Josephian Annual 2024_website | Page 41

CHAPTER 3

DIARY OF EVENTS

SJI welcomed our Y5 cohort on 2 Feb . This year ’ s Year 5 Orientation Programme was themed : “ In Caelum !” which means “ Into the Skies ” with all 20 orientation groups named after cities around the world where Lasallian schools are located .

Student leaders and teachers were excited to introduce our new Year 5 cohort to the Josephian culture , ethos and to induct them into the Josephian community .

Across the 4 days of the Orientation programme , the Y5 students were engaged in various activities such as the Josephian Challenge , Mass Games at Sentosa , Heritage Trail in the Civic

District , and culminated with the Campfire . These activities were carefully designed to be fun , interactive , educational , and relevant so that the Y5 cohort had the opportunity to explore the school , forge meaningful friendships with their peers , learn more about the SJI and Lasallian heritage , ignite a deep sense of belonging to the school and to care for one another .

The Orientation Programme for the Year 5s which was led entirely by the Year 6 cohort , was a brilliant example of how Josephians rise to the occasion to be Men and Women for Others .

The Inaugural Celebration is a cherished tradition celebrating the beginning of the new academic year . It is the first formal assembly when the entire Josephian community comes together in a spirit of prayer . We also officially welcomed the newest additions to the school – our Year 1 and Year 5 students , and new members of the teaching and non-teaching staff .

During the Principal ’ s Address , Mr Justin Arul Pierre set the direction and priority areas for the school in 2024 with emphasis on Nurturing Adaptive and Inventive Thinking , and Global and Cross-Cultural Literacy . He also introduced the school theme for the year , “ Deepening Our Connections with the World , Industry and Community ”.

As we embraced the challenges and various disruptions confronting us in this ever-evolving and uncertain world , Mr Pierre called upon the school community to broaden their worldview , to adopt an open mindset and to be courageous to experiment and do things differently . This would enable us to be adaptable , nimble and resilient to changes and ambiguous situations .

Mr Pierre reminded Josephians to uphold our Lasallian ethos and traditions . In the midst of a world that seeks instant gratification and is more self-centred , we must continue to stay true to the Lasallian education philosophy encapsulated in our motto , “ Ora et Labora ” ( Pray and Work ).

The school community also witnessed our Principal and several teachers sharing the stage to sing “ We Are the World ”; their collective voices echoed with passion , spreading a message of unity , hope , and solidarity . Their heartfelt rendition of this song was a powerful reminder that as educators they also role-model the values of empathy , love and the sense of community .

The Inaugural Assembly concluded with the celebration of the Eucharist when Friar Michael D ’ Cruz OFM further emphasised the significance of Community , a very precious bond that we all share here in SJI . He also blessed the School Flag and the School Colours . These much-cherished symbols have carried many generations of Josephians through the school and beyond .