Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

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This article is about Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) in Singapore. For other uses, see Anglo-Chinese School (disambiguation).


Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)
Anglo-Chinese School Crest.png
The Best Is Yet To Be
Address
129 Dover Road
139650
Singapore
Information
Type Independent
Religious affiliation(s) Christian
Denomination Methodist
Established 1 March 1886
Founder William Fitzjames Oldham
Sister school Methodist Girls' School, Singapore
Mission Catalysts for change, for God and Humanity
Superintendent Stella Wee Bee Lian
Session Single-session
School code 7001
Chairperson Richard Seow (ACS Board of Governors)
Principal Winston James Hodge
Chaplain Rev Aaron Tay
Staff approx. 500
Gender Boys (Years 1 - 4)
Mixed (Years 5 - 6)
Age range 12 - 18
Enrolment approx. 2900
Medium of language English
Colour(s)              Red, Blue, Gold
Song ACS Anthem
Team name Team ACS
Newspaper ACSPress
Website http://www.acsindep.moe.edu.sg

The Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), commonly abbreviated as ACS(I), is a Methodist secondary school in Singapore. It is descended from a school established in 1886 by the Rev William Fitzjames Oldham at 70 Amoy Street, Singapore. It was also one of the first schools to offer the Gifted Education Programme (Singapore) and is one of the only two schools, alongside Raffles Institution, to pioneer both the GEP, now SBGE (School Based Gifted Education), and the Integrated Programme. ACS(I) offers the first four years of the Integrated Programme together with their affiliate, Methodist Girls' School, which allows students to proceed directly to ACS(I) (Year 5-6) without taking the GCE 'O' Levels to complete the last two years of the six-year IP where students will take the IBDP, unlike other IP schools which take 'A' levels.

ACS(I) was recognised as an IB World School in 2005 and is consistently ranked among the top 3 schools worldwide that offer the IB,[1] with score averages as high as 42 out of a total of 45 points. ACS was also the first school in Singapore to have a flower named after it, the Ascocenda Anglo-Chinese School orchid, a hybrid created by the school to mark its 116th Founder's Day on 1 March 2002.[2]

History

File:Anglo chinese school independent panorama 2010.JPG
Aerial view of the school, before the construction of the new apartment-styled boarding block: (from left to right) sports complex, boarding school, original main building, IB block

ACS was offered 'independent' status by Singapore's Ministry of Education in 1987. This was accepted by the ACS Board of Governors. In 1992, the school moved to a new campus at Dover Road. The site was opened by Dr Richard Hu, Minister of Finance of Singapore, on 1 March 1993, the 107th anniversary of the school's founding by Bishop Oldham.[3]

File:70 Amoy Street, Singapore - 20061014.jpg
The ACS House along Amoy Street, the original premises of ACS

ACS was founded on 1 March 1886 by Bishop William Fitzjames Oldham, as an extension of the Methodist Church. Its first location was a shophouse at 70 Amoy Street with a total of 13 pupils. Its name came from the fact that it conducted lessons in English at night and Chinese in the afternoon. By the following year, enrolment had increased to 104, and the school moved to Coleman Street.

Between 1914 and 1920, led by the Rev. J.S. Nagle, the school introduced regular religious services and physical education classes. Afternoon classes were also established for academically weaker pupils. In a bid to ensure continuity in school life and keep the school adequately staffed, Nagle encouraged ex-students, known as old boys, to return to the school as teachers. To this day, the Anglo-Chinese School Old Boys' Association is a link through which old boys may keep ties with the school.

The Anglo-Chinese Continuation School was started by the new principal, the Rev. P.L. Peach, in 1925, for students who had to leave the school due to the newly imposed age limits on school-going boys by the government. Eventually, ACS was renamed the Oldham Methodist School. A secondary school was opened at Cairnhill Road.

Between 1942 and 1945, the Japanese occupied Singapore during World War II. During the Occupation, lessons were suspended, and the school re-opened its doors only in 1946, a year after the Japanese surrender, when the buildings at Cairnhill and Coleman Street were made safe from war damage. The pre-war principal, T.W. Hinch, who had been interned by the Japanese, returned to the school. He set up "X" and "Y" classes, each with different levels of difficulty, for students who had missed years of their education due to the Occupation. In September 1950, the secondary school moved from Cairnhill to Barker Road.

