This is part 2 of the St Gabriel's Alumni magazine which was published in Nov 2013. It celebrates 60 years of St Gabriel's School, founded in 1953.

1. 2 Highland Road
St Gabriel’s Primary School (1969 – 1992)
1988
1969
SGPS entrance in 1969,
with Mr John Teo & Mr Peter Goh
Afternoon school assembly
1988
1969
View of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church and
School Field from SGPS
All decked out with flags and decorations for
our Silver Jubilee
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The gates of SGPS in Highland Road closes for the
last time in 1988
2 Highland Road Today: Catholic Archdiocesan
Education Centre

2. 220 Lorong Chuan
St Gabriel’s Primary School
1989
SGPS at 220, Lorong Chuan in 1989
Field of Dreams
2013
SGPS after PRIME in 2013
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3. 24 Serangoon Avenue 2
St Gabriel’s Secondary School
1993
SGSS
Christening the school field with a kick-about
2003
2013
SGSS after PRIME
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SGSS Today

4. Assembly and recess
1978
1958
Assembly in 1958
25th Anniversary Gala Concert in 1978
Recess 1959
SGSS Chinese New Year Celebrations
1959
2001
1963
SGPS Aces Day 2001
End of Term Concert 1963
1963
2010
The Jovial Kachang Man
SGSS Speech Day 2010
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5. Gabrielite Spirituality
1960
1983
Bro Adolphus hands over a statue
of our Lady to Mr Paul Lee
Sister Victorine and Ms Gomez leading
the Crusaders in prayer
1978
1999
First Friday Mass at IHM Church
Holy Week 1999 with Bro Dennis
2012
2012
SGPS Chapel service
26
SGSS Mass

6. Classroom lessons
1960
Juniorates hard at work in 1960
Group study and cooperative learning
1963
Mr Koh Huai Pang in the Science Lab
2013
Science Monitor Training at SGPS
1990
2013
Art and Craft lesson
Learning Journey at SGSS using mobile devices at Fort Canning
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7. Then: Character Development,
Student Leadership And Citizenship
1970
1960
This is how you spike a volleyball
Mr Peter Goh and the Red Cross
1972
1969
Hoisting our flag high at the parade 1969 NDP
Old boys soccer team in 1972
1976
1969
Rifle practice at SGSS school field
March with pride at our SGPS opening in 1969
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8. 1983
1974
Swing that bat in 1974
Sprinting to victory at the National stadium in 1983
1990
1983
Table Tennis
Teachers as Swimming Instructors in our inaugural
Swim Program, 1983
1990
Weeding the flower beds outside our classes in 1990
1992
Charithon 1992
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9. Now: Character Development,
Student Leadership and Citizenship Today
SGPS Leaders
Investiture
SGSS Speech Day, Gold Standard for Scouts, NCC, NCC (Air), NPCC and Red Cross
Exhibition
soccer games in
Thailand
Soccer: National B Division 4th
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Judo and Karate
Wushu

10. Trying fo
r
hole-in- a
one
Golf Champions
uttlers
SGPS sh
SGSS Badminton
Floorball:
National
Floorball
Runners-Up
Health
Recreation
Club
ts Club!
r Spor
Hail ou
Softball
31

11. Now: Character Development,
Student Leadership and Citizenship Today
e
en hous
SGPS op
Shooting champions
Skipathon
Ra
32
Games and Sports Day
try Run
nual Cross-Coun
line at our an
cing to the finish
SGSS Sports
Carnival

12. SGPS Brass Band
at our outdoor
performance
SGSS Concert Band (SYF Distinction Award)
SGPS
Aesthetics
Chorale (SYF Distinction Award)
SGSS Guitar Ensemble (SYF Accomplishment Award)
SGPS Media Club
and Media Resource
Library
Infocomm Club
and Library
SGSS Aesthetics
Recreation Club
SGPS Robotics and Science Club
SGPS Creative
Expression Club
33

