IGB International School’s Weekly Newsletter - Issue 115. Week 3. April 2017.
The PVO at the Staff Appreciation Lunch ~ May 16th 2017
Inside This Week Message from Head of School Mrs. Anne Fowles Head of School 2 .................................................... News from Elementary School Mrs. Claire McLeod Elementary School Principal 2 .................................................... News from Secondary School Mr. Michael Arcidiacono Secondary School Principal 5
Grade 4 field trip to places of worship ~ Pg. 3 MYP Personal Project Exhibition ~ Pg. 5 Grade 7 visit to Jadi Batek ~ Pg. 6 Gr 10 Drama Performance - “The Little Prince” ~ Pg. 7 Diploma Programme News ~ Pg. 7 Student-led conferences ~ Pg. 8 Rhapsodic Recess ~ Pg. 10 IGBIS Instrumental Music Academy ~ Pg. 11 Distraction, Screens and Finding Balance ~ Pg. 11 Open Day ~ Pg. 12 PVO News ~ Pg. 13 Flying Phoenix ~ Pg.15
Happening. ++ Tues, 23 May ~ Chemistry Olympiads G8/G9 @ Epsom College 8:00 am - 3:00 pm ~ First Aid Workshop - Bone, Muscle and Extremity Injuries @ PVO Room 8:00 am - 8:30 am ~ G3 Field Trip: Secret Garden Photography Trip 9:30 am - 12:00 pm ++ Wed, 24 May ~ Graduation @ Theatre | 11:00 am - 1:00 pm ~ Zomi & G9 Performing Arts Project @IGBIS 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm ~ Graduation Dinner @ Majestic Hotel 6:30 pm - 11:00 pm ++ Thurs, 25 May ~ PVO Brunch @ Classroom 3-38 11:00 am - 2:00 pm ~ Summer Bazaar @ L3 Performing Arts Foyer 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm ++ Fri, 26 May ~ Elementary Assembly (Fireflies) @ ES Music Room | 8:00 am - 8:40 am ++ All Week ~ PYP Art Exhibition @ Visual Arts Studio ~ G11 Exams (Mon-Fri) @ L7 MPR ~ G10 Exams (Tues-Fri) @ L6 MPR
Message from Head of School Dear IGBIS Parents and Community Members, This week all of the teachers and staff of IGBIS were treated to a wonderful feast of home-cooked food on Teachers’ Day. Thanks are extended to our Parent Volunteer Organisation and Julie for organising the lunch and to all the other parents who brought in food. This was greatly appreciated by everyone!!
Our in-school Open Day was very well attended this Friday with more than double the number of families attending than had earlier registered. We are looking forward to some of these families joining us in the new school year. There has been an enthusiastic response to the news that our Fireflies (2 year old) programme will be a whole day next year and numbers are filling up fast. If you are interested to enrol in this programme, please contact the Admissions Department soon. With the end of the school year not too far off now, there will be a whole range of events taking place. The first and
most important of these is the Grade 12 Graduation next Wednesday, 24th May. Please mark this in your calendar.
Mrs. Anne Fowles Head of School
News from Elementary School It was lovely to take a group of very interested parents around our school on Open Day and share why we are so passionate about inquiry learning in the IB PYP and how our facilities support teaching and learning. I hope everyone had an opportunity to visit our Elementary School Art Exhibition during Student Led Conferences last weekend. The display of artwork highlights the diversity of the art experiences from Fireflies to Grade 5.
If your child has a food allergy it is important to inform class teachers and our school nurse. Until next time,
Mrs. Claire McLeod Elementary School Principal
This week is Allergy Awareness week and an ideal time to remind parents that our school: • does not use nuts or nut products in the food available at the Cafeteria • asks parents to not send food containing nuts or nut products in their child’s snacks, lunches or special celebration food • alerts teachers when a child in their class has a food allergy and provides emergency plans • trains teachers how to use EpiPens.
