Secondary Newsletter Message from Head of Secondary Dear Students, Parents and the ISB Community, It already feels as though the start of the school year was a long time ago. Term 1 is our longest term, and one where we include as many activities as possible. ISB students even took part in events during the December holidays – the Miri Music trip and the Chinese cultural exchange tour. I’d like to congratulate our 2019-2020 newly elected student leaders. We look forward to working with them throughout this year to enhance student voice at ISB. Many of our new student leaders are also ISB Residence students, something that I know Mr Callaghan and his team are very proud of. This year, along with many other events, saw the addition of the incredibly successful World Scholars Cup programme. Students competed in the local round in Bali, the Global round in Manila and the Tournament of Champions at Yale university. Our second cohort of students have already begun training for the competitions in 2020 and we look forward to even more success. In another new event, ISB students also had the opportunity to take part in the 1st Youth Empowerment conference – joining workshops, a conference event and hosting two international school visits at ISB. The annual Board of Directors’ Achievement Awards Ceremony recognised and celebrates our IB Diploma and IGCSE successes from 2018-2019. We hope that these awards serve as extra motivation for our students to ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
achieve excellent academic success. We are also very proud to announce that one of our ISB students, Joyce Lau, was awarded a Cambridge Outstanding Learner award – achieving the top score in the world for IGCSE Foreign Language Mandarin. Our flagship event, BGIC, takes place in March 2020. The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Youths Call for More Sustainable Cities and Communities’ and it is linked to the United Nations Development Goal 11. Please take a moment to look at the BGIC website. I encourage as many students as possible to participate in the event. https://www.isb-bgic.com. As always, my heartfelt thanks go to all ISB teachers and community members who give so readily of their time to offer as many opportunities as possible for our students. Without their dedication our school would not be as exciting and vibrant as it is! Many stories of success are posted on our Facebook and Instagram feeds (along with articles in the Borneo Bulletin), so please make sure you are following our social media sites.
International School Brunei @isb_brunei @isb_brunei_preunidept Looking forward to celebrating continued success in Term 2, Mr Stephen Kay| Head of Secondary
ISB Student Council for 2019 - 2020
Head Boy & Head Girl
House Captains & Deputy Captains
Chairs and Deputy Chairs of Student Committees
Congratulations to our newly elected Executive Committees. September kicked off the annual Student Elections, where we witnessed a brilliant number of Year 12 students putting them forwards for positions of responsibility within the Executive Committee for our Student Council. Students had to write a letter of application to express their interest in a specific role and explain why they should be elected. We saw some impressive presentations in a multitude of creative formats in both House assembly and whole school assembly - lots of petitioning and persuasive skills being used through the main campaign week. The power and decision, as always, lies with our students and the successful students were voted in through a paper ballot. We are delighted to introduce our new Executive Committee for this academic year. During the election process, students across Year 7-11 have also been elected within each tutor group to participate within the 6 different student committees at ISB. Each committee has a clear focus and it is great to see a record number of students being represented across all years. They have already got into action and started to discuss their ideas and priorities for the year. We wish them the very best of luck for the year ahead and look forward to seeing them putting some of the ideas into action! Mrs Amy Gilroy | Head of Student Development
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
