CHIJ Saint Nicholas Girls' School

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CHIJ Saint Nicholas Girls' School (SNGS)
圣尼各拉女校
Crest of SNGS
Motto 德纯义坚
Simple in Virtue, Steadfast in Duty
Established 1933
Type Full school, Autonomous school, SAP, Single session
Principal Ms Chan Wan Siong
MOE Code 7118
Colours Blue, White
Locale Ang Mo Kio, Singapore
Enrollment approx. 3000
Website www.sngs.sch.edu.sg
Ministry of Education
Flag of Singapore Republic of Singapore

CHIJ Saint Nicholas Girls' School (often referred to as "SNGS", "SNG" or "St Nick's") is an all-girls' Catholic primary and secondary school in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore. The school is one of 11 Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) schools in Singapore. SNGS has consistently been leading the group of schools with stellar results in both sporting and academic achievements. The school was founded in 1933 by Father Nicholas Barre, originally as a Chinese school. Today, SNGS is one of the premier educational institutes in Singapore, ranking third in the list of top secondary girls' schools in Singapore in 2004, and listed in the top 10 secondary schools in Singapore in 2005.

There is generally affiliation for the students of the primary division during their Primary School Leaving Examination. In this system of affiliation, which is also practiced in other schools, the students need to score less points in the PSLE to be accepted into their affiliate school, or in this case, the secondary sector of SNGS.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Hotel Van Dyke: 1933-1949

Its first location, first run by missionaries as a school for daughters of wealthy Chinese merchants.

[edit] Victoria Street 1949-1971

In 1946, the enrolment in the school had expanded so much that the Hotel Van Dyke was unable to accommodate all of the students. New premises had to be found, and the school relocated to the Town Convent at Victoria Street.

[edit] Victoria Street and others 1972-83

In 1971, the school population has once again, increased. This time round, the number amounted to about 1500, more than twice of the post-war enrollment. Anticipating a continuous growth of the school population, Mrs Hwang-Lee (the then-principal) decided to appeal to the Ministry of Education for permission to relocate to larger premises. Unfortunately, the approval was slow in coming. In 1979, 7 years after she had first appealed, there was still no response forthcoming. She finally decided to personally call on Mr Goh Keng Swee, the then Minister for Education, to promote her cause, and permission was finally granted.

At that time, the Ministry of Education had just introduced the Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools, and St Nicholas was one of the nine schools selected. The plan caters to academically-strong students with an aptitude for languages, and only students scoring 250 and above (out of a total of 300) for their PSLE aggregate are allowed admission. Students in the plan are taught English and their Mother Tongue at a much higher level than their peers.

In 1979, a pre-primary section was opened, and like Mrs Hwang-Lee had expected, the school population had grown considerably. By 1980, the Victoria Street premises could no longer hold the whole school and some classes had to move out. They were temporarily held at the former Tao Nan School building at Armenian Street and the former Raffles Girls' Primary School at Queen Street.

[edit] Ang Mo Kio: 1985 to present

In 1982, the former Tao Nan School premises were no longer available to St Nicholas and they had to move out. The school's remaining two locations at the former Raffles Girls' Primary School and the original CHIJ building on Victoria Street did not have enough space for the entire school and a replacement had to be found urgently. Again, Mrs Hwang-Lee went straight to the top; this time to Mr Ho Kah Leong, then Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Education.

With his help, CHIJ was allocated to Toa Payoh, the first CHIJ school. Later on, a new school was built at Ang Mo Kio (St Nicholas) This school was designated Chong Boon Secondary School, but for now it would be part of St Nicholas Girls' School. Primary 6 to Secondary 4 classes were run at this location. Facilities, such as libraries, language rooms and science laboratories, had to be set up from scratch at all three locations, and staff had to shuttle between the three sites.

Finally, in 1983, the school was told to leave their premises at Victoria Street, and they were moved to a temporary building at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8. But it seems that their prayers for a permanent school site have been answered. A choice site for the school has finally been found at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 2, Street 13, and finally, on 2 January 1985, St. Nicholas had a place to call its own again.

[edit] Temporary Relocation: 2009 to 2010

On the 14 February 2007, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced[1] that under the programme PRIME Phase 9, eight more schools will be upgraded from 2008 to 2010. St Nicholas is one of the selected for this upgrading.

In a circular issued by SNGS dated 13 February 2007, SNGS will be undergoing PRIME from June 2008 to June 2010. However, a new circular was issued[2] dated 1 March 2007 stating that after considering the request of several parents and discussing the issue further among the staff, the project will be postponed by six months to avoid potential disruption of a mid-year move.

The Primary Section of St Nicholas will be temporary relocated to former Kebun Baru Primary site at 6 Ang Mo Kio Ave 2 from Dec 2008 to Dec 2010.

The Secondary Section of St Nicholas will be temporary relocated to former First Toa Payoh Primary/Secondary site at 430 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 from Dec 2008 to Dec 2010.

After the upgrading, St Nicholas will have more classrooms and be fitted with new or upgraded facilities including media resource libraries, IT learning resource rooms and pastoral care rooms. In additional, there will be a new indoor sports hall to provide greater flexibility in conducting Co-Curricular Activities and Physical Education lessons at any time of the school day without having to worry about the weather.

[edit] School Attire

The traditional school uniform consists of a blue pinafore worn with the school blouse. On days that students have their Physical Education lessons, the school blouse is replaced with the appropriate sports attire. However, sporting the P.E shirt on days that students do not have their P.E lessons is against the school rules, and any student found doing so will have to face their respective punishments. Girls choose to wear shorts underneath.

Hair has to be cut above the shoulders at all times, and hair lengths longer than that have to be pulled back in a neat ponytail.

Shoes have to be all white. Shoes with coloured insignias, stripes, logos etc etc are prohibited.

Nametags have to be worn above the school crest at all times. Students without their nametags have to purchase a new one on which they have to write their own name. Writing customized names or doodling on them is prohibited.

School leaders (ie monitors and prefects) are required to wear their respective student leader badges above their nametags, and a student leader's tie around their collars. Loss of either results in the appropriate punishment.

Students are required to purchase "school socks", namely those with "SNG" printed clearly on it. Students must ensure that "SNG" is clearly visible (over their shoes) at all times and must not lie beneath the ankle.

If the student's belt is detachable from their pinafore, they are required to sew it on, at the waist, and tightly.

Flouting of school rules results in the student facing the appropriate punishment.


[edit] School song

It is one of the 11 CHIJ schools in Singapore, and its motto is Simple In Virtue, Steadfast in Duty. Out of all 11 IJ schools, their school song is the only one that is in Chinese:

SNG School Song.mid

[edit] Notable alumnæ

[edit] Class Naming

Classes are named in special ways. 1984 - 1987: Hope, Charity, Faith, Purity, Virtue, Justice, Steadfast, Diligence, Grace, Truth

Present: Charity, Diligence, Faith, Grace, Hope, Justice, Loyalty, Purity, Truth, Unity, Wisdom

[edit] Trivia

CHIJ Saint Nicholas Girls' School is considered by some to be the 'sister' school of Catholic High School.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Eight More Schools to Benefit from Upgrading
  2. ^ http://admin.sngs.sch.edu.sg:8000/attachment/cir1299.pdf

[edit] External links