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Message From the Head of School

By Jason McBride

A massive thank you to everyone involved in organizing, supporting or performing in today’s Deepavali celebration. Deepavali is a day that celebrates the victory of light over dark which is why candles, lanterns and other sources of light are an important part of this special day for many people around the world. I spoke with the students at the end of the assembly that “light versus dark” is an everyday battle that each one of us faces in a hundred different ways. It’s often the frequent, smaller choices we make that lead to personal well-being, great relationships and help create the type of inclusive, positive community we want. Small acts of kindness and compassion repeated frequently are actually more impactful than infrequent grand gestures. We are our habits, so let’s make choosing light over dark a part of our everyday choices.

Although our students are not back in class until Tuesday, November 1, our teachers and academic staff are back on campus a few days beforehand for a two-day conference that we are hosting. Working with the widely respected expert on inquiry-based teaching and student engagement, Kimberly Mitchell, our faculty continues to look for ways to help students solve problems, think critically and build social-emotional skills. A great organisation never stops moving forward and we are looking forward to the time we have with her.

Finally, many thanks to our students, teachers, staff and parents who took part in our Week of Play, it’s been wonderful to see so many students (especially in the Secondary) having fun off their screens at lunchtime, running around, playing games, laughing and having fun. More on all the ways that we played is later in the newsletter.

Have a wonderful holiday and to those celebrating, Happy Deepavali!

Jason

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A gentle reminder to please submit the completed  and to our Admissions Department by Monday 31st October if you intend to withdraw your child by the end of this semester. Please ensure you meet this deadline in order to secure a full refund of your deposit.

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IGBIS’s New Website is Live.

We are thrilled and proud to announce that we have launched our newly redesigned website on Thursday, 20 October 2022. It is now live and located at the same address

The new website was designed to be faster than ever, easier to navigate, more user-friendly, better reflect on our school and programme offerings, and with a refreshed design. 

New Website Highlights:

• Truly mobile responsive: It’s a much cleaner experience than our previous website on mobile phones, tablets, desktops and laptops.
• Updated navigation: Main menu and audience landing page architecture have been updated to help you find the information you need more intuitively and efficiently.
• New ways to explore our programmes: Potential parents and students can explore our comprehensive programme offerings through the Elementary and Secondary tabs. 

Please take a moment and navigate through our new website. We would also like you to share it with your friends and families to celebrate this occasion. 
If you have any feedback or comments regarding the content, navigation or visual aspects of the site, we encourage you to email us at marketing@igbis.edu.my.

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From the ES Principal

Simon Millward

Yet again it has been a busy week. It started on Monday with our U9 bench ball teams playing their first games against other schools. This was a fabulous experience for them and I know they benefited from the experience. A big thank you to the coaches Ms Sally and Mrs Ngatai for guiding our students. Thank you to all the parents that came out and supported the teams as well. It is very much appreciated.

At the same time, we had our  ‘Day of Play’ afternoon.  It was a great turnout with many parents joining us for the fun. It was so good being back face to face and being able to enjoy playing together. So why have these days?

We value play and creativity as unique ways of expressing human ingenuity and we understand that play is central to how children learn; the way they make sense of their world; the way they form and explore friendships; the way they shape and test intellectual, social, emotional, and ethical ideas. 

We used different materials to provoke children’s imaginations and creativity. We often get asked why we use cardboard so much? It’s about creating opportunities for our children to understand that using biodegradable materials or giving old resources and loose parts a new life is a way to make a positive impact on our community, by making our choices more sustainable for us and the planet. What is more, cardboard is a perfect material for “out of the box” thinking as it can be turned into anything our young innovators imagine.

We also saw how Lego was being used to develop teamwork, problem-solving and mathematical thinking as well as lateral thinking, planning skills and fine motor skills.

On Wednesday, Ms Natasha led the PYP workshop Science and Social Studies in the PYP and the role of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Thank you to all the parents that attended, I think as parents you were challenged, but it also opened your eyes to what we teach in the Elementary school.