The value of inclusiveness ASD and ADHD expert leads workshops at ISB ISB recently collaborated with the British Garrison in Kuala Belait to arrange a visit from leading ASD and ADHD expert, Dr Annie Clements, who is the founder of Autism & ADHD, a multiple award-winning Social Enterprise based in the United Kingdom. Dr Clements has over 30 years of experience in working with young people and has been involved in several research programmes that have changed the lives of the families she passionately fights for. Being a mother of autistic children herself, she has a unique insight on how to support, work with and value children with additional needs. ISB organised a series of workshops for students, teachers and parents during her visit to the school. ISB also hosted a workshop for pastoral leaders from 15 local and international schools from the Bruneian community. Dr Clements held discussions on a range of support strategies, possible impacts on learning and tips for positive parenting. Ms Suzy Pugh | Assistant Head of Secondary
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
ISB honours outstanding achievers
On 11th September 2019, ISB Board of Directors hosted the Achievement Awards Evening for the IB Diploma and IGCSE students who achieved outstanding results in their final examinations in May 2019. The aim of the Board of Directors Awards is to encourage and recognise students who have excelled in their IB Diploma studies. This year eleven IB students received awards for their performance. Two students, Ling Dexuan and Seth Tiger Ang Cheng Yu, received the Silver Award for achieving between 40 and 42 points. Four students received the Bronze Award for achieving between 37 and 39 points. In addition, six students received the Achievement Award for performing at least 5 points above their individually set IB Baseline. This was the second year in which ISB’s top IB achievers received the Awards, together with financial bursaries to contribute to their cost of tertiary education. The evening was an ensemble of presentations, speeches and an inspirational musical showcase by ISB students. There was also a speech from a Keynote Speaker, Dayang Aisyah Binti Zulkarnain, who grew up in ISB and graduated with an IB Diploma in 2013. She is the first Bruneian working in the US film music industry, having worked on films such as ‘Christopher Robin’, ‘Skyscrapper’ and Marvel’s ‘Cloak and Dagger’. She shared her experiences during her time in ISB and highlighted how the IB Diploma Programme has helped to prepare her for university and the workplace. The event indicated the end of students’ time at ISB, many having attended the school since early Primary. We hope these Board of Directors’ Awards will continue to inspire and motivate our IB Diploma and IGCSE students. ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
World Scholar’s Cup ISB bagged five gold and five silver medals at World Scholar’s Cup Championship Tournament Round at Yale University, USA. World Scholar’s Cup is a cross-curricular academic competition which involves over 50,000 international school students from across 75 countries. Students study a range of topics such as Art, Literature, Music, Science and Social Studies and learn creative thinking and practical academic skills such as debating and essay writing. The aim of the competition is to improve the skills students require for entry to top universities in a friendly and fun learning environment. ISB students initially joined the Regional Round last May in Bali, Indonesia and then they successfully qualified to compete in the Global Round last September in Manila, Philippines. Being the top highest-scoring scholars from the Global Round who have excelled in most of the challenges, they were then qualified to compete in the grand final Championship Tournament at Yale University in New Haven, USA. In the Championship Tournament Round, students had the opportunity to meet students and representatives from the Ivy League Universities such as Yale University, Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In addition to academic competitions, there was also a cultural exchange element in the program where students had their own booth to represent their country and performed the traditional ‘Aduk-aduk’ in front of over 1,000 audiences. Through proper guidance and continuous practice, students developed the necessary analytical, communication and public speaking skills to research, debate and present their work. We are ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
pleased to announce that the ISB team won and hauled ten medals - five golds and five silver medals. The students not only won medals but they also took home some invaluable experiences whilst expanding their networking skills and leadership skills. Special thanks to Miss Esther He, Miss Linda Gray, Mrs Merrill Grant and Mr Matthew Johnson who have mentored and guided our scholars throughout the whole process of the competition. We would again like to congratulate our scholars: Mayang Shabaan, Max Pritchard, Harry Kwang, Banny Ho, Danial Yusuf and Aaron Ang, for their outstanding achievements in the World Scholar’s Cup - Yale Championship Tournament Round.
