Well, this is it I guess...
33 years and 4 months of service to the education sector, culminating in what I would regard as one of the best farewells that any pengetua could ever wish for, courtesy of the dear administrators, teachers, students and staff of SMK Munshi Sulaiman, Batu Pahat.
My "Road to Final Farewell" began with a Majlis Perpisahan Pengawas, which was held at the Landmark Hotel on 25th July 2009. They had intended for the function to be held earlier so that I could join in the celebrations. During this function, I was given my first 56th birthday cake.
The second farewell function was held on 30th July 2009, where principals from all secondary schools of Batu Pahat came to our school, to bid me adios. We had lunch, the usual speeches and the entire event ended with the giving out of souveneirs to all the pengetuas who came.
On 31st July 2009, Tuan PPD, Timbalan PPD and two other officers from the Pejabat Pelajaran Daerah came over to wish me a happy retirement as well. On that night, the staff of SMK Munshi Sulaiman threw a big dinner for me at Landmark Hotel (oh yes, I was chauffered there). This night, I was presented with my second birthday cake and some presents.
7th August 2009 - I had two farewells at school, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. MORE BIRTHDAY CAKES! And a lot of presents, cards, artwork and flowers from teachers, students and staff (I'm really so touched... I really am...). I couldn't help but tear up a little there (so much for my "Iron Lady" image) especially when students came round and asked me for hugs (girl students, that is). A lot of photograph taking, and the photos are posted on my ALL-NEW Photobucket page, link attached below. After that, in the night, the PIBG and the School's Chinese Language Society held a dinner for me at Futuna Restaurant. It was both a farewell and a parenting talk function by Mr Ma Kim Hua. I was also really touched and glad to see all my teachers from my old school, SMK Yong Peng who turned up for the function as well. The YDP PIBG of SMK Yong Peng showed up with his wife too. And that's not it! The JKD Bahasa Cina teachers and a lot of students also turned up, so happy to see you all too!
There you have it... multiple functions, multiple dinners, multiple cakes... and an entire array of presents, artwork and flowers. I was really happy and touched by the effort put in by the administrators, teachers, students and staff in organising this really beautiful, meaningful and memorable farewell for me. Seriously, if a person can be judged by the type of gift, well wishes and cards that he or she received, I must be the most lucky person in this galaxy.
View My Retirement Photos Here
Before I go, there was this particular farewell card that had a little story in it. I was reading it before going to bed, and it's kinda nice and I'd like to share it with you all:
Two friends were walking through the desert. At some point of the journey, they had an argument and one friend slapped the other in the face.
The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand "Today my best friend slapped me in the face."
They kept on walking until they arrived at an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered, he wrote on a stone "Today my best friend saved my life."
The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now you write on a stone. Why?"
The other friend replied, "When someone hurts us we should write it down in the sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can erase it."
So, whatever bad memories that I have left you all, please write them on the sand. And whatever good memories that you may have on me, please engrave it in stone.
GOODBYE SMK MUNSHI SULAIMAN. GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND I WISH ALL OF YOU SUCCESS IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO, STUDIES AND CAREER ALIKE.
*-- that's all folks, I'm signing off... --*
p.s. my new blog's ready!! View it here.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Speeding at the last lap...
It has been quite some time since I last wrote. After coming back from the 3-day PKPSM seminar in Johor Bahru (6 to 8.07.0909), I attended a 2-day course at Landmark Hotel (14 to 15.07.09). It was all about Data-Driven Decision Making and was conducted by En Abd Razak bin Manaf from IAB. I enjoyed an intellectually-stimulating 2 days in the company of fellow principals - Pn Hjh Noorsiah, Pn Hjh Remi, Tn Hj Tokijan, Tn Hj Daud and En Abd. Rashid.
Because I had been away from school for so many days, I am now having a very busy time in school - bills to be paid, Kew 8s to be signed, etc.....And I expect an even busier time the following two weeks because our GPK1 Pn Mahani will be attending a course at INTAN.
Something our ex-GPK 1 En Nazim said came to my mind. In his Teachers' Day sms to me this year, he said, " Kebanyakan orang hampir pencen umpama mendaki gunung semakin ke puncak semakin perlahan tetapi Cikgu umpama orang menuruni bukit semakin hampir semakin laju." Thanks Nazim. :)
Only 2 more weeks before I take one week's cuti rehat prior to retirement. Would you believe it? I applied for 2 days cuti rehat earlier this month - to finish up my leave - but I ended up working on those two days.....He...he...
Yup, retirement will be good for me....and will be especially good for my knees. Only then will my orthopaedic surgeon smile. Ciao !!
Because I had been away from school for so many days, I am now having a very busy time in school - bills to be paid, Kew 8s to be signed, etc.....And I expect an even busier time the following two weeks because our GPK1 Pn Mahani will be attending a course at INTAN.
Something our ex-GPK 1 En Nazim said came to my mind. In his Teachers' Day sms to me this year, he said, " Kebanyakan orang hampir pencen umpama mendaki gunung semakin ke puncak semakin perlahan tetapi Cikgu umpama orang menuruni bukit semakin hampir semakin laju." Thanks Nazim. :)
Only 2 more weeks before I take one week's cuti rehat prior to retirement. Would you believe it? I applied for 2 days cuti rehat earlier this month - to finish up my leave - but I ended up working on those two days.....He...he...
Yup, retirement will be good for me....and will be especially good for my knees. Only then will my orthopaedic surgeon smile. Ciao !!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
The Annual PKPSM Convention
I won't be in school from Monday, 6 July till Wednesday, 8 July as I will be attending the annual State PKPSM Convention. This year, it will be held at the Paragon Hotel, Johor Bahru.
