Reminiscing Carnival ACS 5

While much of Singapore was still in slumber as dawn broke on Saturday 11 April, the ACS Barker Road Campus was already a hive of activity as parent volunteers, staff, students and vendors prepared to welcome the crowds to Carnival ACS 5. The day was a culmination of many months of tireless hard work on the part of the school leaders, teachers, parent volunteers and students in planning for the carnival. The campus soon echoed with the sounds of music and laughter, and the air was perfumed with the mouth-watering aromas of scrumptious foods from the streets of our nation and all corners of the world.

On display was our boys’ astonishing spectrum of talent, from the electrifying rhythms of a percussion group to a string ensemble, guitar ensemble and choir who stirred souls with their lifting music. As part of ONE ACS SG50 ACtS, retired/pioneer educators from all ACS units were invited to enjoy the carnival; they were impressed with the dedication of many, and enjoyed their day visiting stalls and catching up with old friends.

ACS(P) staff gamely volunteered for the dunk tank along with our Principal and Vice-Principal. This delighted the boys no end and they cheered at the top of their voices. Meanwhile, games and activities from laser tag and a competition to guess the number of cupcakes on a cupcake tower, caricature drawing to carnival rides and obstacle challenges, kept everyone excited and entertained.

Having fun is hungry work and the campus was resplendent with an extraordinary variety of food and drink. Parents, teachers and vendors worked tirelessly to feed the hungry crowds who kept coming back for more. Students enthusiastically carried homemade placards to market their class stalls, while loudly advertising their stalls with gusto. Our beautifully decorated Gourmet Supermarket proved a huge hit with its rich variety of flavoured oils, vinegars, organic pastas, exotic spices, sauces and artisan breads.

Despite it raining in other parts of the island, the Barker Road campus basked in clear skies throughout. Above all, what shone brightly was the ACS spirit of teamwork and unity. The success of Carnival ACS 5 is a timely reminder of what makes our school special, that our hearts, our hopes, our aims are one. As the carnival drew to a close, the enjoyment and excitement of a wonderful afternoon were indelibly etched into our memories.

– Impressions by Parent Amy Lai-Syn (Carnival ACS 5, Co-Chair ACS(P) Planning Com.)

Mt. Ophir Adventure Camp – June 2015

My boys had attended the ACS father-son bonding camp in Mawai 2 years ago. I, their mother, thought it was a perfect excuse for me not to go as it was a FATHER-SON camp. My husband, Meng Huat, bought my excuse and gallantly brought my twin boys single-handedly for the camp. But it turned out that there were other mothers who had brought their kids along as well, so this time round, I gamely signed up for it. Plus, it helped that the camp was re-named as the ACS FAMILY camp! So mothers, you have no more excuses not to go!

This family camp involved a hike up to Mount Ophir and it was truly memorable. My kids, being extremely urbanized children, had not experienced a lot of joys that the adults did when we were young. Mark, our expedition leader, who also happened to be an old boy, brought us to a natural (and cold!) waterfall the moment we arrived. It was a tough hike up to the waterfall but well worth it as the waters were so inviting and everyone had a good splash.

On the way up, Mark brought us to a zipline that was rigged up specially for groups like us. All the kids had a go, and many loved it so much that the adults gave up our turns just for them to have a second go. It is amazing that they didn’t frighten the animals away with their screams as they flew through the forest!

The first night involved camping in tents in the field which was a first for many of the children. The kids were all involved in setting up the tents and they all took pride in their achievements. So, though the adults, creatures of comfort, were not too comfortable in the tents that night, most of the children managed to sleep well.

The climb up Mt Ophir began at 6am the next day. I was surprised that all the kids bolted out of their tents upon the morning call. There were no complaining or whining and everyone was raring to go! The initial part of the climb was really tough, especially for unfit adults like me. But what amazed me was that none of the children complained. We had several P1 boys with us – like Barnaby, who is a year-end baby, the youngest of the group. These were the most amazing kids. Despite their short legs, they managed climbing over the boulders effortlessly. Ewan, from P2, was extremely enthusiastic. The soil in some places were slippery so he fell several times, but despite the scratches on his legs, he never complained, did not even stop to examine his wounds, and just picked himself right up and cheerfully continued on. We adults have lots to learn from the children!

The older boys were truly an inspiration too. Many of them took it upon themselves to help the younger P1 and P2 boys out. Some went as far as wanting to carry them up the difficult parts of the mountain! (which of course the adults put a stop to – for safety reasons). And they did so without any prompting from the adults. We were so proud of them!

And the boys were truly such gentlemen! My family was the only one who brought a girl along for the trip. I was initially quite apprehensive and was worried that my daughter, being the only girl there, would be left out, laughed at, or even bullied. Amazingly, there was none of that. All the boys accepted her and even included her in their games. Ewan was particularly sweet and kept looking out for her. And for that, I must include a big thank you for all the gentlemanly boys for not excluding her!