13. Our Gabrielite Prayer
Father, ever loving, You who have heard the cry of your people, make us attentive to the cries of all Your
children, our brothers and sisters.
Jesus, our brother, You came into this world not to judge but to save, help us to follow Your example of
compassion and charity.
Holy Spirit, breath of love and unity, give us the courage to commit ourselves to justice and peace.
Mary, Mother of the human family, enable us to join hands with all those working to liberate children,
women, and all the victims of injustice and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty.
Montfort and Deshayes, our founders and our inspiration, give us your courage and your strength to commit
ourselves, to meet the great challenges of our time, to build a society where love and faithfulness will meet;
justice and peace will embrace. Help us thus become authentic leaders for a greater brotherhood.
St Gabriel’s Foundation Flag Day
SGPS Virtues Week
Visit the Sick: SGPS Home Visit
Visit to Metta Home: To Communicate and Give Comfort
“Those whom the
world rejects must
move you the most!” –
St Louis De Montfort.
I-Carnival Fundraising
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14. I remember, I remember
By Bro Jean Denis
I will never forget St Gabriel’s Secondary, its staff and its pupils! You are all
recorded in the deepest recesses of my heart.
St Gabriel’s wrapped my life like my skin wrapped my body. My years at St Gabriel’s
were a picnic! My former students may not say the same thing as I was quite strict
with them, But I LOVED THEM A LOT TOO.
My relationship with the staff from morning till afternoon was a sunny ‘Hi!’ followed
by a big smile reflecting my great happiness to work with them. They were all so
lovely, so caring, so generous to me. It’s no wonder that I was so fond of them!
Bro Denis
St Gabriel’s boys have always been ‘walking surprises’! Most of the time, they were
adorable but they could be cheeky or really naughty. However, when we were relying heavily on
them, they never failed to be their best. When we had special appeals to make for donations,
they would put their left hands on their hearts and their right ones in their pockets to help out.
Any tragic incident during my stay? I would say one, when the inspector tried to dump me from
school because of my poor English – with a French accent on top of that! But Principal Brother
Noel asked me to teach Science and Maths instead and that turned out to be a blessing to me
as I had taught these subjects for 15 years in Canada before coming here.
You know what? Everything turns out to the advantage of those who love God! I want to leave
you with this thought. May I suggest that you live by this message – you will be happy for the
rest of your life.
With much love for you all,
Brother Jean Denis
Mr Lim Kok Kee: The Pioneer
An interview by Jonathan Chen, SGPS, 2011
“I wanted to be a teacher in St Gabriel’s because I wanted to carry on the
tradition”, Mr Lim Kok Kee, a former student and now retired teacher said.
He was among the first batch of students in 1953, when the school was
founded. There were just eight classes for the Primary School and two
classes for the Secondary School with only eight teachers.
Just like any other current student, Mr Lim Kok Kee was quite playful in
school. When he was in Secondary 1 and 2, he and his classmates would throw a basketball
down from the classroom to the basketball court as they wanted to play right after the school
bell rang. As this was rather dangerous, the Brothers would scold them for the rash act.
When he first returned to school to teach, he was just an ordinary teacher who taught
aesthetics. But he gained fame when he became a volleyball coach of two fantastic teams. One
of his volleyball pupils was Mr Glenn Batchelor, who would later return to St Gabriel’s to teach.
Mr Lim also fondly reminisces about the “supervisor warning system” that the teachers in
St Gabriel’s had at one time. The successful system worked like this: The first teacher who
knew that the supervisor had arrived would send a student to alert the other teachers. But
there was one instance when it did not work. By the time the pupil had alerted the teachers,
the supervisor was already sitting inside a classroom! The supervisor then “commended” the
teachers on having such a good system.
Today, Mr Lim is retired from teaching. He is an inspiration to many Gabrielites for his loyalty
and dedication.
Let us live and thus prove, Saint Gabriel’s boys
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15. Mr Henry Phang: A True Friend of the School
An interview by David Lui, Michael Chen and Gabriel Lee, SGPS, 2011
Mr Henry Phang has many fond memories of his days at St Gabriel’s. He recalls, “There was never
a dull moment at school. The bonds between the Brothers of St Gabriel, teachers and classmates
were all close-knitted and friendly.” He loved going to school and always looked forward to
returning to school after the holidays.
He joined St Gabriel’s as a 14-year old secondary student in 1959. He was a scout
and prefect, as well as a member of the Young Christian Society and also the
Literacy, Debating and Drama Society. He even represented the school in the
National Oratorical Contest in 1960. One of his most memorable day was a trip
organised by the Brothers to visit St Joseph’s English School, a Gabrielite school
in Johore Bahru, Malaysia. A retreat was held there followed by a swim at Lido
Beach. Not many people had the opportunity to travel and this was his first trip
outside Singapore.
The spirit of St Gabriel’s is still very much with him today. He has supported and helped St
Gabriel’s loyally in so many ways for the past 40 years and his contribution to the schools is
deeply appreciated. He has been on the school’s Board of Management for more than 25 years
right up to the inception of the St Gabriel’s Foundation in 2001. He then became a Governor of
the Board till today. He also plays an active role as the Chairman of the School Management
Committee and President of the Old Boy’s Association.
On his aspirations for the Gabrielite schools, he has this to say, “I hope more Gabrielites will
return and be active to serve their school. Everyone can contribute a little of his time to volunteer
in any of the committees, and help organise activities so that members can build the Old Boys
Association into a more vibrant Alumni Association every Gabrielite can be proud of!”
Mr Lionel Louis: St Gabriel’s
will always have a special
place in my heart
Mr Hariss Harun:
It is an understatement to say
thank you
My days spent in St Gabriel’s Secondary
School will always have a special
space in my heart. It was here where
I discovered my hidden talents. My
teachers and principals provided
me with a variety of opportunities
to further develop my talents. I also build confidence
in public speaking because of the various emceeing,
opportunities I had. Though it has been years since I
graduated in 2000, the life lessons I have learnt from
school are still remembered and practised till today.
– Lionel Louis
I graduated from St Gabriel’s in
2007. My time at St Gabriel’s was
a memorable one. The experiences
it brought me were priceless, from
representing my school team to
achieving grades that were respectable.
St Gabriel’s has taught me many life-skills like selfdiscipline and perseverance. It’s an understatement to
say thank you to all those who made my journey at St
Gabriel’s a fruitful and pleasant one.
– Hariss Harun
Let us live and thus prove, Saint Gabriel’s boys
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16. A Tribute to Bro. Emmanuel
By Lloyd Yeo
Brother Emmanuel, our beloved Supervisor of Gabrielite Schools, celebrates his 62nd
Anniversary of religious vows in 2013 but it is a joy tinged with sadness because we also see
him step aside from the post of Supervisor of the schools of the Brothers of St. Gabriel for health
reasons as of 1 July 2013.
Bro. Emmanuel was born on 28 October 1933 in Montreal, Canada. He came from a family of 10
children and grew up in a Gabrielite institution.
Bro Emmanuel (1954)
Bro. Emmanuel’s calling to be a religious is inspirational and a great story to be told. During an
outing to a Gabrielite training centre at St. Bruno as a child, a Gabrielite brother told him, “Have
a good look. This is the place where people who wish to give their lives to God as brothers can
come. And I think God may have an invitation for you”.
Those words inspired Bro. Emmanuel to develop a love and desire to serve others as St Louis
Marie de Montfort did. Other Brothers like Bro. Dede , his teacher, nurtured his vocation.
Bro. Emmanuel came to Singapore in 1954 and dedicated himself to his adopted country as a
Singapore citizen. His many years of experience continues to touch many lives. Always jovial,
inspiring and a role-model for many, he started teaching at Holy Innocents’ English School and
he was also Principal of Boys’ Town English School/ Assumption English School (1960, 1963 –
1966), St Gabriel’s School (1960 – 1963,1969 – 1974) and Director of Boys’ Town for more than
30 years.
Bro Emmanuel (2013)
Bro. Emmanuel will always be our friend in Christ and we hold his farewell address close to our
hearts: “I will still be around for as long as God will keep me alive and healthy enough; Singapore
is my home. Do not be surprised if I come in from time to time to visit you and to give you words
of encouragement. My new mission is to support all of you in schools with more prayers and
love. God bless you and see you soon.”
God Bless You, Brother Emmanuel! Thank you
for the very special and unique way you pray,
care and inspire us! Ad Multos Annos!
Bro Emmanuel as a Soccer Player
Welcome address by Br Emmanuel
as New Principal, 1969
Bro Emmanuel, our
Golf Champ in 2013
Let us live and thus prove, Saint Gabriel’s boys
37

