ENCIK ZAINAL ABIDIN SHAH AND MISS CHEAH

Encik Zainal and I are pictured outside the school hall this morning. I was waiting for my turn to go on stage to present the gift from the English Language Department to Cikgu Hamid.

INTERVIEW WITH PUAN SITI ARFAH

Six students from the Quantum Quarterly Editorial team interviewed the principal on Thursday afternoon. The interview started at 3.00 p.m. The students posed a lot of questions to Puan Siti Arfah and the session lasted for two hours until 5.00 p.m. I am sure many of you will be interested to know what the students asked our principal and what were her answers. Well, to find out please read the new issue of Quantum Quarterly which will be coming out in mid-October.

The first picture shows Puan Siti Arfah answering a question posed by the student. The second picture shows the students with the principal. From left, Izwan Jamal, Aqib, Liny, Puan Siti Arfah, Azali and Hazim.

TWO LINAS AND CIKGU HAMID

Miss Cheah Li Na and Puan Nor Amlina took the opportunity to have their photographs taken with Cikgu Hamid to keep as a momento before he got on to his car. Au Revior dear Cikgu Hamid and good luck in your future endeavours! Somehow, I have a feeling that he will one day return to this school. This is womanly intuition and many times proven true. We shall just have to wait and see.

GOOD BYE AND GOOD LUCK CIKGU HAMID!

The teachers and students of Sekolah Menengah Teknik Seri Manjung bade Encik Abdul Hamid farewell this Friday morning. There was an assembly in which a slide presentation on him was shown to those present. The principal also recited a lovely poem for her outgoing right hand man. Then the heads of the various departments and units presented parting gifts to him. After the assembly, the teachers lined the corridor leading to the office to send him off. He was escorted to the automated clock-in machine to punch out for the last time. The principal, senior assistants and some of the teachers even escorted him to his car and waved him off.

USTAZ'S NEW BABY

I managed to take photographs of Ustaz Lotpi's youngest son who is about two months' old. The boy is named Muhamad Saqifi bin Mohd Lotpi. He was born on 2nd August 2006. The baby's mother, Puan Baizura bt Abu Bakar is pictured holding her baby son.

FAREWELL DINNER FOR CIKGU HAMID

A farewell dinner was held for En Ab Hamid bin Fazal Mohamad at the school Dining Hall on Thursday night. All the Form Five and some Form Four students attended the dinner and their representatives presented presents to him. Some of the teachers were also present for the occasion.

STUDENT: MOHD. FIRDAUS BIN MOHD. YUSOF

Firdaus or Fido as he likes to be called has been helping me with an ICT project this week. Previously he had helped me during the Web Design Course organised jointly with the College Community.

He is from Rawang, Selangor and is the second child in the family. His father works as an executive at TNB Headquarters. His mum runs her own business. His eldest sister is in Lower Six at La Salle Petaling Jaya. His youngest brother is in Standard Five.

Fido's hobbies are creating web sites, playing computer games and reading novels. He aims to be a computer programmer in future.

THORN AMONG THE FLOWERS

Tuan Haji Ahmad Hasnin and I went to get some ribbons and flowers to wrap the farewell gift we had prepared for Encik Abdul Hamid. Here is a picture I took of our Tuan Haji in the shop.

MINI BAZAAR RAMADHAN

There is a very mini bazaar set up by the family of our school staff selling food and drinks during the month of Ramadhan. The stalls are located around the hostel area. Of course Encik Sazali and Encik Shukri were seen helping sell the food prepared by their wives.

PREPARING FOR CIKGU HAMID'S FAREWELL CEREMONY

At around noon three Form Four students, Firdaus, Liny and Ramona helped me prepare some materials for Cikgu Hamid's farewell ceremony. What is being prepared is underwraps and will only be unveiled come Friday morning.

INTERVIEWING THE NEW PRINCIPAL OF S.M. TEKNIK SLIM RIVER

Ramona and Liny who are in the editorial team of Quantum Quarterly interviewed Cikgu Abdul Hamid bin Fazal Mohamad this morning. The girls tell me that the interview lasted for about two hours. So, look out for the second edition of the newsletter to read about the exclusive interview with the man who will take charge of the technical school in Slim River.

BUBUR LAMBUK STESMA

The teachers at the workshops made bubur lambuk for all the teachers and staff. The special porridge is for breaking of fast during maghrib today. Early in the morning some of the teachers were seen cutting and slicing vegetables and meat. Later at around recess time, some students came and helped. When I had finished my class at around 1.00 p.m. I could see Encik Hafizi, Tuan Haji Mustapha, Encik Suhaimi and Encik Fadhlur taking turns to stir the porridge.

