Garden International School

Newsletter

15th February 2008

 

Headlines For This Week

 

News From Secondary

-          Year 12: Trip to Star Hill

-          Year 11: Presentation about government regulation

 

News From Primary

-          Year 3 & Year 4 Sports Day

 

Notice

-          World Wetlands Day

 

Parent, Teachers and Friends of GIS

-          Coffee Morning – Chinese New Year

-          International Exhibition

-          Parents’ Forum

-          Mum & Tots Group

-          2nd Hand Uniforms/Book Library

 

NEWS FROM SECONDARY

 

Year 12: Trip to Star Hill

Year 11: Presentation about government regulation

 

If there’s one thing Kuala Lumpur has in spades its shopping malls but how do they all survive, how do they capture their market? This is a huge question with many possible Business Studies theories involved – location, positioning, economic growth, the marketing mix as well as cash flow and return on capital employed. Fortunately, the Year 12 Business Studies students had an expert to talk to them about the practical application of all the theories they had learnt in the classroom. Tan Sri Dr Francis Yeoh, Chairman of YTL, invited them to Star Hill where they had a tour of the centre and were told about its unique approach to customers and then he explained the reasons behind the success of Star Hill and just how it competes with all of the other malls in KL. This was a very enlightening experience and both the students and staff present learnt a great deal. It was also generous of Tan Sri Dr Francis Yeoh to spend as much time as he did with our students who learnt a great deal from one of Malaysia’s most successful entrepreneurs.

 

On Wednesday, 13th February, the Year 11 business students were told all about how the government in Malaysia intervenes and regulates the financial industry within Malaysia. Selamat Sirat, Operations Manager from Al Rajhi Bank, told our students all about the complications facing the financial industry and how to set up a bank. Following this, he had created a role play where the students had to set up a bank and trade. Much confusion followed particularly about the setting of interest rates and I think they all learnt a lot about finance, regulation and how to set interest rates.

 

These two events were another part of the extra curricular programme that we as a department are putting together to help extend the learning of our students and thereby enabling them to better understand the theories we teach. If you feel you might be able to contribute to this programme, please do not hesitate to contact me on kendrick.a@gardenschool.edu.my

 

Andrew Kendrick

Head of Business Education

 

NEWS FROM PRIMARY

 

Reminders for your diary :

Year 4 and 6 Parents

18th February 2008

Year 4 and 6 Camp Meeting

Year 3 & 4 Parents

19th February 2008

Year 3 and 4 Sports Day

All

25th February 2008

International Week Parade

 

Advance Warning for your diary :

All Parents

25th - 29th February 2008

International Week

All Parents

29th February 2008

International Exhibition

Year 3 Parents

5th March 2008

Year 3 Performance

Year 3/4/5/6 Parents

12th March 2008

KS2 Swimming Gala

All Parents

12th /13th March 2008

Primary PTC’s

All Parents

17th  - 19 th March 2008

Primary Book Week

 

Welcome back from the half-term break. I hope everybody had a restful and enjoyable week off. Neil has been in the UK interviewing prospective teachers for the next school year and we look forward to his return next week. This next half-term is very busy, with lots of events taking place. We had the annual Lion Dance at school last Monday and we have Y3/4 Sports Day, KS2 Swimming Gala, International Week, Year 3 Performance, Book Week and Parent-Teacher Conferences all coming up in the next five weeks. We also have teachers attending IPC courses in Miri. Please read all letters and newsletters so that you are up to date with all the excitement.

David Gorman

Deputy Head of Primary

 

Year 3 and Year 4 Sports Day

The Year 3 and Year 4 Sports Day will take place on Tuesday, 19th February. Each child will take part in 9 different activities, 3 running events, 3 jumping events and 3 throwing events. Sports day is a house-based competition where every child who participates gets points for each event for their house. Due to the success last year the day will follow the same format. There will be a set of standards (see school notice boards/ classroom board) for each event with the scoring as follows - participation (1 point), bronze (2 points), silver (3 points) and gold (4 points). Students have had the opportunity to practice all events in lessons and should know at what standard they are competing for each event.

 

An overall certificate will be awarded to all competitors depending on points scored – participation (9-13 points), bronze (14-22 points), silver (23-31 points) and gold (32-36 points). Students will compete in their classes with the top three (1st, 2nd, 3rd) receiving a ribbon for each event.

In addition to every pupil receiving a certificate and the top 3 in each class receiving a ribbon for each event, there will be a trophy for the top 3 boys and girls overall (top points scorers) in Year 3 and Year 4. Parents are encouraged to watch safely from around the field.

To celebrate achievements, the bronze, silver and gold certificate winners will be announced and 6 trophies for each year will be awarded in Friday’s morning assembly on 22nd February. Again, all parents are encouraged to come and celebrate the students’ achievements.