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Grade 4 field trip to places of worship
Mathilda Thomsen & Sophie Josen Grade 4 ............................................................................................... On the 18th of May, the Grade 4 students traveled to places of worship around Kuala Lumpur for our current unit of inquiry, ‘Who We Are�. We learnt about the ceremonies, relics and the traditions of four different religions. We first visited a Muslim Mosque, where we spent about 45 minutes with a guide. We then visited a Hindu Temple and a Taoist Temple which were both close by. We were lucky enough to see a wedding in the Hindu Temple! We were dazzled by the colour and the interior. After that we went to a Christian church where two guides explained Christianity to us, which was very interesting. After that we were all tired and made our way back to school where we reflected on our trip.
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News from Secondary School Thank you very much to our supportive parents who put on a tremendous Staff Appreciation Day lunch this past Tuesday. The secondary staff enjoyed sampling from the wide diversity of options available for the meal. Our parents are a tremendous part of our community and their support has been fantastic this year.
This week we welcomed back Cindy Leow, a 2016 IGBIS graduate who is currently studying at Minerva. It was great to see our alumni already giving back to the school and sharing their knowledge with our younger students.
Our IB exams concluded this week and we are very proud of the efforts of our students. This means that Graduation is right around the corner - we will celebrate the achievements of our Grade 12 students on Wednesday, May 24th at 11:00 am.
Sincerely yours,
I looking forward to seeing parents at next week’s PVO events!
Michael Arcidiacono Secondary School Principal
MYP Personal Project Exhibition and building a dog house; creating a basketball training video; creating healthy dog food recipes; and many other interesting topics. The Grade 10 students engaged with their Personal Projects over a period of nine months. They first selected a topic that was of personal interest to them, investigated and researched it further, and planned what they would do before taking action by creating a product or outcome. Throughout the entire project, the students documented their progress in a process journal and met regularly with their project supervisor. At the
Phil Clark Middle Years Programme Coordinator ............................................................................................... Congratulations to our Grade 10 students who presented their MYP Personal Projects to an audience of parents and invited guests at the official opening of the Personal Project Exhibition last Friday afternoon. Students continued to exhibit their projects during Student Led Conferences on Saturday morning. The Personal Project is an important culminating self-directed project in the MYP which connects student personal interests with school learning. This year our Grade 10 students worked on a variety of projects which included creating a fitness training website; exploring the inspiration behind artwork; creating a video to raise awareness about mental health; learning musical instruments; teaching someone how to swim; creating a documentary about refugees in Malaysia; designing
end of the project they reflected on the process, the things they had learnt about their chosen topic and about themselves as learners. Each student then submitted a report on their Personal Project which is formally assessed by the IB. They will receive their assessment results in August. The students created display boards and showcased their Personal Projects at the exhibition last week. They spoke to visitors with confidence and enthusiasm, explaining the inspiration behind their projects, the process they went through and the things they learnt along the way. The MYP Personal Project is a valuable learning experience and provides excellent preparation for the Extended Essay in the IB Diploma Programme. Well done, Grade 10.
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Grade 7 visit to Jadi Batek Abirrami Gunalan & Tamanna Ail Grade 7 ............................................................................................... The Grade 7 students had been learning about batik in Host Nations. So on 18th May, we visited a batik and handicraft centre called ‘Jadi batek’, supervised by our teachers, Ms. Douglas, Ms. Dianti and Ms. Jade. We visited the gallery and watched a demonstration of the process of making batik. We then started making our own batik paintings. We were provided designs that we had to trace onto the cloth using a pencil. There were a variety of beautiful designs that we could choose. Next, we had to use a tool called the ‘canting’ which was filled with hot wax, to draw over the lines we had made. Using the ‘canting’ was a learning experience as it needed a lot of skill and preciseness.
