Hwa Chong Institution
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| Name | Hwa Chong Institution (Chinese: 华侨中学) |
| Abbreviation | HCI |
| School Code | 0806 |
| Address | 661, Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 269734 |
| Formation | Merger of The Chinese High School (est. 21 March 1919) & Hwa Chong Junior College (est. 1974) on 1 January 2005 |
| Motto | 自强不息 |
| Guiding Principle | 饮水思源 |
| Mission | With our blend of tradition and innovation, we nurture leaders in research, industry and government, who have the integrity, wisdom, passion and vision, to succeed in the global environment and serve our nation. |
| Philosophy | Win-Win 己立立人 己达达人 Live with passion, Lead with Compassion |
| Type | Independent Secondary School & Junior College |
| Religion | Secular |
| Students | Boys (Secondary 1 – 4), Mixed (JC 1 – JC 2) |
| Colours | Red, Yellow |
| Publications | Hwa Chong Highlights, MOCH (Hwa Chong's own magazine) |
| Website | HwaChong.edu.sg |
Hwa Chong Institution (Simplified Chinese: 华侨中学; Traditional Chinese: 華僑中學; pinyin: Húaqíao Zhōngxúe) is a junior college offering education from a Secondary (High School) to Pre-University (Senior High) level in Singapore. Previously two separate but affiliated schools, The Chinese High School and Hwa Chong Junior College, the Institution was the result of a merger which was officiated on 1 January 2005.
[edit] Overview
The school offers a 6-year Integrated Programme from Secondary 1 to JC 2. The program will allow students to skip the GCE 'O' Levels, taking GCE 'A' Levels at the end of their six years in the school. This gives the students much more time to embark on various educational endeavours that will greatly benefit them. An example of this would be the Hwa Chong Sabbaticals, which allows students to spend one of the last weeks each term undergoing programmes which allow them to develop their interests, such as music composition as well as camps and field trips abroad. 90% of students who graduate from Hwa Chong Institution and complete their 'A' levels then go on to attend university, in Singapore and abroad.
The school has also been consistently ranked among the best of Singapore's schools, and has to date, produced 46 President's Scholars, the highest number among all Junior Colleges in Singapore. In addition, the school spans a large area of 79 acres (320,000 m²), making it one of the largest schools in Singapore and South East Asia.
[edit] History
The high school section, previously known as The Chinese High School, was founded by philanthropist Tan Kah Kee on March 21, 1919, being the first high school at that time in South-east Asia to cater to different Chinese dialect groups. On the other hand, the college section, previously known as Hwa Chong Junior College, was established in 1974 at the Bukit Timah Road campus of The Chinese High School, but under the same management board with the latter school. On 1 January 2005, the two schools merged as one institution, the result of months of negotiations between the Ministy of Education and the schools' Board of Directors and Governors.
The Hwa Chong Institution Tower Block was declared a National Monument in 1999.
[edit] School uniform
The school uniform for Secondary One to Secondary Three students consist of a white short-sleeved shirt with four brass buttons(two on the shoulders, and one for each breast pocket), with a pair of khaki shorts. The school uniform for Secondary Four students and male students from the college section consist of a beige short-sleeved shirt and beige long pants. Female students from the college section wear a beige short-sleeved blouse and a beige skirt with PE shorts underneath. All students from both the high school and college sections wear their school badge, which is their school logo, in the form of a collar pin, on their left collar.
[edit] School song
The school song is in classical Chinese.
新加坡南洋华侨中学校歌
海天寥廓 云树苍笼 中有我华中
礼门义路 时雨春风 吾侪托帡幪
猗与华中 南方之强 我中华之光
雄立狮岛 式是炎荒 万世其无疆
人生茫茫 学海洋洋 吾侪当自强
朝乾夕惕 日就月将 莫负好时光
猗与华中 南方之强 我中华之光
雄立狮岛 式是炎荒 万世其无疆
迨予庶士 笃实辉光 斐然已成章
膂力方刚 经营四方 前途浩且长
猗与华中 南方之强 我中华之光
雄立狮岛 式是炎荒 万世其无疆
After the merger, an English version of the school song – the original English school anthem of Hwa Chong Junior College, was introduced.
