Showing posts with label Tanjong Katong Primary School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tanjong Katong Primary School. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Every parent's worst nightmare

My Paper, Tuesday, June 09, 2015, Page A8, Opinion
From http://epaper.mypaper.sg/emnd/fvxen/fvxp/fvxpress.php?param=2015-06-09
Source Website: http://mypaper.sg/opinion/every-parents-worst-nightmare-20150609
By Maureen Koh, The New Paper, Published on Jun 09, 2015


SOLEMN MOMENT
PHOTO: SOLEMN MOMENT: Spectators at the Bishan Sports Hall observing a minute of silence for the victims of the Sabah earthquake yesterday, during the 28th SEA Games.
PHOTO: EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY
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My Paper, Tuesday, June 09, 2015, Page A8, Opinion


THIS national tragedy is, for most Singapore parents, a personal one.

We felt the anxiety, we felt the fear and we prayed.

As we followed the updates on the fate of the children from Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS), our hearts grew heavier. Every tragic detail was a stab to our hearts.

My friend - a mother of three children aged nine, 11 and 14 - wrote on Facebook: "May the children keep (sic) safe till they are found."
Note: (sic) means  “that’s really how it appears in the original.”

A father of a 12-year-old boy shared: "My wife and I will keep praying for the safe return of the children to the arms of their parents."

But why did we feel for this so keenly? Why was it so personal?

I am no psychologist, but I am a mother and I know anxiety and fear.

Both my son and daughter went to Hong Kong when they were in Primary 5, one year after the other. Their itinerary was less intimidating - they even spent a day in Disneyland.

Yet, I can still remember how, for the four nights when my son was away for his first trip without us, my husband and I could not sleep properly.

We fretted over what now seems mundane and frivolous: "Will the fussy eater enjoy his meals or starve during the trip?"

But he "made it" and said he had a wonderful time. He tried different kinds of cuisine and even made a friend from the New Territories.

It was different when it was his younger sister's turn. She is more independent, so we figured she would be safer. But two days into the trip, her teacher called me.

My daughter had twisted her ankle and was in pain. A teacher had taken her to a Chinese physician and we were assured she would be fine. The girl sounded just as confident on the phone, but I could barely control my tears.

Now imagine all that worry multiplied a million times and it still would not come close to what the parents of the TKPS pupils are going through.

A colleague asked me a couple of months ago if she should allow her son to go on a school trip to Malaysia. My answer then was an instant, encouraging: "Yes! Why not?"

If you ask me now, my response, despite knowing that natural disasters are acts of God, may not be as glib.

By Maureen Koh, The New Paper, Published on Jun 09, 2015


I am a mother and I know anxiety and fear. I could barely control my tears.
PHOTO: I am a mother and I know anxiety and fear. I could barely control my tears.
Posted by raretak, Digital Art / Drawings & Paintings / People / Portraits, ©2013-2014 raretak
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj54o6oL82Elj7OWdJ2Aa2qupgvSWReqhgdAoUnIf6kTdpYyLi2iz0N3EFrqP2WmaEIan4hgtf7-WOEgL28YUXZ7C_I2vk88pibUyJu4zmnIeIaXA1zXi_O_otzJrbTzXp4kIpViPFU1cQ/s1600/taeny___they_are__lost_in_love___by_raretak-d5sn4v8.jpg
http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2013/025/7/e/taeny___they_are__lost_in_love___by_raretak-d5sn4v8.jpg
http://raretak.deviantart.com/art/TaeNy-They-are-Lost-In-Love-350439524


Excerpted from A Mother's Heart by Jean Fleming copyright 1982, 1996. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. NAVPRESS.
http://www.familylife.com/articles/topics/parenting/essentials/mothers/fear-not-mother-fear-god

More mothers gather to pray for their children and their schools today than any other time in history.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 3:13).

Because your children are not where you would like to see them at this point in time does not mean all hope is lost. Love has a place for eternity.

