PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING
Aaron Wise, Principal
This week we celebrated Labour Day, a significant holiday celebrated worldwide to honour the contributions of workers. It's an opportune moment to reflect on the concept of work-life balance, particularly in the context of education and studying.
In recent years, discussions surrounding work-life balance have gained prominence, especially with the rise of initiatives, such as the 996 policy in China. This policy, which refers to working from 9am to 9pm, six days a week, has sparked debates about the boundaries between work and personal life and the impact it has on individuals' well-being.
For students, the conversation around work-life balance is particularly pertinent as they navigate the demands of academics, extracurricular activities, and personal interests. While dedication to studies is important, it's equally crucial for students to find a balance that allows them to thrive academically while maintaining their physical, mental, and emotional health.
Labour Day serves as a reminder of the importance of valuing not only the contributions of workers, but also the need to safeguard their rights and well-being. This includes advocating for policies and practices that promote a healthy work-life balance for all individuals, regardless of their profession or industry.
In the context of studying, achieving a balance between academic pursuits and personal life is essential for academic success and overall happiness. Students who prioritise their well-being are better equipped to manage stress, stay motivated, and perform well in their studies.
As educators, we encourage students to reflect on their own schedules and commitments and identify areas where they can create more balance in their lives. This may involve setting boundaries around study time, allocating time for relaxation and leisure activities, and seeking support from teachers, parents, or school counsellors when needed.
Ultimately, Labour Day serves as a reminder that work should enhance our lives rather than consume them entirely. By embracing the principles of work-life balance, students can cultivate habits that will serve them well not only during their time in school, but also in their future careers and personal lives.
As we celebrate Labour Day this year, let us use this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to promoting a healthy balance between work, study, and life and to supporting students in achieving their academic and personal goals.
JUNIOR SCHOOL
Michelle Chaplin, Head of Junior School
There is much to be proud of this week as we celebrate the successes of our athletes at the AIMS athletics meet and the wonderful performance of the Junior School Choir at the AIMS Big Sing.
The look of pride on our student's faces as they did their best as ambassadors for the school at these events speaks to the love they have for their school and all things AISM.
Year 4 News!
Ms Gan and Ms McTaggart, Year 4 teachers
This term has started off with a bang (or stretch) in Year 4 with the new introduction of the inquiry unit into materials and forces. Throughout the term, students will be learning about materials, the properties of materials and how forces change materials and create motion. It’s been fun to design new products by repurposing old materials and, hopefully, now that they have shared their ideas with others, they can repurpose materials at home too.
In Mathematics, students have been exploring symmetry. They created robots and built their understanding of rotational symmetry. These amazing robots will continue to be used in our upcoming unit on Area and Perimeter.
Fluency in both Mathematics and English has been a focal point this term. Reading fluency helps support comprehension and Mathematical fluency helps with speed and accuracy. Both of these things are important skills to master and can be done through games, songs and repetition.
In Visual Arts, students studied line as an element of art. They discovered and experimented with drawing different types of lines, and created beautiful posters on the element.
Malaysian Cultural Studies - Ramadan & Hari Raya Aidilfitri Celebration
Adila Parman, JS LOTE Bahasa & MCS Teacher
It's Eid here or more well known as Hari Raya Aidilfitri in Malaysia. It is a victory celebration for all Muslims who can complete 30 days of fasting during Ramadan. Like other festivals, this time around it has to be celebrated together with close-knit family members and friends. It is a wonderful Hari Raya this year and we wish for all Muslims to have a wonderful time and Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!
At our school, we believe in celebrating diversity and fostering understanding among our students. Ramadan and Hari Raya are excellent opportunities for us to learn about different cultures and traditions, and to appreciate the values of empathy, compassion, and unity that they promote.
We encourage all our students to take this opportunity to learn more about Ramadan and Hari Raya, to ask questions, and to engage in discussions with their classmates and teachers. Let's embrace the spirit of tolerance, respect, and inclusivity as we celebrate these special occasions together!
The learners experienced the joy and happiness of Hari Raya Aidilfitri by doing the activities which are related to Hari Raya Aidilfitri, such as making the Hari Raya beautiful poster, the Hari Raya mindfulness colouring and the Hari Raya money packet or ‘duit raya’. There were lots of impressive artworks and positive reflections from the students. We would like to share with you these beautiful works from our students. We hope this year's Hari Raya may give a thousand meanings about love, kindness, and happiness to all our AISM community.
