28 August 2017

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Tags: Educators

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Categories: Events, News

Message from Council of Catholic Schools’ Principals for Catholic Education Sunday
45, 624 students in Catholic schools, regardless of race, language or religion, 19 Catholic preschools and kindergartens, 16 Catholic primary schools, 13 Catholic secondary schools, 4 Catholic Full schools, 1 Catholic junior college and 1 Catholic school for special education.

In Singapore, Catholic schools have come a long way. Catholic education in Singapore started 165 years ago, when St John’s School (now known as St. Joseph’s Institution) was started to provide a Christian education to young boys. The school opened her doors in 1852, in a small chapel along Bras Basah Road and welcomed her first batch of 75 students, with the boys coming from different ethnic groups and religions.

The story of SJI is typical of all the Catholic schools in Singapore. Starting from small schools, they have all grown in size and stature. Today our schools are well regarded educational institutes. We live out our Catholic ethos, always focusing on the individual child while also developing all our students to be the unique individuals that God has created them to be, so that they will in turn use their gifts for the service of humanity.

To coordinate and help Catholic Schools in Singapore, the Archdiocesan Commission for catholic schools (ACCS) was established. The ACCS works closely with the schools to provide a range of programmes, events and resources to support Catholic educators and guide schools effort in promoting the Catholic ethos.

The Archdiocese has designated 10 September 2017 as Catholic Education Sunday. For the first time ever, we will be celebrating Catholic education as a community. This serves as an opportunity to affirm the importance of the partnership between School-Church-Home to deliver a unique Catholic education where Christ is the centre of all we do.

Over the weekend of 9th and 10th September, a special prayer of blessing will be said for all Catholic educators and there will be a screening of a short video montage on the impact of a Catholic education. Prayer cards will also be given to all parishioners and the call is for all who care for and who have benefited from a Catholic education to step forward to rally 165 others to pray for our schools.

Students from our Catholic schools will also be working in partnership with more than 12 designated parishes to help serve as lectors, wardens or to sing alongside with the choir at one of the masses. A mini exhibition booth on Catholic education in Singapore will also be set up to engage parishioners before and after this mass.

The precious heritage and the experience gained over the past 165 years reveals in the continued importance of raising our children in the Catholic faith. Under the continued guidance of the different religious orders, our Catholic schools maintain the Catholic ethos in many different ways. These range from daily prayers, masses, religious education to spiritual retreats. However, the most important element is the way the teachers and students interact, where the Gospel is brought to life.

As we experience the declining numbers of religious in our schools, there is a need for the lay people to step up and take on the task of continuing to build on the legacy of our Catholic schools. Catholic Education Sunday presents the perfect opportunity for all Catholics to come together to pray for our religious and educators serving in our Catholic schools that they will continue to pass on the light to our next generation.

Published in Catholic News on 3 Sep 2017

2 August 2017

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Tags: Educators, Students

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Categories: Events, News

In commemoration of the Centennial Anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima, six statues blessed by Pope Francis on 11 January 2017, as the “International Centennial Pilgrimage Image of Our Lady of Fatima”, are travelling throughout the six continents, re-echoing Our Blessed Mother’s Appeal for PRAYER and REPARATION to preserve world peace and the sanctuary of family life.

The statue travelling in the Asia Continent will be in Singapore from 11 to 18 September 2017. It will make its appearance in the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, some parishes and several archdiocesan or religious centres where special prayer sessions and Holy Mass will be organised. The main event for the occasion will be the EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION & CANDLELIGHT PROCESSION to be presided by Archbishop William Goh on Wednesday 13 September at 7.30pm in St Joseph’s Institution school field at Malcolm Road.

Many prayer sessions and events are also organised throughout this year in parishes and schools. St Patrick’s School organised the Special Fatima Prayer Services for the students and teachers of each level. Held in St Patrick’s Chapel, the participants prayed the rosary, consecrated themselves and their loved ones to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and watched a short video on Our Lady of the Rosary. The students also placed a petal at Our Lady’s feet as a sign of their consecration to her. The prayer service concluded with Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament by various former student priests of the school.

