Joseph Chanel

Brother Joseph Chanel as the principal of Maris Stella High School in 1962. Soon Guan Han (; 14 December 1918 – 17 August 1989), better known under the religious name Brother Joseph Chanel Soon or Joche Chanel, was a prominent educator in Singapore who founded the Maris Stella High School in 1958 and served as its headmaster until 1982.

Early life and education Soon was born in Beijing, China, on 14 December 1918 Following his father's death, Soon was raised primarily by his mother. At the age of 11, he joined the Marist Brothers. He studied at the Chinese Department of the Fu Jen Catholic University in Beijing.

In 1957, it was announced that Soon would be setting up another Marist school to address the demand for a school to supplement CHS,

The year after the founding of MSHS, Soon secured a site for the school at the junction of Fort Road and Mountbatten Road, though the contract stipulated that the school was to be built within two years. He oversaw the school's transition from being Chinese-medium to teaching in both English and Chinese to be "in line with the government's bilingual policy" in 1978.

As principal, Soon sought to prioritise "effective biculturalism, co-curricular activities, religious instruction for Catholic students". Under his tenure, MSHS performed well academically, achieving a 100% pass rate at its first Secondary Four examinations in 1961 and its first Primary School Leaving Examination in 1963. He was known to regularly issue corporal punishment. though he was to continue with the school as a religious teacher and organiser for fundraisers and planned on writing a book chronicling the history of MSHS. On 12 February, the school held a farewell for him, at which politician Ho Kah Leong spoke and commended Soon's dedication to education. He was then conferred the Long Service Medal at the National Day Awards later that year. A monument with includes a bust of Soon was installed in the school's courtyard in 1985. The schools' alumni association also launched a scholarship named for Soon on that day, to be awarded to the top performing students of MSHS academically. According to researcher Chee Meng Wong, Soon remains the "most revered figure towering over the history of Maris Stella." He was "fondly remembered for his kind and gentle character." He died of liver disease an hour past midnight on 17 August 1989. The funeral Mass was held on 20 August at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on Highland Road, and after this he was cremated at Mount Vernon.