U15 FOBISIA Games ISB U15 team returned triumphant from FOBISIA Games with 159 medals and 6 cups in Phuket, Thailand. U15 FOBISIA Games is a multi-sports event involving athletics, basketball, football and swimming where students compete in all four sports across the four days of the competition. Prior to the competitions, students spent months preparing and had been in regular training for each of the disciplines. The results this year are excellent as students secured podium finishes in all events. The girls team played brilliantly in basketball, claiming the gold medal. They settled for second place in football after narrowing missing old on gold. The boys team were victorious in football taking the gold medal and claimed bronze in basketball after a thrilling finish in their final game. ISB took second overall in athletics and was the best performing school in swimming, coming out the top spot at the event. Students experienced successes throughout the event as they compete in a friendly manner, network with others and build sportsmanship. This healthy competitive environment enabled students to stretch themselves and achieve their best. Mr Philip Morley | Head of Physical Education
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
IGCSE History Vietnam Trip
On 1st October 2019, 14 IGCSE History students embarked on a Vietnamese adventure. They flew into the bustling Ho Chi Minh City Airport and the trip started immediately with a visit to a local market, followed by a visit to the famous spot of the iconic Saigon Execution photo. On the next day, we headed to the War Remnants Museum for a morning of quiet reflection on the impact of the Vietnam War on the country and its civilians. The museum’s Agent Orange room was particularly harrowing for both students and staff alike, and the long bus journey to the tunnels gave students the chance to discuss and absorb what they had learned. This was followed by a chance to see the war from a different perspective, that of the American soldiers, when we later visited the Cu Chi Tunnels. The Cu Chi Tunnels gave the students a chance to see close up the guerrilla warfare tactics and tunnels we had read about in class. When it came to the chance to crawl down them, the students never hesitated (the staff did, exiting at the first opportunity) and they threw themselves into all the activities on offer.
Students investigated even further the style of warfare synonymous with the Vietnam War as we embarked on a journey to the Viet Cong’s Rung Sac base, deep in the depths of the jungle, on Monkey Island. After surviving the curious thieving monkeys at the base’s entrance, we went on to see the huge crocodiles before reaching base camp. Students again demonstrated their knowledge as we evaluated the base’s reliability as a source to an historian studying the Vietnam War. Our final day offered us an opportunity for more Vietnamese culture and history as we visited the Vietnam History Museum built in 1926. The students were particularly wowed by the traditional water puppetry show which dates back to the 11th Century at the end of the tour. We also visited the Central Post Office before visiting Independence Palace to see the place where tank number 843 crashed through the gates to announce the end of the American War. The experience had been fascinating and the students were definitely more knowledgeable about Vietnam and the effect of the American Policy of Containment. Mrs Antoinette Yarrow | Head of History
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
The Roaring Aid x LaVida Brunei The Roaring Aid is an initiative that a group of five Year 13 International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma students started as part of their CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service) Project. Through this project, we aim to work with various organisations in Brunei to create the idea of ’Youths for Youths’ which would enable youths to help raise awareness of issues that would benefit other youths in the country. Our first project is in collaboration with LaVida Brunei (Bhd). LaVida Brunei is a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) which aims to raise awareness and support different types of needs for the Special Needs community in Brunei. The organisation has a unit called the BEAM Initiatives which stands for Baking, Education, Arts and Music/ Employment. Our collaboration with the youths of the BEAM Initiatives involves collating the various artworks done by these youths and showcase them on various pieces of merchandise. This will help the youth gain enterprising skills, allowing them to be more prepared when joining the workforce in the future. Our product line for this project consists of eight different button badge designs as well as two different bag designs, which are available in tote or drawstring form. All proceeds from these sales will go to LaVida’s BEAM Initiative to help them bring their program to greater heights and allow the youth to fully unleash their potential. On behalf of LaVida Brunei, we would like to thank everyone for supporting the youth through the purchase of their merchandise and our IB CAS Project too. Valerie Tan (Year 13) | The Roaring Aid Team
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
The importance of Remembrance With the passing of time, the memories of the World Wars become increasingly distant. Consequently, ISB’s Year 12 and Year 13 historians wanted to ensure that those who fought or were affected were not forgotten. In previous years we have focused on the war in Europe, but this year we focused on the impact of World War II in Asia with a particular focus on the invasions of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. Our History students researched the impact of the Second World War on these countries in their history lessons and then shared their findings with Year 7-9 students in a deeply moving assembly. The Art and Design Technology (DT) Departments also joined and put in their efforts in commemorating the Remembrance Day. DT students researched the significance of the poppy and designed a product inspired by it. There was a focus on pewter casting where students designed and manufactured their own interpretation of the poppy and came up with a variety of products such as pendants, key rings and bracelets. Year 8 and Year 9 Art students created a Flanders Field installation at the Friendship Circle. The installation itself was made from plastic bottles which were repurposed into poppies of different colours representing the community, animals, conscientious objectors, all soldiers who have lost their life in battle and our fellow Bruneian men and women who protect this beloved country. Within the center of the Friendship Circle, we built the fallen bodies of the soldiers which was created out of packaging tape. This was inspired by the poem written by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, 'In Flanders Fields'. The assembly held for Year 7-9 students was led successfully by the IB seniors and everyone who participated in this event have gained significant knowledge of Remembrance Day.
