Take 5 – 18 January 2016 by Mr Michael Chia

Good morning Mdm Tan, Mr Lee, Mr Tan, colleagues and all Gessians,

Today I would like to share with you an excerpt from, Schoolbag.sg, the Ministry of Education’s newsletter for parents. It is titled, ‘Beyond winning competitions, integrity and grit are what matters most in Sports’. ‘It came naturally to me – I just knew it was the right thing to do,’ said Lee Tai Yu, a Secondary Three student in Dunman High School who was awarded the Sportsmanship Award at the National School Games 2014.

During a close doubles game at the National Inter-School Badminton Championships, Ngee Ann Secondary School had smashed the shuttlecock out of play and the umpire awarded the point to Dunman High School. What happened next was a surprise. Tai Yu went up to the umpire and told the umpire that he had touched the shuttlecock before it went out of play. The umpire reversed his decision and the point went to Ngee Ann Secondary, which won the match eventually. Another surprise was in store. The students and staff of Ngee Ann Secondary were so impressed with Tai Yu’s sportsmanship that they applauded Tai Yu and strongly nominated him for the Sportsmanship Award. ‘I was sad that we lost the match, but if placed in that situation again, I would not hesitate to do what I did,’ said Tai Yu.
Former education minister, Mr Heng Swee Keat emphasised during the opening ceremony of the National School Games in 2014 the values of grit, integrity and service honed through sports. ‘When our students train, interact with team-mates or opponents, they overcome obstacles and develop grit. The ‘grittier’ person is focused on winning the marathon, not the sprint’ .

The CCA Orientation this week will look to showcase the nurturing of the ‘Gessian Spirit’ through CCAs. I would like all secondary two to 5 students to demonstrate unity, resilience, pride and integrity as you highlight the culture of vibrancy through the various CCAs.

For the secondary one students, use this opportunity to discover or reaffirm your personal interest or passion. Then, make an informed decision on your choice of CCA so that you will have a life-long pursuit of excellence. Last but not least, attend your CCA sessions regularly so that you have honed the skills required and can excel in platforms of public performance such as Inter-school competitions, performances and even the bigger stage.

In summary, to win the marathon and also the sprint in all that we do, we need to:
– Desire the good by making the right choices and pursuing excellence through our choices.
– Know the good by adopting the right values through CCA and classroom experience.
– Do the good by modelling the way through doing the correct things.

Thank you.
Onward!