Best Wishes!!!

Best wishes in your SPM to all my former students in

SMK Canossian Convent, Kluang and visitors.

Break a leg!

Farewell SMCC...

Date: 10 August 2011

My last day in SMK Canossian Convent..Thanks to Hjh Mahizan, Dr Rekha, Mr Cheng Meng Ang, senior teachers, colleagues in the English panel,  friends and students not forgetting Madam Tan Tong Yar (former principal) for her kindness and guidance. Thanks to my students in 4S1, 4PD and 5S2 and ELDSS committee members. I hope all of you will excel in your studies and may your future be bright. May SMCC be even more successful in the future! I have but many happy memories to treasure...

5s2

Goodbye seems to be the hardest word...4s1

Co-Curricular Day and Walkathon , 23 July 2011

Date: 23 July 2011
Venue: SMK Canossian Convent, Kluang, Johor

The ELDSS decided to have a stall for the day. They were given RM100 as capital and RM50.00 for rent of the stall. Farah Yasmin, Wan Er. Yoges, Susu and many more only finished cooking at Yasmin's house at 12 midnight! I was their first customer and the pasta and sauce were great. I hope they made lots of money :) My small contribution was some chocolate cakes for them to sell. A commendable effort girls!

Story-Telling Competition (Language Month) SMK Canossian Convent, Kluang, Johor

Date: 22 July 2011 (Friday)
Time: 12.45 -2.30 p.m
Venue: New Computer Lab

I was one of the judges for the story-telling competition for Forms 1 and 2. The other judges were Madam Sarojini and Mr Puran Singh. Pleased to see the girls so enthusiastic although some were not too well-prepared :) Well-done to the afternoon teachers, Miss Lim Gaik Choo and Pn Nur Azlin Mohamed for preparing the students. In my comments, I emphasised 'practice makes perfect' and the importance of organising competitions at the school level first before anything else. After all, our students are our immediate clients and they should be given priority. The competitions do not have to be on a grand scale. English Pane's do not have to wait for district level competitions only but they can organise many more activities for their students- the sky's the limit! There are many potential school reps that I could see.

Well-done girls!

Form 1 Champ- distinguished pronunciation!

Vachitra- Form 2 Champ- she has the package

Language Month and Reading Month

Date: 4th July 2011
Venue: Main Hall, SMKCC

The Language Month and Reading Month of SMK Canossian was launched recently by Madam Hjh Mahizan Muhammud, Senior Assistant. Many activities will be organised by all language panels and the library. The following are the activities lined up:

• 4th July-launching
• Book Exhibition 
• Classes based on Themes
• Pop Quiz (English)
• Pon Quiz (Bahasa Melayu)
• Crossword Puzzle Competition
• Dedications- Apple Day, Cupcakes Day
• Book Sale
• Nilam Lucky Draw
• Literature Quiz
• Talentime
• Story telling
• Spell in Right
• Treasure Hunt

Launching by Hajah Mahizan, Senior Assistant

gimmick

Choir by librarians

Poem recitation in four languages

ELDSS Teacher's Day Project

In a bid to instill a sense of appreciation for their teachers in conjunction with Teacher's Day, the ELDSS initiated the sale of doughnuts and cupcakes on the special day. Permission was given and orders were taken two weeks before. Three types of doughnuts and two types of cupcakes were on the order list. The committee worked very hard to make sure everything went according to plan. I would like to thank all the ELDSS committee members for their commitment in carrying out our project successfully particularly to Wan Er (President), Priya (Vice-President), Susu (Secretary), Amalia (Fm5 rep), Farah Yasmin, Yoges (Treasure) and everyone else who helped. Bravo girls!!  Am proud of you! In addition thanks to Mrs Nuraszlin (ELDSS advisor afternoon session) and her committee members for helping. I certainly hope we achieved our objectives. The whole affair was fun and we made a tidy sum too for the ELDSS fund :) I wanted to upload a slideshow as they are many pretty picts but the connection is super slow tonight.  Will see to it later. Well-done to one and all!

