If you are keen and have queries, please contact Coach Rameshon at 9100 4369 or you can email him at m.rameshon@gmail.com or swift.rameshon@gmail.com. Please refer to website http://flexifitness.com.sg (for more information on him and his programmes)
By Rameshon
Bsc (Hons) Degree in Physical Education, Loughborough University (1992-1994)
Masters in Education (University of Western Australia, 2005-2008)
Staff Gathering of Hwa Chong Institution (College and High School)
Today, I went down for Hwa Chong Institution High School and College section to listen to the staff gathering, which was a combined meeting.
Dr Hon Chiew Weng - A Principal who practises Caring Pedagogy
http://rameshon-m.blogspot.com/2010/08/dr-hon-chiew-weng-role-model-principal.html
The meeting was chaired by Dr Hon Chiew Weng, Principal of Hwa Chong Institution, a person and a leader whom I often admire. As usual, Dr Hon was not only giving us the vision of the future direction of Hwa Chong students but also for the teachers. He believes also that studies and CCA should always go together. During the meeting, I have presented a Certificate of Appreciation, which came from student/s nominating a teacher. I did not know that I was nominated until a day before the meeting, and I did not know what it was on until later on.
Coming back to Dr Hon, what I was amazed about him was his quality of discussing things straight to the point in crystal clear language which was easily understood by everyone, filled with a sense of humour.
Even if I come down for the meeting with a low spirit, after listening to him, I usually feel myself high in spirit, exhilarated and refreshed. There is this so much energy and charisma that he brings along to the students, teachers and the school as a whole.
One incident that I like to talk about him today is on a daring role he played as a principal, last year, to bring out a point on Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Emotional Quotient (EQ). He was having a forum with the JC 1 students, a few months back, recently, and explained to them that not only securing a good GCE 'A' Levels will be good but doing their best to get a Hwa Chong diploma would be a good idea as well. He was informing students that the diploma includes looking into consideration on studies, Community Involvement Projects (CIP), CCA etc with a well laid out criteria. This also ensures that the students' opportunity to get scholarship would be greater. Recent companies offering to Hwa Chong more scholarship are because of this Hwa Chong diploma increase. This is something that the students and school should be happy about.
The best that I have ever learnt from him is EQ is also important to make an intelligent decision with IQ, else students will not be able to make an intelligent decision and may make mistakes.
In the past, what I liked about his message on IQ and EQ was that he told the Junior College 1 students that having a good EQ will ensure that a student will be able to make a good and wise decision. A very good IQ with low EQ may sway a student from the right path and the student may be misled to the wrong path, instead. A very solid point indeed! He brought a very good example during the meeting as well. For the teacher, students and school the talk showed that, after all, having a balanced EQ and IQ will bring about people who can make intelligent and right decisions.
As for me, a good EQ will only make the surrounding a happier place to live in. A good IQ without good EQ will make the environment a miserable place to live in, even though we may have everything.
Hence, I realised that Dr Hon was able to drive salient points on EQ to the students of the future. The talk reiterates the point that the world needs people who can give and serve society using their vast knowledge, intelligence and experience, righteously and wisely. This will lead us to servant leadership in practice. Frankly speaking, Dr Hon as a principal, is not paying lip-service. The powerful message from Dr Hon, for my perception, comes from the way he is leading his own life. I feel that his life is a message itself. In short, he is not only the J-TIGER (J - Joy, T - Teamwork, I - Integrity, G - Global Perspective, E - Excellence, Respect and R - Resilience) of Hwa Chong but also he is able to challenge all Hwa Chong students to prompt them to scale greater heights with very good values and achieve greater excellence and rebound back if they have to fall.
During the staff gathering, after getting the Certificate of Appreciation, I felt appreciated and went home to find out how and why did I get this award. In the certificate, I saw the name, Augustine Tan. I called Augustine Tan to find out, after Mrs Chin Bee Kuan told the audience that the students, using the Electronic Message Board, nominated the teachers.
Note:
By Narayanan
Rameshon has taught in Hwa Chong Institution, plus several schools, and Republic Polytechnic as well. He has won many accolades and he was awarded Merit Award for 1991 marathon performance in breaking the national record of Singapore, at that time. He has made 22 male athletes do a marathon in sub-3hrs. He has made 7 female runners do sub-4 hours for the marathon, as well. He was inducted to the ‘Roll of Honour’ by the then College of Physical Education, organised by Singapore Olympic Academy, in 1998, for breaking the National record repeatedly 4 times, till he did 2hr 24min 22sec).
He also has a Coaching group and he trains them on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7pm at Botanic Gardens. Those interested can call him at 91004369 for coaching assistance, to improve performance. There is also personal training that he does for many in a week. You can e-mail him at swift.rameshon@gmail.com.
