Donation Drive for Haiyan Typhoon Survivors

From 13 – 15 November 2013, the Saints Advocate planned and executed a money collection drive to help the Haiyan Typhoon survivors. The typhoon indeed caused tremendous destruction to the lives of people in the Philippines. With the heart to help and the courage to gather the school in the donation drive, we successfully collected over $2500 in one day. All of the funds went directly to Mercy Relief to buy necessities for the survivors. The Saints Advocate would like to thank the school, teachers and students who have played significant roles in achieving this success.

Upon seeing the images and videos about the Haiyan typhoon, what struck me the most were pictures of the homeless, the orphaned and the dying who had lost their homes, their family, and had everything taken by the deadly typhoon. While they are desperately struggling to survive in the Philippines, we are leading comfortable sheltered lives here in Singapore. If all our wealth and capability meant anything in the face of such a natural disaster, it would be that we have the ability to help our neighbours in the times of need. 

One of our CCA teachers-in-charge brought up an opportunity to work with Mercy Relief. Within a short duration of two nights, we planned our fund collection including getting the donation cans from Mercy Relief and engaging the teachers and students in SAJC in the donation. Given the fact that the collection was held during the last week of school, there was no time for us to hesitate or procrastinate. This was the first time I volunteered myself to make the announcement in front of the entire school. Though I often have stage fright, this time I was not scared and nervous because I knew that this would be the only chance to reach out to the students. I am thankful that the responses from the students were very positive and encouraging. 

This donation drive is one of the only ways we as students can help better the lives of the survivors. I hope that the amount we raised can bring joy to the survivors’ lives. Though we cannot bring back what they have lost, I do believe that our effort will tell them that they are not alone in the wake of the natural disaster, where everything has been laid waste to, our desire to help still stands. This intangible support, I hope, will give them strength to overcome the difficulties they are facing. 

Carrying out the donation drive in school

I am also very grateful to have the chance to work in this emergency task force where everyone has to be disciplined and on task all the time. I learnt the procedures of fund raising and have pushed myself forward to advocate for the less fortunate in the Philippines. Confidence and a deep sense of compassion are the most important lessons I have learnt.

-Do Khanh Vy 13S17, 4th Saints Advocate

Project Acknowledgement: Behind the Scenes

From 22 August to 5 September 2013, our Saints Advocates have organised various events to engage the students in appreciating the Non-teaching staff (NTS) in our school. With the theme “Behind the scene” and catchphrase “Catch them in Action”, we hoped that the student population would realise the paramount importance of the NTS’ job even if we may not see them frequently.

Project Acknowledgement task-force

I felt that Project Acknowledgement had been a really eye opening and unforgettable experience.  I felt that I’ve learned so much from this project. Before this, I thought this project was rather small scale as it was conducted in school, however after this experience; I’ve learned that it was a really important project! The success of whether the NTS got acknowledged or not, lay in our hands. So I really wanted our project to be different but yet delivered the same message as the previous years.

I feel that our project had some pretty strong points. Such as that we came up with our project’s theme, and what tasks we were gonna carry out on our very first meeting, and basically the whole outline of the project was already formed. Thus, we were able to draft a proposal. We also had a lot of time to search for ways to encourage the student body to interact and acknowledge the NTS.

Our Project Acknowledgement poster! :)

We also faced many difficulties during this journey. One, we could not get many Saints to participate in the photo competition. In the end, our fellow advocates had to help us out instead. Due to the lack of participation, our team proposed a plan to help encourage more Saints to take pictures. We made foam flowers for the NTS and encouraged Saints to give the flower to a certain EAS and at the same time, we would take a photo! This thus helped increase the number of photos we had significantly. The NTS were also very happy with the flowers they received even though it was such a small gift. Second,  our box of post-its went missing on the third day of collection and it contained about half of the school’s contribution of the post-it notes. We didn’t expect the box to disappear and had to spend a lot of time finding for the box. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to find it so we had to act fast and find an alternative way. We learned that we should not leave such important materials left unattended. We should have collected the post-it notes at the end of each day.

We found it easier and more effective to ask Saints to write notes to the NTS on the spot as we were able to get the notes almost immediately and need not spend time to constantly remind them to hand in their notes. Some also choose to ignore and this made communicating with them really hard. I’ve also learned that we need to prepare for unforeseen circumstances. I felt we did not really plan well enough and planned for situations in which there was little participation. Thus this needs to be taken into account for any of my future projects. Communication is also very important to ensure that everyone does their assigned tasks.

We also need to learn to adapt our plans to different situations and the most important thing is to be prepared! Have extra materials ready and be ready for any changes along the way. We also need to have good time management as our deadlines for some of our things were not met. And this caused us to rush into some of it. We must always plan ahead and ensure that we are always ready to accomplish our tasks.

