IGBIS Newsletter : December 2024

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December Highlights:

From the Elementary Principal

Simon Millward

November has certainly been a fun-packed month with many things happening in and out of the classroom. One of the wonderful elements of the PYP is the transdisciplinary nature of the programme where collaboration happens with single-subject teachers and homeroom teachers to help students understand that the world is interconnected and discrete subjects don’t function in isolation. That being said, the Grade 3: ‘How We Express Ourselves’ unit is a great example of one of these authentic units of inquiry. The students embarked on a field trip to the Botanical Gardens to be inspired by nature. Accompanied by Mr. Alex, Ms. Elli, Mr. Harvey and the Grade 3 Team, they recorded sound scapes, drew flowers and took photographs from bird's eyes, human eye and ant eye views.

All of these raw materials were brought back to school where they created poems, music, drawings and 3D creations as well as photoshopped images. The students curated all of their work and displayed it for their parents to appreciate this exhibition.

Week of Play

As a four programme IB school, there are opportunities where students can interact with one another across the school. The ‘week of play’ was such a chance. The week was launched with the ‘Play with Odyssey’ activities. The Secondary students were paired with an Elementary grade level, for example, Grade 12’s with EY1’s and 2’s, G11 with KG etc. The students had a fabulous time ‘playing’ with their older schoolmates.

Over the course of the week, classes took the opportunity to be playful which culminated in parents being invited in to play as well.

ES Sporting Fixtures

Through November, there were numerous sporting fixtures against other schools in the AIMS and KLSL athletic conferences. The games and tournaments are a way for our students to see where they are in comparison to other schools in a sporting context so they know how and what they need to work on to improve. Team cohesion, playing and learning to function as a team and to win humbly and lose gracefully are valuable life lessons. Tournaments that featured sports such as ‘benchball’ (a lead-up game to basketball for our under 9 teams), basketball for U11 and swimming meets where individual and team awards were obtained.

Twin / Triplets Day

In November we saw two of our Elementary student leadership opportunities have firsts. This year’s 24/25 Social Council organised their first event “Twins/Triplets/Quads” Day. The students and teachers went to town to dress alike. Some were cute, while others were laugh-worthy!

Open Day

We also saw our Elementary Student ambassadors take part in their first Open day, as they talked knowledgeably about the school and why they enjoyed learning at IGBIS. They were a credit to themselves and the school as they confidently talked to strangers. I look forward to more events being led by these two groups of students.

ES Production - The Grunch

Last, but not least we were entertained by our Elementary students in the ES musical performance of ‘The Grunch’. As an ASA, students auditioned for their parts and then spent two days a week and some Saturdays preparing for their performance. This was a treat. The commitment and dedication were admirable and paid off. It was fun, and entertaining, eliciting many guffaws from the audience. A huge thank you to all those who made this happen.

What a vibrant learning school we attend, where students have fun and learn as well.

From the Secondary Principal

Sandy van Nooten

What a busy couple of months we’ve had in secondary school! In addition to the projects and events (highlighted below), our teachers and students have also engaged in lots of teaching, learning, assessing, performing, experimenting, growing, and reflecting within our MYP/DP/CP classes. Hats off to everyone for a superb semester (so far).

Phoenix Talks (October)

One of our first big events was our annual ‘Phoenix Talks’ where our DP and CP students showcase and celebrate their trials and tribulations in the core of the programmes. Special thanks to Mr. Drechsler and our Gr. 12 students.

The DP core includes TOK (Theory of Knowledge), EE (Extended Essay) and CAS (Creativity, Action and Service)
The CP core includes PPS (Personal & Professional Skills), RP (Reflective Project) and SL (Service Learning)

Ugly Dolls Project (SPARK & ZOMI)

The photo below was taken when a group of students (from the SPARK club) went to Zomi (in October) to give their Ugly Dolls to appreciative Zomi kids. Zoom in to see the incredible creativity and workmanship in making these beautifully ‘ugly’ dolls.

EOS MUN 2024

It has been a busy semester for our MUN students. In late October we sent a small group to ISPPMUN in Phnom Penh. Just a few weeks ago, our busy MUN council hosted our own MUN conference EOS MUN.

