IGB International School’s Weekly Newsletter - Issue 169. Week 1. November 2018.
Follow us on
Follow us on
Follow us on
Message from Head of School Dear IGBIS Parents and Community Members,
Deepavali Holiday and Staff Professional Development Days
IGBIS Board of Governors
A reminder that school is closed during November 5-7 for the Deepavali holiday and staff professional development days.
The IGBIS Board of Governors were in school this week for their biannual meeting. The PYP, MYP and DP/CP Coordinators gave a vibrant presentation on the IB programmes and academic pathways at IGBIS.
Anne Fowles Head of School
Deepavali Assembly The Deepavali Assembly was a wonderful celebration of light incorporating student and staff performances. We appreciate our school community supporting this festival with their colourful clothing appropriate to the theme.
2
Igniting Minds
Impacting Lives
News from Elementary School It has been a busy week in the sporting arena with IGBIS students involved with KLISS benchball, KLISS basketball, and KLISS Primary swimming. The students have given their best and some of the performances have been exceptional, well done to all of those involved: students, senior students in the Phoenix squad refereeing games, coaches and parents. I would like to thank in particular Ms. Spracklan (athletics director) and her team for keeping on top of all the moving parts not only sending students away but hosting the KLISS U11 girls basketball plate finals and the KLISS primary swimming. These events take a huge amount of organisation and they have run like clockwork. We have also seen some wonderful performances at our Deepavali assembly. However, the lead up to the day saw the students practicing their pieces as they tried to synchronise their dances, entertain you with their singing, as well as educate you about Deepavali. I am sure you will agree with me that the assembly was a great example of collaboration with both the Elementary and Secondary students producing captivating performance items. Thank you to all those who helped make this event a success especially Ms. Meena and the Host Nation team, and Ms. Ruba for all her behind the scenes work. For those of you celebrating Deepavali we hope you have an enjoyable time with family. Please check your school email about booking a time for the 3-way conferences (12th & 13th November), this was sent out on 31st October.
Dates for your diaries • Monday 5th Nov-Wednesday 7th Nov: School holiday for students • Monday 12th & Tuesday 13th Nov: 3-Way conferences • Friday 16th Nov: PVO meeting • Friday 23rd Nov: PYP Parent University
Simon Millward
Elementary School Principal
News from Secondary School Dear Parents It has been an exciting week to be a member of the IGBIS secondary school community! This week saw a visit from poet Richard Grant (aka The Dreadlock Alien) who led engaging and fun activities where students were able to generate meaningful poetry and be inspired through working with a real poet. This session also promoted communication and team building for our MYP students not only within their own grade level, but with those from others grades as well. Innovation check-ins revealed some exciting projects and ideas from our students filling us with anticipation for the Learning Expo to come at the end of the inaugural iteration of this initiative. Sports fixtures were plenty and students showed not only their athletic abilities, but team spirit and sportsmanship throughout each and every event. In all of this, our students continued to shine; inspiring all of us and igniting our passion for teaching.
certainly be helpful in propelling IGBIS into the future as a leader in education. Thank you for all of your support and trust. You children are precious, and we will continue to strive to be the best for their sake. Sincerely,
Members of the leadership team attended the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS) where they collaborated on topics such as innovation, future ready schools, child protection and more. It was a beneficial event for all in attendance and will
Igniting Minds
Darryl Harding
Middle Years Programme Coordinator
Impacting Lives
3
4
Igniting Minds
Impacting Lives
College Counselling News Bill Mitchell
programmes introduce students to future study at those universities, at one of the other universities which they’ll visit, or in fact at university in general. Many are multicentre, so they see different sides of the country visited.
Grades 9-12 School Counsellor
.................................................................................................................... IGBIS Events PSAT 8/9 The PSAT 8/9 helps students in Grade 8 and 9 determine what they need to work on most so that they’re ready for college when they graduate from high school—and it supports educators as they guide the way. IGBIS will be offering this test for the first time this November, and will have TEN tests available for this session. A Head Start The PSAT 8/9 tests the same skills and knowledge as the SAT, PSAT/ NMSQT, and PSAT 10—in a way that makes sense for students in grades 8 and 9. It measures what they’re already learning, shows them whether they’re on track for college, and lets them know where they need the most improvement. That means students have time to tackle these areas long before they take the SAT. Personalised Practice Students over 13 years of age can share their scores with Khan Academy® to create a personalised practice experience. It’s the best way to prepare for other tests in the SAT Suite of Assessments, and it’s free. If you are interested in having your child write this test, please respond via the link and make payment to secure one of the ten tests. PSAT 8/9 Interest and Permission Form
Summer School Opportunities Many IGBIS students have enjoyed the KE experience travelling to the UK, USA and now with potential destinations in Canada and Australia. KE not only provides a fantastic programme, but also the opportunity for scholarship and fee waivers. From KE: KE programmes are novel, exciting and stimulating. They’re specially designed for students aged 15-17 who like to be challenged – intellectually and creatively. Based on the campuses of leading universities in the USA, the United Kingdom (England and Scotland) and Canada, the
Igniting Minds
KE Foundation October Newsletter. If you are interested to know more, or start the application, please contact me.