Ever wondered what we principals do during the annual convention? Well, this year, there will be a working visit to the much-talked-about Iskandar Development Region (IDR). Then there will be the usual presentation of working papers, and for this year, the topics will cover the aspects of "Strategic Transformation" and "Unconventional Wisdom For A Changing World".
There'll also be the usual keynote address by our Pengarah Pelajaran Johor. And, of course, the formal dinner would follow. The theme for this year's dinner is "Semurni Usaha, Seharum Jasa".
On the last day, the usual Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held, followed by the closing ceremony by YB Dr Hj Mohd Puad bin Zarkashi, Deputy Minister of Education.
Come to think about it, this will be the last time I shall be attending the convention. As I shall be retiring next month (I know I've said this time and again, hahaha), I will be taking this opportunity to bid farewell to all my Pengetua friends.
Yup, life as a Pengetua has been eventful... we do get to go to a lot of places, and stay at a lot of hotels too. But no, I still want to retire early. 10 years as a Principal is GOOD ENUFF...
Ever wondered what we principals do during the annual convention? Well, this year, there will be a working visit to the much-talked-about Iskandar Development Region (IDR). Then there will be the usual presentation of working papers, and for this year, the topics will cover the aspects of "Strategic Transformation" and "Unconventional Wisdom For A Changing World".
There'll also be the usual keynote address by our Pengarah Pelajaran Johor. And, of course, the formal dinner would follow. The theme for this year's dinner is "Semurni Usaha, Seharum Jasa".
On the last day, the usual Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held, followed by the closing ceremony by YB Dr Hj Mohd Puad bin Zarkashi, Deputy Minister of Education.
Come to think about it, this will be the last time I shall be attending the convention. As I shall be retiring next month (I know I've said this time and again, hahaha), I will be taking this opportunity to bid farewell to all my Pengetua friends.
Yup, life as a Pengetua has been eventful... we do get to go to a lot of places, and stay at a lot of hotels too. But no, I still want to retire early. 10 years as a Principal is GOOD ENUFF...
Saturday, June 27, 2009
All Kinds Of People
In my 33 years and 4 months of work, I have come into contact with all kinds of co-workers. Some are hard to work with, needs a lot of tact:
A little bird in the sky
A man looks up
The bird shits in his eye.
He was not angry
He did not cry
He said, "Thank God, cows don't fly"
Hehe... Ciao! And have a nice weekend! :p
- The armoured car (Kereta kebal - mahu cara sendiri, bising, mendesak)
- The sniper (Penembak hendap - tidak bermoral, sabotaj, gosip)
- The hand grenade (Bom tangan - senang meradang)
- The Knows All (Serba Tahu - mengetahui segala-gala, tak mahu dengar cakap-cakap 'orang yang serba kekurangan')
- He thinks he knows all (Ingat dia serba tahu - ingat aje)
- Mr Yes (Orang Ya - cepat setuju, lambat habis tugasan)
- Mr Maybe (Orang Mungkin - suka tangguh)
- Mr Disappearing Act (Orang Tiada - tiada maklumbalas langsung)
- Mr Cannot (Orang Tidak - Saya tidak bersikap negatif, saya cuma bersikap realistik)
- Whiner (Perungut - merungut tidak henti-henti)
- Positive thinking - even the most difficult of all problems seem possible to solve with these people around
- Hardworking - willing to go the extra mile in the name of efficiently and effectively completing the task set for them
- Co-operative - always willing to lend a helping hand, and cover for you if you land yourself in some sticky situation
- Good and cheerful attitude - they are pleasant, smiling, and (best of all) they don't complain even if the task set ahead of them is probably one of the most difficult in their entire family history
- Realistic - they don't allow themselves to float on air; their feet's always on the ground
A little bird in the sky
A man looks up
The bird shits in his eye.
He was not angry
He did not cry
He said, "Thank God, cows don't fly"
Hehe... Ciao! And have a nice weekend! :p
Majlis Jasamu Dikenang 2009
I was at Hotel Katerina on Saturday 27 June 2009 for the above function - meant for retirees and soon-to-be retirees. There were around 250 of us and we received a watch each from the Pengarah Pelajaran Johor. Mine is a Giordano ladies watch. Behind the watch is engraved JPNJ 2009.
41 days more and I shall be a YB (Yang Bersara). 33 years and 4 months of service. I have taught in 7 schools throughout my entire career. Of that, I was a Pengetua for 10 years, spanning over in three schools, i.e. SMK Tenang Stesen (in Segamat), SMK Yong Peng and SMK Munshi Sulaiman. No prize for guessing correctly which school was the hardest to be Pengetua!
Cheers!
41 days more and I shall be a YB (Yang Bersara). 33 years and 4 months of service. I have taught in 7 schools throughout my entire career. Of that, I was a Pengetua for 10 years, spanning over in three schools, i.e. SMK Tenang Stesen (in Segamat), SMK Yong Peng and SMK Munshi Sulaiman. No prize for guessing correctly which school was the hardest to be Pengetua!
Cheers!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Blowing In The Wind....
I was listening to the above song (sung by Bob Dylan). It has a lovely & haunting melody...
The second verse goes like this:
How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky ?
How many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry ?
How many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died ?
Chorus: The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind
The answer is blowing in the wind....
Then I thought about the Form 1J student who died on Sunday night's motorbike accident, and his brother who is seriously injured. Even though they were in the right of way, they must have gone very fast.
Earlier this year, another Form 1 student (a girl) was involved in a serious motorbike accident. Luckily she is now okay. After her accident, the school warned students to be careful when riding motorbikes, and to always wear crash helmets.
Every year there are lots of accidents involving students on motorbikes. Why do some parents allow their young children to ride motorbikes??? Especially along a dangerous stretch of road like Jalan Kluang ? Traffic is heavy. The students are young, many throw caution to the wind and like to show off, like to speed. A lot of them don't wear crash helmets...
