National Education Commemorations
International Friendship Day 2024
Our Regenites were in high spirits as they were treated to several performances that commemorated International Friendship Day.
They were first regaled by the jaunty tunes of two pieces of songs played live by our very own Regent Pop Band. Our audience gamely clapped along to "Lemak Manis", a traditional Malay timeless classic of Malaysian music appreciated for its poetic lyrics, melodious composition, and emotive performance, and to "Pasilyo", a song well-known as a “wedding anthem” because of the promise of eternal love that it expresses.
The highlight of the day was the panel sharing held by our very own international students. The six students warmly welcomed questions on their experiences of living in Singapore and shared the struggles they encountered while adapting to our Singaporean culture.
It was an eye-opening session indeed for our Regenites learning about the important role Singapore plays in ASEAN and fostering stronger friendships with their international classmates.
Total Defence Day 2024
2024 marks 40 years of Total Defence (TD40) in Singapore and we commemorated TD40 with an exciting line-up of programmes in Regent Secondary School.
In keeping with this year’s theme, ‘Together We Keep Singapore Strong’, our Cyberwellness Representatives and Peer Support Leaders shared with their classmates on the ways Total Defence can be put into action. This rich sharing on the pillars of Digital Defence and Social Defence were done through informative and engaging presentations.
Our annual Total Defence Day Parade also exemplified this spirit of togetherness, with cadets from our four Uniformed Groups—the Boys’ Brigade, Girls’ Brigade, National Police Cadet Corps, and Red Cross Youth—coming together in a show of strength and unity, similar to the many social groups that make up Singapore. Our cadets also put together awareness campaigns on the pillars of Civil Defence, Military Defence, and Social Defence and exhorted their peers to do their part for our nation.
In addition to the exploration of the Total Defence game booths that were set up by our National Education Ambassadors and alumni, Regenites also participated in the inaugural run of Exercise SG Ready. It is an island wide Total Defence exercise aimed at enhancing Singaporeans’ readiness in times of crisis and disruptions. A food supply disruption simulation exercise was also carried out in the school on 16 February, with the usual canteen fare replaced with shelf-stable, ready-to-eat meals that featured novel ingredients like plant-based seafood and local produce such as abalone mushroom and barramundi. With climate change and supply chain disruptions which are a growing reality in our world today, our students through the Exercise, learnt more about Singapore’s efforts to boost food security and the importance of being able to adapt, adjust, and remain resilient in the face of crises.
National Day Celebration 2023
As Regent celebrated Singapore’s 58th birthday, we reflected upon this year’s national day theme, “Onward As One”, which calls upon Singaporeans to look forward confidently while moving onward together in building our shared future as one united people.
The day started off magnificently at the parade square as the school gathered for the Observance Ceremony. The marching of our Uniformed Group cadets symbolically exemplified the notion of Regenites "moving onward as one. The Concert Band kept our spirits high with their live performance, especially as we came together “as one” while singing the national anthem and reciting the “Recollections.” Show Choir’s melodic singing of “My Nation, My Home” raised our determination to rise above all challenges that lie ahead.
During CCE lesson, the lower secondary students had a chance to reflect upon the importance of our day-to-day interactions in building a sense of belonging while the upper secondary students pondered upon our strengths and areas for improvements in building inclusivity and unity in Singapore. The lessons impressed upon the importance of playing our part in moving onward as one.
After the CCE lesson, the school gathered once again in the hall for the National Day Celebration, where we relished the enjoyable performance put up by our Regent Pop Band as well as the Show Choir. We also looked back fondly at the various leadership and community outreach programmes which allowed us to give back to the community. It was uplifting to hear from our lower secondary students what they love about Singapore in the Regent Rave National Day segment. The concert ended on a high note as Regenites took part in a lively gameshow “Do Not Forget the Lyrics – National Day Edition.” The whole school was reverberating in joy while singing in unison to our favourite national day songs, led by Show Choir members and some of our beloved teachers!
