Miri students elated over British Queen’s reply

Joanne (back row, third right) with staff and students sharing the joy of five of their students who received letters from Queen Elizabeth II.

MIRI: Five students from Ecology English Language Centre here were overjoyed   last week when they unexpectedly received letters from Buckingham Palace, replying to their letters to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to congratulate her on her Sapphire Jubilee.
The centre’s Director of Studies, Joanne Bharatan said the five students had won the recent letter writing competition for their level/class, organised by the centre.
“They were among over 150 students who competed in the letter writing competition where they practised their creative writing with letters to Her Majesty, congratulating her on her Sapphire Jubilee.

“As the world’s longest reigning living monarch, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Her Majesty was reminded by the students of the history of England, her family, and her beauty, as well as wbeing invited to come and visit Miri and the centre,” Joanne told thesundaypost yesterday.
She added that the competition was part of a school-wide project using 21st century teaching and learning skills.
“I am a teacher’s trainer from the UK, and for the past year I have been training untrained locals to teach using 21st century teaching and learning skills. This included showing teachers how thinking outside the box can also reap rewards beyond expectations – hence, a letter writing competition congratulating Queen Elizabeth II.
“Without anyone’s knowledge, I posted the winning letters individually, to Buckingham Palace, along with the other 100 or so letters sent as a package.  The students have received replies from the longest living monarch in the world! The consequence of this is not just to promote English, but to motivate children to write,” she emphasised.
Joanne revealed that she too had written to Her Majesty as a child, adding that she still remembers how she felt when the Queen wrote back. Similarly, the five students of her centre were very happy to receive replies from Buckingham Palace although the letters were signed by the Queen’s Lady-in-Waiting Jennifer Gordon-Lennox.
Level 5 student Elvin Marco said: “It is a privilege to receive a reply to my letter from the Queen. I am very happy.”
Meanwhile, a Level 4 student who was only identified as Kelly said she was very happy and surprised, adding: “I didn’t know the Queen would write back to me!”
Joanne who holds a Master’s Degree in Education and Special Educational Needs said since the competition, the students have taken it upon themselves to write to Her Majesty again, this time with birthday wishes, as the monarch celebrates her 91st birthday on June 17.
Meanwhile, Joanne said the centre’s mission since its establishment in 2002 is to teach the English language to equip students for universal communication as well as enhance their university and career prospects.
Among other things, the centre offers the usual speaking, grammar, writing, spelling, comprehension lessons and also a specialised reading programme for students. The programme is in line with the requirements of the Primary School Standard Curriculum (KSSR) and Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR).