# data[].attributes.body
to discipline:

personalised notebooks (including notes inside the notebook)

origami fortune cookies

origami stars in a jar with notes in them

# data[].attributes.body
Strength based leadership:

everybody has their own strengths; every leader has a strength too

talents = natural abilities

strengths = something you can develop

strength = talent + skills + knowledge

4 domains of team strengths:

1. executing: know how to make things happen

2. influencing: know how to take charge, speak up, and make sure the team is heard

3. relationship building: can hold a team together and make the team greater than the sun of its parts

4. strategic thinking: they absorb and analyse information that can inform better decisions

Personal reflection:

executing / strategic thinking: thinking ahead for the future and future possibilities

believe that every leader has a strength!

# data[].attributes.body
20 march: LAST COUNCIL MEETING 😭

27 march: in school commendation rehearsal (missing lessons/time assignment)

3 april: excused from council meeting (time assignments)

17 april: commendation full dress rehearsal at cathedral

24 april: commendation ceremony 💚

28 may: council retreat (senior farewell) 💕

15 nov: graduation night

# data[].attributes.body
27 march: commendation rehearsal

17 april: full dress rehearsal

24 april: commendation ceremony at st andrews cathedral ❤‍🩹

# data[].attributes.body
It's about time!

anticipation: waiting eagerly for something you know is going to happen

nostalgia: a sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past

stuck between anticipation (for the future) & nostalgia (for the past)

what about the present? what's there to love about the present anyway?

packed, packed, packed schedules (time crunch)

this busy season of your life is: a sign that you are spending your time productively

a chance for you to rely on and work together with others

a chance for you to reach out to others who may be going through the same thing

a chance for you to grow your capacity

a way for you to plug into the present and LIVE IN THE MOMENT! the moment will not come back again! enjoy what you do in the present☺

# data[].attributes.body
1. events from last year, start of this year (feedback):

chinese new year celebration: we should be allowed to wear our cheongsam to celebrate

deepavali and hari raya celebrations in school

2. ideate about problems students are facing:

sec 4 toilet is still closed due to issues

because the sec 4s did not have OBS last year, we should have another programme to help them learn the necessary skills they missed out from the camp

canteen food prices

3. current flow of programme (how to make it more engaging for the students)

4. how would we respond to inappropriate questions and feedback in a manner that is not rude or can handle the situation in a respectful manner

"thank you for your feedback, we will take it into consideration"

# data[].attributes.body
why choose the difficult road?

being a leader is not that simple

why am i doing this? - ground myself to this purpose and feel energetic and willing to do it; there may be a lot of sacrifices but in the end it is worth it

the path of leadership is a difficult road.

1. being in a position of leadership requires you to do more

2. expectations of a leader - being held to higher standards (don't live by double standards)

3. being a good leader requires you to look beyond yourself and care for others under your charge (challenge yourself to look out for everyone, we are all important and we should take care of the well being of the student population.

live up to the standards that our seniors have worked hard to set

being a councillor is our duty; everywhere we go

01 being on the difficult road helps you to build your individual capacity and strength

02 it is when your limits are tested that you acknowledge that you cannot do this without the help of others

03 "difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations"

# data[].attributes.body
learning from our mistakes allows us to solve tomorrows problems

students of today are leaders of tomorrow -> connect with each other , live in harmony with different people of different aspects

despite challenges, we should stick together and work together

take up responsibility together

to progress further, we have to progress together

if we want to change the world, we should change ourselves

"with great leadership comes great responsibility" -> take care of our team

"there's no greater privilege than serving the world and our country"

"leadership is walking the journey with others, even if we don't succeed, we make an impact"

"define success by the contribution" -> we can learn from our mistakes

"it's not about telling others what to do, but its about working with them"

# data[].attributes.body
overview:

even though we had to make many unexpected changes to our initial plan due to the presidential election, i think it brought us councillors closer. we were all very disappointed as we couldnt put up the decorations that we had planned thoroughly however we worked together and improvised. we worked really hard on our council item to make up for the lack of decorations. i think during the rehearsals we didnt exactly perform well, but on the actual stage every one put in their 100% effort to make the performance the best that we have ever performed. in the morning we all woke up early to reach school early and helped to put up minor decorations like the fairy lights around the hall. even though it was quite chaotic and messy, i think every councillor worked hard to make the hall pretty. i think the teachers enjoyed the performances put up by the performers, as well as the gifts we had given them.

gift making:

we worked hard to handcraft the keychains and by hand and filling in sand into the glass bottles. we also painted and made clouds and wrote cards for our council teachers secretly. even though this year's teachers day celebration was not as grand as others, i think its pretty amazing how we were able to pull it off with such last minute plans being changed.

# data[].attributes.body
30 august wednesday

its a wrap ! 🩷

# data[].attributes.body
it was a really fulfilling experience to interact with the residences at ghim moh during the whole event. i found it really memorable and cute when little kids came to participate as well. i remember helping a small girl put on a tattoo on her hand and it was just so adorable!! throughout the whole activity i learnt how to adapt to different situations. for example, there were many residences who did not know how to speak english so we had to adapt and use our different mother tongues to communicate with them. i like how both the participants and councillors worked hard and put in the effort to understand each other. i enjoyed the time spent with my fellow councillors as well. i think this activity allowed us to bond more and understand each other more as we spent a long time planning and working together to put together the event. overall, i really enjoyed this experience and i would really want to do it again 🤍

# data[].attributes.body
17 ghim moh road 270017

# data[].attributes.body
5 august : ndp via

8 august : ndp celebrations

23 august : teachers day rehearsal 1

30 august : teachers day rehearsal 2

31 august : teachers day celebration

19 - 20 october : student forum

8-9 november : end-of-year council retreat

17 november : sec 1 orientation dry run 1

26 december : sec 1 orientation dry run 2

# data[].attributes.headline
teacher time 12 july wednesday afternoon meeting

# data[].attributes.subject
teacher time 12 july wednesday afternoon meeting

# data[].attributes.body
Student council VIA by Ms Kwang:
#UniteAsOneSG

- Serving others is part of our SMSS DNA
17, Ghim Moh Road, #01-75, 270017 8am --> reporting time 5th august saturday 930-1230

datelines:
1. list of items to be purchased by 17 july 2023 2359
2. parents gateway by 17 july 2023
3. next council meeting 26 july (not an official --> no council teachers but still need to meet in comms)

from t3w4- teachers day: morning meeting is at 7am to prepare for the events coming up

