VS Heroes

We have now come to the end of the Sec 1 Orientation Camp.
E.D.G.E 2008 is now over but we hope that in the following years, that your son will:
Experience Victoria
Develop with Victoria
Grow with Victoria &
Emerge as a Gentleman, Professional and Sportsman

This is the last post on this blog. For future updates on life in Victoria School, please visit:
mrsiow.blogspot.com

In the meantime, we leave you with our very own Sec 1 Orientation MTV
Victorian Heroes

Back to School

Dear Victorians, it's Monday 7th Jan and we are all back in school.
Today, we proudly initiate our new Sec 1 Victorians into our family.

The Sec 1s were presented with their school badges by their Form Teachers and Peer Support Leaders and pinned them on with pride.


After that, all Victorians lifted their voices to sing the Victorian Anthem.
From the uncertain, hesitant voices that struggled with the unfamiliar words; we now hear confident, determined and vibrant voices joined in unison with the rest of their seniors to declare our committment to the ideals of Victoria:


"Victoria, thy Sons are we and we will not forget!"

Behind the scenes of EDGE 2008

At long last, we have come to the end of the camp.
Here's a tongue in the cheek look at a light side of your Camp Commandant and his crazy gang of side-kicks that you might not get to see in the hectic course of the camp.

MAN of the MOMENT: Mr Amir Hamzah- Camp Commandant(Ret)

Behind the 'Garang' demeanour of our Camp Commandant, Mr Amir; we at the PE Dept know that he is a man of great sensitivity and compassion (Baik la, Abang)

Even with a FLAT car battery in his vroom-vroom Subaru WRX, he still managed to reach the camp. Lagi better, still managed to buy makan for the teachers. How not to be touched with the such a Power Camp Commandant.

In the words of Mr Amir:
"I feel the passion man, the passion. Worse come to the worse if my car don't start, I will push back from Jalan Bahtera all the way back to Siglap.
Why?
Because I not ordinary teacher, I is Victoria teacher, so das means I got the power, the power, man."

(The above paragraph must be read in Mr Amir's unique accent- those in doubt please ask Miss Sheikha to demonstrate, she does a good Mr-Amir-Imitation)

With our Brudder in trouble, how can PE Dept not help, right
How can we bear to see Mr Amir Macho-Clap Hamzah, push his car ALLLLL the way back from Jln Bahtera to Siglap right?
The least we could do was give him 50 cents to take bus- but now bus price so expensive, 50 cents only allow him to go up and press the bell, come down.

Luckily, our Sports Sec, Mr Sng Yiam Kwee came to the rescue:


Moral of the Story:

Power-ful man who drive Power-ful car must not forget power cable

Announcements

Dear Parents, all boys are back in school and have been accounted for.
Many thanks to all the parents for your kind words of support and encouragement.

Some quick announcements.


Attire on Monday 7th Jan 2008

Attire for Monday is Full-school uniform WITH school tie.

Students who do not know how to knot their tie, do not worry. The Junior and Senior Leaders will be arriving in school by 7.00am. Seek out their help if you have any problems.



Remember that morning assembly starts by 7.20am so please be punctual



Lost and Found Items

All unclaimed clothing and belongs have been announced to the campers already. We have displayed the items and allowed students time to claim them. Unclaimed items have ALL been disposed at the bulk bins at the campsite.

Cluster Runs and VP's Visit

Today our last day of camp, we were visited by our Vice-Principal (Academic) Mr Mark Minjoot.

Mr Minjoot began by addressing the boys and reinforced the messages that we have been imparting to them throughout this camp.


Mr Minjoot then proceeded to give out the prizes for the best runners in each cluster. Cross-country is one of the niche sports area in VS. We have won either B or C Division Championship titles for 19 years in a row. During the course of the camp, we had running sessions with the boys to familiarise them with the 2.4km run component of their NAPFA test (now that they are in Secondary school it is no longer the 1.6km Jog/Walk but the 2.4km run)
We gave out prizes for the top 10 runners from each cluster.

