Singapore

2020 March 19
Solemn Feast of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary

Dear Lasallians in the Frontlines,

Greetings of peace and well-being! We salute and support your gallant efforts to quell COVID-19 as you perform your responsibilities beyond the call of duty while putting yourselves at great risk. We stand in solidarity with you as part of the health and medical team directly assisting the sick and infected, or as researchers and scientists pressed to review test results or find effective antidotes to the virus, or as round-the-clock logistics and security forces, public servants and volunteers doing your share to reassure the public, restore and maintain order and provide much needed services to everyone.

We are one with you during this very challenging time and assure you of our fervent prayers as your fellow Lasallians in East Asia. We will especially remember you as we pause for a few minutes of quiet prayer daily to remember all Lasallians in the frontlines and to intercede for all those who are working earnestly in many different ways to provide solutions and address the challenges we face.

For you, all Lasallians in East Asia will gather together and by association in their respective homes and communities at around 5:00 p.m. beginning today March 19, feast of St. Joseph, Protector of our Lasallian Institute, and ending on May 15, feast of our Founder, St. John Baptist de La Salle. May the good Lord ever keep you in the palm of His hand. Live Jesus in our hearts, forever!

Fraternally yours,

Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC

Loving Father, our Lasallian Family draws near to you in fervent prayer for all those affected by COVID-19. 

In FAITH, we lift up to you our fears and anxieties and the sufferings of those who have been infected always remembering that even in our darkest hours we are in your most holy presence. 

In SERVICE, we beg you for strength and wisdom to do all that needs to be done knowing that we can be channels of your healing grace when we do all our actions for the love of you. 

In COMMUNION, we stand in solidarity with all the frontliners who risk their lives for others and pray for all medical teams and support personnel who earnestly seek its cure and provide remedy and comfort to those who are sick and most vulnerable. Most Loving Father we entrust our lives and the health and well-being of our families and communities to your care and protection for with you we will be safe and secure.

Amen.

MEDIA RELEASE

In 2015, LASALLE College of the Arts became the first home-grown Singaporean institution to receive the EduTrust Star—the highest accolade of quality awarded to a private education institution in Singapore. Today, LASALLE was awarded the EduTrust Star for the second time running, affirming its high standards and commitment to excellence.

Of nearly 300 private education institutions registered in Singapore with the Committee for Private Education (CPE), LASALLE remains the first and only Singaporean institution to receive the EduTrust Star since the EduTrust Certification Scheme was established in 2009.

“We are delighted to receive the EduTrust Star again. Four years ago, our first Star was a timely recognition of how far the College has come from its humble days as St Patrick’s Arts Centre, and today, our second Star shows that we have not been resting on our laurels. There is nowhere more exciting and dynamic than Singapore right now to be pursuing the arts. Singapore, and indeed the region, is at a stage of rapid maturation as a society where artists, designers and creative thinkers will become increasingly instrumental to its continued growth, and LASALLE stands ready to be a bastion of that growth,” said LASALLE President, Professor Steve Dixon.

"Over the decade, LASALLE has made great strides in furthering a high-quality 21stcentury arts education in Asia. The award of our second EduTrust Star bears witness to this deep commitment. To remain relevant and current, we rigorously benchmark academic quality assurance processes and continuously enhance the curriculum through feedback from the industry and the arts community. In addition, our robust professional and student services ensure that systems and processes are auditable, appropriate and best in class. This enables teaching faculty to focus on nurturing and igniting the creativity and imagination of our students," said LASALLE Provost, Dr Venka Purushothaman.

Since 2015, LASALLE has introduced two new Master of Arts (MA) programmes in Design and Creative Writing, and signed Memoranda of Understanding with worldrenowned institutions such as The New School in New York, the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Australia, and Zurich University of the Arts. In 2017, a longitudinal alumni survey conducted by Nielsen found that 9 out of 10 LASALLE alumni were employed, happy with their jobs, and found skills taught in school to be relevant at work.

The CPE awards the EduTrust Star to private education institutions for attaining a commendable level of performance in managing the institution and providing an outstanding quality of education and welfare for students. The mark is a symbol of recognition for outstanding achievement. LASALLE has been awarded the EduTrust Star from 1 October 2019 to 30 September 2023.

About LASALLE

LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore is a leading tertiary institution in cutting edge contemporary arts and design education and practice. The college offers more than 30 diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in fine arts, design communication, interior design, product design, film, animation, fashion, dance, music, theatre, arts management, arts pedagogy and practice, art therapy, Asian art histories, and creative writing.

Its faculty is led by a community of award-winning artists, designers, educators and researchers, and their practice-led research sets LASALLE apart as an international centre of excellence. Critically acclaimed alumni form the core of the cultural and creative sectors in Singapore and increasingly, internationally.

Founded in 1984 by the late De La Salle Brother Joseph McNally – a visionary artist and educator – LASALLE is a non-profit, private educational institution. LASALLE receives tuition grant support from the Singapore Ministry of Education. Its degree programmes are validated by Goldsmiths, University of London.

