Newsletter No. 83 - June 2015

Newsletter No. 83 – June 2015
In this week’s issue of the
newsletter:
Production 2015.

The Infant School Production
2015;

Details of the Summer Camp
2015 in the message from the
Head of TEYCI;

Cohort 9: Graduation Night;

The new intake: Cohort 12;

Messages from the Head of
English, Ms Diane Beresford.
Cohort 9: Graduation Night.
The new intake: Cohort 12.
From the Campus Principal
Our Cambridge Checkpoint examination results arrived this week
for students in Year 6 and Year 9. Overall, we very pleased with
these results and my congratulations go to the students for what
was achieved. These results are a very good measure of where
our children are academically as well as a useful guide to teachers
on where improvements and adjustments can be made.
I have enjoyed meeting the leading members of our new student
council this week and they have made some interesting and constructive suggestions
regarding new activities and also improvements to the campus in terms of a shaded
seating area for students by the canteen. I look forward to working with them in the
months ahead and seeing their ideas and plans come to fruition.
On Friday of next week (July 3rd) the installation for the new officers of our Interact
Club will take place; this is always a pleasant occasion fully supported by our friends
from the Rotary Club of Greentown. The Interact Club provides an excellent opportunity for our students to serve both the school and local communities.
Year 6 are approaching the end of their time as primary students and we look forward
to the events next week to mark this important point in their careers. The five years
from Year 7 to IGCSE will fly past and are some of the most crucial formative years as
they approach advanced studies and further education. We look forward to welcoming
our new Year 7s in August.
The Early Years production last Saturday was a very colourful occasion. A huge
amount of hard work went into it, not least from Mr. David Key and Ms Puvanes and
all of the teachers that helped. The lively and enjoyable occasion that resulted from
this hard work was well worth the effort. Mr. David Chu, from our Music Department,
was the Master of Ceremonies for the morning and introduced the performances with
his usual flair and enthusiasm.
You will have received a survey form from us regarding departure times on Fridays.
We do ask that you fill this in to assist us with our planning. Nothing is set in stone at
the time of writing and we are very much at a consultative stage.
With best wishes for a pleasant weekend,
Howard Bullock.
From the Head of International Secondary
Dear TISSI Community,
I feel a little forlorn as I write this week’s article. My wife, Juliette, and
children, Nathaniel and Niamh, have opted to head home to Kenya for an
early and indeed extended summer vacation. In 3 long weeks I will get to
join them, spending around 16 days there with them, before we all fly back
to Malaysia in early August and host various visitors throughout that month.
We all really like Malaysia, but we have all been relishing the chance to go
home to Nairobi and out also to Kakamega, if only to enjoy some relatively cooler temperatures of 23c and just 40% humidity – BLISS.
This has been a week when Year 9 TISSI students can feel extremely proud of their achievements in attaining very positive Checkpoint scores. They will have been sent home to parents
and guardians, and I would like to thanks and congratulate Madame Lau, Ms. Diane Beresford and Mrs. Myra Pyne for their departmental leadership of the Math, English and Science
teaching teams respectively. In a part of the world where parents are seemingly fanatical
about grades, high expectations, academic excellence, additional tuition, it is great to revel in
their success – so well done to Year 9 boys and girls. Across the subject ranges the students
performed on or above prediction ranging from 94.7% to 100%. Magnificent!
Post assessment student progress reports are currently being written by teachers, in preparation for upcoming Years 7&8, and Years 9&10 Parent-Teacher conferences. As part of this
venture and ahead of each of these events, I along with Mr. Ian Hayes or Mr. Ricky Singh, will
be hosting a Parents Forum session to discuss parental perceptions on how they view the
school is progressing. I would very much welcome strong attendance so that we can use the
invaluable perspectives of our parental body, to help us with more target setting and development in the next academic year.
Have a wonderful weekend to one and all.
Neil David Page.
From the Head of International Primary
You have recently received a survey form
the school with regard to school hours for
the next school year. This is an opportunity
for you to give us some feedback before
finalising our decisions on timing for next
year. We urge all families to complete the
survey and add your comments at the end,
then return it to class teachers by Monday.
Thanks so much for your support in this
matter.
In planning for CCA’s next year, we have
decided that our KS1 (Year 1 and 2) will be
allowed to participate in the CCA program.
This means that the enrichment program
will be slightly changed depending upon the
decision with school hours. Again, so as to
facilitate our planning, if you want to have
your child enrolled in the enrichment
scheme next year please let us know so
that we can plan the provision appropriately, for the age of the students attending.
Congratulations to all students of Year 6
and Year 9 who have received their Check
Point reports from Cambridge. There have
been some outstanding reports with a number students achieving maximum levels.
