How do you say goodbye to a school that you have shepherded over seven years?

We follow Mr Raymond Poon, Principal of Hong Wen School, on his last day and are caught up in the outpouring of affection, thank-you cards, hugs and chants of “Mr Poon-Mr Poon”. 

By Heather Leong, Dian Afiqah Salaihuddin and Neo Wen Tong

---

From arrival to dismissal, the photos show how Hong Wen School’s students and teachers celebrated Mr Poon and the impact he has had on them. Watch out for Part 2, when we will once again follow Mr Poon on his first day as Principal at his next posting at Kong Hwa School.

When Hong Wen School students stream into school in the morning, the first person they are likely to see is their Principal Mr Raymond Poon. For the last seven years, Mr Poon has made it a point to stand at the school gate every morning to greet the children. Mr Poon joined Hong Wen School in 2013 as Vice-Principal, and became Principal after three months. 

“I started this practice as I wanted to know the school and the students better and to ingrain in the students the practice of greeting with a bow. And I wanted to role model it. So, I rotate between the foyer and the side gate. I think it’s important for the children to have someone greet them in the morning,” says Mr Poon. 

It’s 6.45am and Mr Poon is already at the gate. “Early mornings are the only times that I can protect within my means. Once the school day starts, my time is not always within my control,” Mr Poon laughs. 

“When my colleagues and I are at the gate or foyer, we witness many heart-warming scenes. Parents hug children, children kiss their parents, siblings hold each other’s hands… It tells us a lot about our children and their families. These scenes recharge me.”

We’ve been at the gate for 15 minutes, and Mr Poon’s hands are already full of cards and notes from students, who stop by to pass them to him. Every now and then, he has to place the cards at a nearby table, so that his hands are free to receive more.

“It’s been like this every day since last week, after Mr Poon told the students that he will be posting to another school,” says Vice-Principal (Admin) Ms Jenny Tan.

For every student who stops by, Mr Poon chats with them for a few moments before they go on their way. 

Parents know that they can catch Mr Poon at the gate too. Mr Ng Teck Seng, father of Primary 1 student Ethan Ng, came ready with a camera to snap a few photos of his son with Mr Poon, and to thank Mr Poon for the support he has shown Ethan in his first year of Primary school.

We offer to help Mr Ng take a photo with Mr Poon before he leaves.

“Seeing the children greet me, and interacting with them and parents at the gate, are what I will truly miss about Hong Wen,” Mr Poon shares.

It’s 7.30am and arrival is over. Ms Tan ushers Mr Poon to the school library for a surprise farewell ceremony. The school’s ICT team had set up a live stream, so that the whole school could tune in from their classrooms and Mr Poon could address everyone together for the last time. 

A few surprise guests arrive too – the Parent Support Group chairman Mr Alvin Tay and the chairperson of the alumni association Ms Jessie Tay.

Ms Tan informs Mr Poon that he has 15 minutes to address the school. 

“Huh? Now?” Without a prepared speech in hand, Mr Poon delivers a spirited message to pay tribute to school leaders before him, thank the students, and reassure them that he has every confidence that the next Principal will bring Hong Wen School to new heights. 

Vice-Principals Mr John Lim and Ms Tan present Mr Poon with a framed Hong Wen uniform as a memento, and Mr Poon sportingly poses with it in front of the webcam so his students can get a good look – and have a good laugh.

We get a 30-minute break before the next item on the day’s programme, and Mr Poon invites us to his office.

He sits down and starts preparing Chinese tea – Oolong Tie Guan Yin – and shares that it was a hobby that became a habit after he came to Hong Wen School. He shares that he regularly offers tea to guests and staff when they visit his office, but staff often do not have the luxury of time to sit down for a cuppa as they come by between lessons.

Over sips of tea, Mr Poon talks about his 21-year career in teaching. He started as a Chinese Language teacher in 1999 in Moulmein Primary School, influenced by his father who was also a Chinese Language teacher. He subsequently became the Head of Department for ICT at Balestier Hill Primary, then spent eight years in Hougang Primary as Head of Department for Chinese Language, then Vice-Principal. He was posted to Hong Wen School in September 2013, and appointed Principal in January 2014.

It is 10am – recess time – and Mr Poon heads to the canteen. Once we arrive, it is evident that the students are expecting him. They gather around to ask their Principal to pen messages in the school’s year book, pass him cards, or simply wave and say hello.

“How did you know that Mr Poon would be here?” we asked a student who was waiting for her turn to get her year book signed. “Oh, Mr Poon always comes to the canteen to talk to us. He’ll ask us ‘How are you feeling today?’ ‘How are you doing?’”

For the rest of the morning, Mr Poon goes from classroom to classroom, as different classes have requested him to attend their little farewell events. 

Every time we entered a class, a queue of students would form, waiting for their turn to talk to Mr Poon. Even as he walks from place to place, there is a constant trickle of students running up to him to hand him something they made.

“Mr Poon! Mr Poon! Mr Poon!” We must have heard this a thousand times that day. We were trying to take a photo of Mr Poon in the school courtyard, and this turned into a meet-and-greet-from-afar session, with students excitedly calling his name from the corridors outside their classrooms.

Dismissal time comes around and Mr Poon is back at the school gate to wave goodbye to the students. “Luckily the weather is good today,” he says. “Every day at 12.45pm, we’ll be looking up at the skies, in case we need to activate our wet weather dismissal plan.”

Students continue to pass him cards on their way out. Another parent drops by for a chat, and an alumnus, who graduated two years ago, makes an impromptu visit.

With students dismissed, the school quietens down. Mr Poon brings us to this patch of bamboo forest, which he enjoys viewing from the second storey. It’s one of his favourite spots in the school. “It gives me a sense of serenity, and I’m particularly fond of these two lines – 未出土时先有节 及凌云处尚虚心. It talks about bamboo having strong joints before it grows out of the ground, and even while rising to greater heights, it remains modest.”

There are similarities when he speaks about his leadership style. “I see myself as the ‘plus’ in an equation. It’s about bringing people together and collectively bringing about outcomes for others. Everyone has something to contribute.”

As we finish up for the day, we remind Mr Poon of the second part to this story, where we will join him on his first day at Kong Hwa School. This time, we’ll be sure to head straight to the school gate.