2024

November: Concert Agape 2024: A Harmonious Evening of Talent and Purpose

Concert Agape 2024, organised by SJI BEACON, was a truly unforgettable evening that seamlessly blended the power of music, unity, and a shared sense of purpose.

This charity concert brought together an impressive lineup of talented bands from our SJI community, and a diverse array of schools and institutions across Singapore, including Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), Catholic Junior College, Eunoia Junior College, Lasalle College of the Arts, Raffles Institution, St. Joseph’s Institution (International), Singapore Polytechnic, and Temasek Polytechnic.

It provided a unique platform for students to express their creativity and passion through music, while simultaneously supporting a cause that impacts our community in a meaningful way. The event’s net proceeds were generously donated to the Migrant Workers’ Centre (WC), an organisation dedicated to supporting migrant workers in Singapore.

This initiative not only allowed the students to showcase their artistic abilities but also aligns with the core values of SJI, reinforcing its mission to assist those who are often marginalised and in need—helping the last, the lost, and the least in our society.

November: A Celebration of Choral Excellence and Unity

On 3 November 2024, the SJI Vocal Ensemble (VE) and CHIJ Katong Convent Choir took the stage at the SOTA Concert Hall in the collaborative concert ‘To Life We Sing’, celebrating the musical excellence of both choirs. The evening was a resounding success, showcasing an eclectic repertoire that highlighted each choir’s unique strengths and vocal artistry.

Under the expert guidance of our conductors Mr Terrence Toh and Mr Kester Tay, the SJI Vocal Ensemble delivered a masterful performance of eleven pieces, blending precision with passion. A particularly memorable moment saw our VE Alumni and current Year 5 Josephian, Ezekiel Tang (LE510), conduct the VE in a powerful set of Indian choral pieces that mesmerised the audience with their resonant, deeply stirring harmonies. The VE also performed contemporary favourites by Elton John and hits from Glee.

The concert concluded with a moving joint performance of Z Randall Stroope’s Omnia Sol Temperat, a reflective piece on friendship and enduring bonds. The choirs’ voices melded beautifully, evoking a profound sense of connection and unity. To Life We Sing echoed not only as the concert’s title but as a heartfelt message carried forward by all who attended.

– by Miguel Phua (MN303)

October: SJI Celebrates Thanksgiving

On 25 October 2024, Josephians came together to conclude the school year with the Thanksgiving Assembly. Embracing the true spirit of gratitude, this event provided the school population with an opportunity to reflect on the journey we have walked together as one Josephian community.

The Thanksgiving Assembly was also a moment to acknowledge the strength that lies in our connections to one another, the tenacity and resilience we have shown in overcoming any adversities and challenges that came our way, and the collective achievements and accomplishments of the school community.

The following awards were also presented during the Thanksgiving Celebrations:

• Peter Martens Award: Nigel Tan (MN202)
• Patrick Zehnder Award: Chew Jie Yang (FN202)
• Year 1 Class Champion: MN102
• Year 2 Class Champion: ML202
• Year 3 Class Champion: FN301
• Year 4 Class Champion: LE403
• Fraternity Championship Shield: Fintan Fraternity
• Lasallian Distinguished Service Awards (Year 4 IP): Raad Puthucheary, Ariel Aiman, Brian Loh, Lim Ee-Ruey, Ibramsa Ahamed, Tan Jing Heng, Ethan Seow, Zachary Yan, Luke Tong, Thirrushan Thana Rajan and Ethan Ng
• Senior Josephian of the Year Award: Ariel Aiman Bin Noorisman (FN401)

We also bade farewell to two esteemed staff members, Mdm Lee Pick Siew (Mother Tongue Language) and Mr William Tan (Science), who were celebrating their retirement after collectively dedicating 56 years of exemplary service to education.

Thank you all for a wonderful year. We look forward to the continued success and joy we will create together in the future.

October: Preparing for the Future: Insights from NS Engagement

“We should be open to step out of our comfort zones, and we will find it less overwhelming when we take one step at time”. This was one of the key messages by Alumnus Linus Lim (Class of 2018) who was invited back to our school to speak with the current Y5 cohort about his National Service (NS) experiences. Linus also shared that while NS was mentally and physically demanding, especially since he had added responsibilities as an officer and commander, he would do it all over again since the experience enabled him to develop many important life skills.

Along with Linus, there were also representatives from the Central Manpower Base (CMPB), and Captain Doreen Kwek, Head of Navy Recruitment who engaged our students at this year’s NS Engagement. The objectives of the NS Engagement include preparing all male Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents for NS, and sharing career opportunities in the defence sector. With regards to the latter, Captain Doreen shared her varied experiences throughout her career in the Navy. Both Captain Doreen and Linus also shared how, like with all careers, it is important to have a good support system that can encourage, motivate and enable one to succeed. For both of them, their support system included members of their family and close friends, many of whom they met during their time at school.

We thank Captain Doreen, representatives from CMPB and our alumnus Linus for making time to share and prepare our students who will be serving NS, and to increase our Josephians awareness of opportunities to serve in the defence sector!

October: The Milestone Assembly for Year 4IP

The Paraliturgy and Milestone Assembly represented a significant occasion for the Year 4 IP students. This event marked the final gathering of the Year 4 IP cohort, serving as a poignant moment of closure as they united as a class one last time.

The Paraliturgy provided an opportunity for reflection and encouragement. It created a space for introspection on their growth and the friendships our Josephians had cultivated. It was a moment of closure, coupled with gratitude, as students conveyed their appreciation and encouragement to one another and their teachers.

At the Milestone Assembly, Vice-Principal Mr. Nicholas Tsao shared with Josephians that success transcends academic achievements. He urged them to celebrate each other’s strengths and talents and to recognise that success also encompasses adaptability and resilience in the face of change. He highlighted the importance of community collaboration, encouraging the welcoming of new students joining SJI in 2025.

Mr. Bernard Low, Director of Student Development, echoed these sentiments, emphasising the significance of self-respect and adopting a broader definition of success. In his speech, he reiterated that failure is not contrary to success but rather an essential part of the journey toward it. Ariel Aiman Bin Noorisman (FN401), representing the Year 4IP cohort, expressed gratitude for the unwavering support from their teachers over the past four years. His remarks encapsulated the students’ collective appreciation, acknowledging the teachers’ crucial role in their development and growth.

The assembly concluded with the presentation of the Singapore School Sports Council Colours Awards and the prizes for the best students in the Signum Fidei programme.

October: Josephian Sails to Victory!

Josephian Kenan Tan (FN503) has once again proven his prowess on the water by clinching the overall championship in the ILCA 6 category at the Eastern Seaboard Regatta! The event took place from 18-21 October at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club in Thailand.

Sailing with the SJI crest and 1852 proudly displayed on his sail, Kenan showed his class against top-level sailors from the region. We are incredibly proud of his achievement!

Congratulations, Kenan!

October: Josephians Celebrate 100 Medals in The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024

Among the 34,000 entries for The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2024, our young Josephians from Years 1 and 2 continue to shine on the international stage by sharing their views on the theme, Our Common Wealth.

Our young writers wrote brilliantly on a number of global issues ranging from how they can contribute to a greener world to how community and culture can encourage resilience and hope for our future.

This achievement is only possible because of the belief of our teachers (Mr Azhar Ghazali, Mrs Janet Kwok, Ms Sangeetha, Mr Krison Tan, Mrs Denise Jeyaseelan, Ms Karen Alexander, Ms Valerie Koh and Ms Darrell Foo) in the students and their commitment to guide them in their writing journey.

Our medal tally this year stands at 100 with a spread of Gold Finalists, Gold, Silver and Bronze recipients.

Congratulations, Josephians!

October: Josephians in the Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) 2024

In August 2024, a total of 125 Josephians from Years 1 to 4 participated in the prestigious Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC), Australia’s longest-running and most renowned mathematics competition for school students.

The AMC, known for its uniquely designed problems crafted by leading educators and academics, challenges students to push their problem-solving abilities to new heights. The competition aims to spark interest in mathematics, promote excellence, and celebrate students who showcase exceptional proficiency in core mathematical skills.

This year, SJI students performed exceptionally well. In the Junior category, 15 Josephians received Distinction Awards. In the Intermediate category, we are proud to celebrate 3 High Distinction and 14 Distinction Award recipients.

The High Distinction awards recipients are:

• Dang Anh Tuan (FN302). He also attained the Best in School award
• Wang Shiyu (FN303)
• Reynard Jamjan (ML302)

Congratulations to all our participants for their outstanding achievements!

October: Season of Gratitude and Appreciation

Josephians would like to express our deepest gratitude for the unwavering temporal and spiritual support, joy, and energy of our SJI Catholic Parents Group. They have been a pillar of support and encouragement for our students through the recitation of the rosary once a month and the prayer group organised for our Josephians during the O-level and IB examinations weeks.

Our Catholic Parents Group created handmade bracelet rosaries for our Catholic Josephian graduates as a farewell gift to remind them of their school motto, Ora et Labora (Pray and Work). Both are closely intertwined in life. We are thankful for their support too in school events such as the Retreats for our Year 3 and Year 4 students, Open House and the Mahalo Carnival.

Their dedication and commitment to serving and nurturing our SJI community through faith is deeply appreciated, and we thank our Heavenly Father for the gift of our parents.

God bless you all.

October: SJI Celebrates Paraliturgy and Graduation for the Year 6 Cohort

Friday, 4 October was a day of great pride and celebration as we honoured the achievements of the Year 6 Graduating Class of 2024. It was indeed a happy occasion as we celebrated this important milestone in their lives. We graduated a total of 283 students in the presence of over 900 parents, guests, and students.

At the ceremony, the Senior Josephian of the Year Award was conferred on Kimberly Poh (FN602) and the Lasallian Distinguished Service Awards were presented to 15 recipients who had shown exemplary witness to the Lasallian values of Faith, Service and Community and for being truly men and women of integrity and men and women for others, giving 2 years of exceptional service to SJI and beyond.

Mr Nicholas Fang (SJI Class of 1991), Managing Director of Black Dot Pte Ltd, graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour, inspiring the graduates with his address. A special performance of the song entitled “For Good” by sibling duo Aidan Khoo (LE607) and Emma Khoo (MN516) added a heartwarming touch to the evening, marking an unforgettable experience and significant milestone for the Year 6 Class of 2024.

More pictures here: SJI Album_Yr6

September: Year 4 Paraliturgy and Graduation Ceremony

The Year 4OP Paraliturgy and Graduation Ceremony were reflective and celebratory events, marking a significant milestone for Josephians.

The Paraliturgy offered a moment for the Year 4 cohort to reflect on their journey over the past four years, filled with personal growth and shared experiences with friends and teachers. Josephians expressed gratitude to their teachers for their guidance and to friends for their support. A touching highlight was the reading of letters from parents, filled with love and pride, which deeply resonated with students. The expressive atmosphere was heightened as students also wrote notes of encouragement to their peers, fostering a sense of unity, warmth and gratitude.

Following this reflective event, the Year 4OP Graduation Ceremony, graced by Guest-of-Honour Mr Azfer Khan (Creator & Content Governance for TikTok Shop, and alumnus Class of 2011) celebrated the students’ achievements. The theme, “Illuminate, Embracing Hope”, resonated throughout the event, encouraging students to be beacons of light in the world and to carry forward the lessons learned at SJI with hope and optimism for the future.

During the ceremony, parents read letters of thanks and gratitude that their sons had written for them. Many parents were touched, and tears marked the covers of the graduation brochures that the parents were holding onto.

In the speeches that followed, the Guest-of-Honour, Mr. Azfer Khan, Principal Mr. Justin Pierre, and several students reflected on the theme of the ceremony, sharing stories of resilience, compassion, and the sense of responsibility they felt to contribute to society. They spoke about how the challenges faced throughout the years had helped shape them into young men ready to embrace the next phase of their lives with hope and optimism. As each student received their graduation certificate, the atmosphere was filled with pride, recognising both academic and personal growth.

Together, the Paraliturgy and Graduation Ceremony symbolised for our young Josephians the end of one chapter and the bright promise of the next.

More pictures here: SJI album

September: Josephians in MOE Moot Parliamentary Programme

This year, a team of four Josephians was selected by the MOE’s Gifted Education Branch to participate in the esteemed Moot Parliamentary Programme. The programme aims to foster active citizenry and deepen students’ understanding of Singapore’s government and legislative processes.

Over the course of the year, the team engaged in lectures delivered by experts, embarked on experiential learning journeys, and gained hands-on experience in drafting parliamentary bills. Their journey culminated in the final debates held at Parliament House.

During the debates, Patrick Nott Pei De (ML403) captivated judges with a compelling backbencher speech that shifted the direction of the discussion, earning him the prestigious Best Backbencher award. The other team members were also recognised with certificates of participation, celebrating their outstanding contributions and dedication throughout the programme.

Well done, Josephians!

September: Josephians Rank in the International Spell Bee Competition 2024

Earlier this year, 13 Year 1 and Year 2 students represented SJI in the International Spell Bee Competition 2024 organised by the International Spell Bee Foundation. This is a platform for students from various countries to showcase their spelling prowess and enhance their language skills in an exciting and competitive environment. This carefully crafted Spell Bee Olympiad challenges international students to go beyond rote learning and delve into the depths of language exploration.

• Michael Yim Yi Xiang (LE102): Ranked 2nd position globally, with 89% for Grade 7
• Gareth Han Jun Xi (FN102): Ranked 3rd globally, with 86% for Grade 7
• Lloyd Loh Jun Hao (ML202): Bronze Medal for achieving 90% for Grade 7

Certificate of Participation: Tan Wen-Yan Noah (LE102), Soham Sharma (LE103), Ishan Ramasamy (MN101), Joseph Jaison Jeinstein (MN103), Irfan Osman (FN202), Arav Singhal (ML201), Phyo Thet Pai (ML202), Joshua Lee Chen Wei (ML202), Nathanael Chuah (ML203), and Alexander Tan (MN202).

Well done, guys!

September: Josephians at the Annual GMAC's Students Challenge

A team of Y4 students participated in the Annual Genetic Modification Advisory Committee or GMAC’s Students Challenge. This inter-school competition is organised as part of GMAC’s ongoing efforts in educating the public on genetic-modification related issues. Through this competition, GMAC aims to promote active learning and stimulate students’ interest in the science behind genetic modification technology.

This year’s theme is “What is CRISPR-Cas9 Technology and its Applications?” The team from SJI, comprising of Ibramsa Idris Ahamed (FN401), Surendran Srinikesh (FN401), Jedidiah Eo Shuo (FN401) and Patrick Nott Pei De (ML403), worked on CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease, illustrating the mechanism of CRISPR-Cas9 as a gene editing tool and weigh the pros and cons using CRISPR-Cas9.

Through their infographic poster in the preliminary round and presentation in the finals, the team clinched third prize and a $200 cash voucher. Well done, Team SJI!

September: Josephian Best Sportsboy

Zachary Sng (ML301) was among 53 student athletes from various schools across the nation who were honoured with the Singapore Schools Sports Council Best Sportsboy or Best Sportsgirl Award.

This prestigious Sports Pinnacle Award is presented to the overall best athlete in each sport sanctioned by the SSSC, in recognition of the students’ excellent achievements in local and/or overseas competitions from 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2024.

Zachary received the pinnacle award from Guest-of-Honour, Mr Jowen Lim, a National Wushu athlete on 20 September 2024 at CHIJ St. Theresa’s Convent. The awards ceremony also marked the closing of the National School Games which took place from January to August 2024.

SJI congratulates Zachary on his fine performance in Tennis!

September: Josephian to Represent Singapore at 2024 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championship

We are thrilled to share that Nigel Tan (MN202) has earned a spot to represent Singapore at the 2024 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championship in Hong Kong from 29 Dec 2024 to 5 Jan 2025!

Nigel sailed brilliantly over four days at the Singapore National Sailing Championships 2024 here over the September holidays, finishing 4th out of 82 sailors.

Well done, Nigel!

September: SJI Rises to the Challenge at the National School Teams Chess Tournament

On 4 September, four Josephian teams competed in the annual National School Teams (NST) Chess Tournament. As the largest national chess event, our teams faced tough competition but performed admirably, with three finishing above their starting seed.

A standout achievement was by our B-Division Team 1 comprising Jaeden Ng (FN401), Ryan Low (LE301), Chern Ze Hearn (ML302), and Captain Ethan Lai (LE301). They emerged as South Zone Champions and overall National 3rd place, beating traditional powerhouses such as RI and ACS(Independent).

