Principal’s Address Dr Deborah Priest

AISM successfully hosted over 25 Member Schools at the AIMS Conference on 5 March At a meeting of the Association of International Malaysian Schools (AIMS) in February 2015, it was agreed by the Principals of the member schools that the Association should hold its inaugural conference in March 2016. The provision of quality professional development to teachers was agreed as vital to the provision of excellent education to students. It was the increasingly high cost of sending teachers to external conferences, with inconsistent quality of experiences, that resulted in the agreement to tap into the collective expertise of educators already within our association.

On Saturday 5 March, over 220 teachers, educators and leaders came to AISM to attend the first AIMS conference. The visitors were greeted by AISM student leaders from the Middle and Senior School, who also took on the role of hosts introducing and thanking the presenters in each of the sessions throughout the day. This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to showcase their leadership skills and they did an outstanding job. The conference began in the Auditorium with our Year 8 students playing a beautiful piece of music on the Gamelan. This welcome was then followed by a spellbinding keynote presentation by Mr Ronald Stones O.B.E. who spoke about the variety of ways that teachers and education leaders can continue to make a positive contribution to education once they leave the classroom. Throughout the day, presenters from across the AIMS schools shared their collective expertise in 20 different sessions covering a range of topics including:

Triangulating attainment, attitude and aptitude: to identify learning needs and provide targeted

interventions to improve primary pupil outcomes Integrating STEM design processes into the Science classroom through problem-based learning Developing a teacher’s toolkit to facilitate 21stC learning addressing critical and creative thinking The use of technology to develop reflective learners Curriculum design from building design: Learning space that facilitates learning

At the conclusion of the day participants were asked to provide feedback so that the event could be improved for 2017. Some comments from participants included:

“The AISM students were charming and excellent ambassadors for AIMS” - Suzie Allen, Prince of Wales Island International School

“I am inspired to try out some of the ideas in my class.” - Sashi Menon, Taylor’s International School Kuala Lumpur

“I feel like I’ve learned a lot by listening to other teachers’ experiences.” - Adelheid Wibel, German School, Kuala Lumpur

“I love that there was so much professional sharing right here in the city.” - Shannon Walsh, Sunway International School

“Excellent session on metacognition. Lots of practical ideas for the classroom.” - Alice Gashell, Alice Smith

The Organising Committee will meet one more time to review all of the feedback and to choose a school to take on the event and raise it to the next level in 2017. AISM has set the bar very high in 2016 with the Principal of ELC, Mrs Sheela Raghu, noting that “This is a tough act to follow AISM!” The success of the conference is due to the strength of the AISM team. I would like to thank:

The Facilities staff led by Shashi Asnani for their facilities and catering support The ICT staff led by Kiru Yogalingam for their seamless provision of ICT support The Security staff led by Sergeant Mathavan for guiding all the visitors for parking and

registration Grant Smith, and the Year 8 Gamelan players for opening the conference The Middle and Senior School Student Leaders for being outstanding leaders on the days Vino Nokaraju for his wonderful photography The AISM Senior Leadership Team for their support leading up to and on Saturday Kathryn Sutherland for the creating and facilitating the conference registration process Alice Wong for the catering arrangements, administration and her attention to detail to ensure

that the School was ready on Saturday morning.

Congratulations to everyone in the AISM team for a job well done!

Click here for more photos: AIMS Conference.. For the Safety of Students at our School To improve the safety of our students can all parents or their helpers please ensure that you:

1. Do not park in the drop-off area at the front of the School as this can cause major street

congestion. 2. Do not create a separate queue in the car park to avoid waiting in the queue on Jalan

Anggerik. This creates unnecessary traffic and additional hazards for unsupervised children walking to their parent’s car in the car park. The car park is for parents who park, walk into the school and escort their children through the car park to their car. The road queuing system works well and moves quickly once the students are released from class so please use the system that is in place.

3. Do not drop off or pick up children on the Blu Water's Estate side of the road as it encourages children to cross the road at the busiest time of the day and may encourage younger children to enter the road without supervision. While no-one likes to queue, the system is so well run now that it only takes 15 minutes for all cars to be disbursed at peak time.

With your support and cooperation we can provide a much higher level of security for your children. Thank you for your assistance in working together with our staff as a member of our School community to keep our students safe.

