S. Thomas' Preparatory School

S.Thomas' Preparatory School

S. Thomas' Prep School Crest
The Lord Is My Shepherd
Location
Kollupitiya
Sri Lanka
Coordinates 6°55′0.6″N 79°50′50.4″E / 6.916833°N 79.847333°ECoordinates: 6°55′0.6″N 79°50′50.4″E / 6.916833°N 79.847333°E
Information
Type Private
Established 17 May 1938
Headmaster Rev. Dushantha Lakshman Rodrigo
Color(s) Dark Blue, Light Blueand White             
Affiliation Church of Ceylon
Website www.prepobu.lk

S. Thomas' Preparatory School is a private Anglican, multi-ethnic, primary and secondary day school for boys ages 5 to 16, located in Kollupitiya (also known as Colpetty or Colombo 3) in the Colombo District of the Western Province of Sri Lanka, founded as a branch preparatory school of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia

The school was founded on 17 May 1938. It is governed by the Board of Governors of S. Thomas' College of the Church of Ceylon. The school is amongst the elite schools of Sri Lanka and is affiliated with the three other Thomian schools and colleges administered by the Church of Ceylon.

School Song

The School Song and music was written by Ms. Lydia A. Blanchard in 1938. Traditionally, only the first two verses are sung with the chorus. From January 2015, the entire song will be sung during ceremonial occasions (with the chorus only at the beginning and end of the song) such as the Founder's Day and other important occasions in the School calendar.

Cheer Cheer Prep School Boys,
For our home by the roaring billows,
That sound their song in our ears all day,
And lull us at night on our pillows.

Chorus:

Cheer, Cheer, Prep School boys
Sing we in cheerful chorus,
We'll cherish the School of our youthful years
Through the life that lies before us.


Cheer, Cheer, Prep School boys
For our Flag with its colours flying
Dark blue, light blue and gleaming white
Gaily the breeze defying.


Cheer, Cheer, Prep School Boys
Though we're small we have brains and muscle
And have shown we can hold our own, 'ere this
In many a friendly tussle


Cheer, Cheer, Prep School Boys
For the games we play together
Play with vim in the sunshine bright
No less in a rainy weather


Cheer, Cheer, Prep School Boys
For our tasks (tho' we often shirk them)
History, Grammar, Science, Sums
Which are wrong as a rule when we work them

Chorus:

Cheer, Cheer, Prep School boys
Sing we in cheerful chorus,
We'll cherish the School of our youthful years
Through the life that lies before us.

         L.A.L Blanchard, 1938

History

The school was founded in 1938 by the late William Thomas Keble M. A. (Oxon), whilst Sri Lanka was under British colonial rule. The school was the first preparatory school to be established in Sri Lanka based on the English primary School model.

Keble, was an eminent British scholar, author and educationalist. He was also the first headmaster of this school. He was an alumnus of Keble College Oxford, which is named after his maternal granduncle John Keble. He was the author of several books, including the Ceylon Beaten Track , a History of S. Thomas' College, and a novel on Sigiriya. He arrived in Ceylon (the name for Sri Lanka during the British colonial governance) in 1928 to join the staff of S. Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia, during the tenure of warden Kenneth McPherson.

The school was established during the episcopate of Rt. Rev. Dr. Mark Carpenter-Garnier M A. (Oxon) D. D. who was the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Colombo, who rendered significant assistance to Keble, during the establishment of the institution.

The institution, which commenced with a student population of 95 boys and a staff of seven teachers, currently has a student population in excess of 900 and over 80 staff members. Initially, the school only accepted students between the ages of 5 and 11, as its founding fathers sought to remedy a conceptual void in the educational system by placing a new emphasis on the requirements and aspirations of younger children to be educated and to be allowed to express their creative talents and faculties unfettered and unhampered by older and more mature students. Nevertheless, over the years the school began accepting and educating older students.

Administration

The school is governed by the Anglican Church of Ceylon. It is classified as a private fee levying school and is not at all financially dependent on the government. It is administered by a Board of Governors (established to the S. Thomas' College Board of Governors Ordinance No. 7 of 1930) of which the chairman is the Bishop of Colombo, thereby retaining the connected between the church and the school. The day-to-day activities are taken care by the headmaster. The school has a sectional heads for the Upper, Middle, and Lower schools.

The headmaster is Rev. Dushantha L. Rodrigo who was installed in January 2015.

School terms

The school year has three terms; each is named after a period within the church.

Demographics

The student population is in excess of 900 students, ages 5–16, although the roll has declined from its peak of around 1100 students in the year 2000. The students are from multiple ethnic backgrounds (Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim). The four main faiths practiced by the students of the school, in descending order of frequency, are Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. The majority of students live in the suburbs of Colombo and are from relatively affluent backgrounds.

Subjects

S. Thomas' provides education in the Sinhala and Tamil languages as well as Bi-lingual education up to the G.C.E. (Ordinary Level) in conformity with the education policy of the state. The school teaches English as a second language. The main subjects to be taught include English, Maths, Science, Sinhala and Tamil languages, Social Studies and History, Commerce, Electronics, Mechanical Engineering, Health Sciences and Physical Education in the respective languages yet all subjects other than first language, commerce, history and art are in mother-tongue in the Bi-lingual medium. All administrative matters are conducted in English.

Facilities

The school comprises an assembly hall, over 50 class rooms, two chapels, faith rooms, two music rooms, two art rooms, two playing fields, cricket nets, a basketball court and cafeteria. S. Thomas' further has separate laboratory facilities for science, electronics, and mechanical technology.

House system

Students are allocated into four houses: Abeynaike, Carpenter Garnier, De Saram and Keble. Abeynaike house is named after the first Headmaster of S. Thomas' Preparatory School, Norman Gray Abeynaike. Carpenter-Garnier is named after the sixth Bishop of Colombo, who was Lord Bishop in 1938 when S. Thomas' Preparatory School was founded. De Saram house is named after Canon R. S. De Saram who was Warden of S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia when S. Thomas' Preparatory School was founded. Keble house is named after the Founder, William Thomas Keble. The houses compete against each other in many sports events throughout the year. An athletics championship held each February allows students in each of the houses to compete in athletic events.

Prefect System

The school appoints 20 prefects to represent and maintain the discipline of the school both in and outside its premises.

The 'Prefect Guild' consists of the following:

Sports & extra-curricular activities

The school has a number of sports teams.

Sports offered by the school in addition to the curricular

Extra-curriculars

Annual events

The school hosts a number of major events annually. These include the junior and senior concerts, the prize giving ceremony, carol service, primary school exhibition and the sports meet.

Headmasters of S. Thomas' Preparatory School

  1. Mr. W. T. Keble (1938–1942) (Founder)
  2. Mr. N. G. Abeynaike (1943–1950) (First Headmaster)
  3. Mr. J. T. R. Perinpanayagam (June 1951 - August 1966)
  4. Mr. J. S. L. Fernando (September 1966 - 1994)
  5. Mr. N. Y. Casie Chetty (1995 - December 2014)
  6. Rev. Dushantha Rodrigo (January 2015-

See also

References