Mrs Antoinette Yarrow | Head of History Mrs Charlotte Crabtree Correia | Head of Art
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
NIYE Japan Cultural Exchange Program In November 2019, six of our Year 10 students participated in the National Institution for Youth Education (NIYE) Japan Junior Program. The aim of this program is to cultivate international cultural exchange for youths of Japan and ASEAN member countries. This is an enriching program as students experienced youth and cultural exchange in a hostel and homestay environment, interviewed the city mayor, visited a number of cultural sights and explored the Japanese language and culinary culture.
As ambassadors representing Brunei Darussalam, they enthusiastically introduced our local culture and also had the opportunity to perform the traditional ‘Aduk-aduk’ in front of a large crowd. In addition to that, students are also required to research and provide a presentation on a theme given by the organiser such as environmental problems, sustainable goals, etc. Through this cultural exchange program, students were able to further develop their cultural awareness, communication skills and became socially adaptable. The experience has also cultivated their leadership, friendship and individual commitment as well as the development of their self-confidence.
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
Xi’an China Winter Camp From 11th December to 20th December 2019, sixteen Secondary students attended a Winter Camp in Xi’an China. China Winter Camp is a cultural exchange program offered and partially sponsored by the Chinese government for overseas Chinese children. The aim of this camp is for students to exchange and explore each other’s culture and tradition. During the trip, students visited places of historical heritage and attractions such as Terracota Museum, Xi’an Ancient Great Wall and Xi’an City Museum. Students also participated actively in practising Chinese Language with native speakers, exploring Chinese culture such as paper cutting, martial arts and tea etiquette as well as learning Chinese chess. During the closing ceremony, ISB students performed, promoted and showcased the national language and culture of Brunei Darussalam. An the end of this Winter Camp, students have greatly developed their cultural awareness, communication and social skills as they interact with other participating students from all over the world such a Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada and Australia. Cikgu Siti Mariah and Mr Lau | Trip Leaders
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
Movember Moustache Day Movember is a registered charity that raises money to increase awareness and support for male cancer and mental health issues. For the month of Movember, male staff and IB students at ISB have been raising money through two activities: growing a moustache and/ or running 60km. So far, over B$1,250.00 has been raised through these two activities. On Friday, 29th Movember 2019, we have given everyone - students, parents and ISB community members - the opportunity to get involved to raise further funds for local charities. Many has come forward to get their face painted moustache with their favourite designs. This has helped to raise another B$348.00. We hope this activities has resulted in an increased awareness of these issues, and hope the community has enjoyed the day with their new moustache. Thomas Horton | Assistant Head of Secondary
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
Art Fundraising Week In November 2019, our IB Visual Art students have taken the initiative to organise activities, workshops and a dress-up day in order to raise funds for their Visual Art exhibition, the final assessment for the IB Diploma Visual Art course. During the week, both Primary and Secondary students participated in various activities such as tie dye, paint a wish stone, cookie decoration with royal icing and sponge the teachers. Students were also given the opportunity to contribute to the dotty installation at Piano Steps. This was inspired by the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama who is mad about dots! The whole week ended with students dressing like artists for the day. We are pleased that students had the opportunity to unleash their creativity through these activities and were inspired by each other. Mrs Charlotte Crabtree Correia | Head of Art
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
ToK Murder Mystery Dinner Party
In November 2019, Year 12 students used their knowledge to solve crime in our annual Theory of Knowledge Murder Mystery Dinner Party. Students had to use what they had learned about the eight ‘Ways of Knowing’ to connect what they learned in 5 rounds of clues and witnesses to find out which one of their teams was guilty. Mrs Merrill Grant | Head of Psychology
