IGBIS Newsletter, Issue 274

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Message from the Head of School

Jason McBride, Head of School

Dear IGBIS Community,

As we start to see a more manageable future in terms of COVID-19’s impact across Malaysia, we are interested in gathering our community’s input on December break travel planning under different scenarios. While we are desperate to bring our students and staff back to campus as quickly as possible (with MOE approval) and remain face-to-face as much as possible, we also want to balance the needs of our families who may not have been able to see family and friends for some time, especially if that means overseas travel.

Teaching and learning are an absolute priority for us, but our community’s mental, social and emotional wellbeing is critically important as well so we will be sending a survey out on Monday, 4 October 2021, to help us, help you.

With thanks,
Jason McBride, Head of School.

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From the Elementary School Principal

Simon Millward, Elementary School Principal

It has been great welcoming our youngest learners back to school this week Fireflies, Early Years and KG. The smiles, the laughter, the chat and the learning has been wonderful to see. Let’s hope that it won’t be long until all of our students are back in school. 

Whenever I am dropping into physical classes, distance learning ‘live’ sessions, distance learning recordings or watching assembly items I am always struck by the fact that there are really great learning opportunities happening across all grade levels.

This week I would like to focus on the ES virtual assembly. We have structured our assemblies around sharing/celebrating learning and activities that students can engage within the assembly itself or even afterwards.

The G2’s kicked off our assembly to share their scavenger hunt around the house. They had to find lots of things like something living, something non-living, something round, something wet and many more. What do you think the categories were for the pictures below?

Ms Elli our visual arts teacher shared an activity that the students could engage with ‘blind drawing’. She demonstrated in the assembly and challenged our students to try it. Why don’t you have a go?!

How do you think Ms Elli did blind drawing a car?

Our Grade 4 students have been considering in their ‘Who we Are’ unit what beliefs and values are. They have embarked on inquiring into the central idea, ‘People’s beliefs and values influence their actions’. They shared some of their discoveries with us that were inspired by the books they have been reading.

Whether we are at home or at school it is always good to keep moving and in our assembly this week it was a throwback to the 1980s as the students could get up and move to the music of Rick Astley and ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’.

As we all know there are times in our lives and in our learning that we face challenging tasks and sometimes we make mistakes. However, these are the times when we learn the most. We were reminded of this as the poster ‘Growth Mindset: statements and affirmations’ by Big Life Journal were shared- some wise words for all of us.

Thank you to everyone who has already signed up for a slot to speak with homeroom teachers and single-subject teachers for our 3 way and Parent-Teacher conferences Friday 8^th October, 8.30 am – 4.30 pm. There is still time to sign up on the website.

To book the conferences you can click on the following website link. Elementary Booking  If you do experience any difficulty please contact Ms Ruba, the Elementary Secretary rubavathy.bojan@igbis.edu.my

NOTE: It is super important that you copy and paste your correct school email address when you make each booking. If there is a typo in your email address, you will not receive your calendar invite/booking confirmation with your Google Meet link.

Dates For Your Diaries

• Friday 8^th October: 3 Way and PT conferences (more details to follow soon)
• Week of Play: 11^th – 15^th October: Celebrating 5 Years as an ‘Imagination Foundation Chapter’
• 16^th – 22^nd Oct: School holiday. 

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5^th Annual Week of Play

Ms Aga and Mr Harvey

Dear IGBIS Learning Community!

We are excited to announce that our annual IMAGINATION FOUNDATION: Week of Play and Cardboard Challenge is celebrating its 5th anniversary this year. 

Mark your calendars and prepare for some playing, tinkering, creating and creative storytelling this October 11th-15th. 

Please see the ebooks below to help yourself prep your materials, loose parts and other sustainable resources that will come in handy during the Week of Play and Cardboard Challenge this year.

We are looking forward to playing with you.

Creatively Yours!

Ms Aga and Mr Harvey

Sustainable Play Resources EY-G2

Sustainable Play Resources G3-5

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6^th Issue

Téa

Hello IGBIS community!

Today I will be teaching you about how to create a task on Toddle and how to be able to look at them. This is especially useful for teachers.

To create a quick task you have to go on to the calendar and click where you want the task to go.

Then you will see this:

 You will click ‘’create a quick task’’

Then you will get to this page:

Once you finish writing your task you’ll go to post settings and set a due date or not set a due date (your choice). Then you can choose some other settings if you want and then click ‘’schedule and post’’

Now to access the tasks all you need to do is click the task on your calendar and press ‘’view task’’

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Action for Happiness: Optimistic October

Aga Chojnacka

Action for Happiness is a non for profit organization focusing on supporting communities around the world in reaching their emotional and social health and wellbeing. 

They issue an amazing multilingual calendar for families and communities to follow – with actions and activities we can all take part in to feel better. They also have monthly webinars, live talks and other community events supporting our social and emotional health in these difficult times. 

Have a look at the Optimistic October Calendar and browse their website for more information and resources.

Have a Lovely Weekend,

Ms Aga

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Check out these sites!

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Calling all PHOENIX!

Ruth Spracklan

Calling all PHOENIX out there! Want to represent IGBIS? Are you ready to compete? Then we have some events for you!

AIMS Virtual Olympics 2021

• For students age 8-18.
• Test yourself in 6 different challenges; Speed Bounce, Keepy Uppys, Wall throw, Jump rope, Figure 8 and Burpees.

Entries are submitted via the website, and every week the leader boards are sent out. Make sure to click the correct age and school! Please note the form has had some complications, any problems please message Miss Spracklan; ruth.spracklan@igbis.edu.my

ISKL International Cross County

• For students in Secondary ONLY.
• ISKL is offering an opportunity for students/schools in and out of Malaysia to compete in 5k or 3k runs as either individuals or teams of 5. Please check the Athletics splash page for details on what to submit on the form.
• Middle School (Grades 6-8) 3k
• High School (Grades 9-12) 5k

Entries are submitted via this website, the competition will run until 25th October. Any questions please contact Miss Spracklan; ruth.spracklan@igbis.edu.my

GO PHOENIX!

AIMS Virtual Olympic results in 20th-25th September

The students below reached the leaderboard, congratulations! A total of 58 entries were submitted for IGBIS.

Speed Bounce

• Girls (age 10-11) – 2^nd place: Janise (57)
• Boys (age 12-13) – 2^nd place: Jasper (55)
• Boys (age 14-15) – 1^st place: Aiman (120)
• Girls (age 14-15) – 1^st place: Ruofei (47)

Burpees

• Boys (age 14-15) – 1^st place: Chen (25)

Jump Rope

• Boys (age 12-13) – 1^st place: Ryo (120)
• Girls (age 12-13) – 1^st place: Ellie (150) & 2^nd place: Seika (144)
• Boys (age 16-18) – 1^st place: Amir (130)

Wall Throw

• Boys (age 15-15) – 3^rd place: Desmond (83)

Congratulations to our athletes listed above! Keep those entries coming IGBIS, let’s work our way up the leaderboards!

Go PHOENIX!

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September Movie Madness Results!

Ruth Spracklan

Lots of entries this month to kick start the monthly challenges… Nobody managed to score top points but we had some close results! Please check the House site for updated points!

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