Singapore Chinese Girls' School
Encyclopedia
Singapore Chinese Girls' School (abbreviation
: SCGS) is one of the oldest schools in Singapore
having been founded in 1899. It is a full school with both primary
and secondary
divisions, taking in students between the ages of 6 and 16. It is consistently ranked as one of the top secondary schools in Singapore in the now-defunct official school rankings released by the Ministry of Education. The secondary division was among the first schools in Singapore to be accorded the status of an independent school in 1989.
school in July 1899 by a group of Straits Chinese individuals including Dr Lim Boon Keng
and Sir Song Ong Siang
, at premises in Hill Street
, with an English
headmistress
and seven girls on the register.
In 1923, the school left its premises at Hill Street (the site later became the Central Fire Station) and moved to Emerald Hill
.
From 1905 to 1936, the school admitted a handful of male students, but afterwards reverted to being an all-girls school.
In 1994, after 70 years at Emerald Hill, the school moved a newly-built campus at Dunearn Road.
The SCGS uniform is a sky-blue dress with a belt at waist level; the school badge is pinned on the left, over the left breast. The uniform includes white shoes, shorts underneath and school socks.
For the primary school, the PE attire is a dry-fit sleeveless white shirt (with the school logo and two lines of the colour of the pupil's house (Red, Blue, Yellow or Green), green bloomers and a sky-blue three-quarter skirt which is compulsory to wear for upper primary (P3, P4, P5 and P6). For the secondary school, the PE attire is a white V-necked dry-fit shirt and green shorts underneath and the same sky-blue three-quarter skirt. For CCA (co-curricular activities), students are allowed to wear FBTs.
When the pupils are not having P.E. lessons, they wear a sky-blue half-skirt unless they are in the lower primary division. The students are also allowed to wear their CCA T-shirts and class T-shirts, which are designed by the students, on certain occasions.
Prefects wear a white bolero and a badge. Students are nominated by teachers and the students then vote for the prefects. This process is repeated each year.
The school won awards in the Singapore Youth Festival
2007. The following CCA awards were given:
In the Singapore Youth Festival
2009, the Band won Gold, Chinese Dance won Gold, International Dance won Gold with Honours, Drama won Silver and Choir won Gold.
They have also received Sustained Achievement Awards.
In March 2008, the SCGS Dance group won awards at the Barcelona International Dance Competition 2008.
In Robotics, having won the Championship in the FIRST Lego League
Singapore, the school formed a team with Juying Primary School
and River Valley High School, to compete in the FIRST Lego League
World Festival in Atlanta, Georgia
in mid-April 2008 and was awarded the 1st place Champion's Award, becoming the first ever country outside of the US, in the 10 year history of FIRST Lego League
to be awarded top honours in this international competition.
Abbreviation
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...
: SCGS) is one of the oldest schools in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
having been founded in 1899. It is a full school with both primary
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
and secondary
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
divisions, taking in students between the ages of 6 and 16. It is consistently ranked as one of the top secondary schools in Singapore in the now-defunct official school rankings released by the Ministry of Education. The secondary division was among the first schools in Singapore to be accorded the status of an independent school in 1989.
History
SCGS was founded as an all-girls PeranakanPeranakan
Peranakan Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to the Indonesian archipelago of Nusantara during the Colonial era....
school in July 1899 by a group of Straits Chinese individuals including Dr Lim Boon Keng
Lim Boon Keng
Lim Boon Keng, OBE was a Chinese doctor who promoted social and educational reforms in Singapore and China. Lim was of Chinese Peranakan descent, with ancestry from Hai Teng district in Fujian, China.-Early life:...
and Sir Song Ong Siang
Song Ong Siang
Sir Ong-siang Song K.B.E., V.D., M.A., LL.M., was a lawyer and active citizen of the British Colony of Singapore. He was a third-generation Straits Chinese or Peranakan Baba , and the first ever Asian in Singapore to be knighted...
, at premises in Hill Street
Hill Street
Hill Street is a street in the downtown of Singapore starting from Eu Tong Sen Street and ending at Stamford Road, where the road becomes Victoria Street...
, with an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
headmistress
Head teacher
A head teacher or school principal is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school....
and seven girls on the register.
In 1923, the school left its premises at Hill Street (the site later became the Central Fire Station) and moved to Emerald Hill
Emerald Hill, Singapore
Emerald Hill is a neighbourhood and a conservation area located in the planning areas of Newton and Orchard in Singapore. Former home to many members of the city-state's wealthy Peranakan community, it is located near Orchard Road. Many of its homes feature Chinese Baroque architecture...
.
From 1905 to 1936, the school admitted a handful of male students, but afterwards reverted to being an all-girls school.
In 1994, after 70 years at Emerald Hill, the school moved a newly-built campus at Dunearn Road.
Uniforms
| Glad That I Live Am I (School song) Lyrics by Lizette Woodworth Reese Lizette Woodworth Reese Lizette Woodworth Reese was an American poet.Born in the Waverly section of Baltimore, Maryland, she was a school teacher from 1873 to 1918. During the 1920s, she became a prominent literary figure, receiving critical praise and recognition, in particular from H. L. Mencken, himself from Baltimore... (from 'A Little Song Of Life')
|
The SCGS uniform is a sky-blue dress with a belt at waist level; the school badge is pinned on the left, over the left breast. The uniform includes white shoes, shorts underneath and school socks.
