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SHELTONTIMES issue two February 2009

Best Results For 2008 ‘O’

O Level Exa
Examinations

Shelton’ss Hall Of Fa
Fam
ame!

Congratulations to all Shelton students who have done well in the 2008 examinations!
Language is not a barrier to success. This was proven true by our five top students who came in SCI with bare minimum language
proficiency but through their consistent work, perseverance and endurance they managed to get through GCE ‘O’ level with flying colors.

Their rigorous classroom training for a year has finally paid off. Thanks to their very supportive and highly qualified teachers and mentors
who have journeyed with them both in their struggles and in their achievements while at Shelton. Equally important to their successes are
their parents who have consistently and openly partnered the teachers in bringing out the best in them.

The 12-month O-level course prepared the students for the Singapore-Cambridge GCE O-Level examinations, the same examinations
that local secondary 4 students sit for in the government schools. Their O-level qualification is a widely recognized standard of educational
achievement valued by employers, education authorities and institutions of higher education throughout the world. While preparing for
their O-Level examinations, they underwent monthly classroom assessments leading up to their final examinations conducted by the
Singapore Examinations and Assessments Board (SEAB) in October and November last year. With this qualification, they have various
options of progression to a 3-year UK (Hons) degree programme conducted at Shelton in collaboration with Staffordshire University (UK);
a University Foundation Studies at universities in the United Kingdom, United State and Australia; the Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Level;
and diploma studies at polytechnics in Singapore.

The whole SCI family once again wishes the successful students a heartfelt congratulations for a well deserved success!

1 Shelton College International

 SHELTONTIMES
YuLu’s Thoughts on Shelton

I am Yu Lu, a student of the GCE ‘O’ Level class in Shelton College International in 2008. When I heard I had obtained good
results in the GCE ‘O’ Level Examinations, I was very delighted and excited. I remember the colourful days I had spent in the
school. They were unforgettable. When I first joined the school in early 2008, I was full of uncertainty. My broken English and
poor academic record, the prospect of a completely new environment and the short time I would have to prepare for the
examinations, all weighed heavily on me. “Would I succeed after only a few months?” I thought to myself.

After studying in this school for a few weeks, I found my worries disappearing. First of all, I was impressed with the quiet and
serene atmosphere. The campus is located in a beautiful place. The quiet environment is conducive to learning. The facilities
are also good: the classrooms are all air-conditioned; the basketball court and football field are open to all students. I often
went to the library or to the computer room to look for learning materials.

During the time I studied there, I felt the school had not only enough wonderful physical resources but also an excellent
group of teachers. As the soul of the college, they make Shelton a school of high quality. They were patient and pleased to
teach me. Sometimes they even gave up their rest time. With their help I progressed rapidly. I could soon write and speak
English fluently. I even managed to deal with some courses which I had never learnt before, such as Calculus and Principles
of Accounts.

I also met a lot of clever and helpful classmates. I still remember the happy days we spent in the school. We studied together,
went out for lunch, played basketball after class and went home in sweat-soaked clothes. My classmates selflessly helped me
whenever I had any difficulties in my studies and even when I had personal problems. We might not study together any longer
but I think that our friendship will last forever.

I will not deny the efforts I made. However, I must say I was rather fortunate to study in the school, to be taught by the teach-
ers I had and to become friends with my classmates. Without them, I believe I would not have obtained such good results.
The time they spent with me will forever remain a part of my precious memories.

Please let me express my appreciation to all the people who had helped me during that
tie. Thank you very much.

A Parent’s Gratitude Towards Shelton

Dear school teachers and management,

I would like to take this opportunity to express our tremendous gratitude to you and your
school for your great effort on educating and guiding my child, Wang Rui, in his studies
for the past years.