We will analyse the results and use the
data to help in planning for next year. Early
data shows that the following percentage of
students were at or above expectations;
96% in English, 88% in Mathematics and
92% in Science, this is very pleasing.
A very large thank you to all involved with
last week’s combined Early Year’s and KS1
performances, including Teachers, Administration, Teacher Assistants, students, Prefects and parents. It was thoroughly enjoyable and was a tribute to everyone, especially considering the time that we had to
arrange it. Also, many thanks to the parents
and friends of the school
who came to the show.
Your support is not only
graciously received by us
at school but also by the
students - your children,
who worked so very hard
to complete their routines, as best they could on the day. Perfection, not what one will get with 3-8 years
olds on stage in front of a large audience
but perseverance definitely; you were able
to see that all of our students giving it their
best shot. Well done all we are very proud
of our students’ achievement. I look forward
to working collaboratively next year to make
it bigger and better.
Best regards,
David Key
From the Head of Sekolah Tenby
Warmest greetings to all.
For the second year in the History of Tenby Schools Ipoh, a yearbook of the
graduating classes was printed for distribution. Graduates buy a copy as a
keepsake at a cost subsidized by the school. Just like last year’s inaugural
issue, the yearbook this year was divided into two, half of which celebrated
TIS’s Year 11, the other half Sekolah Tenby’s SM5. In the half for Sekolah
Tenby, student reflections took up several pages as each student had the
opportunity to write down their thoughts about their experience at Tenby, and about being in
the final year of school. There were also pages for messages from the teachers, recognition of
student art work, interviews with various groups of students and pictorial pages of photographs
taken through the years, showing the students in action at sports, school events and activities.
It is always entertaining to see photographs of how much everyone has grown physically over
the years!
The yearbook is a culmination of the graduating class’ growth and development throughout
their time at Tenby, however long or short that may have been. The personal messages from
the students give an impression of who they are as young adults now and perhaps also an insight as to who they will become in the near future. Hopefully the yearbook will be a treasured
keepsake for the graduates; something they can look at in the future and remember the good
times they had while at Tenby Schools Ipoh.
Many thanks to Mr Lee Tiam Poh for designing the cover of the Yearbook 2015, and teachers,
Ms Nikki Sullivan and Ms Jane Looi for putting the pages together.
Choong Chee Kong
From the Head of Tenby Early Years Centre, Ipoh (TEYCI)
Dear Parents / Guardians,
Saturday, 20th June 2015 marked another successful moment for the children and
staff of Tenby Early Years, Key stage 1 and KSSR1. The Infant School Production
2015 was a great success as the teachers walked through the 4 ‘Seasons’ (Winter,
Spring, Summer & Autumn) with the children through their singing and dancing
while learning about the world around them. It’s always lovely to come to this time
of the year when we have the opportunity to present your children to you with their
gifts and talent for all to see. By choosing the said theme, we ensured that the children can be developed in different areas of the curriculum.
We take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your continued involvement in all our
school events. We could not have done this without all your support. Most of all I would like to thank all
the staff including our support staff, administrative staff and prefects together with the Interact Club
members for the smooth flow of the show and making the production a success.
Meanwhile, the photographs taken during the production are now available for viewing and ordering.
More details on this can be found in the Early Years Ipoh school circular dated 25th June 2015 which
has been sent through your child.
If you are looking for something to keep your kids gainfully occupied during this summer break, do
come and join our Summer Camp. We have planned a lot of fun filled activities to promote creativity,
adventure and social interaction among the children. Kindly have a look at the programme planned as
stated below and make your payment to secure a place and to avoid disappointment.
Summer Camp Week 1
Summer Camp Week 2
20th July - 24th July 2015
27th July - 31st July 2015
1.
FUN Start MOVE Smart!/ Kids Yoga
1.
FUN Start MOVE Smart!/ Kids Yoga
2.
Summer Art & Craft
2.
Creative Art
3.
Field Trip (Visit to Qing Xin Ling
Leisure & Cultural Village, Ipoh)
3.
Puppet Theatre
4.
4.
Writing Skill Activity
Field Trip (Visit to World of Colour, Ipoh
– Make Magic Card Key Chain)
5.
Outdoor Adventure Camp
5.
Treasure Hunt
6.
Kid Chef
6.
Kid Chef
7.
Field Trip – Water Adventure
(Lost World of Tambun)
7.
Field Trip – Water Adventure
(Lost World of Tambun)
8.
Fun with Science
8.
Science Experiment
9.
Easy craft
9.
Free and Fun Craft
10. ICT Programme (designing a scrap
book cover)
Have a wonderful weekend.
Puvanes Mahendran
10. ICT Programme (Designing a scrap book
cover)
Sneak a peek at happenings in TEYCI!
“Shopping experience within the classroom”. The Reception children set up shops
and pretend to be shoppers and shopkeepers.
Playing with parachute.
Colouring and making their own kites.
This Week in Early Years Centre, Meru …
Stars of the Week:

