CHIJ St Theresa's Convent

CHIJ St Theresa’s Convent

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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

♫ Listen

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