After a hectic first term at TKSS SWiSS in 2010, we return to a year filled with so many opportunities and challenges that have only served to push us furthur in terms of what we can achieve, boundaries that we can stretch and potential that we can explore.
Our SWiSS students from Secondary 2, 3 and 4 have all participated actively in the TKSS English Week that took place over the past month, and with activities ranging from drama, debate and persuasive speech, it was no wonder that our students had such a great time learning English with the help of these creative platforms!
All 3 classes had an opportunity to show their mettle on the stage in front of the whole school, and the following certainly made the SWiSS school proud:
- Sec 2T1
Dramatic Staging of "Sang Nila Utama" during International Friendship Day cum English Week
- Sec 3T1
English Debate Finals Champions
Motion : "Caning should be allowed in schools."
- Sec 4T1 : English Persuasive Speech Finalist
First Runner Up
Tajul Isfahan, in role as Martin Luther King.
Despite 2T1 and 3T1 having a stronger academic focus this year with their English drama sessions that are now scheduled for two periods a week unlike their stronger drama focus for the TLLM Ignite2! Drama programme that was initiated last year, their success at the 2010 English Week with honorable mention in all the competitions that was held across levels and streams was proof that their language skills, confidence, oracy and understanding of drama has improved since we last saw them in their 2009 English Drama class.
With such passion, heart and unity in putting up a class performance, there was no wonder that the class has bonded closer together as a result of their English Week participation. Hours of rehearsals, creating their beautiful hand made props and background pieces, sacrificing their Saturday mornings to research debate issues and arguements all had the effect of fostering class unity and togetherness. Our 3T1 debaters were even spotted rehearsing their speeches and debate arguments repeatedly (on their own!) in the hall during their precious recess breaks!
No one was left behind in this class effort as English lessons were spent researching, rehearsing and contributing to the speech content and peer critique among all the SWiSS classes as a class, fostering ownership and accountability for the results and outcomes of their class representation in the English Week competitions - and of course, drawing them all closer as one SWiSS family!
Furthermore, the SWiSS department was also able to use our TLLM Ignite2! Drama programme from last year as a stimulus and springboard to help the students interact with and understand the debate topic better. The caning policy issue was one that had already been explored with the SWiSS classes in their Drama lessons last year (as seen in the pictures above of their 2009 EL Drama class) as a comprehension passage, and we can see our students engaging more effectively and confidently with the issues and arguments as a result of having used Drama to connect, comprehend and communicate their understanding of the issue in their 2009 TLLM Ignite2! Drama classes.
TKSS TLLM Ignite2! Melbourne LJ 2009Even in our development and teaching of the dramatic staging of 2T1's performance of "Sang Nila Utama", we used elements of drama teaching and performance that the TLLM Ignite2! Team from the TKSS EL department (pictured above) had learnt about from the schools that we visited on our Professional Development Learning Journey to Melbourne, Australia in 2009 - we applied the techniques of soundscaping and scene build up and development into our production with 2T1, and we are proud to say that it has turned out into an exciting experience for the students!
2T1 and their performance of 'Sang Nila Utama'
It is indeed very heartening and encouraging to see our students take their learning so seriously and to see them engaged with the English Language in a creative and yet still academic way. This also serves as a reminder to all of us that anyone can enjoy and appreciate the English Language and be winners in their own right as long as they are willing to put in the time, effort and heart - no matter how insurmountable the odds.
Our 3T students were initially apprehensive that they could make it through the finals with such obstacles as speaking in front of a large audience in the hall on stage, going up against a non-NT class in the finals, handling rebuttals and speaking into the mike (voice projection). But all the SWiSS teachers are happy to say that all the SWiSS classes made us very proud in their various performances throughout English Week, and we can all hold our heads up high as a SWiSS family, because the beauty was in watching the students shine on stage, giving it their best because they believed in themselves and in their ability to do wonders no matter what anyone says.
Our emcees for 2 of the EL Week events were also representatives from the SWiSS family, with Neil Christopher Naval Amante from 3T1 commanding the stage as the emcee during the International Friendship Day concert that was held during EL week, and Mark Albert Carreon and Bellerina Tan Wei Ling, both from 3T1, stepping up to the plate during the Debate Finals and emceeing the event successfully. Although all 3 were nervous as they were going up on stage and addressing the school for the first time as the emcees who would be steering the event, all 3 were grateful for the opportunity and shone brightly as leaders of the event and showed everyone exactly the stuff that SWiSS was made of!
To our dear SWiSS students, our diamonds in the rough:
Your experience on that stage, show of bravery, confidence and class unity was the real prize. The trophy is merely a bonus :)
Let's keep moving forward, breaking more barriers and reaching even greater heights as the term draws to a close with mid year examinations creeping up upon us around the corner. Use these successes to spur you further - nothing is beyond your reach now. Turn that success on stage into a successful attitude that you can use to achieve the best mid year exam results. Use the same skills you learnt, the exposure you received, the comments and encouragement of your classmates to ensure that success is yours.
You can do anything you set your minds to :)
Finally, a big congratulations to the SWiSS Classes of 2010 - 2T drama performers, 3T debaters and 4T speakers - you have done the SWiSS family very proud!
2T1 and their performance of 'Sang Nila Utama'
