Talk to any former students of St Nicholas Convent, Alor Setar, and the conversation will inevitably turn to Ms Sibert, our former headmistress, who not only put the fear in our hearts but also made sure that our uniforms were starched and creaseless, the hems were well below the knees, our hair neatly combed and tied back, and no chatting during assembly. Today, I woke up to the news that Ms Millicent Sibert has passed away in Penang.
She was in her eighties. Thank you QOTH for leaving me a message this morning. This was confirmed by a journalist friend in Penang. The sad news is now seeping through the ex SNC network, thanks to sms and YM’s.
Pix of Ms Sibert at a recent reunion with QOTH's batch
Most of us have our own memories of Ms Sibert. I remember her arriving in the trishaw in the mornings and we’d scramble back into straight lines in the canteen waiting for the assembly to begin.
No running along the corridors, no speaking in any other languages but English. A strict disciplinarian she was and today, we are grateful for all the rules and regulations and disciplines that have shaped us into what we are today.
Rest in peace Ms Sibert from all your former students at SNC.
To the family and friends she left behind, our heartfelt condolence.
These are some of your former primary school students at a reunion in Alor Setar some years ago.This article "A Loving Mother to 6,000 girls" was written by T Thant in the NST on 22.5.2000
Other tributes to Ms Sibert:
MarinaM
Queen of The House
Zlaa
Naz
Sue
34 comments:
Headmistress of convent schools are all like that, ma'am? Strict diciplinarian? Sekarang ni budak tendang cikgu pun ada - kat Perlis.
Bergen - a good kid in school. (Except for the librarian case)
bergen, how true. I read with sadness about how discipline is breaking down in our schools. No more respect for teachers.
We feared Ms Sibert when she was alive, she made sure we adhered to the rules and disciplines in schools, but we now know that she had to be harsh to be kind. And only now we appreciate that.
You know KT,from Std 1-6,I was in the Convent of The Holy Infant Jesus Muar.Lepas kitaorang shifted ke KL,takdelah pergi ke sekolah convent dah.Tapi what you wrote memang similar to the rules we had in Muar..the discipline,starched uniforms,only speak English kind of thing..strangely our Mrs Millicent Danker pun naik trishaw..kitaorang selalu eager tunggu dia and tolong carry her books and files!Berebut2 nak please her.Those were the days.But you are terrific.To be able to monitor your headmistress life even though you are in a faraway land is so admirable..
mamasita, i think most convents had that reputation. Strict tak pa jangan tak strict tengok apa jadi sekarang
You mentioned Millicent Danker. I know a Millie Danker tapi dia dulu kerja dengan NST. Adik beradik dia kut.
Strict does not all mean bad - though it's no fun to most!
Yes, rest in peace, Ms Sibert...
D, we didnt enjoy it because we couldnt be naughty. Now we realise that it was all for our own good, kan? Thanks for your kind words.
I think, Ms Silbert is smiling up there in heaven for the good deed she has done to all her students in school...
May she rest in peace.
We were looking forward to having her again at our next reunion, but at least we have the memories of this year's reunion with her. Maybe she mellowed with age, but she did seem like such a sweet old lady. She would definitely be misssed.
Ms Sibert is related to the Dankers in A/Star. I remember she had a niece whose last name was Danker. Depa tu semua Eurasions.
Kak Teh, QOTH: Danker tu related to Pak Lah's missus?
Mrs N, I think if Ms Sibert is looking at us now, she'd be correcting our English, ask us to comb our hair properly and sit up straight! Dont slouch!
QOTH, you were lucky to have met up with her. I know a Danker or two, Millicent Danker - used to work in NST and I think Tony Danker - also NST. Ya - semua Eurasian.
Bergen, Wallahualam. Boleh jadi kut.
Rest in peace, Ms Sibert. You'd done well for your students.
Thank you Madam Tai Tai, am sure those who know her, reading the tributes, will appreciate it.
"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." -William Arthur Ward.
May your Ms Sibert remain a legend forever.
May she rest in peace and travel in joy through the cosmos.
A strict disciplinarian who is also kind, dedicated and compassionate will always be fondly remembered and appreciated.
manal, what an inspiring quote - thanks.
argus,well said. btw - i made mee soup and garlic chicken last nite. will boast about it in your blog.
kak Teh,
apa kabar kak,saya dok baca entry akak yang lepas tu,hiba pulak hati ni..
Dulu kita ni paling takut dengan cikgu,garang macam mana pun,masih datang ke sekolah , anak saya kena marah dengan cikgu dia sebab homework salah,meraung2 tak nak ke sekolah,haru di buat nya...
