Methodist Girls' School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Motto | To Master, To Grow, To Serve |
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| Established | 1887 |
| Type | Full School (Independent Secondary), Single session |
| Principal | Ms Kon Mei Leen |
| School code | 7030 (Secondary) 5027 (Primary) |
| Colours | Blue, Gold |
| Locale | Bukit Timah, Singapore |
| Enrollment | approx. 2500 |
| Website | Link |
 Republic of Singapore |
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Methodist Girls' School (MGS) is a girls' school in Singapore with an independent secondary division. MGS is affiliated to the Anglo-Chinese School family and the Methodist Church in Singapore.
Miss Kon Mei Leen is currently the principal of MGS.
Competition between girls' schools in Singapore is common, and MGS often comes out as an all rounder in the field of sports, academics and the performing arts. MGS (Secondary) is affiliated to Anglo-Chinese Junior College.
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[edit] Vision
Godly women of Excellence with a Heart of Love
[edit] Mission
To educate the whole person in a Christian environment in order that she may grow in 'wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.'
[edit] School Song
With loving hearts and joyous song we sing to MGS
And tell the fame of that fair name for we can do no less
We hope that we may honour bring, and heaven ever bless
Our school, the fairest in the land, our own dear MGS
Down through the years our memories will keep a loving place
For friendships made and pleasures shared, and lessons learnt apace;
For those who worked and gave their best that we might learn to face
The trials of life with faith and hope and nobly run the race.
And now we're proud to raise the shout and sing of MGS
Lift high her banner, one and all, her name we now profess.
In work and play, for honours won, today our hearts confess
The debt we owe, the love we hold for our dear MGS.
[edit] History
MGS was founded in Singapore on August 15, 1887, by Sophia Blackmore. She was an Australian missionary sent by the Women's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church of America. The school started as a small shophouse on Short Street with only nine little Indian girls. These girls were sent by their father who desired an education for them. By 1925, the school was overcrowded, with an enrolment of one hundred and fifty students. She then moved to Mount Sophia and remained there until 1992.
MGS (Secondary) became an independent school in January 1989. In 1992, MGS moved to her new site at 11 Blackmore Drive - the road proudly bearing the name of the school's founder. This marked yet another step in the journey towards providing facilities for the total education of the students so that they might be prepared to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
[edit] Programmes
In 2005, the Sophia Blackmore Class (SBC) was started for Upper Primary & Secondary pupils. The Sophia Blackmore Class was MGS's answer to the Ministry of Education's Gifted Education Programme. MGS currently does not offer the Integrated Programme as an option and her Secondary 4 students sit for the Singapore-Cambridge GCE 'O' level examinations in November. However, students who are qualified enough can try for the IB programme at Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) after Secondary 4.
[edit] Uniform
The MGS uniform is the most easily recognisable in Singapore. It has not been altered much throughout its history. It consists of a pinafore, where the top half is white, and the bottom, a navy blue skirt; a white sailor blouse goes over the pinafore. Shorts may be worn underneath too. A badge is required to be fastened between the lapels of the blouse, 3-4 fingers above the start of the slit. Girls are only allowed to leave the school premises in this official uniform (also known as Uniform 2), any school-based T-shirt, together with the school bermudas or long P.E. shorts (aka Uniform 5) or the formal blazer (Uniform 1).
Prefects also wear a tie over their blouse, as well as a name tag.
Hair below collar length must be tied up in a ponytail or braided. Only plain navy blue and black hair accessories are allowed. Jewelry is also prohibited, except for small, plain silver or gold studs, or hoops.
The PE uniform consists of the school PE T-shirt or House T-Shirt, and navy blue shorts.
[edit] Prefectorial Board
The MGS Prefectorial Board is a 70-strong board of Prefects headed by the Central Committee, consisting of the Head and Vice-Head Prefect and the respective Committee Heads. Girls are nominated by their class before being interviewed by the Central Committee and teachers in charge of Discipline. Thereafter the whole school will vote to decide which of the remaining candidates become Prefect Trainees (PTs). There will be 20 PTs coming from the Secondary Ones, 5 PTs adding on to the existing Secondary Twos and Threes each. PTs train under a Secondary 3 or 4 mentor for half a year before becoming fully fledged Prefects at the next Prefect's Installation.
[edit] Central Committee
The Central Committee includes the Head Prefect (Amanda Ang), Vice-Head Prefect (Charmaine Phang) and the 8 Committee Heads, all of whom are in Secondary 4.
