In November 2017, I received a parcel sent all the way from Greenboro, North Carolina in USA. The parcel contained 155 pieces of black and while photos. These photos taken during the 1960's were sent to me by a former teacher of mine, an American who was sent by the Lutheran Church of America (LCA) to teach in Lok Yuk Secondary School, Jesselton back in the 60's.
After more than half a century, Mr. Edward Greenawald, still a bachelor and in advancing age, has decided to pass these old photos to someone who may have some use of them. Indeed, they prove to be. Some of these old historical photos have since been selected by the School Management Board and put up on display along the "History Walk" of SM Lok Yuk in Likas.
Lok Yuk Secondary School is fortunate to have a teacher likes Mr. Edward Greenawald who loves photography and had spent hours capturing many moments of his life spent in that school back in the 60's.
Almost all his students remember him as a teacher always cladded in his signature Khaki short. He is easy going, friendly and approachable and is one of the most liked teachers in the school. It's no wonder that after more than fifty years, his ex-students, many in their late sixties and seventies are still enthusiastic to get connected with him. He did make a difference to the lives of students he came across in those days long faded into history!
Almost all his students remember him as a teacher always cladded in his signature Khaki short. He is easy going, friendly and approachable and is one of the most liked teachers in the school. It's no wonder that after more than fifty years, his ex-students, many in their late sixties and seventies are still enthusiastic to get connected with him. He did make a difference to the lives of students he came across in those days long faded into history!
I remember him more as my Maths teacher and to a lesser extent my special English teacher. As my first Maths teacher in my secondary school, I did well under his tutoring. He had his unique way of motivating students to love Mathematics. I remember in one of the Maths exam, he set "bonus" questions in addition to the normal set of exam questions. The idea was that if a student could not answer some of the normal questions, he/she could attempt the bonus questions. Marks scored for the correct answers in the bonus questions would come in handy for those students who did not do so well in the normal questions. I answered correctly all the normal questions as well as bonus questions. Of course, the full mark is still 100!
When we transitioned from our Chinese Primary School to the English medium secondary school, our English, both spoken and written was horrendous. The school management recognized this and set up special English class to improve our command of English. Mr. Greensward was assigned as our class special English teacher. Each lesson lasted one hour every afternoon from 2pm to 3pm for all Form 1 students. These lessons were meant to improve our pronunciation and grammar. The teaching/learning session was conducted similar to the liturgical response between the leader and the congregation in a Church worship service. It went something likes this.....
Teacher: I go to school.
Students in unison: I go to school.
Teacher: We.
Students in unison: We go to school.
Teacher: He.
Students in unison: He goes to school.
Teacher: Now.
Students in unison: He is going to school now.
Teacher: Yesterday.
Students in unison: He went to school yesterday.
........................................
My ex-classmates still grin whenever they recall this chanting type of language lesson, sometimes even therapeutic!
Left: Edward Greenawald in the 1960's and Right: Current.
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| Year 1965 |
Mr. Greenawald was relaxing with a group of Form 1 students during the morning break by the old Chapel. He was indeed easy going and students could hang around with him like buddies. Blogger is at left.
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| Teaching staff of 1965 (taken in Dec 1965) posed in front of the old staff room at the old school premise at Signal Hill, KK. Ed is at back row 4th from right. |
Amazingly, after more than half a century, the old school block where the staff room was housed is still around. The building has become the married students quarters of the Sabah Theological Seminary.
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A number of these photographs have since been selected for display in the "Historical Corridor" of the current school premise in Likas - a corridor within the school compound dedicated to displaying historical photos of the early years of the school.
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