Well done to all Josephians who represented SJI!

• B-Div Team 1: 3rd in National, 1st in South Zone (Starting Rank: 8) with Jaeden Ng, Ryan Low, Chern Ze Hearn, Ethan Lai

• B-Div Team 2: 24th Overall (Starting Rank: 14) with Steven Wang (LE402), Gabriel Low (FN401), Xuan Le Lee (ML301), Cody Tan (LE402)

• C-Div Team 1: 8th Overall, 4th Zonal (Starting Rank: 10) with Kieran Tan (LE201), Jay Tay (LE201), Ding Rong Tham (MN101), Zhenxuan Wang (LE101)

• C-Div Team 2: 11th Overall, 5th Zonal (Starting Rank: 17) with Siddharth Kumar (ML102), Darryl Phang (LE201), Ray Kye Tng (MN203), Trevor Vong (LE101)

We look forward to our Josephians flying the green and white colours in future chess events!

September: Josephian Wins First Place at Singapore National Sailing Championships

We are proud to announce that Kenan Tan (FN503) has achieved first place in the ILCA 6 Class at the Singapore National Sailing Championships!

After four intense days of competition, Kenan emerged as the champion of the ILCA 6 category. His flawless performance in the final two days, where he secured first place in the last five races, was nothing short of remarkable. Kenan’s triumph has also earned him a berth at the ILCA Asian Championship, which will take place later this year.

Sailing with our school sail (numbered 185201 to honor the founding year of SJI) and bearing the SJI logo, this victory is a proud moment for the entire Josephian community.

Well done, Kenan!

August: SJI Celebrates Teachers Day: Shaping Minds, Hearts, and Futures

On Thursday, 29 August, the SJI community celebrated Teachers’ Day. Year after year, we’ve witnessed our Josephians excelling in both academics and CCAs - none of which would be possible without the tireless efforts, unwavering dedication and commitment of our teachers.

But most of all, we are grateful for the way our Josephian teachers shape each Josephian into a well-rounded individual, developing not just their minds, but their hearts and character too.

Thank you, teachers, for having a lasting impact on the lives of Josephians and for being the driving force behind their growth and success. We appreciate you today and every day!

August: SJI Shines at NSG C-Division Floorball Finals!

Our young and determined C-Division Floorball team has made history by clinching 2nd position in the National School Games. In the finals against Victoria School, our Josephians showed tremendous resilience, grit and fighting spirit against their opponents.

Despite the fact that Floorball is a new CCA in SJI and the team was formed only last year, the boys have shown incredible perseverance, teamwork, and skill in their journey to the finals. This is indeed a proud and inspiring moment for the entire SJI community.

Congratulations to the C Division Floorball players, teachers and coaches for their tireless efforts and unwavering dedication in bringing glory to the school. The future of SJI Floorball is indeed bright!

August: SJI Celebrates Prestigious Lee Kuan Yew Award for All-Round Excellence

We are proud to announce that Josephian, Jayden Foo (ML512) has been awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Award for All-Round Excellence in the Secondary category. This prestigious honour, presented by Minister for Education, Mr Chan Chun Sing, highlights Jayden’s exceptional achievements in both academic and non-academic areas.

The award recognises well-rounded students who have excelled in both academic and non-academic spheres, and who exemplify the qualities articulated in the desired outcomes of education. Congratulations, Jayden!

August: SJI Rugby C Division Clinches 2nd Runner-Up in 2024 National School Games

After months of hard work and dedication, the SJI Rugby C Division team has made history by securing 2nd runner-up in the 2024 National School Games Rugby C-Division Championship, marking a milestone not seen in recent years.

Our ruggers embodied the Josephian spirit, showcasing outstanding teamwork, determination, and skill throughout the competition. They shone in the preliminary rounds and semi-finals, achieving impressive victories over Raffles Institution and Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road).

In the finals (3rd/4th placing) this morning at Jurong West Stadium, the team triumphed once again, defeating Raffles Institution 15-7. Their perseverance and “never say die” attitude defined their incredible season!

This success is a testament to the team’s relentless effort and commitment. A special thank you to the parents, teachers, and coaches whose unwavering support and guidance were instrumental in this achievement.

Well done, Josephians!

August: SJI Shines at ILLUSTRATUM: A Hallway Physics Competition

SJI sent five teams of Year 3 and 4 Josephians to participate in the prestigious ILLUSTRATUM: A Hallway Physics Competition, hosted by the Physics Department at the National University of Singapore (NUS). The competition, which promotes effective communication in Physics, saw our students competing against over 80 teams from various schools, with all our teams clinching distinguished awards.

Over the course of three months, the students demonstrated commitment and teamwork as they tirelessly developed their prototypes and mastered new concepts. Their hard work culminated in a series of impressive presentations to the judges at NUS, where they were recognised for their innovative designs and insightful explanations, earning them well-deserved accolades.

Best Journal and Distinction Awards

• Team JELLY BAGELSSS: Tan Yi Jun (LE303), Krishay Gautam Patel (LE303), and Shravy Jindal (LE303)

Distinction Award

• Team PHYSICS BOYS: Isaac Soh (FN402), Kayden Tan (FN402), and Teng Jun Yao (FN403)

Merit Award

• Team HAPPY BANANAS: Raphael Cheng (MN403), Gobinath Pavithiran (MN403) and Sidney Alexander (MN403)
• Team PDF Files: Joel Ng Jun Yang (ML403), Isaac Gabriel Ng Le Kai (ML403) and Evan Hsu Zi Yi (LE402)
• Team HAPPY LAWRENCE: Reagan Low (LE302), Pyae Swun Htet (LE302) and Emery Yeo (LE302)

Jelly Bagelsss, the Year 3 team that won the Best Journal and Distinction Award worked on “The wave-particle duality of light and the Photoelectric Effect”. Their experiment explored the wave-particle duality of light through Young’s Double Slit Experiment. They also built an electroscope to show its function and the photoelectric effect.

The Physics Boys who won the Distinction Award did a project on “Seismic Damping and its effect on infrastructure” that demonstrated how through seismic damping, a building’s structural strength and stability are greatly increased, rendering it safer and less susceptible to the effects of an earthquake.

These two teams have been invited to present their projects to the public at Science Centre Singapore during the September Holidays.

SJI congratulates all our Josephians! Well done, guys!

August: SJI Educators Dialogue Engagement with Mrs Tan Ching Yee, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance

In the face of a fast-evolving operating environment and technological disruptions, we have to guard against complacency and entitlement, be it on an individual level or as a small city-state. This was one of the key messages from Mrs Tan Ching Yee, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, at a dialogue engagement with SJI educators.

Mrs Tan began the session by highlighting the key global and domestic trends that Singapore cannot ignore. They include geopolitical tensions, demographic challenges, technological disruptions, and climate change. In particular, on green transition, she spoke about the trade-offs between pace of decarbonisation, economic competitiveness and fiscal sustainability.

Against this backdrop, Mrs Tan elaborated on how Singapore’s fiscal policies – balancing between fiscal sustainability, growth, and equity – enable us to meet our challenges and capture opportunities.

SJI educators also took the opportunity to hear from Mrs Tan about how we could work together as a school community to ensure that Josephians are future-ready, through inculcating the right values, attitudes and skills. She stressed the importance of lifelong learning and encouraged educators to be the role model for our younger generations.

As part of Q&A, Mrs Tan also shared about the strengthening of social support in Singapore, the significance of and opportunities in ASEAN, and the considerations behind our tax regime. In closing, Mrs Tan affirmed SJI’s core values of service and community, and encouraged the Josephian community to continue contributing towards our refreshed social compact anchored in unity and inclusiveness.

We are grateful to Mrs Tan for her generosity and insights based on her extensive experiences across the public service. The dialogue certainly enriched our educators, and we look forward to more opportunities to learn together as a community!

August: SJI Smashes into Third Place in the NSG C-Division Badminton

Eight days before the finals, our SJI C-Division Badminton boys nearly made history in the NSG semi-finals, coming agonizingly close to toppling powerhouse ACSI. The match came down to the wire, with a narrow 2-3 loss decided in the final singles game.

Remarkably, our Year 1 player, stepping in for an unwell second-seed, showcased resilience and skill in a high-pressure situation. It was a performance that marked how far we’ve come – our best finish in over 14 years, just a step away from the finals!

On 20 August 2024, SJI faced off against Maris Stella for the 3rd place playoff, and our Josephians rose to the occasion. With determination and teamwork, they secured a decisive 4-1 victory, bringing home the Bronze on the podium. Congratulations to the SJI C-Division Badminton team for their outstanding achievement in this year’s competition!

August: Josephians Triumph in Ortega Cup 2024

Josephians did the school proud by emerging as the winners after defeating Raffles Institution (RI) 3-0 in the Under-16 category of the Ortega Cup, held on 15 August at SJI.

The match was intense and action filled. Both teams showcased true skill and determination, going head-to-head in their physical challenges. Ethan Loh (FN302) gave the team an early lead in the 7th minute with a powerful finish in the penalty box before Timothy Ng (LE301) scored the second goal with an instinctive finish in the 14th minute of the first half. Aidan Irfan (MN201), fresh from winning the NSG C Division Boys League 1 Final and playing in his final match for SJI, sealed the game with a well-taken goal and was swarmed by his jubilant teammates for what would be a perfect send off before he leaves for Spain. This victory marks the 10th consecutive year that SJI has won the competition.

In the Under-40 category, former players from both institutions rekindled old rivalries, bringing a sense of nostalgia and camaraderie to the event. RI took the lead in the 14th minute of the first half before Cayden Thong (SJI Class of 2021) scored two well-taken penalties to give SJI’s Under-40 the lead. RI’s Under-40 then clawed their way back into the game, equalizing in the 62nd minute before sealing the game winner in the 80th minute to clinch the Suhaimi Ali Cup. The game ended 3-2 in favour of RI’s Under-40 and this friendly competition showcased the enduring bond between the two schools, with both players and teachers sharing moments of good banter between them.

Named after Mr Robert Ortega, an ex-staff member of RI, this annual football tournament has been fostering team spirit and sportsmanship between RI and SJI since the 1970s. The Ortega Cup continues to be a cherished tradition that brings the boys, and old boys, from both institutions together in the spirit of healthy competition.

August: A Historic Championship Win for SJI Football C-Division

After a season full of challenges, sweat, and determination, our young and talented team of SJI footballers has done the school proud by clinching the NSG C Division Boys League 1 Football title.

At the finals played at the National Stadium on 14 August, the SJI team eased past Meridian Secondary School 3-0 with a dazzling performance, and was cheered on by more than 2500 Josephian supporters. Left winger, Jamus Low (LE201) opened the scoring with the first goal 18 minutes into the first half. Energized by the rousing cheers from the SJI supporters, striker, Zhou Luye (FN102) added the second goal just 3 minutes into the second half.

SJI goalkeeper, Colin Chew (FN101) made a superb one-on-one save to keep their clean sheet intact, with Lai Keng Lum (MN201) delivering the decisive third goal in the 56th minute to secure the championship for SJI.

Every Josephian footballer left it all on the pitch, and this victory is a testament to their unbreakable spirit and relentless drive. Our ardent supporters, comprising school leaders, students, staff, parents, and alumni matched the team’s energy and indomitable spirit, filling the stadium with unwavering cheers that fueled the team’s deserving win.

As we celebrate this historic victory, we are reminded of the camaraderie, resilience and heart that define our Josephian spirit. This Championship title is truly deserving and is a proud moment for the entire SJI community.

August: Josephian Sportsmen Play with Pride in the NSG Tennis Finals

Our Josephian Tennis team faced ACS(I) in the National School Games (NSG) Tennis ‘C’ Division finals this morning. Despite a hard-fought battle, we narrowly missed out on the championship title.

Throughout the competition, our boys showed determination, perseverance and mental fortitude in overcoming the odds. This could be exemplified by our C division captain, Justin Lie (ML202), who, despite suffering an injury early in the second set, pressed on and continued to fight for every point. However, the injury proved insurmountable, forcing him to retire at the start of the third set.

We’re immensely proud of the dedication, teamwork, and fighting spirit that carried the team this far. With heads held high, our young lads leave the court more determined than ever to come back stronger next year. This year marks the third consecutive year that the SJI ‘C’ division Tennis team has made it to the finals, and the team is already looking forward to 2025 with much hope and renewed promise.

August: Josephians Take the Podium Again in Taekwondo

We are happy to share the achievements of two Josephians, Isaac Koh (FN202) and Kaedrin Isaacs (ML301), at this year’s Singapore Open Taekwondo Poomsae Championships held on 10 August. Both boys displayed exceptional skill, dedication, and sportsmanship, representing our school with pride and excellence.

Isaac Koh (FN202)

• Cadet Individual - GOLD
• Cadet Mixed Pair - SILVER

Kaedrin Isaacs (ML301)

• Junior Individual – BRONZE

We are proud of Isaac and Kaedrin for their outstanding performances. Congratulations to both boys for their well-deserved success!

August: SJI Beacon Makes a Splash for the Community

Splash for Impact is a student-led charity car-wash event initiated by SJI Beacon. Held on 2 August, the event aimed to raise funds for the Migrant Workers Centre, while bringing our school community together. A total of 25 cars were washed, topped off with a tyre shine, by our dedicated student participants. Through this campaign, a total of $3350 was raised from the donations and the payments for the carwash services.

The initiative emphasizes the spirit of community and the impact of our collective efforts. Our students showcased exceptional teamwork and dedication, proving that even small actions can lead to significant impacts. They also had the opportunity to engage in this meaningful cause while having fun with their friends, reflecting on the importance of giving back and supporting those in need.

The Beacon organising committee is deeply grateful to everyone who contributed in one way or another to this event. We would not have hit and exceeded our target sum of $600 without the generous support and encouragement from the parents, staff, and student participants, not forgetting the cool weather we were blessed with.

To everyone who donated or signed up for the carwash, thank you for making this event a successful one and for helping to make a positive change!

August: SJI Celebrates National Day

The SJI community came together, filled with pride and excitement, to celebrate our nation’s 59th year of independence. The day kicked off with a vibrant display of patriotism, followed by a fun and energetic mass exercise routine that got everyone moving.

It was heartwarming to see students, teachers, and staff unite in a shared spirit of togetherness and joy. This celebration not only reminded us of the importance of our national heritage but also strengthened our bonds as a school community where all of us are valued and respected, for who we are.

Here’s to many more moments of unity and pride! Majulah Singapura!

August: SJI Celebrates Mutien Festival 2024: A Night of Drama and Music

On 2 August, the SJI community gathered for an unforgettable evening of drama and music, presented by the five Performing Arts groups at SJI. This year’s Mutien Festival embraced the theme ‘Believe,’ reflecting the performers’ journey to conquer challenges, embrace their talents, and shine on stage.

Each performer took to heart the power of believing—in themselves, in their abilities, and in their capacity to captivate a large audience. Junior members showcased their skills with confidence, demonstrating the growth and dedication of months of practice. The evening kicked off with a diverse array of performances. The Pipe Band mesmerized with their renditions of beloved classics, followed by the Drama Club’s touching portrayal of a coming-of-age story. The Vocal Ensemble then delivered a spectacular performance, filling the first half of the festival with heartwarming moments.

In the second half, the SJI Symphonic Band and the Guitar Ensemble delighted the audience with familiar tunes, from iconic soundtracks to trending hits. The festival culminated in a powerful combined performance of “When You Believe” by the SJI Symphonic Band and Vocal Ensemble, echoing the theme of faith and self-belief, inspired by the song from the animation Prince of Egypt.

Mutien Festival 2024 was a night to remember for both the audience and performers. As we look forward to future Mutien Festivals, we remain inspired by the spirit of belief that made this event truly special.

August: SJI’s Track & Field Championships

SJI’s 114th Annual Track and Field Championships returned with great excitement under the theme Unleashing the Athlete Within. Leading up to the finals, students had competed in two rounds of heats, showcasing their determination in events like the 200m, 800m, 1500m, Shot Put, and Long Jump. Finals day began with the traditional March Past, where athletes from the various Fraternities were cheered on by their Fraternity Heads and mascots. The event was officially opened by our Principal, Mr. Justin Pierre after the Athlete’s Oath was recited by the Track & Field student leaders. The competition kicked off with the 100m and 400m races, followed by the 4x100m relay, Lasallian Invitational Race, Fraternity Race, and 4x400m relay.