Joshua Kwok of secondary two said that it was an inspiring service and “that he learnt something new about Our Lady.” Another student from secondary three mentioned that he had never heard of Our Lady of Fatima before and that the service taught him something new about Our Lady. A non-Catholic teacher who attended the Benediction service found that it very peaceful and had a calming effect on her. But many were more aware of the need to pray for peace in our increasingly troubled and unstable world.

14 June 2017

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Tags: Educators

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Categories: Events, News

Barely two months after assuming her Administration Manager (AM) post, Ms Lyndia Lin took the opportunity to attend AM/OM Recollection and Learning Journey on 5 June together with nine other AM/ Operations Manager (OM) from six different Catholic schools.

She appreciated how the event could gather AMs/OMs from Catholic schools together to share their challenges and the love of their job. According to Ms Lin, they realized, through these sharings, that most of the problems they face in their daily work were similar. They eventually learned from others’ mistakes and share experiences.

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Mr Gordon See, on the other hand, had been attending every single AM/OM Gathering organized by ACCS in the past five years. As OM of the only Catholic JC in Singapore, he felt that the school has to set a good example for other Catholic schools to support ACCS’ initiatives in strengthening the network of Catholic schools.

Reflection on the role of AM/OM as culture builders
Fr Edward Seah, ACCS Exec Director, briefly talked about how Catholic schools provide holistic education focusing not only on academics excellence but also moral and spiritual development of the young people. He later gave an overview of the Catholic education system in Singapore and how ACCS is supporting the schools in their Catholic ethos.

Retired school leader Mrs Mathews Shu Quo then led the participants into discovering the reason why they are sticking to their current roles as AM/OM. The open discussion revealed two common reasons: 1) love for children and 2) warm and caring environment in Catholic schools.

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They were urged to be conscious of their role as culture builder in the schools. Inherent to the position of AM/OM is the supervision of other school staff (e.g. OSO, CSO) or vendors (security officers). Such responsibility can be used to influence the kind of working environment they are in daily, especially at the General Office. The participants could create a friendly workplace which staff or vendors would enjoy. School visitors would also benefit from a welcoming school environment.

Mrs Mathews presented three key strategies to achieving this culture: 1) making the staff/vendors understand the importance of their contribution (Cathedral builders vs brick layers), 2) acknowledging the dignity of each person, and 3) minding language use (e.g do your words unify or divide people?).

Catholic heritage tour at Bras Basah
CANA facilitators (Joan Pillay and Christina Ying) led us to a Catholic Heritage tour at Bras Basah area. First stop was the site of the first Catholic school in Singapore, St Joseph’s Institution, where the Singapore Art Museum is currently located. By the invitation of Fr Jean-Marie Beurel, a few La Salle Brothers from Europe came to set-up a Catholic school.

The participants crossed Bras Basah Road to reach the oldest surviving Catholic Church in the country, the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. The participants learn that the name of the church was derived from the words of St Laurent Imbert “The Good Shepherd lays down His Life for His Sheep” before he was martyred to save the life of his people. St Imbert was believed to be the first priest to visit Singapore.

The group then headed to the food and entertainment complex CHIJMES which was once a former Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) school and living quarters of the IJ nuns. One of the things pointed out by the CANA facilitators was that people from other faith background helped build CHIJMES, indicating a good relationship of the Catholic Church with them.

The last stop was Church of Saints Peter & Paul whose history is closely linked to the growth of the Chinese Catholic community in Singapore. Restoration works were completed last year with the instalment of a high altar as one of the improvements done.

Tour at St Joseph’s Institution
After two years of renovations, SJI moved back to its Malcolm campus in January this year. Ms Eliza Lim, Corporate Communications Manager, graciously took the group for a tour in the newly renovated campus with additional facilities that include an indoor sports hall, lecture theatre and classroom block to accommodate more students.

After the tour, Mr Frankie Ng, who is in charge of the school’s Facilities, shared with the group some of the issues and challenges they have encountered upon moving back to their campus.
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4 May 2017

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Tags: Parents

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Categories: Events, Reflections

By Susan Ng-Thian, parent-volunteer

The School Chaplaincy Team Formation was held over three mornings from 19-21 April. As I am currently helping with the mass set-up in my youngest child’s school, St Joseph’s Institution Junior, I was quite interested to find out how the formation will help me in my vocation.