music, singing and dancing (performing)
Little Fish : Choong Zheng Yi

art (including painting and drawing, collage
and printmaking)

stories and rhymes

imaginative play – which includes ‘role play’
where children pretend to be different characters

‘small-world play’, children use miniature
toys to take on roles and create their own
stories

modelling – with malleable materials, such
as clay or play dough

technology such as using cameras, recorders and computers

Play is the main way in which your child will
express themselves creatively, and this creative play can give us a real window into your
child’s thoughts, ideas and interests.
Busy Bees : Hadif Bin Fariz Izzuwan
Toshitsugu Matsua
Dragonflies: Sunil Singh
Expressive Arts in the Classroom …
Thank you all for supporting your children at
the Infant Production last weekend. It had
been a mad few weeks of preparation for the
event, but the end results were well worth it.
The children and staff did a wonderful job,
and we hope you all enjoyed it!
Performing in such a large production, can
often be frightening for some children, but
others can thrive on this creative process.
Children’s enthusiasm lies in a desire to be
creative, through song, dance and painting
etc, even from a very early age. Within the
revised Early Years Foundation Stage, Expressive Arts and Design covers all things
creative. It is a very broad area of learning
and covers:
‘Creativity’ becomes ever easier to identify as a
child gets older – their drawings become more
detailed, they are able to learn more songs, or
make up their own rhymes, and the range of
characters that they act out in their play becomes more varied. ‘Creative’ learning is important for children of all ages, as it brings huge
benefits to a child’s overall development. Being
creative and expressive is part of who your child
is and how they see their world, so celebrate
their creations and enjoy the moment!
Samantha Leuty
YEAR 9 CHECKPOINT RESULTS
Dear Parents / Carers,
As you know the students sat the English
Checkpoint Examinations in May 2015, and this
week, we received the levels.
Over the summer, Ms Beresford and her students will be building an IGCSE English
Language and Literature blog in preparation for
the next academic year.
Checkpoint are important examinations for
English because they cover key skill areas
which are taught and examined in the IGCSE
English First Language Course, and Literature
also.
They cover 5 content areas in reading, writing,
phonics, vocabulary and spelling. Students are
expected to write fairly lengthy responses, so
we can see a broad range of skills being
assessed.
On first glance of the overall grades, we could
see that most students exceeded the expected
outcome according to the Cambridge grading
rubric, and a significant number of students received 100%. We need a few days to analyse
the data before we are able to inform parents
with complete accuracy, but it is apparent on
first glance that we have improved significantly,
and especially in the 3 reading categories
where we were given ‘A better than
expected’, building on our success from the
previous year.
The students deserve a ‘well done’ and a large
pat on their backs. I am extremely pleased with
the outcome, and enthused by the results
because they tell me Literature is not only
something they will enjoy, but have a very good
opportunity to do well. The skills are there, we
just need the same determination to excel in the
way they did with Checkpoint. We will provide a
more detailed analysis after this busy reporting
week is over. Well done year 9!
Ms. Diane Beresford
Head of English and MFL.
