MICA(P) 147/10/2014 August - September 2015

MVS First Graduation National Deaf Games Day

INSIDE Hawaii Five-O! Contestants ~ Pg 16

Sign for SG50 2 SIGNAL Newsletter 13 Contents

3 Editor’s Note 4 Announcements • AGM & Exco Election • 60th Anniversary • Night Office – New Opening Hours • Siemens New Name and Logo

6 Feature! • SADeaf President presents Certificates to 16 MVS Graduates • Drawing Parallels...Through the Lens • HI!SG2015 14 • A Tribute to TRIBES • Kicking Off the First National Deaf Games 2015! • Sign for SG50 – Signing the National Pledge

16 Outings • Fun Day for the Family at Adventure Cove, Sentosa • Youth Celebrate! Editorial Team

10 Alvan Yap Ranee Govindram Tan Lizhen

Contributors: • Wan Ziyi • Lydia Chua • Tan Boon Hwee 6 • Elizabeth Khoo • Toh You Xin 8 • David Lee • Nuryaminah bte Rustam Pane • Deaf Sports Association

Designed and printed by Ee Tai Press Pte Ltd • EDITORIAL • SIGNAL Newsletter 3

Editor’s Note ...

Alvan Yap Deputy Director, SADeaf

In this issue of Signal, I’m delighted to buzz around these days. And no wonder – we all await, with present some highlights from the past couple bated breath, ’s impending general elections, and of exciting and hectic months at SADeaf, as SADeaf’s own Executive Council elections is also due during well as more to come for the rest of the year! the Annual General Meeting in September 2015.

Congrats to our MVS grads! With the growing interest in political and civic issues among Firstly, SADeaf extends our heartfelt our Deaf and hard-of-hearing community, it is timely that congratulations to the 26 graduates from SADeaf has been advocating for greater accessibility to the Mountbatten Vocational School (MVS) who electoral process. Besides producing a series of election- had successfully completed their courses. related sign language videos, SADeaf will offer our sign All the best to them and wishing all a bright language interpretation services for the campaign rallies and future ahead as they begin a new phase in other related events. So come on, step up, make a difference. their lives. Every vote counts - including yours!

Raising public awareness of our community Celebrating SG50 & SADeaf60 With the successful run of the play TRIBEs With the SG50 celebrations in full swing island-wide, SADeaf (see pages 10 and 11), the profile of our too shared in this joyous occasion by holding a Sign for Deaf and hard-of-hearing community among SG50 event at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park. We were privileged the general public has been given a boost! to have Ms Sim Ann, Minister of State for Education and Communications & Information, lead over 450 participants I’ll like to share this wonderful quote from in reciting the national pledge in sign language. Ethel Yap, one of the leads in the play: “Working on Tribes not only gave me so We also wish to take this opportunity to thank Ms Denise many new opportunities to learn about the Phua (Mayor of Central Singapore District) and our patron Deaf community and their experiences, but Ms Ho Ching for their equally staunch and unstinting support it also opened up doorways and helped to for our community over the past years. build bridges between the communities of the hearing and the Deaf, as well as the arts You’re invited to SADeaf’s 60th Anniversary Gala Dinner! community. [This project] has really paved Our nation turns 50 this year and SADeaf, which was the way for us all to not only get to know established ten years before Singapore declared each other, but to grow in empathy, love independence, turns 60! and consideration for one another – for our strengths, for our uniqueness, for the We’re all geared up to celebrate our milestone sixth decade challenges that we face just to belong, and of existence. And this is a good time for clients, supporters, to help build pathways of communication friends old and new to get together to partake the double and understanding.’’ celebrations during our 60th Anniversary Dinner on 19 September at RWS. You can find more info and details on Elections galore - exercising our democratic the back cover. rights There’s a certain air of anticipation and Do join us.. and here’s looking forward!

have For feedback, comments and suggestions on Signal Newsletter, your you can email [email protected] or mail to The Singapore say Association for the Deaf, 227 Mountbatten Road, Singapore 397998. 4 SIGNAL Newsletter • ANNOUNCEMENTS •