Student Solar Ambassadors SoULS Year 7 to Year 9 students took part in Solar Ambassador training for an upcoming event that will be held at University of Technology Brunei (UTB) in conjunction with Kemuda Institute and the Indian Institute of Technology. Dk Noralam Pg Tuah, lecturer at UTB, discussed issues regarding renewable and non-renewable energy sources, and explained to students the equipment that they will be using to make their own Solar Powered desk lamp at the SoULS (Solar Urja through Localisation for Sustainability). The students completed the SoULS event a few weeks later. It was a great learning experience and they now have their own lamps which uses a renewable energy resource to help with their studies and reading. Each little lamp will be helping to keep Brunei cleaner and greener. Mr Darren Snell | Head of Science ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
Wellbeing Week From 28th October to 01st November 2019, ISB held a series of activities to focus on the wellbeing of both students and staff. There are a number of definitions for wellbeing. One definition would be that we can move forward in our lives in a happy and positive manner, and be adaptable and flexible to achieve as much as we can. This sounds simple, but sometimes our day to day lives can be somewhat stressful. Therefore it is important that we learn how to relieve stress. ISB students from Year 3 onwards, as well as staff, participated in a series of activities during the Wellbeing Week which include yoga, circuit fitness, Zumba, Karaoke, colouring and chalk art drawing. Students gathered and engaged in these activities together at the Piano Steps. On Friday, students came to school with fun & colourful socks, and dress up in green theme to support mental health. Students donated money to dressed up on this day, and the money raised will be donated to a local charity. The week ended successfully as students learned how to socialise with each other, get active, be mindful and have positive conversations on wellbeing. Christopher Trewern | Associate Assistant Head of Secondary
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
Geography Fieldtrips Year 7, Year 8 and IGCSE Geography students took part in the annual fieldtrips in Term 1. Students in Year 7 enjoyed an action packed day visiting Tasek Lama and the Brunei Maritime Museum. In the morning, they participated in a short jungle walk whilst investigating the human and physical Geography found around the park. They also completed a virtual river study as the Tasek Lama river was inaccessible due to flooding. In the afternoon, students explored the maritime history of Brunei at the Maritime Museum. They completed a treasure hunt which helped them learn about shipwrecks and trading between Brunei and various countries. The Year 8 students visited Tungku Beach and the Royal Regalia Museum on their fieldtrip. In the morning, they investigated and measured the waves, and identified the tourism opportunities and facilities at Tungku Beach.
In the afternoon, students then explored how Brunei is linked to the world through the exhibits at the Royal Regalia Museum. The students thoroughly enjoyed racing around the Royal Regalia finding out just how globalised Brunei is. As part of the IGCSE Geography course, our Year 10 and Year 11 students spent the day investigating river management and recreational facilities around Bandar Seri Begawan. They visited three sites including Tasek Lama, Gadong and Kiulap. Students identified the various techniques being used to manage the rivers of Brunei, as well as investigating the recreational facilities and activities on offer in each of the different locations. Miss Georgina Fowler | Head of Geography
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
Performing Arts The Performing Arts Department kicked off the new academic year with two performances involving both lower and upper Secondary students. The first performance was a showcase demonstrating the work covered in Year 7 and Year 8 Performing Arts lessons. Students were set the challenge of learning two songs and two dance routines. Circle of Life and Arabian Nights were brought to life, enhanced by bright costumes and lighting sequences. It was truly magnificent to see every class on stage. We look forward to the Year 9 showcase this coming March. In November, 13 students from Years 10 to Year 13 presented The Void, an amalgamation of scripted and original devised work. This was the first time that ISB had presented a small group piece with older students to enhance the IB