2022

December: SJI Remembers Former Alumnus - Fr Gerald Tseng

SJI is saddened at the passing of Fr Gerald Tseng, an alumnus and a Jesuit priest. Fr Gerald studied at SJI for most of his early school life except during WWII. The La Salle brothers who taught at SJI had a profound influence on Fr Gerald and he aspired to be a teacher like them, dedicating his life to moulding young boys to be men for the future. He wanted to be a priest as well as a teacher and therefore chose to be a Jesuit. After receiving his Senior Cambridge certificate at SJI at the age of 21 in 1950, he left Singapore to join the Jesuit Novitiate in The Philippines.

After his ordination in 1963, Father Gerald was posted to Kowloon to teach before transferring to St Francis Xavier Church in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia for eight years. He finally returned to Singapore in 1976 to teach at his alma mater, SJI while playing the role of chaplain at the Catholic Junior College hostel.

Fr Gerald’s quiet spirituality touched many throughout his journey as a priest and teacher, and his ex-students speak fondly of him as one of the nicest teachers at SJI. “Father Tseng taught me Science and he was very kind. He would tell us to mark topics in order of 1st importance, 2nd importance and 3rd importance, Basically, if you studied only the 1st importance topics, you would be all set,” reminisced Matt Lee, an old boy of SJI who was taught by Father Gerald in the 1980s.

“O God, by whose favour your servant, Fr Gerald, was called to the religious life and who witnessed to the message of salvation by his dedication to Christian faith and education, grant that he may be admitted to your eternal friendship with those who have likewise zealously laboured in Your Vineyard. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.”

Photo: Josephian Annual 1982, Fr Gerald (3rd from left) with his students from Legion of Mary, Queen of All Saints Pdm

Source: The Quiet Evangelist: Father Gerald Tseng, S.J. by Maureen Tseng, 24 August 2014, https://vialatropica.wordpress.com/2014/08/24/the-quiet-evangelist-father-gerald-tseng-s-j/

December: SJI Remembers Former Staff -Miss Balkis Bee

The SJI family extends its deepest condolences to the family of Miss Balkis Bee, our former Executive Secretary to several SJI Principals. Miss Bee joined SJI as a Clerical Assistant in Sep 1971 and served the school and the La Salle Brothers religiously from the Bras Basah to the Malcolm Road campuses. She proved to be an industrious and devoted staff and eventually rose through the ranks to become Executive Secretary to the Principals. In her distinguished career spanning 48 years at SJI before she retired officially in Dec 2019, she had served 7 Principals - the late Bro Patrick Loh, the late Bro Joseph Kiely, the late Bro Kevin Byrne, Bro Paul Rogers, Mr Lui Seng Cheong, Dr Koh Thiam Seng and Fr (Dr) Adrian Danker, SJ.

Miss Bee was also a recipient of several national accolades and awards, including the National Day Awards for Efficiency (1997) and Long Service (1999), a Diploma of Benefaction awarded by the De La Salle Brothers (2002) and the Outstanding Contribution Award-Team Award (2012).

After her retirement, Miss Bee returned to SJI on 1 Jan 2020 to work as an HR Officer on a part-time basis until her contract ended on 31 March 2021.

Miss Bee truly embodied many of the Lasallian virtues like generosity, piety, humility, patience and wisdom. The SJI family has lost a true Lasallian.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon her.

*A Tribute to Miss Bee* - you may wish to post your tributes to Miss Bee via this Padlet: https://padlet.com/stjosephsinstitution/msbee

Partnerships with SJI Parent Support Group

The SJI Parent Support Group (PSG) has been an important partnership between the parents and the school. SJI is grateful to our parent-volunteers and the PSG EXCO who organized many activities in 2022:

SJI Parents Rosary Chat Group

Initiated by the PSG 4 years ago, our Catholic parents have faithful praying for the school community once a month. The group comprises parents whose children are at different levels and some of them still join in even though their children have graduated from SJI. The rosary devotion is usually held on the morning of every 3rd Friday of each month via zoom.

Parent Volunteers in the Library

Since July, our parent-volunteers have covered about 300 library books to make them more durable and extending their shelf life. They also taught interested students how to crochet in the De-stress Corner and prepared materials for Christmas craft (planned post-exam activity)

Supporting students for Night Study Programme

Many parents lent their support to provide a variety of food choices for the two Night Study Programmes in Terms 3 and 4. The PSG also planned a pizza party for the boys to celebrate during the last day of Night Study in Term 3.

Teachers’ Day Celebrations

The PSG took the initiative to decorate the staff dining area at the canteen, as well as provide delicious snacks for teachers and staff to celebrate Teachers’ Day.

November: Josephians Gift Prize Money to Children’s Wishing Well

To celebrate the spirit of giving during this festive season, five Year 2 Josephians - Gabriel Low, Linus Lee, Nicodemus Lim, Kayden Cheng and Lim Ee-Ruey donated $1,000 of their prize money from the NTU Young Innovators’ Challenge to Children’s Wishing Well, a nonprofit organisation which helps primary school students from less advantaged homes.

In April 2022, the team under the mentorship of Mrs Pennie Ong (SJI Magis InnoV), Mr Kenneth Chiam (Lecturer, NTU) and Mr Patriak Ng (Entrepreneur, Spark Launchpad) developed ‘The ReCyclean’, to make recycling plastic bottles an effortless process for Josephians. For this, the team won the Most Popular Team Award and Best Team Award in the competition and a team cash reward of $5,000.

With the support from their classmates, the winning team visited the centre on 14 November to present Christmas hampers and also to learn how their contribution will help the less advantaged.

November: SJI is Recipient of Lakeside Family Services Community Partnerships Award for Second Consecutive Year

Our partnership with Lakeside Family Services continues to be strengthened as our IB students volunteer in various capacities in 2023. They have responded to the appeals by Lakeside Family Services and have been a mentor, tutor, photographer, day camp organiser and facilitator, magician among many other roles. The Lakeside Family Services Community Partnerships Award received by Ms Daisy Chia on 29 October belongs to the 70 over students who have kept the spirit of volunteerism alive in SJI.

November: Josephians Impress Judges at Youth Mental Wellbeing Challenge

A group of Year 2 students - Zachary Yan, Aiman bin Norrisman, Mark Tan and Thirrushan s/o Thana Rajan - volunteered their Saturday in November to represent SJI at the inaugural RI Youth Mental Wellbeing Challenge.

The counsellors were impressed with the positive attitude, humility, and independence our students demonstrated. They collaborated well as a team while tackling real-world issues on mental well-being. Their ideas were then presented to a panel of judges and they won 2nd place.

The students also remarked that they thoroughly enjoyed the process and gained deeper insights through this experience.

November: Josephians’ Research Published in Sustainability Journal

Congratulations to Nguyen Duc Minh Anh and Nguyen Thien Minh Tuan (FN403) had their research on the effects of microclimate published in a scientific journal and included in a book.

The first publication is an article in the Sustainability journal (https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/17/10769). The other is a book chapter in Citizen Science - Methods, Approaches and New Perspectives (https://www.intechopen.com/online-first/83681).

Both students participated in the Nanyang Research Programme Junior Researcher (NRPjr) from 2021-2022, where they were mentored by an external mentor, Dr Kenneth Lim from NIE. The project reached some considerable milestones, achieving the Gold Award for NRPjr 2021, Best Prototype Award in the 2021 Technopreneur Challenge by Hewlett-Packard, Silver Award for the 2021 A*STAR East Zone Fair, Merit Award for the 2022 Singapore Science and Engineering Fair and Gold Award for the 2022 International Elementz Fair. Their project was also featured in the Straits Times IN magazine, presented to Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, Ministry of Education Gifted Education Branch and also to the American Association of Geographers Conference and the International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics.

November: Year 5 Josephians Win Two International Science Awards

25 Year 5 students mentored by five teachers participated in the “Global Scientist Award” as part of their virtual Global Experience Programme (GEP) with Ikeda High School (Kagoshima, Japan) that began in mid-August and ended with a final Zoom session on 15 November. The annual international competition hosted by Ikeda High School is backed by the Japanese education ministry and several research companies and Universities, including pharmaceutical giant Otsuka Pharmaceuticals and Chiba Institute of Technology. For the 5th year, the event this year involved a total of 68 teams of students from China, Finland, Japan and Singapore, across 3 categories: elementary school, junior high school and high school.

Two of the five SJI teams who participated in the high school category received awards. HE7 was one of the seven out of 55 high school teams that received the Outstanding Award while HE9 was awarded the Favourite Presentation by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals.

Outstanding Award (Team HE7):

Lim Yee Kiat Zachary (LE510)
Ong Li Ern Alicia (LE510)
Vincentius Markandeya Santosa (LE510)
Zhang Weihang (LE510)
Teacher Advisor: Dr Sergei Prokopenko

Research Topic: NEWater Characteristic Analysis

The team presented their study, which aims to test a selected number of these parameters (both chemical and physical) to verify the safety and cleanliness of NEWater in Singapore. Their findings found that NEWater is both safe and clean for consumption despite the controversy of reclaiming used water. Their study contributed to the scientific basis supporting the process as a sustainable solution to the water issue, and the presentation received many positive comments and compliments from the judges.

Water is an essential resource for the function and survival of natural and socioeconomic systems. Despite this, over 1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, a shortage which is expected to grow with the rising threat of global warming. Thus, there is a constant need to advance our technology to keep up with the growing demand for clean water. In Singapore, an innovative approach to the water issue is ‘NEWater’, a form of reclaimed water in which wastewater is treated and turned into high-purity clean water. This process employs three main technological operations: microfiltration, reverse osmosis and UV disinfection, all of which contribute to the removal of impurities, bacteria and viruses. NEWater has repeatedly met the clean drinking water standards set by the World Health Organisation.

Favourite Presentation (Team HE9):

Andrew Tay Bin Song (ML512)
Audrey Yeo Min Hui (ML512)
Balaji Prakash Narayanan (ML512)
Chuah Jiao Yao (ML512)
Teacher Advisor: Mr Raymond Wong

Research Topic: Calcium demineralisation of Toothpaste
The team investigated the effectiveness of protection of the toothpaste of different brands that are widely used in Singapore and/or Japan. The experiment is carried out by coating 6 samples of bones with various brands of toothpaste for 24 hours, then drying and crushing to increase surface area. A bone without toothpaste is included as a control. The judges were impressed by the fact that the team compared toothpaste available in Japan and Singapore.

Hydroxyapatite Ca10 (PO4) 6 (OH) 2 makes up 70% to 80% of our enamel and dentin by weight, and this hard covering protects the teeth. Below the critical pH value (5.5), the calcium and phosphate ions in hydroxyapatite dissolve out of the enamel and react with the H+ ions derived from the acids present. This process is known as demineralisation. The pH of the oral environment drops due to an increase in presence of an acid, which occurs due to a plethora of reasons: (1) Sugar consumed reacts with bacteria to produce acid due to anaerobic conditions, (2) Consumption of food and drinks with acidic content. Common acid found in food is citric acid, and (3) The stomach’s contents, including hydrochloric acid, will flow back up into the oesophagus and enter backflow into the mouth during acid reflux, which occurs when the lower oesophagal sphincter muscle relaxes after a meal instead of closing tightly. Toothpaste contains fluoride compounds which allow for the remineralisation of the enamel.

November: Josephians Go Global with GEP

Once again, SJI hosted Cura (“Cura” means “to care” in Latin) - a virtual international student exchange, as part of its Global Education Programme. This year, SJI was joined by our partner schools from Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines:

Suncheon Jeil High School, South Korea
Gyeonggi Academy of Foreign Languages, South Korea
La Salle College, Hong Kong
Salesian Of Don Bosco Ng Siu Mui, Hong Kong
Wah Yan College, Hong Kong
Seifu Nankai Jr. & Sr. High School, Japan
Sakura High School, Japan
Saint Jaime Hilario School - De La Salle Bataan, Philippines
De La Salle University Integrated School, Philippines
St Joseph School - La Salle (Bacolod), Philippines

Cura 2022 focused on three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), “Good Health and Well Being” (UNSDG #3), “Responsible Consumption and Production” (UNSDG #12) and “Climate Action” (UNSDG #13). These spurred the participants to think deeper about how they can contribute towards building a better society for all.

Over the course of three weeks, participants gained greater perspectives about these UNSDGs, from the Opening Ceremony’s Keynote Speaker, Ms Emi Kaneko, Director of Japan Science and Technology Agency (Singapore Office), and from the various correspondences with the partner schools. The students also learned more about their new friends from Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines - about their culture, education, hobbies and the societal and environmental issues that they are facing. It was an enriching journey for all the participants who are blessed to have made new friends and deepened their understanding of the world through these online meetings.

