Newsletter # Issue 13

Contact us: General Line: +604 892 7777 Primary Office: (TIPS)+604 892 7703 (STPS): +604 892 7707 Secondary Office: +604 892 7717 Fax: +604 899 8826 E-mail: penang@tenby.edu.my

Date: 1st February 2016

Tenby Schools Penang

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Weekly Information (1st – 5th February 2016)

This Week

ALL Friday, 5th January 2016- Whole School Chinese New Year Celebration in school.

Monday

SEC TISS & STSS 8.00am-8.40am - Assembly in Basketball court.

Tuesday

Wednesday

SEC STSS 3.00pm – Staff Meeting.

TISS 3.00pm - Faculty Meeting.

Thursday

Friday

ALL Whole School Chinese New Year Celebration in school.

SEC STSS 8.00am-8.20am - Assembly in basketball court.

Upcoming Events

ALL TISS & STSS 8th - 12th February – Half Term Break. School closed.

General Notices and Information

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From The Head of STPS

We are now into the month of February and looking forward to the Chinese New Year break. I have met with parents, teachers and students and am very happy with the feedback about the way the school is travelling. As always, I follow an open door policy so parents are most welcome to meet with me. Please do make appointment with the office if you need to meet with me.

In Sri Tenby we believe in a wholesome all round education and sports is part of it. We believe sports promotes good will, sportsmanship and teamwork. Students are encouraged to participate in sports activities during CCA afternoons. Consent from parents is needed before students are allowed to participate in competition outside of school.

To celebrate the year of the Monkey, Tenby Schools’ will be having a celebration on the morning of 5th February 2016. Events planned for the morning include lion dance performances and cultural presentations by the students. This will be followed by Sri Tenby Open House at 12.20 p.m. to 2.00p.m. All parents are cordially invited to be join in the open house.

Finally here is wishing everyone GONG XI FA CAI and a great break.

Best regards,

Cheah Sin Hock

Head of Sri Tenby

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Key Dates for

February

Fri 5th Feb.

Chinese New Year Celeb

Mon - Fri

8th Feb. - 12th Feb.

Half Term Holiday

Dual Language Programme for Mathematics and Science

As announced in the previous newsletter we have obtained the permission form the Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia to run the Double Language Program for teaching Science and Mathematics in English for Tahun 1, Tahun 4 and Form 1 (2016). We enclosed the official statement from our corporate office regarding the Dual Language Programme.

Dual Language Programme (DLP) at Tenby Schools Sekolah Tenby / Sekolah Sri Tenby has been given the approval to teach Mathematics and Science in English under the Dual Language Programme (DLP) at three entry points (Standard 1, Standard 4 and Form 1) from 2016. All other classes will join these entry points after 2016. The DLP is part of the Malaysian government's effort to uphold Bahasa Malaysia and strengthen the usage of English in schools. Only 300 schools across Malaysia have been selected (148 primary schools and 152 secondary schools) to participate in the programme. Sekolah Tenby / Sekolah Sri Tenby has been using the bi-lingual approach in the delivery of the national curriculum all these years. The programme supports and reiterates our ethos of providing national education with international approaches at Tenby Schools and our parents are strongly in support of this. The DLP at Tenby Schools will be rolled out as in the schedule below.

Year of Birth 2016 2017

2018

2009

Taught in English

Taught in Bahasa Malaysia

Year of Birth 2016 2017

2018

2009 Tahun 1 Tahun 2 Tahun 3

2008 Tahun 2 Tahun 3 Tahun 4

2007 Tahun 3 Tahun 4 Tahun 5

2006 Tahun 4 Tahun 5 Tahun 6

2005 Tahun 5 Tahun 6 Form 1

2004 Tahun 6 Form 1 Form 2

2003 Form 1 Form 2 Form 3

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UPSR Extra Classes

The UPSR extra classes will commence on the 20th February 2016. These classes are to help students in Tahun 6 better prepare for the UPSR assessments which will be in the month of September 2016. These classes will run from 8.30a.m.to 12.30p.m. on Saturdays. The subjects covered will be Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mathematics and Science. All Tahun 6 students are greatly encouraged to attend these extra classes. The schedule for the extra classes will be given next week.Thank you parents for your support.

School Fees The Finance department has brought to our notice, that there are 3 students who have not settled their school fees for the first term of 2016.

To prevent disruption of lessons to these students concerned we seek the parents cooperation in settling their fees by next week.

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Zumba Co-curricular activity

This co-curricular activity introduced this term has been a tremendous success. The activity was over subscribed.

Assembly

What a well organised presentation the students put up during the weekly assembly

Natasha Zulaikha bte. Muhamad Razif Tahun 5 read a story in Bahasa Malaysia whilst Yashrena Pillai a/o Thinakaran Tahun 3 was the master of ceremony in that assembly. Well done girls.

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From The Head of STSS

Dear Parents,

The MSSPP Cross country Run was held on 30 January. Thirty STSS students and 8 from TISS participated in the event. There was a carnival atmosphere as students from government, private and international schools mingled and had a great time taking part in the run.

