PAT stands for Parents’ Action Team. And yes, the parents are
actively involved in certain school projects. It is an energetic
group of highly- enthusiastic and super-charged parents who
work at successfully carrying out these projects. There is much fun
and camaraderie in working together, be it in the Parent- Mentor
scheme for the foreign scholars, the Exam Food Ministry, Teachers’
Day celebrations, AC Passion, Prayer meetings and the mother of
all fun-fairs, Fun-O-Rama. The list of activities can go on and the
parents can choose their pet activity to be involved in.
Our students are at a certain level of maturity where they
appreciate autonomy, freedom and privacy. As parents, our forms
of communication with them may be highly limited and very often,
lacking. PAT serves as an excellent non-threatening platform for
parents to quietly stand behind the scene, support our students and
college and in doing so, support our own children. Many of life’s
lessons are caught, not taught. We role-model for our own children
as we work, serve and volunteer freely at PAT.
Of course, our ACJC students really appreciate the strong support
given by the loving parents. PAT often receives notes of appreciation,
loud expressions of thanks and even applause from the students!
At PAT, there is a strong and familial bond. The parents come from
diverse backgrounds but we are united and able to share our
common issues that may concern family or even work, and work
together for the good of the college.
 Food is a strong feature in the work of PAT. The students enjoy a lot
of opportunities for home-cooked food, and especially so during
the Exam Food Ministry. Many have come to hear of this ministry
as “legendary”. The Exam Food Ministry occurs every September-
October season when the students are preparing for their A levels.
The parents come in well-organised troves, with pots and pots of
food, lovingly prepared in the homes, for our students. While this
mega project has gained much fame and mention in many schools
outside the AC fraternity, it does not take too much out of a single
parent. All we need is a parent committed to a single pot of food,
be it curry, stewed chicken or vegetables, for a single day of week
and at a total of 4 weeks. This works out to only 4 pots of food for
that a single parent. Truly, many raindrops an ocean make. The
Exam Food Ministry is a project that depicts the parents’ quiet yet
enthusiastic and unfailing support in the students’ quest for academic
excellence. It signals to the students our commitment to provide the
necessary nutrition and environment to aid them in this important
quest of their lives.
For PAT, the gain is immeasurable. Our students learn that it is a
blessing to be on the receiving end and that it is an even greater
blessing to be able to give cheerfully. They learn to be generous
to other people in need, look out for each other, during the college
years and beyond. And this will translate to the society at large in
time to come. PAT has an important role to play in the college and
we aim to serve God and Man well.
Mrs Elizabeth Yeak
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