New Literature Component 2010

The titles of the new literature component for Form 1 and Form 4 2010

Form 1
Poetry
a) The River
b) Mr. Nobody

Short Story
Flipping Fantastic

Graphic Novels
a) Black Beauty
b) The Boscombe Valley Mystery
c) Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Form 4
Poetry
a) In the Midst of Hardship
b) He Had Such Quiet Eyes

Short Stories
a) QWERTYUIOP
b) The Fruitcake Special

Drama
Gulp and Gasp

The modules will be updated soon.

Good Luck 2009 SPM Candidates

Another Goodbye

The English Department bids farewell to Puan NursinarSuria Mohd Nadzar today. She'll be following her husband to Melbourne, Australia for 3 years.She joined MOZAC in June200. We would like to wish her all the best and thank you for all her contribution to the English Department and MOZAC. Bon Voyage Suri!!!

Lonjakan Saujana PPD Melaka Tengah

These are the papers done by a group of Excellent Teachers of PPD Melaka Tengah for schools in this district. Hopefully, these papers will be used by schools to help prepare their students for PMR and SPM.

PMR
Paper 1
Paper 2
Marking Scheme

SPM
Paper 1
Paper 2
Marking Scheme

Trial Papers 2009

SPM
Melaka
Johor
Sabah
Kedah
Perlis
Pahang

PMR
Melaka
Sarawak
Pahang
Perak
Sabah
Kedah

Selamat Hari Raya

The Star - Pizza Hut Mag Inc 2009 Merit Award Winner

Congratulations to team The Freedom Writers of MOZAC for winning the merit award for this competition.The team is one of the 5 teams who won the merit award from each state. The team will receive Pizza Hut Vouchers worth RM 200. The members of the team are:
1. Mohamad Adib b. Mohd Adam
2. Ahmad Naim b. Hanapai
3. Muhammad Syafiq Hafizzudeen b. Rosman
4. Muhammad Shahmee b. Mohd Yani
This is the second time MOZAC has won the Merit Award in the competiton. We have yet to win any of the grand prizes. Congratulations again and good luck for next year.

Mock Interview 2009

On August 20th 2009, the English Department and the Counselling Department organised a Mock Interview for the form 5 students. This annual programme is done to prepare the students forany interviews in the future. Students were given a briefing on the interview procedures, attire etc a day before. On that day students were divided into groups and they were interview by a panel of teachers. Marks were given for each student and at the end, the panel gave their opinion and suggestions for improvement. Hopefully, the students benefit from this programme. Good luck and all the best.

English Papers - SBP Trial Exam 2009

SPM
English Paper 1
English Paper 2
Marking scheme Paper 1
Marking Scheme Paper 2

All the Best

The English teachers of MOZAC would like to wish all the form 3 & 5 students
ALL THE BEST for their SBP Trial Exams. YOU CAN DO IT. Good Luck to form 1, Form 2 & Form 4 students too. Keep reaching for the stars

NST - NIE Creative Writing Workshop 2009

On 1st Aug 2009, MOZAC sent 9 students to this workshop held at SMK Ayer Keroh. The one day course is to expose students to creative writing & journalism. It is hoped that students who participate in this workshop gained a lot of experiences through the activities done.
The participants from MOZAC are:
1. Adlina Rahim - Form 2
2. Mohd Nabil - Form 2
3. Erick Naim - Form 3
4. Alia Syahirah Roszelan - Form 4
5. Atikah Alias - Form 4
6. Anis Atikah - Form 4
7. Muhammad Mustapha - Form 4
8. Muhammad Azfar - Form 4

Teachers:
1. Pn. Wan Hailah Wan Yahya
2. Pn. Norizah Baba

PIES 27 - 31 July 2009:Potential Seen For Kota Tinggi To Lure More Visitors

Kota Tinggi, an area gifted with natural resources and scenic settings, is set to become a major tourist attraction in Johor.
Located just over 40km from Johor Baru, the district exudes a fresh, calm and relaxing ambience. The stunning beaches of Desaru make it a popular international destination.
The attractions include the Kota Tinggi waterfall, Johor Lama Fort, theme museums, seafood villages and historical sites.
Johor Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman said that Kota Tinggi had everything for a perfect holiday. “We see potential in Kota Tinggi as it is near Johor Baru, the southern gateway to Peninsular Malaysia.Tourists arriving at Senai international Airport will have easier access into Desaru when the Senai-Desaru Expressway is opened this year,” he said.
Hoo said the state had re-structured travel packages and tourism attractions in Johor. He said the attractions had been divided into nine categories – eco-tourism, culture and heritage, islands and beaches, shopping, food and entertainment, health and education, sports and recreation, homestay and agro-tourism, golfing and accommodation, meetings, conventions and exhibitions.
“We must make changes and repackage our products from time to time to attract tourists,” he said.

WORD LIST
1. gifted
2. resources
3. calm
4. destination
5. sites
6. potential
7. gateway
8. packages
9. attractions
10. heritage,
11. recreation
12. homestay
13. accommodation,
14. conventions
15. repackage

ENRICHMENT LIST
1. lure
2. scenic
3. exudes
4. ambience
5. stunning

Academic Month 2009

For Academic Month 2009, ELD has planned a few activities for the students.The following activities are done during clas:
a)Form 1 - Crossword puzzle competition
b)Form 2 - Health poster competition
c)Form 4 - Book Mark competition (idioms & proverbs)
Meanwhile, The English Language Society(ELS) organised Inter Society Spell it Right(SIR) Competition. The results will be announced at the end of the month and the winning posters and book marks will be displayed at The R.E.D Tunnel.

Yes DEAR: 27 - 31 July 2009 : Looks can be deceiving

Fat and grimy, short and slimy was Pankaj, the abominable school boy. Everyone grimaced when he prodded along the school corridors, even teachers. Very few went near and even fewer spoke to him. Pankaj had absolutely no friends and no guardian. He lived with his grandmother and played alone.

Only because he looked a tad unlike other humans. He had hair all over his body and his face, an angular nose, his extra two teeth that hung over the others looked felony when he smiled. His looks were so viscous that everyone preferred to stay away from him. And so Pankaj grew up alone, isolated only with his grandmother for company.

When he was out of school he fetched some work for himself as he did not want to go through all the trials of being poked at in college. His peers Rajan and Rahul who gave him nightmares with incessant ragging went on to college like the other boys in his class. Soon Pankaj’s grandmother expired, leaving him completely alone. Pankaj moved out of the locality to another state for work. After a bit of searching, he was employed in a local factory at a measly sum, even lower than the others at his level. All because he looked ugly.

But it did not matter to Pankaj, so he worked hard and worked long. Soon it came to the notice of his seniors that he was much smarter than the others in his department. Mending tools and fixing pipes were a piece of cake for him. Often he was sent outside the factory to repair the broken machines and fix pipes. Once a drain had been choked, and all the water from the factory sewage was flowing back into the factory. The best of engineers rummaged their head to fix it, but in vain. When somebody mentioned Pankaj, he was summoned to fix the damage. Within an hour Pankaj had everything under control; he not only fixed the drain, but also cleaned the stench and cleared the area.