The formation course was divided into different modules, namely:-

  1. Understanding the Eucharist & Organising Mass in School
  2. Relating in a Multi-Religious Community
  3. Connecting with the Young and Mentoring Skills

Father Edward Seah led us in prayer each morning before introducing the respective speakers. Presentations by all three speakers (Father Ignatius Yeo, Gerald Kong and Brother Colin Wee) were not only informative but were very interesting as they also shared their experiences and answered many practical questions from the participants.

Father Ignatius, Chairperson of Archdiocesan Liturgy Commission, brought us through the history of salvation to show us the historical development of the Eucharist. He also explained the structure of the mass, all the way from the time of the Apostles, during the Persecution right up to the present day. He even explained in details the various parts of the Mass. These gave us a better understanding of the meaning behind the rituals and what is appropriate for the celebration.

In Module 2, Mr Kong, Executive Secretary of Archdiocesan Catholic Council for Interreligious Dialogue, explained to us how important it is be in constant dialogue with our brothers and sisters of other faiths, given the multi-religious nature of our country. Something new I learnt was that there are 10 official religions recognized in Singapore!

Brother Collin’s segment covered how we can connect with the young. He shared many anecdotes, based on his wealth of experience as Counsellor and Director of Hope House, working with many youths and young adults. His highly animated sharing had us breaking into laughter throughout his session.

All in all, I enjoyed the whole course tremendously. The information gained can and will definitely help in my vocation as a parent volunteer involved in mass set-up and in the way I serve. I would strongly recommend that anyone, whether you are a teacher or a Parent Volunteer involved in catechism in a Catholic School to register for this course whenever it is offered.

22 March 2017

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Tags: Educators

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Categories: Events

By Br Nicholas Seet

The third Catholic Education Conference was held at CHIJ Toa Payoh on Monday 14 March 2017 with a huge turnout of about 600 participants consisting of educators from the Catholic kindergartens to Catholic Junior College as well as students and sponsoring authorities, representing some 35 Catholic schools. The theme today was “Heart of a Catholic School.”

For this year’s conference, there were 2 breakout sessions. The first breakout session was to gather from the participants their perspective of what makes the “heart of a Catholic School.” A video was shown of different students, educators and stakeholders of what it is that makes our Catholic schools unique. It was significant that the Conference wanted to gather the different perspectives of the participants as to what makes a school Catholic.

The panel discussion chaired by Fr Adrian Danker, SJ with panelists Magdalene Chin (school leader), Sr Theresa Seow (Sponsoring Authority), Lin Ganfeng (teacher), Toh Si En (student) and Serene Sim (parent) brought forward what had been discussed in the groups as well as enriched the discussion as to the views of the stakeholders of our Catholic schools.

His Grace, Archbishop William Goh then shared that the Lord Jesus Christ is the reference point for all our discussions about a Catholic school as He is the answer to our deepest questions about life and its meaning.

The moving sharing of an alumnus of St Joseph’s Institution, Matthew Tan, and his teacher pointed to the support Matthew felt when he recovered from a brain injury during his CCA. Matthew highlighted the invaluable support and faith he felt from the students and teachers of the school.

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The second breakout session enabled the school leaders and educators to craft a statement written on a large heart shape board with a frame as a commitment to what they can do to make their school Catholic.

Finally, Prof Tan Cheng Han gave the concluding address when he shared his personal experience of a Catholic school as a student and what makes a Catholic school. He expressed his thanks to all the educators for all the efforts they are undertaking to help our students in our schools.

31 January 2017

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Tags: Educators

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Categories: Events

By Errol Chang

When Jesus sent out the twelve apostles, he authorised them to be his voice to the world. That is the significance of commissioning ceremony held on 21 January, when 11 principals were commissioned during the Principals’ Commissioning Mass 2017 at the newly restored Cathedral of the Good Shepherd.

