Garden International School

Newsletter

25th May 2007

 

 

Headlines For This Week

 

News From Principal

-          Security and Safety

 

News From Secondary

-          Do your children read enough Malay books?

 

News From Primary

-          Another Busy Week

-          IPC Briefing Meeting

-          EYD Drop Off

-          Early Years Sports Day

-          Key Stage 1 Sports Day

-          EYD Events

 

Parent, Teacher and Friends of GIS

-          PTF Coffee Morning

-          Second Hand Book Sale, 12th & 13th July

 

 

NEWS FROM PRINCIPAL

 

Security and Safety

As part of the school’s security and crisis management plan, we shall be carrying out an increased level of security over the next few weeks. This security drill is designed to raise awareness amongst all members of the school community of the importance of security and to provide practice for our security guard force. As part of the drill, the following procedures will be carried out:

 

1) Identity checks. Please ensure that you show your GIS identity badge at the entrance gates and wear it in a prominent position when on campus.

 

2) Bag searches. The security guards may ask you to show them the contents of any bags that you bring into the school compound.

 

 3) Vehicle searches. The security guards will carry out random vehicle searches and may ask you to open the boot of your car.

 

I apologise if these measures cause any inconvenience but I would ask you to cooperate fully with our security guards in the interest of the security and safety of all students in school.

 

Ray Davis

Principal

 

 

 

NEWS FROM SECONDARY

 

Do your children read enough Malay books? 

Reading Malay books is a great way to improve one’s command of the language. Are your children doing it? As you might know, the Secondary Malay Department has already began a programme in an attempt to promote reading skills amongst GIS students. The secondary library is well-stocked with Malay authors and students are encouraged to read independently by borrowing Malay short stories or novels. Twice a term, classes are taken to the library to read and to review a book and reading lessons are also conducted in the classroom using materials from the department’s collection. In addition to this, they are encouraged to borrow a third book (which should be a Malay book) from the library for home reading. These books range from intermediate to advanced level and include some very stimulating and well-written works aimed at young readership. 

 

The Malay Department would like to take this opportunity to emphasize that parental support in encouraging children to read can play an important role in fostering their reading skills. So dear parents, please do “push” your sons or daughters to borrow more books! Make sure they have read them by discussing the content of the books with them, asking them if they enjoyed reading them or not, and, if your Malay is good, ask them to translate “bits” from the books for you.

 

For any help on how to exploit the books for more effective learning at home, please contact myself or any other Malay teacher. We will be more than happy to help you. We also welcome any suggestions that parents may want to give us as to how we can improve the quality of our reading scheme.

 

Rames Ramasamy

Head of Malay

 

 

NEWS FROM THE HEAD OF PRIMARY

 

Reminders for your diary :

All Parents

Tuesday 29 May

18.00 / AVA Room

IPC Briefing Meeting

Details below

EYD Parents

Wednesday 30 May

EYD Sports Day

Letter this week; details below

KS1 Parents

Thursday 31 May

KS1 Sports Day

Letter this week; details below

All Parents

Monday to Friday 4 – 8 June (inc)

School Closed

Mid-Term Break

 

 

Advance Warning for your diary :

All parents

Monday 11 June

Term Resumes at the usual time

 

 

Another Busy Week

We have had another busy week in the Primary School – particularly involving the younger children. This week has seen the EYD visit a local shopping centre, Year 5 go to a local Malay School and Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 hold Open Days for their parents.

 

IPC Briefing Meeting

As promised last term when we introduced the IPC to parents at a PTF Coffee Morning, we have arranged another event to introduce the IPC. The purpose of this evening will be to give a little more detail about what the IPC and how a unit of work is organised. There will also be an opportunity for questions. It is always difficult to gauge the level of interest for these sorts of event but based on past experience and attendance at last term’s Coffee Morning we have decided to hold the briefing in the AVA Room (3rd floor – Primary School). The evening will start at 6.00pm and last no more than one hour.

 

Christopher FitzGerald

Head of Primary

 

EYD Drop Off

Please note that (effective after half-term - 11th June) if you are bringing EYD children through Gate A (at the back of the carpark) to drop off at the Primary Office, your vehicle will not be admitted until after 7.40am. This is to ensure that there is time for all staff to enter the campus and park, and to ensure that EYD staff are set up and ready in the hall for early morning supervision. If you need to come in earlier than this time, please park in the main carpark.

 

Thank you for your cooperation.

 

David Gorman

Deputy Head of Primary

 

EARLY YEARS SPORTS DAY

I am delighted to inform you that we will be having a fun sports morning on:

 

Wednesday 30th May 2007

From 9.40a.m – 11.00a.m on the School Field

For all Nursery and Reception students

(Weather permitting)

The students will take part in 8 activities and should come to school in their P.E. clothes on this day (shorts, House T-shirt, sports shoes) and must wear their school cap. Please ensure that sun block is applied before your child comes to school and provide them with a large bottle of water for the event.

 

The morning will focus on enjoyment of sport, teamwork and development of physical skills.

 

All parents are welcome to attend this event as spectators. Please join us on the field at 9.40 a.m. and the ‘Wake Up, Shake Up” activity begins at 9.45a.m.

 

KEY STAGE 1 SPORTS DAY

I am delighted to inform you that there will be a fun and competitive sports morning on:

 

Thursday 31st May 2007

From 8.00a.m – 10.00a.m on the School Field

For all Year 1 and 2 students

(Weather permitting)

The students will take part in 6 competitive and 2 non-competitive activities. The competitive activities are Push Throw, Running Race, Standing Long Jump, Sack Race, Ball Throw and 3 Springs Jump. The non-competitive activities are the Obstacle Course and Aiming Skills. The students will be awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd place ribbons if they win their race in their class.

 

The morning will focus on enjoyment of sport, teamwork and development of physical skills.

 

Mr.Dale

Primary PE Coordinator

 

EYD Events

Last week the children in EYD enjoyed seeing the play “Lilly Can’t Sleep” at the KL Performing Arts Centre.

 

Then, on Wednesday, Reception classes had an exciting start to the topic “Keeping Healthy” when we visited our local Cold Storage Supermarket. We have been writing recounts to describe what happened on our trips.

 

Our trip to the theatre

We went on the bus, and then we ate a snack. The play was funny! There was Lilly and her mum and a sheep called “Baa-bara”. Next we had questions. After that we went back to school on the bus. - by Ned Cope

 

Shopping

We went to the Supermarket. In our team there was Marissa, Eri and Serena. We chose strawberry yoghurt and bought a banana. Next we paid for it at the checkout. The trip was interesting. - by Marissa Ayub Khan and Serena Mukhriz

 

 

PARENT, TEACHER & FRIENDS

 

PTF Coffee Morning Thursday, 14th June in Primary Hall

Topic for this first Coffee Morning after the half term will be 'Vaccines for Cervical Cancer. Ladies and perhaps gentlemen too, do come along and listen to this important topic. Breakfast as usual will be provided for by the PTF.

 

Second hand book sale, 12th and 13th July 

A reminder that there will be the usual 2nd hand book sale before the end of year. More details to follow next term.

 

Tina & Cheryl

PTF Communications sub-committee