http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/forum/site-annoucement Saint Michaels Institution » Forum: Site Annoucement - Recent Topics en-US Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:18:31 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/search.php http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/classmates-1970#post-155 Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:08:58 +0000 Robert de Silva 155@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>&lt;[mg src=&quot;http://smi.robertdesilva.com/images/Classmatestaken1970.jpg&quot; /] </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/andrew-chens-classmates#post-154 Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:52:50 +0000 Robert de Silva 154@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <br /> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/happy-new-year-2012#post-151 Sun, 01 Jan 2012 03:02:30 +0000 Robert de Silva 151@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>Happy New Year to all Michaelians and your love ones.<br /> May all of us be blessed and have a wonderful and peaceful year.</p> <p>I have not been active here and hopefully I would start to .</p> <p>regards,<br /> Robert </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/march-19th-2011-just-checking-in#post-150 Sun, 20 Mar 2011 01:10:22 +0000 Robert de Silva 150@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>just checking in. hoping against hope to find another Michaelian here. </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/kenneth-yoongs-trip-home#post-142 Wed, 04 Aug 2010 22:57:32 +0000 Robert de Silva 142@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <br /> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/jeffery-thongs-reunion-with-old-buddies-may-28th-2010#post-141 Sun, 30 May 2010 23:35:29 +0000 Robert de Silva 141@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>Jeffery Thong Keon Hin went home to bid farewell to his dear beloved Mum who had passed on. May her soul rest in peace.</p> <p>Jeffery and Jenny took the opportunity to meet up with old friends. As usual Anthony Kim and Thomas Amernathan jumped in and organized the meeting and dinner. </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/trying-to-stay-alive#post-138 Sat, 17 Apr 2010 02:27:45 +0000 Robert de Silva 138@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>Hello everyone, here I am again. I am trying to revive the website and I really need some help, contributions of articles,pictures etc.</p> <p>Thank you.<br /> Robert </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/merry-christmas-2009#post-137 Thu, 24 Dec 2009 05:53:16 +0000 Robert de Silva 137@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>Wishing all of you and your loved ones a Very Blessed and Merry Christmas and A Very Happy and Prosperous New Year 2010 </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/annual-reunion-dinner-in-ipoh#post-133 Sat, 22 Aug 2009 23:54:28 +0000 Robert de Silva 133@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>This year, the annual dinner is being held on September 26th , 2009 .<br /> please be there. support your Alumni </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/august-18th-2009#post-132 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 03:22:08 +0000 Robert de Silva 132@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>So Months had gone by and we do not have any new postings. The 2009 SMI Alumni reunion will be next month in Ipoh. Hopefully I should get some pictures and post them. Wherever you are Michaelians, please register here and make yourself known. sadly we have spam and other persons whose intentions I am worried about, who register here. </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/march-30-2009#post-131 Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:27:55 +0000 Robert de Silva 131@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>Added more pictures . Contributed by Andrew Chen. so many familiar faces.<br /> Wow! Awesome. If any of you have more pictures ,please , please share with us..<br /> Shall post more soon. help me with the names. </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/march-5th-2009-gathering-of-friends-and-friends-of-friends#post-127 Sat, 28 Feb 2009 20:52:22 +0000 Robert de Silva 127@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p> Standing from Left to right Justin Gomez, Rohini Kumar , Michael Ong, Philip Low,Andrew Taveira ,Anthony Kim and right in front is Thomas Amir.</p> <p>Thanks to Thomas for roping in the gang and Anthony for the pictures.<br /> Hey Thomas, do not tell me you are one of the &quot;executives&quot; who received millions of dollars from AIG in bonuses. Remember I am paying taxes here.