Theatre curriculum requirements. The students worked tirelessly after school several times a week, including weekends, to put the performance together. It was a minimalist piece, and was greatly enhanced by being staged at the Piano Steps. This created a unique atmosphere and filled the air with tension as the rather dark plot slowly evolved around the theme of life, death and the importance of living life to full. The students were exceedingly professional and all gave a sophisticated and mature performance to an audience of around 100 people over the two nights. We were extremely proud of all the students involved and hope that this is the first of many opportunities for our advanced students to demonstrate Drama in its purest form. Mrs Dawn Smith | Head of Performing Arts
Music ISB musicians have been taking part in a various events throughout Term 1. On 20th November 2019, we held a music concert where over 100 students from across the Secondary school performed. These performers include members of the Secondary Choir, the Jazz Band and a number of soloists. A wide variety of pieces and styles were in the programme. Pop, Classical, Latin and Jazz, including a selection of pieces from artists such as Lewis Capaldi, Sia and Meghan Trainor as well as songs from recent movies such as Start a Fire (La La Land), Always Remember Us This Way (A Star is Born) and classical violin pieces; The Swan and the Theme from Schindler's List. In the final week of November, Year 8 and Year 9 students were treated to a virtuosic recital by visiting Polish guest musicians Karolina Mikolajczyk (violin) and Iwo Jedynecki (accordion). Students were dazzled by the highly accomplished duo, and as well as being entertained with music that ranged from classical, folk to film track scores, students participated in a question and answer session that enabled them to gain insights into the 'accordion', an instrument that is seldom heard in this region of the world. In the final week of term, 9 students from the senior concert band travelled with Mr Edgeler and Ms Lee to take part in the Music Tutti Concert Band Camp in Miri, Malaysia. The trip lasted for 5 days and culminating in a 2 hour concert - the students rehearsed intensely with 70 other like-minded students from around Malaysia. From 8.00am to 5.00pm each day, the students were involved in section and band rehearsals, as well as musicianship classes. With 2 guest conductors from Australia, and 8 instrumental tutors from the renowned Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (National University of Singapore), students had a wonderful educational and social experience. We are looking forward in anticipation to future events! Mr Paul Edgeler | Head of Music
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
Computer Science Robotics Workshop with University of Technology (UTB) It is with great pleasure that our Year 12 HL ITGS students were invited to a Robotics Workshop presented by Professor Ayanna Howard, a Roboticist and a Professor from Georgia Tech University, USA. She was visiting Brunei as a special guest from the U.S. Embassy and has an impressive repertoire of robotics projects and companies that she has worked for. Students from ISB and local schools were given opportunities to work with different robots, including Tommy the Robot who could dance and Cozmo the robot, with built in Artificial Intelligence.
Internet Security by BruCert Guest Speakers On November 2019, Year 11 IGCSE Computer Science students were given a presentation about Internet Security by ISSP, Brunei’s Computer Emergency Response Team, Ms Izuana and Mr Farid. The different Internet security risks were clearly explained, along with useful tips about the do’s and don’ts online. This tied very closely with the IGCSE Computer Science Syllabus Unit 4 on Internet Security. Ms Carol Hancox | Head of Computer Science ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
Understanding the GPS technologies Year 13 ITGS students were introduced to GPS technologies provided by BruGPS, a local company providing tracking solutions for Brunei companies. There was an informative presentation which explained how GPS works. There was also a demonstration of how these technologies are implemented in real life and how it performs live tracking on vehicles. Special thanks to Mr Joseph from BruGPS for taking his time and for helping our students to gain a deeper understanding in this topic.
Anian Year 13 ITGS students visited Anian, a new local company specializing in IoT (Internet Of Things) - they were able to see first hand a range of sensors and their potential for Smart Cities, Smart Agriculture in Brunei. Thank you Mr Guillou for your time and explanations.