Also in 1950, Post School Certificate Classes, later known as Pre-University Classes because they were supposed to prepare students for tertiary education, were set up, and the first batch of girl students was enrolled in ACS. Students in the lower grades continued to be all-male, a practice which persists to this day. Thio Chan Bee, the first Asian principal of ACS, took over in 1952. During his tenure, both the Cairnhill and Barker Road premises were expanded, the latter with the building of the Lee Hall, a three-storey building housing twelve classrooms and four laboratories.

In 1986, ACS celebrated its centenary with the publication of a hardback history of the school entitled Hearts, Hopes and Aims.[citation needed]

ACSP moved out of the Coleman Street campus in 1994; in its place now are the National Archives. In 1988 the Ministry of Education started its Independent School programme. Independent schools are allowed to be privately funded and subject to less government regulation in setting out their curriculum. The school was renamed ACS (Independent); in 1993 the Barker Road campus was vacated and the school moved to Dover Road. After strong lobbying by alumni, the Barker Road site was retained for a second secondary school. At the same time, Anglo-Chinese Primary School abandoned Coleman Street (the old building now housing the National Archives of Singapore) to share premises with the new secondary school at Barker Road, now named ACS (Barker Road).

When Bishop Oldham started the school in 1886, he also took in some students as boarders. The boarding facility soon expanded and moved into ever-larger premises, first in Bellevue at Oldham Lane, then to Dunearn House at Barker Road. In 1986, when ACS celebrated its centennial year, the boarding school known as Oldham Hall moved into new premises within the ACS Barker Road campus. It moved back into the rebuilt premises in December 2002 and was renamed ACS Oldham Hall to emphasise its roots as a strong and vibrant member of the ACS family.

Principals

The Principal of the school is also the school's Chief Executive Officer.[4] The first Principal of the independent school was Lawrence Chia, an associate professor of chemistry at the National University of Singapore and a Presbyterian elder. Professor Chia stepped down at the end of 1993 and one of his two vice-principals was selected to replace him. Ong Teck Chin was the chosen one, and he held the post from 1994 to October 2010.[5] From 5 October 2010, Fanny Tan was appointed acting principal in his stead,[6] until the appointment of Winston James Hodge as new principal with effect from 21 June 2011.[7]

Awards

In October 2009, it was announced that ACS (Independent) had been awarded the Singapore Quality Award (SQA).[8] ACS (Independent) has achieved the Singapore Quality Award, all four Best Practice Awards, School Distinction and School Excellence Awards. ACS(I) has won The Straits Times' 'Top School in Sports (Boys)' award 14 times, starting with the first award in 1996 and winning thereafter every year until 2010, with the exception of 1999.[9]

It has been consistently ranked as one of the top secondary schools in Singapore. In the GCE 'Ordinary' level examinations, ACS(I) had been ranked in the top 15 institutions in Singapore for a number of years since 1995. In 2008 it was reported that ACS(I) students taking the IB exams for the first time had produced results among the best in the world: nine students had obtained the perfect score of 45, making up almost half the 20 candidates worldwide to do so.[10] It was also reported that ACS(I)'s performance put it among the top three IB schools in the world.[10] In 2010, 27 students worldwide were reported to have achieved the perfect score, of whom 13 came from the ACS(I) November 2009 examination cohort;[11] in 2011, it produced 28 students who earned the perfect score. The number of perfect scorers increased to 29 in 2012[12] and 37 in 2013. In 2014, the school produced 32 of the 43 students nationwide who obtained perfect scores.[13] In 2015, 34 students scored the perfect score.[14] In 2016, 41 scored the perfect score, accounting for the 48 in Singapore and 81 worldwide to do so.

ACS(I)'s IB programme produced its first President's Scholar, Joshua Rene Jeyaraj, a graduate of the 2009 November examination batch, in 2010.[15] The IB Programme produced its second President's Scholar, Shaun Lim Yung Shen, graduate of the Class of 2011, in 2012.[16]

Curriculum

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

The school was invited by the Ministry of Education to pioneer an Integrated Programme along with several other schools, targeted at high-achieving students. As these students are expected to attend university, the Ministry decided that it would benefit them to bypass GCE 'O' Level and sit directly for a pre-university examination. Accordingly, in 2004 ACS(I) began its Integrated Programme, adopting the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) to that end. Intakes for the Integrated Programme are at Years 1, 3 and 5. ACS(I) was also one of the first schools to offer the Gifted Education Programme, and is the only school that offers it alongside the Integrated Programme. From 2012 onwards, students from Methodist Girls' School will move to ACS(I) after their first four years, in year 5 to complete their 6-year IP leading to the IBDP with the ACS(I) batch, without taking the GCE "O" levels. Students who cannot cope with either of these may opt for the GCE 'O' Levels instead. The GEP is also offered in ACS(I)'s affiliate, Anglo-Chinese School (Primary).