As part of our glorious land, sharing her spreading fame, Hwa Chong will firmly stand, always to maintain her name. Multi-racial we study together, for knowledge we wish to attain. Many races we shall gather, each day to achieve its aim. We shall strive with verve, for health in body and mind. We'll learn to lead and yet to serve in character ruggedly fine. May Hwa Chong shine forever, her name big and strong, One and all, let's stand by her, that she may live on and on.
[edit] Consortiums and Faculties
[edit] Consortiums
The High School section consists of 4 consortiums - Aphelion, Ortus, ProEd and iSpark. The consortiums work closely with one another and each have their own council of students.
[edit] Aphelion
Students from the Aphelion consortium are known as Aphelions.
The target of Aphelion is, "building bridges, realising dreams". It is led by the Director of Consortium, Mrs. Ke Ee Kian, and the Assistant Director of Consortium, Mr Joseph Sim Chow Meng.
The Aphelion Council, with its 41-men strong force, is the biggest consortium council in the school. It organises major events like SMOPS (Singapore Mathematical Olympiad For Primary Schools) and the subsequent round, APMOPS (Asia Pacific Mathematical Olympiad For Primary Schools). The Aphelion Council is currently led by Cai Yong, the council chairman, with close assistance from his vice chairmen, Remus Tan, Caleb Lim, Benjamin Chin and Alwyn Loy.
[edit] Proed
Students from the Proed consortium are known as Proedians.
Staff are split into teams to maximise efficiency and to maximise student's holistic development, e.g. students exchanges team, curriculum innovations team, leadership team etc. Mr. Ng Seaw Choon was one of Proed's pioneer members and has been instrumental in transforming the consortium into what it is today. The consortium is led by Director of Consortium, Mr Charles Low, since 2007. He is assisted by Mr Tan Kok Kim. ProEd council is currently headed by Aaron Koh, and Yao Tian and the tall dark handsome Xing Yun!
[edit] Ortus
Students from the Ortus consortium are known as Ortusians.
In 2002, Ortus was formed from the merger of former consortiums Radix and Quest. It is led by Ms Koe Heong Yin and Assistant Director of Consortium, Mdm Ong Lay Peng. Ortus Council proudly organizes many school based events such as Open House, Racial Harmony Day and many more council initiatives. Ortus Council is currently headed by black Bertrand Tan and assisted by Cai Hongliang , Ng Zhi Yi, Ng Yu Hui and Zech Tan.
[edit] iSpark
Students from the iSpark consortium are known as iSparkians. In 2000, the iSpark consortium was formed, with 7 GEP classes (the 7th including the CHS-GEP class, 3O) stretching across 2 levels. This year, the consortium has a total of 13 classes with an average number of 25 students per class. It is led by Ms Jasmine Tey. The Assistant Directors of Consortium are Ms Clarinda Choh and Ms Letchmi d/o Ponnusamy.
The current Executive Committee of iCouncil, the student council of iSpark, consists of Quek Baifeng, Chua Zongxian, Ng Li Ki, Zachary Lim Shi Jie and Aw Wenhao, the chairman. The current council mentors are Mr Benjamin Lee and Mrs Koh-Oon Hsiu Leng.
[edit] Faculties
The college section consist of 4 faculties, named after the Greek Gods Apollo, Ares, Athena and Artemis.
In 2006, the Social and Relations committee of the college's 32nd Students' Council launched the inaugural Faculty Shield. The Faculty Shield is a competition among the 4 faculties in which the faculty with the highest number of points at the end of the year wins the challenge Shield. Points are gained from events that allow each faculty to show their strong faculty spirit, such as the Chinese New Year Faculty Dance competition, the Combined Schools Sports Meet and also the Cheering competition on the final day of CSM. Inter-faculty competitions, such as Dramafeste and Hwa Chong Idol and other inter-CT CCA competitions also allow each faculty to earn points towards winning the faculty shield.
List of Major competitions (in chronological order)
- O1 War Games
- CNY Faculty Dance competition
- Dramafeste
- Hwa Chong Idol
- Annual Cross Country Meet
- Combined Sports Meet (CSM)
- Best Cheering Faculty for CSM
- Festival of Sports
On top of the Faculty Shield, faculty life in Hwa Chong is further spiced up by the various faculty events, the most prominent one being the Faculty Outings organised by the Faculty Committees.