A fierce rivalry between the Lawrence and Marican Fraternities unfolded throughout the day. Despite Marican’s strong efforts, Lawrence narrowly won the overall championship by just a few points, making it a thrilling contest to the very end. The Lasallian Invitational Race saw enthusiastic participation from other schools, creating a friendly yet competitive atmosphere. In the primary school category, St. Anthony’s Primary School took first place, followed by SJI Junior and De La Salle School.

The SJI Track and Field Championships certainly showcased sportsmanship, excellence and unity among participants.

August: Josephians Excel in Prestigious Nanyang Research Programmes

We celebrate the exceptional achievements of our students in the prestigious Nanyang Research Programme (NRP) and Nanyang Research Programme Junior Researcher (NRPjr). Offered by NTU, these outreach programmes are designed for Year 5 students, and Year 3 and 4 students respectively, providing a platform to explore a wide range of research topics and deepen their knowledge in areas of interest.

Twelve dedicated Josephians embarked on an enriching eight-month research journey from April to December last year. Their hard work and commitment culminated in the submission of their research papers and oral presentation assessments this year.

We are incredibly proud to announce that our students achieved outstanding results, with two teams earning the prestigious Platinum Award. This remarkable accomplishment underscores the talent, dedication, and excellence of our Josephians in the realm of academic research.

Platinum Award (NRPjr)

• Sawasmongkol Putt (LE403)
• Suntratonpipat Vorajate (MN403)
• Akkile Joseph Benedict Joseph (MN519)
• Guhan Venu (LE507)

Gold (NRPjr)

• Nguyen Duc Khoi Nguyen (MN403)
• Tran Luu Anh Kiet (MN403)
• Ang Jan, Adan (MN518)
• Kieron Cheo Cheng Yi (ML513)

NRP Awards

• Dinh Nho An (MN616) - Gold
• Quek Yi Ming (MN616) - Gold
• Sun Xiaoyan (FN604) - Gold
• Rais Aqila Tossin (ML611) - Silver

SJI congratulates all our outstanding Josephians!

August: Race, Religion and Intergroup Cohesion (RRIC) Workshop conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) for Year 5 Josephians as part of Racial Harmony Commemorations

How can we identify the various types of racism in society and more importantly, what are the knowledge and skills we will need to navigate diversity with sensitivity? Our Year 5 Josephians recently had a unique opportunity as a cohort, to attend the Race, Religion and Intergroup Cohesion (RRIC) workshop, conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS). The IPS is an independent think tank and autonomous research centre of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. The RRIC workshops are curated for specific groups with the aim of engaging various segments of society in order to increase awareness, knowledge and impart skills to deepen understanding between groups and communities.

One of the highlights of the RRIC workshop for the Year 5 cohort included conducting a poll based on scenarios. The results of the poll revealed that perceptions of what constitutes racism differ among individuals and even among their own peers in Year 5. Nicholas Pramono (LE507), President of the Student Council and who participated in the RRIC workshop, felt that ‘the results of the poll made me think more deeply about what is considered racist, offensive and hurtful. These can in fact differ among individuals and groups, and it means we should always be mindful in the ways we engage with one another. What we may consider amusing or funny may become a source of anger or pain for others.’

The RRIC workshop also incorporated a forum theatre segment to deepen the engagement and demonstrated LIVE that often, situations can be very complex and not entirely easy to navigate. Pappu Krishiv (LE506) volunteered to participate in this segment and described how, ‘in situations where people may pass racist remarks, it can be difficult to come up with a response that is constructive and helpful. We may be quick to react because we are emotional and upset. The forum theatre segment made me realise that while it can be challenging to respond to situations constructively and meaningfully, we should still do our best and put in the effort to try.’

We are grateful to the IPS and the team of facilitators of the RRIC workshop lead by Dr. Mathew Mathews, Head of the IPS Social Lab and himself an alumni of our school, for conducting this workshop for the benefit of our Year 5 Josephians. We hope they are inspired and will use some of their takeaways to put together Advocacy Projects to promote harmony in our diverse society!

August: Alumni in the Next Gen of Teachers

Five SJI alumni were awarded teaching scholarships and awards by the Minister for Education, Mr. Chan Chun Sing, at the Teaching Scholarship Presentation Ceremony.

The distinguished alumni are:

• Mr Asai Taisei (SJI Class of 2015) - Teaching Award
• Mr Chong Kok F’ng (SJI Class of 2015) - Teaching Award
• Mr Ian Tan Wei (SJI Class of 2019) - Teaching Award
• Mr Joel Wong Yan Heng (SJI Class of 2019) - Teaching Scholarship (Overseas)
• Mr Wong Jun An Justin (SJI Class of 2021) - Teaching Scholarship (Local)

We are immensely proud to see our Josephians inspired to join the teaching profession and nurture a new generation of servant leaders.

August: Alumni Step Up to Defend the Nation

Five SJI alumni received prestigious scholarships from the Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen, at the Defence Scholarship Award Ceremony 2024.

• Joshua Goh Sheng Yi (SJI Class of 2017) was awarded the SAF Merit Scholarship which is aimed at preparing him to become a world-class military operator who is equipped with the skills and expertise needed to protect Singapore.
• Tay Zhe Qian (SJI Class of 2022) was awarded the Defence Merit Scholarship, a top-tier scholarship offered by the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF). He will play a strategic role in contributing to Singapore’s defence and security.
• Chong Jin Qi, Nicholas Tan Yi-Jia, and Zaer Bin Zaqy (all from the SJI Class of 2021) were awarded the DSTA Scholarship which will provide them numerous opportunities to advance in science and cutting-edge technology towards strengthening Singapore’s defence capabilities.

It is heartening to see Josephians choosing challenging careers in service of the nation. SJI is extremely proud of you!

July: Josephians Make Waves in Sustainable Engineering Challenge

On 17 July, 14 groups of Josephians participated in the Offshore and Sustainable Engineering Challenge (OSEC), previously known as the Marine and Offshore Challenge, at the Ngee Ann Polytechnic. The challenge was to design and build a high-performance watercraft model with a strong focus on sustainability and innovation. Our students rose to the occasion by integrating sustainable materials into their designs, emphasising environmentally friendly practices and resource conservation.

Each team dedicated over three months to meticulously crafting their boats, and their hard work was rightfully recognised with well-deserved awards.

Our Josephians clinched 8 of the 12 awards in this competition:

• Design Marvel Award for Best Propulsion System
• Design Marvel Award for the Best Hull
• Sustainability Quiz Award
• Overall Second Place
• Overall Third Place
• 3 Merit Awards

SJI congratulates all our Josephians! Well done, guys!

July: SJI Celebrates Literary Week Festival

The SJI Literary Week Festival, organised by the FPAM EL department, was a vibrant celebration themed “Connections,” highlighting the deep connection within our Josephian community through an array of engaging literary activities.

The festival’s centerpiece was the mesmerising “Tree of Wisdom”, a sculpture by Br Joseph McNally, adorned with the book covers of favourite reads from both teachers and students. This installation was inaugurated by our Principal, Mr Justin Arul Pierre, creating a stunning visual representation of our community’s literary passions. Adding to the celebration, students presented original poems, bringing their unique voices to the occasion.

One of the standout components of the event was “Whispers of Wisdom”, where inspirational quotes were collected and shared with the entire school through an email blast, fostering a spirit of motivation and reflection. Complementing this, the Parent Support Group (PSG) supported a bookmark activity in the library that encouraged students to personalise and share their favourite quotes, further enhancing the literary spirit. The library space was decorated in celebration with a special book display reflecting the festival’s theme.

Year 1 and 2 students demonstrated their enthusiasm and knowledge in a lively literary quiz, while Year 2 students also gained valuable insights from a talk on persuasive writing by Mrs Cherie Tseng (SJI parent and CEO at a local fintech company, and a commentator for CNA). The grand finale of the festival was the “Connections Conclave,” a series of captivating performances by both students and teachers.

The Literary Festival Week beautifully encapsulated our SJI community’s shared literary journey.

July: Josephians Explore Future Paths at University and Scholarship Fair

On 26 July, Year 5-6 Josephians gathered for an in-person University and Scholarship Fair, eager to learn about their future paths. The event featured nearly 60 organizations and numerous booths, including those manned by SJI alumni.

Held in the Indoor Sports Hall, the Fair showcased opportunities in fields ranging from scientific research and finance to the civil service. Students were encouraged to explore careers aligned with their passions and interests.

The Air Force booth attracted many students interested in military piloting. Meanwhile, booths from the Defence Science Organisation (DSO), Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), and Government Technology Agency (GovTech) were popular among aspiring scientists and engineers seeking scholarships and research opportunities.

Government agencies such as the Accountant-General’s Department (AGD), Home Team Science & Technology Agency (HTX), Ministry of Education (MOE), National Parks Board (Nparks), and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) offered substantial scholarships, including full tuition coverage and exchange programs. Prominent local universities like the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and Singapore Management University (SMU) provided information on university life and courses. The Medicine booths were particularly popular, as were the Engineering and Computer Science booths, which drew many inquiries.

Representatives from the Singapore Institute of Technology, the University of the Social Sciences (SUSS), and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) showcased their distinctive courses, broadening students’ perspectives on educational pathways.

Overall, the Fair offered students a valuable opportunity to explore career and scholarship options, providing an initial glimpse into their potential futures. Students are encouraged to keep an open mind as they continue exploring diverse opportunities.

July: Josephians Bag Trophies in the National Malay Oratorical Competition

We are thrilled that two of our talented Josephians, Rafiq Rizqi (FN203) and Ariel Aiman (FN401), have made us proud by participating in the prestigious National Malay Oratorical Competition organised by the Nusa Language Centre.

Both Rafiq and Ariel showcased their exceptional oratory skills from the preliminary rounds and advanced to the finals, held on 29 July. Competing against four other finalists in the lower and upper secondary categories, they delivered outstanding performances that truly stood out.

We are incredibly proud to share that Rafiq and Ariel emerged as the Champions in their respective categories, bringing home the Champions trophies.

Congratulations to Rafiq and Ariel for their remarkable achievements and for flying SJI’s colours with distinction.

July: Mahalo: Resounding Success of the SJI Carnival

On 20 July, SJI held the much-anticipated Mahalo Carnival, marking its return after a six-year hiatus with the enthusiastic support of Josephians past and present. The school grounds were filled with excitement as students, teachers, and families came together for a day of fun and festivity, in support of the Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC).

The carnival kicked off with a showcase of student talent, featuring performances that ranged from captivating dance routines to musical acts, highlighting the diverse skills and passions within the school community.

Students took the lead, managing interactive booths that offered games, face painting, and crafts. These hands-on activities engaged participants of all ages and fostered a sense of camaraderie among peers.

The air was filled with the tantalising aroma of delectable treats at the food fair, offering a variety of mouth-watering options from nasi lemak to pizza. Both children and parents delighted in the sweet indulgence of popcorn, cotton candy, and ice cream, generously sponsored by the SJI Old Boys Association (SJIOBA). Excitement mounted as the lucky draw took place, with winners walking away with an array of prizes generously donated by our Parents Support Group (PSG).

Our Principal, Mr Justin Arul Pierre shared, “We had an awesome carnival, and many students – past and present – teachers, parents, and guests shared with me that they had a wonderful time and experience.” He also expressed his immense gratitude towards the staff and students for their hard work and efforts in making this event a success.

Together, we made Mahalo 2024 possible!

July: Josephian Reaches Semi-Finals at the ITF J30 Phinma Juniors Tennis Championships

Josephian Zachary Sng (ML301), partnered with Darren Lew from Australia, to reach the doubles semi-finals of the International Tennis Federation J30 Phinma Juniors Tennis Championships held in Manila, Philippines, from 21-28 July 2024.

In a closely contested match, they bowed out to the eventual winners, Elijah Calaquian (USA) and Mateo Victor Rivas (Philippines), in a tiebreak.

Congratulations, Zachary, on your outstanding performance!

July: SJI Celebrates our Newest Alumni in Healthcare

On 26 July 2024, Kwan En Yue Arielle (SJI, IB Class of 2023) and Kenneth Loke Jun Lin (SJI, IB Class of 2021) received the Community Care Scholarship and the Health Merit Award respectively from the Minister of Health, Mr Ong Ye Kung.

SJI is proud of these award recipients and celebrates with our alumni who pursued their passion to lead and to make a difference in community care and public healthcare in Singapore.

July: SJI Hosts Learning Festival

The SJI Learning Festival is a key professional learning initiative by our school to provide educators with an avenue to share innovative ideas and effective practices with a broader community, and to deepen collaboration across schools. More than 340 local and overseas participants from over 50 schools attended this year’s edition, which was held on 17 July 2024.

The theme for this year’s Learning Festival is “Celebrating Innovative Practices to Nurture Future-ready Learners”. In his opening remarks, our Principal, Mr Justin Arul Pierre, highlighted the need for educators to re-examine the way we facilitate teaching and learning, so that our students can thrive and be hopeful in this rapidly changing world. To achieve this, it was important that educators embrace the spirit of learning, sharing and working together to multiply our efforts.

At the festival, educators had the opportunity to reflect on what it meant to be future-ready as schools and educators. As part of the Learning Festival, selected SJI teachers also opened up their classrooms to fellow educators, focusing on pedagogical practices and approaches to equip students with question formulation skills to develop adaptive and inventive thinking.

During the event, presenters from 16 schools, across 20 concurrent sessions, shared their innovative ideas and practices on equipping students with future-ready dispositions and skills. Participants were energised and enriched by the rich sharing of experiences and discussions, which featured diverse topics such as the use of artificial intelligence for learning, building school cultures of sustainability, leveraging computational thinking and many more.

We are grateful to all participating educators for making this year’s Learning Festival a memorable one, and we look forward to seeing them at the next edition of the event.

Ora et Labora!

July: Y5 Dialogue and Engagement with Ambassador A Selverajah, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Is a rules-based international order in peril? This was the broad question posed to Ambassador A. Selverajah and underpinned his dialogue and engagement with our Y5 Josephians this year.

Ambassador Selverajah opened the dialogue and engagement by sharing about Singapore’s foreign policy principles, and how these are robust and can apply to the various regional and global developments that have an impact on Singapore. Additionally, he impressed upon our Josephians that Singapore must always uphold the rule of law including international laws which are agreed upon by all countries and sovereign states. This is to ensure that Singapore, despite its small geographic size, remains credible, reliable, and relevant internationally. Ambassador also engaged our Josephians with his personal accounts and experiences throughout his career in the foreign service that spans more than 40 years.

Ang Jet Hong (FN502), member of the Society of International and Current Affairs (SICA) at SJI and one of the moderators for the dialogue and engagement shared that, ‘this opportunity to hear from Ambassador Selverajah and gain insights into ways countries engage with each other was fascinating! I especially enjoyed what Ambassador shared about “might is not always right” which is relevant to how Singapore has engaged with the international community and often punched above its weight’.

Kate Nattaya Sia (MN520), Vice-President of the Student Council, expressed her interest to contribute in the foreign service in the future and alongside some of her peers, was invited to a small group discussion with Ambassador Selverajah after the cohort-wide engagement. During this discussion, Ambassador shared more about his experiences as a diplomat and what aspiring officers could expect in a career with the foreign service. Kate felt that, ‘while Ambassador Selverajah explained that a career in the foreign service can be very demanding and may not be for everyone, it is certainly a very enriching and rewarding one. I think the challenges and demands of the work are meaningful when one considers and puts into perspective, that you are contributing to something bigger which is Singapore’s interests and survival in the world’.

We are grateful that Ambassador A. Selverajah took the time to engage our Josephians and increased their awareness of how global developments and issues have an impact on Singapore. Ambassador also left our Josephians with an appreciation of the meaningful work and purpose of the foreign service in ensuring Singapore not only survives but continues to thrive in the world!

July: Josephians Welcome Formal Day

Over two weeks in July, SJI hosted a Social Etiquette and Interview Skills Workshop aimed at preparing our students for the world of work. These interactive talks which involved role-playing and tips for success focused on equipping students with essential skills that are vital for their future careers.

Students participated in interactive sessions where they learned the art of a formal handshake—a crucial first step in making a lasting impression. They practiced making appropriate eye contact, understanding its significance in conveying confidence and engagement during professional interactions. In addition to these soft skills, the workshop provided valuable insights into dressing for success. Students were guided on how to choose attire that reflects sophistication and seriousness, helping them present themselves as potential employees ready to take on the challenges of the professional world.