# data[].attributes.body
Start of the day reflections:
Q1: What are 3 things that you hope to achieve today?
- brushing up on my handsigns
- learn more about my buddy from the secret pal game
- finishing up our comm gifts

Q2: How do you hope to achieve these goals?
- practice more handsigns
- spend more time with my buddy and bond with her

Exco time #2:

Uniting as Servant Leaders

-Unitedness; communication is important in unity --> effective communication allowed for everyone to find out who could match the alphabet
--> different roles coming together to achieve a common goal (everyone has their own role and we have to work together with others of different roles to achieve the common goal)

Link to servant leadership: everyone needs to be willing to serve ; using your strength to serve a community

food for thought from the video:

1) what is unity to you?
unity to me means that everyone is working together for a common cause and doing whatever it takes to achieve that goal together

2) how did the clip portray unity?
the clip showed the group of babies helping each other out and working together to get the tape back from the boy which showed how united the babies were

3) which character are you in the clip and why?
in the clip i think i would be the baby who protected the boss baby from the toy guns. i feel that i often sacrifice myself and put others before me in different situations.

Different characters with different 'powers' --> unity involves the coming together of many people of different strengths and aptitudes to form a team

outside of council we should take the initiative to help others

in council, we should use our own strengths to work towards the common goal of council and move as one whole council (shows teamwork)

Reflections:

3 things that i have learnt from the 2 days of retreat
2 councillors or nominees who have made an impact on me
1 game that you have enjoyed and why

# data[].attributes.body
29 May 2023 Student Council Retreat 2023:

1) model the way
2) inspire a shared vision
3) challenge the process
4) enabling others to act
5) encourage the heart

1: Model the way
Be real - knowing who you are, what you stand for, knowing what are your core values in life, and living life according to those values

What is important to me?
What are my core values and value system?

Our values and value system guides our decisions
don't just talk the talk, but walk the talk
People may not remember everything a leader has done but they remember what she represents

How can I model the way more as a councillor?

-  when i see someone doing the wrong things at the wrong time, i can remind them that what they are doing is wrong and let them know of the right thing that they should be doing.

2: Inspire a shared vision:
vision: the ability to see / the image or insight of how something could or should be in the future

What do you think Onn Hafiz's vision is?
- to help the commuters have an easier time at the checkpoints

What does he do to achieve his visions?
- he takes the initiative to go down and check on the situation and see how he can help to improve it

What leadership qualities does he displlay?
- initiative
- responsibility
- care
- empathy

3: Challenge the process:
- search for opportunities by seizing the initiative and by looking outward for innovative ways to improve
- experiment and take risks by constantly generating small wins and learning from experience

- When was one time when you had to do things differently in order to succeed?

- What is your biggest obstacle to challenging the process in your everyday leadership journey?

# data[].attributes.body
Start of the day reflections:

Q1: What are 3 things that you hope to achieve today?
- as i have a sec 2 nominee who is my buddy, i hope to know her more after this retreat and i hope to inspire her to join council
- i hope to learn more about servant leadership and how i can improve in my leadership skills
- i also hope to grow closer with those in my group and be close friends with them

Q2: How do you hope to achieve this goal?
- i plan to start asking my buddy more questions to get to know her better and continuously check up on her throughout these 2 days
- i plan to bond more with my group by doing the activities together and have fun together to make new fun memories

Exco time #1:
activity: what is your impression of a leader?

what defines a leader?

what qualities does a leader have?

3H's:
1) Head leader:
- stays focused on the goal
- engages in long-thinking and planning
- takes a big picture view
- enjoys new possibilities
- refrains from judgements

Point of improvement: aim to inspire a shared vision

2) Hand leader
- reliable to get the job done
- excels at execution
- time efficient
shares resources with others freely
sets high standards

3) heart leader
- empathises with people
enable others, self and group
- bridge between knowing what to do and how it should be carried out
- listen to all viewpoints

leadership is the capaity to translate vision into reality

-Which style(s) resembles you the most?
I feel that the Head leader resembles me the most. This is because most of the time i would think ahead and consider all the impacts and effects of my decisions. i also refrain from making judgements too soon. I tend to stay focused on the end goal and make sure i don't get distracted along the way.

-How are you going to actively apply your weakest H in your leadership?
I think my weakest H is Hand as i don't really know how to execute things well and i often need to clarify with others. I think i should learn to take charge and have the moral courage to take the steps to execute
-How can you use the 3H's to be a more effective leader?

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way -john maxwell

End of the day reflections:

3 things i have learnt today:
1. i learnt more about how i can practice 3 of the leadership values which are model the way, inspire a shared vision and challenging the process
2. the different types of leadership styles and how we can apply them to our daily life
3. the importance of bonding together during lunch

2 things i enjoyed today:
1. the games that were planned by games comm
2. doing the comm gifts together with my comm

1 person's name who i have got to know more of today and what i learnt about them:
kenisha (sec 2 buddy nominee)

# data[].attributes.headline
17 may 2023 wednesday afternoon meeting teacher time

# data[].attributes.subject
17 may 2023 wednesday afternoon meeting teacher time

# data[].attributes.body
Question:
1. Why is it important to take initiative?
- it is important to take initiative because if we all end up waiting for one person to step up and do the job no one would be willing and no one would get the job done. It also shows how responsible we are and if someone were to take the lead and guide others in completing the job it would be the most effective and efficient method to complete the task.
- we can also carry the burden for others and the work load would be evenly spread out among all of us who took the initiative to volunteer to help

2. What are some ways in which I can take more initiative?
- one example is doing duty in the morning especially placard duty. I feel that i should take up more initiative to help collect the placards after morning meeting because we usually assume someone from the same group would take it and it would end up having exco passing the placards to us which is not very nice and responsible of us.
- another example would be in class, i can take more initiatives to answer my teachers' questions as usually it ends up in silence after a teacher asks a question as no one wants to answer and it would lead to even more silence. i feel that this is not very productive so we should try to reduce the amount of time wasted and take the initiative to answer the teacher's questions
- we can take the initiative in school to lend a helping hand to teachers that we see whom are carrying heavy objects and are unable to open doors or they are struggling. i feel like we should take the initiative to help them out and offer to carry some of their things so that it would be easier for them

The initiative people take may be a small action but it means a lot to someone.