Valerie handing dedications to the teacher concerned

Are these mine? :)

Spoil yourself today teachers!

Wan Er, ELDSS President..a very capable young lady!

~the thinking teacher~

LDP1 : Attitude and Approach: Restoring The Passion for Teaching

Date: 2 April 2011
Time: 8a.m.- 3p.m.
Venue: Kolej Komuniti Kluang
Invited Speaker: Mr Phuah Seng Tiong (Ex-Principal, SMK Jinjang, KL)

An inspiring and timely talk which I needed to relook my role as a teacher. Some interesting points noted down:

• Don't be a dinasour- don't be obselete, keep up with the times in your teaching
• We need motivation regularly- "We need to fill up because we leak!"
• We have a lot to of work to do to clear up the image of teachers and teaching
• Teachers must have self-esteem and respect their profession
• Teaching is about preparing students for tomorrow not now (long-term)
• Teach students good values- appreciating their teachers and vice-versa
• Enter class prepared-Where are you taking your lessons?
• We need to fail forward not backwards
• The investment in school is not buildings but students
• Children are like wet cement- What impression are you going to leave?
• When you enter class IMPACT the students, then INSPIRE, INFLUENCE and IMPLANT

Thanks to Mr Phuah for sharing your wisdom! Thanks to Barny's for sponsoring the tea break and lunch.

Félicitations, おめでとう, Поздравляю, felicidades, Congratulations!

On Saturday, I managed to get the full SPM 2010 results from Mona (bless her). We did  it guys again! Congrats to the class of 2010. You made us proud!

SMK Canossian Convent Kluang won several awards at the state level:

1. Anugerah Sekolah Cemerlang Kategori Sekolah Harian (Pertama)

2. Anugerah Sekolah Cemerlang Kategori Yand Mencapai ETR

3. Anugerah Sekolah Cemerlang Kategori Cemerlang Yang Mencapai 100%

4. Anugerah Calon Cemerlang (Foo Wee Nee and Lim Chiu Ling)

Here are the results by subject:

	2009 % GPMP	2010 %GPMP
BM	3.16	2.47
BI	3.33	2.90
Pend Islam	2.66	3.05
Moral	3.07	2.05
Sejarah	4.07	4.81
Maths	2.81	2.60
Science	3.35	2.63
Lit in Eng	-	2.00
Geog	2.40	3.06
PSV	2.22	2.96
Add Maths	3.56	3.42
Perdagangan	6.79	5.91
P.A	2.56	3.31
Ekon Asas	6.23	5.52
ERT	0.92	2.75
Rekacipta	2.05	1.31
Physics	3.33	3.27
Chemistry	3.25	3.50
Biology	3.64	3.22
T Islam	-	3.00
B. Cina	2.98	2.91
B. Tamil	3.87	2.86

Congratulations to all teachers and students for all your hard work. Am extremely happy that the GPS for English has dipped below 3.0 this time around. Well-done to one and all!

Why is it so hard to say 'thank you'?

So, the much awaited SPM results were out. Congrats to the those who did well. To those who didn't do so well, it's not the end of the road. As a matter of fact, the road is still long :) I've been wanting to blog about this for some time now but I've always postponed it, not wanting to hurt anybody. Well, no more!  This cometh direct from a teacher's heart...

Madam Tan, Foo Wee Nee (Top Student 2010) and I

 In 2008, when the SPM results were announced I was shocked (that's the word) to see a group of top scorers coming to school to receive their honours but ignoring their teachers in the main hall.  They coolly sat through the whole affair till it was tea time and still, none of them came to us to say anything, never mind a 'thank you'. This after having taught them for two years. Initially, I thought I was being too sensitive and also a colleague had remarked earlier, 'this is how students of today behave'. Silly me thought how outdated I was, you know, not keeping up with the so-called current trends! And the fact that this was only my second year in the school made me think I had  probably not understood the culture well enough and needed to be reeducated. And so I  let the matter rest. However, a few weeks later, a Maths teacher commented on the same thing- that the students never said 'thank you' to her and behaved as if  she was  a stranger! And then more and more comments came. And  I thought I was alone...

