Temasek Junior College

Temasek Junior College
淡馬鍚初級學院
Motto	For College, For Nation
Established	1977
Type	Government, Quarter System (4 terms)
Principal	Loke-Yeo Teck Yong
MOE Code	0702
Colours	Green, Yellow, Orange
Locale	Bedok, Singapore
Enrollment	approx. 1800
Website	www.tjc.edu.sg
	Ministry of Education
	Republic of Singapore

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Temasek Junior College (TJC) is a high-ranked junior college located in the Eastern region of Singapore and is considered to be one of the most prestigious institutions in Singapore.

The bulk of the students (affectionately called "TJCians") enter as graduated secondary 4 students. They are admitted on the basis of their net L1R5 aggregate (2009 cut-offs: Arts-4, Science-5) from their Singapore-Cambridge GCE 'Ordinary' Level examination. In junior college, they take a two-year course leading to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE 'Advanced' Level examination. Students offer three to four H2 A level subjects in addition to General Paper, Mother Tongue and Project Work. In the revised curriculum, exceptional students may take one to two H3 modules that are more in-depth than the regular H2s if they desire to compete for scholarships offered by various private and public bodies. The H3 syllabus effectively replaces the Cambridge Special Papers being offered earlier.

In 2005, TJC started its Temasek Academy 4-Year Integrated Programme with 100 secondary 3 and foreign students from various local secondary schools and countries respectively. Its aim was to provide students with an intense, challenging and exciting college life, bypassing the GCE 'O' Level examination and culminating in the GCE 'A' Level examination.

TJC is currently one of the top five junior colleges in Singapore. In the recent release of the 2008 GCE 'A' Level examination results, TJC saw almost 35% of its graduates scoring at least three H2 Distinctions.

[edit] College History and Identity

Temasek Junior College was established in 1977 as the second government junior college in Singapore.

The College has been under the leadership of seven Principals:

Mr Wee Heng Tin (1977-1979)
Mr Eugene Wijeysingha (1980-1985)
Mrs Goh Chi Lan (1986-1988)
Mr Robert Tan Hui Sen (1989-1999)
Mrs Cheong Poh Gek (2000-2001)
Mrs Lim Lai Cheng (2002-2005)
Mrs Loke-Yeo Teck Yong (2005 to present)

[edit] Shared vision

Teamwork and open communication
Every TJCian matters
Achievement of excellence
Adaptability to change
Spirit of caring and sharing
Passion, Purpose and Drive

[edit] College Motto

The College motto is "For College For Nation". While the ultimate objective of the College is for the good of society, the initial drive will be to the College community and then broaden out to embrace the nation.

[edit] College Crest

TJC College Crest

The College crest depicts the letters TJC in bold form, with the letter T taking a symbolic shape and reflecting a characteristic architectural feature of the College. Contrary to popular belief, the "T" is not a mushroom but in fact the design of the original two lecture theatres in the college. (LT 1 and LT 2)

The green background acknowledges our alignment with the national objective of projecting a clean and green country.

The divisions in the cross of the T stand for the 5 national ideals of justice, equality, happiness, prosperity and progress.

The segments in the trunk of the T symbolise the 4 major areas working in unison within the College towards the national ideals.

The name of the College encircles the crest, flanked by laurels which represent the recognition which the College has achieved and are a constant reminder of its commitment to its motto.

[edit] College Personal Development Programme

Every student is expected to be actively involved in at least one co-curricular activity or personal development programme (PDP) as it is known in TJC. Students have the liberty to choose from the wide selection of programmes based on their interest.

The College offers a wide range of Personal Development Programmes (PDPs) which are grouped into three broad areas. They are:

Cultural and Performing Arts

Artivity
Chamber Ensemble
Chinese Calligraphy
Chinese Cultural Club
Chinese Orchestra
Choir
Creative Writing and Journalism Club
Drama Club
Debate
Guitar Club
Indian Cultural Club
Malay Cultural Society
Modern Dance Club
Symphonic Band

Service & Enrichment

Entrepreneur Club
First Aid Unit
House Committees
Infocomm Club
LEO Club
Library Club
Science Council
Students' Council
Tourism Club

Sports and Games

Air Rifle Club
Badminton
Basketball
Bowling
Climbing Club
Cricket
Floorball
Netball
Outdoor Activities Club
Touch Rugby
Soccer Boys and Girls
Squash
Swimming
Table-Tennis
Tae-Kwon-Do
Touch Rugby
Tennis
Track & Field
Volleyball
Wushu

[edit] College Awards and Achievements

The Sustained Achievement Award (SAA) was inaugurated by MOE in 1999. The College has won the SAAs for Academic Value-Added for 3 consecutive years; for Physical Fitness for 5 consecutive years; and the SAA for Arts for 2 consecutive years. The College was also the top Value-Added College from 1996 to 2000 and in 2003.

TJC officially received the Singapore Quality Class Award from Spring Singapore in 2003.

