Notice of AGM
Report of Activities
&
Accounts of the Association for Year ended 31st December 2009
After the AGM,
Members are invited to a tea reception after the talks.
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RAFFLES PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2010
NOTICE is hereby given that the 22nd Annual General Meeting of the Raffles Parents’ Association (“RPA”) will be held on Saturday, 27th March 2010 at 1.30pm at Raffles Institution, Lecture Theatre 2
AGENDA
1. Chairman’s Report
2. Confirmation of Minutes of the 21st AGM
3. Treasurer’s Report and the Adoption of the Audited Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2009
4. Presentation of Token of Appreciation to MC Members
5. Election of office bearers for 2010/2011
6. Any other business
Richard Wong
Asst Honorary Secretary
Dated : 8th March 2010
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Address from the Chairman, RPA
2009 has indeed been a wonderful year for the RPA!!
To begin with, RI/RJC Parents’ Association has been renamed as the Raffles’ Parents’ Association (RPA) in response to the integration of the former Raffles Institution (Secondary) and Raffles Junior College into the 6-year Raffles Institution.
The many contributions, hard work and creativity put in by the 21st Management Committee members and other supportive parent volunteers have resulted in numerous new initiatives this year, never before realized.
The RPA Bowling Tournament is one such new initiative and for the first time in the 20 years, this event brought together parents, students, teachers and support staff of the 3 Raffles schools to have fun and play together as one big Raffles family.
The Charity Dinner contributed $75,000/- towards the school’s 1823 Fund and the PSLE (Maths) Workshop, which was in the past run by an external trainer, is now conducted by our very own RPA member. The 1st RPA Town Hall Meeting served as a communication platform between parents and school and the new Parent Connect, where parent class representatives are appointed to help connect and network with parents of their child’s respective class, also serves as a bridge between parents and their children’s form teachers.
The above are only some of the events organized by the RPA. There are other wonderful events and activities not mentioned and in the last 10 years, we are certain that no other single RPA Committee has achieved so much. This has certainly raised the bar for future committees to follow in their footsteps.
A very big thank you to all members of the 21st Management Committee and other parent volunteers who, in one way or another, have contributed to the success and for making the most exciting year for RPA.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Mrs Lim Lai Cheng, Principal of Raffles Institution, for her unceasing support of the RPA. The RPA is indebted for her strong resolve, advice and leadership. We are especially grateful for her assistance in setting the policy with regard to the collection of the membership fees, a first in the history of RPA.
Our sincere appreciations also go to the Senior Deputy Headmaster, Mr S Magendiran, the Deputy Principals, administrative staff and the Estate Department for their continuous support and assistance. Like the RPA Management Committee members, they are all part of the RPA’s success story.
In conclusion, it has been a fruitful and vibrant year for the RPA, in terms of activities and we are in good financial order as well. We look forward to working with the incoming new Management Committee to keep up the good work that has been set in place and assisting the school.
Yours sincerely,
Chua Wah Ann
Chairman
21st Management Committee (2009-2010)
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RAFFLES INSTITUTION & RAFFLES JUNIOR COLLEGE PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION
Minutes of 21st Annual General Meeting of the Raffles Institution and Raffles Junior College Parents’ Association
Held on March 28, 2009 at Raffles Institution, Lecture Theatre 3.
At 1.50 pm, Honorary Secretary Frankie Chong (“Hon. Secretary”) welcomed all members to the meeting and called the meeting to order.
Item 1 – Chairman’s Report
Chairman Ng Siew Mun (“Chairman”) made a short welcome address. She recounted her 2 years of enjoyable chairmanship and expressed great satisfaction in being able to serve the school for the past 6 years. On a personal note, she was grateful to the school for being an important influence in her son’s life.
She went on to share an inspirational poem by Khalil Gibran. The role of RPA was likened to that of an archer and the parents as “bows from which our children as living arrows were sent forth”. This highlighted the close role parents had to play to support their children, while at the same time allowing them their own room to develop.
Item 2 – Confirmation of Minutes
Chairman presented the minutes of the 20th AGM. There being no comments, Mr Neo Wan Hong proposed and Mr Azhari Cuttilan seconded the confirmation of the minutes as recorded.