</p> <p>Philip, Michael and Cheah Teik Loke</p> <p>Thomas and Teoh Kar Hin</p> <p>Michael Lee Hock Chye&#39;s son and Andrew T</p> <p>Andrew T ,Rohini and Cynthia Sammy ( Mrs.Michael Lee / Andrew Sammy&#39;s sister and she is a good friend of the Class of 1967 5A3)</p> <p>We owe our gratitude to Thomas for organizing, Anthony for the pictures and Andrew for his repeat trips to see his old buddies. </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/welcome-back-february-21-2009#post-126 Sun, 22 Feb 2009 01:18:14 +0000 Robert de Silva 126@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>My dear Michaelians, thank you for visiting this site. I admit there is not too much activity here. I on my own really can not do much but I am trying.</p> <p>Here is where I appeal to all of you to please contribute some article , pictures, anything of interest and help make this site interesting enough to attract more Michaelians.<br /> Thank you. </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/stmichaels-institutions-history#post-125 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:06:06 +0000 Robert de Silva 125@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>History<br /> The Early Days<br /> St. Michael's Institution started off as a very small bungalow on a small plot of land in a coconut grove. In the year 1912, Reverend Father J.B. Coppin from St. Michael's Church initiated the idea. Despite Brother James' (a Brother Visitor) reluctance concerning the shortage of teachers; Coppin managed to buy a small plot of land in Kampong Pisang. A bungalow served as the school building situated on Clayton Road. P.J. Morsingh was appointed as the first Headmaster. For the convenience of students, a well was built beside the school. The foundation of the bungalow and the well remains to this day.</p> <p>Coppin was given the task of administering the school and obtained the necessary grants from the Perak government on the undertaking from Brother Visitor that the management of the school would be taken over by the Christian Brothers as soon as possible. The first school day began on 4 December 1912 with 37 students.</p> <p>By 1913, the school enrollment grew to 139. The few teachers there were experienced and with the help of the headmaster, the promotions were rapid. There were three major government examinations: Standard IV, VI, &#38; VII.</p> <p>Cambridge classes were introduced in 1917. The enrollment reached 300 that year.</p> <p>In 1920, Coppin found it difficult to manage the enrollment of 327 students, and requested La Sallian Brothers to help. After Morsingh resigned in 1920, James sent Irishman Brother Paul Gallanger to take charge of the school. Gallanger was also commissioned by James to draw up plans for a new building but unfortunately, before any plans could be finalized, Paul left for Ireland in January 1921. He was then replaced by Frenchman Brother Vernier Augustus.</p> <p>Augustus, who was trained in the field of architecture, arranged for the construction of a proper building, which was completed by the end of 1921. The new building, which he designed himself was strongly ecclesiastical in feeling, in the Gothic vernacular, and simple in its detailing. An interesting feature was its class doors faced either north or south, so that sun rays would never cause disturbance to class activities.</p> <p>The foundation stone was laid on 17 June 1922 by Major C.W.C. Parr OBE, who was the British Resident in Perak. Coppin blessed the finished building on 15 May 1923, the Feast Day of St. John Baptist De La Salle. Electric lighting was installed the following month. The school was completed in stages over a period of some 30 years, and was included as a must-visit site in the Tourist Guide Book to Perak.</p> <p>The cost for the whole building was $200,000. The Brothers did not avail themselves of a government grant because there were strings attached to acceptance of grants, such as reversion of land to the government in the event of the Brothers ever withdrawing from Ipoh. In addition, grants could only be spent on specified types of building, and chapels did not qualify. To accommodate more students, the Brothers decided to build further. Brother Patrick O'Donovan, was responsible for the extension of the school that included the chapel, hall, and science laboratories, which were completed in 1941. Patrick also introduced science lessons.</p> <p>By 1939, the school had 14 classrooms, and 500 boys from Standards 1 to 7, Junior and Senior Cambridge classes.</p> <p>World War II caused the obstruction to the running of the school, when Japan declared war in December 1941. On 8 December 1941, the British army wanted a hospital base and St. Michael's Institution became an army transit hospital camp. 15 days later, Japanese planes machine-gunned the building and damaged the roof. Looters stole furniture and books and even tried to wrench the tabernacle door from the altar. For three days, the Brothers stayed in St. Michael's church. Soon, St. Michael's Institution became the headquarters of the Japanese government of Perak and became known as "Perak Shu Seicho".</p> <p>The school served many purposes during the Japanese occupation. The first floor of the main building and the hall was used as the police department and the treasury respectively. A petrol kiosk was built near the porch of the building of the Primary school. The lecture theater was the air raid shelter for Japanese officers and the top floor was used as the governor's rooms. The first classroom on the ground floor served as a telephone exchange. All these miseries ended after the Japanese surrendered and the school reopened on 24 September 1945.