IGB International School’s Weekly Newsletter - Issue 91, Week 3 , October 2016
• IGBIS Deepavali Assembly - October 25th 2016
Inside This Week Message from Head of School Mrs. Anne Fowles Head of School ...................................................... News from Elementary School Mrs. Claire McLeod Elementary School Principal ...................................................... News from Secondary School Mr. Michael Arcidiacono Secondary School Principal ...................................................... Grade 6 Science Field Trip Reeti Malhotra ...................................................... Drama Fieldtrip Naveena Kaur Rikhraj ...................................................... Our Experience at the Art Expo Plus Yuto, Yao Wen, Pei Xuen, Lara, Jeffrey ...................................................... SENIM Conference Gail Hall and Lizzie Hudson Learning Support Coordinators
Inside This Week Grade 9 Science Field Trip Megan Settle Middle School Science ...................................................... Grade 9 Music ...................................................... IGBIS’ GIN Recycling Project Mary Boyd Diploma Programme Coordinator ...................................................... Wayne’s Words Mr. Wayne Demnar Admissions & Marketing Director ..................................................... Alumni + Photos
Kopitiam Friday 4th November Australian University Fair Friday 4th November 12.30-1.30 Student Lounge UK University Fair Monday 7th November 12.30-1.30 Student Lounge Sports Day Wednesday 9th November
MILLIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE. 24 HOURS. the END OF SLAVERY. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19TH - SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH, 2016 24hourrace.org | https://sites.google.com/igbis.edu.my/pvo
Message from Head of School Dear IGBIS Parents and Community Members, It was wonderful to see so many people from our community at the Deepavali Assembly this week. Thank you to all the teachers, support staff and students who prepared performances for the assembly and to all of those who came along in their Deepavali clothes.
The East Asia Regional Council of International Schools has been holding its leadership conference in Kuala Lumpur this week. Most of our leadership team and board members took this opportunity to attend the conference and take part in leadership and board training and meetings with colleagues from across the Asia Pacific region. Next week there are two days of professional development and meetings for our teachers. On Tuesday November 1, staff will focus on Child Protection policies and practices in the morning and on Differentiation strategies for different learners in the afternoon. There will also be some training on the Council of International Schools (CIS) and New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accreditation protocols and associated standards. On Wednesday November 2, all of the staff will begin to look more closely at where IGBIS is now compared to the CIS and NEASC standards and where we would like to be. During November 1-4 the four visitors from CIS and NEASC will be meeting with a cross-section of staff, students and parents as well as conducting classroom observations to determine how well IGBIS is doing compared to the accreditation standards. Following this the school will receive a report about its current status and readiness to undertake the full accreditation pathway. Happy Deepavali everyone. Enjoy the long weekend. We will see our students back in school on Thursday, November 3.
Mrs. Anne Fowles Head of School
News from Elementary School more prevalent here, the effects of all three viruses can pose a serious threat to public health. Please take time to read the Zika information and consider how you and your family can take precautions against mosquitoes in general. Whilst we know that we cannot eliminate mosquitoes from our tropical environments, our school takes precautions by fogging each week and ensuring we do not have stagnant water lying around. Reminders: • Monday is a school holiday. • Tuesday and Wednesday are Professional Development Days for teachers and therefore, school will be closed. Our Deepavali Assembly on Tuesday was full of colour, music, dance and information, presented by our students, teachers and administration staff. I was impressed to see so many students wearing Indian-inspired dress, which helped create a wonderful atmosphere throughout the day.
Until next time,
Mrs. Claire McLeod Head of School
By now you will have received an update from the Clinic about the Zika virus. Zika virus is spread by the same mosquitoes that carry Dengue and Chikungunya and, whilst Dengue is
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News from Secondary School Our Deepavali assembly was a big success this week, due to the hard work and involvement of many students and staff. I was particularly impressed and thankful for the eloquent speaking by Tamanna, Reeti, Adriana, Naveena and Yin Tze. Well done! Next week will be a short week with the holiday on Monday, followed by the professional development days on Tuesday and Wednesday. While the students will be enjoying a very long weekend, teachers and staff will be busy reflecting on our current progress and considering future steps as we develop ourselves as a school and community. This is part of our accreditation process for CIS and NEASC. In the secondary school, accreditation is important for an additional reason. As parents already know, the IB Diploma is recognized worldwide by colleges and universities as a highly
rigorous, yet balanced, education which prepares students well for their continuing education. Virtually all students at IGBIS take the full IB Diploma; however, there are occasions where a student may not undertake the full programme. Through the process of accreditation, our IGBIS high school diploma is also recognized as a successful completion to secondary school, so that all of our graduates are ready for tertiary education. This is a good topic for the next Kopitiam with the SS Principal -- on Friday 4th November. I hope you will join me for a coffee and a chat about this as well as other topics. Sincerely yours,
Michael Arcidiacono Secondary School Principal
Reeti Malhotra Grade 6
.................................................................................................................................................................. Our current unit of study in Grade 6 Science is called Firing Up. On the morning of October 20th, we visited Petrosains Science Museum at KLCC. The bus ride was full of laughter and chatting, and upon reaching the Twin Towers, everyone was a bundle of excitement. We got into groups to find Independent, Dependent and Controlled Variables that would allow us to design and conduct experiments. We first went through the “Dark Ride�, an oil drop-shaped carriage, where we learnt a few more things about the world of science. Then we started exploring the exhibits. This was fun since we got to do a few activities like sliding, escapes and brain power tests - they all had something to spark our imagination and thinking skills. After visiting most exhibits, we took the Dark Ride back to the exit and then had lunch in the food court, where we discussed all we had seen and learnt.
