Bukit View Secondary School

Infobox Singapore School
name = Bukit View Secondary School (BVSS)
百德中学 (Băidé Zhōngxué)
Sekolah Menengah Bukit View


motto = "Care and Share, Achieve and Excel"
established = bda|1986|01|03
type = Government, Coed
session = Single-Session
principal = Mrs Tan Lay Hong, PPA (G)
city/town = 16 Bukit Batok Street 21, 659633
coordinates =coord|1.345841|N|103.752631|E|type:landmark_region:SG|display=inline,title
school code = 3040
enrollment = approx. 1300
colours = Green, Yellow, Blue
homepage = [http://www.btvss.moe.edu.sg Bukit View Secondary School]

Bukit View Secondary School (BtVSS) (zh-stp|s=百德中学|t=百德中學|p=Băidé Zhōngxué) is a Government-funded secondary school, located in Bukit Batok, on the western part of Singapore. The school aimed to nurture creativity, passion and resilience in all her students to be people with moral integrity and are responsible to self and society.

Brief Facts

chool Crest

The school emblem takes the shape of a yellow circle with four equilateral triangles inlaid in the centre of the circle. The first green triangle forms the initial 'B' of Bukit and the remaining one in blue represents the initial 'V' of View. The peaks of the three green traingles form 2 letters 'S' representing Secondary School. The yellow circle represents the brilliance of the sun that signifies our aspirations for a bright future through education. The three green triangles (mountains) symbolise the broad and solid educational foundation on which the pupils will continue to scale higher peaks in their studies, with determination, and to the best of their abilities. The blue triangle (sea) represents the virtue of magnanimity of our pupils. It is also the deep sea of virtues and morals that our pupils have to acquire through education.

The school's chinese name, 百德 also means "One Hundred Virtues".

Principals

*Mr Ow Chiong Hoo (1986 - 1997)
*Mrs Mary Owyong (1997 - 1998)
*Mr James Ong Chye Hin (1998 - 2004)
*Mrs Tan Lay Hong - (2005 - )

Values

* Compassion for others
* Integrity in character
* Perseverance for excellence
* Respect for self and others
* Responsibility in actions

History

The building of the school began on September 30, 1984 and was completed on December 29, 1985. She started classes with 450 students in the Secondary One and Two levels, and a teaching body of 15 on January 3 1986, headed by the school's first principal, Mr Ow Chiong Hoo. In the same year, the school saw the first Investiture of the BtVSS Student Council, the formation of the School Military Band and the Library. The school was fully functional with the completion of the outdoor fitness stations and the landscaped garden. In 1987, Bukit View held their first Track-and-Field Meet, and also was the convenor of the West Zone Secondary Schools Badminton Tournament. The school facility also installed an electric kiln installed for students to explore their artistic talents through pottery.citation|last=Chiong Hoo|first=Ow|contribution=Principal's report|title=Bukit View Secondary School Annual 1989|year=1989] On July 15, 1988 Bukit View was officially opened by Mr Chai Chong Yii, MP for Bukit Batok.citation|last=Chiong Hoo|first=Ow|contribution=Opening message|title=Bukit View Secondary School Official Opening 15th July 1988|Singapore|publisher=Kefford Press Pte Ltd|page=5|year=1988]

Bukit View played host to a number of educational activities for their educational zone. In 1987, she organized the first Annual West Zone Inter-Primary Schools Languages, Maths & Science competitions. She was also the host for the finals of the inaugural Primary Inter-School Chinese Debate between Pei Chun Public School and Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) on 23 June 1990. The Debate, organized by Mr Ow, saw the Convent emerging as winners for the first of the bi-annual competition. [cite news|last=Wee|first-Chau|title=CL2 girls win Chinese debate Loser but still the best|publisher=The New Paper|date=1990-06-25]

In 1997 Bukit View also participated in the 2-day Pesta Sukan National 10's Rugby Tournament for the first time. [cite video|title=7.00pm TCS English News|medium=Television|publisher=Television Corporation of Singapore|location=Singapore|date2=1997-08-16]

On November 13, 1999 Bukit View, along with 7 other schools in Singapore and the National Institute of Education adopted the two-hectare Mandai Forest near Upper Seletar Reservoir Park to help restore the forest patch that was devastated an invasion of the Smilax-variable creeper plant on its grounds, over the years. The adoption project also planned to use the forest habitat restoration to facilitatehands-on learning of forest ecology and biodiversity and equip students and teachers with field-based learning strategies. It was also an opportunity for students from different schools to collaborate on a project that is both about learning and saving the natural environment. [citation|title=NIE adopts Mandai Forest|journal=NTU News|volume= No. 35|issue=January - March|year=2000|page=4|accessdate=2008-10-01|url=http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/CorpComms2/ntunews/2000/ntunews0100.pdf]

