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TEMASEK SECONDARY SCHOOL NOV 2016
CONNECTMS
VOLUME 5 ISSUE 2
Changes around TMS Changes around TMS
Read more about the plans Bedok South MRT station (TE30)
LTA and HDB has for the estate
and roads around the
school - - - Page 2
Going beyond the
Science classroom
Through the E-zone Research
Competition, our Temasekians
experience what it is like to
embark on a scientific research
- - - Page 4
TMS bids farewell to
Above: Plans of Bedok South MRT, taken from LTA
Mr. Eddie Tan
website - https://www.lta.gov.sg/content/dam/ltaweb/
As we bid farewell to our Lead corp/PublicTransport/files/TEL%20location
Teacher, Mr. Eddie Tan, read
what his future plans are and It is difficult not to notice the change in the landscape
what he advice he leaves for
surrounding the school as one travels along Upper East Coast
his TMS colleagues - - - Page 5
Road. This is due to the construction of the new Thomson-
Unsure of future East Coast MRT Line (TEL) that has already begun
choice of studies & construction.
career?
Find out more on how you can
make good education and
career decision - - - Page 6
Calendar
Find out what is happening in
Semester 1 of 2017- - - Page 7
Above: TMS field and sound barrier scaffolding
CONNECTMS VOL 5. ISSUE 2 in the background 1
TEMASEK SECONDARY SCHOOL NOV 2016
The scaffolding for the sound barriers have been put up and the barriers would be up in full by the end
of the year 2016.
Even though the construction is near the school, Temasekians can rest assure that the school
compound would not be affected and they can still use the school field. However, the field will be
close to the public till further notice.
The construction of the East Coast stretch of the TEL is expected to be completed in 2024.
Bedok South Horizon
Left: Plans of Bedok Horizon taken from HDB
website - http://esales.hdb.gov.sg/hdbvsf/
eampu11p.nsf/
0/16NOVBTOBD_page_6429/$file/
HDB had launched the plans for the
construction and sales of Bedok South Horizon,
which is situated along Bedok South Road
a n d Up p e r E a s t C o a s t Ro a d . T h e
construction of these Build-To-Order (BTO)
flats will commence between January –
August 2017. The expected completion of
these flats as estimated by HDB is between
end of December 2021 to March 2022.
Though there are plans to widen Upper East
Coast Road, traffic is expected to be heavy
once the construction of both projects commences. All drivers and pedestrians using Upper East
Coast Road and Bedok South Road are advised to adhere strictly to the various safety signage that will
be put up in due time.
Fogging around the area and within the school
compound will be held regularly.
To read more, you can visit the Land Transport
Authority (LTA) and Housing & Development
Board (HDB) websites below:
1) LTA-TEL
2) HDB_Bedok South Horizon
Above: Upper East Coast Road leading to TMS
CONNECTMS VOL 5. ISSUE 2 2
TEMASEK SECONDARY SCHOOL NOV 2016
Going beyond the Science classroom
Opportunities abound for the Science enthusiast
At Temasek Secondary School, we strongly believe in providing our students with opportunities to
extend their learning beyond the classroom. This belief has resulted in platforms to bring together
people with keen interest in areas of scientific inquiry and creative thinking.
Above: Ms Zoe Yeo and Sec 2 students
We are always on the lookout for talents from all levels who have an interest relating with current
global issues in Science. Students who are interested in expanding their scientific knowledge as well as
in research can indicate their interest to their Science teachers.
In 2016, a group of 8 Secondary 2 Biology enthusiasts took part in the E-zone Science Research
Competition, jointly organised by A*Star and Victoria Junior College. Under the supervision of Ms
Zoe Yeo, and the guidance of Ms Charlotte Chng and Mr Bryan Tan, the students were engaged in 6
months of intensive biology research.
Based on their interest to discover the antibacterial properties of common household items like honey
and garlic, they had to grow their own bacteria culture using the bacteria in their mouths, followed
through by testing to prove a hypothesis. Through their perseverance and the application of the
Scientific Method, these students were able to fine
tune their hypothesis and derive at some very
interesting results.
Other than the research aspect, they had to present
their findings to a panel of researchers from different
local Universities. Thereafter, they also had to
present to students ranging from Primary to JC
levels. This rigorous process of research, testing and
presentation mirrors the research process carried out
by undergraduate science majors for their Final Year Above: Students presenting their findings
Projects.
Through this competition, our Temasekians experienced what a scientific research process entailed.