Junior School Graeme Naftel, Head of Junior School Junior School Leadership Induction Kerry Smith, Deputy Head of Junior School

The Induction Service for our newly elected leadership positions in the Junior School was conducted on Wednesday morning. It was a busy morning with 52 children recognised for their efforts to become leaders for the love they hold for their school and their hopes to make it a better place. In their effort to become part of our Student Parliament, they each had to present a speech to their school community, and some had to be interviewed. They were brave, well prepared and determined to overcome their nerves and lack of confidence to become part of something bigger than just themselves. We are so very proud of their efforts. We have chosen them as leaders of our school. They will seek out our concerns, think about ways to make our community a happier, safer and more productive place, and ultimately, make decisions on our behalf. This is a new system. Last year, we had leadership posts, but not as many and not as relevant to all our students as we hope our new Student Parliament will be. This year, we have four student-led teams that will feed their ideas and feedback into our Junior School Leadership Team. At AISM, we believe all of us are leaders in some way. A leader isn’t the person who always chooses the ‘popular’ path. A leader isn’t just the loudest or the funniest. A leader is the child who encourages others to choose a better path. A leader is sometimes the quiet friend, who listens and comforts. A leader is often modest and humble - they aren’t looking to make popular decisions, but the right decisions for the greater good. A leader is always brave. We are expecting our new leaders to behave with integrity, passion, kindness and respect. Since they were elected, they have been watched, and heard and seen. They have already made mistakes, and will make more. But it is in the way our leaders now need to continually to strive for what is RIGHT, that they will be helping others. They will teach us that sometimes, the right path is not easy, popular or fun but it is fair, and it is just. Four of our audience helped demonstrate the difficult path of leadership; Manami, Euan, Aila and Hideaki. We very much enjoyed their serious but amusing performance! Our staff leaders were present to congratulate the new post holders as was Mr West, our School Guidance Counsellor, whose sage advice and gentle leadership helps us all daily to make better decisions. All Student Parliament members received certificates, and some received their shiny new badges of office. We are currently having more made, and soon, our Committee members will all have new badges. We will notify you when the new design arrives. It was a lovely ceremony and I thank the cast of thousands on stage, the wonderful children in the audience and the parents who were able to attend to help us celebrate a chance to veer away from ‘what we have always done’ to a place where we can genuinely build the leadership capacity of our children.

What Children Really Want When They Ask For Help I have been extremely fortunate to have worked in five excellent schools during my career, and recently stated to a prospective parent that the Junior School at AISM is the gentlest school in which I have worked. I most definitely spend less time dealing with behaviour management issues here than at any of my previous schools. That does not, however, mean that all children at AISM are angels or that they never make bad choices. Of course they do, and from time to time I do work with students to help them see the error of their choices and to make amends for their actions. Professor Donna Cross, who is based at the University of Western Australia, is an internationally renowned expert on child health issues. She has worked on research projects in Australia, USA, Canada, Finland, Denmark, Japan and Israel, and has published work on child health issues relating to drug use, nutrition, road safety, smoking and bullying prevention. Some time ago I had the pleasure of hearing Professor Cross present on the issue of student wellbeing. She showed the following slide in relation to bullying and two issues are glaringly apparent.

Firstly, less than 15% of boys who said they were dealing with an issue sought help from an adult, whilst less than half of girls dealing with an issue chose to seek help. Secondly, and even more concerning, is the startling percentage of children who reported that when they asked an adult for help, the situation did not in fact improve. Professor Cross suggests use of the LATE model when talking to children who seek help. L: Listen Actively listen, and ensuring that adults do not engage in behaviours that imply we don’t have time to fully listen to the child’s concern. A: Acknowledge Regardless of whether we believe it should be a cause of concern for the child, we need to acknowledge that it is. Even throw-away lines like, ‘Just ignore it’ can send a message to children that we are not taking them seriously. T: Talk about options

This is most powerful when the child comes up with options themselves. We can facilitate a conversation that explores the pros and cons of each option, but as with most things, when the individual comes up with a solution, they are more likely to put that into action. E: End with encouragement Encouraging the child to put into action what has been discussed and setting a time for a follow up chat is essential. Also acknowledging again that, whilst it doesn’t guarantee success, they did the right thing by seeking help. Whilst the LATE model is an extremely useful approach for teachers to use when working with their students, it also offers any adult a simple way to better engage with children, or indeed friends, family members or colleagues, when they seek our help. Grade of The Week - Year 4

Visible Learning

An important aspect of being a Visible Learner is being able to understand and verbalise how you learn. In Year 4, students have been looking at their individual learning styles and developing their understanding of their preferred learning method. That is, word-wise, body-wise, logic-wise, picture-wise, people-wise, self-wise, music-wise, nature-wise. The students have been reflecting on the people who help them to learn and the importance of the variety of people who help them in their learning process.