November: Understanding Global Issues through Ergo

Weish, local musician and dynamo, speaks to our Y5 students

On 10 November 2022, teachers, Y5 students and visitors from SOTA came together to enjoy Ergo, SJI’s annual Global Issues Festival organized by the English (IBAM) Department. The name “Ergo” indicates the interconnections between ideas that undergird our understanding of situations and issues in our complex and volatile world. This year’s theme of identity was met with interest and curiosity. Students were rapt at local musician Weish’s intimate (and tuneful) sharing of her struggles with her identity as an individual and artist, participated in the lively workshops put on by our Language and Literature teachers and guest speakers, cheered on their friends during the engaging poetry recital by the Literary Society and shivered or laughed in the after-dark literary experience.

November: Josephians Showcase Enterprising Project at NXplorers

Congratulations to our young conservation warriors - Ciaran Liam Condron (LE301), Premanandan Dishnu (LE301), Lee Jayden Seo Jin (LE301), Sidharth Subramanyam (MN301) and Nathaniel Cheng Le Shan (ML302) who were mentored by SJI teacher Ms Gina Tan and Mr Ernest Lee from Shell - for their enterprising project on recycling orange peels at the NXplorers Project Showcase!

The NXplorers Journey 2022 was a year-long STEM-based programme organised by the Singapore Science Centre and Shell Singapore which aims at challenging schools to find innovative ways of solving problems related to food, water, and energy. Although daunting, SJI’s team SUS-tainability decided to take on the challenge, becoming one of the top 13 schools to receive a seed funding of $2,500 as well as the NXplorers trophy.

The team had set their sights on two key issues: a big amount of water usage and food wastage in Singapore. To combat them, the team had a secret weapon: orange peels. Using the bio-adsorbent properties of orange peels, toxic chemicals can be removed from the water, allowing more water to be reused in addition to giving food waste a second life. Under the guidance of their teacher-in-charge, Ms Gina Tan and mentor from Shell, Mr Ernest Lee, the team developed a modular prototype design to house the orange peels and other chemicals such as activated carbon. The orange peels were then placed in an aquarium and acted as an alternative natural organic filter to remove harmful aqueous ammonia in the water that might spike in level and kill the fishes. This method of water purification using orange peel is both safe and cost-effective.

Throughout the year-long journey, team SUS-tainability acquired useful skills, ranging from experimental techniques in the lab to effective communication. They also learned an important fact that no matter how small our effort may seem, we can make a big difference and produce a positive impact on our environment. This has encouraged them to be more sustainable and to inspire others to do the same, helping our community become more green and eco-friendly. Read more about their sustainable project:

November: SJI Emerges National Champion at ASEAN National Quiz 2022

SJI team comprising Hrishit Chhabra (LE510), Russell Yom (FN504) and Julian Lim (MN517) emerged as the national champion at the ASEAN Quiz in November. This is the second time SJI took the top spot since 2020.

November: Josephians Shine at Public Speaking Competitions

Congratulations to the Josephians who won several awards at the following competitions:

National Public Speaking Competition:

Sean Tey (MN520) - Champion: “The Butterfly Effect” - https://youtu.be/J9veKC1ulbA
Harjas Singh Sidhu (ML401) - 1st-runnerup: “Conquering The World” - https://youtu.be/5ZAym9pv2Hs
Anish Gathani (FN505) - 8th place

Plain English Speaking Award (PESA) 2022

Lim Ee-Ruey (LE203) - 1st runner-up (pictured right)

After almost 6 months of hard work and perseverance, Ee-Ruey emerged as the 1st runner-up at the highly prestigious national oratorical competition - PESA.

His winning speech entitled, The meaning of life, won the hearts of the judges for its insights into how we can live our lives meaningfully. Ee-Ruey highlighted that ‘the meaning of life is finding responsibility. A responsibility that challenges you, changes you and charts the path of your future.’.

October: Josephian Receives Computing@SMU Award

Congratulations to Tristan Tay Yu Hng (LE607) has been awarded the Computing@SMU Award!

The Computing@SMU Award is supported by the SMU School of Computing and Information Systems. It aims to recognise and motivate graduating JC students to pursue further education and careers in computing. Besides the certificate and cash prize, the award recipient will be given priority in the admission process to SMU School of Computing and Information Systems degree programmes, as well as opportunities to interact with SMU professors and senior year students.

October: Josephians Receive Various Art Awards

Congratulations to the following Josephians who received various art awards:

Jotham Foo (FN102) - Certificate of Recognition at SYF 2022
Hayashi Yuto (MN301) - Certificate of Distinction (Youth Category) at Angelico Art Award 2022 (pictured right)

October: Alumni Reunite at SJIOBA Tour & Tea Session

The SJI Old Boys’ Association organised a tour and tea session with the school on 29 October, as part of SJI’s 170th-anniversary celebration. Many generations of Josephians and SJI teachers were present to reminisce about their time and memories at SJI. It was a wonderful opportunity for the alumni to catch up with one another, as well as on the latest developments in the school and to hear the current students share their experiences.

Mr Sng Ah Seng, a former Chinese Language Teacher who taught at SJI for 34 years shared his stories of the former SJI at Bras Brasah from his new book. Another book “Those Were the Days” by Mr Tang Wing Kee, another former teacher, was also presented to the school.

October: Josephians Receive Honourable Mention Award at Yellowren Arts Festival

2 weeks ago, 32 secondary students from SJI’s Josephian Arts Programme participated in the annual Yellowren Arts Festival held at Lower Pierce Reservoir Park. The theme for this year’s inter-school canvas art competition was “Re-imagine” where students explore possibilities to reimagine a hopeful future for our generation.

Congratulations to our Josephians - Wesley Thng, Oliver Khoo, Wan Wan and Lim Kai-Ler on receiving the Honourable Mention Award 🏆 at the Yellowren Arts Festival!

October: Thanksgiving Assembly

The Thanksgiving Assembly officially marks the end of the academic year. At the beginning of the year when the school congregated at the Inaugural Assembly in February, Josephians were invited to embark on “La Julie” and a voyage of learning and adventure, where they will discover and identify the gifts God has entrusted to them. Throughout the year, they will come to realise their uniqueness and learn to appreciate people with different gifts.

As the school year comes to a close, Josephians were invited to reflect on how they had used their gifts to care for one another during the year and to look beyond the horizon and chart a new path, by working together and galvanising their different strengths to promote the SJI significance as we set a new course in our next journey ahead.

The following awards were also presented at the Assembly:

Fraternity Championship Shield: Michael Fraternity
Patrick Zehnder Award: Joel Foo (ML201)
Peter Martens Award: Jian Sixu (ML201)
Sportsman of the Year Award: Koh Liang Jie Matthew (FN402), Canoeing
Lasallian Distinguished Service Awards (Year 4 IP): Chen Wei En James Ryan (ML401), Fan Enrui (FN402), Horatius Koh Jin Yang (FN402), Isaac Tay Jia Jun (LE402), Lucas Teo Chee Yen (MN403), Sumugan Kapilan (FN402) and Thng Toh Yong, Wesley (MN403)
Senior Josephian of the Year (Year 4): Koenig Nicholas Gerard (FN402)

SJI also bade farewell to four staff members who are retiring at the end of this year - Mrs Anne Tan (Vice-Principal), Mrs Nevina Ho (Head of Department - Humanities, O-Level Programme Academy), Mr Bernard Teo (PE Teacher) and Mr Tan Puay Hock (Chinese Language Teacher).

October: Year 4 IP Assembly

The Year 4 IP Assembly celebrates the conclusion of the four-year secondary education for the IP boys before they progress to the IBDP in Year 5 next year. Several awards were presented to the top-performing students and outstanding sportsmen.

The Signum Fidei Shield was presented to the group of students with the best prototype in this year’s Innovathon: Samuel Teng Jingxuan (MN403), Ng Jun Han (ML401), Chen Wei En James Ryan (ML401) and Goh Lu Yang Thomas (LE402).

Colours Awards:

Koenig Nicholas Gerard (FN402) - Canoeing
Koh Zhi Wei Zavier (MN403) - Canoeing
Koh Liang Jie Matthew (FN402) - Canoeing
Quek Yi Ming (MN403) - Fencing

Inter-class games medal presentation

Runners-up: Touch Rugby (LE402)
Runners-up: Basketball (LE402)
Runners-up: Football (ML401)

September: Year 6 Graduation

SJI graduated 266 JC students from the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) on 30 September. At this event, the graduands’ parents and guests of honour and SJI alumnus, Mr Bentley Williams (Class of 1984), witnessed the sending off of our graduating students.

Despite the limitations this cohort of students faced during the pandemic, they continue to reach out to the community even beyond SJI. As such, 13 Josephians were highlighted and bestowed the Lasallian Distinguished Service Awards - Chang San Ying (ML611), Cheng Dana (ML612), Colin Toh Sze Peng (MN616), Lim Zheng Xi Ezra (MN620), Lucas Tan Jia Jing (LE609), Luke Xavier Chew Wen Xiong (MN617), Michele Shu Yi Yin (MN620), Su Myat Noe Maung (LE610), Tay Zhe Qian (MN616), Torance Tan Ying Liang (LE608), Wesley Yiap Wen Le (MN619) and Yong Chong You Ambrose (LE606). Koon Wei Pheng (LE607), President of Student Council, was presented the highest honour of Senior Josephian & Lasallian Distinguished Service Award.

September: Year 4 OP Graduation

SJI graduated 228 secondary boys from the O-Level Programme on 29 September. After two years of hiatus, we welcomed the parents and guest-of-honour and SJI alumnus - Dr Gerard Nah (Class of 1984) to send off our graduating boys. The Graduation Ceremony officially marks the end of the boys’ four-year secondary education in SJI, before they began the national GCE O-Levels examinations.

Six Josephians were presented the Lasallian Distinguished Service Award - Aarush Nair (FN403), Linan Miguel Joaquin Guillermo (LE403), Marc Leong Weng Mun (FN403), Pang Kuan Jeng (MN401), Penaredondo Josh Emmanuel Momongan (ML403) and Phua Yan Zhi, Owenn (ML403).

September: Josephian Named Best Sportsboy by Singapore Schools Sports Council

Congratulations to our Josephian and national sailor Russell Yom, who was named Best Sportsboy for the sport by the Singapore Schools Sports Council (SSSC) for his stellar achievements this year which included winning the gold at the Asian Sailing Championships in Cambodia. This Sport Pinnacle Award is given to the overall best athlete for each of the sports organised under the auspices of the SSSC, in recognition of the students’ excellent achievement in their chosen sports in local and/or overseas competitions. Read more at https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/schools/over-8600-students-recognised-at-spore-schools-sports-council-colours-award

(Photo credit: Sailing Energy)

September: Josephians Attain Top UG Awards

Congratulations to our Josephians who have received the following Uniformed Group Awards:

Chief Commissioner's Award (SJI Pelandok Scout)

Adarsh Kumar Vatsa (LE403)
Jovan Chow Guo Quan (ML403)
Kieran Krygsman (ML403)
Kieran Tan Kiat Ren (FN402)
Koh Yong Zhi Kaven (FN401)
Lee Chen Xing Tristan (FN402)
Lee Voy (FN402)
Lim Wei Yong Matthew (LE403)
Lucas Lee Kay Eong (FN403)
Matthew Oon Jun-En (FN402)
Nathan Yap Ka Jun (MN403)
Phua Yan Zhi Owenn (ML403)
R Sai Shashank (MN403)
Sean Ethan Lim (MN401)
Shaun Loh Li Xuan (ML403)
Srijan Karunakaran (LE402)
Tan Siyuan Tanis (FN401)
Teo Joon Yik Joshua (ML401)

St John Brigade - Commissioner's Badge

Abhay Rajesh Tralshawala (FN402)
Brandon Samuel Teo Hou Yang (ML401)
Chen Yanshuo (ML401)
Chia Chang Yi Aaron (MN401)
Chong Kai Zhe (MN402)
Fan Enrui (FN402)
Goh Wei Loon Gregory (ML403)
Pang Kuan Jeng Jarron (MN401)
Yang Yongjun Eugene (MN401)

NCC Outstanding Cadet Award

Linan Miguel Joaquin Guillermo (LE403) - NCC Air
Tay Kia Yong (FN402) - NCC Air
Leung Wing Kan Ernest (FN402) - NCC Land

SPF-NPCC Badge

Jason Ong (LE403)
Muhammad Baasith Bin Muhammed Nawaz (ML402)

September: Josephians Participate in NUS Geography Challenge

The NUS Geography Challenge is an annual competition organised by NUS in partnership with MOE to engage, empower and educate secondary school students on world issues and highlight the omnipresence of Geography in our everyday lives. With the theme of Eco-Utopia: Blueprints for our Green Futures, the SJI team participated in the Creative component where they created a video to evaluate and suggest improvements for an existing urban solution adopted by Singapore. In the Preliminary Round, participants were tested individually and as a team, on their geographical knowledge and skills and their application to the real world. The SJI team reached the top 25; beating 125 schools to reach the semi-finals of the competition. The team also participated in the Geo-Trail although they did not qualify for the Top 5 positions in the Grand-Finals of the competition.

