PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING
Simon Brooks, Principal
“For classrooms to be cultures of thinking for students, schools must be cultures of thinking for teachers.”
– Dr Ron Ritchhart, Harvard Graduate School of Education
I’ve said it before, but since it is so foundationally important, I’ll say it again… one of our core beliefs here at AISM is that Learning is a Consequence of Thinking.
This belief is a core principle arising from the work of Dr Ron Ritchhart and the team at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. We are very fortunate here at AISM to have an ongoing association with the team at Harvard University, drawing on their philosophies and practices as we craft a rich learning experience for our children and young people.
In every lesson of every day, we challenge our teachers to identify, communicate & scaffold the thinking required by every activity and assignment. This helps our students to develop deeper, more meaningful and lasting understanding of what they learn and is also a much more enjoyable and engaging way for them to experience learning. It is one of the reasons why students discover the joy of learning here at AISM!
In 2023, all of our teachers began the year by taking part in a one day professional learning experience led by me focused on deepening our understanding of how to put thinking into action in our classrooms.
Today, I am pleased to announce that our association with the team at Harvard continues to go from strength to strength. In the second half of this term, nine of our teachers from the Junior, Middle and Senior Schools will participate in a Harvard University course called ‘Investigating the Forces that Shape Cultures of Thinking’. This is a wonderful opportunity for our teachers to continue to grow as educators and is just one of the reasons why our highly-credentialed teaching staff are second to none. Look out for updates in future newsletters with some reflections from our teaching staff about what they have learned from this amazing experience.
JUNIOR SCHOOL
Michelle Chaplin, Head of Junior School
The Junior School began the week with our first Assembly for 2023.This was our leadership assembly where we badged all our elected Junior School Student Leaders. Congratulations to our student leaders - we look forward to working with them throughout the year as they lead the Junior School students in their many projects.
| SPORTS (HOUSE) CAPTAINS | |
| Thorpe | Danah Gorgor / Isabel Furlan |
| Sauvage | Ashley Yoong / Bailin Liu |
| Rafter | Abdul Rahman / Jade Shiels |
| Freeman | Montgomery Oliver / Riko Nagano |
| HOUSE VICE CAPTAIN | |
| Thorpe | Edwin Ng |
| Sauvage | Qian Hua Loo |
| Rafter | Hemaanii Shashi Kumarao |
| Freeman | Sarah Anderson |
| Student Representative Council - SRC | |
| FG | Ruby Oliver |
| FW | Igyeol Lim |
| 1G | Archer Kennedy / Yi Hong Lum |
| 2G | Mavis Oliver / Mikhail Thanabalan |
| 3G | Jack Shiels / Laura Mikayla Adrin Shafil |
| 4G | Azumi Monolbaev / Leo Jun Him Fong |
| 5G | Alexandra Matheson / Isabel Furlan |
| Visible Learning Ambassadors | |
| 2G | Ethan Ng / Lily Iyzara Qhairyl Iyzuan |
| 3G | Amy Sun / Derek Tan / Edward Broadbent / Jian Zi Neoh |
| 4G | Alice Lim / Charmayne Cheong |
| 5G | Charlotte Cheong / Felicia Shao |
| Think Tank | |
| Alice Mamontova | |
| Felix Grangé | |
| Jing Rou Loh | |
| Julia Yu ` | |
| Nathan Ooi | |
| Suenne Lee | |
| Sera Lim | |
| Xingyu Pan | |
| Wilson Wang | |
On the back of this assembly it is important to always remember it is not the titles or the badges that make a leader, it is the impact on others, on the school and on the world. We look to provide opportunities for our student leaders to truly impact!
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
– John Quincy Adams
Year 2 Term 1 Newsletter
Ms McTaggart and Ms Amariah, Year 2 Teachers.
This term Year 2 are learning about the 4 R’s, Reduce, Recycle, Reuse and Rethink. It presents an exciting opportunity for them to make connections outside the classroom with the whole school, CareMovement goals.
