ALMOST A YEAR AFTER NDP 2008. (:

It has been almost a year since the NDP cheerleading performance.

When the school recruited students to volunteer for NDP Cheerleading performance, the first thing i had in mind was the job of a motivator, the one who interacts with the crowd and public, teaching the crowd dance moves etc. However, it was not how I expected to be. NDP Cheerleading is not about performing in front of the smaller group of people in the area that you are assigned to, but to everyone there in the crowd. This definitely make me nervous.

I am glad that i persevered till the big day, even though there were many occasions that I had compromise other duties to turn up for the trainings. When the training was though in the beginning, the thought of quitting and pulling out came into my mind very often. However, my friends and teachers encouraged me not to. With the encouragement and that i did not want to disappoint others, i stayed on, and I am glad that I did.

On the actual day, the weather was not on our side. We had to be extremely careful as it started to drizzle once it was our turn to perform. The floors were slippery and we cannot afford to slip or back out. The stage was ours for barely 5 minutes (but the training took around 4mths) and yet, each of us gave in our best. The regular trainings on saturdays paid off and we put on a specticular show for the nation.

After the entire NDP 2008, i realised that my saturdays became empty, as we no longer need to attend trainings. This made me realised how much time and effort we all had put in.

In conclusion, the entire event is a fruitful learning journey for me, and i am sure that i am not the only person who has benefited from it.

Love, Yunni (08S06)

NDP 2008, an event i will never forget

NDP 2008 will always be a significant event in my heart. Not only is it my first time performing to a large audience, it is also my first time doing cheerleading. Its a once in a lifetime experience that i guess not everybody will have. 

I remembered the period when we were having mass practices with other jc, I was in doubt whether I should continue with the event. I feared that taking part in cheerleading would affect my promotional exams results. My parents were reluctant for me to join too. However, under Ms Tan's encouragement, i finally persuaded my parents and promised to dedicate my time for the event. In fact, i did not regret being part of the cheerleading team. Although my promotional results were not that well done, I am still able to learn things that i would not be able to in my studies.   

From this event, I've taken a lot of things from it. Firstly, I have made new friends from other CCAs and civics classes. I would never forget the happy memories we had throughout the whole cheerleading programme. Secondly, I've gain more confidence in myself. Performing to a large audience was not an easy task, however, i was able to stay cool and focus during the performance and did the best i could. Thirdly, from NDP, I understood how difficult it was to organize and carry out a large scale event. Timing and precision was vital for the NDP show to be successful. Any small errors would lead to disastrous effect. 

In conclusion, I would definitely consider NDP 2008 to be a significant event in my life.

Zheng Jie Andre (08S05)

My wonderful experience

When i first heard about the cheerleading recruitment annoucement, i wasn't interested at all. I was thinking since i have no sense of rhythm, i guess i can't cheerlead as well. Furthermore, exams all coming and my homework load are piling up. The annoucement soon was completely off my mind.

However, fate brought me to this issue again when my friend offer me poiletly whether would i want to join the ndp cheerleading programme together. I hesitated for a moment. i wanted to reject the offer but could not bring myself to turn down the offer since it was ask very sincerely with very much hope. Not to disappoint my good friend ,i decided to give in for once without much enthusiasium.

Very much to my surprise, cheerleading is not as tough as i thought it to be. It was fun and soon my enthusiasium level got up with every practises. Every expereince is different in every practise, though the steps are the same. i got to learn new skills, make new friends and experience what is't like to perform on stage with thousands of crowd. I truly enjoy myself in throughout the cheerleading event, especially the moment on stage was super.

I hope that there will be a second chance next time and i look forward to joining such event again. Many complaint that training hours are long but trust me, it all worth it. Last of all, i want to thank the friend that pull me into cheerleading, all the new friends that i made, all the instructors that always try to be patient with us and all their guidance and our teacher in-charge who always pamper us with delicious food, great support and doing her best to make all these a successful and wonderful experience for me and everybody in the tpjc ndp cheerleading 2008.

Regards, Chan Pei Rong o8A01.

