Preface

SJC Heartbeat Passion, Aspirations and Dreams (Vol 2) continues

the ideation of Singapores future by our students and staff who
were inspired by the Future of Us Exhibition which concluded the
SG50 celebrations.
In Vol 2, staff and students share their aspirations about the
transformative power of technology how technology may
deepen and extend community ties, enable us to transcend the
limitations of gravity and space, and create anew a borderless
learning environment. Yet while these ideations inspire, there is
also a very real sense of the need to balance the empowering use
of technology with respect for a natural, sustainable environment.
Lets continue to build Our Dreams for the Future Together!

From the Editorial Team

Tay Yea Bih, Adeline Ng, Wang Peidi and Berlina Tan

Avery Chan (2G)

Allie Naqia Bte Ahmad (3A)

Small Technological Advances Add Up

Change cannot take place overnight, yet such change is possible.
It requires time and effort from everyone. Change comes with
education and creating awareness about why we need this change
and how we can each play our part to promote change.
- Miss Nurwidayu (Malay Language teacher)

Vasnwini Vivakumar (3D)

2

Miss Jeanette Ngoh (English Literature and Geography teacher)

3

Joey Kong Zu Er (2F)

In the light of rapidly declining resources, the ideal living

environment is increasingly one that uses the least energy,
consumes the least resources. Having sensors to detect human
activity in rooms has long been employed in some industries.
Perhaps this simple installation may be made a standard in schools
and offices.
Similarly, given how Singapore aspires to balance busy lifestyles
with healthy living, threadmills in offices and homes could all
come with electricity generators that can power up other devices
in the room, so that a quick exercise break isnt just beneficial for
the runner but also for the environment. An app that can connect
the runner with family, friends and neighbours for a little friendly
competition while discretely reminding us of our health status or
little bursts of exercise achievements for the day could add to the
motivation to exercise.
- Elizabeth Baey (2A), Mrs Phoon Lai Ling (Computer Applications
and Mathematics teacher) and Miss Jeanette Ngoh (English
Literature and Geography teacher)
4

Energy-saving practices at home are critical since everyone uses

quite a substantial amount of energy at home every day. Many
people living in cities waste a lot of water as they go about their
day-to-day activities, especially during showers. Other than
petroleum and coal resources being depleted, water could all too
easily run dry in the next century due to over usage in commercial
agriculture, and lack of monitoring of the depleting levels of
aquifers. Should we not make a change in our lifestyle, we may well
face severe water shortages within the next fifty years, let alone
worry about the depletion of marine life as a key source of food.
To conserve precious resources like water, showerheads could
be attached with detectors consisting of different LED lights that
indicate the different levels of usage/water flow. This visual impact
will serve as visual reminders to users to discourage them from
taking prolonged showers and hopefully reduce wastage.
- Micah Hane Dacany (4F)

Kanoknapha Valaikanok (3E)

Mrs Goh Boon Hong (Design & Technology and Mathematics teacher)

With rising temperatures, more families and even schools in

Singapore are turning to using air-conditioning in more areas
and for longer periods of time. Windows without shades would
make the building warmer, thus, even more resources must be
pumped in to cool the rooms. Something as simple as transition
windows for schools and classrooms would deliberately reduce the
amount of sunlight that penetrates into the rooms, especially in
the mid-morning and mid-afternoon, hence, reducing the general
temperature of the room. A cooler room would help everyone feel
more comfortable and thus, increase work efficiency.
- Grace Looi (4G)

Miss Han Chuin Chi

Classrooms of the Future: an Integrated Digital

School Community of Students, Teachers and Parents
Paperless digital books, information scribbled, captured and
beamed directly from digital platforms like digital whiteboards or
online portals connecting students personal handheld devices, are
what we look forward to. A welcome aid for improved visualization,
a 360 projector or holographic screens could be installed in
classrooms. The 3-dimensional effect could intensify the learning
process, especially for the learning of Science, Geography and
Mathematical modelling, or for the imagining of alternative
realities in the Humanities, Languages and Arts and Design.

To reduce paper wastage, communication between parents and the

school can be done digitally through the school website and MC-online.
An online helper app could allow parents to acknowledge parental letters
and information online, further reducing response time. If marks from
daily assignments can be computed automatically, these marks may be
beamed to parents weekly so parents can be alerted regularly about
their daughters work and they can monitor their daughters progress
more easily regularly.
This integrated learning environment would also provide more
motivation for students to read ahead as a flipped classroom approach
would be the norm and the basic expectation as all in the learning
community will be prepared to come to class armed with questions
and queries for active discussion instead of such heavy reliance on the
teacher as the source of information.
Of course, the flip side to this increased technological reliance is that we
need to ensure that there is a way to re-charge our handheld devices in a
more environmentally friendly way. Instead of just throwing away battery
packs and handphones and laptops after 2 or 3 years, all secondary
school students should be given a basic course in computer repairs so
that we can all learn to upgrade, retrofit, improve our laptops and PCs
on our own, then we would not have to keep buying completely new
machines so frequently. Like old buildings with solid basic foundations,
if we learn such basic upgrading skills, we can help extend the lifespan
of our laptops and PCs.

