CCPE Adventures: The Kayaking Story

by Nur Huril Ain


Day 1: Saturday, 23 August 2008


What do you do on Saturday & Sunday rainy morning? Sleeps...sleep...sleep & sleep!

But sadly no, 13 of us didn’t.

13 of us decided to be "badak berendam" (floating hippopotamus) for the two days. So dear readers, welcome to the 3rd instalment of CCPE kayaking one-star Level course.

The last time Yours Truly went Kayaking was back in 2006 for an expedition. Being the facilitator back then, it was quite a challenge bringing the kids without having any certification. Even when the HOD asks, Yours Truly could only give her best crooked Darlie smile. So now when the opportunity came to own that certificate, Yours Truly felt like jumping into the water immediately without listening to all the necessary theory needed. Lucky for us, Fauzun don't drone like half lecturers do, but stuttered when necessary. He ensured that we pay attention to every single nautical, mileage, PFD, strokes definition and terms.



Despite the heavy rain, all of us (mostly first-timers) were quite excited to launch the kayak. After being instructed to carry the kayak from the shoreline and to wear our PFD (Personal Floatation Device), we were then told to hold each other’s hands and in a circle formation, slowly walk to the sea. To test our PFD, we were instructed to float on our backs while holding each other’s hands. If no one drowns, the PFD is safe to use. Right after that, Fauzun tested us on our water confidence by making us swim 50m to a pontoon.

After the 50m pontoon test, off we go with our respective kayaks. We did forward and reverse strokes including raft up. It was quite amusing seeing us do the “Raft up”, what with a lot of crashes; the panicky situations; some kayaks going out of direction. We had fun. Not even the heavy rain dampened our mood and Yours Truly wished at that very moment not to let Mr Sun come out. He never did.


Anyway, lunch was a total ROC (Relax one corner). Who cares about sitting prim and proper and dry? Even the pack Nasi Lemak got drenched with us.

After lunch, all of us went dizzy with 360 sweep strokes. Imagine 12 of us doing the same sweep strokes simultaneously. It’s just like water ballet but without proper synchronisation. The next thing we knew, the draw strokes were being drilled into us. Two draw strokes; The “J” and “classical” strokes are meant to “push” your kayak nearer to the expected objects, i.e. two kayaks, 5m apart and side by side. In order to raft out faster, we use the draw strokes.

Day 2: Sunday, 24 August 2008

Mr Sun came out to play with us for half a day and by then; we learnt new stuffs and perfected our strokes.

Capsize Drill is fun! Despite all the nonsensical stuffs gushing into our nostrils, everyone’s comical reactions were the butts of jokes the whole day.

Baizura is an expert in capsize drill. She managed to capsize with full confidence but unfortunately her capsized kayak refused to budge along with her as she swam towards the shore. *GRIN*


That aside, we also learnt TX rescue; either with 3 people (mainly the Lead Rescuer, the assistant and the victim) or 2 people (The lead rescuer and the victim). It was hard work though, and you could see all our rippling muscles after that - from carrying and sliding the water-filled kayaks. It’s not easy being the rescuer or the victim; it was totally mind-boggling and all our inner strengths started to drain out when we found ourselves stuck and almost giving up. It was a good drill that tested our mental capabilities.


Another draw stroke was taught: the “classical” stroke. Yours truly admit that this is the best and nicest style amongst all three strokes. You can practically see Fauzun waltzing ala Zapin (Malay dance) on the water. So delicate and fragile and yet with the powerful strokes you find yourself at the other side.

With that, we ended our Kayaking journey. Mean time, feel free to view the pictures in the album!

Toodles! :-D

Yours Truly,

NurHuril Ain
Marymount Convent

1st Dinner and Dance

Hello CCPEs!

Ever wanted to be a STAR? Tired of queueing for buffets? Want to play dress-up, look glamourous and oh so cool? Coming this December, Aspire! will be having our 1st Dinner & Dance. It's the night that you'll be treated like a star in our Gold Class themed event. So get your bling-blings and stilettos, and step on to the Red Carpet with your partners and friends cause we promise you an extravagant night filled with exciting line-ups. Attractive prizes to be won too!! Plus you'll get CCPE points just for having fun!! Don't wait up, grab your seats now! First-come-first-serve basis! This event is FREE for CCPEs.

Pls reply your name with a Yes or No, Dietary preference (vege, non-vege), INDICATE if you are bringing along your spouse / partner and send to dnd.2008@yahoo.com.sg by 3rd Oct 2008.

*There will be an admission charge of $50 for spouse / partner.

Details of the event:(Also see attached poster)

Date: 26 December 2008

Venue: Furama City Centre Hotel

Time: 6.30pm

Dress code: A touch of Gold / Movie Star

FIRST EVER DnD!! NEW STYLE, NEW CONCEPTS, NO BUFFET LINE UP! BE THE STARS OF THE NIGHT!!! MANY NEW FEATURES!!An Event Not 2 BE MISSED!! Don't WAIT! RSVP to the event NOW!!

