PELITA - The Methodist Church Newsletter
Listed below are articles abstracted from past issues of PELITA
Council of Education (COE) News
01 Sep 2017
Farewell Mdm Chia Loy Tian, Principal of WMSKL (International), 2011 - 2017
Source/Author: Daniel Gan
Highly respected and well loved by her students as well as teachers and parents, Mdm Chia Loy Tian’s last day at Wesley Methodist School Kuala Lumpur was a truly emotional affair. One by one, from the Deputy Principal, Mdm Pearl Moses,Vice Principals, Mr Nathan and Mdm Doreen Ti to Heads of Departments and long serving teachers, poured out their hearts, endless praise and glowing tributes to Mdm Chia. And they all said the same things that connected all the dots about Mdm Chia’s personality - calm and collected, patient, always listening, demure but yet firm when called to be a tough and loving Principal with not just her teachers but her students whom she often called in Mandarin “my baobei” or “treasures”.
Under Mdm Chia’s leadership, the school scored many firsts, such as stellar SPM results coming out top in the country in the year 2014 (CGPA of 0.92) and 2015. (CGPA of 1.13). Admon Lee, a Form Four student became the world Powerpoint champ in the Microsoft Office Specialist Tournament, Dallas, USA in 2015. This includes, her successful oversight and supervision of WMSKL (Private) as the first WMS School to make the transition to WMSKL (International) offering Cambridge IGCSE. The first batch of IGCSE students in 2016 made Mdm Chia proud, with 85% scoring A*/A and 5 students received the Cambridge International Examination’s Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards. And who could forget all the high quality concerts under Mdm Chia’s creative leadership, such as Mulan and Lion King, Emma the Pop Musical or the Prince of Egypt. More students have also made trips to Japan, Australia, U.K., USA, China and Singapore for student-exchange programmes and taken part in international tournaments.
Student leaders and alumni, remember her as a wonderful Principal, full of wisdom and grace, who used her careful diction of sagacious words (using wise and discerning words) at each Monday morning assembly and displayed sangfroid character (full of composure) in the midst of adversity. She projected a motherly figure, a worldly wise guide and mentor, a praying Principal and most of all an Educator mentoring the students to go above and beyond their comfort zone. One by one students salute her for her tenacity and tireless dedication over the 7 years, transforming WMSKL into a high performing Christian International school. For Mdm Chia, attaining academic success is only second to ensuring character building through Godly principles and love.
Probably the most inspiring speech must have come from parent Mr. Kenneth Tan Kian Chong of the Christian Parent Support Committee, whose wonderful speech described Mdm. Chia as a communicator who balanced scoldings with praises. She cajoled the students especially at every Monday morning assembly and also through her day to day interaction with them.
Probably the most inspiring speech must have come from parent Mr. Kenneth Tan Kian Chong of the Christian Parent Support Committee, whose wonderful speech described Mdm. Chia as a communicator who balanced scoldings with praises. She cajoled the students especially at every Monday morning assembly and also through her day to day interaction with them.
Mdm Chia’s final speech was filled with emotion as she would surely miss dearly the school’s hustle and bustle and the endless hive of activities of making sure that the teachers inspired learning in the students everyday. These were interspersed with the myriad of co-curricular activities of WMSKL(I). She paid tribute to the new in-coming Principal Mr. Wong Chee Kheon who has inherited a vibrant and dynamic school, full of high achieving students and yet a need for the students to demonstrate humility and be God conscious.
In closing, to mention a quote from Fred Rogers, “Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else”. Everyone within the family of WMS who has come into contact with Mdm Chia wishes her a blessed retirement. We pray that she will be able to do all the things she has longed to do: waking up to no alarm clocks, losing herself in a good book, traveling with her beloved spouse Mr Patrick Tai, and keeping in touch with relatives and friends like it is summer vacation every day! Wishing God’s blessings on Mdm Chia and her family always.
In closing, to mention a quote from Fred Rogers, “Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else”. Everyone within the family of WMS who has come into contact with Mdm Chia wishes her a blessed retirement. We pray that she will be able to do all the things she has longed to do: waking up to no alarm clocks, losing herself in a good book, traveling with her beloved spouse Mr Patrick Tai, and keeping in touch with relatives and friends like it is summer vacation every day! Wishing God’s blessings on Mdm Chia and her family always.