Hornbill December 2014

December 2014 • Hornbill

December 2014 • Volume 19 • Number 1

MISSIONThe International School of Kuala Lumpur

provides an exceptional education that challenges each student to develop the

attitudes, skills, knowledge and understanding to become a highly successful, spirited, socially

responsible global citizen.

TedX@ISKL p. 5

MS Soccer in Phuket p. 7

Kids & Parents Do Fox Run p. 11

Fame Jr. MS Musical p. 13

"Together We Can" iFest '14 p. 15

Global Action Program '14 p. 21

Why iPads at Melawati p. 25

I n t e r n a t i o n a l S c h o o l o f K u a l a L u m p u r

Our school, the International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL), is in the midst of a growth trajectory to embark on various initiatives and opportunities – that puts the impetus on the Board of Directors, Head of School, Dr Norma Hudson, with the Administration team and of course all our Society Members to embrace these different changes.

While many are afraid to make changes as it can be challenging, risky and involves stepping out of a comfort zone, I believe that change is a prerequisite to improvement. Change is the only constant. We all need to open the door and welcome new beginnings with a positive approach.

But how can we improve further? How can we make our school a place we would like our children to attend and flourish? What is essential is to anticipate the change, monitor, adapt to change quickly and most importantly, embrace change.

In fact, we are continuously adapting to changes without even realising it. Students enter our doors only to eventually leave -- through graduation, moving countries or others. Teachers also come and go. Administrators switch and are replaced every several years or so, while textbooks and curriculum alter with the changing times.

So, as the Board of ISKL, we are faced with the challenge of making change a necessity, a known quantity, and an enjoyable prospect.

As you all know, next year, ISKL will be

celebrating its 50th anniversary! We have built on 50 years of excellence from 1965 to 2015; a momentous opportunity to not just look back, but also to look forward as we continue to grow our ISKL family.

The past years have been an era of growth, consolidation and change for our school. ISKL has built its outstanding international reputation by balancing sound tradition for academic excellence with innovative approaches to teaching and learning.

The school has grown tremendously from 1260 students back in 2005 to nearly 1650 students today. As the school expands, there will be many opportunities knocking on our doors that could further enrich the students’ learning experience.

The first step to improvement is the change of leadership. We have seen a gradual change of ISKL’s top Administration team as years go by. We welcomed a new Head of School and two new school principals for elementary and high school since 2012, all of which have brought in new ideas as they take on their roles. Despite the obvious anxieties of change, ISKL has steadily grown and improved with our new team and this demonstrates our ability to manage change.

Valerie Scane, our former Chair who was on the Board since 2009, stepped down from the Board as her son graduated in the last school year – and I want to thank her for her tireless commitment to the Board and school. Being a parent-governed committee,

the Board is represented by only those who have children enrolled in the school, with the exception of one Board Member, who represents the United States Embassy and is a direct nominee of the US Ambassador. The transition of leadership is undeniably a risky time, however, this can also have rejuvenating effects as new perspectives, ideas and options come into the picture.

After being a member of the board for over a year now, the transition to being chairman has been smooth, as the Board continually works to manage and plan for succession of Board officers. I am entering my second year as a member of the Board and I have two sons currently enrolled in ISKL.

Joining me this year on the Board are six new members: Edgard Kagen (US Embassy representative and parent), Omer Ehtisham, Dato Sri’ Johann Young, Bridget Kostelnik, San San Kee and Frank Whitaker, together with our existing eight Board members, we have a very diverse and exceptional group

Embracing Change for a Brighter FutureBy Saif Malik, ISKL Board Chairman

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The Society for the International School of Kuala Lumpur Board of Directors 2014-2015From left: Andrew Davis, Omer Ehtisham, Lim Beng Guan, Helene Seiler, Saif Malik, Kelly O’Hale, Paul Rusch, San

San Kee, Edgard Kagan, Bridget Kostelnik, David Thomas, Dato’ Sri Johann Young Not in picture: Frank Whitaker, Zahris Sham Abu Musa

of people working with our Head of School to lead the school into the future.

Meanwhile, our School Mission, which the Board holds in trust, reflects ISKL’s ultimate goal to nurture our children while also providing exceptional student learning experience. “ISKL provides an exceptional education that challenges each student to develop the attitudes, skills, knowledge and understanding to become a highly successful, spirited, socially responsible global citizen.”

On a wider scale, ISKL is also in the midst of transitioning for the future as we await the completion of our new 27-acre world class Platinum Green Building Index

campus located in the Ampang catchment area. A tremendous amount of work has gone into the design conceptualization and realization of our new campus facility.

Although this will be a period of rapid change, the Board believes that the new site will also be an exciting new era that will pave ISKL’s path into becoming a truly world class educational institution.

Despite the challenges faced in closing the land deal, we have gained immense support of the Site Task Force, which has evolved now into the Project Oversight Committee, chaired by Omer Ehtisham and the Administrative team, all very ably coordinated by Roger Poulin, our in-house

Project Manager.Our new state of the art campus is

expected to be completed in the early part of 2017 and classes in Elementary, Middle and High schools slated to start in August 2017. Our new campus will give us an increase in capacity to 2,500 students, as we expand our ISKL family.

