IGBIS Newsletter, Issue 206

Message from the Head of School

This week we carried out a very successful emergency evacuation drill, where we were pleased with the response from the students and staff. Given that we have two major assembly points for the school to move to in case of emergencies, the need for careful planning and coordination is crucial. 

Students and staff moved quickly and quietly to the assembly points, while the officers in charge of checking who were present went about the task of checking the various attendance lists in order to give the final call of ‘all accounted for’. Thank you to the Facilities and Security teams for facilitating the process.

We will carry out a number of different drills during the academic year in order to maintain our readiness for emergency events. All parents should have received an SMS advising them of the drill and its successful completion.

Anne Fowles, Head of School

From the Elementary School Principal

It has certainly been a busy week. Rounding off last week and starting this week was the Day of Play. It was wonderful to see so many families interacting, getting creative and building some marvellous artistic pieces.

This was closely followed by our Parent Teacher Conferences for our younger students and 3-Way Conferences for our older ones. I know from talking to teachers that they truly appreciated finding out more about the children in the Parent-Teacher Conferences. The children engaging in the 3-way Conferences were able to communicate their strengths and devise age appropriate goals for this year.

This week has also seen some grade levels start their new units and delve deeper into units that have already been started.

Provocations are a great way to ‘hook’ students into their units. The Grade 1’s this week had to help Thelma and Mavis find their way to my office for our very important meeting. Unfortunately, they didn’t arrive and I am not sure where they could have gotten lost. When I asked the students in Grade 1 if they had seen them, it seems like they were sent downstairs instead of upstairs. Hopefully, through the unit, the Grade 1’s will find out more about ways to give or follow directions.

There was a hive of activity when I dropped into the Grade 2 Learning Lounge this week. The students were completely focused on various tasks, as they are engaging with the transdisciplinary theme ‘Sharing the Planet’.  I look forward to seeing what else they discover when they inquire into the big idea, ‘Human actions have consequences towards living things on earth.’

On Thursday, the first swim meet of the year was organised. With an impending storm approaching, the IGBIS swim team managed to set their initial targets for the year with time trials. Whilst the meet was postponed, at least the students were able to register initial times for the year to ‘beat’ next time.

Dates for your Diaries

• Thursday, 24th October. 8.00- 9.00 am – Parent Presentation: Keeping kids safe, happy and healthy in the digital age
• Friday, 25th October: Deepavali Assembly – Morning and afternoon performances
• Monday, 28th – Friday, 1st Nov: School holiday
• Monday, 4th November: WS Cross country competition (athletes have been contacted already)
• Friday, 8th November: Phoenix Activity Day (PHAD), Day 0

Simon Millward, Elementary School Principal

From the Secondary School Principal

Dear parents/guardians,

We are heading into a very busy time in the Secondary School, with several local and international trips coming up in the next few weeks, as our students see through various initiatives and realise the results of their hard work and planning. This begins next week, with our second year of participation in an Epic Build, from Oct 17-20. Learning by doing is a phrase often heard in schools, as we know that students learn best by taking part rather than being passive and watching someone else. Experiences such as the Epic Build are excellent examples of learning by doing and are enriched even further by being set within the context of serving our local community. The fourteen senior students who will be taking part have been preparing themselves since last year, and we can look forward to hearing about their experience. 

I have shared the link to our Three-Way Conferences, from Oct 22 – 24. The booking system will be open all next week, and I encourage parents to make their arrangements early. We have increased the amount of time available over the three days to accommodate parents as much as possible. 

Wishing everyone a restful weekend,

Michael Arcidiacono, Secondary School Principal

Free Tree Society Visit

On Thursday, 26th September, Rina and Yasmin from the Free Tree Society came for a special visit. They worked with Grade 2, Grade 4, Grade 5, Student Council, the Elementary ‘Action Heroes’ club and a Secondary School Innovation group. 

Arriving early in the morning with a truck full of plants, tools and soil, they began by talking to Grade 4, who are inquiring into how people’s beliefs and values influence action. The Free Tree Society values trees for their ability to absorb carbon dioxide, create oxygen, help keep soil healthy and provide habitats for ecosystems. 

Grade 5 is studying inspirational people who make a positive difference and how they connect to the UN Global Goals for Sustainability. Free Tree Society taught them about composting as one way to reduce food waste in landfills. Having brought food scraps to school, students worked with Rina and Yasmin and filled 2 compost bins. It will take 3 months for the compost to turn into soil. The Elementary Student Council has been talking about food waste in the cafeteria, so they also worked on a compost bin.

