Roar For Four ROAR Awardees

Four student-athletes received the ROAR Awards for the month of August for displaying the exemplary values. They are Alyssa Pok Jing Ying (IBDP Year 5, Skating), Jolie Goh (Secondary 4, Wushu), Mahalakshmi Suresh Gopalan (Secondary 1, Netball), and Nur Shaqira Sheik Alau’ddin (Secondary 2, Pencak Silat). The ROAR Awards, which are presented by Principal Ong Kim Soon, are given on a monthly basis to exemplary student-athletes who exhibit the values of Respect, Integrity, Responsibility, Excellence and Resilience.

Alyssa joined Singapore Sports School’s International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) this year but is already set to make a difference in sports and in others. She was tasked to lead her peers in the Individual Programme to execute a meaningful Values-In-Action project for the school’s unsung heroes as part of the National Day celebration. She impressed by displaying her leadership, professionalism and teamwork when she coordinated the event which had an appreciation video, performances and personalised messages for the school’s uncles and aunties.

On her experience, she shared: “As this is my first year in Sports School, I had to work with students whom I have never met before, as well as coordinate the plans fully online due to the COVID situation. It was tough at times because everyone had different schedules and the only way of communication was through messages. In addition, it was also my first time being an emcee for the event and not only did I have to speak in English, I also had to speak in Chinese which I was not as confident in. I had to overcome my fears of speaking in front of a crowd and stop my nerves from getting to me. In the end, we were able to pull off a rather successful event, and I was definitely proud that our efforts paid off. I could not have done this without the cooperation of all the Individual Programme student-athletes and the advice given to me by the fellow teachers-in-charge. Through this event, I learnt that conceptualising the plan early and being disciplined in following through with it is the best way to ensure the event runs smoothly….This will definitely be a memorable event in Sports School that I will never forget.”

Two other recipients, Mahalakshmi and Nur Shaqira are Peer Supporters, and performed their roles faithfully. Mahalakshmi is a caring individual who constantly looks out for others. This time, she spotted a teammate having challenges, and immediately reached out for help from staff. Her timely intervention made a difference in a time of need. Nur Shaqira, too, was a strong pillar of strength for a friend who was going through a challenging time. She demonstrated empathy, care and patience while being a strong support for her friend. 

Wushu exponent Jolie Goh is also a deserving recipient of the Award as she has shown her resilience, responsibility and strong pursuit toward excellence after nursing a serious ankle injury in December of 2020. While some may feel dejected after facing a setback from training and competitions, Jolie did not allow it to pull her down. Throughout her four months of treatment and rehabilitation, she was disciplined in doing her daily recovery exercises, and attended physiotherapy sessions. Her tenacity and faithfulness towards her recovery journey enabled Jolie to come back to form quickly. In April 2021, Joie managed to win a Gold and a Bronze medal at the National School Games. 

Ms Serena Wong, General Manager for Individual Programme, was all praises for Joie. She shared, “This ROAR award is a culmination of the outstanding attributes Jolie has displayed in the course of this year. Besides bouncing back from an ankle injury, Jolie also willingly stepped in to lend a hand in organising several school projects in August and September. Her generous spirit, "can-do" nature and positivity is truly commendable!”

The four recipients received certificates from Principal Ong Kim Soon. At the same presentation ceremony, Secondary 1E, 2E, 3F and 4A received the Classroom Cleanliness Award.