We had about 75 delegates from various schools in KL attending, discussing and working together to find solutions to current and possibly future world issues such as addressing and overcoming discrimination in online environments, ensuring global accessibility for women’s sanitary products, and the ethical implications of the Death Star as a deterrent. You can find more information on their website: https://eosmun20.wixsite.com/2024

Student Leaderships

Congratulations to all our student leaders. We’ve held highly competitive elections for StuCo Execs, Class Reps, Student Ambassadors and House Captains. Congratulations to our committed and creative student leaders.

Whole School Assemblies

This year, we have welcomed lots of new students and we no longer all fit in our Theatre. We had our first split assembly for Deepavali and we’ll have our Winter (Christmas) assembly at the end of next week (Dec 13th).

MRISA

This year is our first year being part of the MRISA Conference (a conference of 8 international schools from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and now Malaysia.

MRISA HS Volleyball

Our first-ever event was High School Volleyball which was hosted by Vientiane International School in Laos. Both our girls and boys' teams played hard and with incredible spirit and sportsmanship. They made us incredibly proud. Special thanks to Mr. Rohit and Mr. Drechsler for coaching and supporting the boy's and girls teams.

MRISA Basketball

One week later, we hosted our first MRISA event at IGBIS and what an event that was. Huge thanks to Mr. Craig Wilson for everything he did to plan and coordinate this massive event. Our MS basketballers were fierce and fabulous to watch. In addition to our MS boys (coached by Ms. Powell), our MS girls (coached by Mr. Benny), and with very little notice, Coach Bryant coached and supported our MS boys B team as well. Most of the Elementary classes adopted one of the visiting teams and came along and cheered some of their matches. Our visiting teams LOVED it.

MRISA Arts

In January, we have a team of 20 students (5 Visual Artists, 5 Drama, 5 Musicians, and 5 Dancers) heading to Laos for our first Arts X. They will be accompanied by Mr. Pendlebury, Ms. Hadewych and Ms. Abigail.

Bufori EVie Inaugural Race Day

A huge congratulations to the IGBIS Eco Phoenix Drifters for taking home the trophy at the Bufori EViE race day on 9 November 2024! 🏆

With determination, teamwork, and plenty of engineering spirit, our students conquered the track and achieved the overall top spot in this exhilarating competition.

A big thank you to our amazing teachers and mentors for their support and guidance, and to our student engineers, drivers, and pit crew who made this victory possible! Your passion and hard work brought this success home to IGBIS, and we couldn’t be prouder.

Read more about this in our Latest News!

SS Swim Events

We hosted two swim meets recently. AIMS and KLSL. Huge congratulations to our team of swimmers who did really well in the AIMS contest and then came in first (for the first time ever) in the KLSL meet last week. Thanks also to the coaches Mr. Watters, Mr. Aherne, Mr. France, Ms. Harriet and Ms. Kerri.

Student-led Events

In addition to all our regular events, we have had some very keen and capable students wanting to go above and beyond to run events to support our community and ‘Greater Action’.

Upcoming SS Events

This Tuesday (3rd Dec) we will have our annual Aquathlon where teams and individuals will swim and run for house glory. Thanks to Janet and her team for planning and running this event.

Next Tuesday (10th Dec) is the Personal Project Exhibition where our Gr.10 students get to showcase their learning goals and their products after an intense semester of planning and pursuing their interests and passions. Please come along if you can (block 4 in the level 6 lounges and MPR). Thanks to Ms. Rosalinda for coordinating the Gr.10s and the teacher supervisors through this important MYP capstone project.

Here’s a summary of the important dates in Secondary (between now and the end of S1)
Mon 2nd Dec - ‘emotional baggage’ rehearsal (blocks 2 and 3)
Tue 3rd Dec - Aquathlon (blocks 1-3), - ‘emotional baggage’ SS performance (block 4)
Wed 4th Dec - ‘emotional baggage’ - Community Performance (at 4:30)
Fri 6th to Tue 10th Dec Gr.11 S1 exams
Tue 10th Dec - PP exhibition (block 4)
Fri 13th Dec - Holiday Assembly | Holiday Bazaar
Sat 14th to Sun 5th Jan - HOLIDAY
Mon 6th is PD day for teachers
Wed 15th to Sun 19th Jan - MRISA ArtX (@ VIS)
Fri 17th Jan - End of S1
Mon 20th Jan - Start of S2
Wed 22nd Jan - S1 Reports Released

Thanks for entrusting your fabulous kids to us. Please know that we never take that responsibility lightly.