As part of our study of poetry, the students in Year 4 have been focusing on rhyming poems, Dylan Thomas Portrait poems, and Haikus.

Have you ever seen a tiger? Sharp teeth, soft fur

big eyes, sharp claws, big ears.

Charlie Kimpton

Have you ever seen a panda only eat ice cream and jelly? Awesome pet, tasty pet food

Perfect look, best ever!

Siche Li

Have you ever seen a Hippogriff? Very polite, deadly bite

Gliding wings, hungry beak.

Nikhil Rao

ever seen a Mean Girl? Evil Genius, sneaky snake

Professional death-stare, fierce tiger.

Tamay Delavar

Cakes

Let’s mix the butter, flour and eggs. And make a cake for my friend Megs.

When I put on the sprinkles I get little tinkles.

The cakes are good because my mummy She bakes them well; they are yummy

When I’m sick I like the smell It really does make me well As we know cakes are good

We should eat them, we really should. Cakes are used for lots of things. One thing is they don’t have wings.

Tayla Halvy

Jasmin Van Damme Felia Sigalingging

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Junior School Lunch Hour Music

AISM's Lunchtime Concert Series took place in March, with Junior School students being given the opportunity to perform in front of students and teachers over a series of weeks. The first session was 'Instrumental', and students performed on any instrument of their choosing. The following week featured the vocal talents of the Junior School students who sang to their favourite tunes. Through these activities, AISM encourages students to let their musical creativity flow, as they have a great time with their teachers and peers.

Click here to view the video

Middle and Senior School (MSS) Ivan McLean, Head of Middle and Senior Schools

Visible Learning This term a team of teachers from AISM have been working on an action plan for the continued implementation of Visible Learning in our School. The team has been working with teachers across Junior, Middle and Senior Schools to ensure that we achieve our own intentions. Our aim is to become a fully accredited Visible Learning School by 2017. In order to do this there are still a number of elements that we are embedding into our daily practice. In addition, we are also endeavouring to embed Thinking Routines into our curricula and to ensure our students are assessment-capable Visible Learners. In the MSS this means that students are able to:

Think effectively Know how to learn Understand their progress Use and give feedback effectively

Each of the four cornerstones for being a Visible Learner will be explicitly taught to the students over time. Already your children should be able to talk about the learning intentions of their lessons and how they know whether they have succeeded in achieving the learning intention.

Camp Week

During Week 10, all of our Year 6 to Year 11 students will be attending camp at various locations. This is a very important component of our holistic focus on education at AISM. Not only are the camps embedded as part of our curriculum, they also provide the opportunity for students to work with others that they would not normally do so as part of their school day. It is also a great opportunity for teachers to work with students on a different level and develop positive relationships with students that they may not necessarily teach. It is a good time to remind students of the importance of participation and working with others. In understanding what it means to be a global citizen, we all have to appreciate that there are others less fortunate than ourselves. The Service Learning component that our students embark on throughout most of these camps affords them this opportunity. Your child will be faced with some challenges while on camp - activities are progressively designed across the year groups to increasingly adjust to these challenges in more and more complex situations. It is important to support them in extending and challenging themselves and in building resilience outside of their comfort zone. All activities are carefully monitored by staff members and/or camp providers; your children are in good hands. At the recent Camp Information Sessions, important details were shared with all parents which include emergency contact details of the Camp Leader. Please only contact the staff in matters of emergency, as staff are engaged throughout the duration of the camp in activities and supervision of the students. We need our students to be on their very best behaviour during this time. Please refer to the information on expected student behaviour in the camp information materials that have been provided to you.

Most importantly, visas (where required) should be organised for those who did not use the School’s offer to help arrange, or for those who could not. Additionally, all parents and guardians were asked to ENSURE that times for dropping off and picking up students for camps will be adhered to. It is particularly important to note that students should not be asked to catch a taxi or a train back BY THEMSELVES at the end of a camp. There should be someone in attendance at the airport, or at School for Years 6 and 7 students, to pick students up personally and this person should be clearly identified on the information already supplied to your Camp Leader / Year Coordinator. Year 12 Examination Block During Week 10, all Year 12 students will be sitting their half-yearly examinations for HSC. An examination timetable and set of rules and procedures were distributed to the Year 12 students last week. Additionally, Mrs Sutherland and I met with all of the Year 11 students together and then with all of the Year 12 students together to review the examination rules and ensure that all students understood the requirements. To assist with studying for these examinations, here are some general study tips referenced from Stella Cottrell’s “The Study Skills Handbook”:

Identify what is really needed. - Study assignment titles carefully. Work out exactly what is

required for assignments. This saves time in re-writing assignments later. Time spent in preparation is well spent.