Year 1 & 2

The overall programme consists of two main interdisciplinary academic strands; Strand 1 and 2 and other components such as Individualised Study Option (ISO), Philosophy of Disciplines (POD), National Education (NE), Pastoral Care & Career Guidance (PCCG), Physical Education (PE), Co-curricular Activities (CCA) and enrichment options. Strand 1 is focused on mathematics, physical sciences, life sciences, earth sciences, information sciences and technological studies and also contains elements of social sciences. Strand 2 is focused on the languages, language arts and literature, history and social studies and also contains elements of the performing arts in general. The Strand 2 curriculum was adapted from an ACS(I) GEP design. The remaining components include PE/CCA, NE/PCCG programmes and enrichment options designed to develop leadership ability and creativity. Specialised Art and Music electives, National Education, and affective/religious education are also included. Among subjects specially covered for the Integrated Programme in preparation for the year 5-6 IBDP, are Introduction to Human Societies (IHS), Language Arts (LA), and Philosophy of Disciplines (POD). They also have to complete a total of 120 hours of Creativity, Action, Service, and Leadership (CASL) and submit an Individualised Study Option (ISO) which prepares them for the IBDP's Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) and Extended Essay (EE).

Year 3 & 4

Years 3 and 4 utilize the same two-strand system, but with expanded cope and depth. In addition, an annual interdisciplinary colloquium is conducted where experts in different fields and teachers of various disciplines come together to discuss the similarities and differences of their subjects with each other and with the student participants.

Year 5 & 6

Year 5 and 6 utilize the IB Diploma Programme proper. Diploma students study six subjects from at least five out of six subject groups, concurrently over two years, as well as the core elements of the programme (Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and Creativity, Action, Service). At least three, and not more than four of the six subjects selected are taken at higher level (HL), the others at standard level (SL). HL courses represent 240 teaching hours, and require a greater depth of study across a broader range of content in the subject. SL courses require 150 hours and provide breadth of study across the whole Diploma Programme.

Other programmes

Along with the default Integrated Programme, ACS offers the Foreign Language Programme, commonly offered to all students in top schools who are ranked among the top 10% of the PSLE cohort (roughly those with a score of 250 and above) who have a natural ability to learn a foreign language, in addition to English and their Mother Tongue. It also offers the Music Elective Programme (MEP) and the Regional Studies Programme (RSP) both offered only by a few selected schools.[17] The Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) is also the only institution that offers both the IB programme as well as the Humanities Scholarship Programme, a specialized scholarship programme in Singapore catering to academically excellent Humanities students. ACS also offers the Gifted Education Programme (Singapore) (GEP) now known as the School-based Gifted Education (SBGE) for academically brilliant students, among the top 1% in the nation. There are two to four GEP classes per level (years 1 to 4), for the top 1% of the PSLE cohort of their year, roughly around 265-280 points.

In addition, ACS also offers a specialised subject combination in Years 3 & 4 called the Accelerated Class for Science (ACS). Students in the ACS offer triple science, double maths, Language Arts, International Studies as well as their Mother Tongue. The class must also take an additional paper combining all three sciences known as the "Accelerated Paper". A continuation of this programme is offered in Years 5 & 6; the Advanced Science Programme (ASP). However, there is another selection for this class.

Culture and tradition

Aims

The school's stated aim is to have every student be 'A Scholar, an Officer and a Gentleman'. The school motto, 'The Best Is Yet To Be', is taken from the second line of the poem by Robert Browning, Rabbi ben Ezra (1864),[18] and serves to encourage students to achieve greater heights by reminding them that their best achievements are yet to come.

Uniform

The Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) formal uniform is worn at all times. For male students, it consists of a white short-sleeved shirt, with either dark blue short trousers (for Year 1 to 3 students) or dark blue long trousers (for Year 4 to 6 male students). The shirt is always tucked in.