The blog will include a variety of topics and
themes which will be covered throughout the
year, along with flip lessons for students to help
with the IGCSE First Language, and the Literature IGCSE courses. If students are absent,
they will have the opportunity to catch up by
listening to a number of important lessons
which they may have missed.
We will have presentation links on the texts and
poetry which will be covered, along with
important dates for examinations and changes
to the Cambridge syllabuses.
The blog will help to alleviate cramming as we
approach examinations, and students will also
be able to ponder over questions which may
come up in the 2016 examinations next year, as
well as past papers.
If you have any thoughts to support your
children, we would welcome your ideas. Stay
tuned!
Ms. Diane Beresford
Head of English and MFL.
Down 6th Form Memory Lane…
Tenby Schools Ipoh continues to be a favourite drop-in destination for our worldwide network of past
students. We continue to receive emails from our ever-faithful alumnus who never fail to make their
surprise visits as well……
Sanjeeevan Krishnan - Sri Vinayagar Medical University,
Salem, India
“The new campus is a cause for great pride. It is not only a masterpiece in architectural symmetry but is generously spaced out. I can
also sense the effervescence of fun, adventure and joy in the hearts
of the students at Tenby.”
Sanjeevan Krishnan with Ms
Chong and Mr Louis
Sanjeevan Krishnan joined the Tenby Sixth Form in June 2010 after
completing his secondary school studies at SMK Methodist (ACS)
Ipoh. He has just returned to Malaysia after completing two years of
university at Sri Vinayagar Medical University, Salem, India. This is
the first phase of his dentistry course which is a twinning degree
under the auspices of the Penang International Dentistry College.
Sin See Yun, Sunway University College, Petaling Jaya
“I stumbled into the Orientation Gathering for Cohort 12 held on Friday
19th June 2015. It was truly heart-warming to re-experience the
camaraderie and fellowship which I experienced when I was in the
Sixth Form in January 2012. It is good to see the Sixth Form setting a
positive tone for the whole school.”
Sin See Yun joined our Sixth Form after her secondary studies at the
Ave Maria Convent, Ipoh. She is currently doing the ACCA course at
Sunway University College, Petaling Jaya.
Sin See Yun & Ms Mangales
(Alfred Poh Soon Wey, Nottingham University, Malaysia
“It was a heart-warming experience to join Cohort 9 for their Graduation
Night on 11th June 2015 at the Royal China Ballroom. I am very happy
to see the spirit of togetherness growing stronger year by year. It was
also a time for me to say “thank you” to the wonderful teachers who
have made Tenby what it is today.”
Alfred Poh Soon Wey &
Mrs Flavis
Alfred Poh Soon Wey joined the Tenby Sixth Form in January 2013
after completing his secondary studies at Poi Lam Independent School.
He is currently studying engineering at Nottingham University, Malaysia
Ivan Wong and Anand Chandrasekhar
Mrs Flavis with Ivan Wong and
Anand Chandrasekhar.
“Our best wishes go to all our teachers and students at
Tenby Ipoh. We often marvel at our good fortune in having
been taught by such multitalented mavericks like Mrs Flavis
Pakianathan and Mr Chong Poh Nam. They were not simply
superb theoretical specialists but were master practitioners in
physics, mathematics and electronics. We salute these and
our other educators par excellence at Tenby Ipoh.”
Ivan Wong joined the Tenby Sixth Form in June 2011 after
completing his SPM at SMK Anderson,Ipoh while Anand
Chandrasekhar is a homegrown Tenby product. They are
