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.