School makeover begins

In the first month I was Principal at Convent Sentul, I typed out a very very long wish list. I sent some parts of this wish list to people I loved and trusted. One part of the wish list involved getting funds from those who had abundance to give to the needy.


Allysa - my ex-student awaiting SPM results from my former school Seksyen 5, helped me see the wish list could become a reality. She saw part of my wish list and offered a sum from her angpow money to help a needy student for one year. That inspired my faith because this 17 year student had the faith to give despite being a student and not even a student related to Convent Sentul in anyway.

Another part of the wish list involved a physical makeover for our 71 year old school. So I asked for help. We have to date 3 different paint companies who are considering our request for free paint. The first company - SKK already started the ball rolling by generously donated the paint for our hall. We also have 3 different parties to provide the labour to paint different parts of the school.

The first contractor, Andrew Seoh came by to the school and then sent us 4 of his workers so that we can finish repainitng the hall before school reopens. The workers started on Thursday, immediately after the pengawas camp










But makeover do not begin by merely camouflaging really - it really must begin first by repairing. The first thing the workers did was to locate all the flaws areas and the uneven areas and to patch up with white filling.


Next the ceiling and we do have a fairly high ceiling.



See the men at work and see the work of their hands. They have to work through Saturday and Sunday so that the hall will be ready before the students come back from the holidays.







They worked first with the ceiling and gradually I saw the change of colours from our former green to a happy yellow.



The change of colours.


The external doors to the hall are being repainted.

The difference between one coat of paint and two coats of paints. Hmm.. I wonder how three coats of paint will look like?

In our personal makeover as wholistic people, we must first begin by repairing those areas where we have personal issues.

We need to sort out a priority list on which areas to begin with first - for example the ceiling or the walls? Do remember if we start first with the wall, the repainting of the ceiling will splatter on the walls.

Finally we need to experience at least two coats of the new paint before it even looks pretty. Too often we fidget too fast and say - "Look I have already improved "and the change of colours is not so obvious or permanent because it has just been only one coat of change. Let your makeover be more obvious by going through the right steps in the right sequence and for a longer period. That way the paint materials and the labour has the most impact. Remember God is interested in giving you a physical and spiritual makeover but you have to cooperate with Him so that his donated materials and his labour in you have maximum impact.

Another part of my wish list which I recently added. I saw this lovely orchid garden in BTPN in Cheras while attending a course there.

They have this metal trellis above which they have grown this very fragrant vine that smells like pandan with luscious leaves and clusters of small white fragrant flowers. Pots of orchids hang below. But their orchids do not bloom profusely as of yet.

My dream orchid garden will be something like this. Beneath the fragrant vine on a wooden trellis, orchids hang and bloom profusely as those orchids in my house.

I will keep on dreaming for myself and for SMK Convent Sentul.