New

 The Maiden Attempt

 The exam season is on again. 

Teachers are trained for times like these; invigilation and marking.

Today something new was introduced in the History paper; an open book test.

 The latest stipulation is that everyone must pass the paper to qualify for a full certificate in the SPM public exam. History has been given the same status as the Bahasa Melayu paper and made mandatory to pass.

Added to this is another new feature in paper 3; an open book test.

 Students are allowed to bring in own reading materials such as text book, revision book, magazines or any other notes relevant to the paper.

It is indeed a major change from the norm though it may be common in higher learning institutions.

 I remember sitting for a couple of papers in the university and I personally think it is a challenge to be able to discern the right material for the question. Skill is needed to pick right facts . In most cases,an  open book test has questions of the higher order category  and you need to be trained for such attempts.

 No wonder the students for once did not seem to be able to finish on time and did the teachers a favour by not passing up early. They were occupied through the 3 hours without quitting ! It was a refreshing change.

 When I asked the History chief about the students' responses, she told me that she has yet to make a conclusion. The students are definitely new to this form of assessment and let's hope that it will help them pass. Or is it going to prove otherwise?

History; dreaded by many but has been made ,mandatory to pass.

May the best be with them.

The Speech Day

 The Day.

Many like to be appreciated; from the young to the old. 

It is right some occasions of appreciation be celebrated to make everyone happy.

So, we had another of such a day on 27th April ; the Annual Speech Day.

It was difficult to fix the day what with the impending election fever on; but we finally made it.

 To celebrate what was achieved in 2012 in 2013; do not be confused.

 The crowd came in; the students of the previous year; SPM and STPM.

Even though they have just left us they seemed to have matured.

At times I feel that I have lost them; cannot read them.

 But that's life as you sometimes cannot read your own biological children too.

 So, that's Samuel for being the best in History and Bahasa Melayu; I hope his parents are happy with him.

 Shakir who cannot bear to leave the school choir. Perfect score in PMR.

 Ryan had his PMR perfect score too.

 Kaeden has made his mum happy too.

 She like to sing. Vanessa also studies well just like her brother, Justin.

 Clement is son to Puan Chuah with his straight As in SPM.

 Muzaffar scored well in SPM too, much to the delight of his mother, who is also a teacher.

Other children of teachers include See Heng Jee, Chong Lee Yen, Debra Gan.

 Huang Sheng; the 4 pointer in STPM iw waiting for NUS to take him in. 

He is a true son of Seafield having accomplished much right from Form 1 to Upper 6 !

 A laborious but successful journey alongside his Alma mater.

 Jane is also the top Arts student for STPM; quiet but gritty.

 Darren is best PMR student.

Perhaps appreciating teachers is the best gesture.

Without them the school cannot function.

 Norhayati Mohammad looks after the affairs of languages; the school goes up and down with the scores !

 Loy defends the Maths and Science department with all her might.

How then did they score 100% Maths in PMR? 100% in Science SPM?

Nothing escapes her sharp eyes.

 Periachee is the Social Sciences chieftain.

  Her fast mind allows her to make real quick arrangements whenever a problem crops up. 

To her ; no problem, only solutions.

 Mr. Gan is mister handy technician; so he trouble shoots whenever technical errors with computers and machines occur.

 Don't assume that he is technical only; he is a prolific writer; winning competitions like nobody's business.

 Azizah Bidin is a long serving teacher of the school; has been here since day 1 and being appreciated for handling challenging learners well; 100 % pass !

 This is Bahasa Melayu chief; she holds the reign tightly and makes sure the fate of the school is upheld!

Last year she made sure every PMR child pass the exam with 100% and out of 425 students who sat for the SPM paper, only 2 did not make it thus scoring that 99.5% pass ! What a feat. Keep it up !

 

 Ms Geography teacher; Tan Geok Siew scores 100% pass with her patience, diligence and tricks!

 Siti Rohana is STPM chief ! She works hard up and down the children's backs !

So they gave up by giving her the 100% pass !

 Ms Tan is appreciated for the best managed department; History.

 Another best managed department; the Additional Maths department.

 Ho Siew Hoon is determined to score !

 Who can doubt the skills of this English teacher? One of  the best managed department too; she makes sure that EST is 100% ever since the paper was offered !

But the one who caught our eyes and hearts is Tan Hann Hsen who scored the best in History, Geography, Science and Bahasa Cina in Form 1 2012. He made his parents and teachers proud. His physical challenges are not hindrances; he has received much respect from others. The students in school share his challenges too. May he continue to shine in his journey here.

All's well that ends well with heartfelt thanks to the ever supportive PTA chief', 

 Dato Seri Abd Rahman Bin Haji Ali who took his precious time off to grace the occasion.

