Library Week 2012: Day II

Today, the showers have stopped for the morning, thus allowing for the opening ceremony for Library Week to finally take place. The Librarians dashed everywhere, getting ready to take over the reins from the usual Prefects. Nervous performers, fluttering gimmicks, microphones in testing, this is no small private event.


The theme for this year's Library Week is 'Love and Appreciate the School Resource Centre as a Source of Knowledge.' For that, we at the Bulletin Unit have designed this logo to be exclusively used in the posts about Library Week for 2012. This exemplifies the goals that are the Library has aspired in the theme for this year.

After the routine sections, the opening ceremony finally kicked off with a speech from our Coordinator, Pn. Sabrina, She started off her speech with with the introduction of the year's theme. To quote her, 'Love the School Resource Centre with all your mind and all your heart.' This is so as the students are the most loyal users of the School Resource Centre, for what is it without them?

She then tells of the activities that are to be held in conjunction with Library Week; that are Scrabble competitions on Monday in English and on Tuesday in Malay; picture quiz on Tuesday for first formers and Wednesday for second formers; film screenings in the media rooms on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; donation campaign for the disabled and handicapped on Thursday; and the book sales in the Library and the sales of cookies and drinks at the Canteen throughout the week.

With that, the speech is concluded, and our Principal, Pn. Azizah Yusoff, comes up on the stage to officiate the event. With the NILAM (Reading is the Key to Knowledge) program in mind, she stresses the importance of NILAM in the future and its correlation with being well-informed. Bearing in mind the activities of the week, she points out that the Library Board is a socially responsible organisation, and via the aforementioned donation campaign, the Library could indirectly serve as a catalyst for the birth of a loving society.

The ceremony was officiated with the pinning of hearts on a banner that reads 'Love and Appreciate the School Resource Centre'.

Then, symbolic book donations took centre stage with even Pn. Azizah giving over books to be added to the ever-increasing assortment of books in the Library.

After that, the Librarians recited the poem, 'The Book of Life', with ever emphasis on life being the ultimate book to be read.

Whilst our very own dancing duo, DeSpeakable, performed up front to the delight of the assembled students.

Finally, the ceremony was closed with the singing of the NILAM song.

Today was the first day the Library was opened for the book sales. Students came class by class, hoping to get some good reads. Some books were simply snatched up and there was none left of the same title! The response was warm from the students, and that would augur well for days to come.

Meanwhile, the sales of soft drinks were over-whelming for today, with cookies being nibbled by almost every student in school today, specially whipped up by Zi Qing, one of our Assistant Head Librarians, with a special recipe given by a close friend of hers. Such goodies are too tempting to resist, so who knows how they fare tomorrow.

Next, a word quiz for first-formers became a puzzle for some. What could the word mean? Look closely, and take a hint! Maybe the mist around you could disappear and it will seem as clear as day!

Finally, another Scrabble competition today, this time in Malay. With eyes ogling around at the exotic words available in the Malay language, it was good fun.

Words lashed out at one another to beat the clock, this game also had its share of ups and downs. This competition really brought out the awareness of the diversity of the Malay vocabulary and its similarly diverse origins.

This game managed to foster strategic preplanned tactics and a little good sportsmanship. The adjudicators too learnt a thing or two from this game, and hopefully the merits would be widespread and not in vain.

After this competition (more specifically during a leisure game of Scrabble), there have been thoughts on organising another tournament, this time, based on the knockout system. With that, stay tuned for any spanking new developments.

Back to the game, the champions were 5 Orkid, followed by 4 Orkid as runner-up and 2 Orkid in third place. Well done!

Before I end this post, by the way, the Be You Tree! is now on display at the magazine rack temporarily.Please check it out and take a look at it, because a special edition on Library Week would be coming up soon, and that would be an edition to remember

Ad successu nos operandi simul

Library Week 2012: Day I

Today is the start of the Library Week, and it started with ... rain! Sky, why today should you cry? With that, our opening ceremony would be postponed to tomorrow; so I shall cover that tomorrow.

Today, however, if the culmination of the Library Week preparations. The books for the book fair has arrived (and with their own porters this year!), and the Librarians are starting to sell cookies and soft drinks at the Canteen

What this post is basically about is the Scrabble competition today.

The English category took to the board today, some with over-enthusiasm for the game.

Basically, it was a roller coaster of ups and downs, words lashed out at one another to beat the clock.

This competition really brought out the deeply-implanted vocabulary of the players and chucked it into good use.

This game managed to raise awareness on the wide vocabulary of the English Language and its richness in everyday usage, alongside fostering strategic preplanned tactics and a little good sportsmanship.

The adjudicators too learnt a thing or two from this game, and hopefully the merits would be widespread and not in vain.

The champions for this game was 5 Teratai, followed by 3 Ixora as runner-up and 5 Orkid taking third place. Well done!

By the way, before I end this short post, the Be You Tree! shall be showcased on the noticeboard, waiting  for student feedback, and hopefully end our editorial limbo. Stay tuned, readers!

Ad successu nos operandi simul

Love and Appreciate the School Resource Centre!

