Screams and cheers filled the air as the boarders of ACS Oldham Hall streamed into the ACS (Barker Road) tennis courts for a day of games and friendly competition on 21 January.

Brandishing bands of red, blue, black, green, yellow and white to reflect their house colours, boarders also sported matching face paint and coloured hair as they waved their house flags and cheered their support for their houses.

Most of the boarders enjoyed making new friends, interacting with the staff, practising their cheers and competing with the other houses. Yellow House had the most distinctive identity as they had named themselves the Yellow Stingers, complete with stinging actions in their cheers.

The games ended on a rousing note with all the houses gathered together and giving their final cheers as loudly as they could, despite feeling hot and tired. “It’s nice cheering when you win but even better when you’ve lost because it shows you have a good spirit of unity!”, remarked Stephanie Anne, an Assistant Housemistress and cheerleading enthusiast.

Following a short rest and dinner, boarders then proceeded to the Barker Road Methodist Church Sanctuary for a special Dedication Service. 

Guests attending the Dedication Service included the families of staff members, principals, teacher mentors, and the chairman of the ACS Board of Governors, Mr Tan Wah Thong. Reverend Malcolm Tan, Pastor-In-Charge of Barker Road Methodist Church, shared a stirring message on The Joy of Living Together in Harmony from Psalm 133. 

In the Act of Dedication, all the full-time staff, volunteers and Oldham Hall Management Committee members serving ACS Oldham Hall were invited to stand before the congregation to pledge their service to God to care for the boarders. In turn, the boarders responded by expressing support for the staff. Mr Eric Tay, teacher-mentor for Anderson Secondary School, commended ACS Oldham Hall for organising the Dedication Service, saying, “To take care of so many boarders is not only a work of man, but a work of God.”

The Service ended with everyone – especially old boys – singing the ACS Anthem “with gusto” as Mr Tan Wah Thong commented approvingly. When asked what he enjoyed about the Dedication Service, Mr Tan said, “The pledge by the staff was important and meaningful, coupled with the spiritually enlightening message by Reverend Malcolm Tan. I am very pleased that in this Dedication Service we can publicly affirm ACS Oldham Hall as part of the larger ACS family.”