Therefore, embracing change will further transform the school into becoming one of the best schools, not only in Kuala Lumpur or Malaysia, but in this region, where today’s and future students are able to reap the rewards.

I would also like to express my appreciation to those who have devoted their time voluntarily to the school, whether on the PTA or other school activities.

I believe that 2014/2015 will be another exciting year of progress for ISKL and we as a Board, look forward to sharing this journey with all our parents and well wishers in our community. So, let's open the doors for change, embark on the arrival of new opportunities, take on new ideas, and continue to enrich the ‘exceptional educational’ environment at ISKL.

As the year comes to an end, on behalf of the Board, I would like to wish every member of our Community success in the new semester. Happy 50th anniversary to you all and lets all celebrate this fantastic milestone in our usual ISKL way!

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When I think of ISKL, our mission and our SLRs, I am constantly reminded that exceptional education, as well as our six SRLs, are demonstrated on our campuses and beyond. ISKL is making a difference in our world.

Consider our 29 GAP trips that were held in September. Our students participated in experiential educational trips in locations extending from the Maldives to Bhutan to Tibet to Borneo, as well as other countries in the Southeast Asia region. On each trip, our students

and faculty members reached out to make this world a better place through their service projects. Whether helping in orphanages, painting schools, or taking care of elephants, our students and faculty made their mark on that particular culture. They left an impression of being a group of people who were highly successful, spirited socially responsible global citizens. Equally impressive, ISKL Middle School students are known for the contributions that are made in service during their Malaysia week trips. They have helped with coral restoration, spent time with and learning about the Orang Asli people of Malaysia and so much more!

ISKL faculty and staff are also focused on professional growth and development. Throughout the year several professional development opportunities take place on our campuses. Many of these are open to educators outside of ISKL. Two recent

ones, the iPad Summit and the Google Apps for Education Conference had, in total, approximately 520 educators in attendance. Educators came from Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, the USA, Bangladesh, Europe, and China. These types of professional development experiences provide educators with a glimpse of what ISKL is all about. They see in evidence ISKL educators and students alike demonstrating their learning by modeling our SLRs;

thinking creatively, communicating effec t ive ly, col labora t ing constructively, and learning enthusiastically throughout the conferences. Our guests were able to see for themselves the atmosphere and ethos that exists at ISKL. Then the word spreads about the quality of learning and teaching taking place here.

ISKL - Making a Positive Mark Around the World

By Dr. Norma Hudson, Head of School


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Alumni Spotlight on: Christina Chang ‘11 - ISKL Artist in Residence for November 2014By Bridgette Miller, Director of Alumni

Christina Chang ’11, was back on the ISKL campus as an ISKL Artist in Residence in Mr. Ian Davidson’s High School Visual Arts classes for a few weeks in early November. During her visit, she answered questions about her artwork, her college studies in art, and her IB Art course work as a student at ISKL. Christina provided our current students an amazing opportunity to discuss their own future and get a critique of their current art portfolios. I was able to interview Christina briefly during her time as a visiting artist at ISKL.

Christina started taking classes in drawing and painting at the age of three. Growing up in Hong Kong she attended the British school and her family moved to Kuala Lumpur when she was in high school. In Hong Kong she had an excellent Middle School Art teacher who helped her grow upon what she already knew in the field of art. The IB Art curriculum at ISKL was also beneficial. She learned not to be competitive with others and focus on her own progress. IB Art at ISKL helped pieces to develop and the program fit nicely with her work and thoughts on art, allowing her to pursue her art in the way she wanted to work.

Christina is currently a student at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). When asked about what she learned at RISD that challenged her, Christina responded, “RISD is challenging, and it taught me that I was previously in a little pond, but RISD showed me the sea.” RISD helped her to learn what was out there and to try different things through looking at friends art and critiquing art in studio.

Currently, Christina is nearing the end of her year off from RISD. This year, Christina wished to make art outside of school and see if she had the self-discipline without professors and critiques. She felt it was time to think about where she wanted to go with art and find her own voice. As she heads back to RISD this spring, Christina believes the work from her year off is just now coming together for her.

As an ISKL Artist-In-Residence for the high school art program this November, Christina found it interesting to be back at school and reflected on how much she has grown since high school. She had fun and found the curiosities and questions of the high school art students nice as well as the opportunity to hear the comments and perspectives about her artwork.

During our discussion, Christina stated, “the experiences you have in your environment influence your work.” Currently, Christina is working on a painting of a scene from Malaysia that will be donated to ISKL when it is completed. Travel, reading and the local environment all come together to form a collage in her work at this time.

I asked Christina for any advice she would give an ISKL student pursuing IB Art. Christine encouraged IB Art students to keep doing what they are doing and make as many works as possible. To her, finished art is the start of a new direction and it is important to get all your ideas out there. Christina described the beauty of painting as, “you never know how it is going to turn out."

If you wish to see Christina’s artwork, one of her ISKL IB Art pieces, entitled “Einstein” is on display at the ISKL Ampang Library. Soon, her new Malaysian scene painting will also be on display on campus.

Approaching it in a different way, our community has “made it’s mark on ISKL.” At our recently held International Festival, ISKL’s 61 different nationalities were represented throughout the festivities either in their home country booth with a taste of national food or in the cultural show by demonstrating their various national dances or in the ever-popular flag parade. It was a great way of the “world” coming together at ISKL as we celebrated being one unified but diverse community.

