It's good to be loved.

It's GOOD to feel loved and it's good to feel missed!




Here I am surrounded by presents from the students and teachers and staff in Seksyen 5 who loved me and missed me despite all my shortcomings and imperfections. It took me several days to complete opening all the presents. Sue Ann and Jason came home and saw this mountain of gifts in the hallway.




I have books which I will love to read and Jason already started reading one of the books I recieved. I have yards and yards of lovely textile material - now I need to find a good tailor .

I recieved so many bling bling to make me more beautiful - thank you for the lovely brooches, bangles, bags and baju - all the B's to make make me more B ( beautiful) And the lovely gold watch from the form 5 and the gold ring from Kelab Staff. And the list goes on and on......




Thank you students, staff and PIBG of Seksyen 5 for making me feel loved and missed.





I have flower bouquets and blooming orchids in a lovely basket.



For all the labour , tears, prayers and love that I have poured in Seksyen 5 in the five years I was there, God has rewarded me many fold far beyond what I have put in.












I see the smiles on the students' faces, the teamwork of the teachers and staff and their dedication to give of their very best to the students and my response is that It is very berbaloi amat berbaloi!! Yes, it's been very very worthwhile! This will encourage me to pour all my heart has into Convent Sentul. It is a strong affirmation that God is a very good rewarder of those who seeks His face and His will.

The Majlis Pesaraan (Farewell ceremony ) surprised me! The minute I opened my car door and saw the reception of teachers ad students, tears immediately form in my eyes. And yours truly being the ever sentimental person I am, I immediately armed myself with wads of tissue and resolved both in my heart and aloud to HM Pn Habshah- "Okay okay today we won't cry - we will be happy!" Sometimes in the busyness of being a new principal, I don't realize how much I miss Seksyen 5 until I stepped foot inside Seksyen 5 again and all those feelings well up from within me and tears begin to flow.

Seeing the familiar faces of the prefects and the students and teachers in the guard of honour was a joy! Thank you for the poems, the songs and the presentation. The majlis was very meaningful in so many ways. Many things in the program touched my heart especially the specially composed poem and the PKP student who read it with meaning and great articulation! And I am so happy to find the poem written in the book PKP gave me and Margie tells me she will send me the framed poem.


I had great fun when the prefects sang with me and the students waved as in unision as we sang. Thank you prefects - for the song, for the guard of honour, for the lovely gifts and the cards and the little notes. I want to stay friends forever with you guys.


And friends are friends forever
If the Lord 's the Lord of them.
And a friend will not say never
Cos' the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go,
In the Father's hand we know,
That a life time's not too long to...
live as friends
No, a life time's not too long to..
live as friends


And when I did the final inspection of the prefects and librarians and others
Lynn said " I am so proud of you" I think that was because finally although many times I was close to tears, but I didn't cry. It was a happy time for me.

And the jamuan was wonderful especially with Noraini's out of the world laksa!! Yummy!


Now I have finished opening all the gifts. And I enjoy so much all the little cards and notes and letters I find together with the gifts. Thank you for the many reminders of your love.









I am indeed honoured by PIBG's big turnout at the jamuan perpisahan. Thank you. The PIBG AJK meetings was a great learning experience! In these meetings, I got to interact with professionals who although were not educationists but had the heart for education. And the intellectual exchange both real and virtual was stimulating and help me grow beyond
the narrow world of just school.



And finally ... this cute gift from Pn. Mahmudah and Fairuz makes me smile and grin and realize something...





I thought this part of me would have escaped the teachers and the students' attention - this innate part of me that I try sometimes to keep a little undercover but i think from the gift - the secret's is out.





It's good to know that the teachers and the students know me well and know me for who I really am. They know in my heart of hearts, this teacher is like not so conventional but a little radical much like the Hard Rock Cafe Teddy bear with sunglasses on his head holding a musical instrument!


You guys must have caught me in those unguarded moments when I hum and sing on the way to class and during class and they know I got music and songs in my heart and the music flows into the class lesson.





So ...let the music and songs continue to flow and stir the joy of teaching and learning.



















































































































































































































.

What encourages me.

The past first week as Principal of Convent Sentul has been a sort of baptism of fire.

On the very first day the school had 4 official visitors. On the 3rd day two other official visitors came. On the whole, all the visitors wrote very good reports save for one set of visitors who had come for a very short visit but with a certain agenda.

I enjoyed most the very diligent visitor who reached Convent Sentul at 7.30 am that very first day of school and stayed till almost 6.00 pm. She personified true diligence. I accompanied her as she checked every room (We opened all the locked rooms and cupboards for her ). To my surprise, I noted she turned every sink tap and opened practically every cupboard. I am absolutely delighted to report that there was only one sink tap that malfunctioned out of the many taps she turned that day. She observed the morning teachers in the class and waited patiently to observe the afternoon teachers. She was very professional in her comments and conducted the pre- meeting before inspection with us so that we would understand the purpose for her visit and the post meeting after the inspection to let us know her fair findings. I was so happy with her diligence and professionalism that I gave her an autographed copy of my 2nd book.

There were certainly many things at work in the spiritual realm that week - both against us and for us. I was instructed and advised by certain officials to make a certain decision which I found unpleasant. I also fell severely ill and had to be nebulized and was on mc on Thursday in the very first week of school! I think I have not had an mc for several years in Seksyen 5

When I sought help from the other Christian principals, I recieved ready help and advice. I was much encouraged by the many phone calls from the Catholic Church and others who affirmed they were praying for me in view of the crucial decision I had to make that first week despite being severely ill.

Now I clearly realized I am not alone in this battle for the students and teachers' hearts, minds and souls. I am very much reassured that God has gone on ahead of me and He walks alongside me and He is my rear guard.

This 2nd week God helped me win certain battles on the Monday morning. This morning I am much encouraged by Sister Luke and Sister Ben's visit to the school. They are simply so gracious and I am simply encouraged by these two sisters who toiled on and worked despite their age.

But God always knows the final secret as to what warms my heart the most!

See how beautiful these two tone purple flowers creepers blooming above the two benches near the school's little field. On my first visit to the school, the two vines were not in full flower and actually looked quite pathethic and scrawny. So I had a word with the gardener Maran.

And lo and behold - it has been only a few weeks after that first visit but Maran has done wonders and the flowers are in beautiful bloom! Oh the joy that beautiful sight stirs in my heart! Can anybody out there tell me the name of this flowering shrub?

I am also so delighted by the fact the school is not so big and I can complete my morning rounds quite quickly. Behind these two flowering vines are the Form 3 classes and also the corridor which leads to the library and the science labs.

.

My heart sings grateful thanks to the God who always encourages me - by people, by circumstances and by the flowers which bloom so profusely under His care.