CHIJ St Theresa's Convent
School Histories
Schools
Braddell Rise School
Northshore Primary School
Min Chong Public School
Ming Sin School
Monk's Hill Primary School
Monk's Hill Secondary School
Montfort Junior School
Montfort Secondary School
Parry Avenue Government Chinese Middle School
Parry Secondary School
Pasir Panjang Secondary School
Pasir Ris Crest Secondary School
Pasir Ris Primary School
Pasir Ris Secondary School
Admiralty Primary School
Admiralty Secondary School
Ahmad Ibrahim Primary School
Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School
Ai Tong School
Alexandra Estate Primary School
Alexandra Hill Primary School
Alexandra Primary School
Aljunied Primary School
Ama Keng School
Anchor Green Primary School
Anderson Junior College
Anderson Primary School
Anderson Secondary School
Anderson Serangoon Junior College
Ang Mo Kio Primary School
Ang Mo Kio Secondary School
Anglican High School
Anglo Chinese School (Barker Road)
Anglo Chinese Junior College
Anglo Chinese School (Independent)
Anglo Chinese School (Junior)
Anglo Chinese School (Primary)
Angsana Primary School
Anthony Road Girls' School
Aroozoo School
Assumption English School
Assumption Pathway School
Balestier Boys' School
Balestier Hill East Primary School
Balestier Hill Primary School
Balestier Hill Primary School (1986 to 1988)
Balestier Hill Secondary School
Balester Hill West Primary School
Balestier Mixed School
Balestier Primary School
Bartley Primary School
Bartley Secondary School
Batu Berlayer School
Beacon Primary School
Beatty Primary School
Beatty Secondary School
Bedok Boys' School
Bedok Girls' School
Bedok Green Primary School
Bedok Green Secondary School
Bedok North Primary School
Bedok North Secondary School
Bedok Primary School
Bedok South Primary School
Bedok South Secondary School
Bedok Town Primary School
Bedok Town Secondary School
Bedok View Primary School
Bedok View Secondary School
Bedok West Primary School
Belvedere Primary School
Belvedere School (Bukit Merah)
Bendemeer Primary School
Bendemeer Secondary School
Beng Wan Primary School
Birkhall Road School
Bishan Park Secondary School
Blangah Rise Primary School
Boo Teck School (Farrer Park)
Boon Keng Primary School
Boon Lay Garden Primary School
Boon Lay Primary School
Boon Lay Secondary School
Bowen Secondary School
Braddell Primary School
Braddell Westlake Secondary School
Broadrick Primary School
Broadrick Secondary School
Bukit Batok East Primary School
Bukit Batok Secondary School
Bukit Batok West Primary School
Bukit Ho Swee Primary School
Bukit Ho Swee Secondary School
Bukit Merah North School
Bukit Merah Primary School
Bukit Merah Secondary School
Bukit Merah South School
Bukit Panjang Government High School
Bukit Panjang Primary School
Bukit Timah Primary School
Bukit View Primary School
Bukit View Secondary School
Buona Vista Secondary School
Cairnhill Primary School
Cambridge Primary School
Canberra Primary School
Canberra Secondary School
Canossa Catholic Primary School
Cantonment Primary School
Cantonment School
Casuarina Primary School
Catholic High School
Catholic Junior College
Cedar Boys' Primary School
Cedar Girls' Primary School
Cedar Girls' Secondary School
Cedar Primary School
Chai Chee Secondary School
Changkat Changi Secondary School
Changkat Primary School
Chao Yang School
Charlton School
Chestnut Drive Secondary School
CHIJ (Katong) Primary
CHIJ Katong Convent
CHIJ Kellock
CHIJ Opera Estate Primary School
CHIJ Our Lady Of Good Counsel
CHIJ Our Lady Of The Nativity
CHIJ Our Lady Queen Of Peace
CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh)
CHIJ Secondary
CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School
CHIJ St Joseph's Convent
CHIJ St Theresa's Convent
Chong Boon Secondary School
Chong De Primary School
Chong Li Primary School
Chong Shan Primary School
Chongfu School
Chongzheng Primary School
Christ Church Secondary School
Chua Chu Kang Government Chinese Primary School
Chua Chu Kang Malay School
Chua Chu Kang Primary School
Chua Chu Kang Secondary School
Chung Cheng High School (Main)
Chung Cheng High School (Yishun)
Clementi North Primary School
Clementi Primary School
Clementi Town Primary School
Clementi Town Secondary School
Clementi Woods Secondary School
Commonwealth Secondary School
Compassvale Primary School
Compassvale Secondary School
Concord Primary School
Coral Primary School
Coral Secondary School
Corporation Primary School
Crescent Girls' School
Crest Secondary School
Da Qiao Primary School
Damai Primary School
