IGBIS Newsletter, Issue 215

Message from HOS

Mrs Anne Fowles, Head of School

The Service Day held this week gave our MYP students exposure to a whole range of service and sustainability activities, which we hope the students will be inspired to commit long term. Service is an integral aspect of our school philosophy, as well as being a component of the IB programmes. More importantly, as our tagline says, we believe in igniting minds and impacting lives to the betterment of our students and the communities with whom we interact. Some examples from the Service Day are:

Thanks are extended to Ms Nathalie Chotard who has liaised with all of the groups and organised the day for our students.

I am currently in a rather cool London attending the recruitment conference as we search for teachers to join us next school year. A number of these positions are due to growth in both Elementary and Secondary Schools. It has been gratifying to see the amount of interest in our school from prospective candidates both in Bangkok last week and London now.

While I am here, I will be hosting our annual alumni dinner at IGB’s St Giles Hotel. So far we have over 20 ex-students and staff attending. I’m looking forward to catching up with them all! Photos about this next week.

From the Elementary School Principal

Simon Millward

It is good to be back in school after being away in Bangkok at the end of last week. The new week started off brightly with the Elementary Shareathon assembly. Whilst it was only a short one, the singing from G1 “shape song” was upbeat and brought a smile to everyone’s faces. As I looked around at the parents who came to watch it was wonderful to see them joining in too. There may have been a little practice happening at home!

The students who took part in the G5 AIMS Maths competition reported back – they were aiming for a top ten finish. The two teams that competed did their best and learned from the experience. The students had a variety of activities that they enjoyed taking part in. Some students liked the Kenken challenges; others liked the Maths relay and others, the team problem-solving. The general feeling from all of the participants was that it was challenging but fun. Well done to the two teams and thank you, Mr Hudson and Ms Meena, for accompanying them.

We also had a very enjoyable ES Sports Day this week. The students were engaged throughout the day competing in the 100m and 60m sprints, javelin, discus, triple jumps, shot put, a middle distance run, and a long-distance run. Despite the weather being hot, the students gave their all. The final wrap-up for the day in the Theatre was very pleasing. The students were performing their house chants with the help of the house captains. The most pleasing part of the assembly was when the placings for the day were announced. All the houses cheered each other and at the end, when Terra was announced the winning house team of the ES Sports Day, there was an outpouring of congratulations from the other house teams as well. Everyone appreciated that on the day, Terra were deserving winners.

• 1st: Terra
• 2nd: Aer
• 3rd: Aqua
• 4th: Ignis

Dates for your diaries

• Monday 20th January: Parent-Teacher conferences: No school for students (FF – Gr4).
• Thursday 23rd January: Lunar New Year assembly 8.00 am and 2.00 pm
• Friday 24th January- 2nd February: School holiday
• Tuesday 4th Feb: ISA assessment trial
• Monday 10th – Wednesday 12th Feb: ISA assessments G3 – G10
• Monday 17th – Wednesday 19th Feb: G4 Camp
• Wednesday 19th – Friday 21st Feb: G5 Camp

From the Secondary School Principal

Dear parents & guardians,

Secondary students and staff were both happy and tired after a fun Sports Day today. The participation of our students was very high, and our senior Diploma students led the way in this regard, taking a break from their studies to participate in a variety of events. Students and staff thoroughly enjoyed the water challenge as well, which provided some relief on a warm day. Sports Day and Service Day (this past Tuesday) were good experiences which help students to step away from their studies and technology and be an active member of our community. My sincere thanks to all the staff involved in the planning and organization of these days. 

Please enjoy the photos and articles of our recent events in this week’s newsletter. 

Sincerely yours,

Michael Arcidiacono, Secondary School Principal

MYP Students Go Out & Serve

Darryl Harding, IGBIS MYP Coordinator

On January 14th, approximately 175 IGBIS MYP students took part in a large scale service experience with a variety of organisations meeting a multitude of needs in the greater KL community. For our staff and students, it was a chance to get out of the IGBIS bubble and engage with the many needs that exist but are often overlooked in our busy lives. Students worked in urban farming, upcycling, a soup kitchen, a forest reserve, and a recycling centre. They served individuals from Yayasan Chow Kit (YCK) along with a group of other refugees.  

Feedback from those who participated as well as those we served was overwhelmingly positive. Nisha, the leader for Ecocentric Transitions at Bukit Gasing forest, commented that no other group had collected as much rubbish so enthusiastically in all of her time as those from IGBIS. Students were caring, principled, knowledgeable, and came back with a passion for what our environment has to offer and what we need to do in order to maintain balance with our environment.

