Treasure the Past

Shaky but Courageous Beginnings (1899-1939)

1 July 1899. SCGS opened on Hill Street, with seven Straits Chinese girls.

It was the result of the perseverance, courageous spirit and visionary leadership of the pioneers, chief among them Sir Song Ong Siang and Dr Lim Boon Keng.
 
The school survived the initial shaky years and began to attract more pupils. Conditions became cramped and the government stepped in to offer another piece of land on the corner of Hill Street and Armenian Street (where the Fire Station now stands).

By 1918, the school had its 5th principal in seven years. Enrolment continued to grow. Then the government dropped a bombshell, saying it wanted its land back by 1924.

No. 37 Emerald Hill was chosen as the new home. It cost $60,000 - a princely sum in those days! But SCGS finally had it very own purpose-built school - a striking two-storey block with 12 classrooms, an assembly hall, a staff room and principal’s office.

The SCGS identity started to take shape. A new school crest. A new uniform of  white samfoo top and first black, then blue trousers. A new team system, with the school carved out into Red, Blue, Yellow and Green Houses, each with a house captain. A new Games Afternoon. A new addition of Cookery to the syllabus. A new formation of a Guide Company.

So many firsts!  Things were really looking up!

The year 1936 saw another milestone, with SCGS becoming a “self-contained educational unit” with Junior and Senior Cambridge classes. The decade ended with yet another first in 1939 - Mrs Tan Swee Khin was appointed temporary acting Headmistress, the first time SCGS had a non-European in charge in any capacity.

Traumatic but Eventful Growing Years (1940-1969)

The Japanese invasion of Malaya and Singapore ushered in the darkest and most traumatic days of the school’s history. Everything came to s standstill.

But with the Japanese surrender to the British in 1946, SCGS wobbled to its feet and slowly but surely regained its footing.

The door was opened to girls of all races. Parents begin to clamour to send their girls to the school. SCGS had 700 girls by 1950. 

Mrs Jessie Geake retired as Principal in 1951. In stepped Mrs Tan Swee Khin as the first Asian principal of SCGS. She appointed Miss Tan Sock Kern Principal of the Afternoon School.

The numbers kept rising. SCGS had almost 900 girls by 1952

In 1956, Miss Tan Sock Kern succeeded Mrs Tan Swee Khin as Principal. Forthright and fearless, she forged a formidable way forward for SCGS.

The new school block called the Song Ong Siang Block was completed.

The years rolled by eventfully. The girls continued to do well. In 1961, SCGS presented the School Certificate to 101 girls.

With the changing times, there arose a changing of the guard. Some teachers retired, making way for new blood, including second language teachers for Malay and Mandarin.

The decade ended with SCGS celebrating our 70th birthday in 1969.

Challenging but Ground-Breaking Years (1970-2005)

The School Certificate exam was done away with. In 1971, girls sat for the first Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education or GCE ‘O’ Levels. Everyone passed, giving SCGS a 100% record.

Dance came into the fore, with new teacher Mrs Jean Tan and veteran teacher Miss Olive Tan leading the way. It was well on its way to becoming an SCGS institution.

SCGS girls achieved sporting glory, especially in swimming and athletics.

In 1976, Belita Ong won the President’s Scholarship, followed the next year by Lim Hoon Geok.

Ms Tan Sock Kern retired in 1978, passing the baton on to Miss Rosalind Heng.

Then came a succession of changes in the educational system, including streaming, ranking and the advent of a new breed of independent schools. In 1989, SCGS celebrated our 90th birthday and also became an independent school, with more latitude to expand the curriculum.

Parents and the alumni began to play a more pivotal role, generously giving their time and effort to help out in the school.

After 70 long and eventful years at Emerald Hill, SCGS made the move to Dunearn Road on 4 July 1994.

In 1997, the old school at Emerald Hill was declared a significant historical site by the National Heritage Board. It was a sweet ending to the tale of the Grand Old Lady, who had served SCGS so well for seven decades.

In 1999, SCGS marked our centenary. One hundred years of tumultuous and illustrious history had flown by!

On the academic and sporting front, the momentum carried on unabated. SCGS achieved high rankings for GCE ‘O’ Level results and excellence in the sporting arena. The burning desire to excel and the proud tradition of higher, stronger and fitter continued to be upheld.

Embrace the Future

2006 and Beyond: Towards a Global Future

With pride, passion and purpose, SCGS embraces the new era of preparing our girls to be world-ready for a global future. 

Mrs Low Ay Nar took over as Principal on 1 January 2007. A succession of new programmes are introduced and new skills and competencies nurtured.

The Understanding by Design (UbD) design tool for curriculum was implemented. This serves to guide teachers in designing and delivering learner-centred lessons that maximise opportunities for knowledge creation. 

Language Arts has been offered to Lower Secondary pupils, while the Enhanced Word Recognition Programme for mastery of the Chinese language was introduced to Lower Primary pupils.

Accolades continued to come our way. SCGS received the Best Practice Awards (Teaching & Learning and Staff Well-being), and Singapore Quality Class and People Developer Standard Award. Our Robotics Team was crowned World Champion at the First Lego League World Festival in the USA, while the Dance Group and Choir attained top awards at international competitions.

Some notable firsts have been notched. The SC Model UN Conference and Open Little Eyes Symposium were launched. The school also organised the inaugural National Young Women Leaders’ Day, with Singapore’s first female Minister Mrs Lim Hwee Hua as guest of honour.

The SCGS Curriculum Series was initiated for teachers from local and overseas schools. We also became one of three schools to offer Media Studies as a GCE ‘O’ Level Examination Subject, from 2010

Service to community has been a cornerstone of our all-round education.
The school launched the Lead Youths in Research & Inquiry into Community & Society (LYRICS) and Young Docent Programmes to increase pupils’ awareness of community needs. Similarly, the Touchstone Programme and ANGELS InSIGHT Project were initiated – books by pupils were published, including one in Braille to raise awareness of needs of the visually challenged.

Much effort has gone into growing our international stature, with more and more overseas scholars in our midst. Our learning environment is enriched by the diversity. We appreciate this diversity and encourage the constructive dialogue and interaction from having a base that reflects our international stature, especially in today’s globalised world.

We channel our resources and creativity into developing in our girls a genuine international outlook for the 21st century. They are groomed and equipped to seize myriad opportunities and prepared for life as global citizens. From overseas field trips and study visits, to developing high calibre curriculum leaders among our staff, and nurturing collaborations with top schools in countries such as Australia, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Taiwan, we add depth and value to the education of our pupils.
 
The holistic approach in education continues to be pursued without compromise.  Our core programmes cover diverse areas such as Talent, Living and Lifestyle, Character and Leadership Excellence, and Internationalisation. For more on these programmes, please click here .

In 2009, SCGS celebrated our 110th anniversary with a grand dinner, launch of the Heritage Centre and a Commemorative Recipe Book, Spice is Life.

More exciting developments are in the pipeline, including the upcoming Integrated Performing Arts Centre and Indoor Sports Hall, with state-of-the-art facilities.