Keep praying and trusting God to work. He hears and does something extraordinary.
- From A Mother's Heart by Jean Fleming -


We felt the anxiety, we felt the fear and we prayed.
PHOTO: We felt the anxiety, we felt the fear and we prayed.
"May the children keep (sic) safe till they are found."
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuszD-QHVq_UZFYH8LkA48yTk403zmBOgpqMNuQJj2e_gMstl8092MmKuVPeBeFYXylEum34ftzlrqVqNmuj3Pd2EhRhSBDjGcEfe_MsSu1pUill-0pTIjhoEUhXdsiS8_bXyRHFowm9s/s1600/loneliness.jpg
http://jessicapage2.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/loneliness.jpg
http://claimyourstory.com/
http://claimyourstory.com/about/

 

Reference

NIV, New International Version, Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978,1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

1 Corinthians 3:13 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+3%3A13&version=NIV
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S'pore remembers Sabah quake victims

Source Website: http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/spore-remembers-sabah-quake-victims
By mypaper, myp@sph.com.sg, Monday, 08 Jun 2015


8 S'poreans dead, 2 missing in Sabah quake
PHOTO: 8 S'poreans dead, 2 missing in Sabah quake
Source: The Star/ANN, Sabah Info Facebook page, Tanjong Katong Primary School
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Today has been declared a Day of National Remembrance for the victims of the Sabah earthquake.

State flags on all government buildings will be flown at half-mast. One minute of silence will be observed at the beginning of the day at all SEA Games venues.


Mount Kinabalu
PHOTO: Mount Kinabalu
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"We hope that this collective expression of sympathy and support from all Singaporeans will give solace and comfort to the families and loved ones of the victims," said a statment from the Prime Minister's Office yesterday.

Six pupils and one teacher from Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS) are confirmed to have died in the 6.0-magnitude earthquake on Friday. The Singaporean adventure guide who was with them on a field trip to Mount Kinabalu also died. Another pupil and a teacher are still unaccounted for.


8 Singaporeans dead, 2 missing in Sabah quake
PHOTO: 8 Singaporeans dead, 2 missing in Sabah quake
"On behalf of all Singaporeans, the Prime Minister expresses his deepest condolences and sympathies to their families and loved ones. As we grieve over the loss of these young lives, we also take heart that they were striving to stretch their limits and take on new challenges."
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The pupils who died are Peony Wee Ying Ping, Ameer Ryyan Mohd Adeed Sanjay, Emilie Giovanna Ramu, Matahom Karyl Mitzi Higuit, Rachel Ho Yann Shiuan and Sonia Jhala.

Teacher Loo Jian Liang Terrence Sebastian and guide Muhammad Daanish Amran also died. Operations are continuing to locate pupil Navdeep Singh Jaryal Raj Kumar and teacher Mohammad Ghazi Mohamed.

The statement said that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong "is deeply saddened by the deaths of (the) eight Singaporeans".


Even as Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS) mourned the deaths of six pupils and one teacher, other pupils, alumni, parents and staff gathered at a condolence site in the school porch to pen notes of remembrance.
PHOTO: Even as Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS) mourned the deaths of six pupils and one teacher, other pupils, alumni, parents and staff gathered at a condolence site in the school porch to pen notes of remembrance.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7WvuwTj2pLwLf4Zqtx8evZfVXyfAKZ2p-hZAQ9b0HjT5UyuRMWSkLraS3HmLht6bFSnc1d7REowSIpouu37b2TBAIipMF90BJ0j2dIaQRM6QNiqtiTnnShW3FmcwvLGWYHmZcKHglPk/s1600/tkps_06.jpg
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"On behalf of all Singaporeans, the Prime Minister expresses his deepest condolences and sympathies to their families and loved ones. As we grieve over the loss of these young lives, we also take heart that they were striving to stretch their limits and take on new challenges," the statement said.


When the school opened its doors at about 9am on Jun 7, many were hopeful that those missing could still be found.
PHOTO: When the school opened its doors at about 9am on Jun 7, many were hopeful that those missing could still be found.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEow8wybHg6UP7Bzc2y7aDtEzXY-uOjk69M2Ss0beF_w6wE6tTLLPFAJZzu_6VN6bKEk97xYk58OMCgtPD0wyi1dlXEYwSaFXU9Kvr4Nv9Ph865QGJ10fvNXYfb8IZpYhW07O82_2l24/s1600/tkps_03.jpg
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The Prime Minister also thanked all the people who worked tirelessly in the search, rescue and recovery efforts - the Malaysian authorities, the search and rescue teams, the hospital staff, and all the officers and volunteers who are helping in Sabah and Singapore, it said.


A photo of a sprightly mountain guide carrying an injured boy on his back has been making its rounds on social media. But Mhd Rizuan Kauhinin, 25, said all that mattered was to bring the boy to safety.
PHOTO: A photo of a sprightly mountain guide carrying an injured boy on his back has been making its rounds on social media. But Mhd Rizuan Kauhinin, 25, said all that mattered was to bring the boy to safety.
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President Tony Tan Keng Yam and his wife also expressed their deep sadness over the deaths on Facebook. "Our condolences go to their families and loved ones during this difficult period for them," wrote

Dr Tan. "We are hoping and praying that the student and teacher who are still missing will be found soon."


