Termite invasion lends urgency to SFCSS building project

KOTA KINABALU – Termite invasion of an iconic school building has lent urgency to its new school building project.

“Termites have started attacking the principal’s room, apart from the classrooms,” said Datuk Aminah Ambrose, president of  Alumni of St Francis Convent Secondary School (SFCSS), to local media reporters on 12 March 2016.  She said this after chairing the 18th Annual General Meeting of the Alumni at Zara’s Boutique Hotel here.

Given the sense of urgency, she said the Alumni will hold its second fundraising Franciscan Night on April 16 at the Sabah Hakka Hall at 6:30 pm.  She called on all ex-students to support the endeavour.  Being the organising chairperson, Ambrose said her committee aims to sell as many as 100 tables in aid of the proposed new school building at Bukit Padang, estimated to cost RM12 million, inclusive of infrastructure.

The project is scheduled for completion in 2018.

The Alumni president told reporters that all contributions are welcome but only contributions of RM3,000.00, RM5,000.00 and RM10,000.00 will be acknowledged on the Wall of Recognition at the new building.  Ambrose is from Class 1975.

She also said that room sponsorship falls under three categories: Classroom (RM50,000.00), Workshop/Special Room (RM80,000.00) and Science Laboratory (RM88,000.00).

Tables at the dinner are priced at RM5,000, RM3,000 and RM1,000 each.  For tickets, call Assistant Treasurer Dymphna Ubing at 012-8337238.

In her briefing at the AGM, chairperson of the fundraising subcommittee (under the SFCSS Building Committee) Leena Toyoi said that since the launch of major fundraising efforts in November 2014, the subcommittee has managed to raise RM1.4 million.

Of the figure, Toyoi continued, RM250,000 was from the State Government, RM500,000 from the Federal Government, and RM650,000 was collected through the combined efforts of the School Management Board, Alumni, Parent-Teacher Association and concerned ex-students.

Toyoi also updated the Alumni on the progress of works of the ongoing construction of the new school building.  She called on all those who have made classroom pledges earlier to fulfill their pledges so that the construction may keep going.

In her turn, Chairperson of the Board of Management of SFCSS Mary Gomez said there is full support for the fundraising subcommittee from the Board, the Alumni, PTA and Building Committee.