Akak ingat lagi guru besar akak,saya dah lama lupa!!!
ezza, anak-anak sekarang kalau tak pergi sekolah boleh tiru signature mak bapa bagi excuse. Ya dulu macam mana garangpun, kita tetap pergi sekolah.
Kak teh ingat Ms Sibert - tak ada seorang pun yang belajar semasa di HM, akan lupa Ms Sibert. Masa tu kak teh umur 12 tahun.
yes kak teh, I'm a true convent gal right from std 1 to form 5. and yes I can relate to having hm who can actually instill discipline in students. though mine was a chinese lady, i still remember the sisters in long white robe roaming around the school compound...
mas , masa zaman kak teh nuns semua dah skirt pendek sikit. Adalah sedikit bawah lutut. Kalau sebelum tu memang panjang ke kaki.
Kak teh cuma di convent from std 6 to form 5 saja.
Kak Teh,
Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus..yup that was the name of my school too, cuma it was in Seremban. The HM was Ms Viki Muttu. Garang giler, but we really appreciate her being such a disciplinarian. If not I don't think I'd be what I am today.
Report card day (std 4)..whole class kena rotan coz only managed to score the miserable C for ART!! Fuyooo...I've never seen so many girls cried before.
Rest in peace Miss Sibert. Susah nak cari guru macam dia. I was at SNC from std 1-6. She make the school as if its her own.
Kak Teh,
Am very touched by the tributes to Ms Sibert. She had lived well and her legacy is visible in all of you who passed thru her hand. As a result I am indirectly influenced.
Not that the old world is perfect but at least people care abt integrity and use their position to serve, even at the risk of being unpopular. Zaman ni sikit power already nak abuse.
Kak Teh,
Thanks for visiting my blog yg tak seberapa tu :)
I still have vivid memories from st nick's days. I remember trembling from top to toe when she made us recite poetry one by one...takut! tapi itu lah sampai hari ni boleh ingat and boleh ajar anak anak pulak .. haha!
Ms Sibert tak banyak cakap but sekali dia kerling, budak budak dah ketaq dagu :)
masa assembly, nak fidget pun tak berani.
Budak budak these days, dapat markah curut pun boleh balik duk sengih sengih....sigh!
It is better to be strict and surely we should have more like the late Ms Sibert around now when school students nowadays are getting so angry and stubborn.
Kay, hey! Convent jugak!! Yes, of course they were garang giler. Now, the students semuanya spoilt. Tak boleh jentik sikit.
Zlaa, it is fair to say that she WAS the SNC.
Hi&Lo, it is also sad that we never got to get close to her. I certainly didnt because I was scared. But we respected her because we knew that we must take our studies seriously, look good in our uniform and behave in and outside school.
Naz, am glad I found you. Next time kak teh pi Norway, we can talk about our convent school days. yes, Ms Sibert was a legend.
wahaza extra, yes, discipline needs to be reinstated in schools. We are reading too many negative things happening in and out of the school compound.
Ooohh... I barely remember the farewell we held for her many, many years ago, think she left in a trishaw too - part of the gimmick. One of the songs we sang (after lot of hard practice) was 'Love Story, especially when the teacher explained that 'I love you...' didn't have to be between boyfriend / girfriend, we were giggling through that line:)
Hazia, you were also from SNC!! Wow, see what the late Ms Sibert did? She brought all of us together!
Breakaway, I am somewhere in west London. Naz and I have just discovered that we are adik beradik - satu clan. Nampaknya nak kenalah pi Norway. the last time i was there I didnt meet her.
Ms Sibert Rest In Peace
I still remember....when im was standard 3 in 1977.She stop me call to the office and comb my hair neatly....such of great headmaster....always in my memories...love you...
This message all the way from Denmark
Regards
Valli
1975 - 1985
Ms Sibert Rest In Peace
I still remember....when im was standard 3 in 1977.She stop me call to the office and comb my hair neatly....such of great headmaster....always in my memories...love you...
This message all the way from Denmark
Regards
Valli
1975 - 1985
Ms Sibert Rest In Peace
I still remember....when im was standard 3 in 1977.She stop me call to the office and comb my hair neatly....such of great headmaster....always in my memories...love you...
This message all the way from Denmark
Regards
Valli
1975 - 1985
Ms Sibert Rest In Peace
I still remember....when im was standard 3 in 1977.She stop me call to the office and comb my hair neatly....such of great headmaster....always in my memories...love you...
This message all the way from Denmark
Regards
Valli
1975 - 1985
Ms Sibert Rest In Peace
I still remember....when im was standard 3 in 1977.She stop me call to the office and comb my hair neatly....such of great headmaster....always in my memories...love you...
This message all the way from Denmark
Regards
Valli
1975 - 1985
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