Newsletter
23rd March
2007
Headlines
For This Week
News
From The Principal
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Virus
Warning
News
From Secondary
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Options
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Year 9 External Examinations
2007
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Moving Matters
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Discovery Week
News
From Primary
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KS2 Swimming Gala
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Teddy Bears’ Picnic
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Primary Book Week - Reminder
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Dress as a Book Character
Day
Co-curricular
Activities
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43rd National Age
Group Swimming Championships 2007
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SEASAC Swimming Gala 2007
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U13’s Dragons Netball
Tournament
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GIS Swim Club
Parent,
Teacher and Friends of GIS
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Secondary Sports Day
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Teddy Bears’ Picnic
NEWS
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
To: Parents of all
students at Garden International School
Dear
Parents,
I am very pleased to be able to inform you
that
International
School Putrajaya, will open in September 2008 as an Early Years and Primary
School, offering a British Curriculum delivered through the National Curriculum
Foundation Stage and the International Primary Curriculum. The school will
quickly develop and will eventually provide a British Curriculum Secondary Key
Stage 3 programme, the IGCSE programme and eventually the International
Baccalaureate Diploma. The school will provide for day students as well as
boarding students.
The
state of the art school buildings have now been completed and the next 17
months will be spent on making sure that equipment, staff and curriculum are in
place before opening. The Board of Governors have already appointed a Head
teacher for the school , Mr David Griffiths, who has
recently held senior posts in international schools in both The Netherlands and
The
international school in Putrajaya will embody the
heritage and ethos of GIS and will ensure that GIS’s high standards of
education are delivered in the school. The school will have its own Board of
Governors and will be staffed and managed separately from GIS. I can
assure you that the high quality off education at GIS will be retained and that
the opening of the international
I shall
ensure that the GIS school community is regularly informed about the
developments at the new school.
Yours
sincerely,
Principal
Reminder
The soft-launch of Gary Koh’s free
trial Kung Fu Introductory Class will be happening this Sunday, 25th March
at
Don’t forget to come in your sports attire with
appropriate shoes to join in the fun!
Important
information from the ICT department.
During
the last week, the school had the misfortune of being hit by a computer virus.
As this very advanced virus was able to find its way past our virus protection
software, it managed to cause us numerous problems, spreading throughout the
whole school undetected. The result was that the majority of our computers
became unusable.
Fortunately our ICT department, in
conjunction with Symantec, managed to find a fix and have now restored our PCs
to full working order.
For your own protection, please ensure
that you have up-to-date anti virus
software on your own computer at home. These destructive viruses can spread
through emails, computer networks, or even through using pen drives. We would
recommend purchasing good antivirus software, but free versions are available
on the internet. AVG is available free on this site http://free.grisoft.com
IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT
YOU SCAN ALL PENDRIVES OR PORTABLE DEVICES. This can easily be
done by plugging the pen
drive in before you run the scan.
ICT Co-ordinator (Primary)
NEWS
FROM SECONDARY
Options
After
a very busy Options Evening three weeks ago and much research and many
questions, Year 9 students are well on their way to making their final option
choices. They are now being interviewed by members of the Senior Management
Team to confirm their choices or to make adjustments.
Because
of the availability of teaching staff and after due consideration we have been
able to add one extra
I would also encourage students and
parents to consider the widest possible choices for IGCSE. It is not necessary
to select subjects of a similar nature or from a narrow range at this stage. Specialisation should take place much later and even
universities look for students with a wide skill and subject base.
Whilst we try to accommodate all first
choices of students, inevitably there may be a few disappointments because of
the limits on places of certain subjects. This may be due to health and safety
regulations.
After several enquires
by parents I would like to reiterate the school’s policy on the following:
1)
Students must do either Coordinated Science for which they will receive a
double grade
award,
or they study for the three single sciences. Students may not do two single
sciences,
2) Students must study the full range of
option subjects unless there are particular exceptional
circumstances
when students may be receiving Learning Support.