As a foreign student from China, the lessons and environment were both brand new, He
could not adopt to all the changes immediately. It was the school's care and support that
enabled Wang Rui to overcome the various difficulties while staying at Shelton. I would
like to give my thanks to all the teachers for their patienece and personal care of Wang
Rui from the bottom of my heart. Wang Rui has made great progress from your excellent
programs. He also obtained a good score in the 2008 GCE "O" Level Examination. I
really appreciate your efforts as this is not only our success, but yours as well.

Lastly, I believe that Shelton has become our family's milestone school. I will remember
everyone and Shelton for such dedication to my son's education forever.

Sincerely Yours, Wang R

ui’s
Portrait

Richard Xiaogang Wang Ph.D

2 Shelton College International

 SHELTONTIMES

g
“O” Level Top Students Rankin

Congratulations to our top 5 students!

Top scorer: Yu Lu (Shang Hai, China)
In second place: Huang Tan (He Nan, China)
Third: Wang Rui (Guang Dong, China)
Fourth: Chen Xi (Si Chuan, China)
Fifth: Han Wei (Jiang Su, China)

Events
Learning Journey: Singapore’s NeWater

Singapore
g has earned international awards
and recognitions for its water-related projects.

SCI’s commitment to holistic education for its major stakeholders has developed its CCA’s Character Develop-
ment Program. Part of the program is its Learning Journeys. It is designed to widen the educational horizon of
the students, who are primarily Non-Singaporeans, to aclimatise with Singapore. The entire program affects the
student’s cognitive abilities as it enriches their understanding of Singapore’s Rich Cultural traditions and
technologies.

Singapore, being top of the world in terms of innovation, has earned international awards and recognitions for
its water-related projects. Singapore’s daily water consumption, both domestic and industrial, has exceeded the
capacity of its reservoir. Thanks to its engineers for its ingenuity they have taken advantage of state-of-the-art-
technologies in solving its lack of water sources.

The NeWater Plant in Tanah Merah supplies a portion of Singapore’s potable water. This plant exceeds WHO’s
strict requirement for safe potable water.

The Learning Journey, which commenced last 9th January, had 124 students participants who visited one of
Singapore’s bests, the NeWater plant in Tanah Merah. The journey began with instructions and bird’s eye view
of the trip by Mr. Adli, CCA Master, at the School Hall. Upon arrival, the staff gave the participants a warm
welcome and brief introduction of the whole experience. They also gave the students key information on how
the water is processed from used water to “NeWater.” First hand information on the country’s water history as
well as the entire process was thoroughly discussed in different interesting approaches.

Coming Up
February Activities
• The badminton tournament is open to all classes.
Semi-finals will be on Tuesday and Wednesday, 17-18 February 2009. Finals will be on the 19th.
• 9 March: International Women's Day
• 20 March: Talk on Healthy Lifestyle
• 21 March: Picnic at Sentosa (Students' and Teachers' Rest and Recreational Activity aimed at
resting from the demands and pressures of academic work.)

3 Shelton College International

 SHELTONTIMES
Events
SCI Bags 2nd Place in the Terrarium-Making Contest By Roja

Shelton College International (SCI) goes green as the students joined the “Terrarium Making Contest” initiated together by Singapore
Environment Council and the Radin Mas Citizen Consultative Committee. All the participants were given training in two different session
before the actual competition which was held on last January 18, 2009. The first training session was held on 12 January at Blk89 Redhill Close
#01-448, Redhill Moral Senior Activities Centre along with the senior citizens. The second session was held on the same day at Radin Mas
Community Center for our students exclusively.

The awarding for the best terrarium was held last January 18, 2009 at Harbourfront Level 1. There were a lot of entries and one of SCI's student,
Tracy, from O level Einstein, won 2nd place. The said event was attended by students and senior citizens as well. The guest of honor Mr. Sam
Tan also graced the awarding ceremony. There were also performances from Chinese students which was one of the highlights of the event.