Grade 2 is beginning a unit about how human actions have consequences on living things on Earth. They worked with Rina Yasmin to plant all kinds of things in the new Phoenix Garden on L1. The Secondary School sent an Innovation group to help as well. 

Lastly, Free Tree Society worked with the after school club, ‘Action Heroes,’ who take different actions each week to make positive changes. They took ‘direct action’ by planting several trees in the Phoenix Garden.

Marshall Hudson, Grade 5 Teacher & Elementary Student Council Advisor

PVO News

Holiday Bazaar

Our next PVO event will be the Holiday Bazaar, to be held on the last day of school, Tuesday 10 December 2019, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm in the Performing Arts Foyer on Level 3. It will also be on the same day as the Christmas Assemblies. Please save the date (as well as your Christmas shopping!) and invite others to come along. 

If you are interested in being a vendor, please visit the Holiday Bazaar website. There are two vendor categories for this event:

1. RM50 booth, in which a 6×2.5′ table and 2 chairs will be allotted per vendor. Outside vendors and IGBIS community members are welcome to register.
2. RM10 “Suitcase Sale”, available for IGBIS parents only.  Each “Suitcase Sale” vendor will be allowed to bring 1 suitcase (standard checked luggage size) filled with used items for sale, and will have 2 chairs and an allotted area of approximately 100x150cm to display their items.  Some examples of what can be sold include used books, used clothes, and used toys. Please note that all items *must* be used.

Sample “Suitcase Sale” vendor display:

Registration is now open! There is limited availability, so if you’re interested in participating as a vendor, please be sure to register at your earliest convenience. The registration form and more information, including a detailed IGBIS/Vendor Agreement, can be found on the Holiday Bazaar website. 

If you have any Christmas decoration items that you would like to donate, please drop them off at the Reception area at your earliest convenience. Many thanks for your kind support, on behalf of the PVO Holiday Bazaar Committee members: Pauline Bourquenez, Chickie Dumalag, Sarah Wee, Shamina Nordin, Sujatha Bhaskaran, Fathima Azaha Hamza, Pragya Puri and Pappu Sruthi.

Julie Chen Arcidiacono, Community Support & Services Coordinator

24 Hour Race

The 24 Hour Race is back again this year at IGB International School on the 23rd of November! How can you get involved and support? 

If you are a student who’s 13 years old and up, you can sign up as a Team Leader or a runner with a team made up of 8 people (which can be co-ed). If running is not for you and you are 14 and up, you can sign up now as a volunteer eg. marshal, first aider, etc. The links to all these forms (including donations and merchandise sale) can be found at https://spark.adobe.com/page/SKsGtuYpMykaI/.

The 24 Hour Race Kuala Lumpur will be hosting a fundraising pre-race event called Light For Freedom (LFF). It will be held on the 26th of October! Contribute to an amazing cause while being entertained, find awesome items of clothing, food, artwork, and so much more! There are two sessions, the afternoon from 12:00-3:30 pm (RM20) and in the evening, from 6:00-9:00 pm (RM30), with merchandise available for sale. Grab some friends and buy a ticket now! 

Light For Freedom – Mini Thrift, Bake sale & Lounge (Afternoon): https://www.tickettailor.com/events/24hourrace/298971

Light For Freedom – Silent Art Auction, Dinner & Performances (Evening):

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/24hourrace/298976″

For those interested in finding out more about the 24 Hour Race, in donating to or sponsoring the event,  please check out this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P-j8eDYKECCow3ZK-A25QVHjCj54YPpv4WzJk_42C6g/edit

Ro Xzi Ho, Grade 11 student & Operations Director for the 24 Hour Race, Malaysia

Withdrawal Notification and Refundable Deposit

We are experiencing unprecedented interest in our school at the moment which is very exciting and reflects the hard work of the whole school community and what we are achieving at IGBIS. Each year we ask our families to let us know as soon as possible if you know that you will be leaving the school during the academic year. According to our Terms and Conditions, we would remind you that in order to receive a full refund of the deposit, a signed Withdrawal Form should be submitted to the Admissions Office on or before the 31st October 2019.

Wayne Demnar, Director of Admissions and Public Relations

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