A 21-year-old has done Malaysia proud when she was adjudged top student in English at the University of London’s Queen Mary College recently.
Adelina Raisa Sufian, who obtained a Bachelor of Arts (English) degree with first class honours, won the coveted 2009 Westfield Trust Prize for outstanding academic achievement in English at the university last month.
Commenting on her achievement, Adelina attributed her success to encouragement from her parents, businessman Datuk Sufian Majid and Datin Alissa Fitri.
Top scorer: Adelina (left) posing for a photo with friends after she won the Westfield Trust Prize at the University of London recently. — Bernama
“I set a target throughout my study,” she said. “Most importantly, we must have the determination and confidence to succeed.
“I am glad that I was able to compete with native speakers of English, as well as students from other countries,” she told Ber- nama.
Adelina, who is also an accomplished pianist, has represented Queen Mary College in choir and mathematics competitions.
While pursuing higher education at the Oakham School, Britain, in 2004, she won the Headmaster’s Prize and was adjudged top student in Mathematics, English and Chemistry.
On her future, Adelina said she planned to write, pursue a Master’s degree and work in Malaysia.
“I love my country,” she added.
September 15, 2009
Students turn homework essays into a book
A class of 33 fifth formers from Five Arif at SMK Bandar Baru Sungai Buloh decided to turn their English essays into a book rather than waste their hard work.
One of the fifth formers, Azalea Azarae, said the class was given the task of writing 30 essays, each 1,500 words long, during their year-end holidays last year.
“Our English teacher Puan Shantini (Karalasingam) wanted us to hand in our work on the first day of school this year,” she said, after representing her class in presenting copies of the book, entitled You Should Read This ... From Teens to Teens, to Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at the Education Ministry.
Well done: Muhyiddin congratulating the students of SMK Bandar Baru Sungai Buluh for the hard work they have put in to compile their essays into a book.
She said Muhyiddin congratulated them on their book and encouraged them to work hard.
Fellow student Amizah Sulaiman, said after handing over the 900-odd essays to the teacher, they held a discussion and decided to compile the essays into a book.
“But as we could not put all 900 essays in, we formed an editorial panel, comprising fellow students who are good in English, to decide,” she said.
Classmate Lee Lai Fong said every student’s essay is in the book, with some having two.
“All the hard work is worth it now,” she added. SMK Bandar Baru Sungai Buloh principal Abdul Hakim Kassim said he was proud of his students as they had done all the work themselves.
One of the fifth formers, Azalea Azarae, said the class was given the task of writing 30 essays, each 1,500 words long, during their year-end holidays last year.
“Our English teacher Puan Shantini (Karalasingam) wanted us to hand in our work on the first day of school this year,” she said, after representing her class in presenting copies of the book, entitled You Should Read This ... From Teens to Teens, to Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at the Education Ministry.
Well done: Muhyiddin congratulating the students of SMK Bandar Baru Sungai Buluh for the hard work they have put in to compile their essays into a book.
She said Muhyiddin congratulated them on their book and encouraged them to work hard.
Fellow student Amizah Sulaiman, said after handing over the 900-odd essays to the teacher, they held a discussion and decided to compile the essays into a book.
“But as we could not put all 900 essays in, we formed an editorial panel, comprising fellow students who are good in English, to decide,” she said.
Classmate Lee Lai Fong said every student’s essay is in the book, with some having two.
“All the hard work is worth it now,” she added. SMK Bandar Baru Sungai Buloh principal Abdul Hakim Kassim said he was proud of his students as they had done all the work themselves.
Teach children to know the difference between tattling and helpful reporting
MUMMY! Jack hit me!” yells your five-year-old daughter. Your son shouts back: “No! I did not do anything to her. She is always lying.” Many parents have to deal with tattling among siblings. It takes a toll on worn-out parents when the whining and tattling get too much.
We want our children to speak up when they are hurt or in trouble. But we hardly encourage them to do so. We often respond to them with mixed messages such as: “Stop telling lies about your brother.” Or “Please stop all this bad talk at once! I don’t want to listen anymore.”
We want to teach children to know the difference between tattling and helpful reporting. If your child knows someone is in trouble and helps to tell an adult about it, that is helpful reporting. But if you tell on someone to get him in trouble, then that is tattling.
Parents have to teach children how to report clearly to protect them from those who want to hurt them. It is known that dangerous characters would tell children that nobody would believe them or they have to keep it a secret.
Children in the early years have difficulty sorting out what is right and wrong. It is up to parents to keep sharing with them ideas on doing the right thing. They need to know that certain words they use will hurt other people’s feelings. They must also learn how to tell so that people will believe them.
Sometimes they act impulsively to tattle on a friend or a sibling. In doing so, they get the attention they want or get the other person in trouble. Young children can be confused by what others do to them. They tell an adult using the wrong choice of words that will make matters worse.