Some of the notes written by friends, family members, alumni and well-wishes for those from Tanjong Katong Primary School who died or are missing from the Sabah earthquake.
PHOTO: Some of the notes written by friends, family members, alumni and well-wishes for those from Tanjong Katong Primary School who died or are missing from the Sabah earthquake.
President Tony Tan Keng Yam said: "Together as a nation, we mourn the tragic loss of these sons and daughters of Singapore."
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Of the Day of National Remembrance today, he said: "Together as a nation, we mourn the tragic loss of these sons and daughters of Singapore."

The victims were part of a group of 29 pupils and eight teachers who were on Asia's highest peak when the earthquake struck at 7.15am on Friday. The others survived.


Tremors shook Kota Kinabalu and other parts of Sabah’s west coast on Friday after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake hit near Ranau district.
PHOTO: Tremors shook Kota Kinabalu and other parts of Sabah’s west coast on Friday after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake hit near Ranau district.
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It hit Ranau, with the tremors felt in several areas including Tambunan, Pedalaman, Tuaran, Kota Kinabalu and Kota Belud. The Malaysian authorities said the quake had claimed 16 lives so far, including six Malaysians.

The quake struck near the picturesque Kota Kinabalu mountain, a popular tourist destination, sending landslides and huge granite boulders tumbling down from its wide, 4,095m-high crown.

Government officials, including those from the Ministry of Education, are in Kota Kinabalu, and are providing assistance and support to the families.

Arrangements are being made for the family members and the bodies to be flown back to Singapore as soon as possible.

Last evening, the body of 12-year-old Peony arrived at Jalan Tiga in Mountbatten. Her mother, Luo Jin, 43, was wailing as the coffin was rolled out from a white van to a multipurpose pavilion, where the five-day wake is being held.


Family members and friends described Peony as a lively and cheerful girl.

PHOTO: Family members and friends described Peony as a lively and cheerful girl.

RONAN KEATING LYRICS
"If Tomorrow Never Comes"

Sometimes late at night
I lie awake and watch her sleeping
She's lost in peaceful dreams
So I turn out the lights and lay there in the dark
And the thought crosses my mind
If I never wake up in the morning
Would she ever doubt the way I feel
About her in my heart

If tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
That she's my only one
And if my time on earth were through
And she must face this world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes

'Cause I've lost loved ones in my life
Who never knew how much I loved them
Now I live with the regret
That my true feelings for them never were revealed
So I made a promise to myself
To say each day how much she means to me
And avoid that circumstance
Where there's no second chance to tell her how I feel

If tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
That she's my only one
And if my time on earth were through
And she must face this world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes

So tell that someone that you love
Just what you're thinking of
If tomorrow never comes

Thanks to cecilyzhu for correcting these lyrics.
Writer(s): Kent Evan Blazy
Copyright: Universal Music - Mgb Songs Lyrics source: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/ronankeating/iftomorrownevercomes.html

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Peony's older brother, 14-year-old Chester, put his arms around his mother, comforting her. More than 20 friends and relatives were also present as a Buddhist monk led a 15-minute prayer.

Peony's father, machine operator Alson Wee, 51, said she was a lovely, active girl who played netball and enjoyed wonton noodles.

"She was very loving, very helpful," said Mr Wee. "I will miss hearing her cheerful voice around the house."

Alumni and members of the public also visited TKPS to pen notes of hope and condolences at a site set up yesterday. It will remain open until tomorrow.

"Our prayers go out to those who are still missing. Come home safe," read one note from a concerned parent and her child.
By mypaper, myp@sph.com.sg, Monday, 08 Jun 2015


When the Ministry of Education (MOE) confirmed the deaths of five more pupils and a teacher - the grief felt was stark.
PHOTO: When the Ministry of Education (MOE) confirmed the deaths of five more pupils and a teacher - the grief felt was stark.
On little cards, they wrote notes praying for the safety of their missing friends. "Our prayers go out to those who are still missing. Come home safe," read one note from a concerned parent and her child.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FoQa9agIvaNHqFnF9nGdc8Ms7ZkkaQSGbp-I65BlEECAsKeP1-rD-C6EQIxGiIs4RGMqaQL-mV2Kj6ni4ynt4ldEx6fmUXfa3-Ie6WG2L6fY6mn_fA5puWnsvrstC4V3nGHASSONfcA/s1600/tkps_04.jpg
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