1940 –  SMI grows in    

                    academic stature

         Brother Patrick  shows the way                                                 forward                           

Brother Patrick O'Donovan Among the great steps forward taken by Brother Patrick were: The extended teaching of Science and Maths  Better classroom teaching and management  Greater focus on extracurricular activities

·         Brother Patrick was the great  educational innovator who put St Michael’s in the rank of the top schools in the FMS. ·         He instituted the weekly staff meeting  every Sunday. ·         He regularly assembled the teachers  (eight Brothers and eight lay teachers). ·         He gave them  pep talks  and suggested targets for the ensuing week. ·         Standards went up as a result. ·         Brother Patrick was still in office as Director  when the war came to Malaya. ·         Among the Brothers who joined the school at this time was a very youthful Brother Ultan Paul Rosario.He reported at  St Michael’s on  3rd September 1939. ·         Brother Patrick continued the campaign with the Education Department to allow St Michael’s to  have two classes at every level. ·         He remained in office  until 1948             The Medical Auxiliary Service, the forerunner of the St John Ambulance Brigade was founded  at St Michael's.   All Michaelian teachers joined the MAS and underwent training in First Aid.  The original school building was extended east and west to meet growing demand . Brother Patrick prevailed on the Education Department to allow St Michael's to open two classes at every level.