Notice of SADeaf Annual General Meeting & Election of Executive Council members

Calling all members! The 60th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Singapore • Honorary Treasurer Association for the Deaf will be held on Saturday 26 September, • Honorary Assistant Treasurer 2015 at 3.00pm at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the Singapore • Council Member (10 Positions) Association for the Deaf, 227 Mountbatten Road, Singapore 397998. Letters of the above notice on the AGM and election have been posted to all The AGM will also see the following officers of the Executive current and life members of SADeaf. If Council of the Singapore Association for the Deaf elected: you have not received them, please email • President [email protected] or SMS/call 9226 7637. • Vice-President (4 Positions) Only current ordinary and life members of • Honorary Secretary SADeaf are eligible to stand for election • Honorary Assistant Secretary and to vote in the election and AGM.

Ambassadors for the Deaf are our cherished partners who believe in, and are committed to, playing a part for the Deaf and hard-of- hearing community in Singapore. Together, we work to raise public Ambassadors awareness of deafness, support our fundraising activities and provide employment opportunities. Please contact Corporate Affairs For The Deaf Manager Ms Ranee at [email protected] to find out more.. ABC Tissue Hearing Express AV-Science Marketing Pte Ltd Barclays Technology Centre Ltd ERA Singapore Pte Ltd Field Catering and Supplies Pte Ltd Fraser and Neave, Ltd Grid Synergy Pte Ltd Hengrich Pte Ltd Integrated Supply and Trading, BP Singapore Pte Ltd Kentucky Fried Chicken Management Pte Ltd Marina Bay Sands Singapore Pte Ltd Merrylin Holdings (Singapore) Pte Ltd Ms Valentane Huang Ti Xiang Mun Siong Engineering Ltd Natural Cooling Holdings Ltd Select Group Ltd Sivantos Pte Ltd The GoodWater Company Pte Ltd The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd Vobis Enterprise Pte Ltd • announcements • SIGNAL Newsletter 5

The Singapore Association for the Deaf will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a gala dinner at Resorts World Convention Centre – Sentosa, on Saturday 19 September 2015. Join us to celebrate together!

Contact SADeaf at telephone number 63448274 during office hours on weekdays (8.30am to 5.30pm) or sms James Ong at tel: 96885073 if you wish to purchase tickets.

We look forward to your support!

sadeaf flag day new night office hours The Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf) is organising an island-wide Flag Day collection on Saturday, 3 October 2015. The SADeaf Flag Day is one of our major fundraising efforts to support essential services for the Deaf and hard of hearing community. These include sign language interpretation service; note-taking; support for students with hearing loss; and audiology services.

We thus appeal to you to sign up as a volunteer for SADeaf Flag Day street collection. Details as follows: Please note the new operating hours for our night office, which opens every Date : Saturday, 3 October 2015 Wednesday, is from 5.30pm to 9pm. Time : Any time slot from 9.00am to 6.00pm Age : 15 years or above Venue : Bugis; Jurong; Tampines;Toa Payoh; SADeaf HQ at Mountbatten siemens new name and logo To register, please email to [email protected] and provide the following information: With effect from 16th April 2015, the company name of Siemens Medical 1. Full name Instruments Pte Ltd has been officially 2. NRIC changed to Sivantos Pte. Ltd. This is a 3. Preferred time slot company name change only. 4. Preferred venue to collect the donation tin and stickers For student volunteers, CIP hours will be given. Other companies within the Sivantos Group, including the legal manufacturer, A few hours of your time can make a difference in someone’s which was previously known as “Siemens life. If unable to volunteer, you can still contribute by Audiologische Technik GmbH”, is now making an outright donation for the Flag Day collection. known as “Sivantos GmbH”. For enquiries, please contact Li Zhen at 6344 8274 or email The new logo is: [email protected] .

Thank you for your support! 6 SIGNAL Newsletter • feature! •

Congratulations MVS Graduates!

Nuryaminah bte Rustam Pane (Yammy)

Dr Christopher Low Wong Kein, President of The Singapore Association for the Deaf, presented certificates to 26 students from Mountbatten Vocational School (MVS) at a graduation ceremony held on 25th July 2015 at Holiday Inn Orchard City Centre.

