Dover Court Marks 50th Anniversary with Social Impact Collaboration – and $31K Charitable Donation
In celebration of its 50th anniversary, Dover Court International School raises funds for Singapore-based charity
A year-long celebrationof Dover Court’s 50 years of inclusive education culminated in a 5-star Golden Gala, held last weekend, with all proceeds going to Curious Thoughts Giving, a local charity that drives social mobility in underprivileged families through high-quality literacy programmes.
Together with guests of honour H.E Kara Owen CMG CVO and William Tierney; DCIS's former principal Christopher Short; Andrew Noakes, principal of fellow FOBISIA school Brighton College and Sally Noakes; Elya Sherzlynn and Perry Shen from Curious Thoughts Giving; members of the school’s professional and academic teams; and many parents, the anniversary was celebrated in true Dover Court style. The Golden Gala was a truly memorable evening, held at Conrad Orchard Singapore. The overwhelming support for the event was a testament to the dedication and generosity of theDover Court community.
Since 1972, when the doors opened to its first cohort of 25 students, Dover Court International School has been providing outstanding learning experiences, within a community that champions inclusion and diversity.
As a mission-driven school that prioritises creating paths to success for all students, DCIS used its 50th anniversary to highlight and support the incredible work of one of Singapore’s local charities – Curious Thoughts Giving (CTG). DCIS is thrilled to announce that their community raised $31,000 to support the literacy programmes provided by CTG. Through academic programming and resources, CTG aims to use education to provide direct impact on marginalised families. Dover Court spent this year working with CTG with a stationery drive and partnering in the delivery of a parent-accompanied literacy programme that involved both students and professional staff.
Elya Sherzlynn from Curious Thoughts Giving shares, "Curious Thoughts Giving (CTG) is immensely grateful to Dover Court International School (DCIS) for their unwavering support towards CTG's mission of providing free phonics classes to underprivileged children in Singapore. Their generous donations have helped us to further our mission and have greatly impacted the lives of many children in need. We truly cannot overstate the profound impact that DCIS's tremendous efforts have made, and we look forward to continuing our partnership in creating a more inclusive and equitable society for all."
“Our school is a unique environment where all children can and do experience success. We’re thankful for the unique place we hold in Singapore's history and social fabric, as the only non-selective and fully inclusive school providing the National Curriculum for England. We are delighted to use this moment in our history to give back to our Singapore community. Over the course of this year, I have witnessed first-hand CTG’s commitment to the children they serve and the vital work they do for vulnerable families in Singapore. I’m very grateful to all the members of our Dover Court family who came together this year in service and fun to celebrate our special school while giving back to our community.” says Richard Dyer, Dover Court International School’s principal.
Dover Court is also delighted to share that during his opening speech, principal, Richard Dyer announced that the school’s purpose-built supportive education building that opened this August will be named The Dr Maureen Roach Centre for Inclusive Education, in recognition of the former principal’s commitment to ensuring all students have a pathway to success in school.
Dr Roach, who served as principal of Dover Court for 25 years, sent her wishes to the school, "During my years as principal at Dover Court, inclusion and diversity have always been the core and heart of my role. It has been gratifying to see this work acknowledged and continued beyond my time. My thoughts and spirits are always with Dover Court. Wishing Dover Court a happy 50th anniversary."
Dover Court International School Dover Court International School is a community with inclusion at its heart. As the only fully inclusive international school in Singapore built upon the framework of the National Curriculum for England, DCIS is unique in providing diverse academic paths that enable every student to go further than they thought possible.
Over its 50-year history, DCIS has established a reputation for providing outstanding teaching, a comprehensive learning experience, and a nurturing environment that builds confident global citizens, prepared for whatever they choose to be or do in life.
About Curious Thoughts Giving
A registered non-profit in Singapore, Curious Thoughts Giving drives social mobility by providing free, quality literacy education for underprivileged children. Through parent-accompanied programmes, story time sessions, and dedicated phonics classes, the CTG team is committed to ensuring that children from vulnerable families are not only literate, but that they can learn and grow from what they read.
As we reach the end of another remarkable term, I am delighted to reflect on the incredible journey we have embarked on together as a school community. The past few months have been filled with an amazing number of events where our students have demonstrated all-round excellence through the core values that define us as a school: integrity, resilience, diversity, creativity and kindness.
In February, nine Dover Court International School (DCIS) student leaders from Years 9 and 12 attended the 2024 Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA) Leadership Conference in Penang, Malaysia.
