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From the Head of School

Jason McBride

IGBIS Governance Changes

After nearly a decade of leadership as the Founding Chair of the IGBIS Management Board, we say a fond farewell to Mr Chua Seng Yong as he steps down from the role. Involved from the very beginning and our feasibility study, right through to today as a fully accredited, high-performing and inclusive school, Mr Chua has been there every step of the way. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours. 

With his departure, we are delighted that long-time Management Board member, Ms Elizabeth Tan, has accepted the Board Chair role which brings continuity to the school’s governance along with Mrs Rubina Kemal. New Board member, Ms Chai Lai Sim (IGB Berhad Group CFO), joins the Board as the third member and brings years of financial management and strategy to the IGBIS team. 

We thank Mr Chua once again for his contribution over the years, congratulate Ms Tan on her new Chair role and welcome Ms Chai to the IGBIS community.

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From the ES Principal

Simon Millward

Wow, what a week! From my perspective, it has flown by. It was wonderful to see the buzz of learning around school and the hive of activity in Grade 5 as they prepared for the first Elementary assembly of the year. What made it even better was the fact that some of our Grade 5 parents attended the ‘live’ event.

We had some ‘risk takers’ in the audience who were chosen to take part in Grade 5 ‘What’s in my box?’ where items were placed to share what the students were looking forward to in the year. The Learner profile skits showcased their understanding of these attributes and highlighted how we should be acting to make the world a better, more peaceful place.

I enjoyed the dance break, where the students recorded their own version of dance for everyone to follow on. Mr McBride was on hand to celebrate the students who had a birthday over the summer up until Thursday, 25^th of August. Finally, I shared two possible avenues of student leadership that the children can get involved in. The Social Council led by our Grade 5 House Captains with some students selected Grade 3’s and Grade 4’s to help promote wellbeing, build community and a sense of belonging at IGBIS through ‘social’ events like book character dress-up, etc. and our Young Activist Council where students identify issues where they can make a positive change in school and beyond. I look forward to being able to share more as these take shape in the next few weeks.

On Thursday, 25^th August we had our Back to School afternoon, where you as parents could meet the teachers, learn more about the learning happening in the homeroom and single-subject classrooms and learn more about the PYP. It was fantastic to see so many parents attend and the PYP session with over 100 parents was a real bonus. I hope our PYP workshops that we offer throughout the year will have great attendance too.

Dates for Your Diaries

• Wednesday 31st Aug: Public holiday no school
• Thursday 15th Sept: WS Malaysia Day assembly (students only)

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From the SS Principal

Sandy van Nooten

Back-to-School Afternoon (BTSA)

Thank you to all the secondary parents who came to our Back-to-School afternoon on Wednesday. While it is still fresh in your minds, I’d love to receive your feedback on what worked and how we can improve the event next time. The format for the is WWW (What Went Well) and EBI (Even Better If). I have asked all secondary teachers to link their slide decks to the BTSA schedule so you can view (or re-view) slides from each teacher –  . Go to the grade level, subject and teacher of interest and click their link. NOTE: You will need to be logged into your IGBIS profile to access some of the links.

Student Council (StuCo)

Our outgoing StuCo executive is planning their final event before the StuCo elections. Secondary students and teachers are invited to participate in the Merdeka Spirit Day on Tuesday 30th August. Come to school in Malaysian outfits or dressed in the colours of the Malaysian flag.

There are four student executives elected to StuCo each year and StuCo is open to all students from Grade 7 to 11. All secondary students vote and the timeline for election is below:

• Registration form sent out – Aug 23rd
• Registration form closes – September 1st
• Current StuCo meet with candidates (to explain how StuCo works) – Sep 2nd
• StuCo speeches (at secondary assembly) followed by voting – Sep 9th
• New StuCo execs announced – Sep 12th

We are hoping we get a large number of candidates so please encourage your child to participate in the democratic process and be a leader!

Soon after StuCo elections, each homeroom votes for a class representative. Class reps work with the StuCo executive and the grade level coordinators to represent issues, concerns and ideas from the class.

Class Parents

Thank you to the nine secondary parents who have already volunteered to be class parents. We are still looking for a second parent at several levels so please email me (sandy.vannooten@igbis.edu.my) if you are interested in taking on this role for your child’s grade.

ManageBac Parent Training

A reminder that all secondary parents are invited to come into school next Friday (2nd September) for an interactive MB workshop.

Please bring your own device, or let us know if you need to borrow one.

Digital Citizenship Agreement

All secondary students are required to sign that they have read, understood and will do their best to comply with our IGBIS Digital Citizenship Agreement. Here is a link to our and this is the we will use with students. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions or concerns. Students will be asked to sign it in the next few weeks.

Regards

Sandy

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A New Life at IGBIS

The Counseling Team

If you have just recently moved, take a look at what you left behind, and what you could experience in your “new world.” 

Many of us are raising Third Culture Kids (TCKs) – those kids who experience and develop a “third culture” inside which is a combination of several elements of all the cultures lived. This culture is something you create.

Being new to a country brings on feelings known as Culture Shock or Cultural Stress. One will experience a honeymoon and optimism phase where there is acceptance, fun and joy that things are different but okay. Next comes the realistic phase of “why am I here”, “it’s too different”, as well as possible feelings of homesickness and emptiness. Then compromise and accommodation come into play. You’re uncertain of your relationships or how others view you. You understand personal limitations and make adjustments. This leads to you adjusting and integrating into the culture with the acceptance of the foreign culture and new customs. Remember, feeling “at home” can take an average of 8-14 months. 

As a parent, you need to take a look at your child and understand them. Be sure to talk with them, but more importantly, listen carefully and with intention. Acknowledge their feelings and appropriately acknowledge and communicate your own feelings. Be aware of changes in your child’s behaviour, some may be dramatic or unexpected and require care and attention.

Know the importance of fitting-in from your child’s perspective. To fit in is to belong. To belong to a peer group has priority. Find a balanced lifestyle between home, school, and friends.

If you have any questions or concerns about the transition to IGBIS feel free to contact your child’s counselor.

Best Regards,

The Counseling Team

• John Schuster (ES) john.schuster@igbis.edu.my 
• Leanne Harvey (MS) leanne.harvey@igbis.edu.my
• Amanda Lopez (HS) amanda.lopez@igbis.edu.my

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Having Conversations With Your Family About Technology

Steven Harvey, ES Technology Coach

Working together, schools and families can prepare kids to think critically and use technology in positive, creative, and powerful ways. Over the next few weeks, I plan to share some resources and ideas that can help parents navigate the minefield that technology may appear to be.

Children can learn, explore, play and make friends online. But there can be risks. Your child might accidentally see upsetting content, be contacted by strangers or experience bullying. They might also miss out on important things like spending time outside. 

To begin with, talk about online safety as a family. Let your child know they can always come to you if something happens online that makes them feel scared or upset.

You can ask your child to show you the games and apps they use. Here are some conversation starters and a little game to help get things started:

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• Music Academy website [ ]
• Sign-up Form [ ]

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Canteen Menu (September 2022 – Week 1 to 4)