By Jason McBride
Hello IGBIS Community,
Back in November, we welcomed a large team of IB, CIS and NEASC visitors as part of our five-year accreditation review cycle. The reports that come out of those visits provide feedback on how well we meet the various standards and practices of those organizations, as well as to what extent we live our own — and their — mission and philosophy. While we are still awaiting the combined CIS and NEASC report, we have received the one from the IB and would like to share some of the key takeaways highlighted within it.
For the purpose, governance, leadership and culture, some of the strengths of the school came through in comments including that:
For the school environment, teaching and learning, strengths included:
As much as it is great to hear about the strengths of the school, we also pay close attention to their feedback on what areas might be considered for improvement. Some of the thoughts in the report include:
In their conclusion, the report highlighted that:
“IGB International School continues to be a successful full IB continuum school offering all four IB programmes. The student body and staff remain a diverse population which now have expanded their language offerings. The school continues to be supported by the [management] board and IGB [corporate office]. It is focusing on developing well-rounded students who are compassionate, diverse and inclusive. … The school has created a positive, supportive environment where the students are able to articulate their strengths and how the different aspects of the IB programmes influence their learning and experiences.…
Regardless of the staff and leadership turnover after the Covid-19 pandemic, the school has a committed leadership team of programme experts and staff working together on common goals, constantly reflecting on strengthening their pedagogical practices further. The schools’ continued aim is to provide an environment that nurtures a passion for lifelong learning and critical thinking which empowers students to make a positive contribution to their environment.”
We are proud to have received a report that highlighted so many of the strengths that we sometimes take for granted at a school that has engaged students, skilled teachers, committed staff and a parent and wider community who wants nothing more than for IGBIS to succeed. We look forward to sharing the results of the CIS and NEASC report when we have them and then using these documents to weave together a plan for the next five years.
Be well,
Jason
By Simon Millward
An important part of learning in an IB school is using field trips as a part of the learning process. These may be used at the start of a unit as a ‘provocation’ (a way to ‘hook’ students into the unit that is starting- provoking their thinking), midway through to reinforce the information that has been uncovered and at the end of the unit to round off their understanding.
This week our grade 1 students as a part of their ‘how the world works’ unit went on a field trip to use their understanding of simple machines to identify the use of simple machines in the real world and to consider ‘are these machines making our lives easier?’
The grade 4’s also went on a field trip to Bank Negara as a provocation for their new unit about ‘how we organise ourselves’ and the role of trade. This particular unit will be taught in collaboration with the Host Nation and Bahasa Malaysia classes so Ms Meena and Ms Farah accompanied the trip also.
A learning of a different form for our under 9’s football team happened this week also. They travelled to Cyberjaya to play at King Henry VIII’s school against three other teams. This was a valuable learning experience and although they drew two and lost one game they learned a lot. The draws were close games and could have been turned into wins with a little more luck.
This week has also been an opportunity for our students to have their school photos taken, sports team, house captain and social council photos were also taken. We look forward to being able to share these with you soon.
By The Counselling Team
AMP and Homeroom Sessions, Parent Mornings, Uni Visits, Student Meetings, the Friday Feel Good Messages, and Weekly Newsletters – it’s been ANOTHER packed 4-day week this week!
Make sure to check the IGBIS School Counseling Website for this week’s updates – we’ve added new articles, updated our “What’s On” section, and updated the parent sessions from this past week.
Parents and students can access the website directly from their Splash Pages, and remember to use your IGBIS email address as the website is only accessible to current IGBIS families.
Access this week’s Friday Feel Good message on our School Counseling Webpage HERE.
The Counseling Team,
John Schuster (ES) john.schuster@igbis.edu.my
Leanne Harvey (MS) leanne.harvey@igbis.edu.myAmanda Lopez (HS) amanda.lopez@igbis.edu.my
By Amanda Lopez
This past Wednesday we hosted our last official parent session of our What’s Next? Series (focusing on Australia). By demand, we’ve decided to host a final wrap-up session that will be an informal information session – come have some coffee and curry puffs, meet other parents, get a simple overview of the sessions covered, and have time to chat and ask questions with me.
Access the previous What’s Next? Sessions & information HERE.
SAVE THE DATE
More info coming soon!
For students continuing to apply –
Please keep in mind that I do NOT have access to your applications, thus if you want me to look over your application, you need to make an appointment with me. Our next round of holidays runs from Saturday, 4 March – Monday, 13 March 2023, please plan accordingly.
Grade 11 College/University Information
On Friday, 27 January grade 11 students met with Ms Amanda to start preparing for university applications – Access the Slidedeck HERE from that meeting. Our future meeting dates are listed below. Students (and parents) please make sure to check and update Cialfo regularly. Students, you need to have a long list of universities in Cialfo for our next meeting in April.