Regent Secondary School proudly celebrates Singapore’s 58th birthday and we are committed to move “onward as one”!
Racial Harmony Day 2023
Regent Secondary School celebrates Racial Harmony Day with a series of cross-cultural activities conducted over the duration of a week.
Firstly, our National Education (NE) ambassadors shared their experience participating in Quest for Harmony heritage trail with the school.
Next, we also invited Interaction Arts and Drama Network to our school to stage the drama performance, Hope: A Lost Phone, to share the importance of respecting and embracing different ethnicities, and upholding racial harmony in our society.
Finally, booths were also set up in the canteen by our NE ambassadors and Parent Support Group (PSG). There, our NE ambassadors shared interesting facts about the various places of worship of different ethnic groups. Regenites also had fun sampling the ethnic snacks, with many enjoying themselves thoroughly as they tried out different traditional games at our PSG booths.
Student Tay Jin Yi from 4-Empathy remarked, “Celebrating Racial Harmony Day is truly an imperative occasion where many Singaporeans of different race, language and religion come together to celebrate our differences. It was truly a wonderful experience to experience the sense of national identity in Singapore.”
As PM Lee said, "There is nothing natural about where we are - multiracial, multi-religious, tolerant and progressive. We made it happen, and we have got to protect it, nurture it, preserve it, and never break it." We hope that this week-long event will remind Regenites of the need to stand united as one country, and guide them to recognise that multiculturalism is the key to our strength and progress as a nation.
International Friendship Day 2023
International Friendship Day recognises the role that friendship plays in promoting peace amongst various cultures. We kicked off this year’s celebrations with a special edition of Regent Rave, an online Assembly programme showcasing the experiences of four students who come from ASEAN countries like Myanmar, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand. It was fascinating to hear these students share personal anecdotes, which paint a vivid picture of life and tradition in their home countries. As different as these countries may seem, what was apparent from the presentation was a shared love for food—the common thread that arguably binds us all Asians together!
The theme of ‘unity in diversity’ came alive for Regenites too on the second day of the programme, where they were treated to a handbell performance in the school hall. Students had an enjoyable time listening to creative renditions of popular tunes which fused Asian and Western instruments for a truly delightful musical experience. They also got the chance to try their hand at creating music with the handbells!
A week-long exhibition at the Canteen further impressed upon Regenites the challenges and opportunities faced by Singapore in Asia. Being uniquely positioned in a time where change is afoot regionally and globally, Singapore faces several vulnerabilities, and it is important that we continue to maintain positive diplomatic relations with our neighbours and the world at large.
All in all, we hope that Regenites come away from the programme with a heightened understanding of global issues and a renewed sense of purpose in their role as future-ready global citizens!
Total Defence Day 2023
We commemorated Total Defence Day this year with a slew of activities aimed at rallying Regenites together in responding to challenges that may threaten Singapore’s stability.
The week began with an informative presentation by our Peer Support Leaders, who shared with their classmates practical tips on strengthening social cohesion. Then, on 15 February, our Uniformed Group cadets came together to put up a fine display of unity with a Total Defence Day Parade. They also helmed a special programme to promote awareness of the pillars of Total Defence amongst their peers, with engaging presentations on basic first aid skills and the Public Warning System. To educate Regenites on being secure, alert, and responsible online, our Cyberwellness Ambassadors put up an array of interesting exhibits at the canteen and were on hand to explain what a strong Digital Defence means.
As we have seen over the course of the pandemic, it is important that Singapore remains strong and its populace resilient to withstand challenges both local and global. The week’s CCE lesson highlighted initiatives pertaining to food sustainability in Singapore, and it was inspiring to see Total Defence in action for something so prosaic and which many arguably take for granted.
To round off the week, a lockdown drill was conducted to strengthen our school’s emergency preparedness and response. This served as an important reminder of the part we all have to play in keeping the Regent community and our loved ones safe.