The 11 principals, sent to the various Catholic schools, ranging from kindergarten to junior college level, are: Ms Christina Michael [Canossian School], Mrs Jennnifer Teo [Marymount Kindergarten], Mrs Trace Teo [Good Shepherd Kindergarten], Mrs Juliana Conceicao [Magdalene’s Kindergarten], Mrs Allison Lim [Marymount Convent School], Mrs Judina Cheong [CHIJ (Katong) Primary School], Ms Cecilia Lim [St Anthony Primary School], Mrs Christina Teo [ CHIJ Our Lady of the Nativity], Mrs Fiona Tan [CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School], Mr Daniel Ang [Hai Sing Catholic School] and Ms Phyllis Chua [Catholic Junior College].

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During the commissioning, Archbishop William Goh reminded the principals and all other educators, including priests and parents, to be “fishers of men…” (Matthew 4:19) and can do so by empowering people through proclaiming the kingdom of God, thereby transforming their lives. He encouraged educators not to be too focused on the development of particular aspects of the students but to attend holistically to them because through their moral development, the students who are the future of our families, country and world will become motivated to do well. Their motivation to do well would not merely be for their own benefits, but would go beyond themselves and be of service to others.

In turn, these principals have responded in their own way to be fishers of men. Ms Cecilia Lim reflected, “Just as Jesus is the Good Shepherd, I hope to be a good shepherd to my pupils and colleagues, to get to know each one well, as well as lead and care for all in the way Jesus led and cared for those in his flock.”

Mrs Allison Lim expressed a similar sentiment, that “When we seek God’s will daily, Jesus our Good Shepherd will work in and through us and bless our colleagues and students, pointing them to the love of Christ and give them peace.”

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For Mrs Julie Conceicao, a kindergarten which reaches out to all, including the low income families and providing them with an environment that has vast outdoor spaces and a holistic curriculum, to be a fisher of men would be to “acknowledge and embrace Christ daily. Jesus says ‘Let the little children come…’ and that to me is a constant reminder to reach out to all the little ones who come and to allow them to BE little children and tend to their needs.”

With regard to how they feel about the call to be principals in the Catholic schools, there is a mix of gratitude and pride. Others feel humbled, blessed and honoured. There is also a sense of excitement in terms of what they can do to bring out the best in the staff and children entrusted to their care.

At the end of his homily, Archbishop William Goh encouraged all formators to look at their own continual formation for all formators need formation, like how the apostles and disciples were formed by Jesus before they could form the early Church. For formators of any kind to be effective, each of them must have a personal conviction in what they do and if they are leaders, they are prompted to be the last of servants and serve society first.

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One part of the commissioning ceremony reminded principals that they are the light of Christ in their schools, with each principal and vice-principal receiving a specially crafted candle. On the point of working in unity with each other, each principal does not work alone as shown by the fraternity of current principals and vice-principals who attended the ceremony in support of the newly appointed principals. There is also a move to tap on retired principals to mentor newly appointed Catholic principals.

The Principals’ Commissioning Mass was organised by The Archdiocesan Commission for Catholic Schools (ACCS) and its Council of Catholic Schools’ Principals. They work with Catholic schools in Singapore to strengthen the Catholic ethos in their communities. Students from four schools – St. Patrick’s School, Montfort Secondary School, CHIJ Secondary and CHIJ St. Theresa’s Convent – helped in providing altar servers, ushers and choir.

A major upcoming event being organised by ACCS is the Catholic Education Conference 2017. All are welcome. Find out more here.

6 May 2016

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Tags: Educators

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Categories: Events

In April, ACCS conducted the yearly School Chaplaincy Team (SCT) training for Catholic teachers and members. We look at the highlights of the events, and hear from some of the participants themselves.

 

The annual ACCS-led training programme for local Catholic School Chaplaincy Teams held its eighth run in April 2016. Over the course of four sessions – held on 7, 8, 14 and 15 April – 19 participants learned more about the skills they need for their ministry in the schools.

During the programme, Montfort Supervisor of Schools Brother Dominic Yeo-Koh provided an overview of the School Chaplaincy Team (SCT) initiative, and the roles it plays within the school community. The mission of a chaplaincy member is to bring God’s presence to all students and staff in the school, and listen deeply to their thoughts and problems.

Since its conception in 2009, the SCT training programme has benefited more than 400 participants, mainly from schools and parishes.