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Naveena Kaur Rikhraj Grade 9
.................................................................................................................................................................. On Thursday morning the 20th of October, the Secondary Drama students assembled to go on an excursion to the PJ Live Arts Centre to view the play ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ by the HandleBards, a performance troupe from the UK. Going to witness another Shakespearean play lowered all our expectations initially, but the unique and creative manner in which this play was performed was well above our expectations. The HandleBards, an extremely talented group of cycling actors, perform around the globe using minimal sets, costumes and props that they can carry on their bicycles. Being a group of only 4 actors, they undertook a great challenge in choosing to perform a play that required at least 12 characters, but proved to work their magic as we were all left amazed and enticed throughout the play.
As members of the audience and students of drama, we enjoyed witnessing how the actors simultaneously switched roles, made use of unusual instruments to make music, and performed without microphones. The costumes were beautiful, creative and well-suited to every character, and the actors managed to switch roles throughout scenes effectively within these costumes.
by Yuto, Yao Wen, Pei Xuen, Lara, Jeffrey
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All in all, this experience was very enjoyable. The play we witnessed was truly unlike any we had ever seen before, and the actors must be commended for keeping us all engaged, enticed and interested throughout. Although this is just one of the two performances we have seen live as a class, we have taken back several things that we are now capable of using in our drama classes. We definitely look forward to having many more experiences like this in the future!
On the 21st of October, Ms. Kelly’s Visual Art students attended the Art Expo Plus at the Matrade Exhibition and Convention Centre. This year’s Art Expo was the 10th exhibition celebrating the longest running international art fair in Southeast Asia.
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This is the second time we, the art students, went to the Art Expo with Ms. Kelly. This year’s exhibition had less artwork compared to last year’s exhibition, though the work was more spaced out and allowed us to move through the exhibition more freely. Throughout the exhibition, we noticed that there
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were more Asian artists compared to the year before. When we walked through the door there was an intense oil and acrylic scent in the air. Most of the artists were very approachable and we interviewed some of them. We mainly focused on the Japanese section of the exhibition, as we felt like it was very unique. We talked to the exhibition managers regarding art pieces that interested us, such as a sculpture made by Misako Maegaki, and paintings by Tomoko Wada and Nannow Naruse. This helped us learn more about Japanese art and its specific techniques which we would possibly apply in the future, such as the use of Chinese ink on rice paper. We also learnt that Japanese art not only keeps features from previous older artworks, but also builds upon them. This way its historical and cultural value is not lost, and this creates a distinctive feel. Additionally, we met Singaporean artist, Jeffrey Wandly, who had a very unique art style. His art featured historical buildings of Malaysia and Singapore with his paintings consisting of interconnected lines, which had no beginning or end. The theme of freedom was very prominent in his paintings due to the splotches of paint, pouring of paint over canvas (to paint sky and ground), and messy lines which do not form a clear image but instead cause the viewer to look closer, as though in a dream. He said that to him, buildings represent culture, history and resemble human bodies - such as pillars as bones, windows and doors as mouths and eyes. Finally, the artist gave us advice on how to develop our own artistic style and individualise our art from others. “The best feeling in the world is when people look at your art and are able to tell its from you.” ~ Jeffrey Wandly
Tong Hong Sheng,See Unexpectedly, 113cm x 78cm,oil on canvas, 2008
IGBIS students with Jeffrey Wandly
Overall, the experience was enlightening and fruitful as we were exposed to different types of art, from many rich cultures and people who are passionate about their art. “I always really enjoy taking students to visit large exhibitions like this, as there is something for everyone. Each student, found a work of art that spoke to them. This year I was so pleased to see students confidently speak to artists about their work and techniques.” ~ Ms. Sheena Kelly
Tomoko Wada, Buildings, Mineral pigments and Chinese ink
SENIM Conference Gail Hall and Lizzie Hudson Learning Support Coordinators ............................................................................................... IGBIS is proud to host the 2016 Special Education Network In Malaysia (SENIM) annual conference on 12 November 2016. The conference will feature nine presentations from specialists and other people who have direct experiences with helping all children to reach their full potential. These presenters, both
from Malaysia and around the world, will discuss a variety of topics including Technology in Music Therapy, Educational Assessments, How To Respond To Challenging Behaviour, and Partnerships For Success: A Parent’s View. If you would like to register to attend this event, please visit http://malaysia. senia.asia/, or email senimkl@gmail.com, or join the Facebook group Facebook.com/groups/senimkl to complete the online registration form.
