26th February 2010

Dear OVA Member,

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

1 Please take notice that the Annual General Meeting of the Members of the Association will be held at:

Victoria School (how to get there)
2 Siglap Link, Singapore 448880
26th March 2010 (Friday)
6:00pm

Light refreshments will be served before the meeting.

2 Agenda:
a. To confirm the Minutes of the preceding Annual General Meeting.
b. To receive the Annual Report of the Management Council.
c. To consider and, if approved, pass the Audited Account and Balance Sheet of the Association for the year ended 31st December 2009.
d. To elect two Honorary Auditors.
e. To transact any other business arising from the matters set out in the Agenda.
f. To elect new Management Council for term 2010 to 2012.
g. To consider any matter of which at least seven days’ notice in writing has been given to the Honorary General Secretary in accordance with Rule 11(a) of the Rules of the Association.

Yours faithfully,

Vernon Teo
President
Old Victorians’ Association

Fellow Victorians,

Please be reminded Kampung Breakfast will resume on 28/Feb at Victoria School. This Sunday also marks the last day of the Lunar New Year celebration. So let’s come together to have reunion breakfast before we start the new yr on a high note.

We would also like to invite OVA lifetime members who aspire to serve in the next term of OVA Management Council or participate in the organisation of Victoria School 135th anniversary celebration in 2011 to this breakfast to familiarise yourselves with the OVA community. For those who are keen but not lifetime member, do download and complete the membership form to register as lifetime member.

http://blog.ova.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/ovalifemembershipform.pdf

See you in 2 weeks time…

Date : 28th February 2010 (Sunday)
Time : starting from 9:00 am
Venue : Victoria School Canteen
Address : 2 Siglap Link
Singapore 448880

Photographs of the event

[View with PicLens]

PA gets historic new home

By Nur Dianah Suhaimi

In the News ~ PA gets historic new home

The conserved the old school building while converting the classrooms into sleek offices. The school hall-cum-canteen is now a dance studio and storage area for Chingay and National Day props. — ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

WHEN the People’s Association (PA) was set up 50 years ago, its headquarters was a former airport in Kallang. On Friday, it officially moved to another old building: the former Victoria School building in King George’s Avenue.

This time, however, the PA engaged architects and gave its new home a $47 million makeover.

The conserved the old school building while converting the classrooms into sleek offices. The school hall-cum-canteen is now a dance studio and storage area for Chingay and National Day props. A new five-storey extension block was built behind the old school and a sprawling lawn fronts the entire structure.

The changes won it the Architectural Heritage Awards last year, an annual honour given to well-restored monuments and conservation buildings in Singapore.

On Friday night, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is also PA’s chairman, officially opened it new home in a ceremony attended by about 1,000 people, including Cabinet ministers and grassroots leaders. The event, held on the lawn, was like a mini National Day celebration, complete with floats, performers in colourful costumes as well as a fireworks and pyrotechnics display.

Mr Lee also opened the PA heritage gallery, an exhibition which charts the association’s growth over the past 50 years. The gallery will be a permanent fixture at the building’s atrium. These events are the first in a series of activities to be held this year to mark PA’s 50th anniversary.

From: The Straits Times

From Mr Zabid, VS Art Elective Programme teacher:

Dear Parents, Old Boys and Victorians,

Salutations, I am Mr Zabid currently teaching Art Elective Program in VS. I have very good news to share.

N.E. mation! 4 -- Why I care about Singapore: We are very proud that our team of Victorians comprising Kenneth Chiang, Daniel Yee, Marcus Chan and Khairul Azri has been selected as one of the Top Ten Finalists! Their creation emerged from a total of 440 teams from 79 schools!

Their animation clip has been launched for public viewing and voting on TV.

Please support them by going to the website and vote for them! We need your support by voting for our VS team as 50% of the final score comes from the public votes. Please go to this link: http://www.nemation.sg

Victorians -- let’s give our fullest support to team Catalysts!

Nil Sine Labore.

Don’t forget to vote!  Click to Vote Now!

Please be informed the Kampung Breakfast will resume in February instead of January.

Over the past few days, we have seen Victorians from across the globe put up appeals on their websites to help a fellow Victorian.  Mr Muhammad Noor Azri Bin Abdul Rahman (“Azri”) of Victoria School was seriously injured during his PE class and now requires constant care.

We have verified the case with the school and family.  Victorians and well-wishers can be assured that this is a bona-fide case.  All donations can be made directly to Azri’s father’s bank account (POSB Savings account no. 194-62059-4).

We have re-posted here his father’s appeal for help.

====================

From: http://victorianazri.blogspot.com/

For English readers, click here for an automatic translation via Google Translate.

