PL100 Celebrations
Relive the highlights of Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School's centennial celebrations, marking 100 years of faith, community and holistic education in 2016.
Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (Primary) and Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (Secondary) celebrate our rich heritage of 100 years in 2016. From the school’s early humble beginnings of being a small school of just 24 students in 1900s, the school has become a school of choice, with the Primary and Secondary schools together having a combined staff strength of about 250, offering a holistic education to about 3000 students. We thank God for His faithfulness to PL. To God be the Glory!
This article was first published in the March 2016 issue of Methodist Message, the official monthly publication of The Methodist Church in Singapore. Used with permission.
PL Founder’s Day Thanksgiving and Reunion Dinner (October 2016)
On 14 October 2016 (Friday), Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (Primary and Secondary) celebrated Founder’s Day, marking 100th anniversary of the school. In keeping with tradition, the celebrations started with the Thanksgiving Service in the morning and concluded with the Thanksgiving and Reunion Dinner in the evening.
This year, the school’s Founder’s Day Thanksgiving Service comprised 3 parts - the Thanksgiving Service, Opening of the Time Capsule in the PL Well and Opening of the newly–renovated PLMGS Museum. Rev Dr Wee Boon Hup, Bishop of The Methodist Church in Singapore, was the Guest of Honour for the morning event.
The Time Capsule in the PL Well, which has been sealed since October 1987, will also be opened. Treasured items holding special memories for the PL family will be taken out. These include the Title Deed of the land the school used to sit on at Boundary Road, a 30-year-old vision for PL written by then-Principal Mrs Winnie Tan, a 30-year-old prayer written by then-Chaplain Pastor Leslie Quahe, school locks and keys from our old Boundary Road premises, our chapel Bible, old PL t-shirts, etc. Following that, new items reflecting current wishes and memories were placed in the Time Capsule. This Time Capsule will be opened in 30 years' time in 2046.
The PLMGS Museum was officially reopened on 14 October morning by 9 generations of PL-Lites during the Founder’s Day Thanksgiving Service in school. The Museum is set up for visitors to explore and understand the rich culture and heritage that our school is built upon. The museum has been renovated and updated to house our own collection of PLMGS artefacts, representing generations of girls who have passed through our sheltering walls. It is designed to facilitate self-guided tours for current cohorts of PL-Lites from the Primary and Secondary sections and our School Alumni who have been dropping by to reminisce about their school days. The Museum is a place where stories of God's faithfulness and the hard work of our pioneers are told and retold to all who enter.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was the Guest of Honour at PLMGS Centennial Founder’s Day Thanksgiving and Reunion Dinner. This event was the culmination of a year-long celebration of the 100th year of the founding of our school. The theme of the dinner was ‘In Praise and Gladness’. At the event, Prime Minister delivered a speech and launch the 100th Anniversary commemorative book ‘In Praise and Gladness’. This book captures the hearts and minds of current and former staff and students, and documents life-changing lessons gleaned from their time in school.
This event was organized by the PLMGS Alumni Association and supported by the schools. The event was attended by 1200 guests who will be seated at 100 tables in Grand Ballroom and 17 tables in adjoining rooms. The guests comprised the schools’ Board of Management, MOE colleagues, representatives from the Methodist Church, parents, current students, school alumni, teachers and friends of the school. In the words of the reporter from The Straits Times, the gathering was like recess time during school hours where you could hear laughter and chatter filling up the entire ballroom. Everyone who attended the event had a good time and the event was a great success!
Media coverage and visual images of PL Centennial Founder's Day Celebration
For photos, please click here.
For the newspaper articles on the school's Founder's Day Celebrations, please click the links below.
(a) [The Straits Times]
(b)[Lianhe Zaobao]
(c) [Berita Harian]
(Source: The Straits Times, Lianhe Zaobao & Berita Harian © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reproduced with permission)
Our Guest of Honour, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong posted one article on his Facebook. Please click here to read it.
