70 Acts of Kindness - Kindness 21 to 30

Kindness 21

Packing ROSE

The 25th Executive Committee (2022) participated in the ROSE (Rice, Oil, Sugar and Essentials) Programme organised by the Potong Pasir Community Club. Prior to the actual day of delivering the package, the 25th Student Council Executive Committee (2022) joined other volunteers at the Community Club to pack the items for delivery. They spent their morning to place the various items into the bags, together with other volunteers. During the interaction, the volunteers shared interesting experiences that were enlightening for the students. They worked together as a team and thought creatively of how the items could be packed efficiently. It was a very simple task but the students understood the value of doing it.

Reflection

“I enjoyed the experience with my fellow peers. The packing was very meaningful as we saw many other members of the public taking time away from their own schedules to help in any way they could. I learnt that we should try to help, however little it may seem. I felt it was meaningful as I was able to connect with other people outside our school and I was able to form good relations with them. It was overall a great experience for me and my fellow councillors.” - Eugene, Secondary 2E2

“I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the ROSE programme. I have seen people distributing food before but after going for the packing, I learnt that many people out there volunteer their free time to serve a need in the community. It was not about packing items but how they did with care and love for the families in need. I felt really proud being a participant.

I am thankful and grateful for having this opportunity as I have a chance to contribute and serve others and be a part of the distribution on Sunday as well. The team at Potong Pasir community centre explained the whole process to us well and briefed us on how to pack and arrange the items neatly and orderly. They took the time to ensure that we understood the rationale behind everything that they did. My fellow councillors and I got the chance to place the food in the bags that other volunteers brought around. There was also an elderly uncle who, although not able to hear or move easily, did his best to help contribute to the packing, maneuvering the items with a trolley from one place to another. I really enjoyed participating in ROSE program and I saw the happiness in all others too. I am thankful for this opportunity.” - Lathika, Secondary 3N2

Kindness 22

Morning Leadership Series: Kindness and Gratitude to Support Staff

In 2022, 24th Bartley Student Council President took the stage to kickstart the Morning Leadership Series, which is a series of sharing by various Student Leaders to the school. Through this sharing, the Student Leaders hope to show how small changes can make a big difference. It is intended for students to inspire other students in becoming better Bartleyans. The topics covered range from managing self, adopting healthy living, saving the green, being a good citizen to showing compassion.

For the first sharing, the Student Council President shared with the school on how they can show gratitude and kindness to the support staff in Bartley. He introduced the support staff who keep the school clean and safe so that the environment is conducive for all students to learn and grow. They are often people whom students rarely speak to. Hence, introducing them and their work to all the students will allow students to recognize them and engage in conversations with them. More importantly, it is for them to understand the contributions of the support staff to the school This is in the hope to spread kindness among Bartleyans to just do a little to put on the smiles on the faces of people play a part in providing the support for a good learning environment.

Reflection

“My favourite part of this project was in designing the presentation slides and discussing ideas on how to display our gratitude. Showing gratitude and kindness not only brings joy to others, but it also gives us a sense of satisfaction.” - Gwenyth 4N1

“This presentation creates a great opportunity for us students to recognize and acknowledge the hard work of the school staff in Bartley. During the preparation, we were worried about pronouncing the names of the staffs, as it would seem respectful to pronounce peoples' names wrongly. But we managed to overcome this challenge by going to the staff and asking for the correct pronunciation of their names. The part which I enjoyed the most is, students noticing the hard work of the staff and greeting them.” - Hui Xin 4E2

“When doing the project, it was difficult to find the best possible way to bring more recognition to the aunties and uncles who maintain cleanliness of the school. This led us to brainstorm for various ideas but it was still difficult nonetheless. Throughout the project, I questioned myself, "Why this project?", and it soon occurred to me that this could raise awareness of the importance of thinking about others among Bartleyans. I wish more Bartleyans can relate to others’ situations and ultimately, enhance everyone’s well-being in Bartley.

I believe that everyone has kindness in their hearts, and it just solely depends on how well it is cultivated. To me, I believe this project helps in cultivating Bartleyans’ kindness. I truly enjoyed doing this project.” - Pierre 4E2

Kindness 23

Food@Bartley

In 2022, the 25th Executive Committee embarked on a new project titled Food@Bartley. The students interviewed the canteen stall operators to find out more about them and the dishes they serve. They then shared the information with the school to encourage students to try a wide range of dishes from various stalls.

They believed that it is important to focus on promoting healthy eating as well as to encourage students to use the fruit tokens. They incorporated these into their sharing by first finding out from the stallholders their efforts in making their food healthier!

