Alumni Chairperson's Address
Dear TKGS Alumni members
(and potential new members too),
I am happy to present my maiden write-up as the newly-elected President of TKGS Alumni. Since graduating from TKGS in 1983 (oops, I think I have just given away my age), I have never left the school emotionally. I have continued to participate in all Alumni events.
Over the years, these events have enriched my life in more ways than I could have imagined. This is also the very reason why I agreed to accept the challenge of being the President of the Alumni, i.e. I hope to bring together as many ex-TKGians as possible.
Our Alumni was established in 1987 and we have come a long way since then to maintain the true spirit of our Alma Mater. Our key mission is to promote the ties between ex-TKGian (alumni) with current students. Since we banded together, the Alumni has helped to organize or carry out various school programmes. These include conducting floral arrangement lessons for the Sec 2 cohort, being guides during the Sec 1 Learning Journey to the old TKGS campus (yes, our old school building opposite Katong News Agency) as well as helping in various charity projects with the Sec 3s.
All these have been possible due to the hard work of current and past committee members who have brought the TKGS Alumni to this level. Thus we celebrated together with the school when it was awarded the Best Practice Award (BPA) for Partnership as well as the School Distinction Award in 2015. I would like to mention my predecessor, Ms Wong Yoke Lin who has indeed left some big shoes as past Alumni President, for me to fill. Moving forward, I aim to bring our Alumni to the next level by building stronger ties amongst ex-TKGians through more activities and networking sessions. I hope that in this way, we can indeed be a more cohesive group of partners for the school.
My Committee and I will also look at ways to attract younger members, particularly those who graduated in the 1990s, and early 2000s. They are probably economically active now, with ‘bandwidth’ to contribute to our Alma Mater. The formation of the Youth Chapter can ensure the Alumni stays rejuvenated. Times have changed. For us to reach out to younger ex-TKGians, we will need to review how we engage them. Social media and platforms will have to be the mode of engagement. Hence you can expect a more active TKGS Facebook page from now on!
My Committee and I hope
that our Alumni will be active and strong so that we can lend our support more
effectively to the school which has nurtured all of us. I thank you in advance
for your service to your alma mater.
Kwek Hui Ping Sharon (TKGS Class of 1983)
President, TKGS Alumni
Previous Alumni Chairperson's Address on TKGS Truly Portal
Dear fellow TKGians,
I am delighted that our Alma Mater has established the TKGS Truly Portal; a place where we can all connect, contribute and share in our school’s achievements and joys. As we celebrate 60 years of community building and learning this year, there is no better opportunity to join in the new technological frontier as modern women of our day.
It has been some 40 years since I left school. While at school I held on to the thought that we should have a TKGS Alumni where all TKGians could keep in touch with one another – old classmates, teachers and principals; a place where we could continue building on the traditions and values of the school. My wish was granted in 1987 when the TKGS Alumni was formed by a group of enthusiastic TKGians.
I have been serving the TKGS Alumni since then. This year, it is my 3 rd term as President of the TKGS Alumni. The Alumni is a great platform for all of us to network, to keep in touch, and to help the school when help is needed. The Alumni has been involved in the school’s Learning Journey, where Secondary 1 students journey back in time to our old campus with ex-teachers and ex-students to reminiscence and learn. We share stories like how we used to wade through flood waters to get to school, eat in the canteen, sing in the hall, march in the field, watch the brass band practicing and many more. Through our memories, we re-live our past, in order to understand our present and build on our hopes for future generations.
Through the TKGS Alumni, I have developed many strong and long-lasting friendships. Together, we have had the pleasure of contributing to the school, involving ourselves in programmes and activities, and doing what we can to help current and future generations of TKGians. It is indeed heartening to see that our members have been so generous with their time, money and energy. Ivy Lee, for example, sponsors floral arrangement classes for Secondary 2 students, Sally Lee gives her time and Chui Yoke offers financial aid to those in need.
Why all this effort, you may ask. I remember, as a young teenager, I didn’t understand the need to indulge myself in subjects like Mathematics and Literature; they were beyond my comprehension and seemed to be outside the scope of my everyday life. However, things turned around for me when Mrs. Gwee, my Mathematics teacher at that time, showed me that the subject was more than just numbers and strange alphabets; it is a subject that provokes thought and analysis, a subject that also underscores many other fields such as physics and philosophy. Mrs. Neo, my Literature teacher, opened my eyes to the beauty of things around me. Through her, I learnt to appreciate expressions of thoughts and imagination on paper, whether they came in words, pictures or paintings. I learnt the importance of compassion, how to relate to others, and to believe in one’s self when Ms. Low Yoke Lang appointed me as the class monitor. She offered me a glimpse of my potential to lead, and to be anything I put my heart and mind into. Who I am today has in large been moulded by these inspiring individuals, and I am honoured to be able to give what I can to TKGians of today.
The TKGS Alumni has been serving the school and community for 25 years and we are not about to stop now. I am elated to announce that a Youth Chapter has been initiated, a vibrant wing of the TKGS Alumni where younger “old” TKGS girls can also share and contribute.
My wish is to see more TKGians step forward to answer the call to serve and give back to their school and community. Together, we can keep the spirit of TKGS soaring. I thank you, one and all, for your continued support and belief in us.
Ms Wong Yoke Lin
President, TKGS Alumni