For Media Enquiries, please contact:

Chen Cuifen
Division of Communications
LASALLE College of the Arts
6496 5216
cuifen.chen@lasalle.edu.sg

Theodore Woon
PINPOINT PR
+65 9155 3507
theo@pinpointpr.sg

We continue to have two FSC Communities in Singapore. One is located in St Joseph’s Institution (SJI) and the other at St Patrick’s School (SPS). On 27-29 August, Br. Armin visited the Brothers’ Community at SJI. At present, there are 4 Brothers living in this community: Larry Humphrey (director), Paul Ho, John Win Kyaw and Paul Mata. Br. Armin met each of us individually, and then met us all together as one community to discuss matters relating to our community life and welfare as Brothers.

On 2-3 September, after his trip to Sri Lanka, Br. Armin headed back to Singapore to visit our Brothers, this time in the community of St Patrick’s School located in the East Coast of Singapore. It is a community of three Brothers namely: Nicholas Seet, Collin Wee and Gregory Lim. He met each one individually and gathered them together to have a fruitful discussion on the Brothers’ life. (Text & Photo: Br. Paul Mata FSC)

SINGAPORE - This year marks the 170th anniversary of the Lasallian Brothers' landing in Singapore and Asia in 1852.

Students, alumni and staff of the Lasallian schools in Singapore took part in the remaking of ‘We Are Lasallian’. The song reminds us that we are part of a much larger Lasallian community. We celebrate the gift of Lasallian education and hope that we can inspire future generations to continue the good work of serving the last, the lost and the least! (St. Joseph’s Institution Junior Official Facebook Page)

SINGAPORE - In view of the pandemic restrictions, representatives of the Singapore Lasallian family gathered at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd on 2022 March 29, on the very day that the first pioneering 6 Brothers arrived in Singapore in 1852. Thus began the Lasallian presence in Asia. One of the six Brothers who arrived, Bro Switbert, is buried in the grounds of the cathedral with a memorial plaque on a wall of the cathedral.

The Mass began with the entrance procession of the school flags of the 8 schools and the framed picture of HopeHouse. The hymns sung at the Mass were pre-recorded of the voices and the faces of teachers and students from the schools.

The Chairmen of the governing boards, school leaders, teachers, parents, students, alumni and the Lynksters (Lasallian Youth) gathered for the eucharist to thank the Lord for the many Brothers and partners who gave their lives and contributed to nation-building and character-formation.

Archbishop William Goh presiding at the Mass thanked the Brothers for their work of forming many generations of Singaporeans. He also cited that a large percentage of converts to the Catholic Church were mainly from Catholic schools and also that the largest number of priests in the archdiocese were those who had a Lasallian education. Archbishop William Goh encouraged the Lasallian partners to continue their good work while also asking the young to consider the life of a Brother as a vocation. (Text: Br. Nicholas Seet FSC; Photos: SJI-Junior Official Facebook Page)

The 170th Anniversary Mass on YouTube

"That is what these 170 years of Lasallian Mission in Asia are about - that we continue to have that vision and the dream of serving new needs among the young." - Br. Nicholas Seet FSC Click on the image to view a short message by Br. Nicholas Seet FSC on the 170th Anniversary of Lasallian Mission in Asia on YouTube.

SINGAPORE - The solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity is woven into the fabric of Lasallian spirituality as an occasion where the Brothers all over the world renew their religious consecration to the Trinity. This tradition affirms the continuous flow of the Trinitarian love to our mission and consecration as Brothers of the Christian Schools. An additional testament to this love is the promise of forever made by Br. Mark Salvan FSC as he professed his perpetual vows on the occasion of the solemnity, 29 May 2021 at 6 PM. The intimate celebration was held at the Sanctuary of Divine Love Chapel, St. Joseph’s Institution International, Singapore. It was presided by Friar Clifford Augustine OFM and attended by the De La Salle Brothers assigned in Singapore, Br. Mark’s friends, and some family members.

Br. Dodo Fernandez FSC, his religious sponsor, delivered the shared reflection for this solemn occasion in a recorded video clip. He shared in an anecdote Br. Mark’s desire to grow and be more effective in his ministry. It was a story of how his formative years helped him appropriate his values to the vitality and values of religious life. From an energetic young man whose initial attraction to the Brothers’ life is the energy and enthusiasm he saw from Br. Rey Mejias FSC, the formation process has helped him develop a deeper relationship with God. This relationship gave him the courage and strength to bear witness to a faithful and steadfast God through a life-long commitment to responding to God’s call and be of service to the young through education.

Br. Mark, in his response, shared how things that are important to him seemed not to fall into place. One of them is celebrating this milestone in his life away from his loved ones. But despite the situation, this special day has become a celebration of a heart abounding in thanksgiving and self-giving. With the eyes of faith, he was able to see things through. In faith, things that seemed to fall apart are actually things falling into place.

