"I love the students. I really do!"

The ESL Teacher
1 January, 2007

THE WONDERFUL SMK AGAMA MIRI STUDENTS

To me, SMK Agama Miri students are a bunch of friendly, polite and respectful students. They pay attention in class, listen to you, and do whatever you ask them to do. If you need help, they are ever willing to lend a helping hand. And no matter where you are, be it in school or at town, if the students happen to see you, they will ALWAYS greet you and wish you well. How I miss those things!

One of the many things that I find charming about the students is their good naturedness in competing against each other in competitions and matches. Regardless of their strengths and abilities, SMKAM students will participate in the school's competitions and sports matches with gusto and good-will against their fellow competitors.

If they lose the match, they accept that with a smile. If a team player spoils it for them, the team will grin and tease him/her. No rebuke or arguments or anything of the sort. In other words, winning is NOT everything. It's the experience and the courage to participate that matters. As such, events such as the school annual sports day will see those who are not athletic participating enthusiastically and confidently for no one, not even the real athletes, will jeer or boo at them. In fact, they will receive as much encouragement, if not more, from everyone. And I think that's simply wonderful!

SMKAM students are also an adventurous lot. They just need the chance, some encouragement and maybe some guidance for them to demonstrate their capabilities.

At one time, a student-leader (i.e. prefect) with the help of his committee members organized a "Bulan Aktiviti" or "Activity Month" where they had a wide ranging competitions and tournaments for the whole school to participate. The response was simply amazing. And what made me, the teacher advisor, so proud was the fact that there were only seven of them in that particular committee and yet they managed to find their own sponsors and funds for the project, prizes for the winners, judges for the various competitions, and organized a closing ceremony which rivalled those organized by the four SMKAM Subject Departments! (The comment was made by Senior Assistant II - Ustaz Mohd Sopey Hussin and was agreed by the Principal - Ustaz Haji Amin Mohd Rashid).

Another example of SMKAM students' leadership capability was when the committee members of the Indoor Games club for which I was the teacher advisor organized a 3 day trip to Similajau National Park in Bintulu. The trip was filled with games, talks, jungle trekking etc. which were planned and conducted under the supervision of the committee members. It wasn't an easy thing to do - to organize a trip for 30 form 1, 2 and 3 students - but the committee members managed to do it and they were only in the fourth form! Needless to say, the success of the educational trip became the talk of the school and prompted other clubs to plan for such activity. The number of students who applied to join the club the following year increased significantly!

My friends and teachers from other schools often remark that they find SMKAM students a pleasant and disciplined lot. And they also often express their envy at the seemingly easy time the SMKAM teachers have in the classroom since the students do not create any problems there. To those comments, all I can say is: "Yes, that's true,"' and "Thank you, God!"

I can go on and on about how wonderful SMK Agama Miri students are; but I think I'd better stop here or you'll think I'm making up stories!

However, please allow me this opportunity to acknowledge the following group of students who have played a significant part in my life in SMK Agama Miri. They are:

My first batch of SMKAM students in Piasau
My form three 1998
My form three 1999 and form four Bestari 1999
My form four Al-Abqari & An-Nabil 2000 and form five Al-Abqari, An-Nabil & Al-Rasyid 2000
My form five Al-Abqari & An-Nabil 2001 and my form four Al-Abqari, An-Nabil & Az-Zaki 2001
My form five An-Nabil & Az-Zaki 2002, my form 1 Al-Abqari, An-Nabil & Al-Arif 2002, and my lower six 2002
My form four An-Nabil, Az-Zaki & Al-Arif 2003 and my lower and upper six 2003
The Board of Prefects 2000
The Student Leaders Committee 2001 & 2002
The Indoor Games Club members and committee members 2002 & 2003
The Saidina Umar (Red House) 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 members and Committee members

"Thank you for enriching my life!"

:: Yours Truly

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