Upcoming University visits Parents and students are encouraged to attend! Entry to Medical School Friday November 9th, 2018 Secondary Library - 9:30am to 10:00am Several universities will be represented and providing detailed information on the application process and pathways at their schools. As you can see from the participants below, we are lucky to have the decision makers available to us for the highly competitive field of Medicine. • • •
Professor David Whitford – RUMC Vice President and Registrar Dr. Patrick Felle – UCD Associate Dean of Medicine (International) Mr. Philip Curtis – RCSI Director of Admissions, Recruitment and Student Services
University of Queensland, Australia November 22, 2018 Level 6, Secondary Library 12:45pm to 1:30pm https://www.uq.edu.au/ Follow the Secondary Calendar or see the College Counselling Events calendar for future visits and events. College Counselling Events Kuala Lumpur Events Every Tuesday and Thursday, U.S. University Advising: EducationUSA Advisers provide comprehensive U.S. university advising. Register Here
Impacting Lives
5
A visit from The Dreadlock Alien On Monday 29th October, Grade 6, 7 and 8 students were treated to a one-day poetry workshop with slam and performance poet, and former Birmingham poet laureate, Richard Grant, otherwise known as Dreadlock Alien. Students learnt everything from the basics of beatbox to how to write prose quickly and easily. There was never a dull moment, and always a lot of noise, as students wrote poetry in groups and alone, then read their poems all at once in a range of different styles. Many students bravely recited their work to the rest of the group, and received encouragement and applause from their audience. At the end of the day, Mr Grant (or is that Mr Alien?) recited one of his own poems about skin colour to resounding applause. Feedback on the day ranged from “unusual”, “creative” and “great” to “interesting” and “yo!” It’s fair to say that students and teachers alike thoroughly enjoyed their day with Dreadlock Alien and it will be something that is spoken about for a long time to come.
6
Igniting Minds
Impacting Lives
Igniting Minds
Impacting Lives
7
IGBIS MUN Club Make their Mark on the International Circuit at ISPPMUN Conference
Greta Corney
Below are some quotes from all of the students who participated in ISPPMUN which captures their experience.
Co IGBIS MUN Director
.................................................................................................................... From Friday 26th October until Sunday 28th October Year 10 and 11 students Marvin, Justin, Hong Yi, Lucas and Gabriel travelled to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with Mr. Moore and Miss Greta to participate in the 7th annual Model United Nations (MUN) Conference which was hosted by the International School of Phnom Penh (ISPP). This was a historical trip as it was our maiden international conference and our students represented IGBIS with great pride and passion in the General Assembly 1, General Assembly 4 and Security Council Committees as delegates of the Philippines and Peru. The conference involved the students lobbying, writing and making amendments to resolutions, debating and voting which enabled them to work collaboratively with pupils from other international schools in Cambodia and Vietnam to “create a conscious consensus” which was the theme of this year’s conference. Not only did this experience foster the students research, leadership, analytical, diplomacy, problem solving and public speaking skills, it further advanced their understanding of global issues and allowed them to form bonds with other MUNers on an international scale whilst having fun in the process.
“It was interesting to see the differences between MUN in Malaysia and MUN in Cambodia. It was quite refreshing to debate in a MUN conference outside of Malaysia. I would recommend this experience to all those who love MUN. I rate this experience 10/10.” Marvin, Grade 10 “It was amazing to see how best friends outside of MUN could turn against one another during the conference whilst representing their delegation to debate for and against resolutions. The delegates which made up General Assembly 4 were extremely friendly and the more experienced MUNers were very helpful in terms of assisting me to understand the formalities and procedures and making sure I did not embarrass myself in front of a room filled with people.” Justin, Grade 10 “Debating in the General Assembly 4 Council taught me a lot about the philosophy of the UN. While it is easy to get caught up in competitive debate and searching for flaws in people's arguments, the ultimate purpose is to work together with all countries, with a progressive and diplomatic approach, to produce a resolution that can tackle the problem and cater to the needs of all countries.” Gabriel, Grade 11
The highlights of the conference were the the quiz night which tested the students, and MUN Directors, general knowledge in a range of different categories and the plenary of the conference which involved all 400 delegates and chairs coming together from their various committees to debate and vote on three resolutions.
“It was an amazing opportunity to be able participate, debate and meet lots of cool and interesting people in General Assembly 4. Overall this conference has developed my knowledge and experience of MUN and has shown me the importance of amendments in contrast to striking clauses.” Lucas, Grade 11
We are hoping to expand IGBIS’ participation on the international MUN circuit by offering an additional trip early next year to another neighbouring conference. We encourage as many students as possible to join our MUN Club for Athletics and Activities Season 2 as it is an invaluable experience for all involved.
“Debating in the General Assembly 4 Council introduced me to a new dynamic of MUN as I had always debated in a HMUN Council prior to this. Although it was not as debate heavy as HMUN Council, the formality of the procedures in THIMUN resemble the actual United Nations more in comparison to HMUN.” Hong Yi, Grade 11
8
Igniting Minds
Impacting Lives
KLISS Primary Swimming Competition
Igniting Minds
Impacting Lives
Photo Album. Click HERE.
9
IGBIS Deepavali Assembly
10
Igniting Minds
Impacting Lives
Photo Album. Click HERE.