St Joseph's Institution, Singapore

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Saint Joseph's Institution
Name

Saint Joseph's Institution

Abbreviation

SJI

School Code

7020

Chinese Name

圣约瑟书院

Pinyin

Sheng Yue Se Shu Yuan

Malay

Institusi Saint Joseph

Tamil

Add

Address

38 Malcolm Road

Country

Singapore

Town

Bukit Timah

Founded

1852

Community

Urban

Type

Independent Secondary

Religion

Catholic

Students

Boys

Levels

Secondary 1 - 4

Colours

Green and White

Motto

Ora et Labora (Pray and Work)

Newspaper

SJI News and SJI Update Add

Yearbook

Josephian Annual Add

Distinctions

Add

Website

http://www.sji.moe.edu.sg/

Email

sji@moe.edu.sg (secondary)

Saint Joseph's Institution (SJI) is a Catholic secondary school for male students in Singapore. It was founded in 1852 as St. John's Institution and is the 3rd oldest educational institution in Singapore (the first and second being Raffles Institution and St. Margaret's Secondary School respectively) .

SJI is recognised as one of the top secondary schools in Singapore, providing a value added and all-round education to boys of all races and religions. In 1988, SJI shifted into a new campus at Malcolm Road situated just off the neighbourhood of Bukit Timah, beside the Tanglin Community Centre. The beautiful old campus with its distinctive semi-circular wings was gazetted by the Singapore National Heritage Board as a national monument. After lengthy and painstaking restoration works, it currently houses the Singapore Art Museum.

In 1990, SJI became one of the few schools invited by the then Education Minister to turn independent- a mark of its excellence. Leadership in the school has passed increasingly to lay people but they remain committed to the memory and mission of the Christian Brothers and their founder St John Baptist De La Salle.

Under the administration of Brother Paul Anthony Rogers, SJI saw its peak in growth. The addition in 1995 of a large Perfoming Arts Centre and an entirely new wing to house Secondary One students, makes it well equipped to handle the needs and demands of a growing population.

The school has performed remarkably well academically and is consistently ranked among the top secondary schools in Singapore. In September 2005, the school is one of the few in Singapore to be awarded the coveted School Distinction Award as part of the Ministry of Education's 2005 Masterplan Awards. In addition, it has been awarded the Best Practice Award for teaching and learning. SJI has also received the Sustained Achievement Award for Sports and the Sustained Achievement Award for Uniformed Groups for the third and seventh consecutive year respectively.

In terms of Co-Curricular Activities, SJI has managed to make a mark for itself in canoeing, table tennis and rugby among many other sports. The uniformed groups such as NCC(Land), NCC(Air), NPCC, Military Band (SJIMB), Pelandok Scouts and St. John Ambulance Brigade in SJI have been recognised for their discipline and excellent standards.

The current principal of SJI is Mr Benjamin Lui Seng Cheong. The deputy principals for curriculum and student development are Mrs Goh Poh Kenn and Bro Michael Broughton respectively. Bro Michael Broughton, the current Deputy Principal (Student Development), will leave to serve as Brother President in SJI International. To facilitate his exit, new appointments have been made to the school administration (beginning in 2007). Mr Sydney Tan, the current Assistant Principal (Student Development) has been promoted to Bro. Michael's position. Former principal of St. Michael's School (now St. Joseph's Institution Junior) Ms Wee Siew Sun has been appointed Deputy Principal (Special Projects).


Contents

[edit] History

SJI was founded in 1852 as the first missionary establishment of the La Salle Brothers in the Far East. The endeavour was initiated by Rev Fr Jean-Marie Beurel MEP, who offered the six Brothers who came from Europe to start the school using a former chapel as premises. Within a year, an attap hut also had to be erected to accommodate all the students. The school was originally known as St John's, but on 19 March 1855 (the day of the Feast of Saint Joseph), the corner stone of a new school building was laid. From this date onwards, the school was known as Saint Joseph's Institution. The new central classroom block was completed in 1865, though further expansion of the facilities continued into the 20th Century. The school had 426 students in 1900. This grew to almost 1200 in 1914, and 1600 in 1922. With the student numbers expanding, a temporary branch school was opened which eventually led to the building of a second school – Saint Patrick's School – in 1933.