At the height of the pandemic, the perpetual profession of Br. Mark is a sign of hope. He mentioned in his message that everything happens for a reason. Thus, this profession serves as a light manifesting how God works no matter how challenging our circumstances are. The organizers had to cut the number of people physically present at the event and restrict the movement of guests to comply with the safety measures imposed by the government. The celebration still stood out as a testament to God’s faithfulness as the sector of Singapore once again witnessed a Brother’s perpetual profession after nearly a decade.

Br. Mark teaches Religious Education and is a member of the Faith Formation Team at St. Joseph's Institution International. Let us continue to pray for him as he begins his ‘forever’ serving the people of God as a Brother of the Christian Schools. (Text: Br. Kino Escolano FSC; Photos: SJII)

The Brothers’ Community at St. Joseph’s Institution in Singapore became the venue of the 32nd District Council Meeting which was held on 2019 October 26.

The DC members had an entire day discussing matters relating to LEAD. They concluded the meeting with a Eucharistic Celebration presided by Fr. Matthew Tan, SJ.

After the mass, all the DC members, together with Br. Ricky Laguda (PARC General Councillor), and the rest of the Brothers in Singapore, went out for dinner in an Italian restaurant. 

SINGAPORE - Thirteen Brothers gathered for the Brothers Assembly on 2021 November 6 at 3pm till 4.45pm. Brother Visitor opened the assembly with the question, “Where do I go from here?” and the invitation to engage and collaborate in a deeper manner with our lay partners. One way of doing this is to energize our Lasallian formation programmes for all Lasallians in Singapore, Brothers and partners. Then Br Paul Ho gave a detailed presentation on the state of the sector’s finances after which the Brothers discussed the questions taken from the 2nd Mission Lead Assembly document. Developments for the renovations to the La Salle St Patrick’s House was presented clearly by Br Antonio with regard to v i s i o n , m i s s i o n a n d objectives of the future Lasallian apostolate. The Alumni associations are taking the leading role in the commemoration of the 170th anniversary of the Brothers’ arrival in Asia next year. (Text: Br. Nicholas Seet FSC; Photo: Br. Antonio Cubillas FSC)

SINGAPORE - 8 LYNKsters (Lasallian Youth Network) and 2 Brothers spent the morning of 11 July walking around Toa Payoh to visit our mentees from the Lasallian Mentoring Programme. We worked in pairs to visit 25 mentees in their homes. We have not seen them since we paused in mid March. It’s almost four months now.

We took this time to check on their wellbeing as well as to see if they are equipped enough to continue our mentoring sessions online. We are glad to see all our mentees and their families doing well during this time and are managing within their means. (Text & Photos: Ms. Ed-Linddi Ong)

With the loud music of the bagpipes and the flags of the 9 Lasallian educational institutions in Singapore carried in, the procession into the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd began in high spirits. The picture of the founder with his relic was carried by Bro John Wyn accompanied by Bro Gregory. It was then followed by the Brothers, affiliated members and the priests together with the nuncio, Archbishop Marek Zawleski.

In his homily, Archbishop Marek highlighted the Lasallian values as well as the need for vocations for the Brothers and for Christian educators. In his address, Bro Paul Ho echoed the Superior’s message that the celebration is not only of a past memory but also how we can continue the Lasallian mission to cater to new needs in our own circumstances today.

The photographs of the school leaders, staff and students with the Brothers after the Mass took on a joyous mood as everyone felt inspired by the gathering of the Lasallian family together in celebration and prayer. (Br. Nicholas Seet FSC)

Fraternally,

Br. Edmundo Fernandez FSC

23 Students of St. Joseph’s Institution (SJI) Singapore attended the Year 4 Catholic Retreat from 5-7 July 2019 at La Salle Centre, St. Patrick’s School. The retreat was facilitated by 3 Filipino Young Brothers.

With the theme “Me and My Journey” the retreat focused on deepening of faith through self awareness and looking on one’s capacity to serve, together.
(Text & Photos: Br. Irwin Climaco FSC)

St. Joseph’s Institution - International, Singapore - On Tuesday 26 November, our High School community came together to celebrate our shared Lasallian values and to recognise the legacy of St. John Baptist de La Salle, 300 years after his passing. Students and staff wholeheartedly threw themselves into a range of activities designed to mark the occasion. 

The 301 Fun Run took place at the Singapore Polo Club. This was the last event of the year where house points were up for grabs and, in a hard-fought contest, each house smashed through their target of achieving 301 laps of the pitch – the 301 symbolising looking forward, beyond the last 300 years. It was great to see competitive spirits kick in as people sprinted or ambled around the 1km track to rack up as many points as possible for their house! 