Brought to you by D&D Comm 2008

Let’s Play Ball!

Written by: Nadia Lye (CCPE, Yuying Secondary)
Contributed by: Mohammad Shaifudin (GM, Bossaball Singapore)

Event: BossaBall Bonanza @ Yuying Olympic Gala 2008
Date: 4 – 8 August 2008
Venue: Yuying Secondary


Last month marked the 3rd year of Olympic Education Week in Yuying Secondary School.

Preparations for the event started only in mid-May. Why? …because the PE department is short-handed. In spite of that, we unanimously agreed to make this year’s event more refreshing and different from previous years.

‘If you aren't going all the way, why go at all?’- Joe Namath

Thus, began our intense research on an ‘elusive’ new sport that has not been introduced to the school. We were still clueless! Undaunted, we called Bossaball Singapore to gather more information. After much thought, discussions, numerous phone calls, negotiations and meetings, we decided to bring in Bossaball for Yuying’s Olympic Gala.

Weeks before the official opening, a site inspection was conducted by the Bossaball Team and it was decided that the bossaball activities be held in the school hall. Even though the school hall would be perfect for the unpredictable weather, we were worried that the ball would hit and ruin the false-ceiling installed in the school hall. That too, did not stop us from moving forward with our plans!

Ultimately, it boiled down to the event day; the Olympic madness came too soon!

The opening ceremony, held on 4th August, began with a captivating and motivating talk by former Olympian sprinter, Professor C. Kunalan who shared his truly inspirational Olympic journey. Right after that, Bossaball Singapore Team worked their magic. They set up the inflatable court within 2 hours and we were all geared up to start.

The Sepak Takraw C Division boys, student ambassadors for Bossaball Singapore, made their first demonstration to the entire school. It was soon followed by class participation, where they were briefed on how to play the sport and the rules of the game by Bossaball Singapore instructors.

…And The Fun Begins!

We started off with a Bossaball Inter-Class Competition.The students went crazy with excitement!,They tried to find the best players they could in their class so that they could win the match.

The educators didn’t want to miss out on all the excitement too. Teachers who signed up for the sport were scheduled to play on 5th August, with a tryout session followed by a friendly game with Yuying Secondary Alumni. In that same afternoon, invited students and teachers from Bedok View Secondary participated in a bossaball sports clinic.

The day ended with a friendly competition between the teams from Bedok View Secondary School, followed by a prize presentation ceremony. After an intense workout, the students went home feeling exhilarated and satisfied.

Where Sports Meet Music

On the last day of Yuying Olympic Gala, we went to Bishan Park for a Jog-a-thon and yes, we brought Bossaball along with us! The energy level at Bishan Park was higher than it was in school; thanks to the Samba music during the finals, courtesy of the school concert band.

Samba and Bossaball really go well together! We felt the essence of Bossaball - a cross-road where sports meet music!

And that was it.

A whole week of Bossaball in Yuying Secondary. A whole week of mad rushes for the people involved and a whole week of endless fun for the students who could not stop asking for more. Indeed, it was a successful event!

Even the students have become a crazy bunch of Bossaball-ers!

LIVING OUR VALUES

I am sure all of you are aware of our values which are built around our acronym ASPIRE!

• Attitude - In all that we do, we will do our best.
• Service Excellence - We strive to deliver quality and timely service for our customers all the time. We are always prepared to go the extra mile.
• Professionalism - We value the spirit of professionalism. We have a clear sense of commitment, perspective and direction. We have the knowledge, skills and training to do our job well.
• Innovation - We are a learning community. We are continually finding ways of doing new things or doing the same things better.
• Reliability - Our customers trust our capability to support them well and to their satisfaction.
• Ethics - We are honest, and we act with integrity in all that we do .
  

Values are not just words. They are our guideposts that lead us to our goals. To be effective we must live our values on a day-by-day basis. I am sure many of you are doing this, some without even being aware of it.

I would like to take this opportunity to share with you an outstanding example of how one of our CCPEs, Chow Yeow Teck from Pasir Ris Secondary School lived the values in an event that he experienced.

Yeow Teck has been a CCPE for only a few months. On Thursday 7 Aug 08, he accompanied some students for golf practice. One of the students was hit at the back of her head by a golf club during the practice. Yeow Teck contacted her mother immediately after the accident. Subsequently he updated the mother on her daughter’s condition and assured her she was well taken care of. She was not seriously hurt and only complained of slight pain due to a bump on her head.

Upon returning to school Yeow Teck sent the student home by taxi and accompanied her to the lift. Yeow Teck contacted the mother a few times and reminded her to take her daughter to the doctor. The family doctor examined her and confirmed she was well. The next day Yeow Teck spoke to the student’s father enquiring on her condition.

