Newsletter

29th February 2008

 

Headlines For This Week

 

News From Principal

 

-          11th March : PTF Term Two World Café

-          12th March : Charity Fundraising Event

 

News From Secondary

-          Reminder of Next Week Events

-          Changes To The Secondary Reporting Cycle 2007 – 8

-          World Maths Day – 5th March

 

News From Primary

-          What’s In Your Child’s Snack Box?

-          Year 1 Celebrating International Week

-          EYD Play Area

-          News From The Primary LRC

 

Notice

-          Change for Change

-          December 2004 - Tsunami

 

Parent, Teacher and Friends of GIS

-          Thank You

-          Diary Dates

-          Parents’ Forum

-          Mum & Tots Group

-          2nd Hand Uniforms/Book Library

 

NEWS FROM PRINCIPAL

 

What a whirlwind week we are having. It started Saturday with the ISAKL Athletics meet that GIS organized this year. The day was a resounding success with several outstanding performances from our athletes. On Monday, International Week began. We have had visiting schools, Ambassadors, parades, cooking, weaving, batik, singing, dancing, Chinese New Year PTF coffee morning, cultural games and a fabulous cultural show to mention but a few. This has translated into a genuine hands on experience for students to sample and understand other cultures. This opportunity to enhance our global awareness has been a collaborative event supported by students, families and staff and exemplifies the sense of community that exists at GIS. Thank you to all involved in this fabulous week.

 

Please be reminded of two major events over the next few weeks:

 

11th March

PTF Term Two World Café – The PTF will be hosting a morning session ( 8:30am -10:30am ) to discuss the draft of our aims. These aims have been developed by gathering information from the students, families and teachers. We now wish to solicit feedback on the draft aims from our families. All are welcome.

 

12th March

Charity Fundraising Event – Coins around the field. We are asking families from Primary and Secondary to gather their Malaysian coins and bring them to school on this date. We will attempt to join a ring of coins around the outside of the field to raise money for a ‘Round Square’ (http://www.roundsquare.org) charity. More information will be sent to you nearer to the date. In the meanwhile, please fill those piggy banks and check down the back of the sofa for a good cause.

 

Simon Mann

Principal

 

NEWS FROM SECONDARY

 

Reminder of Next Week Events

4-5 March     A2 Drama Performance (KL Performing Arts Centre)

6-7 March     Year 8 Geography Field Trip (FRIM, Kepong)

6-9 March     SEASAC Swimming (Jakarta, Indonesia)

 

FOBISSEA U15 Sports (Phuket) 28th February - 2nd March

SEAMC 2008 (28th February – 2nd March)

 

Good luck to all the FOBISSEA U15 Sports players who are competing in Phuket this weekend and all the GIS mathematicians who are involved in the SEAMC tournaments. 

 

Graham Wilson

Head of Secondary

 

Changes to the Secondary Reporting Cycle 2007-8

We would like to notify students and parents of a change to our reporting cycle for the current academic year. We shall be providing a full report for Year 12 at the end of the spring term, to allow us to provide information on student progress in advance of the AS examinations in the summer.

 

Year 10 full academic reports will now be issued at the end of the summer term. This will allow us to tie this reporting session in with the Year 10 PTC at the end of the summer term. The Year 10 grade report issued in the spring term will be the same as term one, with the addition of a target grade to allow you to assess the progress of your son/daughter relative to their potential at this stage in their IGCSE courses. As always, we would encourage you to contact the school if you have any queries arising from the reports, or any concerns about your son/daughters           progress in individual subjects.

 

C Jones

Deputy Head Curriculum

 

WORLD MATHS DAY  - 5th MARCH

The World Maths Day challenge involves students from all over the world (as young as 5 years of age!) playing against each other in real-time battles of mental arithmetic.

 

Students have 60 seconds to answer as many mental arithmetic questions as possible. Be careful, 3 mistakes lead to a strike out!

 

The actual World Math day challenge commences the moment it is Wednesday, 5th March west of the International Dateline and concludes when it is no longer 5th March anywhere in the world.

 

All students in Secondary have been given their log in and password; they can start practicing straight away. As this item goes to press, students at Garden School have already answered more than 1,000,000 correct mental arithmetic questions!

 

It is all about participation! This is a truly international event with students participating from all across the world. Students are encouraged to play from home; they can sign in wherever they have access to the internet.

 

What are you waiting for?

 

ENJOY!

 

L. Wilson

Secondary Maths

 

NEWS FROM PRIMARY

 

Dear Parents, Guardians and Friends,

 

Wow! International Week and what an amazing way to celebrate our multi-cultural nature and our diversity. For those who witnessed the Parade of Nations on Monday, I am sure you enjoyed seeing all of the nationalities represented in the school. The children looked absolutely fantastic.

 

As well as the parade, there have been numerous activities going on throughout the week, which have been both fun and purposeful. Many congratulations to all of the staff, parents, guardians, friends and of course pupils for all of your efforts to make the week such a success.

 

What’s in your child’s snack box?

 

We are all becoming increasingly concerned about the diets of a relatively large number of our children. A quick look in snack boxes and lunch boxes has caused a great deal of concern.

 

The link between diet and a child’s performance at school shows a strong link. Clearly, pupils who are on poor diets often display symptoms such as lethargy, poor behaviour and difficulty in completing tasks. Each meal should consist of a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables and a moderate amount of sugars, fats and oils. Children and adults should also be consuming 6-8 glasses of fresh water daily. Sadly, we are identifying children bringing meals often consisting of little more than plain bread and butter, crisps, biscuits and other junk foods.