Every Josephian walked away with a better understanding of how to navigate the workplace with poise and professionalism. We are proud of our students for their enthusiasm and commitment to self-improvement.

Our future professionals are ready to Leave to Serve!

July: SJI Alumni Awarded the Prestigious Public Service Commission Scholarships

Three of our alumni received the prestigious Public Service Commission (PSC) Scholarship from the Minister for Education, Mr Chan Chun Seng, on Wednesday, July 17, at the 2024 PSC Scholarships Award Ceremony.

1. Koon Wei Pheng (SJI, Class of 2022) - PSC Scholarship (Judicial Service/Legal Service)
2. Cheng Dana (SJI, Class of 2022) - PSC Scholarship (Sustainability)
3. Subramanian Navin Nagarajan (SJI, Class of 2023) - PSC Scholarship

The Public Service Commission (PSC) Scholarship is the premier government scholarship awarded based on merit. The PSC Scholarships offer varied career pathways in the public service, providing a broad range of interests.

More details of the scholarship can be found on the website here.

Congratulations to our alumni. SJI celebrates with you!

July: Josephians Shine at the A*STAR-VJC Science Fair

Four SJI teams participated in the A*STAR-VJC Science Fair 2024. This annual competition is targeted at secondary school students with an interest to develop and deepen their learning in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) through research.

Our Josephian team comprising Nithush, Emmanuel and Sachin captured the prestigious Gold Award for their outstanding science project on ‘Repurposing used cooking oil to produce effective stain-cleaning soaps’. The team was also invited to present their project to an esteemed audience of distinguished guests, teachers and students. This achievement is a testament to their hard work and passion for Science.

The overall results of the SJI teams are shown in the table below.

Well done, guys!

July: Josephians excel at RYEEC 2024

Three Josephians, Muthukumaran Krishnaaram (ML512), Eve Ang (ML514) and Nikitha Govindaraj (LE506), participated in the 2024 Regional Young Entrepreneur Case Challenge (RYECC). After emerging as winners of the local round, they advanced to the regional finals held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 8-9 July, where they were the youngest and only team of entirely JC students.

Over two days, they pitched their innovative solution, Kenbridge Medical, an AI-driven platform offering comprehensive and personalised healthcare insurance solutions across the region. Their exceptional performance impressed the judges and garnered the interest of potential investors, earning them the 1st Runner-up position, narrowly missing the championship by just two points.

SJI is proud of our Josephians!

July: Josephians Fly our Singapore Flag with Pride

SJI Canoeists, Elijah Thiruman (FN303) and Trevis Lee (ML303) have done the nation and SJI proud with their excellent performances at the 2024 South East Asian Canoe Sprint Championships (SEACC) in Vietnam.

In the Junior Men K4 1000m, Trevis and Elijah together with 2 other members of Team Singapore, finished second, bringing in the Silver medal for Singapore. In the Junior Men K4 500m, they finished second again, bringing in yet another Silver medal for Singapore.

In the Junior Men K2 1000m, together with his teammate, Trevis finished in second place, bringing in Silver for Singapore.

Josephians Trevis and Elijah are dedicated and skilled sportsmen. SJI is immensely proud of our young men for flying the Singapore flag high.

Well done, Josephians!

July: Youth Advocacy and Dialogue Towards a Sustainable Social Harmony: Racial Harmony Day Engagement with Ms Nazhath Faheema for Y3 and Y4 Josephians

As part of Racial Harmony commemorations this year, our Year 3 and 4 Josephians had the opportunity to hear from Ms Nazhath Faheema who shared about her efforts in the community to promote cohesion among different groups.

Ms Nazhath Faheema is the founder of hash.peace, a social harmony advocacy group led by youths from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. She continues to contribute to the community and serves as the Vice-Chairperson for Eunos Harmony Circle, where she facilitates youth leadership. She is the recipient of the President’s Volunteerism & Philanthropy Awards (People of Good) 2021, the highest honor for volunteerism in the community, conferred by the President of the Republic of Singapore.

Speaking to our Josephians, Ms Faheema shared about her personal motivations for championing and contributing to efforts to promote racial and religious harmony in Singapore. This included feeling compelled to contribute to promoting awareness and understanding, as she often found herself at the receiving end of ignorant and even hurtful racist remarks. She understood that anger would not be sustainable and a more constructive response to ignorance and racism is to engage, raise awareness and educate others in the community.

Kaedrin Herman Isaacs (ML301), one of the student moderators for the dialogue and engagement with Ms Faheema, shared how the insights she shared, ‘struck a chord with many of us and made us think about how we can be more mindful and sensitive in our interactions with others. It is important that we make the extra effort and have a care to ensure we do not offend and hurt others in our community through what we say or do’.

In closing the robust dialogue and engagement with many Josephians posing questions to Ms Faheema, our Vice-Principal for Curriculum and Student Development Mr Dominc Ang shared that, ‘Ms Faheema’s experiences and contributions are excellent examples of how we can make a positive impact in the community. In fact, her contributions are commendable because she set out on her own.

For Josephians, we are guided by this idea of fraternity, and we can leverage on our friendships with Josephians to make meaningful contributions like Ms Faheema in the community’.

We thank Ms Nazhath Faheema for taking the time to speak with and engage our Josephians on how they can contribute to efforts to strengthen our social harmony in Singapore. We look forward to more opportunities to engage individuals and groups who can inspire our Josephians to make a difference in the community!

July: Josephians Rank in the International Elementz Fair

Seven SJI teams took part in the 25th International Elementz Fair 2024, of which six teams were shortlisted for the final judging on 16 April. This annual event, organised by Anderson Serangoon Junior College, provides a platform for local and overseas upper secondary and junior college students to showcase their scientific research as well as prototypes that can contribute to the betterment of society.

The 25th edition of the fair was held in-person for local schools and online for overseas schools this year. Through their research journey, our Josephians gained hands-on experience with experimentation and improved their presentation skills.

Well done, Josephians!

July: Team Hive 5 Creates Designs for Happier Ageing in Singapore

The SJI team who won the Certificate of Distinction in the National Design Project in 2023 was invited to participate in a five-day internship at Temasek Polytechnic.

This innovative and passionate group of students consisting of Joshua Chew (LE303), Adrien Lim (ML301), Elliot D’Cruz (ML301), Gabriel Ho (ML301) and Jayden Ong (MN303) started the seed idea for Project Hive 5 when they were in the Innomakers Programme last year.

The Hive 5’s strong social stand towards empowering the elderly population in Toa Payoh with independence and enriching their daily lives with social interaction in a specially designed community centre impressed the Design Council Singapore.

Team Hive 5 was invited to present their design at the media launch of the Design Education Advisory Committee’s report 2.0 on 13 June 2024. The students were also interviewed by the media (CNA, Ch 8 and 联合早报).

Well done, guys!

July: Showcasing Josephians' Creativity at Singapore Youth Festival 2024

From 3 to 21 July, works from our Josephian Arts Programme (JAP Visual Art) and works from our International Baccalaureate Group 6 (Visual Art) students will be on display for the 2024 Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) Art Exhibition held at the National Gallery Singapore (NGS).

Look out for the following works:

1. The Trash Tank - Jorim Tan (JAP Art Year 1 2023)
2. The Factory of Earth - Joshua Lee (JAP Art Year 1 2023)
3. The Trash Bin Story - Cheng Jae Hin (JAP Art Year 2 2023)
4. Singapore Coffeeshop - Dylan Ng (JAP Art Year 2 2023)
5. Would You Like Some Orange Slices? - Heather Yap (IB Art 2023)

The following works by our artistically-inclined students can also be seen online:

1. An Old Shophouse - Cohen Seah (JAP Art Year 3 2023)
2. Envision - Chiong Kung Yu (JAP Art Year 4 2023)
3. Now Put It Back Together Again - Lin Jiekang (IB Art 2023)

Located at the Spine Hall and Imaginary Gallery (Level 1) of NGS, the exhibition features 120 works selected by the curatorial team and is complemented by an online showcase of all submitted work for this year’s SYF. Members of the public will have free access to view Artist & Collaboration.

See you at the gallery! Check out what our JAP and IB Art students’ @sji_visualart

July: Josephians Scribe to Victory at the “Script it Right” Chinese Radio Drama Scriptwriting competition

In April, the Chinese Cultural Society submitted three scripts to participate in the “Script it Right” Chinese Radio Drama Scriptwriting competition (“与声剧来”中文广播剧创作比赛).

We are proud to announce that Jaren Oon (ML302) achieved the Outstanding Script Award with the script “谁是老大” (“Who’s the Boss”). His script will be broadcast on the Chinese radio station UFM 100.3 from July to August 2024. The script will also be uploaded to the CPCLL website www.cpcll.sg in August.

Wong Yue Yi(ML101) and Ng York Heng (ML101) received the Consolation Award for their script “童年的颜色” (“The Colors of Childhood”). Another Josephian team comprising Gong Zicheng (ML101), Darius Wong (ML101), and Zhang Fenghua (ML101), also attained a Consolation Award with their script “诈骗记” (“The Story of a Scam”).

This competition, jointly organised by the CPCLL, Chinese radio station UFM100.3, and Holy Innocents’ High School, aims to promote the learning of the Chinese language in a fun and interactive way. The competition was open to all Secondary, Junior College, Centralised Institute, and Polytechnic students. It drew a total of 664 participants from 62 schools, with 292 entries this year.

Congratulations, Josephians!

July: SJI’s Outstanding NCC Cadet Awards

On Saturday, 29 June, Alson Mook (FN401) and I had the distinct honour of attending a prize presentation at the MOE Headquarters near Buona Vista. It was a momentous occasion for both of us, as we were recipients of the pinnacle award for cadets: the NCC Outstanding Cadet Award (OCA). This prestigious award is bestowed upon the best-nominated cadets from each school unit to recognise their exceptional contributions and active participation in corps activities.

As former Unit Sergeant Majors (USM) of our CCA, both of us felt deeply humbled and grateful for the opportunity to receive this award. Our journey to this achievement was marked by dedication and sacrificing countless hours to participate in HQ activities. We took part in a variety of events, including marching during National Day and several other leadership training camps in Amoy Quee Camp.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our teacher officer, Mr Mok Hsu Pan. His unwavering support and encouragement provided us with the opportunities to develop our leadership skills and step up as leaders of the CCA. Mr Mok has been instrumental in our success, and for that we are eternally grateful for his contributions to our growth and development.

– by MSG (NCC) Ariel Aiman Bin Noorisman (FN401)

July: Safeguarding Against Scams: SJI NPCC Cadets VIA Initiative with Migrant Workers

The SJI NPCC Cadets collaborated with students from Tampines Meridian Junior College (TMJC) and Kampong Java Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) as part of the Building Community Champions (BCC) initiative by Ray of Hope. This was the second time the BCC was held in SJI to support Ray of Hope’s efforts to encourage youth to engage, interact with, and befriend migrant workers in the community.

The SJI NPCC Cadets recognised that migrant workers, like all residents in Singapore, are vulnerable to scams and they should be engaged as part of national efforts to safeguard against scams. The Year 3 NPCC Cadet Leaders then liaised with Station Inspector (S.I.) Nicholas Teo of the Kampong Java NPC to share their ideas and desire to contribute in the community as a unit. S.I. Teo provided significant guidance and worked closely together with the cadets to organise an Anti-scam workshop for the benefit of migrant workers. S.I. Nicholas shared that he was, ‘heartened by the SJI NPCC Cadets reaching out and wanting to support this important national effort against scams. They were also cognizant and mindful of ways we could make this effort more meaningful for our migrant workers, such as by having some of the cadets speak and share in South Asian languages’.

On the day of the BCC, the workshop included a sharing by S.I. Teo who also provided collateral by the Singapore Police Force to distribute to all attendees. Additionally, the SJI NPCC Cadets and Migrant Workers got into smaller groups to discuss and share their ideas about how members of the community can be more vigilant against scams. Each group also had the opportunity to present their ideas to all attendees at the end of the workshop. Year 3 NPCC Cadet Xabi Phua, one of the cadets that organised the workshop recounted how, ‘this experience made me better understand migrant workers. I got to hear their perspectives and views which enabled me to learn ways we can all protect ourselves and not fall victim to scams. The opportunity to organise this workshop and later share my views by presenting my group’s ideas to everyone also improved my confidence’.

Mdm Shanti, one of the Teacher Officers of the SJI NPCC Unit and who was present to give her support to the SJI NPCC Cadets, similarly added that, ‘this initiative is a good example and shows how CCAs are an important platform to develop our Josephians. They provide a strong sense of purpose and through opportunities such as these, our Josephians realise that they have agency and can make a difference in the community’.

For the remainder of the BCC, students of TMJC organised sports activities and an art jamming session for all attendees. These facilitated and enabled stronger bonds of friendship to be forged. Deputy General Manager, Dr. Alicia Altorfer-Ong expressed her ‘gratitude to SJI, especially the students who have supported two BCC initiatives and school leaders who have been generous with allowing activities to be held on campus during the weekend.’ She added that, ‘Ray of Hope deeply values this partnership with SJI, which began with the VIA Scubilion Fair held earlier this year at the school’.

We congratulate the SJI NPCC Cadets and all volunteers on a successful VIA initiative, and hope such efforts will inspire more Josephians to contribute in the community!

June: Josephians in the National Youth Council Leaders Course

Our Josephians Aarush Nair (LE607), Kate Nattaya Sia (MN520), Krishnakumar Girijesh (MN617), Guo Rui Ting (MN617) and Sai Shashank (LE609) seized the opportunity during the June Holidays to participate in the prestigious National Youth Council (NYC) Leaders Course. Students across tertiary institutions are nominated and endorsed by their schools to participate in this course which seeks to develop a national pipeline of youth leaders.

All participants of the NYC Leaders Course are put through various experiences that are curated to develop self, community and thought leadership. A key objective and thread that underpins the various experiences during the course is to enable youth leaders to navigate increasingly complex challenges and issues, and to embrace diversity of perspectives and views in society. The course also seeks to empower youth leaders by gaining a deeper understanding of issues that impact Singapore so that they can collectively strive to make a positive impact in the community.

Kate shared that the course enabled her to appreciate how, ‘diversity in perspectives can be a catalyst for innovation. Dialogue and the exchange of ideas when discussing national issues can contribute significantly to problem-solving and decision-making’.

Similarly, Girijesh realised that, ‘we may not always have such opportunities to meet others in the community from different backgrounds. My group included students from ITEs and Polytechnics. Their perspectives offered rich insights on issues during discussions and most importantly, I’m immensely grateful for the friendships forged.’

One of the highlights of the NYC Leaders Course this year was a learning journey to the Semangat Yang Baru: Forging a New Singapore Spirit Scenario Experience, put together by the team overseeing the development of the Founder’s Memorial. Rui Ting shared that this learning journey, ‘allowed me to appreciate the aspirations of our forefathers and how they overcame obstacles with values such as boldness, resilience and integrity. Their experiences inspire the present generation of Singaporeans and such values will enable us to confidently write the next chapter of the Singapore story’.

Additionally, the youth participants had opportunities to engage meaningfully with the community directly. Sai Shashank shared how ‘the deep and immersive engagements provided opportunities us to critically explore national issues such as our food security, defense, and shifts in our society that will be brought about by an ageing population. Some of the issues we discussed have no clear solutions and the way forward will mean we must be attentive, sensitive and engage with many diverse views.’

All participants also had the benefit of engaging experts in various sectors including government agencies and policy makers. Aarush shared that he benefited from one of his mentors in the course, an Assistant Director at the Ministry of Trade and Industry. He added that, ‘we had a lively, engaging and extensive discussion on policy trade-offs and how authentic leaders offer valuable insights in policy making processes’.

To cap off the NYC Leaders Course this year, the participants and representatives of all schools were invited to a dialogue with Mr Alvin Tan, Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, and Ministry of Trade and Industry, as part of the closing ceremony.

Mr Alvin Tan reiterated that ‘youth can develop and hone their leadership skills by participating at such platforms. These platforms can prepare you to better navigate and even leverage on our rich social diversity in Singapore. Youth will also learn how to be comfortable with imperfection, and have the humility to learn from mistakes.’ Mr Alvin Tan also encouraged all participants to try and see if they can help develop other youth leaders. This is a crucial responsibility of leaders and more so in the case of a country like Singapore which must ensure there is leadership succession at all levels in society.