17. School Management Committee
Mr Henry Phang
Chairman
Brother Dominic Yeo Koh
Supervisor of Schools
Mr Yeo Ann Tai
Vice-Chairman
Mr Andrew Ng
Treasurer
Mr Charles Lee
Member
Mr Francis Wong
Member
Dr Chen Sze Hua
Member
38
Mrs Esther Loo
Member
Mr Edmund Lee
Member
Mrs Catherine Chiang
Principal, SGPS
Mr Stephen Chin
Principal, SGSS

18. The Gabrielites (OBA) Executive Committee
Mr Henry Phang
President,
Class of 1962
Bro Dominic Yeo Koh
Supervisor of Schools
Mr Yeo Ann Tai
Vice-President,
Class of 1962
Mr Paul Edwards
Vice-President,
Class of 1968
Mr Gerald Ong
Secretary,
Class of 2003
Mr Bernard Chiang
Asst Secretary,
Class of 1968
Mr Daniel Tan
Treasurer,
Class of 1968
Mr Tony Goh
Honorary Auditor,
Class of 1968
Mr Francis Lee
Honorary Auditor,
Class of 1972
Mr Lionel Foo
Committee Member,
Class of 1968
Mr John Chia
Committee Member,
Ex-Teacher
Mr Gordon Lim
Committee Member,
Class of 1982
Raymond Leong
Committee Member,
Class of 1978
Mr Lloyd Yeo
Committee Member,
Class of 1986
Mr Soh Kai Guan
Committee Member,
Vice-Principal of SGPS,
Class of 1983
Mr Anith Kumar
Vice-Principal
Ms Jackie Cheng
Vice-Principal
Mrs Catherine Chiang
Advisor, Principal, SGPS
Mr Stephen Chin
Advisor, Principal, SGSS
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19. 60
Celebrating
40
Years

20. 41

21. 42

22. WITH COMPLIMENTS
ANDY AND DORIS LIM
CELEBRATING
ST GABRIEL’S SCHOOL
60TH ANNIVERSARY
43

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Enquiries, contact Lionel, HP: 9435 1166 or email to lionel@seededuation.sg
Website: www.seededucation.sg
44

24. 45

25. St. Gabriel’s Primary School
220 Lorong Chuan, Singapore 556742.
Tel: 6280 3628
www.stgabrielspri.moe.edu.sg
St. Gabriel’s Secondary School
24 Serangoon Avenue 1, Singapore 556140.
Tel: 6288 9470
www.stgabrielssec.moe.edu.sg
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