This deed made him the cynosure of every officer. Soon he was promoted as his expertise matched that of an engineer. His immediate boss Laxman was kind hearted and calm. He saw the intelligent twinkle in Pankaj but also caught the shadow of isolation. Once Laxman called Pankaj to his cabin and asked him if he could give him a makeover. Pankaj agreed because he did not have much to lose, as in office too nobody would come close to him. His looks scared them all.

Laxman got all his excess hair shaved and waxed. The dentist managed to pluck out the dogteeth and the hairstylist cropped the hair with extreme caution but with trend in every snip. When Pankaj looked into the mirror, he was surprised to see the new himself. He no more looked vicious and horrid. He was now a handsome looking lad. His colleagues grew envious of him, his seniors now admired him. The next raise and promotion was not far away.

Soon Pankaj was sent on an assignment to his childhood hometown. Nobody recognized him there too, even when chanced upon his old school mates Rajan and Rahul; they had no clue that he was their childhood victim. But when Pankaj’s helped the fireman shut the water leak that led to flooding, people began to praise him. Soon his real identity was known and everyone was taken aback to see a swan rise from an ugly duckling. From then on, Pankaj enjoyed the rest of his days as any other human being.

Moral: Do not judge a person by his looks alone.

A visit to Petronas Refinery, Sg Udang

On 24th June 2009, the English language society members, along with Madam Ivy and Pn Sinar Suria visited the Petronas Refinery in Sg.Udang, Melaka. It was a very informative experience. The Petronas Oil and Gas Company was established in 1974 with the effort of Tun Abdul Razak. Its first office was located at Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur with a staff of only 20 people. From there, it blossomed and 35 years later, it is the 7th biggest oil and gas company in the world with around 39000 staff and the head office is the Petronas Twin Towers. Petronas can now be found in 30 countries all over the world including Indonesia, Australia, South America, Cuba, Africa, Sudan, Iran, Algeria, Japan, Wales, Russia and Papua New Guinea. For your information, Exxon Mobil is the world’s number one oil and gas company. Petronas refinery in Sg. Udang was built in 1994. It is one of the only 2 refineries in Malaysia, the first in Kerteh. In Sg. Udang, 250000 barrels of crude oil is produced per day. There are 115 tanks to store these crude oil. Petronas as a whole produces 660000-670000 barrels of crude oil per day, with one barrel measuring 160 litres. One barrel costs 64 USD. All the drillings are done offshore in Malaysia. There are actually 2 types of crude oil, sweet and sour. The sweet oil has less sulphur content which makes it easier to be processed and has a higher price compared to sour oil which is high in sulphur content. One barrel of sweet oil is priced at 64 USD while sour oil is 40+ USD. The products for export are loaded via pipelines onto ships at Sg. Udang Port. The ships anchor there during processing then once loaded, make their journey to countries such as Japan and Korea. Petronas contributes to 40% of Malaysia’s income and Petronas is special as it reports directly to the Prime Minister’s office whereas companies such as Telekom, Tenaga Nasional and Pos Malaysia report to the Ministry of Finance.

PIES 20 - 24 July 2009:1,295 lose jobs in Malacca

Some 1,295 workers from five factories were laid off recently while several other factories were cutting down on production instead of laying off workers. However, all is not lost as some have been offered jobs at other factories here.
A RM2.3bil investment in Alor Gajah to manufacture solar panels is anticipated to create jobs. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the retrenched were in several companies in the manufacturing and electronic sectors that had relocated operations or were undergoing takeovers.
He said that new businesses were creating job opportunities and attributed this to the state’s booming tourism industry. Those retrenched were paid compensation, he added. Meanwhile, Mohd Ali said the RM52mil MITC Fashion City would be the state’s new textile, home appliances and home deco hub. He said the complex had 173 two-storey shoplots taken up by businesses expected to start by early March.

WORD LIST
1. recently
2. factories
3. production
4. offered
5. manufacture
6. companies
7. electronic
8. takeovers
9. businesses
10. opportunities
11. tourism
12. compensation
13. appliances
14. hub
15. expected

ENRICHMENT LIST
1. anticipated
2. relocated
3. attribured
4. booming
5. retrenched

Yes DEAR: 20 - 24 July 2009 : Day dreaming

Ramu Das lived in his humble dwelling with his better half, Mrs. Das. Their only child dropped early out of school to help his father fill the family coffers. The Das family sustained from hand to mouth existence and gradually began to dream of a better life, of a wealthier life. Dreaming became so inherent in their bed every night that it continued in the morning. They would discuss their dream and the best won an extra chappati for dinner.

Day dreaming, night dreaming and more dreaming. Life revolved around dreaming and very little was worked upon achieving the dream. Towards achieving a little more wealth. To sweat from the brow and feed their cows.

Once Mr. Das said, I will start planting vegetables in our garden tomorrow. There will be all types of vegetables available in our vegetable garden. All our neighbours will come to us to buy vegetables. Then money will start pouring in and we will get rich. Inspired Mrs. Das added that I will cut vegetables and slice them too and charge a bit higher for the sliced vegetables.

Sooner said than done, Mr. Das took the spade and dug up the entire backyard. He unearthed the entire ground and stormed off to buy seeds for the vegetables, only to realize that he did not have any money to buy them. Sulking he sat in a corner and left rats and stray dogs find a home in the ruined backyard.

And so went on the dreaming paradise of the Das’s until one day a neighbour’s son Shyam who had returned from the city heard about the Das’s. Shocked by their life he wondered how to bring the Das’s out of their surreal world. He chanced upon them at the tea stall and worked his way to being invited home.

The thatched roof and the cow caked walls were not very welcoming, but Shyam battled the stench for he had come with a purpose. He realized what a simple life the Das’s had. That Mr. Das was far behind his peers who had all progressed. Mr. Das had spun into the laughing stock of the village with his dreaming feature characteristic and it had to stop.

Occupied in his thoughts, Mr. Shyam had barely spoken that Mr. and Mrs. Das began telling him about their dreams of getting rich. Soon they had a new dream, at that spur of the moment. Mr. Das said I could sell the milk of our cows, go door to door or directly to the village market and make money out of it. Everyday I will give my cows more to eat so they will give me more milk and I will reap more money. Then I can go give some milk to my sister said Mrs. Das. No you will not, said Mr. Das, I cannot let anyone have a share of my profits. I will break all the pots in the house so that you will not have any pot to carry milk to your sister. Saying this he began breaking all the pots, leaving terrified Shyam in the midst.

Instantly Shyam began beating the cows outside. What are you doing, said Mr. and Mrs. Das, why are you beating the cows. Well your cows will want more food to give more milk and they will eat my garden plants, so I am beating them up even before they can do that.

Then suddenly it dawned on the Das’s their critical mistake. No milk, yet the pots were broken. No milk, yet they were dreaming. They looked up to Shyam and said. May be god sent you, so that we learn a lesson for life. From that day on, day dreaming was shunned and hard work was plugged in.
Moral: Put your dreams into action.

