Remember your primary school days, when all you cared about was RECESS TIME and playing police-and-thief with your friends after school?
Well, time really flew by and look where we are now. All grown up in our late teens, and visiting your alma mater just... brings you back to our roots, where the point of our life begins to take shape. And before you knew it, here we are on the path that we had marked for ourselves back from our primary school days.
I just attended my alma mater's 15th Anniversary celebrations. It's really good to be back in the same hall, where I used to be diligently sitting with my books in hand or handling naughty juniors as a prefect in the school. Haha those were the times! Thus, being in the school once again brought back a rush of memories inside my mind as I sat there, with my siblings (who are ex students of the same school as well) amazed at the transformation that my alma mater had undertaken. Being the 3rd generation of North View Primary School is really a blessing in disguise. I never thought that my first alma mater would matter a lot to me now, but thinking back, it is the very place that had shaped my sights on my future.
Sure, my directions in life may change as I grow up. But it is the opportunities and experiences in NVPS that had provided me a lot of avenues to grow and learn. Especially right now, as I'm taking my A levels, I reflect back on my PSLE days. Back then, I had tuition, remedial classes, special learning programmes that the school organised, so everything was provided for me on a dish. I just had to take the spoon and eat up whatever was given to me. In short, we were spoonfed because they knew that the world would not be so kind to us as we grow up and move on to our adult life. And now here I am, doing things on my own and being responsible for my on studies and my own future. Sure, my parents gave me the encouragement to keep on working towards my dream and I thank them for everything that they did for me. (I love you mum, dad)
But as an 18 year old, the world is no longer the world that I saw with my 12 year old eyes. The world changed dramatically. Given puberty, peer pressure, teenage angst and whatnots, I am thankful to God that I survived through all those life obstacles. I still remember the first check-up in primary school where they checked our penises. Yeah, it was a rather shameful event in my life then. Haha but hey, everyone went through it so I wasn't alone. (And to think that I thought I was being molested)
It was also the fun programmes and CCAs that have spurred me to do my best and seek my own potential. I remembered I was in Track And Field, a short stint in Band and even Malay Dance. Haha yeah, so now you know where I got my interests from. It is from these humble CCAs that gave me the passion to continue what I love doing, not necessarily the best at but it came from my heart.
Anyway, most of my teachers that had taught me through my six years in NVPS weren't teaching there anymore. Some had retired and some moved on to greener pastures in their lives. I did meet one or two teachers who were invited back to the school to join in the celebration. It was really nice to know that these were the people who nurtured me and gave me a good foundation to work with for the rest of my lives. I admit, I was the most nerd-iest kid but ironically, I wasn't the brightest as well. But on the day of PSLE results came out, I knew NVPS had taught me well, both academically and morally. With an aggregate of 237 and a clean result of all As, I was really really thankful that my teachers didn't give up hope on me even at the very last minute.
And I met previous ex-students too which were from the different batches. I'm surprised that we have gone such a long way. Who knew that a pleasant neighbourhood school could produce wonderful students from junior colleges, polytechnics, universities and even careers. There is that sense of pride that comes with seeing so many of the students coming back to join in for the 15th Anniversary of our alma mater.
And then, my mum (she works there and she received a Silver Award in Excellent Services by MOE and she even got her own Hollywood Star in school for her recognition. Yay mum!) showed me and my siblings around the school. Things really had changed, for the better. I recalled the time when I thought there was a crocodile in the school pond because it was so murky, and then there were the classrooms as well. And the Class of 2009 had their first NVPS Graduation Night as well.
Wow, thinking about these made me feel old but at the same time, blessed to be brought up in the most caring way that no other schools could had given such an impact on me. It was really the best years of my life in NVPS, for it is the school that nurtures its students to rise and shine like the morning star. Noble and brave, proud as we are.