In addition to this physical exertion, there was also the opportunity for people to express their artistic side in the production of banners, each reflecting our Lasallian and house values. Everyone contributed a handprint in the creation of the banners to symbolise the legacy we are leaving by putting our hands to good use in service to others. These banners now have pride of place around the school and are looking fabulous, creating an injection of colour and positivity as people go about their daily business. 

All in all, a wonderful afternoon to bring another busy year to a close.

SINGAPORE - Brothers Carlo, Collin, Kino, Miggy, and Nicholas visited the four Lasallian primary schools and shared with the new staff the spirituality and the life of St La Salle. Some of the new teachers asked questions about teaching in a Catholic school as most of them are not Catholics. The sharing emphasized the brotherhood and sisterhood of humanity, that the Lasallian school is a Catholic school and is also respectful of other faith traditions. Many of the teachers expressed that they felt welcomed and looked forward to the new year with their colleagues and students. (Text & Photos: Br. Nicholas Seet FSC)

Some of our Josephians penned a short message of gratitude to the medical and frontline personnel who are fighting against the COVID19. This was done as part of our Josephian Formation Journey programme in line with Total Defence Day.

#JFJ #everydayherossg #SGUnited #JosephiansUnited #LasalliansUnited

Watch the video by clicking this Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=649815175847468

In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak and its many challenges, our Year 4 student, David Ho (MN401) shared his self-drawn comic about how a Josephian should respond at this time — with care and concern.

SINGAPORE - After 2 years, we could finally gather as a school in the hall to celebrate our Nation’s birthday!

We started the day with the observance ceremony and also listened to the National Day message by our Minister of Education.

The boys headed back to class to learn more about this year’s National Day theme and logo.

We gathered back in the hall for the next part of the celebration with “Don’t forget the lyrics”. The boys sang loudly and with such confidence acing all the questions. We ended the celebration with the singing of our favourite National Day song, “This is Home”.

Happy birthday, Singapore! (St. Joseph’s Institution Junior Official Facebook Page)

SINGAPORE - Brother Armin made his canonical (annual official) visit to the two Singapore Brothers communities. Saint Joseph’s on November 3 and 5 and St. Patrick’s on November 8 and 11 via Zoom. After his individual reddition (interview) with each Brother, he held a dialogue session with the whole community. The Brothers were very grateful to receive a personal and community letter from Brother Visitor. (Text: Br. Michael Broughton FSC & Br. Antonio Cubillas FSC; Photo: Br. Antonio Cubillas FSC)

On Friday 12 March 2021, more than 600 educators from our six schools and HopeHouse staff participated in an online session given by Br. Ricky Laguda on the Declaration on the Lasallian Educational Mission as well as the Identity Criteria document. The students were on home-based learning and this allowed their teachers and staff to be available for Lasallian formation sessions. Ms. Ed-Linddi helped with the technical arrangements. Br. Antonio Cubillas welcomed the participants. Br. Ricky gave inputs on the documents and this was followed by breakout rooms with reflection questions that made the participants be aware and share their reflections. The sessions lasted three hours with a short twenty minute break. At the end, each school reported on their strengths and weaknesses and what they hope to do in the future to realize the Lasallian mission in their own schools or centre in Singapore. (Text & Photo: Br. Nicholas Seet FSC)

On 2020 September 13, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore celebrated the Catholic Education Mass 2020, in celebration of 168 years of Catholic Education in Singapore. The virtual Mass was presided by Fr. Adrian Danker, SJ, St. Joseph’s Institution’s ( SJI ) principal. Select students from different schools, including our La Salle schools, participated as readers and members of the choir.

It starts with a short history of Catholic Education in Singapore followed by the Mass.

St. Joseph’s Institution International School Malaysia  (SJIIM)  students and members of its Parent Support Group (PSG) have been busy assisting those in need during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period in Malaysia.

With the school temporarily closed in compliance with the MCO, SJIIM students and the PSG decided to channel funds that they had helped gather to benefit those in need of food and basic necessities during this difficult period. They also chipped in to make protective shields for use by frontline and essential service workers!
The group raised RM 6,000 and it received a dollar-for-dollar matching contribution from the SJIIM Lasallian Fund. The RM12,000 was equally distributed to the Pit Stop Community Café in the Klang Valley, COVIDCAREMY DHRRA Malaysia and COVID Assist Malaysia.

Co-founder of COVID Assist Malaysia and SJIIM student, Sandra Ong hard at work constructing the face shields needed for the frontliners

Dato’ Bro Paul Ho, Chairman of the SJIIM Board of Governors, is delighted with the initiatives of the students and the PSG. “It is extremely heartening to note that our community is fully embracing our Founder’s ethos of reaching out in service for the benefits of the less fortunate.”  

