Newsletter No. 52 - August 2014

The Beginning of the New Term

Welcome back to all!

It’s the beginning of the new term

where both TIS & Sekolah Tenby are

back to school. Here we share with

you some moments captured in this

first week of “Back to School”.

Students at the classroom.

Break time at the canteen.

Students having singing lesson &

outdoor activities.

From the Campus Principal

Dear Parents and Friends of Tenby Ipoh,

Welcome to the first of our weekly newsletters; the aim of sending this

letter weekly is to improve communication and ensure that you are kept

up to date on what is happening in our schools as well as to celebrate the

successes of your children. We are working hard to establish a good da-

tabase of e-mail addresses and our intention is to be able as soon as

possible to send this letter directly to your mailbox every Friday. Please

ensure that you always keep your contact details up to date and let us

know of any changes.

It has been wonderful to welcome back our staff and students from the international schools

this week. The campus has had a real buzz about it all week and I extend a very warm wel-

come to all new students and families who joined us on Tuesday. I hope that you will settle in

very quickly and feel part of our school community.

We are very fortunate to have such a spacious and pleasant campus on which to work.

There have, however, been some challenges over the past weeks as our tennis courts were

hit by an exceptionally strong storm and considerable damage was done. Our Bursar and

her team have been working hard to put this right and new improved shading with a stronger

base will be put up as soon as details have been finalised with contractors. We are commit-

ted to a programme of ongoing maintenance and improvement and I would like to assure all

of you that maintaining a safe, clean and healthy environment for our students is high on my

agenda.

I have enjoyed my first meetings with both the Student Council and the Parents’ Association

this week. As I have said at a number of meetings already, open communication lies at the

heart of any good school. I am always happy to meet parents either to discuss issues directly

concerning their child or general matters concerning the school. An appointment through my

PA, Siew Peng, will always guarantee a meeting.

Next week will see our Moon Cake Festival celebrations next Friday evening. You should be

receiving a circular regarding this today; if you are intending to come please collect your free

tickets from the office to give us an idea of numbers. We hope to see you there.

Finally a reminder that there will be no school on Monday of next week in respect of the pub-

lic holiday.

With best wishes,

Howard Bullock.

From the Head of Secondary, TIS

Dear Secondary Students and Parents,

For those returning to the school after our 4 week vacation, it is lovely to

have you back. The campus has been eerily empty in the absence of our

vibrant students. To all those new to TIS Secondary, a heartily warm wel-

come to Tenby. I have been here in Tenby Ipoh for just 4 months and can

readily acknowledge that it is an extremely welcoming campus where the

students and staff learn passionately and happily. If your child has just

joined the school then by now they will have met their respective form tutor

and mingled with their new class mates. All lessons are taught by subject specialist teaching

staff and both lesson and homework timetables will have been distributed. I am keen to pro-

mote enhanced communication between home and school, and vice versa. This can be done

in the first instance through the use of the student planner/diary. Incoming notes from you will

initially go to form tutors, and as required will be forwarded on to relevant colleagues, where

we will aim to reply in an expeditious manner. We encourage you to sign the planner on a

weekly basis and they will be countersigned by Tutors weekly. All Teaching Staff are on cam-

pus from 7.30am and so if you need to speak with a teacher, then there might be scope to

meet briefly before school. Similarly after school, if colleagues are not involved in CCA’s then

time can be made to discuss and issues or matters that you may have. Across the wider cam-

pus we operate an ‘Open Door’ policy. Feel free to pop in and see me at any time if there are

any concerns whatsoever. Alternatively, you are more than welcome simply to call by and say

hello and introduce yourselves over a cup of tea or coffee. We welcome and embrace your

constructive feedback, so if you have any thoughts or ideas, by all means introduce us to

them.

