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Canossa Catholic Primary School
Explore the history of Canossa Catholic Primary School.
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School History
To serve the poor in the Chinese community in the Geylang-MacPherson-Aljunied vicinity, the Sisters of the Canossian Daughters of Charity purchased a piece of land at Sallim Road with the intention of setting up an orphanage and a private Chinese school.
Completed in 1941, the school was supposed to start operating in January 1942, but this was halted by the outbreak of war that year. The day after the British surrendered, the Japanese army took over part of the building and the Sisters had to seek refuge elsewhere. By 8 March 1942, the Sisters were able to return to the building, which had been left in a poor state. It was only on 15 May 1942 that the Sisters could start the school with 117 boys and girls using Japanese as the medium of instruction.
After the war, the intended private Chinese school was established in 1946 on the site for those who had reached school age. In 1951, due to a lack of funds, the Chinese private school was converted into a one-session government-aided English school. In 1962, with the growing population, the school became a double-session school, and eventually an all-girls school. In 2009, the Ministry of Education designated the school as a satellite school in recognition of the close inclusion partnership it had with Canossian School, a special education school for children with hearing loss, which was located in the same campus.
The school underwent PRIME in 2012 and returned to its new campus on December 2014. The school was officially opened during its 75th anniversary celebrations on 23 August 2016. The Canossian Heritage Gallery was also unveiled on the same day.
To better serve the needs of the community, the Canossian Sisters and the school’s board of management decided that the school would revert to being co-educational from January 2019 onwards. The decision was announced on 11 January 2018. On 1 January 2019, the school was renamed Canossa Catholic Primary School.
Principals (Canossa Convent Primary School)
- Sr Vittoria Garre (1942–1943)
- Sr Ada Nardi (1943–1943)
- Sr Magdalene Tan (1943–1944)
- Mother Magdalene Lye (1946–1953)
- Mother Maria Farina (1954–1960)
- Sr Vittorina Lamperti (1960–1975)
- Sr Theresa Chua (1976–1984)
- Ms Agnes White (1985–1987)
- Sr Maria Sim (1988–1999)
- Mrs Margaret Yong (1999–2003)
- Ms Christina Teo (2004–2009)
- Ms Grace Tan (2010–2017)
- Mrs Eugenie Tan (2018–2018)
Principals (Canossa Catholic Primary School)
- Mrs Eugenie Tan (2019–present)
Key Milestones
key milestones
1941 | Establishment of Canossa Convent Primary School as a private Chinese school. The building was officially opened on 15 August 1941 but education could only be provided after the war in 1946. |
1951 | Converted into a one-session Government-Aided English School and the Canossian Sisters began to conduct classes. A kindergarten was also established at the site. |
1962 | Became a double-session Government-Aided English School and eventually, an all girls’ school. |
1999 | Relocated back to Sallim Road in a newly conceptualised Canossian Eduplex. Canossian Eduplex was officially opened Archbishop Gregory Yong in 2001. |
2011 | Celebration of 70th anniversary. |
2012 | Relocated to a holding site to undergo PRIME and returned two years later to rebuilt campus as a single-session school. |
2016 | Celebration of 75th anniversary and official re-opening of school by Ms Low Yen Ling, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Trade and Industry, and Mayor of the South-West District. |
2018 | Sister Theresa, then Provincial Leader of Canossian Daughters of Charity and Mrs Eugenie Tan, Principal, announced that the school would go co-educational in 2019. |
2019 | Renamed Canossa Catholic Primary School as it prepares to take in boys at the Primary 1 level as a co-educational school. |
School Motto
VIA VERITAS VITA
The Way, The Truth, The Life
School Crest
The Canossian school badge is common to all Canossian educational institutions in Singapore. On a dark-blue background is a four-pointed Star with rays cast onto a book symbolizing the Star of Wisdom radiating Knowledge. The Star represents four basic social virtues – Truth, Justice, Love and Freedom.
The Crown above the crest symbolises the Supremacy of God and All for the Glory of God.
On the crest is the motto Via Veritas Vita.
School Song
United in common endeavour
At work, at play, life's lessons we learn
Our youthful hearts are filled with ardour
For truth and wisdom we yearn
Chorus
Courageously with heads held high
We march ever on through life
Schooled in your spirit, Canossa
For virtue, true nobility, we strive
Schooled in your spirit, Canossa
For true virtue we strive
Our alma mater, our guardian, our guide
Prepare our spirits for duty's call
Our country to serve with virtuous might
We stand for truth and for right
Chorus