<br /> Post War Expansion<br /> Extensions followed when the school started to operate again. Brother Denis Hyland continued with the last two extensions to the main building, one at each end. During Denis' reign, two new basketball courts and a tennis court were added. Due to the continuing increase in student enrollment, Brother Pius erected a separate building for the primary schools, which was ready in 1960. The first primary school became an independent unit in 1957, and two years later, a second primary school was started. In 1958, priority was given to developing a more spacious library. Three classrooms were combined, and the space was furnished with new book cases and individual working tables for the students. It was named the Marian Library.</p> <p>When Brother Ultan Paul took over, he erected an extension that actually doubled the size of the school, providing space for a new library, a canteen, more laboratories, a geography room, an art room, an administration centre and a staff room as well as extra classrooms. He started the project with a small fraction of the total cost of $700,000. 10% was subsidized by the government while class collections over a period of three years reached $100,000. Much of the remaining balance came from donations from many people.</p> <p>In 1955, Brother Ultan Paul embarked on what would become one of the most defining pieces of Michaelian History. The Poet of Ispaha was the first of many school dramas to be produced by the students.<br /> The Modern Era<br /> Brother Vincent Corkery retired as director of the school in 1988 marking the end of an era. Mr. Chong Suan Ee became the first Malaysian principal of the school also the first who was not a Brother. He was succeeded by Mr. K Subramaniam, Mr Teh Chor Aun and finally, Mr Louis Rozario Doss.</p> <p>Under Louis Rozario Doss, the school underwent many structural improvements funded primarily by money raised through the school plays. Among these structural improvements was the building of a new school toilet, the conversion of the Brothers quarters into classrooms, the renovation of the lecture theatre and the resurfacing of the basketball courts. He retired in 2006, passing the baton to current principal, Mr. Phoon Chong Chee.</p> <p>In the new millennium, enrollment increased to more than 2000 students making St. Michaels among the 100 largest schools in the country. Such numbers has caused the average number of pupils in each classroom to far exceed the government ideal of 25. A typical class in St. Michaels has about 40 students. Sixth form classes are even more dense with numbers running into the fifties.</p> <p>In November 2005, construction on the new primary school building began on a remaining piece of land south of the existing secondary school building. This was in view of the state of the original building which was falling apart. This building which was completed at the end of 2006 provides more modern facilities for the primary students of the school. Beginning 2007, both Primary schools, St. Michaels 1 and 2, merged to form a single primary school utilizing the new school building.</p> <p>Following the government's decision in the National Education Blueprint to create 300 cluster schools of excellence, St Michael's Institution was named one of 23 schools in the State of Perak nominated to participate in this program. </p> <p>This article is taken from Wikipedia </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/the-la-sallian-heritage#post-124 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 04:59:50 +0000 Robert de Silva 124@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>The La Sallian Heritage</p> <p>John Baptist de La Salle</p> <p> Main article: Jean-Baptiste de la Salle</p> <p>John Baptist de La Salle was born into a world very different from our own. He was the first son of wealthy parents living in France over 300 years ago. Born at Reims, John Baptist de La Salle received the tonsure at age eleven and was named Canon of the Reims Cathedral at sixteen.</p> <p>Though he had to assume the administration of family affairs after his parents died, he completed his theological studies and was ordained a priest on April 9, 1678. Two years later he received a doctorate in theology. Meanwhile he became tentatively involved with a group of rough and barely literate young men in order to establish schools for poor boys.</p> <p>At that time a few people lived in luxury, but most of the people were extremely poor: peasants in the country, and slum dwellers in the towns. Only, a few could send their children to school; most children had little hope for the future. Moved by the plight of the poor who seemed so "far from salvation" either in this world or the next, he determined to put his own talents and advanced education at the service of the children "often left to themselves and badly brought up." To be more effective, he abandoned his family home, moved in with the teachers, renounced his position as Canon and his wealth, and so formed the community that became known as the Brothers. Worn out by austerities and exhausting labours, he died at Saint Yon near Rouen early in 1719 on Good Friday, only weeks before his sixty-eighth birthday.