I think the highlight of the trip was the campfire we had upon return to base camp. Despite a hard day’s climb, Mark managed to drag all the tired souls out for the campfire and before long, everyone forgot about how exhausted we were and were clapping, dancing and singing along with him!

For the fathers, I think their highlight was the after-dinner entertainment. Amazingly, Mark managed to organize an adults-only networking session complete with ‘fermented barley drinks’ for everyone. There is no better way to relax after a tough day than over some ‘liang teh’ and good company!

And truly, God was with us every step of the way. He provided us a nice cool morning to hike in (Mark commented we had air-conditioning in the forest), and the weather remained good throughout the day. It was only when we retired to our rooms on the 2nd night after the climb that the heavens opened up and torrential rain poured upon us. Thankfully we were all nicely tucked in in our beds at the resort but we were all giving thanks that it happened only after our climb and not the night before!

And so, from the perspective of one of the 2 mums in the group, this is truly an opportunity not to be missed. Though the climb was tough and we were taken out of our comfort zones, we saw many qualities in our boys that we had not seen before. I strongly encourage all parents, both mothers and fathers, to join us in the following Family Camps, as there is truly much to gain from such trips. And in true ACS spirit, cliché though it may sound, THE BEST IS YET TO BE!

– Contributed by Parent Yew Woon Si

Racial Harmony Day – July 2015

Harmony In Our Hands

our Nation’s people. We had lots of heritage foods such as roti prata, steamed mantou and traditional snacks, such as, gem biscuits, muruku and 9 layer coloured kueh … just to name a few.

Racial Harmony Day would not be complete without lots of games for our boys. They tried their hands at some traditional games like bottle caps (‘tutup botol‘), five stones and ‘zero-point’ challenges, and also elephant walking with coconut husks (made by our parent volunteers). We even had our resident gasing expert, the grandfather of one of our boys, teach the boys how to spin a wooden top.

In line with the theme of ” Harmony in our Hands” we introduced our boys to the traditional art of Chinese block printing and coconut leaf weaving. The younger boys enjoyed colouring some Rangoli Kolam (an Indian art form of creating patterns on the floor using materials such as colored rice, dry flour, colored sand or flower petals) designs as well.

All of the above activities would not have been possible without the support of all our wonderful parent volunteers. They ran the stalls adorned in cultural costumes too. It was a festive sight to behold. As always, our boys had a wonderful celebration.

WRITE-UP BY EXCO VICE-CHAIR SERENA ANG | PHOTOGRAPHS BY INFOCOMMS HEAD MARIETA CHAN

54th Track & Field Meet and Inaugural Games Day

The 11th of November 2015 finally arrived – a day that many of the boys had been eagerly awaiting. The atmosphere was electric with our boys cheering their respective houses on. The stands at Anglo Chinese Junior College were filled.

The 54th Track and Field Meet was significant in that this was the first year that games have been introduced at the meet in addition to the track events. There was Captain’s Ball for Primary 3, Hand Ball for Primary 4, Ultimate Frisbee for Primary 5 and Rounders for Primary 6. The boys could either sign up for the track events or for the games. This allowed for greater participation among the boys and promoted stronger house spirit and provided the boys with a platform to play the games that they had learnt in PE. There was a palpable sense of anticipation in the air as Mr Koh, our principal, gave the opening speech and declared the Sports Day open.

The track events began with the Primary 3 100m race. It was heartening to see so many of the boys signing up to take part in their first ever race. At the same time as the track events were taking place, the boys taking part in the various games went off to their respective venues. Over the next few hours, the boys ran, jumped, played ball, threw frisbees, batted in rounders and just had fun. Everyone then returned to watch the 4 x 100m relays for each year level which had always been a highlight. As the boys raced around the track for their houses, they were cheered on by all present!

The day culminated in the prize giving ceremony and there were many a smiling face as the boys went up to get their medals from Mr Koh, many for the first time as a result of the various games played. It had been a tiring day for all involved, but the sense of achievement and pride of the boys could be felt by everyone present.

We thank the teachers who had put in a lot of effort to organize the event, the many parents volunteers who had given of their time to help out, and most of all, we give glory to God for watching over us, keeping us safe and making the event such a successful and fun one for the boys. Till the next track and field meet and games day, as always- The Best Is Yet To Be!

