IGBIS Newsletter, Issue 218

Message from the Head of School

Mrs Anne Fowles, Head of School

Dear Parents, Guardians and Community,

Happy Valentine’s Day. I hope that someone reached out to you today to show that they care about you! I completely forgot about it myself until I got to school and saw students and teachers in red and pink. It’s good to know that life goes on as close as possible to normal and everyone still enjoys things such as Valentine’s Day when the news is full of the coronavirus 2019-nCov. Similarly, apart from our health and safety precautions, teaching and learning are still taking place at IGBIS, although we are also engaged in contingency planning. Regular updates will continue to be shared with parents, guardians and the community.

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From the Elementary Principal

Simon Millward, Elementary School Principal

In this week’s assembly KG students presented their learning from the celebration of being at school for 100 days. It was wonderful to see them engaged in a variety of tasks that had them thinking creatively to solve challenges. I loved their message at the end “they were 100 days smarter!”

In the assembly, I spoke to the children about being risk-takers and doing tasks that may take them out of their comfort zone. This may be focusing on their writing as this is a challenge for them or speaking Chinese or English in their classes (especially if they are shy). It was wonderful to hear that this even resonated with our EY students who talked to their teachers about their ‘goal’ for that day. I will be talking to some of the students to hear how they have embraced this challenge.

There has been a hive of activity in grade 3 this week as they have been working on a variety of art tasks for their upcoming art exhibition next week. I am really looking forward to seeing their creations. These kinds of units are so powerful as this is a collaborative unit with the art teachers as well, music and visual art.

Next week the Grade 4 and Grade 5 students will be embarking on their camp week. They will be engaging in outdoor education-based activities and sleeping for two nights away from home. We wish them all the best and hope they have an enjoyable time. 

This week also saw a group of Grade 5 students visit the community garden at TTDI as part of their inquiries into their Exhibition topics. They learned a lot and opened their minds to how they could take further action. Thank you to Pauline Bourquenez for accompanying them on this trip.

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Dates for your diaries

• Monday 17th – Wednesday 19th Feb: G4 Camp
• Wednesday 19th – Friday 21st Feb: G5 Camp
• Thursday 20th- G3 Art Exhibition

From the Secondary School Principal

Michael Arcidiacono, Secondary School Principal

Dear parents & guardians,

Next week is our annual Grade 11 Options Fair, which is designed for Grade 10 students to have an opportunity to speak with Diploma teachers about their possible subject choices in Grade 11. This is a very important event and marks the beginning of a period of discussion and consideration for Grade 10 students, with support from their family and teachers, as they contemplate the pathway they will choose to follow for the next two years. Along the way, they will be meeting with Mr Mitchell to consider possible careers of interest and the universities they may be interested in attending beyond IGBIS. The Fair is also part of our series of workshops and opportunities for parents; recently there have been workshops on the Academic Pathways offered at IGBIS, studying Language and Literature, the CAS (Creativity, Activity & Service) programme, and the Arts and other Group 6 options. As well, there will be an upcoming workshop on Theory of Knowledge (ToK). These workshops have the aim of helping parents to learn more about and understand the nature of our curriculum offerings in Grades 11 and 12. Our programme offerings are excellent in preparation for university and life outside of school, but they are also complex and intricate in the way in which they work. Parents who are very knowledgeable about our offerings can, therefore, support their son/daughter in making the best choice for their future. I encourage all of our Grade 10 parents to come next Tuesday to our Grade 11 Options Fair, and all interested parents to keep a close eye on our calendar for future workshop offerings.

Sincerely yours,

The Generosity Market Thanks You!

Sidnee, Kabelan and Stephanie (Grade 12)

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To all parents, teachers and students: thank you so much for your support! Over the course of two events, the Generosity Market has raised over RM2000 for St Mary Agape Mission School, a school dedicated to supporting refugees with quality education.

After visiting the school, we learnt that by donating money and purchasing the items sold by the vendors at the events, the RM2000 you contributed will help to financially support the school with rent, electricity bills and meals for the children. Furthermore, your many item donations have become much-loved toys, books, stationery and clothes for these children and their families in need.

We could not have done this without your help and these heartwarming pictures go to show how much you’ve made the lives of these people much brighter.

Thank you so much for your generous support.