</p> <p>John Baptist de La Salle was a pioneer in founding training colleges for teachers, reform schools for delinquents, technical schools, and secondary schools for modern languages, arts, and sciences. His work quickly spread through France and, after his death, continued to spread across the globe. John Baptist de La Salle inspired others how to teach and care for young people, how to meet failure and frailty with compassion, how to affirm, strengthen and heal. At the present time there are De La Salle schools in 80 different countries around the globe. </p> <p>Article taken from Wikipedia </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/registration#post-123 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 04:58:23 +0000 Andrew de Silva 123@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>Due to recent spam in registration for the forums , I've added a CAPTCHA to prevent automated registration. If you have any problems using the CAPTCHA please hit the refresh button to get a new word or send me an email and I'll be able to register for you. </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/where-are-you#post-118 Fri, 19 Dec 2008 07:58:27 +0000 toongken 118@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>Hi Robert,<br /> Where are you living in the States?<br /> I am in Calgary and travel to the States every month. I was Year 1965 Master Kee Fah was my teacher.</p> <p>Ken Toong </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/2008-oma-reunion-in-ipoh-september-27-2008#post-114 Sun, 02 Nov 2008 02:16:12 +0000 Robert de Silva 114@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p><img src="http://smi.robertdesilva.com/images/OMAreunion2008aa.jpg" /><br /> <img src="http://smi.robertdesilva.com/images/OMAreunion2008a.jpg" /><br /> <img src="http://smi.robertdesilva.com/images/.jpg" /><br /> <img src="http://smi.robertdesilva.com/images/.jpg" /><br /> <img src="http://smi.robertdesilva.com/images/OMAreunion2008d.jpg" /><br /> <img src="http://smi.robertdesilva.com/images/OMAreunion2008e.jpg" /><br /> <img src="http://smi.robertdesilva.com/images/OMAreunion2008f.jpg" /><br /> <img src="http://smi.robertdesilva.com/images/OMAreunion2008g.jpg" /><br /> <img src="http://smi.robertdesilva.com/images/OMAreunion2008h.jpg" /><br /> <img src="http://smi.robertdesilva.com/images/OMAreunion2008i.jpg" /><br /> <img src="http://smi.robertdesilva.com/images/OMAreunion2008j.jpg" /> </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/up-and-running#post- Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:18:31 +0000 Anonymous @http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/february-10-2008-announcement#post-90 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 06:12:05 +0000 Robert de Silva 90@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>Thomas Amir is planning to organise a Dinner Gathering for all the guys in the mailing list. anyone interested please contact Thomas at his email address and you may send your messages tru here.<br /> This gathering is to celebrate Life, Friendship and The Chinese New Year.</p> <p>Sarath Jayatilaka's Mum, who is also my late Dad's eldest sister had passed on in early February 2008. Teddy,Thomas, Anthony Kim and Philip Low were there to represent us at the funeral.</p> <p>All those of us who know or even dont know this family ,please remember her in your prayers. She is Florence Adeline Jayatilaka nee de Silva.</p> <p>Thank you God Bless you guys.<br /> Remember we all here for each other. </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/links-to-st-michaels-institution-ipoh-perak#post-71 Mon, 12 Nov 2007 02:57:56 +0000 Robert de Silva 71@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p><strong> here are some links to our Alma Mater, St. Michael's Institution, Ipoh </strong><strong></p> <p>peterkhiew.blogspot.com</strong><strong></strong> </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/online-survey#post-68 Sun, 11 Nov 2007 18:33:30 +0000 Michael Ong 68@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>I have come across this banner ad that offer money for doing simple work<br /> like answering questions. They called it Online Survey.</p> <p>Do you believe them when they say, they pay you $150.00 per hour for taking<br /> simple online surveys. $5 - $75 for each online survey, up to $120 for phone<br /> surverys, and $4 - $25 per hour to review movies.</p> <p>There is no harm in checking this banner, if it is true you benefit, if it is not<br /> true, you only wasted 20 minutes of your time. </p> <p> EDITED : REMOVED LINK ( REASON : SPAM )</p> <p>OK, if you don't need this money for answering questions, perhaps, your friends<br /> need extra money to settle some of their debts, or pay up their car or housing loans,<br /> or they need a holiday. They do not mind answering questions to earn money.