As we welcome are new students and families within the Tenby family, we also welcome 6

new teaching staff. They will be providing their own pen portraits in this newsletter, but ahead

of those, I will provide their names and respective roles on the campus. Darren Nicoll joins us

as Design Technology teacher and tutor to 8 yellow. Dave Rajan joins the school as a Teacher

of English. Diane Beresford joins us Head of English and Languages. Myra Pyne joins us as

Senior Science Coordinator covering Key Stage 2-5. Pong Kwai Lai joins us as a Mandarin

Teacher. Finally we are joined by Susan Thomas who will join us as a Teacher of Science and

tutor to 9 Yellow.

The school has bedded down on to this new site very well indeed. We have much to be proud

of as it is clear that there is wide scale good practice in evidence. Our recent A-Level and

IGCSE grades were very encouraging and we are tremendously proud of the achievements of

all of our students. The bar continues to be set higher and higher, and with continuous assess-

ment in operation, and subject specific target setting being implemented, we are confident of

helping our leaners make notable progress.

I hope that we have a great year, working collaboratively to ensure that our learners are

happy, healthy and making forward stride with their attainment. In any event should you need

to make an appointment with me, kindly contact my secretary, Sheena at ext: 110 or email:

kusheena@tenby.edu.my.

Neil David Page

A Welcome Note from the Head of Primary, TIS

Dear Everyone,

Welcome to a new academic year at Tenby International Primary School,

Ipoh (TIPSI). There are many new exciting initiatives taking place this year as

well as continuing some of our traditional activities and events. All these will

be shared with you over the next few months.

However, this week I would like to remind parents of two important safety

aspects of our school. Firstly, teachers are in their classrooms from 7.30am and it is not advis-

able to bring your children to school before this time and leave them unattended.

Secondly, please remember when driving around the campus that young children may be

crossing the roads. So please drive carefully at a slow speed and keep the crossings clear at

all times.

Lee A. Harvey

Message from the Principal of Sekolah Tenby Ipoh

Hello, welcome back! It’s good to see everyone back in campus after a

hiatus of three to four weeks!

The first half of the school year has been exciting for Sekolah Tenby.

Together with TIS, we had many interesting programmes to inspire our

students to explore and contribute to a more vibrant learning environment in

the school. Our students have done us proud by producing excellent results

in public exams, at the same, clinching first place in competitions organized

by local organizations. Now as we move into the second half of the year, let’s not focus too

much on what we have achieved but on what we can do to make ourselves better as teachers

and students. Have we worked hard? Have we played fairly? Have we given everyone a

chance they deserve? Let’s try harder, reach further to make ourselves better teachers and

students.

This term is when examinations peak at national school. I hope that more parents will work

alongside us as the teachers strive to prepare them for the UPSR, PT3 and SPM as best we

can.

Lastly, we welcome Mr. Howard, the Principal, to journey with us as we enter an exciting and

challenging term!

Mdm. Soot MC

Welcome Back to IISEYC

We hope that you had a relaxed, fun filled summer. We would like to extend

a big welcome to all of our families as we begin an enriching and exciting

new school year with your children at IISEYC.

We are thrilled to see so many new and returning faces – students; filling

the classroom with fun, contagious energy. Please be assured, it is normal

to see a few children more fearful with some tears spilling from their cheek.

As our children’s confidence grows and new routines are established, our precious little ones

will now eagerly leap out of the car to start their day happily. We realize how important it is to

be confident that your children are not only actively learning but also happy and safe. We can

assure you that our wonderful team of staff will do everything they can to provide that safe,

happy and nurturing environment to make sure your child’s year at IISEYC is positively

memorable.

Best wishes,

Mrs Puvanes Mahendran

1st

Day of School (Tuesday, 26th

August 2014)

Parents queuing up to

pay fees, purchase

books and uniforms at

IISEYC.

New Parents’ Orientation at IISEYC

1st day of school at IISEYC

<<<

Early Years & New Parents Orientation

at Meru Raya Campus.

New Staff in TIS Secondary

We are delighted to welcome the following new teachers to our international school and hope that they will be very happy with us.