With the support of Mr E, the class has been learning about how the waste we recycle from the canteen is then turned into rich soil for growing plants around the school. During the first session, the class observed the different areas used for recycling and reusing that are stationed around the school. We started in the Living HQ, then moved to the car park area near Gate A. Here we found out about the edible plants growing alongside flowers for the bees.
Following this, Mr E showed the class where the composting took place, showing the process from taking the food scraps from the canteen, to the worms breaking down the food and finally the rich soil that will be used to help more plants grow.
Within the classroom, the class has been exploring the meaning of the words Reduce, Recycle, Reuse and Rethink and how ACTION plays a huge part in how we can support the environment for both today and the future. Students will be using their developing persuasive writing skills later in the term to convince others to take action and make changes to help the environment.
Some ideas of action students already have are:
- Creating a scrap paper box that we can use to make recycled paper.
- Plant more trees.
- Trying to reuse scrap paper and reduce the amount of paper we do use by not making many mistakes.
- Turn off the lights when we leave the classroom.
LOTE Mandarin Term 1 Newsletter
Ms. Wan, Junior School LOTE Mandarin Teacher
Greetings from the AISM JS LOTE Chinese Team! This term, students in LOTE Chinese focused on celebrating Chinese New Year with their friends during LOTE Chinese lessons. This is an excellent opportunity for the students to learn about the culture of the Chinese New Year and what the Chinese usually do for the Chinese New Year celebration. Students enjoyed making different types of origami rabbits for the year of the rabbit.
This term, Foundation and Year 1 students are learning about numbers. LOTE Chinese Year 2 students are given the opportunity to talk about their understanding and share their knowledge about animals. Year 3 and Year 4 students are sharing information about where they live and their contact number with their friends. Year 5 students are talking about the weather and try to forecast the weather in class.
MIDDLE & SENIOR SCHOOL
This week students in the Middle and Senior School participated in our inaugural ‘Great Pancake Race’.
A wonderfully eccentric experience, this was an inter-House competition involving students and teachers galloping around our school field, frying pans in hand, stopping at key touch points to toss their pancakes, before completing their circuit and handing on, relay-style, to the next competitor.
This event existed for no other reason than to bring joy to our student and teacher community who certainly enjoyed the experience.
As our students go from strength to strength with outstanding academic accomplishments, it is important to keep fun and enjoyment at the heart of their experience with us. My thanks go to everyone in our community who participated in this event and brought a large dollop of joy to our Wednesday lunchtime this week!
Mobile Phone Survey
May I please remind everyone in our community to complete our survey about students' use of mobile phones and electronic devices at school during the school day in the Middle and Senior School.
We live in an ever-changing world with regard to technology so we are undertaking a review of our current policy.
Currently in the MSS, mobile phone use is allowed for Senior School students (Years 9-12) at recess and lunchtime, but not for Middle School students (Years 6-8). All Middle and Senior School students are allowed to use them in class for learning purposes if directed to do so by their teacher.
Your feedback will be of great support to us in our review of this policy.
I thank you in advance for completing this survey by Wednesday 1st March.
A micro-narrative inspired by the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Farah Sufiyyah Ahmad Zuhairi and Samuel Chong, Yr11 Advanced English student
I fear that my wife’s condition has been worsening day by day. I do try my best to assist her, but it seems as though all my efforts have been futile. I suspect it’s that wretched house we’ve been staying in, it does not do her good to be kept there for long. Oh, but she has been looking so very unwell lately, even more so as time passes. Her once fair and lovely complexion is now a poor and dull, almost yellowish shade.
I fear what is to become of her. She is a very naive little thing, always wanting to go outside. ‘Just for a walk’, she says, ‘Just to look around’, ‘Just to get some fresh air’. She does not know what to do otherwise, so she writes in this little book of hers. I catch her writing in it sometimes. Oh, the look on her face, whenever anyone gets within an inch of her book, is absolutely dreadful, might I even say horrendous?
I fear - sometimes - not for her but of her.
A deep sigh withdrew from my mouth. A quiet melody played from the jangle of keys as I pushed it inside the lock, letting out a loud click. A slow creak echoed through the hallway. Absolute darkness had devoured the house and its inhabitants. The only light source produced by the luminescent moon, peaking through the windows, revealing both dust and grime.