Initiative starts with 'i'(me) and ends with 'e'(everyone)

The measure of good leadership is when the leaders are not around.

Taking initiative is not all about just doing it just because we are a leader, but its about being others-centred and wanting to make this a better place for others.

Some people wait for things to happen. Some people make things happen. Some people wonder what happened.

# data[].attributes.body
the heart of the matter: how low will you go?

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests of others.
Philippians 2:3-4

The bigger the ego , the less space there is for others. It prevents us from achieving bigger things, we should count others more significant than ourselves.

What is humility?
- state / condition of being humble
- having a modest opinion of ourselves and our own importance
- not believing we are inferior to others
- fully appreciating our own gifts & talents, but not esteeming ourselves above others
- by not using our gifts to make somebody else feel small, insuperior

What is false humility?
- pretends to be humble
- pride in disguise
- intentionally devaluing ourselves or our contributions to appear humble
- deflecting praise we truly deserve
- fishing for compliments to draw attention to ourselves
- "humble-bragging" --> talking about how humble we are
- falsely portraying helplessness or a lack of power
- self-deprecating humor

A humble person is more concerned about what is right than about being right, acting on good ideas than having the ideas, embracing new truth rather than defending outdated positions, recognising contribution than being recognised for making it.

# data[].attributes.headline
19 april 2023 teacher time wednesday afternoon meeting

# data[].attributes.subject
19 april 2023 teacher time wednesday afternoon meeting

# data[].attributes.body
struggle ; when its hard to find your footing
being a leader is not all smooth sailing ._.

what great leaders struggle with:
- loneliness and isolation
- self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy
- fear of letting people down
- public failure
- scrambling to get everything accomplished
- my weaknesses
- criticism
- finding the best way to handle confrontation

reflection: which of the 8 areas do i struggle with?
- honestly i feel that i am struggling with number 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7. i guess it because i feel that i should not let the people around me feel disappointed in me and it really affects me a lot when i disappoint either my friends or teachers. i also feel that as a leader i should be a role model for my peers to follow and if i can't accomplish that i would often ask myself if i am worthy of being a leader. most of the time i also wonder if the way i act as a leader would make some people around me feel scared or annoyed and i sometimes wonder if i am being too much but i often remind myself that i an't always please everyone and i should listen to my friends advice of like believing in myself.

- it is normal to be struggling.

positive energy begets more positive energy; tuning out all negative thoughts and emotions can be a roadblock to the honest conversations people need to have with ourselves and with others.

struggle is normal; helps us to be honest with ourselves; cannot be swept under the carpet, it needs to be talked about!

# data[].attributes.headline
Wednesday afternoon meeting teacher time 5/4/23

# data[].attributes.subject
Wednesday afternoon meeting teacher time 5/4/23

# data[].attributes.body
A leader carries the burden for others:

what can we do to help?

2 qns from the vid:
why do you think this man was helping others?
- i think he was helping others because he thought that it was right and he wanted to show his care for others, not expecting to receive anything back. I think he also finds joy in helping others as he himeself can then experience the happiness of seeing others happy.

was he bothered by what others thought? why or why not?
- i dont think he was bothered by what others thought because even though they showed how they felt towards his actions which were looks of disapproval, he still carried on to help others and did not think twice about helping them. I feel that he is a really humble man and even though he is not rich or he is not extraordinarily in a good "class", he is still very willing to sacrifice whatever he has to help others and reduce the burden of others.

Don't compare.
Don't compete.
Don't complain.

How can I bear the burdens of others even more? How should I stop comparing myself to others who are not in the student council?
- I think i can bear the burden more / reduce the burden on others by thinking more on my feet to help find different solutions to different problems like dismissal issues or having to submit projects on time or earlier so that others would have an easier time, not having to chase us or scold us for not doing something or doing the wrong thing. I think that I can stop comparing myself to others by appreciating the fact that I am a councillor and see the benefits / duties that I have to do as something that I can be proud of. I think I should also appreciate that I am able to serve the school and like be porud that I can stand with the other student councillors.

# data[].attributes.headline
wednesday afternoon meeting teacher time 22/3/23

# data[].attributes.subject
wednesday afternoon meeting teacher time 22/3/23

# data[].attributes.body
The heart of the matter: what is your influence?

6 skills to exercise leadership influence:
1. engage in conflict : don't back down from conflict. not afraid to get involved in something when needed.

2. have a strong voice : have your own mind and don't be afraid to speak up when necessary. share your point of view and reasons so that others can follow

3. listen with empathy : connect with people because those around us have feelings. Build relationships with them

4. show vulnerability : being genuine and relatable, influence is not limited. dont be afraid to be vulnerable to those around us (poeple around us can feel that they can make mistakes)

5. be direct : don't shy away from communicating clearly so that others can understand us

6. don't be defensive : we make mistakes, don't deny if we make mistakes

reflection:
1. which skill do you find easiest to practice?
- listening with empathy as i can relate well with others and i can often give them advice and a listening ear

2. whch skill do you want to practice more intentionally?
- having a strong voice as i often feel scared and shy to voice out my own opinions when it is not the most popular view

the true measure of leadership is influence - nothing more, nothing less

# data[].attributes.headline
wednesday afternoon meeting teacher time 1/3/23

# data[].attributes.subject
wednesday afternoon meeting teacher time 1/3/23

# data[].attributes.body
Unity is strength

Unity is a vision; it must have been part of the process of learning to see - Henry Adams

Unit with the people we work with, we are placed in with.
Why is unity important?
Analogy of jenga blocks
High standards --> set by seniors before us --> can expect good things from us

The unintentional things we do that may break unity (eg. group of friends, class, council)
Be mindful of our impact on others, think about the way we are in council. Think of the message we are sending about council. We have to do it with pride. Body language, words and actions will have an impact on others. There are certain things that we do that might break the unity in council.
Create the positive light / flame and not blow out other's efforts and dampen their spirits.