They had a chance to analyse authentic data to evaluate and support their hypothesis, making it a
CONNECTMS VOL 5. ISSUE 2 3
TEMASEK SECONDARY SCHOOL NOV 2016
convincing one for submission and presentation. They were also able to draw connections between
what they learnt in class and the research, thus finding relevance in the content taught in the
classroom.
TMS bids farewell to Mr Eddie Tan
Mr Eddie Tan joined Temasek in 1982, became our Senior Teacher at 2003 and then our Lead Teacher
in 2010. End of this year, Mr Tan will be retiring after over 30 years of long service.
As our one and only lead teacher, Mr Eddie Tan has led and inspired many Temasek teachers, shaping
our school’s teaching and learning culture to what it is today. Mr Tan played an important role in
leading and running our in-house professional development learning sessions fortnightly, as well as
doing 3-minute walk-throughs and iPartnerships with many teachers who have learnt much from him.
This year when we celebrate our first decade of Temasek’s achievement in professional development,
the school is very grateful to Mr Eddie Tan for leading our senior teachers and working with the
school management all these year through many milestones that lead to Temasek Secondary School
being recognised as one of the top people developer’s organisation today.
As we say farewell and wish Mr Eddie Tan well, below is a short interview with him on his future plans
and his words of wisdom for his colleagues.
What are your plans for 2017?
I will be doing some travelling around South-east Asia to experience the different seasons – especially
spring and autumn - which I never had the chance to do so due to my work commitments. I would
like to learn more about Buddhism and do some charity work.
As an advocate for professional growth and learning,
what was your greatest lesson?
I must say I have a blessed teaching career as I have
had the great privilege to work with many outstanding
school leaders in the past 35 years. The most
invaluable lesson I have learnt from them concerns
TRUST. When trust is given, the recipient feels
empowered with the space to create and innovate, be
it resolving issues or implementing programmes to
benefit teachers and students. This is because
concomitant with it is the reassurance that the
school leaders will always be at the sidelines to Above: Mr. Tan receiving a token of appreciation
from the school, represented by Mrs Dayna Chia
guide and share their wisdom when one
(Principal)
encounters an impasse. For the trust and space
to innovate and create in my teaching career, I
owe a huge debt of gratitude to all the school leaders and HODs too, both past and present, for being
a ‘coach at the sidelines instead of being a sage on stage’ which has helped me developed
professionally (and as a person) in no small measure. I want to take this opportunity to say a big
‘Thank You’ to all of them.
CONNECTMS VOL 5. ISSUE 2 4
TEMASEK SECONDARY SCHOOL NOV 2016
I would also like to thank my wonderful
colleagues who have been equally supportive
and encouraging, and amongst whom I’ve
made many lifelong friends. I’m indeed
blessed to have the privilege of working,
learning and growing professionally with them.
It is a gem of an experience that I will always
cherish even as I close this chapter and
embark on the next phase of my learning
journey.
Not only are you regarded as a teacher by
Above: Mr Tan explaining to a group of students your students but also one to many young
teachers. What is your advice to them?
It is important to have the passion to teach and it is equally important to safeguard this. It is a crucial
element that will not only enable us to carry out the myriad duties of each teaching day effectively
but also keep our interest in pedagogy and developing ourselves professionally in the years ahead. It
also gives us the energy to remain steadfast in our commitment to our vision to develop students not
only cognitively but also in their character and values development to face the world beyond TMS.
Helping Our Teens Develop An Inner Sense of
Navigation
Parents are generally concerned about how good their teens are doing academically. There are
significant number of parents who will spare no effort and resources to ensure that their teens are well
supported to get good results. However, they are generally less aware of how good their teens are in
making good decisions, especially at choosing their future course of studies and career.
How important are the skills of making good education and
career choices?
Having the skills to make good education and career choices
are getting increasingly important due to the following
reasons:
First, the education landscape is changing. There are now more
pathways to succeed. Just to list a few examples, students who
aspire to study medicine at the university no longer need to
offer all three pure sciences of Biology, Chemistry and
Physics at A-Levels and definitely not required to do so at O-
Levels; students from Normal Academic course can have three
distinct pathways to choose from enroute to Polytechnic; and
Normal course (both Normal Academic and Normal Technical) students now have subject-based
banding as well as out of stream subjects to choose from if they are strong in certain subjects. The
evolving education landscape now offers multiple pathways for success and certainly appears more
complex than before.