Male students in Years 1 to 4 wear a dark blue tie with the ACS logo design on it. Males in Years 5 and 6 wear a striped tie with the school colours to distinguish them from the lower levels. Ties must be worn at all times during school hours. The school badge is worn 3 centimeters above the left chest pocket. Female students in Year 5 and 6 wear a white short-sleeved shirt, untucked, with the school crest printed on the left chest area instead of the school badge worn by males. They wear dark blue skirts and shorts. Yellow school scarves are worn on formal occasions. Student bodies such as the Prefectorial Board, Student Council, Junior Common Room Committee, Media Resource Team, Computer Services' Team, Peer Support Leaders Board and Monitors' Council have their own ties and badges.

The school socks are white with the school name and colours on both sides. Shoes are required to be at least 70% white.

For physical activities, camps and every Fridays, students may wear a bright yellow T-shirt (known internally as the corporate tee) with black trim, dark blue shorts and white socks. Prefects and Student Councilors wear a white version of the T-shirt, while teachers wear red. The school crest is and design is printed on the front of the shirt. For physical education lessons, students wear a yellow school tank top with dark blue running shorts. Each house has its own PE tank top in the house colours. It is worn during competitive athletic events. Students can also wear them in lieu of school tank tops in physical education classes.

In October 2013, the student council began asking the student body to submit designs for a house t-shirt,[19] as well as another call in November 2013 for designs for the house crest and shirt for official use.[20] The house mascots were finally revealed to the student body through Facebook in March 2014,[21] and the long await house t-shirts being officially released in October 2014,[22] with periodic sales due to limited availability. These t-shirts can be worn in lieu of a house-tank top during sporting events, and are alternative PE attire for the girls in the school. There are also plans to allow the entire student body to wear the house t-shirt on Dress-down Fridays instead of the corporate t-shirt, but that has been hampered by limited stocks of the house t-shirts as students commonly buy the t-shirts of the other houses for casual use.

Identity

Male students are referred to and addressed as "Gentlemen" and female students are referred to as "Ladies". ACSians are expected to address all male teachers as 'Sir' and female teachers as 'Madam'.

Anthem and coat of arms

The school's anthem was adapted by teacher Henry Martyn Hoisington in 1926. It is adapted from the Canadian unofficial national anthem "The Maple Leaf Forever" and has served over the years as a means of bonding between students and alumni, evoking as it does memories of attending the institution.

Drawing inspiration from the anthem, Dr Yap Pheng Geck designed the school arms in 1930. Placed in chief azure above the three letters of the school name is a golden creature with a lion's head, an eagle's wings and a dragon's body with claws, representing that the school was founded when Singapore was a British colony, by an American Methodist mission and during the Qing Dynasty in China. Technically, this creature is a heraldic wyvern.

The lower part of the field consists of two panels, blue and gold, which represent heaven and earth. The colours also symbolize both spiritual and material accomplishment. The letters "ACS" in red symbolize life forming a bridge between both; they also symbolize the blood of Christ uniting heaven and earth. In addition to the school name, the letters ACS are also variously said to spell out Academic achievements, Christian Character, and Sportsmanship or Service beyond self. Finally, the overall shield shape represents the knightly virtues of chivalry, honour, loyalty, valour and manliness.

Classes

All classrooms are air-conditioned and fully IT-enabled with CCTV cameras installed. There is a campus-wide wireless Internet connection. Classes usually have about 26 to 30 students, 1 form teacher, and 1 or 2 Pastoral care teachers.

Discipline

In 2001 then-Principal Ong told The Straits Times that "we have corporal punishment for some serious offences. But the rules are stated clearly in the school handbook and we have to be consistent in applying them."[23]

There are rules concerning students' uniform, grooming and attendance.

Students are forbidden to use cellphones during lesson hours. Students can ask a teacher for permission to use their phones in case of an emergency.

The school uses a demerit point system, whereby students who accumulate a certain number of points will be punished.

The most common punishments at ACS(I) are school community service and detention for minor offences. Demerit points are issued in numbers determined by the seriousness of the offence. Once a student accumulates six, he will be caned and/or she will serve temporary suspension. For major offences such as playing truant, gambling, vandalism, fighting, smoking, theft, bullying, cheating, or being repeatedly disrespectful to staff, male students are sent to the principal to be disciplined with corporal punishment in the form of caning.