We are proud that our Josephians represented our school well and successfully completed the National Youth Council Leaders Course. We look forward to other opportunities for our Josephians to be enriched and gain leadership skills, so that they can effectively contribute to the community!

June: Josephians Distinguish Themselves in the Science Research Programme

Science Research Programme (SRP) is a premier research attachment programme established in 1988 by NUS Faculty of Science in collaboration with the Gifted Education Branch of MOE. The objective of this Programme is to give selected JC1 students who have demonstrated interest and aptitude for scientific research, the opportunity to be in a Science mentorship and to undertake research projects in a scientific and technological community, while acquiring critical inquiry and research competencies.

In April 2023, five Year 5 Josephians started their long 13-months journey in SRP. As part of SRP, they completed the 2-weeks Research Methods Module conducted by NUS Professors and researchers, spent several week during June and December vacations working on their research projects, written and submitted their Science paper to the Dean of NUS Faculty of Science, and showcased their results during NUS Science Research Congress.

In May 2024, all five students have successfully completed all the requirements of the Science Research Programme.

Matthew Oon (ML613) as a team leader (2nd from left) and Tristan Lee (FN601) (3rd from left) were working in the NUS Department of Mechanical Engineering on the project to investigate Additive Manufacturing of Alternative Protein Source for Dysphagia Diet. They were invited as VIP presenters to discuss their results at the 36th Science Research Congress in NUS at the end of Term 2.

Agil Singaraselvan (FN604) as a team leader (4th from left), Kieran Tan (FN603) (5th from left), and Isabelle Ho (FN605) (2nd from right) were attached to the NUS Department of Statistics and Data Science investigating the Effects of the Duration of Moderate to Vigorous Exercise on Bone Mineral Density in Elderly People using a statistical approach:

Well done, guys!

June: SJI Young Reporters Make the News!

The “2024 Young Reporter News Challenge,” organised by Mediacorp and other partners, concluded on May 24th at the MOE Edutorium.

SJI students Haru Toh (LE302), Jonas Goh (LE302), and Yves Yong (LE302) conducted research on playground dangers and advocated for safety improvements, earning the Silver Award for their newsworthy and insightful coverage.

The competition also helped participants enhance their skills in news writing, interviewing, editing, and production.

Well done, Josephians! MediaCorp Channel 8 will broadcast our Josephians efforts on Tues, 2 July at around 7:15pm. Look out for it!

Link to the online news

June: Josephians Receive the Peter Lim Sports Scholarship Award

Two Josephians have been awarded the prestigious Singapore Olympic Foundation - Peter Lim Scholarship. 

Josephian Nicholas Koivuaho (MN403) represented SJI at the award ceremony, receiving the 2024 High Performance Under 18 award. The other Josephian awardee, Kenan Tan (FN503) was unable to be present at the ceremony as he was overseas participating in a sailing training/competition.

This scholarship aids young deserving sports talents in achieving their sporting goals and supports young high-performing athletes under 18 years old in pursuing excellence in their chosen fields.

Well done, guys!

May: SJI Makes a Bald Statement

The SJI community came together in support of a cause that touches the very heart of our wider community - the fight against childhood cancer and the incredible initiative, Hair for Hope.

Organised by a group of Year 4 Student Leaders, in partnership with the Children’s Cancer Foundation, Josephians chose to shave their heads to stand in solidarity with children battling cancer, many of whom lose their hair during treatment. This act of empathy and courage sends a powerful message: you are never alone on this journey, and together, we can face any obstacle.

This year, we saw about 135 staff and students shave their heads. We celebrate each participant, volunteer, donor, and supporter at the SJI satellite event; it is a testament to the strength of our community. To date, SJI has raised $125,286.18, currently the third highest fundraiser for Hair for Hope and the top fundraiser among all schools.

Jayden Ang (LE401) shared, “I decided to shave today to show support for each and every person with cancer who lost their hair in the process of treatment, especially the children, to show empathy and solidarity for those in need”.

Dr Andrew Martin, teacher at SJI, saw the event as a way to remember and acknowledge the people he knows who are currently having or have had a battle with cancer. He prays that hope will always be their source of strength.

Thank you, SJI!

May: SJI Open House: A Day of Excitement and Discovery

On Saturday, 18 May, SJI welcomed over 4,500 visitors to our Open House, where they had the opportunity to experience our vibrant school culture and inclusive community.

The Talks by the Principal were fully subscribed with our lecture theatres packed to capacity. It was heartening to see parents engaging with our Principal, Vice Principals, and Deans to learn more about SJI’s programmes and admissions.

Our student ambassadors played a key role, managing registration booths, guiding tours around the school, and serving as docents in Missio: SJI’s Heritage Gallery. Their enthusiasm and knowledge were on full display, making them invaluable to the event’s success.

At the Indoor Sports Hall, visitors enjoyed various sports demonstrations, with lively participation that showcased the energetic spirit of our guests. The SJI field buzzed with Track & Field, Football, and Rugby activities, providing a glimpse into our robust sports programmes.

As guests returned to the main school building, they were impressed by the precision of our Uniformed Groups and the creativity of our Visual Arts displays. The Founder’s Hall was abuzz with the dynamic performances of our Performing Arts groups, creating an electrifying atmosphere.

The excitement continued in the Library, where our Academic and Special Programmes were showcased. The highlight was a dramatic Literature performance by our students, captivating the audience and bringing literary works to life.

The SJI Open House was truly a day filled with energy, creativity, and discovery, leaving a lasting impression on all who attended. There’s never a dull moment at SJI!

May: SJI Footballers Won our Hearts at NSG A-Division Finals

Our Josephian A-Division Footballers brought so much joy to the whole school and our alumni in the NSG A-Division Boys Football finals against VJC at Jalan Besar Stadium.

The stadium was filled with roaring cheers, and with every moment, our spectators rallied with the team on the field. Our boys on the field were relentless! They put up a valiant team effort and gave VJC a tough fight indeed, every minute until the end. We lost by a close 2-1 score, but our boys won our hearts!

We are so proud of our A-Division footballers, teachers and coaches. Thank you for holding the SJI banner with great pride!

Through these Josephians, we have witnessed, first-hand, what it means to live out our school rally.

Onward and upward in life’s earnest battle Joyously bearing the brunt of the fight Forward her children dear, ever with heart sincere You have rendered to your Alma Mater her due!

The A Division footballers certainly brought out the best and in all of us - they showed us what it means to be a Josephian. The shield of Green and White shone bright that day.

May: Our Young Josephian Ruggers

Our C Division SJI Rugby team participated in the Singapore Rugby Union Schools Under 14s Sevens tournament (SRU 7s) on 27 April 2024 and the Saints Sevens Rugby Tournament (Saints 7s) on 24 and 25 May 2024.

The young team played with much determination and passion and gave their best, performing well in both tournaments. They clinched the Bronze in the SRU 7s and Silver in Saints 7s.

Congratulations to these budding sportsmen!

May: Josephians Star in the 11th Singapore Astronomy Olympiad

The Singapore Astronomy Olympiad (SAO) is Singapore’s most academically rigorous Astronomy and Astrophysics competition, challenging students to apply their knowledge in STEM, focusing on Astronomy and Astrophysics. Its primary aim is to select potential candidates to represent Singapore in the forthcoming International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA), slated to take place in Brazil later this year.

Eight Josephians participated in the 11th Singapore Astronomy Olympiad, hosted at NUS High School of Math and Science in March 2024. Three students distinguished themselves; Monai Sitavarin (MN403) and Jonas Wong Jun Yi (MN619) clinched the Silver medal, while Tharun Pugalanthi (MN516) secured the Bronze medal, showcasing remarkable achievements in this prestigious event.

The Olympiad comprised two rounds. The initial round consisted of a two-hour test featuring multiple-choice questions covering various aspects of Astronomy and Astrophysics. The subsequent round, divided into three sections—Theoretical, Data Analysis, and Observation—presented diverse challenges to participants, spanning different facets of the subject. The Theoretical round encompassed multiple-choice, short-response, and long-response questions, primarily revolving around computational astronomy and astrophysics. Meanwhile, the Data Analysis round focused on professional astronomy research inquiries involving graph plotting and basic statistics. Lastly, the Observation round involved identifying telescope parts and observing celestial objects and constellations in the night sky.

Congratulations to our three medallists on their outstanding accomplishments in the 11th Singapore Astronomy Olympiad!

May: SJI Student Leaders Investiture

The SJI Student Leaders Investiture was held on 25 May 2024. The school witnessed the ceremony, which marked the formal handing over of the leadership mantle from Year 4 and Year 6 student leaders to the Year 3 and Year 5 student leaders respectively. In attendance also were Student Leaders from Anglo Chinese Junior College, Methodist Girls School, Mayflower Secondary School, St. Nicholas’ Girls School, Nanyang Junior College and St. Andrew’s Junior College.

Leadership is not just a title but a responsibility and we are proud of what our student leaders have accomplished, be it in the Sporting arena, Uniformed Groups, Performing Arts or Student Leadership.

We are also confident that the incoming leaders will build on the foundation laid and continue to lead with integrity and serve with distinction.

Ora et Labora!

May: The Annual Lasallian Floorball & Football Carnival

On the sunny afternoon of 14 May, the SJI grounds buzzed with excitement as we hosted the Lasallian Floorball & Football Carnival 2024. This vibrant event brought together Pri 6 students from various Lasallian schools (St Anthony’s Pri School, St Stephen’s School, St Joseph’s Institution Junior) and other Catholic schools like St Gabriel’s and Monfort Junior for an energetic and fun-filled afternoon of floorball and football.

The Lasallian Carnival 2024 was more than just a sports event. It was a celebration of the Lasallian values of faith, community, and service. These values were evident in every aspect of the day.

The event achieved its objectives; It created a platform for fostering relationships among Lasallian schools, showcased SJI as a school of choice for Pri 6 students, and provided a meaningful service learning experience for SJI students.

The event underscored the enduring Lasallian values that guide and inspire the community, making it a memorable and enriching experience for all involved.

May: PRISM Making Strides in Competitions

Our Josephian PRISM team emerged second runner-up in the finals of the AEC 2024 competition (ASCI Entrecon) on 16 May2024. The event was organised by ACSI with participation from many schools like RI, Hwa Chong Institution, ACSI and SAJC. The team comprised Diwana Kong (LE510), Tran Minh Ha (ML514), Jayden Lee (FN505) and Sidharth Subramanyam (ML511).

The final round comprised a Hackathon-style competition, where participants were given 24 hours to prepare a comprehensive solution (slides and video) addressing the inefficiencies and fragmentation in corporate communication, with the goal of significantly improving clarity, efficiency, and collaboration.

The team pitched an idea to create an AI-driven application designed to streamline communication and scale across all major communication platforms such as WhatsApp, Gmail, Telegram, and Microsoft Teams.

Another Josephian PRISM team (team ZENT) participated in the CJC Bizcomp 2024 competition and emerged third, beating teams from ACSI and CJC. The competition was organised by Catholic Junior College to create a business solution that promotes Medical Tourism in Singapore given rising cost and growing regional competition. The SJI team comprised Natasha Tan Kay Yan (LE507), Zavier Choo (MN519), Eve Ang (ML514) and Timothy Lai (MN512).

The team impressed judges with their presentation and business proposition of its one-stop shop AI-driven platform that connects ASEAN medical users to a doctor or medical supervisor in Singapore delivering cost savings.

Well done, Josephians!

May: Our Josephian Annual Tamil Language Camp

On 11 May, the SJI Indian Cultural Society (ICS) organised a Tamil Language Camp for students from Year 1 to 6. Principal, Mr Justin Arul Pierre and Vice Principal, Mr Dominic Ang lit an oil lamp to symbolise the start of the event.

The camp included various activities such as a traditional music workshop, where students learned about the significance of Tamil music and had the chance to play various musical instruments. Another workshop allowed students to showcase their dance talents.

At the camp, alumni Kevin Benedict Assis Franklin (Class of 2023) shared his experiences with the juniors, delivering a short motivational speech about the struggles and challenges he faced as a Josephian and how he overcame them. One of the highlights of the camp, the amazing race, provided a unique opportunity for students to bond with their juniors and seniors, blending fun and knowledge about Tamil culture.

Overall, the camp provided a comprehensive cultural experience, engaging students in the diverse aspects of Tamil heritage.

Sakthi Muralikrishna (FN101) shared, “The Tamil Songwriting Workshop was particularly engaging as it was intriguing to learn about the methods behind the making of the songs from our favourite Tamil Songs. The facilitators taught us how to use synonyms or metaphors to convey a message that rhymes with the other lines of the song. It was a wholesome experience that gave me a greater appreciation for Tamil literature and music!

Achyut Aravindh (FN303) added, “My favourite part of the camp was the Cricket and Kabadi. I am a big fan of sports, so playing these games with my friends was a very enjoyable experience for me.”

Good work, guys!

May: Josephians Take the Podium at NSG TKD

Congratulations to our Josephians who participated in the 2024 NSG Taekwondo Championships for clinching a total of 5 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze Award.

Poomsae B-Division

• Kaedrin Isaacs (ML301) - Gold Individual Poomsae 3
• Nicholas Koivuaho (MN403) – Gold Individual Poomsae 2

Both our B Division boys performed extremely well to win Gold in their respective events.

Kyrougi U56KG B-Division

• Henry Zhao (LE401) - Gold

Despite a tough field of competitors, Henry Zhao fought his way through the field to win Gold in all his matches!

Poomsae C-Division

• Isaac Koh (FN202) - Gold Individual Poomsae 2
• Isaac Koh (FN202), Darius Lim (FN101), Kinley Ng (MN101) - Bronze Team Poomsae 3

Isaac Koh defended his Individual Poomsae 2 event by securing a Gold for the second year running. In the Team Poomsae 3 event, our C Division trio came together for the first time and took the Bronze. In the C Division Team Category, SJI came in overall 4th place.

Kyrougi U50KG C-Division

• Alexander Tay (LE201) - Gold
• Isaac Koh (FN202) - Silver

In the Kyrougi Finals under 50kg category, it was an all Josephian contest as our 2 boys - Alexander Tay and Isaac Koh fought it out to determine the 1st and 2nd positions respectively.

Kudos to our Josephians on their stellar performances in the competition!

May: Josephians Sweep the Awards at the Youth Trailblazers Competition

Three teams from PRISM (SJI’s Social Entrepreneurship Club) entered the finals of the Youth Trailblazers Competition 2024 and the 3 Josephian teams did the school proud by winning the top 3 awards, with one of the teams emerging as the Overall Champion.

Team Megasoft comprising Brayden Chang (ML514), Premanandan Dishnu (FN501), Balakrishnan Akshath (FN502) and Ang Jet Hong (FN502) emerged the Overall Champion and also won the Most Impactful Award for developing health nutri-scanner.

Team Evoke consisting of Eve Ang (ML514), Vivienne Sim (MN520), Emma Lau (MN517) and Lanka Kaivalya (MN519) clinched the Most Innovative Award for developing an app to overcome gaming addiction among students.

Team Janus comprising Nicholas Pramono (LE507), Aaron Wong (MN518), Phang Kang Le Calix (MN518) and Darin Chee (MN516) won the Most Sustainable Award for developing a one-stop health platform that focuses on sleep, nutrition and mental wellness for young people.

Congrats, Josephians for displaying your creative minds and innovative spirit!

May: Josephian Fencers Sparkle at NSG

Josephians Matthew Goile (ML615) and Matthew Pang (LE506) took Gold and Bronze respectively at the National School Games A-Division Boys Fencing Junior Men’s Epee.

A double celebration for us with our Josephians on the podium together.

Well done, guys!

May: Josephians Make Strides in NSG Table Tennis

The SJI Table Tennis C-Division Team achieved a commendable 4th place in the National School Games, marking a significant milestone for SJI.

This journey began with impressive victories in the group stages against ACS Barker and Dunman High, leading us to the League 1 Round of 16. Despite facing tough opponents such as River Valley High , Maris Stella High, and Anglican High in the quater-final round, the SJI team persevered and triumphed in all their matches.

Although we encountered defeat against Hwa Chong Institution in the semifinals, the boys can take immense pride in their gutsy performance and for securing a top 4 placing for our school on the national stage after eight years.

Well done, Josephians!