Library Week is coming up, so let’s take a quick review on the many events this amazing week got in store us!

On Monday and Tuesday, there is going to be a Scrabble competition, so students with a strong vocabulary should seize the opportunity to join this competition. Now’s the time to bring out those bombastic words and show them who’s the winner! Of course, don’t forget that the objective of the game is to get as much points as possible, so play strategically as you get busy forming long words. Most of all have fun! There will be two categories in the Scrabble competition, either English or Malay, so students may choose to participate in either language.

In addition to that, there is also going to be a picture quiz for first and second formers. Get ready to crack your heads for this one, because it is going to be a challenge! Winners will get special prizes, so try to answer to the best of your capabilities!

Furthermore, the Library will also be holding a book fair from Monday to Friday. All classes have been assigned their respective times to visit the library, so no need to fret about not having a chance to get a glimpse at the various assortments of books! Like what you see? Then pick it up! The books displayed during the book fair would be totally for sale, unlike the rest of the books in the Library. Students who would like more time to see the books can come during recess and also after school hours.

Besides just books, the Librarians will also be selling some badges. Cute, cool or even just plain wacky! Badges are all for the fun and individual expression, so why not check them out? Who knows, you might just find one, or more that you like. Besides that, cookies and soft drink would make a great treat for the entire week, so why not pop down at the Canteen to enjoys tthese goodies? 

Not forgetting all you film fanatics, there will be screenings of selected films at the Library every day after school, so hurry on and get your tickets! On Wednesday, it would be 'The Victim': on Thursday, 'Real Steel'; and on Friday, 'Madagascar II : Escape to Africa' 

Seems like there’s going to be many activities to anticipate for Library Week, so I hope everyone would have a good time!

By Lok Huey Ning.

Still waters run deep...

A quiet March, it seems, judging from this blog; so logical conclusion, a BORING MONTH? Right? Correct?

Well you are absolutely........WRONG!  Though we are called to keep the Library quiet, our organisation is ANYTHING but quiet (literally). A cliched quote goes, 'Still waters run deep', and that is quite true, for this is what we are. a happening, bustling, paradoxical organisatiuon!

For March, it is the time for tactical planning, time to reinvigorate the Library, so that the next month, it is time for Library Week! 

On the first week of April, as school custom and almanac dictates, the Library organises a Library Week to spread the awareness of the Library and its benefits to the school, and ultimately to society as a whole.

This year, the Library is going to have a Scrabble competition, a book bazaar, a quiz about the Library, a picture quiz, countless sales and a film screening. Each Unit is assigned to run one of these activities to make the week a total success.

Being one of the most important student bodies in the school, the Librarians are to run the activities, and this would be a taster of event-organising for the future. And with such a big event going, meticulous planning is definitely needed; and that is definitely vital in running a student organisation like this.

For us at the Newsletter Unit, we would be organising the Scrabble competition alongside the Inventory Unit, the backbone of the entire Library. As Head of the Newsletter Unit, the Head of the Inventory Unit and I have trial the game, formulated the rules, briefed and sourced materials, hired adjudicators, and scoured the school for participants. It was gruelling, but I'm pretty sure that the High Committee has it harder than us.

Anyways, currently there are no pictures, but I promise I would put up some soon. Really soon, so aye...

Ad successu nos operari simul!

Celebrations galore, of comings and goings...

On the 16th of February, the School Resource Centre had a small gathering to celebrate quite a few things lumped up from last year. 

One of the main highlights was the farewell of our former Coordinator, Pn. Tan Soa Tiam, and with that the official welcoming of Pn. Sabrina. After speeches of both joy and sadness, Pn. Tan was given a goodbye gift by the School Resource Centre Board of many fond memories under her . The School Resource Centre Prefects even put up a brief dance for her, with the duo popping to the beats and presenting roses to both teachers.

Other than that, PMR examination candidates too got lauded on that day, with a cake being made for them for their efforts in the library and also their hard work in making our school’s exam results a booming success! 

With the interviews already done and concluded earlier in the week, soon new faces would complement that of Pn. Sabrina and hopefully refresh the club that is the School Resource Centre! 

SMKBU(3) Wind Band Concert: Behind the Scenes

The Librarians have always been the hand behind the stage in most school events, and here we are, being stage hands for the SMKBU(3) wind band concert. As one of the important organisations within the school, it is prerogative for the Library to be actively involved in school events. 

Firstly, it's the strategic planning to get things done without a hitch. That's what we Librarians do best, observe and plan to get things done the way it should be, simple and concise.

Our two members of the Library Board High Committee, also the two perfectionists of the Library, would come down and set things straight. Literally. They even wanted to straighten the stacks of concert programmes just so that they could be picked up by the audience. How hard-working these two are (practically workaholics if you ask me).

Speaking of hard-working, even our ex-seniors came to lend us a hand. Our ex-Head Librarian was so willing to help us, and that is really a lot from him. How dedicated he is to the Library that even he came down and help with the concert!

Meanwhile, another two members of our High Committee (workaholics as well), are sprucing up the hall, putting on the finishing touches to the table. This is truly Librarian material! They set a really high bar for future Librarians to even reach in terms of effort and dedication.

