2022 English Language Literature Festival Week

The annual English Language and Literature Festival (ELLF) Week was held from 18 to 22 April this year. Themed ‘Through Space and Time’, it was jam-packed with a multitude of exciting workshops and programmes to foster our love for the English Language. Throughout the week, we stayed tune to the EL Instagram account (#sn_el.lit) which broadcasted all the upcoming exciting events.

One such activity was the On-The-Spot Poetry Writing Workshop hosted by Mr Adam Tie from The Novel Encounter. On 19 April, Mr Adam spoke to the aspiring poets of St Nicks, urging the students to push boundaries and to try something new. He said, “Someday, someone’s gonna write something that moves and inspires people in the most amazing, curious way. Why can’t that be you?” Despite being an introvert, Mr Adam managed to carry out the workshop with a lot of energy and enthusiasm – he animatedly whipped out his typewriter and asked for a few words before expertly weaving them into a poem. 

A novel event that was introduced this year was the “Book Character Day”! Many of us were excited to dress up and come to school in outfits that were iconic of their favourite characters from books. We really let our imagination run wild that day and recreated characters’ images innovatively. The top three best characters even won Kinokuniya vouchers! When the emcees announced the winners, we could hear the thunderous applause and cheering from the classes. Book Character Day 2022 was definitely a day to remember!

We ended ELLF week with an enthralling inter-class speech competition. Everyone was mesmerised by the insightful and engaging presentation from the Lower Secondary students. From what some of them thought about TikTok to others’ defining what “illusions” meant to them, the speakers shared their unique opinions and thoughts confidently, expressing themselves vividly. Behind the scenes, every student painstakingly prepared attractive decks of slides and well-written speeches in order to get selected to represent their class for the competition. Numerous classes erupted into vibrant cheer as they saw their classmates appearing on the screen. The competition was a tremendous success, helping the students to gain confidence and learn more about the English Language. 

Naturally, we cannot forget the Upper Secondary segment of the competition, where the speakers were given a platform to voice their opinions on their chosen topics. The top three speakers from each level took the stage, or in this case Zoom screen, to deliver their speeches with confidence and charisma. Presenting to a large audience over a virtual platform is no easy feat but that did not hinder their spirits, winning the judges over with their convincing arguments. Our Principal, Mrs Fiona Tan, commended the speakers for incorporating fresh insights in their speeches, while our Vice-Principal Mr Aloysius Ting affirmed that “SN girls can do whatever they set their minds to”. Indeed, the speakers have proven that with determination, we can overcome many obstacles.

ELLF week gave us numerous opportunities to pursue our interests in the English Language and Literature outside of the curriculum. Although we have to bid it farewell, the week could not have ended on a better note and we are certain these memories will stay with us through Space and Time.

Alicia Chua,1 Purity

Sophia Teo, 2 Grace

Jovi Tay, 2 Truth

Tan Ting Xuan, 3 Truth

2022