Back in 4th grade, I was best friends with two girls in my class named Charlie and Giselle. We were close and would do everything together. However, an incident happened that tainted our friendship.

One morning during recess, Charlie told me something.

“Isn’t Giselle annoying?” Charlie says as she bites into her snack.

“What are you saying?” I answer, feeling shocked.

“She never gets our jokes and acts childish.”

I brushed it off and continued eating until Giselle came and joined us.

As Giselle sat down, Charlie turned towards me.

“Let’s run away and ignore Giselle,” whispered Charlie.

At first I hesitated, but I didn’t want Charlie to think I was too afraid to do it. Charlie and I got up and started running. I looked back to see that Giselle was chasing after us.

“Guys!! Why are you running?” Shouted Giselle.

The bell rang, then Charlie and I ran to class and sat down on our seats.

Minutes later, Giselle walked in, out of breath and tears pouring down. That’s when the guilt started kicking in. When the teacher came in, Giselle talked to him. After that, she wiped away the remaining tears from her eyes and sat down. Seconds later, the teacher called Charlie and I to talk with him outside the classroom.

“I heard you ladies have been running away from a certain someone,” states our teacher. He continued scolding us until finally, he told us to go back to class and apologize to Giselle.

I stared at her.

“Giselle, I’m sorry for hurting your feelings. I hope you can forgive me,” I say to her, feeling regret for what I did. After hearing those words, Giselle, Charlie, and I hugged each other. Even though Giselle forgave us, our friendship was never really the same after that.

(300 Words)

I realized that during my speech, I was shaking and felt nervous even though I felt like I was ready. So, I need to work on that more.

3 things I observed:

- Some people don’t pay attention and rely on their teammates to guide them.

- Some people ask questions and communicate well with their leaders.

- Some people rush in and didn’t listen to their teammates.

2 things I learnt:

- Asking the right questions is important.

- We need to listen first before rushing in.

1 thing I will put into practice:

- Ask questions when I need to.

3 things I learnt:

- I learned how a debate usually works.

- I learned how to make a speech for a debate for the first time.

- I learned that I tend to get nervous when debating.

2 things I will put into practice:

- Be more confident when stating my impromptu points.

- Be less nervous when debating.

1 thing I enjoyed:

- I enjoyed listening to my friends debate.

1. My teammates cooperate well and work well with the clues.

2. Many other teams did a good job at creating patterns to follow throughout the game.

3. My teammates keep track of clues systematically eliminating chair by chair according to the clues I gave.

2 things I learnt:

1. I learn that I have to focus during the process of the game so I keep track of the steps to move.

2. I learnt that I have to learn to visualise the patterns from outside the grid to have a clearer way and direction to move.

1 thing I should put into practice:

1. I should practice more memory games or pattern games.

1. I learnt I have to present my points calmly and smoothly throughout the debate

2. I learnt that evidence and backing point should be given during the rebuttal and explanation for a solid debate point.

3. I learnt that I have to pay attention when the others are talking or debating.

2 things I will put into practice:

1. I have to practice drafting my speech so I can deliver my points across strongly.

2. I have to practice managing the flow of my speech so there are less mistakes and less articulation problems next time.

1 thing I enjoyed:

1. I enjoyed the process of thinking together as a group. I get to prove my personal point in a calm and convincing manner. We all have different point of views and opinions but we all agree on one side, which is school uniform should not be made compulsory.

1) I realised that my group is works quite well together, although we didn’t really accomplished anything big but at the very least we tried our best to solve to puzzle.

2) My group members’ memory are quite good, I was really impressed by their ability to draw out the pattern in our break time which really helped a lot in the second round of the game.

3) Personally, I think that our communication at the first round wasn’t really well delivered, as we didn’t manage to ask any key questions that will help us to solve the puzzle faster and easier. But although we are the slowest group, I would say that the process is fruitful, and I had a lot of fun playing with my teammates.

Things that I learnt:

1) I learnt that the process is more important than the outcome. As I have stated, our group is the slowest, but I say that we are a group which has good teamwork. We share our opinions and thoughts on the pattern, probably where we took more time, but in the end we still managed to solve it, and most importantly with everyone paying attention and giving their all.

2) I learnt that instructions must be given out well. Just now in the game, I realised that everyone of us just keeps on shouting go there and go here, which contributed to the confusion and misdirection during the game. And I learnt that we should really learn to ask key questions to obtain useful information, as I think that we didn’t really used the clues and questions well just now.

Thing to put in practice:

-The thing that I admire the most during this session is coordination between members. I think I should put down the shyness of oneself and speak out all opinions that we have, because we don’t know how our opinions may impact the outcome. Who knows, it may turn for the better, it may not change anything, but it would make our discussion more effective. Good luck to me on achieving this!!