These are some of the mindfulness Hari Raya decorations artworks from our Year 4 learners. They are beautiful and creative!
MIDDLE & SENIOR SCHOOL
World Scholar’s Cup Kuala Lumpur Regional Round
Yen Kei Ooi, Year 11 Student
Have you heard of the Scholaroos?
If you haven’t, I’ll give you a hint: they embody a spirit of curiosity, teamwork, and academic excellence.
The Scholaroos are none other than our esteemed AISM students who began their journey with the World Scholar’s Cup (WSC) in early February, by mustering the courage to join the tryouts at lunchtime. Since then, they have been engaging in Tuesday CCA and Thursday lunchtime training sessions, as well as a ‘Debate Camp’ conducted in AISM during the term holidays.
The dedication and commitment shown by our Scholaroos have truly paid off, showcasing their skills and knowledge in debate, writing, and quiz bowl competitions. Last weekend, the Scholaroos participated in the Kuala Lumpur Regional Round, amongst over 700 students from other schools, and walked out of the Plenary Hall in KLCC adorned with medals and trophies.
But let’s rewind. Success is not achieved without a lot of effort, which was developed through WSC training. A typical training session involves covering the 2024 WSC syllabus, one (or two!) topics at a time, in the form of Google Doc ‘Booklets’, and interactive discussions that enhance their understanding and collaboration. Occasional practice rounds of debate and writing that mirror the actual competition format are also held, honing their abilities for the challenges ahead.
Last Saturday’s Regional Round was hosted by Nexus, and the Scholaroos spent the entire day engaging in multiple rounds of debate, intensive collaborative writing and a 120-question “Scholar’s Challenge”. Camaraderie, deepening relationships and valuable experiences were all part and parcel. The next day in KLCC’s Plenary Hall witnessed a challenging round of questions that required scholars to draw parallels between their knowledge and seemingly unrelated topics, known as the ‘Scholar’s Bowl’. The ‘(Un)Talent Show’ was arguably a highlight: all our Scholaroos performed ABBA’s ‘Mamma Mia’ on stage. The energy and enthusiasm in the hall was palpable, with the audience’s phone flashlights waving throughout the performance. Another highlight for many was the fluffy, stuffed alpaca that every scholar took back as a souvenir.
The Regional Round concluded with an award ceremony recognising the top scholars and teams in all categories and events. Every scholar’s eyes were turned to the screen displaying their medal and placement as a number amongst the total number of students. Scholaroos would chant, clap and celebrate each other’s achievements, creating a supportive and encouraging atmosphere that truly embodied the spirit of teamwork.
Some amazing and notable achievements included:
- Aneesha Pollock - Overall Champion Scholar, Senior Division
- Jasmin Unsworth - Second Place overall, Senior Division
- Aneesha Pollock, Jasmin Unsworth, and Hyuna Oh - Second Place in the Scholar’s Challenge & Fifth Place Team, Senior Division
- Iggy Jones - 12th Place overall, Senior Division
- Iggy Jones, Aiman Akmal, Henry Yap - First Place in the Scholar’s Challenge & 8th Place Team, Senior Division
- Yen Kei Ooi, Kelly Moon, and Hayden Fisher - Fourth Place Collaborative Writing & 11th Place Team, Senior Division
- Mackenzie Millar - First Place in Art and Music, Junior Division
- Caden Cheong - 23rd Place overall, Junior Division
- Overall, the Scholaroos took home 85 silver medals and an amazing 92 gold medals
Ending 2024’s Kuala Lumpur Regional Round on a high note, leads our Scholaroos into the Global Round, where more exciting events will take place. Undoubtedly, this will require more commitment and effort, but our Scholaroos will rise to the occasion, with the indispensable support of Mr Broadbent, Mr Webster, and Ms Dawes.
Magnificent Musicians!
Matthew Fisher, Head of the Arts
A massive CONGRATULATION must be given to two of our talented Musicians. Year 11 student, Sarah Selvindos, and Year 6 student, Ciarrai Lu, who recently competed in the Euroasia music competition. The annual Euroasia competition aims to provide a platform and opportunity for aspiring musicians to be exposed to international standards of music competition. Sarah performed brilliantly in the Grade 8 Solo Violin section at such a high level of competition and came 2nd in her section, while Ciarrai competed in the Grade 6 section in the Youth Piano division of the competition and won the bronze medal. The Arts Department is very proud of both Sarah and Ciarrai, and congratulate them on their success.
