IGBIS Newsletter, Issue 296
Message From the Head of School
By Jason McBride
Hello IGBIS community,
Although COVID cases continue – and we wish everyone currently affected a speedy recovery – it feels in many ways like we are dangerously close to having made it through the worst of the pandemic, as well as the longest stretch of the school year; they have both felt long. While the pandemic is not over, the relaxing of SOP’s across Malaysia have allowed us to tackle one of the elements that has been missing for much of the last two years and that’s our sense of community; something that has been a strength of this school since it opened.
In the past week we were able to host a fabulous DP Arts Show, a student-initiated Walk for Refugees, run a school-wide sports day and host more than 40 parents for the first Parent Volunteer Organization (PVO) meeting in a very long time. It was the first time I have been able to be in front of a group of parents since I arrived and it’s April! The parents that attended came up with a lot of ways that we can reignite our sense of community as they participated in a “dots” activity where they voted on the ones they felt would be the most impactful. Among them is our goal of hosting an International Day celebration on June 10, so be on the lookout for a call for country representatives in the near future.
We see International Day not only as a chance to dress up and learn about each other’s countries, cultures and customs, but even more importantly as a way to reconnect our community members, especially those who have joined in the past two years and may feel a little isolated at the moment. Like the mythical phoenix that is our school’s mascot, we will rise again together as long as we all commit to that desire to connect or reconnect.
Have a wonderful holiday, good luck to our Grade 12 students who are studying for exams and to those who are celebrating, Ramadan Kareem!
Be well,
Jason
From the Elementary Principal
By Simon Millward
It has been great to see the developing Grade 5 PYP Exhibition taking shape. Students have been focused and driven and creating plans to take action. This week I sent an email from Koh who would like your help to take photographs of the snack and lunch over the next few Friday’s, as he wishes to start ‘Waste Free Friday’s’
Waste Free Fridays will be about our school actively reducing the plastic pollution that we create, when we bring our snacks and lunches to school.
It will begin on Friday the 8th of April and continue for the following two Fridays, which are Friday the 22nd and Friday the 29th of April.
Here is where I need your help. The aim is to bring snack and lunch boxes filled with foods that have zero to little plastic. Please could you prepare or ask your children to prepare their snack with zero or little plastic contained in it.
If your child doesn’t have any plastic waste in their snack, they get one house point. If they don’t have any plastic waste in their snack AND lunch, they get 5 house points.
I have included a google form so that you can take a photo of the snacks and lunch ahead of time. You will need to put your child’s name, house team, and also a picture of your waste-free food lunchbox to win house points.
This Friday we held a ‘house activity day’ across the school including both Elementary and Secondary students, but in different activity spaces. These were great fun and a really good way to round off this long stretch of learning. It also helped to build our house community.
Finally here is some advanced notice that we will have our annual Student-Led Conferences (SLC’s) on Saturday 23rd April. We are very excited to announce that in Elementary these will be face to face. These are a great opportunity to experience school through the eyes of your child(ren). Students will be sharing with you their learning, they may play a game with you or teach you something or just talk/show you something they have engaged in. More details will follow soon but expect to receive an appointment time from your child’s homeroom teacher (after the holidays).
I hope you have a relaxing, safe and fun holiday.
Dates for your diaries:
- 9th April – 19th April: IGBIS school holidays
- 20th April: First day back for students
- 23rd April: Student-Led Conferences (SLC’s)
HOUSE Notices 8th April
By Ruth Spracklan
Walk the World with IGBIS!
The wait is over, the results are finally in! After 5 weeks of walking, hiking, jogging, running, hopping and skipping, the final distances have been recorded and we are proud to announce the results!
In total, IGBIS walked a whopping 852km! That’s more than walking to Singapore and back again!
Without further ado, our winners are… TERRA! Walking a mighty 484km of the total!
Terra completed 11 of the 16 stops… Here are the sights which you would have seen on your way…
The overall positions were:
1st TERRA
2nd AQUA
3rd AER
4th IGNIS
Congratulations to all who took part!
Athletics & Activities Notices
Season 1
Today draws an end to season 1 of activities and athletics! It has been fantastic having our students participate in clubs, and it is obvious that they have had a great time joining in! At this point we would like to thank our teaching staff who have given so much time to planning and running these clubs, it couldn’t happen without you!
Season 2
We are now able to share with you details of season 2 clubs. These will begin on Monday 25th April and finish on Friday 3rd June (6-week block).
Please see the schedule below
Sign-ups will open Monday 18th April at 7:30 pm and close Thursday 21st April at 5:00 pm. More information is available on the Activities and Athletics splash page.
Please remember that on the first week back (18th-22nd April) there are NO CLUBS.
IGBIS Cares: Walk for Refugees
By Lennan MacDonald
Through the combination of reading and writing about Morris Gleitzman’s ‘Boy Overboard’ chronicling Afghan refugees saying goodbye to their homes and friends and all they’ve ever known, with what the news brought us of the tragedy unfolding this past month in Ukraine, Grade 8 students at IGBIS decided there must be something we can do to help our distant brothers and sisters. When an invitation came to their teacher, Mr MacDonlad, to join a refugee walk taking place at The American International School of Bucharest, grade 8 students answered that, yes they could.
Thus was born the ‘IGBIS CARES: WALK FOR REFUGEES’. Students decided that a walk was the best way to share awareness and raise much-needed funds, and brush up against a true refugee experience – packing a few precious items and going on a long walk with some of their favourite people. The call went out to find other like-minded souls in want of change: posters were crafted, parents were informed, teachers were given the ‘ah c’mon’, and an event was born. In the end, we saw 22 grade 8’s along with a few Ambassadors from the senior school as well as a dozen teachers and administrators and a few brave parents who came together to transform an idea into an event.
Together they got up before breakfast last Saturday and walked for over 4 hours and covered over 200 km collectively to make their world as well as themselves a little better. The walk began with a moment of silence to reflect on those whose reality we mirrored that day. Mr MacDonald reminded all how lucky we were to be the one’s helping instead of the one’s needing help. Indeed the day was filled with a few whimpers and complaints, but far more gratitude and laughter.
It ended with a reminder of the final episode of ‘The Office’ when Andy thoughtfully pined “I wish there was a way to know you’re in “the good old days”, before you’ve actually left them.” Teachers and students alike were reminded that these were indeed days we’d remember. These were very good days indeed.
Money was also raised, but the fundraising part is ongoing for another week, so stay tuned for the totals. If by chance you would like to use this as an invitation to attach your own generosity and appreciation and sense of universal brotherhood and sisterhood, to ours, you may add your goodness to the goodness of your children and your school and your community by donating here. Funds will be split 50/50 locally and globally between the local organisations, The Zomi Education Center which serves primarily Rohingya refugees right here in KL, while the other 50% will be distributed globally through the UNHCR (The UN Refugee Agency). Thank you. Terima Kasih.
Pre-Order Menu (April – Week 3)
MENU FOR 20th to 22nd APRIL ONLY. Deadline for Orders: SUNDAY, 17th APRIL 2022
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