How many accidents must it take till they know.....
That too many schoolchildren have....
The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind
The answer is blowing in the wind....
The second verse goes like this:
How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky ?
How many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry ?
How many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died ?
Chorus: The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind
The answer is blowing in the wind....
Then I thought about the Form 1J student who died on Sunday night's motorbike accident, and his brother who is seriously injured. Even though they were in the right of way, they must have gone very fast.
Earlier this year, another Form 1 student (a girl) was involved in a serious motorbike accident. Luckily she is now okay. After her accident, the school warned students to be careful when riding motorbikes, and to always wear crash helmets.
Every year there are lots of accidents involving students on motorbikes. Why do some parents allow their young children to ride motorbikes??? Especially along a dangerous stretch of road like Jalan Kluang ? Traffic is heavy. The students are young, many throw caution to the wind and like to show off, like to speed. A lot of them don't wear crash helmets...
How many accidents must it take till they know.....
That too many schoolchildren have....
The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind
The answer is blowing in the wind....
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
I CAN'T WALK!!
For the past two weeks I had this pain in my knee, but I couldn't be bothered about it. This kind of pain comes & goes and was most horrible after I climbed up Takah Tujuh in Selai. So I continued my daily walkabouts in school.
On Saturday, I must have stood too long on the stage during the awards presentation. When I woke up after a short afternoon nap, I found that my knee was swollen & I could only hobble around.
On Sunday the swelling grew bigger and hobbling around was a wee bit more difficult. On Monday - wow... to take a single step was torture!!! My orthopedic surgeon said that I am suffering from acute osteoarthritis. He said that that injuries to the knee joint often lead to osteoarthritis in later life.
Well when I was younger, I was very active - and I could not afford shoes like Nike Air, Asics Gel, etc. Badminton Master by Bata was all I could afford myself. Hehe... Another thing, I go for Latin Dancing classes every Tuesday night. Too much of jiving, rock n roll, rhumba and samba wearing high heels must have taken a heavy toll on my knees.
He gave me a jab at the knee and took out 5 ml of yellowish liquid from that spot. Eww... Then he told me to rest my leg for one whole week - no walkabouts, no going to school.
Help!!! Today's only Wednesday & I am starting to feel bored .... oh no!! ;-p
On Saturday, I must have stood too long on the stage during the awards presentation. When I woke up after a short afternoon nap, I found that my knee was swollen & I could only hobble around.
On Sunday the swelling grew bigger and hobbling around was a wee bit more difficult. On Monday - wow... to take a single step was torture!!! My orthopedic surgeon said that I am suffering from acute osteoarthritis. He said that that injuries to the knee joint often lead to osteoarthritis in later life.
Well when I was younger, I was very active - and I could not afford shoes like Nike Air, Asics Gel, etc. Badminton Master by Bata was all I could afford myself. Hehe... Another thing, I go for Latin Dancing classes every Tuesday night. Too much of jiving, rock n roll, rhumba and samba wearing high heels must have taken a heavy toll on my knees.
He gave me a jab at the knee and took out 5 ml of yellowish liquid from that spot. Eww... Then he told me to rest my leg for one whole week - no walkabouts, no going to school.
Help!!! Today's only Wednesday & I am starting to feel bored .... oh no!! ;-p
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Hari Anugerah Kecemerlangan & Hari Terbuka Ke-2 2009
Quite literally translated, it's basically our school's Awards Day and 2nd Open Day.
The event was a success, even though more than 20 teachers were not around, as they had to go out for other activities (District and State Levels).
A big THANK YOU to all teachers for all your cooperation and hard work in making this event a success. A big THANK YOU also to those who came back on Friday afternoon to help with the preparations.
Some snippets from the event:
YB Ab Aziz Kaprawi entering the school, and greeted by our rugby team with their Haka performance
More of our school's rugby team performing the Haka
Students looking smart as they greeted YB Ab Aziz Kaprawi.
Thank you to the English teachers for training the Afternoon Session students in their choral speaking presentation. It was well done.
Our choral speaking team and their performance.
Here are some photos of the awards presentation:
YB Ab Aziz Kaprawi giving his speech
YB Ab Aziz Kaprawi presenting an award to a student
Mr Teo, YDP PIBG of SMKMS, presenting an award to a student
Many parents coming to discuss with the teachers on their children's performance at school
What was heartening was the sight of a group of teachers who stayed behind after everything was over to clear up the benches, tables and chairs in the open hall. They joked and laughed as they went about doing their work. That's what I consider as TEAM WORK.
As I drove home yesterday, I told myself MUNSHI BOLEH!!!!!!!
The event was a success, even though more than 20 teachers were not around, as they had to go out for other activities (District and State Levels).
A big THANK YOU to all teachers for all your cooperation and hard work in making this event a success. A big THANK YOU also to those who came back on Friday afternoon to help with the preparations.
Some snippets from the event:
YB Ab Aziz Kaprawi entering the school, and greeted by our rugby team with their Haka performance
More of our school's rugby team performing the Haka
Students looking smart as they greeted YB Ab Aziz Kaprawi.
Thank you to the English teachers for training the Afternoon Session students in their choral speaking presentation. It was well done.
Our choral speaking team and their performance.
Here are some photos of the awards presentation:
YB Ab Aziz Kaprawi giving his speech
YB Ab Aziz Kaprawi presenting an award to a student
Mr Teo, YDP PIBG of SMKMS, presenting an award to a student
Many parents coming to discuss with the teachers on their children's performance at school
What was heartening was the sight of a group of teachers who stayed behind after everything was over to clear up the benches, tables and chairs in the open hall. They joked and laughed as they went about doing their work. That's what I consider as TEAM WORK.
As I drove home yesterday, I told myself MUNSHI BOLEH!!!!!!!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
The good times are coming... soon...