both pursuing a degree course in actuarial science at Simon
Fraser University, Canada.
Mr. Louis Rosario Doss
Head of 6th Form
Ushering in a Fresh Wave of Sixth Formers – Cohort 12!
A new batch of nineteen Sixth Formers
joined us on 15 June 2015 as members of
Cohort 12. They represent a healthy and
colourful mix of Tenby home growns and
external students from a wide array of
schools, a biannual hybridization rite
which continues to bring vigour, vitality
and variety to our Sixth Form culture.
“The commencement week is also a much
-needed renewal experience for all of us
as we re-focus on our school’s vision and
The new Cohort 12.
redefine our basic goals for the Sixth
Form,” explained Mr Louis Rozario Doss,
Head of the Sixth Form. There was also the customary orientation programme organized by the
Sixth Form Council to promote greater solidarity and fraternity among our students.
Here are some glimpses into the hearts and minds of the new members of our sixth form family as
they begin their 16-month tryst with the Cambridge International A Level Programme at Tenby
Schools Ipoh:
Yuki Wu Jia Yeng – Post-IGCSE student from
Tenby International School, Ipoh
Ee Shih Liz –post-IGCSE student from Tenby
International School, Ipoh
“I joined Tenby Ipoh in Year 9.I have really
enjoyed studying here in the past two years
and I have made a lot of new friends. I also feel
I have progressed greatly in knowledge and
especially in boosting my command of English.
The teachers at Tenby Ipoh are dedicated and
caring and I have had great fun in my learning
experiences. So I have decided firmly to do my
A-levels at Tenby International School, Ipoh.”
“I have studied at Tenby Ipoh since my kindergarten days and thus the school has always been my second home. I am greatly
impressed by the school’s emphasis on drama, debates and community service. In addition, we have a wide spectrum of other CCAs.
This really delights me because I have a passion for sports.”
Anna Varghese – post-SPM student from SMK
Tarcisian Convent, Ipoh
“The main reason I joined Tenby is because it
is the only place in Ipoh that offers an excellent
science programme for A-levels. I was also
impressed with the wide opportunities available
for the development of leadership skills, drama,
debates and public speaking. Tenby will also
give me access to the best universities in
Malaysia, the US and the UK.”
Tang Chi Hoe – post-SPM student from Tenby
National School, Ipoh
“I see Tenby as a solid stepping stone to fulfil
my dream of entry into the academia of the
sciences. Tenby is highly reputed for its competent teaching staff and for its excellence as a
powerhouse of drama and debates. It is the
best place where I hope to mature as a better
communicator, team player and leader.”
Phoebe Jane Soogan – post-IGCSE student
from Tenby International School, Ipoh
“As a person well-inducted into the Tenby
school culture, I know that this school helps a
student discover who he/she really is and we
also grow in intellectual stature and social
maturity. I am very interested in the study of
literature in English and History and I find that
Tenby is one of Malaysia’s most exciting
schools for me to explore these fields.”
Lydia Abraham – post-SPM student from
SMK Tarcisian Convent, Ipoh
“My friends and family members have always
spoken highly of Tenby International School
as a Sixth Form springboard to university.
Within the very first week of arrival at Tenby I
have been able to widen my horizons on issues of global concern such as world peace,
ASEAN and its future and the worldwide
problem of refugees. This is just a foretaste of
things to come.”
Liew Shuang Ling – post-IGCSE equivalent