On our way back!

"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go"
"I'm standing here just outside your door"
"I hate to wake you up to say goodbye"
- John Denver

Mum and Dad, please don't worry.
I'll be on my way home soon :)

Your son :)

Behind the scenes...

Ever wondered what goes behind the scenes of a camp?
Here we give you a sneak peak into the Camp Commandants office.

The most important place is our status update board where we track the situation of all students who are not feeling well or have injuries.


Next we have our movement chart where we track the presence and movement of any students needing to leave camp.


For today, got 'live' patient in the Commandant's room with us now. He's resting comfortably with us now.


Finally, we have our 'Mobile Outdoor Media Centre'- through the dedicated efforts of our Camp Photographer Mr Tan Chong Kiat, with his supder-duper SLR Camera (seen here) and our powerful Dell Media Laptop AND most importantly our 20m long LAN cable that allows us to gain interenet connection- yup, all these combine to give you all the latest camp updates.


This is the way we should make technology work for us, right?

Wakey, Wakey!!!

Good Morning all,

It's our 3rd and final day of the camp!
We begin with our usual morning PT and water-parade.


This will be followed by a light jog for some classes and the beginning of area cleaning by the rest.

Closing Thoughts for the Day

Dear Parents, Teachers and Victorians,
as the flames of our fire burn into the night, we would like to always remember and be mindful of the things we have.

Let us as students, teachers and parents cherish each moment that we have in life and know that we are all connected in one way to each other and that together, each and everyone of us does indeed make a difference.

Here are some announcements and points to note:

Break-camp and Dismissal
We will aim to arrive back in Victoria School by 12.30pm. Please be patient if we are a bit late and do not panic or worry if there is a some classes arrive earlier or later than others-- it is a long way from Jln Bahtera to school, so there will be variance in the travelling time.

Meals
The boys will have breakfast in camp but lunch
WILL NOT be served. We would like the boys to have lunch with their parents to share the experiences of the camp with them

Clarifications
Although parents are generally not allowed to visit their sons in camp. We did allow certain parents to visit the camp because their sons were ill or because we needed their assistance to administer to the special needs of their sons. We seek understanding from the rest of the parents on why we had to turn down your requests to visit the camp.

During the Parent's Briefing, we TOLD you that your Sons were in good hands.
On Thu, we are certain that all the parents PRAYED HARD that their Sons were in good hands.
But we think that by tonight, all of you will KNOW, that your sons are in good hands.
and most importantly- that choosing Victoria was the right choice.

Because Victoria is something more.
Good night. More updates tomorrow

Mr Amir (Camp Commandant) & the Camp Team

More Campfire Performances

As our Camp fire proceeded, even teachers were roped in to join the fun and games Even when presented with a forfeit, ever sporting teachers like, Mr Denny Aw, gamely joined in.



Miss Melissa Chng and her class 1G with the Chicken Dance

Campfire Performances

The Junior and Senior Student Leaders (affectionately known as Red and Black Shirts, respectively) kicked off the performances with a familiar classic. In the words of Fadhil, our most 'prominent' Black Shirt:
"It will be a performance that will forever be etched in your memory"
Trust me, after so many camps, there is no way I will ever forget the VS Banana Dance

Banana Dance by RED & BLACK SHIRTS


Hokey Pokey- Sec 1A
Next we have Sec 1A with their 'Hokey Pokey"


Flea, Flea Fly- All Boys

Camp Fire Highlights

At long last, we were ready for our Campfire, the Finale of the camp.
We were graced by the presence of our Principal, Mr Low Eng Teong, who had just rushed down after completing his reservist.


We also were delightfully pleased with the presence of our VP (Admin), Miss Ann Teo.


Miss An Teo worke quietly and tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the smooth running of many of our programs. Together with Mr Low, they light up the campfire to cement the bonds of friendship celebrated tonight.