Sheela Sam, the Chairlady of the PSG was very proud of the effort that the group has made. “We are happy to be able to make a difference. To help those in need as inscribed in our Lasallian culture is not just charity, it is humanity in the highest form. We enkindle good values for our future generation and we pray for those who have been affected physically, emotionally and financially.”
The Pit Stop Community Café and COVIDCARE MY are organizations that support the most vulnerable in the community in various ways, including food distribution which assists many families. Both organizations have been tremendously active with their humanitarian efforts and were very appreciative of the support received:

“The Pit Stop Community Cafe had the distinct pleasure of working with different groups of SJIIM students for the past three years and each one of them who have volunteered their time with us have shown us passion, dedication and leadership. We are very proud of our SJIIM volunteers and feel that their school and family have definitely done something right for these capable young people. In these troubled times of COVID-19 when so many marginalised communities are without income or decent food, SJIIM has come to us again with a lifesaving gift. Thank you so much for coming together to make sure that we are able to serve those who have fallen off the cracks of society.”

– Andrea Tan, Co-Founder of Pit Stop Community Cafe

“On behalf of COVIDCAREMY, we are truly grateful and thankful to SJI International School Malaysia and the SJIIM Parent Support Group for their generosity. Our donors and supporters inspire us to continue this journey and we invite them to walk along with us. COVIDCAREMY has been active nationwide for almost a month and we will continue to assist the marginalised and B40 communities during the MCO.”

- COVIDCAREMY

SJIIM Student Calvin Foo with one of the face shields he made for COVID Assist Malaysia

COVID Assist Malaysia is a volunteer organization co-founded by two high school students namely Sandra Ong of SJIIM and Julian Yang from another notable international school to support those in need of assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds contributed to this organization will be used to produce face shields by volunteers who are students of SJIIM and other international schools, parents and other benefactors. The face shields will be given to frontline staff in hospitals and essential service workers who urgently require more Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to perform their daily tasks in assisting with the recovery of COVID-19 patients.

COVID Assist Malaysia’s founders were ecstatic with the support they have received.  “We founded COVID Assist Malaysia to provide support to those in need during this COVID-19 pandemic. We crowdsourced volunteers and funds, harnessed the people's innate desire to do good, collaborated with our local community and other youths while employing the power of social networking systems to achieve maximum reach and effectiveness. We are incredibly grateful for SJIIM and the Parent Support Group’s generous donation. These funds will help further our cause by enabling us to increase the scale of our projects, diversifying into other activities and widening our base. As international school students, we are incredibly fortunate to have the financial means to continue with our education while others may not even be able to afford essentials. It is our duty to provide concern for the poor and social justice and do our part to help ‘the Least, the Last and the Lost’.”

Besides the three listed organizations, care packages in the form of groceries and food were also sponsored by the group and distributed to the security guards of SJIIM who are diligently working on-site to keep the school safe throughout the MCO period. Mohammed Sharizal, who is the security supervisor of SJIIM said, “We are thankful for the generous contributions given to us by the PSG. These essential food items will go a long way in helping the guards with their everyday lives during this difficult period.”

Service and care for the community are hallmarks of an SJIIM education. The school is proud that despite the challenges posed by the MCO, its students and parents have truly lived up to its Lasallian ideal that they had “entered the school to learn and would leave it to serve.”

For media inquiries:

Mr. Neoh Soon Ken
Director of Business Development
Contact No: +603 86053605; +6016 4758308
Email: kenneoh@sji-international.edu.my

Source: https://www.sji-international.edu.my/sjiim-students-and-parentssupport- mco-affected-groups/

On 3rd April, our Prime Minister announced a community "circuit breaker” in Singapore as the number of COVID-19 cases were rising. What this means is other than a list of essential services which are allowed to continue running, residents are encouraged to stay home. Schools and non essential offices were to remain closed till 4th May. He also announced that each resident would be given a reusable mask so that the surgical masks could be saved for healthcare workers. This followed after a nationwide distribution of hand sanitisers.

Several Young Lasallians from the Lasallian Youth NetworK bravely responded to the call for helping with the issuing of reusable masks. They assisted our community partner, Toa Payoh East Community Club, who were overwhelmed by what they had to do in response to the circuit breaker. The volunteers spent their time doing temperature taking, running some meal errands, answering queries, and giving out masks. Measures like social distancing and using hand sanitisers, hand gloves, and masks were put in place to protect both the volunteers and members of the public collecting their masks.

This week-long project was a success as over 80% of Singapore Residents have collected their masks islandwide. (Text & Photos: Ms. Ed-Linddi Ong)

Among the many new Catholic school principals commissioned by the Archbishop of Singapore, Msgr William Goh, on January 5 at the cathedral, there were three Lasallian principals. They are Mdm Cheryl Choo De La Salle School, Mrs Roisin Paul St Joseph's Institution International and Mr Mark Minjoot St Patrick's School. Brs. Antonio Cubillas, Augustine Julian, Lawrence Humphrey, Paul Ho, Collin Wee and Nicholas Seet were present to pray and share their joy at the special Sunday Mass. (Text & Photos: Br. Nicholas Seet FSC)

Source: www.straitstimes.com

SINGAPORE - Students of Lasalle College of the Arts will no longer have to travel to different campuses for classes when a new $50 million building is ready by 2025. The 12-storey block to be built on a 6,000 sq m plot of land next to the college's McNally Street campus will help to centralise the school's facilities. It will also be connected to the nearby Rochor MRT station. In recent years, the school has had to lease art facilities in Winstedt Road, classroom spaces in nearby buildings as well as studios from Mediacorp to accommodate a growing student population.