Mr. Dale

Head of Primary PE

 

NOTICE

The Smart Rangers have been keeping busy with our mission, to educate the GIS community and to contribute to saving the turtles. In term 1 last year, the Smart Rangers held a successful book sale, and managed to raise a creditable amount of RM1,300. In addition, the Smart Rangers have also been encouraging recycling around the premises of GIS. We have been promoting recycling of not only paper but also other items such as tetra pak, bottles and aluminum cans in the secondary canteen.

As we all know, global warming has affected our lives in many ways. Global warming is one of the most serious challenges facing us today. Global warming would increase the temperature of areas where mosquitoes could not live previously and infect more people with diseases.

With the money that we raised from the book sale and the recycling, we have managed to adopt 5 nests and 4 turtles. There were 479 hatchlings in the 5 nests that survived out of 520 hatchlings and 1571 eggs from the 4 amazing turtles. Overall, we managed to help 2050 hatchlings into the world. All in all, the Smart Rangers feel very proud to be able to contribute to a great cause as some species of turtles are nearly extinct.

Many thanks to the GIS community for supporting us.

Smart Rangers

World Wetlands Day

This is the second part in the series commemorating World Wetlands Day on 2nd February. This week we will highlight the wetlands’ role as pollution treatment plants and filters. We often take water for granted, especially in moist and humid Malaysia where the monsoons can pelt down in   torrents. However, we are very much mistaken if we think water is in limitless supply. In fact, residents in KL are dependent on collected rainwater in very few catchment areas in Selangor and Pahang, and ground water, which is where the wetlands play an instrumental role in cleaning, filtering and protecting our water.

The Wetlands as Water Cleaners and Suppliers

In seasonal hot weather and droughts, the wetlands are fed by groundwater which then transports water to streams that might otherwise dry up. Furthermore, wetlands absorb water, much like a sponge does, during the wet seasons and gradually release it during dry weather, thereby refilling aquifers, and other drinking water supplies. By protecting nature’s water resources underground and recharging ground water supplies, the wetlands play a very valuable role in providing water for nature, farming and households during the trying dry seasons.

 

The Wetlands as a Water Treatment Plant

Who would have thought that nature would provide a natural means of cleaning the water we so thoughtlessly pollute? Indeed, the Wetlands not only supply water, but they cleanse it. When water enters a wetland, the wetland becomes a giant kidney, filtering out impurities, including chemical pollution, before allowing the water to leave. It is able to do this because it serves as a biological and chemical oxidation basin as well as an efficient filtration system, where the wetland vegetation uses its roots and stems to trap and gather sediments comprised of both chemicals and nutrients.

 

Next week: The Wetlands as a means to control  erosion and to generate revenue.

Smart Rangers

 

PARENT, TEACHERS AND FRIENDS OF GIS

 

International Week What a week!!!

Coffee Morning – Chinese New Year

Monday, 25th February

Grand Hall

This will start immediately after the Parade of Nations. There will be some very exciting presentations-calligraphy, music, tea-making and more. Donations of Mandarins and Cookies would be greatly appreciated. Please call Lys on 012 2277 688 or Joyce on 017 247 2288 for more information. As the coffee morning is after the 15 days of Chinese New Year, don’t throw those pussy willows away – we would be grateful to have them for this morning. Please call Geraldine on 012 306 0092.

 

Friday, 29th February

International Exhibition 9am – 2pm

Grand Hall & Sports Hall

The following countries are currently being represented at the exhibition. If you are interested in helping these countries or would like to have a stand for another country, please call Karen 017 257 1405.

 

Holland                     Japan                Sri Lanka

Pakistan                    India                  Great Britain    

Bangladesh             France               Korea

Philippines                Finland              Czech Republic

Sweden                    Australia

 

Both Australia and Bangladesh have only one lady representing them and they would really love to have some more helpers. For Australia, call Karen Ho 012 366 1256 and Bangladesh, call Shilpi 017 215 6630.

 

Paging Filipino parents

We would like to have a Filipino booth. We will showcase interesting aspects of the Philippines and hold a food sale. Please join us in a meeting to discuss how we can all help make this happen - Wed, 20th Feb: 2.45pm-3.45pm, Primary canteen. If you would like to help but can’t join the meeting, please email elcee.villa@mgtstrat-asia.com or call Elcee Villa (012 3378880) or Crystal Raymond (012 3331234).

 

The PTF are doing the Malaysian stand. If anyone can lend us a congkak set and/or woven rattan floor mats for the day, please call Karen Ho (012 366 1256).

 

Parents’ Forum

Email address is gisptf_forum@gardenschool.edu.my

 

Mum & Tots Group

This group is for all mums with children under school going age. They meet every Wednesday from 9.40am - 10.55am in the EYD hall. Call Marie on 012-610 3431 or 017-2763524 for any queries or email her at carolinalubienska.r@gardenschool.edu.my

 

2nd Hand Uniforms/Book Library

A new day this term!!!

Every Thursday, 1.30pm-3pm in the Foyer of the Arts Block

Pre-loved sports equipment-boots, uniforms etc.

 

PTF will provide some tables for you to come and sell any items your children have out grown.

 

Karen Ho

PTF communications sub-committee