principal’s message -...

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Dear Parents and Guardians,

With this semester, we’re thrilled to announce our student enrolment has grown to its largest yet, at approximately 360 students in all grades. We’re particularly proud of our Grade 7 & 8 intake, with total student number in excess of 110.

To support our three Grade 7 classes and two Grade 8 classes, we have seven teachers who are dedicated to delivering the programme both in the Core and the Rotary areas. The five Core teachers are new to SIS and bring with them sound backgrounds in elementary school teaching.

Mr. Vincent Male and Ms. Meaghan Potts teach our Core Grade 8 classes and Ms. Amy Cudmore, Ms. Virginia Chow and Mr. Nicholas Towns teach our Grade 7 Core classes. Also new to SIS is Mr. Tyler Simpson who teaches Rotary Physical Education and Science. Ms. Emily Carroll, who returns to SIS this semester, rounds out the Grade 7 & 8 teacher corps. Ms. Carroll teaches Rotary Physical Education and Science. Other Rotary Subject teachers who not only teach Grade 7 & 8, but also 9-11, include Ms. Norashimah, Ms. Frei and Mrs. Talbot.

The Grade 7 & 8 programme will form the foundation of the future of SIS. There will be a strong emphasis on Language Arts and Mathematics in our Grade 7 & 8 programme along with a decided stress on Reading. We believe that Reading and Literacy are the main ingredients in shaping the future academic pursuits of our students; and the stronger the foundation that we can build for them at this time will result in greater success in secondary school and beyond.

Our Grades 9-11 has also grown steadily; with over 250 students, the numbers necessitated hiring additional teachers to take the pressure off by reducing some of our larger classes. In order to do so, we were fortunate to hire two additional teachers for the increased demand.

This semester we are pleased to welcome two Korean exchange students. Kang Ju Eun (Kelly) and Um Hye Rin (Leila) come to us from Kyunghwa Girls’ Middle School in South Korea. The two young ladies have settled in nicely and are now enjoying an exciting new experience in the only Canadian School in Malaysia. In early March, one of our Grade 11 graduates, Chloe Cheah, will be going to Korea to attend the Kyunghwa Girls’ Middle School as part of the exchange. We are hoping that this small step in setting up the liaison with the Korean school will lead to more cultural exchanges between the two schools in the future.

The construction of the new SIS building continues at a rapid pace. We hope to be occupying the new facility and taking advantage of all the amenities which the building will provide for our students and staff by July 2012.

“Meet the Teachers’ Night” on 1st February was a tremendous success and the large turnout of parents was encouraging. We thank all of our parents for putting your faith in our abilities to assist your sons and daughters through this part of their educational journey and we look forward to your continued support.

Principal

John Futa

Vol 5 Issue 1 20 March 2012

Reported by Muhammad Saleh bin Raghib, Grade 11 student with contributions from Mr. Milberg [email protected])

SIS SPECIALS

On 2nd February, students from the TGJ3M Communication Technology class went on a field trip to photograph the picturesque architecture in the federal administrative capital, Putrajaya. A total of 21 students set off after school accompanied by educators Mr. Milberg, Mr. Avila and Ms. Anita.

The students descended on Putrajaya Lake, and quickly busied themselves scouting for the best positions and adjusting their camera settings to capture the rose-tinted granite of Putra Mosque, the Islamic-Mogul architecture of Perdana Putra, office of the Prime Minister and the Darul Ehsan Palace, a royal residence of the state Sultan in optimum light. As night descended, the stunning Seri Wawasan Bridge became the focus of the students’ shutters. The modern design was lit up by alternating colourful streetlights, making the bridge just as magnificent as in the day. Mr. Milberg elaborates, “We felt that the unique architecture of the Putrajaya buildings allowed the students to practise the skills they learnt in the photography unit, especially in manipulating specific settings for varying light requirements.”


Snappy Happy

Reported by Ms. Frei ([email protected])

Operation OSSLT As one of the requirements of the Ontario Secondary School curriculum, students in grade 10 (and grade 11 who have yet to write the test) are scheduled to write the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). The OSSLT evaluates students on their reading and writing skills, including how they organise their thoughts in writing, their critical thinking, as well as grammar, vocabulary and style. As part of our efforts to prepare these students for the test on 30th March, the students completed a mock test on 15th February.