CONSTRUCTING A TERRARIUM –
A BOTTLED GARDEN
Terrariums are miniature gardens enclosed in clear glass or plastic. It has also come
to mean an open, transparent container for growing and displaying plants. Terrari-
ums require a minimum amount of care if they are kept sealed. The moisture that
plants absorb from the soil is given off through the leaves by the process of transpi-
ration. This condenses on the glass walls and runs down to moisten the soil again.
The atmosphere also remains balanced through the combined plants processes of
photosynthesis and respiration. A well-constructed terrarium requires only light and
warmth to flourish

Events
Singapore Police Force: Crime Prevention By Mark Li

Mention Singapore, and one almost immediately thinks of the country as a safe and
secure place. There are almost no cases of mugging and shootings-- problems that
are part of daily life in some countries, and one does not see hordes of drug addicts
who are alwaysy readyy to commit p pettyy crimes to fund their craving.
g In fact, one could
safely
ely walk the streets at night without fear of becoming a victim to crime.

wever, one must not

However, noot beb lulled
lul
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in
nto a false
fallse sense
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se
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low does
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oess not
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o mean that crime cri
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no
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th
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ssage which th
the
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harder

The finale of the talkk wa

wass a tour of tth
w the exhibits
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p.

It was indeed an eye opener to get to see so many

interesting gadgets devoted to securing one’s house and
personal belongings.

4 Shelton College International

 SHELTONCELEBRATES
A Different Hongpao in the Year of the OX By Gong Yan Jun

All these did not only make me

happy but it also gave me a
feeling of attachment and
belongingness... Chinese New
Year's celebrations in school have
definitely embarked a sense of
family too!

This year was the first time that I celebrated the most important festival in China, the Chinese New Year, far from home. I thought it was
going to be the saddest New Year of all. Fortunately, the activities in Shelton gave us enormous excitement in ushering the Lunar New Year.
It was surprisingly grand because it had given us a feeling of home shared in the presence of our teachers and schoolmates who came from
different cultural backgrounds. It was very amazing to look at our friends from other countries digging in a pot of dumplings in search for
the lucky bean and receiving Hongpao from our teachers.

On the eve of the New Year, we hang the lanterns along the corridors of the school and posted good wishes on the walls and the posts. On
22 January we had a party that was filled with laughter and excitement at our canteen after a tiring day in the classrooms. Other than the
sumptuous dinner served during the event, we also feasted on the most traditional food of the festival—the dumplings. Miss May, our
SCISO adviser, together with Mr. Mark of the High School hosted the whole event. We wrote our wishes and resolutions on different
coloured papers and posted them on the board for everyone to see. Allowing my friends to read my resolution was an added pressure for
me but I thought I could use it for my own sake. I am sure that telling my friends about it will generate support so that I could reach my
goals. I'm sure my friends felt the same! Another interesting activity was using the orange peelings to write Chinese characters. My team
spelt the word 'Fu' which means lucky in English. We didn't win but it was fun. The climax of the program was put to a very soothing mood
when two of our Indonesian friends strummed their guitars and serenade us with a popular Chinese song. My fellow Chinese students and
I couldn't help but sing along with them.

I thought the celebration of the New Year was over after that day’s dinner. On February 2, at 10:45 in the morning, our teacher brought us
down the school’s façade for what I thought was going to be just another gimmick. All the members of the school gathered to witness a
colourful Lion Dance. Once again, it brought back wonderful memories of home. After the lion dance, we were all asked to queue and
receive more Hong Baos, but this time it was our beloved principal and CEOs, school heads and senior teacher mentors who gave them.
We exchanged well wishes and blessings for the New Year. It didn’t end with it yet! We also had the traditional tossing of the raw fish salad,
the “Loh Hei.” I thought this was a very good gesture for everyone in an international school because it tears down walls and builds bridges
across our differences.

All these did not only make me happy but it also gave me a feeling of attachment and belongingness. I surely miss my own family in China
but our Chinese New Year's celebrations in school have definitely embarked a sense of family too! I think that having good friends in school
ebrate an important family
to celebrate centered tradition is the best Hongpao I received in this year of the Ox.
family-centered

Have a blessed ox year ahead!