Our students and faculty have made ISKL known throughout the world in other ways, as well. Regularly our students represent ISKL and make us proud at the various IASAS events held either in Jakarta, Bangkok, Singapore, Taipei, or Manila. Our music students recently demonstrated their creativity at the AMIS Jazz Festival in Beijing as they participated in the selective Jazz Vocal Choir or Jazz Band.

Finally, our alumni are spread throughout the world living in over 81 countries. Our alumni are successful entrepreneurs, government officials, educators, and continue to participate in service learning experiences. With the use of social media and other events, they share the experiences that they had as students while at ISKL. Throughout the year there are various alumni receptions in locations such as Seoul, Boston, Dubai, and Houston. Additionally, we are anticipating about 200 alumni in attendance at our 50th Anniversary Celebration in mid-April.

So, as we focus on our SLR’s and our mission of exceptional education in preparing each of our students to be highly successful, spirited, socially responsible global citizens, it is great to know that ISKL is certainly making a mark on our world!


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By Moa Schafer '15, TEDxISKL Event OrganizerLast January, when some fellow students and I asked the

High School Administration to support students interested in applying for a TEDx License, none of us anticipated the amazing event that took place this October. ISKL’s first ever TEDx Event, TEDxISKL challenged almost 500 attendees to tackle some of humanity’s toughest questions, and attempt to answer them with innovation, enterprise, and enduring optimism.

Themed “The Creative Spark,” TEDxISKL (fully student run) brought together an enviable list of speakers with wildly diverse backgrounds and nationalities. Some addressed the source and substance of creativity itself. Current 10th grade student Liesel Allen challenged the audience to consider how disabilities can inspire creativity in daily life. Youtuber Ming Han explored finding creative sparks in our daily, even mundane activities. Slam Poet Sheena Baharudin encouraged us to search for our ‘word’ to discover our creative selves. Current faculty member and musician Will

Chisholm demonstrated how creative sparks can happen “inside the box”.

Other talks presented creative ideas and projects. Dr. Jay Parkinson described how an innovative internet-based health-care model can revolutionize medicine. Dato‘ Tan Su Cheng revealed his 3D Model for approaching architectural and interior design work. Current student Andrew Cox put a spin on improving literacy rates. Earthship

Bioarchitect Ruben Cortez provoked new thinking around resource use and sustainability.

But at the heart of TEDxISKL 2014, was the amazing group of dedicated students I was fortunate enough to work with. More than 40 of us spent months and countless hours in what became a monumental learning opportunity. With

the guidance of TEDxISKL Advisor Gretchen McNulty (Ampang Curriculum Coordinator) and licensing support from Sasa Vucinic, ISKL parent and 2005 TED Conference Speaker (alongside Al Gore, Sir Ken Robinson, and Malcolm Gladwell, among others), we planned and coordinated every aspect of the event.

We researched trendsetters, innovators, entrepreneurs and artists, and debated who best embodied the Creative Spark in order to compile a program that would enrich and engage. We worked to prepare speakers and ensure compliance with the TEDx guidelines for spoken and visual content. We developed a website and social media accounts, wrote articles and made promotional videos. We coordinated logistics for food and beverage, facilities set up and registration. We developed sponsorship packages and solicited support in order to finance the event. We visioned a stage design and turned it into reality, from set to lights to sound. With the help of alumnus Andrew Coomby and Crave Designs, a number of students trained on specialized recording equipment in order to capture the best of the day.

What did we learn from the experience of organizing a TEDx? Here are just a few of the things committee members shared: “branching out of my comfort zone... maintaining professional correspondence... how the little things can tie an event together... managing deadlines... the importance of communication... how to research information about people... working with difficult people. . . the importance of follow up... how to be simultaneously polite and assertive... using social media for a purpose... film technique... design and layout [and] how to ask for help.”

To learn more about TEDxISKL 2014 “The Creative Spark,” watch the Talks, see photos of the event, or read about our amazing speakers, check out our website:

http://www.tedxiskl.com/

Do We Have What it Takes? TEDxISKL SAYS YES!ISKL’s first TEDx explores and inspires creative approaches to world problems.


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COOMBYXISKLBy Anka Vonic, High School Technology Coordinator

Andrew Coomby ‘96, an ISKL alumnus, joined the team of students and faculty to organize the first ever TEDxISKL event. His company Crave Designs was a corporate sponsor of the event, bringing in professional video production equipment and organizing key technical stage elements such as the four meter wide rear projection screen and High Definition projector. These sponsored elements brought a high degree of sophistication to the event which created a real, live TEDx atmosphere in the Ampang theatre.

Andrew, along with colleague Olivia Loo, worked with the TEDxISKL Technical Committee and the High School Student Tech Production team guiding students through a pre-production process that involved planning meetings and camera training. The Crave Designs team also provided technical support during the event itself, offering on-the-job production training to students. This collaboration continued during the post-production stage, as work continued with students on editing speaker videos in preparation for uploading them to the TEDx YouTube channel.

Andrew’s fond memories of being a student at ISKL inspired him to work with our students. Similar collaboration with other alumni can help support ISKL’s commitment to providing an exceptional education for our students. Encouraging collaboration with ISKL Alumni, and drawing on their professional skills can enrich students’ experiences. On behalf of TEDxISKL and the wider ISKL community, thank you Andrew Coomby.


