THERE WAS GREAT REJOICING at Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (Secondary) on the day the results of the 2009 GCE “N” Level examinations were released.
Four of our PLLites were among the top Normal Course pupils in Singapore. They are Hazel Cheok, one of the top three pupils in Singapore who obtained 6 grade 1s and Deeksha Sharma, the top Indian pupil with 5 grade 1s and a grade 2 for English for the Normal Academic Examination. For the Normal Technical Examination, Cheryl Chong was one of the top three in Singapore with 6As, with Alex Naomi Francine being featured in the list for 5As.
We are truly grateful to God for the wonderful results. Of the 11 subjects offered at NA, 10 were above national in terms of percentage distinctions and all were above national in terms of percentage passes. In addition, the girls scored 100-per cent passes in seven of the 11 subjects.
We were therefore very happy that 97.6 per cent of students were promoted to Secondary 5NA, compared to the national level of 71.1 per cent.
For the NT examination, seven of the nine subjects were above national in terms of percentage distinctions and eight in terms of percentage passes. All the girls qualified for ITE courses, with two qualifying for lateral transfer to the NA course.
PL MGS (Secondary) attributes such successes to the strong belief of every teacher that every child deserves to have her potential realised and developed.
The role and responsibility of every teacher is to equip each child with the necessary skills and competencies to help her learn well. PL MGS (Secondary) will stop at nothing to ensure that every single PL-Lite graduates from the “sheltering
walls” of PL with a bagful of skills and competencies to prepare her well for the workforce and life.
PL MGS (Secondary) continues to be guided by its vision and mission to nurture every PL-Lite into a woman of fine character and one who lives in favour with God and man.
We will not rest on our laurels but will continue to wait upon the Lord for His grace and strength to equip and empower our staff , and together with our firm supporters from the Board of Management, Alumni, Parents-School Support Group and
Paya Lebar Methodist Church, work wit with our pupils and move PL to greater heights of glory for Him.
Emily Jacob is Senior Dean (Co-Curricular Programmes) and Koh Ee Lin is Dean (Languages) of Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (Secondary).
A fond farewell to Mrs Lee Siew Choo and a warm welcome to new Principal Ms Pamela Yoong
Excellent ‘N’ Level results ‘an apt tribute’ to former Principal Mrs Lee
THE EXCELLENT GCE “N” LEVEL EXAMINATION RESULTS in December 2009 were an apt tribute to Mrs Lee Siew Choo who served first as the Vice-Principal of Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (Secondary) in 1994 and took on the mantle of leading the school in 1997.
A teacher with a heart for education, Mrs Lee devoted her life to character-building, inspiring her students to excel in both their studies and co-curricular activities. By her exemplary leadership, she supported and guided her staff towards higher levels of professionalism.
During her 12 years at the helm, the school has garnered many awards.
With a culture of excellence and continuous improvement and care underpinning all that is done in the school, PL MGS (Secondary) first obtained the Autonomous School status in 2001 and later, re-affirmed in 2006.
Besides the Sustained Achievement (Academic Value-added) awards, it was also recognised for its good practices in Teaching and Learning and Staff Well-being (2nd award).
In the area of co-curricular achievements, there are the Sustained Achievement Awards for Sports and Aesthetics as well as the National Arts Education Award. Known for its strong culture of performing arts and aesthetics accomplishment, PL MGS was selected as the East Zone Centre of Excellence (Performing Arts) in 2007.
The school’s efforts in building character were similarly recognised when it was awarded the Outstanding Character Development Award in 2009.
But perhaps the most significant of Mrs Lee’s contributions to PL and clearly an indelible mark was the 771-seat Agape Concert Hall on the school ground.
The success of the mammoth task of raising the needed funds and the faith in believing that this would be the way forward for PL attested to Mrs Lee’s capable leadership grounded in her Christian faith that the Lord is always faithful.
Indeed, in all that she did, she carried and built on the PL tradition, always holding fast to the school motto, “Look Up, Lift Up” (Psalm 121: 1-2). We want to wish her God’s richest blessings as she goes on to the next stage of her life in serving God in a different capacity.
New head Ms Yoong no stranger to school
MRS LEE SIEW CHOO’S SUCCESSOR, MS PAMELA YOONG, is no stranger to PL MGS (Secondary), having been Vice-Principal in the school three times over.
Her first posting was in December 2002. She left for Boston in 2004 to pursue a Master in Education (Character Development and Ethics) under the MOE Overseas Post-graduate scholarship.
She re-joined the school in 2005 and was part of the team that saw the school through the re-affirmation of Autonomous School status.
In 2009, she was posted back to PL MGS (Secondary) the third time as our Vice-Principal after a stint at Temasek Secondary School and after completing the Leaders in Education Programme at the NIE. Ms Yoong is very familiar with the culture and ethos of PL.
When she first assumed leadership of the school in January this year, she shared her personal, leadership and educational philosophy with the staff, pupils and parents.
She shared that as a Christian, she would choose to love and honour God in all that she did. She would see the people she came into contact with as “neighbours” God sent her way to love and hence she would want to work to develop an environment that would be supportive and caring for pupils and staff.
She firmly advocates the development of sound character and good values in the school environment.
For her staff, she emphasises professional development and work satisfaction.
Indeed, to quote Mrs Lee: “We want to thank God for His provision of a new principal, Ms Pamela Yoong, to lead PL into another phase of her growth, to greater glory as PL seeks to be a channel of blessing and build a people of power and praise who will glorify God.”
Stories by Emily Jacob and Koh Ee Lin ■ Pictures: PLMGS (Secondary)