DRIVING TEST

Today is Tuesday, 26th September 2006. Twenty-five Form Five boys and girls from our school will be taking their driving test. While taking photographs of the school, I met a group of our girls who were waiting for the school driver to send them to their test site. Good luck to all of them!

SECOND MEETING OF QUANTUM QUARTERLY TEAM

There was a meeting today for all the members of the Quantum Quarterly editorial team who will be interviewing the principals of Sekolah Menengah Teknik Seri Manjung and Sekolah Menengah Teknik Slim River.

Tuan Haji Ahmad Hasnin was roped in to help advise the team on the interviews. There was a brainstorming session on what questions to ask and also matters to do with interview etiquette. Two more fifth formers volunteered to be in the team. They are MOHD HAZIM B ABD RAHMAN (5PKEE1) and MOHAMMAD AZALI BIN ISMAIL (5PKEE4).

The appointed date for the interview with Puan Siti Arfah bt Ibrahim is on Thursday, 28 September at 3.00 p.m. The girls were unable to get hold of Encik Ab Hamid to set up an appointment date yet but it has to be within this week as he will assume his post as principal in his new school on the 2nd of October.

BEGINNING OF FASTING MONTH

Nur Shahirah bt Ishak is not in school today. She tells me that her school is having one day holiday because it is the beginning of the the fasting month. Today she is in the workshop with us. Early in the morning she did her Bahasa Melayu homework. When she finished her homework, she played with the plasticine and her toys.

SELAMAT BERPUASA TO ALL THE MUSLIM TEACHERS AND STUDENTS OF SEKOLAH MENENGAH TEKNIK SERI MANJUNG.

THE PRINCIPAL, SEKOLAH MENENGAH TEKNIK SLIM RIVER

Encik Ab. Hamid bin Fazal Mohamad is now the new principal of Sekolah Menengah Teknik Slim River. He officially reported for duty at his new school on 16 September 2006. However, Cikgu Hamid has asked for a grace period of a week to complete any unfinish work here and also prepare to handover his duties as senior assistant. He will be here until the 2nd of October.

Cikgu Hamid first reported for duty in Sekolah Menengah Teknik Seri Manjung on January 16, 2006. Prior to this he had served in his new school in 1997 after he completed his postgraduate studies in England. Before he left for England he was the senior assistant for student affairs at SM Pangkor and SM Tok Perdana.

He says that he felt very settled in this school and had thought that he would be retiring here. He had never nurtured any thoughts of leaving. He feels a sense of loss as he has a deep love for the school and the place since he was born and raised here. His family, relatives and friends are here.

As for taking up his new post, he says that he does feel daunted at the prospect but he did deputise for the previous proincipals and thinks that he should be able to cope. He plans to learn more about administration and governmental matters to become a good administrator and is confident that his experience would help him in running his new school. I have worked with Cikgu Hamid for 9 years and am certain that he would be able to carry out his new responsibilities well.

UMBRELLA GIRLS

Who are the two pretty ladies flanking Tuan Haji Ahmad Hasnin (looking stunning in a bright red GP shirt)? They look as lovely as the umbrella girls at the GP races, don't they? No, Tuan Haji is not following the current trend of many older men who are opting for young girlfriends. The two sweet, young things are actually his two daughters, Nurul Idliani (yellow head-scarf) and Nurul Idliana (blue head-scarf). Both his daughters are tall and slim. It must be genetic as both Tuan Haji and his wife Puan Hajjah Jamaliah are both tall and slim as well.

THE CHAN FAMILY

The picture above shows Mr Chan Kim Fook, his wife, Puan Thong Kum Lin and their daughter outside the Excelsior Hotel Coffee House in Ipoh. Both Mr and Mrs Chan are known to many of the teachers in Sekolah Menengah Teknik Seri Manjung as many have attended courses conducted by them. In previous years, they have also been invited to give talks to the students in our school.

HAPPY RETIREMENT MR CHAN KIM FOOK

I was at the Excelsior Hotel Coffee House in Ipoh on Saturday afternoon to attend a gathering to honour Mr Chan Kim Fook who will be retiring on October 1 this year. Mr Chan was my senior at the University of Bristol in England. To me he is a tireless worker, a very dedicated teacher and a committed professional. That is why the education department has recruited him time and again in all the English Language programmes. He has held many important posts and has executed his duties to the best of his abilities. Mr Chan is a very engaging speaker and would keep an entire audience enthralled with his informative, witty and cheeky presentations. He is happily married to Puan Thong Kum Lin who teaches at SMJK Ayer Tawar. They have a young daughter.

The retirement do for Mr Chan was organised by Tuan Haji Ahmad Hasnin who has known him for more years than I have. They have worked together as Master Trainers for the ETeMS programme as well as other English Language-related ones. Many of the attendees were his fellow master trainers. I must mention that he helped me a lot while I was carrying out my research study on the ETeMS programme for my Masters degree.