Reina Tay Si Ru (2F)

It would be even better if we can fit solar panels on the rooftops of

our schools to convert solar energy into electricity for re-charging
points scattered around school. The sun is a massive, free source
of untapped energy that can be converted into environmentally
expensive electricity, a precious, freely available energy alternative
to the gas imported from Malaysia to be burnt for electricity.
Similarly, there has to be a more concerted, nationwide approach
to improving recycling, especially environmentally sustainable
recycling of electronic devices. Recycling starts with us at home
with our families, in school with our classmates and teachers.
Recycling begins with Us!
- Sabrina Than (2B), Kaitlyn Sng (2F), Aalyyah Bte Mohd Imran(2F),
Danielle Lu (2F), Callista Goh (2F), Heidi Han (2G), Trisha Vinnarasu
(2F) Alexandra Koh (2G), Dora Wong (2H), Alicia Lee (2H), Benson
Lim (Mathematics and Computer Applications teacher)

Chloe Foo Jia Qi (2G)

Samantha Chan Ying Ying (2F)

10

Vera Koh Wen Xi (2F)

Claire (3H)

11

During Biology class,

You are able to interact with holographic,

3D projections. For example, to learn
about digestion, pupils can manipulate
and interact with the projection to trace
the route of food travelling through the
tract.

During Geography class,

the holographic projections
could show hard to observe
phenomenon like volcanic
eruptions up close. Similarly,
we can control different
factors in the phenomenon
to understand it better.
Felicia Chia Wen Xuan (3H)

Goggles like Google 3D glasses can

be used in the classroom to enable
students to visualise images at the
click of a button.
Julianne Kuon Hui Xuan (3E)
12

Transport of the future: Improved, faster public

transport to maximise land, sea and air spaces
What would transport look like in the future? How about a green
train using magnetic energy to move trains along? The trains can
move faster because there is less friction, commuters can travel
further within a shorter travelling time.
Similarly, transport of the future could be magnetic cars, similar
to our electrically powered current Light Rail Transit (LRT), but the
former instead moves using magnets which have replaced wheels.
When the car travels on magnet paved tracks, the magnets repel
one another and the car floats above the ground. The car can be
propelled forward by propellers that use either solar energy from
the solar panel on the roof of the car or electricity gathered from
charging stations. With more such tracks and magnetic cars laid
on roads and widened pavements in Singapore, fewer people will
feel compelled to save up for that expensive COE purchase. Say
goodbye to carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, greenhouse gas
and expensive petrol!

Emma Lee Jia Qi (3D)

13

Chelsea Klyne (2F)

Dozing off, using phones, being engrossed in conversation, reduced

vision in bad weather, having to hit the road after medication
all these reduce the reaction time for car drivers. Technologydriven, self-driving cars could prevent traffic accidents in such
circumstances.
What about travelling in a flying car? Prototypes of low-lying flying
vehicles are already out in USA, Canada and Germany. Over the
next decade, policies need to be mapped out to regulate the use
of flying cars and flying transportation or aerial drones. With such
inventions, we may be able to reduce travelling time and traffic
congestion.
- Nadya Loke (2G), Milcah Sze Hui Feng (2G), Chow Li Qing (5B),
Emma Lee Jia Qi (3D), Janelle Thian (5B) and Mr Zulkifli (Computer
Applications and Chemistry teacher).

14

Devanshi Suppraja Beatrice Sim (3D)

15

Eleanor Contance (3A)

16

Flying hover boards and even winged, short-distance, enclosed

vehicles could be the thing of the future with rolling hover boards
a current hot item for tech geeks. It will be more convenient for
everybody as they just need to step onto the flying boards for
transportation across short distances. This saves time for the
average commuter. Traffic jams, long wait for taxis, overcrowding
MRT and buses may be eased at the same time. We could float
in the air or even just be lifted off the ground, like the Shikansen
of Japan, with electromagnetic waves. Another use for our HDB
rooftops beyond being places for water filtration and storage
tanks, and solar panels, would be as places for locating hoverboard
stops if we could get our public transport to be air-borne! Like
bicycle stations in cycling-loving cities like Montreal and Holland,
would hover board stations take off in the future as people reduce
their reliance on cars, and rent hover boards for the day or for the
distance at hover board stations all across the island?
- Jolene Lim (4E), Faith (4C), Deborah Choo (4D), Andrea Rio (4E),
Wynne Chan (4H), Ms Ho Yan Yi (Biology and Chemistry teacher)

