RCY Strategic Review Exercise

Our consultant, Mr Eric Ng, was superb! He started us off with some group activities e.g. getting us to form a circle and then sit on each other's lap. I could not do this as I am still recovering from my fracture. We also had another one in which we had to hold hands and then pass a round rope which hung across our body from one person to another. Through these activities, he emphasized on the importance of communication, trust, support, foresight and vision as well as staying focused and taking care of each other.

He organized an activity in which we looked into our thinking preferences We were grouped under 4 different colours according to the choice of cards we had selected in best describing ourselves. He also showed us a video and introduced to us the whole brain approach by Ned Hermann. I must say I am very inspired by that - the fact that all of us have a natural thinking preference -

The A-quadrant Analyser (Blue): Logical thinking, analysis of facts, processing numbers
The B-quadrant Organiser (Green): Planning approaches, organising facts, detailed review
The C-quadrant ‘Personaliser’(Red): Interpersonal, intuitive, expressive
The D-quadrant ‘Visualiser’ (Yellow): Imaginative, big picture thinking, conceptualising

Many of us were in the Green (13), Red (13) and Yellow (12) quadrants. Understanding the whole brain approach would also allow to see how people think and work. The quadrant model would allow us to better understand each other, that there could be unity in diversity and how we can tap on each other's strength. We must be open to each other's ideas and try to stretch ourselves in the different areas. E.g. I am more inclined towards 'Yellow' and I can stretch towards "Green" when the occasion calls for it.

Eric then showed us another video on a group of children trying to play soccer but were not successful. Through the video, he made us see the importance of knowing the goal, being passionate about the goal and having ownership of the goal. I think this was very crucial before we set out to plan in our discussion panels on SWOT as it made us see the importance of setting clear goals as well as taking ownership on the goals and to work as a team.

After that we were grouped into 6 groups to look at the SWOT of various areas:

1. General Issues

2. Membership

3. Training and development

4. Morale and Motivation

5. Projects and Activities

6. Organization Structure

I am proud to say that within the 2 days of discussion, we had looked at the SWOT effectively as a team (HQ admin, YOs, VIs) and a long list of recommendations was drawn out. I must say that the participants were very enthusiastic and were passionate in looking into ways in improving the RCY. Though it was a long and tiring weekends, I must say that I had benefited a lot from it. I also managed to know my room mate, Ms Linda Chan from AMK Sec, much better and look forward to collaborating with her unit. I had also managed to talk to Ms Betty from Holy Innocent Primary in holding a cadet-link activity. I am really looking forward to the possible changes from our list of recommendations!

Word Power Challenge 2007

Congratulations to Ann, Leonard and Chelsy - our team came in 2nd for the National Word Power Challenge Final at the Mediacorps Studio!
Click here for the photos.

I was quite worried for them at first looking at the no. of top schools which they were competitng against. It was already quite a feat for them to be the top 6 finalists from 140 schools with over 68,000 online entries.

They did not perform well in Round 1, which was the individual round, as they were quite nervous and the questions given to them were more difficult. However, they managed to catch up their scores in Round 2, the group round, and Round 3, the speed round. We were exhilarated when they emerged as the team with the 2nd highest score after Round 4, which was the test on antonyms. I think they definitely did better in a team. They also had the strong moral support from the supporters from 4E4 and 4E3 as well as the teachers (Myself, Ms Wong - 4E4 form teacher and Mrs Florence Lee).

We were so proud of them as they received their prizes which consist of a trophy, $1000 cash (which will be sent to the school) as well as $300 book vouchers and $300 worth of Singtel vouchers.

After the prize presentation, I was informed by the organizer that the press would like to interview our students. I had already booked the bus at 4.30 p.m. and I called the bus driver to ask if he could picked us up later. However, he could not make it and our supporters had to leave earlier with Ms Wong and Mrs Florence Lee. I stayed behind with the contestents for the interview by the radio station and Straits Times.

It was a long and tiring day but I am so glad that our students performed well. I will be away tomorrow for a 2D 1N RCY strategic review exercise in Bintan. It is going to be another tiring weekend for me.

National Day Parade @ Marina

Thanks to Mdm Tan Yoke Leng for providing the photographs. You can click here for more photos. I must say I am quite proud of the 4 selected for the National Day Parade Red Cross contingent. It was tough for the girls who had to go through many rehearsals before the actual event but I am sure they have learnt much from the training. They have also got to know the other cadets from the other units all over Singapore and I am sure they had fun too.