For the primary school, the PE attire is a dry-fit sleeveless white shirt (with the school logo and two lines of the colour of the pupil's house (Red, Blue, Yellow or Green), green bloomers and a sky-blue three-quarter skirt which is compulsory to wear for upper primary (P3, P4, P5 and P6). For the secondary school, the PE attire is a white V-necked dry-fit shirt and green shorts underneath and the same sky-blue three-quarter skirt. For CCA (co-curricular activities), students are allowed to wear FBTs.
When the pupils are not having P.E. lessons, they wear a sky-blue half-skirt unless they are in the lower primary division. The students are also allowed to wear their CCA T-shirts and class T-shirts, which are designed by the students, on certain occasions.
Prefects wear a white bolero and a badge. Students are nominated by teachers and the students then vote for the prefects. This process is repeated each year.
Accolades
The school's debating team won the Singapore Secondary School debate competition, coming in top over other schools like Raffles Institution and United World College.The school won awards in the Singapore Youth Festival
Singapore Youth Festival
The Singapore Youth Festival is an annual event in Singapore organised by the Ministry of Education to celebrate the achievements of youths in co-curricular activities...
2007. The following CCA awards were given:
- Band, Silver
- Chinese Drama Society, Bronze
- Choir, Gold
- Dance (International and Chinese), Gold with Honours and Gold
- Drama, Gold with Honours
- Handbells, Gold with Honours
In the Singapore Youth Festival
Singapore Youth Festival
The Singapore Youth Festival is an annual event in Singapore organised by the Ministry of Education to celebrate the achievements of youths in co-curricular activities...
2009, the Band won Gold, Chinese Dance won Gold, International Dance won Gold with Honours, Drama won Silver and Choir won Gold.
They have also received Sustained Achievement Awards.
In March 2008, the SCGS Dance group won awards at the Barcelona International Dance Competition 2008.
In Robotics, having won the Championship in the FIRST Lego League
FIRST Lego League
The FIRST® LEGO® League is an international competition organized by FIRST for elementary and middle school students ....
Singapore, the school formed a team with Juying Primary School
Juying Primary School
Juying Primary School is a government primary school located in Jurong West, Singapore.-History:Juying Primary School began as Ju Eng Public School which was situated in Jalan Kayu. The school was founded by Mr And Oon Hui in 1940 as a Chinese-aided school...
and River Valley High School, to compete in the FIRST Lego League
FIRST Lego League
The FIRST® LEGO® League is an international competition organized by FIRST for elementary and middle school students ....
World Festival in Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
in mid-April 2008 and was awarded the 1st place Champion's Award, becoming the first ever country outside of the US, in the 10 year history of FIRST Lego League
FIRST Lego League
The FIRST® LEGO® League is an international competition organized by FIRST for elementary and middle school students ....
to be awarded top honours in this international competition.
Notable alumni
- Halimah YacobHalimah YacobHalimah binte Yacob is the Minister of State for the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. She was the Deputy Secretary General & Director of NTUC and was responsible for Legal Services, Women and Industrial Relations in the Public Sector...
, Member of Parliament, Jurong GRC; Deputy Secretary-General, National Trades Union CongressNational Trades Union CongressThe National Trades Union Congress , also known as the Singapore National Trades Union Congress , is the sole national trade union centre in Singapore... - Thio Li Ann, National University of SingaporeNational University of SingaporeThe National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
law professor, Nominated Member of Parliament - Euleen Goh, Chairman, Singapore International FoundationSingapore International FoundationThe Singapore International Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to build a better world through shared ideas, skills and experiences, so as to uplift lives and create greater understanding between Singaporeans and world communities....
- Yong Ying-I, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health (Singapore)Ministry of Health (Singapore)The Ministry of Health is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for providing information, raising health awareness and education, ensuring the accessibility of health services, and monitoring the quality of health services provided to citizens and visitors in the Republic of...
- Jennie Chua, Chief Executive Officer, The Ascott Group; former General Manager of Raffles HotelRaffles HotelRaffles Hotel is a colonial-style hotel in Singapore, and one of the world's most famous hotels. The hotel was established by the famous Armenian Sarkies Brothers. Opened in 1887, it was named after Singapore's founder Sir Stamford Raffles. Managed by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, it is...
- A/Prof Mary Rauff, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
- Dr. Susan LimSusan LimSusan Lim is a Singaporean surgeon who performed the first successful liver transplant in Singapore in 1990.She was born in Singapore, where she was educated at Singapore Chinese Girls' School and the Raffles Institution...
, surgeon and medical researcher - Yvette Cheak, former Chief Commissioner, Girl Guides SingaporeGirl Guides SingaporeGirl Guides Singapore is the national Guiding organization of Singapore. It serves 12,340 members . Founded in 1917, the girls-only organization became a full member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 1966...
- Elizabeth Sam, banker and company director
- Yeo Lian Sim, Senior Executive Vice President, Singapore Exchange
- Ang Bee Lian, CEO, National Council of Social Service
- Bonny HicksBonny HicksBonny Hicks was a Singapore Eurasian model who gained her greatest notoriety for her contributions to Singaporean post-colonial literature and the anthropic philosophy conveyed in her works. Her first book, Excuse Me, are you a Model?, is recognized as a significant milestone in the literary and...
, model and author - Jazreel Low, Actress/Model/Entrepreneur
- Rui EnRui EnRui En is a Chinese Singaporean singer-actress based in Singapore currently.Rui En was talent-spotted while appearing in SingTel's popular SingTel hi!Card commercial as the iconic "running girl" in 2001. She was offered a general management contract by Artiste Networks, a section of Hype Records...
, Actress/Singer