The SJI team comprised of:

Tamilvanan Sabesan (MN403) - Team Leader
Aidan Chia Zhi Le (ML402) - achieved the Silver award for the Individual Component of the NUSGC.
Shen Zhiming (FN401) - achieved the Bronze award for the Individual Component of NUSGC.
Ansley Koh Zer Ray (MN403)

NUSGC Awards - SabesanAnsley Zhiming Aidan.JPG

(L-R: Sabesan, Ansley, Zhiming, Aidan)

Aidan Chia Zhi Le (ML402) was also invited to be part of the prestigious MOE Geography Talent Development Programme, where he will be part of the National Geography Team. Through this programme, he also may be selected to represent Singapore at the annual Geography Olympiad in 2023.

September: Art Students Present IB Group 6 Grad Show

For a week starting 12 September, the Year 6 Music and Visual Art students presented their music recital and visual arts tour at the grand finale Grad Show after an 18-month journey of ideation, exploration and creation. On the opening night on 12 September, it was a full house at the SJI Bunker Gallery and many of the students’ families, teachers and friends graced the event. Watch what the students say about their created works:

September: Teachers’ Day Celebrations

SJI celebrated Teachers’ Day with the presentation of the annual ‘SJI Got Talent’ Concert on 1 Sep. From rock band to dance performances, the students showcased their artistic talents to wow and entertain the audience. After a week of voting and evaluation by judges - Mrs Denise Jeyaseelan, Ms Ong Siew Hwee and Mr Wong Chee Choy, congratulations to the following winners of ‘SJI Got Talent’ 2022!

Most Talented Solo/Duet: Lucas Ang (LE202) and Jayden Yee (LE202)

Most Talented Band: The Stiffs (Trevor Chan/MN516, Lin Jiekang/ML513, Stiffany Yeow/ML513, Dhiren Joseph/FN504 and Elliot Wong/FN501)

Most Popular Award: Parkway (Graeme Foo/FN604, Ian Payamel/LE609, Ryan Ng/LE610, Isaac Chua/FN604 and Joshua Ong/ML611)

August: Josephians Participate in Youth Engagement Session by PA MESRA

By Bilquis Aimie Binte Muhamed Abdillah (MN518)

The People’s Association Malay Activity Executive Committees Council (PA MESRA), together with Malay Language Committee, organised a youth engagement session for Pre-University Madrasah Malay/Muslim students on 20 August, for youths to network and share their aspirations and concerns, learn about the available resources from community partners.

The event was hosted by Madam Rahayu Mazham, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Law and Ministry of Health & Adviser to PA MESRA Youth, who engaged in an insightful dialogue on key issues raised by students; most notably the controversy around DPM Heng Swee Keat’s comment on the possibility of a non-Chinese Prime Minister in Singapore, the extent of the effects of Malaysia’s Bumiputera law on the economic and education gap of Singapore’s Malay community in addition to the ambition of Malay youth and how it interplays with the expectation of success and wealth in the community. Besides discussing the extent of government assistance, Madam Rahayu reiterated the importance of self-initiative and gratitude.

The event also served as an opportunity for Malay students to be more aware of the available resources provided by Malay-oriented organisations such as Yayasan Mendaki and Club HEAL at various stages of their educational journey. The participants had the opportunity to discover and find more information about scholarship opportunities offered by universities such as NUS and SIT, as well as explore specific skills through fun activities such as candle-making and coaster-making.

The event was well-received by the eight Malay Language (MLB) students from SJI who found the experience enlightening and were more aware of the politics relevant to the community. One of the attendees, Adam Azlan from LE510, revealed, “The speakers were enthusiastic, and the MP answered all our inquiries with conviction, making us feel as though all our concerns were being heard. After the question and answer session, we had a lot of fun at the booths where we made our own candles and coasters. We also had the chance to explore and engage with representatives from different organisations that shared the many different pathways available after our graduation. All in all, it was an exciting, enriching experience.”

August: Josephians Attain Science Awards

A\*STAR Science Award (Junior College) 2021-2022 (2 years)

Loh Zi Quan Keith (ML611) and Christopher Koh Jie En (MN616) are the proud recipients of the A*STAR Science Award (Junior College) 2021-2022 (2 years).

Initiated in 2006, the A*STAR Science Award (Junior College) programme is awarded to Singaporean JC1 students who have obtained outstanding academic performance in Science and Mathematics subjects and have a deep interest in research. The Award aims to spur the passion for Science and research among these students through the monetary award and a range of activities, one of which is the completion of a 5-week Research Attachment Programme (RAP) in one of A*STAR research institutes during their December school vacation in JC1. The Award is given for 2 years, with a competitive renewal for the 2nd year based on their excellent academic results in JC1.

Singapore Science and Engineering Fair (SSEF) 2022

The Singapore Science and Engineering Fair is a national competition organised by the Ministry of Education, A*STAR, and Science Centre Singapore. Consisting of 2 rounds of competitions, students selected for the final judging round will present their projects in front of a panel of judges - scientists and researchers from universities and research institutes. The SSEF gave students an opportunity to design a research poster, gain experience in public speaking and polish their communication skills through research project presentations and by answering questions.

In 2022, 11 students represented SJI to showcase their research projects conducted at the National Institute of Education, National University of Singapore, and A*STAR research institutes.

Five students who completed their research projects as part of the Science Research Programme at NUS were awarded a Bronze Award and a trophy:

Purushothaman Sanjai (ML615) – Team Leader, Timothy Tan (FN601), and Benedict Chua Wei An (ML615)
Koon Wei Pheng (LE607) and Tan Ying Liang Torance (LE608) – Team Leader.

Three students were awarded a Merit Award - Christopher Koh Jie En (MN616), Nguyen Duc Minh Anh and Nguyen Thien Minh Tuan (FN403), while Loh Zi Quan Keith (ML611), Quek Yi Ming and Koh Zer Ray Ansley (MN403) received Certificates of Participation for their team project.

L-R: Torance, Wei Pheng, Timothy, Sanjai, Christopher, Keith, Ansley and Yi Ming

August: Josephians Shine at A*STAR -VJC Science Fair

Two of our Year 4 teams participated in a science competition jointly organised by A*STAR and VJC which aims to inspire and foster an interest among students in the areas of Science, technology, engineering & mathematics or STEM in short.

The team comprising Damian Liew Jun Xiang, Loh Fang Jun and Choo Yi Ming (FN402) won the merit award in the Upper Secondary (Open) category for their project “Investigation on the effect of different types of surfactants on the colloidal stability of magnetorheological fluids”.They were mentored by Dr Png Zhao Mao, an alumnus, under the Scientist-In-School (SiS)Programme.

August: SJI Qualifies for Semi-Finals at National STEM Championship

After a one-year hiatus, NSC is back! Four Year 3 students – Ciaran Liam Condron (LE301), Lee Jayden Seojin (LE301), Aaron Wong Yi Cheng (LE301) and Nguyen Hoang Long (LE302) – represented SJI to participate in the highly competitive televised National STEM Championship (NSC) 2022. Previously known as the National Science Challenge, the National STEM Championship adopts similar objectives and improves its relevance to better align with research, innovation and enterprise in the landscape of Singapore and the incorporation of the elements of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Started since 2002, the NSC provides Secondary 3 students with an opportunity to put their skills and knowledge to the test at on-site challenges hosted by A*STAR research institutes and other research organisations.

Our boys went through many sessions of gruelling challenges, including a preliminary selection where 26 schools were selected to proceed to the quarter-finals. Out of the 26 quarter-finalists, SJI was one of the 12 schools that did well to proceed to the semi-finals. Although the boys have done very well throughout the competition, the team fell short of entering the finals as only one team in the group can make it to the Grand Finals of the NSC 2022. Do keep a lookout for the televised broadcast to watch our Josephians on their NSC journey on Mediacorp!

August: Josephians Excel at Math Challenges

Two teams from SJI participated in the International Mathematical Modelling Challenge (IMMC) 2022, an international competition on mathematical modelling that challenges students to apply their knowledge in understanding, analysing and solving real-world problems. After 5 days of research and intense Math discussions and applications during the March holidays, both teams each submitted a 20-page paper that had a suggested Mathematical solution for efficient boarding and disembarking of passengers from a plane. Both teams were awarded the Distinction Award, emerging as two of the top teams amongst the schools that participated. Their achievements have sustained SJI’s record of attaining Distinction for 3 years in a row!

Team 1: (Teacher-Advisor: Dr Paolo Bugarin)

Rahul Singaram Senthilkumar (FN402)
Casper Chew Hai Meng (MN517)
Harez Vinshan Sudhan (MN517)
Subramanian Navin Nagarajan (MN518)

Team 2: (Teacher-Advisor: Mr Thomas Yeo)

Dinh Nho An (FN403)
Agil Singaraselvan (ML401)
Ayden-Luke Tan Jing En (MN401)
Seng Liang Gin Johann (FN501)

Singapore Maths Project Festival

A trio of Year 2 Josephians – Emmanuel Pereira, Ibramsa Idris Ahmed and Surendran Srinikesh (FN201) won a Bronze award with Excellent Presentation for their project – “How Mathematics Can Be Applied In The Creation Of String Instrument” in the Singapore Mathematics Project Festival (SMPF). 166 students participated in the SMPF, where they contributed 54 projects. The SMPF was inaugurated by the Singapore Mathematical Society in 2001 in recognition of the fact that creative and innovative work in mathematics may best be reflected in project work wherein ideas may be thoroughly explored and carried through from start to finish.

August: Josephians Shine at Various Competitions

Kayden Cheng Tze Xun (庄子勋) (LE203) won the 1st prize in the Lower Secondary category while Sapiens Nguyen (阮兆雄) (ML302) won the 3rd prize in the Upper Secondary category at the Chinese Creative Writing with Photography 2022 - “新蕾爱拍客” organised by the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan (SHHK).
Hrishit Chhabra (LE510) was 1st runner up in the comic speech section and Enne Er (LE506) was a finalist in the comic monologue section at the ACJC Speech Arts Competition.
Ashleigh Ng (ML514) won a Merit Prize after being shortlisted as one of the seven finalists in the National Poetry Competition 2022 for the Junior Category (15-17 years old). Her poem “Circles” was shortlisted from 378 entries for the English category.
Teh Keng Heng, Travis (FN403) won a High Distinction for his essay in the Senior Category and Nguyen Hoang Long (LE302) won a Special Mention in the Open Category at the Live On Festival (LOF) 2022 (Essay Competition). An initiative started by National Organ Transplant Unit (NOTU), Ministry of Health (MOH), the LOF encourages youths to express their thoughts on organ donation and transplantation through art and writing. Top winners of the Festival will have their artworks or essays actualised as collaterals to be distributed at NOTU’s publicity events held nationwide.

Ian Gooi (MN103), a gifted young coder is in the top 8 in the International STEM Olympiad, for Grade 7 Honourable Mention.
Two Year 4 students who participated in the NUS National Informatics Olympiad won awards: Nguyen Phuc Chuong (FN403) was awarded a bronze medal for scoring more than 10 points in the competition while Nguyen Duc Minh Anh (FN403) was selected for the final round and won the silver medal.
Several Josephians who participated in the Tanglin Trust School Computing Games 2022 received Certificates of Distinction (Nguyen Phuc Chuong/FN403 and Tan Kai Wen Ignatius/MN401) and Merit (Rahul Singaram Senthilkumar/FN402, Nguyen Thien Minh Tuan/FN403 and Nguyen Duc Minh Anh/FN403).
In the 3D-Tronics Micro-controllers challenge, Jayden Ho (ML202), Noah Lim (ML203) and Michael Reutens (MN202) overcame the challenge of making a prototype using a microcontroller while using the fewest pre-fabricated parts possible, which won them the Craftsperson Award.
Rahul Singaram Senthilkumar (FN402) and Purushothaman Sanjai (ML615) received a Certificate of Achievement for their participation in the “Naanum Oru Padaippalli”, a programme organized by the Mother Tongue Language Branch of MOE’s Curriculum Planning and Development division. At these online workshops, students had the valuable opportunity to hone their literary and artistic skills in the Tamil language. With the help of local writers and scriptwriters, students get to create their own piece of work, be it a poem, play, or short story.

August: Josephians Awarded NCC Outstanding Cadet Award 2022

Two Year 4 Senior Cadet Leaders from SJI NCC Air – Linan Miguel Joaquin Guillermo (LE403) and Tay Kia Yong (FN402) were awarded the prestigious NCC Outstanding Cadet Award this year.

August: Josephian is recipient of DSTA Young Defence Scientists Programme Scholarship

Marcus Ee Junn Wei (FN303) is the recipient of the DSTA Young Defence Scientists Programme (YDSP) scholarship this year. The scholarship aims to recognise Secondary 3 or equivalent Year 3 Integrated Programme students who show both academic excellence and an interest in science and technology. Marcus was recognised for his outstanding all-round achievements & interest in defence science & technology based on his Lower Secondary results.

August: Josephian Receives Lee Kuan Yew Award for All-Round Excellence

Congratulations to our Year 1 Josephian - Stanley Pang Wei Jun, an alumnus of St Anthony’s Primary School! He received the 2022 Lee Kuan Yew Award for All-Round Excellence (Primary) [LKY-ARE (Pri)] from Second Minister for Education Dr Maliki Osman at the Special Awards Presentation Ceremony on 29 August.

