Handing over – A proud moment for St Francis Convent Secondary School

BUKIT PADANG – No one is more proud than the ex-Franciscans (led by Peter Chin) that made up the Building Committee, who accomplished the feat of building a new secondary school for St Francis Convent on the day of ‘handing over’ on Dec 5.

On hand to witness the simple ceremony of handing a mock key to Archbishop John Wong, head of KK Archdiocese, by David Chang of C L Contractor Sdn Bhd were Fr Paul Lo, SHC parish priest and adviser to St Francis Convent Schools Board of Governors (BOG), consultants and architect, as well as representations from the Alumni, School Boards, Building Committee, PTA of both schools, headmistress/principal, teachers and students of St Francis primary and secondary schools.

For the occasion, Mary Gomez, chairperson of BOG, paid tribute to the “transparency and teamwork” of the respective fields of specialty, including the gutsy work of raising funds by her building committee with the unflagging support of the Alumni and PTA, without which “we would not be standing here today in this beautiful new St Francis Convent Secondary School”, underlined Gomez.

The RM12 million school project, which took less than three years (2015-2018) to be ready for occupation, boasts of two 4-storey blocks with a central atrium.  One block consists of 22 classrooms and living skills workshops while the second block of science laboratories, administrative offices, staffroom, library and special rooms.

Proudly installed at the far end of the atrium were the school badge and name that were used for St Francis Convent Secondary School at Jalan Kebajikan in 1959, after having moved from the first school building at Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman built in 1922.

With the Occupation Certificate in sight, the school will begin its new term for 2019 in its new premises.  As Gomez put it to the students and teachers, “I am sure you will enjoy studying and working in this new comfortable environment which we hope will produce more and greater women of substance who will serve and contribute to a better society and nation.”

Although the building is handed over, C L Contractor was ‘laughingly’ reminded that they would have to continue to deal with a bunch of “loud, pushy and firm women” (building committee), who live by their alma mater’s motto “To love and To serve”, until the defects liability period is over.- CS