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JC MERGERS: At Innova JC, a strong spirit forged from tough early days

SINGAPORE — Faced with a not-so-ideal school environment, the pioneer batch of students and staff members of Innova Junior College (JC) banded together and bonded quickly to shape the school’s image and community, forging a school spirit that has remained steadfast and robust for a college so young.

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SINGAPORE — Faced with a not-so-ideal school environment, the pioneer batch of students and staff members of Innova Junior College (JC) banded together and bonded quickly to shape the school’s image and community, forging a school spirit that has remained steadfast and robust for a college so young.

Ms Hilwa Razali, 29, who was part of the JC’s first cohort when it opened in 2005, can still take herself back to her first day at school, stepping in and thinking it was a construction site. Facilities were not all ready, amenities were lacking, and there was just one block of classrooms and one lecture theatre.

Ms Hilwa, now a senior manager at an educational centre, recalled that classes were held in a dusty environment while drilling sounds were the daily background noise.

The canteen was the only place for students to hang out, but that, too, was not very pleasant. “It was boarded up due to the surrounding construction work. There was no natural light, no view at all,” she said with a laugh. “A lot of areas were cordoned off. It was just a mess.”

However, the experience brought everyone closer and made them feel that they had a stake in the JC. Among many things, they needed a school song.

The music score was composed by veteran Singaporean musician Dick Lee, and English literature teacher Chitrakala Arumugam, one of the pioneer batch of teachers there, was tasked to write the lyrics in 2004.

It took her two years to source for inspiration — she wanted it to reflect a “school of dreamers” who aspired towards excellence. The school song was eventually titled Ad Astra, a Latin phrase which means “to the stars”, and delivered in 2006.

A competition was also held among the pioneer batch of students to design their school uniform, with the final look inspired by the winning entry. In the meantime, students wore their secondary schools’ skirts and pants which were paired with the college’s T-shirt.

Web developer and ex-student Daniel Tsou, 29, remembered that the first cohort of students also initiated co-curricular activities such as a musicians’ club. And with no second-year students at that time, teachers doubled up as orientation group leaders.

“Some of the teachers didn’t even teach us, but we grew close,” Mr Tsou said.

Recounting his memorable encounters with students, physics teacher Ng Soo Kok, 55, said that he found a male student one day, crying in one of the school’s study corner in 2006. The first-year student had failed his year-end examination and had to repeat his studies.

Mr Ng, who joined the college in 2006, advised the student to switch from the science to the arts stream, where his strengths lied, and continued to mentor the student. His efforts paid off when the boy scored two A’s and two B’s at the A-Level examinations.

“He came to find me, and knowing that he did well… I cried, and we hugged each other,” Mr Ng recalled.

That student is Muhd Ilham Firdaus, now a 28-year-old social worker. He said that he was considering quitting school after flunking his examination then, but Mr Ng’s guidance and encouragement gave him hope. “It has been 10 years since I graduated, but I am still in touch with Mr Ng,” he said.

The school left such a lasting impression on Mr Muhd Ilham that he plans to do a photoshoot for his wedding there possibly next year, before the campus closes in 2019. “The school had a huge impact on my life,” he said.

Building a rapport with students was also not hard for Ms Alice Lim, 54. The bespectacled woman with a tiny frame is not a teacher — she runs the drinks stall in the school canteen, and she has been there since Innova JC’s opening.

Known as “Auntie Alice” among students, she is like a bartender of sorts, the ones you might see in movies: She knows what her regular customers would order even before a request is made, and she can sense when a student is under stress or exhausted due to exams or just having a long day in school.

“You can see it in their eyes,” Ms Lim said. “They look dull... I can’t do much, but I can lend a listening ear. And I will tell them to take a break and walk around the school to look at the greenery so that they feel more relaxed.”

She even created a “refreshing drink” for students, whom she described as “her children”. It is a concoction of green tea and passion fruit juice meant to “re-energise” them.

They must be grateful for her efforts, judging from the numerous thank-you cards on display from former and current students.

With the impending school merger, what Ms Lim will do after 2019 is uncertain. “I don’t know where I’m going, but I hope that when one door closes, another door will open. I will miss the liveliness of the school environment,” she said with a hint of sadness.

For second-year student Toh Puay Qi, Innova JC has given her much confidence and is like a “second home”. Being a student councillor, the 17-year-old is involved in the school’s version of “Parliament”, where student leaders share ideas with the principal to improve students’ experiences.

For example, last year, her seniors managed to get the school to allow students to wear a “half uniform” from Tuesday to Friday, meaning they can wear a T-shirt approved by the school, such as the physical education T-shirt or one given during orientation, instead of the school blouse or shirt. Previously, they could “dress down” only on Fridays.

Being able to speak up for her fellow schoolmates, Puay Qi said, gives her a sense of belonging.

Just days after news of the JC mergers broke, the April issue of the school’s newsletter, which is put together by students, was published with the word “Nostalgia” plastered on its cover. The school said that this was a mere coincidence. The newsletter’s theme changes with each issue and the one on nostalgia contained a reflection piece by 18-year-old student Xelyn Ng, writing about how “the past gives meaning to the present”. There were also articles on childhood games, watching movies outdoors, and on Tiong Bahru, an old housing estate in Singapore.

When it comes to reliving memories of her school days, Ms Hilwa has not stopped doing it. She lives 15 minutes away from her former college, and when she drives past the place, she would look over the field at it.

“During the two years in college, the teachers did not merely teach us, they will also lend a listening ear to our grievances as we endured the stress of exams and project work. They become more than just teachers. They were our friends.”

INNOVA JUNIOR COLLEGE

Founded: 2005

Motto: Ad Astra (To the stars)

Uniform: Beige

Prominent alumni: Ashik Ashokan and Ashok Kumar, who made news for their climbing expeditions to support charities

 

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