1) I learnt that improvising is really important. In the debate just now, everyone gave really valid points. And I acknowledge that thinking on the spot is crucial to rebut the opposing side.

2) I learnt that articulation of speech must be delivered well to provide the listeners and other debaters a clear information of what we want to convey and makes the debating experience more smooth.

3) I also learnt that choosing strong points helps debate a lot. Strong points will help to set our point and stance straight at the start, and give a strong impression to the audience.

Things I will put in practice:

1) I will compare information more starting from now. During debate, I need to compare information and data from different websites and I will get a different inference on a certain topic based on these comparisons.

2) I will speak more often with other people. I strongly agree that more practice with communicating will boost our delivering of a speech, especially during debate. That will avoid us staggering or lagging during speaking, whether it is during a debate or not.

Thing I enjoyed:

- I enjoyed searching information on the topic online very much. I realised that there are actually many aspects to one topic and opinions vary from different people.

Lastly, I learnt that there is no definite right or wrong, it just matters on how you think and how you choose.

3 things I learnt:

- I learned how a formal debate works.

- I learned how to ask questions and act as a judge.

- I learned how I should speak when giving my speech.

2 things I will put into practice:

- Be confident when saying my speech.

- Get straight to the point first and not repeat my words.

1 thing I enjoyed:

- I enjoyed seeing my friends debate and seeing their different perspectives.

1. I learnt to create chairperson speech in a formal setting.

2. I learnt the placing, setting, rules and also the sequence of a formal debate.

3. I learnt about debating speech crafting and delivering, every debate speech should have a solid proof or backing information to be more convincing and be more passionate in delivering your speech

2 things I should put into practice:

1. I should practice more speech crafting and research making for a concrete speech.

2. I should practice more speech delivering or hosting events.

1 thing I enjoyed:

1. I enjoy listening to confident speakers convincing others to believe them.

1) I learnt that debate is really interesting. Statistics by famous people or institutions really help with our stance and rebuttals.

2) I learnt that improvising is also really crucial to debate. We need to think on the spot the responses that we have to make for the opposition team. It would help sealing the pact of our chances of winning.

3) I learnt that we need to prepare pros and cons of the motion. It would help us understand the aspects that the opposition team would be covering and enable us to think of rebuttals.

Things to put in practice:

1) I would appreciate holiday lessons more in the near future as I had learnt all of the pros of attending holiday lessons during this debate.

2) I would learn to adapt to the SG culture not just in the classroom but also outside of the classroom as I think it is very interesting.

Thing I enjoyed the most:

-I enjoyed doing the reply speech the most. I had so much fun expressing my feelings during that period, and I am very delighted to be nominated as the best speaker.

On the day of the fair, the school hall buzzed with excitement. Tables displayed intricate models and vibrant posters, while my project stood in stark simplicity. I had burned the midnight oil, leaving me groggy and unprepared. My parents’ proud smiles as I set up my presentation gave me fleeting confidence. I believed I could wing it and still impress the judges.

But disaster struck as the judges approached. One judge asked a technical question about my project’s underlying concepts, and my mind went blank. Stammering, I failed to explain properly. Another asked about its efficiency compared to existing models, but I had no substantial answer. Glancing at my parents, I saw their smiles falter slightly.

During the awards ceremony, my name was absent. The drive home was somber. Breaking the silence, my father said, “We’re proud of you for trying, but imagine how much better it would be if you gave it your all.” His words, though gentle, carried profound disappointment. I realized my failure stemmed from a lack of effort, not ability.

From that day, I vowed to change. I learned discipline, the value of preparation, and the weight of living up to others’ belief in me. I understood that procrastination, no matter how temping, is a thief of potential. That moment transformed disappointment into determination, shaping my character with an invaluable life lesson.

As a debater, I still need to work on my public speaking skills, specifically during debating. I tend to get nervous when giving my speech in front of everyone so my words jumble up and I don't get my point across.

As part of the Audience

As part of the audience, I learned how to observe more and listen well to the speech my friends are giving during the debate. Although, sometimes I space out and don't know what my friends just said.

As I debater, my motion was “should animal testing be banned”. I was too anxious for my turn and I forgot to put out appropriate POIs for the opposing team. I have to learn to structure a debate and put out promising points and data. However, after this experience, I have learned to put out my points and I learned about my weakness in saying my opinion too fast.

Audience

As an audience, I had to make notes quickly and accurately. it was also a journey of learning for me because I can learn new points that I have never thought about in the motion given.

Today as a listener, I could hear the points more clearly compared to being a debater. Maybe because I was nervous and unable to think straightly. Overall, I think that everyone’s idea is quite structured and is definitely something that everyone should work on.