Highlights of Day 2

Updates & Highlights of Day 2

Words from our Camp Commandant, Mr Amir
"We have just finished all our activities for Day 2. There were some light showers in the late afternoon, so some activities had to be cut short. However, most of the boys were able to complete the full range of activities; although some boys had to miss certain stations due to time and weather. But we assure you that in their time in VS, they will have ample opportunity to experience the outdoors through our various camping programs"

"Even though the weather was cool, we ensured that the boys were adequately hydrated and drank lots of water. We began the day with a water parade and reminded the boys to drink water regularly throughout the day"

"The boys are becoming more independent and adapt at looking after themselves and learning to clean up after eating, taking care of waste food and washing their utensils."
"Although, they were quite nervous on the first day, they are now eagerly participating in all the High Elements"
"They are learning to bond with each other and work as a team. At the moment, the rain has cleared and we are eagerly preparing for tonight's Campfire. Let's hope for good weather and you'll get further updates as the night progresses"

Mr Amir (Camp Commandant) & the Team!

More Zip-Line. Whee!!!

Here we have Marcus from 1E being dispatched by Instructor Peiyun for the Flying Fox.

Nature Rummbbblle!

Yes, yes, yes! You've all heard about the Nature Rumble and I bet all of you are dying to see it.

So here are some exciting clips of the boys in action!
Here we have Liu Haoran from 1D and his friends at the Mud Pool.

Their first task was to pamper themselves with a facial. I'm sure that all the mummies out there will agreed that mud packs are good for the face and that the one thing most boys neglect is to take care of their complexion, right?
Never fear, VS SPA for Men is here!


Then their next task was for them to collect the most of MUD possible:

"What do you call a little bit of MUD" - Mini-MUD
"What do you call a lot of MUD" - Mega-MUD


At VS, we are willing to go the extra mile for our students. Here, we see Mr Ben Khor from 1E baring all for the sake of his class. Check out that body, man!


The Grand Finale was the Mud Roll!

Lunch Time!

It is now time for lunch!

In order to make sure that all boys have enough food to eat, we can see our Camp Commandant Mr Amir personally overseeing the serving of the food.



Look at all their hungry faces (especially Senior Leader Gavin, trying to con more food from Mr Amir :P)

But I am sure nothing beats Mum's cooking

Insy Winsy Spider

One of the team-building General Stations is the Spider Web where students have to cross from one side of the spider-web to the opposite side without using the same hole in the web twice

Lead by Example

Well many of you parents have expressed the desire that if only you could get to experience the Zipline, the Abseil, etc.

So to fulfil that desire, I have decided to give you a first person perspetive look of what your son sees as he descends the Zip-line- of course, for this who else can be the guinea pig? Me, lor....:)

(Do not there is a portion where the video blanks out because I need to use my hands to stabilise myself)

After completing the descent, we have our professional and well-trained student leaders to help our participants with unhooking and a safe descent back to ground.

Low Wall but High Expectations

All the fathers out there will be able to remember the familiar Low Wall obstacle that we all loved to hate during our SOC in army.

But during the SOC in army, you have to clear the wall alone- that is tough!
Here we use team work because in Victoria, we are family.

Values- What we are worth

Today, our classes continue with their Form Teacher's period as we get them to share on the values that a Victorian should have


We hope that by sharing, they will be able to articulate the values that they would like to internalise for themselves and take ownership for their personal growth

What goes up... must come down- Abseiling

The Abseil tower is one of the more exciting challenges that the students will face. Fathers in the Commandoes or Guards unit during their NS will no doubt recall their army days :)

In abseiling, it is the position of the braking hand (the right hand, since most people are right-handed; for left-handers, it's the reverse) that controls the rate of descent. The left hand only plays a guiding role and is not used for actual braking as we can see in the following clip where we have Khairul from 1D showing us how the abseil is done:


Even though Abseiling is a technically challenging activity, we make sure we give a thorough run through of the procedures. Here we see our External Instructor CK, dispatching Lee Kwan Meng from 1D

Wet, dirty and muddy

Hi Mum, Hi Dad,

Would you still want to hug us now?


