IGB International School’s Weekly Newsletter - Issue 127. Week 5w. September 2017.
Grade 6 & 7 Camp @ Broga Hill in Semenyih, Selangor. ~ 26th - 29th September, 2017.
Message from Head of School Mrs. Anne Fowles Head of School 2 .................................................... News from Elementary School Mr. Simon Millward Elementary School Principal 2 .................................................... News from Secondary School Mr. Michael Arcidiacono Secondary School Principal 5 ....................................................
Building a Growth Mindset ~ Pg. 3 PYP Maths Workshop
~ Pg. 3
Phoenix Tweeters
~ Pg. 4
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
~ Pg. 5
MYP CONCEPTS and CONTEXTS - What are We Talking About? ~ Pg. 6
~ Pg. 7
~ Pg. 8
Information Sessions for Japanese and Korean Parents
~ Pg. 9
G12 Camp Week Library News
++ Oct 2 @ 10:10 am – 10:30 am University visit: University of Winchester @ SS Library ++ Oct 3 - All-day Elementary Student Council (StuCo) Spirit Day – Backwards Tuesday ++ Oct 3 - All-day Secondary Student Council (StuCo) Spirit Week ++ Oct 3 @ 12:45 pm – 1:45 pm University visit: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) @ SS Library ++ Oct 4 @ 8:00 am – 9:30 am Tropicana Medical Center: Breast Cancer Awareness Talk & Health Screening @ PVO Room ++ Oct 4 @ 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm ++ KLISS U11 Boys Basketball Friendly @ IGBIS ++ Oct 5 All-day Elementary Student Council (StuCo) Spirit Day – Twin Day ++ Oct 6 @ 8:00 am – 8:40 am ES Assembly: Grade 2 @ SS Library ++ Oct 6 @ 8:00 am – 12:45 pm KLISS Cross Country @ Nexus ++ Oct 6 @ 8:00 am – 8:40 am Kopi with the Secondary Principal @ PVO Room ++ Oct 6 @ 8:40 am – 9:20 am Kopi with the Elementary Principal @ PVO Room ++ Oct 7 – Oct 8 all-day GAFE – Google Apps for Education @ IGBIS ++ Oct 7 @ 8:00 am – 12:00 pm English Immersion Program with SMK Bandar Baru @ SMK Bandar Baru Sungai Buloh ++ I Oct 7 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Imagination Foundation: Cardboard Challenge @ L1 Playground
Message from Head of School Dear IGBIS Parents and Community Members, There has certainly been a different ‘feel’ in the school this week with grades 6 to 11 all out on camp while Grade 12 have undertaken the Group 4 Project; some activities to prepare for life beyond school, such as ‘cooking on a budget’; and First Aid. Dr Arcidiacono and I visited the Grade 6/7 camp at Broga Hill and found the students happily trekking and canoeing. In the evening there was to be a bonfire and a sing-along. While the secondary school students have been away, their parents have been busy attending workshops in school, including an MYP workshop for new parents, and workshops introducing the IB Programmes in Japanese and Korean languages.
Anne Fowles Head of School
News From the Elementary Principal One of the great elements of the IB programmes is the Learner profile traits (Inquirers, Thinkers, Balanced, Reflective, Knowledgeable, Open minded, Risk takers, Caring, Communicators, Principled). Many times schools have these posted but they seem to be words on a wall. At IGBIS we want to see these in action. This week we saw the first U11 girls basketball tournament held at IGBIS for 2017/18. Whilst the girls performed extremely well, winning games, what stood out was the way they were playing in a ‘principled’ way. They played to win, and they played by the rules. On quite a number of occasions they admitted that the ball had hit them on the way out of court giving the ball to the opposing team. This honesty started to have a positive effect on the students from other schools who accepted when a decision was ‘communicated’ by the IGBIS girls that the ball had hit them on the way out. The girls communicated in a respectful way towards the referees and when not playing they conducted themselves in a controlled and well mannered way, doing the right thing: being principled.