Q1: Areas in which I am acting alone, as 1, in council
- when i have a specific role to play in a group project

Q2: Areas in which I am acting AS ONE, together with others in council
- when we do duty together and come together to plan events in school

Q3: What are some things i commit to doing to make council more united?
- i think i can commit more time in doing council things such as friends of singa and different event plannings

# data[].attributes.headline
Wednesday afternoon morning teacher time 15 february 2023

# data[].attributes.subject
Wednesday afternoon morning teacher time 15 february 2023

# data[].attributes.body
A leader carries the load and burden.
What kind of burdens / challenges that we are facing such that the councillors come in to serve and help?
- time management
- work load (council commitments + cca (nsg) + class work & missing out on lessons and lagging behind + maybe friendship problems)
- being empathetic --> being able to understand the challenge people face and being able to help them with the challenges
- empathy starts with US
How can I carry the burden more as part of the Student Council?
- be there for our fellow councillors and check up on them often so that they would feel that they are not alone in the challenges they are facing
- being too task oriented may make us lose our empathy
- enjoy being around with the people around us
- add more empathy into what we are doing
- too operational / too task orientated --> may cause inconvenience to others (eg when ushering the students into the hall and it is raining, we should think of how the pathway that may be wet would affect them. eg too slippery / wet / cold --> be more empathetic to care for others)

# data[].attributes.body
2024:

theme: serving together

bible verse: “Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others.”

Philippians 2:4

song: I will carry you by Michael W. Smith

# data[].attributes.body
7. My personal leadership style
- What gives me energy and motivation or where do i get them
Most of the times in school my closest friends are the ones who give me energy. Since my friend group has a total of 6 people including me, its always very hectic and noisy among us. Normally when we are together, we would all talk about our inside jokes and a lot of funny nonsense that would get us all laughing and we would also make fun of ourselves. I think this is how my friends always give me energy because seeing them laughing and smiling is honestly a very nice and warm feeling that makes me want to work harder. Normally when i have a test and dont do as good as i should they are the ones who comfort me and tell me that i did my best and its ok. Thats how i get motivated again. Usually they also try to study and see who can study the longest and like we would test each other which makes learning quite fun.

5. Values, Morals and Ethics in Leadership
- What does being fair mean to you? And how do your actions back up that belief?
Being fair to me means that whoever does anything bad or good should own up to it and face their consequences instead of framing someone else and they should do whatever punishment they have on their own, unless their friends are kind enough to help them take some punishment off their load. Yes, the term "One for all, All for one" does exist, but it should not be taken for granted of. It should only be applied if the other person is willing to help take some punishment. Being fair is treating others the same way as well. If someone in class does something bad to you aciidentally, even though you dont like that person you should still treat them like how you would treat your friend who did something bad to you on accident, and not start screaming or shouting at them and sort of hitting them.

# data[].attributes.body
2. Facing challenges as a leader
- Do you confront issues of injustice? When do you, when do you not?
Yes i do confront issues of injustice, like for example if a close friend of mine gets her phone confiscated even though she was not using it in school i would be quite confused and angry about it and i would talk to the people who confiscated her phone.

4. Managing stress
- What strategies do I plan to use to cope with stress
I would normally try to do what is important first like homework and projects. Sometimes when the deadlines are tight i would tell myself that everything is ok and i should just ignore the stress and keep calm and do whatever i can first and try to finish up whatever i need to

# data[].attributes.body
1. Defining a Leader
- What does it mean, to me, to be a leader?
To me being a leader is being someone who is kind, empathetic, caring, responsible and wise to be trusted to lead others to do the right thing. A leader should be able to care for whoever they are leading and they should be willing to sacrifice time to tend to the problems of people around them. They should be able to cope with the stress and problems that come their way, and share it with those around them. Being a leader does not mean taking on all the responsibilities on ourselves, but to be able to share it with those around us, to be able to teach those around us not to make the same mistakes and to lead others to be able to be independent and know what is right and wrong on their own.

- What does being an "effective" or "successful" leader mean to me?
Being effective or successful as a leader to me means that I am able to teach those around me what is wrong to do and what is right to do at the appropriate times, and to be able to be someone well respected by others. Someone looked up to by those around them and is able to show the right example of being a responsible leader, taking care of everyone, making sure they know what they need to know and to be someone who everyone listens to.

# data[].attributes.headline
Wednesday afternoon meeting teacher time 18 January 2023

# data[].attributes.subject
Wednesday afternoon meeting teacher time 18 January 2023

# data[].attributes.body
Teacher time:

Finding strengths in the new year:

group discussion: come up with a way for all 5 of the cartoon characters to walk across a tightrope making use of their strengths.
pizza delivery boy carries 2 minions, 1 minion will sing since it is the weakness of the Tasmanian devil and they can calmly walk calmly across

takeaway: focus on our strengths and contribute to the team

My strengths that i chose:
perspective
social intelligence
love
forgiveness
self-regulation

My strengths that my friend in council chose:
social intelligence
kindness
love
self-regulation
prudence

My strengths that someone out of council chose:
social intelligence
kindness
leadership
self-regulation

What makes you different or weird. That's your strength.

The minions show us that we've got to keep going on. Don't give up.

To be a leader, one has to be willing to step up and take charge when it's needed. A leader doesn't sit back and wait until there's no time left. She steps up and takes action.

You may think your team doesn't need you to be there. That they don't need a leader to show the way. But they do. Give them a leader they can look up to.

