June 2015

119 286

119 June15
Instilling values and finding a
moral compass. During the Personal,
Social, Health and Citizenship Education
programme (PSHCE), students from Year
7 meet weekly with their tutor group and
cover a wide range of issues. For example,
Information Literacy is currently a hot topic.
All students have iPads from Year 5, so
they’re taught to think carefully about cyber
issues, and their digital “tattoos”.
School trips are carefully designed
to challenge the students. From the
early years, most school trips have a service
element built in, and generally foster a
bond with the local community. Ahead of
the recent Sixth Form trip to Ladakh, India,
students were trained to assist hands-on
with optometry. During the trip they were
able to assist hundreds of people suffering
from cataracts or needing spectacles. They
also raised $55,000 to fund equipment
for the clinics, including a van to facilitate
mobile outreach.
We bring the world in. From alumni
to elite inspirational speakers, Tanglin’s
speaker series gives students access to
This year, of the class of 159 students graduating from Tanglin Trust School,
20 have attended the school since Nursery. Against the backdrop of practical
jokes and celebration of camaraderie on Leavers’ Day, it’s pertinent to ask
whether children raised in a so-called expat bubble are adequately prepared
for their step into the real world. It’s a given that they are academically prepared
for university, but what about everything else? As the parent of one graduating
student and another who’s now at university, JULIE BARLOW, Assistant Head
of Upper School, has seen her own expatriate children flourish. Here she
explains Tanglin Trust School’s (TTS) approach to a well-rounded graduate.
a wide range of role models who motivate
and inspire while also encouraging students
to think and question. A female executive
from Google particularly inspired our
girls in Years 9 and 11; and a group of
recent graduates recounted their university
experiences.
University preparation is important
in Year 13.Practical information and open
discussion equip students with the ability to
make the right decisions. Our philosophy
is to be open and honest, and to talk to
students like adults, about issues they will
face at university. This ranges from drugs
and alcohol to nutrition, budgeting and
basic cooking. The first week at university,
when students need to be street-wise
and adjust to living in a different and new
environment, is an important aspect of this
preparation too.
Independence awards and grants
recognise initiative. Thanks to TTS
Foundation funding, our 14- and 15-year-old
students are eligible for a $500 contribution
towards a self-funded, fully independent
service project. Year 13 students are also
eligible for an alumni grant to match their own
fundraising for a self-organised trip or project.
Mindfulness techniques are taught and
practised throughout the school as part of
Tanglin’s focus on wellbeing. In Year 13, this
is a particularly useful strategy and important
in helping students cope with stress during
exams. Mindfulness can also be a valuable
practice for students to take with them as they
transition to university and find themselves on
their own without a support network.
Through the Creativity, Action and
Service (CAS) programme, our students
become aware of their privilege. Working
through community outreach programmes,
for example, with autistic children, children
with learning difficulties or whose parents are
not supportive can provide a setting for quite
powerful interactions. The challenge lies in our
students finding the resilience and commitment
to continue for six to eight months, despite
being outside their comfort zone.
Generally, expat kids have learned to
be culturally sensitive, tolerant, welcoming,
accustomed to transition, open-minded, and to
have a strong sense of justice. At Tanglin, we
prepare our students to leave home confidently,
despite a few inevitable nerves, and to know
that they are going out in to the world prepared
and as good people. We know that they are
ready to fly!
GO READY TOGO
95 Portsdown Road
6778 0771 |
ADVERTORIAL
Tanglin Trust School – CPE Registration No: 196100114C
Period of Registration: 7th June 2011 to 6th June 2017