Item 3 – Treasurer’s Report and Adoption of Audited Accounts
Chairman introduced Mrs Irene Leow, the Honorary Treasurer, who presented the audited accounts for financial year ended 31 December 2008. There being no comments, Mr Chua Wah Ann proposed and Mrs Lim May Ling seconded the adoption of the audited accounts.
Item 4 – Election of Office Bearers 2009/2010
Hon. Secretary invited Ms Gerardine Koh, Corporate Communications Executive of RI, to serve as Adjudicator for the elections of the Office Bearers for 2009/2010.
The following members were elected to the Management Committee:
Position
Name / Proposer / Seconder
Executive Committee
Chairman
Mr. Chua Wah Ann / Mrs. Goh Swee Hong / Mrs. Tern Seo Ping
Vice-Chairman (RJC)
Mr. Ng Chai Seng/ Mr. Chua Wah Ann/ Mrs. Irene Leow
Vice-Chairman (RI)
Mrs. Goh Swee Hong/ Mr. Ng Chai Seng/ Mrs. Ng Young Mee
Hon. Secretary
Mrs. Irene Leow/ Mrs. Adeline Wan/ Mrs. Goh Swee Hong
Asst Hon. Secretary
Mr. Richard Wong /Mrs. Frances Sng /Mr. Selvakumar
Hon Treasurer
Mrs. Frances Sng/ Mrs. Ng Young Mee/ Mrs. Tern Seo Ping
Asst Hon Treasurer
Mrs. Ng Young Mee /Mr. Richard Wong /Mrs. Fiona Tan
Committee Members - RJC
Mrs. Fiona Tan /Mrs. Tern Seo Ping/ Mrs. Rina Mok
Mrs. Anne Marie Lee /Mrs. Julie Chew /Mrs. Adeline Wan
Mr. Rene Cho /Mr. Richard Quek/ Mrs. Sentha
Mrs. Julie Chew /Mrs. Anne Marie Lee/Mr. Teo Keng Chuan
Mrs. Tern Seo Ping /Mrs. Fiona Tan /Mr. Too Meng Ken
Committee Members - RI
Mrs. Ho Siew Fay /Mr. Gabriel Ng /Mrs. Jane Khoo
Mrs. Adeline Wan /Mrs. Irene Leow/ Mr. Too Meng Ken
Mrs. Rina Mok /Mr. Too Meng Ken /Mrs. Irene Leow
Mr. Gabriel Ng /Mrs. Ho Siew Fay /Mr. Chua Wah Ann
Mr. Too Meng Ken /Mr. Chua Wah Ann /Mrs. Fiona Tan
Auditors
Mr. Aaron See/ Mr. Muthu /Mr. Chua Wah Ann
Mr. Muthu /Mrs. Tern Seo Ping /Mrs. Goh Swee Hong
After the elections, Chairman 2009/2010, Mr Chua Wah Ann welcomed and introduced the newly elected Management Committee who pledged to better serve both the parents and school in the year ahead. He also thanked Ms Ng Siew Mun for her invaluable leadership and for her implementation of a new computer system, Bizcube, which enabled efficient data management and information dissemination to all RPA members.
Item 5 – Talk by RI (JC) Deputy Principal of Development & Alumni, Mr. Leong Yew Wah
Mr Leong Yew Wah spoke on the topic “Transition to JC and Beyond the ‘A’s”, giving RPA parents invaluable insights into life in college and pursuits beyond books.
Item 6 – Talk by RI Senior Deputy Headmaster/Deputy Principal (Internationalisation), Mr. Magendiran K Sinathurai
Mr Magendiran’s topic ,“The Comfort Zone”, covered the areas of setting boundaries for RI students and the expansion of these boundaries beyond the students’ comfort zones.
The talk was enriching and interesting for the parents, and provided them with many new insights.
Item 7 – Any Other Business
There being no other business, Hon Secretary declared the 21st AGM closed at 3.55pm, after which all members were invited to a tea reception.
Recorded by: Frances Sng, Asst. Honorary Secretary 2008/2009
Confirmed by: Ng Siew Mun, Chairman 2008/2009
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REPORT OF RPA ACTIVITIES FOR THE PERIOD APRIL 2009 TO MARCH 2010
The Management Committee for the financial year 2009/2010 was elected to office on 28th March 2009. Committee meetings were held monthly on the first Thursday of each month with no meetings being held during the school holidays.