Finally, we had a wonderful Deepavali assembly on Friday. A big thank you to Ms Meena, Mr Rashid, Ms Farah, the Parent choreographers, and Ms Hadewych for guiding the different groups through their performances.

The IGBIS Orchestra set the tone once again with not only their accompaniment for the Malaysian national anthem but the three-song set ‘Jai Hind’ that featured Jana Gana Mana the Indian national anthem. Our Grade 2 students shared with us why Deepavali is called the festival of lights and performed a light dance, followed by our KG students who performed a stick dance, Dandiya. They used brightly coloured sticks that represented swords as evil was defeated by good.

Our Secondary students showcased two very different dances. One was a traditional Bollywood-style dance from Kimaya and then our Grade 7, 9 and 10 students performed a mash-up dance of two songs, which really got a feet tapping!

The staff then danced ‘Chaiya Chaiyya’ which is a popular Hindi song from a famous movie act by Shah Rukh Khan called Dil Se in 1998.

To wrap up the whole assembly the parents featuring Mr McBride, Ms Sandy and Mr Simon danced the Nachde ne Saare which means ‘Everybody is Dancing’ from the movie Baar Baar Dekh. This joyful music is meant to reflect the happy celebrations of family and friends!

I hope you all have a wonderful and relaxing week.

Happy Deepavali!

Dates for Your Diaries

• Monday 24th Oct – Monday 31st Oct: School holiday
• Friday 4th Nov: KL League ES Swim meet
• Wednesday 9th Nov: AIMS ES Swim meet
• Monday 21st Nov: School holiday
• Friday 25th Nov: Aquathlon

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The IGBIS Holiday Bazaar is Back!

This year’s Holiday Bazaar will be held on Friday, December 9, from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm, one week before the Christmas Assembly. It is open to the IGBIS community (students, parents, and staff) and the invited guests of the parents from the stated time, 12.00 pm to 7.00 pm. In addition to that, we would also like to extend the Holiday Bazaar to our neighbourhood communities from 4.00 pm to 7.00 pm.

If you are interested in being a vendor or if you have any favourite vendors that you would like to recommend, please contact me (warren.chew@igbis.edu.my) or click to register.

If you have any Christmas decoration items that you would like to donate, please drop them off at the reception area at your earliest convenience. Many thanks for your kind support on behalf of the PVO Holiday Bazaar.
Committee members: Pauline Bourquenez, Chickie Dumalag, Hilda Lujan, Divya Kapoor, Kim Hee Kyung, Preeti Chhabra, Sally Watters, and Megan Ngatai.

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October, Masks, and Authenticity, Part 3

The Counselling Team

Selamat Hari Deepavali!!! and Happy Friday!

This is our last post for October (thanks to break next week!), and our last post focuses on Authenticity. 

We have used the month of October and the celebration of Halloween to apply the metaphor of masks as we talk about authenticity: looking at the masks we wear to keep ourselves safe. 

But today, we are going to use the celebration of Diwali to apply the metaphor of light: “victory of light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance,” says Wikipedia. As it applies to being authentic – shining a light on the parts of ourselves that feel scared to be who they really are, and loving them fully (remember it’s not about being self-critical or casting shame), so that we can shine as our true selves. 

So, here are some tips for “How to Be Your Authentic Self” modified from PositivePsychology.com:

• Know yourself, what you are good at, what you are prepared to do, and what you are not. Face up to the truths of who you are. Honesty is not always pleasant, but it lets you know where you stand and what to do next. 
• Become more aware of what is happening in your body. Having a tense neck or shoulders may be linked to what is going on in your mind, feelings, thoughts, and difficult decisions – often our body will “whisper” to us that something is off by giving us physical symptoms. These are red flags you are feeling unsafe and may be reaching for that mask.
• Own yourself and your truths. Don’t let others push you into their way of thinking, but also don’t stick to beliefs and behaviours that no longer work for you. Take responsibility for your choices, and be okay with being wrong, learning more, and changing your mind (this is the victory of knowledge over ignorance mentioned above). 
• Be yourself; be honest and transparent in your dealings. A favourite quote from my own counsellor is this: The worst thing that can happen is that they would have loved who you really were all along. 

