，可以看到环球金融中心，上海中心和金茂大厦这几个标志性的建筑，黄浦江对岸的景色也一览无遗。在这里，我们能深切地体会到南京街的繁华和热闹。上海的确是一个国际大都会。

美好的时光总是短暂的，七天的旅程很快的就过去。这一次的学习之旅我们收获颇丰，增广见闻，开拓了眼界，让我们明白新加坡还是有很多地方要向中国学习，我们不能固步自封，否则就会被这日新月异的时代淘汰。

陈伟鸿, 陈子馨 (2H)

39


作为CID2课程的一部分，今年6月，我们2I全班一起去了中国广州，进行长达一周的学习浸濡之旅。我们去的地方有广大附校、孙中山纪念馆、南越王墓博物馆、岭南印象园、越剧博物馆和知识城等。这段旅程让我们受益匪浅，开阔了视野。

让我们印象最深刻的是与广州附属实验学校同学们的交流活动。同学们的热情让我们不会觉得拘谨。上课时，我们发现他们的理科比我们学的深奥许多，华文卷子上的题目也是我们从未接

同学们跟当地的学生一起上书法课

触过的文言文。让人不可思议的是他们学习的态度。他们课桌上的作业本堆积如山，自己却浑然不觉得多。不仅如此，上课时老师一问问题，同学们就积极回答，可见他们好学的精神。

另外，去公交集团二气公司参观的体验也令人难忘。他们使用的是纯电动公交车，其目的是节能环保，守护绿水青山。从中，我们可以看出中国非常注重于环境保护，改善空气质量。

正所谓: 行

里路胜于读万卷书。课本所学到的远不及亲身体验的。总的来说，这次旅程让我们受益良多，从教育制度、环保意识、科技发展、文化传承等不同的角度进一步了解了中国。

张卉昕, 许锦峰 (2I)

广州学习浸濡之旅 Sec 2I OELP

公交集团二气公司的工作人员在讲解电动公交车的工作原理

这次中国浸濡之旅虽然仅仅只有短暂的一个星期，却使我受益匪浅。我们很荣幸的游历了上海---国家历史文化名城，中国经济、金融、贸易、航运、科技创新中心，以及合肥——一带一路和长江经济带战略双节点城市。当代中国的科技和经济发展蒸蒸日上，但是悠久的传统文化也令人赞叹。我印象最深刻的经历是参观上海的七宝古镇。

七宝古镇是千年古镇，那里风景如画，美不胜收，而七宝老街正是七宝古镇里的一条老街。整条老街上满是特色小吃，有着古色古香的建筑物。一条河把此地分成了两处，一边是卖特色食物的，另一边是卖中国传统手工艺品。一条桥把两岸连在了一起，形成了一道美丽的风景，又好似把中国传统文化连在了一块儿。

老师的问题让我思考了许久：我们是不是应该把此地推成平地，建造高楼大厦？保留中国传统文化建筑重要吗？现在中国吸引了很多国外游客来游览，让他们更加了解中国文化。中国拥有五千年的历史，有许多的

古老建筑，如果把珍贵的历史文化名胜拿来建高楼，那传统文化就失传了。

新加坡也有不少被政府保留的文化遗址，比如福康宁公园，牛车水和加东一代的店屋，还有几处殖民地时期的建筑。学校也会组织我们们去参观这些建筑了解文化和历史。看来不管是中国还是新加坡，政府都不遗余力地尝试为后人保留住珍贵的历史文化遗产。

行程结束了，我们带着满满的收获飞返新加坡，但是对于文化和历史，我们有了更深的认识。

符芸嘉 (2J)

2J班同学在七宝古镇

2J七宝古镇美食

中国上海浸濡之旅

Sec 2J OELP

6 Boon Lay Avenue Singapore 649961 6567 8115 6567 7351

www.rivervalleyhigh.moe.edu.sg Instagram: @rivervalleysg

River Valley High School (Official)

River Valley High School

rvsc investiture - moe...jone she, 2j) for autodesk fusion 360 toy design category (mars space...

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