IGBIS Newsletter, Issue 270.

Simon Millward, Elementary School Principal

I hope you all enjoyed celebrating Merdeka Day on Tuesday, 31^st August.

It’s been a busy week that has been focused on not just student learning but being prepared for the virtual back to school afternoon. Thank you to everyone who joined us, we hope that the information you received was valuable.

This year we modified our approach to the Back to School sessions by sending recordings to you and giving you the opportunity to ask questions. It was pleasing that some of you sent questions through and you asked questions of teachers during the session.

I would also like to say thank you to Mr. John who facilitated the mindfulness/wellbeing session. This practical session focused on breathing and relaxation techniques. Whilst one was primarily for us to engage in the 5 finger breathing technique is ideal for your children to try.

Ms. Aga’s session was focused on tips for distance learning and she introduced our Student Toddle Teachers as well. This is a student initiative and we are the first school in the world to employ this technique, which we are very excited about and look forward to seeing how this can be developed.

Our single subject teachers also addressed questions from the community in their Town Hall session. There is just one example below.

Please remember that the curriculum recordings from the Grade level teachers and the single subject slide show are still accessible to you. Should you wish to ask any questions then you can email the teachers in question.

Dates for Your Diary

Wednesday, 15^th September: Malaysia Day assembly (Virtual)
Thursday, 16^th September: Malaysia Day holiday no school
Friday, 17^th September: No school for students

Sandy van Nooten, Secondary School Principal

Virtual Back to School Afternoon (VBTSA)

Sincere thanks to the secondary parents who came to our VBTSA on Monday. The main purpose was to give you an opportunity to meet your child’s teachers and to learn a little about the various courses.

Teachers have replaced their googlemeet links with links to a video of their session or to their presentation. I encourage you to take a look at these if you missed the live event. Here’s a link to the VBTSA recordings.

We were a bit disappointed in the turnout and because we always want to reflect and adjust, I’d love you to fill in this very short survey to help us improve. The form asks only two questions. What went well? And what could make it even better?

Digital Citizenship and Responsible Use Agreement

As mentioned at the meeting on Monday, we have revamped our Digital Citizenship and Responsible Use Agreement. Next week, Homeroom teachers will talk through the agreement with students and answer any questions they have. Next Friday (10th Sep), all students will be asked to digitally sign that they have read, understood and will do their best to comply with these agreements.

Here is a link to the Digital Citizenship and Responsible Use Agreement (also available from the A to Z handbook). Please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns or questions.

Introduction to the MYP

Lennan MacDonald (our MYP coordinator) will be hosting a virtual coffee morning for all parents who are new to or interested in hearing about the MYP. The session will run from 8:30 to 9:30am on Tue 7th Sep. You can join the meet using this link and please bring a sheet of paper and a pencil.

EosMUN

Our talented MUN executive council are working extremely hard to get everything ready for our IGBIS eosMUN (virtual) conference. This conference is a great opportunity for students to learn more about MUN and to improve their research and debating skills. The exec team will work with all interested secondary students regardless of prior experience. I hope we see a large delegation from our secondary students. The conference runs from 17th to the 19th September.

Heads-up

We will be holding 3-way conferences (parent-teacher-student conferences) on Friday, 8^th Oct. There will be no classes on this day. Parents will be invited to schedule 10 minute meetings with each teacher to discuss your child’s progress. More info to follow.

Have a great weekend.

Stay safe.