1. Focus on your / your teammates' strengths
2. build supportive teams that can help you go on.

# data[].attributes.body
Serving Wholeheartedly:
1. completely & sincerely devoted, determined, or enthusiastic
2. marked by complete earnest commitment

Why is it important to be devoted in our service?
story 1 - confused, disappointed, betrayed --> we should build a bond of trust, and gain the respect from others by being wholehearted.
story 2 - not devoted, not a good role model, not committed
story 3 - disappointed, shock

Motivation gets you going - discipline keeps you going
The hallmark of excellence, the test of greatness, is consistency

What does being earnest mean?
- devoted, perseverant, eager, passionate, fervid, heartfelt, vehement

Think of a role model in your life that shows earnestness.
I think Victoria is very earnest about her duty to council. She sacrifices her time to help out and always offers solutions to our problems. She does not give up when met with obstacles

Why does it matter that leaders are earnest?
01 Self motivation: We are driven by what we believe
02 Motivation of others: we are inspired by the authenticity & sincerity of others in the same boat as us
03 Achieving common goals is easier when we know we can trust one another

How do earnest leaders behave?
01 We show up - those around us know we will be there whether or not our presence is "critical"
02 We work hard - we hold ourselves to a high standard and don't make excuses
03 We are clear on our goals & play our part to play in achieving them
04 We say what we mean and we mean what we say - people can trust our word
05 We can admit to and own our shortcomings. We are committed to do better
06 We are genuine in our interactions with others - we are not here to play games / manipulate others. we do not work to get something out of them

Your beliefs don't make you a better person, your behavior does

How do people see our earnestness?

Commitment (don't give up):
🥹 --> i feel that it is very touching that the teacher had decided to stay back to teach only 1 student in the school and it is very heartwarming.

What does being devoted & earnest look like?
"Actions speak louder than words"

Types of commitment:
01 Instrumental commitment
- commit to something because you need to
- in order to pursue the goal
- decide based on costs and benefits

02 Normative commitment
- commit to something because of your sense of obligation or duty
- feel that it is "the right thing to do" (moral obligation)
- identify yourself as a member of the group

03 Emotional commitment
- doing positive things because of emotional attachment to a group
- feel that you "want to" do something
- experience a strong sense of belonging (feel like 'part of the family')
- developed over time through positive personal experiences --> doing it wholeheartedly

What does commitment look like for a student leader?
- council meetings
- day-to-day duties
- in class
- projects & events
- balancing your other commitments
- making an informed decision about other opportunities that come along

If something or someone is important, you will always make time for it

What does commitment feel like?

Conclusion:
Serving wholeheartedly because we are leaders with a mission --> importance of being devoted, marking our service with earnest commitment

# data[].attributes.headline
Servant leader - Teacher Time (Mrs Yang) + Reflections 27 July 2022

# data[].attributes.subject
Servant leader - Teacher Time (Mrs Yang) + Reflections 27 July 2022

# data[].attributes.body
- Who was the last person I served & what did I do to serve them?
My grandfather. He needed me to help him at home because he was sick. My parents too, I bought them some snacks yesterday before going home without them asking because I know they like the snack.

Don't be a Karen.

- What is the concept of a Karen?
- What emotions/attitudes do we associate with being a "Karen"?
- What can we learn from the whole "Karen" phenomenon?
They are close-minded, unreasonable, self-centred, rude & petty.

|| What are the ingredients of effective servant leadership?
Empathy
Patience
Passion
Kind
Humility
Caring
Selflessness
Open-mindedness
Others-centredness
Integrity
Genuine
Humble ||

Why do people hate Karen-like behaviour?
It affects us, and we don't want to be affected by their actions.

The Servant Leader's Dilemma:
- How would you treat a Karen or any kind of difficult person when leading others?
- Are there occasions when your servant leadership has been tested by someone like a "Karen"?
- Tell the person sitting next to you about this experience.

|| Reflection Qns:
- How can we "Let our Light Shine" or show "Charity, Patience, & Devotion" in a world where being a "Karen" is the norm or even a joke?

I think we can learn to control our own emotions, and learn to empathise with those around us, such that we can influence them and surprise them with our attitude. This would most likely shock the people having this "Karen" attitude, and they would also want to return this positive energy, such that the place would become a better place.

1) What is one favourite Council PM meeting and why?
I think my most favourite council meeting is today's one (27 July 2022) because I learned a lot about Servant Leadership and since I myself am a badminton captain and a student councillor, I think today I managed to learn new things that I can apply to improve on my leadership, because I have received feedback that sometimes I may be a bit too rash for my actions, and today I learned how to empathise with those around me who are looking up to me to show an example for them. This has really allowed me to see and reflect on my past self, and through this, I can become a better leader.

2) 2 things I find especially applicable or interesting from Teacher's time sharing.
Number 1 is that I have learned how to improve my leadership skills through empathy.
Number 2 is that I realised the importance of recognising and categorising what in my life is important and what is not that important through Mrs Lim's sharing at the start of the year, where she brought a visual demonstration with sand, rocks, pebbles and stones to show how important we should categorise such that we would not get overwhelmed by the unimportant things in our life.
3) 3 goals i want to achieve by the next council meeting.
1: Badminton --> Win our NSG and get either 2nd or 3rd place
2: Catch up on all my homework
3: Study and get ready for my exams

# data[].attributes.headline
Mid Year Council Retreat Teacher Time 2022

# data[].attributes.subject
Mid Year Council Retreat Teacher Time 2022

# data[].attributes.body
Moral Courage:

What is moral courage?
- doing the right thing even at the risk of inconvenience, ridicule, punishment, loss of job or security or social status.
- set aside momentary benefits and our bias towards other
- recognise our abilities & see the consequences of our own actions

Do what is Right, Not what is Easy

Why should we demonstrate moral courage?
- Credibility is the basis of any work
- Credibility is the basis of trusting a leader
- It guides us in an increasingly challenging and fast changing situation

How can we speak up for what is right?
1. Talk about our own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
- admitting our own mistakes (even when it is not corrected) can help convince somebody to change their behaviour.
2. Ask qns instead of giving direct orders.
- Not only makes an order more palatable; it often stimulates the creativity of the person whom you ask
- people are more likely to accept an instruction if they have had a part in the decision that led to the instruction.
3. Let the other person save face.
- a few minutes' thought, a considerate word or two, would go far towards alleviating the sting of finding fault.
4. Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
- Abilities wither under criticism; they blossom under encouragement.
- Be liberal with your encouragement, make the thing seem easy to do, let the other person know you have faith in their ability to do it.