PIES 13 - 17 July 2009:Paper Consumption Is Set To Increase

Paper consumption is set to increase over the years and the government should make it more attractive for local industries to set up more paper mills here in collaboration with foreign investors.
“More than half of what is used now is imported,” Malaysia Paper Merchants’ Association(MaPMA) secretary Manmohan Singh said at its 20th anniversary dinner last night which was graced by Deputy Finance Minister.
“About 150,000 tonnes is produced locally at the Sabah Forest Industries(SFI) in Sipitang, Sabah, Malaysia’s first integrated pulp and paper mill.”
Malaysia consumes about 380,000 tonnes of printing and writing paper annually, of which about 230,000 tonnes are imported, including from Thailand and Indonesia.
“With attractive incentives, our mill partners from the neighbouring countries will be more attracted to add on to, or shift, their operations to Malaysia, while SFI will certainly consider expansion plans to meet the present shortfall and the annual growing demand.
SFI’s production, he said, was set to increase to 180,000 tonnes a year within the next two years. The deputy Finance Minister said the Government would always hold a dialogue with the industry prior to formulating a policy or law.
“I encourage paper merchants to come together and invest in the industry so that we do not have to depend so much on imported paper, as imports can affect pricing,” he added.
He said the fluctuating oil prices had affected all industries, including the paper industry, making budgeting and purchasing difficult.


WORD LIST
1. mills
2. integrated
3. pulp
4. consumes
5. incentives
6. shift
7. consider
8. expansion
9. annual
10. demand
11. prior
12. formulating
13. invest
14. affect
15. budgeting

ENRICHMENT LIST
1. consumption
2. collaboration
3. graced
4. shortfall
5. fluctuating

PIES 6 - 10 July 2009: Sarawak braces for another round of floods

Floods have forced the evacuation of some 800 people in central and northern Sarawak, while the southern region braces for a second round of flooding in a month.
State authorities have alerted villagers in low-lying areas, including in Bau district, to be ready to move out from their homes.
Kuching, Samarahan and Sri Aman Divisions were hit by massive floods more than two weeks ago when thousands of residents were moved to higher grounds.
Dr Chan said the water level in Sungai Sarawak Kiri in Batu Kitang near here and Sungai Sarawak Kanan in Buan Budi had surpassed the the alert level at noon Thursday, and was still rising. Dr Chan said 795 flood victims from 140 families were now housed in nine evacuation centres in Sibu, Bintulu and Miri Divisions.
Roads in Sebauh/Tubau and Kampung Pandan in Bintulu are not accessible to small vehicles. Dr Chan said directives had been issued to all divisional engineers to check on landslide-prone areas to ensure that early warnings on any danger could be issued to the public.

WORD LIST
1. evacuation
2. flooding
3. authorities
4. alerted
5. low –lying
6. district
7. residents
8. grounds
9. families
10. centres
11. housed
12. evacuation
13. directives
14. divisional
15. warnings

ENRICHMENT LIST
1. braces
2. surpassed
3. accessible
4. prone
5. issued

Yes DEAR: 6 - 10 June 2009 : A Story to Share - True Friend

Inspirational Short Story

Horror gripped the heart of the World War 1 soldier as he saw his lifelong friend fall in battle. Caught in a trench with continuous gunfire whizzing over his head, the soldier asked his lieutenant if he might go out into the "no man's land" between the trenches to bring his fallen comrade back.
"You can go," said the lieutenant, "but I don't think it will be worth it. Your friend is probably dead and you may throw your life away." The lieutenant's advice didn't matter, and the soldier went anyway. Miraculously he managed to reach his friend, hoist him onto his shoulder and bring him back to their company's trench. As the two of them tumbled in together to the bottom of the trench, the officer checked the wounded soldier, and then looked kindly at his friend.
"I told you it wouldn't be worth it," he said. "Your friend is dead and you are mortally wounded." "It was worth it, though, sir," said the soldier. "What do you mean; worth it?" responded the Lieutenant. "Your friend is dead" "YES, Sir" the private answered. "But it was worth it because when I got to him, he was still alive and I had the satisfaction of hearing him say, "JIM........, I KNEW YOU'D COME."
(Take sometime to think about the story then stroll down)
Many times in life, whether a thing is worth doing or not, really depends on how you look at it. Take up all your courage and do something your heart tells you to do so that you may not regret not doing it later in your life...”May each and every one of you be blessed with the company of TRUE FRIENDS." "A true friend is one who walks in, when the rest of the world walks out." War doesn't determine who's right. War only determines who's left.

English Literature Workshop

An English Literature Workshop for form 5 students was held on 4th July 2007. The students were divided into groups of 4 and asked to answer literature questions from past years' questions. Students worked in the group to answer the questions and find the textual evidences needed. At the end of the session, students handed in the completed answer written on mahjong papers. The form 5 teacher are going to mark the answers and choose the best answer for each year to be displayed in form 5 classes. All the students will be asked to copy the answers.

The Star and Pizza Hut’s Newspaper-in-Education (NiE) Mag Inc (Magazine Incorporated) Contest 2009

When school reopened, the teachers collected the mini magazines to be sent to NST.This year, MOZAC sent a total of 78 entries which involved 390 students. A total of 31 teams are from form 1 and 29 teams are from form 2.The students of form 1 & 2 submitted the mini magazines as part of the project this year. The teachers evaluated them and the marks will be added in their Test 2. Form 3 students sent 7 entries while there were only 9 teams of form 4 students took part in this year's competition. Only 1 team of from form 5 sent their entry this year.

PIES 29 June - 3 July:Learning Haven

This is a school without desks or chairs, but the students are only too happy to have access to some form of education.
Walk down one of the rubbish-strewn lanes in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, and you will come across the narrow entrance to a nondescript flat. Just minutes away some of the glitziest malls in the city, but here, the atmosphere couldn’t be more different.
Small, messy stalls line the lane, and the people walking around, going about their daily business, look distinctly non-local.
Inside the building, the stairwell is dim, grubby, and rather dank. Climb up three flights of stairs and you will arrive at a cramped unit. Clothes-lines hang right outside the flat’s narrow corridor, aflutter with the day’s washing. With its shabby walls and linoleum-lined floors, this unit looks no different from any of the others in the building.
Except for the large group of laughing , chattering children sitting inside. Their eyes are on an adult who is pointing to a whiteboard and speaking loudly. Surrounding them are piles of books and stationery.
Hand-drawn posters and educational charts liven up the plain walls, and two computers sit in a corner. These children are Myanmar refugees of Chin ethnicity.
These children do not wear uniforms, there are no desks or chairs, and classrooms are simply different units on the same floor. Yet, for the 150 students who study here daily, this little flat is the closest thing to a school they have in Malaysia.