May: SJI Sailors Riding the Strong Waves at NSG

SJI’s sailors took to the waters for the NSG. Our B-Div team came in 4th place in the ILCA4, while the C-Div boys took 4th place in the combined ILCA4 and Optimist.

In the Individual races, Kenan Tan (FN503) clinched the 2nd place in the A-Div ILCA 6, while young Nigel Tan (MN202) took 4th place in the C-Div Optimist.

Recently, Kenan also received the 2024 Singapore Olympic Foundation – Peter Lim Scholarship (High Performance Under18 Category).

Well done, Josephians!

May: SJI Ruggers Show True Grit and Tenacity

Our C-Division ruggers participated in the Singapore Rugby Union Schools U-14 7s Tournament 2024.

Despite facing formidable opponents, they remained steadfast and united throughout the tournament. In the group stage, the SJI Rugby team secured victories against Tanglin Trust School and Junyuan Secondary School.

Despite losing to ACSI in the semi-finals, our Rugby team rallied and triumphed over United World College (Dover) in the 3rd/4th placing match, ultimately securing 3rd place in the tournament.

Congratulations, Josephians!

May: SJI Footballers Rally to Secure 3rd Place in NSG

Our B Division Football Team faced off against St. Gabriel’s Sec in a riveting 3rd/4th playoff. Despite going a goal down early in the match, the SJI B Division footballers showed tremendous resilience, grit and fought back to equalise.

Despite the end-to-end action from both sides during regulation time, the match ended 1-1 and went into extra time. Our SJI footballers dug deep and eventually emerged victorious by winning 4 - 2 on penalties to clinch 3rd place in the NSG B Division Football League 1 Championships.

Well done to our Football B Boys!

May: Josephians Make Waves in A-Division NSG Tennis

This year was our maiden participation in the NSG Tennis Boys A Division Competition and our Tennis A Division Boys did the school proud by reaching the semi-final stage. In the battle for 3rd & 4th position, the SJI team faced ACJC and after a tough fight, we achieved 4th place.

Being able to advance to the semi-finals stage in our first appearance in the A-Division NSG Tennis competition is no mean feat and is a great encouragement for our Josephian tennis team and augurs well for the future.

Well done, guys!

May: Josephians Bring Home the Medals at NSG Golf and Gymnastics Competitions

Shout-out to our Josephians in the National Schools Games (NSG).

In Golf, Matthew Ong (MN301) and Dylan Sean Ng (FN3030) swung their way to an impressive Silver for the B-Division Team Event, with Dylan clinching 4th place in the B-Division Individual Event.

In Gymnastics, Terence Tan (ML301) showcased the depth of his talent at the NSG Artistic Gymnastics Championships when he secured 3rd place in the Individual All- Round Event and clinched 6 Bronze medals for the individual apparatus namely floor exercise, vault, pommel horse, still rings, high bars and parallel bars.

Well done, Josephians!

May: Josephians Compete in the 12th Biomedical Quiz 2024

Forty Josephians across Year 3 to Year 5 participated in the 12th Biomedical Quiz 2024 organised by Anglo-Chinese Junior College. The biomedical quiz is 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 for this year is Psychiatry, which spans the broad knowledge in our understanding of psychiatry in the aspects of neurosciences, genetics, psychopharmacology and psychology.

In Category 1 (Year 3 and Year 4), we brought home a total of 4 Gold, 5 Silver, 2 Bronze, 1 Honourable Mention and 2 Merit Awards. In Category 2 (Year 5), we attained 2 Silver, 3 Honourable Mention and 4 Merit Awards.

Well done, Josephians!

May: Exercise and Sports Science at SJI

Josephians engaged in first-hand learning about Sports Science at the 2024 National Biomechanics Day (NBD) organised by the Singapore Sport Institute (SSI) Sport Biomechanics Team and National Youth Sports Institute (NYSI).

They saw how biomechanics uses Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) to describe and explain the phenomenal human motion of elite athletes.

SJI is offering Exercise and Sports Science as electives in Year 3 and 4. Students on this course attended the event and gained an insight on how the Structure – Strength – Skill – Strategy Model (SSSS) frames their approach when scientists at SSI and NYSI work with our national athletes from the youth to elite level.

The Olympic motto of ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger’ was exemplified and students had a go at analysing their jump height, reaction time, stride length and lower body strength through an application. This helped to demonstrate what national coaches and athletes may receive as part of the sport biomechanics support to improve performance and reduce injury risk.

What an experience for the students in understanding how theories can be applied in the field!

April: Josephians at the Young Defence Science Programme Congress

The Young Defence Science Programme (YDSP) Congress was held on 26 Apr 2024. The event was graced by Guest-of-Honour Mr Heng Chee How, Senior Minister of State for Defence.

The Congress showcased various student research projects. Josephians Brayden Chang (ML514) and Leedon Yong (MN517) were chosen to present their projects to an impressed crowd.

The YDSP and DSTA JC Scholarships were also presented at the Congress to students who have good academic and CCA track records and display a strong passion in science and technology. Aiden Ong (MN520) received the DSTA JC scholarship, while Lin HongXun (LE303) received the YDSP scholarship. Well done, guys!

April: Josephians win AI-based Video Creating Story Competition

A team comprising Ratul Ramachandran (ML402), Ramaswamy Kasi (ML402), and Venkatesh Ashvath @ Naren (MN403) won First Place in the upper secondary category of an AI-based video creating story competition. The competition was organised by Azhagappa Institution Alumni Singapore.

Thirty-three schools participated in the competition, and the SJI team triumphed against Raffles Girls School and Swiss Cottage Secondary School to take the Championship. The competition started with a workshop at NUS where students learnt how to make use of various technologies and apps. The team had about two months to understand and learn the various software to create a video for their final submission.

While preparing for the competition, the team faced a few challenges, but in true Josephian spirit, they persevered and worked together as a team to hit all the deadlines and produce a video that made them proud!

Well done, Josephians!

April: SJI Celebrates 172nd Founder’s Day

In honour of our founder, St John Baptist de La Salle, SJI commemorated our 172nd Founder’s Day on 30 April to celebrate the outstanding achievements and contributions of Josephians who have achieved exceptional success in their various academic endeavours and co-curricular pursuits and brought honour and pride to the school in the past year.

We were privileged to have Mr Bernard Tan (SJI Graduating Class of 1982) and Country President Singapore, Sinar Mas as our Guest-of-Honour for the event.

We began the day’s proceedings with the joyous celebration of Mass to thank God for the gift of SJI and for all the blessings bestowed upon our school these past 172 years since our founding in 1852. As part of the Founder’s Day Assembly, we were also treated to performances from the SJI Vocal Ensemble, the melodies of the SJI Symphonic Band and the singing of Elton John’s song entitled “I’m Still Standing” by our very own Aidan Gregory Khoo (LE607).

Principal, Mr Justin Pierre, presented the School Report for the period of May 2023 to April 2024 showcasing and affirming the numerous achievements and contributions of many Josephians that kept the over 2,300 strong audience on the edge of their seats and in awe; the pride and joy on their faces was real.

In his address, Mr Pierre exhorted the entire school community on the occasion of our Founder’s Day to resolve not to just celebrate our rich heritage and traditions, rather to let us together make a fresh commitment to the founding vision and mission of our Founder, St John Baptist De La Salle and to preserve and advance it further. He urged Josephians to continue to be inspired by our Founder’s values and ideals, and to emulate him in the way he embodied the spirit of always putting others first as we answer the call to be servant leaders.

This year, more than 250 students received awards and prizes for their outstanding academic and co-curricular achievements. Tokens of appreciation were also presented to our much-loved Parent Support Group members for their invaluable support, dedication and commitment to the school.

More pictures here.

April: Celebrating our Uniformed Groups at the 172nd Anniversary Parade

This year marks the 32nd Anniversary of the annual parade series for the SJI Uniformed Groups (UG) family.

The Anniversary Parade showcases the school’s UG cadets and acknowledges the achievements for the year of the SJI Uniformed Groups. This event is also a platform for many old boys of the UGs to meet up with one another and their UG teachers, exchange contacts as well as reminiscing about their days in the UG.

This year’s parade had to be adjourned indoors to the Founders’ Hall due to inclement weather. Nevertheless, the pomp and pageantry of a parade was still felt by all present as the sounds of the SJI bagpipes and drums began the evening’s programme.

We were honoured to have COL Alvin Tjioe, Commander PERSCOM, Singapore Armed Forces, to be our reviewing officer this year. COL Alvin graduated from SJI in 1997. COL Alvin presented awards to recognise the outstanding cadets from the 5 Uniformed Groups. He also presented Long Service Awards to teachers and Adult Volunteer Leaders. This year, Mr Lim Meng Chye, Assistant Superintendent of the SJI St John Brigade (SJB) was recognised for his 30 years of dedicated service and contributions to the Uniformed Group.

During the parade, SJI Principal Mr Justin Arul Pierre presided over the Change-of-Command ceremony where the highest ranking Year 4 cadet in each UG, handed over his symbol of office, to the designated Year 3 cadet.

The parade ended with the retreat of the Year 4 cadet ICs in slow march to the sound of Auld Lang Syne, a befitting closure to their term of office.

More pictures

April: Josephians Shine across Olympiads

18 Josephians participated in Olympiads in Chemistry, Physics, Biology, garnering 7 awards by 6 students.

The medal and award tally across the subjects are listed below:

Well done, Josephians!

April: Riding the Tide for Canoeing

Our SJI Canoeists rode the waves of competition at the 2024 NSG Canoeing Championships, showcasing remarkable resilience and sportsmanship. With a dedication to excellence, the SJI Canoe team demonstrated their determination and team spirit.

In the C-Division, our canoeists narrowly missed the second position but secured a celebrated 3rd place, displaying tenacity and skill. Meanwhile, our B-Division athletes showed unwavering grit, earning a commendable 4th place. Additionally, our A-Division team, in only their second year of participation, stood out among seasoned competitors, securing another impressive 4th position.

Through their outstanding performances, our canoeists exemplified what it means to be a Josephian—embracing challenges with courage and perseverance.

Congratulations to our SJI Canoe team for their untiring efforts, unwavering commitment to excellence and strong team spirit throughout the competition!

Josephians - We are so proud of you!

April: SJI Bags the Overall Championship Trophy at the National Debate Competition

SJI’s Tamil Language Debating team clinched the Championship Trophy in the 2024 Sorkalam held on Sun,14 April 2024. In the Grand Finals of the National Tamil Debate Competition, the SJI team emerged victorious after a solid battle with their counterparts from Cedar Girls’ Secondary.

The SJI Debating team comprised Venkata Ramani Girish (FN401), Sundar Ashwin (LE402), Surendran Srinikesh(FN401), Ibramsa Idris Ahamed (FN401), Sathish Sharvesh (LE402) and Sachin Palaniappan (MN402).

To add to the celebration, Idris also bagged the Overall Best Speaker Award at the finals. This young, eloquent Josephian had earlier clinched the Best Speaker Award at the two preliminary rounds, the quarterfinals and the semi-finals.

The Grand finals was telecasted live on platforms such as MeWatch, Youtube and Live Vasantham TV Channel.

As testament to their hard work and weeks of rigorous preparation for the competition, the SJI debate team provided a scintillating performance, interspersing incisive wit with intellect and showcasing their linguistic abilities.

The debate competition serves as a useful platform for students to hone their Tamil language skills and critical thinking, through a series of debate topics relating to current affairs.

Well done Josephians on your accomplishment !

Sethi Mediacorp On YouTube MeWatch

April: Josephians Engage in Dialogue with SMS Mr Zaqy Mohamad

photos courtesy of MOM

On 12 April, our Y6 students had a unique opportunity to engage Mr Zaqy Mohamad, Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Defence & Ministry of Manpower. The dialogue with Mr Zaqy included small group discussions and a moderated engagement for students to gain a better understanding of a broad range of issues that impact Singapore. These include geopolitical uncertainties and challenges, the impact of social media on our social harmony, our migrant workers community in Singapore, and how youth can engage with issues and members of society in constructive ways.

Mr Zaqy shared that he ‘enjoyed the dialogue with the bright young minds of SJI’s Year 6 students. As the future leaders of Singapore, students play a vital role in fostering a more harmonious society’.

The discussion segment was helmed by Samuel Teng and Aloysius Ong from the Society of International and Current Affairs, one of the Creativity, Activity & Service (CAS) groups at SJI. Samuel shared that, ‘the experience and engagement with Mr Zaqy provided our cohort of students with nuanced and unique perspectives on issues. These are issues which many of us are familiar and often think about, but we may not have complete knowledge about.’

Aloysius added that he ‘appreciated and enjoyed the candid discussion with Mr Zaqy who addressed all our questions squarely. I gained many insights and perspectives on issues that may not always be as straightforward as we perceive them to be.’

Rachel Sonsun, Student Council President, shared that she benefited from how ‘Mr Zaqy described and explained the international political climate, including drawing on his experiences. The dialogue also served to remind us that many global developments and issues have an impact on us, even if they may be occurring very far away from Singapore.’

In closing the dialogue and engagement, our Principal, Mr Justin Pierre thanked Mr Zaqy Mohamad for generously sharing his time and insights with our students. Mr Pierre acknowledged that such platforms serve to deepen and enrich our students’ understanding of local issues and global developments that impact Singapore. Through such engagements, we hope students also become more aware of how they can respond to issues in ways that are constructive and meaningful.

SJI is grateful to Mr Zaqy Mohamad for spending his time and engaging our students. Our school community looks forward to more such opportunities and platforms for the benefit of our students!

April: Josephians Awarded Pinnacle SPF-NPCC Badge

Three of our Josephians, Ethan Seow (FN401), Ibramsa Idris Ahamed (FN401), and Jedidiah Eo Shuo (FN401), were awarded the Singapore Police Force National Police Cadet Corps (SPF-NPCC) Badge.

Launched in 1997, the SPF-NPCC Badge is the pinnacle award in NPCC and given to cadets who have outstanding performance, achievements and demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities. The cadets received their badges at the Presentation Ceremony held at the Home Team Academy on 12 April.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Guest of Honour, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Investigation & Intelligence) Mr How Kwang Hwee congratulated all cadets on their achievement. He shared that, ‘all recipients of the SPF-NPCC Badge demonstrate success after being put through a rigorous training program for cadets. Their training in NPCC will also have inculcated in them key 21st Century Competencies and skills such as communication, collaboration and critical and inventive thinking, and these will be useful through life.

Ethan, SJI NPCC Unit Chairman, shared that, ‘it was the various NPCC experiences and interactions with my squadmates that became important opportunities for self-improvement, and I will forever be grateful. This honour of receiving the SPF-NPCC Badge would not have been possible without the constant support of family, friends and teachers who have enabled me to grow through NPCC and to the best of my abilities.’

Idris, SJI NPCC Unit Deputy Chairman added that, ‘I am very grateful for this award, it is truly a testament to all the sacrifices, hard work, and team effort of my fellow cadet leaders and our teacher officers’.

Jedidiah, SJI NPCC Unit Deputy Chairman was motivated by how ‘SJI NPCC is like a big family that includes truly supportive and encouraging batch of squadmates, inspirational seniors and officers, and nurturing teacher officers’.

Ethan, Idris and Jedidiah were also promoted to the rank of Station Inspector NPCC earlier this year.

Well done, Josephians!

April: Josephian wins Edwin Thumboo Merit Prize for Literature

Congratulations to alumnus Keevan Kanagalingam (IB Class of 2023) who received the  2024 Edwin Thumboo Merit Prize for Literature! This is the third consecutive year that a Josephian has received this prize from the Department of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Keevan shared, “It is a true honour to receive this prestigious prize for my literary essay which explored how the poetry of Mary Oliver unifies the seemingly-incompatible realms of the material and the spiritual. I certainly owe much of my success to the incredible Literature teachers who guided and nurtured me throughout my time in SJI, especially Mrs Jasmine Tan and Ms Rita Roop. They, in the words of Mary Oliver, have shown me that Literature truly is ‘a life-cherishing force’ – much more than just an academic discipline, it teaches us to approach our lives with keen attentiveness and a spirit of wonder.”

Named after one of Singapore’s most prominent poets and scholars, the Edwin Thumboo Prize, aims to promote excellence in the study of Literature at the pre-university level by recognising outstanding literary works by A-level and International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBDP) students of English Literature in Singapore. It is administered by the Department with support from the Ministry of Education (MOE).

April: SJI’s Mighty Mousetrap Car Challenge

On 3 April, we organised the inaugural SJI Mighty Mousetrap Car Challenge, an inter-school STEM competition.

