Tao Nan School

Infobox Singapore School
name = Tao Nan School
道南学校 (Dàonán Xuéxiào)


motto = Learn to Love, Love to Learn
established = 08 November 1906
type = Government-Aided
session = Double
principal = Mr Tan Choon Kheng, Tony
city/town = Marine Parade
school code = 5240
enrollment = approximately 2,500
colours = Blue and white
homepage = [http://schools.moe.edu.sg/tns Link] .

Tao Nan School (Abbreviation: TNS; Chinese: _zh. 道南学校), is a co-educational primary school in Singapore. One of the five Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan schools, along with Ai Tong School, Chongfu Primary School, Kong Hwa School and Nan Chiau Primary School, Tao Nan School is among the 30 popular primary schools listed by the Ministry of Education. [http://www.moe.gov.sg/esp/foreign/FSInfoLeaflet.pdf]

Tao Nan School is also one of the primary schools in Singapore offering the Gifted Education Programme. This programme started in 1996, and continues to this day. It has also started the BiCEP (Bi-cultural Enrichment Programme), the aim of which is to teach students to be effectively bilingual. Tao Nan is currently 102 years old, and recently celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2006 with a carnival held on November 4. The school is currently located in Marine Crescent.

Schedule as of 2008

This is the current schedule based on time and all classes.

chool Song

We belong to Tao Nan School and

we always obey the school rules

The task of nation building we shoulder

Wisdom of sages past we deliver

In harmony we work and play

For Tao Nan will show us the way

Onwards we march towards success

Towards greatness Tao Nan will progress

To Tao Nan, Tao Nan, we will go

Where the torch of knowledge burns aglow

To Tao Nan, Tao Nan, we will go

Where the torch of knowledge burns aglow

To Tao Nan, Tao Nan, we will go

Where the torch of knowledge burns aglow

Metaphor

Palette of Colours: The child is an artist who acquires a whole range of values, skills and knowledge throughout his primary school life, which are represented by the colours on the palette. These values, skills and knowledge will allow the artist to create his future masterpiece. The palette represents the school, which not only offers a wide spectrum of colours, but also the space and opportunities to experiment and make mistakes with the consistent support and guidance given by the teachers, represented by the brushes. In time, the child learns to love all the colours, including those that he did not like, as he mixes and blends them to complete his masterpiece.

chool Crest

The school crest consists of a leaping lion and an open book on a blue shield. The lion represents the Lion City, or Singapore. Its leaping position symbolizes bravery and continuous progress and advancement in the face of difficulties. The open book represents the unquenchable thirst for knowledge. At the base of the crest is the school's motto: "Sincerity and Perseverance". The entire crest signifies the acquisition of abundant knowledge and the training of a strong and healthy body.

History

The Hokkien Clan Association (otherwise known as the Hokkien Huay Kuan) started Tao Nan School on 8 November 1906. It was one of the six modern Chinese schools in Singapore with a curriculum influenced by the educational reforms in China at the end of the 19th century.cite encyclopedia | author = National Heritage Board | authorlink = National Heritage Board | editor = Tommy T.B. Koh et ali. | title = Tao Nan School | encyclopedia = | pages = 549 | publisher = Editions Didier Millet | location = Singapore | date = 2006 | id = ISBN 981-4155-63-2]

Classes were first held at the residence of Tan Kim Ching in North Bridge Road. With the generous support from the Hoklo (Hokkien) community, a purpose-built school was constructed. Benefactors include Tan Boon Liat, Lee Cheng Yen, Low Kim Pong, Tan Kah Kee, and Oei Tiong Ham, the sugar magnate from Semarang, Central Java, whose donation largely financed the purchase of land in Armenian Street.

The move to Armenian Street coincided with the 1911 overthrow of the Qing dynasty. Tao Nan became the first Chinese school to change the medium of instruction from dialect to Mandarin. Among the teachers was the philanthropist Lee Kong Chian (1894 - 1967). Pioneer artist Pan Shou was the headmaster from 1932 to 1940.

In 1982, Tao Nan School moved to a new campus in Marine Parade, where it still remains to this today. It was named a SAP school in 1990 and a Gifted Education Programme Centre in 1996. With 100 years of history (as of 2006) it is one of Singapore's oldest primary schools.

Culture

Uniform

Boys wear white shirts and blue shorts. Girls wear white blouses and light blue pinafores. Both uniforms have the school crest emblazoned on the left. While school shoes and school socks can be purchased, any white-based shoes or socks are also allowed. Tao Nan School students are not allowed to wear ankle socks to school.

For days with physical education lessons, students wear a white t-shirt with dark blue shorts to school. The t-shirt has the initials of the school emblazoned on the back, and the school initials are also sewn on the shorts. There are also house t-shirts, which are the same as the normal shirts, except that instead of having the school initials printed on the back, it is a picture of the animal of the house. For example, the t-shirt of a Shark House member will have a picture of a shark on its back.

Prefects wear a blue velcro tie around their necks and a name tag/junior prefect badge above the school crest. Depending on the Prefect's status, the number of white lines printed on the tie differs: the Head Prefect has 3 stripes, the Vice-Head Prefect and other members of the Executive Committee have 2 and the others have either 1 or no stripes. The prefect name tag is blue with the students name carved in white on it. The old junior prefect badge has the words 'junior prefect' engraved on them. The new one, however, has the school crest and 'prefect' written in gold on a black background together with the Prefect's name. The frame of the badge is also gold. A prefect t-shirt has also been introduced. It is white with a blue collar, with the word prefect on the left side of the t-shirt and on the back. It also sports a high and tight collar. Prefect in Mandarin (学长) is also printed in blue on the left sleeve of the t-shirt. The prefects wear this shirt with their P.E. shorts on events during which they have prefectorial duties, such as Pesta Sukan or Swimming Carnival.

Houses

There are 4 houses in Tao Nan, each named after a marine animal. The 4 houses are Dolphin (Blue), Killer Whale (Red), Marlin (Orange) and Shark (Green). These houses are mainly for organising the annual Swimming Carnival and Pesta Sukan or other special events.

There is an inter-house swimming competition that is organized annually by the school. In recent years, Shark house has been extremely dominant. However, for the year of 2008, Marlin emerged as the winners while Shark ended last.

CCAs

Tao Nan has numerous CCAs ranging from uniform groups like Brownies and Scouts to cultural groups like Dance and Chinese Orchestra.

Sports CCAs:

Gymnastics,
Wushu, Track and Field,
Badminton,
Swimming,
Netball,
Basketball,
Sailing.

Clubs:

Chess Club,
Art Club, NewsInc, Advanced Mathematics Enrichment Club (AMEC),
Science Club, i-Club, Chinese Drama,
Library.

Uniformed Groups:

Scouts,
Brownies,
Girls' Brigade,
Boys' Brigade.

Cultural Groups:

Guzheng, Dance,
Chinese Orchestra, Choir.

References

ee also

*Old Tao Nan School