The experience and lessons learnt from NDP cheerleading have been abundant.I did not expect to reap such great outcomes initially but the results at the end have proved to reflect the hardwork and effort we have all put in.

Every practice was a chore for me as i regretted each time for getting myself involved in cheerleading.The only consoling matter was that my SGC would not be empty. However it was during the real NDP performance, did i realise the full impact of it all .

I was in a blank state of mind as i saw thousands of eyes watching the show.But as soon as i got onto the platform, the feeling of anxiety vanished instantly. Before i knew it, i was out in the open doing my moves.

The satisfaction that i gained from the whole journey was truly sufficient as i learnt how to perservere practising under the scorching sun and found out the power of my mental strength. It has taught me to prioritise my work as i tried balancing my studies and cheerleading. This journey has indeed been a meaningful and fruitful one for me and i m glad that i was part of it.

~shamaani 08A04~

When we're done with admiring the outcome, don't forget about the the journey. (:

NDP 2008 cheerleading segment: a memorable showcase of teenagers performing a cheerleading item to evoke enthusiasm into the crowd gathered at the Marina Bay Floating Platform to celebrate yet another birthday of Singapore. I'm sure that a large majority of the cheerleaders will agree with me when I say that all the intense training was well worth it when we were rewarded with the load cheerss and clapping of the crowds. A once in a lifetime moment that many will never get the chance to experience. Yes, the outcome was spectacular. However, we should not forget the journey that each and everyone of the cheerleaders undertook to get there.

Honestly speaking, I was invited to join the NDP cheerleaders as my council friend told me that he needed more people to join. At that point of time, I didn't know that I was going to substitute his place as a cheerleader. During the first practice, I felt completely lost in the sea of TPJCians who had friends to accompany them throughout this ordeal. Hence, it was absolutely hard to enjoy the earlier trainings. My anti-social nature only made it more difficult for me to interact with the more enthusiastic cheerleaders. I started to dread trainings and pushed myself by telling myself that it would all end soon.

However, as time passed, I made friends with the friendlier bunch of the cheerleaders. I guess it's hard not to make any friends when you meet them so many times in the week, especially with the weekly saturday practices. The NDP trainings also allowed me to catch up my PAE friends from Anderson Junior College (AJC) as well as some of my friends from Victoria Junior College (VJC). The main point I want to emphasize on is that NDP cheerleading did more that just help me make friends. It essentially chipped off a layer of my anti-social shell that hindered my social life. After going through the NDP experience, I found it slightly easier to talk to people and make friends with them - a skill that will definetely serve me well in the future.

In a nutshell, I really enjoyed this experience and I want to thank everyone who was a part of my journey. As for the teachers who put their time into watching over us, I really appreciated the effort and the encouragement. NDP Cheerleading 2008 is an experience that will always be etched in my heart like an indelible tatoo. Thanks for everything guys. :D

-- Jeremiah Tan

NDP 2008 !

August 9 2008 was a memorable day for me- A day where we finally put up a fantastic performance after months of hard work. :)
Initally, we faced alot of drawbacks but i am glad that we still perserve on and did our best in every training sessions. I am always fascinated by the performances put up by experienced cheerleaders and the gorgeous attire they had. But, the sad thing is- our school didnt have cheerleading as a CCA. So once i heard about ndp cheerleading 2008- i signed up without having a 2nd thought as i knew that i did not make a wrong choice. Indeed, i never regret at all for joining it. Not only it will make our SGC look nicer but also, the things learnt from it- perservance, teamwork and hardwork.
IN CONCLUSION, NDP CHEERLEADING 2008 ROCKS! :)


sAmAntha 08s08-

Memories of NDP

I feel that I am really fortunate to have participated in NDP 2008. The whole process was filled and fun, joy and laughter. Its true that when i signed up to participate for cheerleading, i was hesitant. I was worried as a JC1 student whether i could manage my time with my studies. But the time i spent doing cheerleading was never wasted. It really made me experience many new thoughts and feelings. I made many friends through this NDP. I became more socially. It made me realise that its nothing wrong to always make the first move in anything I am willing to do.