The aim of this event was to reach out to the schools in the South 5 Cluster and other Lasallian schools to raise awareness of STEM, and to promote interactions between students from various schools. In all, there were a total of 30 participants.

A month before the competition, SJI conducted a workshop to share basic principles of how the mousetrap car works, and other construction tips. All the schools that had signed up were invited to this workshop. On competition day, we saw students generally filled with great excitement, as well as some disappointment with their car performances.

For the Secondary school category, Bendemeer Secondary School clinched first prize, while the two SJI teams came in second and third respectively. In the Primary school category, St Anthony’s Primary school won first place, followed closely by the two teams from Bendemeer Primary School.

Until we meet again next year in another Mighty Mousetrap Car Challenge!

April: SJI’s Inaugural VIA Scubilion Fair 2024

SJI organised the Inaugural Values-in-Action (VIA) Scubilion Fair on 2 April for the benefit of the school community to learn how they could contribute meaningfully to the community. In total, twelve Partner Organisations were invited to engage and interact with all students and staff.

At SJI, we refer to all service projects as VIA Scubilion, named after Jean-Bernard Rousseau, who was a French Catholic member of the De La Salle Brothers and who received the name of Scubilion when he entered the novitiate. 

The Partner Organisations for the VIA Scubilion Fair this year included, Caritas Singapore, Foreword Coffee Roasters, Heartware Network, ItsRainingRaincoats, Josephian Family Services, Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, Lakeside Family Services, Mercy Relief Singapore, Ray of Hope, Singapore Chapter of the Harley Owners Group, Singapore Disability Sports Council and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

These organisations partnered with SJI to meet the following objectives for our school community to:

• deepen awareness of social issues and to understand existing efforts in the community
• discover and explore opportunities to contribute
• inspire and align individuals’ and groups’ interests with opportunities to serve

The VIA Scubilion Fair also impressed upon all that being of service to the community should be a way of life for Josephians. This is very much integral to the SJI Education. as shared by our Principal, Mr Justin Arul Pierre, in his opening address at the VIA Scubilion Fair.

Mr Pierre also encouraged all Josephians to ‘be proactive in engaging the representatives from all partner organisations because they serve as models for success, and will inspire you to contribute in the community’. He added that the, ‘VIA Scubilion Fair will certainly be the first step in a long and rewarding journey of service in the community for many of us’.

Mr Muhammad Ashik, Executive Director of Mercy Relief and one of the partner organisations for the VIA Scubilion Fair shared that this was a truly memorable experience for his team and him. Mr. Ashik also shared that it was, ‘a privilege to be at SJI to share with enthusiastic students about the many and ongoing efforts by Mercy Relief’. His team is looking forward to collaborating with ‘students and teachers who expressed interest to work together on projects and make a difference in the community’.

Similarly, Mr Tony Goldman, Road Captain of the Harley Owners Group Singapore Chapter that also partnered with us this year, shared that platforms like the VIA Scubilion Fair, ‘enable us to engage the community to change the perception of motorcyclists. Just like the SJI school community, we also value opportunities and aspire to contribute in positive ways in the community’.

We hope to continue our partnerships so that our students will be empowered and supported as they engage with the community through their VIA Projects.

March: Josephians to Represent Singapore at the World Junior Team Competition (Tennis) 2024

Justin Lie (ML 202) and Brennon Ng (MN 201) will be representing Singapore in a three-member team in the boys’ category of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Junior Team Competition Under-14 2024 held in Kuching, Sarawak. 

The tournament for the boys’ category will commence from 25 to 30 March. Justin and Brennon will be representing Singapore in the Asia/Oceania qualifying finals. They will be up against tennis powerhouses such as Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. 

ITF World Junior Team Championship are the international team events for the 14-and-under age category. The senior equivalents of the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Billie Jean King Cup are the Davis Cup and Billie Jean Cup, respectively. 

The event has seen a number of its champions go on to become Grand Slam winners such as Lleyton Hewitt (1994-1995 Australia), Andy Roddick (1996 USA), Rafael Nadal (2000 Spain) and Novak Djokovic (2001 Yugoslavia).

We’re proud that you are representing Singapore and will be cheering for you, Josephians!

March: Josephians Race at the SJI Annual Cross Country Meet

The SJI Annual Cross Country Meet was held on a cool morning of 21 March at the OCBC Square, Singapore Sports Hub. The venue was brightly decorated with the four Fraternity colours.

The Cross Country Meet started at Tanjong Rhu bridge and traversed into the park connector, Benjamin Sheares Bridge, and then a final dash to the finish line at OCBC Square. The Meet involved close to 2000 students and 175 teachers through a scenic 3.8km route. 

Students and staff experienced a fun-filled day of athleticism, sportsmanship and bonding as one Josephian community.

More pictures

March: SJI Pipe Band Celebrates St Patrick’s Day in SG

Members of the SJI Pipe Band participated in the yearly St. Patrick’s Parade on 19 March. Together with bagpipers from Northland Secondary, RGS and Lion City Pipe Band, the contingent marched from the Arts Museum to the UOB Plaza.

This year’s event was graced by Minister Ong Ye Kung who served as Grand Marshall. Image from FB

March: Picnic Under the Stars

On 1 March, SJI CAS groups Beacon and Astronomy organised Picnic Under the Stars to raise funds for ItsRainingRaincoats, the Singapore charity that aims to build bridges of integration between migrant workers and residents of Singapore.  

After a delicious picnic on the school track, an enchanted evening of stargazing followed. Despite the inclement weather, our Josephians remained positive and channelled their excitement to enjoy a night of heartfelt song dedications, lively dancing, and friendly companionship under the starry sky. 

While the primary objective of the event was to generate financial support towards the well-being of migrant workers in Singapore, the event organising committee also aimed to bring the Year 5 and Year 6 cohort closer. Aidan Ng (from Year 5) quipped, “The event was enjoyable as it allowed me to bond with my peers. I was also able to make new friends through this event.”

The picnic was organised on the last day of the school term and served as a celebration for various milestones. It affirmed the Year 5 cohort who recently joined the school and forged new and meaningful friendships together, as well as the Year 6 students who pushed through a term filled with deadlines and submissions of assignments. 

Picnic Under the Stars is a testament to our dedication and commitment to enhancing student well-being and community betterment, while embodying the enduring values of Beacon and its unwavering commitment to social responsibility.

March: SJI Triumphant at the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair

A team of 11 Josephians from Year 4 to Year 6 represented the school at the 2024 Singapore Science and Engineering Fair (SSEF). They brought to the table seven projects across a wide range of Science disciplines and fields.

The team comprised (from left in picture): Leedon Yong (MN517), Kieran Tan (FN603), Rahul Senthilkumar (ML612), Quek Yi Ming (MN616), Vorajate Suntratonpipat (MN403), Dinh Nho An (MN616), Putt Sawasmongkol (LE403), Sun Xiaoyan (FN604), Le Trung Kien (FN602) and Agil Singaraselvan (FN604). Ho Hui Lin (FN605) was not in the picture.

SJI walked away with two Special Awards at the event: the SUTD Research and Innovation Award: Artificial Intelligence and the Singapore Association for the Advancement of Science) (SAAS) Special Award - Poster Award for Science Communication. Le Trung Kien (FN602) had worked on a project titled “Machine Learning to Extract Plasma Emission Spectrum Data from Laser Fusion in Metal 3D Printers” conducted at Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (ARTC), A*STAR, during his 5-week Research Attachment Programme (RAP) in December 2023.

Well done, Josephians!

March: Josephians Making Waves in ART

The ViaRT Art competition

Congratulations to the following Josephian Arts Programme (JAP) students who clinched various awards in theViaRT Art competition:

David Bloodworth (FN201): Best Sustainable Message (2nd prize) Jorim Tan (FN203): Most Artistic (2nd prize) Joshua Lee (ML202): Most Artistic (3rd prize) Kai-Ler Lim (MN303): Most Artistic (3rd prize) Aaron Tan (FN301): Most Artistic (3rd prize) Cohen Seah (MN402): Most Creative (2nd prize)

The ViaRT Art competition is an annual upcycling competition that invites students to create art out of everyday materials. The theme for 2023 was ‘ARTOCHANGE’, calling children to adopt sustainable habits through creative expression.

The exhibition is open to the public at the Sustainable Singapore Gallery, 8 Marina Gardens Dr, S018951 every day from 9am to 6pm (except Tuesday) until 25 Mar 2024.

13-19 Art Prize Competition

Josephians Lucas Seah (MN402) and Isaac Low (FN303) received the Special Commendation Award at the 13-19 Art Prize Competition 2023. The annual art competition, organised by TRCL, seeks to recognise and celebrate young art talents in Singapore, while also imparting values of giving-back to the community to support their peers from disadvantaged backgrounds through the arts.

You can view the exhibition at the Tekka 1001 @ Tekka Place from 8.00am to 10.00pm every day (except Tuesday) until 30 March 2024.

March: SJI Brings Home the Overall Championship Trophy at the National Debate Competition

SJI’s Malay Language Debating team clinched the Championship Trophy in the 2024 National Debate Competition Grand Final (Secondary) held on Sat, 2 March 2024. The event was organised by the Malay Youth Literary Organisation. 

The SJI Debating team comprised Ariel Aiman (FN401), Mario Sebastian (FN302), Amir Hamza (LE402), and Gerald Aurelius (FN301).

For a double celebration, Ariel Aiman bagged the Overall Best Speaker Award. This young, eloquent and confident Josephian had also clinched the Best Speaker Award at the two preliminary rounds, the quarterfinals, semi-finals and also in the finals.

Twenty-one schools across Singapore entered the competition. During the finals, the SJI Debating team faced a team of talented debaters from Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah. Crafty and eloquent words flew back and forth on the topic of “Investment in Sports in Singapore is not in vain”.

This competition serves as a useful platform for young students taking Malay Language to hone their language skills and critical thinking, through a series of debate topics relating to current affairs. 

Well done Josephians on your accomplishment. We celebrate with you!
Ora et Labora!

Read all about it!

March: SJI Tennis Clinches Silver at NSG 2024

The SJI Tennis Team did the school proud by clinching Silver at the National School Games (NSG) B Division Tennis Finals.

In a closely contested and hard-fought final against ACSI, our Josephians put up a valiant effort and went down narrowly by a scoreline of 3-2. In the run-up to the finals, SJI had put up impressive performances to overcome the teams from RI, HCI and VS. In front of hundreds of supporters at the finals, our SJI tennis players stood tall as gentlemen and sportsmen, surrounded by the Josephian community of students, staff and parents who rallied with them all the way till the end.

Josephians, we are so proud of you!

March: ECG Learning Journey

Josephians embarked on a learning journey to Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) and Singapore Management University (SMU) in March to learn more about the various university programmes through seminars, lectures and a campus tour. The objective of this learning journey was to aid students to make informed decisions about their future education and career paths.

Our students were thrilled to learn about various degree and double degree programmes, and also the opportunities overseas. Small group size interactions in classrooms, and courses through lectures, case studies and project work were a hit with our students.

Our Josephians enthusiastically embraced the experience where the vibrancy of campus life was evident in the many programmes and activities offered by the two universities.

March: Year 1 Josephians on a Geography Field Investigation

To provide an authentic Geography learning experience for the Year 1s, students embarked on a field investigation to various nature reserves in Singapore.

Our students were filled with excitement and wonderment as they stepped foot into the tropical rainforests, and seeing the geography classroom come alive! Students put into practice what was learnt in class to make sense of the world in the rainforest environment.

They also had the opportunity to hone their skills of field observation, field sketching and data collection. Doing this as a group makes the learning experience even more enriching, as students take on different roles and collaborate, share observations, and collectively unravel the spatial patterns which exist in the tropical rainforests.

Max Lim (ML102) shared, “While carrying out the geographical investigation on site, my group mates and I enjoyed trekking through the nature reserve and recording our observations. We also learnt about teamwork and how to communicate better with one another, and we bonded over good data collection. I hope there will be more field trips like this soon.”

<h4><strong>&nbsp;February: Josephian clinches Silver Medal at Physics Olympiad</strong>

Jonas Wong (MN619) did SJI proud when he took home the Silver Medal at the 36th Singapore Physics Olympiad.

The prize presentation ceremony was held on 24 February at National Junior College, and hosted by MOE officials and Professor Christian Kurtsiefer from the Physics Department at NUS.  

The theoretical round of the competition was held on 21 Oct 2023 with participation from close to 200 JC1 students in Singapore. At the experimental round for shortlisted students on 23 November, seven students from the 2023 SJI Year 5 Physics cohort took part in the competition.

</h4><h4>February: SJI B Division Table Tennis Team Bats to a Silver Medal at NSG 2024</h4>

The SJI B Division Table Tennis team garnered Silver at the National School Games (South Zone) Competition. 

The team had remained unbeaten all the way to the finals where they put up a good fight against Raffles Institution. It was a tight affair to the end. 

We are extremely proud of our Josephians who role-modeled good sportsmanship and competed whole-heartedly by pushing themselves beyond their usual best.

Well done, Josephians!

Application of Research and Analysis Skills in Real World Situations

Two Josephians participated in the annual Statistics Poster Competition organised by the Department of Statistics and Data Science, NUS at the end of 2023. During this competition, they were exposed to concepts and methods used in statistics and data science.

Aaron Wong (MN518) and Brayden Chang (ML514) clinched third position in the competition and were awarded Certificates of Distinction. Their poster titled “The Fate of Online Retail Post-Pandemic” used colourful and informative graphs to demonstrate how a Counterfactual SARIMA Model was applied to analyse real-world data. The exploration led to a conclusion that a rise of online-retail during COVID-19 has not triggered a permanent shift in consumer behaviour.

Well done, Josephians!

February: A Leap for Singapore and SJI

John Lim (FN203) bagged two medals for Singapore at the [Western Australia State Track & Field Championships held in Perth, Australia, from 22-25 February. 

In a close race, John bagged a silver at the 100m hurdles with a personal best (PB) of 14.68s, and bronze at the 200m hurdles with another PB at 27.66s.

Congratulations, John! SJI is proud of you! 

John also represents SJI in our Track & Field team. He represented SJI in the hurdles event (100mh and 200mh) at NSG 2023. His training and dedication has been exemplary.

We wish John all the best in the upcoming National School Games!

February: The SJI Experience for Total Defence Day (TDD40) Disruption Exercise

SJI commemorated Total Defence Day on 15 Feb. As a school community, Josephians experienced a unique disruption; a meatless day in school. This shared “disruption” served as an opportunity for students and staff to reflect on the impact of such disruptions on our society and the different ways that they can play a part to ensure a secure and sustainable nation. 

Through the disruption exercise, we deepen our awareness of such issues and it serves as a reminder of the importance of being adaptable and resilient in the face of uncertainties and changes. This affected not just hungry stomachs, but also the canteen vendors’ ability to prepare healthy meals. 

This experience showed students not to take things for granted and to appreciate the importance of ensuring the stability of our food chain supply to Singapore. As a school, we should be prepared for disruptions while continuing to support and uplift one another.

February: SJI Celebrates Inaugural Assembly 2024

The Inaugural Celebration at SJI is a cherished tradition that celebrates the beginning of the new academic year. It is the first formal assembly when the entire Josephian community comes together in a spirit of thanksgiving and prayer. After a month of orientation, we officially welcomed the newest additions to the school – namely our Year 1 & Year 5 students and the new members of the teaching and non-teaching staff.

During the Principal’s Address, Mr Justin Arul Pierre set the directions and priority areas for the school in 2024 with emphasis on Nurturing Adaptive and Inventive Thinking, and Global and Cross-Cultural Literacy. He also introduced the school theme for the year, “Deepening Our Connections with the World, Industry and Community”.

As we embrace the challenges and various disruptions confronting us in this ever-evolving and uncertain world, Mr Pierre called upon the school community to broaden their worldview, to adopt an open mindset and to be courageous to experiment and do things differently. This will enable us to be adaptable, nimble and resilient to changes and ambiguous situations.

Mr Pierre reminded Josephians to uphold our Lasallian ethos and traditions. The education mission that the founding De La Salle Brothers brought to Singapore is even more important today. In the midst of a world that seeks instant gratification and is more self-centred, we must continue to stay true to the Lasallian education philosophy encapsulated in our motto, “Ora et Labora” (Pray and Work).