The OSSLT Mock Test was administered in exactly the same format as the formal test and it was internally marked by SIS teachers. Teachers gave a raw score for each section of the test as well as some written feedback. The Academic Office then compiled the results for analysis and also to identify the students in need of extra support.

In the following weeks, the students underwent an intensive regime to improve their skills including after-school workshops, homeroom exercises, and one-on-one support during study period. Teachers were unfailing in their efforts, preparing additional classroom exercises, helpful tips and practice tasks that the students can download from their eLearn online learning tool for consistent practise.

SIS is determined that the candidates are given every opportunity for proactive OSSLT preparation and obtaining the best possible OSSLT results.

SIS SPECIALS

Reported by Ms. Cudmore ([email protected]) and Mr. Simpson ([email protected])

Grade 7 and 8 students are an energetic lot, and we’ve incorporated a new component to help keep them active and stay refreshed while enhancing our existing educational physical activities.

Every day, during the core teacher’s block of instruction, students are led outside for Daily Physical Activity (DPA). During this time, their teacher leads them in a game or exercise such as tag, races and ball-throwing; designed to improve their coordination, speed and overall fitness. Students learn to work together and come back to class energised and prepared to learn.

For Physical Education, the students have access to facilities in Monash University Sunway Campus and Sun-U Residence apartments. Students are dropped off by a chartered shuttle at the Monash University field for a variety of track and field activities or games. At the Sun-U Residences, students dive head first into the fundamentals of swimming, including survival positions and various strokes. At each of these excursions, the students are accompanied by two teachers at all times for security. The DPA and Physical Education initiatives have been very successful for both students and teachers, who have had a chance to develop bonds outside the classroom that helps with day-to-day life inside the classroom.


On 16th February, SIS welcomed 20 students and 3 school representatives from Kyunghwa Girls Middle School, South Korea who were visiting as part of an intercultural exchange. The visitors sat down to a pizza lunch together with SIS students, educators and staff.

Korean exchange student, Uhm Hye Rin, herself a Kyunghwa student was invited to share her experiences at SIS. Her address, translated by a SIS student, was punctuated with many exclamations from the visitors as they reflected on the differences in school life and shared the similarities to their own.

Replete after the meal, the students broke off into groups to observe various lessons in period 4, notably Grade 11

Biology, Marketing and Accounting where the visitors interacted with the students and teachers alike.

Exchanges like these are a win-win for all — the visitors learnt of the standards of education practised at SIS while the cultural exchanges unified

the students on a global scale. SIS wishes 감사합니다 (kam-sa-ham-ni-da!)

(Thank you!) to Kyunghwa Girls’ Middle School for the opportunity.

안녕하세요 (An-yǒng-ha-se-yo) KyungHwa!

Getting Fit - Physically!

SIS SPOTLIGHT - ECA SCHEDULE

Our extra-curricular programme is in full swing and SIS has planned a full slate of activities for student participation.


DAY CLUBS TIME ADVISOR

Monday Green Team

Art & Design Club

Insanity Workout

Futsal Club

3.30p.m. — 4.30p.m.

3.45p.m. — 4.45p.m.

3.45p.m. — 4.45p.m.

4.00p.m. — 5.00p.m.

Ms. LeRoy

Ms. Data

Ms. Carroll & Ms. Anita

Mr. Brims & Mr. Narancsik

Tuesday Strength & Conditioning Club

Student Council

Dance Club

Ultimate Frisbee

3.45p.m. — 4.30p.m.

3.45p.m. — 5.00p.m.

3.45p.m. — 5.00p.m.

4.00p.m. — 5.30p.m.

Mr. Owen

Ms. Alicia

Mr. Milberg

Mrs. Talbot

Wednesday Social Action Club

Photography Club

Badminton Club

Running Club

Swimming Club

3.45p.m. — 4.30p.m.

3.45p.m. — 4.45p.m.

3.45p.m. — 5.00p.m.

3.45p.m. — 5.30p.m.

4.00p.m. — 5.00p.m.

Mr. Owen

Ms. Anita

Mr. Lim, Mr. Vaillancourt &

Ms. Norashimah

Mr. Reich & Mrs. Talbot

Mr. Carroll & Ms. Frei

Thursday SIS Band

Basketball Club

Food & Culture Club

(first Thursday of every month)

3.30p.m. — 5.00p.m.