Photos on the event can be viewed at PL Alumni Association FB page https://www.facebook.com/PLMGSAlumni/
PL Writes (August 2016)
As the school approached the third term of its 100th year, PL Writes gave PL-Lites the opportunity to slow down and take stock of the year. Some expressed their feelings for the various PL 100 events that have taken place and penned down their takeaways from participating in these events. Others reflected upon their journey in PL thus far and captured their experiences in PL in their years in school.
In documenting their appreciation for the year’s blessings, PL-Lites from different levels and streams captured their reflections in writing in both English and Mother Tongue. Reflections from various students flowed in and representative pieces from different students from different classes were chosen and featured in a Gallery Walk in the PLMGSS Library, PL-Booktique.
Please click this link to read the articles written by our PL-Lites.
PL Musical - Created For His Glory (July 2016)
To mark the 100 years of PL’s legacy, teachers and students in the school put in gruelling hours during the June holidays to put up a musical titled “Created For His Glory”. Showcased on 1 st and 2 nd July in the school’s Agape Concert Hall, the performance demonstrated the students’ faithfulness and gratitude to God for blessing all the generations of students throughout the century.
The year is 1916, when two English representatives – Rachel and Ellie – are sent on a missionary call to Singapore, to help the principal in teaching the students. When the principal first meets Rachel and Ellie, she shares “The Parable of the Sower” (Matthew Chapter 13: v.1-9), beautifully animated with sand art during the show. This overarching parable brought to the musical, as did musicals before, a reminder of the importance of the principles PL always inculcates in her students: always remember to go back to God and keep Him close throughout your life journey.
The musical epitomises the kind of holistic education PL imbibes in her students through the life story of a pair of siblings, Ah Ling and Ah Long. Set in Singapore in the 1900s, Ah Ling and Ah Long lost their mother at a young age and are left to fend for themselves haplessly as children.
Ah Long (ironically as named) is a loanshark turned servant to the gang leader, but Ah Ling is taken in and guided by the school’s principal. Under her wonderful tutelage, she grows up to become a God-loving woman of accomplishment, earning an esteemed scholarship in England. Ah Ling returns during the World War to reunite with her brother, but ends up in a quandary to save her brother from his troubled path.
The beauty of the musical is the fact that every single person in the audience will relate to something on stage. The songs are beautifully and artistically written, as always, paying homage to God for guiding the school leaders and teachers who have nurtured many generations of students into what the students are today: women of character and with a passion for lifelong learning. The musical exemplifies the abundant blessings PL has received from God and how we will continue to glorify His Name through our words and actions.
Students' Reflections:
“ Seeing the entire team up on stage during the curtain call brought back a deep feeling of nostalgia for me. As tears of joy overwhelmed the cast when they hugged one another, I knew that we shared what they were feeling at that moment: the feeling of ‘this is the last show, where we get to share the stage and busk in this moment of greatness, together’. I’m extremely proud of those who have carried on the tradition of putting up a lovely show, for God and in the memory of the late Ms Adeline Loh. Kudos to the amazingly talented production and artistic teams, who have outdone themselves once again in successfully presenting the PL Musical, To God be the Glory! ”
~ audience Merissa Tang, graduate of 2012 batch
“ The PL musical was 100% worth watching. It was like watching a renowned musical. The cast were really involved in their characters and the singing was sensational! Even the sound system and the lighting were spot-on! I could see how hard everyone had practised for this. I really enjoyed the musical and I am really proud of my fellow PL-lites as they performed very well throughout the musical. ”
~ audience Tiffany Hu, class of 3A4, 2016
“ I liked how we were constantly reminded about performing for the audience of one and how I had gained a family in Christ through this musical. Initially, I hesitated whether I should join the musical as I had to sacrifice my June holidays for the long hours of rehearsals, but now, I certainly have no regrets. The lyrics of the theme song ‘Created for His Glory’ touched me the most, especially the phrase ‘return us to the cross as we live out our faith’. Many times, we drift away from God and this song serves as a reminder of how God will draw us back to Him. ”
