Maris Stella High School

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School History

Maris Stella High School had a humble beginning. Reverend Brother J. Chanel Soon founded the school in 1958 out of borrowed classrooms to meet the high demand for education in postwar Singapore. Anchored on the values of the Marist Congregation, Brother Chanel accepted boys seeking education regardless of race and religion. A staff of 11 including the principal, taught the pioneer batch of four Primary One classes and four Secondary One classes in the afternoon at St Stephen’s Primary School. When the school expanded, the school operated out of different premises concurrently up to 1966.

In 1967, after years of fundraising by Brother Chanel, the school managed to buy a piece of land at Mount Vernon and built its own premises complete with classrooms and a science block. The following year saw the completion of an adjoining block comprising the Lee Kuo Chuan Hall, a canteen, a library and administration offices. In 1976, a five-storey building for the primary section officially opened. In 1982, the primary section, with an expanded campus, was built to meet the overwhelming demand for more places.

The good reputation of Maris Stella High School was sealed when the first batch of students who took the General Certificate of Education O-Level examinations returned with 100% passes, a rare feat in those days. In 1979, the school became one of the nine pioneer Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools where top students of the Primary School Leaving Examinations cohort were encouraged to enrol for a bilingual education. In 1990, the primary section was also accorded SAP status. These attest to the strong Chinese culture and rich heritage of the school. In 1996, the school was accorded autonomous status for its good work in educating Marists holistically. In 2002, the school was designated the N4 Cluster of Excellence for Information and Communications Technology. Maris Stella High School has also achieved excellence in sports. In 2014, the school was recognised with Best Practice Awards in Teaching and Learning, Character and Citizenship Education, Staff Well-being and Development, and Student All-Round Development.

In 2018, the school celebrated its 60th anniversary rejoicing over the achievements of the students and the milestones crossed. As an all-boys Catholic full school with an enduring Chinese heritage, strong alumni and parental support, the school is well positioned to offer students its 10-year Marist education to realise its vision, ‘Every Marist, a Gentleman of Faith, Vision and Service’.

Principals:
- Rev Bro J. Chanel Soon (1958–1981)
- Rev Bro John Lek (1982–1983)
- Rev Bro Anthony Tan (1984–2009)
- Mr Joseph Lim (2009–2015)
- Mrs Woo Soo Min (2015–present)

Key Milestones


1958	Founding of Maris Stella High School by Reverend Brother J. Chanel Soon.
1967	Moved into its own building on Mount Vernon Road.
1976	The primary section has its own five-storey block.
1979	The secondary section became one of nine SAP schools, with the primary section also becoming an SAP school in 1990.
1987	The primary section moved to its own separate building and facilities at a site adjacent to the secondary section.
1996	The secondary section was accorded autonomous status.
1997	The primary section became single-session.
2002	The secondary section became N4 Cluster Centre of Excellence for Information and Communications Technology.
2014	Received Best Practice Awards in Teaching and Learning, Character and Citizenship Education, Staff Well-being and Development, and Student All-Round Development.
2018	Celebration of 60th anniversary.
2020	The Secondary Section was one of the first nine schools to offer the Chinese Language Elective Programme (CLEP).

School Motto

勤 Diligence
勉 Determination
忠 Loyalty and dedication
勇 Courage

School Crest

The school crest features the Marist ‘M’. The international crest of the Marist Brothers is the ‘A.M.’ monogram. It is fairly certain the monogram had been devised in honour of Our Lady long before the Marist Brothers came into being in 1817. The letters probably stand for ‘Ave Maria’ (Hail Mary).

The 12 stars over the monogram are derived from Chapter 12 of the Apocalypse in the Bible: “And a great sign appeared in Heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.” Through the ages, the Church has accommodated this text to the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin, and the stars are thus symbolic of the role that Our Lady plays in the history of our salvation. Most Marist schools throughout the world use the ‘A.M.’ monogram and stars as part of their crest.

School Song

♫ Listen

歌词
煌煌海星圣母圣名
炳炳烺烺永放光明
高悬世海照彻狮城
指明正路引导前程
振兴教化乐育群英
阐扬学术陶冶性情
励以名节持以坚贞
勖以道德动以至诚
勿荒勿怠精益求精
勤勉忠勇校训是行

歌词大意
明亮的海星－圣母玛利亚
光芒四射，永放光明
高挂天上，照遍我国（新加坡）
带领我们走向正路，踏上光明前程
大力发展教育，培育英才
提倡学术，修心养性
严求个人好名声，保持不变
以道德来勉励，以行动表真诚
不贪玩不懒惰，全心向善向上
实践校训－勤勉忠勇