“Jennie!” I exclaimed. “Has she eaten yet?”
Silence. I stepped towards the staircase, with each stomp becoming more muffled than the last. It was an instinctual feeling. One that curled and snatched at your lower stomach. Towards the staircase, my body sunk to the ground like a cat that was creeping up on its prey.
As I reached the peak, muffled sounds of crying pierced through the ominous tranquillity. Unbearable scratching sounds, resembling the scraping of nails on a chalkboard, shrieked through the hallway. The sounds all came from one particular room. Hers. I clutched to the wall, only mere inches away from the door. I swallowed my thoughts and stopped my quivering. Turning the doorknob, I flung open the door, greeted by a wicked sight. Jennie, binded in the corner and in a state of dread. Glancing to the right was her. My wife. Gashing and slashing at the wallpaper as her hands lay bloodied and her nails ripped off.
Design and Technology Excursion to Putrajaya
Mr Simon Matheson and Ms Shehrbano Waleed, Head of Faculty- Science & Technology and Design and Technology Teacher
This week Stage 5 and 6 Design and Technology students were given the opportunity to deepen their understanding of Islamic geometry and Public Architecture through an excursion to Putrajaya. The students visited a range of iconic structures, broadening their perspectives and appreciating the diversity of approaches to architecture and urban design. The group started at the rose-tinted Putrajaya Mosque where they were able to appreciate the range of factors influencing the design and structure of the building. Our students were most respectful towards the culture and environment at the mosque and led their learning by documenting the features of the mosque and drawing parallels between those and the examples they have been researching in class.
“The Mosque is an important spiritual house of worship for Islamic people. The dome colour and design of this building is welcoming and grand.” Akmal Aiman Akmal Hakim: Yr10DT student.
The second stop on the tour was Astaka Morocco (the Moroccan Pavillion) where the students viewed the iconic structure inspired by Moorish architecture. They were able to compare the two structures and discuss how the application of traditional techniques differed according to the function of the buildings. Some of our Chinese students, Austin Xia, Terry Huang and JunXi, identified how the style and intricacy of the carvings reminded them of similar techniques evident in historical Chinese architecture and it was wonderful to see students deepening their thinking and linking it with their prior experiences.
“The revolutionary changes in architecture over time through these buildings shows me how progressive Islam is and how fundamental patterns shape their design.” Amira Rose Melynna Amir Hamzah: Yr11DT student.
The last stop was at Kompleks Islam, where the students observed an entirely contemporary interpretation of traditional architecture. They learned how the building reflected the architect's vision of progressiveness and modernity while incorporating the traditional elements of light and space in the building's composition.
“It reminds me of the post-modern style of Internationalism that we learned about last year.” Michael Zeng: Yr11DT student.
This excursion was a rich opportunity to foster creativity in students. Visiting inspiring buildings stimulates interest and encourages students to learn, grow and develop their skills and understanding of the built environment. This knowledge will be critical for them as they embark on their design projects this year.
Eco-Schools award
Mr Simon Matheson, Head of Faculty- Science & Technology
We would like to share with our community our absolute delight in congratulating Australian International School Malaysia (AISM) for the efforts and time dedicated to turning our school into a green and sustainable place. The Green Growth Asia Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation incorporated in Malaysia who coordinate the award of Eco-Schools Malaysia. They are dedicated to supporting, promoting and driving strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in emerging economies in Asia. I'm pleased to announce that AISM has received Bronze Award for ongoing efforts towards sustainability and the environment in 2022.
This is a massive achievement attributed to the student Green Team representatives, the staff and community Living HQ committee and specifically the vision of the Leadership team at AISM and for Laurent Epetahui's infectious passion for nature.
Mardi Gras - Shrove Tuesday
Madame Rajani, French Teacher
Cette année à AISM, les élèves de français ont enfilé leur tablier et leur toque et ont préparé de délicieuses crêpes pour la célébration de Mardi Gras. Ils ont décoré leurs crêpes avec du coulis de chocolat, des bananes, du caramel, de la chantilly, des pépites de chocolat et des vermicelles. Les élèves se sont bien amusés en cuisine et les crêpes ont été mangées très très vite!