What was most heartening was the presence of several parents who were cheering their child on in the run. It was not so much the results but rather, the engagement of students and their parents that was encouraging. It was a Saturday but parents lent their support. Thank you, parents.

That brings to mind the impact of parental support in the education of their child. I had a most interesting chat with a parent as we waited for the students to finish the race.

She spoke enthusiastically on how she is very much engaged in the activities of her child in and out of school. Although, she has a hectic daily schedule, she takes time out of her routine to support her child.

The parent also attends parent-teacher meetings and found that it is an avenue where she communicates, discuss issues of concern or ask teachers what she can do to help her child at home, to support what is learnt in school.

She supports school events. She is all ready to get her child Chinese traditional attire for the coming Chinese New Year celebration on 5th February!

I thank her and all the many other parents who are playing an active role in their child’s education—from ensuring that homework is done to supporting out-of-school sports activities, field trips, to attending parent - teacher meetings.

Research has shown that parental support enhances student achievement beyond academic success. It helps towards developing better behavior, self confidence and social well being.

STSS has always encouraged parents to be involved in their child’s education. You are most welcome to talk to teachers. Do call or drop an email to make an appointment to have a chat with teachers.

Teachers teach but parental support for what is learnt in school with what is done at home will certainly have a positive impact on the child’s education.

I take this opportunity to wish all our Chinese friends a Happy Chinese New Year and a happy mid-term break to everyone.

Regards,

Thum Lin Chee

(Head of STSS)

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Key Dates for

February

Fri 5th Feb.

Chinese New Year Celeb

Mon - Fri

8th Feb. - 12th Feb.

Half Term Holiday

March

Tues - Tues

1st March - 8th March

First Assessment Test

Team Building

On the 28th and 29th of January 2016, Sri Tenby Secondary School went on a two-day one-night team building trip to the Lost World of Tambun. One of the objectives is to encourage new students (Form 1 students in particular) to bond with teachers and other students in Sri Tenby. Team building will also

promote effective communication, thinking out of the box in a different setting other than in the school and problem-solving. These we learnt and enjoyed through the different planned activities by expert trainers from the park. When we reached The Lost World of Tambun, everyone was thrilled. We could barely contain our excitement as we were briefed by the trainers there. The first activity, the ‘Super Adventurer Race’ was very interesting. It involved completing all the tasks given to us as groups, which we then have to take ‘we-fies’ with our teammates and the rides as evidence. We also had to solve a few problems to complete the games through effective communication and collaborative work. The activity also made us think critically to solve problems as a team. After lunch, we were briefed on another activity, the ‘Triple X Challenge’. All safety precautions were taken but the activity was aborted as there was a downpour. Disappointment was evident on everyone’s face. More activities followed in the evening. We found that we had to be team players in order to be successful in completing a game. We had a great time creating ‘the mummy’ by optimizing our creativity and collaborating with team members. It was great to see everyone bonding and enjoying themselves. Schoolmates who are reserved or shy were seen warming up to the activities and getting to know other students better.

Finally, we arrived safely at

Lost World of Tambun

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The next morning, we were scheduled to attend a workshop on learning techniques. However, the trainers wanted to run an activity which was a ‘replacement’ for the one that was cancelled the day before due to the rain. It was the ‘Zip Line’, also known as the ‘Flying Fox’. It was an amazing experience to feel the rush of the wind against our

faces as we soared above the lake. Every single participant had his safety harness checked and safety was top priority. We all had a blast, but it was already time to head back to Penang, bringing home memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. We took back with us indelible memories. We definitely bonded and forged closer ties with teachers and friends. It was certainly a fantastic team building. - Alia Natasha (Form 5)

Hey, Listen to me ……..

here. Hey, I got the

challenge.

Everyone pay attention.…...

Discussion…... Are you sure this works?

Good Idea. This is a ‘sure’ win

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Finally, lunch time

Looks so delicious, can’t wait to enjoy it. Free and Easy, Lets play

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Briefing for night games Finally, we can check in .

New generation

“Mummy” look

Winner…..

Get ready for the ‘Flying Fox’ challenge

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The MSSPP Cross - country Run

Group Photo with some of the runners

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From the Head of TISS

Dear Parents,

Congratulations to all students who received excellent Mock Exam results during our Year 11 parents evening. Thank you to everyone who attended our evening, the students had good, clear feedback to improve their grades and the teachers enjoyed discussing the strengths of what they have achieved. The teacher/student relationships are excellent at our school and were clear to see. These are one of the important factors that makes our school a very special place to learn. The IGCSE results are the outcome of very hard work on the part of the students who were happy with the results they achieved. Along with the teachers, I am proud of what they have achieved so far. This will be important preparation for the upcoming months ahead and the main exams in the summer.

This should also be seen by some as the time when they dedicate more effort into subjects and start to commit to more active revision. We are therefore running an exam revision mentoring session on Thursday 18th February that is open to all parents and starts at 6.00pm in the library.

I hope to see many parents attend from various year groups who are interested in how we can help students with exam preparation.