Eyes were widened, minds changed, and hearts are broken, as students serve those less fortunate than them at the local soup kitchen that also had a tuition centre and space to treat those suffering from renal failure. Students came back shocked at the sheer scale of the need and just how many people there are not too far from where they live and go to school. With watery eyes, many students and staff questioned how we can do more for these people and just how many others there are out there that have needs that are being unmet.  

The recycling experience at Desa Park City and a visit to Tzu Chi was a wonderful educational experience, according to feedback. Students were amazed at how complex recycling actually is and the minor details that need to be considered with recycling. They expressed admiration for the members of Tzu Chi for their dedication to helping people. There was a genuine connection made to some of the learning that goes on in the classroom as well as a desire to find ways to better support this group in the future.

HOPE Worldwide Malaysia, a group that oversees the distribution of food to the needy, has been a partner of the IGBIS service and action initiative for some time now. In addition to collecting and distributing food, the students learned how bleak the situation is with many families in Malaysia and how great the need truly is. Students were shocked to learn how bad some people have it and left encouraged to find ways to support them outside of just a single school organized way.  

A visit to IGBIS by Yayasan Chow Kit (YCK), another longtime partner of the IGBIS service programme, was organised by Grade 10 students, Abirrami Gunalan and Isabelle Monteiro. During this time, IGBIS students engaged in a series of games and activities with the children of YCK. A simple gesture of love and care goes a long way and the students involved in this activity certainly gave plenty of that. Smiles, laughter, high-fives, and great food could be seen all around.

While exhausted by the end of the day, students returned for their reflection time with their hearts filled with joy and eagerness to further serve the needs of the community. Full credit to the students and staff that pour out for each and every group they served. A special mention of gratitude to Ms Nathalie Chotard for her tireless effort to make this event a huge success.

PVO News

Julie Arcidiacono

International Day

Parents should have received this survey via email earlier this week regarding International Day. International Day is our annual celebration of IGBIS’ wide cultural diversity. The event offers opportunities for students, parents and staff to broaden horizons and learn more about their peers’ cultures, food and languages. 

International Day will be held on Saturday, 14th March from 9:00 am – 12:00 noon and is considered a school day. In preparation, please respond to the survey (before the school’s CNY holiday break) so that logistics can be planned accordingly. We ask that conversations about this day are held at home with children so that their preferences are also recorded in the survey. 

Thank you in advance to those who have already submitted the form and have offered to participate with a country booth. Please expect another email following the CNY holiday break addressed to all who have chosen the same country. Save the date – a logistics briefing will be held on 10 February at 8:00 am and at least 1 representative from each country will be invited to attend.

Parent Workshops

Please click on the workshop title below to access the sign-up form and to find out more details about each workshop. All workshops have a start time of 8:00 or 8:15 am, except for Unleash your Creativity, which will take place after-school from 3:10-4:30 pm. 

January Parent Workshops

• 21 Group 6 options – the Arts and electives (G9 and G10 parents)
• 22 Cyberbullying & Digital Drama 
• Thursdays Unleash your Creativity through Drawing and Painting techniques

February Parent Workshops

• 3 Global Citizens
• 5, 14, 17, 25, 26 Community Music Band
• 6 Introduction to CAS (G9 and G10 parents)
• 7 Learner Agency – Voice, Choice, Ownership
• 11, 20, 27 Community Choir
• 12 Moving towards Zero Waste living
• 18 DP/CP/HSD Options Fair (G10 parents)
• Thursdays Unleash your Creativity through Drawing and Painting techniques

March Parent Workshops

• 2 Community Choir
• 3 Extended Essay (G9, 10, 11 parents)
• 5, 6 Community Music Band
• 11 Literacy
• Thursdays Unleash your Creativity through Drawing and Painting techniques

April Parent Workshops

• 1 What is the IB Philosophy and How Does This Impact My Child? (G9, 10, 11 parents)
• 20 Autism Awareness
• Thursdays Unleash your Creativity through Drawing and Painting techniques

May Parent Workshops

• 18 General Introduction of IGBIS Curriculum and IGBIS Life (Mandarin-speaking parents)
• Thursdays Unleash your Creativity through Drawing and Painting techniques

June Parent Workshops

• 4 Unleash your Creativity through Drawing and Painting techniques

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