IGB International School’s Weekly Newsletter - Issue 164. Week 3. September 2018.
International Dot Day in IGBIS ~ Pg. 4
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Message from Head of School Dear IGBIS Parents and Community Members, Our first PVO meeting saw a great turnout of enthusiastic parents. Two groups of students shared presentations about their projects with road safety and the 24 Hour Race Against Human Trafficking. The 24 Hour Race will be hosted at IGBIS in November and typically has over 800 students taking part from schools around Malaysia. The PVO has a social activity at Valencia planned for September 29th. We hope that many of our parents and staff can attend. Our school is so fortunate to have such an active and supportive parent community. Tomorrow is a ‘Day of Play’. Following on from the very successful Cardboard Challenge last year, this time around IGBIS families
and their friends are invited to come and join in a wide range of fun activities and play together and with other families on the day. I am looking forward to seeing the Lego, building, drawing, painting and cardboard creations at the end of the morning! Saturday is also a school Open Day, so please invite your friends to attend the Open Day and tour the school as well. Have a wonderful weekend ahead!
Anne Fowles Head of School
News from Elementary School As I was on my travels around school this week I popped into the Grade 5 classroom as they were engaged with a writing task. The students were scattered around the classroom and the learning lounge, fully focused on their writing. Students were using the full complement of seating available to them so that they could maximise their concentration. As a school we recognise that students have different learning styles and different preferences with regards to the way they learn and how they can focus and complete tasks. I look forward to checking in with the Grade 5 students to see how their writing tasks are developing.
Dates for your diaries • • • • •
Friday 28th September: PYP Parent University Session 2, PVO room, 8.00 - 9.35am Monday 8th - Friday 12th October: School holiday Saturday 20th October: Google Apps For Education (GAFE) Summit- Parent workshops Tuesday 23rd October: PHAD (Phoenix Activity Day) Friday 26th October: PYP Parent University Session 3, PVO room, 8.00 - 9.35am
The end of our week has been a busy one, we opened our doors to prospective new families on ‘Open Day’ with our student ambassadors ably guiding families around the school giving them the inside information of life as a student at IGB International School. We also saw the first PYP Parent University session run by Ms. Aga, and finally Saturday is gearing up to be an enjoyable day as we have our ‘Day of Play’ in the Level 1 playground. I look forward to writing about this next week.
Simon Millward
Elementary School Principal
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News from Secondary School Dear parents, The Student Council led us through a great assembly today, their first of the year. This was a showcase of events, highlighting some of the exciting things that have taken place in the first six weeks of school (like the secondary camps and the Group 4 project) and also forecasting a busy first semester with a variety of opportunities for student involvement or leadership in service activity, the arts or building relationships within our school community. My thanks to the Student Council for their organisation of the event and to the leadership that the Executive Student Council team has provided thus far. One of the assembly items was to advertise the Student Council elections; aspiring young leaders will have large shoes to fill as they follow in a proud tradition of student leadership at IGBIS. Following on from our recent discussions with the parent community in regard to Bahasa Melayu at IGBIS, a survey went
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home today to all parents of Grade 9 and 10 students, to sign up for the optional, additional classes. I ask that all Malaysian parents of students in these grade levels please indicate their preferences for their child. University visits and sporting fixtures continue to populate a busy calendar next week, and I ask parents to keep their eye on these dates. Beyond next week and moving into December, we can look forward to Student Council's first Spirit Week and social as well. Speaking of socials, I look forward to the PVO social this upcoming Saturday, September 29th. I hope to see all parents there! Sincerely yours,
Michael Arcidiacono Secondary School Principal
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Elementary Library News Kerri Chan Whole School Teacher Librarian
.................................................................................................................... It only takes a spark to set the world on fire. In this case, it only takes a book. September 15th-ish is International Dot Day and is celebrated in classrooms all over the world. This event started with a book called The Dot written by Peter H. Reynolds. In this simple, well crafted story, a young girl named Vashti is frustrated because she feels she can’t draw. Her art teacher encourages her to, “Make a mark and see where it takes you.” Vashti begins to experiment with different art techniques and discovers the creativity within her. What is special is that not only does Vashti make her mark visually in her art, but she also goes on to make her mark in her community by encouraging another child to explore their creativity and not be afraid to explore the world through their art. In the Elementary School Library, all elementary students listened to the story and had the opportunity to make their mark on a simple square of paper. Some students covered their square in dots as in the book. Others created patterns using shapes or colours. Some drew familiar figures and some just let their imagination go wild and they drew whatever came to mind. Later, their square will be joined with other squares to create a large dot. These community dots will go around the Elementary School Library checkout desk to remind us all that the marks we make in life makes a difference in the community we live in. The IGB International School community is invited to stop by to see our mark in the Elementary School Library. At home, please take a moment to think about how you can make your mark on your community and on the world. Remember, “just make a mark and see where it takes you.”
