|
Set in the
attractively landscaped ACS (Barker Road) campus, with onsite
swimming pool, tennis courts, and other facilities, ACS Oldham Hall
offers co-educational boarding for students between the ages of 11
and 19.
ACS Oldham Hall was
founded in the belief that every person has value and potential in
the eyes of God. We strongly believe in the development of the
individual as a whole person – spiritual as well as physical,
emotional and intellectual.
 Resident
Housemasters and Housemistresses provide support for boarders,
ensuring that their welfare and personal needs are attended to. They
take turns to be on duty at night and also ensure that boarders
observe a compulsory study time on weekdays. Some of the Assistant
Housemasters and Housemistresses (AHMs) are former boarders of ACS
Oldham Hall who responded to the call to serve in a community that
has nurtured their own growth before.
Living in ACS Oldham
Hall challenges boarders to learn beyond the classroom and to be
equipped with important life skills. Boarding also teaches young
people to appreciate consideration, co-operation, independence and
how to live in a multi-cultural community.
Karn and Abhishek, SIA
scholars from India both commented that they matured in taking
responsibility for their laundry, room cleanliness and personal
needs. They also grew in the way they could get along with people,
even people they disliked or were not comfortable with. “I came to
know many other points of view,” Karn said, “Some people may seem
hard to get along with at first, but later we were able resolve our
differences and live together harmoniously.”
Exposure to new
learning experiences promotes personal growth and maturity. ACJC’s
Wui Jia from Malaysia says that staying in the structured
environment of ACS Oldham Hall has taught her many things. “I learnt
the meaning of discipline as I had to organize my time for studying
and other activities. I established relationships with adults for
the first time because of the need to relate with the many AHMs. I
also learnt to be more tolerant as I had to stay with three
roommates of different nationalities. I was able to learn about
their cultures, which took away my preconceptions about how people
in their cultures live. The fact that I had to mix with a large
number of younger boarders also developed in me a greater sense of
responsibility for them. Through being friends with the Christians
around me and praying regularly with them, I grew closer to God.”
 Currently,
ACS Oldham Hall is open to students from different schools and is
home to almost 400 boarders. Zhengji, a PRC scholar and student
leader is enthusiastic about the facilities and convenient location
of ACS Oldham Hall. “I like swimming, table-tennis and the very
low-cost gym. The activities organized by the Hall are varied and
enjoyable. But what I will remember most about ACS Oldham Hall is
the friendly people – especially my Housemasters. They are very
understanding, warm-hearted and helpful. Mr Andrew Lim, in
particular, shared many of his experiences with me, which helped me
to grow in my leadership skills.”
2005 also marks the
year that ACS Oldham Hall has the privilege to house students from
ACS (International). This first group of boarders includes Koreans,
Vietnamese, Indonesians, Taiwanese, Chinese, Malaysians, Filipinos,
and a Maldivian. A distinct advantage of co-educational boarding is
that siblings can stay close to one another. The secure environment
of a boarding school and the opportunity to build deeper friendships
helps boarders to adjust to life in a foreign country more quickly.
Mimosa, a new
Vietnamese student in ACS (International), was surprised that she
didn’t feel homesick because of the new friends that she made. While
citing the many things that she learned, she concluded, “The most
wonderful thing is that I found Jesus through staying in a good
Christian environment.”
Boarding has its
blessings and its challenges. As the year draws to a close, we hope
that ACS Oldham Hall will continue to grow and nurture individuals
who can contribute meaningfully to the local and international
community. We welcome more members of the ACS family of schools to
board with us. To find out more about boarding in ACS Oldham Hall,
contact us at 6252-8513 or write to us at
enquiries@oldhamhall.org. We would be most
delighted to hear from you. |
