The St. Davidian 2020 Messages

Messages

Chairman Board of Governors 2020 Greetings. It is indeed an honour for me to pen down a message for this year’s magazine. I would like to begin by congratulating the magazine committee for producing another copy of ‘The St. Davidian’, an invaluable memento for years to come. 2020, is definitely not a usual year for St. David’s High School. For one, the school came to an abrupt close on March 18th due to the Covid 19 pandemic and remained closed for almost half of the school term. When it resumed in stages in late July, things were no longer the same. There is the 'new normal' of social distancing, adherence to various guidelines on interactions, co-curricular activities have not been revived, there is a reshuffling of the academic schedules and of course, the cancellation of the school carnival. It is indeed a challenging and unfortunate period for all parties; students, teachers, parents. However, this disruption to the education system has forced our educators to ‘re-imagine education’ and ‘re-invent their roles’ and they have made a rapid transition to remote lessons on the online platforms. Regretfully, students are still missing out on important experiences and they no longer enjoy positive interactions with their teachers, coaches, friends and peers. The good news is, our school has continued to do extremely well academically. We came top again in the Form 5 performance, with 33 students scoring straight As. During the period of ‘lockdown’, the BOG did a number of repair works. These were the upgrading of the run-down sewage treatment plant, repair of the leaking roofs, checking on the integrity and subsequently the repair, replacement and upgrading of the school’s fire fighting systems. The school board also completed the construction of the emergency staircase that linked the third floor to the second floor of the Science Block. The school board also sponsored the beautification of the compound in front of the Bengkel Rekabentuk dan Teknologi building. The beautification work was carried out under the supervision of Cikgu Amir and Cikgu Sarah. On behalf of the Anglican Synod Diocese of West Malaysia and the Board of Governors, I would like to express our gratitude to Mr. Lim Yeok Lee and the teachers for being excellent stewards of the school. I would also like to thank the current board members and the PIBG members for their generosity in time, talents and resources, with which they have consistently gone above and beyond in making St. David's what it is today. My best wishes to the students who will be leaving the school after 5 memorable years of treading the halls. I hope that you would be proud to be associated with the school and will continue to uphold its good name, be part of the alumni and continue to journey and partner with us to bring out the best of the school in the future. Thank you and God Bless. Alice Doria Muti

Chairman PIBG 2020 It is my joy and privilege to write this foreword to the 2020 edition of the St David’s High School magazine. I am glad the editorial board remains committed to producing a school magazine for this most challenging of years. My heartiest congratulations to the Principal, the entire student team and teacher advisors! Starting with the positives, I am very pleased that St David’s has continued its upward trend in academic indices for PT3 and SPM. In fact, St David’s topped the state of Melaka in 2019 for SPM results. Kudos to the students and teachers who have made this happen. We are proud of your achievement. The St David’s Square Project which began in December 2018 was finally completed in April 2019 and final repairs wrapped up by April 2020. Thank you to Victory Gold Construction for working with us on this important space for school activities. Further upgrades have been planned for 2020 and should be completed by the third quarter. The Parent-Teacher Association organised two major fundraising events in 2019. The first was the Parenthon in April and May, where RM111,920 nett was raised and the second was the 60th Anniversary Gala Dinner on 30th November 2019, where RM175,307 nett was raised. A big thank you to each member of the respective organising committees for your wonderful effort. All praise and glory be given to God for blessing and sustaining St David’s High School as a beacon of education in our community since 1957. January 2020 began like any other year with many plans and goals before us. It promised to an exciting year of opportunities for growth and productivity. However, COVID19 contagion changed everything for us, especially when the movement control order was enacted. Some believe that life, as we know it, will never be the same again. I am most grateful to the Principal Mr. Lim Yeok Lee for his leadership during this difficult period as well as the efforts of the senior assistants and other teachers of the school who continue to educate the students utilising digital platforms initially and observing strict SOPs at the present time. One of the unfortunate victims of COVID19 in the sphere of education is co-curricular activities, which plays such an important role in the building of character, engendering of teamwork and developing of generic skills. Sports activities likewise have been very much curtailed. I trust that this will be remedied by the next academic year as restrictions are gradually lifted. Let us pray for the healing of our country and the world. Let us entrust the future of St David’s High School into God’s hands. May God’s grace and peace rest upon each one of us as we look to him. I am grateful for the partnership and support of the Board of Governors led by Madam Alice Doria Muti, the school team led by Mr. Lim Yeok Lee, as well as the committee members of the Parent-Teacher Association. To God be the glory great things He has done Dr Daniel Wong Wai Yan

