Newsletter No. 53 - September 2014

Merdeka Celebration at Tenby The 57th anniversary of Merdeka was celebrated in distinctive Tenby style with the focus on Bapa Malaysia – Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Alhaj. Ten Sixth Formers took the stage on Wednesday’s secondary school assembly to explain why the founding father of Malaysia should be remembered. Our ten reasons why Tunku should be remembered focused on the Tunku’s inclusive vision of a better world for all mankind; a world fully resonant with the Tenby vision of “a united world at peace.” The highlight of the ceremony was the spirited singing of Celine Dion’s “The Power of the Dream” by Cohort 10 of the Sixth Form. The ceremony ended in flamboyant style with the waving of the multicoloured “Jalur Gemilang” by the sixth formers as they left the stage.

> A Special Merdeka Assembly held by the A Levels at the auditorium.

Pictures courtesy of Harry Seggu

From the Campus Principal

Dear Parents and Friends of Tenby, Another busy week has flown past here on campus. Our new students have settled in well generally and it has also been pleasing to see the wide variety of co-curricular activities taking place. I have also been busy dealing with the paperwork for a number of forthcoming school trips going as far afield as Kuala Lumpur and Malacca. Visits such as these are a huge boost to our delivery of the curriculum, not only in terms of academic learning but also life lessons in being part of a group and learning to live with others. I am grateful to all staff who organize and participate in such visits as they involve a huge amount of work. As I write preparations are underway for our Moon Cake Festival which will take place on campus tomorrow evening. Having seen the rehearsals for the concert, it promises to be a lively and enjoyable event and I look forward to seeing you here. A big thank you is due to the hardworking committee of teachers who have put the event together in a very short time as well as our Parents’ Association which has been very supportive in a number of ways. Next week a number of our teachers will be travelling to Kuala Lumpur to participate in the first part of their PGCEi course; this course is a teacher training course administered and delivered by Stranmillis College, part of Queen’s University, Belfast, which has a long historical link with Tenby Schools. This course offers an invaluable training opportunity to the teachers leading to an internationally recognized qualification after one year of study. Once again a reminder that I operate an open door policy and an appointment through my

PA will always secure a meeting as soon as possible. With every good wish for a pleasant and relaxing weekend, Yours sincerely,

Howard Bullock.

From the Head of TIS Secondary I hope that by now, all of our new students who have joined us in the Secondary School have settled in well and got into an appropriate routine! As Staff within the school, we do recognize that it can be difficult to transition from one school to another. Equally we are aware that for some of our Year 7 students in particular, the demands of moving around the campus to specialist teaching rooms represents a logistical challenge. If you or your children have any concerns whatsoever, please remember to get in contact with your child’s form tutor, or myself so that we can do everything in our power to help facilitate their integration into the school community. Communication between school and home is paramount for having happy and healthy dialogue. By the end of this week, all students should have been allocated a locker as we are keen to prevent our young students from carting several kilograms of resources around the campus, which could be harmful from a physiological perspective. A new year represents a fresh start. It should be the time when the very best standards are in evidence and that student effort and application is of the highest caliber. I have noticed quite a large number of students periodically wearing training shoes with their uniform, or seemingly ‘opting’ not to wear their ties. Uniform at Tenby is mandatory. It is clearly stipulated what is expected and I do not want to see deviation from this. Please can you ensure that before your child leaves for school in the morning that they are appropriately attired. Many thanks in advance for your support. CCA’s began in earnest on the campus this week and it has been great to feel and see the buzz around the site as students have taken to their new chosen after school sessions. Many thanks to Mr. Harvey for coordinating this program which largely involved every single member of academic staff providing exciting, dynamic and diverse opportunities for all of the students. I am sure that in due course colleagues will take the opportunity to write brief reports in upcoming newsletters to keep you abreast of what is happening. As the second week of school concludes, our Year 10 students will have confirmed and signed off on their IGCSE options. Thankfully there has been little need or wish on the parts of students or parents to change subjects. I would like to wish all of our students well in their endeavors over the next two years leading to final examinations in May 2016. Students (and their parents) should not immediately expect to perform at optimum level, but rather to make small incremental steps which lead to success in 20 months-time. Please note from the website that many of the calendar dates for key academic events such as reports and parent-teacher conferences will be available from today. We sincerely hope that they are set in stone, but equally recognize that their maybe some need for flexibility in the event of unforeseen circumstances. Throughout Key Stages 3, 4 and 5, we maintain and ‘open-door policy’. Please do feel free to meet teachers, tutors or members of the Secondary School’s Senior Leadership Team should any issues arise. Neil Page

From the Head of TIS Primary Our first two weeks are over and the majority of students have already settled into their new classes and new routines. As a school we have focused on the mini topic of Brainwaves (supporting children in understanding how they learn) and all classes will begin their new topics next week. A circular will go out with your child to inform you of their class topic, if it hasn’t already done so. Can I take this opportunity to remind parents of three things:-

1) Please wear parental tags around the school. 2) Please do not approach the teachers during lesson time from 7.45am years 1-6 and 8.00am nursery/reception, as it interferes with learning time. 3) Please note that your child should be in class by 7.45am years 1-6 and 8.00am in Nursery/Reception. Following these points will help avoid disruptions to the learning of all children.