Dr Christopher Low, who was the Guest-of-Honour at the ceremony, presented certificates to 21 students who completed their ITE Skills course and five students received their school leaving certificates. All the graduating students also received a special “graduation teddy bear”, contributed by three of the students’ parents.

Parents, students and guests who attended the event were entertained with performances by some of the school’s current students and teachers. There was Hip Hop, Song Signing performance to the tune of Good Times by Owl City, and a combination of step dance and Cha Cha which kept everyone clapping along. Graduating students were also treated to a video montage for them to reminisce on their school days. Mrs Juliana Lien receiving the Graduation Certificate from Dr Low Wong Kein, President of SADeaf, on behalf of her son Lien Kok Hwee who is representing Singapore in the The day ended with a sumptuous buffet spread. World in Los Angeles

A group photo for the album – the Graduates with SADeaf President and invited guests • feature! • SIGNAL Newsletter 7

The graduating students received a special “Graduation Teddy Bear” along with their certificates Performance by the hip-hop group

Teachers Ms Kamsiah, Ms Kar Leng and Ms Yammy together with The song-signing group performing to the tune of two hard-of-hearing students, Tammy and Quimara of “Chilly “Good Times” by Owl City Candy” performing Cha Cha

A group photo for the album – the Graduates with SADeaf President and invited guests A sumptuous spread to whet the appetite! 8 SIGNAL Newsletter • feature! • Wan Ziyi, a student of River Valley High School, chose the deaf community for a school photography project. Ziyi would like to express her grateful thanks to SADeaf Drawing Parallels... and staff who allowed her to take photos at some of their events/workshops where she through the eyes capture many “meaningful moments.”

Ziyi shares her enriching experience…… of the lens “It all started with the task I had to do - create a portfolio for myself. I always believed in capturing meaningful moments. After many stumbling blocks and rejections from few other organisations, I was overjoyed to receive a favourable reply from SADeaf. By accepting my photography request, I was given the opportunity to understand this community of people that I have never interacted with before. Eventually, I titled my project as “Drawing Parallels” as it was an accumulation of all my insights and the analogies that I have made to my life. Wan Ziyi with Mr Neo Hock Sik (left), Senior Mananger, Deaf Access Services

The most memorable part of my photography project is definitely my first encounter with the anyone! However, I felt welcomed as they tried their best Deaf community. It was during the Chinese to use simple gestures to interact with me, and included me New Year celebrations. I did not bring my in the games they played.. It struck me then that the same camera but just attended the event, hoping thing might have happened to a deaf individual in a hearing to know more about them. The place was community! As a hearing individual, I may have unknowingly rather quiet and I was a little uncomfortable left them out in my conversations with other hearing people. It because I could not communicate with was the first time that I felt I belonged to the minority and my desire to be accepted and welcomed by another community had never been so strong.

At the end of my project, I can only be thankful. I grew to understand that there was a greater purpose behind taking photos and completing my photography project. It is gaining a wealth of experiences and becoming an individual who is more aware and mindful towards the feelings of others.

This has been an enriching journey and would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude towards SADeaf and Mr. Neo Hock Sik in particular who has been the main link to my photographic opportunities. Opportunities are hard to come by, but one can always take the step forward and create them”. • feature! • SIGNAL Newsletter 9 HI! SG 2015 Lydia Chua – member of RSPHI, Farrago

those challenges, and energy levels remained high as participants looked forward to their yummy KFC lunches and to the highlight of the day – laser tag!

Learning the alphabets in sign language For many, it was their first time playing laser tag, and the excitement in the air was palpable. When the game commenced, it was literally a scene out of an action movie; On a bright and early morning on 1st people were fearless about entering enemy territory and March 2015, close to 80 deaf individuals would use items like barrels and the vehicles to shield and hearing participants came together themselves as they led the offensive against their opponents at Palawan Beach. Sentosa, for HI!SG teams and egged each other forward. Depending on their 2015. Held every year, HI!SG aims to raise starting location, for some teams it proved to be an uphill awareness about the Deaf community in battle, while most teams on lower ground were completely Singapore. wiped out. Everyone’s spirit stayed high.

