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Two years ago members of the ACS
Board of Governors, Principals and Vice Principals of all the ACS
Schools attended a one-day strategic workshop to discuss what it
means to be a part of the ACS Family. The meeting ended on a high
note with the adoption of the ACS Family Mission and its core
values.
Much has been achieved since and it was decided that these bold
initiatives be consolidated by formulating new ideas and initiating
combined schools’ activities and programmes. At a follow-up workshop
on 01 July 2006 members of ACS family met to share, discuss and map
out the ONE ACS initiative which embodies the ACS Spirit and the
Common Vision. Some of the major ideas that were adopted are:
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To create and ensure multiple
platforms for ACS students to interact with one another.
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The students from various ACS
schools should treat each other as brothers and sisters and care
for one another.
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To inculcate a sense of
belonging so that ACS students are motivated and encouraged to
stay and want to continue their education in one of the ACS
Schools.
Currently, the staff and students
from the different ACS schools have already collaborated in various
ways. For example, teachers from ACS (Independent) have helped ACS
(Junior) get started in leadership training for Odyssey of the Mind
and Prefects of ACS (Barker Road) are role models to ACS (Primary).
Photograph courtesy of Mr Wee Ban Bee
When ACS (International) was
established last year, students from ACJC were present to lend a
helping hand in their Orientation Week and in reciprocation ACS
(International) students participated in ACJC’s production, Camelot.
Joint performances between ACS (Barker Road) and ACJC were also
initiated in several drama productions in 2003 and 2004.
As part of the ONE ACS initiative
by the ACS OBA, a team of 34 rugby players from four schools – ACS
(Barker Road), ACS (Independent), ACS (International) and ACJC –
toured Bangkok under the Team ACS banner in June this year. The aim
of this inaugural Team ACS Rugby Tour was to bring the key players
from the four schools together to play as ONE team and to develop
character and life-long relationships among the ACS family.
Although the boys started off as
‘strangers’, they bonded very quickly. Throughout the 4-day tour,
they were paired off with a ‘buddy’ from a different ACS school, as
a result of which many new friendships were formed
The team played three gruelling
matches during the tour. After losing to the King’s College under-17
team and under-19 team our band of brothers soldiered on to win the
final match by a close 13-12 scoreline against the under-19 Kasetsart
University team, which comprised senior players formerly from top
rugby schools such as King’s College and Vijiravudh College.
At a recent rugby match between a
combined ACS (International) and ACS (Barker Road) against the ACS
Old Boys someone remarked, "We look forward to the day when ACS
(International) plays against other schools with ACS boys and girls
from the six ACS schools cheering them. Truly then, will the lyrics
of our school anthem ring true: Our Hearts,
our Hope our Aims are ONE and We stand together for the cause of ACS
forever!"
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