Success does not come easily

Dear children,

Each day as I watch you come to school and see your eyes fill with wonder when you learn something new, I am inspired to want to make sure that the school works better to meet your varied learning needs. But when I see you disengaged, it saddens me and I am challenged to think of new ways to engage you in your learning.

But you must not give up learning. You must persevere. Perseverance, one of our core values, is important. The truth is – success does not come easily. Whether you want to do well in sport, arts or your studies, you need to work as hard and not give up – you need perseverance. Some of you may think that some of your friends have done well in their studies because they are intelligent and your friends who are good in sports are talented. But the truth is even intelligent and talented people too need to work hard and persevere to succeed. Your friend would not be able to perform the dance so gracefully without the hours of hard training. You must believe in yourself and commit yourself to learning. Persevere to do well and do not give up.

Sometimes, you may hit an obstacle and find that no matter how hard you try, you cannot get it. Do not give up, but think differently – innovate! If you keep forgetting the words to the script, think of different ways of remembering. If you are not able to perform a certain dance move, try a different method!

Well, you will agree with me that school is not just about learning the Math, Science and English in class. In fact, many of you will tell me that your favourite subject is Recess!  It is a time to rest, eat, but most importantly to play – not alone, but with your friends.

School is about relationships. It is about building friendships, bonds and loyalty. Many a times, your friends count on you to be there for them, and your laughter can brighten their days. Your friends look forward to coming to school because you are there for them. Thus we want to learn to be good and responsible friends. A responsible friend is someone who is dependable and trustworthy. A responsible friend seeks to help and take care of another. A responsible friend will not ask you to do the wrong thing. A responsible friend will always seek to make safe and wise choices. Be that excellent, responsible friend to others.

Some of you have also gone to the old folks’ home to as part of your Values-In-Action programme. Others helped to guide and serve as buddies to the kindergarten children who visit us annually. You may not have known these people, but you were responsible and worked at taking care of them. No matter your age, I want you to learn to take care of others. Only then will we grow up to be useful and responsible citizens of Singapore.
School is about learning, and learning should never cease. Read beyond your text books, and great books, let your mind explore the world. Get to know others’ stories, be a responsible friend, be a responsible citizen of Singapore. Finally, thank you for showing us hope for the future.

Lovingly Yours,
Mrs Elsie Poey