Edited Script

I found my previous editorial message too snappy. So, I had it edited to a simpler one. It is more grammatical too.

We, as members of the Bulletin Board, would like to wish every one a happy and blessed new year.

The Bulletin Board this year is a fledgling team composed of nine members and one teacher advisor. Having taken over from the old Club Committee on 2nd January, we have been constantly seeking their advice on almost all bulletin-related matters. Thanks to their guidance, many of our fears and doubts have been cleared up.
To maintain the standards set by our predecessor, we promise to bring you articles and features to the best of our ability. From January to March, we had been kept very busy covering numerous activities taking place within the school -- but despite the feeling of being swamped from all sides; the experience was a learning curve.

Twenty five items will be featured in the first issue. Highlights include the very first teacher-parent dialogue, high achievers of PMR and SPM, a success story in the Idaho Special Olympics, Family Day, BCCC and St. Joseph’s Day. We hope you will enjoy reading them.

This 37-page-bulletin is the result of several creative efforts. We are much indebted to Mr. Marcus Gau Lian, the Principal, for overseeing our work with his helpful pointers .We are also grateful to the Photography Club, the Counselling Board and the Inclusive Education Department for supplying us with the required photographs and information. Once again, our thanks to the Past Committee for their assistance. Without them, the publishing of the bulletin would not have been possible.

Should there be any omissions or errors in the bulletin, kindly let us know. Your feedback and constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.

Job As Teacher Adviser cum Editor

On 2nd January, I was appointed as teacher adviser for the Bulletin Club of my school. Boy, it is not easy to teach students prepare reports(I have problem with it too). Writing editorial notes is even a far more daunting task. The following is the first editorial message I have written for the first publication of the bulletin. I am not sure if it is worth reading.

Editorial Note:

The much-anticipated first day of a new era, 1st January 2009, was born at 12.00a.m. Like freshly fallen dews on budding leaves, it set our souls astir with new hopes and expectations. I remember saying a prayer for peace while gazing at a spectacular series of fireworks in the star-studded sky through my bedroom casement. Their scintillating radiance made the New Year appear magnificent and promising. At that very moment, I could feel a warm sense of bliss sweeping over me. How good it is to be alive and witness the turn of the New Year! Though war, terrorism, natural calamities and recession have continued to wreak havoc around the world, it is still important to carry on with life positively. With that in mind, one will be more level-headed and astute in making decisions despite difficulties. Taking this opportunity, I would like to wish everyone in SMK St. Joseph a happy and blessed new year. May the splendour of this year give us more strength and determination when working towards our goals.

The Bulletin Board this year is a ‘fledgling team’ composed of a teacher advisor and eight members. Since taking the baton from the Past Club Committee on 2nd January, we have been constantly seeking their advice on almost all bulletin-related matters. Thanks to their proper guidance, many of our uncertainties have been cleared up. For your information, the bulletin is still published on a bi-monthly basis as before. We promise to cover all school activities in every issue at our best. From January to February, there had been many activities going on in school and we were kept very busy. Despite feeling overwhelmed, the experiences we have gained are invaluable.

The January/February issue features seventeen items. The highlights are the first teacher-parent dialogue, the orientation week, the academic week activities, the archery demonstrations, the inclusive students’ success story in Idaho Special Olympics and the family day. We hope you will enjoy reading them.

The 30-page-bulletin is not solely our creation. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Mr. Marcus Gau Lian, the Principal, for helping us oversee many things in our work with his enlightening pointers. We are also grateful to the Photography Club, the Counseling Board and the Inclusive Education Department for supplying us with a lot of useful photographs and information. Once again, we would like to thank the Past Club Committee for their help. Without them, the publishing of the bulletin would not have been possible.

Should there be any omission or misreport in the bulletin, please kindly let us know. Your constructive criticism will most highly be appreciated.