RAFFLES INSTITUTION
EVENTS AND SPONSORSHIPS
RPA Activity Report for the Period April 2009 to March 2010
1) ORA Jogathon and Family Day (organised annually in April/May)
This annual event was held in Raffles Institution (Junior College) on 18 April 2009. About 1000 students from the 2 Raffles schools (RI and RGS) participated in the Jogathon. This was followed by a Food and Fun Fair. Game booths were planned and manned by the students whilst food kiosks were staffed by parents from PRGS(Parents of RGS), RPA (Raffles Parents’ Association) and Raffles Chapter (alumni of RGS). It was a fun day for those who were involved as one and all had a fulfilling time of bonding while collaborating with ORA in a meaningful way.
2) Hosting of Overseas Scholars (organised annually on Chinese New Year Eve)
This year, RPA members hosted 57 Secondary Three and Four overseas scholars from China, Vietnam, Indonesia and India. Among the 57 were 2 scholars from India and 2 Muslim scholars from Indonesia who had the opportunity to experience a Lunar New Year reunion dinner in the homes of RPA members on the eve of Chinese New Year on 13th February 2010. In total, 28 RPA members opened their homes and extended their warm hospitality to the scholars. RPA would like to thank all parents who had warmly and generously stepped forward to host our scholars.
3) Lunar New Year Dinner for the Elderly (organised annually during Chinese New Year)
As part of Raffles Institution’s Chinese New Year celebrations, RPA worked in partnership with the school’s Interact Club to host its annual CNY Dinner for the Elderly at the RI school hall on 25 Feb 2010.
About 80 residents from the Toa Payoh Care Corner attended the dinner. During dinner, the residents were entertained by performance items put up by our students. In addition, the students interacted actively with the residents, allowing the latter to feel that they are part of our big Raffles family.
RPA supported the event by making its annual cash donation of $500.00. Collectively, RPA MC members and parents sponsored a total amount of $ 2,150.00 towards the event as well as sponsored buses to transport the senior citizens to and from RI, mandarin oranges, as well as door gifts for the elderly.
4) RI Open House (organised annually in May)
The RI Open House 2009 was held on 23 May 2009. The event was well attended by parents. 41 feedback forms of the event were received from parents; of which 50% of the parents agreed that the event was educational and helped them to understand what school life at RI would be like. 18 parents have also indicated their willingness to help out in future RPA activities.
Comments from Principal Mrs Lim was “ …the Open House was cheerfully and enthusiastically attended by parents. It is heartwarming to see the support that RI enjoys with all of you, and the earnest involvement of RPA in the key activities that we hold.”
5) Principal’s Lunch (organised annually throughout the year)
RPA MC had successfully organised 5 lunches for RPA members ranging from Year 1 to Year 4 in 2009. A total of 80 members turned up for these lunches spread over different months of the year.
Parents enjoyed these open communication sessions with the school principal, Mrs Lim Lai Cheng and the Deputy Principal Mrs Tan Siok Mui. From feedback forms received, parents indicated an average satisfaction level of 4.6 out of 5 (92%). One parent commented that “This session was interesting, insightful and informative!” RPA is planning to organise 5 such lunches for this coming year.
6) Racial Harmony Day Celebration
In celebration of Racial Harmony Day on 21 July 2009, RPA parents organised a mini food fair in RI, selling Asian food such as Thai, Indonesian and Peranakan cuisine during recess. In addition, RPA parents also displayed various spices such as ginger, yellow ginger, blue ginger, lime, curry leaves, lemon grass etc, supplemented by a simple write-up of each spice, with the objective of educating our students on the ingredients used in Asian cooking.
7) RPA-ORA Golf Tournament (organised annually)
RPA witnessed yet another successful event in our third RPA-ORA Golf Tournament, held at the Raffles Country Club Lake Course on 4th November 2009. Mr Sat Pal Khattar, an Old Rafflesian and former Chairman of RI Board of Governors, was our Guest-of-Honour at both the afternoon Golf Tournament and evening Dinner events. The total amount raised from the event was a new record of $120,000 which was donated to RI and RGS to be used to support The Raffles Programme and to provide financial assistance for needy students.