NRIC Presentation Ceremony 2022
20 October 2022 was a special day for our Secondary Three students, who received their NRICs from our Principal and their Form Teachers.
To kickstart the presentation ceremony, a lesson on citizenship was conducted and our students learnt more about the significance of the NRIC and the rights and privileges they enjoy as a Singapore citizen. Of course, with these privileges come great responsibilities that one should uphold as a citizen of the country. Our students then participated in an in-class discussion where they thought about ways they could actively contribute to our nation’s progress. Students pledged to do their part through small actions like picking up litter to keep our country clean, serving National Service, and shared their aspirations for making Singapore a better place for all to live in. The ceremony rounded off with a photo-taking session where our students proudly displayed their NRICs, now imbued with new meaning. ‘The NRIC is important in helping to identify Singaporeans. It is a significant document that recognises one as a citizen or Permanent Resident of the country. I am glad that I can finally identify myself as a true Singaporean, not just with my passport, but also with this card. It gives me a sense of belonging to the country, and I am very thankful for that,’ shared Siti Nurul Aireen Binte Rozali (3-Respect).
For Tay Jin Yi (3-Empathy), the momentous occasion has helped shape her understanding about what it means to have a sense of identity and belonging to this place we call Home. ‘I am forever grateful to our founding fathers and pioneers for all that they have done for our nation. Knowing this has made me more motivated to contribute back to society as part of Singapore’s future generation of leaders.’
Indeed, John F. Kennedy once said, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.’ It is our hope that our Regenites grow to become responsible men and women who take great pride in defending and shaping our nation through civic action and public service.
In class Padlet responses
National Day Celebration 2022
Each time we sing the lines in the chorus of our National Anthem, “Majulah Singapura”, we are filled with a strong sense of patriotism and hope for Singapore. The theme for this year’s National Day, “Stronger Together, Majulah” aptly brought out the spirit of the nation as we commemorated the event on 8 August 2022. “Stronger Together” reminds Singaporeans that unity in our diversity is what makes us stronger, whereas “majulah”, which means “onward”, encapsulates our hopes and spirit as a nation since our independence 57 years ago.
The day started off majestically at the parade square as the school gathered for the Observance Ceremony. Our sharp-looking Uniformed Group cadets were already in formation, representing the fortitude of Singapore. The Concert Band alleviated our pride during the singing of national anthem as we sang along to their live performance. As the students recited the “Recollections” and chanted refrains like “We pledge to keep our nation free, with justice and equality”, we solidified the pledge that the future is in our hands, and we should not take our independence for granted. Our strong emotions continued to soar as Show Choir led us in the singing of “My Nation, My Home.”
During the national day lesson, students had a chance to reflect on their experience of living through the pandemic and make a commitment on how they could contribute to a future they envision for Singapore by submitting their digital pledge. The future of Singapore is also dependent on our international relationships and Singapore is one of the founding countries of ASEAN. Since 8 August happened to be ASEAN Day, NE Ambassadors led their classes in a Kahoot activity to remind students of the role ASEAN plays for the nation.
In the last segment, the school gathered once again in the hall for the concert item. We were greatly entertained with a live drama programme entitled, “Pieces of You, Pieces of Me” by Interaction Arts and Drama Network. Through the character, Sam, students were reminded of the critical role they play in preserving our nation’s heritage and defending the nation.
To see our dreams come alive, the National Day edition of Regent Rave gave us the chance to hear our students share their well-wishes for Singapore. We were inspired to be stronger together and take actions for our beloved country. Hence, it was momentous for the school to rejoice the culmination of “Together Regent Care,” in which every member of Regent family contributed goody bags for our partners in the community as well the support staff in our school.
The day ended in a high note as we were once again serenaded by Regent Pop Band who performed some of our favourite National Day melodies. Show Choir students once again led the school in the singing of community songs as we expressed our love and joy for Singapore.
