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Principal Message 2026
Read the Principal's message as Queenstown Secondary School marks its 70th anniversary, celebrating growth, community, and its motto of Dare to Serve.
Principal’s Message
Principal's Message 2026
Celebrating Our Milestone
Dear QTSS Community,
As we approach our 70th anniversary, we stand at a meaningful moment in Queenstown Secondary School’s rich story. This milestone invites us to honour our shared heritage, celebrate our progress, and recommit ourselves to our school motto, Berani Berkhidmat, Dare to Serve. As I begin my fifth year with the school, I am proud to highlight how we, with the support and partnership of our parents, are nurturing our Thriving QTSS Community, Flourishing Learners and Future-Oriented Leaders:
Thriving QTSS Community: A Place to Belong
Our commitment to a Thriving QTSS Community is anchored in our re-imagined learning spaces, which intentionally shape environments to foster belonging, connection, and engagement: The refreshed school foyer welcomes every Queenstownian with greenery and visual reminders of our shared story, while the new Learning Commons (opens in new tab) offers flexible zones for study, collaboration and presentations, encouraging meaningful interactions and peer learning. This year, the Prototype Classroom will expand to include seven additional classrooms, further transforming traditional spaces into dynamic environments that support collaborative learning and the development of essential 21st Century Competencies. These efforts are strengthened by our Student Well-Being Framework, and by the strong partnerships we share with staff, parents, alumni and partners, especially our Parent Support Group, Alumni Association, and School Advisory Committee. Together, we foster a community where every Queenstownian feels known, supported, and safe to grow while building positive relationships grounded in care and gratitude.
Flourishing Learners: Purposeful Learning and Growth
To optimise these redesigned spaces, we continue to strengthen teaching and learning approaches, leveraging on Educational Technology tools, that stretch students while providing timely support and space for students to Learn – Do – Reflect. At the heart of our work to nurture Flourishing Learners is our commitment to engaged learning through the Total Curriculum, which integrates academic learning, character development and future-ready competencies, so that our students become self-directed, joyful in learning and committed with a positive self-concept based on their unique worth. We continue to embed 21st-Century Competencies and future literacies so that our students are well prepared for an ever-changing world of learning and work. Key to this is our long-established Applied Learning Programme (ALP) in Environmental Sustainability, where students engage with real-world issues and build environmental responsibility. Complementing the ALP is our Learning for Life Programme in Community Youth Leadership (CYL), which intentionally cultivates service, care, and social awareness. Additionally, through our Educational and Career Guidance (ECG) programme, strengthened by strategic partnerships, Queenstownians gain authentic exposure to industry, post-secondary pathways and real-world contexts that help them make informed aspirations and choices. Together with Full Subject‑Based Banding, our Talent Development Programme and these partnership-enabled ECG experiences, we support each Queenstownian in exploring their interests, developing their strengths, and charting a learning journey suited to their talents and aspirations while embracing a growth mindset.
Future-Oriented Leaders: Serving Others and Our Community
Indeed, across these experiences, Queenstownians are encouraged to look beyond themselves, beyond school, and beyond now. CYL projects, environmental efforts and service-learning initiatives help them put our core values of Resilience, Respect, Integrity, Care and Excellence into action. Through the QUEST Global programme, students extend their learning beyond our local context, engaging with international perspectives, collaborating with peers across borders, and applying their learning in authentic global and community settings. These global experiences, combined with our purposeful school-based initiatives, help students deepen empathy, expand cultural awareness and strengthen their ability to navigate complexity. Our FutureLearn Curriculum further develops their 21st Century Competencies and future literacies, preparing them to be empathetic, forward-thinking, and adaptable leaders who can take effective action in an uncertain world. In doing so, as future-oriented leaders, our Queenstownians are encouraged not only to dream for themselves, but to contribute meaningfully to society through serving others, caring for the environment, and shaping a better future for all.
Join Us in the 70th Anniversary Journey
As we prepare to celebrate seven decades of history, heritage and progress, I invite every member of our QTSS community—past, present and future—to renew our shared commitment: to belong, to grow, and to serve. Our alumni from the founding year of 1956 pioneered the establishment of one of the first local secondary school Alumni Associations (see here for the article published in Zaobao, alongside its English translation), and their continued commitment to giving back exemplifies the enduring spirit of service and pursuit of excellence that defines our school.
To mark this significant milestone, we are supporting our Alumni Association to host a Gala Night on 23 May, which will be honoured by the presence of our distinguished alumnus, Mr Desmond Tan (Class of 1986), Senior Minister of State at the Prime Minister's Office. Additionally, we are working alongside Henderson-Dawson People's Association to organise a National Day Fiesta on 15 August (tentative) at our school premises, celebrating seven decades of our role within the Queenstown Community and our contributions to nation-building. We warmly invite you to participate in these celebrations!
Your continued support, partnership and belief in our mission will anchor our journey forward. Let us continue building a Thriving Community, nurturing Flourishing Learners, and shaping Future-Oriented Leaders who are Leaders for Tomorrow, Anchored in Values, and Committed to Serve. Thank you for your journey with us as we continue to write our school’s story! (Find out more about our 2024 and 2025 journey here (opens in new tab) and here (opens in new tab) respectively).
For more videos and pictures of our QTSS journey, please refer to our social media accounts on Instagram (opens in new tab) and Facebook (opens in new tab).
Berani Berkhidmat,
Mr Sim How Chong
Principal