One of this year’s participants was St Stephen’s School parent volunteer Anastasia Xavier. Having served as a volunteer for 12 years, she found the training informative as it made her more aware of the challenges in the school environment. The passion of the fellow chaplaincy members she met during the training also made a great impression on her.

Sharing experiences and knowledge
ACCS invited facilitators to the programme to share their expertise and experiences on various topics. Lesley Goonting, who works for the chaplaincy team in CHIJ Our Lady of Good Counsel, showed in her presentation, the diverse models of Chaplaincy teams currently operating in Singapore. Participants also learned from her the three ‘Cs’ in chaplaincy ministry: Connecting, Collaborating and Building Communities.

Principal of CHIJ St Theresa’s Convent Pauline Wong helped participants better understand the complex school environment today. She prompted a reflection on the different circumstances that affect students, and the implications they can have for the chaplaincy’s work. For example, in view of the widening income gap in Singapore, would chaplaincy members be able to identify needy students so assistance can be offered to them? She also covered some of the challenges Catholic schools face today.

Getting to know the youths is the first step in helping them. Michelle Soliano-Lew emphasized in her presentation that in order to engage youths, Chaplaincy members must get to know their family background, their language and the trends they follow. She also tackled the major issues the youths face today, reminding the participants that they must become models for the youths in building their character.

Lasallian Brother Collin Wee then showed how psychological growth plays a fundamental role in the shaping character of students. He presented real cases to illustrate how a specific moment can have a huge impact on a person’s psychological well-being. As Brother Collin explains, the purpose of correcting the teenagers is not to make them feel bad, but to help them discover a better way to do something. He also identified some mistakes in parenting methods.

Gaining a new perspective
At the end of the training programme, several participants have expressed positive feedback at the wide range of topics discussed. “I found the training enlightening, as the speakers were from various backgrounds,” said Gerald Kong, who joined the SCTs in St Gabriel’s Primary and Secondary schools earlier this year. “It was good to be exposed to the beauty and complexity of chaplaincy work from different perspectives.”

Gerald was also appreciative of the openness to questions and doubts at the programme. It reminded him that chaplaincy is God’s work, and a member should allow himself to be guided by God and trust Him in guiding them the right direction.

Participant Jeremy Fernandez, who is a new member of Maris Stella High School’s chaplaincy team, said that the training was useful as it defined the roles and responsibilities of a chaplaincy team clearly. “Prior to this, I was not clear what it meant to be in the team,” he added. “I found the speakers very engaging.”

Jeremy hopes that more Catholic teachers like him will be willing to join a chaplaincy team and work towards building the Kingdom of God along with their education mission.

19 April 2016

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Tags: Educators, Parents, Students

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Categories: Events, News

This year, Montfort School celebrates the 100th year of its founding since its inception as Holy Innocents’ English School in 1916. We revisit the school’s rich history as a holistic Catholic institution.

 

In commemoration of their 100th year, Montfort School is holding a year-long series of celebrations. Beginning with the Anniversary Mass on 16 January, the theme for the year’s celebrations is ‘Celebrating the Past, Charting the Future’.

To help students and staff members know more about Montfort’s legacy, the school set up its very own Heritage Gallery back in January 2013, tracing the major points of development in the school’s history using artifacts, videos, voice recordings, photographs and personal accounts. It honours the many people who have contributed to the Montfortian mission of nurturing young people to live in service for others.

Come 23 April, the school will be organising a Founder’s Day and Homecoming Carnival, where alumni and students will celebrate with a day of fun-filled activities. Following that, on 30 June, the Montfortians will be living their mission of being ‘Men for Others’ by undertaking a 24-hour community service project to bring assistance and hope to the less fortunate. In July, they will bring the story of the Brothers of St Gabriel to life through a musical. Thereafter, the old friends and alumni of Montfort will meet for a Golf Tournament in August, and the celebrations will wrap up with a Gala Dinner on 19 November.

The History
Montfort was established as Holy Innocents’ English School in 1916 by Fr H. Duvelle in a lone classroom of a two-storey building next to the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Upper Serangoon Road. Initially ran by a single principal for its first 62 years, the school was split into Junior and Secondary sections in 1974 to cater to the rapidly expanding student population. To keep its unique identity intact, it remained governed by the same management committee.