We would LURVE to give you a big, wet, muddy hug. heh heh.... :P

Wheeee....

The ever popular Zip-line
(Note: clip has no sound)

Cluster Games and Team-Building

Here we see Mr David Lee with his Sec 1I Class conducting the team-building and class bonding games

Rise & Shine!

Good Morning, Victorians!

As you can see, our Victorian Idol- Mr Amir is already wide awake at this early hour, preparing for morning PT!

We also have our our lovely ladies Miss Sheikha, Miss Sharmira, Miss Cheryl Wong and Miss Reyna Choo and one sleepy Mr Daniel Tan :)


We begin the day bright and early with Morning PT and a water parade to make sure that the boys are all adequately hydrated.


Let's see some clips of our dynamic Camp Commandant in action, leading the boys through the Morning PT:

As we can see, in the early morning, many of our boys still cannot tell their left hand from their right hand :)

But what is sure is that they are slowly begining to feel the Victorian Spirit pulsing in their veins

Here's to another great day
The Camp Team

Highlights of Day 1

Dear Parents, teachers and students,
We have come to end of Day 1, it is 11pm and the boys will be having 'Lights Out' now.
Tomorrow they will be awake at 7.00am to begin morning stretching and water-parade.

Here are some awards for outstanding performance in today's activities:

The Hady Mirza Award
This award goes to our amazing, charismatic and soon-not-to-eligible bachelor, Mr Amir Hamzah, our Camp Commandant! Our charsimatic Victorian Idol is best known for his phrase:
"The toilet is over there"

The 'Live the Dream' Award
Next award goes to our team of dedicated Sec 1 Form Teachers who shape and mould the dreams of our future. They have worked tirelessly to make this camp a success for all the students in their class.

The 'Who's your Daddy' Award
Mr Lim Swee Leong, our CCPE is the officer who works tirelessly behind the scenes to key in the various data for CCA, Sports and data for students. In school, he assists the teachers in keying in and consolidating data for the School Cockpit Database. Working closely with the PE department, he can be seen going beyond the call of duty: safety vehicle driver, time-keeping official, etc.
His kayaking abilities and his versitility show that he is as comfortable in the outdoors as well as indoors:) He hereby deserves the title of Big Daddy!

The 'Stand up for Singapore' Award
The seemingly impossible made possible by students from Cluster 2 (Sec 1D, 1E & 1F) who achieved the following task during kayaking.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
1)Picasa Web Photo Album
We have created a Picasa Web album to upload photos and it will be available by tomorrow (will do the uploading tonight after all the boys have gone to sleep). Click on the Photo Album icon above the Tag Box.

2) All students are well and accounted for:
Injuries: 1 (boy fell down running on his own and has bruised knees)
Illness/Sickness: 3 boys not feeling well
(respective parent's have been informed and the necessary arrangements have been made)

3) Requests to have students call home
Parents please understand that we cannot accede to this request as the office phone is for emergencies only. If we allow one child, then we must allow all the children to do so. If each call takes just 1min, that will be 360 min = 6 hours.

Rest assured that your sons are in good hands!

The Camp Team

Pastoral Care (Anti-Bullying)

An important part of growing up is to learn not to bully, not to be a victim and to never be a bystander.

As we end our activities for the night, Form Teachers presented the Sec 1 classes with a pastoral session on Anti-Bullying and coping strategies.

Here we see Mr Denny Aw giving the boys some coping stragegies and advice on how to deal with bullying.


We believe that at the end of this camp you will all be brothers and be willing to carry each other through the journey ahead.

The Camp Team!

Out to sea!

