History

North Vista Secondary School has a long and illustrious history.

It started as Gan Eng Seng Government Chinese Middle School in 1956. It was one of the four Chinese Middle Schools opened by the government to provide a conducive and safe environment for students who wanted to complete their education. It was renamed as Thomson Government Chinese Middle School in 1958.

Eventually, after much construction, in 1958, Thomson Secondary moved to its first school building at 500 Thomson Road. The school grounds were much larger and allowed for a single session. The new compound was also equipped with basic cookery facilities, special room facilities and more.

This was the old school building which Thomson Secondary shared with Gan Eng Seng Government Chinese Middle School

Eventually, Thomson Government Chinese Middle School and Thomson Vocational School merged to become Thomson Secondary School. It conducted lower secondary, upper secondary and pre-university classes.

Mr Chen See How returned as the Principal of Thomson Secondary School (德新中学) at Thomson Road, from 1963 to 1972. He was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 1970. Under his guidance and leadership, Thomson Secondary flourished.

As a strong believer in holistic learning experience for all his students, Thomson Secondary School students saw its first science laboratory constructed in Thomson Secondary. Students were then given a first-hand experience of scientific experiments.

Beyond the Classroom: Co-Curricular Life in the 1970s

Mr Chen See How, the Principal of Thomson Secondary from 1963-1972

Thomson Secondary School saw the flourishing of a myriad of after-school activities in the 1970s. Thomson Secondary had a variety of after-school activities for its students, of which uniformed groups played a vital role. In 1970, a year after the transformation of Thomson Vocational School into Thomson Secondary School, the Swimming Club was formed.

1971 was a pivotal year for Thomson Secondary School, which saw the introduction of several new after-school activities. The School Military Band was first formed in 1972. It comprised 26 members.

The school’s softball club started in 1971.

Featured here are the members of the St John’s Ambulance Brigade doing a foot drill in 1974.

The Establishment of the Student Council

The Student Council was established in 1972. The Student Council was initiated by the school principal, Mr Puah Se Yong and teachers. The Student Council was responsible for student welfare, beautifying the school environment and also ensuring a suitable environment for students to study in.

Featured here are the members of the first Student Council in 1972.

Students in Action: Use Your Hands Day

1977 marked an interesting year for students. The school initiated ‘Use Your Hands Day', on which students were actively involved in cleaning the school compound as part of an annual clean-up day programme.

In 1977, students in Thomson Secondary took to cleaning the school grounds as part of ‘Use your Hands Day’.

Triple Champions: Basketball Triumphs in 1978

In the 1978 basketball tournaments, the upper secondary boys were Champions in their division while the lower secondary girls and boys were both champions of their division.

The upper secondary boys emerged as champions in the 1978 basketball tournament.

A Song for Thomson: The Birth of the School Song

1987 was a noteworthy year for Thomson Secondary School as it marked the composing of the school song by Mrs Violet Kwan and Mrs Khoo Eu Kiong, two of Thomson Secondary School’s teachers.

Musical scores for the school song.

A Decade of Transformation: The 1990s

Multiple milestones were witnessed in 1991. Thomson Secondary School was officially converted to a single session school. It also marked one of the first Youth Day Celebrations in Thomson Secondary School. The inauguration of Thomson Secondary’s House system occurred in 1997. This was to encourage greater integration and interaction among school mates. The students attended Sports Day at Toa Payoh Stadium and for the first time, represented their houses in the inter-house competitions. The students were divided into 4 houses according to colours - Red, Green, Blue and Yellow.

Red House Cheerleading Squad in 1997.

From Thomson to North Vista: A New Chapter Begins

When Thomson Secondary School was relocated to Sengkang Town on 15 December 2000, its name was changed to North Vista Secondary School. The Chinese name of Thomson Secondary School (德 新 中 学) was maintained to preserve its historical links with the new school. Mr Lim Lai Chuan was appointed as the first Principal of North Vista Secondary School.

On 8 July 2003, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence, Teo Chee Hean attended the official opening of North Vista Secondary School.