Foam flowers specially made for the NTS

It was a very enriching experience and I’ve learned to communicate with the NTS of the school and learned many skills that I can use for my future projects.

-Rebecca Nicole David, 4th Saints Advocate

CCA Recruitment / Open House 2013

On 12^th January 2013, our college held its Open House to welcome prospective students with a display of our vibrant school culture by exhibitions and performances by our numerous CCAs. Later on 20^th February 2013 was the CCA fest for the new students of our school, to help them find the CCA of their interests. On these days, the Saints Advocate took to the crowds, to advocate our cause and to seek out the new Advocates to share our flame.

Publicity items (: the 'Heart Plaster'

Throughout the whole journey of planning and designing our Advocate booth – to best display our purpose as Advocates as well as our one year’s journey in this CCA – I have gained a lot of experience and insight to the importance of time management.

During Open House when we first set up our booth, I felt that the task force was not very ready and that the display boards were too hastily made. Although the boards were extremely creative and informative, there were considerations that we had failed to take into account, such as the small font we used for the introductions on our various projects. The concave set-up of our booth also deterred many from walking forward to examine our boards closely. It was undeniable that many of the Advocates also felt slightly disheartened that most students who came for the Open House were more interested in what subjects the school offers rather than the CCAs available. Being turned down numerous times or simply being consulted on matters of the school’s academic achievements made us feel that the effort we put in to construct our booth was much under-appreciated  Nevertheless, we still gave it our best effort and approached many groups of students and parents who walked past our booth to advocate the cause that we stand for.

Setting up the booth in the morning before Open House (:

Due to time limitations, the booth during Open House did not turn out as effective or appealing as we expected, and that was a great concern for us. Fortunately, we had a second chance to revamp our booth for the CCA Recruitment day. With the new lease of time, better time management and more help, we successfully managed complete all our props by recruitment day.

The banner of Saints Advocate held high

One of the most satisfying props that we completed was an approximately 10m long banner that proudly hails "Saints Advocate". At first, the task force thought that it would be almost impossible for us to complete that banner in time as it stretched longer than a classroom floor and was long and wide, making drawing the alphabets difficult and tedious. Despite having to stay back in school many days to complete the banner, we worked at it with perseverance and managed to finish it three days before the actual day. Through this arduous activity and others, I felt that we had also strengthened our friendships within the task force.

Our Advocates beside the 'sign-post of events'

Furthermore, what I felt we did well in was the creation of a sign-post structure that showcased to the juniors some projects that they can look forward to in joining Saints Advocate. It attracted much attention and I felt that it was the best prop as it applied directly to the JC1s and gave them a rough idea of what to expect as compared to just finding out our past experiences. In addition, it gave me the opportunity to approach some of my potential juniors, helping me to step out of my comfort zone as well.

The CCA Recruitment task force, and the hard work of the entire Saints Advocate

All in all, I feel that the members of the task force have all grown from the experience, greatly unrecognizable from the very first time we came together. Seeing our juniors now, we could truly say that our recruitment efforts have been quite a great success!

-Natalie Keong, 3rd Saints Advocate

Wheelchair Basketball 2012

Being in the Wheelchair Basketball Association (WBA) task force has allowed me to experience a sport I had never known before, experience just how a sport can transform a person’s life. It was a very meaningful experience for me.

Through wheelchair basketball, I learnt that sports are not only an avenue to have fun, but also a way for people to connect with one another. Many physically disabled people are conservative as they are afraid to express themselves. They tend not to interact with the society due to the strong social stigma.  However through wheelchair basketball, they no longer see themselves as simply disabled persons, but as sportsmen, and this helps them to give them confidence and break away from their fear. When they see themselves differently, and open up to people such as our task force, we cannot see them as the same anymore either.

Training session at UWCSEA

This platform allows them to make new friends not only with other disabled, but also with the able-bodied people. The collaboration of the WBA with the Ngee Ann Wheelpower Club, and also with our school Saint Andrew’s Junior College (SAJC) is a very good example. We have both attended training sessions at the United World College with the WBA members, and spent time understanding the sport as well as the sportsmen. This interaction allows them to gradually come to terms with their disability and people’s initial awkwardness around them. Acceptance is forging a relationship, and a relationship is a two way connection. However, I have noticed that some disabled people are skeptical about the society’s acceptance of them. What we, as part of society, can do for them is to open our arms and accept them.

Saints facing the wheelchair giants

In our project, a lot of preparation and contacting was required. My group and I did much planning, and at times we were disappointed with the rejection of some of our ideas. We had to make many changes multiple times to suit the beneficiary. Also, it was rather difficult to contact the different stakeholders as they may take a long time to reply. However, all these challenges turned out to be beneficial as it helped to improve my communication and leadership skills. I can better understand what it means to be a leader and the responsibilities I have to take up.

