MALACCA: The Past Pupils Association (PPA) of SMK Infant Jesus Convent here is organising a Back to School Reunion within the school's compound on Aug 29.
The PPA’s last reunion in 2010 was celebrated with 550 ex-students at a hotel in conjunction with the school’s 150th anniversary.
PPA president Kemmy Chua said her team decided to organise this year’s reunion at the school as it would give the old girls an opportunity to reminisce over their schooling days back in the day.
“Although our lives have taken different directions after high school, our roots remain as one: it all began with our experience here in the convent school,” she said.
Chua said that while social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have made it possible for the old girls to re-connect over the years more easily, nothing beats a gathering of old schoolmates at the school where the seed of friendship was first planted.
“So we hope that more ex-students, young and old, will take this opportunity to attend this one of a kind reunion," she said.
Chua said that one of the interesting activities to look forward to was the Back to School Reunion self-guided Heritage Trail headed by PPA stalwarts Audrey Lim, Yeow Qwee Lin and Shirley Sim.
She said the self-guided tour which starts at 5.30 pm would begin at the school’s Heritage Room.
Chua said the Heritage Room, which was generously funded by the Board of Governors, displayed many historic photos of the nuns and of the convent in historic city.
“With valuable feedback provided by Sister Mary Agnes and Shirley Sim, we learnt on the history of our convent and the journey of the Infant Jesus Sisters (IJ)," she said.
Chua explained that the founder of the Dames of St Maur (as the IJ Sisters were then called), Father Nicholas Barr, showing his compassion for the poor and neglected, and opened the first school of the Sisters of Charitable Instruction of the Holy Infant Jesus in Sotteville-Rouen for poor French girls in 1662.
From there, other schools were established in Paris and elsewhere in France, she said.
In 1851, Chua said the Vicar Apostolic of Malaya, Bishop Boucho requested, through Rev. Father Beurel of the Missions Etrangres to send the Charitable Mistresses to Malaya, as there was an appeal to set up a school for girls in Penang.
The first missionaries set sail in 1851.
Mother St. Mathilde Raclot, who set sail for Penang in 1852 became the first Mother Superior in Penang and founded the Sisters' mission in Malaya.
The Malacca missionary was set-up in 1859, though an old plaque, now sadly lost, proclaimed its foundation date as 1860, Chua said.
Chua said the display in the school’s Heritage Room also related how the Irish Sisters came to our shores.
The convent also took in young boys who were then known as Convent Jacks.
A folder on the first co-curricular activities, the setting up of the Prefects Board and building of the first convent chapel in Malaya can also be found here, she said.
Chua said the Heritage Trail would proceed to a special room dedicated to Sister Alexis and would end at the Primary School.
The event itself will give the old girls a chance to see how much the school has changed.
“For instance, they will be amazed with the new four-storey block which was funded by ex-students, parents and teachers," she said.
Other activities that are slotted for the event are table games, singing and dancing especially line dancing accompanied by a local live band known as Livebait.
Chua said PPA hoped more ex-students would step forward to support the reunion.
"The reunion is not a fund-raising project and the tickets priced at RM60 each covers the cost of the event including an eight-course dinner and a souvenir for attendees to keep as mementos,’’ she said.
Chua said the ex-students living in Australia would be attending the event as well.
For details, call 012-611 6812 (Sally), Sook Fern 016-649 8897 (Sook Fern).
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