SJI International Preschool expands bilingual programme
For more than 70 years, generations of young children have begun their education on this beautiful site along Holland Road. Today, SJI International Preschool is carrying forward that tradition, nurturing children in an environment where learning, kindness and a sense of belonging are part of everyday life.
There is something special about stepping into SJI International Preschool. Set within about 160,000 sq ft of land, surrounded by mature trees and lush greenery, the campus feels a world away from the daily bustle of the city around it. Here, children have the freedom to explore outdoors, learn alongside one another and enjoy the simple pleasures of childhood in a setting that gives them space to grow.
The peaceful surroundings are part of a much longer story, one that began in 1954 when the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM) established Maris Stella Kindergarten on the site. For generations, the Sisters provided young children with an education grounded in care and service.
In 2023, they welcomed SJI International and the Lasallian Brothers as partners in continuing this educational tradition, bringing together a shared commitment to nurturing the whole child.
As a charitable, not-for-profit school, SJI International Preschool is committed to preserving that legacy and providing a home for early childhood education for generations to come. Resources are reinvested in education and the school community, supporting the children, educators and learning environment.
An archival photograph of children with a Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Sister at Maris Stella Kindergarten, established in 1954 on the site now home to SJI International Preschool.
PHOTO: FRANCISCAN MISSIONARIES OF MARY SISTERS
Room to explore, grow and connect
Standing tallest on site is the colonial-era Shalom House, meticulously restored and retrofitted to become a modern learning space for young children. Shalom House was where the FMM Sisters started Maris Stella Kindergarten and is today again the centre of learning in SJI International Preschool.
In addition, the Santo Bambino building, opening in 2027, will introduce contemporary learning spaces and technology that complement the site’s established architecture and natural surroundings. Together, the two buildings strike a thoughtful balance between old and new, creating more opportunities for children to learn, explore and grow as capacity increases from 114 to more than 300 places.
The greenery surrounding the buildings is more than an attractive backdrop. Outdoor learning is woven into everyday experiences, giving children opportunities to explore nature first-hand and develop an appreciation for the world around them.
Through the preschool’s aquaponics programme, children discover how fish and plants depend on one another, care for living things and experience the satisfaction of growing their own food. These experiences help them understand their responsibility towards the environment, an approach recognised through the preschool’s Yellow Flame Award at the 2025 School Green Awards.
Just as children learn to care for the natural world, they also begin to understand what it means to care for one another. In a community welcoming children of different nationalities and backgrounds, friendships develop through shared experiences, and everyday moments become opportunities to practise good character.
The preschool uses The Virtues Project to give children a shared language for recognising qualities such as kindness, patience and respect. Through daily interactions, children learn to recognise these virtues in themselves and others, and understand how to put them into practice. Inviting a classmate to join a game becomes an expression of kindness, while listening to another person’s ideas or waiting patiently for a turn helps children develop respect and consideration.
With guidance from their teachers, children gradually build the confidence to express their feelings, recognise the needs of others and make thoughtful choices. This same spirit of understanding and connection extends into the preschool’s approach to bilingual education. Learning another language offers children more than the ability to communicate. It introduces them to different cultures and ways of thinking, helping them develop an openness to the world and the people around them.
The preschool’s bilingual programme is built around teaching subjects in English and Chinese, rather than teaching the languages as subjects.
In the established co-teaching bilingual track, two teachers work together in the same classroom, one teaching in English and the other in Chinese.
From 2027, families will have another choice with the introduction of the two-way immersion bilingual track, where children spend alternate days learning entirely in each language. Dedicated learning environments enrich this experience, reflecting the cultures and traditions that bring each language to life.
Both approaches help children develop confidence in communicating across languages, alongside a deeper appreciation of people and cultures.
Artist’s impression of the new Santo Bambino building at SJI International Preschool, scheduled to open in 2027.
PHOTO: SJI INTERNATIONAL PRESCHOOL
A lasting commitment for the next generation
As SJI International Preschool prepares for its next chapter, the renewed campus and expanded bilingual offering reflect a long-term investment in early childhood education on this site. While much has changed since the Sisters first welcomed children to Maris Stella Kindergarten, the belief that every child deserves to be known, valued and nurtured remains as important today as it was then.
For the children who walk through its doors, this means having the freedom to be curious, the space to discover their own abilities and the encouragement to build friendships across cultures and languages. Above all, it means being given the time and care to enjoy childhood, surrounded by people who believe in the possibilities of who they may become.