Work strategically - Set yourself clear goals and work towards these. Make the material meaningful - Looking for 'the meaning' or how things work, rather than

focusing on remembering information. Work with the material, looking at how it fits together and applies to different circumstances. If you develop your understanding of the subject, it will help you to take in future material more easily. This makes reading easier. It also improves your memory for the subject.

Look for links - Be active in searching out links between different aspects of the program. Look also for links between what you are learning and the wider world. This helps to develop understanding and memory.

Work with others - Work with other students so that you share ideas and gain mutual support. You may be able to share some research tasks and clarify your class notes. Studying with others makes study more interesting, as you gain a different set of perspectives.

Take care of yourself - Take rests when you are tired. Study takes longer and the brain is less effective when you are tired or stressed.

Plan your time - so that you get breaks. A change of scene - can stimulate the brain and help creative thinking.

Here comes the Sun! Susan Skinner,Science Teacher

Kuala Lumpur experienced a partial solar eclipse this week, on Wednesday 9 March. Students, parents and staff were able to use pinhole viewers and modified binoculars (with special solar film) to view the changing shape of the Sun, without looking directly at the sun. The timing of the event was perfect for the start of a school day! The eclipse occurred between 7:30am and 9:30am. At 8:30am, Kuala Lumpur experienced 80% coverage. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth so that the Sun is wholly or partially obscured.

Special thank you to Science staff, students and parents who assisted each other, in particular Year 8 students Dash Emerson and Syamel Greatorex. Thank you also to Mr Rossini Costa for sharing his modified binoculars.

Click here for more photos: Here Comes the Sun!.. Source: National Planetarium, Accessed 8 March 2016 This is what we were able to see -

Making Food with Microbes Susan Skinner, Science Teacher Year 6 students have been learning about food production and factors that affect the survival of living things such as microbes. We were able to put our learning into action this week when we went on an excursion to both the Yakult factory at Seremban and Beryl’s Chocolate factory at Seri Kembangan. Probiotic drinks such as Yakult contain billions of ‘good’ bacteria per 80ml, promising to survive the journey through your stomach to your intestines to improve your health. Can the same be said for chocolate? Well, the first step in the production of chocolate is to empty the seeds out of their pods, pile them into a heap, cover them over, and allow them to ferment (rot?) for around a week, so that the flavour changes from sour apple to delicious chocolate. Students were fascinated watching the production line at both factories and were able to sample tasty products at each. We had an excellent learning experience!

Trip to the Theatre

My Experience at the Theatre by Annabel Ho of Year 7

I was on an excursion to the PJ Live Arts Center to watch a play by a group of four English men called the HandleBards acting a play called A Midsummer Night's Dream. I always wondered what a play by William Shakespeare will be like so I was quite EXCITED to see this play! When we finally were seated in the auditorium where the HandleBards will be playing. Then, four men in purple, blue, green and red came out of a tent like set up. They introduced themselves and they seem very nice to me. They said a few words about their past experiences and why they were called the HandleBards( because they always carry their equipment on bikes and travel in bikes). They then said who will be playing who in the play. I thought there will be girl actors behind setup to play the girl characters in the play but the man in green said that they will be playing ALL the characters, even the lady characters. I was speechless at those words, I was like ‘ What now?’, but I wasn't so surprised as they are experienced actors. As the show started, I quietly watched as they switch characters here and there, ringing a bicycle bell to tell the audience they switched characters. There was a funny scene when the fairy queen ( acted by the man in purple) is hoisted onto the shoulders of the man in green, as if the queen is levitating, with the other two actors attaching GIGANTIC wings as if the queen is showing her power but the midway through her speech, a wing fell off the back of the fairy queen, so the ‘queen’ took ‘her’ normal, small wing and flaps that instead. It was hilarious! I found that seriously funny! Another funny moment was when Puck, played by the man in blue, sprays the love flower’s dew onto the Lysander, played by the man in green, with a water gun in the eyes. That was just plain funny. When the show stops halfway through the play, they asked a few questions of what's going to happen later in the story as a few people answered the questions.