Lee A. Harvey

From the Head of Sekolah Tenby

This has been a short but productive week. National Form 3 finished their PT3 Trial Exam with Form 5 completing theirs on Friday. On Tuesday, we had a simple but meaningful assembly to celebrate Hari Merdeka (National Day) with Form 4 students putting up a power point presentation of how Malaysia achieved independence in 1957. Many thanks to Mr. Jack Wong, the History teacher, who helped put this together. Today, the facilitators from Focus on the Family are conducting a workshop called “No Apologies” to SM 3 and SM 4 students. We will give you a full report next week. As the week draws to a close, we look forward to the highlight of the week, the Moon Cake Festival Celebration. The committee is working very hard to ensure that everyone coming for the celebration will have a good time on Friday night. We hope that the parents will come and give us their fullest support, enjoy the concert and take a stroll round the school with their children carrying their lanterns. I was told that some students are forming their own ghostbusters club as it is their only opportunity to walk around in big groups in the dark! Here’s to a wonderful Moon Cake Festival! Madam Soot.

From the Head of IIS Early Years Centre

Our first week in kindergarten was a great success. The boys and girls have done a great job of adjusting to our daily routines. There are no more crying children nor parents. We continue to review classroom rules and procedures as well as school rules and proper indoor voice. Teachers have begun to assess children in order to provide them with instructions that meet their individual learning needs. Classes started their IPC units with Year 1 inviting one of our parents Dr Prema, who came and gave a talk on the function of the brain. Since this was the first time the children were having “Brain wave” as their theme, they were thrilled and excited as Dr Prema talked about the two parts of the brain - left and right. She also emphasised how to take care of the brain and most importantly the skull. They had the opportunity to hold a dummy brain in their hands and have a feel of what a real brain looks like. Thank you on behalf of the children and staff, Dr. Prema, for the time taken from your busy schedule to share your knowledge with our children. More news will appear from time to time from the other levels. In the meantime, kindly visit our school website for the update of the IPC topics which will be covered for the next few weeks.

Mrs. Puvanes Mahendran

Our youngest have finally settled in.

Dr Prema giving a talk on the function of the brain.

Article: Mr Louis Pictures: Mr Harry

MH17 Remembrance Event A quiet, dignified and sombre remembrance event was held on Friday 29 August 2014 by Tenby Ipoh’s Sixth Formers for those who lost their lives in the M17 air crash of 17 July 2014.

Kevin Chan Weng Kit and Maiko Yamane who led the act of remembrance opened the ceremony respectively with these words:

“We are gathered here today to show our respect for the many lives that were taken on July 17 2014 and to express our sorrow and oneness in spirit with the bereaved ones. Last Friday Malaysians paused for a minute of silence on a nationwide day of mourning held to welcome home the first remains of the 43 Malaysian citizens killed in the MH17 disaster. Today we are here to remember not only the Malaysian victims but every one of the 239 lives that were taken. “

“We begin our remembrance not on a note of sorrow but with the resolve to create a better, safer world for all. We cannot allow this incident, however tragic it may be, to dampen our desire, our aspiration, for a better world.”

The morning included the video of the speech given by Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott at the official memorial service in Australia and the playing of Celine Dione’s “Power of the Dream”. The ceremony also included a minute of prayerful silence, an Islamic prayer and a sung version of the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi – the universal prayer for world peace. This act of remembrance was organized by the Sixth Form Council of Tenby International Schools, Ipoh.

A quiet, dignified and sombre moment...

Students watching the video at auditorium.

Source: Wilson Yeap, KBSM 4

Merdeka Assembly - Sekolah Tenby Merdeka: A single word with a thousand other words behind its meaning. What could be better than celebrating Merdeka in Sekolah Tenby Ipoh, with a community of unique people from different backgrounds and ethnic origins mirroring exactly the spirit of 'Merdeka'?

Yes, 'Hari Merdeka' is a day meant for refreshing our memories, and renewing our gratitude. This year’s special Merdeka assembly on Tuesday 2 nd September proved just that and more.

The aim of this assembly was to create awareness among the KBSMs students of the development and achievements of Malaysia before and after obtaining independence. It was also to cultiKBSM 4 students who participate in the event. vate a sense of patriotism and responsibility as citizens of Malaysia. The programme started at around 7:55 am with the whole school rising up and singing the National Anthem of Malaysia; ‘Negaraku’. Later we sang the ‘Tanggal 31’ and the 57th Merdeka Day Theme Song ‘Di Sini Lahirnya Sebuah Cinta’.

Muhd Ameerul from KBSM 4 delivered a speech titled ‘Sejarah dan Pembinaan Negara dan Bangsa Malaysia’. Students from KBSM 4 presented their History project with some interesting facts about the history of Malaysia and the impact of Merdeka up to the present day. The title of the presentation was ‘57 Years of Development in Malaysia’. The presentation started from the establishment of the Straits Settlement in 1867 until 2014, the year in which we celebrate 40 years of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China with the arrival of a pair of giant pandas from China, Fuaw and Fengyi.

As we celebrate the country’s 57th independence anniversary on Sunday, we are certainly proud of our country and its many sterling achievements. It was truly an interesting and educational assembly for all the students in Sekolah Tenby Ipoh. Thanks go to all who contributed to making this assembly such a success especially to the KBSM 4 students.