3.30p.m. — 5.30p.m.

3.30p.m. — 5.30p.m.

Mr. Narancsik

Mr. Prior & Ms. LeRoy

Ms. Data, Mrs. Talbot &

Mr. Brims

Friday Creativity Factory 2.30p.m. — 4.00p.m. Mr. Kondro

DAY CLUBS TIME ADVISOR

Tuesday Drama Club

Yoga Club

3.00p.m. — 3.45p.m.

3.00p.m. — 3.45p.m.

Ms. Potts & Mr. Male

Ms. Cudmore

Wednesday Chess Club

Football Club

3.00p.m. — 3.45p.m.

3.00p.m. — 3.45p.m.

Mr. Towns

Mr. Simpson

Thursday Homework Club 3.00p.m. — 3.45p.m. Ms. Chow

Grades 7 and 8

Grades 9, 10 and 11

Sunway Education Group Executive Director, Ms. Elizabeth Lee’s Chinese New Year Open House is always an eagerly anticipated SIS tradition. Every year, the boarders make their way to her residence and cheerily chorus: “Gong Xi Fa Cai!” (Wishing you prosperity in the coming year!) Signature highlights – symbols of good fortune, acrobatic lion dance and delicious festive dishes made their scene-stealing return among guests. New boarders who had never experienced an authentic Chinese New Year celebration were thrilled at the exciting experience.

HAPPENINGS @ SIS HOUSE

Resident Executive in SIS House

SIS House is implementing the Saturday Activity, a regular fun-filled Saturday for the boarders to experience a variety of activities and change of environment, be more physically active, and cultivate their teamwork and communication skills.

From February, boarders were transported to Heritage Centre, an indoor sports centre that houses a gym and indoor courts for squash, basketball, badminton and table tennis.

Along with these conventional sports and games, boarders also trekked Gasing Hill, a nearby secondary forest on 18th February; and on 25th February, went to Bukit Kiara Equestrian & Country Resort for the BMW Malaysia Open Tennis 2012, where boarders witnessed tennis greats like Venus Williams, Marion Bartoli and Shuai Peng play.

Eventually, SIS House hopes to field a competitive team of boarders to participate in community Sports Day carnivals and friendly matches with youth clubs and community associations.


Saturday Activity

SIS House is pleased to announce its new Resident Executive, Ms. Nur Hayati Abdul Jalil who joined the SIS House Management on 13th December 2011. Ms. Nur Hayati was previously employed as a Radiation Therapist, providing comprehensive care to cancer patients. Ms. Nur Hayati has a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Health Science (Medical Radiation) from the University of Science Malaysia. The Resident Executive is an outdoor enthusiast, and enjoys kayaking, camping, swimming, and sports. Already the boarders are familiar with Ms. Nur Hayati’s presence at the Saturday Activity, where she gamely joins the boarders in recreation.

On her caretaker experiences so far, Ms. Nur Hayati comments, “The boarders are like foster siblings to me, and I enjoy learning about their different countries and cultures. I’m motivated by their willingness to befriend and help each other, and my goal is to ensure they feel at home with us.”

Ms. Nur Hayati is contactable at (+60)193802505 or [email protected]

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

mailto:[email protected]

SIS & THE COMMUNITY

Every Meet The Teachers Night, parents and guardians diligently collect their timetables to attend ‘classes’. Our 3rd instalment was no exception; here are scenes from 1st February, when our dedicated ‘students’ thronged our hallways as they attended their ‘school session’.

On 24thFebruary, SIS students were invited to the American Education Opportunities (AEO) Tour held at Sunway University. The tour was headlined by notable universities such as Creighton University, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, to list a few. Students were uniformly impressed by the professionalism of the university representatives as testified by Kee Xiao Lin, a Grade 11 student. She shared, “All the representatives

were cooperative, not only educating us about their universities but also telling us about the environment we would be experiencing if we went there. They reminded me a lot of when I was in Canada looking for universities. The best part was when we told them that we were studying the Ontario syllabus, and we learnt how much easier it would be for us to transition to the United States, because we are already studying in a system similar to theirs. This university fair really showed us the countless opportunities and choices that await us after SIS.”


