A SCHOLAR’S REFLECTION
Having joined SJI in its founding year, I have seen the school flourish with new talents, new activities and new environments.
I am very grateful to have received a scholarship from SJIIM as it has given me the chance to study the vigorous yet prestigious IB diploma programme that I would not have been able to afford otherwise. It has also enabled me to study in a school that emphasises Lasallian core values and taught me how to be empathetic.
As scholars, we were given the golden opportunity to carry out service projects in the Philippines. This was a very unique experience for me as I could interact with children who spoke a language I, along with many of my peers, could not understand. The language barrier made it very difficult for us to communicate with the children and forced us to step out of our comfort zones. Instead of communicating through speech, we resorted to hand gestures. Luckily, we had a classmate from the Philippines who aided us in our communication.
This valuable volunteering experience helped to reinforce the service part of the Lasallian core values and encouraged us to do more to give back to the community. Since its inception, the school has been very open to new ideas and student-initiated activities. Activities such as the Christmas concert, themed assemblies and competitions were mostly student-led, with guidance from supportive teachers, Principals and Brothers making each event a success. These activities give students opportunities to organise events and to gather important leadership experiences.
To foster an inclusive community, the Student Representative Council successfully set up a whole school House System so that students of different year groups could come together during house events and get to know each other better. Festival assemblies are also held so that students can be exposed to various cultures and accept and treat each other as brothers and sisters despite their diverse backgrounds.
Overall, the schooling experience in SJIIM was a unique and enriching one. The various opportunities provided at SJIIM have enabled me to try various activities and helped me grow as a person.
Yip Song-Ling
2017/18 SJIIM IBDP Scholar