The College is also a recipient of Best Practice Award (BPA) in Teaching & Learning, as well as the School Distinction Award (2004 - 2008) from the Singapore Ministry of Education. The School Distinction Award is awarded to schools with a sound system to bring about a quality holistic development in students, not just academically.

In 2008, the school won the School Excellence Award, the pinnacle award under the Singapore Ministry of Education Masterplan of Awards, as well as BPAs in Staff Wellbeing, Student All-round Development and Teachering & Learning. The school had also been awarded SAA for Aesthetics and Physical Fitness in both JC and Secondary section, bringing the total number of awards in 2008 to 7.

[edit] 'A' Level Results

In the 2008 Revised GCE A Level Examination, Temasek Junior College saw 7 students receiving 8 distinctions and 24 students receiving 7 distinctions. 109 students scored four H2 distinctions while another 146 students scored three H2 distinctions. This adds up to about 35% of the cohort who received at least three H2 distinctions. This set of results has placed TJC once again as one of the top 5 junior colleges in Singapore.

Highlights of the results include a 100% Distinction rate for Art, 78.1% for KI, 70% for H2 Literature, 65.6% for H2 Mathematics, 59.4% for H2 Physics and 54.1% for H2 Biology. TJC had 11 H2 subjects and 6 H1 subjects with distinctions above the national average.

[edit] Recent Student Achievements

Sports

Singapore Sports School Council National Schools Netball Championships 2006 'A' Division - 2nd runners up
Badminton Boys & Girls (national 2nd for both boys and girls)
Basketball Boys (champion)
Taekwondo Mixed (Overall champion)
Table Tennis Boys
Cricket: 2nd Runners Up (2007)
Swimming Girls
Sailing Girls
Soccer Girls (2005-3rd, 2006-2nd, 2007-4th)
Air Pistol Boys & Girls
Chinese Pugilistic Club (Wushu) Boys & Girls (Overall National Champion, Colours Award)
Rock Climbing Boys & Girls
Bowling Boys & Girls
Floorball Boys - 'A' Division 2009 3rd

SYF Performing Arts Groups

Chinese Orchestra: Gold with Honours (2009)
International Dance: Gold (2009)
Guitar Ensemble: Silver (2009)
Band: Silver (2009)
Choir: Silver (2009)
Drama: Gold With Honours (2008)
Indian Cultural Society: Silver (2007)
Malay Dance: Silver (2007)
String Ensemble: Bronze (2009)
Chinese Drama: Bronze (2009)

[edit] College Facilities

[edit] Academic

Library
The library houses books (fiction and reference), multimedia, magazines and newspapers. A specific area in the library is also set apart for selling Subway sandwiches (Subs) and cookies. Students can do work and read materials from the library in this area set for consuming food.

Study areas
Private study areas that can accommodate 200 students are made available under Lecture Theatre (LT) 1 and LT 2, near the Art studios and the Library. Students can study at benches in these open-air spaces. Additionally, students can also study in air-conditioned LTs when they are vacant. During the 2006 haze, additional air-conditioned classrooms were opened for students to study in.

Photocopying Shop
The photocopying shop, otherwise known as the 'ZAP', is located in a canteen. Lecture notes, tutorials and past-year exam papers from GCE 'Advanced' Level Examinations as well as other Junior Colleges can be purchased from this shop. The shop also provides photocopy service to students. Besides the shop, students can also photocopy in the library.

[edit] College House System

The College has four houses, namely:

ALPHA (Blue)
BETA (White)
GAMMA (Yellow)
DELTA (Green)

The colours in brackets are the respective house colours of the house and group PE t-shirts, as of 2007.

Each house is run by its own House Committee (led by the House Captain), which is part of the second highest student body in the school. The members of the House Committee are elected by students of their own houses.

The houses compete actively in events organised by the school and the House Committee usually takes charge of these events. Some events include the intra-house captain's ball/hand ball events or house functions organised throughout the year.

Past Champions
1st Orientation 2007 - Delta
2nd Orientation 2007 - Gamma
Road Run 2007 - Gamma
Sports Day 2007 - Gamma
Cheerleading 2007 - Beta

1st Orientation 2008 - Gamma
2nd Orientation 2008 - Alpha
Road Run 2008 - Gamma
Sports Day 2008 - Gamma
Cheerleading 2008 - Gamma

Orientation 2009 - Alpha
Road Run 2009 (Boys) - Gamma
Road Run 2009 (Girls) - Alpha
Sports Day 2009 - Gamma
Cheerleading 2009 - Gamma

[edit] Recreational/Sports

Students' Lounge
For students to relax after school with music or board games such as Chess and Go. It is an air-conditioned double decker bus, courtesy of SBS Transit. However, it is rarely used.

Sports Complex
The sports complex houses a gymnasium, dance studio, air rifle range and a stadium gallery. The gallery overlooks a track and field.