~ dancer Joy Kellie Tay, class of 3A3, 2016
“ Even though I was backstage and just moving props here and there, one thing that really touched me were the constant reminders that we are created for His Glory. Despite seeing the same scenes over and over, it made me feel immensely proud of all the actors as they put in so much effort into wanting to perfect that scene and the emotions. The first show was extremely successful and it felt really heart-warming to see all the performers shining so brightly under those stage lights. All in all, I think that this experience is by far the best experience of being part of a musical. All the teamwork and unity shown truly glorify God’s love! ”
~ backstage crew Ashley Lee of 3B2, 2016
“ There is only one word to describe the PL musical – spectacular! I was deeply touched when I saw the amount of effort and determination put in to make this concert come true. The performance to commemorate 100 years of PL was truly a success. I am thankful to have the honour of watching this amazing musical and I would do it again in a heartbeat! I want to thank everyone who contributed to this musical because without a doubt, I enjoyed every moment of the performance! Well done! ”
~ audience member Tessa Wong, class of 3A3, 2016
PL Ebenezer Fair (May 2016)
The name ‘Ebenezer’ which means ‘Rock of Help’ truly signifies God’s help for PL over these 100 years. TO celebrate our 100th anniversay, PLMGS organised the Ebenezer Fair on our school grounds on Saturday May 28th, 9am to 4pm.
The PL family exhibited her creativity and adaptability through the planning, setting up and management of 100 food and games stalls at our PL Ebenezer Fair. It was held on 28 May 2016 from 9am to 4pm at the PLMGS Track 3:14 and PLMGS (Sec) campus. PL-Lites were joined by the Alumni and Parents-School Support Group (PSSG) in managing this fair. There were games, rides and many other activities for all, stalls selling all kinds of merchandise as well as a wide variety of food and beverages from the traditional to the trendy.
A total of $176,520 (after deducting costs) was raised through the sale of tickets. The funds raised would be channelled towards the following charities which were identified by PL-Lites:
AWWA (formerly known as Asian Women’s Welfare Association)
Children’s Cancer Foundation
Gospel Mission to the Blind
Singapore Cancer Society
On that day, all PL-Lites past and present, and family and friends, had a day of fellowship, fun and entertainment.
PL Makes Her Mark (May 2016)
On 6 May 2016 (Friday), Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (PLMGS) took part in a mass record-breaking event as part of the school’s centennial celebrations. Every PL-Lite, staff member and invited stakeholders participated in a skipping event and the record would go into the Singapore Book of Records. This was also a fundraising effort in collaboration with North East Community Development Council – ‘Skip for Groceries’ to help 100 needy families.
We are pleased to announce that PLMGS set the simultaneous one-legged skipping record with 2,651 skippers from the primary and secondary PL-Lites as well as parent volunteers who came together to skip continuously for 5 minutes.
More information can found here .
Celebrate the Champion Within – PL Sports Meet 2016 at Track 3:14 (April 2016)
On 1 April 2016, all PL Secondary students and the Primary 5 and 6 students from PL Primary came together for a special sports meet. The day started off with staff and students from both schools forming the PL100 insignia. As part of the opening ceremony, we witnessed the marching in of each House, led by the respective Housemasters/ Housemistresses and House captains as we revisited the history of each house.
In the games challenge segment, we had 100 teams from the 4 houses competing in 25 different game challenges. Each team worked towards reaching targets set in the 1 minute game challenges such as cup stacking, shooting baskets, dribbling a ball and jumping over hurdles, just to name a few.
The highlights of the sports meet were the cheer and dance competitions. Each house showcased interesting choreography which depicted their house themes and everyone gave it their all as they cheered for their house. The Lee House made a clean sweep of all titles given out including Games Champion, Cheer Champion and Overall Champion. While we celebrated the accomplishments of Lee House, we also wanted to celebrate the effort of every House member for their contributions to their respective House.
