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SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
31 Dec 2015 Issue 44
It is coming to the end of Term 1 which also marks the end of 2015. This is a reminder to all of us that the
school is about to complete its fifth year of operation since its commencement in 2011.
Over the years, the school has grown steadily to what it is now. We are very pleased to see that the school
community has grown bigger to become one of the established international schools in this region of Johor
Bahru. We are very proud to witness the excellent performances achieved by the students both in academic
and co-curriculum activities in the last few years. We would like to thank the teachers and staff for their
commitment and dedication in guiding students and managing the school. We also would like to thank the
parents for having confidence in the school and their strong support to make this possible over the past five
years of our school operation. We will continue to put in more effort to ensure a continual improvement for the
benefit of our students. We are delighted that parents have been playing an increasingly supportive role in their
children’s education in Austin Heights International School.
Before Term 1 ends, the students, teachers, staff and parents have contributed much effort and sacrificed their
time in decorating the school lobby to celebrate Christmas. The students will celebrate this joyous occasion
at school level on the last day of Term 1. All parents are invited to come and meet the teachers on PTC day
on 12 December in order to get to know the progress of their children’s studies and to discuss ways to help
them further improve their learning in Term 2 and Term 3. All students are reminded to do some revision and
preparation during the Term 1 break for their lessons in Term 2.
Lastly we wish everyone ‘Merry Christmas’, a great 2016 and a happy and enjoyable holiday.
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READING AWARDS
Name Class Award
1. Calista Sim Le Lin (3A) Gold
2. Darius Leow (3A) Gold
3. Lee Shu Yu (3A) Gold
4. Liew Zhe Wei (3A) Gold
5. Aishwrya Menon (4A) Gold
6. Elyssa Ayu Binti Yuhasnor Affandy (4A) Gold
7. Li Zhi Ying (4A) Gold
8. Wong Yu Qi (4A) Gold
9. Pang Zhi Ting (4S) Gold
10. Shaheerah Umairah Binti Shahfezan (4S) Gold
11. Valerie Yeow Ee Sin (4S) Gold
12. Ong Yun Ning (6A) Gold
13. Wong Wen Ting (6A) Gold
14. Cheong Zhi Yan (3A) Silver
15. Kohei Kawada (3U) Silver
16. Navinn A/L Kumaran (6A) Silver
17. Jamison Koo Meng Hong (6A) Silver
18. Pung Mei Ghee (6A) Silver
19. Chu Sun Kuan (3A) Bronze
20. Chu Sun Yee (3A) Bronze
21. Genevieve Yong Hew Jit (3A) Bronze
22. Tew Zi Xuan (3A) Bronze
23. Venkata Sushruth Vempati (3A) Bronze
24. Wind Li Jun Feng (3S) Bronze
25. Christian Kai Sheng Seow (3U) Bronze
26. Jayson Tai Jia Xing (3U) Bronze
27. Jorel Chuang Zi Yi (3U) Bronze
28. Christine Gooi (4A) Bronze
29. Hanis Sofia Hamirudin (4S) Bronze
30. Jia Kai Dong (4S) Bronze
31. Karin Ogushi (4S) Bronze
32. Kaviyatra Kanna Kannappan (4S) Bronze
33. Kee Kuan Yu (4S) Bronze
34. Tang Ju Yi (4S) Bronze
35. Yuto Tanaka (4S) Bronze
36. Charmaine Yap Ying Qian (4U) Bronze
37. Chen Yin Hao (4U) Bronze
38. Md Maahiruzzaman (5A) Bronze
39. Ch'ng Jia Bao (5S) Bronze
40. Goh Hong Zheng (5S) Bronze
41. Harishwaran Nair A/L Subramaniam (5S) Bronze
42. Lisa Seow Wei Yan (5S) Bronze
43. Lydia Ong Jin Xuan (5S) Bronze
44. Mukhriz Arshad (5S) Bronze
45. Pek Shin Yuan (5S) Bronze
46. Rachael Koh Rui Qi (5S) Bronze
47. Sufiah Binte Rohaizad (5S) Bronze
48. Tracy Tan Si En (5S) Bronze
49. Chong Xu Tong (5U) Bronze
50. Fu Chian Suan (5U) Bronze
51. Syafea Isma Binti Saharil Irwan (5U) Bronze
52. Abigail Kyla Seow (6A) Bronze
53. Fion Liu Yi Sin (6A) Bronze
54. Ang Chee Fan (7U) Bronze
55. Joel Jaison George (7U) Bronze
56. Aaron Wong Zhi Rong (8S) Bronze
There were 56 Primary and Secondary students
receiving their Gold, Silver and Bronze Reading
Awards for Term 1.