-James and the Giant Peach

Failure is not Fatal,

It is the courage to continue that counts

-Winston S. . Churchill

I learned how to communicate well with my friends and write the word independence. Even though it looks a bit messy we still managed to finish second.

Activity 2 - Star Formation

I learned how to make a star using just strings with my friends very quickly. We learned how to coordinate and be fast at the same time.

Similarities:

• Uses communication skills

• Learn how to think quickly

Differences:

• Different goals

We had to write the word “independent” on a paper. I realised Darren Wong and Gabrielle are good planners while Darren Lim is a good listener who follows our instructions well while adding his own opinions.

We had to cooperate well with each other to write words which made me realise we needed a better strategy, which is writing all the words in capital letters.

Activity 2 - Star Formation

This game needed us to recover our childhood memory to form the rubber band star. Gabrielle was exceptionally good at it and she guided us to finish it. 3 of us each got assigned a role and we finished the star in less than 3 seconds.

Ms Liza gave us all 2 packets of Liza for break too!

Compare

Similarities

1. Both needed cooperation and strong strategies to work well and fast

Difference

1. Flying Pen focuses more on cooperation and strategy while Star Formation focuses more on skills and memory.

Star Formation: I am grateful to Hazel for understanding how to make the star and teaching us how, which enables us to make the star on the floor within a second. I am also thankful to Jennifer’s group for showing us how to do it before hand.

Similarities: Both activities involve mutual interaction and communication. If we don’t have enough communication we wouldn’t have succeeded.

Differences: The way of executing both activities are different. The Flying pen requires all of us moving together to write a word, while the Star Formation requires each individual to know which string they should pull to ensure a faster achievement.

1. Vera is the name of the self-possessed young lady

2. Vera is 15 years old

3. The story sort of has a horror in it

2 things I enjoyed about the activity :

1. Drawing the characters with our own imagination

2. Getting to know my friends better through the activity

1 useful thing I can use for English language :

1. Advanced vocabulary to help my essays/speech.

• Vera is a liar

• Framton had a sister who stayed in that town four years ago.

• Framton is sick.

  
  

2 things I enjoyed about the activities:

• I enjoyed reading the story aloud with my friends

• I enjoyed discussing which person should read which part and practicing it.

  
  

1 useful thing I can use for English language:

• I can use the pronunciation that I practiced when reading the story out loud.

1. I discovered that Vera is a teller of tales; a young woman whose forte is "romance at short notice."

2. I think that Mrs Sappleton is a very soft spoken and truthful person. She is also very considerate towards people around her and is caring towards her husband.

3. I think that Mr Nuttel should be more gullible towards people around him. He didn’t think wisely when Vera lied to him, and also didn’t confirm with Mrs Sappleton with what Vera said.

Thing I enjoyed:

1. I enjoyed drawing a portrait of Vera. well, I didn’t manage replicate Vera’s looks, but I think I manage to present her overall role and character.

2. I analysing the character’s actions. I think that we need to fully understand everyone’s role and dialogue to grasp the whole short story. she is a clever and cunning person at the same time.

Useful things I can use for English Language:

1. I can use the choice of words and buildup of story in the story in real life. The combination of words is very poetic and makes my mind spin to fully analyse it. The story buildup allows readers to be curious about the ending, allowing the readers to enjoy reading.

1. I discovered that Vera is a very cheeky girl. She deliberately made fun of Mr Nuttel that made scared him for life.

2. I think that Mrs Sappleton is a very soft spoken and truthful person. She is also very considerate towards people around her and is caring towards her husband.

3. I think that Mr Nuttel should be more gullible towards people around him. He didn’t think wisely when Vera lied to him, and also didn’t confirm with Mrs Sappleton with what Vera said.

Thing I enjoyed:

1. I enjoyed drawing a portrait of Mrs Sappleton. Although I didn’t manage to replicate exactly how Mrs Sappleton looks like, but I think I manage to grasp her elegance and character.

2. I enjoyed analyzing Vera’s actions. I think that she is a clever and cunning person at the same time. She managed to pull off the story and tricked Mr Nuttel, but I think she should use her cleverness for better causes.

Useful things I can use for English Language:

1. I should use the choice of words in the story in real life. I feel that it is very poetic and melodious to the ears.

We were very curious who would drive so annoyingly, so we decided to take a peek when we were alongside the yellow Volkswagen. There was no one there. We both held our breath as we realised it. In a blink of an eye, the yellow Volkswagen was suddenly in front of us again. We were scared, perspiring like crazy. Astra immediately changed the route, even if it took a longer time to arrive.