The Handlebards - A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Louis Manders-Jones of Year 8 Last week students in Years 7 and 8 went on an excursion to a theatre featuring the Handlebards, a British travelling theatrical group that carries all of their equipment on their bikes! The play itself was extremely well put together and witty. For example, a performer would ring a bike bell whenever they change character, putting on something linked to that character at the same time. It was all presented in the original Shakespearean text though in a way that words flowed on to one another and didn’t even sound like it was any different to the modern differentiated text. Overall, the play was extremely humourous, ecstatic, fun, romantic, and yet sophisticated (to an extent at least) and I would highly recommend this to anyone interested as this is not only amazing, but the best play I think I have ever seen. (I have also recommended it to my sister, and she went the following weekend agreeing how well put together and funny it was.)

AISM Participates in "F1 in Schools” Program Fergus Tighe, Design & Technology Teacher

As of today, F1 in Schools is the largest and most successful school based Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths

(STEM) program in the world with 40 countries and 20 million students taking part. The Year 8 Design & Technology

students this semester are required to create an F1 design team. They will need to create an F1 brand, logo, identity,

business sponsorship and engineer a balsa wood F1 car that will race against other teams and schools. As this is the

first year AISM is entering F1 in Schools, six lucky Year 8 Design & Technology students were chosen to attend their

first F1 in schools race and shared their experience and excitement with the other teams at AISM.

For more information please click the following link, www.f1inschools.com

Careers Corner Chris Broadbent, Careers and Pathways Advisor

Careers Corner - Futurewise

Over the next week, Year 10 students will receive a briefing session about a careers guidance service that we provide to students called Futurewise . Futurewise ensures that young people get the right level of support and information at the key-transitional stages of their educational development.

Psychometric profiling

Futurewise membership begins with psychometric profiling, designed to identify abilities, aptitudes, personality traits and interests. This profiling looks for fundamental abilities and the scores are not improved by revision so students of all academic abilities are able to complete the process.

The profiling results are presented in a series of graphs, tables and easy-to-read reports. The report concludes by identifying a number of career paths based upon the student's profile results and subsequent further research.

Futurewise members receive an interview with a careers guidance professional to discuss their profile report and academic and vocational aspirations. During this interview, students have the opportunity to talk through the outcomes and identify their next steps, actions and research. Parents are welcome to attend this interview.

Members will gain access to the Futurewise website provides students with the opportunity to research universities, higher education and careers options, and up to date information from around the world. Students will also have access to an information, advice and guidance helpline (phone or email) to answer career and higher-education related questions.

One of the key features of Futurewise is that students will have access to this service until their 23rd birthday, providing ongoing support for students who may leave us for other schools, while at university and also for those applying for their first jobs.

For a one-time fee of UK£226 or approx RM1350 your child benefits from a Futurewise enrolment lasting for many years.

The psychometric testing session will run on Monday 30 May, with follow-up interviews on 31 May and June.

If you would like your child to be enrolled with Futurewise, please return the reply slip your child brought home to Mr. Broadbent by Wednesday 6 April. Spare copies can be collected from the MSS Reception.

If you would like to know more about Futurewise Mr Broadbent will be providing an information session for any interested parents on Thursday 17 March, 3.10pm - 4.20pm in AG08. You might also like to visit their website at www.myfuturewise.org.uk.

University Visits this week Deakin University, Australia We were delighted to welcome Ms Anne Roubin from the Faculty of Arts and Education International Projects Officer from Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia on Monday 7 March. She spoke to students about the interesting range of courses that focus on the fields of communication, media, performing arts, film and digital media and visual arts. Deakin University has a reputation for developing professional and vocational skills beyond the traditional lecture-based university teaching style. www.deakin.edu.au/arts-ed/about-the-faculty-of-arts-and-education Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia On Wednesday 9 March AISM also welcomed Ms Nikki Kay from the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine of Bond University. She spoke to students about Health Sciences, Biomedical Science, Exercise and Sports Science. https://bond.edu.au/about-bond/academia/faculty-health-sciences-medicine Upcoming University Visits

Jacobs University, Germany - March 14 11am (AG08). An English-language residential university in the hanseatic city of Bremen, Germany. They have an international student body with students representing over 114 nations other than Germany. www.jacobs-university.de Bond University, Australia - March 15 1.25pm (AG08). Bond is a private not-for-profit university located in Robina, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. We are welcoming back Miss Regina Milanes to speak to students on the full range of courses on offer. https://bond.edu.au/ University College Dublin, Ireland - March 16 1.25pm (AG08) Professor Jeremy Simpson will be visiting us and giving the students insight into the research that UCD does in Biology and Environmental Science. www.ucd.ie