On Thursday, November 6th forty-eight eager Middle School students gathered by the buses at Ampang campus. They were on their way to participate in the 13th Annual 7 Aside football tournament at the British International School in Phuket. Coaches hopes were high after the 3 gold medal performances at International School Athletics Conference tournaments the previous 2 weekends. The kids were excited, anxious and a little too rambunctious for such an early wake up.

The trip started with an afternoon of sightseeing and relaxation at the beach. The tides were swelling and the kids smiles were countless. This was followed up with a sunset dinner and some quick souvenir shopping. However, it became all business late that evening as they announced at the coaches meeting that a record 116 teams were entered in the tournament's 5 divisions. Teams from all over Asia spanning countries like India, South Korea, and China would be fighting it out for a chance to medal. Over 20 schools had to be turned away this year because the tournament was at capacity. The coaches quickly became aware that the competition level would be the highest it had ever been.

The opening ceremonies were attended by more than 1200 athletes. Immediately after the festivities our U13 Girls set the

tone for our weekend with a tightly contested 2-1 win over the British School International School of Jakarta. This was followed by U13 Boys 5-0 victory over the host school. The U15 continued the pattern with an easy 5-0 drubbing of the British International School of Phuket and the opening round culminated with a nail biting 2-1 win over United World College South East Asia by our boys. At the end of the day the results were astounding as all 4 of our teams sat in first place atop of their respective pools. People were starting to talk about ISKL as a powerhouse.

The next day would bring even more difficult challenges, as we would meet the top teams from the other divisions. ISKL was not only up for the task; they were looking forward to it. All 4 teams triumphed in their first play-off game with wins over Trail International School from Bangkok, Dulwich College from Seoul, and Jurudong International School from Indonesia. Further play-off success would come as our U13 Boys went to extra time tied 0-0 in the bronze medal match. The boys displayed grit as they exploded for 3 goals in the extra periods to capture the medal. Another semi-final had our U13 girls in a tough physical battle that pitted us against a much bigger Harrow College in Bangkok. We had the crowd on our side in a clear ‘David vs Goliath’

scenario. Our girls were fearless against a bigger foe and prevailed in extra time to win 1-0 finishing the tournament with the silver medal. The U15 boys continued the trend and came out like men possessed in their battle to make the finals. Scoring 2 quick goals against Uplands from Penang, the boys clinched the silver medal.

At the end of the weekend, ISKL had the most successful tournament performance in our 9 years participating. Our 4 teams collected 2 silver medals and 1 bronze and a 4th place. An extraordinary tally considering 116 teams were vying for glory. Equally as impressive were the individual honors given to Giulia Clini and Cooper Wiberg as tournament MVP’s. It was a truly amazing team and individual performance.

ISKL Middle School Football PowerhouseBy Brian Foudy, Middle School Activities Director

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I n t e r n a t i o n a l S c h o o l o f K u a l a L u m p u r Sustainability Inside & OutBy Laurence Myers, ISKL Sustainability & Service Learning Coordinator

Last year was a year of review and reconstruction for our Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) programming at ISKL. Our “ESD Octagon” was replaced by a UNESCO-inspired ESD Diagram that serves as the focus for our efforts going forward. The standards and benchmarks were also reviewed and are still under re-development.

The focus was placed on what defined ESD versus more traditional single discipline standards. The defining differences are the following:

1. Direct learning opportunities in nature2. Looking at topics and issues from different “lenses”

of ESD (ecological, social, economic and political)3. Analysis based on systems thinking and inter-

relationships between the different lenses both for understanding a problem and for leveraging possible solutions

4. A recognition that our students are change-makers and “invent” the future

The highlight of this type of education is the HS GAP program that speaks for itself in terms of focusing on all four of the dimensions named above. It is a powerful and cross-disciplinary experiential education program that highlights all that sustainability education and service learning can achieve in a relatively short period of time and continues to be a flagship of ISKL’s exceptional education.

This year we continue to infuse ESD into our curriculum and increasingly utilize service learning as a teaching tool. We have introduced two sixth grade service learning elective classes which focus on the following issues:

1. Utilization of alternative energy resources (in this case the introduction of the Socket ball, which used like a soccer ball, collects kinetic energy and stores it for charging phones and computers)

2. Focusing efforts on reducing consumer sugary drink choices while simultaneously

reducing the waste of plastic bottles from our campus.

In addition, three different classes are participating in the growth of plants on “Green Towers”. The PRCC class is moving slowly to creating a “compost stew” by collecting all sorts of plant waste around campus, and then adding that “stew” to the Garden Tower. The Prep Senior classes will all be utilizing the Garden Tower for the composting of their food waste (which they’ve been doing for years). Finally, the high school environmental studies classes are also working on planting a Garden Tower but are also working on growing seedlings as a start up for our hydroponics garden which has been patiently waiting for some new startup plants!