Eventually, changes in the local education system prompted the school to source for newer amenities, to cater to a more multi-faceted approach to education. Thus a building fund committee made up of Montfort alumni (then known as the Old Montfortian Association) was tasked to raise funds for a new and improved campus. Their fervent efforts saw the Hougang campus completed in 1992, equipped with new facilities to provide students with an improved learning environment.

Brothers of St Gabriel
Central to Montfort’s story are the Brothers of St Gabriel, a religious order devoted to continuing the work of 17th century French priest St Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, who dedicated a large part of his pastoral work to educating the destitute. They arrived in Singapore in 1936, and have sought to instill the Montfortian values of service and compassion to all their students since.

One of the most prominent Brothers featured in the Heritage Gallery is Brother Emmanuel, who began teaching in the school in 1954, and led other local Gabrielite institutions for over 30 years. For his services to the youth, he has been awarded the Public Service Medal by the Government. Until 2013, he continued to serve as the Supervisor of Montfort Schools, a position now held by Brother Dominic Yeo-Koh.

The Alumni
Inspired by their own teachers at Montfort, several students took up teaching themselves. Among them was Mr Teo Kah Ling, a well-remembered alumnus who taught for 43 years in the school and served as Principal from 1959 to 1964. An inspiring and talented educator who taught subjects ranging from English Literature to Mathematics, he composed the ‘Song of the Brave’, which continues to be sung by Montfortians today.

Mr James Chng, 52, is another student-turned-teacher motivated by his own Montfortian experience to enter the service. Having taught at Montfort for the entire 24 years of his career, the Science and English teacher deeply appreciates the school’s efforts in reaching out to every student. “In Montfort, nobody is left out,” James commented, referring to the range of backgrounds his students have come from. “All who walked through the doors of Montfort will become better people.” He shares his hope that the school will continue to guide each student in becoming a man for others.

In his homily during the Anniversary Mass, Archbishop William Goh—who studied in Montfort for 12 years—recounted the strong Catholic ambience that thrived in the school, “We would have prayers three times a day, before school, during the Angelus at Midday and after class. Monthly, we went for the sacrament of reconciliation and First Friday Devotion Mass to the Sacred Heart.” He entered the seminary in 1979, was ordained in 1985, and appointed Archbishop in 2013. His predecessor Archbishop Emeritus Nicholas Chia, was also from Montfort.

Four Montfortians also served as Members of Parliament: Dr Augustine, Mr Ng Kah Ting, Mr Lee Boon Yang and Mr Lim Boon Heng. Mr Lee and Mr Lim have also served as a Cabinet Ministers.

From Sons to Fathers
In remembering its past, the school also looks towards future generations. Alumnus James Tay recalls the various church-related activities he participated in while at Montfort, and credits his education for his faith. Today, he continues to serve the underprivileged through the Society of St Vincent de Paul.

James’ Montfortian experience has prompted him to enroll his son Darius into his alma mater. He is heartened that Darius is learning the same Catholic values as he did. Darius said, “My dad would share with me stories of his time in Montfort School and I would feel good being part of Montfort School as well… I can also relate to some of the things he said.” The father-son duo – now both alumni – is also featured in the school’s heritage gallery.

Honouring the past
In the words of Archbishop William Goh, “We must never think that success is purely our human effort alone. Hundreds of people along the way have helped us by moulding us, forming us, guiding us, mentoring us and assisting us.”

Montfort’s heritage trail represents the school’s gratitude towards the staff and old boys who have contributed their time and energy into its continuous improvement. Their lifelong dedication has helped Montfort grow as a Catholic institution that nurtures students academically and spiritually, and extending its century-long legacy of mentoring God’s beloved youth.

 

 

Image: montfortsecprincipal.wordpress.com

28 January 2016

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Tags: Educators

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Categories: Events

Archbishop William Goh commissioned three new principals of Catholic schools at a special mass on Saturday, 23 January 2016.