Lo Sin Yee
Teacher advisor
Bulletin Club 2009

Students successful in Idaho Special Olympics

Malaysian Floor Hockey Team

The Malaysian Floor Hockey team scored a remarkable success in the Special Olympics World Winter Games held recently in Idaho, USA, on 12 February 2009 with a silver medal winning performance. The feat is particularly significant to SMK St. Joseph, as seven of the team players are inclusive students from the school. They are: Syarulnizam Raslan, Geoffrey Rodyean, Siew Yong Hock, Sylvester Bony Tanjong, Harundin Awang Ibrahim, Mohammad Affendie Yong and Aldryn Alau.

The sixteen-member team is the embodiment of the ‘Malaysia Boleh’ spirit. They scored successive wins after incurring two defeats on the first and second days of the round robin preliminaries. The uplifting rebound brought them to the semi finals, in which they outplayed the host USA Red team 8-0. They then re-encountered El Salvador, a highly seasoned team which had beaten them 12-3 in the round robin, in the gold-clinching final. Undeterred by the previous defeat, the boys gave it their all with marked improvements in their attack and defence strategy. Though going down to the Latin American team 1-5 at the end, the boys made history for Malaysia by taking silver in their sensational debut in the world-level meet..

To prepare for the Olympics, the boys had been attending centralized training in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah from 31 January to 2nd February. They left for Idaho on 3rd February. According to Miss Sandi Ak. Daniel, the accompanying teacher, they were selected to represent Malaysia by Special Olympics Malaysia after helping Sarawak to come in second in the 2007 National championship. Since then, they had been practising consistently under the proper guidance of Miss Lim Gueh Eng (sports director of the Special Olympics-Miri chapter) , Mdm. Bonika, Ms. Beatrice and herself. A special fund-raising project, Hokiton, was set up to lighten their financial burden on the trip to Idaho. Without the commitment and support, success for the seven would not have been possible.

Away from the sports field, however, the young athletes enjoyed their experience of America. The warmth and hospitality of the host families made them feel at home, and there was much to be learnt in the mutual exchange of cultures. Being taken around on a sightseeing tour brought them into their first encounter with snow, which was “thrilling” for all. They were also given free medical check-ups at the Idaho Medical Centre.

One member of the team, Siew Yong Hock, caught the attention of the media. When asked on how he felt about participating in the Winter Special Olympics, the boy told reporters that he was proud and grateful to have been chosen to represent Malaysia for the Olympics, along with his fellow schoolmates. They all knew why they were there: with hard work, determination and dedication, nothing is impossible.

The athletes left Idaho for Miri on 14 February, a day after the games concluded. They reached Miri airport at night on 16 February to a heroic welcome from our Principal, teachers and their parents. The Brass band and the Cultural Club of our school added more pomp to the atmosphere with their dazzling tributary performances. During the morning and afternoon assemblies on 23rd February, Principal Mr. Marcus Gau Lian commended the seven Olympians on doing the nation and the school proud and described them as role models for all students to emulate in their pursuit of excellence.

Well done, boys!!!!

Relocation of Primary School

I was assigned to translate an article on the relocation of a primary school by my boss. The following is the completed work:

The SK. St. Joseph was founded by the Reverend Father, H. Janson, a Mill Hills Priest, in 1932. Two years later, the arrival of three nuns – Rev. Mother Clofida, Sister Louis-Marie and Sister Rose-Marie brought changes to the school system, from co-educational to single-gender . Girls were segregated and transferred to a new learning environment offered at the Convent of Notre Dame De Lourdes. However, during the Second World War, the school suffered a period of adversity when heavy bombing destroyed a large part of its buildings, and it had to be closed in December 1941. With steely determination, the school was reopened under the roof of the old St. Joseph’s Church in September 1945. In 1953, lessons were conducted in the Gymkhana Club of Miri.