[edit] Deployment Committee
The Deployment Committee is headed by Tay Hui Erh and handles Traffic rosters and other rosters for School Events, and also the blazers.
[edit] Discipline Committee
Headed by Faith Cheong, Discipline Committee, as the name suggests, handles the discipline of students. They monitor the booking system and organize monthly Detention Classes. They also suggest new school rules or modifications to existing ones.
[edit] Events Committee
One of the largest of the 6, Events Committee is headed by Pamela Ng, who is aided by Lung Wen Si. The committee handles events such as Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, Prefect's Camp etc.
[edit] Internal Affairs
Internal Affairs is headed by Beulah Li and monitors the Co-Op, a store managed and run by Prefects, selling items such as badges and earsticks to pupils who have been booked. They also handle other internal affairs of the Prefectorial Board.
[edit] Secretariat
The Secretaries of the Prefectorial Board, Secretariat - headed by Joelle Tan - handles all paper work and minutes-taking and also liases with other schools to ensure the upkeep of friendly inter-school relations.
[edit] Student Affairs
Alongside Events Committee, Student Affairs Committee, headed by Sandra Tan and Wong Jia Min, is one of the largest. It takes care of the development of school spirit and also deploys prefects and students down to support school sports teams at competitions.
[edit] Leadership Training Camp
Held at the end of the year, LTC is one of the highlights of the school year for any Secondary 2 pupil. Prefects and pupils who are leaders in their CCAs or classes are nominated by their teachers in charge to take part in the annual LTC. LTC is a 2-day-1-night camp that involves many games and leadership training workshops. The participants, Student Leaders (SLs), who are grouped into groups of around 12 SLs, begin to plan for an event in the following year. The events planned by LTC include Secondary One Orientation Day and Camp, Total Defense Day, International Friendship Day and Secondary 2 Family Night.
SLs who show exemplary leadership skills will be awarded a Student Leader Badge.
[edit] More Information
MGS (Secondary) is affiliated to MGS (Primary). Both schools are held concurrently in different wings of the same building. PSLE students from MGS (Primary) can enter MGS (Secondary) at a cut-off point of 210 for 2006, and 220 from 2007. while students from other schools are subjected to cut-off point of about 250, depending on the performance of the entire cohort that year.
MGS not only focuses on the importance of academic success, it also encourages the students to determinedly pursue and develop their interests and talents. Some talented individuals who are currently studying or have studied in MGS are Abigail Sin, a 14-year-old prodigy on the piano, and Joscelin Yeo, an accomplished national swimmer.
Every two years, students from both the Primary and Secondary divisions come together to produce an original full-length musical, directed and polished under professional assistance.
"Making the Grade", held in 2004, follows the trials, tribulations and triumphs of a school teacher, showing how she touches the lives of students, in a two-hour musical that is based on the school's vision, "Godly Women of Excellence with a Heart of Love".
The play was directed by Lim Yu Beng, a well-seasoned and well-known performer on both the local stage and television network. Music was composed and arranged by Bang Wen-fu, who is also a highly experienced and renown in his area of music. It was staged at the University Cultural Centre (UCC) in the National University of Singapore, or NUS.
"From Eve to Mary walking with women..." held in 2006, was about the trials and hard ship women of the bible had to go through to see the grace of God, together with Jesus going to Golgotha. Going through the red apple route with Traditional Eve and Mary of Magdala or the green apple route with the serpent and Mordern Eve, who arrives fashionably late in a Lexus. It was a performance that touched the hearts of 300 audience members a show. where the cast interacted with the audience with the pain and suffering that Jesus had to during the road to Golgotha. Jesus was guest starred by CCMC's very own ex-church worker Patrick Loh. The musical was directed by Jonathan Lim and co-directed by Judy Ngo and pieces of music expertly composed by Bang Wen Fu, Miriam's Song, Stairway to Heaven, Golgotha and more (all on soundtrack). The musical was held in MGS herself to close the celebrations of the opening of the newly renovated campus. Performed in a whole new concept, the performance was in a walk-on style, where the audience walked around the whole school to watch the acts in different places.
The school is closely affiliated to Anglo-Chinese School. Many students from MGS often continue their education in Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC) or alternatively proceed to Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) to do the International Baccaulareate Programme. Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) has earlier announced that they are willing to accept MGS SBC students to enter the school for the IB programme. Follow-up decisions are still pending.