[edit] Councils
[edit] Consortium Councils
The 4 Consortium Councils are representatives of the student body and also co-operate with the High School Council in organising welfare initiatives for the students.
Each council includes Sec 1 Councillors-in-training (CsIT) that help out during major events such as the SMOPS and PTGs. After a year of training and expertise, these CsIT are then promoted to full-fledged councillors and become ambassadors of the school at Year 2 and 3, also organising events such as End of Term Activities (EOTA) and other welfare initiatives for their respective consortium. Some may also get chosen to organize important school-wide events such as Secondary One Orientation, and international conventions like the Student Leaders Convention.
When Year 3 councillors progress to Year 4, they can choose to run for High School Council elections or focus on other aspects of leadership such as the Class Management Committee (CMC) or ExCo positions in their various CCAs.
[edit] Students' Council
Evolving from the fomer Chinese High Students Union, the current Students' Council is divided into 2 sections, the College Council and the High School Council.
[edit] College Council
The College Council organises 7 major events for the school, namely Orientation (O1), Chinese New Year (CNY), Council Elections, Teachers' Day (TD), Mid-Autumn Festival (MAF), Open House (OH) and the Seniors' Promenade. Besides these 7 major working events, other ad-hoc activities are also organised. These include: SCREAM (halloween celebrations cum haunted trail + maze), Friendship Day celebrations, and H3 (Happy Half hour).
The College Council consists of 4 committees, namely the Co-Curricular Activities Committee (ECACO), the Publications Committee (PUBCO), the Social and Relations committee (SnR) and the Welfare Committee (WELCO).
Co-Curricular Activities Committee (ECACO)
- The Co-Curricular Activities Committee consists of the Cheer I/Cs, who are in charge of leading the school to cheer during sport events; the Dance I/Cs, who are in charge of leading the school in mass dances during traditional events like Orientation for First-Intakers (O1), Chinese New Year (CNY) and Mid-Autumn Festival (MAF); and the Song I/Cs, who are in charge of leading the school to sing the college songs during O1, CNY and MAF.
Publications Committee (PUBCO)
- In charge of all publicity material and initiatives, the Publications Committee designs events webpages, banners, the Student's Handbook, the TV Messenging System and is also charged with the publication of MOCH!!!, which stands for Hwachong's Own Magazine spelt backwards.
Social and Relations committee (SnR)
- The Social and Relations Committee seeks to foster ties between the Council, the student body and the school administration. Incorporating the inspirational faculty heads into the committee, SnR aims to foster strong faculty spirit, and in turn, the indomitable Hwa Chong spirit. Under this committee, are the various faculty committees and the Students' National Education Committee (SNEC), which is in charge of organising events such as Racial Harmony Day and the National Day Celebrations.
Welfare Committee (WELCO)
- The Welfare Committee takes charge of the Student's Feedback board as well as all the services provided in the welfare room, such as the sales of snacks like Mamee, Hello Panda, manages the loans of PE t-shirts and blazers, and maintains the umbrella loaning services. In a nutshell, WELCO looks into the overall welfare of the student population in Hwa Chong, inclusive of their day-to-day needs.
[edit] High School Council
The High School Council organises several events for the school, and pushes for the welfare of the students. It is made up of 16 Secondary 4 students, together with the Executive Committee (ExCo) of the four consortium councils. The current council mentors for the High School Council are Mr Fong Wai Yuen and Ms Foo Xiao Chih. The High School Council is divided into 5 different committees, namely Public Relations, Quartermasters (Logistics), Welfare, Projects and Administration.
The Administration Committee includes the President, Lim Jia Chen, Vice-President, Lim Jia Wei, General Secretary, Li Xiang and Treasurer, Tan Jun Lin. The Public Relations Committee consists of Terence Tan and Wong Qi Han. The Quartermasters are Jasper Fong and Kwan Jin Yao. The Welfare Committee comprises of Kan Zi Yang, Li Jianrui and Jonathan Lee. The Projects Commitee is made up of Jerrold Chong, Alvin Tan, Jason Boey, Douglas Pang and Alex Chan.