That night was forever engraved in our memory. I never took that route to Genting Highlands ever again, terrified to meet that ghostly yellow Volkswagen again.

I slept over at my friend’s place that night. We were too excited for the camp and we wanted to spend more time around at our campsite. Hence, we went there through a quiet alley way shortcut. The air was still, and the only sound was the crunch of leaves under our feet.

Ahead, he saw a woman standing by a banana tree, her long black hair covering her face. Thinking she needed help, Amir called out, but she didn’t respond. As he approached, her head slowly turned—too far, twisting unnaturally—and revealed hollow, black eyes.

Amir turned to run, but the jungle path was gone. Behind him, the woman whispered, “You shouldn’t have come here.”

I found the activity really fun and interesting because we had to hide items and make clues for the other group to find. My favorite part was making the map and also doing the treasure hunt itself. We got the treasure hunt made by group 2 and we finished first.

Team POV:

When my group and I were hiding the items, we all helped each other to find a good spot. Especially Kevin since he’s the tallest in our group. I helped make the map and Jasmine, Phat, and Kevin helped make the haiku’s. Jasmine, Phat, and Kevin wrote some really good haiku’s for our treasure hunt that gave the other group enough clues but not enough for them to discover it instantly. When it was time to do the treasure hunt, my group and I did the treasure hunt made by group 2. But, Jasmine wasn’t with us because she was the guide for group 2. We all helped each other find the items from the other group and it was really fun. I think the hardest item to find was the green staples box because it was really small and it blended in with the surroundings.

I get to create the clues and draw “maps” with Hazel. Our clues were a bit too informative and obvious I guess. I had a lot of fun participating in this treasure hunt. From clueless, to understanding, exhaustion, and at last frustration. I never thought the items were hidden in almost impossible places. Darren Lim was honestly an informative guide. (Although he gave the wrong instructions) It was also super exhausting because I had to run 44 rounds around a pillar singing a song. (Which was by Darren Lim also)

POV: Members of the team

Our members are undeniably very creative. Brandon found many hidden spots to hide the items. Brainard and Alvian made a good team in doing their tasks. Hazel and I paired super well too. With only a specific amount of time given, communication and collaboration is super important. Overall, I think our group did a great job, playing our own tiny but important role in the group. I am glad this activity brought us together in an interactive way.

I really like this treasure hunt session. It was really fun to find the items, make the map and haikus, and discussing the clues given. I think I may have a knack to find food, as I found a sweet under a leaf and a banana behind a glass wall. Overall, it was really exciting!! Would love to do it again.

Member of the team:

Our team is really talented. Darren Wong is good a mapping, I think he may have read a lot of detective novels, as he is well versed in hiding clues within the map.

Darren Wijaya is good at finding haikus. He has a lot of resources and gives interesting ideas on hiding the items. He is very energetic and it is influential.

Nhat is helpful in this journey, as he often gives his point of view, which really contributed to the team.

I would also like to add an extra compliment for Hans. He is a good host and really adds to the vibe which encourages us to find the items more enthusiastically.

I learned that I have to stay alert during the debate. I was having many stops in the middle of the debate, this is one part I have to improve on. I also have to create more iconic and convincing rebuttals for my reply teammates too.

As an audience:

Today’s debate was an interesting and memorable one. It was so humorous and funny. Although I know debaters should accept POIs so that they can further prove their points but they rejected almost all POI and we found it very funny.

• The next best thing since sliced bread.

• It takes 2 hands to clap.

• By the bullet.

2 things I observed:

• My group chose 2 idioms that were the same as what the other groups chose by accident.

• Some idioms are really hard to draw, it’s easier to say it. Example: “jack of all trades, master of none.”

1 thing I liked:

• Drawing the idioms on the board.

• Paint the town red

• No skeletons in the closet

• By the bullet.

2 things I observed:

• My group chose many idioms that were quite easy which made it easier for the opposing team more likely to guess our idioms.

• Some idioms are hard to draw. Even with colours and movements. Some are like, bite of more than you chew

1 thing I liked:

• Naming, listing and guessing the idioms

I’m sad that ELBC is ending and we have to start school soon. I hope we get Ms Liza next year when school starts too.

Aside from that, I managed to get to know everyone a lot better during this month. We played games together, we did projects together and completed tasks together. I feel very happy to have such good friends and classmates, and I actually don’t want to part with them.

Ms Liza, thank you for your guidance during this whole month. To be completely honest, at first sight I thought you would be a really serious teacher. But turns out you were really nice and humorous!! You are a really good teacher, I will miss you!! I hope you won’t forget me too. Hope your teaching journey ahead would be filled with joy and happiness too.

Regards,

Xing Yie