As part of the PL100 celebrations, every staff and student who participated in the event received a “Champion” medal. Zaneta Low from Sec 4A3 reminded us of its significance: “Everyone wins at the end of the day cos we’re all champions in our own way.”
Reflections:
“We feel that the Sports Day was a fun and memorable event. The games were interesting and attracted enthusiastic student participation. The PL100 medal given out to everyone was encouraging even though we did not win. The atmosphere during the dance/cheer competition was very intense and kudos to all for the hard work put into a superb performance from each house.”
Archer and Dodsworth students, 3C1b
“I am truly blessed to be given the opportunity to be part of this PL100 celebrations. Today I witnessed the spirit of PL family. The senior PL-Lites never failed to take care of the junior PL-Lites during the game challenges. They patiently advised their juniors how to bounce the ping pong balls into the cups and encouraged them to take part in the games. Thankful for the 100 years of blessings upon PL by our faithful God, I applaud the success of the school in bringing up young ladies with fine character. I am blessed to know my girls are in good hands.”
Clare Peng (Mother of Sherlynn Yeo, 1.3)
“I The multitude of games were immensely enjoyable and adrenalin driven, much to my contentment, as my fellow team mates and I ensure we do not miss playing a single sport. The student leaders were very composed and clear with their instructions, despite facing endless stream of eager students (and excited parent-participants). They were commendable for their patience and good work ethics, under apparent time pressure and having to keep orderliness. Thank you PLMGS, for inviting us parents to participate and experience the highlights of good Sportsmanship and Camaraderie! I will definitely look forward to next year's Sports Day event . ”
Christina Chong (Parent of Nicolette Tan, 1.5)
“ This is a whole new experience for me as I had never been involved in planning an event for the whole school. It was indeed exciting as this event was also part of the PL 100 Celebrations. I have learnt time management and public speaking skills through my involvement . ”
Mandy Fong (3A2, Sports Day Committee)
PL Testifies (March 2016)
PL Testifies, held on 19 March 2016, was a call to all old girls of PLMGS to ‘Come Home for Chapel’. Those who were present were able to testify that the afternoon was a time well-spent in the warmth of our familiar chapel service. The curtains of memories were rolled back in a video presentation where former and current PL-Lites testified what chapel meant to them and how it had impacted their lives today. The original cast from PL’s musical “For God So Loved" also gave a soulful rendition of two songs from the musical. Former PL-Lites, Ms Chia Yong Yong and Ms Madeline Yan gave testimony of God's faithfulness in their lives. Finally, our frequent speaker at many of PL’s chapel services, Pastor Edmund Chan, shared and invited all to ‘come home’ to a closer walk with Jesus. PL Testifies has brought together PL-Lites of all generations back to the sheltering walls, so they were refreshed to return to the community to be the light.
PL Cares (February 2016)
PL Praise-a-thon – a rousing start to the centennial celebrations (January 2016)
On 15 January 2016, the PL Praise-a-thon marked the 1st event in PL’s 100th celebrations and the whole school was revved up by the sights and sounds of sound engineers building the set and testing of strobe lights. Despite the heavy overcast skies, the event kicked off at officially at 4.30pm where the whole school filed in neatly in their rows, awaiting the arrival of guests.
PL Praise-a-thon was memorable for many reasons:
Despite the heavy downpour and the breakdown of sound system, the girls sang loudly, clapped and encouraged each other and the performers
Presence and participation of many ex-students and friends as worship leaders
Rousing and heart-warming end of the event as the girls sang the school anthem with all their hearts
The impossible was accomplished of 100 songs in 5 hours
The whole school was dismissed before 9pm and the track was spotless! Living up to the motto that PL girls leave the place better than when they arrive
The PL Prasie-a-thon videos are now available for your viewing at this link