IGBIS Newsletter, Issue 234

Message from the Head of School

Mrs Anne Fowles, Head of School

Dear IGBIS Families,

We are very excited to be welcoming our new teachers to Malaysia at present. Our MYP Coordinator Mr Lennan MacDonald and his wife Tracy MacDonald (PYP Grade 3) completed their quarantine and came into school last Saturday and our Secondary School Principal, Ms Sandy Van Nooten came into school today. Most of our other teachers have arrived and are in quarantine or will be arriving soon, so we are making good progress towards having them all in front of classes soon. 

Cezars are beginning to offer lunchtime meals in the cafeteria next week. By now, you should have received an email from Admissions that includes a link for you to order lunch for your children. This of course if optional, as you may choose to send a packed lunch with your child instead. This week we practiced the cafeteria procedures including Sanitisation, Masks off and on, Social Distance (SMS) and the timing for classes to come into and leave the cafeteria followed by more sanitising. This all went smoothly after the first few days and students enjoyed being able to leave their classrooms to eat their lunch.

We have now received the SOP for ‘School Sports and Co-curricular Activities’. We are studying the document and preparing plans for the coming weeks. We can now broaden the types of activities in PHE classes and offer more choices at break and lunch-time so that there is a range of outside activities. Please note that we are not offering an after school activities programme at this time, but instead we will have more activities during lunch time. Once we are in a position to offer after school activities again, we will communicate this with you.

From the Elementary School Principal

Simon Millward, Elementary School Principal

Even though we have had a four day week this week it doesn’t mean that things have been quiet. It has been a hive of activity at school and it is wonderful to see students so active and engaged. Some of the grade 4 students gave their presentations about the approaches to learning skills they were researching about, as mentioned in last week’s newsletter.

The Early Years have been showcasing their artwork that they created in messy play and have been enjoying being back in school in their changed environment. They have been inspired by natural materials and interesting items in their play, as they have explored and constructed.

This week we had news from Imagination Foundation about the return of the Inventors Challenge that had to be put on hold with the MCO last academic year.

In the past we have submitted our own videos of inventions that the students have created. Each year Imagination Foundation shares their playbook that ‘outlines tools and concepts to help explore the process of invention and provides some inspirational ideas to get you started.’ Inventors Challenge Playbook 2020.

This year we are pleased to announce that our students are featured in the playbook as they created solutions to create a more sustainable campus at IGBIS. Check out our facebook page for more information.

Dates for your diaries

• 15th September: Virtual Malaysia Day assembly
• 16th September: Holiday: Malaysia Day

Inventor’s Challenge 2020

The 3rd Annual Inventor’s Challenge invites kids around the world to dream up inventions that will help solve problems in their homes, schools or communities. 

Inventor’s Challenge brought up by the initiatives of AT&T through their signature philanthropic program AT&T Aspire along with Imagination.org and Two Bit Circus Foundation.

In this year’s Inventor’s Challenge 2020 Playbook, our school has been featured in it with our very own PYP Coordinator, Ms Aga Chojnacka writes about highlighting the inventor’s journey.

Feel free to have a look into the playbook. Click here.

Final Call for ‘Class Parents’ 2020/21 Sign-ups!

Michael Leh, Specialist – Communications & Parent Liaison

Parents, Guardians and Caregivers who volunteer their time to support their grade level/homeroom teacher are known as ‘Class Parents’.

Duties include but not limited to,

• Welcome new IGBIS families
• Support the classroom teacher
• Direct parent enquiries to the classroom teacher, division secretaries, program coordinators and principals.

Nominations for 2020-21 will be determined by the school principals after their information session. More information via an explanatory meeting will be shared by the school to those selected.

Interested to be a Class Parent? Sign up here : Class Parents 2020/21 Sign-up