The thought of waiting for our to participate, munching the food provided and watching the Singapore Flyer is really memorable. When all the students cheered together, i felt the feeling of unity and teamwork. As i was one of the flyers being carried, i experienced a great feeling. Its really scary to see the audience at the floating platform while being carried. But i was very proud of myself that i even lifted my chin slightly very proudly. Come to think about it, NDP has also taught me how to manage my time well.

rasina

NDP Reflections- Jethro Low

Participating in this years NDP is indeed an experience that I will never forget. At first, I was rather reluctant to join in the cheerleading team as I was forced into it. ( Being a student councilor) But as the training progressed, the various experiences and values learnt made me more eager and enthusiastic. For one, I learnt to follow my own heart. Cheerleading, before participating in the NDP, is to me not so much of a manly sport. I felt awkward telling people that I am in this event. However, I discovered that it was actually pretty fun to cheerlead. Soon, I managed to discard all the biasness I had towards cheerleading and to enjoy the whole experience.

But it is useless to follow your own heart if you do not put in 'due dilligence'. This is also what I learnt from cheerleading. The multiple trainings sometimes dragged for hours on end and it also required me to sacrifice my weekends. The whether also caused much irritation. At times it would be blazing hot and at other times it would pour. Having to perservere through the tough trainings and the whether, and having to put in commitment and sacrifice, made me understand the true value of discipline.

The third thing that I learnt is to enjoy the process. The many friendships and bonds I had forged with the other cheerleaders will always be treasured. The memories and experiences of this event will always be precious to me and will be close to my heart. Even as life goes on its rapid pace, this memory will serve as sweet perfume- one that is pleasant and nolstalgic.

I believe life is also like the NDP cheerleading. By following your own heart, having discipline and enjoying the whole process, one can definately put up a spectacular show- one that makes life worth the living, just like what we delivered on national day.

Jethro

What NDP gave me.

The National Day Parade provided me an opportunity to serve Singapore even though it was in a very unexpected way. Although there was the frequent cheerleading trainings and tiring hours, it was a new experience and not forgetting the people involved in the event- altogether it was made unforgettable.
Indeed it was a great priviledge to be able to contribute to my country.
NDP 2008 gave me new friends, new experiences and especially appreciation for Singapore.
After all the hardwork, the fireworks made it altogether worthwhile.
(:

Rachel Oh 08S29

Liying's Reflections - NDP Cheerleading 2008

National Day Parade celebrates the birthday and the independence of our nation, Singapore. To some, it may just be a day where the respective uniformed groups march around the stadium, while various schools and other organizations put up performances. However, the 9th day of August each year is especially meaningful to our forefathers and older generation who have fought hard for our independence.

MOE's policy to instill National Education and moral values in the local students allowed me to gain some basic knowledge of Singapore's history. Having witnessed several years of NDP, I can clearly see the hardwork put in by the National Day Parade. Each year after the NDP ends, the committee begins planning for the following year's parade. This shows how much pride and significance are placed in the NDP. From the perspective of a Singaporean student, I feel that National Day is a day where we can explicitly express our love for the country and sincerely treasure our place as a Singaporean. Also, it is a day when we look back at the past achievements of our nation, unite and work together towards a better Singapore.

As a child, I have envied the performers and committee of the NDP. To be able to take part in the NDP was purely a dream for me. My dream came true when Ms Tan was recruiting cheerleaders from JC 1. Being involved in NDP allowed me to experience how it is like to spend Saturdays rehearsing, sweating it out and going all out to achieve one common aim, to fufill our part in the NDP. However, this is not just any regular performance. The whole Singapore is watching us. Skills and precision in moves and steps would not be enough. It is the passion, sincerity and energy of the cheerleaders which will touch the hearts of the audience. I learnt that we should always have an open mind to learning and strive hard in whatever we do.

In addition, I have made many new friends throughout the numerous months of training. We shared joy, tears and laughter. The determination on our friends' faces spurred us on, never to give up and coordinate with one another. Teamwork is undeniably an important factor here. Once we are clear of our goal, we should do what it takes and achieve it. The obstacles and challenges would be overcome eventually if we have set our mind to it.