After a long morning of preparations, our current Head Librarian, now giving orders to finalise all preparations. Everyone listens intently, eager to finish off whatever preparations that need to be completed before the concert commences. As our motto goes, 'Towards success we work together!'.

 

 After it all, it was finally time to open the floodgates! Students literally gush through the door, with ticket and concert programme in hand, thoroughly oblivious to the preparations the Librarians have done. Oh well, as a proverb goes, 'Do not let your left hand know what alms your right hand has given.'

What a blast the concert has been, with a member of our High Committee being the master of ceremonies. After warmly introducing the performances for the day, he couldn't help but dance to the music with his co-mistress of ceremonies and the chairman of the wind band. It was certainly a day to remember...

And that is all from behind the scenes of the Wind Band Concert. Ciao, and may we will have more events to share with the world!

Ushering in the year of the dragon...

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone!

In conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebrations, here's a little drawing I whipped up during the day!

♥ Alisa, a new contributor to the blog.

Heureux Nouvel An Chinois! (or 中国新年快乐!)

It's another new year, barely three weeks into 2012. How I love Malaysia, for all its public holidays! Anyways, the Chinese calendar heralds the coming of the Dragon Year, the most auspicious zodiac in the calendar cycle. Somehow, the dragon ended up fifth in the race to the Jade Emperor (or was it Buddha?), but still that didn't bring down the prestige of the Dragon. The last Dragon year was around 2000, coinciding with the third millenium; making it quite of an auspicious, once-in-a-lifetime experience to velebrate that year. Even so, this post is about 2012, so let's get a move on.

Almost everyone knows the drill. Clean everything, repay all debts, settle all arrangements before the new year arrives. Then, have a reunion dinner on new year's eve, perhaps watch the fireworks and firecrackers scare all the evils of the past year, and if you are lucky, get to watch a lion dance! After all that, land with a plunk on your bed, get up early, and ready the house for any visitors willing to stop by. Then comes the good part, get ang pows loaded with money! That is, if you're still a child and unmarried, or else you'll be the one crying about empty pockets. Let it go on for 15 days, and that's the festival simplified. (Of course, there are a handful of superstitions to adhere to, but that's another story...)

Nothing is without form and substance. However, substance is always over form, for what is form if there is no substance to define it? Point is, Chinese New Year is not about having the best food, watching the most well-coordinated lion dance, or even getting the most ang pow money! (Yes, I love my ang pows, as a child I'm afraid I must gobble them all up, but that's not what I meant) Eventhough you are alone with these, the spirit of these celebrations would never be with you. It is family that matters. The ones that comforts you when you're down, and jumps with you when you're elated; that's them. No matter how much you can't stand them, or despise them (or turn them to stone), it's not like you can choose them! Everything happens for a reason, and there's one to why your family is, well, your family.

With that, I sign out from this post composed at the first mments of the Year of the Dragon, and wish everyone a happy and prospereous year!

Simple English

Hi there, I'm the new Librarian blogger on this blog, here to provide informative posts in easy-to understand English, unlike the needlessly complex and obscuring style of language provided by my fellow author (I'm joking). I'll be providing various updates on stuff that happened around the library and the school on hopefully a regular basis, with just a tiny hint of sarcasm thrown in for good measure.

Anyways, I look forward to this assignment, and I hope whoever reads this will enjoy the various ramblings and musings blogs by the Librarians. 

This blogger was the Head of Inventory for 2011-2012

Pusat Sumber Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bandar Utama Damansara (3)

Phew, what a mouthful! That is the official name of our organisation. As with many student groups, there is bound to be amateurs and screw-ups. Our name has been polished throughout the history of our school, even gaining equal status with the prefects, but along the way, we have lost some of our shine and our patronage.

Today was our first official (but informal) meeting, to discuss our tactical plans for the year. With our head absent, her assistants chaired it as her proxy. As usual, we started with a motivational talk, something to get our morale up. Contrary to our Principal's rhetoric, the prefects were used as a yardstick. We didn't stand a chance to them in discipline and reputation, our image deteriorating to a record low last year. In usual rhetorical style, transformation for the better was again the agenda, calls for a more committed body and a disciplined one.

This is usual for a normal meeting, but what struck me was how much our predecessors have achieved. Shaping a golden reputation from scratch, improvement of our School Resource Centre, they were the happening of the school. Now, it is our turn. End of point.

What was the meeting for? Oh yes, the planning. Since the Bulletin Unit is super-new, we didn't have to complete any missing papers, so it's all plain sailing in planning for our editions. Staring at the blank page before me, thinking of what to write. Even our members are non-existent, all waiting to be filled up by probationary school resource centre prefects. Devised a test, and then zzzzzzzzz.

Well, that might've been boring, except for the fact that we are officially recognised by the central administration. Finally! Technocracy is the next step for us. Now, we are searching for any potential bloggers so that I can take a holiday (please come fast!), and a higher readership rate.

That's all, and I look forward to any new bloggers cropping up soon. Bye!