This morning I said bye-bye to my black JGQ 388 Proton Perdana. I really see no point in keeping two cars when I am about to retire. The Perdana had been a 'back-up' car - just in case my Vios ran into any problems (flat tyres, unable to start, etc.). Surprisingly, I did not feel sad at all, even though I've had it with me for 7 years.
And... I shall be saying sayonara to my baju kurungs as well. A lot of friends have asked me to give them my baju kurungs after I retire. They like the cutting of my baju kurungs. Hehehe...of course the cutting is nice - they're all made by my trusted tailor Mei Hwa. FYI, her workmanship is more expensive than the cost of the material! Yes, I have a lot of baju kurungs - I shall keep a few & give away the rest. ;-)
I am really looking forward to my retirement - to be able to go for jogs every morning, watch movies until late at night, read all the books that I have bought but did not have the time to read, solve my Sudoku puzzles, learn Mandarin, learn more about religion, learn to cook & bake, stay a few weeks with my daughter who's working in Melbourne, visit my son who's working in KL, etc... As you can see, I've left out a lot of stuff due to my superbly busy schedule.
Oh yes... I'll be so happy to say farewell to SKPM, Kajian Tindakan, Perancangan Strategik, Kepimpinan Instruksional, Blue Ocean Strategy, Six Sigma, etc. You see, I'm a teacher, a very good Chemistry teacher for that matter & I have enjoyed teaching SPM & STPM Chemistry. Pity I cannot say that I am enjoying myself as a Principal...
Ah well, two more months of blogging as Pengetua of Munshi. After that, maybe I shall start twittering as a retiree????
And... I shall be saying sayonara to my baju kurungs as well. A lot of friends have asked me to give them my baju kurungs after I retire. They like the cutting of my baju kurungs. Hehehe...of course the cutting is nice - they're all made by my trusted tailor Mei Hwa. FYI, her workmanship is more expensive than the cost of the material! Yes, I have a lot of baju kurungs - I shall keep a few & give away the rest. ;-)
I am really looking forward to my retirement - to be able to go for jogs every morning, watch movies until late at night, read all the books that I have bought but did not have the time to read, solve my Sudoku puzzles, learn Mandarin, learn more about religion, learn to cook & bake, stay a few weeks with my daughter who's working in Melbourne, visit my son who's working in KL, etc... As you can see, I've left out a lot of stuff due to my superbly busy schedule.
Oh yes... I'll be so happy to say farewell to SKPM, Kajian Tindakan, Perancangan Strategik, Kepimpinan Instruksional, Blue Ocean Strategy, Six Sigma, etc. You see, I'm a teacher, a very good Chemistry teacher for that matter & I have enjoyed teaching SPM & STPM Chemistry. Pity I cannot say that I am enjoying myself as a Principal...
Ah well, two more months of blogging as Pengetua of Munshi. After that, maybe I shall start twittering as a retiree????
Monday, May 18, 2009
My Teachers' Day Yesterday
As I mentioned in my previous post, I was indeed looking forward to having a great celebration of Teachers' Day with both the teachers and students of SMKMS.
However, when I arrived in school on Monday morning, there wasn't any feeling of excitedness or happiness. Could it be because I've had one too many Teachers' Day celebration in my entire career? Or, more likely, was it because Monday was the day the funeral for a dear family friend of mine, Anthony Pious, was held?
Anthony was a great friend of my late husband, and he was always there to help whenever we needed help. He was one of the kind souls who helped to find people to donate blood to my late husband when it was urgently needed, and when my late husband eventually passed away, Anthony was one of the more active ones in helping around with the funeral preparations and proceedings.
I needed to pay my last respects. I sneaked out from school, halfway during the Teachers' Day celebration, to attend Anthony's funeral. When I look at his grieving family, all the sadness that befell my own family during my late husband's funeral - 5 years ago - came back to me. Actually, this sadness did not really go away. It has only been locked up and stored within a body-shaped container that always puts up a brave and cheerful front - which is me. Everytime I hear my late husband's favourite song, there'll be this twinge in my heart. When I eat his favourite dishes, such as his "mee hoon kuih", there'll be this lumpy feeling down my throat. And I miss him terribly during family birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Chinese New Year... all those celebrations.
As I looked at Kim, Anthony's widow, I pray that she will have the courage and strength to get through these trying times for her and her family; that she will have many good friends who will help her through this period, just as many good friends helped my family through 5 years ago.
I remember these beautiful words in a condolence card that I received back then:
"God in his great mercy,
knew when loved ones had to part,
Something special would be needed
to bring comfort to the heart,
So he gave us each a precious gift,
not even time can fade,
Of reliving tender moments
through the memories we've made"
Emily Matthews
So teachers, please forgive me for being slightly "off form" and moody on Monday. I promise you all that you'll see a cheerful Pengetua again today. Hey, it's a promise! :P
However, when I arrived in school on Monday morning, there wasn't any feeling of excitedness or happiness. Could it be because I've had one too many Teachers' Day celebration in my entire career? Or, more likely, was it because Monday was the day the funeral for a dear family friend of mine, Anthony Pious, was held?
Anthony was a great friend of my late husband, and he was always there to help whenever we needed help. He was one of the kind souls who helped to find people to donate blood to my late husband when it was urgently needed, and when my late husband eventually passed away, Anthony was one of the more active ones in helping around with the funeral preparations and proceedings.
I needed to pay my last respects. I sneaked out from school, halfway during the Teachers' Day celebration, to attend Anthony's funeral. When I look at his grieving family, all the sadness that befell my own family during my late husband's funeral - 5 years ago - came back to me. Actually, this sadness did not really go away. It has only been locked up and stored within a body-shaped container that always puts up a brave and cheerful front - which is me. Everytime I hear my late husband's favourite song, there'll be this twinge in my heart. When I eat his favourite dishes, such as his "mee hoon kuih", there'll be this lumpy feeling down my throat. And I miss him terribly during family birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Chinese New Year... all those celebrations.