Demonstration on how to use a canting
After using the ‘canting’ we started painting the design. This was fun and interesting because we could use a variety of colours and there were different types of
techniques that we could use to create a personalised piece. We were shown how to use graduated colours to make the design, which we had practiced when painting the pre-drawn Batik design at school a few lessons ago. We had to add water on the cloth to create a lighter colour. After finishing colouring the main design, we coloured the background (mainly because a lot of us had errors that we wanted to clear out but also for the sake of aesthetics). Some people created a very detailed piece with their own add-ons, while others took the more abstract route. When finished, we were given time to relax and eat before heading back to school.
Painting our designs
Painting a batik cloth
Examples of the colouring in of a batik cloth
This trip was fun and a good learning experience. It has taught us that the previous generations living in Malaysia have created a wonderful tradition and it is our duty to follow to keep the tradition and culture alive.
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Using the canting carefully to avoid spillage and ruining the design
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Gr 10 Drama Performance - “The Little Prince” Jon Suffolk Performing Arts Teacher ............................................................................................... On Friday 19th May the Grade 10 Drama students performed for the final time as MYP students. The adaptation of “The Little Prince” by Beata Hennig, based on the novel by A. De Saint Exupery, was staged ‘in the round’ on the stage in the theatre. This was their final assessment task in which they had to demonstrate their learning as Drama students over the two years of the elective Drama course. They began the process by each choosing a scene from the play and conducting a workshop in the role of the director and then collaboratively worked on the overall performance including the costume, set and audio design. The audience enjoyed the performance and the originality of the production that the students had produced. A number of parents also attended to celebrate their achievements as Drama students.
Diploma Programme News Mary Boyd Diploma Programme Coordinator .............................................................................................. G12 IB Diploma Exams Are Over! Huge congratulations to our Grade 12 students who have completed all of their IBDP exams, a snapshot of years of hard work, study and support from schools, family and friends. The next big date is results day, 6th July, for which PINs have been issued.
Next week, the exam room welcomes our Grade 11 students through its doors, for a week of End of Year exams. ICAEW CFAB is the first CRS for the IBCP at IGBIS As many of you will be aware, IGBIS is a Candidate School for the IB Career-related Programme (IBCP). We aim to be fully authorised by August 2017, making us one of the first Schools in Malaysia to offer the full IB continuum. We had the pleasure of welcoming Evelyn Lee, the Business Development Manager for ICAEW in Malaysia, to collaborate in our Open Day presentation for the IBCP.
Evelyn Lee, Business Development Manager for Malaysia, Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales, with our own Mary Boyd Continue next page ...
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Continued from previous page ... ICAEW is the Institute of Chartered for England and Wales and is a world leading professional membership organisation that promotes knowledge and expertise in the financial profession. Its Certificate in Finance, Accounting and Business (ICAEW CFAB) is an internationally recognised certificate that teaches essential knowledge in business, finance and accounting. The IBCP is made up of at least two Diploma Programme subjects, a Core of four elements - Language Development,
Service Learning, Personal and Professional Skills and the Reflective Project - and a Career-related study (CRS). The newest and fastest growing IB Programme, fully recognised by Universities, it has its own uniqueness in that it offers many awards: the IBCP award, Diploma Programme course certificates and the ICAEW CFAB award. Further information about the IBCP can be obtained at ibo.org, under Programmes.
Image from ibo.org, IB Programmes
Student-led conferences Saturday 13th May, 2017
It was a very productive day last Saturday when students from Fireflies all the way up to DP brought their parents and loved ones to school and proudly showed off their learning. The conversations within and among families showed just how much students at IGBIS live and breathe the IB Learner Profile, and we a very proud of all our students.
