Although Dalat’s Christmas celebrations look different this year due to the pandemic, teachers and staff can all still experience the peace and joy of the season! Merry Christmas to all of our alumni, both near and far!
 

Reuben Seevaratnam, alumnus of the class of 1987, shares this message …

“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" Luke 2:14 NKJV 

“Amid this global pandemic, the world needs peace and goodwill like never before. For those who have experienced sorrow this year, may you experience comfort, tranquility, and joy from the Prince of Peace. His presence may not keep us from the valleys, but He empowers us to keep walking through them. His presence may not deliver us from our enemies, but He does prepare a table of celebration for us during challenging circumstances.  

As we fellowship this Christmas season, let us stay thankful for His many gifts and the grace to enjoy those gifts. I pray that we will be like the lights on a Christmas tree, shining in the darkness and pointing the way to Him. After all, the greatest gift to humanity, Jesus, hung on a tree. May His love, joy, and peace radiate through us the eternal hope He provides.“

Blessed Christmas!
 

The Seevaratnam family: Reuben (Class of 1987), Shantel (Elementary Principal) and their children, all current Dalat students.

You may have heard on social media that Dalat went back to teaching and learning online after Malaysia implemented a second conditional movement control order (CMCO) due to rising COVID-19 cases. From November 10th - December 7th, campus closed to students, and school transitioned online to synchronous lessons (presented concurrently) on Zoom. 
 
Our good news this week is that the CMCO lifted in Penang and students returned face-to-face, in time for the last two weeks of the semester! 
 
The high school got back in time to prepare for final exams, and younger students can finish up projects and celebrate Christmastime together, pandemic-style. While most say they were able to stay on task at home and maintain their grades, students can all agree that they have missed each other! This second period of school closings were less restrictive than Malaysia’s movement control order (MCO) from March 18 - June 19th when full isolation was in place. 
 

Many alumni have special memories of visits to the landmark Hillside food court in Tanjung Bungah near the Dalat campus. On November 7, the food court suffered extensive damage after it caught fire. Thankfully, no one was injured, but the structure will have to be rebuilt. The fire was caused by cooking grease that ignited and jumped to electrical wiring in the ceiling. 
 
From The Star newspaper: 
A fire broke out at the Mutiara Selera food court in Tanjung Bungah, destroying 70% of the structure. Penang Fire and Rescue Department Fire operation & Safety Officer Nafis Ariff Abdullah said the department received a distress call at around 10:20am on Saturday (Nov 7).
 
“A fire was reported at the Mutiara Selera Food Court along Jalan Sungai Kerian and Jalan Tanjung Bungah. Upon arriving at the scene, it was found that the fire involved a class B open food court, ” he said. No victims were reported, and the fire was brought under control by 10.50 am.
 

True to our mission, Dalat has committed to a substantial increase in scholarship support this school year to ensure that students of mission workers can continue to afford to send their children to Dalat during the difficult financial times that the pandemic has created. Generous donations from alumni and friends make it possible for Dalat to help more families in need. 
 
You can help with a tax-deductible gift to the MK Education Fund. Gift online in the US (here), and now Canadian donors can give online in Canadian funds (here). Thank you for making quality education possible through your giving!

What’s in a Name? Sandycroft, an 18th century estate and eventually a British military retreat center, was the original name of the place that our school now occupies. On the right side of the photo you can see the original cornerstone on the gate engraved with the Sandycroft name, along with the name of the original owner of the estate, Cheah Lean Guan. The cornerstone was saved and it now has a prominent place in Dalat’s archives. Until you can travel back to Penang to visit the archives in person, we’ll keep bring you fun glimpses of our rich history!
 
What you might not know is that Dalat is remembering and honoring our Penang campus roots by naming our newest multi-purpose hall Sandycroft. The new space will open early in 2021 on the second floor above Dalat’s new cafeteria, The Galley. The building is located where Jackson dorm was previously situated on campus.




Do you have a flashback photo you’d like to share? Send it our way and we’ll post it in the next newsletter. 
 

Update your former classmates about the latest happenings in your life. Wherever you’re living, whether it’s in Malaysia or on the other side of the globe, reconnect with your fellow alumni! 

In 3–4 sentences let us know how you are doing and if possible, send a current photo. Please include your full name (including your maiden name) and year of graduation. We will share your brief update on Dalat’s website.

Email to:  cfranceschi@dalat.org or alumni@dalat.org.