As I looked at Kim, Anthony's widow, I pray that she will have the courage and strength to get through these trying times for her and her family; that she will have many good friends who will help her through this period, just as many good friends helped my family through 5 years ago.
I remember these beautiful words in a condolence card that I received back then:
"God in his great mercy,
knew when loved ones had to part,
Something special would be needed
to bring comfort to the heart,
So he gave us each a precious gift,
not even time can fade,
Of reliving tender moments
through the memories we've made"
Emily Matthews
So teachers, please forgive me for being slightly "off form" and moody on Monday. I promise you all that you'll see a cheerful Pengetua again today. Hey, it's a promise! :P
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Teachers' Day
We have Mothers' Day, we have Fathers' Day... surely teachers deserve something too? That's why we have the "also equally widely celebrated" Teachers' Day!
On Friday night (15 May), SMSes started pouring in for me, wishing me Happy Teachers' Day. Boy oh boy did that feel good... and that didn't stop there! These messages continued to pour in the whole of the next day as well!
I would really like to thank Pn Siti Aniza - yours was the first SMS that I received (lucky number ONE!). Also, in his sms, Tuan PPD laid out a really strong message: "Jadilah seorang guru, jangan bekerja sebagai guru". I was also touched by a certain young teacher's message, "Semoga kita semua dapat melaksanakan tugas dengan penuh amanah". Bottomline? It's not just about the act of teaching, but being a REAL teacher, guiding the future generations of our nation to achieve greater and greater heights.
I received messages from ex-colleagues, retired principals, PPD officers, teachers who have been transferred to other schools, present teachers, and even ex-students. Some of these messages are funny, some could really make you shed a tear, some with flowers, and some that are just drop dead serious... haha. Thank you all for your messages! Feels good to know that at least there are people who remember me. :p
Schools throughout Johor will be celebrating Teachers' Day on Monday. I hope and pray for good weather so that all the activities that we have planned will be carried out smoothly. And I also hope that the attendance of the students will be good!
So, as we all celebrate Teachers' Day, let us all ponder on this year's theme - Guru Pembina Negara Bangsa. Have we all really played our roles as teachers?
SELAMAT HARI GURU
TERIMA KASIH CIKGU
On Friday night (15 May), SMSes started pouring in for me, wishing me Happy Teachers' Day. Boy oh boy did that feel good... and that didn't stop there! These messages continued to pour in the whole of the next day as well!
I would really like to thank Pn Siti Aniza - yours was the first SMS that I received (lucky number ONE!). Also, in his sms, Tuan PPD laid out a really strong message: "Jadilah seorang guru, jangan bekerja sebagai guru". I was also touched by a certain young teacher's message, "Semoga kita semua dapat melaksanakan tugas dengan penuh amanah". Bottomline? It's not just about the act of teaching, but being a REAL teacher, guiding the future generations of our nation to achieve greater and greater heights.
I received messages from ex-colleagues, retired principals, PPD officers, teachers who have been transferred to other schools, present teachers, and even ex-students. Some of these messages are funny, some could really make you shed a tear, some with flowers, and some that are just drop dead serious... haha. Thank you all for your messages! Feels good to know that at least there are people who remember me. :p
Schools throughout Johor will be celebrating Teachers' Day on Monday. I hope and pray for good weather so that all the activities that we have planned will be carried out smoothly. And I also hope that the attendance of the students will be good!
So, as we all celebrate Teachers' Day, let us all ponder on this year's theme - Guru Pembina Negara Bangsa. Have we all really played our roles as teachers?
SELAMAT HARI GURU
TERIMA KASIH CIKGU
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Ledang, oh ledang...
Oh how I wish I could join you all for that trip up Gunung Ledang... but it's Mothers' Day this weekend, and my son's back to celebrate it with me. I couldn't bring myself to let him down, I guess. Or, more likely, I can't resist a good dinner *snigger*.
However, my heart and prayers are with all of you, wishing you all an enjoyable and successful trip to conquer where we all think Hang Tuah last went... (Hang Tuah, did I get that right?...)
Anyway, here are some photos I took with some of the team members before they set off:
That's me with Cikgu Bahri and part of the team.
That's our flag that they'll be putting up at the peak.
Besides this exciting trip, I also received good news from Cikgu Musa that our boys Handball team achieved second place in the district tournament. Congrats to both players and trainers. The job paid off pretty well there. MUNSHI BOLEH!!
Okay, see you all again... when I feel like writing... :p
However, my heart and prayers are with all of you, wishing you all an enjoyable and successful trip to conquer where we all think Hang Tuah last went... (Hang Tuah, did I get that right?...)
Anyway, here are some photos I took with some of the team members before they set off:
That's me with Cikgu Bahri and part of the team.
That's our flag that they'll be putting up at the peak.
Besides this exciting trip, I also received good news from Cikgu Musa that our boys Handball team achieved second place in the district tournament. Congrats to both players and trainers. The job paid off pretty well there. MUNSHI BOLEH!!
Okay, see you all again... when I feel like writing... :p
Sunday, April 19, 2009
The UPs n' DOWNs
Hi again everybody!
Taking some time off work, I decided to visit my son in Kuala Lumpur for Easter. Boy, did I have a enjoyable time. Good food, and a wonderful shopping experience; I sure can’t wait to retire in August this year, and trust me; there’ll be many more of these to come then. Hehehe…
On a sad note, the parish priest of the church that I attend, St Henry’s Church has just passed away. The late Father Simon Wong breathed his last on Friday, April 17 2009. This really tells us a little story about how fragile life is; the fact is that we do not know when we will be “called back home”. I also feel sad that I could not wish him Happy Easter the week before, and now it’s too late.
