Southeast Asia’s oldest British international school just turned 100 officially, and it had a school-wide birthday bash with live music, stilt performers, and of course… a big birthday cake!
What started as a small school with five students in 1925 is now a prestigious international school with a student body that’s almost 3,000 strong. We’d say this is something worth celebrating, don’t you?
That’s exactly what Tanglin Trust School did: starting with a series of centenary events that included a book launch, speaker series, alumni celebrations in London, and more; leading up to the pinnacle – its mega birthday bash on 21 March!
And the school chose to celebrate this big day with the people who mean the most to them – and that’s the Tanglin community, made up of students, teachers, staff, families, and alumni. Here’s what went down at the highly anticipated Tanglin birthday party.
School’s out, and it’s party time!
Lessons were put on hold on 21 March so everyone – from the littlest ones in Nursery to the seniors in Sixth Form – could join the party. Tanglin was transformed into a carnival, with live music, magic shows, balloon modelling, stilt performance, and class parties throughout the school. The community spirit was strong as well, as you could see students from the Senior School helping their younger schoolmates with their parties.
Students who were away on school trips weren’t forgotten as well, as Tanglin made special arrangements for them to join the school party remotely. Students on and off campus were sharing photos with each other, making sure that their friends were part of the festivities, wherever they were.
Did someone say “birthday presents”?
Of course there are birthday gifts! But instead of being on the receiving end, Tanglin gave each of its Infant School students a birthday gift. Each little one received a party bag filled with goodies, including an exclusive children’s book titled Tanglin Ted’s Centenary Adventure. This book tells the story of a Tanglin teddy bear who time travels through 100 years exploring different places in the school’s history, lovingly written and illustrated by none other than the deputy head of Tanglin’s Infant School herself.
Pro-tip: Interested to check out Tanglin Ted? You can find a copy of it in the National Library of Singapore!
A birthday song sung by 2,850 voices
No birthday party is complete without a birthday cake and a good ol’ birthday song. A big birthday cake was prepared, and the whole school came together to sing “Happy Birthday” to Tanglin after Chief Executive Officer Craig Considine’s speech.
But the cherry on the cake were the six special birthday cards designed by Tanglin’s Infant and Junior School students. These were handpicked by the Centenary Manager and Friends of Tanglin team out of 1,400 submissions from the school’s birthday card design competition.
Here’s to the next century
Photography: Tanglin Trust School
Tanglin isn’t just a school with a long history; it’s one with a legacy of excellence that has impacted generations of students. Take Lydia Elder and her sons as an example (pictured above): Lydia is a Tanglin alumni, and her sons are current students of the school too. In fact, we’re told that one family has had four generations attend Tanglin (from great grandparents to the current generation). That really speaks volumes about the quality of education and care at the school!
Keen to learn more about Tanglin’s century-long legacy? You’re more than welcome to visit the school and check out its Centenary Exhibition, featuring highlights and precious school mementos (spot the letter from Buckingham Palace!).
Happy birthday, Tanglin!
This post is in partnership with Tanglin Trust School.
