I'm writing this as I sit here on the bench in your school garden. It's only my third time visiting your school but I already feel quite attached to this place. I can only imagine what it feels like to be here for six years... and then leave this place.
It's hard for me to remember exactly what it was like to leave school; only the excitement of freedom beyond the school walls still lingers in my mind. I remember driving out of my school in my dad's old 1982 Toyota Corona, windows down, wind in my hair. It was the best feeling then.
However, I didn't have a graduation ceremony. I just finished my last exam paper and that was it. Now, being a teacher, I'm lucky that I've been able to attend my students' graduation for the past ten years; but this is my first in Hin Hua High School, and it's also the first formal graduation ceremony I've ever attended. That makes it really special. Sitting in the hall, watching every student stand together as the choir sang your school song, it felt like I was in the movie, 我的少女時代; a movie that brought back memories of a time when I was young, like you.
I'm glad I had this chance to be here today with you, to witness such an important moment in your life. Seeing you today reminded me again how fast time flies and how precious are the moments we shared. From our first day in class, to our poetry writing in RT Pastry, to our cooking class, to your group project, to our final class, and now this, your final day in school - everything has happened in the blink of an eye.
In truth, I never wanted you to graduate, I never wanted you to leave, but that would be so selfish of me. You have brought me joy at a time when I wanted to give up on everything I had built. You made me stay and love the life I'm living. Now that our time together has ended, I'm not sure if I'll be as happy as I was with you. But leave, you must. Life goes on, and so do we.
I'm about to leave this bench now and continue to do what I love doing - teaching and growing with my students. And as I leave your school with fond memories and a smile, I want you to know I will always smile when I think of you. I hope you will smile too.
Congratulations, my dear friends. You have graduated, and I am so proud of you.
Tuesday 14 November 2017
Sunday 12 November 2017
My Dear Senior 3 Class of 2017
As I was walking to Pin Hwa High School for only the second time, a strange feeling awoke inside me. I had been to graduation ceremonies for the past 10 years so the feeling was familiar, but this would be my first in your school, this would be my first, and my last with you. After all, you only graduate from high school once in your life.
I realized then how precious this moment was, how precious all the moments we had were. In the blink of an eye, we had journeyed from our first class to our poetry class at RT Pastry, to that fun night at Rachel's birthday, to our last class, and now to this day... Your last day in school. I hope you know how precious those moments are to me, and how precious you are to me.
After almost everyone of you had left, I sat there, in the peaceful courtyard of your school. I smiled as I looked at our photos, I smiled as I listened to the voices and laughter echoing around the school, and I smiled as I thought about all the good times we had. I hope that one day, when you think of this day, you will smile too.
Congratulations, my friends! You have graduated.
I realized then how precious this moment was, how precious all the moments we had were. In the blink of an eye, we had journeyed from our first class to our poetry class at RT Pastry, to that fun night at Rachel's birthday, to our last class, and now to this day... Your last day in school. I hope you know how precious those moments are to me, and how precious you are to me.
After almost everyone of you had left, I sat there, in the peaceful courtyard of your school. I smiled as I looked at our photos, I smiled as I listened to the voices and laughter echoing around the school, and I smiled as I thought about all the good times we had. I hope that one day, when you think of this day, you will smile too.
Congratulations, my friends! You have graduated.
Sunday 5 November 2017
Senior Class of 2017
Dear Friends,
The time has come for you to face what you have been preparing for, all these years of your school life. From the first day you set foot into kindergarten, then into your primary school, and finally now, the last days of your secondary school life, your efforts have all led to this moment - the last exam you will ever face in your schooling life. So, what are you going to do? Give up or give it your best shot?
I have done all I can as a teacher and friend to help you do your best, not just for your exam but also for the next few years of your life, and that next step into life in the real world starts now. Your exam results will largely determine your next options in life - what course you can study, which college you can enter, and possibly, who you will become but it will NOT determine if you succeed or fail in life. Despite that, your SPM results are an important part of your journey to academic success. If I ask you, "What will you study after SPM?" You might say, "It depends." Well, I can tell you now that you should not say that it depends on your results, because your results depend on you.
Like the song I sang for you on graduation day, you must believe in yourself and that you can do it because truly, you can. Even people who are blind, deaf, mute or disabled can graduate from university with a degree, so why can't you? The real question is not whether you can or cannot; it's whether you want to or not. So, let me ask you, how much do you want this result? If there is a will, there is a way.
As a final piece of advice to you, I want you to know that you should never compare yourself to others. Only compare yourself to the best that you can be. If you give it your best, then to me, you have done your best and you are the best; and I will be proud of you. So, come on, my friends, the time is now... your destiny is calling... will you charge forward like the brave soldiers of the light brigade or will you turn and run? The choice is yours...
I wish you all the best.
Your friend,
Caleb
The time has come for you to face what you have been preparing for, all these years of your school life. From the first day you set foot into kindergarten, then into your primary school, and finally now, the last days of your secondary school life, your efforts have all led to this moment - the last exam you will ever face in your schooling life. So, what are you going to do? Give up or give it your best shot?
I have done all I can as a teacher and friend to help you do your best, not just for your exam but also for the next few years of your life, and that next step into life in the real world starts now. Your exam results will largely determine your next options in life - what course you can study, which college you can enter, and possibly, who you will become but it will NOT determine if you succeed or fail in life. Despite that, your SPM results are an important part of your journey to academic success. If I ask you, "What will you study after SPM?" You might say, "It depends." Well, I can tell you now that you should not say that it depends on your results, because your results depend on you.
Like the song I sang for you on graduation day, you must believe in yourself and that you can do it because truly, you can. Even people who are blind, deaf, mute or disabled can graduate from university with a degree, so why can't you? The real question is not whether you can or cannot; it's whether you want to or not. So, let me ask you, how much do you want this result? If there is a will, there is a way.
As a final piece of advice to you, I want you to know that you should never compare yourself to others. Only compare yourself to the best that you can be. If you give it your best, then to me, you have done your best and you are the best; and I will be proud of you. So, come on, my friends, the time is now... your destiny is calling... will you charge forward like the brave soldiers of the light brigade or will you turn and run? The choice is yours...
I wish you all the best.
Your friend,
Caleb
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