WRITTEN BY EXCO SECRETARY DANA MAGNUS | PHOTOGRAPHS BY INFOCOMMS SUBCOM HEAD PRIYA RAMACHANDRA

2015 P6 Graduation Party – A Splashing Good Time

As a departure from previous P6 graduation parties, where parents of the graduating cohort, in consultation with the school, planned and ran the graduation party; for the first time this year, the prefectorial board, supervised by the teachers was tasked to run the party. Much work went into the planning, from taking a poll on the theme of the party, to finalising and the programmes and rehearsing and perfecting the performances. And if you, like me, think the boys would naturally gravitate towards Star Wars or Marvel Super Heroes as party theme – think again!

• Beach balls
• Flip flops
• Balmy coconut trees
• Water buckets
• Stairs lined with shells and crabs

…ALL CHECKED!

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a sunny beach paradise!

Boys, in their beach inspired outfits and cool shades, streamed into the auditorium to the tune of pulsating music. The excitement and anticipation was palpable, helped in no small way by the sight of the candy floss machine and ice-cream stand. Indeed the contrast could not be more stark compared to the graduation ceremony which took place just an hour earlier, where the boys, unusually solemn, received their graduation certificates from the Principal.

Teachers helmed the buffet table, serving the hungry boys, setting a sterling example to the boys to serve one another. Many boys took the opportunity to thank the teachers, and have their wefies taken. As the cohort dined, they were entertained by their talented peers with music, song and even a magic show. It provided the perfect background for an afternoon luncheon with great pals.

Roving professional cameramen ensured that photo opportunities were abound. Many were game to be photographed with their friends, coupled with silly antics and hilarious poses – hallmarks of a great party!

Prefects took turns to take to the stage to run different segments. There were table games comprising quizzes on general knowledge about the school and riddles. Boys being naturally competitive, questions were greeted with strong responses from the floor, alternating between cheers and groans. Some tables disputed the given answers and offered their own versions. Admittedly, on occasion, the noise was near ear-shattering levels, but nothing which the Prefectorial Board could not handle. A strong reminder from the Head Prefect set the house in order. In fact, there was a prevailing joke amongst the school leaders, teachers and parents, was that the Prefects called the shots of the day.

If there was any doubt that our boys could plan a fine party, these fears were quickly laid to rest. Months of preparation that culminated in the party bore testament that at ACSP, our boys have developed into ACSians of character, capability and creativity. More importantly, our boys learnt to serve one another humbly in love (Galatians 5:13b).

All glory be to God. Amen!

WRITTEN BY: LILI TEO | PHOTO CREDIT: FOONG WEI MIN

Taman Negara Adventure Camp – November 2015

On the night of 27th November 2015, a group of more than 70, comprising fathers and sons, a mother and a daughter left from ACS(P) for Taman Negara in 3 comfortable coaches for 4 days of family bonding.

As many dads said at the trip, they were so glad they signed up for the trip with their sons. Through the trip, they saw their sons get out of their comfort zones, persevere through challenging activities, overcome fears and grow more confident knowing that if they try hard enough and with support of their friends and family, they can do things which they first thought they cannot do. In the process, many precious memories of time together as a family and with friends were created. This is not the first PSG trip for some of the families and many of those who joined the trip for the first time were looking forward to joining the next one.

My 3 sons have all graduated from ACS(P). This was my 5th and last trip with our PSG Family Focus (Adventure) group. The memories formed on each trip over these years are priceless. My boys, my wife and I will miss the chance to go on these trips. I recommend each of our families to join at least one of these trips during your son’s journey in ACS(P).

To God be the Glory! The Best Is Yet to Be!!

WRITTEN: LEE SOO CHYE | PHOTO CREDIT: LEE SOO CHYE

LAPEL PIN

A smart and stylish accessory for lapels and collars.

Chinese New Year 2019 Recess Activity

We welcomed in the Year of the Boar with lots of activities during recess and over 80 parent volunteers to help execute all the plans!

We had different types of crafts and games, the highlight of which was the plastic-plate hand drum! Created with 2 plastic plates and bells on strings, the boys could decorate their drums with cutouts from angbaos! Most boys left with a drum of their own, with huge smiles!

Calligraphy is a favourite at every Chinese New Year celebration, and so it was this year too! The boys wrote different couplets on auspicious red paper to decorate their homes!

The last craft was tangerine rolling, which was a hit especially with the lower-primary boys and we ran out of materials before recess ended!

The Chinese department Teachers crafted a quiz conducted on iPads with small tokens to be won, the queue to answer Chinese questions was longer than we have ever seen!

A huge thank you to the school for letting us run such fun activities for our boys and the amazing PVs for tirelessly helping through tour the hour-long recess to ensure our boys have the most amount of fun!

ALL GOLD ACS CUFFLINKS

A smart and stylish accessory which fits perfectly with all shirts, an ever popular and collectible item.

GOLD ACS CUFFLINKS

A smart and stylish accessory which fits perfectly with all shirts, an ever popular and collectible item.

*Alternatively, buy a pair of regular gold and silver cufflinks for $100.