Cedar Girls' Secondary School

Cedar Girls' Secondary School is an all-girls educational institution in Singapore. Established in 1957, it is one of the premier schools in Singapore, and offers the both the Integrated Programme and the Express stream for secondary education.

Cedar Girls' Secondary School
四德女子中学
Sekolah Menengah Perempuan Cedar
சீடார்ப் பெண்கள் உயர்நிலை பள்ளி
Address
1 Cedar Avenue, Singapore 349692

Potong Pasir

Singapore
Coordinates1.3343°N 103.8742°E / 1.3343; 103.8742
Information
TypeGovernment, Autonomous
MottoHonesty, Perseverance, Courtesy
Established1957
Sister schoolVictoria School
SessionSingle session
School code3004
PrincipalCheng Hwee Yeang
GenderGirls
Enrolmentapprox. 1,400
Colour(s) Blue   Grey   Gold 
AffiliationsVictoria Junior College (IP)
Websitecedargirlssec.moe.edu.sg

History

Cedar Girls Secondary School was founded as a single-session school with a pioneer batch of 507 students in 1957. The pioneer batch consisted of girls from the Bartley, Beatty and Siglap schools, as a result of the government making all schools single-sex that year.[1]

In the 1960s, the school became well known for its performance in track and field, as well as for producing several national athletes. In 1972, athletic facilities were constructed in the school compound at a cost of S$250,000. By doing so, it became the first school in Singapore to have sports amenities on campus.[2] In 1981, the school became one of the first 16 schools in Singapore to have computer appreciation as an extra-curricular activity.[3] From 1989 to 1994, the school was torn down and rebuilt as part of the modernisation of the curriculum.[4] The school went single session in 1992 and gained autonomous status in 1996.[5] In 2004, the school was classified as a band one school for its consistent academic performance.

PRIME

On 14 February 2007, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced that under the programme PRIME Phase 9, eight more schools will be upgraded from 2008 to 2010, which included Cedar Girls' Secondary School.[6]

Cedar moved to a holding site at 3 Geylang Bahru Lane from Dec 2007 to Dec 2009 during the upgrading. The holding site was formerly the site of Victoria School from 1984 to May 2003. Cedar moved back to its present site and started the new academic year in 2010 at the new building.

Principals
Name of Principal Years Served
Mrs M. N. Oehlers 1957-1958
Mrs P. C. Tan 1958-1976
Mrs Niva Dutt 1977-1983
Mdm Tan Chen Choo 1984-1996
Mrs Tay Sor Har 1997-1999
Ms Susan Leong 2000-2004
Mrs Ou-Yang Geok Cheng 2005-2012
Ms Cheng Hwee Yeang 2013-2019
Mrs Chan-Tey Kah Hwee 2020–present

Identity and culture

Crest

The school badge consists of four colours, gold, grey, green and blue, with the school motto at the bottom of the badge. These represent excellence, a balance of heart and mind and the outside environment respectively. These colours in turn represent the brilliant but balanced nature of the school.[7]

Motto

The school motto "Honesty, Perseverance, Courtesy" states the traits that are important to develop one's character.[7]

Attire

The uniform for Cedarians is a blue shirt, a grey skirt, white socks and track shoes with white base.[8] For PE lessons, they can wear the yellow school PE T-shirt with the grey school PE shorts.[9]

Academic Information

The school offers the four-year Express course leading up to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level national examination as well as the six-year Integrated Programme under the Victoria-Cedar Alliance (VCA). Other than academic work, students also go through character development programmes and are able to enhance their leadership skills.[10]

Victoria-Cedar Alliance Integrated Programme (VCA IP)

The Victoria-Cedar Alliance Integrated Programme (VCA IP) is a 6-year Integrated Programme (IP) which allows Cedarians to bypass the GCE 'O' Levels and take the GCE "A" levels. Cedar Girls' Secondary School started offering the Integrated Programme with Victoria School and Victoria Junior College from 2012, building upon the success of the 4-year Victoria Integrated Programme (VIP) started by VJC in 2005. The VIP saw its last batch of students in the 2012 intake. Cedarians under the Integrated Programme complete their secondary education in Cedar Girls' Secondary School before joining Victoria Junior College in Year 5–6. They will undergo an enhanced curriculum that is meant to appeal to those who like to study and explore on their own. It is also meant to push students further as well as to allow them to learn more in both the academic and non-academic fields.[11]

Character & Leadership Education

Prefectorial Board

The Prefectorial Board is the highest student leadership board in Cedar Girls. Nominated by teachers and the entire student population, Prefect Councillors are students who are exemplary in conduct, have a positive attitude and demonstrate leadership potential. Besides upholding the high standard of discipline within the school, this board also leads the entire Cedar community in many ways such as major school events and represents the school at important functions.

