Newsletter No. 53 - September 2014

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.
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Students waving Jalur Gemilang
after the Special Merdeka Assembly.
>>>
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.
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Students’ masterpiece:
SR & SM students have their Merdeka themed
posters displayed at Block C.
Article Source: Ms Yulaga
Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration - Sekolah Tenby
As the students eagerly await for the Lantern
Festival, a Lantern Making Competition was
organised at Tenby Schools Ipoh.
Our students crafted beautiful lanterns using various
techniques of folding and cutting paper. They later
enlivened the lanterns with lights and colourful
embellishments. It was a visual treat to see the
children giving wings to their imagination.
The art teachers have been working together with
classes to put the creative work of the students on
display for the final judgement. The criteria for the
judgement will be design, creativity, the materials
used, the effect of lighting and overall impression.
Students busy with their lanterns making.
Rehearsals have been going on for the Mid-Autumn Festival
Show on Friday night (5 September 2014).
Upcoming Events/Announcements
5 September 2014, 7.30pm - 9.30pm
Mid Autumn Festival Celebration. Tickets will be available at the
admin office of Meru campus on Tuesday, 2 September 2014.
9 September - 11 September 2014
UPSR Examination
12 September - 13 September 2014
The Global Perspective Debates II/2014
Contact Us
Tenby Schools Ipoh
16 Persiaran Meru Utama
Bandar Meru Raya
30020 Ipoh, Perak
T: 05 - 525 2628
F: 05 - 525 2881
[email protected]
Visit us on the web at
www.tenby.edu.my/ipoh