SINGAPORE - The Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) schools celebrated its 160th anniversary on Sunday with a record-breaking bid and the launch of a fund to help needy students.
The IJ Spirit Fund was set up by the CHIJ alumni association and will help students in need at primary and secondary schools in Toa Payoh.
It will also be used to fund projects that inculcate the schools' values, as reflected in the school motto "Simple in Virtue, Steadfast in Duty".
"The Fund embodies the belief that every girl deserves access to opportunities which will enable her to reach her full potential and hopefully one day give back to society," Dr Claire Ang, president of the alumni association, said in a statement.
The school and its alumni also held a celebration at Chijmes on Sunday, and attempted to set a Guiness record for a human chain of girls around Chijmes while singing the school song. Dr Ang said the record was 311. "Our number was 402. We have to wait for Guinness book to verify it, which will take some time. However we have made it into the Singapore book of records," she told The Straits Times.
Chijmes at Victoria Street was where the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus started in 1854, and the chapel was later converted into a lifestyle destination housing restaurants and pubs.
To contribute to the IJ Spirit fund, one can sponsor a child at $80 per month, participate in the Gala charity dinner or make a direct donation to the IJ spirit fund online http://www.chijalumni.org