WORD LIST
1. rubbish-strewn
2. narrow
3. nondescript
4. atmosphere
5. messy
6. distinctly
7. stairwell
8. cramped
9. corridor
10. aflutter
11. shabby
12. hand-drawn
13. refugees
14. ethnicity
15. daily

ENRICHMENT LIST
1. haven
2. glitziest
3. grubby
4. dank
5. chattering

How to Prepare and Face an Interview

An interview can be defined as a face to face oral communication between the interviewer and the interviewee in order to assess the views, attitudes and ideas of the interviewee. However the interview process also enables the interviewee and observers to assess the skill and ability of the interviewer. Thus, an interview is a test of both the communicants and parties engaged in the interaction. Intelligence, knowledge, personal qualities and character are revealed and both parties are required to be well prepared. The process allows everyone involved to make some important decisions.

The following suggestions are advisable when faced with an interview:

1) Dress appropriately – A well dressed and groomed appearance can do wonders for that first impression. Now is not exactly the time to make a fashion statement so a tastefully chosen professional outfit, with suitable accessories like a hand-bag or brief case should be fine.

2) Posture and Carriage - The way in which the candidate carries himself while walking and sitting tells the interviewer about your confidence. Good “carriage” and posture have to be developed over a period of time and are essential in distinguishing a shoddy and careless attitude from a sharp and alert one.

3) Be confident - Self confidence, or the lack of it, is observed through your behavior, right from the way you sit to how you speak. Good manners and proper behavior are obviously necessary. Suitable greetings for the time of the day and other formalities must be known to the interviewee; for example, sit down only after being told to; elbows must not be put on the table; the brief case or bag should be kept on the floor beside the chair and do not play with any of your accessories or clothes. Nervous movements betray show a lack of confidence and concentration.

4) Mental Preparation - The candidate should be well informed about current events, domestic and international, and topics of general interest. Regular reading of newspapers, listening to radio and TV discussions, participating in group discussions and general reading habits are helpful activities in developing the required mental status for an interview.

5) No guessing games - In situations where the candidate does not know the answer to a question it is always better to state ones inability to answer than to make a guess. No one is expected to know everything; admitting that one does not know the answer reflects honesty.

6) At the end, candidate’s are usually not sure when to leave. If the interviewers indicate that the interview is over, collect your bag, wish them and thank them for their friendly attitude and leave. Some candidates, due to nervousness, seem to be in a hurry to leave and forget to wish or thank the interviewers. Always remember that your parting movements are also closely observed so hurried and frantic movements may betray an earlier composed attitude.

In order to succeed in an interview each individual must make an honest self-assessment and find out one’s areas of strength and weakness. Knowledge of one’s deficiencies is useful in overcoming weaknesses and unconscious bad habits of posture or speech can be improved by effort. Shortcomings which cannot be overcome can be accepted and acknowledged so that they do not lead to depression and embarrassment when others notice them. Therefore, coming to terms with oneself and knowing how to deal with one’s faults, and how to make the best use of one’s knowledge and skills, is another vital element in preparing for an interview.

by: chillibreeze writer — Sanjeevni Gangwani

Happy Father's Day

Father's Day Tribute - Watch more amazing videos here



A Dad is a person
who is loving and kind,
And often he knows
what you have on your mind.

He's someone who listens,
suggests, and defends.
A dad can be one
of your very best friends!

He's proud of your triumphs,
but when things go wrong,
A dad can be patient
and helpful and strong
In all that you do,
a dad's love plays a part.

There's always a place for him
deep in your heart.
And each year that passes,
you're even more glad,
More grateful and proud
just to call him your dad!

Thank you, Dad...
for listening and caring,
for giving and sharing,
but, especially, for just being you!
Happy Father's Day

Congratulations

Yes DEAR: 15 - 19 May 2009 : A Full Jar

Inspirational Story

One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, Okay, time for a quiz.
Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide mouth mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, is this jar full? Everyone in the class said, yes.
Then he said, “Really?” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the space between the big rocks. Then he asked the group once more, is the jar full? By this time the class was on to him. Probably not, one of them answered.
Good he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, is this jar full? No the class shouted.
Once again he said, good. Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, what is the point of this illustration? One eager beaver raised his hand and said, the point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it. No, the speaker replied, that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.
What are the big rocks in your life? Time with your loved ones? Faith, education, your dreams? A worthy cause? Teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you’ll never get them in at all.
So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the big rocks in my life?
Then, put those in your jar first.

PIES 15 -19 June: Octuplets surprise doctors

Newborn octuplets in Southern California are a feisty bunch that appear healthy even at nine weeks premature, a doctor said Tuesday.
Three babies are being given oxygen but appeared to be doing well, said Dr. Mandhir Gupta, a neonatologist at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center. Two of the newborns were initially on ventilators but no longer need them.
"All babies were delivered vigorous, crying, kicking. Everyone was very excited," said Dr. Karen E. Maples, chief of service for obstetrics and gynecology and the physician who personally delivered Baby No. 8.
The mother, who has not been identified, gave birth Monday to the six boys and two girls weighing between 1 pound, 8 ounces, and 3 pounds, 4 ounces. She was resting comfortably Tuesday and was elated at welcoming eight children to her family, Gupta said.
The eighth baby surprised the parents and doctors who had prepared to deliver seven children.

WORD LIST
1. premature
2. appeared
3. initially
4. ventilators
5. delivered
6. gynecology
7. physician
8. identified
9. weighing
10. comfortably
11. excited
12. surprised
13. prepared
14. vigorous
15. ounces

ENRICHMENT LIST
1. octuplets
2. feisty
3. neonatologist
4. obstetrics
5. elated

Kem Pemantapan Akedemic SPM 2009

Starting today until 13th June, the form 5 students are attending an academic camp at school. The first session is the English session done by Mr. Tan Chai Whatt from ACS. He touches on how to do well in Continuous Writing, Directed Writing and Literature.Hopefully the form 5 students are able to have a better understanding on how to score in those areas. More internal workshops will be done at school level to improve on the students'grades when school resumes next week.

A Sad Story

A very touching and sad story that everybody should read

Mid Year Exam Papers - Melaka State

PMR
Paper 1
Paper 2
Marking Scheme

SPM
Paper 1
Paper 2
Marking Scheme

Youth Writers Awards Asia 2010: English Short Story Writing Competition

Students who are interested to join this competition, may see Pn. Norizah Baba to get the official registration form

Requirements:
1. Theme:Dare to Dream: stories of Imagination, Passion and Sporting Excellence
2. Length : 500-800 words
3. All short stories must be original and written in English
4. Open to youths born between 1992 - 1996
5. Closing date: 13 September 2009

RHB New Straits Times Spell It Right (SIR) Challenge.

On 24 May 2009, MOZAC sent four participants to the RHB New Straits Times Spell- It -Right(SIR)Challenge. The competition was held at Dataran Pahlawan Mall. 18 secondary schools turned up to compete for the Melaka State Championship and Adlina Abd Rahim, a form 2 student from MOZAC was crowned the state champ for RHB New Straits Times Spell- It - Right (SIR) Challenge 2009. She will be representing Melaka at the National Final on August 8 in Kuala Lumpur. Congratulations.