[edit] Class Member Committee (CMC)
Every class has its own Class Member Committee (CMC), headed by the Chairman, Monitor, Secretary, Treasurer, Welfare Secretary and the Facilities Secretary.
[edit] Information technology facilities
There are three main platforms which improve both the teachers' and the students' quality of education by allowing them to do a great deal of everyday tasks online. They are the EMB (Electronic Message Board), IVLE (Integrated Virtual Learning Environment) and the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment). These facilities can be accessed from the school homepage via links.
[edit] Electronic Message Board
The Electronic Message Board [1], also known as the Summary Message Board (SMB), was written by Koh Kim Tian, a teacher teaching programming and IT, and acts as an announcement board. Its implementation drastically reduced the amount of time spent on morning announcements. Anything ranging from private messages to a small group of students to important administrative matters addressed to all students can be put up by teachers. Every student is classified into his class, EP3 grouping and level, such that messages addressed to any of these groups can only be seen by the respective members and not on everyone else, thus minimizing clutter generating by messages not pertinent to the individual. In some cases, EP3 heads/chairmen will be granted the right to post messages on the EMB.
[edit] Integrated Virtual Learning Environment
The Integrated Virtual Learning Environment [2] acts as a place where assignments and/or learning materials can be found as soft copies. In the event that a student misplaces a particular handout, the IVLE is the place to go. Progress statistics are also encompassed within the IVLE. Only teachers and students can access this password-protected portal.
[edit] Virtual Learning Environment
The Virtual Learning Environment VLE was developed by teachers and students to facilitate online learning through Flash animation and online articles. Only teachers and students can access this password-protected portal.
[edit] Network accounts
Every student is also given an account on the school Intranet. He is allotted 20 megabytes of hard disk space on their individual folder on a network drive to store personal files. Access to other network drives is strictly monitored, with all teachers' files being locked and inaccessible to students. Additionally, every student is also allocated 10 megabytes of space on the school web server to upload files or publish content. This is accessed via the FTP protocol. Accounts are banned if students are caught playing games or surfing restricted sites. There are many technicians who would monitor the networks and ban when it is called for.
[edit] Weekly Assemblies
In the high school section, assemblies are held weekly. Different levels have their assembly sessions over four days in the week. One of the main appeals of the assemblies is the principal dialogue session, where a special topic of discussion is initiated by the panelists and is discussed together with the students. Pupils are generally forthcoming with their views and do observe appropriate decorums. More importantly, the principal (or sometimes deans) is refreshing and open in his approach, and is willing to listen to views put forth by the students. Topics can range from national issues to school affairs (assessment modes or uniform). This practice is a testament to the transparency and openness the school administration is willing to adopt.
This a platform for students to voice their views on school issues and discuss directly with the Deputy CEO, Mr Hon Chiew Weng.
[edit] Special programmes
In 2005, Hwa Chong embarked on a special programme scheme, whereby integrated programme students would be allowed to select a preferred special programme at the end of Sec 2, which he would then take for the next two years. Their eligibility for these programmes is also determined by their year-end results.
The aim of these programmes is to allow students to pursue any interest in which he has a passion for. The various special programmes are as follows:
[edit] Science and Math Research Programme
The idea of the Science and Mathematics Research Programme (SMRP) was first mooted by Mr Hon Chiew Weng, Principal of The Chinese High School, towards the end of 2004 and implemented in 2005. Noting that the school has been achieving excellent results in many national science, mathematics and information technology competitions, Mr Hon felt that the school’s potentials in the areas of mathematics and science could be further enhanced by the SMRP, to strengthen and facilitate students’ learning through project work. Students under this programme have opportunities to be attached to various research institutions in Singapore and participate in local or international symposiums and conferences. The SMRP seeks to:
- stretch pupils' scientific or mathematical abilities
- develop pupils' scientific or mathematical communication skills
- develop pupils' critical and creative thinking skills in mathematics or science
- develop pupils' research skills
- help pupils cultivate the habit of reading science or mathematics books/articles/journals in pupils
- help pupils develop life skills: interpersonal, time management etc.
