St. Margaret's Secondary School
St. Margaret's Secondary School (SMSS) is an autonomous all-girls secondary school in Singapore, under the purview of the Anglican Diocese of Singapore. It is the first girls’ school in Singapore and is often regarded as the oldest existing girls’ school in South East Asia.
| St. Margaret's Secondary School 圣玛格烈中学 Sekolah Menengah St Margaret | |
|---|---|
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| Address | |
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111 Farrer Road Singapore 259240 | |
| Coordinates | 1.3201°N 103.8095°E |
| Information | |
| Type | Government-Aided Autonomous |
| Motto | Charity, Patience, Devotion |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Anglican |
| Founded | 1842 |
| Founder | Mrs Maria Dyer |
| Principal | Miss Linda Lim |
| Gender | Female |
| Colour(s) | Green White |
| Affiliations | St. Margaret's Primary School Saint Andrew's Junior College |
| Website | stmargaretssec.moe.edu.sg |
History
St. Margaret's School is the oldest girls’ school in Singapore and the Far East. It was founded in 1842 by Maria Dyer, a missionary of the London Missionary Society.
It was known first as the Chinese Girls’ School, then as the Church of England Zenana Missionary (CEZMS) School in Singapore, before being renamed St. Margaret's School.
The secondary section was split from the primary in 1960 and it moved into new premises along Farrer Road.[1]
Identity & culture
Crest
The green background represents creation, of which we are a part. It stands for life and activity, creativity and growth.
The white band running diagonally across from the upper left-hand corner to the lower right-hand corner stands for purity in thought, word and deed.
The white cross represents the Christian mission of the school. Like a directional compass, it shows the right way to take and it points us to God's love, truth and provision.
Motto
Charity, Patience, Devotion
The school is named after Queen Margaret of Scotland who was known for many good qualities, among them, love (charity), patience and devotion.
Uniform
The school uniform is a one-piece dress which features a dark green polka-dotted top, a dark green skirt up to knee length and a dark green school tie with the school logo pinned at the bottom. There are also separate PE shorts, a shirt with different colours depending on different houses and a CCA skirt. White school socks with or without the SMSS logo can be worn. A name tag is worn. The only jacket allowed is the black school jacket or any plain black jacket, and earrings are restricted to plain studs of green, white, black, gold or silver. Hair accessories can only be dark green, white and black. Despite this, coloured top undergarments are not allowed - only white or nude colours are permissible.[2]
Affiliation
St. Margaret's Secondary School is affiliated with St. Margaret's Primary School (SMPS) and Saint Andrew's Junior College (SAJC).
Academic information
Being a non-special programme secondary school, St. Margaret's Secondary School offers three academic streams, namely the four-year Express course, as well as the Normal Course, comprising Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) academic tracks.
O Level Express Course
The Express Course is a nationwide four-year programme that leads up to the Singapore-Cambridge G.C.E. Ordinary Level examination.[3]
Academic subjects
The examinable academic subjects for Singapore-Cambridge G.C.E. Ordinary Level offered by the school for upper secondary level (via. streaming in secondary 2 level), as of 2017, are listed below.[4]
Notes:
- Subjects indicated with ' * ' are mandatory subjects.
- All students in Singapore are required to undertake a Mother Tongue Language as an examinable subject, as indicated by ' ^ '
| Sciences | Language & Humanities | Arts & Aesthetics |
|---|---|---|
|
|
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Normal Course
The Normal Course is a nationwide 4-year programme leading to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examination, which runs either the Normal (Academic) curriculum or Normal (Technical) curriculum, abbreviated as N(A) and N(T) respectively.[5]
Normal (Academic) Course
In the Normal (Academic) course, students offer 5-8 subjects in the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examination. Compulsory subjects include:[6]
- English Language
- Mother Tongue Language
- Mathematics
- Combined Humanities
A 5th year leading to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level examination is available to N(A) students who perform well in their Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examination. Students can move from one course to another based on their performance and the assessment of the school principal and teachers.[5]
Normal (Technical) Course
The Normal (Technical) course prepares students for a technical-vocational education at the Institute of Technical Education.[6] Students will offer 5-7 subjects in the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examination.[6] The curriculum is tailored towards strengthening students’ proficiency in English and Mathematics.[6] Students take English Language, Mathematics, Basic Mother Tongue and Computer Applications as compulsory subjects.[6]
Notable alumni
- Lee Lin Chin, TV Newsreader and presenter, SBS-TV, Sydney, Australia
- Eunice Olsen: Former Nominated Member of Parliament; television presenter
- Dalreena Poonam Gill: Beauty Queen - Miss Singapore World 2014, Miss Singapore India 2013 (Third); soccer referee
- Daphne Khoo: Fourth, Singapore Idol
- Nadira Joe: Model, Actress, RCTI, Jakarta, Indonesia
- Stephanie Sun: Singaporean singer-songwriter
External links
References
- Swan Bee, Chan (7 January 1960). "Founders Saw Little Girls Sold In Streets". The Singapore Free Press. Retrieved 12 November 2017 – via NewspaperSG.
- "school-rules". stmargaretssec.moe.edu.sg. Retrieved 2017-09-24.
- "Express Course Curriculum". www.moe.gov.sg. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
- "School Information Service". Ministry of Education, Singapore. Ministry of Education, Singapore. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
- "Secondary School Courses". www.moe.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 2017-07-04. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
- "Normal Course Curriculum". www.moe.gov.sg. Retrieved 2017-09-14.