The Orchidian Story
Discover the story of Orchid Park Secondary School, from its humble beginnings in 1999 to its many milestones in the arts and enterprise.
The Genesis
Orchid Park Secondary School saw its genesis in January 1999 on the premises of Woodlands Ring Secondary School. The pioneers comprised a sterling staff of 16 and a student population of 360. It was on these premises that principal and teaching staff, fired by an ardent sense of purpose, crafted a lofty vision and a noble mission to set the direction for the new school.
Core values were encapsulated in the school’s 4As – Attendance, Attentiveness, Assignments and Attire.
With the foundation firmly in place, the historic move was made on Monday, 13th September 1999 to the school’s own premises at No.10, Yishun Street 81. Orchid Park Secondary School, already noted for its exemplary discipline, was now poised to take off, guided by the school’s simple but compelling motto ‘Onward and Persevere’.
Milestones
The Official Opening
The Official Opening of the school was set for 21 st April 2001. The event was officiated by Assoc. Professor Tan Boon Wan, Member of Parliament for the Ang Mo Kio GRC. So splendid was the occasion that the school continued to receive accolades years after the event. The well-executed parade, the spectacular display of aerobic skills by Secondary One pupils, the spell-binding concert performance entitled ‘Around the World in 80 Minutes’; and finally, dinner under the stars in a magically-transformed school parade square – all contributed to make the school’s Official Opening a truly heady experience for participants and guests alike.
Proliferation of the Arts
As the pupils’ forte in the visual and the performing arts became increasingly apparent, it was decided that a grand arts event be held every three years to showcase pupils’ talents. ARTS PANACHE I on the theme’ Love and Peace’ was held on 3 rd April 2004 at the Nanyang Auditorium and ARTS PANACHE II, a musical entitled ‘Club Soul’ took place on 13th and 14th April 2007 at the Victoria Memorial Theatre. Both events drew praise from the audiences.
On the school premises itself, arts-related enclaves were established. 13th April 2002 saw the opening of the ART GALLERY, featuring outstanding art pieces by pupils. Also declared the opening on the same day was LA VISTA, an outdoor performance stage set in a charmingly landscaped section fronting the Science Block.
Initiatives in Enterprise
The school’s first venture into business enterprise, the ART ROCK CAFÉ, was officially declared open on 13th April 2002. In step with the then- current fad, Art Rock Café’s speciality was bubble tea. It is a modest business run by pupils after school hours. To provide more opportunities for pupils to develop entrepreneurial skills LE SHOPPE was conceptualised and officially opened on 8th April 2005. Yet another manifestation of business enterprise in the school is THE WARDROBE equipped with a wide selection of period and dance costumes available online for loan to other schools.