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Student-led conferences Saturday 13th May, 2017
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Rhapsodic Recess : May 5th Glen Fleury Performing Arts Teacher ............................................................................................... On Friday 5th May the Secondary Performing Arts Committee held their first event: Rhapsodic Recess. This was where students volunteered to share their musical talents noncompetitively during lunchtime, raising awareness of music and giving students a chance to perform in front of a small audience with low stress. The 6th floor MYP learning lounge was set up to allow other students to watch the informal performances, with comfortable couches, amplifiers and instruments. This round showcased the skills of five students from various grades. First up was Zulaikah from Grade 11 who sang ‘Passionfruit’ by Drake, and Vanessa from Grade 7 who performed ‘Somebody Else’ by The 1975 on the ukulele. Next was Kitty from Grade 10 on the piano and Grade 7’s Celine playing the violin. Finally Tsiu Thien from Grade 11 displayed his beatboxing skills. Overall, the event was a great success, with about 30 students coming to watch and enjoy the performances, support their friends and relax after lunch. The Secondary Performing Arts Committee is a newly created group led by Hou Wai and Wern Shynn. Our main goal is to promote the sharing of music and the Performing Arts amongst the Secondary community by organising and hosting a range of events. In the future, we plan to hold more Rhapsodic Recesses on Fridays, as well as days where musicians can teach their peers how to play an instrument, or just days where the music rooms on the 3rd floor are open to anyone that wants to come in and play.
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IGBIS Instrumental Music Academy Jon Suffolk Performing Arts Teacher ............................................................................................... It is only a few more weeks until our end of semester concerts to celebrate the learning of students under the guidance of our instrumental tutors. It is a very important time for us to support
the students in their final weeks of preparation and encourage them to reach their best possible standards. Remember that the concerts this semester will be held in the Drama Studio (Rm 3 - 72) which is the room next to the Elementary Music Room. I look forward to meeting many of you there once again.
Distraction, Screens and Finding Balance Chris Klesch Early Years to Grade 8 Counsellor ............................................................................................... At the beginning of the year, I posted a piece that discussed certain guidelines to implement when using technology at home. I would like to return somewhat to technology but to deal more specifically with striking a balance between screen use and everything else. With all of the obligations and distractions that phones and screen technology provides, how do parents balance screen obligations and recreation with attentiveness toward their children? The literature and media do not help with this because contradictory advice is given within the space of days. The best course is probably somewhere in between. The New York Times has recently published two articles that lend some basic common sense to the hysteria that you might hear about regarding the dangers of mobile phones. The first article, “5 No-Phone Zones for Parents and Kids Alike,” by Perri Klass M.D. highlights five rules that families can institute at home that will help them lead a less distracted life. Sherry Turkle in her book, “Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in the Digital Age” also recommends the use of “sacred spaces,” to help limit our access to screens, and Klass presents some of these basic spaces in the New York Times Article. The author stipulates that there are five places where a mobile phone should be limited.
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In the bed: This piece of advice stems from older wisdom that finds its roots in removing televisions from a child’s room. There are two basic reasons for this. The first is that recent research presented in WIRED has shown that light emitting devices can negatively impact sleep. The second reason is that, from a parental point of view, having a device in a child’s bed or even unsupervised in a bedroom may not only affect the child’s sleep but increase their vulnerability to inappropriate images, videos, etc.
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At the table: It is important to have time at the dinner table that is unimpeded by screens. This allows time to have discussions about everyone’s day, parental expectations and whatever else needs to be talked about. The table can be seen as an informal debriefing session. 3. Reading a book: This main one may be a bit difficult given the prevalence of ebooks and book and magazine access on phones and tablets. It is recommended that if screen reading does occur it happens with an e-reader which is designed specifically for books.
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The outdoors: It is important that when kids and adults are outside it is not a simple change of venue where a screen that is used inside is then used outside on a balcony or playground. Outside play is important and children in the US, on average, only receive seven minutes a day.