This is why, in a way, I feel it is good that I retire from work at this point, so that I get the opportunity to do the things I really wanted to do all this while before my hourglass empties out. Anyway, Father Simon Wong was indeed a good man who served his cause well. May God rest his soul.
Will be back again soon with more on the happenings in the school. Have a good week ahead!
Taking some time off work, I decided to visit my son in Kuala Lumpur for Easter. Boy, did I have a enjoyable time. Good food, and a wonderful shopping experience; I sure can’t wait to retire in August this year, and trust me; there’ll be many more of these to come then. Hehehe…
On a sad note, the parish priest of the church that I attend, St Henry’s Church has just passed away. The late Father Simon Wong breathed his last on Friday, April 17 2009. This really tells us a little story about how fragile life is; the fact is that we do not know when we will be “called back home”. I also feel sad that I could not wish him Happy Easter the week before, and now it’s too late.
This is why, in a way, I feel it is good that I retire from work at this point, so that I get the opportunity to do the things I really wanted to do all this while before my hourglass empties out. Anyway, Father Simon Wong was indeed a good man who served his cause well. May God rest his soul.
Will be back again soon with more on the happenings in the school. Have a good week ahead!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Nice pictures... nice feelings...
Believe it or not, these pictures of the flowers found in our school compound were taken by my 5 Arts 1 and 5 Arts 2 students, using my VERY OWN Olympus u710 Camera...
It feels great to be able to help these students in their preparation for their art paper. What's better is the feeling that the students are trying their best, sincerely, to do well in whatever they've set out to do. They are even willing to approach their principal (of all people) for help, and that's some effort that has earned my respect.
Having said that, I do hope all students will feel comfortable in approaching their teachers if they need help in their studies. As the saying goes, students don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
These students may not able to pass all subjects, but my hope is that they will be able to pass a few, with our guidance. Hey, anyway, miracles can happen, right?
By the way, our flowers are nice too... right?
It feels great to be able to help these students in their preparation for their art paper. What's better is the feeling that the students are trying their best, sincerely, to do well in whatever they've set out to do. They are even willing to approach their principal (of all people) for help, and that's some effort that has earned my respect.
Having said that, I do hope all students will feel comfortable in approaching their teachers if they need help in their studies. As the saying goes, students don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
These students may not able to pass all subjects, but my hope is that they will be able to pass a few, with our guidance. Hey, anyway, miracles can happen, right?
By the way, our flowers are nice too... right?
Friday, March 20, 2009
WAAARRRGGGHHH...
Okay, I'll break my silence... after a couple of weeks depression. Why, you may ask? Okay, here's why...
NUMBER 1: We didn't get 100% passes for STPM 2008
NUMBER 2: We are still at the ROCK BOTTOM of Batu Pahat for SPM 2008
NUMBER 3: Our pass percentage for SPM has dropped by a wide margin (it's a small consolation that we have emerged from bottom 20 in the entire Johor state... but we're still LAST in Batu Pahat!)
As one of my teachers, in his blog, said, "Kadangkala aku letih." Yes, I'm letih too. I feel your agony. But hey, we've got an uphill battle. We will learn from our mistakes here, and God-willingly we will emerge better in years to come.
Anyway, to share with you all a small excerpt from "The Language of Recovery" (yeah, as the name suggests, we've got a LOT to recover from):
"When things get a little too stressful and you wonder how you'll make it through, you need to take everything a day at a time, and do what works for you.
Find a place in your heart where you see the way through to the truths about how things can be. Use your inner strength and your quiet resolve and all your positive qualities. Know that you're in the prayers of others. Whisper a few of your own. You don't have to do it all by yourself. Rest assured that you're never alone."
-Martin McKay
Well, we pray for the best for this year... I won't be around next year when the results come out, but rest assured, I'll still be praying... (minus the agony of a pengetua... ha ha...) Anyway, see you all on Monday when school reopens.
:D
NUMBER 1: We didn't get 100% passes for STPM 2008
NUMBER 2: We are still at the ROCK BOTTOM of Batu Pahat for SPM 2008
NUMBER 3: Our pass percentage for SPM has dropped by a wide margin (it's a small consolation that we have emerged from bottom 20 in the entire Johor state... but we're still LAST in Batu Pahat!)
As one of my teachers, in his blog, said, "Kadangkala aku letih." Yes, I'm letih too. I feel your agony. But hey, we've got an uphill battle. We will learn from our mistakes here, and God-willingly we will emerge better in years to come.
Anyway, to share with you all a small excerpt from "The Language of Recovery" (yeah, as the name suggests, we've got a LOT to recover from):
"When things get a little too stressful and you wonder how you'll make it through, you need to take everything a day at a time, and do what works for you.
Find a place in your heart where you see the way through to the truths about how things can be. Use your inner strength and your quiet resolve and all your positive qualities. Know that you're in the prayers of others. Whisper a few of your own. You don't have to do it all by yourself. Rest assured that you're never alone."
-Martin McKay
Well, we pray for the best for this year... I won't be around next year when the results come out, but rest assured, I'll still be praying... (minus the agony of a pengetua... ha ha...) Anyway, see you all on Monday when school reopens.
:D
Saturday, March 7, 2009
What A Week!
Hi there again everyone! Hope all of you had a good week, and I'm sure everyone's pretty geared up for the long weekend. Yes, take time off to be with your families and loved ones, but remember also to keep in touch with your studies and work, so that you will not be caught off guard when we return.