A publicity document for entry into the school's International Baccalaureate (IB) programme from age 16/17 to age 18/19 says that a punishment for violations of the school's academic honesty policy is "Caning (only for male students) which will be conducted in the Principal’s office, classroom or during school assembly." "All students who have been caned will be required to attend counselling sessions arranged by the school."[24]

Student activities

House system

File:Anglo chinese indep clock z.JPG
The clock tower

The house system is a way of grouping students into mutually competitive groups. It was introduced on 16 April 1929 during the tenure of Principal Thomas W Hinch. ACS Houses were named initially after churchmen Bishop James Thoburn, Bishop William F Oldham, and Rev Goh Hood Keng; and philanthropists Tan Kah Kee and Cheong Koon Seng.[25] In 2005, three other benefactors of the school were honoured by having houses named after them: these were Dr Lee Seng Gee, Dr Shaw Vee Meng and Tan Sri Dr Tan Chin Tuan.[26]

The houses in chronological order, and their house colours, are:

  • Thoburn - Green
  • Oldham - Red
  • Goh Hood Keng (GHK) - Yellow
  • Tan Kah Kee (TKK) - Black
  • Cheong Koon Seng (CKS) - Light Blue
  • Lee Seng Gee (LSG) - Grey
  • Shaw Vee Meng (SVM) - Purple
  • Tan Chin Tuan (TCT) - Tan

Co-curricular Activities (CCA)

The school has over 50 different CCAs,[27] including more than 10 clubs and societies in diverse fields. Participation in 2 CCAs is compulsory for all pupils from Year 1 to 4.[27] Each student participates in 2 CCAs: a Uniformed Group and either Sports, Service, Clubs and Societies or Cultural Activities.[27]

The school also offers the usual suite of uniformed groups and a full range of performing arts and sports groups.

ACS Old Boy's Association (OBA)

The OBA was formed by accident rather by design when the Rev J S Nagle, Principal of ACS (1913 – 1922) was tasked with fulfilling Bishop William F Oldham’s vision of building an ACS Collage. The Rev Nagle contacted the Old Boys, some of whom were distinguished citizens holding prominent positions in society then, to garner their support to realise Bishop Oldham’s dream. Though this dream failed to materialize, the ACSOBA was formed. It was officially formed on 10 July 1914, 28 years after ACS was started at Amoy Street.[28] The OBA provides a venue for the Old Boys to network among themselves as well as organizing events that have since become traditions such as the annual Founder’s Day Dinner.[citation needed]

Campus

Facilities

ACS(I) has

Year 1 to 3 Block
CPA 2
File:Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) Sports Facilities.jpg
School Sports Facilities
File:Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) 9, Nov 06.JPG
IB Block
File:Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) 6, Nov 06.JPG
IB Block
File:Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) 4, Nov 06.JPG
IB Block
  • A campus-wide Wi-Fi network
  • Air-conditioned classrooms, installed with CCTV cameras
  • Air-conditioned Student Activity Centre (SAC), also known as the canteen
  • 25 Computer Laboratories, 12 of which are in the year 1-4 block, and the other 13 (5 of which are Mac labs containing Apple iMac computers) in the IB (year 5-6) block
  • Science Laboratories (General Science, Agrobiology, Microbiology, Genealogy, Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Proteomics & Genomics Labs)
  • Research Laboratories
  • Observatory Room
  • 2 Special circular classrooms (Known as the Humanities and Theory of Knowledge Rooms)
  • Music rooms/MEP rooms
  • Art and Humanity Rooms
  • 2 storey Media Resource Library
  • 2 Multi-purpose halls
  • 2 Auditoriums, with upper and lower levels, with Auditorium 2 being able to accommodate the whole school
  • 4 Lecture theatres, each with about 150 seats
  • 2 Centres for Performing Arts (CPA), each with about 650 seats
  • Band Room
  • 4 CyberAc rooms for presentations, general use
  • A printing room

The sports facilities are:

  • Gymnasium
  • 5 Squash courts
  • Basketball courts
  • Cricket field
  • Tennis courts
  • Multi-purpose halls that can be used as tennis, badminton and basketball courts
  • Rockwall
  • Giant swing
  • Burma bridge
  • 400 metre zipline over the artificial turf
  • 2 swimming pools, 1 olympic sized
  • Cafeteria beside swimming pool
  • Running track
  • Skate park

Other facilities include

  • Biometric attendance systems (Not in use anymore)

Boarding school

File:ACS (Independent) Boarding School.jpg
ACS (Independent) Boarding School

The ACS (Independent) Boarding School houses around 400 students, mostly overseas scholars from the People's Republic of China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and India.