8) RI Teachers’ Day Lunch (organised annually)
Held on the 28th of August, 2009 at both the secondary school and college campuses, it was a day of fond memories for both teachers and RPA members as we celebrated Teachers’ Day together.
Besides an array of sumptuous food, games were also played in RI, to the cheer and enjoyment of all. In addition, RPA presented each teacher with a gift of appreciation (a vacuum flask wrapped in a leather jacket) and a 10kg cake to each campus.
Mr Kenneth Kwok, the former Deputy Principal said, “A very big thank you to you and your team for making the Teachers’ Day celebration such a memorable one! I’m glad that the partnership between the parents and the school continues to grow from strength to strength!”
9) Principal’s Breakfast with RI (Year 5 & 6) Parents
This is a new activity organised by RPA for parents of Year 5 & 6 students.
The breakfast meeting with RI’s Principal, Mrs Lim Lai Cheng were conducted in an informal setting. 21 parents turned up for the event where breakfast was served. Issues such as CCA schedules, students’ workload as well as university and scholarship applications were the topmost topics that were discussed. All parents who had attended the breakfast meetings felt that they had benefited from the open sessions with the principal.
10) A-Level Examination Preparation Dinners (organised annually)
Started by RPA in 2007, the objective of this event is to provide some food to the Year 6 students staying back late in school to revise for their coming A levels.
The last 2 years had seen the number of students coming for this activity increasing yearly. A new record number of students, averaging 200 plus students per night, attended this year’s event.
Each night, the organizing committee served out food of different themes, such as Japanese, Korean and Western foods, hence attracting the high volume of students. Priced at $1 per person, each student received a balance meal comprising a carbohydrate item, a meat item, vegetables , a dessert, one whole fruit and a drink. RPA would like to thank all RPA parents who had contributed by way of cash donations, food contributions and manpower help; without which this event would not have been so successful.
11) Welcome Tea for Year 1 Parents
RPA organised a tea get-together to welcome the Year 1 parents on 27 Feb 2010, from 3 to 5pm. The Welcome Tea provided a platform for the parents to interact and network among themselves. As part of the programme, the parents attended a talk on ‘How to Help Your Child Phase in to RI’ by RI’s former Vice Principal, Mr Kenneth Kwok.
About 150 parents turned up for the event. RPA also took the opportunity to highlight upcoming events and activities to gain support and participation of the parents. The event achieved its objective in that we saw parents exchanging contacts and networking among themselves beyond the close of the event at 5pm.
12) Hullett Memorial Library Parent Volunteers (organised throughout the year)
11 parents volunteered their time on a weekly basis to help in the library and the computer laboratories. They helped the librarians with the loan and return of books, repairing and cataloguing of the books and magazines, putting up of artworks and manning the computer laboratories.
13) Career / Parenting Talks for RPA members
i) Career Talk on Medicine (11 July, 2009)
The 1st RPA Career Talk. “Career Choice in Medicine” was successfully held on July 11 at RI(JC) LT3 from 10.30am to 12.30pm. Approximately 120 parents and students attended the talk. Dr Chan Tat Keong, a Senior Consultant from the National Eye Centre, delivered a highly informative and interesting talk which increased parents’ awareness on what it is like being a medical practitioner.
ii) Career Talk on Academia (29 Aug, 2009)
The 2nd RPA Career Talk - “Career Choice in Academia” was successfully held on 29 Aug at RI(JC) LT3 from 2.30am to 4.30pm. Approximately 70 parents and students attended the talk. Assoc Prof Lan Luh Luh from NUS Business School, Faculty of Law, delivered an informative and entertaining talk; sharing with parents reasons why people become professors; full time employment in academia, job scope, job prospects and the qualifications to be a professor.
iii) Parenting with Confidence Workshop (10 July - 21 August, 2009)
RPA organised the Parenting With Confidence Workshop which held its first session on 10 July 2009. 20 parents registered for the 6-session course, held every Friday evening through to 21 August. The course aimed at equipping parents with the necessary tools to build in their teenagers a strong sense of self, responsibility and resourcefulness. Topics covered included effective parenting styles, boundaries for better parenting, effectual communication, discipline, esteem, expectations, coping with siblings, dating and romance amongst teenagers.
