Green Green Home Sweet Home

The New building of Holy Cross Church in Toboh

The old pict of the old building of Holy Cross Church Toboh

Those Were the Moments: My Primary School


The road in the picture that leads right north, is the road the people of my village, went through almost every day. I walked for about ten to fifteen minutes to school (Srk St David, Toboh Primary School), together with my childhood best friends Baita Carolina Gadana and Felicia Gabriel, and also with other friends. We also walked to the Holy Cross Church, Toboh every Sunday to attend Mass. There's a tamu (a local gathering where village folks come down to the site to sell goods) held in Toboh every Sunday. 
The old building with maroon roof which has four triangular roofs, is the old Holy Cross church building. I was baptised and received my Holy Sacrament of Confirmation here. The figure of the building can be seen in the small old pict. (Pictures courtesy of Gilbert P Lakun ) The biggest building in the green picture is the new building of Holy Cross Church Toboh, the place  I said 'I do' to my husband, the day we  received the Blessing of Matrimony according to the Rite of the Catholic Church. At the right side of the new church  is The Needy Children Home Tambunan and Srk St David primary  school are at the same area .

It was a mission school, founded by Fr. John Quinn,  built in 1935. At the beginning, the school had only four students and only accepted male students. The school was known as St. John School. In 1938, 'The Immaculate Conception Convent School was founded by White Sisters. It was reserved for female students only. In 1969, the primary five pupils from SRJK St John were promoted to Primary 6 in 'The Immaculate Conception Convent School’.

Both schools were amalgamated in 1970. It became a vernacular primary schools (SJK) St. David Toboh, Tambunan. Beginning in the year, the school received boys and girls. The first headmaster was Sister M. Caramel, who served from 1970 until the year 1981 (11 years). In 1982, the school name was changed to the National Primary School (SRK) St. David, Toboh Tambunan. (History Quote from the page of the open Group of SRK ST David Toboh Tambunan in Facebook.)

SRK St David, Toboh, Tambunan

One of the memories when I was schooling here was, I loved being in the library, sitting for hours reading and enjoying the books and the colorful illustrations. I loved to see the pictures of their countries, their homes, school, pets, eyes and hair colors, clothes, the pictures of the places with different weathers..They were so beautiful. The Christian missionaries sent the books to the school. Until now, I still love reading children's story books. I believe, the stories and the illustrations in the books were actually the real faces of the people and places in their country. From here, I started to love English Language subject in my classroom, and I started to improve my language slowly.

Another thing I remember is, when a teacher  scolded me (I forgot the reason), and caned my palm with rattan. It was painful of course. Feeling weepy I went home. Upon arriving home, mom looked at me and asked what happened. I told mom what happened hoping that she will go to school and scold the teacher who punished me. Instead of giving her sympathy to me, mom scolded me back “Tulaa..tidak pandai dengar cakap cigukann..tingu kena denda suda... Buat lagii lain kali..Biar ko kana rotan lagi..”..Adeii...She said that I deserved it because I was not listening to the teacher. I felt so unfair. Huhuu ... But few moments after that, mom gently fondled my palm. “lain kali dengar cakap cigu ba...supaya tidak kena rotan lagi aa..” hahahaa..I burst into tears. She said, next time I should listen to the teacher, so I won’t get punished.  

Nowadays, the situation has changed. If a pupil complains that she/he is caned by a teacher, if not the parents come to school to scold the teacher and defend their kid, it will become an issue on media. The school and the teacher will become famous all in a sudden...hehehhe..but not all caseslaa...

Those years have passed, and will never turn back again..I am not only missing my schooling moments, I miss my childhood and most of all, I miss mom..Those moments were the most beautiful of all life’s season.

There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.  ~Elizabeth Lawrence




Our School Holidays 'Playground'