The following is excerpted from 'A Tribute to Dr. C. J. Symons C.B.E., J.P. (14 March 1985)':

Dr. C.J. Symons was appointed headmistress in 1953, having served twice before as Acting Headmistress. She was the first local headmistress following a long line of expatriates including Miss Betty Gibbons, her predecessor.

The school has played such a major role in her life that to many of us the letters "DGS" and "CJ" have come to mean one and the same thing.

"CJ" stands, of course, for Catherine Joyce.

Born in Shanghai in 1918, Joyce Anderson (as she then was) came with her family to Hongkong in the early 1920s and was educated at the school she would later serve as headmistress.

Dr. Symons joined the staff in 1939 as a geography teacher after graduating from the University of Hongkong and rejoined it after the Japanese occupation in 1948 after returning from London with her husband, Dr. Robert Symons. She served twice as Acting Headmistress before being appointed as headmistress.

In the past three decades she has come to be regarded as one of Hongkong's most distinguished educationalists, doyenne of school heads, and much else.

A respected commentator on social and educational issues, Dr. Symons has served in the Urban, Legislative and Executive Councils under Sir David Trench and Sir Murray MacLehose.

She was the first woman appointed to the Executive Council.

In addition, Dr. Symons has served on many Government committees, including the Board of Education, the target committee of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Transport Advisory Committee and the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee.

In Dr. Symons' leadership, as an educationalist, there has always been a wholeness of approach. This is first to be seen in what she conceives of as the cultural heritage to be transmitted by the school.

Through the years, she has encouraged the girls to see themselves as part of a historical tradition beginning from "the gallant women since 1860".

She described in the following way the aim in the education of this select group:

"..... to give ..... some insight into the treasures of Western culture based on Christian/Classical Graeco Roman concepts, comparing and contrasting these with the traditions of Chinese civilization."

She had in mind particular qualities of an educated woman, of being ....." patient listeners, relaxed conversationalist, trenchant debaters, lucid speakers, convincing writers, and people who know themselves....."

The following events and changes took place in the school under the leadership of Dr. Symons :

September : The Junior School became private.

September : The Senior School was re-organized, but only on the academic side. There were now three Form I's with the new third stream set aside for girls from all over Hong Kong who were sent to us by the Education Department upon their successful participation in the Joint Primary Six Examination.

September : Examination positions were dropped. Promotion was based on the assessment (with grace marks) of examinations term-work, with supplementary examinations for border-line cases. The aim was to encourage a girl to work more consistently at her own level with less exaggerated emphasis on marks and positions. Transfer from stream to stream would be made annually after the summer examinations.

A new Library was opened with a total of 2,200 books. (In 1977 there were 12,250 books).

With a new Gymnasium an expatriate teacher of Physical Education was appointed.

Sex education was introduced and some form of political education was started in the senior forms.

The boarding school had to be partially closed.

September : New liberal studies were planned for the sixth forms, and in the junior secondary forms of I, II and III core curricula were introduced with studies in Scripture, History and Literature focusing on Geography.

With the introduction of reponsibility allowances for Senior Graduates and Senior Assistant Mistresses, Dr. Symons was able to diversify various chains of command and thus to decentralise the administration of the School.

The Boarding School was closed in July.

A twelve-classroom Junior School with two additional rooms (to be donated later by The Welfare League) was planned. The design of a school building of two floors was highly recommended in an architectural competition.

September : The Junior School building was demolished. The whole Junior School (Primary 3-6) came over to the Senior School for a year.

The old Hall, former dormitory renovated from the pre-war playshed was vastly improved in memory of the late Bishop R.O. Hall who had retired in 1966.

September : Mrs. Rachel Benton was appointed Headmistress of the Junior School. Mrs. Symons was invited to remain as Supervisor. The new Junior School building was occupied on the first day of term.

Lower secondary forms have been reorganised as mixed-ability forms.

Dr. Symons retired in March 1985, marking the end of 32 years as head and the end of 60 years' association with the school which began with her entry into class nine.

Dr. Symons passed away peacefully at the age of 85 on 11 June 2004 in England.