Deputy Head,
Curriculum
Year 9
External Examinations 2007
In
2007, we are changing the method of assessment in the Core subjects of English
and science, due to restrictions imposed by the British Government. This time,
we are introducing a new examination from Cambridge International Examinations
(CIE) called Checkpoint:
“Cambridge
Checkpoint is a unique service and an invaluable tool for schools and colleges. It enables
access to standardised tests that provide feedback
on a student's strengths and weaknesses in key curriculum areas. Students
in international schools will have a transferable indication of their academic
progress.”
For
more information, go to the CIE website, www.cie.org.uk,
or click on the link below:
Here is
the timetable:
Checkpoint
Science Thursday, 24th April, periods 3/4 or 5/6 and Friday 27th
April, periods 3/4
Checkpoint
English Wednesday 25th April, periods 7/8 and Friday 27th
April, periods 5/6
The
Science tests last for 45 minutes, and the English tests are 67 minutes long.
The
tests will be held in the Grand Hall except on Friday when classrooms will be
used.
Students
should bring pens, pencils, rulers, erasers and calculators in a clear, transparent container, e.g. a clear plastic bag or
pencil case.
Students must NOT bring a hand phone to the Grand
Hall.
Please
note that Students attend NORMAL LESSONS when not sitting exams. Please remind
them to bring the correct books and equipment for those lessons.
Please
note these comments from the Product Manager in
Checkpoint is intended to be a tool to support teachers in their
teaching. It is not intended to be a certificated examination and it is
not our intention that a period of intense preparation and revision for
Checkpoint tests should interrupt the teaching programme.
The
diagnostic report on a candidate (due in June 2007) will give:
1) a Checkpoint score for the
whole subject (results are
given as Checkpoint scores between 0.0
– the weakest performance and 6.0 – the best performance. The average score is
between 3.0 and 4.0.)
2) a
checkpoint score for each main topic
3) a list of the questions (and the sub-topics) where the
candidate's performance was particularly strong or particularly weak
4) an attractively-presented
statement of achievement.
The
Mathematics tests will continue to be set by QCA in
These
tests are given at different levels according to the skill of the student and
will be held at the same time as the other end of year exams at the end of May
2007. The results will be reported to parents along with the other internal
exam results.
Examinations
Officer
Moving Matters
Movement is the central philosophy of
kinesthetic learning. GIS does not purely focus on Physical Education to solely
stimulate kinesthetic learning but incorporates movement throughout all
subjects.
Movement is an integral part of
learning; the more a person moves, the more they breathe and in turn the more
oxygen filled blood cells travel to the brain and promote health and well
being. Being physically fit, having good motor skills, co-ordination and
balance is seen to improve a person’s daily life.
These transferable skills are used in
the simplest of tasks such as; combing ones hair or tying up shoe laces to the
more difficult skills such as playing an instrument, producing a drama
production or measuring chemicals in a scientific experiment.
Rehearsal and increased sensory
reliance allows for procedural learning to be retained for longer periods
of time which means, the more frequently practiced a skill is, the more chance
there is of that skill being transferred to the long term memory.
Movement can be the most obvious in
running, jumping, hopping, skipping, swimming, dancing or throwing but it is
also more refined than that. The ability to take a deep breath, yawn, stretch,
move the head, roll the eyes, clap or click your fingers and tap your toes can
enforce movement and make learning concrete.
These are not activities that are Intrapersonal, they
can be carried out in pairs, groups or can incorporate an entire class.
Young children can use up to 50% of
their oxygen intake in solely keeping their brain alert and engaged. This
indicates the importance of promoting ‘breathing’ for learning. Making sure the
environment is well oxygenated and that increased activity in lessons enables
stimulation of the brain, so in, turn will lead to further questions, a sense
of intrigue and a desire to know more.
Taking ‘moving’ to a new level can make
learning accessible to more students by increasing fun and a multi sensory
awareness that can include listening to music and activities such as ‘Move it’
or Brain Gym. Such activities have an increasingly relevant place in all
subjects and are encouraged by educators and education professionals alike.