The LKY-ARE is a national-level award for achievement in education presented to secondary school students that recognise well-rounded students who have excelled in both academic and non-academic spheres, and who exemplify the qualities articulated in our desired outcomes of education. This year, 10 primary school students and 12 secondary school students received the award.

August: SJI Alumni Receive Scholarship Awards

Congratulations to our alumni who received the following scholarship awards:

Lucas Huan Zhi Kai (IB Class of 2020) was awarded the Singapore Merit Scholarship from the Singapore Police Force Scholarship (SCDF). He received the award from Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs & Minister for Law at The Singapore Police Force Scholarship and Ministry Of Home Affairs Scholarships Award Ceremony on 18 Aug.
Ranj Nicoli M. Negapatan (IB Class of 2019) was awarded the SgIS Full-Term Scholarship on 16 Aug. The SgIS is an undergraduate scholarship targeting young Singaporean talent keen to contribute to leading organizations in Singapore's strategic sectors.
Katipunan Markus Diego B (Class of 2018) who graduated from Temasek Polytechnic in May 2022, was awarded the Course Silver Medal for academic excellence. The prestigious gold, silver and bronze medals, sponsored by industry partners, are given to the top 3 students from each diploma cohort.

August: SJI Sportsmen Shine at NSG 2022 C-Division Games

Kudos to our SJI C-Division sportsmen who have performed extremely well across the various sports at the National School Games since the competitions began in July. Their achievements are as follows:

~ Football (South Zone): 1st
~ Tennis (Nationals): 2nd
~ Table-Tennis (South Zone): 2nd
~ Canoeing (National): 2nd
~ Badminton (South Zone): 3rd
~ Sailing (National): 4th

Watch our Footballers emerge Champions against St Gabriel’s Secondary in the Finals at Jalan Besar Stadium on 18 Aug: https://circle.myactivesg.com/watch/national-school-games-2022-football-south-zone-c-div-boys-final

Our C-Division Team brings home a Silver at the NSG Tennis Finals!

Our C-Division Team brings home a Silver at the NSG Table Tennis (South Zone)

August: SJI Staff & Alumni Receive National Day Awards

Congratulations to our staff and alumni in the SJI community who have been conferred the following awards in this year’s National Day Awards:

● Distinguished Service Order:

Mr Tan Chorh Chuan (Class of 1975), chief health scientist at Ministry of Health (MOH), is one of the three public service veterans who received this top national honours for their contributions to the country over the years: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/three-public-service-veterans-top-this-years-national-day-awards-list

● Public Administration Medal (Bronze):
Mrs Anne Tan

● Commendation Medal:
Mrs Nevina Ho

● Long Service Medal:
Ms Boon Yen Ping
Mrs Nevina Ho
Mr Jude Tan
Mr Wong Ting Hsin

August: Commemorating National Day

This year, the National Day theme is ‘Stronger Together, Majulah!’. This is a call for all Singaporeans to forge ahead as a united and strong people towards a better future. “Stronger Together” reminds Singaporeans that unity in our diversity is what makes us stronger. Communities, families and friends coming together form the bedrock of our nation’s strength and resilience, and enable us to overcome challenges. “Majulah”, which means “onward”, encapsulates our hopes and spirit as a nation since our independence 57 years ago, and is a rallying call for Singaporeans to strive for a better future, and grow from strength to strength as we emerge from COVID-19.

To commemorate National Day, SJI held a simplified National Day Observance Ceremony on 4 Aug, with a march-in of National Flag and School Flag by UG leaders, flag-raising ceremony with the singing of the National Anthem and recitation of the Pledge, and the Minister’s National Day Message for Schools was read out by the President and Vice-President of Student Council.

On the eve of National Day, Josephians gathered to run together at the Annual Cross-Country Meet at Bedok Reservoir after a hiatus of two years. By running together, the SJI community continue to realise our dream of moving ahead together as SJI and challenges us to keep running forward together as one Singapore.

July: SJI Teams Snag Top Places at SUSS SBIZ Business Plan Competition

Two teams from PRISM competed against 61 teams from major schools and polytechnics in the 2022 SUSS SBIZ Business Plan Competition and clinched the Championship and 4th positions at the National Finals on 23 July.

Team BestBy – Jeremy Yong Tze Wen (FN502), Celine Lee Tse Qi (FN502), Lim Zheng Yi (MN520) and Keane Tan (MN516) – clinched the Championship title. Their innovative business proposition is an algorithm-driven app that seamlessly matches enterprises with excess food to consumers to help reduce global food waste.

Team Más vale maña que fuerza – Sean Chin (MN519), Sean Tey (FN520), Dhiren Immanuel Joseph (FN504) and Jeongwook Kang (ML512) – took the 4th position with their innovative energy-saving smart switch.

July: SJI SJB Cadets win 3rd place at National First Aid Competition

On 23 July, a team of St John Brigade cadets from Year 2 participated in the North District First Aid Competition. Organised by St John Singapore, this competition provides a platform for cadets to apply their First Aid and Foot Drill skills in a real world situation. Cadets are required to be extremely knowledgeable in both components to pit themselves against many top schools. This is no easy task and our cadets worked tirelessly for many months to adequately equip themselves for the rigour of the assessment.

The boys – Alexander Chow Feng (ML203), Pirathap Cindmyan (LE203), Pradeep Kumar Aashish (MN202), Sundar Ashwin (FN201) and Wesley Chow (MN201) – did extremely well to finish Second place in the District round, which led them to progress to the prestigious National First Aid Competition where they emerge Third place against top corps. Well done!

July: Celebrating Racial Harmony Day

SJI celebrated Racial Harmony Day on 21 July. The theme for this year’s Racial Harmony Day is ‘Singapore: Our Multicultural Mosaic’, which focuses on the appreciation of the diverse races and religions that make up our multicultural society, and which contribute to our shared sense of cohesion and harmony. To commemorate this day, the Student Council and the Prefect Exco worked together to put up some interesting activities for the school community, such as performances by Rock-A-Cause during Lunchtime Jam that featured songs from different cultural groups, Racial Harmony Day Photo Booth and Traditional Games Competition where students were able to compete with one another in games such as chapteh, five stones and animal chess.

July: Josephians Selected as Finalists for CHROMATIKA

Two Josephians have been selected as finalists for the CHROMATIKA Finals Exhibition which opens on 30 July at the School of The Arts (SoTA) Art Gallery. The art competition is organised by VOMG, Singapore’s annual youth platform where young creatives can find their voice and make a mark with their artistic skills in art, music, photography or even dance.

View and Like their artworks by clicking the ❤ icon via their Instagram links as follows:

~ Cheng Jae Hin (LE102): https://www.instagram.com/reel/CgPCUo8JFKi/

~ Heather Yap (LE510): https://www.instagram.com/reel/CgPCNn1pjYC/

July: Two Josephians Receive Defence Scholarships

Congratulations to our alumni who received their scholarship awards from Dr. Ng Eng Hen, Minister of Defence, at the Defence Scholarship Award Ceremony 2022 held at the Istana on 29 July. Pothakamuri Tulsi Kiran (IB Class of 2020) was awarded the SAF Medicine Scholarship while Loke Fai Jun, Jaren (IB Class of 2019) was awarded the DSTA Scholarship.

The SAF Medicine Scholarship is an exclusive scholarship programme for those who aspire to become military doctors. This scholarship allows individuals to pursue medical studies locally and subsequently develop as officers to hold senior positions in the SAF. The SAF Medicine Scholarship offers scholars opportunities to be involved in operations that directly contribute to the peace and security of Singapore.

The DSTA Scholarship enables individuals to gain enriching learning experiences in science and engineering at the world’s finest universities. Upon graduation, scholars will embark on a rewarding career in Defence, Science and Technology Agency, DSO National Laboratories, and Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies.

(L-R: Kiran, SJI Principal Mr Justin Pierre, Jaren)

July: Josephian is Recipient of SAF Young Leader Award

Congratulations to Christopher Koh Jie En, our Year 6 Josephian who is a recipient of the prestigious SAF Young Leader Award 2022!

The SAF Young Leader Award was introduced to affirm and recognise students who have exhibited sound leadership and cognitive abilities, and have a strong interest in defence-related issues. After a stringent and rigorous assessment and selection process of nearly 300 applicants from various pre-tertiary institutions, 21 students were eventually awarded. Award recipients will each receive a $2,500 cash award, a certificate of participation, invitations to attend exclusive MINDEF/SAF engagement events as well as a scholarship interview for overseas studies upon application.

Brigadier-General Lee Yi Jin, Director of Military Intelligence and the Chief of Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence in the Singapore Armed Forces, was in SJI to present the certificate to Christopher on 26 July.

July: Josephian Is Champion of TED Talk in Malay Finesse Video Competition

Congratulations to Dinesh John Nair-Peeris (ML515) who emerged as champion in the TED TALK category of the Malay Finesse Video Competition 2022! Despite not being a native speaker of the Malay Language, Dinesh delivered his speech eloquently on the Malay finesse based on his experience as a Malay language student and shared how his understanding of the Malay culture has been enriched from these experiences.

DINESH Award Presentation Ted Talk 2022.jpg

Organised by the MOE Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee (MLLPC), student teams from 40 schools competed on the most creative ideas through skits, TikTok videos and TED talk-style oral presentations to promote Malay culture and etiquette at this year’s Malay Finesse Video Competition held in conjunction with the Fiesta Kesantunan 2022 during the June school holidays. Eight schools emerged as top award winners and received prizes at this year’s Malay Finesse Fiesta.

July: Josephians Clinch Top 5 Positions at Text Recital Competition

Our multi-racial trio from SJI – Kaedrin Herman Isaacs (MN103), Ingo Ruediger Sebening (MN103), Miguel Phua Hong Han (FN102) – clinched the top 5 positions at the 5th Text Recital Competition for Primary and Secondary Schools. Jointly organised by the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL), Anderson Primary School and Singapore Chinese Teachers Literary Recital Society, the boys were selected from over 2000 participants in Singapore.

In an interview with LianHeZaoBao, Kaedrin Herman Isaacs mentioned that he learnt Chinese since he was in kindergarten and fell in love with the language. He had taken part in similar competitions since primary school which helped him to improve his oratory skills.

July: CURATE 2022 Inter-school Art Exhibition Opens at SJI

CURATE is an Art programme initiated by three participating schools - Fairfield Methodist School Secondary, Nan Hua High School and St. Joseph’s Institution. With the support from National Arts Council (NAC), CURATE hopes to connect passionate Art students from various schools to experience the joy of art-making as they broaden their perspectives of art forms through personalised mentorship by artist practitioners.

In CURATE 2022, the programme is extended to four participating schools, including Boon Lay Secondary School. 40 art students underwent a series of sessions, from artist workshops to a two-day Bootcamp Challenge and judging presentation. 16 students were then selected by our Artist Mentors - Yanyun Chen, Jerold Chong and Tiffany Loy - to receive personalised tutorial sessions. Finally, the selected student artists were guided by our curatorial mentor, Seet Yun Teng, to put up an exhibition of their own.

On 12 July evening, the CURATE 2022 Inter-school Art Exhibition was launched at the SJI Bunker Gallery. Several distinguished guests including the Deputy Directors from Singapore Teachers Academy for the Arts (STAR) and Arts Education Branch (AEB), Principals, Vice-principals and art colleagues from the 4 participating schools, and the parents of the 16 art students were at the opening preview of the exhibition. Visit the CURATE exhibition from now till 21 July: https://sites.google.com/moe.edu.sg/curate2022/curate-2022

July: Josephians Win Awards at International Elementz Fair

Five teams from SJI took part in the 23rd International Elementz Fair organised by Anderson Serangoon JC in April. The annual International Elementz Fair provides a platform for students to showcase their scientific research and prototypes which can contribute to the betterment of society. The research projects are student-initiated and cover interesting topics such as the effect of microclimate on our health and emotions, materials for cooling buildings and microbial fuel cells. Congratulations to our Josephians who achieved the following awards:

Team 1 mentored by Mr Tan Yan Li – Nguyen Duc Minh Anh and Ngugen Thien Minh Tuan (FN403) – Gold
Team 2 mentored by Mr Tan Yan Li – Aarush Nair (FN403), Aidan MacLaren Ming (FN403), Nguyen Phuc Chuong (FN403), Phua Yan Zhi Owenn (ML403) – Silver
Team 3 mentored by Ms Gina Tan – Raiden Kai Puthucheary (MN520), Foo Jie Ren Kieran (LE507) – Silver
Team 4 mentored by Ms Kassandra Lim – Zhuo Chengsheng (ML515), Marcus Kuan Zhong Wei (MN520) – Commendation
Team 5 mentored by Ms Cheng Mengting – Lim Andrew Julian Sia (MN517), David Yeong Jie Jun (LE506) – Commendation

July: SJI Organises Mutien Festival in Aid of Canossaville

The spirit of arts came alive at the SJI Mutien Festival on 1 July! Organised in aid of Canossaville, SJI Mutien Festival 2022 was the largest scaled concert by SJI’s Performing Arts CCA groups – Bagpipes & Drums, Band, Drama Club, Guitar Ensemble and Vocal Ensemble – since the pandemic started. It was a very special moment for many of the Performing Arts students as they shared their music, voices and acting before a large crowd of more than 500 family members, friends and teachers.