All in all, Regent Secondary School would like to wish Singapore a Happy 57th birthday and we are proud and exhilarated to celebrate this significant day with the nation!
Racial Harmony Day 2022
Regent came together to commemorate Racial Harmony Day on 21 July, and it was a day where our students reflected on and celebrated Singapore as a harmonious society built on a rich diversity of cultures.
‘Multicultural Mosaic’ is the theme for 2022, and it aptly reflects how each community, while having the space to express its own identity, intertwines with others to create the unique cultural diversity that characterises Singapore life. To bring this theme alive, we had an inter-class competition where our students drew beautiful mosaics that showcased the richness of our culture with food, costumes, festivals, and traditional entertainment galore!
The hall too was a sea of colours as our students gathered for the Racial Harmony Day Concert. To mark the occasion, many donned traditional costumes such as the baju kurung, cheongsam, and sari, and they took pride in explaining the significance of their attire to their peers. The school was abuzz with excitement as our lively student emcees took the stage and shared interesting tidbits about the various festivals celebrated in Singapore. English Drama also put up a meaningful performance about how our forefathers had to navigate changes and learn to work with different groups to make Singapore a prosperous place.
For student Lim Xin Tong (1-Empathy), the highlight of the concert was seeing Regent Pop Band perform a medley of songs in Malay and Mandarin. The performance served as a reminder that we can enjoy and appreciate music and entertainment from many different cultures in Singapore.
Finally, our students continued discussing the issue of race during their weekly CCE lessons, where they reflected on their personal experiences. Newspaper articles were also used as a springboard to discuss contemporary events pertaining to the topic.
Celebrating Racial Harmony Day 2022 was a poignant reminder that all of us play a critical role in maintaining social cohesion in Singapore.
E-Internationalisation
Regent Secondary School had its first inaugural Internationalisation Programme with students from Botany Downs Secondary College, Auckland, New Zealand at the end of Semester 1 this year.
The Internationalisation Programme aims to equip Regenites with a global perspective. With globalisation, students will need to possess multi-cultural literacy and the use of technology which is becoming increasingly important. Bearing the concept that “The World is my Classroom”, this international exposure provides opportunities for students to engage in real-world application of knowledge, skills and values which will be beneficial academically and holistically.
After the opening addresses by our Principal, Mr Leong Kok Kee and Head of Social Sciences of Botany Downs Secondary School College, Ms Karen Douglas, the sharing commenced and students had the chance to interact with each other and share about their country, their school life and environmental sustainability.
From Regent Secondary School
One of the students, Bryan Wong (3-Integrity) said, "It was good to meet them ‘live’ on-screen and to share with them about our hawker culture and interesting places in Singapore. We also introduced them to Regent Secondary School. I hope that we will be able to interact further with Botany Secondary School students in future and forge new friendships with them.”
Environmental Sciences CCA leaders, Joeie Neo (3G) and Grier Quah (3-Empathy), shared, "I liked the sharing on environmental sustainability in Botany Downs Secondary Collège and hope to implement some of their ideas in our school. When I knew that I was selected to participate in the e-internalization program, I had a mixed feelings of excitement and being nervous. Throughout this e-internalization, I gained a better understanding of what New Zealand schools are doing to protect the environment and observed how their lifestyles are very different from ours.
Kar Yan (3 Empathy) noted, “The students were very friendly. Initially, I was scared and nervous, but I overcame this when I realized that they were students of the same age. They were open to sharing of their learning experiences and I hope to meet them one day.”
