CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School celebrated its 75 th Anniversary in 2008. The Founder’s Day Mass on 16 Jan 2008 served as a reminder to all of Father Nicholas Barre’s vision and mission for the IJ schools and in particular the history of St Nicks. The year long celebration including FIESTA 2008, Homecoming Run, Jubilate IV and the Alumnae Anniversary Dinner fleshed out the true essence of the St Nicks spirit. These brought together current and former pupils, parents and staff, as well as many well-wishers in celebration of the joyous occasion and to raise funds for the school’s upgrading and rebuilding project.

2008 has been a very fruitful year for all of us at St Nicks. The school set a new record in the Guinness World Records and the Singapore Book of Records for the ‘Most number of people running a relay in 24 hours’. The school also received the Character Development Award, recertification of its Singapore Quality Class, reaffirmation of its Autonomous Status, Best Practice Award for Teaching and Learning as well as the School Distinction Award. The climax for 2008 is the achievement of the best ever GCE ‘O’ level results in the school’s illustrious history!

We are thankful for the many blessings the school has received. Truly it is only with the marvelous support from the pupils, staff, parents, IJ BOM and Alumnae that the school has been able to come so far. We are indeed humbled by the efforts put in by so many to help the school and enable it to attain its achievements.

This year, we have crystallized the desired outcomes of a St Nicks Girl and the attributes of a St Nicks Staff from the school’s belief and value system. With a clear articulation of these attributes, we affirm our faithfulness to the school mission of creating a Christ-centered community and to realize our vision of A Leader in Every Student.

Another key focus is to further enhance the school’s Special Assistance Plan (SAP) status through renewed efforts in promoting the learning of Chinese language and Chinese culture. The school aims to retain its heritage of producing effectively bilingual pupils, well-versed in Chinese culture and values. In addition, with the changes in the global economy, it is crucial for pupils to be well-equipped to face future challenges. One of the requisite skills in the new economy is to be able to master the Chinese language and understand the Chinese culture effectively. The introduction of Di Zhi Gui in the primary section and Translation Course in the secondary section are 2 examples of the school’s efforts.

We are continually undergoing change to stay relevant and to prepare ourselves well to scale even greater heights. The school will be undergoing PRIME in 2010. The primary section will be moving to the holding site at the former Kebun Bahru Primary School and, the secondary section to the former Toa Payoh Primary and Secondary Schools at the end of this year.

2009 is a year for us to consolidate our plans for the new building and our stay in the holding sites for the next 2 years. As we prepare for the next lap, we look forward to your continued support and encouragement. Together, we will be able to carve out a beautiful and fulfilling future for St Nicks.

Simple in Virtue, Steadfast in Duty

Chan Wan Siong (Ms)
Principal

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