Finally our Green Council and HS Earth Clubs are doing what they do: putting sustainability

in our daily lives. The Green Council is working with WWF Malaysia to support

Tiger conservation as well as relabeling our older plastic recycling bins to eliminate some confusion in sorting our recyclables. Our HS Earth Club recently ran a tree-planting event at the Raja Musa Forest Reserve to plant 210 trees. This event, supported by our

school’s Annual Fund, was an excellent opportunity for our entire community

to be involved in making a direct positive impact around Kuala Lumpur. If one was to add the MS Student

Council’s increased community involvement and the number of charity-based fundraising events

(e.g. Change for Charity, Afghan community clothing drive, H4H Jumble Sale, Run against Trafficking, etc.) this semester has been action-packed for the benefit of the community and the world!

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By Erika Victor, Grade 3 ES Teacher & Amy Simpson, ES Physical Ed/Health

Friday, November 7 the entire ISKL community participated in the Terry Fox Run in support of cancer research in Malaysia. Gail Smith, the Elementary PE department head, led the way with T-shirt sales, and the entire PE department helped to organize this wonderful event.

Many people will have heard of or participated in a Terry Fox Run somewhere during their lives overseas. Terry Fox was an amazing, thoughtful and courageous young man from Canada. He has inspired millions not just in Canada, but all over the globe. I admire Terry Fox for his inspiration and the courage he showed in his battle with cancer and especially for the example he set and the millions he still inspires today.

The Terry Fox Run is in support of cancer research. In Elementary PE classes we also spoke of it as a PE day of fun and fitness that could be shared with family and friends. We talked about the fact that everyone has a “Terry Fox” in their life- somebody who has a challenge they are trying to overcome. It may be a grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, a friend or a family member who has a battle. It may be a battle with cancer, or an illness or injury that has prevented them from participating in such a wonderful event like a Terry Fox run. Many people choose to run “for” somebody else- whether in support of the battle they are still fighting, or in memory of a loved one. Fitness is a gift, so we talked about running for some who can’t. It was a challenging subject to discuss in class, but we wanted them to realize that fitness and health are our greatest gifts.

The Terry Fox Run has helped raise and create

awareness for cancer and cancer research. It is a wonderful event in many counties of the world and the money raised by these runs stays in the host country. ISKL and the compassionate people of Malaysia run every year to raise money for cancer research and to honor Terry

Fox’s memory. His goal was to raise $1 for each Canadian. To date his foundation has raised over $650 million!

The PE teachers and classroom teachers challenged our students to run for someone who can’t run or someone who has a battle. Every year we show our students a short film on Terry and talk about his impact on our lives. He loved sports. Terry played football and basketball when his body was able. After

he lost his leg to cancer he did not give up. He went to work training and continue this love of life, sport and fitness. He realized how important fitness and exercise is to our well being. He thought of these as a gift to be shared. Thank you Terry and everyone who ran, walked, or bought a t-shirt. Run, play, exercise- for yourself and anyone who can’t. Never take your health or fitness for granted.

“I just wish people would realize anything is possible if you try. Dreams are made if you try” - Terry Fox

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By Tina Casey, MS Drama TeacherIn middle school drama I feel that

every child who wants to be in a play should be in a play. The experience is often life changing and when it’s not, it still gives them the opportunity to know it wasn’t for them. Too many adults tell me they wish they’d had a chance to get on stage, even just once. And if that opportunity passes you by, you’ll never know what might have been.

We are fortunate here at ISKL that so many students want to be in a play. So many students are willing to overcome their fear of performing, singing or dancing in front of an audience. Unfortunately, there are few plays that have a script for that many characters. So, unless I write the show myself, we are stuck trying to find a show that accommodates a lot of chorus members. Fame Jr. seemed to fit the bill.

For our audition process we ask the students first what kind of role they feel ready for, “small, medium or

large”. With this show we asked which talent they felt most comfortable with: “acting, singing, or dancing”. Then we had them show us all three. It would melt your heart to see them take such creative risks in the audition process. Truly, they were all stars!

Our audition panel is comprised of around 8-10 people at any given time (students, faculty and staff here at the school) and everyone was touched and blown away by the talents and efforts of all 130 students who auditioned. And of course remember, “everyone who wants to be in the play will get to be in the play.”

At auditions this year we had many students who were willing to take on a lead role which also included singing solos. The audition team was thrilled with all the potential there and so I made the decision to try and double cast the few lead female roles we just couldn’t decide on. I knew we could add another matinee to give them the opportunity to have at least two shows each and so, we went ahead

and piloted this casting choice this year. It has been a huge success.

Our cast not only accepted the double leads but they welcomed it and supported it with grace, kindness and responsibility. They encouraged and supported each other by applauding all the students who took risks, who tried a lead role, who got up and sang in front of hundreds of people and tackled the world’s official greatest fear. No one person was better than any other, no one child deserved more credit than anyone else and everyone on stage in the play was certainly a star no matter how many lines they had or who they shared a role with.

Fame Jr. was an opportunity to celebrate all our students who love the theatre: the leads, the ensemble members and the chorus up on the bridge as well as all those in our tech crew and intermission musicians. They were all stars and with a musical like Fame Jr. they felt like they were famous for just that moment in time…and, maybe, hopefully, many more to come.

Everyone’s a Star in Fame Jr.