Mardi Gras est également connu sous le nom de "jour des crêpes" en France, où la tradition est de préparer et de manger des crêpes le jour de la fête. Cette tradition remonte à l'époque romaine, où la consommation de crêpes était associée à la purification et à la prospérité. Les crêpes symbolisent également le soleil et la lumière qui reviennent après l'hiver sombre.
This year at AISM, French students wore their aprons and chef’s hats and made delicious pancakes to celebrate Shrove Tuesday. They decorated their pancakes with chocolate sauce, bananas, honey, caramel, whipped cream, chocolate chips and sprinkles. They had great fun in the cooking classroom and the pancakes were eaten very quickly!
Mardi Gras is also known as "Pancakes Day" in France, where the tradition is to make and eat pancakes on the day of the festival. This tradition dates back to Roman times, where the consumption of pancakes was associated with purification and prosperity. Pancakes also symbolise the sun and the light that returns after the dark winter.
WHOLE SCHOOL
Diverse Education Needs Department
Debora Putri, Head of Diverse Education Needs
In order to positively impact the lives of children, we believe that each student is their own individual with varied needs.
This year we have revamped our e3 department to the Diverse Education Needs (DEN). DEN follows the guidelines from the Australian Curriculum Assessment Reporting Authority - committing to developing a high-quality curriculum for all AISM students that promotes excellence, inclusion and equity in education.
Our DEN department is a multidisciplinary team which consists of Learning Support Teachers and English as Additional Language Teachers who work closely with the School Counselor, Heads of Department , Teachers, Parents and External service providers. Together we collaborate to determine and implement the best plan of action to help every child grow, achieve and succeed.
The Diverse Education Needs Department develops and implements an effective service delivery model to provide enhanced services to students who require additional and targeted support. Students may have a range of needs including one or more of the following;
- Gifted & Talented
- Learning Gaps
- Learning Difficulties
- English as an Additional Language
- Physical Impairment
- Social and Emotional Issues
All of these students are accommodated within the AISM community where the school's resources are used effectively and efficiently. DEN identifies student strength and critically evaluates our support systems as well as using culturally responsive and evidence based intervention.
This year, We are delighted to have a team of Learning Support and EAL teachers, Charlotte McNarn, Alicia Lee Su Yin, Ashikin Hasnan, Sharkila Milliams and Jaeshinthaa Kaur that work closely with individual students in Junior School and Middle Senior School to provide a variety of interventions to meet the needs of the student body.
Should you feel the need to discuss further the individualized support program we provide please contact Debora Putri, Head of Diverse Educational Needs at deborap@aism.edu.my
AISM Sports & Friendly: AIMS Secondary Athletics Carnival
Ivan Yoong, Whole School CCA & Sports Coordinator
On Saturday 11 February, a group of MSS students participated in the AIMS Secondary Athletics Carnival at Alice Smith School EP. It was a day filled with action. Our students truly demonstrated AISM’s R.E.C.I.P.E values in this event and also demonstrated their amazing academic credentials. As a result, AISM came 5th overall out of 9 schools that participated in this carnival. Well done Team AISM! Huge thank you to Mr Wells, Coach Hussein, Coach Zul and parents who attended this event for their contributions to the success of this carnival. Kudos AISM!
Overall Achievement
- AISM came 5th Overall amongst 9 other international schools.
- U13 and O15 Boys came 2nd overall in their respective age groups.