Sports Corner Kim Bradley, Sports Coordinator

AISM Athletics Carnival 2016 A successful athletics carnival was held in March for students in the Middle and Senior School. Below are the names of outstanding athletes who performed well on the day. BOYS Age-Group Champion Runner Up

U/11 Gian Sutter

Daniel Morris

U/12 Yan Zhao Tan Ross Weir

U/13 Syamel Greatorex Phon-Athip Kanyaprasitthi

U/14 Dash Emerson Jack Teoh

U/15 Alex Khoo Nick Werner

U/16 Patrick Heaton Kaveen Parthiban

Open Dylan McKibbin Edly Elias

GIRLS Age-Group Champion Runner Up

U/11 Tania Thong Anna Huggel

U/12 Ariana Eimer Poppy Grosse

U/13 Ashley Boudeville Sydney Maynard

U/14 Cassandra Koumouris Yasmine McKibbon

U/15 Aysa Arjmand Bahar Eve Weir

U/16 Kim Kam Ina Hobson

Open Vera Michiels Marenda McPhee & Lynette Too

HOUSE WINNER: Rafter Click here to view the full Middle & Senior School Athletics aRecords

International Schools Athletic Conference (ISAC) Athletics Carnival Middle and Senior School Carnival leading athletes from, AISM went on to represent the School in the ISAC competition. AISM placed 6th Overall out of 13 schools. The girls finished 4th overall and the boys finished 7th overall. Particularly impressive results were achieved by:

Gold: Ashley Boudeville - U/ 13 Discus- ISAC Record Aysa Arjmand Bahar - U/15 Shot Put Hayley Millett - U/13 Javelin Silver: Ashley Boudeville - U/13 200m Yasmine Mckibbon - U/15 Discus Marius Nafte l- U/15 Javelin Yan Zhao Tan - U/ 13 High Jump Bronze: Patrick Heaton - 15+ 400m Yasmine McKibbon - U/15 Shot Put AISM Record Breakers for 2016: Sheet Provided

International Schools Athletic Conference (ISAC) Junior School Athletics Carnival Elliot Roberts, Junior School Co Curricular Activities Coordinator ISAC Athletics Carnival took place on 26 February, 2016 at Matsushita Stadium, Shah Alam. It was an early start for the Junior School team, heading off on the school bus at 6.15am to arrive at the stadium for a group warm up. The first events saw the girls take to the track and the boys head out to complete in their field events. The day quickly heated up as our competitors hurried around the stadium, having little or no break between events in the sweltering conditions. It was pleasing to see the Junior School win a number of medals in individual events, but also take out 2nd place in the Under 9s Girls 4x100m relay and 3rd place in the Under 9s Boys 4x100m relay. AISM finished an impressive 4th overall in the Primary School category. A special thank you must go out to all of the parents who attended the day and Mitchell O’Brien and Suzy Walker for their tireless efforts running events and marshalling students on the day. Congratulations to all on a successful carnival. Medal winners: William Brand 2nd - U9s Boys 200m

Lee Hanz 1st - U9s Girls Long Jump 3rd - U9s Girls High Jump

Tane Dolan 1st - U9s Boys Long Jump 2nd - U9s Boys High Jump 1st - U9s Boys Long Jump 3rd - U9s Boys Discus (coit throw) 3rd - U9s Boys 400m

Eliza Tan 1st - U9s Girls 200m 1st - U9s Girls High Jump 2nd - U9s Girls 100m 2nd - U9s Girls 50m 1st - U9s Girls High Jump