It makes me very proud as a Principal to hear these kinds of positive examples from our students. Well done girls. Dates for your diaries: • Friday 6th October: Kopitiam: PVO room 8.40am after ES assembly. • Friday 6th October: KLISS Cross country @Nexus International School • Saturday 7th October: Imagination foundation: Cardboard challenge: 9.00- 12.00: Level 1 playground • Thursday 12th October: Deepavali Assembly: 2pm 3pm • Monday 16th - Friday 20th October: School holiday • Monday 30th October: 3-Way conferences: 3.00 4.30pm: details and sign-up to follow. • Tuesday 31st October: 3-Way conferences: Early closure: 1.00 - 7.00pm: details and sign-up to follow.
Simon Millward
Elementary School Principal
IGBIS Head of School Elected to the CIS Board of Trustees The Council of International Schools (CIS) recently announced the results of this year’s Board election, with Mrs. Anne Fowles joining the CIS Board for a three-year term from 2017-2020, as voted by fellow Heads of CIS Member Schools. CIS Executive Director, Jane Larsson, cited the expertise that Anne brings to the Board. “Anne brings perspective from her work leading schools in five Asian/Pacific countries, as well as from her active involvement with ACAMIS and the IB. She possesses strong insights through her service to CIS over the past 18 years as an active volunteer and team leader in our International Accreditation Service.” The Council of International Schools (CIS) is a membership community working collaboratively to shape international education through professional services to schools, higher edu-
cation institutions, and individuals. The CIS vision is to inspire the development of global citizens through high quality international education: connecting ideas, cultures and educators from every corner of the world. Mrs Fowles brings a wealth of experience in leading accreditation teams to her role with the CIS.
Building a Growth Mindset Kari Twedt and Stephanie Wafzig Grade 4 Teachers ............................................................................................... Grade 4 students have recently completed their first Unit of Inquiry: How We Express Ourselves, the central idea being “Media influences how we think and the choices we make”. The students presented their learning at this week’s Elementary Assembly and tried to influence their audience to develop a growth mindset, rather than a fixed mindset. The students explained to the audience how nobody is born ‘smart’ or ‘not smart’ and anybody can learn anything, as long as they try. The assembly was entertaining, inspirational and motivating, and students were all energised and ready to tackle their learning using their newly realised growth mindsets.
PYP Maths Workshop Shireen Blakeway PYP Mathematics Coordinator ............................................................................................... We had a great turnout at the Maths workshop this morning. Thank you to all those who attended for their enthusiastic and open-minded attitude towards Maths. Everyone was encouraged to develop their thinking skills by answering questions such as, “What is addition?” and “How did you work it out?” We revisited some ‘big ideas’ relating to the teaching and learning of Maths: • Maths is about understanding. It is not sufficient to know that 3 x 4 = 12, but to be able to explain exactly what that means. In order to apply what you know to problem solving and real life situations it is essential to really understand it. • We are aiming to develop ‘flexible’ mathematicians who can use different strategies and can break numbers apart in many different ways. • Visualisation is important in developing understanding. What does 3 + 7 LOOK like? How can this be represented in pictures or on a number line? • Talking about maths is essential. Not only do we learn from listening to others but our own understanding is developed by explaining our thinking to someone else. • Making mistakes is part of being a mathematician. It is
Igniting Minds
important that children struggle and (with support) find things difficult in order to develop their growth mindset in relation to maths, as well as increase their ability to solve problems themselves. • Having a positive attitude towards maths is essential. Parents must not share their own negative attitude towards maths with their children. Anyone can achieve maths to a high level. The main focus of the workshop was on investigating strategies for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. The strategies taught to children now are very different to the way many of us were taught. Children are encouraged to use many different strategies and to choose an appropriate strategy depending on the question. We investigated the use of number lines, tens frames and other equipment to develop understanding and also to enable us to communicate, demonstrate and explain the strategy used. An e-book, Mathematical Strategies, is available on your grade website and you should have received an email containing a link to the book. This book describes the different strategies taught at IGBIS. Please do contact me, at shireen.blakeway@igbis.edu.my, or your classroom teacher if you have any questions.
Impacting Lives
3
Phoenix Tweeters
The elementary school choir, the Phoenix Tweeters, gave their first performance at the Elementary School assembly. The small group proudly sang three shorts songs: ‘Sarasponda’ a Finnish spinning song, ‘The Grand Old Duke Of York’, and ‘Hector Protector’.
4
The Phoenix Tweeters is always ready to welcome new members. They practice every Tuesday afternoon as an afterschool activity, so if you’re in Grade 2 or 3 and would like to join, please do come along, or speak to Ms Susan Bal-Short.