The Diverse Education Needs Department develops and implements an effective service delivery model to provide enhanced services to students who require additional and targeted support. Students may have a range of needs including one or more of the following;
- Gifted & Talented
- Learning Gaps
- Learning Difficulties
- English as an Additional Language
- Physical Impairment
- Social and Emotional Issues
|
Age Group |
Student Name |
Events / Medal |
|
U13 Girls |
Asha Murugan |
400m - Gold |
|
|
Sharon Ng |
High Jump - Silver |
|
U13 Boys |
Lap Yin Lam |
High Jump - Gold |
|
|
Gabe Jone |
Shot Put - Bronze |
|
|
Max Wong |
Javelin - Bronze |
|
U15 Girls |
Wakana Matsuo |
400m - Gold |
|
|
Yen Kei Ooi |
400m - Silver |
|
|
Sarah Selvindoss |
800m - Silver |
|
U15 Boys |
Iggy Jones |
100m - Silver |
|
|
Toby Taylor |
Discus - Silver |
|
|
Ka Jun Chuah |
Javelin - Silver |
|
O15 Girls |
Yan Xi Lim |
Javelin - Silver |
|
|
Sara Allenspach |
800m - Silver |
|
O13 Boys |
Liam Naidoo |
100m - Silver |
|
|
Kai Ter Huggel |
Long Jump - Gold |
|
|
Kai Ter Huggel, Ima Abdullah, Shotaro Kanda, Yin Kai Tan |
4 x 100m Relay - Bronze |
Medal Winners
Click here for more photos.
AISM Sports & Friendly: AIMS O15 Boys & Girls Basketball Tournament
Ivan Yoong, Whole School CCA & Sports Coordinator
Last Friday, AISM hosted the O15 Boys Tournament and were joined by 8 other international schools, whilst our O15 Girls team travelled to IGB International School for their games there. Both the boys and girls team played really well in their games despite the hectic schedule. Credit goes to Mr Wells and Ms McPherson for coaching the teams. A big thank you to Coach Hussein and Coach Zul for their endless support in this event. Well done AISM!
Click here for more photos.
|
O15 Boys |
Chengjun Han, Ka Jun Chuah, Kian Mun Lam, Jason Guo, Olivier Tan, Kai Ter Huggel, Wei Hao Tan, Yin Kai Tan, Aidan Low, Jesse Sadural |
|
515 Girls |
Ashley Yoong, Pui Yee Chuah, Denyce Ng, Alana Saldanha, Hyuna Oh, Eelea Lai, Wakana Matsuo |
AIMS Sports & Friendly: Friendly Swim Meet @ King Henry VIII International School
Ivan Yoong, Whole School CCA & Sports Coordinator
On February 20th AISM Barracudas was invited to join a Friendly Swim Meet hosted by King Henry VIII International School. Our swimmers were competing against swimmers from the hosting school and KTJ International School. During the race, the atmosphere at the pool was intensified by loud cheering during the many tight races. Overall, our swimmers gained valuable experience from this event. Credit goes to Coach Hussein for supporting the team throughout the day. Well done AISM!
|
U9 Boys |
Adric Lee, Jian Zi Neoh, Yu Chen Chua & Izz Isaac bin Navin |
|
U9 Girls |
Jen Yi Neoh & Susan Ng |
|
U11 Boys |
Kaeden Diep, Arjan Pathmanaban, Chris Chin & Baxter Janett |
|
U11 Girls |
Sara Inagaki & Jing Rou Loh |
|
U13 Boys |
Alex Furlan, Lap Yin Lam & Sebastien Moore |
|
U13 Girls |
Ashley Yoong & Isis Janett |
| MSS Swimming Carnival | |
| Date | Thursday 9 March |
| Warm up | 8:15 - 8:30 am |
| First event commence | 8:45am |
| Event ends | 1:30pm |
| Medal Presentation | 2:10pm @ Auditorium |
Note: Icy poles, food and beverages will be available for purchase on that day. Bring money!
Care Movement: Care for the World
Laurent Epetahui
THE BIG QUESTION:
“Where is your paper plate going today?”
Here at AISM we are focused on doing everything we can to Care for our World, and live this out every day through our Living Campus program. During the next couple of weeks we will be exploring the question of where our paper plates are going. I am sure that in only 2 months we will master every step of this challenge and our environment will be the biggest winner.
Step 1: Kitchen & Canteen
Step 2: Transfer ORS Site
Step 3: Collecting Data: Materials from Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th January 2023, 2 black bins.
Step 4: Transfer into BioTransformer Unit
Step 5: Transformation in progress
Your paper plate will end up like this beautiful organic fertilizer. Better for mother Nature!
GO GREEN AND GO SUSTAINABLE