IT Support during Wellbeing Week Wellbeing week was a huge success as ISB ran activities that focused on students’ wellbeing. As part of this, Tech Leaders researched a range of apps that could help promote wellbeing. After trialling the apps and testing them out, they used this information to promote to students. The most popular apps included: Smiling Mind, it is a free mindfulness app for young people to help combat stress, improve focus and increase resilience. The calming and relaxing voice of this app helps you to relax and take time for yourself. All it takes is 5 minutes. Recharge - This app is all about improving mood and energy levels in a six-week personalised program. It helps to improve the sleep/wake routine with daily goals to get you rolling out of bed quick smart. Breath Think Do with Sesame – was more suitable for Primary age students but this was also popular with our secondary students to. For more apps visit: https://www.internetmatters.org/resources/wellbeing-apps-guide-for-kids/ ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
Hour of Code Every year in December, the world celebrates Hour of Code - a global computer science initiatives that creates a fun and creative environment for students to be introduced to the concept of computer programming. Our Secondary Tech Leaders, led by Rahmah, Jun Ho and Tulika, spent weeks organising and preparing for this event. They have worked hard to liaise with staff on the logistics, getting approval from the management, selecting suitable activities and creating materials for the day.
Many of our Primary and Secondary students participated in this event where they have the opportunity to learn basic coding with the tutorials provided. With a combination of robotics and coding activities, students enjoyed themselves whilst earning certificates!
ISB signs agreement with Netcom Computer House On 24th October 2019, ISB signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Netcom Computer House. The purpose of this agreement is to improve opportunities for ISB students with ISB working in partnership with Netcom. The agreement includes:
An exclusive discount for ISB students for Dell selected models. If you wish to be eligible for this opportunity, then you will need to gain a letter from ISB, who will confirm your student status at the school.
Technical support for students - Netcom will work with the ISB IT Helpdesk, to make it easier for students at ISB to send their laptops in for repair.
Tips & tricks seminar for students - Netcom will be working with IT Staff to lead a workshop on how to look after your laptop. Ms Carol Hancox | Head of Computer Science
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
International Day Our annual International Day Celebrations took place on Friday 11th October with this year’s theme being ‘Celebrating International Awareness. International Day gives our community the opportunity to come together to share with each other the customs, traditions and values from our home countries. International Day is one of the highlights of the school year as it allows us to celebrate our similarities and differences during this whole school event.
While the audience waited for the Parade of Nations to begin, they were entertained by a solo performance by a Year 12 student – Finn Reekie-Evans, and also a visiting Indonesian dance group. This year’s Parade of Nations saw over 250 pupils and students being involved part before taking part in various games and activities linked to different countries. The finale song, Africa, was a fitting end to the day’s celebrations and helped showcase the enjoyment and school spirit that helps make our International Day a truly exceptional event. Mr Iain Davidson | Assistant Head of Primary
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
Winter Wonderland Over 600 people from the ISB community enjoyed the Winter Wonderland held in November 2019. A wide range of activities were on offer including bouncy castles, a trampoline, face-painting, card decoration, an open mic and disco as well as free swim in the pool and a film being shown. There were also various stalls selling handicrafts, gifts as well as food and drinks. As part of the performances, Year 3 and Year 4 students from the Primary Choir were able to sing two songs for the audience. There was also a ballet performance led by Miss Stephanie’s young ballerina group. Just over B$3,000.00 was raised at the event and the proceeds will be going to the development of the central grass area. We would like to thank all the staff, students and parent volunteers who helped make our Winter Wonderland such a success. Mr Iain Davidson | Assistant Head of Primary
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
Year 9 Tree Planting
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
InterHouse Competitions Tug of War
Dodgeball
Basketball
Secondary Swimming Gala
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award DofE is an internationally recognised youth award program that is designed to help young people to develop positive skills through a series of challenging exercises. Students are required to undertake activities under the headings of Service, Skills and Physical Recreation, and they are required to participate in an adventurous journey by camping in the jungle. At the end of November 2019, students from the Bronze and Silver award had a practice expedition from Tasek Lama to Karamunting Hill. By creating these opportunities for youth to develop life skills, get physically active, give service and experience adventure, the award can play a critical role in their development. The main objectives of the adventurous journey are to explore with full purpose, training and working together as a team to undertake a journey in an unfamiliar environment. Mr Hadee Pg Nazaruddin | DofE Coordinator
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
Term 1 Achievement Assembly Congratulations to Joyce Lau (Year 11) who has achieved the Cambridge Outstanding Learner Awards - Top in the World for Cambridge IGCSE Foreign Language Mandarin Chinese in the June 2019 examinations.