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3rd Annual SENIM Conference
Keys to Unlocking Learning
12 November 2016 th
Registration || 8:00AM Conference || 8:30 - 1:00PM Registration Fee || RM60
• Network, Collaborate, Share Expertise, & Experiences • Pa rticipa te in one workshop from each strand – Technology, Looking at Lea rning, & Social Emotional
Includes coffee break, lunch & materials
Host: IGB International School Jalan Sierramas Utama, Sierramas, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor T: 60 3 6145 4688
Easy ways to register! Visit: http://malaysia.senia.asia/ Email: senimkl@gmail.com Join: Facebook.com/groups/senimkl to complete the online registration form
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Megan Settle Middle School Science Teacher
................................................................................................................................ On Thursday 20 October Grade 9 Science headed out of the school grounds on an epic journey to … Sierramas. It was a perfect day to visit the tranquil lake within Sierramas to collect data that would help us to investigate the ecosystem there. We learnt how to collect data in the field by laying transects and looking at the grass coverage within the transect. We also collected data on how the distance from a water source can affect the percentage of grass coverage. Another important thing we learnt was that plastic shopping bags are attracted to water bodies (this may or may not be true: more research is needed) and sometimes retrieving said bags involves a person (Jia Dong) scaling a steep embankment and fishing the bag out with their foot!
Grade 9 Music some interesting instruments. Every Friday, the students would join us in class learning about musical instruments and the ways to play them. The children helped us create some rhythms so that we would be able to play with different types of beats.” ~ Kai Ming
“In music class our learning has been based on a unit called Stomp. Stomp is where you can make music with everything you use or see in your daily life. After a few classes, Mr Fleury told us that a group of lovely students from Myanmar would be joining us for the rest of the unit so that they will be able to learn these skills and elements of music and be able to play
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drove many of them to flee to neighbouring Thailand and Bangladesh, where they either become refugees or illegal immigrants” (refugeesg. wordpress.com). ~ Clarissa “I have developed a passion for this activity because when I have to make a rhythm, I need to teach the little kids to play my rhythm. This could help them to have a better understanding of the music and also develop my understanding of elements of music.” ~ Jaden
“They were very cooperative and easy to work with.” ~ Matthew “Even though they had no prior knowledge with the drums, they still played extremely well.” ~ Hou Kin “I learnt how to be patient.” ~ Gabriel “Through this, I became more aware and mindful of the situation going on in Myanmar. There are currently almost 700 000 minority tribespeople who are fleeing persecution by the Myanmar Military Junta, due to a previous rebellion and refusal to join Myanmar. However, over the years as the Military Junta took control of Burma, the state started to attack minority tribespeople, regardless of whether they were rebels or not. This
By the end of the project, students created and performed an original piece of Stomp-inspired music. Please watch and listen to their performance from https://sites.google.com/igbis.edu.my/secondary-school/
IGBIS’ GIN Recycling Project Mary Boyd DP Coordinator ............................................................................................... IGBIS’ GIN group continues to work on introducing and maintaining an effective recycling process in the school. At our meeting this Thursday, we discussed strategies that can be implemented at the 24 Hour Race on 14th and 15th
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November, from the possible scale of generated waste, that could be recycled, to ways of tackling this. During the 24 Hour Race, when discarding plastic bottles, papers, aluminium cans, etc, we should all be mindful of where it goes. GIN members aim to position clearly marked recycling containers around the site. On that day, and every day, please dispose of any paper, plastic bottles, aluminium cans, and so forth, responsibly!
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Wayne’s Words Wayne Demnar Admissions & Marketing Director ...............................................................................................
the state meet. Well done Tsiu Thien! We wish you luck in your preparations for the next stage of your journey.
Swimming Success
This week I have been fortunate enough to attend the East Asian Region Council of Schools (EARCOS) leadership conference. One of the keynote speakers was Sir John Jones, a renowned educator and author, who gave an inspirational address, ‘Preparing students for a world that doesn’t exist’. He touched on many of the issues that we hear about in the popular media but it was his focus on the need for teachers who create positive relationships with their students as being the ‘magic’ that is needed to give students the best possible start in life - in some ways nothing changes! Have a look at a selection of his talks on YouTube!
Congratulations to Tsiu Thien Lim, who recently participated in the Selangor Long Course swimming competition in his favourite event , the 200m Butterfly. It was his first competition after contracting dengue fever in July. He broke the previous record of 2:19s to swim a 2:10.49, in the 15-17 year old, Group 1 Category. Tsiu Thien’s Advanced Aquatics coach is very happy with his progress and believes this win will prove to be a timely confidence boost as he prepares for the state meet in January 2017. Selections for Nationals in April 2017 will take place at
Inspirational Views on Education
Alumni “Hello to everyone at IGBIS from the University of Washington!” ~ Shaun
Shaun Sik Kuan Ming Class of 2016 alumnus and Finance & Economics student at the University of Washington has pioneered our Friends of Phoenix upload your selfie initiative. Great to see you wearing IGBIS colours in the USA, Shaun! Friends of Phoenix https://sites.google.com/igbis.edu.my/alumni
Happening @ IGBIS October 25th, 2016
*IGBIS Deepavali Assembly
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IGBIS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
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