The McNally campus was intended for 1,850 students, but the student population is currently about 2,700.

While the land was earmarked for Lasalle since it moved to the McNally site 12 years ago, funding was a challenge until the Ngee Ann Kongsi pledged $50 million last year.

This is both the Teochew group's single largest donation, and the largest donation received by Lasalle to date.

In a speech on Thursday (Nov 14), Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said it is apt that two historic institutions are coming together to contribute to the nation's future in its bicentennial year.

"Their collaboration is also a testament to how far we have come along this journey from Singapore to Singaporean," added Mr Heng, who noted that a Teochew foundation is donating tens of millions of dollars to an arts school founded by a Catholic order.

"This is not something that happens readily in other parts of the world today, and something that we should treasure and never take for granted," said Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister, at the cheque presentation ceremony at Lasalle's McNally campus.

The De La Salle brothers first came to Singapore in 1852 to teach at St Joseph's Institution. They went on to set up several schools in Singapore.

It was Brother Joseph McNally who started the St Patrick's Arts Centre in 1984 with 27 students, which would later become Lasalle.

Work on the new building, with a potential gross floor area of 20,000 sq m, will start in 2021 and is expected to take three to four years to complete.

It will include new facilities like a 300-seat lecture theatre, a music recital hall, a film studio, and new galleries on the ground floor that will be open to the public.

The building will also feature a glass facade that opens out to Rochor Canal Road.

Speaking to the media before the event, Lasalle chairman Peter Seah said that he expects the demand for arts education to continue growing.

But whether the school can help meet the demand depends on government policy and space constraints. Lasalle's expansion will help cater to its current student population of 2,700 only.

In his speech, Mr Seah called the new building Lasalle's "crowning glory", and thanked the Kongsi for its generosity.

"Your momentous contribution will no doubt create new and exciting opportunities in the arts that will impact Singapore culturally and socially for many years to come," he said, announcing that the new building will be called the Ngee Ann Kongsi Building.

Ngee Ann Kongsi vice-president Richard Lee said that it was "honoured" by the decision to name the building after the Teochew organisation.

"We hope our gift will enable Lasalle to become a place of intellectual wealth in which your students will treasure and enjoy their academic pursuits and aspirations to be future leaders in the arts and creative industries," he said.

The Kongsi has been donating to Lasalle since 2007 when the school first moved into its McNally campus. These donations have included a Steinway grand piano and $6 million towards books, online databases, scholarships and bursaries.

St. Joseph’s Institution - International, Singapore

Excerpts from the Article:

On 26 August, 1850 students from both the Elementary School and High School and approximately 220 members of staff, gathered on our new upper field with the ES students in green, and the HS students in white, to form a dramatic, living symbol of our Lasallian identity in the shape of a huge Lasallian Star.

Click on the link for the full article: https://sji-international.com.sg/news/387

SINGAPORE - Our students had a very successful #Music tour in Phuket over the weekend, collaborating with British International School, Phuket - BISP

This marks the first-ever Music Tour for our school. Students enjoyed collaborative music rehearsals, a sunset dinner on the beach and at the #Phuket Lookout, a visit to an elephant sanctuary, and the highlight of the Tour – a combined concert at the Andamanda Water Park.

SJI International and BISP musicians performed their renditions of pieces such as 'African Alleluia' by Jay Althouse, 'Kingdom Dance' By Alan Menken and 'Surf Medley Mash Up', to name a few

#SJIInternational #highschool #beyondtheclassroom (St. Joseph’s Institution International Official Facebook Page)

SINGAPORE - Our boys carved their names in history as we emerged Champions for the first time in the National Senior Division Track & Field Championships!

It was an exciting and heart-stopping race to the finish line as the boys raced hard over five grueling days of high-octane competition! With the support of our amazing parents and Coach Ben, our boys labored to a well deserved victory! (St. Joseph’s Institution Junior Official Facebook Page)

SINGAPORE – More than 600 teachers from the six Lasallian schools and their school leaders gathered online for the annual Lasallian Formation Day on Friday, 11 March 2022. The theme was “To dream is our way forward.” After the Opening Prayer prepared by Br Carlo, Br Ricky Laguda gave an Opening Address inviting the participants to have a vision for the future, an imagined utopia that can further our Lasallian mission wherever we are. The participants were divided into groups according to the number of years that they have served in our schools. The first group were those who have been in our school for their first year and their topic is the life of the Founder; the second group consisted of those who were here for 2-5 years and they discussed the 3 of the 12 Virtues of a Lasallian teacher; the third group were those from 6-7 years and looked at the evolution of the Institute from the 18th -20 th centuries; the fourth group were those eight years and above and had conversations in preparation for LEAD’s 3rd Mission Assembly. There was a separate group for the school leaders, that is the principals and vice-principals, which discussed the need for more formation as to the identity and characteristics of a Lasallian school.