Both parents were very touched by Yeow Teck’s gesture and they really appreciated the help from the school. .The mother wrote a letter of appreciation to the school. Much of the information here is extracted from that letter.

The above incident and Yeow Teck’s response showed clearly the living out of our values of Attitude, Service Excellence, Professionalism and Reliability. Well done Yeow Teck. Keep the ASPIRE! flag flying high in your school.

I am sure that Yeow Teck is not the only CCPE who has lived out the ASPIRE! values in school. If you have, and would like to share the experience with others, please do so. Tell us how you felt and how your response to a particular incident helped you to grow as a person.

Victor Pinto

Team Building Game: Minefield

By Terry Abriel Poh - (CCPE) Anglican High


Group Size: 4-50
Age Range: Primary – adult
Intensity: Mental=3, Physical=2
Time: 10-25 minutes
Space: Minimal – Medium - Lots
Set Up Time: 90 seconds
Props: chairs, paper, hoopla hoops, etc

Objective:

Using your communication skill, you have to get your partner through to the other side of the minefield.

Set Up / Preparation

You (the facilitator) create a "minefield" (obstacle course) using whatever supplies you have on hand. You can also use chairs, paper, hoopla hoops, etc. to create your minefield.

Activity

Participants partner up and everyone stands at one end of the minefield. One partner closes her eyes and steps into the minefield. The other partner uses her voice to guide the person inside the minefield, helping her NOT to touch any of the items in the minefield. Then the fun begins...
There are variations to this teambuilding game including picking up puzzle pieces as you travel through the minefield, avoiding mousetrap, and more.

Rock Climbing @ River Valley Primary!

Rise and shine! - 26th July 2008, Saturday

Saturday mornings usually means no working day, but today I had to go back to school. The event that I have been looking forward to is finally here! Today I’m going to get my Level 1 in sports climbing.

I am an outdoors fan; be it land or sea, although I’ve yet to try anything in the air! I’ve been climbing irregularly at campsites for the past years, but I know it takes more than that to be licensed. I was ready - equipped with long pants and loose-fitting clothes, a water bottle and face towel and set off for my 2nd home, River Valley Primary School.

Upon reaching, the CCPEs headed to the AVA room for a short introduction by our instructor, Wei Zhong. He showed us a couple of important climbing tools, gears and footwear before proceeding to the rock climbing wall for a practical session.

Some of the basic things that climbers need to have to start climbing are as follows:

• A dynamic rope
• A belay device with carabineer
• Climbing harnesses for belay-er and climber
• A helmet (recommended)
• Climbing Shoes and chalk are normally used, although not technically necessary
• And of course a climbing wall ;)

As we proceeded to the rock wall, we learnt how to wear the harness correctly. Though it might not be comfortable at first, you’ll definitely get use to it after a while! Wei Zhong showed us the figure-of-eight loop, tie-in technique, which is to be tied to the climbers’ harness.

After a scrumptious lunch, we practised tying the loop and the went through the belaying techniques before taking turns to climb the wall. Up, up we go!

It was a challenge for me as I had prior minor injuries on my arms. Nevertheless, it was exhilarating, especially when we competed against one another! After much photo-taking and videos, the session soon came to an end.

I would like to thank Amy for organizing this one day course for the CCPEs. A big thank to Wei Zhong too, for sharing his knowledge and for being really patient with us!

It was a indeed a great opportunity for everyone who attended to learn and understand more about sports climbing, as it’s a growing sport among youths not just in Singapore but all over South East Asia. For those who attended - Syazadinah, Fadli, Zhen Ling, Muhammad, Diana, and Joycelyn- we sure had a crazy time together. It’s definitely an awesome bonding session too. I didn’t know that sports climbing requires us to fly ;)

Till our next climbing session. *hint hint*

Signing off,
Wana Zainal

ASPIRE! EDUSERVICES IS ASPIRING FOR THE SINGAPORE QUALITY CLASS (SQC)

Last year Aspire! EduServices achieved ISO status. This year we are going for the SQC (Singapore Quality Class), a certification from Spring Singapore.

SQC is the certification for overall business excellence standard. Based on the internationally benchmarked business excellence framework, the SQC provides organisations with a holistic model for managing a business for excellence. It has 7 categories, namely, Leadership, Planning, Information, People, Processes, Customers and Results.

We hope to achieve SQC certification by November 2008. Right now our Managers and Asst Managers are working hard preparing for the SQC certification. The process is one where we look at our current situation and compare it with the international standards under the Business Excellence Model, and then we chart our action plans to close the gap between where we are now and where we hope to reach.

Besides the management team and staff from the Capstone Group, a few CCPEs are also involved in the planning team. They include Gregory Francis and Norlisham. Thanks guys!

If you would like to find out more about SQC please go to this Spring Singapore’s website http://www.spring.gov.sg/.

Meanwhile we will keep everyone updated on our progress in the SQC journey, and if you would like to join us in this journey, do let us know,

Victor Pinto