Over one hundred educators, students, principals and friends and relatives of the new principals – Rev Fr (Dr) Adrian Danker, SJ (St Joseph’s Institute), Mrs Woo Soo Min (Maris Stella High School) and Ms Imelda Anthony (Magdalene’s Kindergarten) – attended the mass held at Montfort Secondary School.

“How can we be instruments of mercy according to the vocation we are in?” Archbishop Goh asked during his homily. In line with the Jubilee Year of Mercy, he reminded Catholic educators to be exhibit the virtue of mercy in their profession.

Reaching out to the poor
Archbishop Goh commented that the students who need the most help, are those who are intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally poor. “They are not loved or accepted, and come from broken families.” He noted that many students today come from broken and troubled families, which in turn negatively affects their behaviour.

He added that these are the pupils who most need our help, reiterating the long-standing objective of Catholic schools to serve the “poorest of the poor”. As such, teachers must pay close attention to students exhibiting negative behaviour in class. “They are like that because they are broken, wounded, or neglected.”

“If students are poor, it is because parents are poor.” He encouraged teachers to keep in touch with parents, and be informed of students’ family situations. “To take care of a child, you have to take care of their parents, brothers, and sisters because they are interrelated and interdependent.”

He emphasized to teachers that the ultimate mission of education is to provide holistic education, and form people of character and integrity. “We want to form people who will continue to give back to society, to the Church, and to those who need help.”

“Not just intellectual, but education for life.”

Role of principals
The Archbishop then highlighted the role of principals as leaders. He likened them to being “bishops” of schools, responsible for the well-being of multiple groups of people including students, parents, and teachers.

One of the important tasks Archbishop Goh talked about was to pay attention to teachers. “The teachers need your support, your listening ear, and your encouragement,” he told the newly appointed principals. “If you don’t empower and heal your leaders – teachers in this case – you cannot do your work. If they have a problem, you have to attend to it no matter how busy you are.”

Recognising the huge task that educators face in their profession, he actively encouraged stronger networking between schools and Church committees, so that teachers and principals can be more effective in their mission. “Today, I am encouraging networking with parents, with priests, and with the Church. You can’t do this mission alone,” he exhorted. “If only we support each other, then the Catholic schools will stand out.”

To this end, he praised the initiative to form Council of Principals, where they can come together and encourage each other in their journey, “Principals must come together to share their joys and sorrows, their challenges and successes.”

At the end of the homily, he blessed the three principals. Fellow principals also renewed their commitment to the education mission in a prayer.

The new principals
Rev Fr Adrian completed his theology studies in Boston. He holds a Masters of Divinity, and a license in Sacred Theology for the Church. Before joining the religious order, Fr Danker worked at the planning division at MOE HQ.

The 50-year-old Jesuit priest is humbled with his appointment, and is deeply inspired by the achievements of SJI in the past years. An SJI alumnus himself, Fr Danker aims to keep the school on track in addressing the needs of Singapore’s Catholic population. Noticing the richness of different charisms in local Catholic education, he shares the Archbishop’s hope in getting the different schools to collaborate more closely.

Mrs Woo, 46, looks forward to being a part of Maris Stella, and building upon the school’s values and culture inspired by the Marist Brothers. Before this appointment, she served as Pasir Ris Crest Secondary School’s principal.

“I think it’s important to chart the ten-year education for Marists,” she said, referring to the transition from primary to secondary education for the students in the full school. She also commented on the need to help new students entering the secondary section to integrate into the Marist school culture.

Ms Imelda Anthony will be leading Magdalene’s Kindergarten. A CHIJ alumna, the 33-year-old noted the benefits of being in a mission school, “The school really played a part in moulding our characters and making us better decision-makers.”

Having worked in a PCF Kindergarten for 12 years, and serving in a leadership position for seven, Ms Anthony is familiar with the early childhood education scene in Singapore. She is concerned about the overall declining enrollment rate in mission-based kindergartens.

“Many parents only place their children in mission schools when they reach the Primary level.”

She shares with us Magdalene’s Kindergarten’s plans in attracting more parents to enroll their children, “We’re trying to reach out to the churches and spread what we are doing at the Kindergarten, and how good it is for the little ones to learn values and character-building at an early age.”