The students, who made an extra effort to cultivate
the habit of reading besides focusing on their
academic studies, were awarded during the DEAR
Programme on 1st December 2015.
The school has been promoting this campaign
since 2011 with the objective of promoting the
reading habit through regular silent reading
sessions during Tuesday lunch breaks in the hall.
The more that you read, the more
things you will know. The more that
you learn, the more places you’ll go.
Dr. Seuss
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VISIT FROM A HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOL, SK CONVENT MUAR
The Primary Six students from Convent Muar were given a tour of the school and had the opportunity to visit our state of the art ICT laboratory. They also participated in some IT activities using our school’s online platform, Blackboard. From the excited chatter and laughter, it was apparent that the students enjoyed the ICT session.
After the visit, the students and teachers of Sekolah Kebangsaan Convent Muar
went to the newly opened Austin Heights Water & Adventure Park for a team-
building session. The visitors had an enjoyable and fun-filled day at the Austin
Heights Water & Adventure Park.
On 10 December 2015, AHIS hosted a visit from a high performing school,
Sekolah Kebangsaan Convent Muar led by the school principal, Pn Safiah Bt
Fadzil, as an Educational Exchange Programme on Best Practices &
Development in Education.
As part of the exchange programme, the champion of the Choral Speaking
team from Convent Muar presented an entertaining item to the delight of our
students. In return, our Year 4 students presented a Christmas dance routine.
As part of the activities planned for the young visitors, our IPC students
set-up a Mini Exhibition showcasing some of the themes learnt In Term 1. The
young students from Convent Muar had a fun and interesting hands-on learning
experience in the art of chocolate making which was one of the IPC themes.
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CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION
On 11 December Friday, AHIS held its annual Christmas celebration at the school hall from 8.10 am till 9.30 am. Students and teachers put on their Christmas attire and accessories, adding to the festive mood and ambience. The Principal delivered his speech after which Christmas performances were presented by the students from different year groups. The highlight of the celebration for the day was a half-day-fun at Austin Heights Water & Adventure Park with courtesy of the School Management Board. Everyone had a splashing good time and agreed that it was a great end to the last day of Term1.
Students putting up their Christmas
wishes on the hand-made Christmas tree
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FUN TIME AT AUSTIN HEIGHTS WATER & ADVENTURE PARK On Friday 11 December 2015, teachers and students of
Austin Heights International School were given a special
treat at Austin Heights Water & Adventure Park before its
official opening on 18 December 2015. It was Dato’ Steve
Chong’s Christmas gift to all teachers and students!
Everyone had a great time at the park. There were
beaming faces of excitement, roars of laughter, loud
splashes and pattering of feet across the water slides at
the Water Park. At the Adventure Park, great courage was
demonstrated by students who braved the rope courses.
Some of the more adventurous ones even went to try out
the Drift Cart!
On behalf of the teachers and students, the Editorial team
would like to convey their appreciation and thanks to Dato’
Steve Chong. It was certainly a great event to close Term
1 of the academic year 2015/2016!