There are 8 halls in the Boarding School. They are named after famous figures that contributed to the school: Theodore R Doraisamy, Lee Kong Chian, Tay Eng Soon, Thio Chan Bee, Runme Shaw, Henry Martyn Hoisington, Thomas William Hinch, and William F Oldham; James Stuart Nagle being the extension of William F Oldham hall since 2011. There is also a taller, apartment styled boarding house for the year 5-6 IB students recently built in 2011.

The Shaw Library and Resource Centre

The library is named after its financial benefactor, Runme Shaw. It contains over 100,000 books, reference materials and IB syllabus-based course books. The library was extended in 2007. The library has two storeys, with 15 computers on the main floor, 2 of which are used by students to print documents. On the lower level of the library, there are 6 study rooms, each named after famous writers like George Elliot and Charles Dickens. The rooms vary in size, each containing a whiteboard, projector and tables and chairs. Rooms are locked and must be booked beforehand. Presentations are often held in these rooms. The lower level also contains reference materials such as encyclopedias which cannot be borrowed but viewed in the library. Library facilities include a heritage walk, and a permanent exhibition on the history of ACS.[citation needed]

Junior Block

In February 2016, a new Junior Block was opened for the Year 1 students. It has 4 levels of classrooms, a lift, 2 stairways, a water cooler on the first storey, and toilets on every storey. The classrooms consisted of 2 whiteboards (one in front and one at the back), 2 bulletin boards as well as air-conditioners and fans. The fans are to be used in the morning until 10.40a.m., and the air-conditioners are to be used from 10.40a.m. onwards. Lockers were installed later on, beside the windows.

Achievements

Sports and games

ACS (Independent) has achieved good sporting results through the years, having produced national champions and national sportsmen. It has been strong in swimming, sailing, water-polo and rugby. It has been The Straits Times' Top School in Sports (Boys) in an almost unbroken streak since this title was first awarded, from 1996 to 2009.[8] The exception was 1999, in which The Chinese High School won the title. The record number of gold medals in a single season was achieved in 2002, where it won 13 gold medals and 11 silver medals. The school has held many winning streaks such as the "B" Division Rugby Title from 1997–2003 and the "C" Division Rugby Title from 1997–2009. In 2008, ACS (Independent) won a grand slam in Rugby, winning all three "A" Division, "B" Division and "C" Division titles.

National inter-schools championships (1989 onwards; 2007 onwards for "A" Division)

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Uniformed Groups

The school has also performed well in its uniformed groups, achieving Gold and Best Unit awards multiple times over the past years. In 2011 alone, all of the school's units have attained a Gold award. ACS (Independent) holds the record of having the largest amount of Uniformed Groups in a single school. In addition to this, ACS (Independent) is the only school with an National Cadet Corps Tri-Service, and one of two schools which pioneered the National Police Cadet Corps. The Scout and Venture Scout units of the school are also the largest in Singapore. The Boys' Brigade and Boys' Brigade Primers also encompasses the Boys' Brigade Bagpipe Band,[36] one of only 14 in Singapore. However, the NPCC (Sea) unit has since been shut down. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Clubs, Societies and Performing Arts

The ACS(I) Debate Team has a very strong debating tradition, many of the members going on to represent Singapore at the World Schools Debating Championships. ACS(I) emerged National Champions in 1998, 2005 and 2013 and 1st Runner-Up in both 2004 and 2006 in the Singapore Secondary Schools Debating Championships. In 2010, ACS (Independent) emerged champions in the Ministry of Finance Budget Debate for the Secondary School division and 1st Runner-Up for the Pre-University division.[46]

The school's Young Diplomats' Society has received awards in multiple Model United Nations Conferences both locally and overseas and also organises the annual International Model United Nations Conference.