From Botany Downs Secondary College
It was fun to see how they spend their mornings in Singapore. I liked their uniforms because they were very classy and looked excellent. It was fascinating learning about Singapore. Singapore looks like a great place to live and learn. I now want to move there, they made it so appealing. - Maddy
I really enjoyed listening to the entire presentation and meeting people from a different part of the world. I learnt a lot about Singapore and how they spend their mornings quite differently from ours. It gave me an opportunity to compare how our life is in New Zealand to theirs in Singapore. I particularly liked the uniform and the presentation about the different types of foods you can get in street stalls and restaurants. I was quite surprised but impressed with the ban on chewing gum and how people abided to the rule. Overall, I think this was a really great opportunity to meet new people from around the world and compare how different our lives are. - Nyesa
I really liked learning all of the new information about Singapore and their way of life. It was nice hearing about the culture and the food along with the tourist attractions as well. Their school life was the most intriguing to hear about since it was so starkly different from ours in New Zealand. They have so many eco and environment programs and competitions in school. Hearing about the mix of cultures and food was also quite nice since New Zealand is also a mix of cultures and religions. Looking at the presentation slides about food made me quite hungry since the pictures made the food looked so delicious. Overall, it was a very entertaining session where everyone learned something and enjoyed themselves. - Raunaq
In conclusion, as it was a first for us, we were very pleased to hear positive comments from both schools. Though we were on a tight schedule, it was a good start to allow our students to connect with students from another side of the world. It was heartening to see the students expressing interests in having another ZOOM meeting with their new friends, exchanging emails and Instagram accounts to keep in touch and maintain this new friendship.
International Friendship Day 2022
Our Regenites commemorated International Friendship Day on 8 April, and a myriad of activities was organized throughout the week for students to understand the importance of good relations between friends and countries.
At the start of the week, our Principal set the context for Regenites to understand how the conflict in Ukraine could affect Singapore and our sovereignty. Students continued to delve deeper into the topic during CCE lessons by discussing how the war had impacted the people of Ukraine as well as how the international community has responded to the conflict. This deepened our understanding of Singapore’s realities as a small state and the importance of safeguarding our national interests. Students also took part in an exciting inter-class competition, where they designed posters to encapsulate their key takeaways from International Friendship Day.
In addition, students also had the chance to listen to how strong friendships have been forged between Regenites of different nationalities. Our international student, Kim Huiyeon (2-Gratitude) shared about her experience growing up in Korea and how she has adapted to life in Singapore. Her Singaporean classmate, Lee Xin Yan Richelle, shared how she and Huiyeon have strengthened their friendship through common interests.
Our NE Ambassadors also led their classmates to facilitate an engaging activity to learn more about the significance of international friendships. Designed with the principles of Differentiated Instruction, students moved around three Learning Stations set up in the classrooms to access various interactive and rich texts. Students watched interesting videos, read insightful articles from the special IN Edition, and took part in Kahoot quizzes.
Overall, our students had a blast learning about International Friendship Day whilst promoting the spirit of friendship and collaboration. All of us have an active role in fostering people-to-people ties and celebrate the region's diversity and vibrancy!
Total Defence Day 2022
Total Defence is the cornerstone of Singapore’s deterrent strategy, and is crucial to the continued security, survival, and success of the country.
This year, we commemorated Total Defence Day with a slew of activities throughout the week, beginning with a parade by our Uniformed Groups on Tuesday, 15 Feb. It was heartening to see our Boys’ Brigade, Girls’ Brigade, National Police Cadet Corps, and Red Cross Youth cadets come together as one for this momentous occasion.
Our weekly CCE lessons also continued to reinforce the need for us to play our part to protect ourselves against hybrid threats. In keeping with this year’s theme, ‘Together We Keep Singapore Strong’, our students created artefacts to pledge the small ways they could help put Total Defence into action in their daily lives. They also joined our Cyber-Wellness Ambassadors at an interactive booth in the canteen where they learnt more about digital defence and even participated in a quiz to win wonderful prizes!
On 17 February, our series of commemorative events concluded with a special programme helmed by the Uniformed Groups. Our enthusiastic UG cadets stepped into every class to promote awareness of and participation in the 6 pillars of Total Defence. Students learnt new skills such as Basic First Aid and familiarised themselves with the Public Warning System as well as the game, ‘Guardians of the City’.