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The car: It is understood that on long trips screens are used to break the tedium and boredom of travel and as summer approaches and road and aeroplane trips become more of a reality it is important to keep these things in mind. It might be worth while having some screen free miles while in transit to a destination. Time in the car can also offer great opportunities for connecting with each other by telling stories, reading books aloud, playing an audio book or audio play, or playing free children’s podcasts from Barefoot Books Podcast or Storynory through the stereo and playing car travel games. The websites Minitime: Bring the Kids and Kids are a Trip
have some great travel and road trip ideas for children and adults. This balance can be difficult but it is important that a balanced lifestyle includes time for screens. Perry Klass wrote another article for the New York Times entitled, The Guilty Secret of Distracted Parenting. In this article Klass states that, while managing and modelling proper screen time is crucial as a parent, parents also need the downtime and relaxation that screens provide. The key is finding the right mix of screens and conversations and real world activities.
Open Day Wayne Demnar Admissions and Marketing Director ............................................................................................... Our doors were thrown wide open on Friday as we welcomed over thirty people to our Open Day. Open Days during school hours are a valuable opportunity for visitors to see the type of learning that takes place in our school. Visitors were impressed as much with the style of learning as they were with the outstanding facilities. A big thank you goes not only to the staff who helped introduce our visitors to the school, but also to our recent Diploma Programme graduates who shared with prospective families their experiences of an IB education at IGBIS. We are all tremendously proud and grateful for your
continuing contribution to our school.
Summer School We have a limited Summer School programme scheduled for July. If you are interested in enrolling your child in Robotics with Mr Derry, please let us know by next Wednesday 3rd May. The programme is open to students in grades 5 to 11. Date : Monday 24 July to Friday 28 July Time : 8:30am to 12:30pm Cost : RM800 Please contact me at wayne.demnar@igbis.edu.my if you would like to enrol your child.
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Staff Appreciation Lunch
“From all of us at IGBIS - Thank You PVO!� Julie Chen Arcidiacono Community Support & Services Coordinator ...............................................................................................
PVO Brunch All parents are cordially invited to attend the PVO Brunch on 25 May from 11:00 - 2:00 pm in Room 3-38 on Level 3, preceding the Summer Bazaar. Stop by for nibbles and a chat with fellow parents before your shopping spree!
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Flying Phoenix Tim Bartle Athletics Director ................................................................................................................................. It’s been an incredibly busy time over the past few weeks for our sports teams with Season 3 KLISS finals taking place in Tee-Ball and Volleyball as well as the Elementary Swim Carnival! On Friday 12th May, the Elementary Swim team competed at the KLISS Championships. Our small but dynamic team were fantastic ambassadors for our school as they tried their best and demonstrated great spirit towards their opponents. IGBIS is proud of all our students who have helped us gain a reputation amongst our KLISS league for displaying fairness and respect in any sporting contest. Our O15 boys and girls Volleyball teams were in action on Saturday at their KLISS Finals. Our teams demonstrated great skills on the court and proved to be a difficult opponent for the other schools. The O15 boys finished up claiming the Plate Championship whilst the O15 girls claimed the bronze medal in a very close play-off match.
U9 Tee Ball wrapped up this week with the KLISS finals hosted by KTJ. Our team enjoyed the competition and demonstrated some improved teamwork and communication. The U11 Tee Ball team travelled to HELP International School on Wednesday for the KLISS Finals. The team have improved with every session under the guidance of Mr Hudson and Ms Deb. After some extremely close matches they finished in 4th place. The U13 boys and girls competed in their Volleyball finals on Thursday. The boys travelled to BSKL where they contested the plate championship. The team has been working on their court movement and communication at training and it showed with a much improved performance. They even managed to win a set off the eventual plate champions! Whilst the boys were away, the U13 girls Volleyball Cup Final was hosted at IGBIS. The girls enjoyed the home-team support as they accounted for BSKL and ISP in straight sets in the opening two games. Trailing 1 set to 0 against Tenby in the gold medal match, the team showed plenty of fighting spirit and levelled the game with a blistering 2nd set. In a tense final set, the girls managed to hold sway winning 9-7 and clinching the KLISS Championship!
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IGBIS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
Igniting Minds
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