.svg)
St Stephen's School
Explore the history of St Stephen's School.
Image Gallery
School History
St. Stephen’s School is one of the six Christian Brothers’ Schools of the De La Salle Order in Singapore. The school was first envisioned by Rev Brother Stephen, who saw, amidst the coconut palm trees and the rubber estates in the eastern part of the island, a school to cater to the growing number of boys in the community.
In 1953, Rev Brother Lawrence Robles, Brother Director of St Patrick’s School, purchased a piece of land bounded by Siglap View, La Salle Street and Siglap Avenue to build a primary and feeder school for St Patrick’s. The construction of the school building began in 1956 and was completed the following year. The new school was named St Stephen’s School after Rev Brother Stephen, whose patron saint, St Stephen, was the first martyr of Christianity.
On 7 May 1957, the Right Rev Michael Olcomendy, Archbishop of Singapore, blessed St Stephen’s School. The school was officially opened in September that year.
In the first few decades of the school, St. Stephen’s attracted many Catholic boys living in the east. Over the years, as the enrolment grew, the physical facilities of St. Stephen’s School became increasingly inadequate. The old school building was demolished in 1998 to make way for a new one that would be equipped with all the standard facilities of a primary school. In 2001, students and staff began the year in the newly built school building. The school became single-session in 2003 and was officially opened on 26 September 2006.
Principals:
- Mr Edward Reinford (1957–1960)
- Mr T.J.D. Campbell (1961–1966)
- Rev Bro Dennis Watt (1966–1971)
- Mr T.J.D. Campbell (1971–1973)
- Mr Terence O. Aeria (1973–1981)
- Mr Anthony Chew (1982–1989)
- Mr B. Fernando (1990–1992)
- Mr Dominic Yip (1993–1995)
- Mr Patrick Sih (1996–2001)
- Mdm Vivienne Tan (2002–2004)
- Ms Fang Swee Im (2005–2010)
- Mr Koh Kian Seng Thomas (2011–2018)
- Ms Loh Sing Huay (2019–present)
Key Milestones
key milestones
1957 | The new school building was completed, and the Most Reverend Archbishop, Michael Olcomendy, declared St Stephen’s School open and blessed it. The school began with a staff strength of 28 and 655 students. |
1957 | The Director of Education, Mr D W McLellan, formally declared the building open and a fun fair was held to mark the occasion. |
1966 | In October, St Patrick’s Primary School amalgamated with St Stephen’s School to make the latter become a full primary school with morning and afternoon sessions, leaving St Patrick’s to become a full secondary school. |
2001 | The staff and students of St Stephen’s School began the new millennium in their new school building at Siglap View. |
2003 | St Stephen’s School began to function as a single session school with a staff strength of 66 and 1430 students. |
2007 | St Stephen’s School celebrated our 50th Anniversary with a Sports Fiesta, a golfing event, a concert and the 50th Anniversary Dinner held on 31 August in our school hall. |
2012 | As part of the PERI (Primary Education Review and Implementation) recommendations announced by Ministry of Education in 2009, discussions began on the enhancement of school facilities. |
2014 | The construction of the new ISH (Indoor Sports Hall) on top of the present outdoor multi-purpose hard court began. |
2016 | The school successfully repositions its niche areas of Track & Field and Brass Band into Learning for Life Programmes (LLP). |
2017 | St Stephen’s School celebrated its 60th Anniversary with a Mass, blessing of the statue of St Stephen, a Stephenian Family Carnival and the official opening of our school’s heritage gallery showcasing the school’s 60 year history. |
School Motto
Credere Et Servire
To Believe and To Serve
School Crest
The badge comprises a shield supported by a scroll with an ornate edge, indicating a desire to establish tradition. The badge carries the colours red (the blood that St Stephen shed for his belief), white and green (the colours of St Joseph’s Institution, the first school that the Christian Brothers built in Singapore in 1852). The flames are superimposed on the crossed palms, associated with martyrdom in the centre. The five-pointed radiating star, a sign of faith, which is the insignia of the Christian Brothers of the De La Salle Order, is in the circle and cross above it.
The badge is intended to inculcate a sense of reverence for the past, the bravery to forge ahead and to invoke the all-embracing sense of belonging.
School Song
All through St Stephen’s, a voice is resounding
Promptly respond to your duty’s sweet call,
Harken you all for the trumpet is sounding,
Your mater’s proclaiming her watchword to all.
Forward her children dear,
Ever with hearts sincere,
Render with joy to your mater her due.
All that is vile reject,
Heaven will e’er protect
Sons of St. Stephen’s, valiant and true
Onward and upward in life’s earnest battle,
Joyously bearing the brunt of the fight.
Nobly forgiving for all that may pain you,
And bravely defending the cause of the right.
Forward her children dear,
Ever with hearts sincere,
Render with joy to your mater her due.
All that is vile reject,
Heaven will e’er protect
Sons of St Stephen’s, valiant and true