Newsletter
21st
September 2007
Headlines
For This Week
News
From Principal
-
PTF Update
Information
-
The Dragon & CCA Programme
-
Car Parking
News
From Secondary
-
Request
For Visa Renewal Letters and Statements Of Enrolment
-
GIS Successes In The
-
Careers
News
From Primary
-
Parent Teacher
Consultations
-
Putting It Simply …Good
Health Is Important To An Effective Brain
-
Exciting Learning Lesson
for Year 1
Parent,
Teacher and Friends of GIS
-
Parent Forum Cum Coffee
Morning
-
Mum & Tots Group –
Change Day
Announcement
-
Yellow Week
-
Learning Support Department
Needs You!
NEWS
FROM PRINCIPAL
Week three is now complete and the term
is in full swing. The teaching and learning is underway and the classrooms
focused and vibrant. I enjoyed visiting the Year 3 ‘Time Machines’ on Monday,
the students were mesmerized, the IPC ‘Wow’ factor was certainly evident. I
have also had the pleasure of watching our school football teams competing and
the extensive CCA programme. It is great to see so
many students involved in the extra curricular activities.
We had our first PTF committee meeting
this week. We discussed how we can keep our parent body better informed of
activities and events that will be organized over the coming year.
Communication is one of the topics for our parent consultation forum on Tuesday, 30th
October, 8:30-10:00am in
the Grand Hall. We are going to be asking parents, over coffee and snacks, what you believe makes a great school. Please place
this date in your diaries; we are particularly interested in getting fathers in
for this important meeting.
Simon Mann
Principal
The Dragon & CCA Programmes
The
Dragon and CCA programmes are underway and we request
that if you require any further information or need support with the placement
of CCAs for your children, please contact us as soon
as possible.
Car Parking
Please be
reminded to display a single sticker per car as some cars are displaying
2 stickers.
NEWS
FROM SECONDARY
The IGCSE results
this year are excellent, exceeding, the school’s best ever results achieved in
2003. Students across the full range of ability in the school have contributed
to this success. Our most able students have done remarkably well with a record
34% of the cohort achieving at least 8 passes at grade A or above. At the same
time, a record 96% achieved at least 5 passes at grade C or above, showing
strong performance by some of our academically weaker students. Individual
outstanding results have been achieved by Gregory Yap
who has completed Year 11 with a total of 11 IGCSE passes, all at A*.
Julia Chan, Chui Chih Yao, Priyanka Jethwani, Rahimah Abdul Halim, Wang Yuyan and John
Bradley, all attained 10A*’s and 1 or 2 A’s.
Congratulations
to everyone on all the hard work which has enabled our students to achieve
these results.
Below are further
introductions to you by some of the new teachers joining the Secondary School
this year.
Lesley
Cook (Deputy Head Pastoral)
I
have been teaching for over 30 years! I teach History from Year 7 -13 and
was an A Level examiner in
Aidan
Futter (PE)
Hello, my name is Aidan Futter and I have
moved to the GIS to teach Physical Education. I am married to
Robert Gavin
(Science - Chemistry)
I am a Chemistry teacher. For the past 3
years, I have taught Science in an international school in
Cherielene
Smithyman (Head of Art Faculty)
Having grown
up in
James
Grierson (Science – Physics)
After a 4
year Physics Degree (specializing in Astrophysics and Particle Physics) and
teacher training at Oxford University, I went on to teach Physics for 2 years
in Oxford, then moved for 2 years as Head of Physics at a school in Bath. I was
drawn here by a thirst for adventure and a hunger for exotic food, and
have not been disappointed so far. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy
practicing Tai Chi and playing guitar and looking forward to getting to the
coast to do some diving and (hopefully) find some surf.
Requests For Visa Renewal Letters And Statements Of Enrolment
We
receive many requests for these statements which require the signature of the
Heads of School. Please understand that it takes some time to check data and
prepare these documents. Please provide at least 3 days notice of requests for
renewal letters, statements of enrolment and equivalent documents. May I also
remind you that 2 weeks notice should be given for requests for testimonials. We cannot produce good quality, informative
testimonials at short notice.
Thank
you.
Head of
Secondary
GIS Successes
in the
In
April 2007, GIS pupils in Year 7 & Year 8 took part in the UK Junior Maths
Challenge along with over one quarter of a million pupils worldwide. The top
one thousand pupils were invited to take part in the follow-on round called the
Junior Olympiad which is an extremely challenging competition.
GIS had
three entrants from Year 8:
Hyun Seok Lee
Marina Tatsumi
Wen Han
Hyun Seok and Marina were in the top 250 worldwide and received
certificates of distinction. Wen Han received a
certificate of participation. Additionally, Hyun Seok
provided mathematically correct solutions to 2 of the 6 most difficult
questions on the paper and received a Bronze medal.
Many
congratulations to these and all of our young mathematicians who have shown
great interest, enthusiasm and dedication.