Peer Support Leaders Board

The Peer Support Leaders Board looks into the well-being of the student body. Nominated by teachers and the student body, PSLs are selected based on their qualities such as integrity, being able to relate well with others and demonstrating an interest in community bonding. Charged with running Sec One Orientation and Peer Support Group Meetings, PSLs together with the Prefectorial Board plan and organise many school functions to bring all Cedarians together.

Monitress Council

The Monitress Council is a student body made up of class monitresses who were elected by their respective classes. This council aims to support the monitress in strengthening class unity and extending their influence towards the student population.

Outdoor Sports Leader Board

The Outdoor Sports Leaders Board is in charge of organizing outdoor as well as sports and health activities in school. Their purpose is to promote an active and healthy lifestyle to the school community and to facilitate team bonding and camaraderie among students and even teachers.[12] The board, previously known separately as the Outdoor Adventure Leaders Board and the Sports Leaders Board, was combined to form a singular leadership board.

Co-Curricular activities

The school offers a total of 21 extra-curricular activities, labelled as co-curricular activities by the Ministry of Education. These activities include physical sports, performing arts, clubs and societies and uniformed groups. Several of these groups have done well for the school in outside competitions.

The school is renowned for excelling in track and field, and has attained 40 "B" and "C" Division titles in the National Inter-School Track And Field Championships since 1968.[13] The school's table tennis team has also excelled, being in the top 10 for both the East Zone and National Inter-school Table Tennis Championships' "B" and "C" Divisions.[14]

The school's uniformed groups have also done very well, with its National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) unit having attained Gold in the Unit Overall Proficiency Award for 13 years straight from 2000 to 2013.[15] The school's two Girl Guide companies have also attained Gold for the Puan Noor Aishah Award since 2011.[16]

The CCAs offered in the school are as follows:[10]

Physical Sports

Uniformed Groups

Visual and Performing Arts
  • Choir
  • Guzheng Ensemble
  • Handbell Ensemble
  • Modern Dance
  • Symphonic Band

Clubs and Societies
  • Chinese Language Literacy, Drama and Debate Society (CLDDS)
  • English Language Literacy, Drama and Debate Society (ELDDS)
  • Indian Language Literacy, Drama and Debate Society (ILDDS)
  • Malay Language Literacy, Drama and Debate Society (MLDDS)
  • Environment Club
  • Infocomm Club
  • AV and Photography

Notable Alumni

References
  1. "'Segregation'-300 girls will have to move out to a new school". The Straits Times. 21 September 1956. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  2. "School praised for building athletic centre". The Straits Times. Singapore. 26 March 1972. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017 – via NewspaperSG.
  3. "Computer course in Sec 3 and 4 next year". The Straits Times. 24 May 1980. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017 – via NewspaperSG.
  4. "Cedar Girls to relive memories before old school is torn down". The Straits Times. 31 October 1989. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  5. Shanmuguratnam, Tharman. SPEECH BY MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM,MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND SECOND MINISTER FOR FINANCE, AT CEDAR GIRLS' 50TH ANNIVERSARY GOLDEN JUBILEE DINNER (Speech). Cedar Girls' 50th Anniversary Golden Jubilee Dinner. Singapore: National Archives Of Singapore. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  6. Eight More Schools to Benefit from Upgrading Archived February 16, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  7. "School Crest, Motto and School Song". cedargirlssec.moe.edu.sg. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  8. Archived 2019-01-17 at the Wayback Machine, Cedar Girls Secondary School. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  9. CEDAR BEHAVIOUR POLICY 2017 (PDF). Cedar Girls' Secondary School. 2017. p. 5.
  10. "School Information Service". Ministry of Education. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  11. "Integrated Programme". Ministry of Education. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  12. Outdoor Sports Leader Board https://cedargirlssec.moe.edu.sg/our-curriculum/student-leadership/boards/outdoor-sports-leader-board. Retrieved 7 February 2021. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. Wen Li, Toh (23 January 2017). "Cedar aims to build on sterling track record". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  14. "Table Tennis". cedargirlssec.moe.edu.sg. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
  15. "Achievements". cedar-npcc.blogspot.sg. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  16. "Girl Guides". cedargirlssec.moe.edu.sg. Archived from the original on 12 November 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  17. "Jacelyn Tay - Posts". 30 November 2015. Archived from the original on 8 September 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  18. Koh, Jaime (15 January 2014). "Xiaohan: The voice of the city dwellers" (PDF). musicSG. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  19. Toh, Wen Li (2017-01-23). "Cedar aims to build on sterling track record". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 2019-09-03. Retrieved 2019-09-03.
  20. Abdul Hadi, Eddino (29 October 2017). "SGAG funny girl Annette Lee also sings". The Straits Times. Singapore. Archived from the original on 8 May 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
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