From the Principal
This December we put up the Christmas manger in school and along Whitley Road . We trimmed the Christmas trees . The Year 5s ended their first year of the IB programme celebrating Christmas - like every Year 5 cohort has done before .
We did all this again to remind everyone about ‘ what truly matters ’ as 2020 ends , and especially in the face of this year ’ s COVID-19 pandemic and the disruptions , pain and tragedy it has caused everyone . For Christians , ‘ what truly matters ’ at Christmas is God ’ s faithfulness to all humankind and humankind ’ s salvation in Jesus . For all peoples , Christmas is associated with hope ; everyone needs this promise to look ahead to the new year . This is why we insisted on celebrating Christmas as we always have .
It is in this same spirit of ‘ what truly matters ’ that I believe you will catch a glimpse of how we have continued with school and thrived as SJI this year . In doing so , we have made this challenging year manageable and meaningful .
Our efforts are commendable particularly when so much of what makes an ordinary school year has been stripped away or pared down because of the COVID-19 pandemic . Everyone played a part to accomplish this . The sum of everyone ’ s parts has in fact made this year still memorable and happy . To every Josephian and teacher , thank you for your love and care for our SJI community !
Join me now as we make our way through the 2020 Josephian Annual and reflect on how our Lasallian values of Faith , Service and Community truly mattered this school year . Let this be our simple way of giving thanks for all that has been in 2020 and of finding courage in the promised hope that 2021 will be a better year for all .
Faith
Our new Year 1 and Year 5 students began with faith that 2020 would be their very special first year in SJI . The graduating Year 4 and Year 6 seniors had similar faith : that their final year would be filled with rich , warm and memorable experiences to end their SJI days on a high note . All of them had faith that the school community would accompany them to make 2020 their happy year .
The 2020 Carnival was shelved . Morning assemblies were innovatively adapted and went online . For most of the year , CCA / CAS activities were put on hold and national competitions were cancelled . Even spaces for recess and consultation were changed to ensure everyone ’ s safety and wellbeing . The Year 4s and Years 6s graduated with less fanfare and a quieter farewell , and with parents zooming in . Wearing masks daily became the new normal .
For all , 2020 has been a challenging year to get through . For many , it was a disappointing year : the school experience seemed so much less . For some , it was a wasted year of nothing significant to remember 2020 by but the pandemic . For a few , it was simply a miserable year .
Yet , Josephians and teachers drew on the faith they had in themselves to overcome the disruptions and challenges . They found the strength , perseverance , ‘ can do ’ determination and hope to carry on studying and teaching . The graduating students demonstrated this well ; they overcame the odds , especially the month-long Full Home- Based Learning ( FHBL ) classroom time , and gave their best to prepare well for their O-Level and IB examinations . Our teachers also gave their all in preparing them for the examinations , like they did for every Josephian they care for .
More important is the faith we all had in each other to traverse the turbulent and tough terrain this pandemic wrought upon school life . Whether it was organising online CCAs like the UG groups did or serving as Safety Ambassadors to keep everyone safe , or even helping each other with homework , Josephians looked out for one another and went the extra mile with quiet resilience .
Our teachers too lived out this kind of faith in and for one another . Many teachers had to upskill their IT knowledge to conduct lessons and grade assessments online . The more IT-abled teachers conducted workshops and offered real-time online assistance to their colleagues . Some even cared for one another with online eye massage sessions and relaxation exercises . All these so that quality teaching and learning could continue for our students . I know many parents complimented our teachers for their fine efforts this year . Well done , teachers !
Most significantly , our continued faith in God as we prayed and worshipped during Morning Prayer , Mass and prayer before class reminded all of us of God ’ s faithful presence , even as the pandemic raged around us . Such faith moved the Legion of Mary students to even self-organise themselves to conduct Morning Prayer online during the FHBL period so that Josephians at home could still pray . Such is faith shared to strengthen everyone ’ s faith .
But it was not to be with the coronavirus . We all experienced a starkly changed school year . The Year 5 Orientation was significantly altered . The Year 1 ACE Camp was cancelled .
6 St Joseph ’ s Institution