On the competition day itself, many unforeseen problems also cropped up. Having to make swift decisions then, I learnt how to be flexible in my planning skills and not to rigidly follow schedule. I also learnt the value of never giving up. Although the stress was immense, I didn't give up and continued on, putting in my best effort.

Saints feeling the difficulty of the game, but enjoying themselves nonetheless

Moreover, I also learnt the importance of seeking opinions from other people such as teachers and group mates. My own way of handling things might not be the very best. Through help from others, I could have further improved the plan, thus enabling things to run smoother.

-Larry, 3rd Saints Advocate

The end of the event, but the wheels that have been set in motion will keep turning.

Project Acknowledgement 2012

In August 2012, the 3rd Saints Advocate Project Acknowledgement task force initiated their project in school to acknowledge the hard work of the non-teaching staff - janitors, canteen staff, lab technicians and security guards - and to say a big 'Thank You' to them. The task force created heart montages for each group of our Unsung Heroes, from pieces of jigsaw that the students wrote on and designed. Beside expressing our gratitude to the staff who work hard behind the scenes, it was also a warm reminder to be grateful for the people in our lives.

Project acknowledgement was a great learning experience for me as it taught me how important it is to show appreciation for and recognize the hard work of others; every “thank you" that we can easily say would go a long way in touching the life of another.

Words of thanks from the entire student body to our Unsung Heroes

Due to its timing, we had to find a balance between studying for our upcoming exams and managing this project, and it was not always easy. We faced a few setbacks (such as missing puzzle pieces etc.) and many challenges that required time and effort, which we managed to overcome as a team and with the help of other advocates.

In this project I realized that sometimes, we tend to overlook the hard work that others put in to makes our lives more comfortable, as much as we overlook the significance of our response to their work. Whether we look at them, give them a smile, or greet them in the corridor, it shows if we really care. It shows whether we think of them and their work as less than us, less than a teacher or principal that we greet (even this is on the decline).

Poster put up around the school to remind people just to SMILE (:

Hence, I feel that carrying out this project has enlightened me about what it means to show gratitude, and how important and valuable it is to be grateful. The time and effort we invested in this project was well spent, and although I can't say that I enjoyed every minute of it, it was certainly an enriching experience that I would gladly go through again. All in all, I feel that we have succeeded in expressing our gratitude to the janitors, security guards, and non-teaching staff, and in encouraging the student body to do the same.

The security guard "caught" reading the 'Thank You' card

Like Mother Teresa once said, being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat. We should always remember to give our thanks and show our concern to the people around us. That would make the lives of others better, as well as our own.

-Si Ling, 3rd Saints Advocate

Simei Care 2012

When we first embarked on this project, I had no idea what we had to do. Firstly, we had didn’t know much about Simei Care Centre and secondly, we were the first batch of Advocates to work with this organisation. In the process, we faced many setbacks and there were times when I felt like giving up, but the encouragement and support of the task force members was really heartening. Knowing that I was not alone really motivated me to persevere through.

An auntie at the centre showing us her handmade bouquet,
which we sold to raise funds for their cause

We spent hours researching on the various mental health conditions and also went down to the centre to find out about their needs. The more I knew about the mental health patients, the more I felt compassionate for them. It was not their choice to have such conditions; it might have been the result of trauma from going through a painful incident, or even passed down by genetics. Yet the society that we live in, which could possibly have helped their conditions by giving them the love and care they desperately need, instead showed a lack of sympathy and understanding that caused them to be stigmatised and shunned. The staff from Simei Care Centre also told us that some of the members do not go home because their family members do not understand them and see them as a burden to the family. After having a better understanding towards mental health conditions and Simei Care Centre, I really believed wholeheartedly in the cause that we were advocating.




Term 3 was really a busy term for me. Almost immediately after Common Test, we were told to start work on our project. There were times when I felt discouraged, especially when our proposals got rejected again and again. As someone who sleeps early, it was the first time I stayed up until 4 o’clock midnight just to make the presentation video. Even then, there were still a lot of amendments that had to be made to the video. However, the immense happiness and sense of satisfaction was indescribable when our video was finally approved and shown in school.

Publicity poster: ACCEPT don't ALIENATE

Being in a task force, teamwork is very important, and I am very grateful to have such cooperative members, providing each other with support whenever we needed it. I could clearly remember the times when we stayed back in school for rehearsals the days before our presentation, the times when we stayed up late to amend our slides and scripts through the internet, and the times when we came to school as early as 6.30 am to familiarise ourselves with the script and the stage while the Cultural Centre was still empty. Although tiring, it was a unique and unforgettable experience that I have gone through with the other task force members.