Rafael Drummond-Costa 2nd - U9s Boys 100m

Tania Thong 2nd - U11s Girls 800m

Yin Jenn Goh 2nd - U11s Girls 100m

Relays 2nd - U9s Girls 4x100 relay 3rd - U9s Boys 4x100 relay

Under 18 Boys Basketball versus Taylor’s International School Taylor’s International School travelled to AISM for a 2015 rematch. The final score was 58 - 50 in favour of AISM. It was a hard fought win, with AISM fighting back in the 3rd quarter. The team played exceptionally well and stuck to the game plan (mostly!!). Coach Wells was extremely happy with the way the boys played. A special mention goes to Desmond for saving us with his speed, agility and skillful lay-ups. International Schools Athletic Conference (ISAC) Badminton On Sunday 6 March, the AISM Badminton Team represented the school by participating in the ISAC tournament. It is the first time AISM has made it this far in the ISAC tournament and it is a great achievement for the Team. In the previous years, the AISM Team had failed to make it past the preliminary rounds but this year both teams of boys and girls managed to compete against all the schools in the competition, resulting in the boys team gaining a 6th placing and the girls, 4th place. This tournament is a team tournament where points are counted per team and not per individual, showing that AISM's players have great team work. In the first rounds AISM faced Mont Kiara International School with scores, boys (5-0) and girls ( 4-1). Second round, AISM vs Gardens International School with scores boys ( 2-3 ) and girls ( 1-4 ). Third round, AISM vs Sunway International School with scores boys ( 0-5 ) and girls ( 3-2 ). Fourth round, AISM vs International School Kuala Lumpur with scores boys (1-4 ) and girls ( 2-3 ). Sadly, the final round AISM vs Nexus International School and both teams lost ( 0-5 ). Overall, it was a really productive day as all the players did their best and fought for every point gained besides having enjoyed themselves. The AISM Team would also like to thank the parents and coach who showed up for support. The Boys Team consisted of Jackson Lim, Shaun Chew, Jason Pheng, Arunasva Bhuyan, Dylan Mckibbin and Reeve Lai.The Girls Team consisted of Vanessa Soo, Ayana Scivetti, Cassandra Koumouris, Jasmine Teoh, Aoi Kanada, Kong Qi Lin and Natalie Bong. Vanessa Soo, Year 11W

AISM wins 2nd Annual Epsom Netball Tournament Alison Jafari, Coach

On the afternoon of Wednesday 2 March, Mrs Jafari and our two senior teams (Opens and Under 15s) travelled to Epsom College to participate in their annual netball competition. We played in a round-robin competition against TISKL, KTJ and Epsom. Both teams played well, and showed that our 7:45am training sessions on Fridays are paying off! The Open Team played well against all teams, winning three matches convincingly, but came up against a strong Epsom side, going down to the eventual champions. Our Opens were declared runners up. The Under 15s Team also had a successful afternoon, playing consistently and working well together as a team. Their final match of the afternoon effectively became their decider, with the girls needing a win to be declared champions. In a tense match, the defensive players stepped up their game and the attacking players held their nerve, and I am pleased to say that we came away from the afternoon undefeated, winning the final match 5-4. The girls were presented with the championship trophy for their efforts. I congratulate both teams on their consistent effort, sportsmanship and teamwork. They represented AISM proudly and we look forward to future netball adventures together.

Wednesday 13 March 2016

The Open girls will get another chance to win next Wednesday when they play Taylor’s International School in U/18 girls basketball at AISM.

If you are interested in participating in any of the triathlon events please visit the Facebook Page of Tri-series for schools. AISM is hosting a triathlon in October, but there are a number of events prior to this. https://www.facebook.com/SchoolTriSeries

Library News Denise Miller, Library Services Coordinator

“Libraries should be the beating heart of the school, not mausoluems for dusty books.” Stephanie Harvery Last week, I attended a two-day Librarians knowledge Sharing Workshop , “Light up Your Library” hosted by Garden International School. It was a wonderful opportunity to share ideas such as flexible library spaces, eBooks, and best teaching practises in a library. On Thursday a group of the participating librarians visited our library and were most impressed.

School Counsellor Justin West, School Counsellor

This week, I have included an article from the pen of Andrew Fuller, a well-known Melbourne-based author, presenter and psychologist who specialises in adolescent mental health and parenting issues. Andrew talks about the benefits of nurturing a positive growth mindset in our young people. Some young people, this approach or attitude comes naturally, while for others, it may take some time to help shift them from a “can’t do” to a “can do” attitude. His article, entitled “From ‘Can’t Do’ to ‘Can Do’” is thought provoking and provides lots of food for thought. I hope you enjoy it. Please click here to access the article “From ‘can’t do’ to ‘can do’ ” Next week, I will be running a parent-education workshop on common mental health issues in adolescence. The focus of this session is about keeping you informed of the current research on the most common mental issues affecting our young people, and being aware of signs and symptoms, and treatment options to support the young person and the family. Here are the details: Workshop: Mental Health and Young People (open to all parents) When: Wednesday, 16 March Where: Large Discussion Room in the Library Time: 9.15am - 10.00am I look forward to talking with you next week.