 

Morning snack should consist of good ‘brain food’, yes food that feeds the child’s brain…Raw nuts (especially the ABCs almonds, brazils and cashews) dried fruits, fresh vegetable and fruits, a yoghurt or a carton of milk; all make great snacks. Crisps, chocolates and cake quite simply do not; it really is as simple as that.

 

Over the coming weeks, we will try to find and make available, materials and information on healthy eating to assist parents and guardians to help their own children. Should you have experiences to share, please do contact the Primary Office and make an appointment to talk to someone on the management team about how you can help .

 

We will be starting a healthy eating drive throughout the Primary School and do hope the whole community will support this.

 

Congratulations to all of our Year 3 and 4 pupils for their efforts in last weeks Sports Day and to all pupils involved in the athletics meetings at Mont Kiara International School and the International School of Kuala Lumpur. Special thanks to all the staff who helped with these activities.

 

I do hope you all enjoy the rest of International Week. Best wishes!

 

Neil Smith

Head of Primary

 

Year 1 Celebrating International Week

On Tuesday morning, we had great fun playing traditional games organised by each of our Assistant Teachers. The children learnt the following games: Lat tahli lat tampom, Hopscotch, Rubber band toss, My Mother went to Market…, AEIOU and 12 Zoom!

 

All these games help to develop the children’s hand and eye coordination, team spirit, listening, reflexes and many other skills.

 

Why not spend some time and have fun playing some traditional games which you know over the weekend with your children!

 

Year 1 Team

 

EYD Play Area

After careful monitoring of the use of the Early Years play area, it has been decided that this playground will be off limits to all children and parents after school hours. This area has been badly misused by the children, with many items broken or missing and it has resulted in the EYD team taking more and more time to sort out the mess each morning. While this is an unfortunate step to have to take, it is a necessary one and we thank you in advance for your support in not using this area after school.

 

News from the Primary LRC

Another international author will soon be visiting GIS. I have been fortunate to be able to book Korean/American author, Yangsook Choi to visit with us in April.

 

One of her more well-known books is The Name Jar about a little Korean girl who moves to America. Yangsook will also be visiting the children at the Australian International School during her time in Malaysia.

 

In our Primary School, Yangsook will speak to children in Years 2 - 6 about her creative process for writing and illustrating. Secondary school children will also benefit from Yangsook’s expertise as she will be meeting with children who are in the Creative Writing CCA and some Art students. A coffee morning is also being planned for parents to meet with Yangsook to discuss her life as an author/illustrator.

 

Please visit Yangsook’s website http://yangsookchoi.com/ and take a look at her biography and the 14 books she has had published.        

 

Although Yangsook’s books are not widely available in Malaysia, Borders Bookstore is happy to take requests for special orders of her books and they will be brought in from the USA. Her books are also available on Amazon.

 

This is another wonderful opportunity jointly funded by the school and our PTF committee. I am most grateful to our PTF for supporting us in bringing Yangsook to GIS.

 

Ms Siobhan

Teacher Librarian

 

NOTICE

 

December 2004 - Tsunami.

An event that will never be forgotten . A group of schools from all over the world, all part of the Round Square organisation (http://www.roundsquare.org) are helping to rebuild a community shattered by the tsunami. We’ve been invited to join in this project and to help this community to create a future. Can you help us to help them?

 

Change for Change

This will be our first event for the whole school on the 12th March. We will be trying to circle the football pitch with coins. So, can you help by giving your children any spare coins on that day to complete the circle. The event is being organised as a house contest so they can win points for their house too. Please contact Mr. Kendrick or Ms Purser for further details on how you can help to change someone’s life.

 

PARENT, TEACHERS AND FRIENDS OF GIS

 

Thank-you

Don’t cut me short like at the Oscars!! There are lots of very big thank-you’s this week.

 

At the ISAKL athletics meet on Saturday, Jessie did a stellar job organising the food and drinks stall and also to the Mums and youngsters who helped sell on the day. Thanks!!

 

Lysanne and her team have been working tirelessly and gave us a very entertaining, enlightening and yummy Chinese New Year coffee morning on Monday. Thanks!!

 

Karen Bradley has been hard at work co-ordinating the International Exhibition which is taking place, possibly as you read this on Friday. And to the many, many parents who have also done a fantastic job in presenting the varied countries at GIS, without whom the exhibition just wouldn’t happen. Thanks!!

 

Andrew and his team are mentioned last because they are always there to help with anything and everything. They are always behind the scene doing all the heavy work and we are forever grateful. Thanks!!

 

Diary Dates

Friday - 7th March

Mon Ami dance –parents’ refreshments

PTF will provide tea, coffee & biscuits for parents during the Primary dance from 5.30pm in the Sports Hall. If anyone can provide some snacks for us to sell or if you’d like to help sell, please contact Jessie 016 395 2507 or Karen Ho 012 366 1256.

 

Tuesday - 11th March 8.30am

World Café Coffee Morning

All the information gathered from parents, teachers and students has now been collated and a student learning outcomes paper has been drafted. Parents will have the opportunity to discuss the draft and modify where required in order for this process to be finalised and put into practice.

 

Tuesday 18th March 8.30am

Coffee Morning -Korean Culture

The Korean parents will be hosting this coffee morning. All parents are welcome. So, come along and feel like you have travelled to Korea.

 

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 e-mail her at carolinalubienska.r@gardenschool.edu.my

 

2nd Hand Uniforms/Book Library

A new day this term!!!

Every Thursday 1.30-3pm 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