Other sporting facilities include:

Four Indoor squash courts
Two Tennis courts
One Tennis half-court
Three Basketball courts
Two Netball courts
Two Volleyball courts
One Long jump pits

Barbecue Pits
There are 3 barbecue pits near the sports complex for social gatherings. The pits are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. They are almost never used.

[edit] Student welfare

First Aid and Sick Bay
The First Aid Unit is run by students and provides ancillary services at College functions and in the sick bay.

Lockers
Small private lockers are available to students for a fee.

Notice Boards and the Public Address system
The notice boards beside the General Office are used to convey information intended for the entire student body. Announcements can also be made over the public address system during morning assemblies. The Higher Education notice board is located outside the General Office.

[edit] Dining

Cafeteria

There are eight stalls in the cafeteria offering a limited but affordable variety of food, including western, Malay and Chinese dishes. Halal food for Muslim students is available at two stalls. Snacks, drinks and fruits are also available.

Vending Machines
Vending machines situated in the cafeteria make packet/canned drinks available to students at all time of the day. However, the drinks selection is limited due to health and wellness policy of the college.

Other
A coffee bistro, the "Good News Cafe" was opened at the start of Term 3 this year. Also, Subway sandwiches are sold on-campus through an initiative by the Entrepreneur Club on Wednesdays and Fridays.

[edit] Academic regime

[edit] Teaching Styles

The teaching system in the college is very note-based. They are conducted using the lecture-tutorial method.

A lecture takes the form of a straightforward lesson delivered en masse to all students studying a particular subject (usually with powerpoint or the visualizer/projector) while a tutorial is generally a follow-up lesson on the lecture, involving a smaller number of students.

[edit] Civics Groups

On admission to the College, students will go through Orientation and participate in programmes organised by the Student Council. They will be divided into Civics Groups (which are also Orientation Groups) automatically by the College computer system. Every CG has nearly the same ratio of boys and girls and an optimum diversity of students from different cultural and educational backgrounds. In order to encourage bonding within the group, students of the same CG will join the same Orientation Group. An Orientation Group usually consists of 2 CGs.

However, in the year 2009, students in the same Orientation Group do not neccessary go into the same CG. Each CG consists of students of various Orientation Groups.

Each Civics Group is under the charge of a Civics Tutor who meets the group during the weekly Civics period on Wednesday. Thus, a civics group corresponds to a class in a normal school. Unlike the school system, however, students do not stay in an assigned room for all their lessons but instead move to different rooms for different lessons.

[edit] College e-Learning Portal 'maTrix'

The MaTrix (http://matrix.tjc.edu.sg), which refers to the College E-learning Portal, was first implemented in 2002. All students are forced to sign up with the MaTrix and subscription fees will then be deducted from their Edusave fund. In 2008, Matrix2 (http://matrix2.tjc.edu.sg) was launched.

The MaTrix aims to facilitate and enhance the learning experience of students in the College. It is used in conjunction with the lecture-tutorial system in the College. In theory, selected topics may be covered solely online as an e-lecture, aided by streaming video, animations, discussion forums and online assessment outside of curriculum time or more commonly through a mixed mode teaching where readings, content materials and other e-resources are made available for students to access and prepare for tutorials during curriculum time. In practice, however, the MaTrix is often just used as a platform for teachers to upload lecture slides and tutorial questions for the students to download. The chemistry department also uses MaTrix to host online quiz during holiday periods.

To support the e-learning portal, the College has a recently completed IT-Block housing four Computer Labs and two IT Resource Rooms. However, they are seldom opened. Students can only access computers in The Hub and College Library. In addition, there are also wireless-hotspots around parts of the college for internet surfing. Any student with a wireless-enabled laptop can use the wireless internet service for free. Their movements are tracked by a moderator.

TJC also has a students portal for students at http://student.tjc.edu.sg and a parents portal at http://parents.tjc.edu.sg Moreover, as of 2007 April, all TJC students have their own TJC email account for dissemination of information at http://mail.tjc.edu.sg.

[edit] Higher Education

The Higher Education department in TJC actively invites guest speakers from both foreign and local universities to give admission talks. In 2006, speakers from Oxford, Imperial College London, London School of Economics, the University of Warwick and a few other universities were invited. Students are invited to attend such talks to widen their further education options. Although SAT lessons are no longer offered in TJC, specific tutors are assigned to handle the university application process for students applying to US and UK universities. These tutors ensure that the student does not overlook any part of the application process and also function as the students' referees. In previous years, TJC students have been admitted to prestigious universities including MIT, Harvard, Yale, Cambridge, Oxford, UCLA, LSE, McGill, Berkeley, Caltech, Stanford and Amherst among others all over the world.

[edit] Notable alumni

Cyril Wong (Singaporean poet)
Evelyn Tan (Singapore Artiste)
Fatimah Lateef ((Member of Parliament, Marine Parade GRC))
Inderjit Singh (Member of Parliament, Ang Mo Kio GRC)
Lim Biow Chuan (Member of Parliament, Marine Parade GRC)
Lyu Shi Lin (News Anchor, Channel 8)

[edit] External links