Diane Beresford, Head of English

Hello, my name is Diane and I am Head of English.

I have never been to Malaysia before, but I have travelled and

worked in many countries from Japan, South Korea, China, Russia,

Turkey, Bahrain, and the African Continent.

I hold a Degree, PGCE and Cert. Ed.

I arrived in Malaysia and was warmly welcomed by security which was a brand new

experience for me! This hospitality has continued and like the Philippines, I

immediately felt at home.

I feel I have already made some lovely Malaysian friends at school, (and it isn't even

my first week), having been invited out for coffee and to colleagues homes to

experience 'real' Malaysian life.

When I visit or work in other countries, I think of myself as an ambassador for my own

country and how important it is for me to be polite and aware of cultural differences.

On my first day at school, I was warmly welcomed by the children, and by noon,

several had shouted "hello" to me from afar, and one girl dropped by just to say

"Hello". I was reminded of the importance of being a positive ambassador, but was

very surprised at how the children here seemed feel the same. If this continues, I may

never leave!

Thank you for making me feel I made the best decision when I chose to teach in

Malaysia!

New Staff in TIS Secondary

Myra Pyne, School Science Coordinator

After studying for a degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Univer-

sity of Strathclyde, Glasgow, I went on and completed a postgraduate

in Multimedia Studies at Napier University, Edinburgh. This took me

on to a variety of roles in the IT industry including writing manuals

and online help for bespoke software as well as user interface design

and usability testing. Watching my oldest daughter grow and develop

I found a passion for teaching and went back to University and gained my postgradu-

ate teaching qualification in Secondary Science with Physics as my specialism. I have

worked for many years in Scotland and I moved from international teaching in Prague

to be here. I am really excited to be here with my husband and younger daughter who

has joined Tenby in year 1. I enjoy spending time with my family doing a variety of

things and we are looking forward to our adventures here in Malaysia. My personal

interest is field archery, but I am disappointed to have left my bow and arrows back in

Scotland.

Darren Nicoll, Design Technology Teacher

After completing a BA (Hons) in Art & Design at Bradford University

in England, with a sculpture specialism, I went on to develop thera-

peutic projects with the homeless in Manchester. This eventually

resulted in being appointed as Centre Manager for The Big Issue in

the North. I eventually went on to work for an organization called

Turning Point as their Post Detoxification Manager, which focused

on providing support to those who are recovering from the effects of substance mis-

use.

Once I completed a Design and Technology PGCE secondary at The University of

Manchester, I worked teacher of design and Technology and construction in a state

school in Wythenshawe Manchester, before moving to Ipoh with my wife Helen and 3

children Willow, Luca and Honey to work here at Tenby schools.

I have a particular interest in creativity in the classroom and I see Design and Tech-

nology a wonderful subject for students to express their creativity. I look forward to

working with all of the amazing students and staff at Tenby Ipoh.

New Staff in TIS Secondary

Thevarajan (Dave) Hunt, Teacher of English

I am from Ipoh, Malaysia. I have a teaching degree in TESOL from

the London Teachers Training College, UK, in addition to a TEFL

certificate from Text and Talk Academy in Bangkok. I have been

teaching English from 1996-1998 in Cambodia, 1998 to 2010 in

Thailand, and currently in Tenby International School. I am also a

part time English at Cambridge for Life in Ipoh Garden East, and Sri

Murugan Centre in Ipoh old town at the weekend. In 1990 I was an English and PE

teacher on a temporary basis at S.M. Choong Hwa in Bidor, Perak.

My hobbies are reading, travelling and movies. I am also a member of the Environ-

ment Protecting Society (EPSM), and we undertake rainwater harvesting projects for

schools around Selangor and Perak.