From January – April, grade 10 students (and parents) will work through selecting courses for Grades 11 and 12. IGB will have multiple events taking place through various outlets to support students and parents in this process – from the Counseling Office specifically, please take note of the following dates:
*Students and parents, PLEASE make sure you can access Cialfo, as this will be a very important tool
NTU will host 2 open house events in Feb for students and families to explore programs and learn more about NTU. Thank you to parent, Amy Lee, for bringing this to my attention
Virtual Event – 11 February 2023 – check out the programming HERE – so many great sessions!!!
In-Person Event – 25 February 2023
More information HERE.
The deadline for applications for Oxford, Cambridge and most courses in medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine/science has moved to Monday, 16 October 2023, to allow advisers to support students on that day. You can see all of the anticipated changes and the full admissions dates and deadlines HERE.
It is strongly encouraged that students who plan to apply to the UK, create an account now on UCAS, so that they can access all of the resources and support available – like these sessions focused on application planning and tips.
To coordinate with this week’s What’s Next? Session on Australia, we are highlighting a favourite Foundation College and University – Griffith College and Griffith University.
We are excited to announce the summer 2023 VFA schedule taught by Prof Dan McQuade and would like to invite your high school students to participate and avail this opportunity. Founded by Dr. Jack McGourty, Director of Entrepreneurship, Columbia Business School, High School students learn the process of new venture creation which is modelled on Columbia’s MBA course, Launch Your Startup, an interactive project-based program to foster entrepreneurship and innovation. Students come in with a business idea and through a vetted process take it to the launch stage in just a few weeks! Graduates move on to become a member of VFA, the young entrepreneurs club and a TA position, depending on their engagement and understanding of the course. Besides the completion certificate, their letter of recommendation can be uploaded on the common app as an external recommender. Here’s some information about the course and some testimonials.
Sinclair College offers more than 300 academic programmes, so you are sure to find something that fits your educational goals. With one of the lowest tuition rates in Ohio, it’s also affordable. Additionally, Sinclair offers international students scholarships of $600 per semester for the first two semesters.
Sinclair College Scholarships Overview
✔️ New International Student Scholarship: Newly admitted international students can apply for this merit-based scholarship. Recipients will be awarded $500 toward tuition for two semesters while enrolled at Sinclair.
✔️ ESL Scholarship: F-1 students enrolled in the intensive ESL program will receive a $600 scholarship each semester until they have successfully completed the program. The scholarship is automatically awarded.
✔️ Sinclair Institutional Scholarships: Sinclair offers a variety of scholarship opportunities to qualified applicants. Visit the Scholarships and Application Information page for more info.
✔️ CCID International Student Scholarship: Students who are admitted to Sinclair and took the iESOL exam are eligible to apply for a $1,000 scholarship.
Learn more about Sinclair College.
Greetings from Learn with Leaders!
Learn with Leaders is delighted to bring the first-ever Sustainability & Innovation Challenge 2023 by Harvard Undergraduate Clean Energy Group (HUCEG) at Harvard University for high school students aspiring to become change agents at an early age!
The challenge aims to give students the opportunity to kick-start their sustainability journey with the help of Ivy League mentors and global leaders. Students will get an opportunity to start their Sustainability changemaker journey, come up with solutions to problems, participate in a competition and get Ivy league mentorship as they move to the final stages of the competition.
The program is an excellent opportunity for any student who has an interest in the field of sustainability and is keen on learning more about sustainable practices, as well as developing solution-oriented projects to tackle sustainability-related challenges in their communities. All participants will get certificates from Harvard Undergraduate Clean Energy Group and Learn with Leaders.
Structure of the program:
What Will Students Gain?
We are looking for high school students (Grades 8th-12th) who are passionate about sustainability and making a real difference in society.
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This fair’s programme focuses on opportunities for students with a history of IEPs, 504 plans, or therapeutic supports and accommodations. Each year, about 20 percent of graduating high school students fall into this category. It will also aid students who do not have formal accommodations because learning differences can come in many forms.
The fair will provide attendees with information that can assist them in postsecondary transition planning. We will host a safe and engaging forum for students with learning differences (and their families) so they can explore the many available college options and learn from experts on how to make the most of the college experience. The virtual college fair format allows students time to process information at their own pace.
The Learning Differences College Fair is free to attendees.
Save the date and keep an eye out for the formal invitation coming soon!
More information HERE.
Amanda Lopez (Grades 9 – 12 Universities Counselling & Social/Personal Counselling)
To schedule an appointment –