A Seven-Year Promise Kept

Strolling through the lively foyer teeming with students and sitting in the comforting stillness of the school's chapel - these are the spaces that I navigate every weekday. They are places I look upon with a blend of nostalgia, awe, and gratitude. The words ‘enter to learn, leave to serve’ have always had a deep impression on me. There is a poetic symmetry in the way vehicles climb the iconic ascent: passing those first three words on the outer wall, then turning past the adjacent wall where the remainder of the promise is displayed. It is a literal and figurative reminder of the gift of education and the responsibility to share it. Those words brought me back, literally.

The Seed of a Dream

What brought me back? As the timeline above suggests, in 2015 I had the opportunity to spend six months working as a temporary Teaching Assistant (thanks to Ms Susi Teo). Back then, I already had an aspiration to become a teacher. I assisted the Art Teacher, Ms Patrice Valere, in her lessons - she taught every single student in the school from Prep 1 to Grade 6. The students called me ‘Miss Andrea’. Beyond assisting in Art lessons every day learning about the likes of great artists such as Alexander Calder, Andy Goldsworthy and exploring different mediums, there was one thing that really resonated with me - The Virtues ProjectTM. 

The Virtues ProjectTM (our adopted character education programme) was founded in Canada by Linda Kavelin Poppov, Dan Poppov and John Kavelin in 1991 and has since spread to over 130 countries around the world. The programme is based on the belief that we are all born with the virtues in potential and when we ‘awaken’ these gifts of character, we can change the world. It has been at the heart of SJI International Elementary School since the school’s founding. There was a special way that students and teachers interacted with one another, using virtues such as ‘determination’, ‘patience’ and ‘tact’ in their daily vocabulary. These virtues gradually became a part of my vocabulary too. It wasn’t just a way of speaking, but a way of being that resonated with me. 

By the end of my temporary contract, I was filled with conviction. I remember telling Patrice (yes, it took me some time to get used to calling her by her first name!), “I hope to return to SJI International Elementary School in seven years time.” I had done the math - three years for my Bachelor’s Degree, one year to become a qualified teacher and three years of teaching experience in the U.K. 

Coming Full Circle

Through idealism, prayer and timing, my dream came true in 2022. Patrice remembered the hope I shared with her and till this day, she is still teaching Art at SJI International Elementary School. Meanwhile, I began my career at SJI International Elementary School as a Cover Teacher, teaching classes when teachers were absent.

For four months, I had taught everything from Grade 6 Maths to Prep 1 PE (hats off to Prep teachers – five-year-olds can be quite a handful!). Since 2023, I have been a Grade 5 Homeroom Teacher.

‘Full-circle’ is how I would describe my journey back to SJI International. 

To top it all off, two years ago I took on an additional responsibility as the school’s Virtues Coordinator (Head of Character Education). It is a profound honour to lead the very programme that touched my heart as an aspiring teacher. I truly believe that God planted a seed in my heart for the Virtues in 2015, which led me to where I am today – growing our Character Education programme at SJI International Elementary School in the context of Lasallian education. 

When I first joined SJI International as a student, I was shy and soft-spoken. My time in SJI International as a student led me on a journey of finding confidence, pursuing opportunities, deepening my faith and growing my character. Now, I find myself on this very journey again, just from the other side of the desk.

To my fellow alumni considering a career in teaching, my advice is this: Return to SJI International! You will find comfort in the familiar and be challenged to live the Lasallian mission in your vocation.

If you aspire to ‘touch hearts, teach minds and transform lives’, SJI International is the place to be.