During World War II, prior to the fall of Singapore to the Japanese, the school was used as a Red Cross hospital and housed a unit of the Civil Defence Force. A bomb hit the school courtyard during the war, leaving a crater, but the main building remained unscathed.

In 1975, SJI's pre-university classes and some its teachers were transferred to the newly-opened Catholic Junior College.

In 2002, SJI celebrated the 150th anniversary of her founding.

In 2006, SJI, upon the urging of the Economic Development Board of Singapore, has opened an international school. The SJI International will begin classes in 2007. Andrew Bennett, former Principal of the United World College of South East Asia, has been appointed the first Principal of SJI International. To safeguard Lasallian traditions in the new school, the school has also appointed SJI's Deputy Principal (Student Development) Bro. Michael Broughton as the Brother President of the School. Lawrence da Silva, a former Chairman of the United World College of South East Asia heads the interim Governing Board of the School. Mr Bennett and Mr da Silva would recreate a partnership that led to UWCSEA's outstanding IB results in previous years.

[edit] School Rally

Verse 1:

All through our college

A voice is resounding

Promptly respond to your duty's sweet call

Harken you all for the trumpet is sounding

Your mater's proclaiming

Her watch word to all

Chorus:

Forward her children dear

Ever with heart sincere

Render with joy to your mater her due

All that is vile reject

Heaven will e'er protect

Sons of St Joseph's

Valiant and True

Verse 2

Onwards and upwards in life's earnest battle

Joyously bearing the brunt of the fight

Nobly forgiving for all that may pain you

And bravely defending the cause of the right


[edit] Motto

The school motto- "Ora et Labora", Latin for "Pray and Work" is a reflection of the work ethics of the La Salle Brothers.

[edit] Summary of information

Principal

  • Mr Lui Seng Cheong

Deputy Principals

  • Mrs Goh Poh Kenn (Curriculum)
  • Brother Michael Broughton (Student Development)

Assistant Principal

  • Mr Sydney Tan (Student Development/Admissions)

Heads Of Level

  • Mr Genesius Chan (Secondary 1)
  • Mr Low June Meng (Secondary 2)
  • Mr Sirhan Ahmadiah (Secondary 3)
  • Mr Jeremy Liew (Secondary 4)

Heads Of Department

  • Mrs Sandra Lee (English Language/Literature)
  • Mrs Amy Chua (Mathematics)
  • Mrs Martina Chan (Humanities)
  • Mr Michael Chin (Science)
  • Mr Heng Guek Boon (Mother Tongue)
  • Mr Alfred Nathan (Physical Education/Sports & Games)
  • Mr Malcolm Wong (Special Programmes)
  • Mr Dominic Ang (Character Formation)
  • Mrs Rosy Goh (Information Technology)
  • Mr Bryan Poon (Information Management/Examinations)

Subject Heads

  • Mrs Janet Kwok (Media Resources/Aesthetics)
  • Mr David Kwang(LSS/JP)
  • Ms Marakatham (History)
  • Mr Alvin Chua (PSE/CG)
  • Mrs Beryl Ang (Literature)
  • Mr Lee Lye Hin (Higher Chinese)
  • Ms Siti Rahimah (Mother Tongue)
  • Mr Jude Tan (CCA)
  • Mr Tang Woh Un (Chemistry/Biology)

Bus Services

  • 57
  • 105
  • 132
  • 151
  • 153
  • 154
  • 156
  • 186
  • 190
  • 700
  • 960

Nearest MRT Station

  • Newton

School Vision
SJI: A world-class Lasallian institution. We shall be recognised for our innovative programmes; developing independent, collaborative learners and nurturing persons of faith and service.

School Mission
Enabling youth in a Lasallian community to learn how to learn and to learn how to live; empowering them to become men of integrity and men for others.