The abbreviation BtVSS was created for the school to prevent constant confusion between the school and Bedok View Secondary School since both share the same abbreviation of BVSS in official records. Late 2007, the school held a uniform design competition among the students. The winning entry was a brown theme; the shirt is white with the school's logo and name sewn on with brown shorts or pants for boys, for girls, they have the option between culotte and pinafore. The pinafore differs from the standard, having a more vest-like appearance. Student numbers in 2008 had also reduced to 4 Express classes, 2 Normal (Academic) classes and 1 Normal (Technical) class.

A student team led by Madam Maziyan Abdullah, participated in the 2008 World Media Masters on 28 March 2008, organised by IT Leisure and Education and supported by Creative Community Singapore, an initiative of the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts (MICA). The team, along with those from 15 other schools participating in the programme, had been provided with professional training on producing computer games since August 2007, enabling them to experience real-life computer game production work and a chance for selected winning team to market their game product commercially international. [cite news|last=Teo|first=Cheryl|title=School’s their new playground|publisher=The New Paper|date=2008-02-26]

Project PRIME (Programme For Rebuilding And Improving Existing Schools)

On May 11 1999, The Ministry of Education launched PRIME, to upgrade or rebuild about 290 schools built over the last 20 to 30 years, and as part of the Ministry's "Thinking Schools, Learning Nation" vision to ensure all schools have a conducive physical environment to enhance teaching and learning. As such schools constructed before 1997 will either be upgraded, with the construction of extension blocks and alteration of existing school buildings, or rebuilding that involves the construction of new buildings either on existing site or on available vacant sites. The project was implemented over a period of seven years from 1999 to 2005, in three phases with an estimated cost of S$4.46 billion. [cite press release|title=Programme For Rebuilding And Improving Existing Schools (PRIME)|publisher=Ministry of Education|date=1999-05-11|url=http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/press/1999/pr990511.htm]

The project entered into Phase 6, with Bukit View commencing its upgrading programme in June 2005. [cite press release|title=Information: PRIME Phase 6|publisher=Ministry of Education|date=2004-05-14|url=http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/press/2004/pr20040514_print.htm] This upgrading saw emergence of the New Block, which housed the new library, professional sharing room and computer labs. Old Block, Technical Block and School Hall/Canteen. The Technical Block was expanded to include Chemistry, Biology and Physics Labs, F&N department and the Design & Technology (D&T) Department by December 2006. The upgrading of the main school area was completed by May 2008, and seeing through the completion of the school field and a new indoor sports hall .

Achievements

In 1989, the school won Best Award and prize money of $3,000 in the 1989 National Mural Competition, an event held in conjunction with the Community Week '89 themed at social cohesion and racial harmony.citation|title=Schools' winning mural entries go up the wall|location=Singapore|publisher=Straits Times|date=1989-09-29]

Micromouse entry from Bukit View Secondary School, along with entries from Catholic Junior College and St Joseph's Institution were named overall winners for their shortest timings and intelligent maze-escaping strategies, in the fourth Singapore Inter-school Micromouse Competition held at the Ngee Ann Polytechnic on April 9, 1994. [cite news|title=Schools' micro-mouse race attracts a record 80 entries|location=Singapore|publisher=Straits Times|date=1994-04-10|page=23]

Aspiring actress Poon Er Ruziana Hadi also starred in the role as "Sylvia" in the 2nd season of the Malay TV drama series "Soldadu" (Soldier) in 1999. [cite news|first=Tuminah|last=Sapawi|title=Attention! There are 7 pretty recruits|location=Singapore|publisher=Straits Times Life!|page=20|date=1999-07-21]

Former Bukit View student Lee Jianguang (Joeel Lee), topped the New Beetle Art Competition held in April 2000, with his unique Volkswagen Beetle design titled "TropBeetle", featuring lush tropical colours and swirling floral patterns overlaid by black animal outlines. [cite news|title=Tropical bug wins the top prize|publisher=Straits Times|date=2000-04-22]