Next, the NDP acts as a platform to unite Singapore, where Singaporeans dress up in red and white, wave the national flags and sing the theme songs in unison. They may not know each other but they are fellow Singaporeans, coming together to celebrate the independence of their nation. Also, NDP reminds the community to remember their roots as a Singaporean and gives them a sense of belonging.

All in all, NDP not only involves the performers and organizing committee but the entire Singapore. I sincerely wish everyone can come together, express their love for their homeland and work hand in hand towards a better Singapore!

Liying 08A01

Daryl's Reflection from 08S31

When I first saw the announcement for this cheerleading event, I immediately knew it was not the usual "cheerleaders" who help to lead the audience to sing and dance. It was something very new to me and I know that not everyone will have a chance to learn what the real cheerleading is. And since I have the opportunity to learn cheerleading, I signed up straight away.

After seeing so little people signed up, I was quite disappointed. Some of them left after the first briefing since they saw what are they going to wear on stage. I felt sad for them since not only the lost the chance to learn something new, they lost the chance to serve in a national event. It is a rare chance for me to perform in front of the whole nation. I was very proud of myself.

I looked forward to every session of training as I will get to go so much cool stuff. But at times I do feel very tired as the training ended quite late.

When our rehearsals shifted to the floating platform, I looked forward to every saturday even more. With all the new friends I made, I get to performed to different groups of people before the actual event. Even my parents came to see.

Cheerleading taught me about team spirit. In order for a formation to take place nicely, everyone must put in the effort to attend the trainings or rehearsals. Everyone in the group must know their steps very well so that nothing will go wrong. The power of a team is very strong if every individual plays their part.

I never regret taking part in this national event. It is my first time doing this and if I have the chance again, I will like to take part again.

Never in my seventeen years of life (now 18) would I have imagined performing in front of
so so many people. Believe me you, no amount of words can summarize that kind of feeling till you
personally experience it yourself. That kind of feeling is unbelievable.

Initially, when I first started out, I was quite hesitant about it. Cheerleading was never my kind of thing. I’m sure many of you guys felt that way too. But as the days and the weeks went by and we started having trainings, we all made new friendships, learning new things, discovered things about one another. That was what made the journey of the whole Ndp really memorable and meaningful.
Being one of the base for the human pyramid, I learnt that teamwork was really important. If one person were to make a mistake, the whole team suffers.
On the 9th of august, waiting to make our entrance on stage for the very last time, it suddenly hit me that this was the last time that we would be up there performing the routine. I don’t know about the rest, but after spending almost every Saturday at the floating platform with friends I had somehow grown attached to the routine. And when i didn't have to go down to the floating platform the next saturday, it felt weird.


Although our last performance on national day meant that our time as Ndp cheerleaders had come to an end. It made me feel really proud to be a Singaporean(:
I truly believe that what we have learnt from this awesome experience was priceless and it was certainly most worthwhile.

lots of love,
Melissa

Memories of a Lifetime

It has been a long time since i last wore my ndp costume...Truth to be told, i will never forget the very special memories i had wearing them.

Though at first i was rather reluctant to join the team because of the tight schedule, i changed my mind after seeing all my friends who were joining as well. And the fact that we were going to perform on a floating platform for the only time in our lives was another factor that changed my mind! It was definitely an opportunity not to be missed as i'm sure many would never have another chance.

I will never forget the friendship ties forged during all the rehearsals. All the laughing, gossiping,heh, and all the fun filled activities we did in the bus, oh and plus the food, they were all memorable to me.Though they took up a lot of time, it sure helped me to persevere as i had to struggle to juggle my studies, CCA and the ndp rehearsals. But overall i think it was worth the effort as at the end of the day, after every rehearsal, i could taste the satisfaction from all the hard work.

Not forgetting all the teachers and our coaches, who had helped us get through the rehearsals pain-stakingly. I think it was the best time i have ever had serving the nation as well as making the school proud by representing TPJC in the parade. It was definitely a memorable experience for me as i think it would be for all of us.

I wish we could have another ndp performance!

I miss all of you ndp people!