Today, the school community also witnessed our Principal and several teachers sharing the stage to sing “We Are the World”; their collective voices echoed with passion, spreading a message of unity, hope, and solidarity. Their heartfelt rendition of this song was a powerful reminder that as educators they not only impart knowledge but also role-model the values of empathy, love and the sense of community.

The Inaugural Assembly concluded with the celebration of the Eucharist where Friar Michael D’Cruz OFM further emphasized the significance of Community, a very precious bond that we all share here in SJI. He also blessed the school flag and the school colours. These much-cherished symbols have carried many generations of Josephians through the school and beyond.

February: SJI Welcomes the Year of the Dragon

SJI celebrated the Lunar New Year in school with a string of traditional activities, leading to a concert at the Indoor Sports Hall.

Teachers from the Chinese New Year Celebrations Organising Committee and students from various cultural groups ensured the festive spirit was alive by decorating the school premises with an array of traditional decorations such as peach blossom flowers, red lanterns and beautiful lights. If you look closely, you will see breathtaking “dragons” at the School Foyer!

Teachers and students also worked closely together to craft beautiful works of art through Chinese calligraphy. The calligraphy session served as an opportunity for cultural exchange and understanding. All students were encouraged to engage in the tradition, expressing their wishes for the new year in their own language. This approach fosters appreciation for Chinese culture and also celebrates the diversity within the school community, creating an inclusive and enriching environment where everyone’s heritage is valued and respected.

At the school concert, Josephians across the various levels took the stage, showcasing their diverse talents. Everyone at the concert was fully engaged and they were captivated by the exhilarating lion and dragon dance performances. This was followed with a performance by the Vocal Ensemble, a Quiz on Chinese New Year traditions, announcement of the results of the SJI CNY Music Video and Singing Competition, and a special duet performance of a self-composed song by Aidan Khoo (LE 607) and our SJI teacher, Ms Zheng Qin, reflecting the spirit of unity and celebration.

In our multi-cultural and multi-racial society, we take great pride in appreciating our unique Asian culture and traditions as it sets the foundation for our harmony and success in Singapore. The Chinese New Year celebrations in school was a great example of how Josephians unite as one community to usher in the Lunar New Year.

February: Welcoming the Year 5 Cohort

SJI welcomed our Y5 cohort on 2 Feb. This year’s Year 5 Orientation Programme was themed: “In Caelum!” which means “Into the Skies” with all 20 orientation groups named after cities around the world where Lasallian schools are located.

Student leaders and teachers were excited to introduce our new Year 5 cohort to the Josephian culture, ethos and to induct them into the Josephian community.

Across the 4 days of the Orientation programme, the Y5 students were engaged in various activities such as the Josephian Challenge, Mass Games at Sentosa, Heritage Trail in the Civic District, and culminating with the Campfire. These activities were carefully designed to be fun, interactive, educational, and relevant so that the Y5 cohort gets the opportunity to explore the school, forge meaningful friendships with their peers, learn more about the SJI and Lasallian heritage, ignite a deep sense of belonging to the school and to care for one another.

The Orientation Programme for the Year 5s which was led entirely by the Year 6 cohort, was a brilliant example of how Josephians rise to the occasion to be Men and Women for Others.

We welcome our Year 5 cohort to the Josephian family!

February: Josephians’ Vibrant Murals Unveiled at Kembangan

Images courtesy of SMRT

On the evening of 2 February, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Mr Edwin Tong, Chairman of SMRT Mr Seah Moon Ming, and various esteemed guests gathered at Kembangan MRT station to witness the unveiling of two murals created by SJI students.

Josephians Liyu Jiong Yang (FN502), Cohen Seah (MN402, Josephian Arts Programme [JAP]) and Oliver Khoo (ML401, JAP) worked tirelessly in 2023 to create these large-scale murals depicting the vibrant and diverse community in the Kembangan heartlands. Strategically located at the MRT, the murals depict colorful community events that celebrate the diversity in the area. The mural is part of a collaboration with our partner organisation, SMRT, as well as artist-alumni, Mr Alfonsus Wong (Class of 2004) who, together with Mr Michael Ee (Head, Aesthetics Department), mentored and journeyed with our Josephians.

The opening of the event was marked with a performance by Sumugan Kapilan (ML614), representing the SJI Indian Cultural Society, who delivered a spirited 3-minute miruthangam performance. Representatives of various organisations, The Buddhist Union, Masjid Kassim, Our Lady of Perpetual Succor Church, Kampong Kembangan Community Centre (People’s Association) and SJI’s Principal, Mr Justin Arul Pierre, were presented unique mementos by SMRT, featuring the mural designs!

Head over to Kembangan MRT station to check out the murals. Well done, Josephians! 

Their journey was documented in LUMEN 2023 (Dec).

January: A Passion for Science!

The International Science Youth Forum 2024 (ISYF) took place from 8-12 January this year. It served as a platform for like-minded students from different schools across Singapore and across the globe to connect, learn and discuss ideas on the theme “Science and Technology for Humanity: Building a Sustainable Future”. 

Over five days, Year 5 Josephians, Brayden Chang, Daniel Ho and Aaron Wong, embarked on various science activities that served to hone their collaborative and research skills in science. ISYF had also invited various Nobel Prize laureates to conduct Masterclasses for the participants, with the Keynote Speaker, Professor Duncan M Haldane who was co-awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2016. 

For our Josephians, it was surreal to meet Nobel Prize laureates in person, and listen to them share their knowledge and passion for science. It inspired them to continue to pursue their interest in science research. 

Other than furthering our passion for science, ISYF also allowed us to make connections with friends from abroad. It was indeed a memorable and enriching experience as they also forged new friendships with participants from overseas.

January: SJI’s NCC Air Cadets Clinch Aeromod Title

SJI’s NCC Air cadets competed in the annual Air Competition, an inter-school event that rigorously assesses proficiency of cadets in various categories. SJI cadets secured top positions in several categories, and did the school proud by clinching the title as the most proficient school in aeromod.

The following outstanding cadets were also recognised:

January: Josephians Ace the Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC)

117 Josephians from Year 1 to Year 4 took part in the Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) in August 2023. The AMC is Australia’s longest running, largest and most well-known Mathematics Competition for school students.

Like all our competitions, the AMC contains unique problems designed each year by leading educators and academics to challenge and extend students’ problem-solving skills. The objectives of the AMC include the creation of interest in the study of Mathematics, the encouragement of excellence and the recognition of students who demonstrate competence in the basic skill areas of Mathematics.

And our Josephians did not disappoint; they shone with commendable results.

• Junior category: 1 High Distinction and 12 Distinction Awards 

• Intermediate category: 1 High Distinction and 18 Distinction Awards

The High Distinction awards recipients are Ryan Lim (ML201) and Tran Luu Anh Kiet (MN403). Tran also attained the Best in School award.

Well done, Josephians!

January: SJI’s Work Experience Programme

The Work Experience Programme (WEP) is one of SJI’s key initiatives to nurture students to be adaptable and resilient to challenges, be able to transfer learning across different situations and to be confident individuals. This year, 182 students spent 2-3 weeks in 56 different organisations and industry partners in the month of January to learn and gain valuable work experience.

The WEP aligns with the school’s vision, mission, and values and is in coherence with the school’s identified 21CC priorities of developing adaptive and inventive thinking and communication skills. WEP  allowed the students to understand the needs of the workplace better and be cognizant of the type of skillsets, mindset, dispositions and perspectives required beyond academic results. It also serves as a platform for self-discovery and personal growth for our students.

This year’s WEP marked SJI’s collaboration with two schools within the S5 cluster namely Bendemeer Secondary and St Andrew’s Secondary. A total of 44 students from these 2 schools joined our Josephians  to participate in the WEP. This collaboration allowed the students from the 3 schools to interact, share ideas and perspectives, and forge new friendships with one another.

The 2024 WEP culminated in a closing ceremony held on 31 January at SJI. The event was graced by the principals from the three schools, Mr. Justin Arul Pierre (Principal of SJI), Ms Foo Sheue Feng (Principal of Bendemeer Secondary), and Mr. Lee Han Hwa (Principal of St Andrew’s Secondary). They presented certificates of participation and completion to the students. 

At the ceremony, students shared their reflections and key learnings from their attachments. In this shared mission to learn and grow, seeing students valuing and appreciating various occupations through authentic learning experiences was indeed heartening. 

The success of the WEP was made possible due to the collaborative partnership and support of the SJI Alumni and our various industry partners who generously opened up their companies and organisations to provide work attachment and placement opportunities for our students.

January: Josephians Soar at the Waein Cup Taekwondo Championship

Two Josephians competed in the gruelling Taekwondo championship and came home with 3 Gold and 1 Silver!

Kyrougi
Individual Junior Dan under 55kg : Henry Zhao (LE401) – Gold
Team of 5 Junior Dan under 310kg : Henry Zhao (LE401) – Gold
Team of 3 Cadet Poon under 150kg: Isaac Koh (FN202) – Silver

Poomsae
Male Team Cadet : Isaac Koh (FN202) – Gold

The Waein Cup Championship was held at Our Tampines Hub from 12-14 Jan 2024. The competition saw 691 Taekwondo athletes from 9 countries in this region; Korea, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar, India and Singapore. They competed in competing in 364 categories.

The Waein Cup Open Championship Singapore is organised by United Taekwondo Team Waein and Johan Taekwondo, supported by Tampines West CSN and sanctioned by Singapore Taekwondo Federation.

It was indeed a good experience for our Josephians to compete in this level of competition against tough competitors.

Well done, Issac and Henry!

January: Kenan continues to shine!

After a very busy December 2023 competing in various regattas after completing his O-Level exams, Kenan Tan (Class of 2023), has sailed through his first 2024 regatta with flying colours to bring home the Gold!

Kenan competed in the CSC ILCA 29ER Championships 2024 held from 13-14 January here in Singapore.

Well done, Kenan!

January: Josephians Dazzle at Swift Innovation Summit 2024

Some Josephians went through a year-long programme in 2023 at the Apple South Asia (Innovis). Under the guidance of Mr YJ Soon (trainer) from Tinkertanker.com, they learnt how to design and code SWIFT apps for iPhones. They will receive their certificate of completion on 27 Jan at the Swift Innovators Summit to be held in Raffles Girls’ School.

January: Josephians complete A*STAR Research Attachment Programme

Five Year 6 students completed a 5-week (27 November to 27 December 2023) Research Attachment Programme (RAP) coordinated by MOE and conducted at various A*STAR research institutes.

Three students participated in RAP as part of the Local Student Attachment Programme (LSAP) and two students participated as one of the requirements of their A*STAR Science Award (Junior College).

Matthew Oon Jun-En (ML613) was attached to ISCE2 (Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment) where he worked on Synthetic Antimicrobial Peptides as MDR Remedy.

Liew Jun Xiang Damian (FN605) and Rahul Singaram Senthilkumar (ML612) were both at IHPC (Institute of High Performance Computing) where they worked on Supramolecular Catalysts as Nanoreactors for CO2 Utilisation, and Modelling the Frequency-compliance Dependence in MEMS Resonators respectively.

Le Trung Kien (FN602) was with ARTC (Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre) looking into Machine Learning to Extract Plasma Emission Spectrum Data, while Rachael Gong Li Ying (LE606) was with GIS (Genome Institute of Singapore) working on Assaying the Robustness of Achromopeptidase- Mediated Lysis for Detection of Bacteria with Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP).

Left: Matthew (left) with his RAP Mentor Dr Chen Feng

Matthew shared, “I exceptionally enjoyed being able to experience first-hand what it is like to conduct research in a professional environment. Interacting with my research supervisor also allowed me to learn more about the research process, such as learning how to troubleshoot experiments and interpret conflicting results. One of my biggest takeaways was realising how much trial and error the research process involves, especially when trying to synthesise something that is under-researched.”

January: Alumni Garners Silver at Art Prize

SJI alumni Evan Koh (Class of 2023) garnered the Silver award for the 2023 edition of the 13-19 Art Prize, an art competition organised by TRCL, an arts charity that seeks to raise funds for The Business Times Budding Artist Fund.

His artwork will be on display for the public to view, along with other winning works from the competition.

13-19 Art Prize Exhibition Period
Date:  12 Jan - 30 March 2024
Venue:  Tekka 1001, #B1-01/02, Tekka Place, 2 Serangoon Rd, S218227  
Time:  10 am – 10 pm

If you missed seeing his exhibition work at last year's Graduation Show, you may view the showreel of IB Group 6 Visual Art students' collections here.

January: TABA 2024 - A Journey of Connection and Growth

SJI organised Camp TABA (Together And By Association), a programme aimed at fostering meaningful connections among Year 3 students to set the stage for a harmonious and supportive class environment for their educational journey in the school.

The camp comprised two parts: the first involved building sandcastles at the beach. Coupled with fun- filled games and activities on the beach that encouraged collaboration, the experience provided an opportunity to forge new friendships.

The second part of the programme saw our boys engaged in meaningful discussions and creative exercises in school. In these discussions, the boys articulated their shared vision, outlining goals, and aspirations that will guide them through their academic journey as a united class.

TABA 2024 is a journey of camaraderie, mutual support, and shared aspirations. This SJI programme marks the beginning of the school year for our Year 3 students, and it helps to lay the foundation for a vibrant and supportive learning community.

January: SJI Welcomes our new Year 1 cohort

SJI welcomed our new Year 1 Josephians with a 2-week Orientation Programme strategically planned for them to build bonds with peers in their class and their cohort, and also to get to know their senior Josephians.

The Orientation Programme, highlights the strength of the SJI community, bringing together the community of Peer Support Leaders, Peer Support Facilitators, CCA leaders and teachers that the Year 1s will grow with in SJI. From getting to know their fellow Josephians 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. The programme took new Josephians on a journey through the school with an overnight camp, exploring the various CCAs, from sports to the uniformed groups and performing arts, and also our rich heritage of over 170 years in Singapore.

The Orientation programme culminated last Friday, 12 Jan, with the Initiation Ceremony and the Campfire. At the Initiation Ceremony, all Year 1 Josephians were officially inducted into the school as full-fledged Josephians with the badge-pinning by their seniors.

The evening ended with a rousing Campfire where each fraternity (Fintan, Lawrence, Marcian and Michael) sang the night away in joyous harmony.

January: SJI Rejoices in the O-Level Results of our Class of 2023

Josephians from the Class of 2023 performed exceedingly well in the 2023 GCE O-Level examinations. All 232 students passed the examinations and will advance to junior colleges and polytechnics for their post-secondary education, with 98% of the boys qualifying for junior college.

147 boys (63.4%) scored 6As or better, and 149 students (64.2%) achieved scores of 10 points or less (L1B5).

Mr Justin Arul Pierre, Principal of SJI, shared “Once again, our Josephians have risen to the occasion. Their results should be appreciated in the context that this cohort had stood stronger together through 3 years of unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic when they were in Sec 1-3. They have shown tremendous resilience, determination and grit in the O-Level examinations. They worked hard as a cohort, supported and looked out for one another, to achieve these outstanding results."

“To the Class of 2023, the Josephian community (school leaders, teachers and staff) is immensely proud of you, and we rejoice with you. As you embark on the next phase of your education and life journey, keep close to your heart the school values of Faith, Service and Community that you have learnt in SJI, and continue to inspire others and make a positive impact wherever you go.”

The O-Level results of the Class of 2023 testify to the balanced and holistic education offered at SJI.

Congratulations, gentlemen!

For more pictures, click here

January: SJI Releases International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Examination Results

SJI congratulates our Class of 2023 for their good results at the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) November 2023 Examinations. All 270 IBDP students passed and were awarded the International Baccalaureate Diploma, with an average score of 40.4 points. Approximately 7 in 10 students scored 40 points and above.

The school is immensely proud of the Class of 2023. They have grown as critical thinkers in the classroom and beyond, and as servant leaders who would move out of their comfort zone to serve the community in Singapore in various ways. The results we see today is also testament to the expertise and care of the teachers at SJI who go the extra mile for all Josephians.

Mr Justin Arul Pierre, Principal, shared, “Congratulations to the Class of 2023. You have demonstrated perseverance and remarkable dedication throughout your IBDP journey, especially having to navigate studies and various other commitments through the Covid-19 period. Your tenacity and resilience are truly commendable. We hope that you will carry these values close to you as you graduate from SJI, and continue to thrive as men and women of integrity and men and women for others.”

Congratulations, young ladies and gentlemen!

For more pictures, click here