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By Archana Marshall, ISKL PTAOne knows an event has been successful if whilst clearing up

there is no litter or scraps of paper or plastic. You know it has been fun when people remark casually as they leave of what a wonderful time their children and they had, and you know it was truly a community in action when overcome with fatigue all the volunteers are congratulating and thanking each other after the visitors have left. This is how the 2014 IF ended. It was an event that witnessed over 2000 attendees at ISKL’s Ampang campus.

Melawati campus had started their celebrations a week ahead with their own flag parade and cuisine from different countries being served at the cafeteria. Their t-shirt day was in full swing with practically every child wearing a t-shirt designed by ISKL’s Marketing team showing worldwide icons in bright colors. At the same time on the Ampang Campus was the launch of “Tastes of Malaysia “ with Malay cuisine followed by Chinese and Indian on three consecutive days. Martin and his team from Cheeku, excelled by serving up

a hot favorite; satay cooked on site, newly introduced dim sum, and everyone’s favorite ice kacang all three days.

On Saturday, at 11am, five students proudly escorted Dr. Norma Hudson to cut the ribbon and declare the festival open. The flag parade then wove its way around the school with the kids waving out to parents and friends who had volunteered for the day and most likely spent a large part of the day at the stalls. Ending the parade at the high school deck, the flags were placed in pots appropriately making up the backdrop for the cultural show.

Considered auspicious in many parts of Asia, the beating of drums by My Club (Malaysia Club) drummers started the cultural show leading the way for 1 Malaysia Dancers, a gift to our International festival from the Tourism Board of Malaysia. Followed by several talented dancers and singers from India, Korea, Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, USA, our Scottish dance group, Indonesia and the Middle East. There was also a fashion show of traditional costumes. Making its debut in the festival was the Jazz Strings, thanks to Vincent Cee, our new HS Strings teacher, and his students. Also, a big thanks to Kevin

Together We Can, Another Great International Fest!

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McNulty and Michael Cullen for being the emcees.On the main field a Cricket game for “The Grant Millard

Trophy” was played out with the parents and faculty with the faculty once again laying claim to the trophy!

The country food tables, delectably decorated, were covered with the most sumptuous delights. Whilst most patrons could be seen with their plates full there were others who found it difficult to decide where to start; given the choice of 28 food tables.

Meanwhile, most of the younger children found their way to the Blue Top and were happily bouncing on the Asian Tigers sponsored Bouncing Castle, Extreme Obstacle and other inflatables. Many thanks to the Beighton family for setting up the Coconut Shy, a traditional English fair activity. The Gym was turned into an inflatable paradise for the older students with jousting and human fuss ball, along with “Break Out a Real Escape game”. As always slip and slide and the dunk tank were popular. Many students enjoyed the chance to dunk their teachers! Thank you teachers for being so brave!

Shopping was a treat with 57 boutique tables. Sauntering around the middle school courtyard to the theatre foyer one could find an array of silver, clothing, and handicrafts from a host of different places. This gave the community an excellent opportunity for Christmas shopping in a relaxed environment.

The importance of this event lies not only in the fact that the entire school community, with its many different nations comes together at the Ampang campus, but also that we celebrate our kids, their many talents and hard work in academics, culture, and sports as one community. This could not happen without the support of our wonderful sponsors. Thank You ASTRO, Hills: Recommended

by Veterinarians Worldwide/ Pets Corner/ Break Out – Real Escape Game/ Malaysia Tourism / SPOTLIGHT/ Bodytech/ Chilla Cup/Pretzn’Beanz/ Damas Sweets/ Iclif Leadership & Governance / Dettol/ Energy Day Spa/ Pepsico/ Total: Committed to Better Energy/ and many others!

Also, a big thanks to all the parent volunteers who gave of their time, ideas, talents and skills to make IF a success.

Thank you to the ISKL administration, tech office, maintenance, marketing, security and photography departments who more than ever extended themselves to make this special event very easy and enjoyable. The busing department meticulously worked out after several trials, a system to get families to the school freeing them from the hassles of parking.

Borrowing from last year’s sign off, “Bersama-Sama Kita Boleh- together we can!”

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I n t e r n a t i o n a l S c h o o l o f K u a l a L u m p u r Exceptional Panther SpiritBy Julie B. James, GAP Coordinator

What's the powerful learning piece for the 480 grade 9, 10 and 11 students who engage with NGO's and global change-makers in Borneo, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet, and Vietnam? If you ask the students, they'll tell you: it's their service contribution that rates at the top of their list, followed by a close second with outdoor adventure. Getting out of the shopping mall and into the jungle once again rocked!

From September 20th to 27th, 29 ISKL Panther Global Action Expedition Teams headed out with the goals of:

• immersing themselves in local culture• engaging with each other and their local community partners• contributing actively to their team's service project• taking the adventure plunge How did each team get ready for the challenges? Building

relationships within each team began the first week of school as the groups met weekly during morning MYGROUP and afternoon MYSESSIONS to get to know each other and prepare for their team's specific challenges.

What is the role of physical challenge? Adventure activities boost students' sense of unity as a team and confidence in themselves and each other. What did the Panthers take on? If you had an aerial view of Asia the week of September 20th, you would have seen the ISKL Panthers abseiling, boating, camping, caving, cycling, diving, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, rafting, rock climbing, snorkeling, and stretching their muscles to the screaming point trekking.

What range of service projects are offered to our diverse ISKL learners?

