华文名：海星中学 (附小)

History

Maris Stella High School had a humble beginning. Reverend Brother J. Chanel Soon founded the school in 1958 out of borrowed classrooms to meet the high demand for education in postwar Singapore. Anchored on the values of the Marist Congregation, Brother Chanel accepted boys seeking education regardless of race and religion. A staff of 11 including the principal, taught the pioneer batch of four Primary One classes and four Secondary One classes in the afternoon at St Stephen’s Primary School. When the school expanded, the school operated out of different premises concurrently up to 1966.

In 1967, after years of fundraising by Brother Chanel, the school managed to buy a piece of land at Mount Vernon and built its own premises complete with classrooms and a science block. The following year saw the completion of an adjoining block comprising the Lee Kuo Chuan Hall, a canteen, a library and administration offices. In 1976, a five-storey building for the primary section officially opened. In 1982, the primary section, with an expanded campus, was built to meet the overwhelming demand for more places.

The good reputation of Maris Stella High School was sealed when the first batch of students who took the General Certificate of Education O-Level examinations returned with 100% passes, a rare feat in those days. In 1979, the school became one of the nine pioneer Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools where top students of the Primary School Leaving Examinations cohort were encouraged to enrol for a bilingual education. In 1990, the primary section was also accorded SAP status. These attest to the strong Chinese culture and rich heritage of the school. In 1996, the school was accorded autonomous status for its good work in educating Marists holistically. In 2002, the school was designated the N4 Cluster of Excellence for Information and Communications Technology. Maris Stella High School has also achieved excellence in sports. In 2014, the school was recognised with Best Practice Awards in Teaching and Learning, Character and Citizenship Education, Staff Well-being and Development, and Student All-Round Development.

In 2018, the school celebrated its 60th anniversary rejoicing over the achievements of the students and the milestones crossed. As an all-boys Catholic full school with an enduring Chinese heritage, strong alumni and parental support, the school is well positioned to offer students its 10-year Marist education to realise its vision, ‘Every Marist, a Gentleman of Faith, Vision and Service’.