Mdm. Lee Gaik Wah
A surprise visit by Santa Clause to the theme park
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PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE (PTC) TERM 1
The first PTC for the academic year 2015/2016 took place on
12 December 2015. The PTC was held at the school hall for
the Secondary students and the respective classrooms for the
Primary students.
On the same day, the Parent Support Group (PSG) of our
school had also organised a Book Day Programme to instil
reading habit among our students. The programme received
good support from parents and students alike.
The purpose of the PTC is to encourage discussions between parents and teachers, and to receive feedback
and suggestions for the betterment of the school. The PTC provides teachers with the platform to meet with
their students’ parents and guardians, and to inform and advise parents on their children’s academic and co-
curricular progress in school. Encouraging and constructive feedback from parents will also help their children
excel further in their studies.
This term, the response to our PTC was very encouraging. This reflects the trust and confidence that parents
have in our school. Parents had the opportunity to meet the class tutors, subject teachers, as well the
management staff. The positive feedback given by the parents will spur us to provide a quality and holistic
learning environment for our students.
We wish to thank all parents who attended the PTC and
we appreciate your words of support and encouragement.
Parents are an important and integral part of our school
community and the close rapport will definitely help the
school to excel further.
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PREFECTS & STUDENT COUNCIL LEADERSHIP & TEAMBUILDING CAMP
The Prefects and Student Council members are an integral cog in the school system. In order for the students
to fulfil their duties to the best of their abilities, they need to be well trained. To prepare them, the students
were taken to the Austin Heights Water & Adventure Park for an intensive day of training and fun.
Group activities and team-building games were carried out to show the students how they should always work
together. Through motivational talks and team races, the students were encouraged to always give their best
when performing their assigned tasks at school. The students honed their communicational skills when they
had to work as a team with one member acting as the "eyes" for the group while the other members had to
follow instructions. Creativity was encouraged as the students had to do a fashion show by using newspaper
as their only material. The day ended with the students being given free access to the Water Park where they
had a great time on the various slides and activities in the park.
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YLP (YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAMME) TRINITY COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
5-15 December 2015
It was a truly rewarding and enriching experience for the third AHIS cohort of the YLP this year. Besides learning from experts in their respective fields of academic excellence, the students developed as young leaders through interactions with participants from other nations.
From being timid Year 10 students, they were transformed into confident young people who presented reports and performed cultural items to an international audience. Through their enthusiastic and spirited participation, they also effectively portrayed the essence of 'Experiential Learning', as espoused in the Austin Heights International School philosophy of education. Most importantly, they encapsulated and realized the school motto of "Together We Excel".
Some participants have this to say:
“I realise that the activities we have in school, other than our studies, are equally important in preparing us for college and life in general.” (Priya Rebecca Mohan)
“I learned a lot from the programme and had tons of fun …!” (Nur Syakirah Sheharudin)
“I hope to be able to join this YLP trip again next year.” (Chong Tin Ai)
Well done, young leaders!
Group meeting with mentors
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Rocket Launching
Rock climbing activity.
At the College dining hall
Public Speaking
Ice Breakers…
Lunch at Victoria Market
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Bonding with peers.
Excursion to the Port of Melbourne
Evaluation
Aerospace Engineering Lecture
Drama Class – Preparing for public speaking and debate
Excursion to Mobil Altona Refinery
Business & Economics Workshops
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Getting
ready for
Valedictory
Night dance
presentation
Last day photo session with groups
Melbourne City Tour
Science Works & Planetarium Melbourne Zoo
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INTERVIEW WITH BENJAMIN HON (ALUMNUS AHIS COHORT 2014/15)
Benjamin Hon was the President of the Students Council who was actively
involved in school activities during his senior years in AHIS. He has done his
alma mater proud by scoring 8 A’s in the June series of the IGCSE Exams.
His face, among other high achievers, now graces the Honour Roll in the
school lobby.