Between 1998 and 2012, the school's Philharmonic Orchestra obtained seven consecutive Gold Awards in the biennial Singapore Youth Festival competition, the only youth string ensemble to have done so. The Orchestra achieved two Gold with Honours awards at the 2007 SYF competition, for both its Secondary and College String groups. In 2013 and 2015, following the festival's award scheme revamp, the orchestra attained the Distinction award, the highest possible honour. It also collaborated with the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band in March 2007, and was the featured orchestra in the 2007 HSBC Young Talents' Concert.

The Symphonic Band won Gold with Honours awards in the 2005, 2007 and 2009 SYF competitions, being the only school besides St Patricks' School to have achieved this. It was ranked as one of the top three bands in all three years. The band also received a Gold in the 2011 competition.[47] The Wind Ensemble received a Gold in its first year of participation in SYF in 2007, as well as a Bronze in 2009 and a Silver in 2011.[48] In 2006, the band took part in the 17th Australian International Music Festival in Sydney, Australia, attaining a Gold Award. In the Singapore International Band Festival 2008, the band competed against professional bands in the open division and won the only Gold award, it also achieved second place in the Finals. In the SIBF competition for 2010, the band achieved Silver in the Open Category, while in 2012, the Symphonic Band was awarded a Gold in Division II and the Wind Ensemble was awarded Silver in Division I.[49] In 2011, both the Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble participated in the Senior Category at the Hong Kong Winter Band Festival, attaining Silver and Gold (2nd Placing) respectively. The Symphonic Band has also received Distinction Awards at the 2013 and 2015 Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation for Concert Bands.[50][51]

The Choir, established in the 1980s, has taken part in many international and local choral competitions and workshops. The Choir has achieved a Gold award in the 2009 SYF Central Judging, as well as a Gold award in the recent 2011 SYF Central Judging.[52] The Choir also obtained a Gold award at the Genting International Choral Competition in 2007. The IB choir now performs as an A Capella society.

The Guitar Orchestra, established in 2003, has won three consecutive Gold medals in the SYF competitions, with a Gold award for its Secondary Orchestra and a Gold with Honours award for its College Orchestra in the 2007 SYF competition. The Secondary Orchestra obtained a Gold with Honours award in the 2009 SYF competition. It also hosts a yearly concert event, F.R.E.T.S (Finally a Really Exciting Thing to See).

Dance Venia, established in 2005, won the Gold with Honours Award at the Singapore Youth Festival Central Judging 2009 during their first participation in the event. Their latest achievements include 2 Certificates of Distinction at the same event in 2013 and 2015.

Odyssey of the Mind

ACS (Independent) has been affiliated with the international Odyssey of the Mind competitions since 1998, when its team represented Singapore at the World Finals in Disneyworld, Florida. In 1999, 2000 and 2001, ACS(I) sent teams to the Finals at the University of Tennessee and University of Maryland respectively. Dr Ong Teck Chin, the school's former principal, was also the tournament director for OM in Singapore.

In 2002, ACS (Independent) brought back Singapore's first-ever Division II (Under-15) trophy from the World Finals in the USA.

In 2004, ACS (Independent)) achieved three National Champion titles. At the World Finals, they brought back an unprecedented one Silver Medal placing and two Bronze Medal placings.

Again in 2005, the ACS (Independent) broke the national record by clinching an unprecedented five Champion titles at the National Finals, a feat that remains unbeaten. At the World Finals, ACJC brought back Singapore's first Division IV World Champions trophy, while ACS (Independent) again emerged as Under-15 World Champions and Under-20 Silver Winners.

In 2006, ACS (Independent) sent three teams to compete in the World Finals in Iowa State University, USA. ACS(I) won its first under-20 World Champions title. It also won the Under-20 Silver Medal and Under-15 Bronze Medal. The World Champions team was composed of year 5 students, the first batch of ACS(I) students taking the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

In 2007, ACS (Independent) sent four teams to the World Finals in Michigan State University, USA. For the first time, two teams were crowned World Champions in the Under-15 and Under-20 categories. The other two teams clinched 4th place in another Under-15 division and 5th place in another Under-20 division.[citation needed]

In 2009, ACS (Independent) sent four teams to the World Finals in Iowa State University, USA. Another two teams were crowned World Champions in the under-15 and under-20 categories. The other two teams clinched the 4th position as well as the 7th position.