Igniting Minds
Impacting Lives
News from Secondary School Some very tired students and staff returned to school on Friday at the close of our secondary camps week - ready for a relaxing weekend! The regular updates and photos from our teachers indicated that the trips went very well, as students and staff challenged themselves to partake in new experiences, face risks and overcome personal challenges, all while having fun in the process. Mrs Fowles and I witnessed this firsthand on a day trip to Broga Hill to join in the fun of camp with the Grade 6 & 7 students, seeing some of our younger students who may not have had as much experience in hiking, kayaking and so on. Nevertheless, they persevered and should be proud of their accomplishments. I am very thankful to Ms Kelly, Ms Heys, Mr Wetherell and Ms Kim for all their leadership, planning and organisation of the secondary camps. Well done!
Michael Arcidiacono Secondary School Principal
Breast Cancer Awareness Month Allyshar Samy Nathan Grade 12 ............................................................................................... Dear Parents and Teachers, On the 4th of October 2017, from 8am to 9.30am, there will be a talk held by Dr Tan Gie Hooi from Tropicana Medical Centre in the PVO room. Dr Tan Gie Hooi is a breast cancer onco plasty surgeon and a reconstructive surgery consultant and hence she is very experienced in the field of breast cancer. The talk will outline the basic knowledge of breast cancer: its symptoms, its cause and its prevention. A basic health screening test will also be available! Since it is the month of October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, please do come and join us for the talk and show your support in preventing and fighting breast cancer.
Igniting Minds
Impacting Lives
5
MYP CONCEPTS and CONTEXTS - What are We Talking About? Phil Clark Middle Years Programme Coordinator ............................................................................................... This week we hosted two parent workshops where we explored MYP assessment and MYP concepts and contexts. By focusing on science and mathematics, we learned how teachers use concepts, contexts, statements of inquiry and inquiry questions in their planning, teaching and assessment. Thank you to all the parents who gave their time to participate in these workshops. Concepts Concepts are powerful, big ideas that are as important at school as they are in life beyond school. Concepts that we regularly explore with students include aesthetics, change, communication, communities, connections, creativity, culture, development, form, global interactions, identity, logic, perspective, relationships, systems and time, place and space. Learning about concepts requires students to demonstrate deep levels of thinking that reach beyond traditional facts, topics and skills. Concepts are used to formulate the understandings that students should retain in the future. The exploration of concepts leads students towards: • deeper understanding of individual school subjects; • appreciation of ideas that cross over traditional school subject boundaries; • appreciation of ideas that cross over national and cultural boundaries; • engagement with complex ideas that connect and transfer learning to new contexts. In our parent workshop we explored the concepts of change and the science concept of interactions. Contexts Teachers help students to understand these broad, complex and often abstract concepts by connecting them through familiar contexts. Teachers identify settings, events or circumstances that provide specific examples and perspectives of the concepts.
Statement Of Inquiry Every unit of study is defined by a statement of inquiry which explains clearly what students should understand and why that understanding is meaningful. The statement of inquiry connects the concepts and context that will be explored through the unit of study. The statement of inquiry for our parent workshop was “Changes in interactions between communities can have serious consequences”. This statement could be explored in a number of different subject areas, but we looked at it from a science and mathematics perspective by considering the spread of disease. We learned about influenza, how it spreads and how it can be prevented. Inquiry Questions Each unit of study includes a series of inquiry questions. Some inquiry questions will be factual in nature, others conceptual and some debatable or provocative. The inquiry questions guide the students as they explore the statement of inquiry in greater detail, make connections, develop curiosity and deepen understanding. Inquiry questions we used at our parent workshop were: • What is influenza? • What are the effects and symptoms of influenza? • How is influenza transmitted? • How can influenza be treated? • How can influenza be prevented? • Should influenza vaccinations be compulsory? ManageBac Every MYP unit of study, in all subject areas, is planned using concepts, contexts and statements of inquiry. Assessment tasks are designed for students to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills within these units. Students and parents can view units, assessment tasks and teacher feedback by logging in to our online platform, ManageBac.