Overall, we had a memorable TDD which enhanced our four key citizenship dispositions: a sense of belonging, a sense of reality, a sense of hope, and the will to act.
Together, we keep Singapore strong!
NRIC Presentation Ceremony 2021
23 September 2021 was a momentous occasion for our Secondary Three students, who received their National Registration Identity Cards (NRIC)!
They learnt more about the significance of the NRIC as a symbol of citizenship and were engaged in a fun activity to check the formula behind their T-series NRIC numbers. We hope today's event has inspired our Secondary Three students in their journey as youths of Singapore!
NRIC Registration
On 29 June 2021, our 15-year-old students registered for their NRIC in school for the first time.
It is an important milestone for our students as it represents a day they become more aware of their citizenship as well as the rights and responsibilities that come with being a Singapore citizen.
With safe management measures in place, the exercise was carried out in an efficient and orderly manner. Thank you to our school’s support staff for making this exercise run smoothly!
Total Defence Day 2021
Over the course of the past two weeks, Regent Secondary School commemorated Total Defence Day 2021. Some of the activities that our students were involved in include a pop-up display showing the Total Defence Puzzle, which showcases the many items that the public can do to put Total Defence in action. Our Uniformed Groups cadets also came into action, conducting lessons which imbue skills and knowledge such as First Aid to the whole school, as well as putting up a parade to demonstrate their commitment to Total Defence. Students in school were also involved in the “Find the Suspicious Package” Activity, which aimed to hone students’ vigilance in looking out for dubious items which looked out of place. To cap off the whole series of activities, the school invited several veteran SAF soldiers and NSmen to share their experiences with the school via Zoom. These engaging speakers took the opportunity to impart valuable lessons about how Total Defence can aid Singapore in its fight against Covid-19, as well as how National Service serves as a strong pillar of defence for Singapore. Overall, these whole suite of activities served to educate our students about Total Defence, and how “Together, we keep Singapore strong!”
International Friendship Day (IFD) at Regent 2021
In the month of April, we celebrated International Friendship Day (IFD) at Regent Secondary School! The theme for this year’s IFD is "Singapore in the World". From 5th to 9th April, students took part in various activities such as learning about Singapore's relations with countries around us during our morning assembly programme as well as understanding more about COVAX and Singapore’s contributions to the world during CCE lessons.
Information sheets about COVAX created by Upper Sec students
Our Upper Secondary students have also prepared information sheets to educate their juniors about COVAX. Through this CCE-IFD lesson, students are more aware of the need for countries to offer practical help in ensuring the world is a safer place for all humanity.
Our NE Ambassadors have also been hard at work. On International Friendship Day, our ambassadors led their classmates in completing a Crossword Puzzle as well as a Venn diagram to build on students’ understanding about the different countries around us.
We also had some of our foreign students from Vietnam, Malaysia and India take to the screen to share about what life was like back in their home country in terms of food, pastimes, festivals and education system. Through these activities, students got to learn about the countries around Singapore, and realized that beneath the differences we are all very much alike. Finally, we capped off the day by having all staff and students wear yellow to school to commemorate the importance of Singapore developing friendships both within ASEAN as well as with the other countries around the world.
Happy International Friendship Day 2021!
Racial Harmony Day 2021
Our teachers and students donned colourful ethnic costumes to commemorate this special day which marked the importance of maintaining racial and religious harmony in Singapore’s multi-ethnic and multicultural society. With this year’s Racial Harmony Day theme being ‘Common Spaces, Connected Communities’, our group of teachers from the National Education Committee planned meaningful activities to encourage our students to understand the importance of common spaces in Singapore and how such spaces foster cohesion and harmony. A key highlight was the rich discussion in each class about their positive experiences with different ethnic groups. Students had fun sharing their memorable moments with their classmates, while maintaining safe distancing.