Planned by the juniors of Regular Service Project for Hearing Impaired (RSPHI) Farrago, Clementi and Woodlands centres respectively, the theme of HI!SG this year was – HI!GH time, which promised to be an engaging programme lined up with adrenaline-boosting activities and guaranteed to ignite gales of laughter.

The event kick-started with the hearing participants being taught the alphabets in sign language, which was also the basis for communication for the day. It was heart- warming to see the efforts put in by both the hearing participants and volunteers as they tried their best to recall the signs in Putting best foot forward to the game a limited time. The deaf participants put their signing to good use in the innovative games that followed. Between laser tag battles, teams left to search for their game masters for answers to completing a task sheet. It Despite the sweltering heat, the teams was great fun locating game masters in the middle of the were determined to accomplish the tasks forest, in the museum and other strange places, and even set for them at each games station, putting more laughter ensued when individual group members their best foot forward to win the game at reappeared escorting game masters to the rest of the each turn. There were some challenging group. parts such as doing limbo under a rope with one person’s right knee to their partner’s As the day drew to a close, overlooking the spectacular left hip and then making a mad dash to the view of the setting sun over the waters at Fort Siloso, the finish line. Another game involved hand bright smiles on the weary faces never wavered. HI!SG was signing five sentences together as an entire over, but the warm memories etched into every participants team and running around on the hot sand. minds will stay, leaving everyone wistful and looking forward Everyone worked together to overcome to the next Hi!SG. 10 SIGNAL Newsletter • feature! •

