Convent Green Lane(青草巷修道院女中)

1961 Convent Green Lane(青草巷修道院女中)

CGL, or Convent Green Lane, full name is SMK Convent Green Lane(CGL) Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus, better known as Convent Green Lane, is a girls' secondary school in Penang. It is located along Green Lane, with one side along Hamilton Road.
Convent Green Lane was established by the Roman Catholic missionaries, primarily instrumental being Father M. Surmon of the Missions étrangères de Paris. Father Surmon serves as the parish priest of the Church of the Holy Spirit (now Cathedral of the Holy Spirit) while staying at the Little Sisters of the Poor along Batu Lanchang Lane. Convent Green lane was opened on 3 April, 1961.

The first headmistress of Convent Green Lane was Sister Helen O'Sullivan. From a beginning with just twelve classrooms, the school has expanded over the decades. The school hall was added in 1968 while a library came into being six years down the road.

Ven. Fr. Nicholas Barre first started small schools in France for the education of girls who couldn't afford to study. In 1666, he started the first group Infant Jesus Sisters and in 1852 the sisters came to serve in Malaya. Convent Light Street
On that eventful morning of 2nd January 1961, a small group of teachers and students gathered at the compound of the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Light Street to mark the birth of Convent Green Lane. Prior to the completion of the new building on Jalan Masjid Negeri, 13 teachers and 377 students moved in. Times were tough but they preserved. The building was then officiated and blessed by Rev.Fr. M. Susmont on the 3rd of April, 1961. At that time, there were only 12 rooms. Ten were classrooms while the other two were the Staff Room and General Room.

In August 1961, under Sister Helen O'Sullivan our first principal, the Art and Needlework rooms and Junior Labs were built. The board of Administrators was set up and the school hall was later completed in 1968. The senior block comprising classrooms, senior labs and a library was ready 6 years later. One of our pioneer teachers of Convent Green Lane, Madam Fong Chee Kway was the first teacher to retire in 1979.

CGL’s principal s

1961- 1972?
Sister Helen O'Sullivan, Sr. Helen O’Sullivan, (Baptised ‘Nora’) in Drishane . Taught for many years in Malaya. Sr. Helen also had two aunts (Foleys) in Drishane. Canovee in the Parish of Kilmurry, Ireland. Kilmurry is a rural Roman Catholic Parish in Co. Cork, Ireland. It spans both sides of the main Cork-Killarney road for about 10 Km between Ballincollig and Macroom. It includes the villages of Farnanes, Aherla, Cloughduv, Crookstown, Lissarda, Canovee and Kilmurry. Drishane Convent was founded in 1909 by the Sisters of the Holy Infant Jesus http://www.kilmurry.ie/history/missionaries/missionaries_1.htm

1972 to 1988,
Sister Aidan Fitzgerald, from Holy Infant Jesus Mission, who obtained her Malaysian citizenship in 1966. She come to Malaya in 1954. Sister Aidan left her hometown in Cork County, Ireland, to teach in Malaya. She taught Science in Con-vent Light Street Secondary School from 1954 to 1965 before being transferred to Convent Green Lane where she later became its prin-cipal from 1972 until retiring in 1988. Headmistress Sekolah Menengah Convent, Green Lane, Penang(1972-1988). Member of Religious Congregation (HIJ) 1952 Graduated from National University of Ireland 1954 came to Malaya and became a Malaysian citizen.
Sister Aidan's Block was named after her.

1988- ? Ms. Oh Siew Keng
? to 2001 Pn Balkish Mohd Isa,
2002-2005 Pn Sharifah Hamidah bt Syed Mohd Alhabshi
2005- 2006 Pn Patimah bt Othman
2006 Pn Lim Yen Lee

The famous student of CGL, Datuk Nicol Ann David

Datuk Nicol Ann David is a Malaysian female professional squash player. She is currently ranked world number 1 in women's squash, and is the first Asian woman to achieve this. She won the British Open title in 2005, 2006 and 2008, as well as the World Open title in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Nicol David was born in Penang. She studied in Green Lane Convent Secondary School. Her parents are Ann Marie David and Desmond David. Her father is an engineer and her mother is a retired school teacher. Nicol has two sisters,are all students from Convent Green Lane. Lianne and Cheryl, both of whom are accomplished squash players at the national level.



Suggested websites:

1. Nicol David, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicol_David
2. Nicol David personal website; In my own words; http://www.nicoldavid.com/
3. Penang's Green convent turns golden; http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/green2/Article/