Love, Munirah :)

Jake's Reflections

I still remembered the awkward feeling i had when i realised NDP cheerleading was not the one i expected to be: Standing at the grand stand with the audience. Therefore, it made me start the participating NDP trainings half heartedly. However, seeing the hardwork of the teachers to get more students, my friends and I decided to stay on.

Eventually, i realised NDP Cheerleading did not turn out so bad. Through it, i have forged many new friendships, strengthen many existing ones. And i really enjoyed the company of these friends as they make every single training sessions fun!

Another best takeaway i had from this NDP Cheerleading is the organisation of such a huge event. I have longed dream of seeing how such large scale event is organised. Therefore, it was an eyeopener for me. I will never forget this once in the lifetime experience.

This NDP Cheerleading has been a tough but fun experience for all. It has taught me to be open-minded and dare to try.

NDP Cheerleading '08

NDP 2008 has been one of the most memorable and exciting celebration that I've ever experienced. I signed up for NDP cheerleading early last year purely for the fun of it and it didn't cross my mind that there would be many obstacles to overcome.

I have to admit that I was disappointed when many of the cheerleaders went missing and did not attend the first few trainings. I really thought that we would not be able to put up a good show upon seeing the poor response and our attendance which was never full, be it at Bedok Camp or Marina Bay itself. We had a tough time having everyone in the team to co-operate at first.
However, with constant support and encouragement from the rest of the cheerleaders, I believe that everyone,or at least almost all, gradually became more enthusiastic in performing our stunts and motions at the Marina Bay platform. We started practising hard as a team to get our steps right to put up a good show for the audience.

As friendships were forged, the team became bonded and our team spirit showed off during the performances. We became closer as a team and most importantly, we enjoyed ourselves during our waiting time at The Flyer as well as backstage(the last time waiting backstage was awesome!). Although it was a tad bit nerve-wrecking to perform in front of hundreds of thousands of people at the platform, I had this overwhelming feeling of accomplishment, joy and pride. Our efforts paid off and I could see that everyone was just enjoying themselves during the last performance on the 9th of August 2008. That was all that matters-this was what Cheerleading was all about.

Truth be told,after the whole Cheerleading was over, I kinda miss those times we spent preparing for the performance. I cherish the moments spent and the friends made through cheerleading.
This would not have happened without the rest of the 40 cheerleaders and also Ms Tan. (:
With that, I thank you guys from the bottom of my heart for making NDP Cheerleading 2008 a memorable one.

xoxo
Nurul Aisyah
08A02

Unique Experience

Singapore's National Day is a yearly celebration of our country's independence. Every year the parades were quite different from one another. Performances are unique and and it can be seen that a lot of people put their hard work in it. As a student, I have always wondered how those people manage to execute perfect performances. It was like they never even felt nervous! Those that did the march-in and the salutes showed great discipline as it was very difficult to find anyone of them making mistakes or fidgeting while standing in attention.

NDP 2008 Cheerleading had helped me experience what it felt like to be one of the National STAR. I managed to get that feeling of thousand eyes laying upon me and I just felt proud. Also, the event had gave me new friends. I managed to bond with people whom I would have not know if this event did not happen. Also, cheerleading showed me that I can let my heart out and cheer for something that I feel proud of. This gave me confidence when I was thinking of becoming an Orientation Group Leader. Finally, I realised that some things that seems weird in life could have great outcome. When I joined at first, I was not sure of what I was doing. All I know was that I was helping a friend as she could not make it and that I was merely a substitute. It felt awkward too as cheerleading was to supposed to be for girls as I have seen in TV. However, I didn't give up and everything went well.

It benefited the community as it showed to the public that even JC students, no matter how much work load they have, can still put up a performance in National Day. It also gave them a fun time watching too!!!

P.S. I agree with Najiy, I want to watch our video too.

Regards,
John Anthony Garcia (J.A.G)

 August 9 , 2008 when the black curtain was open , we went cheering onto the platform , performing the motion that we have been practising for several months. I was so proud of myself performing infront over more than 10,000 people who were present during the actually show itself. After the performance eneded, appaulse roared across the stadium. I was extremely satisfied with myself. I signed up for this because i think that this is an once in a lifetime opportunity so i think i should treasure it. 