student from Shanghai International School,
China
“I have returned to Malaysia after 10 years of
education in China. I enjoy the wonderful multinational mix of students at Tenby Schools
Ipoh. I can see that Tenby Ipoh really prepares young people well for global citizenship
as well as for personal success.”
Derek Tan Tjin Liang – post-SPM student
from SMK St Michael, Ipoh
“I have chosen Tenby International School
Ipoh because I like Ipoh’s homely environment. I love to me near my home base and
nearer to my parents as my brother and sister
are away in KL. The English-speaking culture
in the school appeals greatly to me.”
Mr. Louis Rosario Doss
Head of 6th Form
A Season of Sad Farewells
Cohort 9 Graduation Night - 11th June 2015
Graduation Night for Cohort 9 was especially poignant for us as we said adieu not only to the 10
stalwarts of the cohort who enriched our Sixth Form by their great diversity of talent and unity of purpose but especially because we also said farewell to some of our pioneer teachers who have served
at Tenby Sixth Form with distinction, devotion and dedication.
In true Tenby style, the night themed “Night of Wonders” was a glitzy blitzkrieg of dazzling stage
performances organized by Cohort 10 in honour of the graduating seniors. The venue was the Royal
China Ballroom at Tropicana Ipoh.
“Thank you, comrades from Cohort 10 and 11,” proclaimed Saniika Renganadan, graduating
President of the Sixth Form and Cohort 9,” for organizing this beautiful and most touching occasion.
We will miss all of you. This evening of wonders will long be treasured as a cherished milestone in our
lives.”
The graduation night saw our Head of School, Mr Neil David Page, join in the
festivities. Also present was Mr Choong Chee Kong, Head of our National
School. Other Tenby colleagues present were Mr Louis Rozario Doss, Head of
the Sixth Form and the pioneers who were retiring from the Tenby scene this
season: Mr Chong Poh Nam (Deputy Head of Sixth Form), Mr Ang Ken Meng
and Mrs Kong Man Sing.
Also in attendance at the occasion were Ms Flavis
Pakianathan, Ms Mangalespary, Mr Harjinder Singh,
Mr Alex Chuah and Ms Kasthuribhai.
The evening was spiced with a colourful array of dances and songs presented
by Sixth Formers. Among the sizzling pieces were the Latin dances by Sixth
Former Kenneth Tan and his female guest partner. Other notable highlights
were the violin performance by Ng Heng Yi (Cohort 9) and the song duet by
Sean Tan and Mahalia Chong who is now widely acclaimed as the nightingale
of the Tenby Sixth Form.
Among the climatic moments were the presentation s of three honours awards.
The Best All-Round Student Award went to Ong Hui Xue who has served the
school with distinction as debate organizer, leadership camp commandant and top wu shu (Chinese
martial arts) exponent. The Outstanding Progress Award went to Lee Chou Yew while Saniika Renganadan was the winner of the Meritorious Service Award.
The Orientation Night award for King and Queen went to Ong Hui Xue and Chai Hoi Yeen
respectively.
Thank you to all those involved in making this a vibrant farewell to Cohort 9!
Mr. Louis Rosario Doss
Head of 6th Form
Upcoming Events:
Contact Us
Tenby International
Tenby Schools Ipoh
3 July 2015
16 Persiaran Meru Utama
Bandar Meru Raya
30020 Ipoh, Perak
Year 6 Assembly
8 July 2015
TIS Primary, Y7 & Y8 Parents’ Evening
10 July 2015
Year 6 Graduation Night
14 July 2015
Y9 & Y10 Parents’ Evening
16 July - 31 August 2015
Term Break
Sekolah Tenby
7 July 2015
ST Parents’ Evening
16 July - 9 August 2015
Term Break
T: 05 - 525 2628
F: 05 - 525 2881
[email protected]
Visit us on the web at
www.tenby.edu.my/ipoh