               

Came 2010 SPM results and history repeated itself. Students and teachers were total strangers again. Admittedly, one or two would awkwardly try to strike a conversation as they couldn't avoid brushing  shoulders with their teachers  in the hall. But the T word was still elusive..

Why is it so hard to say 'thank you'? (even if the teacher was not your favourite, or you didn't quite get along with the teacher, or that your tuition teachers were your gods  etc. etc. etc. surely you must have learned a thing or two from him or her) Two years is long. A lot of things had happened in and outside the classroom in the two years. Besides there's absolutely nothing wrong with the old-fashion culture where a student shows appreciation to her teachers- more so at such a young and impressionable age. It's all part and parcel of being a student.

Whatever happened to good manners? Come on!  It doesn't cost you anything to say 'thank-you'. It only reflects what a wholesome character you are and most importantly that your teachers have NOT failed to teach you good manners in school!!  I refuse to believe that students today do not  know how to show appreciation to their teachers.  If indeed this is true, it's a worrying state of affairs.  It is such a shame that in the pursuit of A's, we lose our more important values. Surely teaching and learning is also about character-building. And the best place to start is in school.



By all means go for your A's. Go where your dreams take you but please mind your manners too. This is just so you will become successful future doctors, engineers, scientists, artists, chemists with  GOOD CHARACTER. This is what is rewarding about teaching. It's not just about A's but about character. Good character will go a long way and you will be able to impact others in the future. At the end of the day, it's not your thank you that matters but that you acknowledge your teachers' existence!

Dear God, forgive me if I have failed in my job...

p.s I must mention though that the top student in 2008 and 2010 took all the trouble to thank me. As a matter of fact, one of them took the trouble to call me when I was in JB last week. The gesture really touched my heart. You have shown that you are not only smart but you have character and sound upbringing.

Maulidur Rasul 2011

Date: 26 Feb 2011 (Saturday)
Venue: SMCC

It was a beautiful Saturday morning and the auspicious Maulidur Rasul celebration took place today. Led by Pn Hjh Mahizan Muhammud (Senior Assistant 1), over a hundred students and teachers started off from the field to the main hall chanting the 'selawat' to Prophet Muhammad PBUH. The nasyid from the Form 5 students was melodious accept for the poor p.a system. The two-hour talk by Uztazah Hamidah Musa, Head Teacher from SK Agama Dato'Ahmad Kluang was very entertaining and meaningful. The celebration ended with 'nasi tomato' served in large trays (dulang) for four...alas I was fasting...The celebration brought back memories of  my student days where I used to walk about 3km from the field in Kulai to the mosque . I even sang the nasyid in the mosque as we were the champion for the district's nasyid competition then!

Here's what GEORGE BERNARD SHAW said about Prophet Muhammad PBUH:

"He must be called the Saviour of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much needed peace and happiness." (THE GENUINE ISLAM, Singapore, Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936)

He was by far the most remarkable man that ever set foot on this earth. He preached a religion, founded a state, built a nation, laid down a moral code, initiated numerous social and political reforms, established a powerful and dynamic society to practice and represent his teachings and completely revolutionized the worlds of human thought and behavior for all times to come.

First week of school..

Our assembly started punctually at 7.20 a.m. with the senior assistant, Pn Hjh Mahizan Muhammud welcoming the students back to school. I felt enthusiastic and motivated to start off the term and so did the rest of the staff. Among the important things outlined in her speech were:

Hjh Mahizan Muhammud

• emphasis on students' focus in school
• the National Education Philosophy
• School vision: Sekolah Unggul Penjana Generasi Gemilang
• PMR 2010: 95.54%, GPS 1.64, 35 perfect scorers, Anugerah Sekolah Cemerlang (Kategori Sekolah Harian) Negeri Johor (twice in a row)
• School Focus for 2011: PMR- 100%, SPM- 100%, 1 student, 1 sports policy
• discipline and good manners at all times
• the construction of the computer lab- progress and safety precautions
• aiming for excellence in school attendance

Welcome back to SMKCC girls!

the computer lab site
smack in the middle of the quadrangle..

