Total Defence Day 2019

It was on a Friday, 15 February 2019, that we commemorated Total Defence Day (TDD). The theme for this year was “Together, We Keep Singapore Strong”. As usual, the day began with a parade of the four Uniformed Groups (UG) - Girl Guides, National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC), and Red Cross Youth. After the parade, our principal Mrs Chong, delivered the TDD message on behalf of the Minister of Defence.

For weeks, the CrezAmbassadors had been planning the week of activities leading up to the TDD celebration on 15 February. After numerous rounds of discussion, we finally agreed on a short skit to kick-start TDD week, two level-wide competitions (i.e. the photo challenge and the mannequin challenge), and a game session on the day itself. Keeping in mind that the competitions had to educate Crescentians about TDD in an engaging manner, we decided to include the history of Singapore and how it played a big part in shaping our nation today.

The short skit prepared by the CrezAmbassadors was presented on Tuesday morning, during the reading period, and was based on the reading article that week. It creatively showcased the importance of working together as one in order to overcome greater challenges, thereby introducing this year’s theme. Crescentians were given an article which described the contributions made by both the government and the citizens during the alarming haze period that occurred in 2015 and the trying SARS epidemic in 2003.

On 15 February, it was finally time for our TDD commemoration in the hall. The CrezAmbassadors engaged the school in a game, where the main objective was to rescue our principal Mrs Chong, who had been kidnapped by terrorists. They had to respond accurately to several questions about National Education in order to save her. To ensure that all Crescentians had a fair chance in answering the questions, a “ticking time bomb” was passed across levels and the last person to hold it after the time ran out would get to answer the question. All students actively participated and enjoyed the game.

Planning for Total Defence Day was a very fulfilling and enriching experience that helped us learn more about the importance and responsibilities of citizenship. It also helped our fellow schoolmates learn about the history of our nation and how that has played a major role in today’s society.

Written By: Sanikere Shristi Dinesh (3C1) and Thirunavukkarasu Harshini (4S2)