Bukit View also made it as one of the ten finalists in the 2nd National Schools Newspaper Competition organised by The Straits Times. [cite news|title=10 finalists in ST school newspaper competition|location=Singapore|publisher=Straits Times|date=2006-10-16] Her team also came in 2nd place in the Gears Of War (GOW) tournament at the Interschool eGaming Challenge organized and held at Funan DigitaLife Mall in Mar 2007. [cite news|last=Lim|first=Yee Hung|title=Holidays well spent; Gaming teams from Montfort Secondary School and Ngee Ann Poly took part in the Interschool eGaming Challenge during the March school break - and won.|location=Singapore|publisher=Straits Times|date=2007-03-27]

Mrs Tan Lay Hong was also awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) at the National Day Awards in 2007. [citation|contribution=The Public Administration Medal|title=National Day Awards 2007|publisher=The Prime Minister's Office|accessdate=2008-10-01|page=19|url=http://www.pmo.gov.sg/NR/rdonlyres/BBCF13B5-1F97-475F-9FB4-A0BB7827112F/0/NDA2007Awards.pdf]

Former Bukit View student Jason Tan, a chef de cuisine (head of kitchen) at fine-dining restaurant "Julien Bompard" was highlighted as Singapore's hope against 23 other international culinary talents in the finals of the "Bocuse d'Or Concours Mondial de la Cuisine" 2009 Culinary contest in Lyon, France. This contest is equivalent to the World Cup of football, and Tan had earlier won a bronze medal in the "Bocuse d'Or" Asia held in Pudong, Shanghai in China in 29-31 May 2008. [cite news|last=Chee|first=Frankie|contribution=Jason Tan 26, chef de cuisine (head of kitchen) at fine-dining restaurant Julien Bompard|title=30 Under 30|location=Singapore|publisher=Straits Times Life!|date=2008-08-08]

Young Designers' Award

Bukit View students have won 19 awards with their innovate designs, in the 12 years' of Young Designers Award. [cite news|title=Bukit View is tops by design|location=Singapore|publisher=Straits Times Friday Weekly|page=51|date=2000-04-03] In years 1997 - 2000 alone, she has produced seven winners consecutively in the Award competition.cite news|first=Sandra|last=Davie|title=Bukit View produces design stars|location=Singapore|publisher=Straits Times|date=2000-02-25|page=54]

Awards aside, the innovative creations by her students have caught the eye of judges and the media more than once, in the years of the Award since its inception by Dr Tay Eng Soon in 1988. For instance, the unique concept by Li Jianguang (Joeel Lee), titled "Two-in-One Kettle" showed a two-compartment kettle which enabled water and coffee or tea to be boiled, with a slot allowing disposable filters to be fitted in on one side while water boils in the other. This design came with a 240-volt heater in the middle, to speed up the heating. The design was one of the three mentioned in the feature article published in The New Paper. [cite news|last=Senan|first=Lena|title=This baby-walker is unusual|publisher=The New Paper|date=1990-08-30]

On September 22, 1993 16-year-old Ow Hee Jiann won an 2nd prize in the Intermediate category of the Young Designers Award for his innovative wheelchair design. [cite news|first=Kalpana|last=Rashiwala|title=Young Designers contest attracts record 920 entries|location=Singapore|publisher=Straits Times|date=1993-09-23|page=36] 14-year-old Choo Shiling won the top prize in the Junior Category of the Young Designers Award 2000, with her design Nature Seat. Her winning entry beat the other 228 entries in that category.

Other achievements in academic subjects

Mathematics:
Science:
Great Science Challenge 1st Runner Up 2004
Citi Bank Idea In Action Venture Grant $5000 2006
Idea-in-Action Venture Grant $500 2006
Co-Curricular Activities (CCA):
NPCC - Bronze
NCC - Silver
SJAB
Boys' Brigade
Girls' Brigade
Girls' Guide
Chinese Dance - SYF Silver
Malay Dance - SYF Silver
Indian Dance - SYF Silver
Modern Dance - ???
Military Band - SYF Silver
Choir - SYF COP
Drama (ELDDS)- Gold
ELDDS, Media & Publicity:-
Julia Gabriels Inter-school Debating Competition 1st Runner-up 2006
Cluster Video Awards 2007 - Merit, Bronze & Gold
Channel News Asia Roving DV 2007 - Top 5
SPH Inter-School Newspaper Competition - Consolation Prize
InfoComm Club
Media Resource Library Club
Environmental Club:-
1. SEC Green Audit Programme: SUSTAINED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2004, 2005, 2006
2. 3R project competition: Silver and Best New Comer 2005, Bronze 2006

References

External links

* [http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=5778799162872269544&hl=en&hl=en A Short History of Bukit View Secondary School, from the teacher's perspectives]

* [http://ligers-club.blogspot.com Bukit View Secondary School Environmental Club]