Participants.
1. Adlina Abd Rahim
2. Jananieswary Servai
3. Zul Farahin Zulkifli
4. Thulaja Thesa a/p Vasudevan

Teacher in charge - Pn. Nur Sinarsuria b. Mohd Nadzar

Happy Teacher's Day

Choral Speaking Competition - State level 2009

The State level Choral Speaking Competition was held on 7th May 2009 at Sek. Men Teknik Jasin. As previous years, MOZAC took part in this year's competition. 33 students of form 1-4 was led by Girinivashi presented Financial Disaster at the competition. Again MOZAC did not finish top 3 in the competition. Hopefully, we will have better luck next year. It is hoped that the script writer for next year's team will come up with a script that has humour & audience appeal. The result of the competition:

1. SMK Tinggi St David - Teacher's Nightmare
2. Sek. Tinggi Melaka - Phenomenal Women
3. SMK Yok Bin - Choral Speaking

Teachers in charge:
1. Cik Ungku Khairunisa Ungku Nordin
2. Pn. Norizah Baba

Happy Mother's Day

Myspace Layouts

The History of Mother's Day
In May of 1905, Anna M. Jarvis made a vow that would change the face of calendars forever. Her mother had longed for a special holiday to honor mothers, and Anna vowed to finish the job her mother had started. It would be nine years of hard work before President Wilson signed the official Mother's Day resolution, making official the holiday that started as a way to honor one special mother.
Anna's mother was Anna Maria Reeves Jarvis, the founder of the Mother's Day Work Clubs. She organized these clubs to improve sanitary conditions in her city. The club raised money for medicines, made bottled milk and food inspections, and provided domestic help for mothers who had tuberculosis. The clubs spread throughout the area. During the Civil War, the clubs acted as neutral agents, serving the soldiers of both sides. This was a time of personal tragedy for Anna, as she watched eight of her 12 children die before reaching adulthood.

Near the end of the war, Anna organized a Mother's Friendship Day at the courthouse to bring people of both sides together in peace. Many were afraid the event would backfire and lead to violence, but the event was peaceful and so successful that it was repeated for many years.

Anna died, and her daughter Anna led a small service designed to honor her mother on May 12, 1907, two years after her mother's death. She then went to work making Mother's Day a national holiday. She and her supporters wrote thousands of letters to businessmen, politicians and clergymen, seeking their help in establishing the holiday. In 1908, the first official Mother's Day celebrations were held in West Virginia and in Philadelphia in 1908. Philadelphia was the first state to make Mother's Day an official holiday in 1910, and by the next year, most states had declared a Mother's Day holiday.

After Woodrow Wilson had declared Mother's Day a national holiday in 1914, Anna may have thought her work was over. Unfortunately, the holiday took on a commercial tone, and in 1923, Anna filed a lawsuit to stop a Mother's Day festival. Later, she was arrested for disturbing the peace at a Mother's Day convention. She was furious to find the white carnations she had designated as the official Mother's Day flower being sold. "I wanted it to be a day of sentiment, not profit," she protested. She eventually admitted to being sorry she had ever started the holiday, and she spent all of her inheritance trying to return the holiday to its loving intentions.

Anna Jarvis, the woman who gave us Mother's Day, never married and never became a mother herself, although she received Mother's Day cards from around the world every year.

PIES 4 -8 May: Orang Asli to be IT Savvy

The orang asli village of Kampung Simpang Arang is stepping into the unknown- the villagers have been presented with five computers by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry.

For now, no one in the village knows much about computers and digital technology, but village headman Tok Batin Lang Botong hopes the gift will help improve the students’ education and community’s development.

The children, for the part, were eager beavers, crowding around computers to look at what was on screens although none then knew how to operate the machines.

“The villagers especially the students will greatly benefit from these machines’” Tok Batin said, adding that he was touched that his village was chosen by the ministry. The Kampung Simpang Arang headman said he and other villagers were overjoyed with the gift.

“Computer skills are very important in improving one’s education and keeping pace with the country’s developments’” he added. When met after the ceremony here on Saturday, he said he hoped that the villagers would fully utilise the computers and gain more knowledge.

Ministry secretary-general DatuK Abdul Hanan Awang Endut, who presented the computers to the headman, said that the Government was committed in assisting the people of all races and background.

WORD LIST
1. stepping
2.presented
3. headman
4. improve
5. beavers
6. operate
7. greatly
8. benefit
9. touched
10. pace
11. developments
12. gain
13. knowledge
14. committed
15. assisting

ENRICHMENT LIST 1. savvy
2. eager
3. crowding
4. overjoyed
5. utilise

Yes DEAR: 4 - 8 May 2009 : The Donkey in the Well

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Yours too… Finally he decided since the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. So, the farmer invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed shovels, and began to shovel dirt into the well.
All the other farm animals were very upset about this, because the donkey was their friend. But they discovered there was nothing they could do to help him. At first, when the donkey realized what was happening, he cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well, and was astonished at what he saw.
With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off, and take a step up on the dirt as it piled up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well, and trotted off!
MORAL: Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. But each trouble can be a stepping stone. What happens to you isn't nearly as important as how you react to it. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not giving up!
Shake it off, and take a step up!

MOZAC - STATE CHAMPION for Parliamentary Style English Language Debate

The State level Parliamentary Style English Language Debate 2009 was held from 27 - 30 April 2009 at SMK Ghafar Baba, Masjid Tanah. MOZAC represented Ayer Keroh Zone.MOZAC emerged victorious as the new STATE CHAMPION for 2009. Congratulations to the debaters.MOZAC is going to represent Melaka to the National level in Kedah.

MOZAC debaters:
a) Ahmad Azri b. Abdullah
b) Muhammad Danial b.Abdullah
c) Thulaja Thesa a/p Vasudevan
d) Amundhan a/l Arumugam
e) Ahmad Rahimi bin Khairul Saleh

Ouater final: MOZAC vs SIS
Motion: This house believes that Malaysian schools are robbing students of their
imagination and childhood
Winner: MOZAC
Best Speaker: Ahmad Azri b. Abdullah(MOZAC)

Semi final: MOZAC vs SFI
Motion: This house believes that the media is eroding our traditional values
Winner: MOZAC
Best Speaker: Thulaja Thesa a/p Vasudhevan (MOZAC)

Final: MOZAC vs MGS
Motion: This house would raise the minimum driving age to 21
Winner: MOZAC
Best Speaker: Noel Tan (MGS)

Teacher in charge:
a) Puan Ivy Foo

A special thank you to all the teachers and Ashvin Avalani a/l Chandrakant, our ex debater who had helped to prepare the team for the debate.Thank you for the support and encouraging words. It is hoped that this will continue in preparing the team for the national level in Kedah which will be held in August.