 He has been with us for many years and is ever willing to see us through ups and downs.

 Thank you Dato Seri. May you continue to serve with excellence.

SMK Seafield appreciates you.

The Winner

They won the hearts of the judges.

Yes, the SMK Seafield choir hit it again.

Champions of the zone.

Soon they will have to fight tooth and nail for another round.

The competition will be become stiffer.

Sue Ann the conductor added another feather to the cap when she was named the best conductor.

Her style and passion was shown all over as she led the team in harmony and in sync with the music.

One of the judges told me that the group displayed real skill and commitment in their singing. They were clear in their diction and there was good voicing. I admit I do not have the musical terms to describe but all in a nutshell; they were clearly the winners.

So happy for them.

So, as a gesture of friendship to all the other participating teams, the choir added another song n their final concert;
 " We Are Friends Forever" to my greatest pleasure.

Do wish them the best for the forthcoming challenges.

The Nai Mah

 Happy Birthday Allie

 Who is Allie?

 That's Allie with Sara. She is Sara's Nai Mah ( nursemaid ) since she was 4 months old. I believe she accompanied Sara more than I did in her growing years; or at least they were close enough to share the same bedroom for many years. Allie will do anything for her ; but their roles are beginning to change.

 Sara is now the chef while Allie picks tips from her.

This is a good example. When Sara has this sudden urge to make goodies she will hunt high and low for equipment, ingredients and recipes. So she bought this mould to make 'ang ku kueh' in conjunction with the day ? Or was it mere coincidence?

 The "little" Sara that Allie knows is now chief to her. While Sara concords mixtures for goodies, Allie dutifully washes and follows instructions to knead, roll and steam...

 Who would imagine that the little Sara is into making local goodies ; so professionally done ! Mama will say the usual ;  ' just buy, why make? ' But no; make she will and must.

So, the 'nai mah' with grins on her lips takes great pleasure in seeing her little one developing skills beyond her imagination. Allie learns from Sara these days; how roles have changed. Who can deny we are growing older while the younger ones are taking over the helm?

We have to learn to concede to new ideas, adaptations and acceptance with grace.

Allie and Sara working hand in hand.

"Ma, be nice to Allie"; that's Sara's reminder to me.

Yes, the young voice is loud and clear.

The Movie

The Soong Sisters

Reading the book and watching it as a movie evokes different emotions.

Today, after an audition in school, I switched on the box and there is was, the famous movie. I always believed when a work is a master piece, it stays good forever. Whether you watch it once, twice or at different stages of your life; it never fails to produce the same good effects. That's what I told the teachers in school, when you have a method that is good after many replications; it means it is good forever; proven effective and precise.
So, I watched the movie towards the second half and still it was enough for me to reflect. The children in class will tell you how reflective I can be at times; it must be my age. I will interpret situations from many view points; I hope they are not confused.
In the reflection today, I recall the mother's love for the sisters. At a tender age, the sisters were sent away by the father to learn English and life in a foreign land; away from their motherland. So, the mother had to watch with tears in her eyes as the father sang "Home on the range" while the girls were shipped away. That is so heart-wrenching even in the name of education. So, the father taught them to be independent, willful adults from young. They grew up exactly that way; creating waves and history.
In the course of adulthood and the culmination of their stand for principles and meaning in life, the sisters married great men . Men who could handle them and the sisters in turn proved to be partners of real stuff; able to withstand real challenges. The sisters especially the younger two got into disagreements and turned against each other. Despite all the differences, blood is indeed thicker than water as they got together on their mother's death bed and played the final tune at their mother's request. The mother died with music in her ears.

I must say the mother must have gone through much pain to see the sisters growing apart; the memories of their younger days must have been playing hard and long. which mother can take this? But she would have been proud to know that the sisters finally protected and kept each other from harm; what a delight to me. Sisters are meant to look after each other; not fight ?

Then there was this scene when the second sister Ching Ling had to leave her and the desperate moment when the mother realised that education and will power have churned her daughter into someone she can no longer plead to and instruct. She could only abide by her decision and not question. Doesn't this seem familiar? The mother gave the daughter an umbrella to symbolically show that the journey for the younger one is long and arduous. Protection should be on her side.
The mother had many years to herself, as the father Charlie, left her many years before. It must have been lonely and to see her girls making decisions that are tough especially when the third girl decided to marry the great army man. 3 things the army man was told to do:
1. to love May Ling all his life fervently
2. to divorce the present wife
3. to read the Bible
Despite and in spite of everything, religion came into play. Later, we watched as he tried to understand the Book. He even made a vow to honour God as he prayed for divine intervention when his plane had trouble landing in Nanking after his escape from Xian. So, the mother's influence and insistence was felt.