Type of School
Independent School / Boys' School / Single Session

Mother Tongue
Chinese / Malay / Tamil

Affiliated Schools

  • De La Salle School
  • St. Michael's School
  • St. Stephen's School
  • St. Anthony's Primary School
  • St. Patrick's School

Subjects Offered

  • Additional Mathematics
  • Art and Design
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Physics
  • Chinese
  • Malay
  • Tamil
  • Higher Chinese
  • Higher Malay
  • Higher Tamil
  • Combined Humanities (S, G)
  • Combined Humanities (S, L)
  • Combined Humanities (S, H)
  • English Language
  • French
  • Geography (Revised)
  • German
  • Higher Chinese
  • Higher Malay
  • Higher Tamil
  • History (Revised)
  • History (World Affairs)
  • Japanese, Literature (E)
  • Literature (T)
  • Mathematics
  • Music 'O' Level
  • Physical Education
  • Visual Arts

CCAs offered

Sports & Games

  • Badminton
  • Canoeing
  • Fencing
  • Gymnastics
  • Hockey
  • Judo
  • Rugby
  • Sailing
  • Squash
  • Swimming
  • Table Tennis
  • Tennis
  • Tenpin Bowling
  • Track & Field

UGOs

  • National Cadet Corps (Land)
  • National Cadet Corps (Air)
  • National Police Cadet Corps
  • St. Joseph's Pelandok Scouts
  • St. John Ambulance Brigade
  • SJI Military Band

Clubs & Societies

  • Drama Club
  • Chess Club
  • Chinese Language Society
  • Computer Club
  • Robotics Club
  • Micromouse Club
  • Mediamorphosis - SJI (Multimedia Club)
  • Design Club
  • English Language Society
  • Guitar Ensemble
  • Legion of Mary
  • Malay Language Society
  • Music Ministry
  • Society of St. Vincent De Paul
  • The Beurel
  • Tamil Language Society
  • Young Christian Students

[edit] Uniform

The boys of SJI are dressed in white shirt and pants. Lower Secondary boys wear shorts while students in the Upper Secondary levels are dressed in pants. The badge is to be worn on the top right hand corner of the shirt pocket.

Green and white striped ties are to be worn at the start of each school week, and on special occasions. For prefects, a dark green tie will be worn instead. Prefects are to wear those ties on every school day.

Senior prefects will be issued a badge denoting prefectorial status. It is to be worn on the middle of the pocket. They need not wear the regular school badge.

The school also introduced the SJI windbreaker from 2005 onwards. The windbreaker is dark green in colour with 'SJI' imprinted on the back of the windbreaker.

[edit] Notable Alumni

  • Bernard Chen - Former Minister of State and MP
  • Christopher James de Souza - MP, PAP youth wing
  • Gerard Ee - ex-interim Chief Executive Officer of NKF, NCSS, AA, PTA etc etc. also a Justice of the Peace
  • Goh Tat Chuan - Singapore national soccer player
  • Julian Hee - actor and model
  • Khoo Teck Puat - Singapore tycoon
  • Kevin Ou - Commercial and Celebrity Photographer, based in Los Angeles / New York
  • Dick Lee - one of Asia's most well-known musicians; Cultural Medallion winner
  • Leong Kok Fann - Former Singapore national soccer player
  • Mah Bow Tan - Minister for National Development & Deputy Leader of the House
  • Jeremy Monteiro - King of Swing, virtuoso jazz pianist; Cultural Medallion winner
  • Leslie Pillay - Host, compere
  • Andrew Lum - producer, arranger, composer; founder of New Asia Records
  • K.F. Seetoh - Makan Sutra food guru
  • Dr Tony Tan - former Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore (stepped down September 1, 2005)
  • Rear-Admiral (NS) Teo Chee Hean - Minister for Defence
  • Mark Van Cuylenberg - also widely known as The Flying Dutchman; host, compere, radio personality
  • Bryan Wong - Mediacorp actor and host
  • Brigadier-General George Yeo - Minister for Foreign Affairs
  • Philip Yeo - Chairman, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
  • Andy Cheong - Singapore national squash player, Secretary of the Singapore Squash Raquets Association, Excellence in sports

[edit] See also

[edit] External links