Providing a context for learning addresses such questions as Why are we engaged in this inquiry? Why are these concepts important? Why is it important for me to understand? Why do people care about this topic? Learning in context helps students to: • explore specific examples of conceptual ideas; • develop critical and creative thinking skills; • consider multiple, and sometimes conflicting, perspectives; • develop inquiry and problem-solving strategies; • connect and transfer learning from one context to another. In our parent workshop we explored the concepts of change and interactions within a context of fairness and development with a particular emphasis on relationships between communities.
6
Igniting Minds
Impacting Lives
G12 Camp Week Mary Boyd Diploma Programme Coordinator ...............................................................................................
.1
Well done to our wonderful Grade 12 students who had the Secondary School all to themselves this week, for time on their Extended Essays, College Counselling Preparations, Wellbeing and Group IV Project. It was a pleasure to meet with each student, to confirm all their registration details for their IBDP examinations in May 2018, give them their personal code, the only personal identifier for IAs and the EE, and hear more about their hopes and plans for University.
.2
A huge thank you to Mr Peter Fowles for organising and leading the Wellness sessions, which saw students play Ultimate Frisbee, collaborate in team challenges, practise active mindfulness in our pool and invaluable First Aid with Nurse Azilah and plan, prepare and cook delicious meals together with Mr Gabe Evans, in our Ignite Kitchen, to serve up to the very lucky special guests: Mrs Knowles, Mr Arcidiacono and Mrs Fowles. Thank you too to the Science Department for all their preparations for the Group IV Project.
.5 ----------------------1) The careful preparation of the ultimately delicious quesadillas ----------------------2) Lasagne with a healthy twist... ----------------------3) Ultimate Frisbee ----------------------4) Group IV Project: Dr Kaulsay shares her passion for Science with our Grade 12 students. ----------------------5) Culinary Delights: Cheesy Toast, Burger Heaven and Macaroni Cheese ----------------------6) Group IV Project: Mr Evans and Ms Barcega with our Grade 12 students. ----------------------7) Taking a wellearned break... -----------------------
.3
.4
.6
.7
Igniting Minds
Impacting Lives
7
Library News Amanda Clark Whole School Librarian ................................................................................................................................ Our year in the Elementary school Library is off to a great start! We began this year with close to 7000 items in the Library, including eBooks, audiobooks and books in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Malay. Our Library truly does have something for everyone. Library classes have been running since the beginning of the school year, with our students having the opportunity to visit the Library once a week to choose and borrow books to take home and enjoy. Many thanks to all the parents/caregivers who have done so much to help our students with remembering to bring their books back to the library and to bring a book bag to carry them in. This helps us to keep our fantastic books circulating while the book bag protects the books as they travel between home and school. One of the most important things you as parents/caregivers can do for your child is to read to and with them. Here are ten reasons to encourage all of us to read often and read more. 1. 2. 3.
The more you read, the better at it you become, the more you enjoy it. Reading helps your brain to make new connections and work in different ways. Concentration is improved when you are focussed and sitting quietly - as you are when you are reading! 4. We learn more about the world around us. 5. Vocabulary improves as does grammar - models of sentence structure can be learned through reading. 6. Imagination develops. 7. Reading helps us to see perspectives other than our own. 8. Being an able reader helps with learning in general, not just in school. 9. Being calm and relaxed is a part of the reading experience. 10. Reading is fun!
8
Igniting Minds
Impacting Lives
Information Sessions for Japanese and Korean Parents Tanya Cornish Marketing Executive ............................................................................................... It can sometimes be difficult to understand all the information parents receive from school, particularly if English is not the primary language used at home. Parents want to stay abreast of what their children are learning so that they can be encouraging and supportive of their children’s academic endeavours. That is why IGBIS recently held parent information sessions in Korean and Japanese. Organised by the Language Department, and conducted by Ms Yuri Kim (Korean) and Mr Gustav Helman (Japanese), the information sessions helped bridge the language gap and explained to parents the
Igniting Minds
International Baccalaureate (IB) philosophy. The sessions also looked at each programme within the IB — the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme (DP) and the Career-related Programme (CP) — and how these programmes are taught at IGBIS. The parents were enthusiastic and peppered the presenters with questions and discussion for almost three hours! They left with a better understanding of the programmes within the school, and valuable information about how to better support their children. Both Ms Kim and Mr Helman hope to run more language-specific information sessions later in the year, with a greater focus on each individual programme (PYP, MYP, DP and CP).
Impacting Lives
9