5 Shelton College International

 SHELTONCELEBRATES
Lion Dance By Mark Li

Legends & Myths of the “Nien”

The lion is regarded by Chinese communities outside China as a creature representing good omen. However,
o the legend of Nien began with
the lion as a monstrous creature. According to legend, every Chinese New Year's eve, an unknown animal came to destroy the fields, crops
and animals belonging to the farmers of the village. They could not identify the beast and named it nien which came to mean "year" in
Chinese. To put a stop to the ravaging, the villagers made a fearful model of the animal out of bamboo and paper, with two men
manipulating it, accompanied by the loud beating of instruments. They waited for the animal on New Year's eve and succeeded in driving
away the Nien. Henceforth, the Nien dance was performed annually on Chinese New Year's eve with drums, cymbals and gongs. Over time,
the image of the animal came to look more like a lion and the dance was later regarded as auspicious for all significant occasions.

The dance requires two persons -- one to manipulate the papier-mâché head of the lion
while another acts as the hind legs of the lion, both joined by a colourful cloth body.
The lion head is often decorated with a red bow on its horn, silk pom-poms and bells. The fur trimmings around the head is often sheepskin
or rabbit fur, never of synthetic materials. The lion head has two eye-holes which allow the lead dancer to see where he is going. Often a
dunce in a large mask teases the lion. Aside from spectacular acrobatic stances by the lion, the performers' co-ordination in bringing lifelike
movements to the lion adds to the success of the dance. A troupe of musicians accompanies the lion dancers, playing cymbals and drums.
Every gesture, from the lifting of a leg to the fluttering of an eyelid is choreographed to a particular beat in the music. Up to eight different
stances are performed from happiness, anger, fright, merry-making, suspicions, drunkenness, sleep and wakefulness, with each emotion
expressed by a different rhythm. Lion dancers belong to a guild or association and each guild worships a particular deity or heavenly patron.

The dance culminates in a skilful acrobatic act after which they either claim or 'discover' an hongpao ("red packets" filled with money).
Today, more and more challenging tasks face the lion dancers such as peeling open a pomelo (a large citrus fruit signifying prosperity) and
picking up crabs, snakes or fish from a bowl. The amount in the hongpao would be commensurate with the complexity of the task
performed. The dance culminates with the lion opening its mouth to gulp down the hongpao.

Did You Know?

Apart from Monaco, Singapore is the most densely populated country in the world, with 6,430 people
per square kilometre.

6 Shelton College International

 SHELTONCELEBRATES
Loh Hei By Mark Li

“Loh Hei” is the tossing of a

raw fish salad.
This dish originally from Jiangmen in Guangdong province of China is
called “Yu Sheng”. It was introduced in 1963 by chefs in restaurants
during Chinese New Year. The act of “lo-hei” or tossing the ingredients
as high as possible for good fortune and mixing them altogether was
developed by the people only recently. It is a noisy activity and each
person would try to outplay each other over who can toss the highest and
saying all the auspicious phrases at the same time.Traditionally eaten on
the seventh day of the Lunar New Year as this day is also known as
everybody’s birthday but nowadays we get to eat this special raw fish
salad for sixteen days of the festival.

Did You Know?

The Merlion, a half-fish, half-lion beast, is a fitting symbol of Singapore. The "Singa" or lion
represents the animal that a Sumatran prince saw which resembled a lion, and the fish is a
tribute to Singapore's history as "Temasek", the ancient sea town.

7 Shelton College International

 SHELTONTIMES
Hao Tian’s Shelton Experience

My name is Wang Hao Tian. I am a girl from the north-eastern part of China, Ji Lin province. I am 21 years old. I came to Singapore to
study for the “O” levels after finishing high school in my hometown. In 2007, I joined Shelton College International to take up a course in
Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Management. During my course, I managed to get an internship at the Cheery Garden of the Mandarin
Oriental Singapore as a Food & Beverage Service Staff.