Each group had a separate topic for which resources were prepared and the facilitators from each school would deliver the content and facilitate the discussions for their respective schools. In this way, the teachers who were facilitators had to digest the topic and present the topics to their fellow teachers. This helps the teachers themselves know and reflect on the different topics. There is also a hope for 2 more meetings on a school level in the year to instill what had been discussed. The feedback thus far has been very positive from the data that was gathered. (Text & Photo: Br. Nicholas Seet FSC)

SINGAPORE - “Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve" are the words our Junior Josephians see when they enter through the main gates of SJI Junior every morning when they enter school each day.

These are not mere words inscribed on the walls of our school facade but they are enacted each year by our graduating classes after the PSLE. Simply entitled the 'Leave to Serve Programme', our boys partner our teachers and administrative staff members in "paying back" to the school by contributing in a myriad of ways - from polishing and sanitising band instruments, harvesting vegetables in our hydroponics shed for distribution to old folks, to sorting out spare uniforms and shelving books in the school library.

In this way, each batch of SJI Junior students truly embodies the school's tagline 'Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve’. (St. Joseph’s Institution Junior Facebook Page)

Excerpts from the Article:

SINGAPORE - Mr Rahman Sanip, 45, with Dr. S Chandrasekaran, 60, head of McNally School of Fine Arts at Lasalle College of the Arts. Mr Rahman, a former drug addict who developed his passion for art while he was in prison, is pursuing a fine arts diploma and hopes to be an art teacher or work as a display artist one day.

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/school-is-a-draw-for-ex-convict-45-with-teachers-support

In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, artists and designers from LASALLE will work together with real estate developers to produce unique pieces of urban living art for condominium The M. Engaged in discussion since the developmental phase, the paintings, sculptures and interactive displays conceived by alumni of LASALLE will be well integrated into the complex once it completes in early 2024. The 522-unit property at Middle Road is near the arts and cultural precinct and is marketed to millennial families and entrepreneurs who are based at home.

“We believe this new approach will enhance life and community within the development. By involving the artists at the very start, it helps them to capture the spirit of the place better so that their artistic expressions can enliven the space in an authentic, organic manner," said Edmund Cheng, Deputy Chairman and Deputy Managing Director of Wing Tai Asia.

Read the full article

St. Joseph’s Institution - International, Singapore

Excerpts from the Article:

The 24th of August saw another wonderful opportunity for our community to come together through the Elementary School Lapathon 2019: Our Houses United In Service, in support of impoverished children attending the kindergartens and nurseries of the Lasallian schools in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

There was a tremendous sense of unity among all who attended and it was gratifying to see so many parents running (or walking!) with their children. A record $28,560.74 was raised which will go to support the meal programmes in the schools including the development of some of their libraries.

Click on the link for the full article: https://sji-international.com.sg/news/400

SINGAPORE - Returning from a three-year-long pandemic-imposed hiatus, the Singapore Youth Sailing Championships brought with it glamorous sailing conditions allowing for twelve races to be conducted over the four-day event. Following a long-drawn battle at the top of the leaderboard, SJI is proud to announce that our sailors Russell Yom (FN604) and Felix Koo (FN401) overcame the odds to emerge national champion and under-16 champion in the ILCA 6 Division respectively. Not to be outdone, Kenan Tan (FN401) also clinched the top spot in the ILCA 4 category, thus ensuring that SJI triumphed with the national title in 2 out of the 3 categories that we fielded sailors in. Well done, SJI sailors! #TeamSJI

Photo credit: Kit / Donovan Ho for Singapore Sailing Federation (St. Joseph’s Institution Official Facebook Page)

SINGAPORE - On 11 September morning from 6.30am to 12.30pm, 74 participants made up of pupils and their family members came together to share their time & effort in blessing others through volunteering in the SJIJ PTA Family Community Service Activity at the Willing Hearts!

Willing Hearts operates a kitchen run by volunteers that prepares, cooks, and distributes 11,000 meals each day for 365 days a year, for the elderly, the disabled, low-income families, children from single-parent families or otherwise poverty-stricken families.

Participants got hands-on in various tasks from peeling and chopping vegetables, packing lunch boxes to delivering the food to different places all over Singapore.

Though tiring, it was definitely a purposeful experience for all the participants who had come together to serve the community as a SJI Junior family, living out our Lasallian values of faith, service & community!

