JOSEPHIANS | LUMEN
21
Reflections of a
Secondary One Parent
By Nazir Keshvani
First of all , I have to confess ; I missed most of the activities that my son Kiran Keshvani ( Fintan 102 ) was involved in during the orientation camp as I had my hands full with work . You see , Kiran graduated from St Joseph ’ s Institution Junior last year ( 2013 ) and is now part of the 2014 Secondary One cohort of St Joseph ’ s Institution ( SJI ) at Bishan .
However , I did make it to tail end of the Parent Orientation Programme on 17 January 2014 , when the badge pinning ceremony was held . One of the highlights was a short video that depicted a compendium of images and highlights of the orientation camp experience , with the song “ Good Time ” by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen playing in the background .
Watching that video , I got a sense of the joyful bonding experience that Kiran must have undergone at the camp . I even caught glimpses of Kiran in the photo montage . The camaraderie and joie de vivre were palpable .
My thoughts went back eleven years ago when my elder son , Dillon , was going through the same process . It was the year 2007 ; Dillon was making the transition from St Michael ’ s School ( SJI Junior as it was known then ) to SJI .
You see , as an old boy of the Christian Brothers School ( CBS ) and the De La Salle fraternity , I wanted my sons to undergo the same educational journey . My wife , Rukmani and I wanted them to benefit from a holistic education system that gave equal emphasis to academic excellence and character development .
Dillon told me he had feelings of apprehension and anxiety before the orientation and he was nervous about making new friends . His fears were unfounded . The camp he attended as part of the orientation made him feel at home and helped inspire a sense of belonging . He made new friends easily . I was glad he adapted well .
Dillon went on to be a member of the school fencing team and has a few National Inter-School Competition medals under his belt . In addition , he plays the guitar and is part of The Roses , a rock band formed with a few of his school mates . The band was often called upon to perform during school events , notably the Teachers ’ Day concert , and represented SJI at the 2010 Performing Arts Festival organized by the Co-Curricular Activities Branch of MOE .
I recalled feeling a sense of pride during the 158th Speech and Graduation Day ceremony on 2 October 2010 when Dillon and his schoolmates commemorated the end of their secondary school journey . He has grown up to be a well-adjusted individual , a confident young man ready to take on the
world ( once national service is out of the way ).
Like his brother , Kiran told me initially he did not know what to expect of the orientation camp . However , he made friends easily with his peers as well as with the peer support leaders ( PSL ). He learned to recite cheers and participated in games that emphasised co-operation such as one where they were required to transport plastic bags filled with water by balancing them between their bodies without using their hands .
Friar Michael D ’ Cruz ’ s talk on living as a community in SJI left an impression on him . Friar Michael also used a song with different tones and got the boys to dance along as an analogy . In the end , Kiran enjoyed the camp and made some lasting friendships . Kiran has a lot going for him . Following in his brother ’ s footsteps , he has signed up for fencing as a Co- Curricular Activity . Kiran is an aspiring writer and thespian , a magician-intraining and a proficient drummer . It remains to be seen if he will win some fencing medals or form a band , but already he is on track to match , if not outdo his older brother .
I look forward to the day when Kiran , like Dillon , graduates in his fourth year from an esteemed institution of learning at the redeveloped Malcolm Road campus . One thing for sure - regardless of the physical location of the campus , the SJI spirit of brotherhood and comradeship will always prevail .
This page ( top ): Kiran ( front ) thoroughly enjoying adding colour to his Sec 1 classroom
This page ( centre ): Dillon receiving his graduation certificate from Guest of Honour Mr Gerard Ee
This page ( bottom ): Kiran ( left ) and his dad , Nazir