I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday. We look forward to seeing you all back here in the new year!

Secondary School Eco Week

By Brinda, Eco Club Committee

Eco Week at IGBIS was a resounding success!

With a daily focus on themes like eco-bricks, environmental education, sustainable food choices, and more, students and staff engaged in hands-on activities to promote sustainability and reduce waste. Highlights included creating eco-bricks for future projects, sampling vegan snacks, and raising awareness about proper recycling practices.

Let’s continue this momentum by embracing reusable bottles and eco-friendly habits daily to create a cleaner, greener community! Thank you to everyone who participated and supported these initiatives.

Upcoming Events:

Parent Workshops

Here’s what’s happening in December for our Parent Workshops! These sessions are packed with valuable insights and practical tips to help you support your child’s journey. Connect with fellow parents and enjoy a little “me-time” - coffee and snacks on us! ☕🍪

Don't miss out on these meaningful sessions. We can't wait to see you there!

For more information, click HERE to register!

SS Musical - Emotional Baggage

SS Production team

Mark your calendars for Emotional Baggage, an experimental secondary school play that tells a story through movement, masks, and original soundscapes—no words required!

Presented by our Grade 9-12 students, Emotional Baggage features powerful non-verbal storytelling through expressive masks, captivating movement, puppetry, digital imaging, and an original soundscape. This innovative piece explores the emotional journeys of seven strangers confronting their hidden “baggage”, revealing universal stories of self-discovery and connection.

Join us for this thought-provoking experience on December 3 (all secondary school students, teachers, and parents) or December 4 (whole school community, parents, and friends).

Don’t miss this powerful display of non-verbal storytelling!

The Tradition of Giving at Zomi Education Center (ZEC)

Craig Wilson

Every winter holiday, the IGBIS community joins together to support the Zomi Education Centre (ZEC) located here in Kuala Lumpur. ZEC is a non-profit education center that provides basic education to children who seek refuge in Malaysia.

Please take a moment to read over the details of this drive, and join in our efforts to support their students.

We look forward to making a huge difference in these kids' lives, and could not do it without the efforts of our entire community.

P.S.: Thank you for offering to purchase gifts for ZOMI students, but we have filled all slots, and all kids are receiving a gift from someone else in our community. I appreciate your generosity and hope you can help in one of the other two ways to support the Zomi Education Centre.

Christmas Bazaar 2024

Join us for a day of festive cheer at the IGBIS Christmas Bazaar!

Date: 13 December 2024
Time: 9am - 5pm
Location: IGBIS L7 Sports Hall

Explore 35+ festive stalls, enjoy holiday treats, and try out the bouncy castle! This year, the Bazaar will be open throughout the day, so enjoy our Bazaar right after our Christmas Assembly!

Bring the whole family (with your ID or car sticker) and celebrate the season with food, fun, and community spirit. We look forward to making memories with you!

Terry Fox Run 2025

Maloé and Wen Yi

The Terry Fox Run is back for its third year at IGBIS!

Open to all grade levels and the wider community, the event will take place on 28 February 2025, from 6pm to 9pm at the IGBIS Track. All proceeds support Cancer Research Malaysia in collaboration with the Terry Fox Foundation.

Please note:

Event booth registration closes on 13 December 2024 (To those who’d like to hold a booth, please register HERE)
Race signup registration closes on 17 January 2025 (Collection of t-shirts will be done prior to the race)

Ready to participate? Sign up through Managebac! For any questions, please email terryfoxrunigb@gmail.com or DM @terryfoxigb on Instagram.

Together, let’s keep Terry’s legacy alive!

Everton Winter Camp

Everton International Academy

Kick off the holiday season with the Everton International Academy at IGBIS Winter Camp from December 16-18 2024!

This action-packed camp offers lots of fun activities, prizes and skill-building drills to sharpen your football skills.

Make new friends, learn from top coaches, and create memories. Don’t miss out, reserve your spot today!

We hope you’ve enjoyed this month’s highlights. Stay tuned for more exciting stories and updates in the new year!