IB Education at IGB International School (IGBIS) Propels Clarissa Teh to Cambridge University
May 26, 2023
IGBIS Newsletter, Issue 341.
June 2, 2023
From the Head of School
By Jason McBride
Hello IGBIS Community,
There is always a lot going on from Fireflies upwards, but this week much of our attention has been on our newest group of graduates, the Class of 2023. Last night we celebrated all of their individual and collective achievements, as well as thanking the range of people who helped get them to where they are from parents, family and friends, to leadership, teachers and staff. Award winners for the night included the Salutatorian (our second highest achiever through Grade 11 and 12) which went to Yihan, while the Valedictorian (our highest achiever) went to Navjosh. Our Global Citizen Award (for character, service and contribution) went to Inaya, while the graduating class selected Dev to give the student address. The students selected Ms. Amanda to give the faculty address, a great choice given her importance in helping the graduates figure out what comes next. We are incredibly proud of our Class of 2023 from the creativity and expression of those in the CP programme, to the diversity and depth of those in the DP, we are so excited to see what adventures come next.
A big thank you to everyone who was involved in making the night a success from Ms. Sandy, Mrs. Usha and Mr. Drechsler, to Ms. Wencl, Ms. Abi, our musicians, Grade 11 helpers and the “stage people”, to the Facilities, IT and Housekeeping teams; it takes a village to celebrate!
A special thank you also goes out to the Grade 12 parents who put together a wonderful reception and dinner afterwards so that the graduation ceremony was just the beginning of the night and not the end. A fitting analogy for life after Grade 12.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Jason
What’s Happening with the Counsellors
Secondary Counselling: Culture, Community, and Student Leaders
Over the months of April and May the counselling team has been working with students in Grades 6 – 10 to address the issues of culture and community that were named in Ms. Sandy’s email to the community last week.
Ms. Leanne has been working with Grades 6 – 8 via AMP, and in an extension to that work, has used our learning lounge to prompt students to consider how they want to be remembered.
This past week we had 4 Student Leaders from Grade 9 lead a combined AMP session for Grade 8s and 9s. The purpose of their session was to address inappropriate language and behaviour, understand the history behind pop-culture words and usage, address issues of exclusion, and help students build skills of calling in/calling out when they see, hear, or experience something that they know is not okay.
The students leading the AMP session worked with Ms. Amanda, Ms. Leanne, Ms. Ting, and Ms. Flavia over the past 2 weeks, and created the lesson from scratch, emphasising student engagement and opportunities for students to work collaboratively in an effort to encourage and increase inclusion.
Thank you, Nathan Marshall, Niclas Wihlborg, Sophie Mead, and Wafiy Yursi for your work and leadership.
IGBIS Open Day
IGBIS will be having another Open Day on 28 May 2023, Sunday from 10.00 am to 12.30 pm.
It would be great if you could share this Open Day information with your friends and family members who are looking for an international school for their children.
On this Open Day, there will be a talk by Mr. McBride, our Head of School about how IB Education prioritise the inquiry-based approach that empowers students to cultivate personal well-being and acquire knowledge for their pathway towards university; a school tour to have a look at our state-of-the-art facilities and to better understand how lessons are conducted; and a counselling and enquiry session.
All attendees receive a *100% rebate on the application fee and a *75% waiver on the enrolment fee worth up to RM19,750 when enrolling at IGBIS.
*T&Cs apply
You may share this link, https://igbis.edu.my/admissions/openday/ with your friends or family members to know more about IGBIS Open Day and to register.
IGBIS parents who refer new students to IGBIS will be entitled to RM2,000 per student or *RM3,000 per family (where there are two or more students in K – 12) through the *Referral Incentives Programme. Please notify Warren Chew at warren.chew@igbis.edu.my after you have referred a new student to IGBIS.
*T&Cs apply
TEDx IGBIS Youth
This 30 May, IGBIS is proud to present 20 exceptional youth speakers who will take to the official TEDxIGBIS Youth stage to present their unique ideas and perspectives on the variety of aspects of our today’s lives.