In 1954, a double-storey, twelve-roomed block was built at Jalan Angsana for both primary and secondary school pupils. To help relieve the school of its ever-growing student populace, the New Century Cinema and some old Shell quarters were used as makeshift classrooms In 1964, all secondary school students were moved to a newly-built school, which is the present SMK St. Joseph Miri at Jalan Brighton. In 1967, a three-storey block consisting of nine classrooms was subsequently added to the Primary school. The pupil enrolment by then had reached 774 people while the number of academic staff had risen to 22. In 1992, the Missionary Society of St. Joseph's took back the 1954-built-block for administrative purposes. The transfer of tenure saw the rise of a new block. The three-storey building, funded by parents, pupils and alumni members, houses eight classrooms. At present, recreational facilities comprise playing courts for basketball and badminton.

By the end of 2006, a new staircase was erected in the old block, to counteract the incoveniences of using the only communal staircase. More problems have arisen since. The existing classrooms can barely accommodate the burgeoning number of pupils. As a result, the music room has to be converted into a classroom. The move, however, has failed to solve the issue of over-crowding, and it is made worse by many other related constraints Hence, proposals for relocation to a larger site in Lopeng Tengah have been raised for the advancement of the school.

Details for the proposed relocation are as follows:

1. Under-strategic School Location

Wedged between SJK Chung Hua and St. Joseph Kindergarten and situated near the Dynasty Hotel and the City Municipal Council in the most bustling area of Miri town, the teachers, parents and pupils have been struggling with the gridlock along the main road during peak hours for years. Since the highway is in close proximity to the school, teaching and learning have always been disrupted by the din of passing vehicles. The hectic flow of traffic also poses hazard to pupils when they are crossing the road.

2. Limited Space for Expansion of Facilities

The limited capacity of the present school compound confines the expansion of the much-needed facilities like a school field, a science laboratory, a music room, a Living Skills workshop, a computer laboratory and a school hall. The absence of these facilities impedes and complicates the smooth running of teaching-learning activities. Sports training is conducted dangerously close to the road, and as a result, field games such as softball, handball and hockey cannot be played. In the long run, student performance in both academic and extra-curricular activities may be seriously affected.

3. Single-Session School In Larger Site

The relocation of SK. St. Joseph to the named site is a timely act in response to the government’s call for all Malaysian schools to be single-session. A more conducive and sophisticated learning environment is guaranteed for parents who naturally want the best for their children. It can also ameliorate existing problems with restricted pupil intake for Year One..

Cat Intrusion(II)

I would like to keep all of you updated with how the stashed kittens fare in my house.

As soon as I woke up this morning, I put my right hand in the hole through the broken bull-nose step, groping through the mess inside and found three kittens in the left corner. One by one, I lifted them out by the scruff of their necks carefully. Oh, boy! they are very cute and delicate. Each of them has a different colour-- one ginger brown, one pale beige and the other a calico with patches of white, brown and black fur. Having placed them into a large box , I moved them out to the porch. Before long, I saw a cat approach the box and crawl into it. My! I should have thought of it as the mother. She is no other cat but Mamu-- a stray ginger that I always feed. She is by far the largest cat in the neighbourhood, and had been pregnant for several months. Filled with curiosity to see how the reunion was like, I tiptoed to the box with checked excitement(so as not to frighten the timid mother cat). Mamu, being fully occupied with her young, was oblivious to my onlooking. She lay down in a tilted position and let the three starving kittens suckle from her. The mother's satisfied look and the rhythmic cadence of the softly purring kittens warmed my heart with joyfulness.

What a blissful scene to behold.

It is love in its purest form, a primordial one between a mother and her children which is built on inter-dependency, from giving love and being loved, offering comfort and being comforted, to yearning and fulfilment. Cats may be subservient to humans but when it comes to love, they are more truthful and unreserved to each other without the confinement of anything material.

Mmmm, what names should I give to the three kittens? I have literally given names to almost every stray cat in the neighbourhood. All their names sound very cheesy but funny--Lui-Lui, Ni-Ni, Ma-Tei, Ma-Mek and Dut-Dut. However, they are an elusive lot. Though I have fed them for almost five months, none of them is willing to be petted by me. Nevertheless, they will seize every opportunity to intrude into my home when I am not in, provided the windows are left open.