Global Action Trip Leads work 24/7 to engage their student team in hands-on learning and specifically challenge them to consider the role they would like to play in addressing the challenge of poverty and environmental degradation in the developing world.

What happened in the field? Each Global Action team had a dedicated partner project that included:

• building guesthouses for a Laotian village and a Thai Karen Hill Tribe to earn income from tourist guests that might be used to buy medical supplies, boost education opportunities, etc

• building a house for a Cambodian family with recycled bottles in Siem Reap

• building a retaining wall for Nepal's Pokhara Viewpoint School

• studying endangered species/rain forest management in Kalimantan and caring for endangered elephants in Sri Lanka

• initiating a school library project in Bali• facilitating marine conservation, beach-clean up, and reef

restoration projects in Bali, Krabi, Manado, Maldives, and Miri Sarawak.

• studying the whalesharks with a research team in the Maldives

• improving nutrition through garden and greenhouse projects in Manado, Ladakh and Shaxi

• working on facilities site improvement projects and/or English language development for the Hoi An/Vietnam and Inle Lake/Burma Orphanages, Thai Boxing Camp, Kalimantan/Indonesia Pilang School, Bhutan primary school, the Ladakh/India SECMOL school, Tampat Do Aman/Borneo and Nepal's Umbrella Orphanage

Thank you to our dynamic Trip Leads who expertly balanced student challenge and care. We're grateful that they safely manage such a dynamic program for our HS students with spirit and style.

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ISKL’s annual Global Action Program (GAP) takes students around parts of Asia and provides them with an opportunity to participate in some form of community service.

Our trips offer various service projects around Kathmandu, Nepal along with other activities including a three-day trek to Chisopani and Nagarkot.

After landing in Kathmandu, a van took us straight to the

Ramro Sathi Orphanage. The name of the orphanage means best friend in Nepalese. The organization can also be called Ocean Nepal.

As soon as we walked through the doors of the orphanage, everyone warmly welcomed us. We were surprised by the enthusiasm and joy of the kids from day one. There was never any room for awkwardness, as after five minutes we were playing and laughing together. The day went by quickly, and concluded with a delicious Nepalese specialty called Dal Bhat. At night we were dropped off in the middle of Thamel, which is the city-center market. Here we were constantly exposed to a colorful and active nightlife.

The next day, we were all

excited to spend another day with the kids. Although, we knew we had work to get done! Before we began our work, we walked the kids to school. We got to see a school environment that was very different to anything we knew. All of the students at the school were energetic and had smiles on their faces. It showed us how important the role of education is in their

culture and also made us appreciate our fortunate situations. We returned to the orphanage inspired to do good work for the kids. We planned to repaint and plaster the walls, gates, and fences. After all of the repainting and plastering was finished, we chose to redecorate the walls, trying to incorporate

ISKL’s partnership with the Ocean Nepal Orphanage. We created a mural with a silhouette of Kuala Lumpur. The talented kids also added some of their work, which made the walls reflect the environment of their community.

The trek was hard. The first day was a five-hour trek mostly uphill and up stairs. Our surroundings and friends encouraged us and made it easier and enjoyable. The second day was the longest and farthest, being a seven hour trek. By this time we had lost any sign of the city and were surrounded by nature. Although the weather was never in our favor, we decided to “bring our own weather,” and not let the rain ruin our

moods. It was great to see the group come together after long days of trekking, and the feeling of accomplishment let us all know that it was possible to get through any challenge positively.

This trip comprised of many different components that brought us all together and gave us a memorable experience that changed our perspectives. None of us were looking forward to the goodbyes, and the small amount of time here has impacted us significantly. We are grateful to have met these wonderful kids, and have learned more from them than anything we could have taught them. We hope to see them again soon and we know they will succeed in life!

OCEAN Nepal, Our trip to Ramro Sathi OrphanageBy Yukta Trivedi ‘17 & Sol Aguero ‘17

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By Max Wright, ES Technology TeacherThe personalized learning aspect of the

iPad is just one of the factors that strikes me as a powerful reason to implement them here at Melawati. The old model of teacher lecturing to student is fast becoming redundant. The role of technological devices is playing a critical role in the transformation of how learning occurs and knowledge is delivered. As a result of this transformation, students are able to work at a pace suitable to their ability and create amazing final products. Essentially the iPad is a tactile and engaging mobile device which could transform the way people learn.

Another great advantage to the iPads here at Melawati is the tech requirement issue. The iPad needs little if any maintenance and installing the software is simple, quick and easy - there is little need for much technical support. This is important because it puts the learner, teacher and school

Why iPads for Learning at Melawati? Three Teacher's Perspectives

Rami Madani, Director of Curriculum & Professional Development

At The International School of Kuala Lumpur we value the integration of technology at all levels to support the development of 21st century competencies. We strive to integrate technology as a transformative tool rather than as a simple replacement for pen and paper. Melawati started using iPads three years ago. We

are committed to supporting the full integration of technology into our programs through ongoing professional development as well as the acquisition of necessary software and hardware. This year ISKL continued to establish itself on the leading edge of tech integration and professional development by hosting an iPad Conference. Attendees came from over 40 schools from countries across Asia and Europe.

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December 2014 • Hornbill in control of their technology.