Patrons to the Mutien Festival were encouraged to donate generously to Canossaville, a Catholic social service agency that supports mainstream students, as well as those with hearing loss and/or multiple disabilities, giving priority to the poorest. The event raised a total of $7,860 (an increase from the initial target of $3,000) which will help the children and their families entrusted in Canossaville’s care. As the donation received is part of Canossaville’s Never Ending Gift 2022 campaign, it will be eligible for a dollar matching by the Government and Tote Board. This means the donations may be doubled to $15,720!

July: French Ambassador Visits SJI

On 1 July, SJI welcomed the French ambassador, H.E. Marc Abensour who met our Year 5 students and teachers, as part of the “EU at Your School” programme - a project by the European Union (EU) and its EU Member States that hopes to bring the EU closer to the youth in Singapore. Ambassadors of the EU member states represented in Singapore, together with senior diplomats from these missions, will visit schools to share their insights about the EU and their engagement with Singapore.

In addition to sharing about France & its role in Singapore & the EU, and the country’s excellence in education, science, innovation, technology & culture, Mr Abensour presented on the themes of green recovery, climate change, sustainability and digitalization.

June: SJI SICA Shine at Youth Model ASEAN Conference

From 22 June to 24 June 2022, some of SJI SICA members attended the Youth Model ASEAN Conference (YMAX) held at Methodist Girls’ School. The participants engaged in discussions and debated over a multitude of regional issues such as leveraging the use of smart technologies to build environmentally sustainable cities and education reform for social justice. Not only did the delegates gain exposure to new perspectives on these issues, they also exercised their critical thinking skills by proposing solutions to these issues. The SJI delegation won the Best Delegation Award, and the following awards:

Tan Kia Shuang (ML515) – Best Delegate award in the ASEAN Digital Ministers Meeting Council
Kevin Benedict Asia Franklin (FN501) – Outstanding Delegate in the ASEAN Digital Ministers Meeting Council
Kellathur Nadathur Ananya (ML515) - Best Delegate award in the Press Corps
Matthew Aaron Chan Chun Fong (ML512) - Best Delegate and Best Position Paper awards in the ASEAN Ministers Energy Meeting Council.

May: SJI Indian Cultural Society Organizes Tamil Language Camp

The SJI Indian Cultural Society (ICS) organized the Tamil Language Camp for the Year 1 to 6 students on 28 May. Mr Dominic Ang, Vice Principal of Student Development, lit an oil lamp to signify the start of the ICS Camp, which was followed by a speech by Mdm Selvarani, the ICS teacher-in-charge about the importance of Tamil Language and literature. S. Deenesh, President of ICS, welcomed the members to the camp that featured many enrichment activities on Indian culture such as the traditional music workshop where the students gained an understanding of the significance of Tamil music and tried their hands at numerous musical instruments. Students also had the opportunity to display their hidden acting talents and to master numerous facial expressions essential for drama at another workshop. Mr Arul, another SJI teacher, also conducted a “Bhangra” dance session which boosted the spirit of the camp.

Two notable alumni of ICS – Stalin Bill (Class of 2017) and Sanfo Bimal Thomas (IB Class of 2021) also shared their experiences with their juniors at this camp. Stalin gave a motivational speech about the struggles and challenges he faced as a student in SJI while Sanfo conducted a poetry workshop on the different ways of writing Tamil poems where he inspired many students to write Tamil poems. The camp also included an Amazing Race where the activities were aligned to the Tamil traditional culture such as Silambatam, a traditional combat sport.

The ICS students reflected on the many new experiences and skills they gained from the camp:

S. Deenesh (LE402): Being a part of this CCA made me realise how far I have grown from my cultural roots. In such a modernised world today, keeping in touch with our roots has never been more important. I took up the position of president in the ICS to better serve the Tamil students in SJI. My most fulfilling accomplishment would be the ICS camp that was conducted with my fellow Year 4 peers in the CCA for our juniors. The Indian Cultural Society was a beacon of joy and it was an honour for me to be a part of this CCA.
Felix Joseph Francis (LE402): My journey in ICS helped to develop my leadership ability and help my juniors learn more about their culture. ICS also served as an opportunity for me to know my roots and my heritage at a greater depth than before. The cultural aspects of our lives are often overlooked and left uncherished. The ICS guided me in rediscovering my identity and learning more about the Tamil culture along with my juniors who I helped along the journey.
Saravanan Balasubramanian (ML101): My favourite activity at the ICS camp was the poetry workshop by Sanfo. It was really interesting as we learnt about the different Tamil literary devices which I did not know about at all and we also learnt how they could be used for our Tamil literature. I plan to follow in Sanfo’s footsteps in his mastery of Tamil Literature and apply these skills in the future.

May: SJI Performing Arts CCAs Support ACMI in Project Scubilion

SJI’s Performing Arts CCA groups, namely Guitar Ensemble, Vocal Ensemble and the Pipe Band, collaborated in their Project Scubilion this year, to partner with the Archdiocesan Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ACMI). A commission set up by the Catholic Church to help migrants in Singapore, ACMI supports migrants including foreign workers, foreign domestic workers, transnational families, and anyone who needs help, regardless of nationality or religion.

Josephians from these CCA groups jointly embarked on a collection drive within the school community for daily essentials such as toiletries, hygiene and food items to prepare care packs for the migrant workers. Their CCA teachers together with representatives from ACMI and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) presented the care packs to 125 migrant workers who were based at a Sims Drive condominium construction site on 29 May.

May: Josephians Shine at ASPIRE SG Challenge

Congratulations to our Josephians who emerged amongst the Top 5 teams at the ASPIRE SG Challenge:

amOOngus thirteen - Ciaran Condron, Aaron Wong Yi Cheng (LE301), Marcus Ee Junn Wei (FN303), Nathaniel Cheng Le Shan (ML302)
Vibing - Ahire Vibhav Prabodh and Tan Jing Heng (MN201)
Team Triangulate - Jacob Neo, Goh Hyu Yang, Heng Yu Zhe, Jayden Yee (LE202)
Initium Novum - Selvakumar Tejaswen, Jerry Tan, Ratul Ramachandran, Wang Leo Ickwen, Thaddeus Teo (LE201)

6 Josephians also won the Sci-Fi Writing Contest:

Chava Vishruth (MN202)
Tan Xun Rui Bryan (ML201)
Gladwin Ng Yan Gin (ML101)
Almeida Elkan Gerard (ML202)
Chew Zhen Kai (LE202)
Seah Hong Yi (MN202)

The boys received their certificates and prizes from NASA Astronaut, Jeffrey Williams, during his visit to Singapore’s Science Centre on 10 June.

May: SJI Commemorates Student Leaders Investiture

SJI commemorated the Student Leaders Investiture on 26 May, where we congratulated the outgoing student leaders and welcomed their new successors who will assume their new roles to lead and represent their various student bodies in Council, Fraternity or CCA/CAS groups.

On 31 May, the student leaders from our Catholic societies and the FIDEI programme were invested and celebrated at the Mass in the Chapel. The incoming student leaders received their badge pinning from their outgoing seniors.

Congratulations to all our new student leaders! We hope you will continue to lead your respective communities in SJI, serve with integrity and be persons for others.

May: SYF DanceVerve showcases SJI Dance CAS groups

Our Dance CAS students have worked hard to produce credible performances at the Singapore Youth Festival. Mu Lan (FN503) and Nurul Arinah Mohamad Saifudin (FN502) performed in the Urban Contemp Delight segment while Calista Nadine Chang (LE509), Chang Lin-Xuan Natasha (ML514), Chang Shi Nuo (FN502), Joshua Low Choon Wei (ML514) and Phua Ping Yuan (ML513) put up a team showcase in the Bring on da Funk! category.

May: SJI is Winner of 2022 Prudential Young Trailblazers

Magno Cerebri, SJI’s team from Prism, was the overall winner at the finals of the 2022 Prudential Young Trailblazers Competition held on 14 May. The team’s business proposal – StudyBuddy –represented by Julian Lim (MN517), Russell Yom (FN504), Hrishit Chhabra and Zachary Lim (both from LE510) won the “Overall Winner” business idea, edging 9 other teams from RI, TJC and TMJC to win the grand prize of $1000.

The competition culminates in a 3-minute business pitch assessed by seasoned entrepreneurs and industry leaders. The Overall Winner was awarded to the team with the highest total points from the three criteria - impact, innovation, and business pitch. The winning team will also be given an opportunity to develop their business idea further under the mentorship of business advisors.

StudyBuddy helps students easily and seamlessly connect with like-minded individuals, allowing for the creation of study groups, and motivating students to strive for collective excellence. The app’s algorithm connects them with students of close proximity, similar education level, course and preferred language. Aside from its primary function, the app has multiple functionalities, such as a visual representation of students’ nuanced strengths, a commendation feature and a forum.

May: Josephians Hit Top Spots at NSG Taekwondo Championships

Congratulations to our Josephians who represented SJI at the NSG 2022 Taekwondo Championships (Poom Black Category):

Sabela Chew (LE608) - A Division Girls Individual - Champion
Nicholas Koivuaho (ML202) - C Division Boys Individual - Champion
Kaedrin Herman Isaacs (MN103) - C Division Boys Individual - 6th
Sean Tey (MN520) - A Division Boys Individual - 10th

May: Josephians Accomplish Achievements in Science

Congratulations to our Josephians who have accomplished the following achievements in Science:

NUS Science Research Programme (April 2021 - April 2022): Certificates of Participation and Completion

Tan Ying Liang Torance (LE608) and Koon Wei Pheng (LE607) for their project - “Effects of repeated cycles of sleep curtailment and recovery on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity” conducted at NUS, Department of Medicine, Sleep and Health Laboratory.
Purushothaman Sanjai (ML615), Benedict Chua Wei An (ML615) and Timothy Tan (FN601) for their project “Using machine learning to train a model that is capable of identifying the amphibians belonging to the Hylidae family based on their advertisement calls” conducted at NUS, Department of Biological Sciences.

33rd Singapore Chemistry Olympiad 2021
3. Nuttawat Worawitjarungwat (FN605) – Silver Award and Medal

L-R: Mr Justin Pierre, Torance Tan, Purushothaman Sanjai, Timothy Tan, Nuttawat Worawitjarungwat, Koon Wei Pheng and Teacher Dr Prokopenko Sergei (absent: Benedict Chua)

May: Josephians Shine at the International Biomedical Quiz 2022

Congratulations to our Josephians who won several awards at the International Biomedical Quiz (IBQ) 2022! Organised by Anglo-Chinese Junior College, the IBQ aims to provide a platform for students to develop their aptitude and potential in the biomedical disciplines through independent work and applying critical thinking to solve authentic medical challenges. The theme this year is Oncology, spanning the broad range of knowledge in our understanding of cancers, how they develop, how they are diagnosed, and how they are treated. This includes the science of cell biology and how normal biological processes are subverted in cancer.

Category 1 (Year 3/4)

Rahul Singaram Senthilkumar (FN402) – Gold
Chew Jun Shen (MN401) – Gold
Keng Ming Feng Xavier (ML403) – Gold
Abhay Rajesh Tralshawa (FN402) – Silver
Loh Fangjun (FN402) – Silver
Kothamasu Pranavasai Bhavesh (FN402) – Silver
Chung Dohyun (FN402) – Silver
R Sai Shashank (MN403) – Silver
Daniel Ho Dawei (LE301) – Silver
Tristan Lee (FN402) – Bronze
Nathan Yap Ka Jun (MN403) – Bronze
Choo Yi Ming (FN402) – Merit

Category 2 (Year 5/6)

Nuttawat Worawitjarungwat (FN605) – Gold
Zhuo Chengsheng (MN515) – Silver

April: Josephians Win Best Team and Most Popular Team awards in NTU Young Innovators’ Challenge

Congratulations to our young Josephians who won two of the three awards in the NTU Young Innovators’ Challenge on 19 April! The team from LE203 – Gabriel Low Chee Onn, Kayden Chen Tze Xun, Lee Shi Yang Linus, Lim Ee-Ruey, and Nicodemus Paul Lim Jia Yang – had to do a 10-minute pitch to the judges with the main focus on waste reduction. The judging is based on Practicality, Creativity, Originality and the level of impact on the chosen topic. Our Josephians won the Best Team and Most Popular Team awards (credit to the strong support from parents and Josephians).

Organised by the Technopreneurship Center, NTU, the competition began in Sept 2021 till the grand pitch for the shortlisted school. The SJI team had to compete against Temasek Junior College (Sec), School of Science & Technology, SCGS, RGS in the final round. It was a tough competition as there were many shortlisted teams in the semi-final round last year.