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
ISB Boarding: The Residence The voice of Boarding: Student representatives for Residence Committee in the Student Council. On 09th October 2019, ISB Residence appointed two students from Year 12 as the representatives of the boarding house in the Student Council Committee. Congratulations to Arif Fadzillah from 12GST and Nabilla Mazland from 12CCR! As Residence leads, Arif and Nabilla will be the role models the younger members of the Residence family. They will also help to promote the Residence during tours and visits from families and officials. They will also help to ensure that the Residence students’ needs are met by being their “voice”. Arif and Nabilla will also help new students to settle into the boarding life as well as helping with the day to day running and welfare of the residence. As this role is new, it is a great opportunity for fellow boarders to share their thoughts and ideas to the new student leaders. The new Residence leaders aim to make a positive contribution in Residence and to be good role models. Nur Aimi Ajari (Year 12) | ISB Residence student
ISB Residence’s immersion at Eco Ponies Garden with students from local schools. On a Saturday morning, 16th November 2019, we had the opportunity to meet and interact with students from the local schools (SR Rambai and SR Lamunin) at the Eco Ponies Garden in Tutong. We organised a few activities for them. The first activity we did with the students was storytelling. We told them a story about ‘Sang Kancil dan Buaya’, it was a story about a clever mouse deer trying to find a solution to drink water from a river. After the storytelling, we played a variety of games such as ‘toss the ring’, shooting different items with a catapult and a bowling ball made out of coconut shell. We also played charades with the theme on animals and occupations. The day ended around 11.00am after all the activities were finished. All of us enjoyed the day as we were all having fun interacting with each other and satisfied with the work we had accomplished. Fikri Abdullah (Year 11) | ISB Residence student ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
ISB Residence celebrates Diwali / Deepavali On 30th October 2019, ISB Residence students celebrated Diwali which is the most popular Hindu light festival. It is also known as Deepavali. Mr. Sarvagya Pradhan gave us a glimpse of what it is about. According to Mr. Pradhan’s presentation, Hindu people celebrate Diwali during the Hindu Lunisolar month ‘Kartika’ for five days. Also, Diwali symbolises the “victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over experience”. After the presentation, there was a chance to try Nepali food. We had Tandoori, which is grilled chicken, Briyani (rice) and Papdi for dinner. The taste was very exotic, and the experience was unique for us as international students. Joonho Kim (Year 12) | ISB Residence student
Residence celebrates a fruitful first term and an awesome 2019! On 21st November 2019, we celebrated the annual seasonal dinner. The Residence family invited Mrs. Thomas, Mr. Kay and Ms. Wong to this wonderful event which is organized by the Residence students led by Charissa, Lathif and Nasuha. Before the performances took place, each year group from Year 7 to Year 13 gathered to take a group photo around the fire place. Everyone dressed up in colourful sets of pyjamas. The performances during the night were fun and enjoyable. We appreciate the work and effort that had gone in to the performances. When the performances have finished, it was time for the seasonal gifts exchange between the students and staff members. We all bought gifts for each other and guessed who bought it. The night ended with a dance around the fire place as well as roasting marshmallows on the fire. Students and residence staff then took pictures as a whole big family. Zaeem Jaini and Hadif Zulazmi (Year 11) | ISB Residence student ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
Upcoming events in Term 2!
Family Friendship Day
Maths Week
Football Funday
Friendship Day
Internet Safety Week SEAMC Junior
U13 FOBISIA
FOBISIA Drama DoE Qualifying
BGIC
FOBISIA Maths CNY Assembly
ISB Secondary Newsletter | August - December 2019
National Day Assembly
Y9 Humanities Trip
Bandar Seri Begawan Jalan Utama Salambigar, Kg Sungai Hanching, Berakas 'B' BC2115, Brunei Darussalam Telephone: +673 2330608
Fax: +673 2337446
Email: enquiries@ac.isb.edu.bn
www.isb.edu.bn
International School Brunei
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