23 Jan 2010

SINGAPURA

PERTANDINGAN ANIMASI N.E.MATION!
Minat terhadap kartun berbaloi

Pelajar menengah tiga bersama tiga rakan hasilkan klip animasi yang dipilih ke peringkat akhir

Oleh
Nurul Dayana Simangoon

SEJAK kecil lagi, Khairul Azri Uthli, 15 tahun, terpesona setiap kali menonton kartun di televisyen dan ingin tahu bagaimana caranya menghasilkan kartun seperti itu.

Demikian minatnya terhadap animasi hingga klip animasi yang dihasilkannya bersama tiga lagi pelajar menengah tiga Sekolah Victoria (VS) berjaya dipilih ke peringkat akhir pertandingan animasi N.E.mation! baru-baru ini.

Ini meskipun mereka diberikan hanya seminggu untuk belajar menggunakan sofwe animasi Toon Boom, yang turut digunakan untuk menghasilkan kartun The Simpsons.

Klip bergelar Caretalyst yang dihasilkan oleh keempat-empat mereka itu dipilih menjadi antara 10 animasi terbaik daripada 440 penyertaan dalam pertandingan yang dianjurkan buat kali keempat tahun ini.

Tema N.E.mation! tahun ini pula ialah ‘Mengapa Saya Sayang Akan Singapura’.

Ketika ditemui baru-baru ini, Khairil, salah seorang anggota kumpulan yang digelar ‘Catalyst’ itu, berkata klip animasi mereka menggunakan cara unik untuk mendidik warga Singapura agar menjadi warga yang lebih penyayang menerusi istilah sains.

‘Kami minat terhadap animasi dan sains, oleh itu kami cuba menghasilkan sesuatu yang menggabungkan kedua-dua minat kami itu. Caretalysts mengisahkan tentang satu kelas kimia unik yang mengajar murid-murid cara ‘menghasilkan’ warga Singapura penyayang menerusi satu eksperimen saintifik.

‘Dalam klip ini, eksperimen itu menggunakan beberapa ‘bahan pemangkin’ seperti ’sukarelawan ceria’, ’sifat ihsan antara satu sama lain’ dan ’sikap toleransi terhadap bangsa dan agama lain’,’ ujar Khairil.

Kali ini pertandingan peringkat kebangsaan sempena kempen Pertahanan Mutlak itu menarik penyertaan 1,569 pelajar sekolah menengah dan maktab rendah. Jumlah penyertaan itu merupakan satu peningkatan 67 peratus berbanding tahun lalu.

Menurut ketua kumpulan, Kenneth Chiang, pula klip tersebut mengambil masa tiga minggu untuk dihasilkan dan mereka terpaksa mengorbankan cuti sekolah Disember lalu bagi menjayakan projek tersebut.

‘Pengalaman menghasilkan animasi amat seronok kerana kami dapat ‘menghidupkan’ sesuatu yang sebelum ini tidak dapat bergerak,’ ujarnya, sambil menambah klip mereka dihasilkan menerusi teknik animasi 2-D.

Pemenang N.E.mation! akan diumumkan pada 11 Februari ini. Orang ramai juga diundang mengundi klip animasi pilihan mereka hingga 1 Februari ini di www.nemation.sg.

Pemenang berpeluang ke Amerika Syarikat untuk melawat studio Dreamworks Animation SKG.

Source: http://cyberita.asia1.com.sg/msingapura/story/0,6879,157771,00.html

Tell us which OVA activities you look forward to in 2010.

Vote in the poll now!  Or email us at info@ova.org.sg if you have any suggestions.

A poll was conducted online from 14/08/2009 to 08/01/2010 (~5 months) for the following question with three response options:

Are you for or against VJC implementing its own Secondary school programme?

1. FOR.  VJC should decide the best way to compete in a changing education environment.
2. AGAINST. VJC should not become a competitor to VS.
3. IT DOES NOT MATTER as long as the Victoria name remains strong.

Poll results (Text)

No. of responses for option 1: 58 (11.4%)

No. of responses for option 2: 381 (74.6%)

No. of responses for option 3: 72 (14.1%)

Total number of responses received: 511 (Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding)

Poll results (Graphical)

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Bouquets – Dedicated teachers

“Without them, my son would not have been promoted.”

Madam Janet Peh: “My son was struggling to cope academically during his first and second year of the four-year Integrated Programme at Victoria Junior College (VJC) in 2008 and last year.  A passionate group of teachers sacrificed their school holidays, going back to school without fail to help him catch up with his peers.  Without them, my son would not have been promoted to IP3 this year.  My heartfelt gratitude to the vice-principal and teachers of VJC.”

From: The Straits Times Forum Page