Cheery Garden is a Chinese restaurant with lovely surroundings and an excellent reputation for serving up good food, as the number of
guests that show up daily can attest. As Cheery Garden is located in the hotel, its ornamental styling is a combination of east and west,
which gives it the modern yet antiquated feel. Due to the Mandarin Oriental Singapore being famous, the requirements and standards of
the staff are very strict. The staff understand the policy but are actually very kind and warm hearted, always greeting and smiling when
they meet you. Also, the staff are particularly helpful, as they will do their utmost to help you, just like a big family.

At the same time, I am proud to have been a student of Shelton College! With a pool of dedicated staff who are always there to help
us when problems arise or when we require any assistance. Without them, I would not have had the opportunity to work at the Mandarin
Oriental Singapore.

For my fellow students, the best advice I can give is this – after you graduate from school, before you go out and join the workforce, you
have to consider your future carefully. Be clear of what you want, have a purpose and start working hard for it. You might be faced
with setbacks along the way. But instead of fretting over it, think about how you can solve it instead. There are no problems in this world
that cannot be solved. Believe in yourself and you can do it!

Lastly, a big thank you to Shelton!

Wang Hao Tian

24th December 2008

8 Shelton College International

 SHELTONTIMES
At The Scene
Total Defence Day at Shelton High School
The Singapore's Total Defence Day is celebrated on 14 February every year.
However this year, it falls on a Saturday. Thus it will be celebrated on 13 February
from 2:45 pm, Friday. All students from Secondary 1 to Secondary 4 (Bell, Einstein
and Newton), A level and EGL classes will be involved in the programme. The
venue of the event is the School Hall. Teachers, administrators, staff and students,
both Singaporeans and foreigners, will benefit from the activity by acquiring
knowledge on how to respond in cases of disasters both natural and man-made.

Singapore’s Total Defence is a framework for a

comprehensive and integrated response to deal with all
sorts of threat and challenges that the country faces.

It is Singapore's solution to deal with challenges to her security. It is divided into 5

aspects: Military, Civil, Social, Economic and Psychological Defence.

SCI Learning Journey 2: The Singapore Museum

The Singapor
e Museum
is a place fil
led with the
vast & intere
sting past
of Singapore!

Shelton College International will embark on another Learning Journey. This time, we're headed to The Singapore Museum. EGL stud
students
are scheduled on the 20th February. Others who are interested are welcome to join the SCISO (Shelton College International Students
Organisation) on the 21st at 1:00 PM.

Here’s a glimpse of The Singapore Museum.

The museum is one of Singapore's famous tourist attractions. It houses the country’s diverse culture and heritage. Located in Stamford
Road, the Museum is said to be “the biggest and oldest (119 years old) museum with the youngest and most innovative soul.” It is
designed as the people’s museum which uses cutting edge technologies in presenting history. Aside from exhibitions and artefacts, they
host vibrant festivals and events that unleash new creative possibilities in culture and heritage. The museum's history dates back to 1887. It
was closed for renovation on April 2003 and was reopened to public on December 2006.

The museum offers a lot of exhibitions for the visitors. The Singapore History Gallery, The Singapore Living Gallery On Food; On Film and
On Fashion are some of the few galleries where one can re-live Singapore’s past and understand and appreciate its present.

(Source:www.nationalmuseum.com.sg)

9 Shelton College International

 SHELTONTIMES

!
Chinese New Year Celebration
Our Lovely principal in pink!

Angpao comes with

word of blessings!

LoHei to a better ox year!

Making of our Terrarium!

10 Shelton College International

 SHELTONTIMES

Our Trip to NeWater!

ater
Shelton walk on NeW

Excited students
filing in!

Orientation 09’
Fun & Games
under the sun!

Mr Adli during the

First Students
Assembly

11 Shelton College International