April: Josephians Snap Up Prizes at IMDA’s SERVE Photo Essay Contest

In Term 1 on 14 Feb 2022, our Josephians from the Design & Innovation Club (DI Club) went through a course to learn about Artificial Intelligence. Thereafter, the committee set up a booth to share about AI with the school community. The boys also took part in a SERVE Photo Essay Contest organised by the IMDA, where they wrote about their VIA experience. Chan Jun Yong David Jeremiah and Ng Kang Jie, Kaejay (FN201) won the Winner and Runner-up prizes respectively.

April: National School Games-Football: A Division Boys - SJI vs ACJC

On 13 May, our A Division Football (Boys) team was up against Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC) at the Jalan Besar Stadium for the 3rd/4th place in the NSG Semi-Finals. The SJI footballers put up a tough fight to draw 1-1 after extra time and lost narrowly at 3-4 during the penalty kicks, taking home the 4th place at this year’s NSG. Watch the match at [**National School Games-Football: A Division Boys 3rd/4th place

St. Joseph’s Institution vs Anglo-Chinese Junior College**](https://circle.myactivesg.com/watch/national-school-games-football-a-division-boys-3-4th?hsLang=en)

April: Josephians Perform Well at Tamil Competitions

Our Tamil students have performed well at several Tamil Language competitions this year:

Two Josephians won the consolation prize at the competitions organised by the Association of Singapore Tamil Writers - Ramesh Jyodhir Aadithya (ML302) for the Translation Contest for Year 3 students, and Rahul Singaram Senthilkumar (FN402) for the short-story writing competition.
The Society of Singapore Tamil Poets organised a Tamil Poetry Writing Competition. Sumugan Kapilan (FN402) won the second prize of $300 and Chandra Prakash Kavin (ML103) won the Consolation Prize.
The Annamalai University Alumni Association organised a Research-Based Competition on the topic, “The Life of Tamils is intertwined with nature”. Emmanuel Pereira (FN201), Sumugan Kapilan (FN402) and Purushothaman Sanjay (ML615) won the consolation prize for the Lower Secondary, Upper Secondary and IB categories respectively.
Senthilkumar Alagusundaram (ML303) won 11th place at the Tamil Mobile Apps Creation competition organised by Bartley Secondary School.
Thirumalpathi Thishan and Rahul Singaram Senthilkumar (both FN402) won second place in the Stand-up Comedy Category in the Tamil Literary Competition organised by Raffles Institution.
Anandan Shivanand (LE506) won second place at the Tamil Literary Competition organised by the NUS Tamil Language Society.

April: SJI Tennis Team Scores 4th Place at National School Games

Our Tennis ‘B’ Division boys have much to be proud of! They performed their best game and gave their all to achieve the 4th position at the nationals this year! This is the third consecutive year our Tennis boys have reached the semi-finals of the nationals.

Special mention to Jerome Chew who gave his opponent a punishing time with their match going into three sets. Our reserves, Rayne Quek and Aiden Chew, who made their first appearance in an NSG match, fought hard for their match to enter into the third set. Well done, Josephians! #TeamSJI #OraEtLabora

April: SJI Footballers Qualify for A-Division Semi-Finals

Congratulations to our SJI Footballers who have qualified for the NSG A-Division Football Semi-Finals! In the quarter-finals match held on 25 April, the SJI Team showed tremendous fighting spirit and resilience to recover from being a goal down to eventually defeat Nanyang Junior College 2-1. SJI will be meeting Victoria Junior College in the semi-finals on 9 May. All the best to our footballers! ⚽️ #TeamSJI #OraEtLabora

April: SJI Badminton Team Scores 4th Place at NSG (South Zone)

Our SJI Badminton B-Division team fought hard to land a spot in the semifinals at the NSG (South Zone) 2022 on 22 April after clearing the quarterfinals against Deyi Secondary with a 5-0 score. The semifinals tested the depth of the team as one of our key players was injured during the rubber set while another suffered a bad back. However, the boys persevered and played hard to push every point, bringing the score even with the second doubles despite losing our second singles in the rubber set. The team's journey to the games concluded with a 4th place in the South Zone, after losing narrowly at 3-2 in the semi-final rounds. #TeamSJI #OraEtLabora

20220425-NSGBadminton-Jonathan and Leo receiving 4th place medals and 4th place trophy from Principal KCPSS.jpeg

20220422-NSGBadminton-2nd Doubles comprising Joel and Dylan vs ACS Barker.jpeg

20220411-2nd Doubles of JeromeY3Captain and Isaiah 1st round group games.jpeg

April: Josephians Paddle to Team Silver at NSG B-Division Table Tennis

The SJI B Division Table Tennis team concluded their game at the NSG 2022 (South Zone) competition by clinching the Team Silver! Although most schools fielded between 12 to 15 players, our lean team of 11 players truly did the school proud in achieving this feat. Their effort and hard work poured into many hours of training during Blended Learning days and holidays have paid off handsomely, as many were first-time NSG players who held their own against the strong opponents from other schools. Bravo, SJI paddlers! #TeamSJI #OraEtLabora

April: Josephians Sail to Gold in A & B Divisions at NSG Sailing 2022

Congratulations to our SJI sailors who emerged triumphant in all the categories they had taken part in this year’s National School Games for Sailing from 25 to 28 April.

Year 3 Josephian Kenan Tan (FN301) sailed his way to Gold against 43 competitors in this year’s ILCA 4 B Division boys’ competition, despite the unfavourable weather conditions that caused several disruptions to the races.

Similarly, in the ILCA 6 A-division boys category, with the unwavering support of the SJI sailing teachers Mr Alfred Nathan and Mdm Roziyah, Year 5 Josephian Russell Yom (FN504) also succeeded in taking home the NSG gold for SJI.

Kenan and Russell celebrate their victorious win after the games

Russell on top form at his game

April: Josephians Soar in Science Projects

Congratulations to our Josephians who received awards for their projects at the SSEF 2022 Final Judging round on 30 March:

Merit Award – NRPjr project 2021-22

“Research on the effects of microclimate on emotion and health” by Nguyen Duc Minh Anh (FN403) and Nguyen Thien Minh Tuan (FN403) conducted in NIE and mentored by Mr. Tan Yan Li (project code – ES005).

Participation Certificate – NRPjr project 2021-22

“Simulating Effects of Global Warming Temperatures on Ipomoea aquatica (Kang Kong)” by Quek Yi Ming (MN403) and Koh Zer Ray, Ansley (MN403) conducted in NIE and mentored by Ms. Gina Tan (project code – PS015).

Bronze Award – SRP project 2021-22

“Using machine learning to train a model that is capable of identifying the amphibians belonging to the Hylidae family based on their advertisement calls” by Purushothaman Sanjai (ML615), Timothy Tan (FN610), and Benedict Chua Wei An (ML615) conducted at NUS, Department of Biological Sciences (project code – CO012).

Bronze Award – SRP project 2021-22

“Effects of repeated cycles of sleep curtailment and recovery on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity” by Tan Ying Liang Torance (LE608) and Koon Wei Pheng (LE607) conducted at NUS, Department of Medicine, Sleep and Health Laboratory (project code – BM028).

Merit Award – RAP project 2021

“Python-based X-ray CT Data Visualisation Tool” by Christopher Koh Jie En (MN616) conducted at ARTC - The Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre at Fusionopolis (as part of requirements of the A*STAR Science Award) (project code – SS011).

April: Josephian Wins 3rd Place in International Digital Storytelling Competition

Congratulations to Chow Zeyi (LE608) won 3rd place in the Senior Secondary category (16-18 years old) of the International Digital Storytelling Competition organized by the University of Hong Kong, ASIS&T South Asia Chapter and Academy 22 Education for All Foundation.

April: Josephian is Champion of ACJC Orator’s Trophy!

Year 5 Josephian - Keevan Kanagalingam (MN516) has emerged as the champion in the JC category of the Orator’s Trophy, an annual oratorical competition organized by ACJC that saw participation from many schools. Another Y5 student, Hrishit Chhabra (LE510) also performed well and was one of the finalists in the same competition.

April: SJI Alumna Wins Prestigious Edwin Thumboo Prize for Literature

Congratulations to our HL Literature graduate Sarah Zafirah from IB Class of 2021, who has won a Merit prize for the prestigious 2021 Edwin Thumboo Prize for Literature!

Named after one of Singapore’s most prominent poets and the Department’s Emeritus Professor, the Edwin Thumboo Prize seeks to encourage excellence in the study of Literature at the pre-university level by recognising outstanding literary works by A-level and International Baccalaureate (IB) students of English Literature in Singapore.

April: SJI Canoeing Teams Win Silver and Bronze at NSG 2022

Congratulations to our SJI Canoeists who achieved several top medals at the National School Games 2022:

B Division Canoeing Team 2022 - Overall 3rd

Koh Liang Jie Matthew (FN402) - 4th in both K1 500m & K1 1000m
Lee Shao Hang (FN301), Tan Boon Yeang Isaac Emmanuel (MN301), Lim Ying Zhi, Jaden (FN301) & Chan Wye Yang, Julian (MN301) - 2nd in both K4 500m & K4 1000m
Brayden Chang Jon Yon (LE301) & Tan Ying Da Raphael (MN302) - 3rd in C2 500m
Ang Jet Hong (LE302) & Peter Tan Chao Xing (FN401) - 4th in C2 500m

C Division Canoeing Team 2022 - Overall 2nd

Elijah Ashvath Thiruman (ML101) - 4th in K1 1000m
Jian Sixu (ML201) - 1st in both C1 500m & C2 500m
Werner Lee (LE203) - 2nd in C1 500m & 1st in C2 500m
Joel Foo (ML201) & Heng Yu Zhe (LE201) - 2nd in K2 1000m
Ang Zhen Yu Lucas (LE202) & Ethan Tan Yu Ze (FN202) - 3rd in K2 500m
Kukreja Tejas (MN202) & Lucas Wong (ML201) - 4th in K2 500m
Elijah Lee Zhi-En (FN201), Wong Gwun Cheng, Joshua (MN202), Heng Yu Zhe (LE201) & Ang Zhen Yu Lucas (LE202) - 1st in K4 500m
Elijah Lee Zhi-En (FN201), Wong Gwun Cheng, Joshua (MN202) - 1st in JK2 500m

April: Celebrating 170 years of Lasallian Heritage

The SJI community celebrated Founder’s Day in honour of St.John Baptist De La Salle on 8 April 2022. Rallying as one community, Josephians recalled the zeal and perseverance of the first Brothers who arrived in Singapore and followed the example of St.John Baptist De La Salle to educate the young 170 years ago. At the same ceremony, we congratulated and celebrated the successes in studies and character achieved by our students over the past academic year.

To commemorate the school’s 170th anniversary, two creative works by SJI alumni were officially launched - a new song titled “Green and White” and two artworks from “A Walk in the Light of La Salle” which were commissioned to highlight our Founder’s formation journey. Mr Leo Yip from the Class of 1979, was our Guest of Honour who unveiled “Sharing the Light”, the first of the two murals from the series of five works around the campus.

On the same evening, the SJI Uniformed Groups (UGs) commemorated the achievements of their Units and their Commanding Officers at the Anniversary Parade.

Guest of Honour Senior Minister Mr Teo Chee Hean (Class of 1972) spoke fondly about his schooling experiences at SJI, and the time he spent in NCC Land in his address. The event concluded with his unveiling of “Ignite”, the second of the five artworks from “A Walk in the Light of La Salle”.

March: Active SG Cup 2022 Under-16 Football Competition

2 of our Under-16 teams scored a 3rd place in the inaugural Active SG Cup 2022 U16 Football Competition – 4 v 4 format in March 2022.

March: Lasallian Shares Insight on Future in Human-Machine Augmentation

Our University and Scholarship team held the 4th SJI Professional Speaker Series on 11 March that featured Mr Oliver Tian, who spoke on “Skills of the Future in Human-Machine Augmentation”. An alumnus of St Patrick’s School, Mr Tian is an advisory consultant to both local and international startups and holds a number of concurrent pro bono appointments with non-profit organizations including Honorary Advisor, Asia Pacific Assistive Robotics Association; Vice-Chair, International Alliance of Robotic Associations; Vice-President, Global Robot Cluster and the Advisory Board Member (Responsible Technology Institute, University of Oxford).

The SJI Professional Speaker Series aims to expose our youths to renowned professionals who have not only made a mark in their respective professional fields but have also used their resources, skills and talent to add social and economic value to the community. As the salt and shakers in society, they are a force for good locally and overseas, hence worth emulating. Mr Tian is one of those successful technopreneurs who has successfully combined his advanced technology expertise with his keen entrepreneurial skill to devise innovations that create economic and social benefits for the end-users.

Mr Tian spoke on how humans can collaborate with machines to enhance human capabilities as well as the critical skills of the future needed to understand, explore and leverage technology to help increase human potential and benefit society. He provided the students with a foretaste of what the future marketplace will be like as companies adopt and integrate digital technology and end-to-end seamless artificial intelligence platforms into their operations such as the cognitive AI employee – “AMELIA”, who is able to work continually 24/7 throughout the year. His advanced technological insights and wide experience enthralled his young audience, as evidenced by the active Q&A session following his address.