Principal 2020 Salam Sejahtera      Tahniah diucapkan dan setinggi-tinggi penghargaan kepada ahli SidangRedaksi Buku Tahunan kerana telah berjaya sekali lagi menghasilkan Buku TahunanThe St. Davidian 2020 yang berprestij dan berkualiti tinggi. Buku Tahunan ini ialah hasil daripada usaha gigih Sidang Redaksi serta semangat kerjasama dan komitmen yang cukup padu daripada semua warga SMK Tinggi St. David. Segala peristiwa sepanjang tahun telah berjaya dirakamkan dan bakal menjadi kenangan serta rujukan utama anak-anak didik St. Davidian.       SMK Tinggi St. David sebagai institusi pendidikan yang unggul akan terus mendukung matlamat utama pendidikan negara iaitu memastikan pendidikan yang disampaikan kepada anak-anak adalah berkualiti dan kekal releven mengikut peredaran zaman. Hal ini demikian bagi menjamin anak-anak St. Davidian yang terdidik dapat menyumbang kepada kesejahteraan negara. Oleh yang demikian, para guru juga dituntut agar sentiasa memajukan diri dengan pengetahuan dan kemahiran terkini bagi menghadapi cabaran globalisasi abad ke-21.       Pelbagai kejayaan yang membanggakan telah ditunjukkan oleh St Davidian sepanjang tahun lepas. Dalam peperiksaan SPM 2019 yang diumumkan baru-baru ini, sekolah kita bukan sahaja telah berjaya menunjukkan peningkatan dari segi peratus lulus dan lonjakan kualiti GPS malah telah muncul sebagai sekolah yang melahirkan bilangan calon yang paling ramai mencapai tahap cemerlang dalam kesemua mata pelajaran yang diambil di peringkat negeri Melaka.      SMK Tinggi St. David juga telah membawa banyak berita yang menggembirakan dari segi penglibatan anak-anak murid dalam bidang kokurikulum. Dalam Kejohanan Sukan Negeri, St Davidian telah berjaya merangkul pingat emas dalam kejohanan badminton, skuasy, renang dan catur.       Kejayaan yang dikecapi oleh SMK Tinggi St David dari segi akademik dan kokurikulum adalah hasil daripada kerjasama dan sokongan yang utuh daripada pihak LPS, PIBG, warga pendidik dan masyarakat setempat. Saya mengambil kesempatan ini untuk merakamkan setinggi-tinggi penghargaan dan terima kasih kepada semua pihak sama ada secara langsung atau tidak langsung dalam membawa sekolah ke tahap yang begitu membanggakan. Semoga SMK Tinggi St David akan terus memacu ke arah kegemilangan.      Sekian, terima kasih.   Encik Lim Yeok Lee