Suffice to say I'm excited about the computer lab although a lot more fund is needed for it to be completed. Congratulations to the PMR candidates for their excellent results! Let's hope for better news with the SPM results come March :)

'Sharing and caring is our way of life.'




~The thinking teacher~

And so farewell...Mawarni & Fazreena

                                                                    

Front row from left: Sarojini, me, Mawarni, Mdm Tan (former principal).
Back row from left: Dr Rekha, Anand, Chong, Fazreena and Puran

May you always have walls for the winds,
a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire,
laughter to cheer you, those you love near you,
and all your heart might desire.
~Irish Blessing~

*** Many thanks to Mawarni for all the great work you did for the District English Panel.

Make SMCC Proud!

Date: 15 Nov 2010 (Monday)
Majlis Restu

All the best to SMCC 2010 SPM candidates in the coming SPM examination.
To 5S1 and 5RC students:  Keep the good memories!

En Mohd Nazri abd Rahman- PPD Liason Officer giving his speech

Me representing all Form 5 teachers

sheau cian, jia en, bao yee, me, chiu ling, evadne, yue ming...all the best in your SPM girls!

my six mentees under the Islamic society- all the best!

do your best in the spm! 5rc girls...

English Month, July 2010

The launching of the English month and 'Bulan Membaca' took place today in the main hall. I was in charge of the multimedia presentation. Took me a whole Saturday to put those video together. However, the technical glitches spoiled the multimedia presentation. If only we had a good PA system!! (am asking for the moon I know sob sob..). A splitter would have done the job. I was amazed to learn that all these while, the prefects actually coordinated using signals!! But launched it we did. We had the helium-filled balloons as planned. For the 'Bulan Membaca' launching, we had a choir presentation fand awards  for  NILAM . Thanks to  Li Ching and Joyce for helping out! We will do better next time. Here are some of the activities lined up:

• World Cup Soccer Quiz
• Talentime
• Spelling Bee
• Public-speaking
• Merdeka Mesage Competition
• 20-mins activities at the English Zone (Quizzes, Puzzles)

LDP 1: 12 April 2010

 

Book Reviews by Wan and Sarojini. Thumbs up to both of them for an excellent sharing session.

Welcome to Madam Yeoh, our new principal

Our first assembly with Madam Yeoh Ai Lian, the new principal who reported for duty on 12 April 2010. Welcome to SMCC!

Bread-making Class Anyone?

Wan doing the practical

Murniyati measuring the ingredients

The sifu in action...

The apprentice at work..

From left, Su, Maria, Murni and Anita...gelek jangan tak gelek!

Maria (hands only) showing off the cherry buns...

 

Our Pizza Buns! Unbelievable!

Cherry Buns and Cheese buns!

No not English matters today ok...How about bread making? Oh what a morning I had today! No regrets attending this baking class with Radziah, our ERT teacher and her friend Hjh Hamidah. I certainly enjoyed leraning how to make pizza bun, cheese bun, cherry bun and 'roti Arab berinti'. Learned many tips too from Siti Jariah from SSAJ. About 15 of us were there (Maria, Suhaily, Marina, Murniyati, Wan, Salmah, Anita and me from SMCC) and I'm definitely looking forward to the next class! Thanks to the chefs Radziah and her friends :)

Cross Country 2010

Date: 6 Feb (Saturday) 2010
Event: Cross-country

Alas the long awaited cross-country finally took place today under the scorching sun. Yellow House emerged runner-up. They failed to defend the championship. As I've mentioned before to them, every member of the yellow house must pull in his or her weight and contribute a point but...But still congratulations to all of them, captain Kok Wei Hong and Puan Monalisa. Do your best in the Sports Day!