There is evidence to show that keeping education moving makes tangible,
positive effects on student learning. If you are interested in aspects of
kinesthetic learning and would like to know more I can suggest looking at a few
websites.
Gifted & Talented
Co-ordinator
DISCOVERY WEEK
Tennis at Club
Med Cherating!
Spend 4 glorious
days playing tennis under a qualified coach. Enjoy all the facilities of this
luxurious resort. There are still places available for this trip.
If this trip is
undersubscribed, it may have to be cancelled…don’t let this happen!
RM2500 for a
wonderful week in the sun complete with a bronze tan! Please contact Mr. Gui (gui.andrew@gardenschool.edu.my)
directly if you are still interested as the deadline for signing up is today!
We will still
accept late registrations on Monday and Tuesday next week.
International
Coordinator
NEWS FROM THE HEAD OF PRIMARY
Reminders for your
diary:
|
All Parents |
Week beginning Monday 26/3 |
Primary Book
Week See below |
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All Parents |
Friday 30 March |
Dress as a Book
Character Day See below |
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All Parents |
Friday 30 March |
End of Term 2 |
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All Parents |
Monday 16 April |
Term 3 Commences |
KS2 Swimming Gala
Many thanks to
Head of Primary
Teddy Bears’
Picnic
Friday 16th March saw Nursery engaged in a range of exciting bear
centered activities. All the children's bears arrived in force, invitation in
paw, ready for a day of fun. First of all, some bears posed for their portraits
while others helped to get the sandwiches for the picnic ready. Following that
we all had fun trying to find 50 bears hidden in the playground with the reward
for each bear found being a bear shaped cookie. The picnic was a great success
and it was lovely to have so many parents involved too. The day was rounded off
with a special assembly where Nursery re-enacted the well known classic We're
Going on a Bear Hunt with an international slant involving music and dance. By
now we were all tired little teddy bears!
NG Class Teacher
PRIMARY BOOK WEEK
– Reminder
The Primary School
will be holding its annual “Book Week” during the last week of this term – (26th March - 30th March.) During
this week, each year group will be learning about a particular author and
taking part in activities based around this author and their stories.
Year Group Author/Literature
EYD
Nursery Rhymes
Year
One Eric Carle
Year
Two Melinda Long
Year
Three Rudyard Kipling
Year
Four Anne Fine
Year
Five Roald Dahl
Year
Six Eion
Colfer
The whole school
will make reading and literature a focus during this week. Each class will be
visited by a “guest reader” who will share some of their favourite stories with
the children.
There will be
“Drop Everything And Read” times scheduled for each
class and the children in Key Stage Two will take part in a House Quiz based
around the works of the authors they are studying. All classes will have the
opportunity to visit a Book Sale organized by a local bookshop “Trisha n’ Sasha”, where a variety of books will be available for sale
at discounted prices. A portion of the sales from this event will be given to
the school in the form of books that we select.
Dress as a Book
Character Day
On the last day of
term, children are encouraged to come to school dressed as a character from a
book. We will charge a nominal fee (RM1) for this and the money will go towards
the purchase of books for local orphanages and for a charity called “Room to Read”
that we have supported in the past.
This is an
initiative suggested by students in Year Four and enables the children to help
to bring the benefits of reading and literature to those less fortunate than
themselves.
We will send
further details regarding the book sale closer to the time and we look forward
to your support of our “Book Week” events.
Deputy Head of
Primary
CO-CURRICULAR
ACTIVITIES
43rd National Age Group Swimming Championships
2007
3 of GIS Dragons Swimming Team has
been selected by the PRAKL (Amateur Swimming Association of Kuala Lumpur) to
represent Kuala Lumpur in the 43rd National Age Group Swimming Championships
2007 to be held in Cheras Swimming Complex on 4th
– 6th May, 2007.
We would like to congratulate the
three swimmers and they are:- 1) Kwek Kon Hao (8W), 2) Scott Lim
(7S) and 3) Claudine Low (7W).