</p> <p>Please forward this link to all your friends who need money, or a second job<br /> working at home that pay more than his/her day job.</p> <p>EDITED BY : ANTI-SPAM-BOT </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/how-we-started#post-7 Wed, 17 Oct 2007 00:17:32 +0000 Robert de Silva 7@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>We met up for dinner in PJ somewhere in the late 1990s. There were about 6 of us and then 3 months later we had another and the group grew bigger. We had not seen each other like for more than 30 years. we met quite regularly after that .<br /> It was Thomas, Anthony,Francis, Justin, Gilbert, Michael Lee and Rohini at our first meet. I may have forgotten someone.<br /> Then, Philip, Teoh , John Raj who came back from UK, Michael Ong was with us.<br /> I had to leave for the US to company my son and daughter who were coming to school here.</p> <p>Today ,thanks to the good work of Anthony , Thomas and Justin we grew.<br /> Andrew Taveira was also busy in Australia, locating the contact numbers of those in Aussie Land.<br /> Take care and be Good. </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/memorial#post-42 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 19:05:09 +0000 Robert de Silva 42@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>I would like to take this opportunity to post the names of those Brothers of ours who had passed on to be with with our Lord.<br /> Lest we forget.<br /> The names are not appearing in the order of the day they had passed on. If anyone has any dates of names of someone we had left out please do contact me.</p> <p>1) Ronald Colin Jackson ( passed on somehwere in the 1980s?)<br /> <em> Jackson as we lovingly addressed him was married to Sarath Jayatilaka's sister,<br /> which made him my cousin brother in law.</em></p> <p>2) Khoo Chin Seong ( somewhere in the1990s)<br /> <em>He was in 5A1, a school prefect in 1966 and 1967.</em></p> <p>3)Foo Khoon Tzoon ( somewhere in the 1990s)<br /> <em> I believe his Christian name is Richard. </em></p> <p>4. Chan Choe Keong ( somewhere in 2000s?)<br /> <em> Choe Keong was a King Scout while in school. </em></p> <p>5)Hew Thiam Shin (date unknown)<br /> <em> he was lovingly known as Bull Dog </em></p> <p>6) Gabriel Ponniah (date unkown)</p> <p>7 )Joachim Manikam ( somewhere in the 1990s)<br /> <em> I believe he was a school athlete .</em></p> <p>8) Wijesinghe Oswald Francis ( in 2007 ,in the USA)<br /> <em>We lovingly address him as Oswald .</em></p> <p>9) Yeoh Lam Cheng</p> <p>May the Good Lord bless their souls.<br /> and may we always remember them as the good friends we had.<br /> Remember them in our prayers. </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/comments-disabled-on-main-page#post-25 Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:50:27 +0000 Andrew de Silva 25@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>Folks,</p> <p>I have disabled the comment features on the blog. It's much more easier for me to just maintain the forums instead of maintaining both. I want to ultimately have everything running smoothly enough that I can just relieve myself of any maintenance work on this site. </p> <p>I'm also the webmaster for 3 other sites .I'm starting on another website by the end of the year. I don't really think I'll be able to find much time to juggle between all the site I maintain and work. I work as programmer for Penn Schoen and Berland and web development is my part time gig. </p> <p>If there's anything I can help feel free to post on the forums and I'll try to write a tutorial on how to do it so everyone can benefit from it.</p> <p>Thanks ,</p> <p>Andrew </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/database-crash#post-2 Mon, 15 Oct 2007 08:00:34 +0000 Andrew de Silva 2@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>Many of you would be surprised when you log into the site and forum today and realize the huge change in the main site and also the forum. Sadly while trying to fix a bug on the forum , I’ve crashed the database for the forum. I was unable to retrieve the database and I’ve to re-write most of the things on the site from scratch. For those of you that I’ve registered for the forums, I’m afraid that you have to re-register and also repost everything from scratch. I’ll make more updates over the week but everything will be backed up before any major changes. The new forum is much more friendlier and less complicated than the one we previously used.</p> <p>It’s 4am now and I think I’m going to hit the sack and make more changes at some point tommorrow</p> <p>Thanks,</p> <p>Andrew de Silva</p> <p>Webmaster </p> http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/topic/up-and-running#post-4 Mon, 15 Oct 2007 19:51:31 +0000 Andrew de Silva 4@http://smi.robertdesilva.com/forum/ <p>Finally, I've got the site back up and running. Noticed that some of you have registered. Got the website design all in and now for some cosmetic work and everything will be good to go....</p> <p>Keep your fingers cross.</p> <p>Andrew de Silva </p>