Damai Secondary School
Da Zhong Primary School
De La Salle School
Delta Circus Primary School
Delta East Primary School
Delta Primary School
Delta Secondary School
Delta West Primary School
Deyi Secondary School
Dorset Primary School
Duchess School
Dunearn Secondary School
Dunman High School
Dunman Secondary School
East Coast Primary School
East Payoh Secondary School
East Spring Primary School
East Spring Secondary School
East View Primary School
East View Secondary School
Edgefield Primary School
Edgefield Secondary School
Elias Park Primary School
Elling North School
Elling Primary School
Elling South School
Endeavour Primary School
Eunoia Junior College
Eunos Primary School
Evergreen Primary School
Evergreen Secondary School
Fairfield Methodist School (Primary)
Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary)
Fajar Secondary School
Farrer Park Primary School
Farrer Primary School
Fengshan Primary School
Fern Green Primary School
Fernvale Primary School
First Toa Payoh Primary School
First Toa Payoh Secondary School
Fowlie Primary School
Frontier Primary School
Fuchun Primary School
Fuchun Secondary School
Fuhua Primary School
Fuhua Secondary School
Gan Eng Seng Primary School
Gan Eng Seng School
Geylang Methodist School (Primary)
Geylang Methodist School (Secondary)
Geylang Primary School
Ghim Moh Primary School
Ghim Moh Secondary School
Gongshang Primary School
Greendale Primary School
Greendale Secondary School
Greenridge Primary School
Greenridge Secondary School
Greenwood Primary School
Griffiths Primary School
Guangyang Primary School
Guangyang Secondary School
Guillemard Primary School
Hai Sing Catholic School
Haig Boys' School
Haig Girls' School
Havelock Primary School
Havelock School
Henderson Primary School
Henderson Secondary School
Heng A Khe Bong School
Henry Park Primary School
Hillgrove Secondary School
Holy Innocents' High School
Holy Innocents' Primary School
Hong Kah Primary School
Hong Kah Secondary School
Hong Wen School
Horizon Primary School
Hougang Primary School
Hougang Secondary School
Hua Kiau School
Hua Yi Primary School
Hua Yi Secondary School
Huamin Primary School
Hwa Chong Institution
Hwa Chong Junior College
Hwi Yoh Secondary School
Innova Junior College
Innova Primary School
Jagoh Primary School
Jalan Daud School
Jalan Kayu Primary School
Jaya Primary School
Jervois East Primary School
Jervois Primary School
Jervois West Primary School
Jiemin Primary school
Jin Shan Primary School
Jin Tai Primary School
Jin Tai Secondary School
Jing Shan Primary School
Joo Avenue School
Jubilee Primary School
Junyuan Primary School
Junyuan Secondary School
Jurong Institute
Jurong Junior College
Jurong Pioneer Junior College
Jurong Primary School
Jurong Secondary School
Jurong Special Secondary School
Jurong Town Primary School
Jurong West Primary School
Jurong West Secondary School
Jurongville Secondary School
Juying Primary School
Juying Secondary School
Kallang Primary School
Kay Siang Primary School
Kebun Baru Primary School
Kembangan Primary School
Keming Primary School
Keng Seng Primary School
Kent Ridge Secondary School
Keppel Primary School
Keppel School
Kheng Cheng School
Kim Keat Primary School
Kim Seng East School
Kim Seng Primary School
Kim Seng Technical School
Kim Seng West School
Kong Chow School
Kong Hwa School
Kota Raja Malay School
Kranji Primary School
Kranji Secondary School
Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School
Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary School
Kwong Wai Shiu Peck Shan Ting School
Labrador Primary School
Lakeside Primary School
Lee Kuo Chuan Primary School
Lianhua Primary School
Loyang Primary School
Loyang View Secondary School
Macpherson Primary School
Macpherson Secondary School
Macritchie Primary School
Maha Bodhi School
Maju Secondary School
Manjusri Secondary School
Margaret Drive Primary School
Maris Stella High School
Marsiling Primary School
Marsiling Secondary School
Marymount Convent School
Mattar East School
Mattar Primary School
May Primary School
Mayflower Primary School
Mayflower Secondary School
Mee Toh School
Mei Chin Primary School
Mei Chin Secondary School
Membina Primary School
Meng Teck School
Meridian Junior College
Meridian Primary School
Meridian Secondary School
Merlimau Primary School
Methodist Girls' School
Millenia Institute
Min Xin Primary School
Moulmein Primary School
Mount Vernon Secondary School
Mountbatten Primary School
Nam San School
Nan Chiau High School
Nan Chiau Primary School
Nan Chiow Public School
Nan Hua High School