Moral courage is a highly esteemed trait displayed by individuals, who, despite adversity and personal risk, decide to act upon their ethical values to help others during difficult ethical dilemmas.

If not managed well, our instincts of moral courage can result in misunderstandings, tension and hate. These are stressful situations which we want to avoid.

- Remember Boundaries.
- You can't control everyone's opinions.
- Don't keep to yourself.
- Give yourself time and space to reflect.
- Remember to be kind to yourself.
- Decide constructive comments, and 'negative' talks.

Have the moral courage to be a light for others to follow.

# data[].attributes.body
What gift do I have to serve the school community?
- I think my gift that I have to serve the school community is that I am able to lead others into doing the right thing instead of standing by and letting them continue doing what is wrong. I think that I am caring as well, and I can help students to my best abilities so that they can resolve their problems.

How am I exercising my gifts and inspiring others to do the same?
- I would be a role model to my friends and juniors and I would encourage them to help other students and let other students do the right thing such that the school environment will become a more positive place.

To do what is right
To serve and love always
To be self controlled

How would I exercise my gifts to be a light of hope, a flame to the rest of the school?
- I would make sure that the people around me in the school have a positive school experience, and I would want to help others with their problems to the best of my abilities. Even though I may be one small figure in the entire school, I would want to impact and inspire my friends and my classmates to be a better person and have self discipline as well as the ability to help others in need, even if they are in a rush or have no time. I would try my best to lead and serve the school being my best self at all times to make the school a more positive environment. Even though I may not be the most important person, I would want to inspire the school with my actions to let the students lead a happier school life instead of dreading going to school everyday.

# data[].attributes.body
Write down 1 way you would run council meetings differently:

I would set aside time for more bonding games and maybe at the end of every meeting the seniors and juniors would write encouraging letters to each other so that they can read it when they are having a hard time and have the motivation to press on after reading the letter

# data[].attributes.body
Am I a servant leader?

- Being a servant leader means that I am able to put the needs of others before mine, always willing to help other people. Being a servant leader also means that I am able to make good decisions for the wellbeing of the people around me. I believe that I am a servant leader, because I feel that I match the description of being a servant leader. For example, whenever people are in need of help, like they either forgot their wallet and need to go home, or they fall down and I am rushing to go somewhere, I am willing to make the sacrifice to help them. I am able to help people who have fallen down get back up again, even when I am rushing for time. I would also lend some money to a person who has lost or forgotten their wallets, even though I may need to money.

What is the value of this leadership philosophy?

- I am able to grow to become a better person, wanting to serve and help the community. I would be able to better the school community, by showing an example of a leader, leading others to do the right thing. This way, I would be able to make people feel happier, and have a more inclusive school lifestyle. I find joy in helping other people, which would help me shape into a better leader, so that the student body is able to voice out more of their concerns, and I would be more than happy to help them.

What can I do to become a better servant leader?

- I can be more outspoken, since I am a very shy and soft spoken person, I want to change this habit of mine, and start talking more and taking a bit more initiative. I think I can do this by trying my best to put away the shyness in me and just not overthink and just like speak what's on my mind that is constructive feedback and information. I hope that by the end of my council journey I am more outspoken and have changed into a better person.

# data[].attributes.body
Light - hope, knowledge -> has an association with importance

1st aspect of light: invisible light
the light we see is only just a fraction of the light that exists.
- Even though some light cannot be seen it still makes an impact in our lives

2nd aspect (stories)
- The Light cannot be sustained
- The Light was too bright for practical use
- The lightbulb did not have good vaccum
- Insufficient supply of electricity

# data[].attributes.body
our experience with tls was very enriching and it helped us gain many new experiences and it let us learn many new perspectives of leadership. before the event had commenced, we were given a task to create a promotion slides for different SSAs to help them raise funds. the group of us did not know that we were supposed to have done the task before reaching tjc, and the night before, we were all panicking through google meet. we were unable to join the zoom briefing of the event as we were having our council retreat. however, we all worked together on googl emeet and distributed the different roles to get the work done. this had been a fun experience for me though it was stressful. through this im pretty sure we all learned the importance of being on time and alert. most importantly, through this google meet we all managed to get closer to one another and it had bonded us closer than before. on the first day, 16 November, the 8 of us from smss met at Bedok interchange to head to tjc together since we did not know the place well. the event started off by us signing into the place. there were many different people and many different schools, ranging from primary schools to jc students. a few of us from smss had been sent by our parents and we were kind of a mess since we didn't know where each other was. however it all worked out after a few phone calls to one another. soon after we had gathered together in the auditorium and quieten down, we started off with a talk by mr josephus tan

- speak from the heart

- you dont need to do well academically

- embrace your failures and accept your past (the road to recovery)

- accept and learn and move forward

- leadership : lending a helping hand --> don't just help because you must but help because you can

5 leadership skills:
model the way: what new mindsets / attitudes have i developed?

challenge the process: what new skills / strategies have i learnt to help me with future problems?

enable others to act: how can i help others / how have others helped me in my leadership journey?

encourage the heart: what can i do to encourage others? what do i appreciate about those working with me in my leadership journey?

inspire a shared vision: how should we work together as a council to maximise our efforts to help the school?

# data[].attributes.body
Day 2 start of the day reflections:

What are 3 aims you hope to achieve by the end of today?

-  Firstly I want to get to know more about my new sec 1 buddy since yesterday my assigned buddy was not here.

- Secondly I want to be able to be more comfortable in opening up to new people such as the sec 1 nominees so that I can make them more comfortable here

- Thirdly I want to apply the leadership qualities that I have learnt from yesterday’s Exco time.