When all the potential functionality of the iPad is added up, its form factor, the iOS, the cameras, and the apps, it becomes clear that the iPad is a true personal learning device. It can be a science lab, literacy tool, research station, history archive, language lab, art canvas, music studio, video editing suite, games console and library. For the first time we have a device, an operating system and software which is agile enough to meet the learning needs for any subject, any age and all abilities!

By Azra Pathan, Grade 2 TeacheriPads have changed the teaching and

learning happening in Grade 2! As a pilot for 1:1 iPad implementation, we started out with baby steps but we seem to be moving in leaps and bounds! The energy and enthusiasm that it brings to students is expected. What is unexpected are the rich and layered learning opportunities that extend student learning--not just as a “tech substitute” but truly transformational. Our students are recording their thinking, reflecting on their learning, making observations with a variety of applications. With a few simple instructions, guided inquiry and structures in place, students are “smashing” apps (combining two or more apps) to build projects that reflect their learning. Amazing! To top it off, students can now share this globally with their own student blogs. Comments from parents (sometimes traveling across the world) gives them unique opportunities to share their learning with an authentic audience. With such a cross-disciplinary and global reach, iPads are quickly becoming integral to our learning at ISKL!

By Chris Wright, Grade 2 TeacherWhere to begin with how the iPad has

transformed both our teaching in Grade 2 and student learning? Student learning, however, is always at the heart of how we incorporate the use of technology in the classroom. In my experience, the notion of using an iPad has changed as I have learned how it becomes a powerful tool for learning, rather than a tech add-on. It has transformed a student’s understanding of concepts as they are able to capture their thinking through audio files and presentations. They are able to compare their thinking before and after learning new concepts in ways that were not possible before. Our students are learning to integrate the iPad into their learning and share with their peers. What has even more of an impact on student learning is that our students are able to share their thinking globally through their blog. It has empowered them with choice about what aspects of their learning they think are worth sharing. Gone are the days where each child does the same project in the same way. Our efforts to take thinking globally through our blog and other global projects means that concepts that they are learning are not left behind in the walls of the classroom. Rather, their thinking is pushed out for others to be inspired by resulting in making our students globally, responsible citizens!

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Alumni Update

This year ISKL turns 50 and we are excited to celebrate this tremendous milestone. If you are on the ISKL Ampang or Melawati campuses, please take a look at the ISKL history timeline. We hope you will join us throughout the year in this endeavor as we build on 50 years of excellence!

Upcoming ISKL Alumni Events

ISKL Annual KL Alumni Reception and Alumni Sports

Join us for student/alumni sports competitions in volleyball and touch rugby followed by an alumni reception. Please note: the reception portion of the day is for alumni, alumni parents, faculty and staff only. Location: ISKL Ampang CampusDate: Friday, December 19, 2014Time: 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Alumni/Student Volleyball (co-ed) 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Alumni/Student Touch Rugby (co-ed) 5:30 pm - 8:00 p.m. - Reception held in MPR1, ISKL Ampang To RSVP, please email us at: [email protected].

50th Anniversary Celebrations, April 9-12, 2015

We will have a host of celebrations this weekend with our 50th Anniversary Gala Evening being held at the Shangri-La Hotel KL on Saturday, April 11. Let's Celebrate! The evening begins with an opportunity to mingle with friends, followed by a program highlighting ISKL’s past, present and future. Featured in the program will be several of ISKL's former Heads of School, government dignitaries, reflections on what ISKL was for the past 50 years, and where we are headed in our next fifty! Many ISKL alumni students, teachers and administrators will be in attendance. Entertainment will include many people within our present community who will wow us on the catwalk with collections from top Malaysian Designers, music, dancing and an evening packed with lots of fun! Tickets cost RM300.

There will be a Malaysian Stalls event on Ampang Campus on Friday, April 10, 2015.

Please contact us at [email protected] for more information about the gala and timeline of the weekend. Tickets will go on sale to parents early in the spring semester. If you would like more information on the history of ISKL, or if you are ISKL alumni looking to share a memory or register, please take a look at our 50th website: www.iskl50years.org.

The Hornbill is a publication of the Board of Directors of the Society for the International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL), the organization composed of all parents of ISKL students. All families with students enrolled at ISKL receive it free of charge.

Board of Directors:Saif Malik (Chairman),

Omer Ehtisham (Vice-Chairman),Paul Rusch (Treasurer),

Kelly O’Hale (Secretary),Zahris Sham Abu Musa,

Andrew Davis, Lim Beng Guan, Edgard Kagan, San San Kee,

Bridget Kostelnik, Helene Seiler, David Thomas, Frank Whitaker,

Dato’ Sri Johann Young

The International School of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia P.O. Box 12645,

50784 Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaTelephone Numbers:

(603) 4259 5600 (Ampang) (603) 4104 3000 (Melawati)

E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.iskl.edu.my

Fax: (603) 4257 9044 (Ampang)Head of School • Dr. Norma HudsonMarketing Director • Hilda Alposilva

Editor, Design & Production • Paul S. UblProduction • Zaini Ariffin

Copy Editors:Anthony Hemmens & Bridgette Miller

KDN PERMIT NO.: PP 18374/01/2014(033757)

June 2014, Vol. 18 Number 3hornbillthe

Hornbill December 2014

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Transcript of Hornbill December 2014