The Student Councillors also created a survey to gather information from students on the type of food they enjoy as well as any feedback they may have on the canteen food. The survey was intended to give students a voice in an aspect of their everyday schooling life – recess and lunch. It also provided the Student Councillors an opportunity to create positive change among their friends and fellow Bartleyans by inspiring them to adopt a healthier eating habit.

Reflection

“The Food@Bartley project went smoothly. At first, it felt like there were so many things to do. But as I started on the different tasks, I was able to complete them. I learnt many new things about the canteen vendors while interviewing them. Food@Bartley was a project I felt was very meaningful and I put my 100% effort into it. While doing so, I also had to make sure I managed all other commitments well. It was challenging sometimes but now that we had reached our goal, it was all worth it! I learnt how to be resilient through this project, knowing not everything can go my way. I also gained the courage to speak in front of the Councillors and the school. It was indeed an experience.” - Nazreen 3N2

“Food@bartley was my first big project that I took on as the Vice-Head of Student Welfare. I had never done anything like this before, so the process was new to me but I found it very interesting. It definitely brought me closer to those I worked with during the project. I initially thought this project would be very difficult but since I had others with me, it was no problem. In fact, I enjoyed myself planning and doing the various tasks. Most often, the students may not know the different stall owners but through this project, we were able to share about them and the important role they play in our time in Bartley!” This project was certainly meaningful.” - Lina 2E4

“Food@Bartley was an exciting and new experience for me. It gave me the opportunity to take part in more Student Council activities and to work with fellow Student Councillors. The experience also taught me that everyone has different ideas to contribute, and that by asking and garnering feedback, we can further improve on what we have done to make it the best it can be. As my first Student Council project, I found it particularly meaningful. Additionally, being a part of these projects would allow me to gain more experience and make me a better leader.” - Shreya 2E3

Kindness 24

An Act of Kindness, Pass it on!

This project was planned with the intention of creating opportunities for students to spread kindness, through their words and actions within the school, their families and towards the larger community. By engaging students in a fun and competitive manner, we hoped to encourage students to behave in a kind manner towards those around them. In turn, it is our desire that students will be able to observe how their simple acts of kindness contributes towards creating a gracious environment, and therefore be inspired to continue to behave kindly.

For this project, the Kindness Ambassadors created a Bingo card – a 3 X 3 grid consisting of random acts of kindness. The intended recipients of these acts of kindness were people within the school, the family members of students, as well as the larger Singapore community. These groups of people were selected to ensure that our project has a far-reaching audience.

To complete the game, students simply had to complete three acts of their choice as indicated on the Bingo cards. These acts should be selected from three grids that will enable them to form a straight line with the grids. An option had been included for students to perform any kind act of their choice. After completing each act, students will record the date of completion, as well as complete a short write-up consisting of some details of their act. Students were encouraged to perform as many acts of kindness as possible

Reflections

“I had not done some of the acts on the card. I always thought that it takes a lot to be kind but realised that little acts can make a difference. I have become more conscious of my surrounding and how I can support others to make things better.”

“I felt accomplished after doing the acts. The experience gave me the opportunity of feeling true happiness as I did the little acts. I usually do not help with the chores at home but in wanting to complete the bingo card, I helped my mum sweep the house without her asking me. Though she was shocked initially, she really appreciated the little help. I realised how I could provide support for my family.”

Kindness 25

Giving Back — Living by Our School Motto

Our Alumni strongly believes in giving back to their alma mater.

Sjaiful Sjahrin, graduating class of 1990, speaks for many of his fellow alumni when he says: “Bartley impacted my life in a big way. Our Esprit de Corps is so strong that it is only natural for us to return to the school to serve in whatever way we can, from providing scholarships to sponsoring refreshments to graduating students during extended curriculum hours.

He continues, “Our school motto, Facta Non Verba, inspires us even today. We are happy that we have the opportunity to show our gratitude to the school that has nurtured us.”

“Our students benefit from the generosity of our alumni, who support programmes such as the Bartley Scholars Programme, as well as awarding students with scholarships and bursaries. Every Bartleyan has in one way or another benefitted from the support given by our alumni,” shares the Vice-Principal, Mrs Tan.

A walk down the school’s heritage gallery is a must for students, as it depicts the school’s proud legacy — dating from its founding in 1952 — as well as its focus on preserving its rich history.

