RIpple: RI Open House Preview 2019

By Mabel Yet (19S03Q), Shervon Lee (19S06A) and Varun Karthik (19S06A)
Photographs courtesy of Raffles Photographic Society

Watch the Open House preview video here (put together by Raffles Film Society): tinyurl.com/ripple19vid

Fresh out of O-Level results day, your mind might be spinning with the diverse range of schools you might want to apply to. Choosing which school you want to spend the next chapter of your life studying in is a momentous decision in itself, but RI hopes to ease this decision a little by giving you a sneak preview of what life in Raffles is like.

Open House will be held tomorrow, 16 Jan, from 10am-3:30pm (registration begins at 9:30am, but you can come anytime after!), at the Y5-6 campus. If you are taking the MRT, you can get off at Marymount station and enter by the Marymount gate, where ushers will be stationed to welcome you. There will be two registration booths: one outside the Blue Room and one at the drop-off point.

This year’s OH theme is RIpple, which celebrates the positive change Rafflesians aim to effect on our community and echoes the Rafflesian spirit, just like ripples expanding on the water surface. The main activities will be centred around the Multi-Purpose Hall (MPH), Indoor Sports Hall (ISH) and Performing Arts Centre (PAC); with student befrienders scattered all around the school, rest assured you should be able to find your way around!

Students looking to drop by to experience what the Raffles community is like can keep an eye out for these exciting activities happening throughout the day:

House Processions

In RI, the student population is split into 5 houses, with each house having their own unique mascot and cheers. House Processions, led by the captain of each house, will take place twice, one from 10:30-11:30am and the afternoon session from 1:00-2:00pm at the canteen walkway, where you’d be able to meet our friendly house mascots and have a taste of the Rafflesian spirit through House and school cheers. In addition, befrienders will also have dance flash mobs at the canteen (a peek into Y5 Orientation!) so don’t miss out on that!

Performances, booths and fun stuff

CCAs will continue to be a huge part of a student’s life in JC, but there is no need to feel daunted by the huge number of choices the school offers.

Whether you are musically inclined, interested in dance or simply want to enjoy great performances, the Performing Arts CCAs will be putting up performances at the PAC, booths at the MPH as well as busking all over the school.

For budding sports people, the Sports CCAs will have booths at the ISH, with Fencing and Judo exhibiting their CCAs from 10:15-10:45am. There will also be a Soccer exhibition match at the Cages, if you’re interested in joining the sport!

Clubs and Societies, as well as the Uniform Groups, will have their booths at the Amphitheatre and outside LT2. In addition, Gavel Club will be presenting their CCA at the MPH, while Film society will be showcasing many of the projects they have been working on over the years at LT2. Do look forward to watching their short films! RECAS (Raffles Economics and Current Affairs Society) will also be having an escape room at the Block A Level 2 classroom. Visiting the various CCA booths will be definitely be a great opportunity to meet your seniors and get to know more about the CCA timings and culture.

Other than CCAs, students from the Monday Enrichment Programmes (MEPs) will be showcasing their programme at the Blue Room, while academic booths will be displayed at the Innovation Centre. CE01s will have their own booths as well at the Windy Benches next to the Popular bookshop. (If you don’t know what a CE01 is, come find out!)

Sharings and talks

This year, there will also be sharings on a range of topics by students at the Hodge Lodge, so do pop by when you can! There will also be a talk about the Raffles Programme at the PAC at 11:30am, so do come down to get a snapshot of the academic programme in RI.

Food, drinks and photos!

If the programmes prove to be too exciting, feel free to take a break at our resident cafe, the Professor Brawn Cafe. Located conveniently next to the pick-up point, the cafe offers a wide selection of Western food and drinks. On top of that, if you happen to have a craving for Gong Cha (with healthy pearls), Professor Brawn will provide. (We recommend the Mango Green Tea!) There will also be a Professor Brawn pop-up stall at the canteen. For other snacks or ice cream, check out our convenience store, Chill@RI, located near the canteen!

Leave not just with memories and a nourished body but souvenirs as well! There will be photo booths at the Windy Benches (beside Theatre Studies Room) for you to get printed photos with your friends. In addition, do take part in the Griffles Challenge to get a chance to win free Griffles soft-toys and school merchandise!

Find your way

Worried that you can’t find your way? Make use of this map! If you’re hopeless with directions even with the map, do not fear! Friendly befrienders will be stationed near the registration booths, ready to give you a tour around the campus. The tours are short and will be helpful for you to navigate the big campus. Additionally, there will be other befrienders around to answer any questions you may have, so don’t be afraid to approach them. 

QR Code for the Programme Booklet

For more information, check out @teamraffles and #RIpple19 on Instagram. Come swim with us at RIpple ‘19!