Stories

21 July marks RI’s 189th Founders Day, an event where the school reflects upon its past and considers its future. The Guest of Honour for the occasion is Mr Bilahari Kausikan, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Kausikan is an old boy who graduated from RI in 1971.

 

After a performance by Raffles Jazz, the Head Boy and Assistant Head Boy brought the school mace and colours into the hall. This was followed by the staff procession, and as the standard-bearers marched in, staff, students and alums alike sang ‘Rafflesians Salute Your Alma Mater’.

 

Our Principal, Mrs Lim Lai Cheng, gave a presentation of the Institution Report, an overview of the achievements of Rafflesians over the past year. She also featured several alums, like Dr Kumaran Rasappan (who summited Everest in May), fashion designer Ms Vicky Tay and restaurateur / hotelier Mr David Yeo. Ms Vicky Tay’s and Mr David Yeo’s stories can be found in Issue 5 of ONE, our alumni magazine.

 

Up next was an iconoclastic and heartfelt address by Mr Bilahari Kausikan, in which he talked about radical self-awareness and advised the members of the audience to guard against certainty and complacency.

 

After this, the traditional awards ceremony commenced. Staff and students were given awards from five domains: cognitive, character and leadership, community and citizenship, sports and health, and arts and aesthetics. Some members of the staff also received long-service awards for their dedication to the school.

 

The prestigious Stamford Raffles Award was given to Antariksh Mahajan and Kirk D’Souza for their outstanding achievement in co-curricular activities and exemplary character and leadership. Antariksh and Kirk also nominated a teacher from their respective primary schools for the Promethean Award for Teaching.