4 June 2010 - Student Reflections

Chew Cheng Feng S2-C
I have learnt that Teachers' Day Celebration can be so much more fun. I have also realised that our Schools in Singapore is so much better than Malaysia. So we are so fortunate.

Comments from Mrs Goh: “真是身在福中不知福！”

Tan Jian Chern Darren S2-A
Today I woke up late. I got a scolding in the bus. We went to Penang Chinese Girls School. There are only girls in the school. SAD. We played "Tug-of-war" with the girls... WE LOST. :(

4 June 2010 - Team Building @ the Scenic Beach!!

After leaving Penang Chinese Girls' School, we went for lunch. Then we headed for a visit to the Weld Quay Clan Jetty & the Khoo Kongsi Clan House. The Weld Quay Clan Jetty is a very interesting spot... we saw houses built along the shore line and into the shallow parts of the sea. They are built on raised platforms, and they are "classsified" according to their surnames! There were 6 of such jetties, but 1 has been demolished to give way to city development. Now 5 remain, and they are now popular tourist attractions. The tour guide said that these people settled down here years ago when their predecessors came from Southern China. Too poor to afford rent, they built their homes on the sea. (p/s: the tour guide also said that they are still not paying rent now!!) We then left to visit another spot - the Khoo Kongsi Clan House. The Khoos make up the richest Chinese Community in Penang. According to our tour guide, the Khoo Clan actually own 25% of the property in Georgetown! And if you happen to have the surname Khoo, you are entitled to a 5% discount when u want to buy property in Georgetown!! Any takers??

We headed back for the hotel after that. It is a sweltering hot day. We rested for 45 min, rehydrated ourselves before we assembled again at 1530hrs for team building activities. I guess the most popular activity would be the tug of war. Nursing their bruised egos... the boys were very adamant about playing it over and over again.... Guess they will find it difficult to accept the fact that they lost to the girls team at the Penang Chinese Girls School in the morning.

Sigh. Egos...

4 June 2010 - School Experience At Penang Chinese Girls' High (槟华独中)

The students were dismissed earlier last night so that they can have sufficient rest. *fingers crossed*.... 2 boys still managed to oversleep?!... even with the morning calls! *faints*

Fortunately we managed to make it on time. We visited Penang Chinese Girls' School (Private) today. It is a small school... but it sure is MIGHTY... small & mighty... There are only 300 students in this independent school (note: here, independent means that the school does not receive any suppport from the country, the medium of instruction is Chinese Lang, and there is a great emphasis on the traditional Chinese Culture and virtues) .

Our girls had a culture shock -- the skirts of every girl go way beyond the knee, school rules states that the students need to write in officially to ask for permission to keep long hair. That's not all, all those with long hair need to bun up their hair in a hairnet everyday! (P/S: the students there thought that our Peicai uniform looks very cool.... because the girls wear them "fashionably short") WELL.... GRUNTS. We teachers all think that the girls there look so demure and refined... they speak gently and politely... if only our students.....

We were invited to play "tug of war" with the girls.... and guess what... We suffered a crushing defeat. Even with the help of the boys! Would u believe it?!?!

We were then ushered to the school hall to be part of their Teachers' Day celebrations. It was a touching and impactful one. There were only 13 classes in the entire school. But the girls put up such a fantastic show that we could not stop clapping and cheering.

One thing which struck me : This school values 6 aspects of education, instead of the 5 we have here (morally, intellectually, physically, socially, aesthetically). 德智体群美 VS 德智体群美劳

3 June 2010 - Student Reflections

Ian Tan S2-B
Today I went to the school and I learnt that they speak Chinese mainly and they need to learn to speak English. I also went to the Old Folk's Home Rehabilitation Centre and learn to they help rehab stroke patients.

Comments from Mrs Ivy Lim : "Ian, you did quite well at the old folks' homes, so I expect good behaviour tmr"

Erical Eu Hwee Teng S2-C
It was a very fun day, except for those including myself for being disobedient , did not listen attendity and others disappoint .Caused by the teachers. Really sorry about it . I apologize for being such a bad peicaian. Really sorry .When we were at Jit Sin Independent High School, the students there shocked me a lot. Their rules and behavior were really strict and better than me, for more than a thousand. I feel disgrace and ashamed to be there as I was a Singaporean where all countries and to believe that we were a very educated country but I believe we disgrace it. And as for the old folks home, I was shocked to see so many old folks there. There were all kinds of sad story. Is really sad to see all the old folks. I hope the futher people can be more thoughtful and take care of their parents.