I wonder if I should leave the kittens outside, or bring them back into my house. The wind is rather strong out there.

Cat Intrusion(I)

I reached home this evening around 9 p.m. after a taxing appointment at school and a warm dinner in a nice restaurant. Though the year end break had begun several days back, I had to return to school this afternoon for an unsettled business. Having grappled with the hot potato for hours, everything was completed as planned in spite of some early setbacks . I could not help praising the Lord for giving me such a huge relief. I could finally enjoy the holidays without the nagging worry (hakuna mutata!). In euphoria, I forgot the fact that my life is predestined with many surprises.

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Upon entering the house, I was shocked to have found a casement ajar. My! What an intruder-friendly negligence to have committed! I must have left it open again while hurrying out of the house. I was sure several cats had visited my house. They will never let go of the opportunity to leap in and rummage around the house during my absence(it has happened umpteen times). Immediately as usual, I conducted a quick search in every nook and cranny for the intruders--behind the cupboard, the top of my bookshelf and under the dining table. I have always wanted to catch the feline trespassers with my own hands and give each a good cuddle! Just as I was about to go upstairs for a further check, there was an unexpected stir of noise near the staircase which sounded like the crying of new-born kittens! Goodness me....Am I hallucinating or my tinnitus is getting worse?

I followed the sound closely and found it emerging from the hollow beneath the broken bull-nose step . Given the intensity of pungent scent left within that spot, I believed three to four kittens must have been kept in the recesses of the inner deck boards. The clock had struck eleven by now and I was desperate for bed. The overwhelming drowsiness had made me too reluctant to take the kittens out of their hiding. It was also unwise to grope for them in the hole because of the sharp splinters and the lizard droppings inside. For the well-being of the tiny friends, I left the window half-closed as it had been earlier on. I was sure the mother would return to her litters through the gap and feed them. The kittens' persistent crying suggested that they were all hungry.

Well, well. I had better go to bed now or the tabby would be too scared to rejoin her kids in the stash.

My Long and Winding Road

Too many things have happened to me recently
loneliness, hatred and sadness smite me to the marrow.
Woe is me, and happiness seems so far-fetched.
I feel like crying, but pride and conscience remind me not to
For tears proclaim my defeat,
and defeat reveals a wasted-self with crumbled dignity.
But yet I cry. Yes, I do cry.
Crying in sheer solitude, in gloomy darkness
Having no soothing arms to run into............
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I have been tottering along the same long and winding road,
pelted by the same ruthless, damaging squall
I am soaked through with the same humiliation,
and my spirit is yowling in the same muteness.

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Through my blurring vision,
I see a surreal view looming far ahead.....
A confused maze of thunderbolts is welcoming me
with open arms at the end of the road, which seem blood lust.
My heart is sinking to the deepest core of abyss
and throbbing more heavily than ever, until it hurts.
Is it as menacing as a sly, predatory beast waiting on its prey?
is it as doomed as the city of Sodom and Gomorrah?
or is it going to change my life from bad to worse,
or otherwise?
What should I do? Who can help me pull through the ordeal?
None! None! None! There is no one, no-one..........
No --one -- to-- give -- me --succour-----
Even God seems unreal in his prolonged absence
unreal........ unreal.......................
....................................................
My mind is hay-wired to the extreme.
The life beyond seems overcast with privation, fear,
uncertainties and even death!
...........................Sigh..........................sigh ...................................
.........................................sigh...........................................................
.................somehow.........................somehow.............................
Somehow I know............, I know.........
I have to reach there, for there is no turning back.
Life is a test, the result is either a pass or a failure
To defeat it is to keep the flimsiest hope in me burning
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Yes, let it burn, let it burn , let it burn....
and rekindle itself.