PIES 27 April -1 May: The Artic : Losing its cool

Antarctica is getting warmer rather than cooling as widely believed, according to a study that fits the icy continent into a trend of global warming.
A review by U.S. scientists of satellite and weather records for Antarctica, which contains 90 percent of the world's ice and would raise world sea levels if it thaws, showed that freezing temperatures had risen by about 0.5 Celsius (0.8 Fahrenheit) since the 1950s.
The Arctic is warming up faster than any other region. Because it plays a vital role in cooling the rest of the globe, the effects of this warming will be felt worldwide, not just on remote tundra.
Today, one cannot venture far enough north to escape global warming. The region has heated up nearly twice as fast as the rest of the globe over the past 50 years, according to a 2004 study assessing climate change in the Arctic.
Land-based ice such as glaciers, ice sheets and permafrost and floating ice are vanishing, and the ongoing thaw has profound ramifications for the rest of the world.

WORD LIST
1. believed
2. continent
3. trend
4. freezing
5. risen
6. vital
7. effects
8. tundra
9. region
10. heated
11. glaciers
12. permafrost
13. floating
14. vanishing
15. profound

ENRICHMENT LIST
1. thaws
2. remote
3. venture
4. assessing
5. ramification

Yes DEAR: 27 Apr - 1 May 2009 : The 4 Wives

There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best. He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He's very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men.
He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times. Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.
One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!" Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word.
The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold.
He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated.
Then a voice called out: "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have!"
Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives
a. The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die.
b. Our 3rd wife? Our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others.
c. The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.
d. The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure.
Readers, our soul is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we're on our deathbed to lament

RHB- Star Mighty Minds Challenge

On March 29 2009, MOZAC sent 4 teams to the RHB- Star Mighty Minds Challenge at the state level. The competition was held at Mahkota Parade, Melaka.The teams in each category were required to answer quiz questions based on Mathematics and Science principles and general knowledge through interactive devices.

Category 1 - Forms 1,2 & 3
Group 1
1. Zul Farahin Zulkifli
2. Muhammad Nabil b. Salim
3. Nurashidah Razali

Group 2
1. Erick Naim
2. Jananieswary Servai
3. Adlina Abd rahim

Category 2 Forms 4 & 5
Group 1
1.Muhammad Arif b. Abu Kasim
2.Muhammad Emir Saifullah Abu Bakar
3.Muhammad Faiz Fo'ad

Group 2
1. Muhammad Afiq Razali
2. Akmal Fauzul Azim b. Ayob
3. Akhmal Hakim Zainal Ariffin



MOZAC emerged the first runner up after KYS in Category one. The participants received certicicates, RM 2,000 and a digital camera.Puan Wan Hailah Wan Yahya is the teacher in charge.

Congratulations to Puan Wan Hailah who is the second speaker of Melaka English Debate team which qualify to the semifinal of teachers' debate 2009. The debate will be held in Terengganu next month. This is the first time Melaka qualify to the semi final round.Good luck to her and the team.

Busy Weekend

This week is indeed a busy week as both students and teachers are very busy with co academic competitions and our school programmes - Panca D' 5 and E Mozac Powerpoint Competition. Congratulations to Syed Aidarus who won the best supporting actor award in the SBP Southern Zone English Drama Competition which was held last weekend at SMS Kota Tinggi, Johor.Besides that the choral speaking and debate teams are busy preparing for the State level competitions which will be held at the end of April and early May. Meanwhile, Puan Wan Hailah Wan Yahya is representing Melaka for the Teachers'Day English debate competition along with En. Shuhairi Mat Rus and En. Husaini Zakaria for the Bahasa Melayu debate.Puan Norizah Baba will also be going as an adjudicator for that competition.Good luck to all.

Yes DEAR: 13 Apr - 17 April 2009 : Mountain Story - An interesting short story

"A son and his father were walking on the mountains.
Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Curious, he yells: "Who are you?"
He receives the answer: "Who are you?"
And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"
The voice answers: "I admire you!"
Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"
He receives the answer: "Coward!"
He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"
The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."
Again the man screams: "You are a champion!"
The voice answers: "You are a champion!"
The boy is surprised, but does not understand.
Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE.
It gives you back everything you say or do.
Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.
If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart.
If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.
This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life;
Life will give you back everything you have given to it."
YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT'S A REFLECTION OF YOU!"
-- Unknown Author

Parliamentary Style English Language Debate - Ayer Keroh Zone 2009

MOZAC took part in the Parliamentary Style English Language Debate - Ayer Keroh Zone 2009 from 24 - 31 March 2009 at SMK Tinggi St David. Congratulations to MOZAC debate team and teachers.MOZAC is the WINNER of the Ayer Keroh Zone defeating SMK Tinggi St. David in the final. MOZAC is represented by:
a) Ahmad Azri b. Abdullah
b) Muhammad Danial b.Abdullah
c) Thulaja Thesa a/p Vasudevan
d) Amundhan a/l Arumugam
e) Ahmad Rahimi bin Khairul Saleh

Ouater final: MOZAC vs SMK Ayer Keroh
Motion: This house believes that extending school hours ensures a better education
for students
Winner: MOZAC
Best Speaker: Thulaja Thesa a/p Vasudhevan (MOZAC)

Semi final: MOZAC vs SMK Bukit Baru
Motion: This house believes that advertising health and beauty products should be banned
Winner: MOZAC
Best Speaker: Ahmad Azri b. Abdullah(MOZAC)

Final: MOZAC vs SMK Tinggi St. David
Motion: This house believes that development in technology is more a bane than a
boon to society
Winner: MOZAC
Best Speaker: Sara Jane Ho (SMK St. David)

Teachers in charge:
a) Puan Ivy Foo
b) Puan Rita Malina Rahmat

A special thank you to Ashvin Avalani a/l Chandrakant, our ex debater who helped the team to prepare for the zone final.

The Star and Pizza Hut’s Newspaper-in-Education (NiE) Mag Inc (Magazine Incorporated) Contest 2009

Contest Theme: Teenage angst
Deadline for submission: 15 June 2009

Open to lower and upper secondary students. This contest is compulsory for all forms one and two students. Each participating team can comprise of up to 4 members only.
Those interested please see Madam Hailah, Madam Nor Sinasuria or Madam Ivy.
** Briefing about the contest will be on Monday ( 6 April 2009) after
the assembly at the Astaka.

For more information log on: http//contests.thestar.com.my/nie

Teachers' day Essay Writing Competition 2009

In March, 9 students and 2 teachers took part in the Teachers' day Essay Writing Competition 2009. Zul Farahin Zulkifli's Aspiration and Jananieswary Servai's You're the change essays are chosen to represent Melaka at the National Level. Congratulations.