About 50 Year 6 students attended the talk which was also live-streamed to all Year 5 and 6 students. Benjamin Wong (ML613) said, “This talk was one of the best I had participated in as it was very thought-provoking and it gave us a very insightful glimpse of the future”.

Indeed, Mr Tian’s parting exhortation to his SJI audience was to “Dream BIG, Think REAL and stay HUNGRY” to inspire them to stay relevant and nimble amidst rapidly evolving technological advancements, as our youths would be the next generation workforce to lead this human-machine augmentation.

March: Josephians Sail High at Competitions

National sailor and former captain of Sailing CCA in 2021, Russell Yom Zhenyi (FN504) is currently the reigning champion in the Laser 4.7 and 29er high-performance divisions. A recipient of the Singapore Olympic Foundation - Peter Lim Scholarship 2021, he topped the 29er division at the Singapore National Youth Championships 2021. At the recent sailing competitions, he was the Champion for the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) 4 at the South East Asian Sailing Championships 2021 in Sihanoukville, Cambodia (Dec 2021), Changi Sailing Club (Singapore) Monsoon Cup (Feb 2022), and Asian Games Selection (1st of 2 qualification rounds).

At the National Sailing Centre (Singapore) Cup Series 2 in Nov 2021, SJI sailors - Russell Yom, Kenan Tan Kee Zen (FN301), Jared Lee Buckalew (MN403) and Seah Wei Jun, Clive (LE302) - won 3rd place in their team race (ILCA 4).

Kenan Tan Kee Zen

Jared Lee Buckalew

Seah Wei Jun Clive

At the Changi Sailing Club Monsoon Cup in February 2022, Kenan Tan attained 4th position in ILCA 4 while Felix Koo Yi Xiong (FN301) attained 6th in ILCA 6.

Felix Koo Yi Xiong

March: Josephian Spars with Asian Fencers at Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championship

Matthew Alexander Pang Rui-shen (LE301) represented Singapore to fence against several experienced fencers from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Oman, Vietnam and India at the Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championship 2022 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in February. Among the youngest in the competition, he was up against older competitors who were mostly 17 year olds who were much stronger, more aggressive and faster paced.

The AJCC Fencing Competition provided a really good learning experience for him to be better prepared for the upcoming World Junior and Cadet Championships in April where he will face stronger and fiercer opponents from around the world, not just from Asia.

March: SJI Innomakers Score Distinction at MOE Innovation Challenge

SJI sent seven teams of our Year 2 Innomakers to participate in the MOE Innovation Challenge last year. The challenge was to encourage the students to come up with innovative ideas or products. They developed problem-solving and inventive skills and engage in scenarios based on the UN Sustainable Goals. The teams were exposed to knowledge and experiences beyond the classroom through interaction with innovation mentors from Nanyang Technological University.

One of our teams - Jack Wigmore, twin brothers Ethan Yu and Elliot Yu (all from FN203/2021), was awarded the Certificate of Distinction. Their project named "Ilios Re-Power", is about installing solar panels in SJI in order to reduce energy use in our school. As conventional solar panels would not work as efficiently throughout the day as they could not capture light from all angles, the trio came up with the Solar Power Tower to capture sunlight from all directions throughout the day.

March: SJI Remembers Former Josephian - Mr Richard Magnus

The SJI family is saddened at the passing of alumnus Mr Richard Magnus (Class of 1963). As Public Transport Council (PTC) chairman and former senior district judge, Mr Magnus had dedicated his life to the public service. He was one of our distinguished guest speakers at the Fullerton-SJI Leadership Lectures II in October 2012. These lectures were published into a book, “Lasallian Pathfinders: Of Ordinary Men and Less Ordinary Leadership” which was launched in 2015.

Eternal rest, grant unto Mr Richard Magnus, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul rest in peace.

March: Let’s Play Gamelan Together

Let’s Play Gamelan Together on 7 March was the first in the series of activities for SJI staff planned by our Wellness Ambassadors - Mr Wong Chee Choy and Ms Daisy Chia. Our patient music teacher, Mr Samuel Ng taught us more than how to play the gamelan, the traditional ensemble music of the Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese peoples of Indonesia, which is made up predominantly of percussive instruments. The most common instruments used are metallophones played by mallets and a set of hand-played drums called kendhang or Kendang, which register the beat. Mr Ng also provided insight into the different types of instruments and their roles, and how when combined in playing produce a beautiful melody. Our staff attempted, fumbled and burst into laughter many times. It was a well-spent hour that brought both the academic and non-academic staff together and transported us to Java, even if it was just in our imagination.

March: Josephians Design CNY Red Packs and Donate to Charity

28 students from the SJI Josephian Art Programme raised a total of $391.30 in support of the APSN Charity Ang Bao Donation Drive 2022. These students designed their own ang baos and donated a token sum from their ang bao collection received during Lunar New Year. Five students with the best ang bao designs received a small gift of cookies baked by the special needs trainees from the APSN Centre for Adults as a token of gratitude and appreciation.

The APSN is a social service agency that provides special education, vocational training, employment opportunities and support services for the mild intellectual disability community. Benefiting over 1,200 beneficiaries each year, APSN currently operates four Special Education (SPED) Schools, an APSN Student Care Centre and an APSN Centre for Adults.

March: Transit and Belong

Transit and Belong 2022 is a mental wellness programme in its fourth year facilitated by the CAS group YoungXHush. Held over four days in two weeks from 22 February to 4 March, these sessions aim to support the Year 1 students as they embark on a new school journey as secondary students in a new environment, from having to make new friends to coping with academic expectations. The senior students in Year 5 and 6 planned a variety of engaging activities such as learning Singapore Sign Language (SgSL) vocabulary, quizzes related to body language, and games regarding background differences. It is hoped the Year 1s will be able to appreciate how the people around them though different can still build a supportive learning environment together.

Our graduates share the tales about their two-year IBDP journey during the pandemic. Read more about how Natalie Chong, Nicholas Ee and Wen Yan Kai overcame their challenges to shine in the IB exams in Nov 2021:

14 February 2022 - A levels v IB diploma: which suits your child better? Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.
20 February 2022 - SJI rallies behind students with health concerns. Source: Catholic News

February: SJI Teacher is Part of Trio to Lead SEA Games in Hanoi in May

Our PE teacher and former national sprinter Ms Asmah Hanim, will join chef de mission, Mr S. Sinnathurai, former national taekwondo athlete and SEA Games champion, and former national shooter Damien Ler, to lead the Republic’s contingent at the May 12-23 SEA Games in Hanoi. Read more at Sea games ex taekwondo champion sinnathurai to lead spore contingent in hanoi

February: SJI Remembers Former Josephian - Dr Chau Sik Ting

The SJI family extends its deepest condolences to the family of Dr Chau Sik Ting, former Member of Parliament for Thomson. An old boy of SJI from the Class of 1959, he contributed significantly in the area of occupational medicine and to the Hainanese community in Singapore.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him.

February: SJI Pipers and Drummers Top Piping Warrior Drumming Maniac Solo Competition

Last November, SJI pipers and drummers took part in the Piping Warrior Drumming Maniac Solo Competition organised by Beyond the Octave. A total of 87 piping and drumming students from Singapore and Malaysia participated in 12 events split across 3 age group categories. Our pipers and drummers achieved excellent results in their solo events during this competition:

Tenor U15 Event 1 - 2 parts 2/4, 3/4 or 4/4 March(es)

Aidan Isaac Tan (MN203,2021) - 1st
Amir Daiyan Bin Razali (LE203,2021) - 3rd

Tenor U17 Event 1 - 4 parts 2/4, 3/4 or 4/4 March(es)

Farhan Zachary Ewell (LE301,2021) - 1st

Bass U17 Event 1 - 4 parts 2/4, 3/4 or 4/4 March(es)

Brandon Toh Jia Qing (ML303,2021): 1st

Snare U17 Event 1 - 4 parts 2/4 or 4/4 March(es)

Brandon Toh Jia Qing (ML303,2021): 6th

Pipes U15 Event 1 - 2 parts 2/4, 3/4 or 4/4 March(es)

Lim Zhi Yiu Angus (LE201,2021): 1st
Kuah Kai Yao (MN202,2021): 4th
Lim Bo Shi (LE201,2021): 6th

Pipes U17 Event 1 - 4 parts 2/4 or 4/4 March(es)

Xie Rui Chuan (LE303, 2021): 1st
Yap Rong Shen (MN401, 2021): 4th

Pipes U17 Event 2 - 2 parts 6/8 Marches

Yap Rong Shen (MN401, 2021): 1st
Xie Rui Chuan (LE303, 2021): 4th

Pipes U17 Overall Winner

Xie Rui Chuan (LE303, 2021)

Preparation for the Piping Warrior Drumming Maniac Solo Competition

Our combined practice session in the classroom.jpeg

Our combined practice session in the classroom

Before the March in for Inaugural 2022.jpeg

SJI Bagpipers at Inaugural 2022

February: SJI celebrates 170th Inaugural Assembly

The Inaugural Assembly is the first formal school assembly of the new school year and is the culmination after a month of orientation for Years 1 and 5. It is a school tradition that formally marks the start of each new academic year when the entire Josephian community assemble in thanksgiving and prayer through the Eucharist, to celebrate our being as a Lasallian community. At this event, SJI officially welcomes the newest addition to the school – students (Year 1s and Year 5s) and members of the teaching and non-teaching staff.

This year, SJI celebrates 170 years of Lasallian mission in Singapore that began in 1852 when the first six La Salle Brothers arrived in Singapore on the ship “La Julie” at the invitation of Reverend Father Jean-Marie Beurel to provide for the educational needs of the poor in Singapore and Penang. These first six Brothers set up St Joseph’s Institution as a free school at Bras Basah Road that year. SJI became the first Catholic school and the third-oldest secondary school to be established in Singapore.

Just like Father Beurel and the first six La Salle Brothers who courageously boarded the ‘La Julie’ to embark on their mission to the Far East, Josephians too are called to embark together and by association, on a voyage of learning and adventure in the new academic year. The theme for the Inaugural this year - “Galvanising the SJI Significance”, invites all Josephians to be curious and excited with the different gifts God has entrusted to us that we may use to help others. As Josephians “onboard” SJI in the new year, they will realise their own uniqueness and learn to appreciate others with different gifts. It is hoped that along the journey, they will use their gifts to care for one another, foster a sense of community as they bring out the best of themselves, to work together and by association, to galvanise our different strengths to promote the SJI significance.

SJI will continue to be “the ship” to navigate Josephians to be stewards with a purpose beyond themselves. The Stewardship Way of Life is the grateful response of a Christian disciple who recognises and receives God’s gifts and shares these gifts in love of God and neighbour. Students were invited to pen their unique gifts and a gift they hope to achieve in 2022 on a “sail-shaped” card, to remind them of their own ‘onboarding’ onto the ‘La Julie” ship (ie. SJI). These “sails” were collected from each class as a representation of the SJI community, and offered up at the Eucharistic Mass during the ceremony.

Students and staff also came together as a community to upcycle their old T-shirts to produce a DIY-Tote Bag. The completed tote bags that are presented to the community signify and remind us of SJI’s missionary history and tradition of our service to the community. Tote bags that are exchanged among our peers exemplify how we are gifts for one another.

At the same event, the SJI Student Council launched an initiative named “17,000 Good Deeds”. This initiative aims to provide an opportunity for the school to collectively do 17,000 good deeds to serve the less fortunate and to give back to the community, empowering our youths to become Men and Women for Others. These good deeds can be as simple as helping someone with their studies or lending a helping hand to someone in need done by all students and staff. Since its initiation, 360 good deeds have been performed to date (as of 28 February 2022). This project will officially close at Thanksgiving Assembly on 28 October 2022.

February: Josephians Shine at 5th Annual NPS IMAYAM Tamil Festival

Two Tamil Language students participated in an Inter-School Competition organized by NPS International School on 5 February 2022, as part of the 5th Annual NPS IMAYAM Tamil Festival (Virtual). Ibrasma Idris Ahamed (FN201) emerged as the champion in the Oratorical competition and Sivasubramanian Dhanasekaran (FN403) won the consolation prize in the Tamil Quiz Kuralin Kural.

February: SJI Welcomes Year 5 at Orientation

The SJI spirit is one that is unique and empowering; it is one that is salient and an integral aspect of every Josephian. As such Orientation Camp (OC) 2022 aims to initiate and welcome the incoming Year 5 students into their IB journey with a sense of spirit and camaraderie, curating a sense of place and belonging within every Josephian. With the OC 2022 themed “Encender” (Spanish word for “ignite”), the organizing committee in Year 6 aimed to create a lively, welcoming and conducive atmosphere where new friendships will be made through all the camp games and activities, igniting the flame within Josephians not just at the beginning, but throughout their IB journey. This flame that is lit will bond our juniors together and maintain the faith that they have in one another. It is hoped that this will enable them to work together and fight in the face of challenges and difficulties, so that they will burn brighter and stronger as a whole community.