The event theme: Igniting Minds and Impacting Lives (IGBIS motto), will create a thought platform for our young TEDx speakers to advocate new world views, life choices and unexpected solutions to topics ranging from human rights, mental health, human ingenuity and creativity, community welfare and many others.
It is our absolute pleasure to invite you to watch our speakers as we stream the event live. Stay tuned! More updates on the live stream will be available on our social media channels and our TEDxIGBIS Youth website.
ISTA Inter-Arts Festival
“Celebrating our ability to tune in and connect through the arts.”
IGBIS will be hosting this coming November’s ISTA Inter-Arts Festival for Music, Drama and Visual Arts. This time, we will host visiting schools and need families to host these students.
Event Details:
- Starts on Thursday, 23 November 2023, at 3:00 pm
- Finishes on Sunday, 26 November 2023, at 1:30 pm
- Age range: Middle School (Ages 10 – 14)
- Total Participants: 35 – 55
- Host School Participants: Approximately 20 (first 15 host students get host discount rates, and after that, students pay member rates)
Stay tuned! An email with the details for the sign-up will be available soon. Visit HERE for more information.
PVO Volunteer needed! We are looking for 1 volunteer per day to man the redemption counter, all proceeds will go towards the PVO Fund. Kindly email to warren.chew@igbis.edu.my if you are interested.
Summer is almost here, and we are thrilled to announce our Summer School this July! Offering this to children between Kindergarten to Grade 8, we have engaging learning experiences designed to help students unleash their creativity and improve their social, communication and thinking skills while enjoying a variety of extracurricular activities. Our team of experienced teachers will be leading the classes, ensuring your children get the most out of their summer break.
The programme will run from 17 July to 21 July 2023 and 24 July to 28 July 2023 and will include classes in Fun English, Design and Team Building, and a range of fun activities such as library games, swimming and sports as well as arts and crafts. Register now, as we have limited spots available. Enjoy our Early Bird Discount when you register before 15 April 2023!
If you have any questions or want more information, please do not hesitate to contact us at marketing@igbis.edu.my. We are excited about this new programme and look forward to sharing it with our students and their families. Thank you for your continued support.
REGISTER HERE.
IGBIS Social Media Parents Survey 2023
Dear IGBIS Parents,
This year, we would like to conduct a social media survey for all parents in the IGBIS Community to gain insight into the usage of social media platforms among parents and to understand how we can improve our communication strategies to better engage with the community on these platforms. Your participation in this survey will only take a few minutes and will greatly assist us in understanding the social media habits of our parent community, enabling us to tailor our social media strategies in order to improve our social media reach for both the IGBIS community and the wider public. Please click HERE to participate in the survey.
Future Planning Weekly Update
Amanda Lopez
Highlights of the Week
Parent/Counsellor Coffee Morning with Amanda – Wednesday, 31 May 2023
8:15 – 9:15
***Location Change – Secondary Library***
Due to a scheduling conflict, our session is being held in the Secondary Library.
If you want/need to attend the Vircle help session (see Mr. McBride’s email about this new system) you can drop in/drop out of both sessions.
Parents from Grades 9 – 12 are invited to have some coffee and curry puffs and just chat and ask questions with Ms. Amanda to help support the future planning process.
Our April session highlighted an activity on values and priorities in choosing a university.
Our upcoming May session will provide calendars and timelines for the next school year in relation to future planning/university applications. Please join us if you can.
Agenda:
- General questions
- Intro to Unifrog
For Grade 11 Parents Specifically (but good to know for planning for younger grades)
- Anticipated Grades Process and Timeline
- Application(s) Process and Timeline
- Letters of Recommendation (LOR) process
NEW Future Planning Platform Coming!!!! – Unifrog
Throughout this school year, students and parents have been using Cialfo to plan for life after IGBIS. As we move into the 23-24 school year, we will transition to a new platform, Unifrog. Grade 11 students will be the first to transition to the new platform, and this will take place during the May and June Future Planning sessions in AMP. Current Grade 9 and 10 students will transition to the new platform during the 23-24 school year. More information will be shared as we migrate to the new platform.
