HARBORVIEW DENTAL CLINIC

TEMPORARY CLINIC CLOSURE NOTICE

Dear Valued Patients,
Please be informed that our clinic will be closed for the annual facility renovation and New Year holiday from:
Wednesday, 24th December 2025 to Sunday, 4th January 2026.
We will resume normal consultations on Monday, 5th January 2026 at 08.00 AM.

During this closure, routine appointments will not be scheduled.
For urgent dental trauma or emergency relief, please visit our referral partner:
City General Hospital Emergency Unit, 45 Merlion Boulevard.

Sometimes the shadows make me afraid,
Wondering if errors will never fade.
Yet every dark stroke and crooked line,
Guides me closer to my own design.

With patience and grit, I greet the dawn,
Knowing my doubts will soon be gone.
To paint my own story, bold and true,
To turn every obstacle into something new.

Jacques-Yves Cousteau was a pioneering French naval officer, oceanographer, filmmaker, and environmental conservationist. Born in Saint-André-de-Cubzac, France, in 1910, Cousteau was captivated by the wonders of the ocean from early childhood. His boundless curiosity inspired him to explore marine realms that had previously been hidden from human eyes.

Cousteau co-invented the Aqua-Lung (the first modern underwater open-circuit scuba diving system) in 1943. This breakthrough invention allowed divers to swim freely and stay underwater for extended periods without bulky heavy suits. Throughout his voyage aboard his iconic research ship, Calypso, Cousteau produced groundbreaking documentaries and television series, revealing the breathtaking beauty and fragile nature of coral reefs and marine species to audiences worldwide.

Beyond his technological and cinematic achievements, Cousteau was a passionate protector of marine ecosystems. He established the Cousteau Society to campaign against maritime pollution, commercial overexploitation of marine resources, and the destruction of fragile underwater habitats. Through his persistent advocacy, he played an instrumental role in establishing global restrictions on commercial whaling and keeping Antarctica protected from industrial exploitation.

Last semester, my school registered our robotics squad for the National Youth Innovation Olympiad. It was an intense yet thoroughly rewarding endeavor that challenged our creativity, scientific thinking, and team synergy.

Our preparation spanned over three rigorous months. We spent countless late afternoons in the laboratory designing our smart flood-monitoring prototype, programming sensors, and calibrating water flow algorithms with our teacher coach. There were moments of sheer frustration when short circuits damaged our microcontrollers or when our prototype failed testing runs. However, we persisted, reviewed our schematics, and learned from every single malfunction.

On the competition day, we presented our live prototype before a panel of veteran engineering judges and faced fierce competition from thirty top schools. Although our team finished as the first runner-up (second place) instead of bringing home the champions’ trophy, we received an extraordinary standing ovation and high praises for our original sensor logic.

Looking back, the tournament taught me that true victory lies not merely in holding a first-place trophy, but in the perseverance, analytical skills, and unbreakable teamwork forged through the journey.

Long ago, a proud king ruled over a fertile kingdom. One evening, desiring to hear words of flattery, the king summoned his three daughters and asked, “Tell me, how deeply do you cherish your father?”

The eldest daughter curtsied and declared, “Beloved Father, I love you more than all the gold, glittering diamonds, and royal crowns in the world!” The king beamed with supreme joy.

The second daughter smiled sweetly and proclaimed, “My King, my love for you is sweeter than the finest honey and richer than vintage wine.” The king nodded with profound satisfaction.

Finally, the youngest daughter, Cordelia, stepped forward and spoke sincerely, “Father, I love you as dearly as pure water and fresh salt in our daily nourishment.”

Enraged by her humble comparison, the king roared, “Salt is ordinary, cheap, and tossed in the dirt! You dare equate my majesty to common kitchen seasoning?” In blind fury, he banished Cordelia from his realm and forbade her from ever setting foot in the royal court again.

Years passed, and the king was invited to a majestic feast hosted by a neighboring emperor. However, every dish served at the banquet tasted entirely flat, tasteless, and repulsive. When the king asked why the dishes lacked any flavor, the chef explained that at the request of the emperor’s bride, not a single pinch of salt was added to any meal. At that moment, the king realized that without humble salt, even the most lavish culinary feast became worthless. Overcome with deep regret, he broke into tears of remorse.

Just then, the emperor’s bride stepped forward, lifted her silk veil, and revealed herself as Cordelia. The king fell to his knees, begging for her pardon. Cordelia embraced him warmly with tears of joy, and the kingdom lived in wisdom and harmony ever after.

SMART CYBERSECURITY PRACTICES FOR TEENS

Securing your social media accounts protects your personal identity, reputation, and digital safety:

1. Activate Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Require an SMS code or authenticator app confirmation in addition to your password whenever logging in from unfamiliar devices.
2. Filter Post Visibility: Change default account visibility from “Public” to “Friends Only” or “Private Account” so strangers cannot monitor your daily routine.
3. Disable Geolocation Stamping: Turn off GPS location tagging on photo posts and activate “Ghost Mode” on location-sharing apps so your exact residence coordinates remain private.
4. Manage Tag Approvals: Enable timeline review settings to inspect and approve photos or posts where friends tag your name before they display on your profile.
5. Decline Unknown Contact Inquiries: Restrict direct messaging and friend requests strictly to people you know personally in offline life.

In the contemporary digital era, artificial intelligence (AI) tools and algorithmic applications have transformed how secondary school students conduct academic inquiry. While technological proponents highlight unmatched efficiency in data retrieval, the unchecked overreliance on automated answers presents alarming cognitive drawbacks that educators cannot overlook.

First and foremost, excessive dependence on automated generators severely weakens independent critical thinking and cognitive problem-solving. When learners delegate essay composition, mathematical calculations, and conceptual reasoning to software, they bypass the essential cognitive struggle required to build neural mastery. Consequently, students may obtain high superficial grades while lacking the capacity to explain basic concepts spontaneously in person.

Moreover, generative AI tools frequently hallucinate inaccuracies, fabricated quotes, and biased assumptions disguised as reliable facts. Secondary students often lack the rigorous information literacy necessary to cross-examine source citations. Accepting digital outputs without verification breeds misinformation and intellectual passivity.

In conclusion, while digital AI assistants offer beneficial supplementary support, they must never replace active mental effort. Educators and students must balance technology use by viewing AI merely as a brainstorming catalyst rather than an infallible shortcut for genuine learning.