Calling all ex-SMKMS students (yoo hoo, anyone out there) !! You all are invited to get yourselves registered with our SMKMS Alumni. Details can be found on our school's web portal. Please do take this opportunity to reconnect again with your former classmates and school friends, and also the teachers. You may never know what benefits may arise from this, so what are you waiting for? Get registered! :D
Speaking of our school portal, I would like to thank our webmasters, namely Tajuddin, Azmi and Zulfadli for their work in maintaining and upkeeping the portal's website on a regular basis. :)
I attended the closing ceremony of Batu Pahat's MSSD Sports Meet last Friday. As usual, SMKA (whoops, sorry... they're known as SMK Dato Syed Esa now) came out as overall champion. However, we didn't do too badly as well, having obtained 2 gold medals and 4 silver medals. It's somewhat better than last year, but it definitely could have been better if the athletes had more consistent training.
Repair works have commenced in our school, following that 'puting beliung' that devastated a large portion of our school's infrastructure and building. Yesterday, we had a casualty when a worker who was working on a building fell off from the roof to the ground. I called for an ambulance but his fellow workers brought him away before the ambulance could arrive. Poor guy... I pray and sincerely hope he is alright, but boy did he look bad!
Anyway, personally I'm happy to have this 3 day break, as I'm feeling rather exhausted after a rather happening week. See you all again on Tuesday!
... oh by the way, STPM results will be out on Tuesday, followed by the SPM results on Thursday. Now THAT is what's keeping me awake...
Ciao! :D
Calling all ex-SMKMS students (yoo hoo, anyone out there) !! You all are invited to get yourselves registered with our SMKMS Alumni. Details can be found on our school's web portal. Please do take this opportunity to reconnect again with your former classmates and school friends, and also the teachers. You may never know what benefits may arise from this, so what are you waiting for? Get registered! :D
Speaking of our school portal, I would like to thank our webmasters, namely Tajuddin, Azmi and Zulfadli for their work in maintaining and upkeeping the portal's website on a regular basis. :)
I attended the closing ceremony of Batu Pahat's MSSD Sports Meet last Friday. As usual, SMKA (whoops, sorry... they're known as SMK Dato Syed Esa now) came out as overall champion. However, we didn't do too badly as well, having obtained 2 gold medals and 4 silver medals. It's somewhat better than last year, but it definitely could have been better if the athletes had more consistent training.
Repair works have commenced in our school, following that 'puting beliung' that devastated a large portion of our school's infrastructure and building. Yesterday, we had a casualty when a worker who was working on a building fell off from the roof to the ground. I called for an ambulance but his fellow workers brought him away before the ambulance could arrive. Poor guy... I pray and sincerely hope he is alright, but boy did he look bad!
Anyway, personally I'm happy to have this 3 day break, as I'm feeling rather exhausted after a rather happening week. See you all again on Tuesday!
... oh by the way, STPM results will be out on Tuesday, followed by the SPM results on Thursday. Now THAT is what's keeping me awake...
Ciao! :D
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Congratulations and welcome...
We would like to extend our congratulations to Puan Mahani binti Muhid, our newly promoted Guru Penolong Kanan 1.
I sincerely hope, and EXPECT that all teachers will give their cooperation to Puan Mahani in our daily job routines and activities in the school.
We would also like to welcome onboard our new School's Police Liaison Officer (Pegawai Perhubungan Polis) Insp. Dunstan Philip. He came to SMKMS on Friday (20 Feb 2009) for the installation of our school prefects.
Having said that, I sincerely wish for a more peaceful week ahead... bye!
I sincerely hope, and EXPECT that all teachers will give their cooperation to Puan Mahani in our daily job routines and activities in the school.
We would also like to welcome onboard our new School's Police Liaison Officer (Pegawai Perhubungan Polis) Insp. Dunstan Philip. He came to SMKMS on Friday (20 Feb 2009) for the installation of our school prefects.
Having said that, I sincerely wish for a more peaceful week ahead... bye!
WhOa, WhAt A WeEk!!
It has been a very eventful week for SMKMS. Let's see...
On Monday, we had the mini-sports day.
On Tuesday, during rehearsals for the real sports day, we were attacked by a PUTING BELIUNG??? Photos of the damage caused by this mishap can be viewed at the school's portal. It is nice to see that all the administrators and some of the morning session teachers were present in this crucial period of time. Many thanks to our YDP PIBG Mr Teo Yew Chuan who also made his presence.
On Wednesday, we had the school sports day, and Tuan PPD & YB Ab. Aziz bin Kaprawi came over to view the damage done by the abovementioned puting beliung. YB Aziz donated RM300 to the school, many thanks to YB Aziz! Oh yeah, not forgetting the presence of the newspaper reporters. The PPD will assist the school in repairing the damages to the buildings.
On Thursday, I heard that our school made it into the news of certain Chinese newspapers.
On Friday (oh boy...), 4 of our boys were caught in BP Mall vandalising the wall (yes, they were "decorating" the walls with graffiti). We had to call their parents to make amends with BP Mall's administration.
Conclusion, NEVER A DULL MOMENT IN SMKMS HUH? :)
... sure glad I'm retiring this year...
On Monday, we had the mini-sports day.
On Tuesday, during rehearsals for the real sports day, we were attacked by a PUTING BELIUNG??? Photos of the damage caused by this mishap can be viewed at the school's portal. It is nice to see that all the administrators and some of the morning session teachers were present in this crucial period of time. Many thanks to our YDP PIBG Mr Teo Yew Chuan who also made his presence.
On Wednesday, we had the school sports day, and Tuan PPD & YB Ab. Aziz bin Kaprawi came over to view the damage done by the abovementioned puting beliung. YB Aziz donated RM300 to the school, many thanks to YB Aziz! Oh yeah, not forgetting the presence of the newspaper reporters. The PPD will assist the school in repairing the damages to the buildings.
On Thursday, I heard that our school made it into the news of certain Chinese newspapers.