Susan Praveena Thomas, Teacher of Science

I am a 26 years old teacher from Malaysia. I was born in Ipoh and

have lived all over Malaysia. I obtained a first class degree in Bio-

technology and pursued an M.Sc in Biotechnology in AIMST

University. My first job was as a chemist in an international

pharmaceutical company, Ranbaxy, in Kedah. I took up a job as a

Science teacher for KS3 and KS4 in an international school in

Klang. I have been teaching for the past two years. My last role in my previous school

was that of Vice Principal for the examination division. I moved to Ipoh this August to

be with my family and am looking forward to a brilliant first year with Tenby Ipoh.

Pong Kwai Lai, Teacher of Mandarin I am Pong Kwai Lai, currently teaching Mandarin in Tenby Interna-

tional School (Secondary Level). Previously, I taught Mandarin at

Sekolah Rendah and Sekolah Menengah Tenby, Ipoh.

I graduated from the University of Malaya in 1987, obtaining my first

degree in Chinese Studies. Subsequently in 1989, I was awarded my

Diploma in Education from the same university. In 2004, I completed my Masters of

Education at the National University of Malaysia. During my years of teaching since

1989, I have been fully involved in Mandarin teaching in both government schools and

private institutions.

I like reading and travelling. I have been to a few beautiful countries, but I love my

country most because it is a multicultural place and it is my motherland.

New Year Message from Ms. Nikki Sullivan, Assistant Principal Academic, TIS

Raising Expectations

Tenby International Secondary students returned to school this week ready to

start the new academic year. Our students conduct themselves in a positive and

polite manner and we are always immensely proud of their achievements. We

always want our students to be ‘the best versions of themselves’. In order to

help all students accomplish this we have created a set of posters for display in

all classrooms, in order that students are aware of the high expectations we

have of them. A reminder that all students must wear black shoes and not train-

ers, as is indicated in the uniform policy. New students and new staff appear to

be settling in quickly and we have enjoyed welcoming them into the Tenby fami-

ly. It has been great to welcome the students back and see them eager to learn.

We look forward to a successful year.

<<<

Posters displayed in

each & every classroom

of TIS Secondary.

Secondary Science Experimentation at Sekoah Tenby

SM4 Physics Project -

The construction and launching of a Water Rocket

Reported by:

Monissha Thiagu & Chan Yi Qing, SM4

Objective:

To demonstrate Newton’s Law of Motion and the Principle of Conservation of

Momentum by propelling an object upwards through pressured air.

1. Preparing the water rocket. 2. The water rocket is made

using a plastic bottle and the

fins made out of cardboard are

added for increased stability.

3. Pumping air into the water

rocket using a bicycle pump.

4. Ready! 5. Whoosh… The water rocket

belonging to Bryan’s group

landed on the roof of Block D.

Bravo! Tenby Volunteers Shine at Daybreak Carnival

More than sixty Tenby students from the Sixth

Form and the Interact Club rose to the occasion

when the Daybreak Centre called upon our school to

assist at the Great Daybreak Carnival 2014 held on

16 August 2014.

The Tenby volunteer brigade was led by our teach-

ers – Mr Louis, Ms Manglespary, Mr Harry Seggu

and Mrs Bernie Francis.

The event was a food and fun fair to raise funds for

the training of intellectually and physically

challenged young people. The Daybreak Centre is

one of Malaysia’s most admirable social care pro-

jects supported largely by private charities with a

modicum of government funding.

“We are proud to devote our energy and leisure to

this worthy cause,” said Suki Wong, President of the

Sixth Form Council. “We believe that the success of

a country depends very much on civil society where

people come together irrespective of politics, religion

and race to support positive efforts in society.”

As the sun rose in the early hours of the day, the

Tenby volunteers were among the first to arrive.

They were also among the last to leave when their

day ended at 4.00 p.m. They showed good cheer in

carrying out their multifaceted duties. Here are some

of their comments:

Steve Lee (Sixth Former, Cohort 9): “Our first job

was to ferry the food supplies to the various stalls.

The supplies arrived in lorries. I enjoyed the exercise

and the fun of working together with my fellow stu-

dents.”

