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Raffles Girls' School (Secondary)
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RGS
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3008
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莱佛士女子中学
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Láifóshì Nǘzǐ Zhōngxué
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20 Anderson Road 259978
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Orchard Planning Area <tr><td>'''Established'''</td><td><p>1879</p></td></tr>
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Independent
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Single
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Girls
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Secondary 1 to 4
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Green Black White
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''Filiae Melioris Aevi''
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Secular
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The Spiral, Tribune
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Awarded the School Distinction Award by Ministry Of Education in 2004
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Link
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('''RGS''' for short, or known among Rafflesians as '''RG'''), is an independent girls'
Secondary School in
Singapore . RGS was further recognised by the Ministry of Education in
2004 by being awarded the School Distinction Award (recognising schools with 'exemplary school processes and practices'), among other more minor awards.
{Link without Title}
RGS offers the first four years of the
Integrated Programme in the ''Raffles Programme'', together with
Raffles Institution and
Raffles Junior College , which allows students to be promoted directly to Raffles Junior College without taking the GCE 'O' levels. It was also one of the first few schools to offer the
Gifted Education Programme .
Contrary to popular belief, it is not affiliated with
Raffles Girls' Primary School .
The school also has a history of excelling in academics, sports and Uniformed Groups. RGS remains one of the top schools in Singapore, and has attained many sporting achievements.
RGS also offers a large and excellent range of Co-Curricular Activities, with 50 in total for the girls to choose from.
"Filiae Melioris Aevi", which is a Latin phrase, meaning "Daughters of a better age".
"To aspire, strive and dare to be active creators of a better age for all."
RGS used to exist as a part of RI. Now, it is the top girls school in Singapore. In 2004, it managed to clinch the spot as the top secondary school from its 'brother' school, Raffles Institution, ending its legacy on a high note with the Integrated Programme coming into place.
The department for girls was opened on
4 March 1844 with an enrolment of 11, in the RI campus of
Bras Basah Road . It included 5 day-scholars, and six boarders, who were clothed, fed and instructed by the institution itself. The demand for education grew and in
1847 , the school moved to RI's eastern wing, extending towards Bras Basah Road. A 'Berlin wall' separated the boys' and girls' buildings. In
1871 , the school moved into a house, the George Family's Old Mansion at the corner of Bras Basah Road. In
1879 , the school seperated from RI and Miss Nelson was appointed the school's first headmistress. Since then,
1879 has been officially regarded as the year of the founding of RGS. From
1882 onwards, English speaking boys were admitted to the lower, middle and primary classes. This was discontinued in
1927 due to the increasing demand for accommodation for girls. The Raffles Old Girls' association was formed on
7 July 1950 . The school motto was introduced in
1953 , with the school's first Annual speech day held on the same year as well.
RGS was a government school from
1903 at Queen Street. In
1959 , the primary and secondary sections of the school were separated and the secondary section moved to Anderson Road, while the primary section remains in Queen Street. The school stopped offering 'A' level courses in
1983 , and the Gifted Education Programme started in
1984 . The school later moved to a holding school located at Jalan Kuala in 1988 and moved back to a new building at Anderson Road on
1 November 1992 , becoming independent on
1 January 1993 . In
1994 , the RGS chapter was formed, to replace the Women's Rafflesian Chapter.
Just like RI, RGS has its own ghost stories as well. Of course, these are not exhaustive.
- Miss K.S.Chee, a former principal of the school who has already passed away, is said to call the school general office at 2a.m. every morning. It has been proved by some Secondary Ones during Orientation Camp.
- The squash court toilet is haunted by the ghost of an unknown girl in RGS uniform. Those who claimed to have seen her described her as wearing proper uniform but without a name tag. She supposedly had long hair.
From High Olympus flows to us the glory
On us the sacred fire descends.
Rise, sisters, rise, the world is all before ye
Fear not to grasp what fortune sends.
Chorus:
Sisters in learning and sisters at heart
Life lies before us,
Here's luck to the start.
A little while the sun shines high above us
And youth's elixir fills our veins.
The magic fire, that moves the gods to love us
The fire by which the will attains.
Chorus:
Sisters in learning and sisters at heart
Life lies before us,
Here's luck to the start.
From heart to heart we'll scale the heights of learning
No mean desires our days shall shame.
Whole-hearted, true, with pride and ardour burning
On sisters, on to life and fame.
RChorus:
Sisters in learning and sisters at heart
Life lies before us,
Here's luck to the start.
'''
Recording of RGS School Song
The school song was not composed specially for the school, but was chosen out of a songbook by the first principal, Miss Nelson. It was officially adopted as the school song in
1954 . It was originally titled "From High Olympus".
Other songs sung at school events include "Inspiration", "Dedication", and "Pass it On". "Donna Lewis" and "At the Beginning" used to be sung as well.
The uniform of RGS consists of a navy blue pleated pinafore over a white collared blouse. Students customarily fold their sleeves, following a time-honoured school tradition.