The sea is always exciting and it is full of adventure.
However, we know that we should never take Mother Nature for granted.
So before we begin every sea activity, we have a Water Confidence exercise to let all participants familiarise themselves with the buoyancy and appropriate fit of their personal floatation device (i.e. PFD)


Here is VS, we believe that we are called to be 'something more'. Often in life, espcially in Singapore, we are so used to the mentality of 'anything also can' or 'chin chai'. But we want Victorians to rise above mediocrity and to know that each of us has within our hearts the ability to shine in our own individual and unique way.

Here we see Isaac Tay from 1E, although he uses a wheelchair to get around in daily life, in the kayak he is just as adept as the rest of us. With the help of his father, Mr Melvin Tay, the dynamic duo kayak and made their way round the kelongs surrounding our camp site. In fact, they seemed to be out doing our speed boat that was having trouble with its engine.


As the boys got more confident in the water, we decided to push their limits and to show them that together we can achieve things that we would fail to accomplish on our own.
Take a look here:

Who would ever think that it would be possible for both kayakers to stand upright in their craft in the middle of the sea.
Alone, it is impossible.
Together, you can do EVERYTHING!

On to greater heights...

Here we see the boys going through their Challenge Ropes Course.

The Single Log is a horizontal beam that the boys will have to walk across. The beam itself is quite wide but walking it 4m high makes it a huge challenge!


Everyone has played on swings before in the play groud but using swinging ropes to help you traverse a thin steel cable high in the air, is something else all together!


Often in life, before we attempt something, it seems so difficult; but once we have experienced and overcome it, we realised that things are often not so bad after all.
All we need is a little support, the belief in ourselves and the confidence that if we fall, we have someone there to catch us :)

Reflections of my Life

All the fun in the world means nothing if there isn't a learning objective behind it.
During the course of this camp, the boys have been given time to reflect and talk to their Form Teachers about various life skills and values that we, in Victoria, would like them to have.

Each of the Form Teachers will share our Core Values with the students:
Performance Excellence, Intergrity, Compassion, Professionalism, Innovation, Global-Mindedness, Strategic Alliances

Lunch time! and... clean-up

Things that you learn in camp

1) Do not get between a hungry boy and his food.
2) Nothing beats Mum's cooking

Dear parents, you have worked hard all your lives to feed, clothe and provide for your sons. Now it is time for them to learn to fend for themselves.
Here's a clip of them cleaning up after lunch:

We hope that they will be able to bring these lessons home with them.
Finally, Mum can take a back seat after dinner, 'Boy boy' will do the cleaning up!
-after all, he's been trained at the camp :)

Mr Amir and Camp Committee

Day 1- EDGE Sec 1 Orientation Camp

Welcome parent's to your son's new beginning in Victoria School!

We begin their new experience by making sure that our journey and transition to the camp site is safe, orderly and organised. Here, Camp Commandant, Mr Amir gives students the movement details for their transport to the camp:


After that, we began our journey to the camp. Here we see a very excited Sec 1 F heading towards the camp site. 1F Form Teacher is none other than Mr Amir our Camp Commandant with the lovely, Miss Cheryl Wong as the Asst. Form Teacher:


Our first order on reaching the camp was to set the right tone and values that we desire for our Victorians. We began with the Victorian Anthem.

It is our desire that every Victorian will be a Gentleman, Professional and Sportsman.

We have a very interesting program lined up for the boys and we will be taking them out of their usual comfort zone. However, it is important for us to ensure that the safety and care of students is maintained during the camp.
Clear and detailed briefings on the nature of the activities, the safety requirements and also personal behaviour are given to make sure that the students know what is expected from each of them.

A New Beginning...

Today is the start of the new school year,
Our new Sec 1 Victorians had an eventful day.
The Form Teachers and student leaders led them through the various administrative processes and activities to be completed.

An important lesson today was the teachin of the Victorian Anthem.

Although our fresh new voices sound unsure and uncertain in their new home, we are certain that they will soon resound with conviction, determination and courage of their desire to become Gentlemen, Professionals and Sportsmen.

Mr Amir and the Camp Committee