Exco time #2:

1. What is your interpretation of the video? What are some thoughts you might have?

My interpretation of this video is that there is a worker ant that is afraid of trying a new route when met with an obstacle and another ant stepped up to help them out patiently, guiding them every step of the way. I think this is a very important aspect of being a leader and what we can learn from this video is that we should always be ready to step up to help anyone in need and we should guide them every step of the way such that they can reach their goals.

1. How can you apply this interpretation in your leadership journey?

I can apply this by reaching out to the student body to help anyone that needs it and guide them patiently such that they can reach their desired goals.

1. Which ant do you find yourself aspiring to be?

The ant I find myself aspiring to be is the ant that had helped the rest find a new route to reach their destination.

Key Takeaways:

The ability to overcome obstacles and adversities

Looking at the bigger picture --> bring light and manage the situation better

understanding different perspective

influence

# data[].attributes.headline
2022 End Of Year Council Retreat reflections

# data[].attributes.subject
2022 End Of Year Council Retreat reflections

# data[].attributes.body
1. Name a sec 1 nominee you have met today and how she has made an impact on you.
- I think Ashley Tan from 1-1 in my group has made an impact on me. Throughout the day I have realised that she is quite similar to me and she has similar personality to me. When we were doing our goals reflections on the padlet, she also mentioned that she has similar personal goals that she wants to complete. Throughout the day I also noticed she acts almost the same way as me and this makes me want to reflect on my actions and I am also motivated to work harder to make sure that she can have the best experience in council since I know how it feels like for her. this also made me realise that I want to ensure that she can improve in certain ways that I too want to improve in.

2. How do you think you can be a better team player in the future?
- I think I can better include the newcomers instead of having this awkward silence between us sometimes and i would also want to be less shy to make the first move to talk to them.

3. What is one thing that you can do better for the second day of the retreat?
- one thing i can do better is probably to look out for the sec 1 nominees more often. during lunch our comm was actually seperated and i think this was a problem so i think tomorrow on the second day of council retreat i would want to ensure that i make everyone feel included and that no one would be split from the group.

Exco time #1:
Focus of exco time: Leadership is service

Service - big part of Council’s purpose

We should be an effective source of help to others, especially the student body.

S.E.R.V.I.C.E.:
Self - awareness → What are our strengths? What do we love to do? What are our values?

Empathy → Cognitive empathy, Emotional empathy

Read → Leaders are readers

Vision → WIthout vision, people would perish, we need to know what we want to do, where we want to go

Internal locus of control → no matter what has happened in the past, we will learn through the mistakes and if we know what is wrong, we can fix it, everything is our own responsibility, and no one is to blame

Curiosity → if you ask a better question, you will get a better answer. What do I have to give to others?

Empower → find your voice and inspire others to find theirs, who is someone you can empower? What can you contribute?

Discussion questions:

1. Which of the 7 principles of service in leadership do you find yourself already applying?

2. Which principles of service in leadership do you think you can start applying even more? How so?

3. Suggest some ways councillors could start practising these principles.

Key takeaways:

We shouldn't just focus on what we can offer

Instead we should learn the needs of others (the students body)

# data[].attributes.body
Overview:

It was a really fun experience and I have learnt a lot from this year's teachers' day event. Seeing how hard Council had worked to prepare for this event was very heartwarming, and I am very proud to be able to call myself a councillor. Everyone had worked together to prepare the teacher's gifts, and prepare the decorations even in a short period of time. We were stressed by this but we all pushed through together and helped each other in one way or another. Even though it was difficult and we had to go to school super early to prepare, and also to stay back after school to help, I think we had enjoyed the time that we were able to spend together. We had all played a part in preparing for this big event. Being involved in teachers day has granted me the opportunity to find and think of new solutions to different problems, and to see things in a new light.

Dance item:

For the council item, I had seen the councillors who had volunteered to come up with the dance working very hard before our council meetings to record and perfect their dance moves before showing it to the rest of council. As I observed them, I had reflected and thought that it was really brave of them to step up and out of their comfort zones to volunteer to come up with the dance for council. I really admired their capability. At first, I had difficulty learning the steps. We were supposed to set in the mood "Happy", in relation to our chosen song "Happy" by Pharrell Williams. Our performance was also the grand finale, thus it was important for it to be exciting and fun, instead of a dull mood. It was difficult to coordinate at first, but after our daily practices in the morning and feedback from our council teachers and dance coordinators, I got the hang of it. During our rehearsals, It was really heartwarming to see other councillors putting in their best effort to learn the dance.
Then the time came. Our actual performance. After all the adjustments that we have done and the many encouragements from our council teachers, we were all waiting backstage, nervous yet excited and ready to rock the stage with the dance using our 100% effort. On stage, I could see Ms Cao at the back of the hall, dancing along with us and recording us. Mrs Yang and Mrs Lim were backstage watching us too. At that moment, I felt very touched and I was determined to do my best to do them proud of council and show the teachers and students how amazing council were. It was very touching when I realised that throughout our ups and downs during the preparation of teachers day, council had never once gave up or left. They were always by each other's side, encouraging and motivating each other to press on. This made me want to do my very best not only for council, but for everything that I do!