Students are also required to wear the school badge, with the school crest and its motto, and a name tag which denotes the year they are in by its colour, on the top left of the uniform.
On Fridays, during Hall Assembly, students are required to wear a black and white striped tie on a green base as part of the uniform.
Students are required to wear white socks which cover the ankle bone, and white shoes. The shoes may be sports shoes, but these must be at least 80% white, and cannot be high cut. However, starting 2007, students are required to wear shoes which are 100% white, regarding the inclusion of the overseas scholars, who are suffering from peer pressure over the students' branded shoes. Prefects are required to wear school socks.
Prefects, who are from Secondary 3 and 4, wear a white blouse with a skirt of the same hue as the pinafore. They also wear the same school tie at all times when in uniform. Their prefect badge is pinned at the bottom of the tie.
Student Leaders, who are from Secondary 1 classes, and Prefects-in-Training, who are from Secondary 2 classes, wear a green-black-white striped tie underneath the pinafore, as well as a Student Leader badge or a Prefect-in-Training badge respectively.
Class chairpersons, vice-chairpersons, members of the Student Leaders' Network and house captains also wear a badge above their name tag denoting their position. This badge is green for the chairpersons, and gold for the captains.
On Tuesdays, Saturdays and during certain school events, students don culottes, pleated knee-length shorts which look like a skirt. A white RGS PE polo T-shirt usually accompanies the culottes. The culottes can also be worn with a House T-shirt, a
CCA t-shirt, or a class t-shirt, the latter which can be designed by students themselves with approval from teachers.
There are five houses: Tarbet (red), Buckle (green), Richardson (blue), Waddle (yellow) and Hadley (purple). They are named after five past principals of RGS. Miss Hadley introduced the House System.
The five houses take part in friendly competition throughout the school year, with two major events pivotal in deciding the overall champion house. These are the Swimming Carnival and the Sports Fest, held anually in the early part of the year. Throughout the rest of the year, various interhouse games such as netball, squash and even photography allow members of each house to contribute to their house's tally of points while doing something they like. In this year's Sports Fest, held annually, Buckle clinched the first place in the cheer and cheerleading competition. Hadley was awarded champion house of both swim carn and sports festival 2006.
The Peer Support Board consists of Secondary 3 and 4 pupils, Peer Support Leaders and Senior Peer Support Leaders respectively. This board was set up with the main aim of helping the new Secondary 1 pupils adapt to the relatively foreign environment, to offer emotional help, and support to their fellow peers whenever they are in low spirits and to serve the school as student leaders. The logo of the Peer Support Board is the
Dolphin , as dolphins travel in batches and help each other in need.
The Prefectorial Board consists of student leaders from Secondary 2 to 4. The secondary four prefects make up the executive committee of the prefectorial board, with the rest of the prefects under their charge. The prefectorial board is a closely knit group, with various batches each having a different batch name starting with the letter 'F'.
The prefectorial board's room is a place where blazers for official school functions can be rented, school badges can be bought, as well as where lost and found items can be reported.
In 2006, the prefectorial board decided to abolish the Cancellation of Bookings scheme, much to the anger of various students. However, the board will still review appeals on a case-by-case basis.
Every school has a disciplinary system,and RGS is no exception. This system seeks to maintain the professional image the school desires for the pupils to have. Enforcement of this system is carried out in the form of bookings. Students may be booked for inappropriate attire, misuse of handphone or leaving their lights, fans or aircondiotioners switch on when they are not in the classroom (this is usually a class booking). Any three bookings for the same offence, and students will be required to attend a Detention Class, which allows students to reflect on their actions.
The disciplinary system is carried out efficiently by the prefects, who sometimes conduct spotchecks, catching students unawares. They are also in charge of the maintenance of the booking system.
In severe cases, parents may be brought in for discussions with the Heads of Year or Principal to work together to guide the student back onto the right path.
- Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan , Mayor of South West Community Development Council
- Ms Lim Hsiu Mei , first woman deputy secretary of the ministry of community development
- Ms Lim Soo Hoon , first woman permanent secretary of the ministry of community development
- Justice Judith Prakash , second woman judge
- Professor Jackie Ying , accomplished scientist; Director of A---star's Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN)
- Mrs. Leaena Tambyah , woman of the year 1994
- Ms. Claire Chiang , woman of the year 1998
- Beatrice Chia , actress and director
- Kit Chan , singer
- Stefanie Sun , singer
- Emma Yong , actress
- Siow Lee Chin , a world-class award winning violinist
- Corrinne May (Real name: Corrinne Foo), singer-songwriter
- Ms. Olivia Lum , founder of Hyflux
- Bukoh Mary , Y.E.S 93.3 FM radio DJ
- Annabel Chong , born Grace Quek. Formerly an infamous Pornographic Actor , now an artist and web designer.
- Kathleen Elsie Waddle , Former Principal 1937 - 1942
- Denise Phua Lay Peng, People's Action Party candidate for member of parliament in the 2006 Singapore general elections