Maryam Razali & Maiko Yamane (Sixth Formers,

Cohort 10):

We manned the ice cream stall. Some of our class-

mates did the advertising to attract the crowd. Our

targets were the children in particular but it turned

out the adults were just as crazy for ice cream,

thanks to our Malaysian climate.”

Sumaiya Nazrin & Lim Hui Ben (Sixth Formers,

Cohort 8):

“We sold fried vermicelli. It was a good time for us to

get to know each other better. Events like this are

very good for social bonding as well as for interacting

with the public. We had a chance to apply our

knowledge of good customer relations.”

Alia Amira Zuhdi and Muneeb Nasir (Sixth Formers):

“We accompanied the clown on stilts and had to

cajole people to have their photos taken with the

clown. It was the most clownish thing we had to do! It

was fun.”

The opening ceremony of the Great Daybreak Carni-

val was officiated by the Deputy Minister for Women,

Family and Community Development, Malaysia, Datin

Paduka Chew Mei Fun. In her keynote speech, the

Deputy Minister praised the efforts of the Daybreak

Centre and the NGOs which have continually

supported it.

Tenby Schools Ipoh are proud to support this spirit of

voluntary contribution to the community.

Members of Tenby’s Interact Club helping out at the fair

with Mr Louis far left.

>>

Tenby’s

volunteers at

the fair.

The Sixth Form Leadership Camp II/2014

The Sixth Form Leadership Camp is held shortly

after the arrival of each new batch of Sixth Formers.

It is the logical follow-up to the Orientation

Programme for the new arrivals. It gives the Sixth

Formers time and space to bond together as well as

to strengthen their spirit of fellowship. The theme of

the camp is “What Unites, What Divides” – a journey

of self-exploration and sharing of thoughts and ide-

as on the Tenby vision: “A United World at Peace

through Education.” It is also a time for the Sixth

Formers to exercise their leadership in community

service. An integral part of the camp is the visit to

Kampung Perghom, an Orangi Asli village on the

18th km Simpang Pulai- Cameron Highlands road.

The last day of the three-day camp entails a manda-

tory jungle trekking experience in the Cameron for-

ests.

S. Hemavani (Cohort 10) writes ……

Friday 22nd August 2014 (Day 1)

We departed from school at 2:15 p.m. and were

travelling on the road until 3:00 p.m. when we

reached the Orang Asli village of Kampung

Perghom. To get to the village we had to walk up a

relatively steep uphill road while avoiding the occa-

sional passing of a motorbike or a car. Once there

we were welcome by the “ketua kampong” (village

headman) and were greeted by the smiles of the

villagers. After we had presented our

“offerings” (donated by our Tenby Schools communi-

ty. Thank you all!) ,the Orang Asli showed their

appreciation by letting us enjoy some freshly cut

durians. As we enjoyed the king of fruits; we

interacted and chatted with the Orang Asli about

their way of life and daily routine. We were then

taken on a tour of the village. Despite their very

basic amenities, the villagers seemed contented and

happy.

6.00 p.m.: We arrived at the Barre Centre, our hos-

tel, at Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands. The accom-

modation was spartan but we were sufficiently warm

in the colder climate of the highlands.

8.00 p.m.: We were organized into workshops to

create posters on “What Unites, What Divides.”

Among the negatives most commonly highlighted

were extremism, racism and intolerance. Greed and

selfishness were also ranked among the factors that

divide. On the side of “what unites” the participants

cited exemplary leadership, inclusivity in governance,

greater regard for justice and equality. They also cited

education, music, sports and entertainment as

positive forces in creating a better world.

Saturday 23rd August 2014 (Day 2)

We were woken up at 6.30 a.m. by our “time whips”.

After a simple breakfast of nasi lemak and coffee, we

attended a motivational session on “Key Factors in

Success” conducted by Mr Louis Rozario Doss. We

were given an insight into the life and values of the

founder of Tenby Schools Malaysia, the late Dato’ KK

Lim.