Nan Hua Primary School
Nanyang Girls' High School
Nanyang Junior College
Nanyang Primary School
National Junior College
Naval Base Primary School
Naval Base Secondary School
Nee Soon School
New Town Primary School
New Town Secondary School
Ngee Ann Primary School
Ngee Ann Secondary School
Norfolk Primary School
North Spring Primary School
North View Primary School
North View Secondary School
North Vista Primary School
North Vista Secondary School
Northbrooks Secondary School
Northland Primary School
Northland Secondary School
Northlight School
Northoaks Primary School
NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
Oasis Primary School
Opera Estate Boys' Primary School
Opera Estate Girls' Primary School
Opera Estate Primary School
Orchid Park Secondary School
Outram Institute
Outram Primary School
Outram Secondary School
Owen School
Palm View Primary School
Pandan Primary School
Park Road School
Park View Primary School
Parry Avenue Boys' School
Parry Avenue Girls' School
Parry Primary School
Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School (Primary)
Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School (Secondary)
Paya Lebar School
Pearl Bank School
Pearl Park Primary School
Pearl's Hill School
Peck Seah Primary School
Pei Chun Public School
Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School
Pei Hwa Secondary School
Pei Tek Public School
Pei Tong Primary School
Peicai Secondary School
Peirce Secondary School
Peixin Primary School
Peiying Primary School
Permaisura Primary School
Ping Yi Primary School
Ping Yi Secondary School
Pioneer Junior College
Pioneer Primary School
Pioneer Secondary School
Playfair School
Poi Ching School
Presbyterian High School
Princess Elizabeth Primary School
Pulau Tekong Primary School
Punggol Cove Primary School
Punggol Green Primary School
Punggol Primary School
Punggol Secondary School
Punggol View Primary School
Qiaonan Primary School
Qifa Primary School
Qihua Primary School
Queenstown Primary School
Queenstown Secondary School
Queensway Secondary School
Radin Mas Primary School
Raffles Girls' Primary School
Raffles Girls' School
Raffles Institution
Raffles Junior College
Rangoon Road Primary School (Farrer Park)
Rangoon Secondary School
Rayman School
Red Swastika School
Redhill School
Regent Secondary School
River Valley English School
River Valley Government Chinese School
River Valley High School
River Valley Primary School
Riverside Primary School
Riverside Secondary School
Rivervale Primary School
Rosyth School
Rulang Primary School
San Shan Primary School
Sang Nila Utama Secondary School
Selegie Primary School
Seletar Institute
Sembawang Hills Estate School
Sembawang Primary School
Sembawang Secondary School
Seng Kang Primary School
Seng Kang Secondary School
Sengkang Green Primary School
Sennett Estate School
Serangoon Garden North School
Serangoon Garden Secondary School
Serangoon Garden South School
Serangoon Garden Technical School
Serangoon Junior College
Serangoon Secondary School
Seraya Primary School
Shuqun Primary School
Shuqun Secondary School
Si Ling Primary School
Si Ling Secondary School
Siglap Indah Primary School
Siglap Primary School
Siglap Secondary School
Silat Primary School
Singapore Chinese Girls' School
Singapore Sports School
South View Primary School
Spectra Secondary School
Springdale Primary School
Springfield Secondary School
St Andrew's Junior College
St Andrew's Junior School
St Andrew's Secondary School
St Anthony's Canossian Primary School
St Anthony's Canossian Secondary School
St George's Road Tamil School
St Joseph's Institution Junior
St Patrick's School
St Thomas Secondary School
St Anthony's Primary School
St Gabriel's Primary School
St Gabriel's Secondary School
St Hilda's Primary School
St Hilda's Secondary School
St Joseph's Institution
St Margaret's Primary School
St Margaret's Secondary School
St Stephen's School
St Theresa's High School
Stamford Girl's School
Stamford Primary School
Swiss Cottage Primary School
Swiss Cottage Secondary School
Tampines Junior College
Tampines Meridian Junior College
Tampines North Primary School
Tampines Primary School
Tampines Secondary School
Tanglin Girls' School
Tanglin Primary School
Tanglin Secondary School
Tanjong Katong Girls' School
Tanjong Katong Primary School
Tanjong Katong Secondary School
Tanjong Rhu Boy's School
Tanjong Rhu Girls' School
Tanjong Rhu Primary School
Tao Nan School
Teck Ghee Primary School
Teck Whye Primary School
Teck Whye Secondary School
Telok Ayer Primary School