A Tribute to

TRIBES Sis (Frances Lee): up-and-coming opera singer in a downtown pub; and Big Brother Alvan Yap (Gavin Yap): speech expert, hears voices in his Deputy Director, SADeaf head…your typical dysfunctional, eccentric tribe of bohemian weirdos. In what was a milestone in local theatre history, Pangdemonium blazed a trail by including sign language interpretation for When Billy falls in love with a real “outsider”, several special performances of the play TRIBES during its run Sylvia (Ethel Yap), his world is turned inside from 22 May to 7 June 2015. out, and he finally wants to be heard. And what he has to say will ear-shatteringly and This probably marked the first time a mainstream theatre heart-breakingly prove that actions really do production had sign language interpreters on stage; speak louder than words…” making it more noteworthy was how the interpreters were thoughtfully integrated in the set such that they were easily TRIBES proved not only to be a hit with our seen by the Deaf audience while remaining unobtrusive to community, but also the larger society, as the hearing ones. glowing reviews from the mainstream press and regular theatre goers testify. Its themes of The award-winning play, written by Nina Raine and first staged love, family, communication breakdown, and in 2010 in London, was presented to the Singapore audience how language comes in many (unexpected) by local theatre company Pangdemonium. The official synopsis forms, certainly resonated with us all. of the play explains why it is so relevant and so close to the hearts of the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community, and why The Singapore Association for the Deaf tickets reserved for them were snapped up so fast. (SADeaf) wishes to express our heartfelt appreciation to Marina Bay Sands (MBS) “Sweet, silent Billy (Thomas Pang) feels like an outsider in his for its generous sponsorship of the tickets. own family. Billy, you see, happens to be deaf. Dad (Adrian Special thanks to Joyce Siew of MBS for all Pang): first class academic, world-class ass; Mum (Sue Tordoff): the legwork and coordination! This generous mystery novelist, clueless about the mystery of her own family; gesture enabled SADeaf clients to buy the • feature! • SIGNAL Newsletter 11 tickets at a special discount. strengths, they also don’t want to be isolated from the rest SADeaf is also immensely grateful to Adrian of the world, nor to be shut out of life with all its many facets. and Tracie Pang of Pangdemonium for Sign language – What do you think of it? How do you actually coming all the way down with their feel about it? team for a chat with us at SADeaf. A shout- out, too, to Debbie Andrade and Sarah Tang Adrian & Tracie: It is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL language. who coordinated the ticketing details and Thomas: Incredible. I think all actors should learn it. special seating for SADeaf clients! Nothing beats the sensation of emotional truth when you’re signing. It’s an entire arsenal of gestures and a way And yes, we hope the story doesn’t end here of thinking about communication that is unparalleled. - SADeaf hopes to see greater accessibility to the arts via interpretation and subtitles for Gavin: It’s beautiful and compelling to watch.. really quite English-language plays, and we will continue special. to advocate for it. Ethel: I really love sign (language). Not just how expressive, interesting, visual and involving it is, but also how very Let’s hear it - loud and clear! - from.. useful it can be in settings where sound is an issue. Even .. the cast and director of TRIBES! Many for hearing people! For example, it would be so easy to thanks to director Tracie Pang, and the communicate with someone in a library using sign! or in a stars of the play - actors Adrian Pang, Ethel club when you can’t hear your friends, or when you have to Yap, Thomas Pang, Gavin Yap, Frances be very quiet (like backstage, for us actors; I know Thomas Lee, and Susan Tordoff - for taking time feels the same way). to take part in SADeaf’s exclusive (email) Any other thoughts or comments? interview and penning their thoughts. Adrian & Tracie: We have so much to learn from one The most surprising, unexpected or another, and the more we make an effort to be inclusive illuminating fact I discovered about the and respectful and actively empathetic, the more we will Deaf and the Deaf community was.. all benefit. Adrian & Tracie Pang: ..that the deaf Thomas: Sign is amazing, I feel lucky to have been able to community is every bit as multi-faceted, learn what I have, to meet the people I have and I don’t multi-dimensional, and multi-talented see why we can’t make the extra step to communicate with (and in may cases, even more so) than the the Deaf. hearing community! Gavin: Just that we should, clichéd as it sounds, treat each Thomas Pang: .. just because Deaf people other the same. At the end of the day, we’re all just trying are silent doesn’t mean they don’t “catch” to make the best of it, and we shouldn’t treat someone everything that is going on. differently because of a condition or handicap or whatever Gavin Yap: I have had some experience you’d like to call it. Life’s hard enough without adding fear working with deaf performers, and just like and insecurity of what we find different into the mix. that time, my Tribes experience showed Susan: I hope this is just the beginning, and soon the deaf me that they are just regular people, who community in Singapore have the opportunity to watch have to go through the same stuff we all every show as they do in the UK where most plays have a do. However, due to their deafness, there signed or subtitled performance. is that added obstacle in dealing with hearing people like myself. There’s no limit to the respect I feel for anyone having to deal with that. Susan Tordoff: I felt blessed to meet so many people from the deaf community and truly appreciated how patient they were with me as a non signer and their friendliness to me as a visitor to Singapore. Ethel Yap: That while they celebrate their uniqueness and their community’s 12 SIGNAL Newsletter • feature! • A Day in the Life of ...