Tan Yi Lin, Whitney (3H)

17

Harnessing renewable energy for transport

Moving beyond hybrid cars and electricity vehicles, solar-powered
cars is a possibility in sunny Singapore. At night, our cars can run
on the energy stored in the day as solar energy is converted to
electricity and air-conditioning!
- Lynsey Chan (4C)

Food for the soul and body on the way

to work, school and play
Singapore is a small country but we have built so many kilometres
of track and road that travelling sometimes takes a long time
and sometimes, a whole journey is made entirely underground.
Using technology, perhaps some MRT cabins could be installed
with screens covering the windows that reveal different types of
beautiful scenery to offer such commuters a relaxing start or close
to the busy work day. If soothing music is piped in, this would
make the experience even more whole. These screens can also
double up as news portals to transmit important news reports
when the need arises.
- Nazla Afrin Bte Mohamed A (5A)

18

Floating Hospital
With coastlines set to rise in the next century with increased
global warming, more and more coastal areas in the world will find
themselves at risk of innundation from sea water without even a
single drop of rain.
Floating medical ships may just be alternative rescue vehicles
needed to save people from disaster-prone areas. Self-powering
engines with shape and structure which are calculated with
aerodynamics and precision engineering may enable the ship to be
lasting, power-efficient and able to serve a large group of victims.
- Dyan Long (4H)

19

Improving Road Safety

with Improved Surveillance
There have been newspaper reports about commercial vehicles,
construction dump trucks, vans and lorries moving on the road
past the speed limit. Many accidents happen on the road because
of errant road users. There is no need to speed at the expense of
other road users. We can create a safer road condition for all users
by changing some current practices and mindsets. The LTA or traffic
police could allow road users to report errant drivers, without much
hassle, such as by sending in the video clips captured with in-car
cameras. Another way is to have all heavy vehicles install a tracking
device (which has been piloted on school buses), together with an
app to track the buses movement on the road. Such precautionary
measures will contribute to more responsible road usage.
Lastly, we have to educate all road users that safety on the road is
the best policy. Just as cyclists should not veer into the pedestrian
lane in parks, motorcyclists delivering goods should not use
pedestrian walkways as extended short cuts. If we install cameras
along these pedestrian walk ways to police safety, responsible road
and pedestrian way usage will improve.
Miss Adeline Ng (Social Studies and Mathematics teacher)

20

Tech-savvy infrastructure and textures for

healthcare, elderly, handicapped and those
with special needs
Singapore needs to build more facilities and organise more activities
for those less able to help themselves, such as the elderly, in the
community. Some members of the elderly are neglected by their
working children or are unable to cope in fast-changing Singapore
despite their past contributions to the building of the nation and
their families. For the elderly living alone, robots known as carebots and N-bots could assist the elderly or physically handicapped
in daily chores and they would have more time to take part in
activities that could enhance their well-being. Robots could reduce
the chance of injures in the absence of caregivers.
Playgrounds and fitness corners in the neighbourhood could be
further enhanced to cater to the needs of the handicapped and the
elderly. For example, threadmills and various exercise equipment
at community park corners could be installed with storage systems
that transmit the information from users to community hospitals
that can track the health statistics of users, especially those of
our silver tsunami, thus raising an alert if a user doesnt use the
equipment for about a month. The human data trackers in the
hospital could then give a call to these elderly or the handicapped
to check in on their well-being.
- Bhargavi S. (4E), Shauna Tupaz (4G), Tan Syn Yee (4G), Victoria
Poon (4D), Carol Ng (4G), Melissa Chng (4F), and Jensin Ang (4B)

21

Adelina Wong (3D)

How necessary is air-conditioning? Would it not be ideal to be able

to wear fabric that makes you feel like you have your very own
air-conditioner even in our warm and humid environment? It will
enhance the quality of life because when people feel cool, they can
concentrate better at work and in school.
- Kanoknapha Valaikanok (3E), Amanda Yeong Xin Yi (3E)

Amanda Yeong Xin Yi (3E)

Cell-rebuilding machines to cure diseases

Cord blood banking is nothing new to new age parents of today;
we understand how useful stem cells could be in combating certain
diseases like leukaemia. If we have a cell-rebuilding machine to
regenerate healthy cells to replace the diseased ones, everyone
could be more likely to be freed from diseases and thus would be
more likely to live a quality life till natural death occurs.
- Miss Samanthan Tan (English and Social Studies teacher)