Telok Kurau East Primary School
Telok Kurau Malay Girls' School
Telok Kurau Primary School
Telok Kurau Secondary School
Telok Kurau West Primary School
Temasek Junior College
Temasek Primary School
Temasek Secondary School
The Chinese High School
The Happy School
Thong Kheng School
Tiong Bahru Primary School
Tiong Bahru Secondary School
Toh Tuck Primary School
Toh Tuck Secondary School
Towner Primary School
Townsville Institute
Townsville Primary School
Trafalgar School
Tuan Mong High School
Tun Seri Lanang Secondary School
Umar Pulavar Tamil School
Unity Primary School
Unity Secondary School
Upper Aljunied Technical School
Upper Serangoon Secondary School
Victoria Junior College
Victoria School
Waterloo School
Waterway Primary School
Wellington Primary School
West Grove Primary School
West Hill School
West Spring Primary School
West Spring Secondary School
West View Primary School
Westlake Primary School
Westwood Primary School
Westwood Secondary School
Whampoa Secondary School
White Sands Primary School
Whitley Secondary School
Willow Avenue Secondary School
Woodgrove Primary School
Woodgrove Secondary School
Woodlands Primary School
Woodlands Ring Primary School
Woodlands Ring Secondary School
Woodlands Secondary School
Woodsville Primary School
Woodsville Secondary School
Xianglin Primary School
Xinghua Primary School
Xingnan Primary School
Xinmin Primary School
Xinmin Secondary School
Xishan Primary School
Yang Zheng Primary School
Yew Tee Primary School
Yio Chu Kang Primary School
Yio Chu Kang Secondary School
Yishun Innova Junior College
Yishun Junior College
Yishun Primary School
Yishun Secondary School
Yishun Town Secondary School
Yu Neng Primary School
Yuan Ching Secondary School
Yuhua Primary School
Yuhua Secondary School
Yumin Primary School
Yung An Primary School
Yuqun Primary School
Yusok Ishak Secondary School
Yuying Secondary School
Zhangde Primary School
Zhenghua Primary School
Zhenghua Secondary School
Zhonghua Primary School
Zhonghua Secondary School
CHIJ St Theresa’s Convent
Image Gallery
School History
In 1929, the Infant Jesus (IJ) sisters, whose mission was to provide education for girls, responded to an urgent need to reach out to the poor families in the slums around Kampong Bahru. To this end, they started a parish school at the Church of St Teresa.
In 1933, the IJ sisters leased Hood Lodge, a house next to the church, and the parish school became known as St Theresa’s Convent, a private school with 25 students. The principal was Madame St Ignatius, and lessons were conducted in English and Tamil, a language that the European sisters took pains to learn. By 1938, the enrolment had increased to 60, but due to financial constraints, the school was at risk of closing down. The bishop intervened and arranged for the school to operate at another house nearby that was owned by the Christian Brothers who ran St Joseph’s Institution.
During the difficult postwar years of 1945 to 1949, Principal Sister Catherine Samy led the school when it operated at two locations. The English section of St Theresa’s operated in a wooden hut abandoned by the Japanese, while the Tamil section operated in another parish bungalow on the site of the former De La Salle School.
The far-sightedness of Rev Mother St Charles led her to purchase 12 acres of land at Radin Mas, the present site of St Theresa’s Convent. Sister Caroline Labbe, who became the principal in 1949, started raising funds for the building of the school on Radin Mas Hill. While waiting for the Radin Mas campus to be ready, she reunited the Tamil and English sections, and ran the school as one entity in the De La Salle School building.
The school did not lose focus despite the unstable social and political environment of the 1950s. In 1952, with Sister Catherine Hendricks as principal, the formerly private school became a government-aided school. The Tamil section was phased out in 1953. In the same year, Sister Catherine led the school in the move to its present site on Radin Mas Hill. The school conducted 14 classes in the newly constructed building of their own, after years of operating in borrowed premises.
It was not easy for the students to get to school on Radin Mas Hill, as it was a long walk from the bottom of the hill to the school campus on top. Keen on education, the girls willingly made the sacrifice of a difficult journey, which included a dirt track culminating in 58 precarious steps carved out of the hillside. Whenever it rained, the climb was arduous.