Mangroves Among Us

Thesya Thiruchelvam (Grade 8)

IGBIS participated in its first mangrove reforestation event on the 5th of February. ‘Mangroves Among Us’ was organised by three eighth grade students as a community service project. The idea behind  ‘Mangroves Among Us’ was to teach the community about the importance of the mangrove ecosystem through a valuable learning experience.

To start off on a good note, twenty interested students from Grade 6-8 and four supervisors were taken on a voyage to discover the uniqueness of a mangrove ecosystem. The trip started off well as everyone had their snack provided by Cezars Kitchen and one of the organisers’ mom made delicious egg sandwiches. Once bellies were filled, everyone proceeded to gear up for the activities. First on the list was planting mangrove saplings. The volunteers tried their hardest to plant eighty apiculate saplings, despite being stuck in the mud. The second activity was planting nypa frutican saplings and with everyone’s collaboration, two hundred and twenty seedlings were planted. Finally, the volunteers travelled to the alleyways of the mangrove forest and were often stuck in the mud while collecting trash in the environment. 

Since everyone felt exhausted from the scorching sun, we then took a 20 min walk back to the amphitheatre to hear a speech from the organisers. They also gave a donation of RM 3,500 to the Malaysian Nature Society, along with a plaque of appreciation. The adventurous day finally ended with some lunch and a trip back to school. 

I could tell that the project made an impact when the volunteers and supervisors expressed how much fun it had been. I felt content as I was able to educate members of my school community about the mangrove ecosystem, which is such an important part of Malaysian heritage. I hope that this project will inspire future trips and similar projects and that there will be a possibility for the program to be part of Service Day.

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PVO News

Julie Arcidiacono, Community Support and Services Coordinator

International Day Preparations

Please find below a summary of the information shared with booth representatives earlier this week in the International Day logistics briefing. If you would like more details, such as a draft layout of the venue with booth locations, please do not hesitate to contact me.

• The Sports Hall will be open to parents & staff members the day before the event from 12:00 – 4:00 pm for set-up. Parents of Elementary children – please make arrangements so that they are supervised *outside* of the Sports Hall after school if there is the need to continue setting up at that time. The Sports Hall will also open for last-minute set-up early Saturday morning as of 8:00 am.  

• If your booth needs a pinboard, an Elementary-sized table or extra space for an activity, please advise as soon as possible.

• Decorate your booth with typical, colourful and/or fun artefacts. Message from the Inclusion Committee – consider displaying interesting facts or phrases in the country/region’s own language!

• Optional, but welcome: 

1. Food & Beverage. Prepare 500 sample-sized items. Must be non-alcoholic, pork-free, nut-free. In efforts to reduce single-use plastic usage, serve in platters and roster someone to serve. 
2. Performance. Maximum 2 per country/region. Email details (backing track, the title of performance, names of performers, high-resolution image) to julie.arcidiacono@igbis.edu.my and lisa.mcclurg@igbis.edu.my.
3. Activity. Keep the space limitations in mind and aim for inclusive and ongoing games. 
4. Souvenir. Small keepsakes, either DIY or otherwise.

• Measurements: Stage: 8x3m. Tables are 6.5×2.5’. Pinboards are 180x120cm. 

• Please submit 1 recipe per booth for an e-recipe book that will be shared with the community after the event. It doesn’t necessarily need to be something showcased at the event. Deadline: BEFORE International Day. Link to the: Recipe submission form

February Parent Workshops

• 20, 27 Community Choir
• 14, 17, 25, 26 Community Music Band
• 18 DP/CP/HSD Options Fair (G10 parents)
• 21 Raising Global Citizens***
• Thursdays Unleash your Creativity through Drawing and Painting techniques

March Parent Workshops

• 2 Community Choir
• 3 Extended Essay (G9, 10, 11 parents)
• 5, 6 Community Music Band
• 11 Literacy
• 31 Learner Agency – Voice, Choice, Ownership***
• Thursdays Unleash your Creativity through Drawing and Painting techniques

April Parent Workshops

• 1 What is the IB Philosophy and How Does This Impact My Child? (G9, 10, 11 parents)
• 20 Autism Awareness
• Thursdays Unleash your Creativity through Drawing and Painting techniques

May Parent Workshops

• 18 General Introduction of IGBIS Curriculum and IGBIS Life (Mandarin-speaking parents)
• Thursdays Unleash your Creativity through Drawing and Painting techniques

June Parent Workshops

• 4 Unleash your Creativity through Drawing and Painting techniques

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