On Friday (oh boy...), 4 of our boys were caught in BP Mall vandalising the wall (yes, they were "decorating" the walls with graffiti). We had to call their parents to make amends with BP Mall's administration.
Conclusion, NEVER A DULL MOMENT IN SMKMS HUH? :)
... sure glad I'm retiring this year...
Saturday, February 7, 2009
PIBG Annual General Meeting and School Open Day, SMKMS
Just a week after the Chinese New Year holidays, we held our Annual General Meeting for our school's Parents & Teachers Association (PIBG), followed by the school's open day.
From what I can see, the turnout of the parents was very encouraging. The meeting went very well, and the many of the parents gave very constructive ideas and suggestions as to how we could improve things in the school.
Many thanks to all parents, teachers, students and staff for making these events smooth-running and successful.
Some good news for the week; our school representatives for our Merentas Desa Peringkat Daerah achieved the first and fifth placings for the L18 event, and we managed to achieve the twelvth and fifteenth placings for P15 and P18 respectively. For District Level Table Tennis, we managed to take home a few silver and bronze medals. Keep up the good performance and MAKE US PROUD! GAMBATTE!!
On a sad note, our school will be losing our GPK1, En Hairunnazim as he will be transferred to SMK Banang Jaya. We thank En Hairunnazim for all his contributions to the school, and your service will not be forgotten.
Below are some pictures from our PIBG AGM:
Well, one down, and the next big event will be the school sports. We hope that it will run as smoothly as what we did yesterday.
From what I can see, the turnout of the parents was very encouraging. The meeting went very well, and the many of the parents gave very constructive ideas and suggestions as to how we could improve things in the school.
Many thanks to all parents, teachers, students and staff for making these events smooth-running and successful.
Some good news for the week; our school representatives for our Merentas Desa Peringkat Daerah achieved the first and fifth placings for the L18 event, and we managed to achieve the twelvth and fifteenth placings for P15 and P18 respectively. For District Level Table Tennis, we managed to take home a few silver and bronze medals. Keep up the good performance and MAKE US PROUD! GAMBATTE!!
On a sad note, our school will be losing our GPK1, En Hairunnazim as he will be transferred to SMK Banang Jaya. We thank En Hairunnazim for all his contributions to the school, and your service will not be forgotten.
Below are some pictures from our PIBG AGM:
Well, one down, and the next big event will be the school sports. We hope that it will run as smoothly as what we did yesterday.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Old Students Reunion
It was indeed a pleasure to be invited to a gathering of some of my dearest ex-students during the first day of Chinese New Year. I taught these bunch of students in SDBL during their Form 6 years. However, a good majority of them were from SMKMS.
It's indeed heartening to see them successful in their careers and family life, and I hope this can be an inspiration to all students to work hard towards achieving a similar goal.
This is a picture of our gathering on that day, in one of my student's residence:
To all my ex-students, wishing all of you well in your undertakings, and do keep in touch!
It's indeed heartening to see them successful in their careers and family life, and I hope this can be an inspiration to all students to work hard towards achieving a similar goal.
This is a picture of our gathering on that day, in one of my student's residence:
To all my ex-students, wishing all of you well in your undertakings, and do keep in touch!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Happy NIU Year
On Friday morning, instead of the usual Membudayakan Quran and Program Nilai Murni, we had our Chinese New Year celebration. Thank you so much to all the teachers and students who made this a success.
On a sad note, En Mohd Jais bin Bakar will be leaving our school for one that is nearer to his house, i.e. Parit Sulong (no points for guessing which school =P). We wish him all the best in his undertakings in his new school, and rest assured, he will not be forgotten overe here. Your services are very much appreciated by us all, En Jais!
Okay, that's about it, reunion dinner's coming up, and before I end here, I would like to wish all the Chinese staff and students a VERY HAPPY NIU (NEW) YEAR 2009, GONG XI FA CAI. And to all the other teachers, staff and students, have an enjoyable break. See you again on 2nd February!
On a sad note, En Mohd Jais bin Bakar will be leaving our school for one that is nearer to his house, i.e. Parit Sulong (no points for guessing which school =P). We wish him all the best in his undertakings in his new school, and rest assured, he will not be forgotten overe here. Your services are very much appreciated by us all, En Jais!
Okay, that's about it, reunion dinner's coming up, and before I end here, I would like to wish all the Chinese staff and students a VERY HAPPY NIU (NEW) YEAR 2009, GONG XI FA CAI. And to all the other teachers, staff and students, have an enjoyable break. See you again on 2nd February!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
I'm back!!
Yes, I'm back. After a rather long period of silence... I think I can start writing again, can I? :D
The school's official portal is still under construction at this point in time, so I thought it'll be best if I could create this space for my own rantings, at least until I, um, retire?? =P
Anyway, it's been two weeks since the school has reopened, and I should say that everything went really smoothly, my thanks to the teachers and staff, and you students as well, for behaving a little better (did you??). Speaking of good behaviour, I've got over here some shots that I took during our recent Cross Country (Rentas Desa) and our afternoon assembly.
Who would have thought these are actually students of SMKMS? A rather well behaved bunch don't you think so? I'm confident that this is the kind of image we will be able to project to the general public in the near future.
Anyway, have a good year ahead and all the best! =)
The school's official portal is still under construction at this point in time, so I thought it'll be best if I could create this space for my own rantings, at least until I, um, retire?? =P
Anyway, it's been two weeks since the school has reopened, and I should say that everything went really smoothly, my thanks to the teachers and staff, and you students as well, for behaving a little better (did you??). Speaking of good behaviour, I've got over here some shots that I took during our recent Cross Country (Rentas Desa) and our afternoon assembly.
Who would have thought these are actually students of SMKMS? A rather well behaved bunch don't you think so? I'm confident that this is the kind of image we will be able to project to the general public in the near future.
Anyway, have a good year ahead and all the best! =)
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