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IGBIS students volunteer at KLEFF The KL Eco Film Festival is Malaysia’s first and longest running environmental film festival. Produced by environmental NGO, EcoKnights, the festival features environment-themed documentary, feature, animated, archival, experimental, and children’s films from around the world. The festival’s signature programmes include a Green Market, filmmaking workshops, eco-workshops, the KLEFF awards night, and more. The festival will run on the weekend of 27 and 28 October. IGBIS students have been invited to assist people attending a number of the handson workshops at the festival, including making kombucha, DIY watering systems, making paper straws, beeswax wrap making, sape' for beginners, creating vegetable gardens, composting for children, ethnic pattern making, garbage to garden (composting for adults), and soap making. Interest in KLEFF has been very positive, with several students volunteering to participate. If you’re looking for something to do during the last weekend in October, why not come down to the KLEFF at Publika and say hi to our dedicated students. You can find more information about KLEFF here and here.
Opportunity for IGBIS students to head to ISTA at Chiang Mai, Thailand IGBIS was very proud to host the 2018 International School Theatre Association (ISTA) Middle School Festival in March, and many IGBIS students enjoyed a wonderful learning experience. The festival for 2019 will be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand from 24 to 27 January. IGBIS is delighted to be able to join with students from 12 other schools throughout Asia and Africa. The festival is open to students from grades 6 to 9, and is an opportunity for creatives and collaborators of all levels of experience to take part in theatre workshops with internationally acclaimed drama practitioners and other passionate arts students. These events are designed to “leave lasting memories and transform the lives of everyone who takes part”. To find out more about the ISTA festival, feel free to speak to one of the many IGBIS students who attended the 2018 event, or visit the website, or read testimonials from students and parents who have been involved. Limited places are still available for IGBIS students to attend. If you are interested in joining the IGBIS tour group, please contact Mr. Jamie Cant at jamie.cant@igbis.edu.my or Ms. Hadewych Dujardin at hadewych.dujardin@igbis.edu.my by Monday 24 September.
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College Counselling News Bill Mitchell
PSAT/NMSQT
Grades 9-12 School Counsellor
For the students and parents that have shown interest in the PSAT to be held in October, please check your school email and fill out the consent form, and make payment to the Finance Office.
.................................................................................................................... United Kingdom - UCAS University Application Portal For those parents that are considering sending their sons/ daughters to the United Kingdom for Higher Education, please visit the application portal/website for its rich resources and explanations www.ucas.com. You can also view the International Undergraduate Guide - Parents to see a collated set of information that deals specifically with our international setting. As always, I am happy to meet to explain in depth, and to answer questions you may have.
IGBIS Events Follow the Secondary Calendar or see the College Counselling Events calendar for future visits and events. College Counselling Events Upcoming University visits - Parents and students are encouraged to attend
Kuala Lumpur Events
University Wisconsin-Madison USA September 19, 2018, Level 6, DP Lounge, 12:45 pm to 1:30 pm https://www.wisc.edu
Jacobs University - Germany Visit September 20, 2018, Level 6, DP Lounge, 12:45 pm to 1:30 pm https://www.jacobs-university.de/ Every Tuesday and Thursday, U.S. University Advising: EducationUSA Advisers provide comprehensive U.S. university advising. Register Here
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24 Hour Race Fundraising Dinner Andrea Koid 24 Hour Race Organising Committee
.................................................................................................................... The 24 Hour Race KL is back and better than ever! This year, we cordially extend an invitation to parents of IGBIS students to attend our pre-race fundraising dinner, LIGHT FOR FREEDOM. There will be entertaining performances by the most talented students ever, as well as a SILENT ART AUCTION, featuring art from a plethora of artsy students from international schools all over Kuala Lumpur. Details are as follows: Date: Saturday, 27th October 2018 Time: 6:30pm - 10:00pm Venue: Get Space, Eve Suites, Ara Damansara Tickets: RM30/pax
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This year, the 24 Hour Race is partnering with The Exodus Road, a non-profit organisation that launches rescue operations to save victims of human trafficking in various countries such as Thailand, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Funds raised from this event will go towards our beneficiary in aiding them in the fight against modern day slavery. The 24 Hour Race hopes that we can have full support from parents - feel free to invite friends, family members, and more to attend our fundraising event. Tickets can be bought at gg.gg/lff18. Feel free to contact Andrea Koid at andrea.koid@24hourrace.org / 0169227378 for any inquiries! Thank you all so much, we hope you can make it and support the 24 Hour Race.
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Bunus Fun Walk 4 River 2018 Nathalie Chotard CAS Coordinator
.................................................................................................................... In conjunction with World Rivers Day on 29th September, EcoKnights, part of the Sungai Bunus Action Group, has organised the Bunus Fun Walk 4 River 2018 campaign. The event, which involves a 3.5 kilometre walk around the Bunus River Retention Pond, near the National Library of Malaysia, will raise awareness on issues related to river pollution through the River of Life (Sungai Bunus Restoration Project). Grade 6 and 7 students are preparing 500 bibs from recycled banners for participants to wear in Walk 4 River campaign. By doing so, students are encouraged to participate in the event, as well as earn House points. Following the first bib-making session this week, the following house points were earned: AQUA 39 IGNIS 24 AER 14 TERRA 13. Please visit Walk 4 River 2018 to learn more about the campaign, or to sign up to participate in the walk on 29th September.
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e-waste and battery collection E-waste is any electronics equipment that is no longer useful, either because it is damaged or has been replaced. Often this consists of phones, computers, household appliances, etc. Rather than let these items accumulate around your home, or throw them into landfill (where they should not go), IGBIS has established an e-waste collection point near the turnstiles on Level 2. Simply drop off any e-waste or batteries and we will discard them correctly for you.
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