iv) Talk on “Are You a Hindrance to Your Child’s Future Success?” (31 Oct, 2009)
Dr Gan Kok Wee delivered an inspiring and thought-provoking talk which provided a close look on the crucial but often overlooked factors which contribute to a person’s success in life. He shared the findings of a 30-year longitudinal study by a Stanford psychiatrist which debunks some common beliefs and provides insights for successful parenting. Drawing upon research data and case studies, Dr Gan illustrated what successful people have in common. Dr Gan gave advice to parents not to focus solely and overly on academic success of our children. Helping our children to develop a passion in what they do is also critical for their future success.
14) Bowling Tournament (25 July 2009)
This inaugural event was organised to allow students as well as parents of the 2 schools (RI & RGS) to meet together and to strengthen the bonds between the 2 schools. Held at SAFRA Mt Faber on 25 July 2009, a total of 15 teams, comprising students, teachers and parents participated in the event. The Challenge trophy, sponsored by the RPA Chairman, was won by RI.
15) PSLE Talks (12 September 2009)
The PSLE Mathematics Workshop, held on 12 September 2009, was conducted by our RPA MC member, Mr. Too Meng Ken. Armed with several master degrees in Mathematics and vast experience, Mr Too shared with parents and students on the techniques in solving challenging Mathematics questions. This was a hands-on session for RPA members and their younger children who will be sitting for PSLE this year. Parents and P6 pupils were taught "Last Minute Tips on How to Score A / A* in PSLE Maths" and "Simple, Fast Solutions to Difficult Maths Problems". They also learnt how to adequately answer open-ended questions for PSLE Science. It was well attended with more than 69 parents and children participating.
16) Charity Dinner (15 August 2009)
In tandem with the school’s launch of the 1823 Fund, RPA organised a Charity Dinner on 15 August 2009 at the Albert Hong Hall. The Guest-of-Honour was Mr Wong Siew Hoong, ex-RI principal and current Director of Schools (MOE). About 400 RPA members and well-wishers attended the dinner. A total of $75,000 was raised through tables sales, auction and generous donations received from well-wishers and RPA members.
The 1823 Fund (named after the year of RI’s founding) fulfils the important purpose of providing financial assistance to needy RI students. It also aims to contribute seed funding for projects pioneered by the Rafflesian community that are likely to have a positive social impact.
17) 1st RPA Town Hall Meeting on Leadership Development for RI Boys (7 November 2009)
The 1st RPA Town Hall meeting was successfully held on 7 November 2009 from 9am to 11am. Acting as a platform for increased communication between parents and school management, the objective of the meeting was to allow parents to voice their opinions, field questions and hear responses from official members of the RI school management.
Facilitated and moderated by RPA, the 1st Town Hall Meeting focused on Leadership Development issues in RI (Secondary) and covered the following areas: -
* Leadership programs in RI
* Leadership positions available in RI
* Raffles Leadership Programme and Boarding
* Prefect and CCA Leaders Selection Criteria
* Leadership modules in Character and Leadership Education (CLE)
* Others
Parents who attended the meeting participated in active dialogue with Mr Kenneth Kwok, Vice-Principal; and Mr Edward Ng, RI’s Dean of Internationalization and Boarding.
18) Parent Network – Class/Level Representative (commencing from February 2010)
This year, RPA embarked on a new initiative with the school to build a Parent Network. The objectives are to support the teachers, facilitate communication among parents, the school and RPA, build goodwill between the school and parents and promote harmony and rapport among the parents. The network comprises parent representatives at two platforms, namely class and level; starting with the Year 1 parents this year.
19) Cash Awards and Sponsorships
In addition to the above events, RPA also contributed towards the following awards / sponsorships :
- Year 4 Graduation Dinner (was it called Graduation dinner? Thought school wanted to avoid the use of graduation since it is a 6 yr IP prog – check with Gerry what the right name of the event)
- Year 1- 4 Sports Award
- Year 1 – 4 Annual Swim Meet Prizes
- Year 5 – 6 Sports Boy and Sports Girl Award
- Year 5 – 6 Creative Arts Award
- Take 5 Event
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Mr Richard Wong
Assistant Honorary Secretary
March 8th, 2010
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