S.M.K. Convent Bukit Nanas (abbreviated CBN) is an all-girls school located at Bukit Nanas, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest schools in Malaysia and is widely known as CBN. Convent Bukit Nanas is one of the first schools to be distinguished as a Cluster School of Excellence by the Malaysian Ministry of Education. CBN has a close relationship with her brother school, St John's Institution, which is located along the same road and is also a Cluster School of Excellence. It is one of the 30 convent secondary schools in Malaysia.
On 16 December 2008, Pos Malaysia issued a premium set of four commemorative stamps and first-day cover, honouring four Premier Schools of Malaysia - Convent Bukit Nanas and Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur, SMK St. Thomas in Kuching and SMK All Saints in Sabah for their superiority in academics, sports,and extra-curricular activities.
History
In 1899, three Sisters of the Congregation of the Holy Infant Jesus stepped off a steamship anchored at Port Swettenham. Reverend Mother St Levine, accompanied by Sisters St Sabine and St Madeleine, had come on a mission to establish a school in Kuala Lumpur. The first convent school was located in Nonya Ah Yok's garden shed, and the Sisters lived on the first floor of her country house by the River Gombak on Ampang Road. The site is directly opposite Bukit Nanas. On 1 March 1899, the fee-paying Convent School in Kuala Lumpur officially opened with a dozen children. Many of the early pupils were children of immigrants working on the railway lines. By the second year there were 60 day pupils and the sisters were operating an orphanage on the site.
To the rescue came Towkay Ngee sui who gave temporary residence to the Sisters and the children at his house in Semenyih. He also approached the Government for approval to start a lottery to enable the Sisters to buy Victoria Hotel in Brickfields. Towkay Goh, as one of the benefactors of the convent, continued to help the Sisters, even providing a carriage and pony for their grocery shopping. On 15 January 1901, Victoria Hotel - once the venue of annual general meetings of the United Planters' Association - became home to Reverend Mother St. André, 17 sisters, 60 orphans and a school for 22 boarders and 100 day pupils. There was also a creche for 12 babies. Word of the Sisters' good work spread, and increasing numbers of pupils crammed the school. By 1911, there were 308 children, prompting the Inspector of Schools to recommend that new classrooms be built.
Timeline
1899 The first principal, Reverend Mother St. Levine, was murdered. The murderer was found dead in mysterious circumstances and police considered it as a murder-suicide.
1900 The death of a day pupil was noted in the Diary. 'The school closed at half past one to allow the children to go home and get ready for the funeral on 24 January. In December, the Federal Inspector of Schools congratulated the Sisters on the 'efficient state of the school' adding that he would be recommending the maximum grant for the convent.
1902
5 November - The Inspector of Schools FMS, J. Driver, approved the syllabi for Hygiene and Geography. 11 December - The Acting British Resident visited the convent and its grounds to inspect the 'ruins of inundation'.
1904 The pupils wore a convent uniform for the first time - a blue skirt and white blouse, sewn by Sisters Lawrence and Marie. Some boys left for the newly opened St. John's Institution.
1907 The school got its first grand piano, donated by Milly O'Hara Music lessons introduced by Rev Mother St. Augustin. Rev Mother St André, after a recuperative period in France, was transferred to Taiping Convent.
1909
The Inspector of Schools in his report noted that the Infant class was well supplied with kindergarten material. The lower Elementary classes used writing books with double lines, and the 'writing' in consequence was better'. F. A. Vanrenen also noted that 'pains was being taken with the pronunciation and the reading throughout was most satisfactory. Composition of Standard IV was fair'. He recommended that each student in the Higher Elementary Standards be provided with an atlas or map of reference for the Geography lesson. (The Inspector of Schools made frequent visits to the Convent School - in March, May and September)
1911 Mother St Matilde, revered founder of the HIJ Missions in Malaya, Singapore and Japan dies in Yokohama.