Joseph (2019) suggests asking yourself the following questions:

• Do you feel free to make your own choices?
• Do you feel free to express your own views and opinions?
• Do you feel you can be yourself on a day-to-day basis?

If you answer “no” to any of the questions, reflect on one further question: Could it be that you are not being true to who you are?

is the full post from on Authentic Living with some great information and tips. 

Take care and have the weekend and break that you need. 

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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Future Planning Weekly Update

Amanda Lopez

Highlights of the Week:

It has been a short week thanks to illness, and my apologies for having to cancel our 2nd session in our What’s Next series, focusing on the UK, Scotland, and Ireland. 

Please save the date for our new day and time for this session –

What’s Next? Session 2: Applying UK, Scotland & Ireland

• Wednesday, 7 December
• Parent Session: 8:15
• Student Session: 3:10

As we get closer to the date, RSVP information will be sent out. 

Upcoming Events:

Wednesday, 2 November

Ringling College of Art and Design – US

• 9:35 – 10:00, Virtual.

Monday, 7 November

University of British Columbia – Canada

• 8:45 – 10:00, DP/CP Lounge.
  • 8:45 – 9:30 – RSVP Session only, sign up in
  • 9:35 – 10:00 – Open session during break

Tuesday, 8 November 

Campus Connect University Fair

• 3:15 – 4:15, DP/CP Lounge *Parents and Students are invited to attend!

Wednesday, 16 November 

What’s Next? Series: Session 3: Applying Australia

• 3:15 – 4:15, DP/CP Lounge *Parents and Students are invited to attend!
• Parent Session: 8:15, PVO, register
• Student Session: 3:10, Secondary Library
• Students, please register in
• Past Sessions: Session 1:

Temple University Japan Campus

• 9:35 – 10:00, DP/CP Lounge

Grade 12 College/University Applications: NEW INFO ADDED

Application due dates have been updated per your deadline calendar to help relieve your stress.

NEW DATES: Friday, November 11 AND Friday, December 9

• Take note of WHY: Friday, November 11
  • Friday, November 11 covers both early deadlines of November 15 – December 1 AND regular deadlines occurring after December. 
  • The November 11 deadline gets university applications off your plate BEFORE many of your IAs and other assessments occurring from November 16 – November 25. 
  • It also sits after the Maths IAs and Econ IA scheduled Nov 1 – Nov 6. 
• Take note of WHY: Friday, December 9
  • Sits after the IAs and other assessments scheduled from December 1 – December 7th. 
  • Sits before Science IAs scheduled for Friday, 16 December, which is the LAST DAY of school before the winter break. 

Students applying to UCAS, if you do not pay and submit your application by December 9, I MUST have your application by no later than Wednesday, January 18 by 7:30 am so that I can process your applications and get them submitted before January 20 as we are on holiday from January 22 – 25.

Students applying to other countries that are NOT UCAS, please keep in mind that I do NOT have access to your application, thus if you want me to look over your application, you need to make an appointment with me between now and December 16th, as we will be out on holiday from December 17 – January 10 and again January 21 – January 25.

is the UPDATED Future Planning Timeline, so please use this as you are working through your IB dates and deadlines.  

Letters of Recommendation Info:

• Request them now if you have not done so – Procedures are .
• Brag sheet template is .

Uni App Help Lunches (Tuesdays & Thursdays)

In the following days, I will be available DURING LUNCH to help you with applications. No appointments are necessary, just pop into the Lounge and I’ll be there to help.

• Tuesdays & Thursdays in November: 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24, 29
• Tuesdays & Thursdays in December: 1, 6, 8, 13, 15

Uni App Help Days

In the following days, I will be available ALL DAY to help you with applications. No appointments are necessary, just pop in and I’m there to help – I will also circulate through the Lounge for your convenience.