English Category
Lower Form

1. Aisyah Humairaq bt Mohd Zairi - Never give up
2. Randolp Carlos - The words that have made me move
3. Zul Farahin Zulkifli - Aspiration
4. Jananieswary Servai - You're the change

Upper Form

1. Girinivashini - Thank you teacher
2. Muhammad Afiq Razali - Thank you teacher
3. Muhammad Azli Hisyam Aziz - Thank you teacher
4. Thulaja Thesa - Thank you teacher
5. Danie Aswad Mohamed Salim - A special student for a special teacher

Teacher

1. Puan Wan Hailah Wan Yahya - Teacher, teacher who art thou
2. Puan Haidah Azudin - Thank you sir, mission accomplished

Yes DEAR: 30 Mar - 4 Apr 2009 : Wait for the brick

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and drove the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car, shouting, "What was that all about and who are you?
Just what the heck are you doing?
That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money.
Why did you do it?"
The young boy was apologetic. "Please mister ... please, I'm sorry... I didn't know what else to do," he pleaded.
"I threw the brick because no one else would stop..."
With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car.
"It's my brother," he said.
"He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."
Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."
Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his fancy handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.
"Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger.
Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the little boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!
God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us.
It's our choice: Listen to the whisper ... or wait for the brick!

PIES 2-6Mac: Scientists find fossil of Devil Toad

A frog the size of a bowling ball, with heavy armour and teeth, lived among dinosaurs millions of years ago. It was intimidating enough that scientists who unearthed its fossils dubbed the beast Beelzebufo, or Devil Toad.

But its size – 4.54kg and 40.64cm long – is not the only curiosity. Researchers discovered the creature’s bones in Madagascar. Yet it seems to be a close relative of normal-sized frogs who today live a world away in South America, challenging assumptions about ancient geography.

The discovery, led by paleontologist David Krause at New York’s Stony Brook University. “This frog, if it has the same habits as its living relatives in South America, was quite voracious,’ Krause said. “It’s even conceivable that it could have taken down some hatchling dinosaurs.”

Krause began finding fragments of abnormally large frog bones in Madagascar, off the coast of Africa, in 1993. But only recently did Krause’s team assemble enough frog bones to piece together what the creature would look like, and weighed.

The largest living frog, the Goliath frog of West Africa, can reach 3.18kg

(Adapted From The Star)


WORD LIST
1. fossil
2. toad
3. curiosity
4. assumptions
5. ancient
6. conceivable
7. hatchling
8. fragments
9. abnormally
10. recently
11. assemble
12. creature

ENRICHMENT LIST
1. armour
2. intimidating
3. unearthed
4. dubbed
5. voracious

Yes DEAR: 2 - 6 Mac 2009 - No shortcuts to study

Childhood is fun, and who knows it better than children themselves. Day time is play time, night time is play time……every time is play time.

And so was Ramesh, a happy go lucky boy. He loved to aim the marble and win the game, do the hopscotch till he was out of breadth and play till it sundown. Ramesh was not much trouble to his parents as he helped in the house chores and did his bit even though he was only 10.

But there was only one drawback, Ramesh disliked studying. Holding a book was like being possessed by a demon for him. He hated the very look of a book, so be it writing or reading, Ramesh ran far away as he could from it.

Night and day, he would just play inside and outside; the world was a playground for him along with his favourite buddy Siraj. He would always welcome Siraj to his home and the two would play together. Ramesh’s mother liked Siraj and treated him as her own son. But Siraj’s mother did not like Ramesh as her son was a studious boy who loved to study. She feared he would act like Ramesh and reflect a lethargic attitude towards studying.

Ramesh sensed the same and so would seldom go to Siraj’s house. He too was a bit jealous of his best friend as he always won praises while he had to settle for less than a pat on his back. But even though he tried he was not able to seed the study plant into his thick brains.

But Ramesh’s mother had no biasness towards Siraj. She would even help him financially with book purchases, guide materials and study tools. Hence Siraj always kept by Ramesh even though he was not of his wavelength.

And so the tale of two friends grew stronger. They were known in school and in the neighbourhood as thick pals. Always there for each other, in good times and bad.

One exam day, as Ramesh was struggling to answer the paper, Siraj was smoothly flowing ink with lengthy words. He had prepared for the tests unlike Ramesh. When Ramesh’s could not think of any answer to pen down he thought he would ask Siraj for some help.

Siraj did not think twice in giving his paper but to his bad luck the teacher caught the two and threatened to take them to the principal. Instantly Siraj said that he was suffering from a high fever the previous night and Ramesh was nursing him, and in the bargain had no time to study.

Ramesh was taken aback with the Siraj’s love and went red in the cheeks. He was embarrassed to know that his best friend loved him so much and he so little. He apologised to the teacher acknowledging his mistake. And from that day on, he vowed to take interest in studies and be a better student.

Moral: One can skip food and water. But if one skips studying regularly the future is empty.

PIES 23-27 Feb: Plane in the Water - How flight 1549 averted tradegy

On one of the coldest days of the year, a passenger jet carrying more than 150 people was forced to make a water landing in the frigid Hudson River. US Airways flight 1549, with 150 passengers and five crew members, crashed into waters just west of Manhattan after taking off from LaGuardia Airport en route to Charlotte, N.C.
By about 3:30 p.m., news helicopters were capturing compelling images of the jet partly submerged in the water and surrounded by rescue boats and commuter ferries. Numerous emergency vehicles could be seen on the New Jersey shore, responding to the incident. By 4 p.m., the plane had sunk into the frigid waters. MSNBC reported that the pilot had radioed air-traffic controllers shortly after takeoff to say that the plane had collided with a flock of geese. Losing altitude, the pilot reportedly opted for a water landing.
By a little after 5 p.m., the plane had been towed to the Manhattan shoreline. In the few minutes after the crash, all passengers apparently got off safely and only a few had to be hospitalized. All those were in stable condition.

WORD LIST

1. forced
2. flight
3. crashed
4. capturing
5. submerged
6. surrounded
7. numerous
8. vehicles
9. radioed
10. collided
11. towed
12. shoreline
13. apparently
14. hospitalized
15. commuter

ENRICHMENT LIST
1. averted
2. frigid
3. en route
4. compelling
5. opted

Yes DEAR: 16- 20 Feb 2009 - The rat and the crow

Black ruffles flitted thorough the dark ebony feathers of Ms Sisily, the Crow. She was the cynosure of everyone’s eyes with her beauty although accompanied with very little brains.

Many a handsome crows would try their best to create an impression so that she would wed them. But Sisily was smart, she took undue advantage of all the visiting crows never confirming anyone with any answer. So day in and day out crows would come with a gift of some food to make Sisily aware of them. Hence Sisily did not have much to do, but sit around and wait for a visitor.

Now all the other lady crows were very jealous of her, wanting to divert the men towards them. So they planned a conspiracy. Soon one suggested Smelly the rat. It was well-built, black like a stone but clever as a fox. They all got together and met Smelly requesting him to help them out. Terms and conditions fixed Smelly accepted the deal.

Smelly kept a close watch on Sisily from afar. He did not let the crow know he even existed. Like a shadow he crept around her, jotting down points and drawing his conclusions.

After a week of self-study, he thought it was time to act as planned. He made himself visible to Sisily and blushed whenever their eyes met. He noticed how fat she had grown and utterly lethargic, being used to being served around. Once she was offered a big cheese piece by her patron, the biggest she had ever received. In fact it was big enough to survive on a few days. The entire neighbourhood got the smell of it and went green with envy.