Boards that share more about common mental illnesses
and the activities of Simei Care Centre

It was not easy for us to cope with the heavy workload, especially with one of the task force members leaving us. In addition, we had to juggle with our academics with Project Work getting busier and MSA2 around the corner. Thankfully, we were given a lot of help from the St. Andrew’s Autism task force.  We even met up on weekends to work on the boards and come up with ideas to make it more appealing so that more people would read it and be aware. The fundraising and exhibition during the mental health awareness week wouldn’t have been possible without their help (and of course not forgetting the help from the other advocates for manning the booth)!

Our Teacher's day sales to raise funds for the Simei Care Centre

This project really taught me a lot. It has been a difficult journey for all of us, but we managed to go through it together, as a task force!

-Hui Koon, 3rd Saints Advocate

YFC: Hospice Care Association (HCA)

Organization: 
HCA Hospice Care

In 2011, a team was sent to participate in the Citi-YMCA Youth for Causes programme, supporting the beneficiary HCA-Hospice Care. It is an organisation that provides day care hospice services for patients with life-limiting illnesses. 

Our goal was to raise awareness of HCA Hospice Care, so HCA can gain more support and donations from the community. Funds raised will go to the day care centre, and programmes that give the patients morale and monetary support.  

What we did?

Working with SAJC photographic society, a notebook entitled "Happy Memories" was specially created  for the organisation. 

Students from Saint Advocates along with SAJC photographic society, went down to HCA and spent time interacting with the patients there. 

SAJC students interacting and having fun with HCA-Hospice Care patients

Though the sharing session with the patients, interesting stories were compiled. Relevant photographs of patients were also taken and added in, portraying the patients in their best moments. This allowed the patients to leave a legacy through their stories, passing on their knowledge.

An excerpt from the notebook

Poster used for publicity by YFC-HCA Hospice Care team

SAJC students introducing cup stacking to the local community as part of a fundraising event.

Through the sales, we raised about 2.2k. More importantly though the notebook helped raise awareness about HCA throughout the school and to the public. 

YFC: Caregivers Welfare Association (CWA)

Organization: Caregiver Welfare Association (CWA).

The aim of CWA is to improve the quality of life of elderly through dependable direct care services, and to create a generation of responsible and knowledgeable caregivers.

Who is the target audience of help?

There are two groups of target audience, the elderly and their caregivers.

What we have done?

We conducted sales in our school where we set up booth and sell handmade items of the Caregiver Welfare Association. We also distributed some pledge cards to some of our schoolmates. 

On Sundays, we also conducted street sales at churches and town areas like Orchard road. 

Lastly, it was our main event conducted at NEX event plaza. It was a three-day roadshow where we had sales of handmade items, exhibitions and interactive games with the public. We conducted beads-making lesson, balloon scruputuring session and health quiz as well. Not only did we raised funds for the CWA, we also achieved another important objective and that is to raise awareness about the organization.

Our publicity poster for our roadshow

Highlight of our roadshow – Garden of Love.

How much money we have raised?

We exceed our initial targeted amount of $2500 and had a total profit of $5543.59.

Brought to you by:

TEAM CWA 2011 - Nguyen Nguyet Anh, Teh Wen Shun, Sheena Tan, Gina Hiu.

Cultivating a Grateful and Gracious Society

Organization: Mercy relief

Mercy Relief was one of the major NGOs that provided aid during the Indian Ocean Tsunami 2004 and Japan Earthquake 2011.

Like the hand extending help in the logo, Mercy Relief provides assistance to disaster stricken communities in Asia.

Mercy Relief also focus on long term development projects for the impoverished and locally aims to develop a caring and socially-conscience society.

What does Mercy Relief do?

Internationally:

•  Disaster relief by providing first hand relief, rehabilitating victims and reconstructing affected areas.
• Contributing to sustainable development through education, healthcare, shelter, water and sanitation and teaching people skills for people to have sustainable livelihood.

Distributing rations during the 2011 Bangkok Floods

Locally:

•  School outreach to encourage students to appreciate and take action for humanitarian causes.
• Cultivating a Gracious and Grateful Society, Cultivating a Gracious and Grateful Society
• MOVE: Mercy Relief Volunteer Expeditions for volunteers to participate in projects complementing Mercy Relief’s current projects in Asia

Students on the MOVE expedition conducting English lessons for children

 Let’s play!

What we did:  

In 2011, Saints Advocate collaborated with Mercy Relief to organize the second Cultivating a Grateful and Gracious Spirit(CGGS) exhibition in school. Through CGGS, Mercy Relief aims to make Singapore a more gracious society and for people to appreciate and treasure more what they currently have.

Located at netball court, the CGGS tent showcased photo exhibitions of past projects by mercy relief in various disaster zones.  The exhibit included the amazing water purifying bicycle! This amazing bicycle could purify water as long as someone was peddling on it!

Saints Advocates teacher Mr Ho riding on the magical bike for CCA day!

As part of the exhibit, pledge booklets were also distributed to encourage people to pledge to become a more gracious member of society.