I will try to look for the photos for the National Day Observance ceremony held in our school - our cadets have also sacrificed their holiday to take part in this RC event. It had been a busy month for our unit!

First Aid Competition 2007

Click here for more photographs.

Areas for improvement:

1. Our team members were not wearing gloves -they must remember that protecting the team members' safety is a priority. However I checked with Xiao Li after the competition and she told me that there was none in the first aid bag provided. I told her she should have alerted the judge on this.

2. Though they did a good job in quickly assessing the situation and Yang Yew called for help, Yang Yew should not just say "Call for help". As there is no bystanders - he should take the initiative to pretend to use the phone to call for help - giving the details of the casualties e.g. 2 casualties, one suspected skull fracture (as the make up shows that she is bleeding from the ears and nose) and the other leg frature as well as the location of the accident (Shuqun Sec) and the age and gender of the casualties as shown in the case study. Moreover, they should not leave the casualty unattended. Only Yu Ping was looking after the casualty and another casualty was not attended to when they searched the first aid bag.

3. I think the worst part of their performance was that they actually tried to redo the bandaging to my horror. I must remind the team for next year that they must not do so as time is crucial. They need to show more confidence and definitely more practices. I have already told them that they have to do the bandage quickly within 2 mins. Something which they are still lacking in - the urgency to tend to the casualties.

4. Towards the end, I was also quite upset as the cadets show that they are lacking in team work. While Yang Yew was doing the leg bandage, the ends of the head bandage came loose and was dangling down the face of the casualty. Though Kit Man mentioned that she was supporting the casualty, she should have just use the other hand to tuck in the ends rather than just watch Yang Yew doing it. They should have laid the casualty down and the 2 could have finished up the leg bandage together as Yang Yew could not finish doing it alone.

5. The judge also pointed out that they did not check the casualty's tooth. There is a bottle in the bag which they are supposed to keep the tooth that had fallen off.

6. However, they also did a good job in constantly checking with the casualties.

It had been a tough week training the students in 2 competitions. Finally we uploaded the script and storyboards for the New Media Challenge 2007. I hope that the team can secure the championship as we were the first runner-up last year and the 2nd runner-up in 2005. I am quite confident that they were make it to Round 2 in which they had to spend a day in the September holiday doing the filming on their 3G phones.

I will also be bringing the students to the Word Power Challenge 2007. Though it is a feat for them to get into the top 6 doing the online quiz, I hope that they will perform well on the stage too as it is a live recording at Mediacorps. All the best for the team.

CIP and competitions

Feeling a bit stressed nowadays. Just completed the flag day CIP with my form class and the Sec 2 & 3 Red Cross members this morning and tonight some of the Red Cross will also perform the first aid duty for the Jalan Kayu Night Ride. I told the cadets to call me when they report at Rosyth School and also when they finished their duty at the Buangkok Garden.

Jia Yun mentioned that she had taped the National Day Parade contingent with the cadets featured in it and I told her to give me a copy. She mentioned that Mdm Tan also took some pictures of them in the contingent - I must remember to get it from her on Monday.

I was quite upset when 3 of the students from my form class turned up in slippers and that 4 of them absent themselves. I briefed them on the purpose of the CIP at the pavillion in front of the Hougang Mall and I hoped they understand that they are doing this for a good deed - raising fund for the elderly in the SCHCC.

Decided to do a piece of digital art as I have not done one in ages. This is a picture which I had taken in FRIM in Malaysia 2 years ago and I modified it with Macromedia Firework.

Will be busy with preparing the students for 3 competitions next week - The national New Media Challenge (17th Aug), The RCY First Aid Competition (18th Aug) and the Word Power Challenge (24th Aug). I will also be going to Bintan from 25th to 26th on a strategic review of the RCY.

Word Power Challenge

Remember the Word Power Challenge which I posted in July? I am quite glad that quite a no. of you attempted and our school is one of the top 6!
http://www.wordpower.com.sg/topscores_final.asp

I will be bringing the top 3 scorers to Mediacorp Studio on the 24th August for a live recording (but it would not be broadcast - only for Singtel Archive) as well as 30 supporters which I think I will get from 4E4 and my Econs class as the top scorers are from my Econs class and mainly from 4E4: Ann, Leonard and Chelsy. I will also ask Mdm Ho for help to credit CCA participation point for those who had tried (including my 4E5 Geog class).

my art