Since street lighting was not a standard provision during the early years of independent Singapore, the lighted school building of CHIJ St Theresa’s Convent became the sole source of light for the kampongs in the vicinity. Hence, the school is fondly referred to as the ‘Light on the Hill’.
Principals:
- Mdm St Ignatius (1933–1944)
- Sister Catherine Doraisamy (1945–1949)
- Sister Caroline Labbe (1949–1952)
- Sister Catherine Hendricks (1953–1956)
- Ms Isabel Rodrigues (1956–1976)
- Sister Marie Jombunad (1956–1970)
- Mrs Margaret Joseph (1971–1990)
- Sister Maria Lau (1990–1994)
- Mrs Mano Hirubalan (1994–1998)
- Mrs Evelyn Ong (1998–2002)
- Mrs Christine Anne Kong (2002–2007)
- Mrs Pauline Wong (2008–2019)
- Mdm Jenny Tan Mei Mei (2019–present)
Key Milestones
1929 | Founding of St Theresa’s Convent as a private parish school at the Church of St Teresa by Infant Jesus (IJ) sisters. |
1933 | Relocation of the parish school to Hood Lodge, and becomes a school of the IJ order. |
1952 | Principal Sister Catherine Hendricks converts the private parish school to a government-aided school. |
1953 | Relocation to Radin Mas Hill, on land owned by the sisters, and officially opened by Archbishop Michael Olcomendy. |
1992 | Became a secondary school after primary classes are phased out. Commencement of Phase 2 of building works in December 1992. |
1995 | Officially opened by Archbishop Gregory Yong on 25 March 1995. |
2011 | Return to new premises at Lower Delta after PRIME upgrading, with a symbolic home run and blessing by Archbishop Nicholas Chia on 29 December 2011. |
2013 | Celebration of ‘80 Years of Love & Light’ and the upgraded campus is officially opened by Archbishop William Goh on 20 November 2013. |
2014 | Accorded Learning for Life Programme in hockey and Applied Learning Programme in Education for Life. |
2018 | Celebration of ‘85 Years of Theresian Light’ with a fiesta on school grounds and fundraising for three beneficiary organisations. |
School Motto
Simple in Virtue, Steadfast in Duty
To be simple in virtue is to cultivate a personal honesty that frees one to relate to others with respect, openness and sincerity, and to become interested seekers of truth, wisdom and all that is good. It is the core from which one operates. To be steadfast in duty means to have the strength of character necessary to commit oneself to a goal. It embraces the capacity to rise above the difficulties and obstacles encountered in the execution and completion of any task or duty undertaken in the service of others.
As a Catholic mission school, the term ‘virtue’ in its spiritual sense is a distinctive character trait or quality that is inspired and nurtured by a genuine desire to live according to God’s will as revealed in the Gospel. The term ‘duty’ expresses a response to what one discerns to be God’s call to the individual. Love, therefore, undergirds one’s life that is lived faithfully in the pursuit of these ideals.
School Crest
The red shield symbolises God’s all-embracing message of love. The open Gospel represents the teachings of Christ and is a source of inspiration that guides the school community. The silver rosary symbolises prayer and is the story of the Gospel as seen through the eyes of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. The golden distaff and spindle are symbols of womanly labour and are reminders of the dignity of work and the satisfaction and fulfilment to be found in a task well accomplished. The cross is the symbol of salvation as well as the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus Christ. The garland of marguerites is symbolic of purity and simplicity – charming traits of girlhood.
The CHIJ crest was designed by Mere Saint Aloysia, Superior General (1877–1901) and her senior students in 1894. The CHIJ school crest is an international badge worn by students of the Infant Jesus schools in South America, the United Kingdom, Europe, Africa, Japan and Southeast Asia.
School Song
See this school up on a hill
Quiet, tall and standing still
Kampong Bahru’s little light
Glowing, growing, shining bright
Never wavering in its mission
Extolling Father Barre’s mission
Girls were sought and educated
Teachers are so dedicated
So with zeal and faith inspire
Never did the sisters tire
Persevered and faced the challenges
Ahead of them
Simple in virtue
Steadfast in duty
Learn how to learn and
Learn how to live
Proudly now this building stands
High amidst the verdant land
Service to others we uphold
Fine young women we do mould
Keep the light continually burning The light on the hill forever shining Lighting up lives to all who come here Facing the future without fear
Forward onward and fulfilling Theresian spirit and tradition Value-based is our rendition Forever we remain