Warm regards,

Mr Paul Walton

Head of TISS

paul.walton@tenby.edu.my

Parents can follow our Twitter @tisspenang

Theme of the Week

International Puzzle Day

Solve a puzzle this week!

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Key Dates for

February

Thurs 18th Feb.

Year 11 Mentoring evening in preparation

for exams

All parents and students of Year 11 welcome

House Points The current standings in our house points competition:

Jerai - 403 Kinabalu - 357 Ledang - 338 Tahan - 346

Newsletter Feedback In the future, we are considering placing a copy of the newsletter online in the website. This will enable you to access the newsletter direct from a newsletter page as it will be in a HTML format. We are listening to feedback from parents about the best way to communicate and we are keen to hear your views. I have created a very short survey below to find out how we can further improve our communication to you. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/tissnewsletter Student Leaders board and Awards

Students who have created the quiz and display this week, Wayne Yee, Jocelyn and Rui Chi (all Y9)

Tenby International Secondary School

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International Award

The latest International Award trip, our students enjoying canoeing.

Secondary SchoolSecondary SchoolSecondary School

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IGCSE Science Practical

Our students working very hard on their practical Science Exam.

Science PracticalScience PracticalScience Practical

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Year 11 Exam Mentoring Evening (date changed) - Thursday 18th February 6pm

Thursday 14th January Now Thursday 18th February

This date has been changed as I will be visiting another school on the proposed date. The evening will include exam revision strategies, ways for parents to get involved and techniques to ensure that students are well prepared and organized for the main exams in the summer. We will also talk about a balance of revising and resting to make sure that students are fit and healthy.

All parents in Year 11 are invited and also Year 10 are welcome to attend (I`ve had a few contact already and I think it’s a great idea to come along and see how parents can get involved in the IGCSE revision).

Chinese New Year—Friday 5th February

5th February will be when we hold our celebrations at school, more details will follow.

Tenby Spring Concert—Wednesday 23rd March

Advanced notice of our end of term whole school event

World Scholars Cup Presentation—Wednesday 27th January

We would like to invite you to get involved in the World Scholars Cup this year. A presentation will be held at Han Chiang high School, Wednesday 27th January, to get students involved and to give more information about the event. The regional round is on 26th/27th March at POWIIS.

Last day of term—Thursday 24th March

Events coming up...Events coming up...Events coming up...

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From The Head of TIPS

Dear Parents,

Though only a short week, every class has been busy with many exciting learning activities this week. All the children have daily Mathematics lessons and we now use Abacus Mathematics as one of our main resources. Part of this programme allows online access to teacher allocated games and activities.

Your child has an individual login username and password. In the next half term we will be holding a Parent Information Meeting when we shall be looking at how you can support your child with Mathematics at home.

We are also still looking for more volunteers to support with reading at school. If you can spare an hour during the week, please let your child’s class teacher know.

Next Friday we are having our annual Chinese New Year Assembly. On this day, Friday 5th February, we invite all children and staff to wear traditional Chinese outfits to school.

Regards

Ms Marian

Head of International Primary School

Enquiry

Personal Learning Goals in Action

Eco-Council

Today our new Eco - Council were awarded their badges in assembly. The group of children from Year 1– Year 6 will be the driving force behind energy saving ideas for the school, as well as awareness raising about issues related to our environment. We look forward to seeing what the group will achieve over the year with Ms Etta, who is overseeing the group’s work. We will be sharing their work with you via the weekly newsletter and will be asking for your support for their projects.

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Key Dates for

February

Tues 2nd Feb.

Nursery & Reception visit to Wonder Food

Museum

Wed 3rd Feb.

Year 1 visit to Fruit Farm

Fri 5th Feb.

Chinese New Year Assembly

March

Sat 5th March

St Patrick’s Day Parade Straits Quay

Mon - Fri 7th-11th March

Book Week

Fri 11th March

Term 2 Reports out

Sat 12th March

Yosaki Parade

Tues & Wed

15th & 16th March

Parent Consultations

Wed 23rd March

Spring Concert

Thurs 24th March

Primary Sports Day

School Ends 1pm

Bronze Certificate

This morning we were pleased to see (From Left) Tobey (Year 4), Prasad (Year 5), Shwe Sin (Year 4) and Boxuan (Year 3) all receive their Bronze Merit Certificate.

It is so good to see so many children achieving so well.

Well done!

Congratulations to Sheryll, Pranavi and Yiu Shern from Year 2, who have earned 20 merits and their Bronze Certificate.

Keep up the great work as you now aim for Silver.

Swimming Star!

We are very proud of Peace in Year 6 who recently took part in a swimming competition and received 3 medals. She won Bronze medals for 50m Breaststroke, 50m Backstroke and 50m Butterfly.

She also came 4th in the individual medley and after all of this she also joined the relay team. This shows great determination and skill.

Well done Peace.

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Stars of the week Stars of the week Stars of the week

25th to 25th to 25th to

29th 29th 29th

JanuaryJanuaryJanuary

201620162016

Well Done!Well Done!Well Done!

Year 6

Year 3 Year 2

Year 1 Reception

Year 4 Year 5

Nursery