Today, I only want to talk about the mother as my heart went out to her. Her patience in seeing the reconciliation of the sisters was evident and her prayers answered. She is a great mum to have been the mother of 3 great women who created history and impact.

Mrs. Charlie Soong.

Watch the movie on U tube.

I will be watching again and maybe tell you different stories.

The Craftsman

The Handy One

 Everyday the teachers are bogged down by some minors who refuse to cooperate; some come late, others lose interest in class and still others roam round the school without qualms. There is a particular group who are academically challenged not out of their want but they simply have no interest in books. 

So, the counselors are also putting on their thinking caps each day wondering what can be some practical solutions.

There is an impending need to persuade parents to realize a child's learning capacity and find possible ways to counter the disinterest in studies. One very way is to stimulate vocational skills in the child. 

Strange but true that the real world out there needs people with practical skills; many out there can use the pen and the computer but they do not know some basic living skills...some can consume durians but do not know how to open them. Some can see the bulbs go bust but do not know how to change; I am guilty.

So, today as I reached home, I had a pleasant surprise.

Someone is repairing the teak chairs; at last.

 This set of 4 teak chairs have been with us for the last decade; the wood is solid but the rattan seat top has given way. Dad has tried many times to do some mending...

 It's a simple process; if you are vocational.

 A few pieces of hard wood taken from his store ...

 Some tools, nails, equipment and ...

 A craftsman.

This man has the skill to cut, polish and shape the pieces of wood...

Lo and behold...they are done. Just another coat of paint and the chairs will look as new as before.

So, vocational skills are just as important to complement hard academic skills.

In fact, the skills come in handy for survival ; of course one can say as long as you have the means things can be duly fixed up. But the thrill of getting things fixed up your way give you immense satisfaction and meaning.

So the school must work harder to inform many that vocational skills are just as important as academic skills.

Guess the pay of the workman?

Higher than Sara's intern pay; after going to school for 15 years?

So vocational learning is the way to go too.

Friends

Oh no I am not old-fashioned.

The tune has been haunting me for many days.

Many days as I ponder over the meaning of friendship and what people do in the name of friendship.

I laugh when you laugh
We see eye to eye
I'm glad when we're together
It hurts to say goodbye
I know you know me
You know I know you
I trust you with my secrets
I hope your dreams come true.

Chorus
We're friends, we're friends forever, we're friends
Because we're friends, we're friends forever,
It never ends
It goes on and on and on and on and on
Beyond what we can see
We're friends forever
You and me

We love the same things
We sing the same song
We have the same ambitions
We will our whole life long
When I am hurting, it's you I call
You're strong when I am weakest
You're standing when I fall.
Chorus

No burden is too heavy
No distance is too far
We're friends, we're friends forever
It doesn't matter where we are...

The SMK Seafield choir sang it too.

They are refreshing...go find it .

Concerns

 Their concerns; our concerns

Each year when it comes to this topic, I would ask the children to talk.

Talk their hearts out.

Strangely, the concerns are evergreen; they are the same.

We adults must listen.

Listen to their needs.

Occasionally Grace who is practising in Singapore will ask me about some of the challenges her patients go through; her famous inquiry being: "Ma, do you have students who...?" Some of them we concur while some others we do not. Students' main challenges include high parental expectations, peer pressures, BGR, and cyber bullying.

Of these, the most heart breaking relates to cyber bulling; as the victims are not able to stop viral movements, causing emotional scars and pains. My heart goes out to them. Not only are the victims buffering but the family members too. You can imagine the nightmares and tortures. So they are warned to be careful with the friends they mix with and also to be cautious of conversations.

Parental expectations too are a bane to them. They dislike being compared to and switch off to overcoem the challenge. Jer Dong told us he actually has no big concerns; he is well-brought up and has a set of principles to follow by. So he doesn't get into hot soup. I wonder...

Suicidal tendencies are also a concern to some; when things get out of hand and there doesn't seem to be someone around, students feel that some can resort to suicides. When I ask for solutions, they tell me they can turn to teachers, counsellors, friends and Amanda and Chloe stood up and exclaimed;

 " We can turn to God !"

Clever girls.

So it is my intention that they talk. They not only reveal some secrets but displayed speaking skills and courage. I also wanted them to acquire impromptu responses to stimuli from the crowd. This I hope will help them in future deliveries.

The topic inadvertently led us to discover some popular cases in the cyber world. We examine their causes of despair; most of which are related to BGRs and the inability to overcome disappointment and failure in relationships. Both cases above led to death and I asked them for solutions; again and again I wanted them to decipher the steps to take in the event they land up in the same situation. They seem bright and confident; condemning the suicide and acknowledging that there are ways to conquer the challenge.

 I told them to love their parents and do the right thing.

Teenage concerns are really our concerns; big or small.