Mobile Phone Ban
Aaron Wise, Head of Middle and Senior School
Upon my arrival at AISM, one of the foremost concerns raised by both parents and teachers was the use of mobile phones by students. There has been a strong call to ban mobile phones altogether on campus.
Rather than implementing an outright ban, I initially urged students to demonstrate responsible phone usage. I firmly believed that if students could prove their ability to use phones appropriately, a ban would be unnecessary. However, it has become evident that many of our MSS students are struggling to meet this expectation.
Banning mobile phones at school is not a novel concept. It's already standard practice in all Australian government schools. Additionally, earlier this year, the UK government announced its decision to enforce a similar ban, while in the US, 77% of schools have already implemented restrictions on mobile phone use.
Today, I announced to MSS students that mobile phones will now be prohibited at AISM from "Bell to Bell" — from the first school bell at 8:45 am until the final bell at 3:10 pm. Students must store their phones in their bags or lockers for the entirety of the school day.
Any student found in violation of this rule will have their phone confiscated for the day, and consistent offenders will prompt contact with their parents.
We believe that this measure will foster a more focused and conducive learning environment for all students at AISM. Thank you for your support and cooperation in reinforcing this policy with your children.
WHOLE SCHOOL
AIMS Athletics Carnival
Ivan Yoong, Whole School CCA & Sports Coordinator
The AIMS Athletics for 2024, which involved both JS and MSS students, has come to an end recently. This event was held at Stadium Uniten on two separate occasions. Excitement was palpable from the moment they got on the bus until the end of the event. Our students truly demonstrated AISM’s R.E.C.I.P.E values in this event and also their amazing academic credentials. Well done Team AISM! Huge thank you to Mr Wells, Coach Hussein, Coach Zul and Ms Murphy who attended this event for their contributions to the success of this carnival. Kudos AISM!
| JS Boys | Isaac, Jian Zi, Noah, Riley, Derek, Patrick, Giovanni, Yi Chen, and Belvan |
| JS Girls | Brigitte, Halle, Rayanne, Amy, Laura, Carrie, Flora, Zoe, Suenne, and Alexandra |
| MSS Boys | Anson, Arif, Lachlan, Arjan, Juan Yun, Jin, Lap Yin, Max, Toby, Gabe, Imad, Christian, Yin Kai, Kai Ter and Chase |
| MSS Girls | Chelsea, Pui Mun, Ayra, Sharon, Ruby, Elizabeth, Ashley, Cherish, Asha, Emma, Hyuna, Kelly, Wakana, Yen Kei, Grace and Yan Xi |
ISIAsia Skate Beijing 2024
Ivan Yoong, Whole School CCA & Sports Coordinator
At the beginning of last term break, Rayanne Lim from the Junior School represented Malaysia in an International Ice Skating competition held in Beijing. Rayanne's unwavering perseverance and relentless effort have driven her to finish first in Artistic Freestyle 4 and third in Open Silver despite the strong competition. Well done Rayanne!
The Australian International School Mobile Vaccination
Mrs Mac and Nurse Alice, School Nurses
Dear Parents,
Health Services in collaboration with BSM Healthcare are organizing a vaccination program.
We are delighted to bring you some wonderful news that will positively impact our school community! On 7 June 2024, the BSM Healthcare Mobile Health Clinic will visit our school premises.
Scheduled from 3pm to 5pm, the event will provide vaccinations to ensure our children's well-being. We understand that your child's health is paramount, and we are committed to providing a safe and conducive environment for their growth and development.
Rest assured, the vaccines administered during the event are not only safe but also highly effective in safeguarding against various illnesses, thereby promoting the overall health of our students.
To facilitate the process, payments for the vaccinations can be made to:
Public Bank
Account number: 3226824417
BSM Healthcare Sdn Bhd.
We encourage all parents to take advantage of this opportunity to prioritize their child's health and well-being. Together, let's ensure a healthier future for our school community. The closing date will be 10 May 2024 to register.
Please click HERE and fill in the registration form before the closing date, thank you!
Please scroll down to the vaccination schedule and prices.
Mother’s Day Gift Stall
Senja Lakeside Estate - Exclusive Preview for AISM's Staff, Teachers & Parents
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Call us today at 03 9212 0388 or visit www.senjabrdb.com.my to learn more about our exclusive package for the AISM community.