Wong Shou Wei S2-E
I have learnt that in Singaproe, schools are more advanced. But in Jit Sin High School, the students there are still smarter and more hardworking than us. They are also kind and friendly. If they can behave so well, I believe we can too. We should be more grateful to our school for letting us study in a more comfortable place and should study hard and give good results to repay the school.

Lim Chye Fen S2-C
In Jit Sin High School, the people there are very friendly. They talk very nicely, very different from Singapore. They behave very well. They respect their teachers and friends around them. I think we should changed to be like them, respect teachers & friends.

I enjoyed myself in the old folks’ home very much. Those old people are very pitiful. I pity them. I know one grandmother, she have no husband. She is named Yizhen J. She is 71 years old this year. She talked a lot to me. She told me a lot about her history. She very pitiful, no one take care of her. I think of my grandmother. I had a lot of experience today. Love going there. Very happy there.

3 June 2010 - CIP activity (Silver Jubilee Old Folks Home)

2 June 2010 - Student Reflections

Toh Wan Xin S2-C

We are noisy and never behave well. We talk loudly in the public, I think we must behave ourselves because we are not in our country. And we must pay attention to the teachers and so what they told us to do.

For girls, we should not wear too short because we are at Penang, we must repsect their country and not show too much skin in the way we wear our clothes. We should change our behaviour and not let the teacher disappoint in us. I really hope tomorrow the teachers will bring us out so that we can learn more.

Tan Yuan Jie Darren S2-A

We should be grateful to all the teachers because they spend their holiday to bring us to Penang. We cannot make noise at the corridor. I learnt that boys should not go to a girl's room because we have to respect them.

Wang Shou Wei S2-E

Today I did not pay attention to my teacher at the airport in Penang and forgot to pass my passport to her. I was reprimanded by her. I should pay more attention for the rest of my time during the trip.

Muhd Munawwar S2-A

I will not loiter around and will ask permission to go anywhere everytime. I am so sorry Mrs Goh I will not make the same mistake again.

2 June 2010 - Getting reprimanded... SIANZ

The evening took a dip for the worse. Regrettably.

The City Tour was cancelled.... sigh... we had a long debrief session... to discuss how should we correct this behaviour. Haiz.... At the temperature taking exercise, we realised despite numerous reminders back in Singapore... 4 students still came to Penang without their thermometers... *disbelief!!*

We had a water parade after the temperature taking session, before we dismissed them back to their rooms... (I hope that tmr will be a better day... that our Peicaians will be better behaved...)

2 June 2010 - Reaching Pulau Pinang!

Every one is excited on the plane… Sen Yao combed the entire plane for Mrs Goh… Because he wanted to retrieve the PSP which was confiscated at the boarding area of the Changi Airport… Well, he failed. (Mrs Goh has decided to return the PSP only at night…. Provided he behaves in a desirable manner…*sniggers*)

After a short flight, we arrived at Penang! It feels visibly warmer than Singapore.. though we are just an hour's flight away... We had our lunch in a rustic seafood restaurant (Dong Feng Restaurant – [* serves halal food]).

Our Hotel- Flamingo hotel… CHECK OUT the fantastic view! Many of us have the privilege & luck to be given the sea view rooms… *smiles*

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2 June 2010 - Getting ready to go! - Changi Airport Terminal 1

It is a rainy morning... but i guess everyone is excited nonetheless. We are supposed to meet at 9am... Am happy to see our Sec 2 students streaming in at 8:30am. :) See this artistic shot?? It is taken by our dear Mr Ong Eng Joo, the official photographer for this event! I am glad to say the checking in is smooth... except for 1 blur queen who forgot to bring her passport (phew.... luckily her superdad dashed home to retrieve it! Fathers are GREAT! ESP THOSE WHO CAN DRIVE FAST :p) & 1 blur king arriving late. BUT.... We made it on time for boarding! As we have said before... we live, we learn, we grow... that includes making mistakes...hope that we will all learn from previous mistakes.... and never to repeat it. 正所谓：“知错能改，善莫大焉”，我们惟有吸取教训，告诉自己下次决不能再犯！

Our Expectations of this Learning Journey......

Mr Tan Kim Huat

"To provide opportunities for our students and teachers to interact, bond & strengthen relationship thru our meaningful activities as well as to allow students and teachers to work together to contribute back to the society thru community involvment activities."

Mrs Goh Ting Ruh

"I hope that our sec 2s will get a chance to venture beyond our comfort zones, learn more about the world around us... and spread our love and concern to those who might need it... My Primary School EL teacher once taught us this saying - it's grand to be helped, but it's definitely grander to help!" There is also a Chinese saying which I found meaningful... 正所谓：“施比受更有福” ... We live... we learn... we grow...