In this issue, we put the spotlight on Tan Boon Hwee, Itinerant Executive (IE), who joined the Learning Support (LS) unit of the Itinerant Support Service (ISS) department almost 1½ years ago. As Boon Hwee puts it “the designation doesn’t tell much about what we do. Maybe the ‘itinerant’ part does – we do travel from place to place, or rather from school to school...”. quick lunch at the school canteen, I am off to a secondary school to meet my Secondary 4 Prior to her current position at SADeaf, Boon Hwee was a student for LS session. We chat for a while on Resource Teacher at Balestier Hill Secondary School for whatever topic he wishes to share about and about five years to provide sign language interpretation and then proceed to cover the lesson planned educational support to Deaf and hard-of-hearing students. for the day. An hour or so later, I am back at SADeaf for an IEP review meeting with a How did you come to know of SADeaf? parent. Then, its reports writing time before “I knew about SADeaf from a former colleague at a special I call it a day. school who used to teach at the Singapore School for the Deaf. My first exposure to the Deaf community was in secondary How she finds her work fulfilling and school when I saw two Deaf students communicating in sign meaningful: language. This left an impression. Basically, I’m interested in the education of people with special needs. So, I find it What her job involves: gratifying to be able to help students with My two fellow IEs and I travel to schools to provide learning hearing loss in their learning process. I support to students with hearing loss in mainstream education. believe Deaf and hard-of-hearing students Support is in the form of one-to-one intervention sessions with in mainstream settings can learn as well the students with the aim of equipping them with strategies as their hearing peers when schools and to learn better in school and enhancing their language, teachers consciously make accommodations mathematical and cognitive skills. (communication, instructional and physical environment) to meet their learning needs. As I have more contact time with the students due to the regularity of LS sessions, I have the opportunity to get to know them Trying to motivate students who have and their needs better, and sometimes end up also becoming experienced failure repeatedly can be a pseudo-counsellor and pseudo-speech therapist to them. very challenging. A student, W, told me time and again that there was no point in Other aspects of my job include assessing learning needs of practisingbecause results were not guaranteed newly referred students, developing and reviewing students’ even with hard work. I knew preaching to him individual education plans (IEP), liaising and providing about the importance of hard work would consultation and training to teachers and parents, and not help. I happened to read an article that planning and conducting workshops/programmes during emphasised practice, rather than talent, as school holidays. the key to success. The professor who wrote the piece illustrated his point with examples A typical work day for Boon Hwee: of great athletes including Michael Jordan. Every day can be a little different depending on our sessions W is a fervent fan. I showed him and appointments. the article. He was rather inspired by Michael Jordan’s example. I took the opportunity to Early in the morning, I’m at the SADeaf office preparing lesson highlight that the professor also said this plans and materials I need for LS sessions for the day. Mid principle applied not only to sports but to all morning, I go to a primary school to observe a lesson in the forms of learning. W asked to have the article classroom of a newly referred Primary 2 student. Then I interact so that he could paste it on his mirror as a with the student and interview her teachers and parents in reminder to work hard. This was one of those order to learn more about her and her learning needs. After a high points in my job. • feature! • SIGNAL Newsletter 13 Kicking Off the First National Deaf Games 2015!

The first edition of the National Deaf Games, organised by the Deaf Sports Association (DSA) Singapore and supported DPM Tharman was the guest-of-honour by SADeaf, saw a wonderful turnout of 143 participants from the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community. The Games featured , and over three days of competition. Eleven teams, comprising eight men’s teams and three women’s teams, competed in the Besides encouraging a love for sports, the Games was also Futsal event. Touch Silent Strikers and History a platform to identify athletes for DSA’s structured training Makers Red emerged as the eventual victors programme for future major games such as SEA Deaf Games, for the men and women’s open categories. Asia Pacific Deaf Games and Deaflympic Games. DSA would like to thank SADeaf and NTU’s The guest of honour, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister RSPHI and Farrago club for their help in the for Finance, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, graced the event. Following the success of this National inauguration of the National Deaf Games held at Jurong East Deaf Games, DSA aims to make this an Sports & Cultural Centre on 14 March 2015. Various DSA and annual event for deaf sports. Do stay tuned SADeaf staff and exco members were also on hand to receive for next year’s second edition of the National the Minister. Deaf Games!

Photos courtesy of Jonathan Neo DPM Tharman greeting the athletes 14 SIGNAL Newsletter • feature! • Sign for SG50 Signing The National Pledge

Ms Sim Ann, Minister of State, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Communications and Information (6th from left), with SADeaf Executive Council members Ms Tay Lay Hong (4th from left; Mr Steven Lee 5th from left and Mr Low Boon Hon 6th from right). Also in the picture is Sign for SG50 chairperson Mr Toh You Xin (5th from right) with his committee members.