- spot talented pupils to engage in high level research through A*STAR or industrial attachments by doing science, mathematics or IT projects
[edit] Bicultural Studies Programme
The Bicultural Studies Programme (BSP) is an MOE-initiated programme open to NYGH, HCI and Dunman High, where students get to be exposed to cultures from both the Western and Eastern perspective. Mdm Xu Jian Fen is in charge of this programme. This programme includes a total of six months immersion in China, with 3 months respectively in year 3 and 4.
With the exposure to western culture scheduled for years 5 and 6, students participating in this programme will get to be thoroughly exposed to both the eastern and western cultures, leading to them being moulded for the future of the nation.
The BSP Council was formed in 2006.
[edit] Entrepreneurship Programme
A new program that is a collaboration with Hwachong JC that would allow students who wish to become entrepreneurs have a chance to be exposed to the modern business world where they would be taught various marketing techniques and skills that would equip them with the abilities to tackle the future economy and to rise as a successful entrepreneur. It would allow students to have talk to various entrepreneurs as to have a better understanding of what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. They would also be offered chances to set up their own "markets" as to test their skills in the business world. A six year course that would see through each student would be able to take on the challenging markets of the future.
[edit] Language Elective Programme
[edit] Humanities Programme
The Hwachong Hummanties Programme ranks alongside that of the Raffles and Anglo-Chinese School programme, having a significantly larger number of scholars than its neighbour, NJC.
[edit] Student-organised events
[edit] Student Leaders Convention (SLC)
The Student Leaders Convention (SLC) is an annual leadership convention and is an event fully organised by students, for students.
The 11th SLC, co-organised by Hwa Chong Institution, Raffles Girls' School (secondary) and River Valley High School, drew more than 500 delegates from all over Singapore and the Asia-Pacific region and was a big success. As the theme, "Managing Global Problems through Regional Unity" indicates, the highlight of the convention includes delegates roleplaying as global leaders to solve problems and concerns currently present in the world. The 11th SLC achieved unparallelled success in its participant number, organization and execution; and was seen as the pinnacle of SLC history. The chairperson of the 11th SLC was Sua Yu Yttrium.
The 12th SLC concluded on 2 June, 2006. It was co-organised by Hwa Chong Institution, Raffles Girls' School (secondary) and Bukit Panjang Government High School (BPGHS), as HCI's, RGS's and BPGHS's councillors/prefects had been handpicked by their schools to form the organising team. Its theme is "Building Partnerships Through Socially Responsible Governance". The 12th SLC marked a paradigm shift in the focus of the convention, with participants role-playing as corporate leaders. In the four days of the convention, they had to form alliances with other corporations before coming up with a proposal for the establishment of an entertainment hub in the mock country of Jangguan. The chairperson for the 12th SLC was Chew Guan Yu.
[edit] Singapore Mathematical Olympiad for Primary Schools
The Singapore Mathematical Olympiad for Primary Schools (SMOPS) is a competition with over ten years of history. It is an annual event organised by the Aphelion Consortium of the high school section. This event draws a total number of 2000-3000 participants annually. It is always held in the High School section of Hwa Chong Institution. The top scorers for SMOPS will then be invited to the Asia Pacific Mathematical Olympiad for Primary Schools (AMOPS), where competitors from different countries gather to compete.
[edit] Renovation
Currently, the institution has built a new administration block, a new Science and Technology Research Centre and a Student Activities and Leadership Training (SALT) Centre, which has been called the Ong Teng Cheong SALT Centre.
The SALT centre houses a moot parliament (mock up of the actual parliament to facilitate student debates and oral articulation), and the various CCA and uniformed groups. Also, the new Science and Technology Research Centre houses new research facilities and specialist laboratories that include among others, a virtual reality cove (a theatre that facilitates the learning and teaching of virtual reality-related technology), and laboratories for chemical processing, fibre optics and biotechnology (with microbiological rooms). It also houses media art and 3-D animation studios, and an Art Elective centre that focuses on media art, digital videography, animation, digital audio, and traditional arts disciplines such as sculpture and drawing.
[edit] Co-Curricular Activities / Achievements
Hwa Chong Institution has a very active Co-Curricular Activity (CCA) programme, with a variety of sports, uniformed groups, musical groups, clubs and societies to cater to students' interests. The term EP3 (Enhanced Pupil Performance Programme) has been coined to represent CCA in the high school section to reflect the enlarged scope of the CCA system.
