St. Michael's Secondary School
# St. Michael's Secondary School

St. Michael's Secondary School is a dual session secondary school located in the city of Sandakan, state of Sabah, East Malaysia. It is located at the foot of Elton Hill which is at the hub of the city on the Churches Road. The school was established on 5 October 1888, making it one of the oldest schools in Sandakan.

## History

St. Michael's Secondary School is a part of the Anglican Diocese of Sabah. The development of Anglican Church schools was inspired by foreign settlers to provide education to their children.

St. Michael's was founded in 1888 by the late Rev. William Henry Elton. At first, there were two students in the school, who taught Elton Malay language and Chinese language. In exchange, Elton taught them English.

After World War II St. Michael's collapsed, but the school was rebuilt using donations from people around the district.

St. Michael's is divided into two sections. The new building consists of five floors including washroom, staffroom, science laboratories, IT lab, library and classrooms. The other part of the school includes classrooms, Canteen A and surau (a small place of worship for Muslims). Canteen B is located in front of the Canteen A. Between the two buildings, there is an open place for outdoor activities. In addition, there is Elton Square on the ground floor of the new building.

## Principals

| # | Principal’s name | Year of service |
| - | - | - |
| 1 | The Rev. William Henry Elton | 1888–1893 |
| 2 | H. J. Edney | 1893–1894 |
| 3 | George Mathew | 1895 |
| 4 | The Rev. William Henry Elton | 1895–1901 |
| 5 | Mr. Henry Elton | 1901–1913 |
| 6 | The Rev. William Henry Elton | 1913–1914 |
| 7 | The Rev. Robert Jack Hitchcock | 1915–1918 |
| 8 | L. E. Currey | No record |
| 9 | A. N. Ellis | No record |
| 10 | W. T. Keble | No record |
| 11 | D. S. Harrison | No record |
| 12 | The Rev. Stanley Milne Collier | 1927-1928 |
| 13 | B. J. Sole | No record |
| 14 | The Rev. James Paisley | 1933-1934 |
| 15 | The Rev. Herbert Cutler | 1935-1938 |
| 16 | The Rev. Reuben Henthorne | 1938 |
| 17 | The Rev. Peter Henry Herbert Howes | 1938-1940 |
| 18 | Fu Yun Fatt | 1946–1947 |
| 19 | The Rev. Jack Sparrow | 1947–1948 |
| 20 | The Rev. Norman Cecil Brown | 1948–1949 |
| 21 | Fong Chung Fui (Acting) | 1950–1951 |
| 22 | Kenneth Douglas Franklin | 1951–1956 |
| 23 | John Brummell | 1956–1964 |
| 24 | Thien Thau Khiong | 1965–1970 |
| 25 | Vun Foh Foh | 1970–1987 |
| 26 | Tung Yow Choi | 1988–1994 |
| 27 | Ronnie Khoo | 1994–1996 |
| 28 | Dr. Edward Miku Tionsu | 1996–1998 |
| 29 | Henley Liew Yun Ye (1st term) | 1998–2003 |
| 30 | Lee Poh Chin | 2003–2005 |
| 31 | Koh Kim Whatt | 2006–2008 |
| 32 | Leong Kwok Cheong | 2009–2017 |
| 33 | Henley Liew Yun Ye (2nd term) | 2017–present |

## Facilities and buildings

### Elton Square

Located on the crest of Elton Hill, next to the World's Heritage, is St. Michael and All Angels' Church, the oldest stone structure in Sabah. It has two academic buildings, a cafeteria, and a multi-purpose court. Legacy Block is a 2-storey wooden building with classrooms, a hall, a cooperation store and a utility room. Another academic building is a 6-storey concrete building leaning on the crest of Elton Hill. It consists of five laboratories, the staff office, the principal's office, a library, an auditorium, a skill training workshop, a kitchen workshop, an art centre, a dental clinic, a book storage room, and a sport equipment storage room.

### Other features

* The Botanical Garden was created by the "Environment Lovers' Club", has been demolished to secure the Legacy Block.
* The Heliconia Garden is a row of flowers planted by the "Environment Lovers' Club" as part of the Elton Hill's beautification project.
* Michaelean Court is the newest feature of the school for students recess time and will host the new canteen.
* The Parish Hall is an activity hall lent by the church for school events such as the Graduation Ceremony.