Contributed by YouthBeat

More than 450 people from all walks of life got together to The Singapore Book of Records presented simultaneously recite the National Pledge in sign language a Certificate of Achievement to SADeaf for and set a new national record for the most number of achieving the feat. people reciting the pledge at the Sign for SG50 event held at the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park Activity Lawn 1 on Saturday “With this event we hope to inculcate a 25 July, 2015. sense of Singaporean identity and Deaf awareness on the nation’s 50th birthday The mass recital, was led by Ms Sim Ann, Minister of through the reciting of the national pledge State for Education and Communications & Information, in sign language”, said Mr Toh You Xin, accompanied by SADeaf Board members Mr Low Boon chairperson of the Sign for SG50 committee. Hon, Mr Steven Lee Chee Phat and Ms Tay Lay Hong. The afternoon event included performances Joining them in this unique event, organised by SADeaf by Singapore Polytechnic Sign Language YouthBeat, and held in conjunction with Singapore’s 50th Club and Signifique, a local song sign birthday, were students and teachers from various junior performing group consisting of hearing and colleges, members of the public including the Deaf and hard Deaf performers from SADeaf as well as of hearing community, and volunteers and staff from SADeaf. performances by National Junior College Malay dance cultural group. Local Indie Ms Wong Ai Ling, SADeaf’s principal case manager, guided band, Disco Hue, also took to the stage the participants in reciting the pledge in sign language, with to entertain the crowd with their original voice-over support from senior sign language interpreter songs. Mr Zach Tay. • feature! • SIGNAL Newsletter 15

Performers from Singapore Polytechnic Sign Language Club and Signifique wowing the crowd with their song sign performances.

Mass reciting of national pledge in sign language.

Students joining Minister of State, Mis Sim Ann, in signing a sentence in Sign Language. 16 SIGNAL Newsletter • outings • Fun Day for the Family at Adventure Cove, Sentosa

Elizabeth Khoo Social Work Officer, SADeaf

A clear blue sky greeted Deaf families who gathered at Sentosa to celebrate SADeaf Family Day on 11 April 2015. Many of the 120 participants, who came dressed to the theme “Hawaii Five-O!”, had great fun and laughter playing games at the Adventure Cove Waterpark.

Mr Leonard Lim, a member of the Community Services(CS) Committee, was the guest-of-honour at the event which was organised by the CS Department. Programme for the day included a skit by CS staff and a talk by Ms Wong Ai Ling, Principal Case Manager (CS).

After a sumptuous lunch, the participants had more fun and a splashing good time at Adventure Cove Waterpark.

It was a memorable Family Day outing for all!

CODAs (Children of Deaf Adults) participatrd in the best dressed contest, in line with the “”Hawaii Five-O!”theme • outings • SIGNAL Newsletter 17

Mr Anthony Chew having a good time at the SADeaf Deputy Director Mr Alvan Yap (right) presenting a token of Adventure Cover Waterpark appreciation to Mr Leonard Lim for gracing the occasion

Parents dressing the children for the best dressed costume contest 18 SIGNAL Newsletter • outings • Youth Celebrate!

David Lee Teacher, SSD

Students from the Singapore School for the Deaf (SSD) were among 53,000 near capacity spectators at the official opening of the Singapore Sports Hub on 6 July, 2015, which was held in conjunction with Youth Celebrate! Day!

We were all enthusiastically waving the light sticks to the beat of the music. What an electrifying scene!

This day also marked Youth Day in Singapore and we were entertained with games and sports such the novelty soccer match ‘Goal for a Cause’ when 50 primary school students pitted their skills against 11 former Singapore national football players for a charitable cause. There were Frisbee games to thrill the crowd the players expertly tossed the Frisbee to each other.

Highlight of the celebrations was a special freestyle drills performance by some 4,100 students who showcased their talents to the theme “Celebrating Diverse Talents, Creating Shared Memories and Looking Forward with Confidence”. In celebration of SG50, Youth Celebrate! Heralded Youth Day as a showcase of the vitality of our youths and their achievements in sports, arts and uniformed groups.

Stage performances included singing and dance items. We were especially moved to watch the poem signing by our deaf friend, Hau En, on stage.

This event also marked the official opening of the 35-hectare Sports Hub – which includes an aquatic centre and multi-purpose sports arena, by our Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who sealed the time capsule containing 50 items symbolic of the Republic’s sporting achievements.

It was an event that hopefully is etched in everyone’s minds as the teachers reminded the students that 50 years on, when the Sports Hub marks its 50th anniversary, they will remember when the capsule sealed by our PM is opened and they can then proudly say that they were part of this momentous event!

Celebrating the Youth’s Day. • outings • SIGNAL Newsletter 19

Proud of our school identity among the crowd.

The finale with all performers celebrating collectively. 20 SIGNAL Newsletter