Just then Smelly showed up and said, “Morning Sisily, you looking as beautiful as ever. How about a lovely song from you? Your voice must be as beautiful as you and I want to have a good day. What better to begin it by hearing your voice?

Immediately Sisily flushed began to caw. She did not realise the wobbling cheese piece as she cawed away her noise. The cheese tipped to its edge and with no support fell straight to the ground. Smelly took his share and all the other birds swooped down to take theirs. Sisily became the laughing stock.

Smelly looked up the fat crow and said, let me tell you one thing, never trust flatterers.

PIES 9-13 Feb 2009: Indian Ocean to see solar eclipse

A few lucky people in the Indian Ocean will be treated to a rare event on Monday when an annular solar eclipse will transform the Sun into a dark disc with a blazing ring-shaped corona around its rim.

In solar eclipses, the Moon moves between the Sun and Earth, casting its shadow on the terrestrial surface. In an annular eclipse, a tiny shift in distance that results from celestial mechanics means the Moon does not completely cover the Sun's face, as it does in a total eclipse.

Instead, for those directly under the alignment, the Moon covers most of the Sun's surface, and a ring-like crown of solar light blazes from the edge of the disk. For those watching from the fringe of the track, the Sun is partially obscured, as if a bite has been taken out of it.

It will traverse the Indian Ocean and western Indonesia before petering out just short of Mindanao, the Philippines.
It will be the only annular solar eclipse this year. The last was on 7 February, 2007and after Monday, the next one will be on 15 January, 2010. The big event for eclipse junkies this year is on July 22, when a total solar eclipse will be visible from India and China, the world's two most populous countries.

WORD LIST
1.treated
2.rare
3.annular
4.terrestrial
5.celestial
6.alignment,
7.blazes
8.edge
9.partially
10.event
11.junkies
12.visible
13.populous
14.eclipse
15.transform

ENRICHMENT LIST
1.casting
2.fringe
3.obscured
4.traverse
5.petering

Yes DEAR: 9 - 13 Feb 2009 - Positive Thinking

Read this, and let it really sink in... Then, choose how you start your day tomorrow...

Jerry is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life." I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gun point by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.
I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Want to see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Jerry continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." “What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything.’Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'"
Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

Positive thinking the first step towards a happy life.
Attitude is everything

PIES 2 -6 Feb 2009: Colourless Corals Spell Doom

KOTA KINABALU: Coral bleaching will damage some of the world’s most important marine environments, including those in Malaysian waters in the coming months, international conservation organization WWF has warned.

A report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce predicts severe bleaching for parts of the Coral Sea which is adjacent to the Coral Triangle and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

The Coral Triangle, which stretches from the Philippines to Malaysia (Sabah) and Papua New Guinea, is home to 75 percent of all known coral species, with more than 120 million people relying on its resources. It is the most diverse marine region on the planet. It also spans across Indonesia and the Solomon Islands.

Coral bleaching, which is expected to occur between now and February, may have a devastating impact on coral reef ecosystems, killing corals and destroying food chains.

(Adapted From NST)

WORD LIST
1.damage
2.conservation
3.warned
4.predicts
5.severe
6.stretches
7.relying
8.resources
9.region
10.impact
11.ecosystems
12.destroying

ENRICHMENT LIST
1.doom
2.bleaching
3.adjacent
4.diverse
5.devastating

Yes DEAR: 2 - 6 Feb 2009 - The Pencil Story

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box.

"There are 5 things you need to know," he told the pencil, "Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be."

"One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone’s hand."

"Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil."

"Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make."

"Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside."

"And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write."

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.
Now replacing the place of the pencil with you. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.
One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.
Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems in life, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.
Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.
Four: The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.
And Five: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.

Allow this parable on the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a special person and only you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born to accomplish.

Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot make a change.

Sweet Rememberance

This is a piece of writing that one of the ex - students wrote recently. It is her reflection of what she remembers of us .....straight from the heart. We are indeed so touched by the story that shows that someone had actually remembered and listened. It is all that matters. Here is her piece of thoughts as it was written... Thank you Ayuzie for the kind words and it is little things like this that makes it all worth it........

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Wow, it’s very windy and i woke up this morning because i heard the empty plastic vase was smashing the front door..and pretty much because i got a message from wawa, a friendly reminder for me to complete my online enrolment before 1st feb..so turned on the computer, lazily completed the enrolment for next semester..i’ve seen some boring subjects in the list and i wonder what grade i’ll bee getting for those subjects..
and i started to browse rijal’s blog..and i saw a link to my ex school’s blog..well, i’m still a teenager at heart so i gave the blog a look..and to my surprise my english teacher has also started her own blog..owh, before i found out that ms ija is a blogger too now, i read an entry about ms haniza’s transfer to a new school..it’s sad that she’s leaving the school because there’re so much for her to remeber about the school..=) i still remember my time in form 2 when ms haniza was my english teacher..i cannot remember vividly but i still remember the stories she told us..
there was a time when suddenly all the boys in the class were not as playful as usual and concentrating on what was being taught in class..may be exam is coming..guys-they won’t sit quietly and concentrate on something if they don’t have anything to do for their benefit..well, forget about them..so in the middle of the class, ms haniza told us to study hard, and be grateful for all the facilities that were made convenient to us..i remembered the part when she said she used to walk to school which was so away from her house..and her family can only afford to buy her ‘fongkiong’ shoes..as for her pocket money, it was way so little from what we were getting at that time..so she told us that we have no reasons not to study because everything was prepared for us and the only thing that we need to think about was study..and she even said, the moment we regretted our life for not making the best out of the education we were receiving, it would be too late..
well ms haniza, i remembered a time when i was goofing around you, asking you to help me with my grade and you just couldn’t be bothered by me..i was so frustrated at that moment but now i realised, it’s not the result that matters, it’s the end product that you were aiming to help me with..i came to realise this when i was struggling with my sociology paper when i was doing my A level..i keep failing the first few tests and worked harder everytime after that and when i got the result that enabled me to fly to new zealand, i understood why you ignored me when i asked you to give me extra marks to improve my grade..that i need to put on more and more effort and eventually the effort bear its fruit..and i thank you for the motivation you gave from your stories..i really appreciate that..
and as for ms ija, i was in your class since i was in the 3rd form..and i still remember many things..haha..you’ve always liked to tease nazmie hares because you said he looked like your son..and fendi qc..for using bombastic vocabs in his essays..anyway, you told us a story too remember..?i do if you don’t..
you told us that your teacher told you that it was wonderful seeing the hills from the air when she arrived to this one place which i couldn’t remember where..you were motivated by her story and when you got the chance to see what she saw, you sent her a postcard telling you were there where she was..and then you tell the story to your students and you too received a postcard from the student who was motivated by your story and made it to the foreign land..and as a matter of fact, i was motivated from your story too, and i think i want to keep the cycle of postcard going..thank you ms ija..your words were magical..

The difference between " Do" & " Make"

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