Study Options in the U.S.

Meet The Teachers Night

Korean exchange students, Um Hye Rin and Kang Jueun share a light moment with their Grade 11 Biology teacher Ms. LeRoy and guardian Ms. Lee. Events like this enable teachers to develop consistent communication routines with students’ parents and guardians, and foster a cooperative relationship to monitor students’ academic development.

‘Students’ (Parents and guardians) listened in rapt attention as Grade 7 teacher Mr. Towns explained

the course outlines in detail during a ’lesson’. Course outlines provide parents and guardians an

overview of what to expect for the course, particularly the assessment and evaluation

expectations.

“The representatives were nice and helpful,

guiding us on what we needed to focus on in school for the

courses we were interested in.”

Kee Xiao Lin

SIS ADMINISTRATION

With heavy hearts, SIS bade goodbye to our long-serving Coordinator of Administration, Ms. Lum Pey Wah. She joins the International Office at

Sunway University from 1st February 2012. Ms. Lum has been a stalwart member of the SIS Administration Office from the School’s inception in 2008,

implementing and executing best practices for the smooth running of the School. Principal Mr. John Futa, aptly captured our sentiments at her farewell;

All the Very Best!

We are pleased to announce the SIS Scholarship Awards for the January 2012 semester. Congratulations to the deserving recipients! SIS hopes that the endowment will support the recipients in reaching their educational goals, while encouraging these budding achievers to fulfil their dreams.

SIS Scholarship Awards


Peh Wah has been with SIS since the beginning. She was the first person to whom our

students and parents spoke to on the telephone; the first person to greet new students and parents to

the school. She was front and centre in the marketing of SIS to prospective parents and

students. In effect, Peh Wah and SIS became synonymous. She was the face of SIS and she

will be sadly missed by everyone with whom she associated while at our school.”

Soon Wern-Shynn

First SIS student to play for the Sunway University Ensemble, and currently its youngest member. Member of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra Junior Quartet.

Radhanath Dasa A/L Thialan Placed 4th in the Junior Under-18 category at the 2012 Malaysian International Dance Championship. Finalist in the Novice and Pre-Amateur categories in the Singapore Open Dance Championship.

Rachel Lim June Leen

1st place in the 6th Malaysia National Figure Skating Championship 2011 - Rising Starz 3, Ladies category.

Placed 2nd in the 2011 Asian Regional Junior Figure Skating Challenge, China - Basic Novice Girls category.

Genevieve Ling I-Rynn Runner-up of the 2012 Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM)

National Golf Championship - Under-18 Individual Gross Runner up of the 2012 Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM)

National Golf Championship - Under-18 Team Gross

Talented Teachers

SIS SPOTLIGHT

SIS is delighted to welcome new additions to our SIS family this semester. Our students are in good hands with this talented bunch — as we discover with this feature on their hidden talents.


NICHOLAS TOWNS

For 10 years, Mr. Towns

volunteered his first aid know-how with a Medical Response

team in Ontario. He never lost a patient.

MEAGHAN POTTS

Ms. Potts spent a summer in Kenya volunteering with Free the Children,

building a primary school. The school’s official launch was

featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show a year later.

HEATH KONDRO

Mr. Kondro is licensed to drive and operate long-haul heavy trucks and

heavy equipment ranging from forklifts to bulldozers to graders, which he did for a time when he

finished university.

AMY CUDMORE

In her spare time, Ms. Cudmore likes to hula-hoop. She has won hula-hoop competitions, hula-

hooped with 50 hoops at a time and can hula-hoop with fire.

VINCENT MALE

Mr. Male once directed a play that broke the theatre’s attendance

record; selling out so well audiences had to cram into the

aisles - in violation of the fire code.

NORASHIMAH JALIL

When young, Ms. Norashimah discovered a penchant for researching history. Her

curiosity has led her to examine ancient civilizations in

Turkey and Egypt.

VIRGINIA CHOW

Ms. Chow has a decidedly adventurous palate. She has

eaten some pretty weird things for a Canadian, namely durian,

crocodile and moose.

TYLER SIMPSON

Mr. Simpson is a versatile

musician, adept on the banjo, mandolin, trumpet and piano.

He used to play stand-up bass in a band, Chrissy and the Warbling

Huckleberries.

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