Maths Faculty
Staff
Careers
Year 9
Towards
the end of Year 9, students have to make IGCSE subject choices. The move from
Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4 is an important one and in order to help them to
start thinking about the “Options” process, in Terms 1 and 2, students will
work through 2 software programmes which will enable
them to find out where their interests, strengths and weaknesses lie. I will
work with them over a total of 4 tutor period lessons. The work that I do will
also be supported by work carried out during PSHE lessons with the tutor. It is
vital that we start this process now as students will then have enough time to
focus on not only improving their skills but they will also be in a better
position to make informed decisions about their “Options”. As parents, you
will find it helpful to read through the careers information to be found at the
back of the PSHE books.
Year 7
As
part of the PSHE programme, students in Year 7 will
shortly be discussing the importance of careers advice. They will have a lesson
with me and some follow up lessons with their tutors. Our discussions /
activities will deal with the following points:
If you have any questions regarding the
careers programme, please do not hesitate to contact
me at school.
V Sharma.
Careers
Advisor.
NEWS
FROM PRIMARY
Reminders for your
diary :
|
EYD’s
Parents |
Mon - Fri, 24 - 28 September ‘07 |
Pips Assessment |
Advance
Warning for your diary :
|
All Parents |
Mon - Fri, 1 - 5 October ‘07 |
Year 2 -Year 5 Assessment Week |
|
Year 3’s Parents |
Wed, 10 October ‘07 |
Year 3 Trip to |
|
Year 5’s Parents |
Thu, 11 October ‘07 |
Year 5 Hari Raya Assembly |
|
All Parents |
Fri - Wed, 12 - 17 October ‘07 |
Mid Term Break |
|
All Parents |
Mon - Fri, 22 - 26 October ‘07 |
Parent Consultations |
Thank you to all of the parents and
guardians who attended the EYD Parent Information Afternoon. It was pleasing to
see so many of you at the meeting and we trust you found the meetings to be
useful and informative.
It is very
pleasing to see so many parents, guardians and friends in and around the
school. Please do feel welcome to talk to your child’s class teacher or year
coordinator if you would like to become involved.
Parent
Teacher Consultations will be taking place in late October. A letter regarding
this will be sent home next week. In a change from the past, we will try to be
more flexible by scheduling appointments over the course of a week.
Below is a
short article which I hope is of interest to you.
Best Wishes,
Neil Smith
Head of
Primary
Putting it
simply….Good Health is Important to an Effective Brain
We have
always known that lack of sleep makes the brain inefficient. Recent research
has made it clear that diet and exercise also have a great part to play in
enabling the brain to work effectively. Regular intakes of water stop the brain
becoming dehydrated. High levels of oxygen are important to brain functioning.
The right foods provide the brain with the nutrients it needs. What we eat for
breakfast and how much water we drink affects brain functioning. Breakfast
rekindles dwindling glucose stores, which are the brain’s sole source of food.
Complex carbohydrates such as bananas, cereals, and low-fat milk are all useful
breakfast brain food. Drinking water is also very important. Five or six
glasses of water a day help the brain – and the rest of our body - to avoid the
effects of dehydration.
Other important brain-friendly foods
include antioxidant-loaded foods such as peppers, orange juice, carrots, sweet
potatoes and apricots. Iron and zinc have been found to work closely with nerve
chemicals which regulate mental processes. Zinc-rich foods include wheat germ,
almonds, dark green leafy vegetables, and cooked beans.
Article taken from
the International Primary Curriculum (IPC)
Exciting Learning
Lesson for Year 1
This week as part of our IPC topic,
‘Ourselves’, Year 1 invited professional photographer, Mr. Ivan to school to
show us how to take portrait photos. We all had our photo taken by
Mr. Ivan and then we took funny portrait photos of each other. We had a great
time and used the photographs to help us draw detailed self portraits. Come and
see our great art work in our classes!
Year 1 students
PARENT, TEACHER AND FRIENDS OF GIS
Your new PTF
Committee have met this week. They are now busily planning activities for the
coming school year. Everything the committee does is to enhance the school/life
experience of our children. As such, and with a new team on board, the first
event will be a Parent Forum cum Coffee Morning. We will have the usual food
& drinks at a “World Café”. A small number of questions will be up for
discussion in small but changing groups. This is the parents’ opportunity to
have a real input into how the school builds upon the solid foundations already
established. So, mark in your diaries - Tuesday, 30th October from 8.30am - 10am in GIS Grand Hall.
Mum &
Tots Group -Change Day
Unfortunately, due
to a clash with music, the day has to be changed to Wednesday, 26th September 2007
from 9.40am - 10.55am and
every WEDNESDAY thereafter. A calendar of PTF events will be published in
this newsletter soon. We look forward to meeting as many other parents as
possible.
Karen
PTF communications
sub-committee
ANNOUNCEMENT
Yellow Week
The Cancer Society
of
Learning Support
Department Needs You!
Parents needed to
help Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 kids learn their high
frequency words for 10 minutes a day! Full coaching in the multi-sensory teaching
technique needed for this will be provided. It is
REALLY simple and REALLY effective. If you just want to learn it to
help your child at home, you can come along too!
Any parents who have
an hour or two a week to help us make card games and literacy/spelling card
games would be heartily welcomed here in Learning Support. Full instructions
can be given. Anyone who’s
interested at all, please drop into the learning support department to let