Initially , training was tough and boring. It was only until more of my friends started to join and the change of venue from the small school to the floating platform got me more interested in it. The first performance , where we have audience, when we turn back , everyone was like OH MY GOD! , we were all so nervous,  but the "high" atmosphere overcame the nervousness we had among ourselves. When the appaulse roared , i was extremely touched , never had so much people cheering for me. 

Besides being part of the NDP , we made really good friends in the process as well. The extraordinary journey which i embarked on , finally came to an end on the National Day performance itself , i hope that  i would have a chance to be part of the NDP performace once again. 

Ping boon

Memories never forgotten (:

While crowds at Marina Bay jostled to catch the National Day Parade along the overhead bridges and home viewers catch the live telecast of the NDP at the comfort of their homes, I experience this national spectacle in a different light this year; as a participant- a cheerleader for the prologue for the parade.

I remembered clearly how we interacted with our schoolmates during our break times; asking what is the next step to this sequence or just reminding each other to stay focus. Such small little acts built up a better team spirit among us, so that we could better understand each other and even communicate 'secretly' during the parade itself, if need be.

Rehearsals after rehearsals we finally managed to put up a good show on the 9^th August. What thousands of Singaporeans see was just a spectacular parade. Some people might not even know the significance of it, some just stay at home to watch TV and take it as a day off, but I guess when you are in the middle of the stadium and looking up and seeing that everyone cheering, you realize that it is really a day to remember Singapore's independence. It is something to really treasure and take pride in.

I’ve learnt that showing we care for Singapore goes beyond the nationalistic pomp and pageantry of National Day. It is also about being proud that you are a citizen of this world-class city and that for our country to strive all of us have to work in partnership. Our forefathers have built up a strong foundation for us and we cannot afford to take what we have for granted. The generations who come after us need to know this in order to bring Singapore to greater heights.

Who better to teach this than youth like ourselves?

-Shermaine

NDP cheerleading, an event which was forced upon the Student Council to participate in when the school was unable to find enough participants. But i instead chose to volunteer for it instead of going for practices with bitter hearts. Since young, national day songs have never failed to make me feel patriotic and truly proud of my country. The National Day Parade would always be a must watch programme every year as i was eager to see how the cultures would continue to be influxed with each other and how our arts scene would develop. It was certainly the particular time in the year where we could look how far our country has come.

Being involved in NDP for the first time made me realise how much effort and time the performers actually put into making the actual performance. The pressure of expecting perfection, the high standards which made me realise the importance of aiming high, the importance of every single performer in a formation. It gave me many new insights about what performing is actually like behind the scences.

Being in a sports CCA, i knew little about how my fellow schoolmates from the performing arts actually prepare for their performance. The stress, nervousness, all which would turn a good performance into a bad one within seconds. Whereas in a sport we are able to cope with it physically, in a performing art the stress is really all mental. Our community needs to see the energy of the youths in our country and the vibrance we are able to add to our society.

The cheers, the feeling of facing the audience, the encouragement given by other participants. All these in our Singapore spirit, something i would want to sense again. A truly unforgettable experience, i am extremely glad that i had volunteered to be part of it.

I do want to take part in NDP in the future if given the opportunity.
Melvin Tan

National Day Parade might be some ordinary event of Singapore to me in the past. Regardless of the performance or fireworks, ours might seem so insignificant compared to other countries. However, this year's NDP has turned from an ordinary one to an extraordinary one for me.

It was disappointing in the first place when you see little students turning up for practices till the point that you feel like giving up as well. However things changed for the better and it was fun knowing fellow tpjcians through the practices at Bedok Camp or Floating Bay. I'm really thankful for this opportunity given by the school. The feeling was awesome when everybody put in so much effort and hear the applause and cheering from the audience. Although our performance was not broadcast on television, but those applause gave us a sense of satisfaction and recognition. That sense of achievement is indescribable. This is where we feel all our hardwork is worth it.

I've definitely gained more inisghts about NDP as this is the first time i'm participating. As for cheerleading, the cheerleaders have really inspired me. Given another opportunity, i'd be glad to participate or even volunteer myself again for both NDP and cheerleading.

With love,
Jieying