A big shout out to all the parents and children who participated!!! Thank you so much for all your hard work!!! (St. Joseph’s Institution Junior Official Facebook Page)

SINGAPORE – Join our Lasallian family as we celebrate the 170th Anniversary of the Brothers’ Arrival in Asia on the 29th March 2022! See poster for details. You may also click on the poster to bring you to the YouTube livestream page.

#DLSBrothersSG #MoreFSC #IndividaManent #DeLaSalle170 (De La Salle Brothers Singapore Official Facebook Page)

SINGAPORE - Mr Colond, Br Carlo, Br Mark and Br Miggy from the #Lasallian Formation team made a 'bald' statement last week in support of the Children's Cancer Foundation's #hairforhope campaign.

Thank you, gentlemen, for showing up to raise funds and awareness of this worthy cause!

#SJII #service #givingback #community (St. Joseph's Institution International Official Facebook Page)

On 2020 July 4, the young Brothers newly assigned to Singapore for either Studies or Apostolic Training Community (ATC) met with Br. Kelvin Tan FSC, who facilitated via zoom an orientation about living in Singapore. It was followed by a Q&A session. (Text & Photo: Br. Antonio Cubillas FSC)

SINGAPORE - Lemuel Asuncion, a Postulant of the De La Salle Brothers in LEAD (Lasallian East Asia District) shares his reflections on his Singapore exposure program. Click here to view his reflection video on YouTube.

SINGAPORE - We are delighted to be ranked the highest of only two international schools in #Singapore listed in the Top 500 for #Oxbridge offers in 2021.

SJI International ranks top in Singapore with seven offers for the recent Oxbridge intake!

Click here to read more.

Photo courtesy of Which School Advisor. #IBdiploma #lifelonglearning (St. Joseph’s Institution International Official Facebook Page)

SINGAPORE - Congratulations to the SJI Class of 2022 for their outstanding results at the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) November 2022 Examinations! All 266 IBDP students passed and were awarded the International Baccalaureate Diploma, with an average score of 41 out of 45 points. This is higher than the national average score of 39.48, the global average of 30.91 and the Asia-Pacific average of 35.6 out of 45. 205 students (77%) attained 40 or more points.

Well done, IB Class of 2022! We wish you all the best in your future endeavours as you continue to be men and women of integrity and men and women for others! Ora et Labora! (St. Joseph’s Institution Official Facebook Page)

SINGAPORE - The two young Brothers, Miggy Crisostomo and Carlo Rementilla, scheduled to arrive in Singapore in November 23, had a pre-departure meet-up with Brothers Nicholas, Larry, & Antonio. Together, they discussed any last-minute concerns, planning not only for their future assignments in Singapore but also their continued involvement in the Philippines, if required. The Brothers in Singapore expressed their craving for “Ensaymada” f rom Mary Grace. (Text: Br. Michael Broughton FSC & Br. Antonio Cubillas FSC; Photo: Br. Antonio Cubillas FSC)

Singapore Annual Lasallian Formation Day 2023
by Errol Chang, staff member, St Patrick’s School.

The day started with a simple breakfast when the 700 plus staff from 6 schools gathered at St. Joseph’s Institution on 10th March 2023.

After the opening prayer lead by Bro Paul Ho, Bro Jose Mari Jimenez welcomed all participants by sharing about how he was inspired to be a teacher and encouraging the audience to care for our students.

The participants then broke out for their respective sessions based on their years of service in a Lasallian institution. The various breakout sessions saw the participants taking part in various learning activities.

• Year 1: Coffee shop talk on Founder’s life
• Year 2: Botanic Gardens based activities on the Virtues of Gravity, Silence and Humility from the 12 Virtues of Lasallian Educator.
• Year 3 to 5: Sports based activities on the Prudence, Zeal and Patience from the 12 Virtues of Lasallian Educator.
• Year 6: Arts based exposure with reflections on Conduct of Schools.
• Year 7: Discovering the evolution of Lasallian education in Singapore around Bras Basah area
• Year 8: Exploring the Lasallian DNA through discussion and use of ChatGBT

Here are some reflections by the participants:

In choosing a plant to represent the Virtue of Humility: “To represent humility, our group chose the Chinese Chives. Usually seen as a humble and common garnish, but we learnt that the flowers are actually very pretty… (this) shows that the humble daily work that we (educators) do which will eventually flourish and bloom to be something pretty (our students).” (A Year 2 reflection)

On the Virtue of Patience: “We have years of experience to develop our emotional regulation and restraint. During the games, we all went through various feelings of embarrassment, anxiety, excitement, frustration but did not let it affect our behaviour or actions or interactions with our peers much. I would like to work on being more understanding with my students and their understanding of their emotions rather than reacting to their actions.” (A Year 3 reflection)

On the Conduct of Schools: “The idea that even boys whose behaviour are not at the role-model level are given duties and responsibilities to discharge or prove themselves. It suggests that we need to provide more equitable opportunities for student empowerment/leadership.” (A Year 6 reflection)

The Lasallian Formation Day ended with a large group consolidation and sharing of a meal.