Westwood Secondary School

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School History

Westwood Secondary School (WWSS) was established in 2000 as a government co-educational school. It accepted its pioneer batch of 200 students in January that year, and shifted from a modest block in Hua Yi Secondary School to its present location at 11 Jurong West Street 25 on 4 December 2000. With the handover of the campus on 5 February 2001, WWSS had its official school opening on 12 November 2002, beginning the journey of nurturing and educating Westwoodians for the future.

In 2001, the school introduced its flagship programme, Westwood Bytes. Comprising In-Touch, Rev-Up and Home@Westwood, this is a dynamic, multimodal programme that looks into the holistic development of every Westwoodian. Westwood Bytes stretches students’ potential – be it moral, physical or linguistic – and keeps them in touch with current local and world events.

The first homecoming in 2008 was a casual lunch that was held to bring together former students. WWSS celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2010. A larger-scale homecoming dinner was organised in 2014. Ties with the school and old friendships are renewed; today, the Westwood alumni form an important part of the school.

The school’s Applied Learning Programme (ALP), ‘Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship’, and Learning for Life Programme (LLP), ‘Arts for Life!’, are evident of its commitment to the holistic development of the students. The ALP, accorded in 2013, develops students to be interested in social issues, and to harness ideas and resources to enrich lives and make positive changes in the school and community. The LLP, accorded in 2015, develops students’ resilience and confidence as they contribute to the arts, and become concerned citizens who make a difference to the community through the arts.

In 2016, WWSS opened its indoor sports hall and Westwood Gallery.

Principals:
- Ms Kok Lee Kwang (2000–2004)
- Mrs Betty Chow (2004–2011)
- Ms Sandra Gwee (2011–2016)
- Mr Abdul Harris B. Sumardi (2016–present)

Key Milestones


2000	Establishment of Westwood Secondary School.
2001	Introduction of flagship programme, Westwood Bytes.
2002	Official opening of Westwood Secondary School.
2008	First homecoming.
2010	Celebration of 10th anniversary.
2013	Accorded Applied Learning Programme, ‘Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship’.
2014	Homecoming.
2015	Accorded Learning for Life Programme, ‘Arts for Life!’.
2016	Official opening of indoor sports hall and Westwood Gallery.

School Motto

Rooted to Soar

School Crest

The tree featured in the school crest is the Pandanus Furcatus, a unique tree in Singapore. The roots of the tree are very unusual – they not only draw nutrients from the ground, but also support the trunk. The Pandanus Furcatus is a strong tree that requires little maintenance to thrive and is known to stand rooted despite the changing seasons, signifying the resilience and adaptability of Westwoodians.

Shaped like a star soaring to the skies, the five evergreen leaves represent Westwoodians’ tenacity in chasing their dreams. The graphic strokes stand for the five core values that the school instils in its students – resilience, integrity, compassion, innovation and continual learning. The gradation of the colour within the trunks and roots, from light to dark green, signifies the progress of Westwoodians as their minds mature.

School Song

♫ Listen

A happy day is a day we spend in Westwood
A place we call our second home where hearts are big and teachers care
Friends are there to show compassion
Together we make things better
A day at Westwood is a day of hopes and dreams
We face our challenges ahead with pride and integrity
We’ll show the world our open minds will help us shine in every way
At the fore we’ll always be

Chorus:
Like a tree we’re rooted firmly
Spread our branches high and wide
Like a tree we’ll grow so strongly
Lift our crowns to the sky
Like a tree we’re rooted deeply
Standing tall as we learn and grow
Like a tree we’ll grow so strongly
Lifting Westwood to the sky

A wholesome day is a day we spend in Westwood
We learn resilience is the key as we reach for what’s ahead
We adapt to changes all around us in our special ways
Pressing onwards to our goals

(back to chorus)
Like a tree we’re rooted firmly
Spread our branches high and wide
Like a tree we’ll grow so strongly
Lift our crowns to the sky
Like a tree we’re rooted deeply
Standing tall as we learn and grow
Like a tree we’ll grow so strongly
Lifting Westwood to the sky