We reflected on the TEN VALUES that guided the

late philanthropist and corporate czar in his life.

Off we go! Here we come, Cameron Highlands!

Students at the Boh Tea Estate.

10. 00 a.m.: We began our third session where we in

our eight groups identified THREE persons, living

and past, who can be rightfully named as Champi-

ons or Apostles of Peace. We had not only to name

them but to justify their place on this list. At the end

of our animated discussions, the following names

emerged highest on our lists: Mahatma Gandhi.

Jesus Christ, Nelson Mandela, Prophet Muhammad,

Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Swami Viveka-

nanda and Florence Nightingale.

Between sessions we had icebreakers and bonding

activities conducted by our seniors from Cohort 8.

We wish to thank the following seniors who activated

much of the spirit of the camp: Ong Hui Xue (Camp

Commandant), R. Sanika, Wong Foong Yee, Janice

Wong, Steve Lee Chou Yew and Ng Heng Yi.

2.00 p.m.: We visited the Boh Tea Estate in Sungei

Pallas, one of the biggest tea plantations in South-

east Asia. We learned with much interest that the

average tea plant is 75 years of age and there are

also some bushes which are 125 years old!

We also had wonderful sing-along sessions. Vive la

Compagnie!

7.00 p.m.: We had a steamboat dinner at a Tanah

Rata restaurant. We were certainly the most boister-

ous group in Tanah Rata that night and the restaura-

teur had to place us on the private upper floor. While

doing justice to the steamboat fare, our four tables

played “the singing battle” with groups singing in

turn without any time gaps. By 9.30 pm we had ex-

hausted our repertoire and had to fall back on the

“Negara Ku” and other patriotic oldies from our ar-

chives!

Sunday 24th August 2014 (Day 3)

We had breakfast at 7.00 a.m. and then our group

gathered outside the Barre Centre to prepare for the

jungle trekking activity. We were given a briefing by

our philosopher tour guide Mr San Sui, a former col-

lege lecturer in bio-genetics. He is dubbed

“philosopher tour guide” because he peppers his jun-

gle trekking with nuggets of advice for young people.

Thus, before we set off for the jungle we were remind

that our ultimate mission was:

1. To complete our university education

2. To be thankful to our parents for their many

sacrifices

3. To do community service

4. Save and invest for the future

We entered the forest at 8.25 a.m. with these heavy

thoughts on our minds. What followed was an unfor-

gettable adventure. We experienced the Malaysian

jungle in its supreme glory. We walked across sway-

ing rope bridges and past amazing waterfalls. The air

was filled with the chatter of monkeys and the war-

bling of merbok and myna birds. We learned with

dismay that much of the Cameron Forest is threat-

ened by overdevelopment.

A Note of Thanks:

We wish to thank our teachers Mr Louis and Ms

Manglespary for accompanying us on this trip. We

would also like to thank Ms Kasthuribhai for being

with us as chaperon for the girls. We would also like

to thank our Head of School, Mr Neil David Page, for

his support and encouragement.

Written by:

S. Hemavani (Cohort 10)

Barre I.J. Centre

Boh Tea Estate in Sungei Pallas

Contact Us

Tenby Schools Ipoh

16 Persiaran Meru Utama

Bandar Meru Raya

30020 Ipoh, Perak

T: 05 - 525 2628

F: 05 - 525 2881

ipoh@tenby.edu.my

Visit us on the web at

www.tenby.edu.my/ipoh

Upcoming Events/Announcements

2 September 2014

Commencement of CCA

4 September 2014, 8.00am - 3.00pm

No Apologies Workshop for KBSM 3 & 4

5 September 2014, 7.30pm - 9.30pm

Mid Autumn Festival Celebration. Tickets will be available at the

admin office of Meru campus on Tuesday, 2 September 2014.

9 September - 11 September 2014

UPSR Examination

12 September - 13 September 2014

The Global Perspective Debates II/2014