One eight-year-old told her mother that a prefect in school scolds her all the time. Her mother probed further and found out that this prefect was telling her not to make friends with certain girls in class.
We want children to tell if they need help or if someone is in need of help. For example, a primary school child tells her friend that her uncle is touching her inappropriately. This young friend must know how to tell her parent or teacher instead of keeping mum.
Parents and teachers can teach children how to use certain words that will get them the appropriate attention. Siblings usually tell on one another to seek favour from parents. You do not want to punish the other child unfairly or reinforce the tattling behaviour.
Preschoolers and early primary school age children know certain rules and they may not like it when others do not follow these rules. A primary school teacher who taught Year One pupils, once told me that a student handed her a ruler and reminded her that she had set the rule that anyone who talked in class would be punished.
Listen carefully to what your child tells you. Do not brush her off by saying, “I don’t want you to tell on your brother.”
This can make your child feel slighted and ridiculed. Sometimes all you need to do is to listen; do not get roped into sibling fights.
If you want to do something, you can respond to “John took my colour pencils without asking for permission,” by teaching your child how to clearly state her feelings and opinion to her sibling.
Teach her to use words that will empower her to get things done properly. Together you can work out ideas on what she should do next. Turn-taking, sharing, negotiating or exchanging may be possible solutions for your child to solve the problem by herself.
Teach your child how to use appropriate words. Let her know that she can approach the person directly. “You are angry with your brother. Let him know this. Tell him that you don’t like it when he takes your things without asking you first.”
Parents can set the right example for their children by using “feeling” words in their messages. You can say: “I’m very happy that you told me how you feel instead of lashing out in anger.”
Children learn from parents how to use “feeling” words appropriately and understand their own feelings better.
For children to have self-confidence and respect for others, they need to be equipped with the knowledge and skill to act and speak appropriately
We want our children to speak up when they are hurt or in trouble. But we hardly encourage them to do so. We often respond to them with mixed messages such as: “Stop telling lies about your brother.” Or “Please stop all this bad talk at once! I don’t want to listen anymore.”
We want to teach children to know the difference between tattling and helpful reporting. If your child knows someone is in trouble and helps to tell an adult about it, that is helpful reporting. But if you tell on someone to get him in trouble, then that is tattling.
Parents have to teach children how to report clearly to protect them from those who want to hurt them. It is known that dangerous characters would tell children that nobody would believe them or they have to keep it a secret.
Children in the early years have difficulty sorting out what is right and wrong. It is up to parents to keep sharing with them ideas on doing the right thing. They need to know that certain words they use will hurt other people’s feelings. They must also learn how to tell so that people will believe them.
Sometimes they act impulsively to tattle on a friend or a sibling. In doing so, they get the attention they want or get the other person in trouble. Young children can be confused by what others do to them. They tell an adult using the wrong choice of words that will make matters worse.
One eight-year-old told her mother that a prefect in school scolds her all the time. Her mother probed further and found out that this prefect was telling her not to make friends with certain girls in class.
We want children to tell if they need help or if someone is in need of help. For example, a primary school child tells her friend that her uncle is touching her inappropriately. This young friend must know how to tell her parent or teacher instead of keeping mum.
Parents and teachers can teach children how to use certain words that will get them the appropriate attention. Siblings usually tell on one another to seek favour from parents. You do not want to punish the other child unfairly or reinforce the tattling behaviour.
Preschoolers and early primary school age children know certain rules and they may not like it when others do not follow these rules. A primary school teacher who taught Year One pupils, once told me that a student handed her a ruler and reminded her that she had set the rule that anyone who talked in class would be punished.
Listen carefully to what your child tells you. Do not brush her off by saying, “I don’t want you to tell on your brother.”
This can make your child feel slighted and ridiculed. Sometimes all you need to do is to listen; do not get roped into sibling fights.
If you want to do something, you can respond to “John took my colour pencils without asking for permission,” by teaching your child how to clearly state her feelings and opinion to her sibling.
Teach her to use words that will empower her to get things done properly. Together you can work out ideas on what she should do next. Turn-taking, sharing, negotiating or exchanging may be possible solutions for your child to solve the problem by herself.
Teach your child how to use appropriate words. Let her know that she can approach the person directly. “You are angry with your brother. Let him know this. Tell him that you don’t like it when he takes your things without asking you first.”
Parents can set the right example for their children by using “feeling” words in their messages. You can say: “I’m very happy that you told me how you feel instead of lashing out in anger.”
Children learn from parents how to use “feeling” words appropriately and understand their own feelings better.
For children to have self-confidence and respect for others, they need to be equipped with the knowledge and skill to act and speak appropriately
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