I would like to extend my utmost appreciation and congratulations to the St. Davidian magazine editorial board for once again successfully publishing The St. Davidian 2020 which is of prestige and high quality. This yearly book is the culmination of the hard work of the editorial board as well as the strong spirit of cooperation and commitment from all the students of SMK Tinggi St. David. The chronicles of events of the whole year have been successfully recorded and shall become fond memories and vital references for St. Davidians. SMK Tinggi St. David as a premier educational institution will continue to uphold the main objective of the country’s education system which is to ensure the education that is passed on to all students is of top quality and will remain relevant in the face of changing times. This is to guarantee that the highly educated St. Davidian students will be able to contribute to the prosperity of the country. Therefore, all the teachers are also mandated to continuously improve themselves with the latest knowledge and skills to face and overcome the challenges of globalisation in the 21st century. There are various outstanding accomplishments from the past years that have been chronicled in the St. Davidian. In the most recent SPM 2019 examinations, our school has not only managed to show an increase in the passing percentage and GPS quality, but also has emerged as the foremost institution throughout the state of Melaka that produced the most students who have achieved top grades in all subjects. Additionally, SMK Tinggi St. David has also attained a multitude of remarkable achievements from the students’ involvements in various extracurricular fields. In the state-level Sports Tournaments, St. Davidians have managed to secure gold medals in badminton, squash, swimming and chess competitions. These accomplishments in both the academic and co-academic performances are due to the endless cooperation and support from the Board of Governors, Parent-Teacher Association, teachers and local residents. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my utmost appreciation and gratitude to all parties who have contributed in uplifting this school to a reputable and glorious state, whether directly or indirectly. I hope that SMK Tinggi St. David will continue to move forward towards prestige and excellence in the future. Thank you.   Mr. Lim Yeok Lee

Head Boy 2019/2020 Nothing lasts forever. My life as a high school student is coming to an end. What seems like a blink of an eye of 5 years and a few months longer due to COVID-19 pandemic, will usher me to a new chapter of my life and the same goes to the rest of batch 03's. Firstly I wish to grab this opportunity to thank the principal, Mr. Lim Yeok Lee, the senior assistant, Dr. Ravindran, all the teachers, and all my friends for giving me the support and guidance in my studies as a student and my duties as a prefect. I also wish to extend a special thanks to the Disciplinary Board, the Prefectorial Board and the teacher advisors for their guidance and sacrifices in making this school wonderful. Somehow, it is almost unimaginable to picture things beyond the gates of the school. It is surreal to finally step into the midst of adulthood when you’ve spent all your teenage years in this high school; the most significant part of our lives. I think all of us have tried our best and everyone deserves a clap for themselves. Throughout my high school years I have faced many challenges, physically, emotionally and mentally, but they have created who I am today. I have learnt to accept, love and face the reality no matter how hard it is. I wouldn’t change a thing if I had to go through all once again for these memories are too precious to let go. I am proud to say I am a St Davidian. St. David’s High School has been the lead in SPM results for two years in a row in Melaka. It is not surprising that we do not require extravagant titles to excel in whatever we do, as long as we put in effort and try our very best. This school is not an ordinary school for the fibres of this school are made up of quality teachers and exceptional students. Before I pen off, I wish to remind you to always remember that you were born to achieve great things in life. Thoroughly revise all that you have studied so far and take your exams with full confidence. May you succeed in your exams and whatever you do there after. Thank you.   Muhammad Aniq Azfar Bin Ahmad

Head Girl 2019/2020 Looking back on all the memories I have in this school, I would like to say 'Good choice!' to the then 12-year-old me for choosing St. David's High School to pursue my secondary education. These 5 years have indeed been a wonderful journey which I'll surely miss.   In high school, you can be any kind of a student, either be an academic star, a sports student, a social butterfly, a ‘koku’-is-life student or the one who makes your classmates and  teachers sigh and laugh all the time. Well, though getting excellent grades does matter, however, most importantly, we as students must understand what we are really learning in school. The purpose of learning is not merely only for us to apply the knowledge learnt in our everyday life, but also to teach us fundamental values and ethics. Communication, kindness, rationality, independence,  team-building, ability to handle pressure, attitude - these are some of the keys to success I have understood from my five years in St. David's High School. To my juniors, if you're seeking a piece of advice from me, for certain, it will be ''to spare no effort in accomplishing your tasks''. The amount of effort you put in will be the amount of results you will end up with, sooner or later.  If I am able to draw a graph of return against effort, it will show that the two are directly proportional.   To be appointed as the Head Girl of St. David's High School is definitely a blessing as well as a great honour. For me it brought both a sense of pride and responsibility, and the opportunity to serve the school fills my heart with utter happiness. I am glad that my team and I have made our way through challenges with the assistance of prefects and teachers. On behalf of all the students, I would like to give words of appreciation to our principal, the senior assistant and teachers who are patient, responsible and meticulous in passing on knowledge and motivating us to unleash the potential in us. I would also love to express my gratitude to the Magazine Crew for their hard work in collecting stamps of pride and memories of the school.          Here in St. David's High School, I have met strangers who are now friends, teachers, juniors, and acquaintances. Have you ever wondered how amazing it is to engage with your current social circles? I do. My life would've been totally different if it's not for them. Thank you to everyone who has played a part in my high school life, I wish all of you all the best in your next endeavours in life. Again, I would like to thank all the prefects for your selflessness and utmost dedication in carrying out duty for the school, keep up the good work! While to every St. Davidian, grab all the opportunities that come your way and make the school flag flutter high.            Do or die we try, never give up with a sigh, for we all are St. Davidians!   Tee Yi Chen