It makes them feel a sense of strong camaraderie and pride, knowing that they walk the same corridors and learn in the same space that once hosted notable alumni from the school which include Mr S Chandra Das, former Member of Parliament, renowned lawyer Dr Anamah Tan as well as Member of Parliament, Mr Ang Hin Kee, just to name a few.

Kindness 26

Gift a Word Today

This project aimed to raise awareness on the impact of spoken words and to create opportunities for students to demonstrate kindness using positive words. The ambassadors first brainstormed on examples of hurtful phrases that students may use. An activity sheet was created to ask students to evaluate the emotional impact of the negative phrases and how these phrases could be replaced with kinder alternatives. To take this project further, cups containing ice cream sticks with negative phrases were placed on all canteen tables and students could join the game by matching negative phrases to the corresponding positive alternative. A handwritten note of encouragement was presented to all students who participated and they were encouraged to pass the note on to their friends, hence, gifting others with kindness. At the end of the project, the ambassadors conducted a survey and discovered that most students would make the effort to speak kindly.

For this project, the students were awarded “The Most Inspiring Social Etiquette Initiatives” which definitely inspired the students to do more.

Reflections

“I faced quite a few challenges while doing this project. I had problems thinking of kind phrases to replace unkind phrases. However, my team gathered and shared possible kind phrases that could possibly replace the unkind phrases. I find this project meaningful as it could change people’s way of treating others.” - Andrea

“One of the challenges that I faced during the project execution was that the rewards (sweets) were finished very quickly. Even then, there were still many students who participated in the activity. I was very surprised with their enthusiasm but more heartened by the interest shown by the students to make the negative positive.” - Yoga

Kindness 27

NCC Air Hey You got Mail!

For the VIA project for this year, the Bartley NCC Air unit collaborated with the non-profit initiative, Hey, You Got Mail! They are dedicated to reducing the risk of loneliness from social isolation , helping the elderly of Singapore tide through the COVID-19 pandemic. This session was conducted during the NCC Air Workshop on the 14th March and 15th March.

To know more about their organisation and understand how their work has an impact on the community, the cadets attended a zoom session with the volunteers. The zoom session gave insights to our cadets an introduction to social isolation and more about what Hey, You Got Mail! does to combat social isolation.

The cadets were tasked to create heartfelt, handwritten cards. These cards were then sent to a network of over 40 elderly beneficiaries island wide (inclusive of nursing homes, senior activity centers, active ageing centers, community hospitals and hospices). The cadets collated a total of 200 cards which were handwritten in their mother tongue.

Reflection

I feel happy yet set when I was introduced to Heyyougotmail! I felt happy because there are organisations like these to make our old folks smile and less lonely. However, I felt sad because there are so many elderly who are feeling very lonely. I used to think that Values-in-Action (VIA) means just contributing food to the community. However, now I think that VIA is way more than that. It is about doing simple yet meaningful things like making the elderly happy. - Angelina, 2N1 2022

I am glad to be able to help and contribute to the community in such simple ways like writing cards. Moving forward, I will want to contribute to the community by volunteering to deliver food to elderly or helping them in terms of their physical and mental well-being. - Elijah Yeo, Sec 3 2022

I used to think that contributing to the community was not important as I thought that there are so many other people who would do it. Now, I think that it is very important thing to do. No matter how small the deed is, it will still help. I should take the first step to contribute and not think that it is the work of others. - Saahen, Sec 3 2022

Kindness 28

Volleyball sports volunteering VIA in conjunction with SportsSG

On 13th April 2019, 20 girls from the Lower Secondary Volleyball team participated in an interaction programme with the elderly from Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home at the National Stadium. The elderly were there to watch the Rugby 7s match which was a new experience from their usual routine.

The elderly were formally introduced to our students in a small waiting area where our students wore outfits to represent the Samsui Women, Singapore Girl in Sarong Kebaya and the Police from the 1950s. They spent 30 minutes playing traditional games such as five stones and chess with the elderly. The elderly taught our students tricks to play skillfully, and many of the students introduced the games to their peers when they returned to school.

Once the Rugby game started, our students pushed the elderly in their wheelchairs and helped to park their wheelchairs at the designated viewing zones. The students then took out some handmade posters and cheered for the Rugby team of the seniors’ choice. This spurred on the elderly to participate in clapping and cheering loudly too. Our students went the extra mile by speaking in dialect to the elderly and many of them were impressed at their language abilities. They felt comfortable with the students and interacted at a deeper level, laughing, and sharing stories from their past.

Our players also listened to instructions very well and maneuvered wheelchairs carefully. The students extended their help all the way and volunteered to send off the elderly to their designated buses.