Photography Tips Anna Wood, Years 9 and 10 Photography and Digital Media Teacher

Keeping a Record What do you do with all of your child's artwork or completed projects ? If like me you are inundated, here are some ideas: -Take photos of you child completing the work. Then frame the work with the photo of the process inset. -When your child brings the work home take a picture of it and then use the art as wrapping paper for gifts. -Use the work as a background for a scrapbook for that year of your child's life. sticking pictures from that year on top of it. -Set aside a plastic box and at the end of every term have your child choose the best one, or two pieces to keep. - Send good pieces of work to share with grandparents. Do you have any burning photographic questions that you would like answering? Then please email me annawood@aism.edu.my.

Photo of the Week Emelyn Chan, Year 9

Service Learning Colleen Derham, HOD Service Learning

Service Learning - Chin Immersion and Co-Curricular Program

We are happy to welcome the Chin students back to AISM in 2016. Last week thirty five (35) happy and excited Chin students attended a variety of classes in Junior School and Middle School. AISM students extended a warm welcome and helped the new students settle into the respective classes. The Chin students will be visiting every fortnight and relish the opportunity to experience student life at AISM.

Ten AISM students have volunteered to help during the Chin CCA. This semester we will be focusing on building literacy skills through ICT. Students work together to plan lessons for the Chin students and take a lead role in conducting the class and helping students. This term we are using the IPads to create stop-animation and next term we will be doing a ‘tell-your-story’ project.

Service Learning - The Lost Towel Project Last year AISM became a supporter of the Lost Towel Project. This project was established by a number of volunteers to create a safe and sustainable way for the Chin families to earn an income.

All towels are high quality, ethically manufactured and you come in red, blue, yellow and green (house colours)

Each towel will be embroidered by one of the Chin refugees, with your child's name and comes in a personalised draw-string bag.

Towels are currently on display outside the finance office.

Order forms are available from respective reception areas or see the attachement below

Towels cost RM90 (please see the order form for payment details). All profits go directly to the Chin refugees

Click here to download the form. Term One orders are now being taken. Last order is Thursday 7 April (Week 11). For more information see The Lost Towel Project Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/thelosttowelproject?fref=ts Thank you to the AISM community for supporting this community project.

Health Services Denise McFarlane, School Nurse

Body Substance Spill Kits The Health Services Department, taught cleaning staff how to clean up body substance spills to help stop the spread of germs and protect the cleaning staff and the school community. Head School nurse, Mrs McFarlane prepared Body Substance Spill Kits for the cleaners to use. These kits are for one use only and can be obtained from Health Services. In order to be environmentally friendly, the school nurses recycle the sawdust shavings from Design and Technology to cover the body substance spills which soak up the spills and bad odours. Health Services are always thinking of ways to improve standards of Health and Safety in the school setting. Handwashing Program for Foundation students

In continuing with the Health Services Handwashing Program, Mrs McFarlane Head School Nurse, visited both classes in Foundation (Year FG and FW) in Junior School. The emphasis was how to not spread germs and the importance of hand washing. All students took home a poster (Follow Frank’s Fingertips) which is displayed in all the bathrooms on handwashing tips and were each given a sticker. Breast Cancer Awareness for Year 11 students This week in the library, Year 11 female students were given a talk by Mrs McFarlane. The topic was regarding Breast Cancer Awareness. The Health Services are proud to adopt the “Get In Touch Girls' Program” breast-health initiative to educate girls about the importance of breast self-examination. Our school nurses have added the Daisy Wheel to their health education efforts. We are excited about our collaboration with the Get In Touch Foundation in their crusade against breast cancer. Every students got to take home a Daisy Wheel after the talk. Website: getintouchfoundation.org/

EUROASIA STRINGS COMPETITION 2016

Students are invited to participate in the EUROASIA STRINGS COMPETITION (ESC) in the fourth edition of the Euroasia Competition Series in three categories:Open, Young Artiste, and Ensemble. Participants should be no older than the cut-off age stated of each age group. The Competition Series, inaugurated in 2013, was established with the main purpose of providing a platform for young musicians to expose themselves to international standards of music competition. It hopes to recognise talents at various stages of their musical development, for identifying those who can project an all-balanced state of creativity, imagination in choice of repertoire and artistic excellence. The Jury evaluates student performances based on technical aspects, expressive quality of interpretation, and - most importantly - absolute musicianship of performance. For full information on Application, please refer to the form below. Form EUROASIA STRINGS COMPETITION 2016 New Students AISM is delighted to welcome the following new students who joined us recently.

No Surname First Name Year Group Gender Nationality

1 Sadural Mila Leticia 7G Female Australia

2 Sadural Jesse Reynaldo 5G Male Australia