1. Mrs Valarie Wilson asked that if Miss Sophia Blackmore were here today, what would she say? Well, I visited Methodist Girls' School (MGS) about 10 years ago for Girl Guides' campfire. And back then, I saw how the MGS Girl Guides worked closely with some Guides of other schools, and put up a wonderful, memorable campfire for everyone.
2. The second time I visited the school was on a school visit. I remember fondly how the school showed that the girls were very interested in special programmes in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. How the school promotes diversity, and also gives girls many opportunities to grow and to learn. And I saw the strong spirit of the girls in the classrooms.
3. Today is my third visit to the school, and again, I walked away very impressed by the strong spirit shown not just by the girls, but by the alumni, parents, the teachers, the staff, the community and everyone in the Methodist Girls' family. Happy Founder's Day, everyone. If Miss Blackmore were here, she would agree with me that the MGS family has come a long way in serving, mastering and growing. So, you have come a long way and I hope that on this journey, you will continue to do well, do your best, and continue to excel.
4. Reverend Dr Gordon Wong, Bishop, The Methodist Church in Singapore,
Mrs Sim Suh-Ting, Chairman, MGS Board of Management,
Mrs Valarie Wilson, Principal, MGS,
Ms Sharmila Nair, President, MGS Alumnae Association,
MGS Students, Staff, Graduands, Parents,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
5. A very good morning and thank you for having me again in MGS. Today, MGS celebrates its 136th anniversary – a special milestone – and I am happy to know of your school's continued zeal to contribute towards Singapore and our society.
6. There is a desire in us all to lead purposeful lives. Whether we are students, working adults, or retirees, we hope to spend our days meaningfully. In many instances, this is about doing something positive, helping one another, and touching someone's life, no matter how big, or how small.
7. This is why I was excited when I heard about the Intergenerational Learning Centre, an initiative that MGS is pioneering. The initiative helps youths and seniors recognise the value that they bring to each other. It allows them to share their own skills and knowledge to ideate and shape how they want to co-learn, co-create projects and activities such as visual art, music and cooking.
8. The intergenerational workforce is also something that is becoming more common in Singapore because we have an aging population, and we are blessed to have seniors who are willing, healthy, able and want to continue to work. Very often, when I visited companies, or when I talked to the unions, one of the common questions they asked is how we are promoting intergenerational workforce in Singapore. When I visited the Intergenerational Learning Centre in MGS just now, it reminded me of how in schools, from young, we can start this initiative. We can get our students to be very comfortable working, learning and playing with people of different ages. So, thank you, MGS, for pioneering this.
9. This intergenerational learning initiative promotes understanding and bonding between youths and seniors, and that deepens and extends beyond the Values-In-Action initiatives that are in many of our schools.
10. To this end, MGS, in partnership with Methodist Welfare Services, has set up this centre, which embodies the school's vision to integrate community seniors into daily school life. Through their interactions, our youths and seniors can encourage one another to step out of their comfort zones and embrace opportunities and challenges for opportunities and growth.
11. I think the intergenerational learning concept can be taken even further, and I am hopeful that by extending this programme to other schools and other parts of the community, larger parts of Singapore can benefit from this.
12. Our seniors certainly have a lot of wisdom, experience and expertise that greatly benefit our young. I have personally experienced it from the MGS family. Mrs Anna Tham and Dr Elaine Aw are former Girl Guides in the Trefoil Guild, and they have been in the Guiding movement, each one of them I think about 70 years, and still going strong. They have taught and raised many generations of Girl Guides, and we have seen their experience, their passion, and the expertise they bring to our girls is so valuable.
13. At the same time, our seniors can benefit from their interactions with students. One is never too old to learn. As our world transforms, so must we as we adapt, remain curious, and push on in our learning journey.
14. I learnt that MGS is looking at scaling up the intergenerational learning programme to give youths from other schools more opportunities to learn alongside our seniors. So, I look forward to seeing intergenerational learning take flight in MGS and beyond, to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and skills between our youths and seniors, and help them gain new insights and purpose as they connect and collaborate with one another.
15. To the rest of us here today, thank you for nurturing the holistic development of our students and girls so that they can be empowered to forge a collective brighter future for all of us.
16. Once again, congratulations to MGS on your 136th anniversary. You have come a long way. Continue to Master, Grow and Serve.
17. Thank you.