Forging ahead to shape young minds

SMK St Michael Ipoh, also known as St Michael’s Institution, was established in 1912. — Filepic

SMK St Michael Ipoh, Perak, is celebrating its 110th anniversary this year with a multipurpose hall in the pipeline.

School board of governors committee member Joseph Michael Lee said the blueprint for the project had been submitted to the Ipoh City Council.

“We are waiting for approval from the city council and will form a fundraising sub-committee only after approval has been given,” he said when contacted.

“Apart from the three-and-a-half-storey hall, there will also be rooms for co-curricular activities, an underground carpark, a refuse room and a security guardhouse.”

The school, better known as St Michael’s Institution, was established in a Malay-style bungalow in Jalan SP Seenivasagam by Rev Father J.B. Coppin in 1912.

It is part of the network of Lasallian schools throughout Asia which includes St John’s Institution in Kuala Lumpur, St Xavier’s Institution Penang, St Francis’ Institution in Melaka, St George’s Institution in Taiping and St Joseph’s Institution in Singapore.

A launch for the celebration was held recently.

Sit (third from left) presenting a souvenir to Oi Hian during the launch of the school’s 110th anniversary celebration.

Present were board of governors chairman Tan Sri Lee Oi Hian, Parent-Teacher Association chairman Simon Yeong, Old Michaelian Association (OMA) president Adrian Tsen and representatives from La Salle.

In his speech, Oi Hian said the school had gone through a lot of challenges since its establishment.

“Throughout our history, the school has faithfully inculcated values like justice, compassion, zeal and harmony in the students.”

Principal Sit Wai Yin said the school would strive to become a great modern institution that offered high quality education.

He said the school goes by the tagline “Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve” and strives to reach out to “The Last, the Lost and the Least”, which is central to the school’s student development philosophy.

He announced that OMA would hold a large-scale anniversary dinner at the school on Sept 24, featuring 160 tables.

Meanwhile, Yeong said the celebration was an occasion for remembering founding father John Baptiste De La Salle and the dedicated teachers past and present who committed to nurturing young minds.

“Without their contributions, we would not be here celebrating this special day,” he added.