Decos + Gift making

For the decorations and gifts, we stayed back after school whenever we could to help sort out the painting of the decorations and also the making and preparing of the gifts for each teacher in the school. We had to also come early for morning meetings to prepare the gifts, as well as our dance. The decorations and gifts included painting and cutting out the CDs and the words "Happy Teacher's Day", preparing the Spotify plaques and even more. Events comm was tasked to think of the games and activities that we could do on teachers day. We had initially planned to have a game where we got some teachers to record themselves singing without their video on, and we would get the other teachers to try and guess who was singing. However, due to some miscommunications and confusion, the game was called off sadly :( Even though we were disappointed that we were not able to have this activity, we had learnt a valuable lesson. We had to always be on our toes during these situations, and we should not jump ahead and give wrong information out. We should always clarify to ensure a happy ending! Throughout the journey of preparing for this big event, the councillors had gained a lot. We grew closer and strength our bonds with each other. We also had fun together and enjoyed each other's company. It had made things so much more fun. During the time where we had come back to school on Wednesday, a HBL day just before the actual Teacher's Day celebration, we were getting ready to set up the hall for the decorations. We initially planned to hang our painted CDs on the walls in front of the doors and we also planned to put up musical notes on the walls. However, after it was done, the hall still looked plain and rather dull for an exciting occasion. Ms Cao had told us that it was not enough and that we should plan to improvise. Some people had went out to buy balloons, glitter, fairy lights and more. With these items, the entire council worked together to put the decorations up and in the end, the hall had looked muchhhhhhh better than before and we were all proud of ourselves for being able to convert the hall from the initial dull decorations to an exciting and fun one!
As for my duty on Teacher's day, I was assigned backstage to help out. As a backstage crew member, our job was to ensure that all the performers waiting backstage for their performance were ready and quiet. We were tasked to also drag out a grand piano for a performance. The issue with the grand piano was that it was very old and the wheels were rusting. This made it difficult for us to drag it out and 6 to 7 of us had to carry it out ourselves. Initially it was really difficult as the piano was really heavy, and we also did not know where to put it. We had to adjust our positions many times and often we were agitated with each other, especially when dragging the piano back to its original place. When we dragged it to its original place, since there were some people standing behind it to help us carry it, they ended up getting stuck behind the piano after it was placed nicely in its original position. We had to drag the piano back out and find a way to push it back in. Through this, we had learned a new and more effective way of putting the piano back. This taught me how to think in a new perspective in every situation that I am in, and not to get agitated when things do not go the way we want it to.

Lastly I would want to thank our council teachers, Mrs Yang, Ms Cao and Mrs Lim for the wonderful gifts that they have given us! Thank you so much for the gifts! I will use them well :))

# data[].attributes.headline
Games Comm Mid Year Council Retreat Debrief <3

# data[].attributes.subject
Games Comm Mid Year Council Retreat Debrief <3

# data[].attributes.body
Debrief:
level of satisfaction: 7-8/10
why: we prepared a lot and worked hard to like make this work but i think on day 1 we had to rush some changes in the morning and also we did not manage to complete the activities that we had planned at Botanic Gardens due to limited time, but overall it was still very fun and on the second day i think the dodgeball game was one of the most enjoyed activity.
Feedback: step up more and not let just 1 person handle all the burden

What did we do well in the planning?
- I think when we were planning the games together on google meets, we managed to be quite productive and i think all of us had played our part in contributing ideas and thinking out of the box to match the games with the theme and i think we worked really well with one another.

What can we improve on for planning?
- I think we could improve more on taking the initiative to suggest something because like in the meeting lubna was mostly the one what our ideas are and she was the one who was leading the Games Comm. I could have also taken part in the excursion with games comm to Botanic Garden like Janani said.

Reflection:
- meeting deadlines

Observations by Exco:
- our adaptability (our backup games and we could adapt quickly)
- many miscommunications (not all of us were online at the same time, many messages, did not know new changes, making things complicated ---> could have listed down the new changes and added it in one part of the google docs so that those who weren't there could see the new changes)
- something we can reflect on ---> do you think the councillors have brought home the lessons from council retreat?

- maybe can brief the councillors before the game about the values and explaining the rationale of the game and they can reflect from the objectives of the game

# data[].attributes.body
- What do you think Teamwork is about?
I think teamwork is about working together so that things and plans can be run smoothly. It is also working together to ensure that things are completed efficiently. It is a group of people who serve different functions, working together as a group to produce a plan.

# data[].attributes.body
Day 1:
- How was your day today?
It was fun yet tiring. We played some icebreaker games in school first and headed to Botanic Gardens. We walked there and it was scorching hot, many people were also complaining of the heat. But we still had fun while at Botanic Gardens. There were many games planned out and even though there was limited time, we still had fun together as a group!

- How could the day be improved?
I think if we had more time at Botanics it would have been more fun and we could have a picnic there to have more bonding.

- What did you like about what happened today?
The day was really fun and the best activity were the games planned at Botanic Gardens. My group and I had a fun time completing the challenges and we also had a fun time getting lost and trying to find our way around the Garden. Even though we did not managed to finish the challenges due to time constraint, we had a fun time bonding and having fun with each other.

# data[].attributes.body
Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

# data[].attributes.body
Moral courage is a highly esteemed trait displayed by individuals, who, despite adversity and personal risk, decide to act upon their ethical values to help others during difficult ethical dilemmas.

# data[].attributes.body
Do what is Right
Not what is Wrong

# data[].attributes.body
"I am strong & can conquer anything to reach my goals"

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Lunch on Day 2 with Janani & Syafiaah <3

# data[].attributes.body
Group 4 <3

# data[].attributes.body
16 Feb: Internal EXCO nominations
T1 W9: Sec 2 Promotional Interviews
11 Mar: Council President Elections
15 Mar: Council Commendation Combined Rehearsal
19 Apr: Council Commendation Full Dress Rehearsal
22 Apr: Council Commendation
May Post-Exam: Mid-Year Student Forum
23-24 May: Tier 2 Leadership Training
30-31 May: Council Retreat
27 Jun-1 July: Spirit Work
28-29 Jun: Youth Day Celebrations
8 Jul: Student Leaders' Commendation
22 Jul: Racial Harmony Day / Speech Day
8 Aug: National Day Celebrations
15-19 Aug: Sec 1 Council Nomination Week
23 Aug: Teacher's Day Rehearsal 1
30 Aug: Rehearsal 2
31 Aug Teacher's Day Decor
1 Sept: ACES Day / Teacher's Day Celebrations
Oct Post- Exam End-Year Student Forum
8-9 Nov: Council Retreat

# data[].attributes.body
16 Feb: 3-5.30pm

2 Mar: 3-5.30pm

23 Mar: 3-5.30pm

6 Apr: 3-5.30pm

20 Apr: 3-5.30pm

29 June: 3-5.30pm

13 July: 3-5.30pm

27 July: 3-5.30pm

26 Oct: 3-5.30pm

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
2022 Student Council Handbook_updated 19 Jan 2022