The project gave students an excellent opportunity to bond with the elderly in our community in a fun and relaxing setting. Our students displayed their enthusiasm in interacting respectfully and bringing joy through a fun-filled experience. The elderly were indeed impressed with our students’ down-to-earth nature and their polite demeanour.

“I felt happy spending time with them, as they reminded me of my own grandparents. Through the interaction with them, I learnt to not take things such as peace in Singapore for granted. Their stories made me realise that I should be patient with my grandma and grandpa and spend more time to understand them.”

- Ashwini, Class of 2021.

“One crucial point that I learnt when we were helping the elderly for our VIA was that the elderly love spending time with the younger generation despite the huge generation gap. There were some common interests we shared. For instance, during the experience, I was partnered with a male elderly and both of us had a great time watching the rugby show that was happening in front of us. Furthermore, the elderly shared with me about some of his past stories like the hardships that he went through in the past and about his family. I always thought that coomunicating with eh elderly is a challenging task. However, from this experience, I have learnt that we still get along with the older generation as long as we are prepared to spend time and truly understand them. We must give as much support as we can to the older generation as they are the ones who have sacrificed their blood, sweat and tears for the next generation to live in a safe and peaceful country.

- Reeva, Class of 2021.

“I learnt that we shouldn’t take things for granted and should give back to the community regardless of age, language or religion. It also reflects how people treat people. I believe we should treat all with respect. Thus, like what we did, we gave back to the community by volunteering for an event out with the elderly where we enjoyed something new, a sport, together.

Through this experience, I learnt more about my own teammates as we spent time together planning. - Rojin, Class of 2021.

“I felt extremely proud of my volleyball students who enthusiastically participated in the sports volunteering VIA. They stepped out of their comfort zone and wore costumes representing the sarong kebaya, Samsui Women and Police from the 1950’s which evoked a sense of nostalgia among the elderly. The elderly really enjoyed seeing the children all dressed up in costumes from the past. The energy level in the stadium was high as our students cheered loudly and waved their handmade posters, even encouraging the elderly to cheer along. Our students were also very gentle and spoke kindly and respectfully when interacting with the elderly. These actions were a magnificent display of our school’s CORE values of Respect and Excellence.” - Ms Mehraj Begum, Volleyball IC.

Kindness 29

Doing our part for the Elderly

The Football boys wanted to bring a smile to the faces of elderly residents in Toa Payoh by organizing a day of activities and fun for the residents at the Seniors Activity Centre.

The Bartley Football boys wanted to do a meaningful project for the elderly and bring some cheer into their day by creating a mascot competition, where the elderly would be invited to take part in Arts and Craft to help create costumes for the Bartley boys.

It was a day of fun and laughter as the students interacted warmly with the elderly despite having a language barrier for some, which was overcome through the use of sign language and gestures. The elderly had fun creating costumes ranging from superheroes to animals, as the Bartley boys happily played their roles and paraded around in the fabulous costumes they created with their new found friends to the sound of raucous laughter and applause.

All in all, it was a wonderful day for all involved, and the boys performed the next part of their service by helping to clean the Senior Activity Centre by wiping the furniture and fans and making sure that it was as clean as possible for their new elderly friends.

The project was a meaningful one for both the elderly and the students as it helped them bridge a generation gap and break the ice. The elderly enjoyed the company of the students, and the students learned more about how to interact with them. The students also helped to keep the Activity Centre clean so that it would be better for the elderly and so that they would stay healthy.

The students certainly enjoyed the session and learnt a lot more empathy for the elderly, as well as being exposed to a different segment of the population to understand different needs of society. They learned to appreciate their relatives and realized that even little acts of kindness can go a long way if everyone pays it forward.

Kindness 30

Dance and Musical Performance At Ang Mo Kio- Thye Hua Kwan Hospital

The Modern Dance performed at Thye Hwa Kwan Hospital as part of their annual Values -In -Action projects. The dancers choreographed their own dances and performed for the patients of the hospital. Two of our dancers, Nicole and Joanne, also showed their musical talent playing the violin and Er Hu.

Our dancers not only performed for the patients but they also joined in with the patients to do the regular strengthening exercises which was greatly welcomed by the patients as they had company. Students also organised a sing-a-long session and craft activities for patients to take part in while interacting and sharing their experiences.

The patients were very happy and responded very well to the various activities planned by the students. They expressed gratitude and praised the dancers for taking the time to visit and entertain them.

It was a good platform for the students to showcase their talents and at the same time serve the community. It gave our dancers an opportunity to interact and understand the less privileged in society better.

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