• Fridays in November: 4, 11, 18, 25
• Tuesdays in December: 6 and 13

University of the Week:

Resources and Opportunities:

(From College Torch)

For anyone planning to apply to the University of California system

A Crash Course on the UC Personal Insight Questions (From the College Essay Guy)

Wednesday, November 9th, 7-8:00 pm Pacific Time 

Learn more and register

• The Points of Comprehensive Review (and Why They Matter)
• How to Find Your 4 Personal Insight Question (PIQ) Topics  
• Two Outstanding Example PIQs  
• 5 Essential Qualities of a Great PIQ  
• Q&A

University of Bristol Free Taster Series – Facing a World in Crisis

Our ‘Facing a world in crisis’ lecture series is returning for part two!

Young people around the world are concerned about the climate crisis and are keen to learn how science can help combat this. Our – a world-leading department – is hosting a lecture series aimed at students with an interest in science, sustainability, and the environment.

Students attending all three lectures will be awarded a certificate of attendance by the University of Bristol. Please encourage students to register using the following links:

Work Experience For Medicine

This Saturday the 22nd of October, an online recreated Post Mortem course is running. A unique course designed to give students some amazing work experience for medicine. 

Also, every Monday students can gain free access to a month of online work experience using code WEEKLYFREE

They are for students aged 14-18 who might be considering careers in medicine and are designed to provide work experience to help their applications.

For more information:

• The Premed Projects Team,
• E: info@premedprojects.co.uk
• W:

Binghamton Free Application Weeks

Apply to Binghamton University…for free! No special codes. No fee waivers.

• When students apply between October 24 – November 6 on either The Common Application or SUNY Application, it’s completely free. 

How to get into an Ivy for non-Americans (From the Sunny Jain Newsletter)

This week, we’re introducing John. He managed to win a place at Princeton University. If you are interested in our professional services, the list of our programmes is on our .

The Ivy League universities, including John’s future alma matter, have notoriously low acceptance rates. John started out with little more than above-average grades, and in most cases, that isn’t enough to receive the coveted acceptance letter. Here is what we did to make his application stand out:

Step 1: Take the SAT and ACT exams. Though some Ivies are now test-optional, as a non-American applicant it is better to take one of the two tests. This shows a familiarity with the American system, and provides a more objective metric than your school results, making the question of grades and a student’s academic ability airtight. John scored 34 points on the ACT.

Step 2: Start some extracurriculars. Having studied in the UK, John didn’t take part in any extra-curricular activities with the commitment and uniqueness factors that Ivy Leagues expect. This was the main area of our work: we helped John find a topic he was passionate about – in his case it was the effects of global warming. John focused on humanitarian crises caused, such as water shortages.

Step 3: Elevate the extracurriculars. Once we decided on a topic, John created a website and filled it with blog posts on the matter. John then organised a hybrid conference on solutions to water shortages at his school. He invited his fellow students to attend as well as speakers from Oxford, Harvard and other leading institutions via Zoom. The event went very well and looked impressive in his application. A similar strategy can be employed almost by anyone in a relatively short timeframe.

Step 4: Network, network, network. After the conference John kept in touch with the experts, one of whom wrote him a reference letter, commending his organisational skills and fervour in approaching the subject. A non-school reference provides some more objectivity to universities in rating John as a potential candidate.

Step 5: Essays. This is a crucial part of the application. Since the format is different to what one would write to universities elsewhere, it can be hard to adapt. Luckily for John, we have ex-admission officers from the Ivies on our team. With A&J, your essays will be drafted and edited by former decision-makers.

Popular Resources and FAQs

Questions, Support, and Help

Amanda Lopez
Grades 9 – 12 Universities Counseling & Social/Personal Counseling

To schedule an appointment

• Parents –  
• Students –  
• Email – amanda.lopez@igbis.edu.my

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Kukri’s Leggings are Available at the Uniform Shop

We have Kukri’s leggings of various sizes in our Uniform Shop now. Parents/students can get them directly from our Uniform Shop instead of ordering them from Kukri’s website. Come visit our Uniform Shop if you want to be the proud owner of a pair of IGBIS/Kukri leggings 😊.