22

Greening Singapore through Technology

A cleaner and greener environment enables its citizens to be less
prone to illness, while providing a green environment that is a tonic
for busy city souls. Singapore is already a relatively clean country.
Putting in specific plants that have been found to filter pollutants
from printers, photocopying machines, paints and so forth, will go
a long way in creating a sustainably clean environment. We could
and should do more also to reduce our reliance on plastic, and rein
in our waste by making recycling a part of Singapore life.
While we protect the local flora, we must not forget the fauna
in the country which adds to the great biodiversity on this small
mainland and our surrounding islands. Beyond visiting the zoo, we
must curb the illegal trade of exotic or endangered animals by not
buying these. The wise choice and participation in conservation
of animals can even be as simple as making better food choices
like eating for survival and not wasting food. We must teach our
next generations the importance of conservation before we lose
everything to the concrete jungle. There are many online media
platforms which are used to actively gather support for wild life
causes, and to spread awareness such as those by the World
Wildlife Fund (WWF).
- Chelsea de Mello (5B), Iman Fandi Ahmad (4H), Lyka Mae Erodias
(5A), Nera Mok (4E), Mdm Su Xue (Mother Tongue teacher), Miss
Mary Charles (Biology teacher), and Mr Jansen Tan (Chemistry and
Biology teacher)

23

Using Technology for Sustainable Living

and Farming Alternative Food Sources
With global warming, riverbanks are drying up and many lands have
been overfarmed. The burning of forests to clear land and to obtain
fertile ground adds to the problem of climate change, perpetuating
the challenge of drought.
In many countries, the ease of buying and discarding disposables
without proper legislature on the sustainable disposal of such
materials (metals in handphones, batteries and laptops, toxic
chemicals from the manufacture of manmade fabrics that wash out
into waterways, random discarding and burning of readily available
plastics from plastic bags, mineral water bottles) has resulted
in nanoparticles and potentially toxic waste products making
their way into the food chains that eventually lead back to larger
mammals like humans.
Biologists and chemists could work on ways to make environmentally
sustainable products more widely available at a lower cost but
commercial organizations and consumers need to support these
approaches too. Scientists are also looking for ways to turn low
grade, mass produced food into edible utensils to reduce use of
non-biodegradable material.
Furthermore, the rearing of big farm animals like pigs, sheep, cows
and even poultry produce a lot of waste, especially methane from
cow farms. We could look at alternative food sources like insects
which are known to be protein-rich and which can be bred in a
tightly controlled environment as a future, sustainable food source.
- Goh Si Qi (4D)

24

Using Technology to Address

the Manpower Shortage
Machinery reduces manpower for labour and may be used
to increase efficiency and productivity for many of the jobs
that we see daily. However, there is still a demand for manual
labour for jobs as small as clearing the plates after a meal, to
moving much larger objects.
Robots in public places could serve to complement humans
work. People who are less abled could simply wait for the
food to be served to their tables by robots after ordering and
paying online at a central deposit point such as the electronic
ticket purchase booths in an MRT station. Similarly, robots
could even collect the used dishes and send these to the dish
washing corners. Such robots may also be used in old folks
homes and hospitals. The Japanese are already experimenting
with adorable robotic toys shaped like baby seals, complete
with soft fur for stroking and adorable body shapes, that wink
and make cute noises as part of therapy toys for the sick and
those who need companionship.

Charmaine Chee (2F)

25

Lim Tze Ying Zann (3H)

Apart from the service and medical industries, we could

use robots to replace people involved in risky/monotonous
work like in the construction and cleaning industries. People
would then be freed-up to take on bigger roles and do more
meaningful work.
A robotic chef can help relieve the burden of working parents
who do not have helpers but need to prepare meals for the
family when they return from a long day at work. The robotic
chef can also help in other household chores such as washing
the dishes and general cleaning.
- Fiona Ong (4B), Sheryl Ang (4D), Renee Lum (4B), Lim Tae
Ying Zann (3H) and Mrs Margaret Low (English Language and
Literature teacher)

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THANK
YOU
Acknowledgements
This volume features a segment of the enthusiastic and
thoughtful contributions from the students and staff
of CHIJ St Josephs Convent. We have highlighted the
more unique and representative ideas.
We thank all our colleagues for facilitating conversations
with our students and look forward to implementing
the many interesting ideas with One Singapore
Heartbeat.

Cover design and additional graphics done by The Creative Dept.

Published 2016.

CHIJ St. Josephs Convent

62 Sengkang East Way
Singapore 548595
www.chijstjosephsconvent.moe.edu.sg

Copyright 2016 by CHIJ St. Josephs Convent

All rights reserved. This book or any portion
thereof may not be reproduced or used in
any manner whatsoever without the express
written permission of the publisher.