Head Librarian 2019/2020 The most beautiful moments always seem to accelerate and slip beyond one’s grasp just when you want to hold onto them for as long as possible. In just the twinkling of an eye, five years I have spent in St. David’s High School have passed.   How do I feel near towards the end of my secondary school life in my alma mater? There is a mixture of happiness and sadness. All the moments in these last five years that have brought us to this spot right here, today, without question, have transformed us, getting us ready to face more challenges ahead in the near future with lots of confidence.   I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the teachers for supporting us all the way to our own success. It has been an honor to cross paths with each and every student and teacher here. As I embark on this new chapter of my life, I will always remember the happy faces I have become so accustomed to seeing each day. To the younger grades: the journey of school may still seem so long, but I promise you that before you know it you will have blossomed unknowingly in every aspect, wondering where the years have gone, and how they galloped by so fast.   I am grateful for being elected as the Head Librarian. It has become one of the best moments in my life. I wish to thank all the teachers in charge and my fellow board members for assisting me throughout the year. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank all the librarians for their selfless service and their cooperation. Thank you for upholding the names of the librarians. To my successor, I wish you the very best of luck and a lot of success.   Overall, my school life is really wonderful. There is certainly a close rapport between teachers and students. To all the form five students, an important chapter of our lives is coming to an end. However, there is a whole new chapter of life awaiting us. We will be on our own. The final thing to say is good luck to everyone. I am truly so proud to say that I am a member of this truly special year group. For now, I am going to treasure every minute of my school life.   Be bold, be courageous, be your best.   Tan Yon Ern

Board of Governers Chairman Secretary Parents Rep. Madam Alice Doria Mr. Lim Yeok Lee Pn Puteh Muti Shaharizan Shaari Old Pupils Rep. Old Pupils Rep. Treasurer/ Christ Datuk Mohd Salleh Mr. Tan Kea Hoe Chuch Rep Mr. S. Gunarajah Christ Church Rep. Christ Church Rep. Diocesan Rep. Major (Rtd) Dr. Vijaendreh Mr. Peter Yeo Rajasaikaran

Persatuan Ibu Bapa dan Guru Penasihat: En. Lim Yeok Lee Pengerusi: Dr. Daniel Wong Wai Yan Timbalan Pengerusi: En. Michael Lim Setiausaha: Pn. Nur Sarah Bt Norashid Penolong Setiausaha: Cik Nur 'Amilin' Alia bt Hussein Bendahari: Pn. Chee Lee Min Penolong Bendahari: Pn. Tyee Mea Yong AJK Ibu Bapa: Dr. Joseph Jesudasan En. Omar bin Mohd Yusof AJK Guru: Pn. Wan Azamima Hj. Senin Dr. Ramesh Juruaudit: En. Ahmad Zafi bin Ismail En. Tan Kim San Pn. Hoe Kim Yub Pn. Teo Siew Kok En. Hasnol Hisham bin Suboh Pn. Zuraida binti Mat (Guru) Dr. Genesan: (Ibu Bapa)