By Keiran Koh (22S06M)

On 2 September 2021, RI came together to appreciate our educators with a lively railroad-themed celebration.

Principal Mr Frederick Yeo kicked off the celebration with his opening speech.

“Affirming our care for our teachers [and] thanking our teachers is a core human value.”

Mr Frederick Yeo

Mr Yeo touched on Teacher’s Day being a joyous celebration with our classmates to celebrate our teachers. He further extended his gratitude to the teachers for working tirelessly for the school and inspiring young charges.

Emcees Charlene Chua (22S03E) and Chua Yan Xin (22A01B) then took us on the journey of the oRIent Express, a series of fun activities designed to showcase our appreciation for our teachers.

Station 1: Rapid Fire Interviews

Upon reaching the first station, a video montage showcasing teachers from various departments answering questions related to their personal life and experiences in teaching was broadcasted via Microsoft Teams. 

“What is your favourite part of teaching?’ and “What inspired you to teach?’’ were the few common questions thrown to teachers in the interview. 

Beyond the teachers’ professionalism, students were also shown a more relatable and nurturing side to them as the teachers shared about their hobbies such as nature photography and scuba diving.

To be “gracious”, “appreciative” and to “believe they are just enough as they are” were some of the answers given by the teachers when asked about the traits they liked their students to have.

This segment gave students an insightful venture into the teachers’ personal life and displayed the teachers’ intangible joys of educating.

Station 2: Game Show

The oRient Express then arrived at the second stop, where the emcees conducted a trivia quiz in which all classes can buzz in to answer via Microsoft Teams. 

A recorded video of four teams, each consisting of one teacher and one student playing the same trivia quiz, was streamed. Pop culture references were sprinkled throughout the video to complement the teams’ jubilant spirits.

The trivia questions involved naming old phone brands such as Blackberry (Storm!) and recognising Singaporean slangs like ‘’Highkey’’ and “Chicken Feet’’. The quiz tested the teachers on their familiarity with current trends, and the students with old school favourites. Teams answered exuberantly to prove their ability to transcend generational gaps, and show that age is indeed just a number.

The teams then played Raffles Feud, inspired by the wildly popular game Family Feud. Teams went in a round to answer questions, and could give wrong answers until they were caught by the other teams. The Black Team eventually emerged victorious.

Station 3: Concert

A musical tribute to teachers featuring the artistic talents of Rafflesians was up next.

A heartwarming Chinese tune ‘’Dao Xiang’’ by Jay Chou was performed by a trio consisting Yu Ji Xiang (22S06N), Tai Jet Le (22S07B) and Adele Yuen (22S06M). 

Phyo Holland (21S06A) then delivered an audio rendition of “Flashlight” as a visual montage of students’ memorable school moments played.

Finally, Raffles Rock’s Sunset Arcade wrapped up the concert with a rejuvenating performance of the 1980s hit ‘’Take on Me’’, incorporating a retro-style filter which invoked much nostalgia amongst the teachers. The band members’ individually-recorded parts were pieced together to form a holistic musical piece.

Station 4: Appreciation Video

To end off the ceremony on a high note, an appreciation video dedicated to RI teachers was screened. Students expressed their gratitude in this light-hearted video. With students posing comically or wishing their teachers Happy Teacher’s Day in unison, the montage was a recognition of the teachers’ efforts and an affirmation of their integral value to RI.

Raffles Press wishes all our teachers a Happy Teachers’ Day!