23 August-St Andrew's High School

Singapore

With the Principal, St Andrew's High School

Maurie-having coffee with the locals-strong black coffee poured over quarte cup of condensed milk

Singapore
Drinks by the pool bar, Royal park Hotel, Singapore

23 August-Singapore

This morning Maurie and I met Mrs Belinda Charles, Principal of St Andrew’s Secondary School, and President of the Singapore Principals’ Association. (www.saintandrewsschool.info ) (Belinda_CHARLES@moe.gov.sg ).

Belinda described her school to us and the challenges and successes that they were achieving. Despite being a very traditional Anglican church school, they faced challenges that were similar world wide and are seeking responses to these along lines similar to many of the things that we are doing at Mount Maunganui college-restorative practices, differentiated learning, formative assessment practices and so on. This visit was more a mutual interchange of ideas rather than seeing a school that was doing something quite different. Belinda was interested in the work of Celia Lashley, as we mentioned her in our discussions re boys’ education. We have promised to send her information on this.

After this visit I spent time updating this diary and downloading photos onto the blog site as these had got behind a I could not access internet for some time using my own computer.

Later in the day Dallas and I spent some time in Orchard Road looking at shops and being immersed in the hoards of people. Even more claustrophobic when we went to Bugis Street and Singapore’s largest street market. Small aisles, raining outside, and thousands packed into small spaces. Loads of fun. Frustration finally got the best of us and we returned to our hotel as the rain continued to fall heavily. Two people have been killed today in Singapore by lightning.

This evening we met up with Leigh and Maurie for a drink at the pool bar in the hotel and then went back to the restaurant we went to on our first night here, “Maggie Thai and Chinese Restaurant, No 1 Liang Seah Street, if anyone is looking for an excellent, moderately priced, Chinese meal, and a vey friendly host.

Tomorrow we head for Kuala Lumpur and a few days with Nick and Heather. It will be great to catch up with them in their new place, country and school.