While on our study tour in Trinity College, I had the opportunity to catch up
with Benjamin in Melbourne. As he was in the midst of preparing for his
examinations, we could not meet him in person. However, he gave me a
Whatsapp interview and described his experience as a Foundation Studies
student in Trinity College since he joined in October 2015.
Mrs. Gan : Hi Benjamin. Thank you for your well wishes. Yes, we touched down yesterday morning.
We would like to know how you are doing in your studies and how life is as a Foundation Year
student in Trinity College. Your testimony will be a source of encouragement for your juniors who
are contemplating coming to do their foundation there.
Benjamin : Hi Mrs Gan, I just finished my exam today. Life as a student in TC is actually very enjoyable and
fun. However, since I'm on the Fast Track intake, the workload I received here is ten times more
than the workload I have received in AHIS... Time management skills will definitely be needed to
survive the year. Within two months, we are required to submit three major essays, sit for tests
and drama performance exams etc.
Mrs. Gan : How has being away from the comforts of home and the companionship of loved ones and friends
influenced your personal development as a Foundation Year student in Trinity College?
Benjamin : I think I've become more independent. Back in Malaysia, my parents cooked for me, brought me
to school, wake me up in time for school. Now, it’s doing everything on your own. Cooking your
own meals despite the busy schedules, waking up for lectures and tutorials on time (was almost
late for one of my lectures), doing laundry and cleaning of my apartment etc...
Mrs. Gan : Yes, it must have been quite a major transition, from a state of dependency to self-sufficiency.
But we have full confidence in your capabilities to tackle the challenges that come with it. I believe
that you are one of those young people with the drive, determination and diligence to pursue their
dreams and realize them. So go for it, and while you are at it, remember to stop and smell the
roses sometimes.
Benjamin : Thanks, Mrs Gan, for the words of motivation. I have been enjoying myself a lot in Melbourne,
maybe a little more than I should, especially the good food here. Danny will be coming to
Melbourne in February to study in *RMIT. Maybe during the next YLP, Danny and I might meet
up with the group.
Mrs. Gan : Oh yes, I love their food too, especially the salads! It would be great to meet up with you and
Danny for the next YLP. Thanks, Ben, for your time in responding to this whatsapp interview. On
behalf of the school, I wish you all the best in your exam results and hope we will keep in touch.
*Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Mrs. Gan (Tan Seow Heng)
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GEOGRAPHY EDUCATIONAL & TEAMBUILDING EXCURSION As a part of the Geography IGCSE syllabus, a group of our students went on a training camp to Janda Baik,
Pahang during the Christmas holidays (14 -17 December 2015). The camp was run by a professional company,
Radiant Retreats, specializing in training young minds about the environment and nature conservation.
The students were taken on a tour of the ‘Kampung’ where they interviewed migrant workers. The students
also went river trekking where they hiked upriver so that they could do a scientific river investigation. A visit to
a goat farm enabled the students to see first-hand the processes that go into operating agricultural land. We
also visited a natural farm, where no pesticides or herbicides were used and everything was kept in balance
to prevent pest outbreaks. The students had the opportunity to help the farmer plant asparagus and also move
his chickens from one coop to another. The students also had fun on the trip playing paintball and eating
marshmallows around the campfire.
The trip was a huge success with the students asking if they could stay on the camp for a few more days.
Students collecting data to evaluate the
pros and cons of different types of
tourism in Malacca.
Learning about the features of highland
rivers and rainforest
Interviewing representatives of Berjaya Hills.
Briefing for the treasure hunt activity
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Learning about sampling organisms,
how to randomize the selection of
plots, how to improve the accuracy of
readings, how to record data and how
to represent findings
Touring Kampung Janda Baik, a rural settlement transitioning from
agriculture to eco-tourism
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Meeting with the ‘Boomerang Migrants’ in Janda
Baik to understand why they returned to cities as
their villages developed
Understanding natural
farming from the
perspective of the
farmer….
Horse riding lesson. Learning how to mount, steer
and signal the horse to move properly.