The list of swimmers will be swimming in
the 43rd National Age Championship 2007
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NO |
SWIMMERS |
STATE |
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1. |
Lee Su Ann (12P) |
Selangor |
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2. |
Adam Lim (8M) |
Selangor |
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3. |
Claudine Low (7W) |
Selangor |
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4. |
Annabel Suen
(4G) |
Selangor |
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5. |
Kwek Kon Hao (8W) |
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6. |
Scott Lim (7S) |
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We wish them all the best!
Ong Lye Hin
Head Coach
Dragons Swim team
SEASAC
Swimming Gala 2007
For the first
time, GIS Dragons swim team entered the SEASAC Swimming Gala in
There were 8
schools with a total of 182 swimmers who took part, they were:-
1)
2) British international School (Jarkata)
3)
4) Mont’Kiara
5)
6) United
7) New
8)
From GIS
Dragons, the Swim Team consisted of:
Boys
Girls
1)
Sean Lim
Nicola Lim
2)
Scott Lim
Hannah
Jackson
3)
Daryl Leong
Zahara Foyston
4)
Xavier Foyston
Jiyoon Franzten
5)
Gareth Wedlake
Adleda Tanaya
6)
James Bradley
Chong See
Min
7)
Stefan Domanski
8)
Stuart Smith
Ameera Gorman
9) Thomas
Kim
Tunku Elana Tunku
Jaacob
10)
Jeon Seung
Min
Racheal Ward
11)
Chakrit Assunee
Chole Ellis
12) Andrew Chim
Lee Su Ann
Prize Winners
1)
Lee Su
Ann
8 gold (2
record)
2)
Tunku Elana tunku Jaacob
1 gold
3)
Scott
Lim
2 silver
& I bronze
The others swimmers of the team didn’t
come back empty handed, they were presented with placing ribbons (with points
for the team). Lee Su Ann came in as overall Champion with a total of 80 points
(she was the only swimmer who received maximum points) and she was awarded a
Championship plaque for Girls15 and over.
So, Dragons
Swimmers come forward and train for next year’s SEASAC Swimming Gala and make
GIS Dragons number one!
Head Coach
U13’s Dragons
Netball Tournament – Singapore 16th-18th
March
Congratulations to
the U13 Dragons Netball team; Ejuen Lee (Captain),
Soraya Jansen, Marsha Aswani, Lee Ai Ru, Lara Price, Robyn Fong, Yuri Matsui, Adela Tanaya, Nicole Tan and
Chloe Meredith.
They were bronze medal winners in a fiercely competitive tournament,
competing against 9 other teams from schools such as
After winning 5
matches, having 1 draw and only two defeats, they went on to the semis and only
in the final minute conceded a goal to Tanglin Trust
B team that pushed the score to 5-4 to Tanglin.
It was an
excellent weekend of great netball, determined and continuing effort and lots
of laughs. Well done, girls, I am very proud of you all.
Coach
GIS SWIM CLUB
Will be running as usual, term 3 Monday
to Thursday with coaches Mr. Ong & Mr. Cope. The criteria
for joining is to be able to swim 100m in at least three strokes.
Please be at swimming pool 3.30 till
5.00pm. Payments of RM 350 for the term to Miss.
Mr. Wellington
Head of PE
PARENT, TEACHER & FRIENDS
Secondary Sports
Day
The PTF would like
to thank all donors and helpers for the PTF refreshments stall. The stall was set
up at the Stadium Petaling Jaya
selling pizzas, doughnuts, cheese tarts, fresh fruits and drinks, etc. All the
helpers worked really hard ensuring there was continuous supply of sustenance
for everyone. I am sure this was very much appreciated by all present on the
day. THANK YOU!
Teddy Bears Picnic
To those who
joined in the fun, a big THANK YOU from Therese.
It went really well, even with the interruption of a fire drill! Everyone
enjoyed themselves especially the little ones sharing teddy bear muffins and
cookies with their teddies and listening to teddy music. Therese will arrange
the next mum and tots group after the Easter break.
Tina and Cheryl
PTF Communications
Sub-Committee
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24th
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1.00
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University
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The
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