NEW Resource: Applying By Location
Created specifically for our grade 11s as part of our Future Planning sessions, check out this resource that breaks down some of the most common destinations for our students. Information includes how to apply, pathways that are the best fit, requirements for applications, and more!
SAVE THE DATE: AI Summer Programme Taught by Stanford Alumni at International School of Kuala Lumpur: 12 – 23 June 2023
Inspirit AI is offering an in-person, 30-hour pre-college AI programme hosted at the International School of Kuala Lumpur that teaches students in Grades 8-12 fundamental AI concepts and guides them to build socially impactful projects such as safe ChatGPT bots, exoplanet search, self-driving car systems, and more! Stanford and MIT graduates in AI will be present in person from 12 – 23 June 2023 to teach. Please read more information in the programme brochure and apply here. If you cannot attend in person, students may apply to the live online programme at www.inspiritai.com. Programme contact: Jared Greene, jaredgreene@inspiritai.com.
UCAS Parent Guide
For parents/carers of students who plan to apply to the UK, THIS is a fantastic resource for you.
Info, Opportunities, & Resources
Gap Year programme in Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
This is the kick-off of a new experiential adventure for students over 18 years old.
Our Gap Year programme prepares students to learn through hands-on experiences and reflect on future academic and life decisions by participating in experiential workshops and activities, in a high-ranked European university, located in one of the most vibrant cities in Europe- Madrid!
Main activities (immersion in the Spanish culture)
- Languages
- Discovery journeys
Cross-wise activities (based on SDG)
- Well-being and personal growth
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- Soft skills and employability
- Environmental and social impact
From College Torch
What’s it REALLY like to study computer science in college?
Curious to learn about the hottest major in town, computer science? Whether your kid is or isn’t interested in the major, it’s undeniable that computer science is becoming an important asset and hobby to have, as the tech industry expands. In fact, it has become the 7th most popular major in the nation, according to Coursera.
Sanjana Dutt, who JUST graduated from Northeastern University ’23, shares her joys, challenges, and takeaways of majoring in computer science. It was not an easy major, but she handled it with grace and resilience! Check out her story here.
From The College Essay Guy
With summer on the horizon and juniors digging into the college search process, I wanted to share three tips for launching the college search process.
- Use a Broad Range of Resources for College Research
When creating your college list, go beyond the US News rankings, Reddit, and Big Future.
I love Corsava for helping students figure out what features of their future college are Must Haves, Nice to Haves, and which things they definitely want to avoid.
I like CollegeXpress or Steven’s book The College Finder for his awesome lists of the best colleges for, well, everything. You’ll find lists like “The Hidden Ivies,” “Great Underrated Colleges,” and “State-by-State Hidden Gems.”
I love CampusReel for authentic, student-produced campus tours and insights into college life that you don’t get from college websites.
- Fall in Love with Your Target and Likely Schools
Too often, students spend disproportionate time researching and applying to colleges with single-digit acceptance rates. If that’s you, commit to spending just as much time (if not more time) exploring, visiting, and applying to your Target and Likely schools. (Note that I said Likely, not backup.)
Wanna know the difference between a Dream School and a Likely School that you love?
Often it’s simply this: more research.
- Find a Quiet Mountaintop and Ask Yourself Two Questions
When I asked college expert Steven Antonoff the best way for students to spend one hour discovering their college preferences, he advised going somewhere quiet, like the top of a mountain, and really thinking about two things: who are you and what do you want?
Good answers to these two questions, he thinks, will set you up for a great college search.
From MABECS
Worth a Read:
Commentary: 4 ways human beings can stay unique amid advance of artificial intelligence, automation
Questions, Support, and Help
Amanda Lopez
Grades 9 – 12 Universities Counselling & Social/Personal Counselling
To schedule an appointment –
- Parents – https://calendly.com/lopez-igbis/parent-community-meeting
- Students – https://bit.ly/IGBHSCounselor
- Email – amanda.lopez@igbis.edu.my