In 2012, ACS (Independent) sent three teams to the World Finals in Iowa State University, and the Division II (Under-15) became the world champions for their category.The Division III (Under-20) teams bagged another world champion trophy, the first gold for their category in 4 years, as well as a silver trophy, ending one of the best results in ACS(I) OM history.

In 2013, ACS (Independent) sent three teams to the world finals in Michigan State University. The Division II (Under-15) D2P3 team won the world champion title for their category for the first time in 5 years, while the Division III (Under-20) team achieved the Bronze trophy despite being the youngest Division III team to ever participate in ACS(I) OM. All teams received standing ovations.

In 2015, ACS (Independent) sent 3 teams to the world finals in Michigan State University, USA. One team, cordially named Team Chee, was crowned World Champions in the under-20 category.

To date, ACS (Independent) holds the record for the school with the most World Champion titles, with 17 as of 2016.

Notable alumni

See also

Notes

1. ^ http://www.moe.gov.sg/press/2004/pr2004sea_sda.htm", School Excellence Award (SEA), Ministry of Education, Singapore, 2006

External links

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ [1] Archived October 26, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ ACS History. Retrieved 27 August 2007.
  4. ↑ Lau, Earnest. The ACS Story. Anglo-Chinese School Board of Governors, 2003, 2007
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Letter to Parents, 5 January 2010.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ http://www.edvantage.com.sg/content/singapore-comes-out-tops-4th-year-international-baccalaureate-exams
  14. ↑ http://www.acsindep.moe.edu.sg/acs_indep/news.php?id=375
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/secondary/other/music-elective-programme
  18. ↑ 'Grow old along with me! / The best is yet to be...' Nicholson, D. H. S., and Lee, A. H. E., eds (1917). The Oxford Book of English Mystical Verse. Oxford: The Clarendon Press. p. 106.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Davie, Sandra (16 July 2001). "Want to complain about your child's teacher? Check facts first". The Straits Times (Singapore).
  24. ↑ Briefing by Principal to Parents/Guardians. ACS(I). 27 May 2006.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Moving Ahead In The New Year, Message from the Chairman of the ACS Board of Governors. February/March 2005.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 http://www.acs.sch.edu.sg/acs_indep/uploads/news/ACSI%20Prog%20and%20Admission.pdf
  28. ↑ http://www.acsoba.net/history.aspx
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 29.5 School Information Service, accessed 27 August 2007.
  30. ↑ ACS (Independent) - Cricket. Retrieved 27 August 2007. Archived September 27, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  31. ↑ ACS (Independent) - Rugby. Retrieved 27 August 2007. Archived April 3, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  32. ↑ Record of Past Champions, redsports.sg. Retrieved 27 August 2007.
  33. ↑ ACS (Independent) - Softball. Retrieved 27 August 2007. Archived September 27, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  34. ↑ ACS (Independent) - Squash. Retrieved 27 August 2007. Archived September 27, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  35. ↑ ACS (Independent) - Swimming. Retrieved 27 August 2007. Archived July 16, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  36. ↑ ACS (Independent) - Boys' Brigade Bagpipe Band. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  37. ↑ ACS (Independent) - National Cadet Corps (Air). Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  38. ↑ ACS (Independent) - National Cadet Corps (Land). Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  39. ↑ ACS (Independent) - National Cadet Corps (Sea). Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  40. ↑ ACS (Independent) - National Civil Defence Cadet Corps. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  41. ↑ ACS (Independent) - National Police Cadet Corps (Land). Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  42. ↑ ACS (Independent) - Military Bagpipe Band. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  43. ↑ ACS (Independent) - Boy's Brigade. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  44. ↑ ACS (Independent) - Scouts. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  45. ↑ ACS (Independent) - St. John's Ambulance Brigade. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  46. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  47. ↑ SG Band Fusion.
  48. ↑ SG Band Fusion.
  49. ↑ [2].
  50. ↑ [3].
  51. ↑ [4].
  52. ↑ ACS Choir Blog. April 2011.
  53. ↑ Singapore National Library - Singapore Infomedia - Dr Tay Eng Soon
  54. ↑ http://redsports.sg/2009/04/28/joseph-schooling-swimming/
  55. ↑ http://www.straitstimes.com/news/sport/more-sport-stories/story/swimming-zheng-wen-qualifies-rio-2016-after-200m-fly-win-spain-2/
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