CONNECTMS VOL 5. ISSUE 2 5
TEMASEK SECONDARY SCHOOL NOV 2016 Students need to be aware of and make sense of the new information. Second, the future world of work is changing rapidly due to technological advancement. Many jobs are at risk of being replaced by technological advancements in the future. Gone are the days where parents can be prescriptive in their advice to their teens to take a well trodden path to future success. The opportunities and challenges of the future will be very different from that of the past and present. Third, there is a new movement nationally to encourage our young to acquire a lifelong habit of mastery for learning and to pursue their aspirations. Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) Mr Ong shared, "In this age of possibilities, we make room for a universe of purposes – encouraging our young people to find meaning in new and unimagined ways." There are many youths who are heeding this call to harness the increased learning opportunities at various tertiary institutions such as the Early Admission Exercises at Polytechnics (where students can be admitted to the course of their choice via portfolio and interview to showcase their aptitude). The skills related to making good education and career decisions would include the ability to: 1) Research and gather information needed for the various courses or careers. This could be done through portals such as ecareers.sg, forum discussions, open houses, as well as education and career seminars. 2) Analyse and compare the information from the various sources. This is done through collating the relevant information of various institutions and placing them side by side. 3) Form a set of considerations or criteria important to the individual's context. For example, parents' support, personal interest, future career opportunities, work values, feedback from the alumni regarding the quality of the school's experience. 4) Assess and evaluate the options based on the set of considerations or criteria. At Temasek Secondary, students will be given the opportunities to develop these skills through various learning experiences. Parents should support their teens strengthen these skills by giving opportunities for them to search for and collate the information on their own; guide them to form a set of considerations and show interest in their evaluation decision-making process. Finally, encourage them to work proactively towards their goals. CONNECTMS VOL 5. ISSUE 2 6
TEMASEK SECONDARY SCHOOL NOV 2016
Upcoming Events
December March
19 Dec - Release of GCE ‘N’ Level Exam 9 Mar - 10 Mar - Teacher Meets Parents 1:
results (tentative) Issue of Progress Report
22 Dec - Sec 1 Registration 10 Mar - E-Learning Day
January 20 Mar - Start of Term 2
3 Jan - Start of Term 1 31 Mar - Combined Schools Sports Meet
3 Jan - 6 Jan - Sec 1 Orientation
9 Jan - Release of GCE ‘O’ Level Exam results April
(Tenative)
14 Jan - Principal Meets Parents (Sec 1 & Sec 13 Apr - Speech Day
3)
16 Jan - 19 Jan - LIVE Camp (Sec 1) 14 Apr - Good Friday
16 Jan - 20 Jan - Camp Resilience (Sec 3) 15 Apr - CCA stand down
18 Jan - 19 Jan - Camp Culture (Sec 2) 28 Apr - Start of Mid-Year Examination
27 Jan - Cross Country
31 Jan - CNY School Holiday May
1 May - Labour Day
February 10 May - Vesak Day
4 Feb - Principal Meets Parents (Sec 2 & Sec 15 May - Marking Day
4)
10 Feb - Temasek Acapella Group (TAG) 25 May - 26 May - Teacher Meet Parents 2:
Concert Issue of Report Book
18 Feb - Start Right for Sec 1 & 2 parents
(Maths workshop)
25 Feb - Tema sek Alumni Performers
Extravangza
CONNECTMS VOL 5. ISSUE 2 7
TEMASEK SECONDARY SCHOOL NOV 2016
Acknowledgements
Temasek Secondary School would like to express its gratitude and appreciate to its
fo#owing partners for 2016
aLife Caterpillar Club Moral Home for the Aged Sick
All Saints Home National Heritage Board
American Chamber of Commerce in National Library Board
Singapore
Beyond Social Services President’s Challenge
Care Corner Singapore Ltd Singapore Association of the Visually
Handicapped
Child @ Street 11 Singapore Police Force
CNB Singapore Youth Flying Club
Down Syndrome Association (SG) SMRT
Ey e C l i n i c @ Yi s h u n C o m m u n i t y South-East Community Development
Hospital Council
Feiyue Youth Services St Andrew’s Community Hospital
Halogen Foundation St Luke’s Eldercare
Infant Jesus Homes and Children’s Temasek Junior College
Corners
Jumbo Seafood Group @ Riverwalk & Temasek Polytechnic
Vivocity
Life Community Services Society Temasek Primary
Lion’s Home for the Elders Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities
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