January: SJI Celebrates Lunar New Year

The SJI community welcomed the Year of the Tiger at our Lunar New Year celebrations on 31 January. The Tiger is the third sign in the cycle of the Chinese Zodiac that symbolizes optimism, strength and courage. As we usher in the Year of the Tiger, may we draw inspiration from this courageous creature to be brave and fearless in overcoming whatever challenges that will come our way in 2022 and to be prepared to come out of our comfort zones and take risks. May our courage, faith in our abilities, our inner spirit and values become as strong as a tiger!

The online CNY show was hosted by Rae Wern (FN605), Chen Yuyao (FN602), Kerk Nathan (LE303) & Elliott Kong (LE101), with various enthusiastic performances presented by Adian Tseng (FN303), Ciaran Liam Condron (LE301), Sharrwin Senthil Kuma (LE301) & Josiah Ng (LE301), the Vocal Ensemble, and SJI teachers – Ms Ong Shu Yee, Ms Sangeetha, Mr Samuel Ng and Mr Chong Jun Hien. Student Councillors Choo Yi Ming (FN402), Koenig Nicholas Gerald (FN402), Thirumalpathi Thishan (FN402), Tamilvanan Sabesan (MN403) and Wesley Thng (MN403) organised the Classroom Decoration Competition and the backstage work for the online concert. Members from the Chinese Cultural Society - Ng Yan Yu (MN402), Felix Wang (MN401), Marcus Russell Yeo (FN303), Chen Yong Yan (LE201) & Ezra Kay (LE201) coordinated the technical logistics to ensure the smooth operations of the online show. The show concluded with a spontaneous performance of the dragon dance by Year 4 students from FN403, LE402, LE403, ML403, MN401 and MN403.

January: Josephians Participate in International Science Youth Forum

Rahul Singaram Senthilkumar, Fan Enrui and Chung Dohyun (all from FN402) participated in the International Science Youth Forum, a science enrichment programme for top research students where they can engage in projects and discussions with other top science students and renowned researchers from around the world.

A highlight of their time at the ISYF was the Team Project Challenge, which involves a role-play scenario of a fictitious island nation plagued by a variety of natural and man-made disasters. The assigned goal of the students was to work in teams to tackle the issues with innovative solutions found through scientific research and 3D modelling. While the task was challenging, the teams found great pleasure in bonding with each other during their task. The Project Exhibition was another segment where they shared and exchanged knowledge about various science projects with peers from other countries, and the SJI trio was eager to present their project on extracting DNA.

January: SJI Hosts CURATE Inter-School Art Exhibition

CURATE is an inaugural Art programme initiated by three schools - Fairfield Methodist School Secondary, Nan Hua High School, and St. Joseph’s Institution. With the support from National Arts Council’s Artist-in-Schools scheme programme, CURATE hopes to connect passionate students with a keen interest in the Arts to nurture the joy of art-making and broaden students’ perspectives of various art forms.

In CURATE 2021, 30 art students underwent a series of sessions, from artist workshops to a two-day Bootcamp Challenge and judging presentation. 15 students were then selected by our Artist Mentors – Ripple Root, André Wee, and Mike HJ Chang – to receive personalized tutorial sessions. The selected student artists were guided by our curatorial mentor, Michael Lee, to put up the show on their own.

Through this experience, with blended learning, students’ understanding and appreciation of art in its various forms are deepened, particularly since the students obtained a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be mentored by professional artists and curator and be engaged in the Arts.

From 19 - 25 Jan, SJI hosted the exhibition titled ‘Impacting Changes’ at the Bunker. As society moves at its fastest pace yet, the exhibit was to reflect on issues that youths face today. Students drew inspirations from personal narratives and observations of the world and responded to the theme of ‘Curate’ – which originates from the Latin word cura, meaning care – by focusing on society, culture and the self. Through a variety of mediums – painting, sculpture, installation, and digital art – the passionate student artists provided viewers the time and space to slow down to make sense of the current situation, be it the pandemic, the changing culture, or personal sentiments.

Ms Jessica Cheng and her art students

Fairfield Methodist Principal viewing students works

SJI staff viewing exhibition

January: SJI Teacher shares his story about taking health seriously

SJI’s Discipline Master and DSP (NS) Mohamad Syaifudin bin Ahmad Ismail shares his story with HomeTeamNS’s digital magazine, Frontline about taking his health seriously, after having witnessed first-hand the effects of a sedentary lifestyle. Read his story here: Having the right attitude

January: New Catholic school principals commissioned by Archbishop William Goh

Six new Principals of Catholic schools were commissioned by Archbishop William Goh on Word of God Sunday 23 January 2022 during the Commencement of School Year (COSY) Mass celebrated at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd organised by the Archdiocesan Commission for Catholic Schools (ACCS) and the Council of Catholic School Principals. One of them was SJI’s new principal - Mr Justin Arul Pierre, who took over the leadership of the school since January 2022 from Fr Adrian Danker, SJ. Read more in Catholic News:

January: Forging New Relationships at TABA Day

TABA, which means Together and By Association, is our Josephian way of integrating the boys into their new classes at Year 3. Through the TABA Day on 17 Jan which serves as their initiation activity into their new classes in upper secondary level, the boys bonded with their new classmates and Form Tutors through games in the morning before concluding the session with a Paraliturgy. It was time for new friendships with their new classmates whom they will journey together in the next two years.

January: Welcoming our Year 1 Josephians into the SJI Family

SJI welcomed the new Year 1 Josephians at the Orientation week on the first week of the school term. From getting to know their new classmates to getting acquainted around their new school campus, the bright-eyed and eager Year 1s were introduced to the Josephian family through many interactions with their seniors and staff across many varied activities throughout the week. Their week concluded with the Initiation Ceremony which included a paraliturgy with badge-pinning by their seniors and a campfire that was live-streamed in the classrooms.

January: Josephian is Recipient of Harvard Prize Book (Singapore)

Congratulations to Natalie Lisa Chong Yi Ling (IB Class of 2021) who is one of the recipients of the Harvard Prize Book (2021) awarded by the Harvard University Association of Alumni in Singapore (HUAAS).

The Harvard Prize Book (Singapore) award acknowledges and encourages altruism. The recipient of the Harvard Prize Book (Singapore) is a caring individual who has over a sustained period of time, gone beyond the call of duty to perform acts of kindness and caring, and who may have influenced his or her peers or family members to do likewise. The acts of kindness or caring demonstrate an inner motivation to help in an authentic and sustainable manner. The award is open to students in the graduating year in participating schools who meet the criteria.

January: IB Art Students Win Business Times Art Prize

Two art students from IB Class of 2021 - Lucius Yeo (LE607) and Valerie Tan (ML615) emerged as winners in the 13-19 Art Prize 2021 organised by The Business Times. The 13-19 Art Prize is an inaugural nationwide youth visual art competition. It offers all youths, aged 13-19, residing in Singapore the opportunity to express themselves, and have their potential recognized by creating canvas and digital artworks on any theme or subject. The competition hopes to challenge the creative potential of our youth and promote a diversity of artistic expressions.

Read more about Lucius’ winning work in Business Times: Teen artists offer varied visions of Singapore as home in 13-19 Art Prize

Yeo Jun Jie, Lucius
Home (2021) - Gold Award
Papercut
While in the same HDB space, every room is disconnected from the other by its different perspective and symbolic door sills, exploring loneliness of elderly even with family. Rotary telephone dials are distorted into couches or dining tables to convey a lack of communication. Interactive spaces are empty. The towering railings convey powerlessness, alluding to elderly’s autonomy which impacts social interactions. Collaged obituary pages and the urn conveys death, alluding to lost friends.

Tan Fang Ting, Valerie
Read my Essay (2020) - Merit Award
Digital Art
Read my Essay begins my series of works to advocate for students with learning disabilities. The impossible rollercoaster extends in every direction to represent a Dysgraphic student's lack of control over their handwriting. The chaotic composition further amplifies the distress these students face. The words scribbled in the background, "Sometimes we don't fit within the lines", reflect not only the struggle of physical control but the struggle to fit into the competitive education system.

January: Josephians Win Bronze Award at Yellowren Arts Festival

Four Josephians from the Josephian Arts Programme - Kristian Ong (FN201), Marcus Ee (FN303), Keagan Goh (MN403) and Lin Jiekang (MN402/2021), emerged as winners in the 2021 Yellowren Arts Festival Canvas Painting Competition, where they won a Team Bronze Award. Organized by Yellowren Productions, a leader in community arts based in Singapore and Japan, the theme for the festival in 2021 was “Redemption: Environment

Technology

Society”.

Our SJI students wrote: “We used the metaphor of natural resources and environmental destruction and the subsequent healing of that environment to show the redemption of society. As the earth’s natural resources are burnt and smoke is produced, that smoke becomes water, which in turn gives life back to the earth. This shows that even though the earth’s inhabitants are threatened every moment, there is still hope for redemption and there are still changes that can be made to take the advancements that have been used to destroy the earth and repurpose them to breathe life into a Redemption Tree.”

Their painting - The Redemption Tree (2021)

20220117-The Redemption Tree 2021 exhibition.jpg

The painting was exhibited at 10 Square @ Orchard Central from 5 - 6 Nov 2021.

January: SJI Class of 2021 Excels at GCE O-Level Examinations

SJI’s Class of 2021 has performed very well in the GCE O-Level examinations. All 254 boys who sat for the GCE O-Level in 2021 will advance to junior colleges and polytechnics for their post-secondary education, with 97.2% of the boys qualifying for junior college. 100% of our students received at least 5 GCE O-Level passes. 58.3% (148 out of 254 boys) scored 6As or better, and 55.5% (141 boys) achieved scores of 10 points or less (L1B5).

SJI is proud of our Class of 2021 who have performed very well in the GCE O-Level examinations. They testify to the holistic education that SJI provides.

Summary of SJI’s GCE ‘O’ Level Examination Results	2021
Number of students	254
Pass rate / Qualify for JC/Polytechnic education (%)	100%
Boys who qualified for JC education (%)	97.2%
Boys with 5 GCE ‘O’ Level passes (%)	100%
Boys with 6A’s or more (%)	58.3%
Boys with scores of 10 points or less (%)	55.5%
Distinctions (A’s) per student (%)	68.6%

Mr Justin Arul Pierre, Principal of SJI, says “We are very happy for our boys who have performed very well in spite of the compromised learning opportunities and having to adapt their learning for the last two years. They have persevered, and stayed the course and worked hard to achieve these results. As a Catholic and Lasallian school, SJI is committed to developing every student’s character and to help them realise their sense of purpose, self-worth, unique talents and their academic potential, so that they become men and women whose education empowers them to make a positive difference in the world. The O-Level results of the Class of 2021 are an affirmation of the quality of the balanced and holistic education offered at SJI.”

January: SJI Releases 2021 International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Examination Results

SJI congratulates our Class of 2021 for their outstanding results achieved at the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) November 2021 Examinations. All 269 IBDP students passed and were awarded the International Baccalaureate Diploma, with an average score of 42.2 out of 45 points.

IBDP Results by SJI Class of:	2021
Number of students	269
Diploma pass rate (%)	100%
Average points out of maximum 45 points	42.2
Number of students with 40 or more points	234
Percentage of students with 40 or more points	87%
Number of bilingual diploma students	3

The Class of 2021 includes 119 boys who were admitted to SJI at Secondary 1 in 2016 under the 6-year Integrated Programme that leads to the IBDP in years 5 and 6. The results achieved by our Class of 2021 is evident of a trend that the SJI IBDP relates well with students who enjoyed high academic expectations from the programme. They have found joy in learning by being risk-takers who pursue their interests and passion instead of being rote-learners. This cohort was admitted into SJI IBDP shortly after COVID-19 measures began in January 2020 where they had to adapt to a compromised college life due to the pandemic and the constantly evolving Safe Management Measures that saw them having to adapt to learning online and having limited physical activities and interactions with their schoolmates.

Mr Justin Arul Pierre, Principal of SJI, says “The Class of 2021 has demonstrated how resilience, determination, effort and great faith in their ability to overcome challenges can produce good results, despite the various disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. We have witnessed the hard work put in by the students from this cohort, many of whom have attained exceptional results despite their heavy commitments in various national competitions and student leadership responsibilities. They have exemplified the very best of being a Josephian – by staying the course with faith to keep learning, through service to help each other through the examinations, and as one community to look forward with hope. I also wish to thank all our teachers for their dedication, hard work and selfless efforts in guiding our students. The excellent results testify to the work of our competent and caring educators who are always prepared to go the extra mile and they have done all this in the face of the more demanding circumstances of this pandemic time. Truly, these Josephians are an exceptional class: they’re a fine balance of grit and compassion. We are immensely proud of their achievements and wish them the very best as they move on to seek their passion in their future endeavours.”

As a Catholic and Lasallian school, SJI is committed to developing every student’s character and to helping them realize their academic potential so that they become men and women whose education empowers them to make a positive difference in the world. The IBDP results of the 2021 cohort are an affirmation of the quality of the balanced and holistic education offered at SJI.