Amongst its achievements, the school is famed for its dominance in the Singapore National Inter-school Track And Field Championships (it has lost less than 10 times within its 88 year history), and it is also credited with many first-time achievements, such as the formation of the Integrated Programme (see above). It has also one of the largest Student Councils amongst secondary schools in Singapore, with about 180 councillors belonging to its Students' Council.
Hwa Chong's shooter, Ong Jun Hong, also won a Silver Medal in the 10m Air Rifle Men Event in the 2003 SEA Games.
The Hwa Chong Choir competed at the 2004 Choir Olympics in Bremen and won two gold medals in the Mixed Youth and Folklore A Cappella categories respectively.
In the Campus SuperStar competition, college student Ng Chee Yang made his mark by winning the competition.
List of CCAs in Hwa Chong Institution:
- Sports
- Air Rifle
- Badminton
- Basketball
- Canoeing
- Cross Country
- Gymnastics
- Judo
- Soccer
- Softball
- Squash
- Table Tennis
- Taekwondo
- Tennis
- Track and Field
- Volleyball
- Water Polo
- Wushu
- Uniformed groups
- National Cadet Corps (NCC)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC)
- Scouts (College Section - Hwa Chong VnR, a Venture and Rover Scout Unit)
- Scouts (High School Section - Hwa Chong Scout Group, consisting of 2 Scout Units, 1 Venture Scout Unit and 1 Rover Scout Unit)
- St John Ambulance Brigade
- Performing arts
- Chinese Dance
- Chinese Drama Club
- Chinese Orchestra
- Choir (College)
- English Drama
- Guitar Club
- Harmonica Band
- Music and Dance
- Military Band (High School)
- Symphonic Band (College)
- String Orchestra (High School)
- String Ensemble (College)
- Vocal Ensemble (High School, actually also a choir but much smaller at only about 30 strong)
- Clubs and societies
- Art Club
- Astronomy Club
- Chinese Chess
- Chinese Calligraphy
- Chess and Bridge
- Chinese Society
- CLODS (Chinese Literacy, Oratory and Debate Society)
- English Debating Society
- English Literary Drama, Debate and Film Society (ELDDFS)
- Electronics, Communications and Computer Club (EC³/ECCube)
- Green Club
- Health and Fitness
- Interact Club
- International Chess Club
- Language Elective Programme (LEP) Club
- Library Club
- Lion Dance
- Mathematics Quiz Training (Now considered as a CCA only)
- Media Tech Club
- Outdoor Activities Club
- PA/AVA (Public Addess/ Audio Visual Assistance)
- Photography Society
- Robotics Club
- Science Quiz Training
- Sensorium Vale
- Students Council
- Tahan Mountain Trekking Team
- Weiqi Society
- Youth Flying Club
[edit] Administration
The Principal (College Section) and CEO is Ang Wee Hiong, while the Principal (High School Section) and Deputy CEO is Hon Chiew Weng.
[edit] Affiliations
Hwa Chong Institution is also affiliated with Hwa Chong International and Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School.
[edit] External links
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- Satellite image from WikiMapia or Google Maps
- Street map from Multimap or GlobalGuide
- Aerial image from TerraServer
| edit |  Pre-University Centres and Post-Secondary Institutes in Singapore |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-universities | Anderson JC (AJC) • Anglo-Chinese JC (ACJC) • Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) (ACS-I) • Catholic JC (CJC) • Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) • Innova JC (IJC) • Jurong JC (JJC) • Meridian JC (MJC) • Millennia Institute (MI) • Nanyang JC (NYJC) • National JC (NJC) • Pioneer JC (PJC) • Raffles JC (RJC) • St. Andrew's JC (SAJC) • Serangoon JC (SRJC) • Tampines JC (TPJC) • Temasek JC (TJC) • Victoria JC (VJC) • Yishun JC (YJC) | |
| Polytechnics | Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) • Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) • Republic Polytechnic (RP) • Singapore Polytechnic (SP) • Temasek Polytechnic (TP) | |
| ITE Colleges | ITE College East (ITE CE-SM) • ITE College West (ITE CW) • ITE College Central (ITE CC) |
